Chapter 26: Hello Everyone, I Am Jin Li, and I Have Returned

The moment the piano intro began, many of the trainees once again transformed into screaming chickens.

They knew this song's intro all too well; it was one of the Pink Girl Group's signature hits, "Maiden's Heart."

The intro carried a faint sense of melancholy, describing a story where a young girl moves from secret crush to confession, only for it to end abruptly.

When this song was first released, fans fought fiercely over its meaning.

Some believed the song depicted the feelings of a secret love that never came to fruition.

Others argued that the girl's confession in the song was successful, and the abrupt ending implied she was embarking on another journey with her beloved, thus leaving a cliffhanger.

The Pink Girl Group had twelve signature hits in total, but "Maiden's Heart" was the only one released without an accompanying music video.

"Maiden's Heart" was the first charting single released by the Pink Girl Group, and it was through this song that the team skyrocketed to fame.

It was said that by the time their second charting single was released, the company had secured funding, so the music video and merchandise were fully produced and matched.

Fans had suggested countless times to remake the "Maiden's Heart" project, hoping for a corresponding music video and merchandise, but the company simply played dead, pretending not to see.

Now that the group had disbanded, this matter could only become a permanent regret lingering in the hearts of the fans.

Now, revisiting "Maiden's Heart," every female trainee present transformed into a fan; the moment Jin Li sang the first line, it triggered a chorus from the entire audience!

"The day the wind chimes rang, you stood before the blackboard,

In a pristine white shirt, the breeze blew through midsummer.

My mood wandered back and forth, scattering in disarray.

Using long years to engrave your image~"

The atmosphere on stage needed no further ignition; the chorus was the best affirmation for Jin Li.

Neither Sister Fang nor Jin Li had made a wrong move; playing on nostalgia was the ultimate trump card!

But Jin Li's performance was obviously not that simple.

After playing a segment on the piano, she first walked out to interact with the trainees, then sat back down in front of the piano.

One chorus passed, and just as it seemed they were moving to the next, the melody suddenly changed.

The trainees all widened their eyes; this melody... they had never heard it before!

Was this a medley?

Jin Li continued singing, and now not only the trainees but even the mentors were stunned.

The lyrics remained unchanged, but Jin Li had altered the composition!

She sang the same line of lyrics, evoking two completely different feelings!

"I waited for a long time, as sunlight rose and slanted west,

The wind chimes continued to ring, yet no one stood before the blackboard.

Silent silence could not extinguish my wandering heart,

You appeared in every corner of my diary~

My heart's affairs, the matters I wish to forget yet remember firmly~

You appeared in every corner of my world~"

The stage was pitch black, with only a single beam of pure white light shining upon Jin Li.

The screen behind her flashed with deep blue lines, outlining galaxy after galaxy, while the floor transformed beneath her, until Jin Li stood upon a mysterious and magnificent nebula.

She seemed to stand at the center of the universe singing, transformed into a flawless elf.

Under Jin Li's interpretation, this song no longer felt regretful, but was instead filled with anticipation for meeting again in the future!

—The maiden's heart remains forever in that midsummer, yet midsummer will return once more.

The trainees screamed excitedly, tears welling in their eyes, as if they had returned to the summer when the Pink Girl Group debuted.

The wind was still so gentle, the weather still so fine, and they were still here.

That was enough.

Although the melody had changed, as long as Jin Li opened her mouth, any song could be sung in "Jin Li's style"!

Absolutely incredible!

As the song ended, Jin Li stood up and bowed deeply to the crowd below the stage.

She felt her heart beating very fast; unsure if it was influenced by the atmosphere or if she was slightly nervous, her limbs felt a bit stiff as she walked.

Jin Li took a deep breath and said solemnly to everyone, "Hello everyone, I am Jin Li, and I have returned."

"Aaaaaah!"

Whistles, cheers, screams, applause... all sounds ultimately merged into one, and that was—

"Jin Li!!!"

The stage lights dimmed again; Jin Li left the stage, and the first group of trainees prepared to take the baton.

The dim stage concealed Lian Baozhi's stiff and ugly expression.

Jin Li's explosive rise to fame was indeed due to good luck.

But she had misjudged one thing.

Jin Li's explosive rise to fame was not just due to good luck.

"Chengzi, you're not worried now, are you?" Chen Lin whispered into Gu Cheng's ear, saying softly, "That senior is incredibly powerful; just look at how explosive this venue is!"

Gu Cheng disdainfully pushed Chen Lin's face away, saying, "I was never worried to begin with."

Yet the soaring arch of his eyebrows told of the owner's excellent mood at this moment.

Jin Li had not changed her performance outfit; she simply went backstage to touch up her makeup before returning to the stage.

But this time, she did not appear as a performer; instead, she sat in the mentor's seat, right next to Lian Baozhi.

Lian Baozhi's performance was scheduled third among the mentors, meaning she would not appear until the second half of the recording.

During a break in the recording, Jin Li turned and asked her, "Teacher Lian Baozhi, what do you think of my stage performance?"

Lian Baozhi curled the corner of his mouth into a smile. "Teacher Jin Li truly has not lost her edge; despite not stepping onto a stage for three years, her voice remains so moving. It is just a pity that she only sings old songs and never new ones."

Jin Li smiled faintly. "There are so many old songs I cannot finish singing them all, leaving no room for new ones. Oh, I nearly forgot; it seems Teacher Lian Baozhi does not have a single old song to her name."

A direct hit to the heart!

Lian Baozhi took a few deep breaths, turned his head away, and fell silent.

Four long hours passed, finally arriving at noon.

Jin Li left the stage with a slightly pale complexion; her body could barely hold up. Singing right at the start had drained much of her strength and spirit.

Toward the end, she had been praying to Mazu within her jade pendant, hoping to endure just a little longer.

Sui Lingfang came to escort her to lunch. Upon seeing her complexion, her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, "How is it? Is your body holding up?"

Jin Li shook her head, her breathing slightly uneven. "Not really."

Sui Lingfang said anxiously, "Should we go to the hospital? I will tell the production team right now that we will not participate in recording the second half!"

Jin Li pulled the nervous Sui Lingfang back, took a long, deep breath, and said, "No need. Just apply to the production team for three hours of rest; my body should recover by then."

She offered Sister Fang a reassuring smile. "I just feel extremely tired."

Yet her frail posture made Sui Lingfang feel, no matter how she looked at it, that Jin Li was forcing herself.

Jin Li desperately wanted to leave the island; if she could just visit the Mazu Temple in Haikou and pray, she would immediately become vigorous and lively again.

But this matter was difficult to explain, and since the program was currently being recorded, it was impossible to allow a mentor to leave midway.

Sui Lingfang immediately applied to the production team for rest. The on-site director suspected this was merely an excuse and specifically followed over to check.

The result was that after removing her makeup, Jin Li's complexion was so pale she resembled a female ghost, startling the director.

Rest; she must rest!

The director even said, "I will inform the higher-ups. She can rest for as long as she needs. If she truly cannot make it, she does not have to come for the second half of the recording; that clause was mentioned when signing the contract anyway."

Sui Lingfang was also somewhat flustered; she repeatedly thanked the director, daring not to make any guarantees.

An hour passed, the mentors returned to their seats, and the program resumed recording.

Gu Cheng glanced a few times at the seat where Jin Li had previously sat; it was empty.

The team captain had received some news and said, "It seems Senior Jin Li is not feeling well. She applied for a longer rest period; if she is still unwell, she will not come over for the afternoon recording."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin said with some regret, "What a pity. She hardly spoke during the first half, so the camera footage allocated to her was probably quite limited."

Gu Cheng shook his head gently. "Heaven and earth are vast, but the body is paramount; health is the most important thing."