Chapter 11: A Brilliant Performance? Or a Mentally Unstable One?
“Why does this song feel so… heartbreaking?”
“It’s beautiful, but it makes me want to cry. I don’t know why.”
“Who is this? A new idol singer?”
“Wow, this guy is so handsome—his profile is unreal!”
The young women in the audience whispered among themselves as they listened.
Shen Lang was completely immersed in Under the Sea—for this moment, he was the King of Singing.
“Teng-ge, is your nephew actually… mentally unstable?”
“You’re the unstable one!”
Shen Teng rolled his eyes. “Xiao Lang is a great kid—this is just his singing talent. You wouldn’t understand.”
As he spoke, he made sure to include himself. “The Shen family is just that artistically gifted!”
“Yours truly, though unworthy, has been hailed by audiences as the successor to the Comedy King…”
“And my nephew? He’s clearly the next King of Singing! Hahaha—”
He burst into laughter at his own joke.
Jia Lin: “…” She had no words.
She had been serious earlier—who wouldn’t feel concerned after listening to Under the Sea? During yesterday’s rehearsal, Jia Lin hadn’t felt this emotional, but hearing it live was a completely different experience.
Once Under the Sea ended, host Shen Tao invited Shen Lang to take a seat with Shen Teng’s team before introducing Wang Yuan’s team:
First, G.E.M. (Deng Ziqi), who performed Bubbles, her breakout hit and signature song.
As soon as Bubbles started, the audience relaxed—familiar with the upbeat track, they quickly shook off the melancholy left by Under the Sea.
Next, Jane Zhang (Zhang Liangying) performed Finally Waiting for You.
Finally, Zhang Jie took the stage with Three Lives, Three Worlds, the theme song from Eternal Love.
Once all the guests had performed, host Shen Tao announced, “Let’s welcome both teams with another round of applause for their amazing performances!”
He then turned to Shen Lang. “Xiao Lang, why don’t you introduce yourself?”
Shen Lang smiled. “Hello, everyone. I’m Shen Lang, a rookie actor. My upcoming work is The Wandering Earth, though it hasn’t been released yet.”
“I’m also a new singer—my debut single is Under the Sea, the song I just performed.”
Shen Tao grinned. “Has anyone noticed something? Shen Lang and Shen Teng look remarkably similar. Any guesses on their relationship?”
Jia Lin gasped dramatically. “Teng-ge, is this for real? You’ve been hiding this all along?”
Everyone played along—they had rehearsed this bit last night.
Shen Teng feigned exasperation before proudly declaring, “That’s right! Shen Lang is my nephew—my real nephew!”
“See how good-looking the Shen family is? Our genes are unbeatable!”
Shen Tao chimed in, “Absolutely. The Shen family’s visuals are top-tier.”
The audience erupted in playful jeers.
After some banter, Shen Tao explained the day’s competition rules: Teams would battle in five rounds to earn the title of Best Vocalist.
Each winning team would receive a clue to the “Music Key.”
The five clues would lead to a numerical code, which the teams would use to unlock the “Ace Music Box.” The first team to succeed would be crowned Ace Musicians.
With the rules set, the first game began: Musical Telephone.
The first player had to act out song lyrics, passing the performance down the line. The last player had to guess the song title—correct answers earned points.
Shen Teng’s team went first, with Shen Lang leading off—a spotlight moment for the rookie.
—Jay Chou’s Common Jasmine Orange.
Hearing this, Shen Lang recalled the legendary performance by Da Zhangwei from his past life—an unbeatable masterpiece!
Since this game thrived on comedic interpretations, he decided to imitate it.
The next in line, Linghua, stared at him blankly. What the heck is this?
Jia Lin yelled, “Xiao Lang, perform!”
“You graduated from Beijing Film Academy—don’t embarrass your alma mater! Act!”
Shen Lang shrugged and kept mimicking Da Zhangwei’s absurd style, prompting Jia Lin to shout, “Xiao Lang, you better explain what this nonsense is later!”
After several rounds of exaggerated gestures, Linghua hesitantly guessed, “Is it… a little chicken?”
By the time it reached Ouyang Nana, she was utterly lost and failed to name the song.
Shen Tao revealed, “It’s Jay Chou’s Common Jasmine Orange…”
Jia Lin demanded, “Xiao Lang, show me what you were doing—and explain yourself!”
Shen Lang reenacted his performance while narrating:
“The sparrows outside the window keep chirping on the power lines.”
The entire audience was baffled—mentally broken by his absurdity.
But Shen Teng quickly defended him. “See? This is artistic talent!”
“The Shen family’s creativity is beyond ordinary comprehension.”
“I totally got it! Too bad I wasn’t last—we would’ve won!”
Jia Lin ruthlessly called him out. “Teng-ge, keep lying. You’re as stubborn as those sparrows.”
“Let the audience decide—was Shen Lang’s performance accurate or not?”
Shen Teng immediately bribed them. “If you agree, I’ll give out signed photos later!”
The crowd roared in unison.
“Listen to the voice of the people!”
The other stars onstage jeered.
Jia Lin proposed, “Next round, Teng-ge should go first, and Shen Lang should go last. I want to see this so-called Shen family telepathy!”
“I think Shen Lang should still start…”
Linghua objected—she still didn’t understand Shen Lang’s act.
Host Shen Tao cut in, moving the game to Wang Yuan’s team. Their round’s highlight? The overconfident Zhang Jie.
They also scored zero, and soon it was Shen Teng’s team’s turn again. This time, everyone insisted Shen Teng go first and Shen Lang last.
The song? Lotus Pond Moonlight, with the lyrics: I’m like a fish in your lotus pond!
The moment Shen Teng started performing, the crowd erupted.
Yep, definitely related. Like uncle, like nephew.