Chapter 109: The Three Sons of Heaven

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On the fifteenth, in the afternoon, Tang Zhichu descended the stairs from his dormitory. He happened to run into Yun Miao at the entrance. Tang Zhichu intended to greet her, but seeing Yun Miao grinning at something on her phone, he decided against it and kept silent.

It wasn’t until Tang Zhichu drew nearer that Yun Miao noticed him.

“Huh, you didn’t go back home again?” Yun Miao looked at him in surprise.

“It’s just one day, why bother? My career comes first,” Tang Zhichu replied with a smile.

Yun Miao nodded, conceding the point. Young people without family ties—what did it matter where they stayed?

As if she suddenly remembered something, Yun Miao asked, “So, did things not work out between you and Yangyang in the end? If they didn’t, blink!”

Tang Zhichu was speechless.

“I knew it. That’s why you always spend your breaks here. If things had worked out, you’d be off looking for Yangyang. Honestly, long-distance isn’t such a big deal. As long as both people like each other, it’s fine. And with how convenient transportation is these days, no matter where you are, if you miss the other person, you can hop on a plane and see them in a few hours...” Yun Miao started going off again.

Tang Zhichu raised his hand in surrender. “Enough, Sister Miao, the next recording for the leaderboard is starting soon!”

With that, Tang Zhichu dashed off, leaving Yun Miao shaking her head.

She had been watching another dating reality show lately, and the number of Jiang-Tang shippers was on the rise—all because Chen Siyang asked Tang Zhichu on camera if he’d mind a long-distance relationship.

To be able to ask something like that in front of the cameras, to Yun Miao, meant that Chen Siyang truly liked Tang Zhichu.

But Tang Zhichu hadn’t answered. With the way the producers edited the footage, there were now doubters who didn’t believe in their pairing anymore. The difference in their backgrounds was too great, and their careers were worlds apart.

That was why the Jiang-Tang couple supporters had multiplied.

Yun Miao thought it would be such a pity if things really hadn’t worked out. At first, perhaps Chen Siyang hadn’t felt anything real, but she had genuinely fallen for Tang Zhichu. It was like a real-life romance drama—better than anything on TV.

Yun Miao shook her head, feeling strangely like a mother.

If only she could see Chen Siyang, she’d have a word with her. Why ask such a question for no reason?

What’s so scary about a long-distance relationship anyway!

...

At the rehearsal building, by six in the evening, everyone had arrived.

Tang Zhichu was chatting with Xige about the show, discussing the first episode that had just aired.

The show was generating a lot of buzz, with high viewership numbers, and already showing signs of becoming the top variety program. However, most of the discussion centered on the show’s format rather than the contestants’ works.

It was a commercial music competition, with no clickbait and an excellent, captivating structure.

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Yet more people were talking about the format than about the actual music.

Some said, “See, this is the state of the Chinese music scene. Don’t even bother struggling, it can’t be saved.”

Although there was some criticism of the works themselves, the show’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach had won it plenty of fans.

“As usual, since we eliminated two last round, before starting this leaderboard recording, we need to bring in two new contestants...” The host took center stage, and the recording began.

This time, it was Wildfire Alliance and Sunflower Alliance’s turn to be spectators.

There was quiet chatter among the contestants—some seemed to know who was coming.

Yu Hua, ambitious as ever, had clearly not been satisfied with his initial lineup. When it came time for eliminations, the production team hadn’t held back at all.

The host gestured upwards as a familiar background track played, and a name appeared on the big screen.

Qiu Zhen!

“It really is him!”

“Brother Zhen actually came—no wonder!”

“That’s it for us, Pioneer Alliance just got another powerhouse!”

...

Tang Zhichu heard everyone’s surprised reactions. He knew who Qiu Zhen was—one of the so-called Three Stars of Tianhe.

The Three Stars of Tianhe were the absolute icons of the music division at Tianhe Entertainment. Each of the three had impressive backgrounds, all rising from talent competitions, though not the same one.

Last year, Mango TV had produced an original music show, and another of the Three Stars had participated, making it all the way to the finale and releasing some outstanding works during the show.

While everyone was still reeling from the first reveal, another name flashed across the screen.

This time, the surprise was even greater.

“No way, He Shuyuan is coming too?”

“Incredible, two of the Three Stars of Tianhe at once.”

“Shuyuan’s great, definitely one of the very best among the younger generation.”

...

Even the veteran musicians nodded in acknowledgment this time. He Shuyuan was widely regarded as the most talented of the Three Stars of Tianhe—a true all-rounder, not only a songwriter but a powerhouse vocalist.

Qiu Zhen was no slouch either; though he started as an idol from a talent show, he gradually proved himself as a strong original artist.

He Shuyuan, on the other hand, came up through an original music competition, and it was his own compositions that made him a household name.

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On the second floor, He Shuyuan and Qiu Zhen shared a hug. He Shuyuan was shorter, looked even more like an idol than Qiu Zhen, with fair and delicate features, while Qiu Zhen’s face was more sharply defined and he appeared older.

“Why not just make it an internal Tianhe showdown...” Xige began, but Yun Miao pinched him before he could finish.

Yun Miao, however, shot a worried glance at Tang Zhichu—Qiu Zhen was formidable, but He Shuyuan was on another level entirely.

In terms of popularity, these two were the absolute top among young musicians. Whenever they released a song, they dominated the digital charts across platforms.

Of course, Tianhe’s marketing played a role, but their abilities were recognized in the industry.

“They really waited to see the show’s performance before joining,” Chen Jianxin remarked.

Yun Miao opened her mouth but dared not contradict Teacher Chen, not even daring to speak up.

She felt that the atmosphere in her alliance had inexplicably changed—the laid-back vibe had vanished. Xige’s aggression was understandable, given his background as a rapper, but now even Teacher Chen was openly making such remarks, which made Yun Miao anxious.

If this really aired, wouldn’t the fans of those two upstairs come after them?

How had it come to this?

Yun Miao glared at Xige. “You should talk less in the future!”

Xige scratched his head. “What did I do? I didn’t say anything.”

Tang Zhichu nodded—he agreed with what Chen Jianxin had said. It was obvious: after seeing how well the show was doing, not only trending toward being the top variety, but also earning a great reputation, those two had decided to join, probably hoping to make the most of the platform.

“He Shuyuan really is impressive,” Tang Zhichu said, giving him a small, sincere compliment.

After all, in his previous life, he’d even sung one of He Shuyuan’s songs.

Chen Jianxin nodded, not denying it. “But it’s not as outrageous as all that. His singing is stronger than his songwriting. If Sun Zhe were to support him the way he supports Bu Yu, then we might have a headache.”

Chen Jianxin made his meaning clear, unafraid of being quoted. Tang Zhichu had people backing him, but so did Chen Jianxin—it was all the same in the end.

With two of the Three Stars of Tianhe entering at once, under the host’s watchful eye, the Pioneer Alliance unsurprisingly managed to recruit He Shuyuan, while Qiu Zhen went to the Stellar Alliance.

At this point, some people finally realized: elimination wasn’t so bad after all. If you just brazenly voted out your weak links, the next round would bring in even stronger contestants.

With the show’s broadcast effect being phenomenal, every new arrival was a powerhouse. In this way, elimination only made the competition fiercer.