Chapter 181: Chapter 181
The sunset’s afterglow at dusk, the lake’s surface reflecting the rosy hues, the barefoot beach, and the grandmother with a loving smile leaning on her cane...
Behind her came Zhang Xiaoyu’s exaggerated shout: "Whoa, this guy is way too handsome! His voice is so good! Sorry, oppa, I’m climbing the wall for a bit..."
Shen You’an slowly turned around.
The thirty-two-inch television wasn’t particularly large, and its resolution was just average.
Yet the boy on screen was exceptional—almost excessively so.
He wore a white T-shirt, light blue jeans, and had neatly cropped short hair. His features, originally sharp and striking, were softened by a warm and gentle aura.
The boy hugged a guitar, singing softly with lowered eyes, his voice tender like a dream.
A mesmerizing dream no one would want to wake from.
On him existed not a trace of sorrow; there was even a faint smile lingering on his lips.
He was like a sliver of moonlight falling upon the hurried nighttime traveler.
In the long dark night, let my song bring you strength, lighting up the road beneath your feet, so you’ll no longer feel fear or panic.
As the song concluded, the boy gently lifted his gaze. His pitch-black eyes resembled endless black holes, unknowingly pulling people’s souls into them.
The boy curved his lips into a smile. "I’m contestant #48, Rong Xianning. If you like my singing, please vote for me."
Zhang Xiaoyu covered her face and spun in place. "He’s so handsome, completely hitting my aesthetic standards! How can there be someone so gentle? Oppa, I’m climbing the wall for you..."
With that, Zhang Xiaoyu began frantically searching for her phone. "I need to vote for him! One vote from me, one vote from you, and he’ll debut tomorrow!"
Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoyu remembered her mom had confiscated her phone. She became as frantic as an ant stuck in a hot pan and dashed up to Shen You’an: "An’an, quick! Loan me your phone—I need to vote for him!"
Shen You’an took out his phone and handed it to her.
Grabbing it impatiently, Zhang Xiaoyu unlocked the phone without encountering any passcode.
Then, she froze—it was full of apps she’d never seen before, all with English names.
"Don’t you use Weibo?"
Shen You’an moved to the nearby sofa, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a small sip.
"I’ll give you ten minutes. Starting the countdown... now."
Zhang Xiaoyu didn’t waste any more words, quickly downloading Weibo.
Once logged in, she found the trending topics completely dominated.
#Contestant48RongXianning skyrocketed to the top of the list at lightning speed, easily surpassing the V-team’s popularity. The trending discussions were flooded with frenzy-stricken fans.
Zhang Xiaoyu located the voting channel for the talent show and poured all her "hearts" into Rong Xianning.
Initially, Wen Yan, who performed first, held the lead. But once Rong Xianning entered, he overwhelmingly occupied the top spot, with votes far ahead of the competition.
Next, Zhang Xiaoyu found Rong Xianning’s freshly opened super-topic community, got herself an original fan number badge, and joined enthusiastic conversations with other like-minded girls.
She even came up with a flashy account name—"Send Ningning to Debut, Let’s Go Go Go!"
The talent show was broadcast at prime time on the most influential channel, supported by the best production team. That night, tens of millions tuned in simultaneously.
They all remembered the beautiful boy in a white T-shirt, hugging a guitar, singing softly and gently.
Unexpectedly but spectacularly, he crashed into their lives.
From then on, he was their moonlight and their heartbreak.
He became the fiery youth and unreachable dream for countless girls.
Rong Xianning went viral overnight.
"Alright, give my phone back," Shen You’an said, tugging the phone out of Zhang Xiaoyu’s hands without hesitation.
"An’an, Weibo gives you 100 ’hearts’ every hour. You have to vote regularly—I’m afraid he’ll get overtaken. He has to debut; he deserves the best."
Shen You’an chuckled slightly. "Weren’t you just trying to live or die for your oppa earlier? How did you switch allegiances so quickly?"
"Oppa is my main love; the new boy is my crush. They don’t conflict—they don’t conflict! An’an, remember to vote every hour—or should I just stay over tonight? Please, An’an, I’m begging you."
Zhang Xiaoyu clasped her hands together and gazed at Shen You’an with big, sparkling eyes, making it impossible to refuse her without feeling guilty.
"No negotiations. I’m leaving."
Shen You’an strode off, with Zhang Xiaoyu trailing him like a little tail.
Aunt Guihua chatted with Zhang Jian and Luo Wan in the courtyard. Seeing the pair playfully bicker, they shook their heads and smiled.
"Xiao Yu, don’t bother An’an. Come back here," Zhang Jian called out. "Aunt, this is actually good. Xiao Yu is lively and adorable. When she’s around An’an, I notice he smiles more than before."
Aunt Guihua felt glad that Xiao Yu was interacting more with An’an, so she didn’t add anything else.
Wherever Shen You’an went, Zhang Xiaoyu followed.
"Xiao Yu, if you want to borrow my phone to vote for your new boy, I don’t mind. But you need to promise me one thing."
Zhang Xiaoyu nodded furiously; right now, even if Shen You’an asked her to commit arson, she wouldn’t hesitate.
"Pass all your subjects in the midterm exams. Can you do that?"
Zhang Xiaoyu rolled her eyes. "Forget about it."
Shen You’an raised his brows. "Don’t you want your oppa’s signed photo?"
Zhang Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up instantly but then dimmed. "You can get it?"
Shen You’an was only a year older than her—a high school student. The Zhang family wasn’t wealthy; how could he possibly get a celebrity’s autograph?
"Have you forgotten where I study?"
Zhang Xiaoyu smacked her forehead. Oh, right! Lanya High School was full of rich kids. Shen You’an studied there; his classmates were probably all wealthy and influential. Getting a signed photo must be effortless.
"An’an, you’re amazing, An’an! If you can really help me get it, forget passing—I’ll aim for top ten in the exams."
Shen You’an knew Zhang Xiaoyu had potential. She was smart but just didn’t focus on her studies. A little motivation might just yield surprising results.