Chapter 2: A Last-Minute Change of Song

Liu Liang was embracing and congratulating the performer who had just left the stage. When he saw Su Chen glancing over, he said nothing, instead heading straight toward the waiting area behind the stage. Su Chen hurried after him, taking three steps in two, and said, “I want to change my song!”

“What? Are you joking?” Liu Liang stopped abruptly, nearly colliding with Su Chen.

“I’m serious. The song I originally signed up for... well, I’m not that familiar with it.” Su Chen hesitated, still not daring to admit he didn’t know it at all—otherwise, who knew if Liu Liang would tear him apart right then and there?

Although he had gained part of his predecessor’s memory, the registered song still felt somewhat unfamiliar to him. What’s more, his voice was still not fully recovered, and he simply couldn’t perform such a demanding piece.

“No way!” Liu Liang, forgetting that they were in the waiting area, immediately raised his voice by several octaves. Was this a joke? At this stage, changing the song was a massive taboo! Besides, how could you not be familiar with the song you registered yourself?

Su Chen shrugged. In this situation, there was no way to explain himself.

“Are you messing with me?” After a tense standoff of more than ten seconds, Liu Liang’s expression flickered; his resolve faltered and then collapsed. He couldn’t afford to take the risk! He was the main organizer of the entire gala, and if anything went wrong, he’d be the first one held responsible.

He regretted having accepted Senior Xi’s recommendation for Su Chen to perform the finale, driven only by pride. He had heard a bit about Su Chen—though he’d kept a low profile recently, this was someone who once dared to go head-to-head with entertainment companies. In this predicament, he could only try to placate him; otherwise, if Su Chen decided to stir up trouble, who knew what the outcome would be.

“What song are you planning to sing?”

“Hmm... an original piece.”

Liu Liang frowned. “Aren’t you a little too confident?” Not just changing the song, but performing an original—what an unsettled fellow. But at this point, he could only go along.

“Think carefully. There are industry insiders in the audience tonight. If you’re not careful, it might backfire!”

Jiangcheng Art Academy’s annual graduation gala always attracted some people from the industry. It was an unspoken rule: on one hand, many insiders were alumni, and showing up gave face to the academy; more importantly, it was a chance to scout for promising talent and inject new blood into their companies.

Therefore, every performer at the graduation gala did their best, hoping to catch the eye of an entertainment company. Liu Liang mistakenly thought Su Chen was taking a bold gamble for the same reason—trying to seize an opportunity—when in fact, Su Chen simply wasn’t familiar with “Sunward Blossoms.”

Su Chen chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry. If I wanted fame, I wouldn’t choose this stage.”

Liu Liang pursed his lips, a hint of disdain in his expression. At this point, all he could do was let things run their course.

Suddenly, he thought of something. “Did you prepare an accompaniment for your original?”

“Just give me a guitar, that’ll do.”

Liu Liang said nothing further. He borrowed a guitar from the previous performer and handed it to Su Chen, unable to resist adding, “I hope you don’t mess this up.”

Su Chen patted his shoulder lightly, but Liu Liang dodged out of the way. Now, there was nothing to do but leave it to fate.

“Xi Siyuan! Xi Siyuan! Xi Siyuan!...” The previous act had just ended, and the audience’s chant rose like a tidal wave, surging one after another.

The host, tall and elegant in a beautiful dress, was sweating nervously and could only brace herself as she stepped onto the stage.

“Next, I have a rather unfortunate announcement to make. Due to Senior Xi’s health, she is unable to attend tonight’s event. She sends her sincerest apologies to everyone. The notice was last minute, and we didn’t have time to inform you all in advance. Please understand, and thank you for your support.

“So, our final act will be performed by a senior from our own academy. Please welcome...”

At that moment, Su Chen began ascending the stage. A torrent of boos erupted from the audience.

“Get off! Get off! Get off!”

The cries rolled in waves, overwhelming and relentless.

Su Chen took a deep breath, slung his guitar over his shoulder, and walked slowly to center stage, the spotlight locking onto him.

For most performers, such uproar from hundreds or even thousands would be an enormous pressure—the audience’s energy could crush a singer’s confidence and affect their performance. But Su Chen was different. In his previous life, he’d spent decades battling his way through the entertainment industry. What kind of scenes hadn’t he witnessed? What hardships hadn’t he endured? Compared to all that, this was child’s play.

On both sides and at the back of the auditorium, gigantic LCD screens broadcast the stage in real time. On the screen, Su Chen stood tall in a white casual suit, his slender figure on full display. The close-up highlighted his face: though his hair was a bit tousled, his features were sharply defined, as if chiseled by a blade—there was a lazy air about him, but no lack of masculine vigor.

Handsome, without a doubt.

This was the first time Su Chen had seen himself since his rebirth. Although it wasn’t as direct as looking in a mirror, a single glance was enough to assure him that he now possessed a face that could open doors.

Why had he, in his previous life, never stood at the forefront of the entertainment world, despite his talent and eventual success? He’d simply lacked the looks; in this industry, appearance was always the first key to opportunity.

So, in this life, did he finally have a chance to shine on center stage?

Su Chen silently asked himself.

“Xi Siyuan! Xi Siyuan!”

“Get off the stage, pretty boy!”

Some of the male fans shouted wildly. They had come only for Xi Siyuan and now, confronted with a handsome newcomer, wanted nothing to do with him. In truth, the decision to replace the performer had been made so hastily that the school had no time to prepare.

Of course, some of the academy’s girls cared little about any of this. They hadn’t been particularly interested in Xi Siyuan to begin with, and now, with such an attractive performer taking her place, they were thrilled.

“Wow! He’s so handsome! What’s his name?”

“Hey, do you know which major he’s from?”

“Handsome guy, I support you!”

A few bold girls shouted from the audience, ignoring the complaints of Xi Siyuan’s fans nearby. To them, those disgruntled boys were nothing but powerless grumblers.

Feeling the waves of noise from the crowd, Su Chen paused for about thirty seconds before speaking slowly: “Hello, everyone. My name is Su Chen.”

“I’m from the Composition Department here at Jiangcheng Art Academy. I’m honored to represent our school at this year’s graduation gala.”

He swept his gaze across the packed hall. Some people were still waving and cursing. He smiled slightly.

“And I’m especially grateful to those of you who have welcomed me so... enthusiastically. You’ve really gone to a lot of trouble.”

With those words, the auditorium erupted like a powder keg, instantaneously exploding into chaos.