The Queen's Rise to the Top

Chapter 343

Nan XiangWan was the fifth to go on stage. By this point, over half of the show had already been recorded, so her spot right in the middle was the prime position for maximum impact.

It's worth mentioning that the act right before her was Wu Sisi.

Wu Sisi sang a ballad about heartbreak and loss in love. Her performance this time was pretty good - singing about romantic failure resonates easily with the audience.

But unfortunately for her, right after she finished, it was Nan XiangWan's turn.

Yet another showdown on quality!

The stage went pitch black as the staff quickly reset it. The electronic display lit up with the song title - Wanderer's Tale.

Amidst the silence, a beam of light shone down. The opening notes of the piano accompaniment rang out, revealing a crystal piano that had emerged under the spotlight.

There were instant sounds of recognition and a round of applause from the audience!

The barrage of online commentary exploded as well-

:A crystal piano! We get to see it again!

:Is it the one from her concert? The same one?

:Yes! It's that 20 million crystal piano ahhhhhh!

:Hold up, 20 million? For real?

:Here's the link - Heintzman crystal piano, only one in the world!

:Holy cow, Nan Wang is baller!

.....

Nan XiangWan sat at the piano, her fingers gliding smoothly over the black and white keys.

Bathed in the dazzling lights, the crystal piano and her hair both shone brightly, elevating her to an almost divine image.

Just this opening scene was enough to capture hearts, with some in the audience already clasping their hands tightly.

The prelude melody from the piano was heartwrenching!

25 seconds into the accompaniment, Nan XiangWan leaned towards the mic.

This time, she didn't artificially adjust her vocal tone, instead singing out in her original voice -

[And so I bid farewell to the home below the mountain]

[I truly could not bear to easily let my tears fall]

She sang softly, as if narrating a story in her unique vocal timbre.

Accompanied gently by the piano, Nan XiangWan sang tranquilly while the audience listened silently below.

2 minutes later, Nan XiangWan stood up from the piano and removed the mic as well.

The backing band continued playing, the music growing steadily more intense.

Nan XiangWan walked to the front of the stage and closed her eyes.

2 minutes 30 seconds in.

She unleashed the high notes -

[I thought I wasn't too bad]

[Able to learn to be false]

Her emotional investment began pouring out thickly!

The entire high note segment was delivered with utmost smoothness, showcasing the supremacy of her vocal technique!

The audience instantly erupted into applause, with some dabbing their already moist eyes.

Nan XiangWan opened her eyes, her body starting to tremble as she sang the emotionally charged parts!

[How can I see through the lies behind the masks]

[Don't let my true heart scatter like sand]

Like an abandoned orphan, lonely to the bone.

At this point, no one dared to look straight into her eyes, the emotions laid bare within them...too intense!

The entire performance had gone beyond just singing a song, instead morphing into a cathartic outpouring, a kind of heart-wrenching scream!

Some girls in the audience couldn't take the overwhelming emotions anymore, breaking down in tears and sobbing uncontrollably.

A few males were also seen covering their faces or with slightly wet eyes.

Nan XiangWan's grasp of music and ability to convey emotion had reached virtuoso levels!

Gu Beihuai was stunned speechless below the stage, his heart aching.

This was the song he had picked for little chick, but he really hadn't expected her to sing it so poignantly it made him want to cry.

Meanwhile, Jie Chou next to him already had his collar soaked with tears.

Jie Chou: "Waa! Waa waa waa!"

Crying as he tugged Gu Beihuai's sleeve to wipe his tears.

Gu Beihuai: "......"

The nice, sad mood - shattered in an instant by Jie Chou!

On stage, the intense emotional catharsis continued all the way until the ending.

Nan XiangWan's polished high notes, line after line, lanced the hearts of the audience over and over.

She finished the last line with what sounded like a sigh in her song, symbolizing a sense of helplessness despite one's utmost efforts.

[Can I still sing out that image within the song]

Comment section -

:You sang me to tears

:So agonizing! Too oppressive!

:Baby Nan waa waa waa! Has baby Nan had it very tough all these years? Baby Nan wahhh wahhh!

:Just what kind of experiences allowed her to convey such emotions?

:Has Nan XiangWan suffered some harm before?

:All I can say is, Nan XiangWan smashes it!

:Is it inappropriate to post reaction gifs at a time like this? Ah whatever, here goes - [Sparkling sparkling].gif

...

The [Sparkling sparkling].gif reaction image captured a scene from the opening where Nan XiangWan's shining hair was glimmering under the lights, countless rhinestones flashing beautifully to the extreme.

After finishing her song, Nan XiangWan headed off stage, walking past executive director Zhang Rui who was waiting for her below.

Zhang Rui wiped his face and nodded at her.

Nan XiangWan likewise nodded back before heading to the waiting room.

Zhang Rui sighed and shook his head.

A genius of this caliber, yet Yan Qin and Wu Sisi chose to oppose her?

Among the younger generation today, no one even came close to Nan XiangWan's onstage charisma and ability to captivate emotions!

The abundance of red-rimmed eyes in the audience was proof of that.

And Nan XiangWan had gone right after Wu Sisi's song too - the back-to-back contrast on stage served to highlight the difference even more!

Originally slated to perform fourth, Wu Sisi's votes should not have a big differential at this point, but after this direct comparison...

The final vote tally could no longer be guaranteed!

...

At this time, the stage was being reset, with the crystal piano carefully transported down by staffers, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

People from Hua Wan Entertainment were waiting by the door to haul it away immediately after the song.

This piano was too expensive, they couldn't afford any accidents.

But just as the staffers had brought the piano down off stage, they ran right into Wu Sisi.

Wu Sisi hadn't returned to the waiting room, instead lingering around until Nan XiangWan had finished singing.

She was in an awful mood - both had sung sad ballads, one right after the other.

Nan XiangWan had sung it too perfectly, instantly making Wu Sisi's own singing seem contrived!

Catching sight of this piano now, Wu Sisi strode right over, reaching out to touch it...

Having learnt music since young, Wu Sisi was familiar with quite a few instruments and had seen her share of fine pieces.

But she hadn't seen this piano before, and was suddenly seized by desire and jealousy!

Why does Nan XiangWan get to use such a good piano?

The staffers were instantly flustered, one quickly moving to block her.

Wu Sisi was somewhat unhappy. "What, I can't even touch it?"

Staffer, wiping cold sweat: "Teacher Wu, this piano belongs privately to Teacher Nan XiangWan..."

Wu Sisi scoffed. "So?"

Staffer: "You still shouldn't touch it, if anything happens we working folks will have to take responsibility, which we can't afford."

Wu Sisi: "You can't afford it, doesn't mean I can't! Piss off!"

She shoved the man aside and abruptly reached out to flip the piano cover open.

The staffer panicked and rushed to stop her again.

The two grappled for a bit before with a fierce yank, Wu Sisi's elbow struck the side of the piano.

The studs on her denim jacket...

Clang!

An impact sound rang out, immediately followed by a harsh scraping noise!

Wu Sisi gave a start, quickly glancing down.

The staffer was also badly startled, hurriedly lifting the cover to check.

There on the crystal surface, a scratch mark had appeared!