diymy Chapter 71 The Unbridled Horse
Chapter 71 The Unbridled Horse
The lights on set dimmed, and the audience gradually left, leaving only the staff busy packing up the equipment.
In the backstage corridor, the seven contestants had different expressions—some breathed a sigh of relief, some couldn't hide their disappointment, and some had complicated looks in their eyes.
Wang Bo, on the other hand, was relaxed. He put the guitar back in its case, zipped it up, and slung it over his shoulder.
He received envious, jealous, and inquisitive glances from those around him, but he responded to them all with a smile.
The exhilarating experience on stage just now allowed him to rediscover the pure joy of music.
"Wang Bo." Qin Xiao walked over, holding a bottle of water, and handed it to him. "You sang well."
This is probably the second time this "piano prince" has taken the initiative to make overtures tonight.
Wang Bo took the water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip: "Thank you. You're also very good at playing the piano."
"Just impressive?" Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, a rare hint of youthful competitiveness showing on his mixed-race face.
"Very professional," Wang Bo smiled, "but the stage is not just about skills."
Qin Xiao was silent for two seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Okay, see you next week."
The two touched their water bottles, which could be seen as a tacit understanding of their competition.
Beside him, Li Xuan watched this scene with a livid face, his fists clenched tightly.
He was exhausted from singing and dancing on stage, and his shirt was soaked with sweat when he came down. But Wang Bo just stood there with his guitar and sang a song calmly and simply, and he actually made the whole audience cry.
Is there no justice in this world?
"Brother Xuan," Zhao Chen whispered, leaning closer, "Let's go."
"You guys go first!" Li Xuan looked at the judges who were talking to the director—the music critics and producers were currently surrounding Wang Bo, chatting with smiles on their faces, and occasionally patting him on the shoulder.
Li Xuan felt a tightness in his chest.
Why should he? Three years ago at Yuji Entertainment, Wang Bo couldn't even sing high notes steadily, and Li Xuan had to give him "guidance" from time to time.
Now look what's happened! Wang Bo has become the hot commodity, while Li Xuan has become just a background figure.
"I'm leaving." After chatting with the judges, Wang Bo carried his guitar case and headed towards the exit.
"Brother Wang Bo!" Lin Xiaoya caught up with him, her eyes sparkling. "Can I add you on WeChat? I'd like to... ask you for advice on writing sometime in the future."
Looking into her sincere eyes, Wang Bo nodded and took out his phone.
"Me too! Me too!" Zhao Chen chimed in.
Not far away, Qin Xiao's assistant whispered, "Brother Xiao, should I go get their contact information?"
Qin Xiao watched Wang Bo being surrounded by two young men and shook his head slightly: "No need, see you on stage next time."
The night breeze was slightly cool in the parking lot.
Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the door of the red sports car, dressed in a smart beige suit, her long hair tied in a low ponytail, her makeup exquisite, but there was a hint of imperceptible anxiety between her brows.
She raised her wrist to check her watch for the third time; half an hour had passed since the recording ended.
"Sis, do you think he might..." Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at the passenger seat.
The car window rolled down, and Su Yiyi sat inside, wearing a light blue knitted cardigan and holding a cup of still-warm milk tea.
She appeared much calmer than her sister, but her slightly clenched fingers betrayed her inner tension.
"No," Su Yiyi said softly, "Wang Bo sings so well, the audience vote shouldn't be low."
"But Qin Xiao spent so much money on promotion, won't the production team..." Su Xiaoxiao said, then shook her head. "Never mind, I don't want to think about it. As long as I'm not eliminated, it's fine."
Even so, she couldn't help but look towards the exit.
Finally, that familiar figure appeared.
Wang Bo walked out with a relaxed gait, carrying a black guitar case on his back and a tote bag in his hand.
He changed into a simple gray hoodie and jeans, looking like a college student, not at all like a player who had just gone through a brutal competition.
Seeing the red sports car parked by the roadside and the figure beside it, Wang Bo quickened his pace and walked over. Before he even reached it, he raised his hand and shouted, "You passed safely! You weren't eliminated!"
Su Xiaoxiao's tense shoulders relaxed instantly, and she let out a long breath.
Su Yiyi put down her milk tea, opened the car door and got out, a gentle smile on her face.
"Really?" Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but confirm. "You're not just trying to comfort us?"
"I'm 100% sure." Wang Bo walked to the car, put the guitar case in the back seat, and then climbed in.
"That's good!" Su Xiaoxiao got into the driver's seat, started the car, and slowly drove out of the parking lot. "How was the reaction?"
Wang Bo leaned back in his seat, looking at the flowing night view outside the window, and briefly recounted the process of the match.
"Have you chosen a song for the next competition?" Su Xiaoxiao asked while driving.
"I've made my choice." Wang Bo touched the guitar case next to him.
"Is it 'The You of the Past' or some other popular song?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.
"I wrote it myself, it's a new song," Wang Bo said with a smile.
"Another new song?" Su Xiaoxiao turned her head, causing the car to lurch. She quickly turned back to focus on driving. "Wang Bo, don't be reckless. Singing a new song in the first round was already risky enough, and now you're doing it again in the second!"
Su Yiyi steadied the milk tea cup and glanced helplessly at her younger sister: "Xiaoxiao, focus on driving first."
Su Xiaoxiao's tone was still agitated: "Wang Bo, to be on the safe side, sing 'The You of the Past' or 'Encounter,' or even 'Your Answer,' those have all been tested by the market and are definitely safe! But you, you want to release a new song again."
Wang Bo straightened his guitar case and calmly said, "Singing those kinds of songs is unoriginal."
"What do you mean by originality? We need stability!" Su Xiaoxiao wanted nothing more than to pull over and argue with him. "Do you know how many people are watching you? If you sing an old song well, it's nostalgia; if you mess it up, they'll just say you're not in good form. If you sing a new song well, it's a surprise; if you mess it up, they'll say you've lost your touch! Wang Bo, you're on the rise; you can't be this reckless!"
The city lights outside the window formed a flowing ribbon of light at night. Wang Bo suddenly laughed: "President Su, did you worry about your former artists this much?"
"I..." Su Xiaoxiao choked on her words, then retorted confidently, "My artists aren't as troublesome as you. They're all very obedient; they sing whatever I tell them to sing, and perform however I tell them to perform!"
"Did they become famous?" Wang Bo asked.
Su Xiaoxiao fell silent.
Wang Bo noticed her tightly pursed lips and slightly reddened ears.
Su Yiyi gently smoothed things over: "Don't argue, we're all doing this for... art."
Su Xiaoxiao was silent for a while, then suddenly sighed: "Wang Bo, I've noticed that you're becoming more and more confident."
"Isn't this a good thing?" Wang Bo asked.
"It's a good thing and a bad thing." Su Xiaoxiao looked at the road ahead, her tone complicated. "Overconfidence makes it easy to stumble. I'm starting to wonder if Yu Ji was deliberately keeping you in check before—she had to keep you in check, otherwise you'd be like a wild horse that had broken free, impossible to tame."