Superstar Ch.87

Chapter 87: Debut Night (4)

The comment on the screen quickly drifted past.

Although its significance was almost prophetic, at this moment, everyone’s attention was focused on the rankings.

After a few more keywords were announced, Dou Yu revealed the results.

As expected, the fourth place went to Yun Pan.

The young man was dressed in a blue-and-white sweatshirt and linen-colored pants. He wore a beret, exuding a fresh and youthful vibe from head to toe. He hugged the older contestants on stage one by one before carefully stepping onto the transparent staircase covered in flower petals.

The moment he stepped forward, small bursts of confetti suddenly exploded around him.

Startled, he looked up and saw the seats in the distance, illuminated by stage lights.

All of them were empty.

And among them, one seat now belonged to him.

The instant this realization struck him, his heartbeat became uncontrollably rapid. A wave of nervousness hit him out of nowhere, making the few steps from the staircase to the small round podium feel overwhelmingly difficult—his movements nearly uncoordinated.

Reaching the end of the path, he picked up the microphone and took a deep breath. “…Thank you, everyone.”

His voice still carried a hint of youth.

It trembled slightly, yet it was firmer than ever before.

“Thank you for allowing me to debut in fourth place,” he carefully chose his words, speaking slowly and clearly. “Without you, there would be no Yun Pan standing here today.”

He had never imagined this day would come.

Not in that dark, broken home.

Not in the lively yet ultimately empty bar.

And not when he first stepped onto the recording set of Super Rookie.

He no longer remembered the weather that day.

But today, when he arrived, he looked up and saw the vast, clear blue sky above him.

For most of Yun Pan’s fans, their feelings toward him were maternal.

Although his ranking had been stable since the second public performance, the nerve-wracking cutoff just now had given them quite a scare. At this moment, the screen was flooded with crying messages.

[Wuwuwu, baby, you’ve finally made it through all the hardships.]

[Congratulations, Panpan! You should thank yourself—your stage performances have been absolutely amazing. You’re a mature adult now!]

[I was scared to death… You finally debuted! Walk the path of flowers, Panpan baby~]

Amidst the flood of blessings, the young man, still a little hesitant with his words, expressed his gratitude to the company and the show’s production team.

He had no family.

When it came time for this part of his speech, he paused for two seconds before saying:

“I don’t know if you guys are watching, but… Brother Su, Brother Cheng, Yueyue, thank you. And please don’t worry—Yun Pan, who once needed your protection, has grown up now.”

He had no idea how much his former bandmates knew about his current situation.

But if they were watching, he wanted to share this moment with them—one of the most important moments of his life.

He had grown up.

He had learned to look ahead and move forward.

So—

They didn’t need to worry about him anymore.

He was doing well now.

And—

“Thank you.” He paused for two seconds.

[Here it comes.]

[He’s here! He’s delivering his final thank-you speech!]

[Props to the director for understanding the assignment—switching the camera to Xiao Zhao, our best big brother in the world, hahaha!]

At that moment, a playful commotion erupted from the audience.

Most of the audience members present had been following the show from the very beginning. Even if they weren’t Yun Pan’s fans, they were well aware of the widely discussed b*llying incident and the live-stream controversy from before.

At first, Yun Pan had been a little nervous, but hearing the playful “Oh~~~” from the crowd, he couldn’t help but laugh.

He didn’t say anything overly sentimental.

“Brother Xizhao,” he said, his tone both serious and direct. “I’ll be waiting for you up there.”

With that, he put down the microphone and gave a big wave toward the other side of the bridge. Then, turning around, he walked up step by step until he reached the fourth-place seat and sat down.

Third place: Fu Wenze.

Compared to Yun Pan, whose ranking had fluctuated at times, Fu Wenze’s position had been rock-solid in the later stages, second only to Xie Xizhao. At one point, he had even climbed up to second place.

Amidst the deafening cheers, he calmly walked to the podium.

“Thank you, everyone,” he said.

[You’re welcome…]

[To be honest, after that leaked story about Brother Fu’s past, he somehow gives off even more of a boss vibe. What do we do?]

[Big boss but still a doting brother—this contrast is everything!]

During finals week, every contestant’s past had been thoroughly dug up. The media had no sense of ethics, and Fu Wenze’s history had inevitably been exposed—mainly that he used to be somewhat of a street brawler, complete with old photos.

Fortunately, his company, StarWorld, knew how to handle things. After some quick deliberation, they decided to release his family background along with the story.

It was a sacrifice of Fu Wenze’s privacy, but at least the online discourse shifted immediately.

After all, while the actions themselves were the same, there was a world of difference between picking fights for no reason and fighting to protect family.

Fu Wenze had his complaints about the situation, but there was no other choice. Fortunately, his manager genuinely cared about him and had a good relationship with him. His younger brother was also partially taken care of by the company, which gave him some peace of mind.

Because of this, when he thanked the company, his tone was uncharacteristically serious.

He, too, was someone without family or friends.

After a brief moment of thought, Fu Wenze looked up. “Xie Xizhao.”

Not far away, Xie Xizhao: “…?”

The audience, both at the venue and in the livestream chat: “…?”

[So, what kind of history do these two have now? Another tale of love and hate?]

[I can’t stop laughing… Is Xizhao climbing to the top while leaving behind a trail of admirers? Xie Xizhao, reflect on your actions!]

Xie Xizhao did not reflect.

And Fu Wenze wasn’t asking him to. He simply said, in a calm and steady voice, “Thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

The words were simple—almost startling in their directness.

But after their previous heart-to-heart, they both understood exactly what he meant.

It was Xie Xizhao who had made him realize what being an idol truly meant.

Fu Wenze wasn’t a man of many words. Once he finished his sentence, he ended his speech.

He turned his head—Yun Pan was already standing up.

The cold-faced young man in black strode up the steps, embraced the boy on stage, then took his seat in the third-place position.

With the ranking down to the final three spots, the excitement in both the audience and the livestream chat reached a fever pitch.

On stage, Dou Yu picked up the microphone, but instead of announcing the contenders for the center position, he first turned to Xie Xizhao.

“Xizhao,” he said with a smile. “You’ve been thanked twice in a row. How do you feel about that?”

This was just a way to lighten the mood.

At this moment, both the audience at the venue and the livestream viewers had reached peak tension.

Xie Xizhao picked up the microphone and smiled. “Thank you all for your love and support.”

He was in top form tonight.

Every time the camera landed on him, the livestream chat would erupt with howls.

His makeup gave him an almost fragile, breakable beauty, yet his solo performance, his words, and his every action made it clear—he was incredibly strong and unshakably resilient.

Nearly half the people in the venue had come for him.

Now, no one was even paying full attention to his response; all eyes were locked on Dou Yu. Even the livestream chat, after a few playful jokes, had begun impatiently urging them to move forward.

And Dou Yu did not disappoint.

After a few brief words, he paused for two seconds before announcing,

“Now, we will reveal the C-position candidates.”

“Trainee Xie Xizhao. Trainee Ai Qingyuan.” He continued, “Please step forward.”

As the two of them moved under a storm of screams, the final showdown was set.

There was no surprise twist. No dark horse. The battle for the top spot had now officially narrowed down to the two most expected contenders.

After a brief silence, Dou Yu asked, “Who would like to say a few words first?”

This was the standard process—before announcing the final ranking, the two candidates would share their thoughts.

The two of them exchanged a glance. Ai Qingyuan shrugged. “I’ll go first.”

By now, he had fully relaxed.

For him, as long as he didn’t suddenly drop out of the debut lineup, he had already completed his goal.

As for the center position? It was just a matter of whether it would be officially announced or not.

He wasn’t delusional enough to think he could actually surpass a clear-cut center like Xie Xizhao.

In truth, everyone already knew the result—it was just a matter of taking the final step.

Since Ai Qingyuan was going first, Xie Xizhao naturally wouldn’t fight him for the mic. He simply smiled and set his microphone down for now.

Ai Qingyuan picked up his, pausing for two seconds. “What should I even say?”

[Pfft, classic AQY.]

[Did you prepare your debut speech but forget to think of something for this part?]

[Sounds ridiculous, but knowing AQY, it actually checks out. Did he seriously forget this step? Hahaha.]

As if he had read their minds, Ai Qingyuan chuckled. “What are you guys thinking?”

“I did prepare something,” he admitted. “But it felt too proper—not very me. So I decided to wing it.”

[Respect.]

[Feels like he’s matured. Still likes to say unexpected things, but it’s not as annoying anymore.]

Then, he turned. “Xie Xizhao.”

Xie Xizhao: “…”

This time, he actually had a microphone. So without hesitation, he answered crisply, “Not here.”

Ai Qingyuan: “?”

[I’m losing it.]

[Xizhao: Stop calling me. Stop calling me. I’m shutting down.]

[Xizhao: What did I ever do to make you people so obsessed with me? I’ll change, okay?!]

If this had been the Ai Qingyuan from the start of the show, he probably would’ve been pissed off enough to laugh in frustration. But after spending months with Xie Xizhao, he had gotten used to him. Without missing a beat, he held his mic and smoothly followed up, “Good. That means I can say something you’re not allowed to hear.”

[?????]

[Sir, put those scandalous words away.]

After a slight pause, he continued, “To be honest, at first, I really hated you.”

Xie Xizhao tilted his head, already guessing what he was about to say. A sudden smile flickered across his face.

The audience, which had been laughing and stirring at Ai Qingyuan’s words, fell silent.

Ai Qingyuan lifted his head and gazed into the distance.

He wasn’t looking at anything in particular—just fixating on a point in empty space.

Then, he continued, “Rather than saying I hated you, it’s more accurate to say I hated myself for not being able to surpass you.”

“All my life, I’ve never been able to accept losing,” he said quietly. “No matter what I did, I only wanted to be first. I thought that was proof of my abilities. Beyond that, I never cared about anything else.”

But winning and losing weren’t the only things that mattered in life.

And even the victories he had once taken for granted had always been paved by others, laying down the steps so he could climb to the top.

He hadn’t understood that before. He had always thought he was the best. But no amount of first-place titles, no amount of praise or admiration, had ever truly made him happy.

Not until the people who mattered left. Not until the day he finally became second.

That was when he realized—no one could be invincible forever. Learning to enjoy life and cherish what he had was what truly mattered.

“But now, I understand,” he said with a small smile. “I’ve already been incredibly lucky. And my efforts… they’ve already been rewarded as they should be.”

He paused before delivering his final words. “Thank you to my fans. Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here as a C-position candidate. Because of some of the things I’ve said and done, you’ve had to endure a lot on my behalf. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

“Thank you to my family.” The corner of his lips quirked up. “I don’t know if you’re watching, but don’t worry about me—I’m doing what I truly want to do.”

“And finally…”

He looked into the camera, pressing his lips together briefly.

“…Thank you to my company, and my teammates.”

“If it weren’t for your patience, I wouldn’t be here today.”

He still didn’t dare say Guan Heng’s name, afraid of causing him too much trouble.

In the audience, Ji Yan paused for a moment before reacting. “You really didn’t tell him you were coming?”

Clicking his tongue, he smirked. “Teacher Guan, you’re really good at playing hot and cold.”

Guan Heng: “……”

With a helpless sigh, he lifted his gaze toward the stage.

To say he wasn’t moved would be a lie.

After spending so much time together, resentment couldn’t win against genuine feelings.

…Forget it.

He exhaled.

Since he was already here, he might as well go see him afterward. Otherwise, it would really seem like he had abandoned him without a second thought.

—

On stage, after finishing that sentence, Ai Qingyuan let out a deep breath, feeling a strong sense of relief. The rest of his words flowed smoothly: “Of course, I also want to thank the person beside me. He made me realize that there’s always someone better, that the sky extends beyond what we see. No matter the outcome this time, what I told you before still stands.”

What words?

Of course, the ones about competing with Xie Xizhao to determine a winner.

The next to speak was Xie Xizhao.

He naturally raised the microphone and let out a helpless sigh. “Got it, stop making a fuss.”

[I’m really laughing and crying at the same time…]

[So why are the fans of these two even fighting? The main guys are clearly in a healthy competition, haha. This is great—so far, everyone debuting is familiar with each other, no worries about team chemistry.]

[I’m an Ai fan, but I’ve never disliked Teacher Xiao Zhao. He honestly feels like a life mentor to Xiao Ai, and I really appreciate him for that.]

For the third time that night, Xie Xizhao was mentioned as a “life mentor,” yet he showed no awkwardness or discomfort. He picked up the microphone, exhaled softly, and smiled as he spoke. “First of all, thank you, everyone.”

Thank them for what?

“Thank you.” He paused. “A few months ago, when I was lying in a hospital bed, I imagined what it would be like to stand on stage in the future. But I never imagined what you all would look like beneath it.”

The audience fell silent.

“Does that sound strange?” He hesitated for a moment. “I don’t really know how to put it into words.”

Someone who had never stumbled in a speech before now found himself struggling to express his emotions—because of his fans.

He carefully chose his words. “Maybe it’s because this is my first time standing before everyone as an artist.”

It was a strange and wonderful feeling.

But only Xie Xizhao knew—the words should have been phrased differently.

It wasn’t just his first time appearing as an artist.

It was the first time he stood on stage as Xie Xizhao himself, as an artist.

He had been an artist many times before, but this was the first time he was standing before the audience with the name “Xie Xizhao” and receiving their love.

All of it—the sincerity, the passion—it was all for him, for Xie Xizhao himself.

He really liked this feeling.

This feeling… of truly being needed.

He watched as everyone expressed their love for him in different ways—voting, supporting him, and sending handwritten letters during the competition.

All of these things made him feel the meaning of life.

He had been someone who had died once before, and to him, these things were nothing short of life-giving rain.

[…I’m starting to cry.]

[My Zhaozhao, sobbing, why are you so wonderful? We love you because you are so wonderful!]

[Why are you saying thank you? Why?? We should be the ones thanking you! Thank you for coming into my world. T.T I love you so much, Zhaozhao.]

[I’m just grateful you woke up. Thank the heavens.]

As if sensing the waves of messages, Xie Xizhao smiled and said, “Of course, I also want to thank fate for giving me this chance to start over.”

At that, he paused for a moment and gently touched the small die in his pocket.

As if responding to its owner’s touch, it nuzzled against his fingers, affectionate and obedient.

The warmth in his hand was just right. Xie Xizhao took a deep breath and finished his speech.

“I want to thank my parents and family for never thinking of giving up on me, for supporting me in doing what I love when I was given a second chance at life.

I want to thank my company, and everyone who has cared for and supported me. These past few months must have been tough on all of you.

And finally, I want to thank myself.”

Thank you for not giving up.

For surviving countless leaps through time and space.

For enduring near-death situations over and over again.

For facing hopeless ends, only to reload and start anew.

All of it—for the sake of one word.

Life.

And ultimately…

For the sake of going home.

Xie Xizhao tightened his grip on the microphone and slowly closed his eyes.

He heard the sound of machines whirring, the cheers and chants from the audience, and even the desperate, full-throated shout of “Brother, jiayou!” from Jing Jin not far from the stage.

And yet, at the same time, it felt like he could hear nothing at all.

In the midst of the surreal silence, the last voice he heard was Dou Yu’s.

“Trainee Xie Xizhao,” Dou Yu announced. “In the final voting round of Super Rookie Season 3, your total vote count is 92.17 million. Congratulations—you have won first place in this competition.”

Fireworks burst open in an instant, and amidst the cascading streamers, Ai Qingyuan pulled Xie Xizhao into a tight hug.

He lifted his head and saw the dazzling, scorching lights overhead.

They were just stage lights.

But at that moment, they felt like the sun.

—

The moment Xie Xizhao’s first-place ranking was announced, the entire venue erupted into a wave of deafening cheers. The live stream nearly crashed under the sheer traffic, freezing in place as relentless waves of messages flooded the chat.

None of them contained anything particularly meaningful—it was as if someone had kicked open a chicken coop.

Xie Xizhao was passed around on stage, hugged by every single person there, feeling like nothing more than a doll being manhandled. Ai Qingyuan stood off to the side, arms crossed, making no effort whatsoever to rescue him.

It wasn’t until Dou Yu, looking thoroughly exasperated, stepped in to put an end to the absurd congratulatory chaos that Xie Xizhao finally regained some air in his brain.

Since Xie Xizhao was first, Ai Qingyuan naturally placed second. Both of them had already said most of what they wanted in their speeches, so their debut remarks were kept brief. Once they made it to the bridge leading backstage, yet another round of hugs commenced.

Even Fu Wenze and Ai Qingyuan—those eternal nemeses who could barely stand the sight of each other—set aside their differences for a brief moment of contact.

A very brief moment.

Immediately afterward, Fu Wenze frowned. “…What is that cologne?”

Ai Qingyuan: ?

“You wanna fight?” He eyed Fu Wenze warily.

Fu Wenze: “……”

He had only meant to say that it smelled pretty nice.

And just like that, the two parted on bad terms.

On the other side of the stage, the remaining trainees had varying expressions—some filled with admiration, others with tension.

Those ranked too low had already given up hope. But for those on the brink of debut, the word nervous was written all over their faces.

Zou Yi, who had just hugged Xie Xizhao moments ago, now found his palms drenched in sweat.

He truly didn’t know if he would make it.

Being in the “push-to-vote” spot was both a blessing and a curse. The good thing was that, for a brief moment, he had entered the debut lineup. The bad thing…

The fans behind him definitely wouldn’t take it lying down.

His heartbeat pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat. Unconsciously, he lifted his gaze—only to meet Xie Xizhao’s eyes at the highest point of the stage.

Xie Xizhao didn’t say a word.

Yet somehow, Zou Yi’s heart gradually steadied.

And thankfully, the results did not disappoint him.

The moment Dou Yu read out his name, Zou Yi felt a brief moment of disbelief, as if the world had momentarily frozen.

Then, as the other trainees pulled him into hugs, he moved forward almost mechanically. It wasn’t until he stepped onto the bridge and picked up the microphone that he finally snapped back to reality.

Meanwhile, his fans in the live stream chat had already gone insane.

Amidst the chaos, Zou Yi began his halting speech.

And just before he finished, he suddenly turned back to look at Xie Xizhao.

The chat was numb at this point.

[Go on, say it, say it. Where did our dear Zhaozhao leave his mark this time?]

[Some people really love their main vocalists. Xie Xizhao, I’m talking about you. Don’t think I didn’t notice how much you’ve been looking after Zou Yi since Round Two!]

[No way… Zou Yi, you too?!]

Zou Yi felt a little guilty, but he had to say it. He sincerely expressed his gratitude, “This isn’t just a joke. Xiao Zhao has really helped me a lot. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

[Got it. Without Xie Xizhao, you’d all be at home growing sweet potatoes.]

[Got it. Without Xie Xizhao, you and the production team would be at home growing sweet potatoes.]

[Skipping ahead—without Xie Xizhao, the entire Earth would stop spinning.]

The Earth continued to turn as usual, but this night was destined to be an extraordinary one.

After finishing his speech, Zou Yi embraced each of the finalists in turn before stepping into his designated position.

With that, the five-member debut group was complete.

“Well then,” Dou Yu said with a smile, “it’s time to announce the name of the debut group from Super Rookie Season 3.”

The lights dimmed again, and the giant screen flickered with shifting colors.

“A five-member group born from Super Rookie, having overcome countless trials, is now about to embark on a brand-new journey. And the starting point of that journey is—”

The Phoenix

Phoenix Nirvana.

A symbol of hope and rebirth.

<< _ >>

**TN

Jiayou – It’s used to encourage and support someone. (Go for it!) It’s like Ganbatte! in Japanese