Chapter 129: You Intend to Challenge Chen Fang?

For 99% of people, life offers no second chances.

Chen Fang, however, is the exception.

He is a transmigrator. And better yet, he possesses the ultimate cheat code: a System. In a sense, Chen Fang is that one-in-a-million lucky guy.

Qiao Yuezhu, on the other hand, does not share such heaven-defying luck. At this moment, every step toward the stage feels like a blade piercing her heart. She can already imagine the scene: as she steps onto the stage, she won't be greeted by applause, but by countless strange gazes and perhaps even skin-crawling boos. Other artists might suffer from a ruined public image, facing the wrath of audiences and fans, but Qiao Yuezhu has skipped that step entirely. She never even established a persona to begin with, and now her life has hit rock bottom.

Elsewhere, Wang Situ returned to the lounge.

Chen Fang was just about to offer his congratulations when Wang Situ suddenly threw herself into his arms.

"Brother Chen, thank you."

Without Chen Fang, Wang Situ would likely be nothing more than an ordinary contestant.

A pleasant fragrance wafted toward him. Hmm... the perfume Wang Situ wore was quite nice—one of those floral scents Chen Fang favored. He felt a bit awkward. Wang Situ was naturally tall, and under normal circumstances, they would be eye-level. But with her high heels on, she was half a head taller than him. As she lunged forward, the two soft mounds against his chest made him feel a bit dizzy; if Chen Fang hadn't braced himself slightly on his tiptoes, he might have been smothered.

But he had to admit, they were truly fair! Chen Fang was referring to her qipao. While not as large as Ji Mei’s, they had the advantage of being incredibly white, accompanied by a faint, milky scent.

"Mind the optics!"

Xi Yuanyuan could no longer sit still. What was the meaning of this? Trying to snatch a man right in front of her? She pulled Wang Situ away from Chen Fang’s embrace, swallowing the congratulatory words she had prepared. No, she had to keep a close eye on this little girl.

There were still tears in Wang Situ’s eyes. Seeing this, a flicker of guilt crossed Xi Yuanyuan’s heart. Perhaps Wang Situ was just genuinely overwhelmed and wanted to thank Chen Fang. Yet, at an angle Xi Yuanyuan couldn't see, a flash of a smile crossed Wang Situ’s lips before she quickly composed herself.

The gratitude was real. The desire to hold Chen Fang was also real.

And... Chen Fang’s embrace was so warm. Whenever Wang Situ was nervous, her hands and feet would turn ice-cold, but that brief hug had instantly warmed her entire body with his intense heat. Thinking of this, Wang Situ’s face flushed slightly. She had never been interested in men before, always feeling that they were only after her legs. But Chen Fang was different. He didn't covet her body. When she had suggested booking a hotel room last time, he hadn't even gone. This proved that Chen Fang was a man of integrity.

In truth, Wang Situ actually hoped he would try to "subtly influence" her. After all, rolling around in bed with a man as handsome and talented as Chen Fang wouldn't be a loss for her. It was just that Chen Fang had no such intentions. Honestly, Wang Situ was quite disappointed.

If Chen Fang knew what Wang Situ was thinking, he would surely be crying on the inside: *I want you too, you have no idea how many positions those legs could unlock! But I can’t—I can’t betray Ji Mei.*

As the snowy-white softness left his arms, Chen Fang felt a tinge of regret, but he feigned a calm expression. "No need to thank me. It was your own performance; you were perfectly suited for that song. It just proves my judgment was spot on."

Wang Situ nodded obediently. Whatever Chen Fang said was right.

Xi Yuanyuan felt a rising sense of crisis. *No! If I don't act now, I really might get beaten to the punch.* Wang Situ’s current expression practically had the word "easy" written all over it. If Chen Fang asked her to go to a hotel right now, she would be tripping over herself to book the room, not even letting him pay for it. Xi Yuanyuan’s eyes flickered, her mind racing.

While the three chatted, Qiao Yuezhu began her performance on stage. The quality of the song was decent; clearly, Zheng Wenyan had put quite a bit of effort into her. But Qiao Yuezhu’s delivery was abysmal. She was merely going through the motions. Not only was her expression management lacking, but she was so distracted that she kept falling out of sync with the melody.

It was three agonizing minutes. For the audience, it was pure torture. Even the four judges wore deep frowns, a far cry from the relaxed expressions they wore during Wang Situ’s performance. Qiao Yuezhu was perfunctory, and the judges’ scores were equally perfunctory. In the end, Qiao Yuezhu received only 86 points.

Anyone with ears knew that Wang Situ had won decisively. Qiao Yuezhu exhaled a long breath of relief. She hadn't aimed for a high score from the start; as long as she finished the process and avoided paying a breach-of-contract penalty, it was enough. After stepping off stage, she left the venue immediately. The staff didn't stop her; her task was finished, and her value had been exhausted.

However, the challenge round wasn't over. Next up was Dong Fen. As the runner-up, he was naturally holding back his frustration, eager to reclaim the top spot. Amidst the host’s announcements, Dong Fen stepped onto the stage with a vibrant, confident demeanor, completely unaffected by Wang Situ’s stellar performance.

In this regard alone, Dong Fen was far superior to Qiao Yuezhu. An excellent singer must be confident; even when seeing an opponent perform exceptionally, they shouldn't feel burdened, but rather believe they can do even better.

"Contestant Dong Fen, what song will you be singing?" a judge asked.

Dong Fen took a deep breath. Instead of answering, he said with firm conviction, "Judges, the person I wish to challenge isn't Wang Situ. I want to challenge Chen Fang."

The entire room went silent. Even the four judges were stunned.

In the lounge, Chen Fang was left with a face full of question marks when he heard Dong Fen’s declaration.

A few seconds later, Dong Fen asked from the stage, "Is that not allowed?"

The four judges looked at each other, then received a notification from the production team through their earpieces: "According to the rules, Chen Fang is also a contestant, so choosing to challenge him is permitted."

Chen Fang was indeed a contestant. And, he was currently in first place. Following that logic, Dong Fen’s choice was perfectly reasonable.

Chen Fang began to panic. He had no more songs. If Dong Fen challenged him, he couldn't pull another original track out of thin air. He could sing "Father," but since he had written it, that was fine. The problem was awkward: Wang Situ had already performed "Father" to perfection. If he went up and didn't match her impact, wouldn't he just be embarrassing himself?

*This kid Dong Fen is full of nothing but bad intentions!*