Chapter 1049: Zhang Ye, you're The Clown, aren't you?
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Later that afternoon.
Recording continued into the elimination round.
In his waiting room, Zhang Ye called Yang Shu.
"Hello, Little Yang."
"Senior Bro."
"Come and pick me up."
"Alright, I'll be there immediately."
He had planned to leave after he finished recording his parts, but with Yang Shu saying that she'd be there immediately turning into half an hour later, he got a call from her. She sounded embarrassed.
"Senior Bro."
"Are you here?"
"No, I…I'm still stuck on the road."
"Where are you?"
"Xizhimen Interchange."
"Wow, how'd you end up all the way at Xizhimen Interchange?"
"I got lost."
"But you dropped me off here this morning!"
"But weren't you giving me directions this morning?"
"Use the built-in GPS!"
"Uh, I don't know how to use it."
This junior sister of his was way too unreliable!
Whatever! She can come whenever she arrives. I'll just wait.
Zhang Ye was forced to stay behind to watch the competition between Petal Shower, Spinach, and Marshal Persona. Among the three of them, two would be eliminated. It was very cruel, but those were the rules. In the end, Petal Shower won to almost no surprise. Petal Shower was feeling a little unwell today, probably because her menstrual cycle had arrived as she had been complaining of stomach cramps earlier. She was in average shape, but no matter how average she was, she was still a strong competitor. She couldn't possibly lose at this stage.
Marshal Persona did not reveal himself and exited the stage, keeping the audience in suspense.
Spinach chose to take her mask off. At the moment of the reveal, gasps of astonishment filled the studio!
It was a very pretty young lady!
She wasn't old and looked to be around twenty, maybe even younger!
Liao Yiqi!
It was Liao Yiqi!
"Wow!"
"It's her!"
"What the!"
"H-How does she know how to sing?"
The judges had already figured out who she was, but many audience members hadn't!
Liao Yiqi. She was the granddaughter of a famous Peking opera master, a professional Peking opera singer. Liao Yiqi was also very well-known and had even gone on the Central TV Spring Festival Gala before, but of course that was to perform Peking opera! No one had expected that they would see her on this stage. Wasn't this crossover too huge of a leap? A Peking opera singer singing pop songs? And she even sang quite well?
All the judges gave her a standing ovation!
The entire studio audience also stood up and cheered for her!
"Liao Yiqi!"
"Liao Yiqi!"
"Liao Yiqi!"
Spinach's eyes reddened. She was very touched and clasped her hands together to thank everyone. She said, "Thank you, thank you, teachers. Thank you, everyone, thank you!"
Zhang Xia smiled and said, "There's still the revival round! We'll be waiting for your return!"
Liao Yiqi, also known as Spinach, looked at the judges. "I definitely will!"
This reveal had greatly surprised everyone and left them in disbelief!
Meanwhile.
Yang Shu finally arrived from the upper side of Xizhimen Interchange. She called Zhang Ye to tell him that she had arrived.
In his waiting room, Zhang Ye was just about to get changed and leave. But there was a knock on the door and in came Sunset Glow.
Zhang Ye was startled. "What's up?"
Sunset Glow gazed at him. "Didn't I say to not go easy on me?"
Zhang Ye laughed dryly. "I didn't."
"If you're like that, what's the point of me grabbing the title of Masked King?" Sunset Glow said coolly. She wanted to become the Masked King at least once, but why did it now feel like she had been given the win?
Zhang Ye finally understood why Sunset Glow had seemed a little unhappy despite getting crowned as the Masked King. So this was the reason. He said at once, "You became the Masked King today based on merit. Did you think that I didn't sing seriously?"
Sunset Glow quietly nodded. "Your song was simply average."
But Zhang Ye laughed. "That might not be true."
Sunset Glow looked at him with some doubt.
Zhang Ye tacked on, "You don't believe me? Then let's wait and see." So many people felt that "Ms. Dong" was just average? They even thought that I was holding back? You guys are really funny. Would I need to do that? Forget it. It doesn't matter what I say now. Let's just wait till after tomorrow's broadcast and we'll know how this song does. Zhang Ye, in truth, did not agree with the judges' evaluation of the song. He was waiting to smack them in the face. But of course, it might be his face getting smacked. He couldn't say for sure since it was a different world after all, so who knew?
20 minutes later.
Zhang Ye had quietly sneaked out of Beijing Television. He found his car in the parking lot and opened the door to the front passenger seat and got in.
Yang Shu looked at him cautiously. "Senior Bro."
Zhang Ye said, "Drive."
"OK." Yang Shu quickly started the engine.
As they drove, Zhang Ye started criticizing her and also taught her how to operate the GPS. Then he continued scolding her.
Yang Shu listened in silence.
Later, when Zhang Ye realized that she probably couldn't recognize the roads because she had arrived in Beijing recently, he stopped chiding her. He started humming a ditty in a good mood.
Yang Shu gave him a furtive glance, then heaved a sigh of relief.
Yang Shu might act impetuously around others, but she was still very afraid of Zhang Ye.
At this moment, a call came in!
This was a call that Zhang Ye was rather unwilling to pick up right now!
It was Dong Shanshan!
Zhang Ye cleared his throat and answered with a chuckle: "Hello, Shanshan. What's up? Who won today? I didn't get to watch the latter half of the recording since I went home."
The voice on the other end stayed silent for a moment.
Dong Shanshan then said: "Go on, keep pretending."
Zhang Ye faked surprise and said: "Ah? Pretend about what?"
Dong Shanshan probed: "You're The Clown, aren't you?"
"Whoa!" Zhang Ye said in surprise: "What are you talking about? The Clown? You must really have a rich imagination!"
Dong Shanshan laughed and said: "If it's not you, then who is it?"
Zhang Ye said: "How would I know who it is? I would like to know too. Hey, why'd you even guess that it was me? It's not like you don't know what my singing sounds like, right?"
Dong Shanshan rolled her eyes and said: "You can even fly a plane, so who knows if you could suddenly sing too? I wouldn't be surprised if you did!"
Zhang Ye couldn't deny this.
"So tell me. Don't lie to me!"
Zhang Ye coughed and said: "It's really not me."
Dong Shanshan said coldly: "Today at the studio, that last verse of 'Ms. Dong' was to wish me a happy birthday. If it wasn't you, who would it be? Who else knows that it's my birthday today?"
Zhang Ye pretended to be taken aback. "Huh? It's your birthday today? Isn't it next month?"
"You don't know?" Dong Shanshan blinked.
Zhang Ye said: "Why would I know? Have you ever told me when your birthday is?"
Dong Shanshan thought for a moment and suddenly felt uncertain. "I haven't told you before."
"Then that settles it!" Zhang Ye said: "Since I don't know, does that mean The Clown knows you? Could he be a relative of yours?"
Dong Shanshan said in a speechless manner: "I don't have any friends or family who can sing that well! There's only you who's worth being suspicious about. Are you sure that it's not you?"
"It's not me," Zhang Ye lied without even blinking.
With Zhang Ye standing his ground, Dong Shanshan got confused. She said: "Alrighty then, I probably guessed wrong. I'll go think about who it could be."
After hanging up, Zhang Ye could finally sigh a breath of relief and he laughed. Dong Shanshan had indeed not told him her birthday, but that did not mean that Zhang Ye did not know. When they were in college, Dong Shanshan had told one of her close friends that her birth date had been registered wrong. Zhang Ye was nearby at the time and accidentally overheard it. As he had liked Dong Shanshan at the time, he remembered this quite well. However, he had never given Dong Shanshan a birthday present in all these years.
Haha.
Keep guessing, just guess whoever you want.
In any case, this bro will never admit to it!
Yang Shu said, "Senior Bro, we're almost there."
Zhang Ye acknowledged her and said, "Pull over to the curb and help me get some cigarettes. There's no more at home."
"OK, Senior Bro," Yang Shu responded.
All of a sudden, his phone rang again.
Dong Shanshan said: "Are you sure that it's really not you?"
Zhang Ye said anxiously: "It's not."
Dong Shanshan gave a plain sound of understanding and said: "Swear to me. If it's really you, you won't be able to get breakfast when you want to buy some, and all the cigarettes that you buy will turn out to be fake, the same for any alcohol that you have…"
She rambled on for a minute about this.
Zhang Ye was dumbfounded!
Fuck!
You're too ruthless!
"Hurry up and swear to it!" Dong Shanshan urged.
Zhang Ye stemmed his tears and said: "Alright, I'll swear to it."
Only then did Dong Shanshan hang up.
Yang Shu parked the car. "Senior Bro, what cigarettes do you want?"
Zhang Ye was about to burst into tears. "Forget it. I don't want them anymore. Let's head back."