Chapter 72
Editor: Whiteflare
His chest felt heavy like a giant boulder was pressing against him and it weighed down so heavily on him that he couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. As he tossed and turned in bed, by the time his eyes finally closed, it was already past 1 AM.
It’s been a long time… since he was unable to fall asleep nicely even with Shen Yan by his side.
Qi Jing seldom let such negative emotions continue into the next day, but this time was an exception.
Everyone had their bottom line.
And his was Shen Yan—
“Are you still thinking about what happened last night?”
Qi Jing was still lost in thought with a frown on his face when something all warm and soft suddenly stuck to his face which gave him a scare. He turned his head around with a jerk.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the something was a bag that Shen Yan was carrying. Inside the bag were some freshly made buns; the aroma wafted through the paper bag.
Shen Yan’s lips pulled into a small smile as he moved the paper bag away from Qi Jing’s face and said, “I’ve been calling you for a bit, but you didn’t respond. I’ve finally gotten some reaction from you now.”
In that instant, Qi Jing was left utterly dumbfounded. “Who knew that breakfast could be used like that? How amazing of you.”
Shen Yan simply lifted the corners of his lips, but he didn’t respond to those words. He just took out one of the buns from the bag and handed it to the other. “Better eat it while it’s hot; I’ll go out to get another two cups of soy milk.”
“Okay.”
Qi Jing took that chubby, white meat bun and took a small bite out of it. The burst of flavour and warmth that filled his mouth was enough to make him forget about his worries for a bit.
Shen Yan had only taken the morning off from work so their time was limited; they had to go to the hospital early to register and get a number for his review with the doctor. Because of this, they went straight to a shop in the neighbourhood and settled their breakfast there instead of preparing breakfast at home. With four fragrant mushroom and meat buns, two freshly prepared soy milks, and two bowls of black rice porridge, the two men sat down around a small wooden table in front of the shop and slowly enjoyed their meal.
As Qi Jing munched on his steamed bun, his eyes couldn’t help but wander towards Shen Yan’s face again and again. After staring at the other for a long time, he couldn’t hold it in any more and asked, “Shen Yan, do you really not care about it at all?”
The other party chuckled softly at his words.
“As I thought, you’re still thinking about last night.” His voice was calm, as if the situation didn’t involve him. “Stop thinking about it, you’ve been thinking about it all night and didn’t even rest properly—that’s what I care about.”
As he said that, he even put down the spoon in his hand and reached out to slowly massage the space between Qi Jing’s brows as if to smooth out the wrinkles in that area. Qi Jing was thoroughly amused by this action and his frown finally eased up.
“I was really angry at that time.” This was the truth, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been thinking about it until now.
“I know,” Shen Yan nodded, his expression unchanging as he continued, “but the final decision lies in the hands of the organisers and the two official reasons given by them were hard to refute… Anyways, it’s only the semi-finals, it’s enough that I can advance to the next round; I don’t feel particularly upset. And besides… didn’t Teacher Pu say the same thing?”
Yeah, Teacher Pu did indeed say that…
At that time, when total score for “Kitty の Papa” came out, it caused an uproar in the audience and they all demanded an explanation from the organisers of the competition.
Such disputes with the scores given have occurred with every instalment of the《Order to End the Heavens》competition, and in the more serious cases, people have even sent their complaints to the head office. As the organiser of this competition is a commercial game company, they naturally couldn’t ignore the requests of the consumers.
Thus, when it came time for Pu Yuzhi to comment on Shen Yan’s performance, this was the first thing she said, “I’ve just been informed by the backstage staff to convey a few words for the organisers…”
Qi Jing understood what she meant.
This was not only to show that she was simply delivering a message, but also to draw a clear line between herself and the so-called “official”.
“Contestant thirty.” After calling out Shen Yan’s number, she suddenly let out a low chuckle, and for a moment there, she didn’t say anything. She only continued after a short pause, “Hmm… I don’t really know what to say.”
Those words, that laugh, they all seemed to scream an exclamation that it couldn’t be helped. Strangely enough, the moment Qi Jing heard her words, his lips subconsciously curled into a smile. At least, this judge was clearly on Shen Yan’s side.
The audience present probably caught the subtext as well, as they lined with thick noodle tears to vent out their conflicted feelings.
Audience 1: ┭┮﹏┭┮ Teacher Pu… What exactly did they say? Please enlighten us!
Audience 2: ┭┮﹏┭┮ Teach Pu, you can’t not know what to say!! I’ve always supported and agreed with Teacher Pu’s comments. Please give Kitty’s Papa a fair evaluation!!
Audience 3: &#k252B;&#k252R;&#kUR4U;&#k252B;&#k252R; I’ve waited so long and it’s finally time for Kitty’s Papa’s commentary&#k2026; but the whole “conveying a message for the organisers” sounds so terrifying. Although I’m scared to hear it&#k2026; at the same time, I can’t help but want to ask for an explanation!!
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“The organisers believe that…” Pu Yuzhi once again placed emphasis on the word “organisers”, “there is a reason for the last judge’s scoring. Firstly, contestant thirty… deliberately delayed the time before starting and strictly speaking, should have been disqualified, but in the end, he just deducted points as a warning.”
This statement completely blocked any arguments Qi Jing had; his mouth fell open as he sat before the computer but no words came out.
That’s it.
There was nothing they could do. The delay was real and they were the ones in the wrong first; there was nothing they could say against that.
He just never would’ve thought that the organisers on the backend would make this point the center of their argument… The feeling of not being able to refute was too stifling.
“Secondly,” Pu Yuzhi added in a low voice after a short pause, “the organisers and one of the judges felt that contestant thirty was toeing the line of… cheating with his performance in the third act.”
A “cheat”…
That was a very, very clever use of the word—both the timing and the context were quite apt and it sent a chill down Qi Jing’s spine.
Even what Pu Yuzhi said next, he could more or less guess 80% of hidden meanings behind them: “In the third act, contestant thirty performed a ‘one-man show’, using a voice outside of his role and adding lines other than the official selection lines… In a way, he has taken the liberty of changing the ‘Charisma’ criteria for this scene and that’s unfair to the other contestants.”
…He just knew they were going to say that.
…He just knew that they were going to harp on the bit about Shen Yan adding in parts on his own accord.
The meaning of the word cheat could be quite subjective, and this explanation made sense at first glance. But in reality, they could say whatever they want and twist things in whatever direction they like. Qi Jing sat silently in front of the table, his hands tightly clasped together, hating the fact that he couldn’t find a stronger argument to refute that at that moment.
The audience also seemed to be wavering and they weren’t as insistent about fighting for justice for “Kitty の Papa” as before. Evidently, these two reasons that were one-part a threat and another part an excuse worked quite well.
Audience 1: …A cheat… Well, when you put it like that, it does kinda make sense… But, but, I still really enjoyed Kitty’s Papa’s performance!! The part where he did the ‘one-man show’ was the one which made me the most heated. Whether or not it’s a cheat, it’s still amazing!!【Though it’s probably unfair for the other contestants】
Audience 2: Judging by those statements from the organiser, they even entertained the idea of disqualifying Kitty’s Papa just now?? Ab-so-lu-te-ly! No-t! Well, whatever. Whether you said he delayed the time or used a cheat, he’s already secured a spot for the next round.【And second place is already pretty good too】Let’s just wait for the final!! All the best, Kitty’s Papa!! I will continue supporting you～(≧3≦)/
Audience 3: He did indeed drag a fair bit of time at the start, but it’s not like it’s entirely his fault; he had issues with his set-up and we were spamming the chat, asking the MC to wait, etc. It would be too much of a pity if he were to be disqualified because of this… I agree with the comment on top! Yay to advancing!! Looking forward to the Finals and tomorrow’s Marquess Shunyang match!!
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After she conveyed the official message, she first let out a big sigh before moving on. Surprisingly, she commented on Shen Yan’s performance in detail as she did in the last game, but only said concisely, “That is it for the official statement from the organisers. Next, I should be going in-depth about contestant thirty’s performance during the competition… However, I feel that in fact, no amount of my commentary would be as good as the students listening more.”
Then, she slightly raised her sombre tone to a more certain tone.
“This is the second time I’ve heard contestant thirty’s performance. This character is completely different from his last one—from the voice to the vibe, they were worlds apart. Like many others, before I heard it, I had a curious attitude, skeptical even.” As she said that, she chuckled slightly, “However, we’ve all clearly underestimated contestant 30. As important as whether or not the character was well-voiced, if it resembles the character, most importantly, it’s whether or not he’s ‘alive’. When I was listening to contestant thirty’s ‘Bai Ke’, there was only one thing on my mind, that ‘Bai Ke’ was standing right here in front of me.”
The moment those words left her lips, the public chat instantly erupted into a commotion, as the audience excitedly flooded the screen with red flowers.
Due to the delay in the early part, by the time Pu Yuzhi was done with the other twenty-nine contestants, there really wasn’t much left to comment on Shen Yan, but she still fell silent for quite a while at this point.
Finally, she slowly said, “Students, when I was reviewing the previous contestants, I’ve basically pointed out all the details worth drilling. And I believe that after hearing it all, you may know better than I do what are the places for improvement and what is deserving of high marks… All I can say is that, it’s no easy feat to bring a character to life.
“People who have heard my earlier commentary would know that 4.5 is my personal top score. As for the most controversial “cheat” in act three, frankly speaking, it was my favourite part.”
Even though she was singing a different tune from the organisers, Pu Yuzhi was as calm as calm can be, her thoughts clear.
“Because I could hear that contestant thirty was no longer treating voice acting like an assignment to be completed, that as he said, was genuinely trying to give everyone a satisfactory performance. That’s exactly what I wanted to see, and he certainly delivered. So it doesn’t matter how other people have scored you, but please take my 4.5. This was not just ‘satisfactory’ performance but the best I’ve heard so far in the competition. Justice will always prevail. Thank you.”
……
Thank you.
Pu Yuzhi was thanking Shen Yan for the show he had put up for everyone.
And Qi Jing was thanking her in his heart; thanking her for saying those words that made him feel so good—”justice will always prevail”. He believes that most of the audience probably felt the same as him and were equally grateful towards her.
“I’m already content with those words from Teacher Pu.”
That made him feel more content than winning the so-called first place of the semi-finals.
Shen Yan said the same words as last night, looking as calm as water throughout, smiling silently and focusing on the task at hand.
Seeing the other man didn’t show the slightest bit of dejection from last night to now, Qi Jing was finally able to let go of some of his anger.
“Well, alright.” Although he was still feeling worried. “However, those two official reasons that were given were quite a reach and I still think there are some shady businesses going on behind the scenes… we can only hope this doesn’t happen again.”
In fact, Qi Jing did not just think it, he knew the competition was rigged.
The information Jade Butterfly revealed should be true, and there were shady practices everywhere in commercial competitions, and he was used to seeing such things as a professional journalist. But he didn’t want to rashly tell Shen Yan about these things relating to Jade Butterfly and make the other worry.
“Alright, eat up, we still have a bus to catch afterwards. Let’s not delay your follow-up appointment today with the doctor.” Shen Yan saw that Qi Jing’s black rice porridge was still untouched and could not help but hurry him with a smile.
One the they were done with breakfast, the two of them took a bus together to the Provincial People’s Hospital. As it was a weekday and during the rush hour—plus, the bus heading to the hospital also went to many other popular stops—the bus was packed full of people. Qi Jing’s hand was in a cast so he couldn’t let it be squeezed against people or bumped by the crowd. And even more so, he couldn’t afford to fall; he needed someone to look after him and Shen Yan’s insistence on accompanying him all this while had proven to be all the more wise.
“Looks like it was worth working late last night.”
Shen Yan had been silently extending his arm to shield Qi Jing from the squeezing crowd from the moment he got on the bus. Only until he escorted the other party to a safer corner and both of them could stand firmly on their feet did he speak.
Qi Jing raised a brow and teased him in turn, “You’re still saying that when you almost got disqualified from the competition because of it.”
Shen Yan smiled faintly, “Even if I was disqualified, it’s nothing… You are more important to me.”
Those words were spoken very softly and faintly, but Qi Jing heard every single one of them, word for word. As the words filled his ears, warmth seemed to fill his heart as well. Making use of the fact that everyone was packed like sardines, he subtly leaned against Shen Yan, snuggling up to other where no one else would notice.
At this point there were no more empty seats on the bus, even the seats for the elderly, the sick and the handicapped were taken. Qi Jing was currently at a place on the bus that was meant for standing; it was a tiny space with a stainless steel handrail. So he held on tight to the handrail while facing Shen Yan whose arms were on either side of him separating him from the other passengers and creating a small private space for him.
In such a space, no one would find it strange even if they were stuck to each other.
Hence, as Qi Jing happily enjoyed the other party’s warmth during the entire journey, even the hassle of squeezing the bus became pleasant and time seemed to pass like a breeze.
“Shen Yan…” This small space was not only good for being face-to-face with one another, it was also perfect for whispering.
“Hm?”
“Actually, the competition last night helped me discover a fatal weakness in my voice acting.” Qi Jing raised his head to meet Shen Yan’s eyes. After a slight pause, he finished his sentence with a small smile, like it couldn’t be helped, “I might mess up the finals… if I make it in.”
A hint of surprise seemed to flash across Shen Yan’s eyes.
He asked in an equally low voice, “Why do you suddenly say that?”
Qi Jing himself wasn’t gloomy about it and calmly stated the reason, “Weren’t the first two acts conversations between ‘Bai Ke’ and ‘Fang Yisheng’? Before you came back, I was actually trying to act against the other contestants in real time, trying to say ‘Fang Yisheng’s’ lines one by one while the other contestants were performing… The results weren’t too ideal.”
He’s had a similar experience before.
The role, the same lines—when listening to Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s DEMO, no matter how many times he re-recorded, it just didn’t cut it. But when he recalled Geese Fly North’s performance, the lines would come out naturally.
“I realised that… it’s still okay when I’m dubbing by myself, but once I’m together with someone else, how the other party performed had a big impact on my own performance.” When he recognised this, Qi Jing also understood how unfavourable the format of the finals was for him. “Then when it was your turn to go up and perform, I was easily pulled in by you… It was the same way when acting for《Trap》. Naturally, this has something to do with your skill, but if I can’t say my lines when I’m not acting with someone of your calibre… it’s going to be quite bad in the future.”
In the semi-finals, he could still win based on personal performance.
But in the finals, two people had to act together and not everyone was like Shen Yan and had the ability to get into character immediately.
“In the case that… If I meet someone who’s not so good at acting, I might be out of my element.”
Qi Jing admitted that he was not as good as Shen Yan in voice acting.
And this weakness of his was very limiting. If he could not overcome it, he would have very little room for development in the future.
Shen Yan quietly listened to Qi Jing’s confession and did not speak for some time. Just when Qi Jing was thinking that even Shen Yan didn’t know how to help him, the other party unexpectedly slowly opened his mouth to ask a question, “Why don’t you… try taking the initiative back into your own hands?”
Qi Jing was slightly stunned.
“Taking the initiative back into my own hands…” Meaning?
“For example, in the first issue of《Trap》, you were matching with the other party, putting the initiative in his hands,” Shen Yan continued softly, “But in fact, if your acting skills are above his, instead of being led, you can try to redirect hi—”
At that moment, the announcement of the station suddenly sounded, interrupting their conversation.
“Next stop, People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital. Passengers alighting, please don’t forget to take all your belongings with you and prepare to get off from the back door.”
“We’re reaching soon.” Shen Yan gently made space so that it was easier for Qi Jing to head towards the back door later.
“Let’s take care of the doctor’s appointment first. As for voice acting, we can take it slow,” Qi Jing said with a chuckle, “Both of us will have a match later tonight and this is the only time apart from the finals, so let’s do our best together.”
“Mhm.”
The two matches of the night each had their own significance for them.
For Qi Jing, he had said from the start that he wanted to get back at Great God Bronze Sparrow Terrace and the “Emperor Chang” competition for tonight was his chance.
For Shen Yan… though Qi Jing didn’t know why, he seemed to be really concerned about “Marquess Shunyang”. Hopefully he can make up for the unfair treatment he faced in the previous match.
The main structure of the Provincial People’s Hospital was divided into two buildings, one for outpatient and one for inpatient, one to the south and one to the north, separated by an atrium, with a few other ancillary facilities in between.
The road where the bus stop was located was actually adjacent to the side entrance of the hospital, rather than the main entrance.
Qi Jing and Shen Yan got off the bus and went straight in through the side entrance. After going around the large green patch in the centre, they headed towards the outpatient building.
This place was, after all, a tertiary hospital in the province, so the environment was not bad. A garden-style recreation area had been built between the outpatient and inpatient buildings, complete with a carp pond, rockery, a walkway, and others. There were also wooden benches around the area, suitable for visitors who come here to see the patients and take a break.
They took a shortcut and cut through the middle walkway.
“When I was hospitalised from the car accident, I would often come down here for a stroll or sit around to enjoy the space.” Qi Jing reminisced a little about those times. And as they walked down the walkway, he couldn’t resist stopping for a moment.
Shen Yan also stopped in his tracks and stood with him in silence.
There were a lot of patients and their families walking through the walkway, but Shen Yan was standing very close to the edge of the path, so he basically wouldn’t be in the way of others. However, there was a middle-aged woman approaching him. Her footsteps were staggering slightly, appearing like a feeble elderly, and she slowly hobbled over as if struggling to confirm something.
Even though there was still plenty of room on the side, that person only came closer and closer.
So close, that with a few more steps, she would bump into Shen Yan.
Shen Yan had been listening to Qi Jing speak all this while so he didn’t notice someone approaching him. Only when that person’s shadow cast over him did he instinctively raise his head.
“Watch out…”
Out of a doctor’s instinct, he reminded the other person gently.
The other person’s steps seemed to wobble even more in this moment, stumbling a few steps and looking like she was about to fall. He hurriedly reached out a hand to help her.
In that moment, their eyes met.
When that woman’s face reflected in Shen Yan, his expression froze and the hand that was supporting her jerked suddenly. He didn’t let go, nor did he pull back his hand, it just froze there stiffly in mid-air.
That woman stared fixedly at him and slowly opened her mouth.
“…Shen Yan?”
Whiteflare: SY is so sweet ahhhhhh