kingnovel Chapter 448 I have already received help from one person.
Chapter 448 I have already received help from one person.
The judges were stunned.
PD Xu shook his head frantically from below the stage, but Cheng Yu'an had already spoken up: "That video was edited. Lin Xiu refused the arrangement his former company forced him to create a scandal with a female artist, not..."
"Enough," Lin Xiu suddenly interrupted him, his voice low and deep. "Stop talking."
Cheng Yu'an turned to Lin Xiu and shook his head firmly: "No, this time I won't remain silent." He faced the judges and audience again, "In this industry, we are often asked to play someone who isn't ourselves. The most important thing Lin Xiu taught me is that authenticity is more important than perfection."
The audience gradually quieted down.
Cheng Yu'an continued, "The so-called 'Lin Mu Anran' was never part of the script. It was simply a clumsy C-class trainee and an overly perfect A-class genius who unexpectedly found...understanding in the midst of competition."
His voice choked slightly: "If this violates any rules, then the fault lies not with us, but with those who created these false rules."
The audience was silent.
Suddenly, applause erupted from somewhere in the audience, then swept across the entire venue like a tidal wave.
On the judges' panel, Su Rui was the first to stand up and applaud, followed by Chen Xun, and finally even the usually serious PD Xu stood up.
Lin Xiu stood there, the shock in his eyes gradually turning into a profound emotion.
He turned slightly to the side, and from an angle out of the camera's view, gently took Cheng Yu'an's hand.
During the scoring process, after a long discussion, the judges finally announced that Lin Xiu won first place by a narrow margin, and Cheng Yu'an came in second.
But when the host invited the two to give their thoughts, something unexpected happened.
“Thank you all for your support,” Lin Xiu said into the microphone, “but this result…” He looked at Cheng Yu’an, “I’d like to make some adjustments.”
Amidst the astonished gazes of the entire audience, Lin Xiu walked up to Cheng Yu'an, removed his first-place badge, and pinned it to Cheng Yu'an's chest: "You are the true champion of this competition."
Cheng Yu'an stared at him in shock: "What are you doing..."
"What I've never wanted is first place," Lin Xiu's voice echoed throughout the venue through the microphone, "but rather to find stage partners who understand me."
He turned to the audience, "So, if everyone allows, we'd like to debut together as the duo 'Lin Mu An Ran'!"
The scene instantly erupted in cheers, with screams nearly lifting the roof off.
The judges whispered among themselves in surprise, while Mr. Fang had somehow already positioned himself at the edge of the stage, a satisfied smile on his face.
The host looked at the production team in a panic, and PD Xu finally walked onto the stage: "This...is indeed unexpected."
He smiled wryly, "But who can deny that this is the best ending?"
As confetti rained down and the camera focused on the two smiling at each other, no one noticed that Mr. Fang was whispering into his phone, "Prepare the international contract. This duo doesn't just belong to China; they're going global."
At the post-match press conference, a reporter asked Lin Xiu why he chose to give up the individual championship.
Lin Xiu looked at Cheng Yu'an beside him: "Some people teach you skills, some people teach you authenticity." He paused, "And the latter is the most precious thing on stage."
Cheng Yu'an took the microphone and added, "Furthermore, we made a promise to do a stage together."
When pressed by reporters about when the agreement was made, the two exchanged a smile and said in unison:
"A stormy night."
Three months later, Lin Muanran's debut single, "Crossroads," swept across major music charts.
In the music video, two teenagers stand back to back at a crossroads, ultimately choosing to walk in the same direction.
The piano melody at the end of the song is the most beautiful note they composed together in the training room the night before the final.
Backstage at the "Lin Mu An Ran" group's first anniversary concert, Cheng Yu An took a deep breath in front of the makeup mirror.
Even after performing dozens of concerts, the nervousness before each performance still lingers.
His eye makeup was sparkling in the mirror, and the crystals on his costume refracted rainbow colors under the lights—everything was so perfect it seemed unreal.
"Daydreaming again?"
A pair of hands landed on his shoulders, and Lin Xiu's face appeared in the mirror.
Unlike Cheng Yu'an's nervousness, Lin Xiu always appeared completely at ease, though the concern in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.
"It's nothing," Cheng Yu'an forced a smile, "It's just... a little unreal."
Lin Xiu gently brushed the stray hairs from Cheng Yu'an's ear with his long, slender fingers: "We've managed to hold a venue for 50,000 people, and today we only have 30,000." His tone carried a familiar teasing.
"It's not a matter of numbers..." Cheng Yu'an was about to explain when a staff member's voice came from outside the door:
"Ms. Lin, the costume team wants to confirm the ending theme with you!"
Lin Xiu squeezed Cheng Yu'an's shoulder: "Five minutes."
Before turning around, he took a mint from his pocket and placed it on the vanity. "The usual."
Cheng Yu'an smiled and watched Lin Xiu leave.
This habit has continued since the talent show days—before each performance, Lin Xiu would give him a mint, saying it could calm his nerves.
What truly has a calming effect is this unchanging attentiveness.
After the dressing room door closed, Cheng Yu'an picked up the candy and suddenly noticed something new on the dressing table—a book that was glowing.
"What is this?" Cheng Yu'an muttered to himself as he reached out to touch it.
The moment my fingertip touched the cover, the book opened automatically, the pages flipped rapidly, and finally stopped on a certain page.
So it's an idol story after all!
Seeing the donation, Cheng Yu'an donated their new album released this year.
Lin Liuyi immediately brought the system with him after receiving the readers' donations.
"Need any help, honey?"
After Lin Liuyi explained it to him, Cheng Yu'an finally understood, but he refused.
"I can make you an even more perfect idol!"
Footsteps and Lin Xiu's voice came from outside the dressing room. Cheng Yu'an looked at the mint that Lin Xiu had left on the dressing table.
Memories of the past year flashed through my mind—Lin Xiu defending him during the live stream, Lin Xiu teaching him composition until late at night, Lin Xiu completing the duet portion alone while he had a severe cold but insisting on sharing the credit equally...
“No, thank you.” Cheng Yu’an said, “I’ve already accepted help from someone.”
Lin Liuyi paused for a moment: "Are you sure? This opportunity..."
“Absolutely certain.” Cheng Yu’an’s voice grew increasingly firm. “To become a more perfect idol, I need to continue to work hard. Now that I have someone to help me become better, we will become even more perfect in the future.”
Lin Liuyi expressed his support for any decision he makes.
"Are you ready?" Lin Xiu pushed open the door and entered, holding two sparkling encore outfits in his hands.
Cheng Yu'an picked up the mint and unwrapped it: "Of course I'm ready!"
As the two walked side by side toward the stage aisle, greeted by thunderous cheers, Cheng Yu'an caught a glimpse of a book in the corner gradually turning into specks of light and disappearing.
He seemed to see a new line of text appear above:
A true idol is not a flawless being, but someone who remains authentic throughout their growth and illuminates the path for others.
"What are you looking at?" Lin Xiu followed his gaze, but there was nothing there.
Cheng Yu'an shook his head, gripping the microphone tightly: "It's nothing." He nudged Lin Xiu's elbow. "See you later."
As the spotlight shone and the music began, the two boys ran towards their stage.
Amidst the cheers of thousands, the two boys embarked on their journey to becoming perfect idols.