Many people looked bewildered upon hearing the song.
Lin Qiqi's team hadn't promoted it much, and she had consistently ranked around the 20th spot on the Goddess Chart.
This chart targeted music enthusiasts, so Lin Qiqi's ranking wasn't particularly high.
Even many of her classmates in the composition department looked blank when Wang Xiaoyan mentioned the song.
Teacher Xiao opened the music charts and found "I'm a Girl" at the 40th position.
"Oh? Another song written by Da Fei. Seems you're a fan of his."
Wang Xiaoyan smiled. "I'm not just a fan of Da Fei; I'm also a fan of Lin Qiqi, so I noticed this song early on."
Wang Xiaoyan loved the song, but she was puzzled that it hadn't become popular after three days.
So, she seized this opportunity to ask Teacher Xiao for his opinion.
As a composition student, Wang Xiaoyan was drawn to the style of "I'm a Girl" and wanted to align her own creative direction with it.
If the song proved commercially unviable, she would have to abandon this idea.
Teacher Xiao clicked play, and the cheerful rhythm filled the classroom, instantly lifting the mood.
He nodded. "The intro is quite cheerful."
"Don't look at me like that."
"My face will turn into a red apple."
"Don't cling to me like a koala."
"I don't want to be your friend yet."
Lin Qiqi's sweet voice was the perfect match for the song's infectious rhythm.
If you had to describe this song in two words, it would be "cute."
Lin Qiqi's voice was already adorable, and her beauty and singing talent combined with the song's innocent, playful, and mischievous tone gave her the aura of a quirky, spirited girl.
"Don't try to be like Robert De Niro?"
"Act cool and wait for me at the alley entrance."
"Don't write me strange poems?"
"Because we've never met by chance."
As the verse ended, Wang Xiaoyan joined in humming.
She loved this song and had listened to it countless times. She could sing along to the melody without even looking at the lyrics.
Teacher Xiao looked up and smiled. "Wang Xiaoyan, sing louder."
Wang Xiaoyan's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't falter. She sang out loudly.
"I'm a girl, a pretty girl."
"I'm a girl, a girl who cries easily."
"I'm a girl, a strange girl."
"I'm a girl, you don't understand girls."
Several classmates nearby pulled out their phones, filming and applauding.
As music majors, they were all comfortable with performing and showing off their skills.
Wang Xiaoyan was also beautiful and had a sweet voice, though not quite as captivating as Lin Qiqi's. Still, her performance of the song was impressive, earning her significant praise.
"This song is so catchy! How did I only just discover it?"
"It's so addictive! I think I'm starting to like Lin Qiqi."
"Lin Qiqi was already so cute, and this song just amplified her charm."
"Ultimately, Senior Dafei is the real genius. This song was clearly tailor-made for Lin Qiqi."
"..."
By the end of the song, Wang Xiaoyan had been singing along with it.
The students burst into applause, and several whipped out their phones to record videos.
A shy smile spread across Wang Xiaoyan's face as she bowed to the audience before sitting down.
Teacher Xiao commented, "From a professional standpoint, the song's arrangement and melodic progression are flawless."
"My first impression was one of sheer brilliance."
"I just checked, and this singer is named Lin Qiqi. She's not a professional singer, but an actress."
"Yet I didn't hear a single trace of amateurism in her performance."
"Perhaps students specializing in pop vocal performance might feel it lacks advanced techniques and complex vocal transitions."
"But consider this: technique should serve the song, not constrain it."
"A song might be good because it's technically skilled, but that doesn't mean a song without technical skill is bad."
"Think about classics like 'Happy Birthday' and 'Only Mom is Good in the World.' These timeless tunes have absolutely no technical complexity, yet they've swept the nation and are known by everyone, young and old."
"Lin Qiqi's image, aura, and vocal quality are perfectly suited for this song, and she performs it exceptionally well."
"So, without a doubt, this is an absolutely outstanding song. If the maximum score is 100, I'd give it at least 98."
The video of Wang Xiaoyan's cover, along with Teacher Xiao's review, went viral on Douyin. Within an hour, it had surpassed 500,000 views.
Even Wang Xiaoyan herself never imagined she would unexpectedly become a Douyin sensation.
***
The internet was flooded with news about Da Fei, either his win on *I Am a Comedian* and the birth of a "King of Sketch Comedy," or his new song *Wukong*, which perfectly served as background music for Teacher Zhou's core issues.
Then there was that ridiculous poem of his. The fact that it was still being discussed so long after winning the Aurora Sci-Fi Literature Award left Li Zhilin speechless.
Looking at these online discussions, his affair with Liu Yanyan had been completely buried.
Following General Manager Wu's instructions, they would clarify the matter at the right time to reignite the controversy and boost the heat again.
Li Zhilin had his agent immediately post a clarifying statement on Weibo.
The statement was formal and official: first, an apology to the public for occupying public resources; second, an explanation that the images were purely for the needs of the drama; and finally, a lawyer's letter threatening legal action against the rumor-mongers.
Everyone had seen this routine a thousand times. They said the internet had no memory, but that was only true if no one reminded it.
Li Zhilin's incident was nothing serious, just a standard marketing stunt.
But Da Fei's sketch satirized the entertainment industry, making many ordinary people realize that everything they saw was just hype.
Even Da Fei himself had once hyped up scandals, so his sketch was also a self-deprecating jab.
This time, however, Li Zhilin's tactics felt disgusting. *Did he only care about hyping himself up, without considering Liu Yanyan's reputation?*
Before long, many informed netizens began attacking him in the comments:
"Stop acting. Is it fun to stage your own drama?"
"This is an ancient trick from eight hundred years ago. It's just to drive traffic to *True Colors of the Anti-Japanese War*, right? We all see through it."
"Just look at that leaked anonymous account—it's newly registered. Any expert could check the IP and see it's the same one as Li Zhilin's official account."
"If the drama is bad, improve its quality. Why resort to these shady tactics?"
"Li Zhilin, do you know what you are now? You're a laying hen, a fighter among roosters."
"Da Fei's sketch absolutely skewers you. You're nothing but a country bumpkin, a nobody without packaging and hype. What are you without it?"
"Boring. Let's move on. Let him play by himself."
"..."
After Li Zhilin Studio posted this Weibo message, they immediately lost 100,000 followers.
Initially, some onlookers were unaware of the situation, but after being led by the nose by these people, they quickly understood what was happening and lost all interest.
Even those who had been viciously attacking Liu Yanyan online fell silent.
After watching Da Fei's sketch, they realized it was a publicity stunt. Who would help fuel their campaign now? That would be foolish, wouldn't it?
Seeing the online comments, Li Zhilin's face darkened.
*Da Fei's talking about me online again?*
*I hadn't heard about this!*
He quickly searched online and discovered they were referring to Da Fei's winning sketch on *I Am a Comedian*.
Li Zhilin had always scorned watching Da Fei's sketches, believing the man was delusional about his own talent as he hopped between fields, oblivious to the enemies he was making.
But hearing it was about him, he immediately pulled up the video on his phone and opened it to watch.
Li Zhilin was probably the only person in the entire country who didn't laugh once during the entire sketch.
As he watched, his expression grew increasingly grim. Though Da Fei hadn't explicitly said so, the sketch was clearly satirizing the current state of the entertainment industry, specifically targeting those vacuous, trend-chasing celebrities.
And Li Zhilin was the poster child for this type of star.
Lin Chudong's sketch had ripped away his fig leaf.
*That bastard... could this sketch have been made specifically to target me?*
On its own, the sketch had nothing to do with Li Zhilin.
There were plenty of hype-driven celebrities—boy bands, for instance, who were far less accomplished than him. At least Li Zhilin had some work to his name, even if it was all trash. He at least had something to point to.
But Senior Dafei had previously written a poem attacking him, calling him an empty-headed fool. Their old grudges, combined with the netizens' wild speculation, made it seem like the sketch was also a jab at Li Zhilin.
*These damn netizens are too good at reading between the lines!*
The worst part was that they had seen right through the recent hype stunt with Liu Yanyan, and it had backfired spectacularly.
This situation was incredibly awkward. If he stuck to his original explanation, real experts might dig up the IP address of his alt account. If netizens proved he was behind the whole thing, it would be seen as self-promotion and a staged performance.
The fallout from that could be disastrous.
But if he didn't explain, a large group of uninformed onlookers would remain under the mistaken impression.
Moreover, it would be difficult to explain to Liu Yanyan. He couldn't let her continue to bear this negative reputation.
Li Zhilin clenched his fist. *That bastard Big Fei really knows how to cause trouble for me.*
***
Lin Qiqi stepped off the plane at Modu Airport, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She stretched languidly, shaking off the fatigue of her journey.
Song Jing had been on her phone since they landed, taking call after call. Suddenly, she patted Lin Qiqi on the shoulder.
"Qiqi, your song seems to have gone viral."
Lin Qiqi froze. "Huh? But we didn't do any promotion, did we?"
Song Jing hadn't taken the song seriously at first. After all, its sponsor was *Audition Online*. Through Lin Qiqi's relentless persuasion, threats, and bribes, they'd agreed to mutual support without any money changing hands.
While it might boost their visibility, there were no real benefits, so Song Jing hadn't bothered with promotion.
But the song had unexpectedly taken off. Song Jing opened the Golden Phoenix Goddess Rankings and glanced at it.
Lin Qiqi had already climbed to fifth place.
Yang Han was in fourth place, An Ke'er (who had debuted in a girl group) was third, Deng Siqing was second, and Zhang Yiran was first.
Zhang Yiran currently held the top position with over 300,000 votes.
Deng Siqing, in second place, had only a little over 100,000 votes. The vote counts for the remaining positions were roughly similar.
Song Jing knew these rankings well; they were all about artificially inflating numbers in the early stages.
Once the numbers were inflated, many unsuspecting fans would click in. Seeing Zhang Yiran at the top, they'd assume she was the public's favorite and naturally cast their votes.
Moreover, early ranking inflation significantly boosted sponsors' exposure.
They hadn't originally planned to compete for this ranking, but Lin Qiqi had suddenly surged to fifth place.
This forced Song Jing to take it seriously. If they could push her into the top three, it would be an indelible mark on Lin Qiqi's career.
Lin Qiqi glanced at the rankings and said with a grin, "Hehe, this song was written by Big Fei for me. Of course it's amazing!"
She had an almost blind confidence in Big Fei.
Song Jing immediately had her team start managing the campaign, including boosting the Shanghai Conservatory of Music cover video on Douyin and driving it to the trending list.
Their goal was to reach third place on the Golden Phoenix Goddess Rankings by tomorrow.
"Sister Song, are you done with me? I'm going to find Big Fei now."
Song Jing looked exasperated. "Take the afternoon off. Go home by yourself tonight."
"Got it, Sister Song!"
***
In the afternoon, Lin Chudong and Lin Qiqi waited by the lighthouse on the beach to watch the sunset.
Lin Qiqi had bought some snacks, like spring rolls, and was eating with her mouth greasy.
"Big Fei, when will it be Dragon Boat Festival? I want to eat zongzi."
Lin Chudong smiled. "You don't have to wait for Dragon Boat Festival. Eat them whenever you want. If you can't find any, I'll make them for you."
Lin Qiqi shook her head. "I have to eat them at the right time. Otherwise, I'd feel too guilty eating them regularly."
Lin Chudong shook his head helplessly, suddenly realizing how tough it must be for female celebrities. Even a little extra food could make them worry about gaining weight.
As they sat by the sea, watching a few seagulls fly in the distance, Lin Chudong said,
"Qiqi, do you believe I can make a seagull land on my hand?"
Lin Qiqi blinked in surprise. "I don't believe it at all. If you can make a seagull land on your hand, I'll... I'll kiss you."
Lin Qiqi's cheeks turned rosy.
"Okay, you said it. Don't back out."
Lin Chudong tore off a small piece of bread and held it in his hand, slowly walking toward the sea.
He stood still, like a statue, with his arm raised.
Big Fei was now a master-level pet trainer, deeply familiar with the habits of seagulls.
After remaining motionless for two or three minutes, several seagulls began circling above his head.
Lin Qiqi immediately covered her mouth, held her breath, and her face showed a hint of nervousness.
Finally, after some hesitation, the seagulls began pecking at the food in Big Fei's hand from mid-air.
But each time a seagull swooped down, Lin Chudong would lower his hand slightly, deliberately making it impossible for them to reach.
Eventually, two bolder seagulls landed directly on his hand and began pecking at the bread.
Lin Qiqi on the shore was instantly overjoyed.
"Big Fei, you're amazing!"
She rushed over, and Lin Chudong placed a few pieces of bread in her hand, guiding her to find a good spot. Soon, seagulls flew over to eat from her hand as well.
This wasn't a famous tourist spot, and the seagulls here were still quite timid. At tourist attractions, they would have been much bolder around people.
"Qiqi, isn't it time you fulfilled your promise?"
A faint blush rose on Lin Qiqi's cheeks. She clasped her hands behind her back and slowly raised her head, closing her eyes.
The sea breeze gently stirred the strands of hair at her temples, and in Lin Chudong's eyes, she looked like a beautiful, vivid, and realistic painting.
Her lips glistened with a crystalline sheen, and her closed eyes were like a pair of apricot kernels.
Lin Chudong stepped forward, gently embracing her. Then, he lowered his head and kissed the white moonlight of his heart.
Lin Qiqi's body tensed instantly. She brought her hands forward from behind her back, unsure of where to put them.
Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation on her cheek. She quickly looked up and saw several seagulls circling overhead, her face contorting with alarm.
She pointed to her cheek and asked, "Big Fei, what is this?"
Lin Chudong stifled a laugh, daring not to smile. "Qiqi, it's... divine droppings from the heavens."
***
"Back in the day, I was quite the handsome young man in the ten villages around here."
"Suitors came knocking so often they nearly wore down our doorstep."
"Xiuqin, please don't act like this, don't pull and tug..."
***
Cool Music Media.
Everyone sat around the television, watching the show.
Liang Yin said, "Sister Bai, you're really good in this!"
The drama *Bright Sword* had very few female roles, and the first major female character, Xiuqin, was portrayed with striking realism.
Bai Guixiang smiled shyly. "It's all Big Fei's guidance. This role suits me perfectly."
When Lin Chudong had extended an offer to Bai Guixiang, who had been bullied by Mao Feifei, she had been hesitant.
After all, Cool Music Media was filled with handsome men and beautiful women.
Her own looks were rather plain, and she couldn't sing. She worried she wouldn't thrive here.
She had lost her stable job at the drama troupe—a golden opportunity.
But now, she had no such concerns. Big Fei hadn't misled her after all. Though she died just a few episodes in, those scenes were enough to showcase her acting skills.
And her tragic death would surely leave a lasting impression on the audience.
***
Tianxun Video.
Mei Xinghe sat in his office, also watching *Bright Sword*. The gripping plot had him frowning repeatedly, filled with regret.
But it was too late. A third of the series had already aired. Buying the rights now, even at a cost of around one hundred million yuan, and without securing exclusive online streaming rights, would be a terrible deal.
Suddenly, the operations director rushed in, his brow furrowed. "Mr. Mei, there's been a problem. Take a look."
Mei Xinghe glanced at his phone, and his expression shifted slightly.
"Search Rabbit Video's download count has exceeded three hundred million??"
-----------------------
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