Do you truly understand?

"I feel the same way."
"Exactly, dragging Su Yunqin onto the stage to sing—what is that supposed to be?"
"I’m starting to like Su Yunqin now. She really hit the nail on the head with that comment."

In the contestants’ section,
Those who had been dissatisfied with Tan Linfang pulling Su Yunqin into the performance were now whispering among themselves.

On stage, Tan Linfang’s expression turned grave at that moment. She was about to speak, but the next second, with a loud bang, another red light lit up.
The red light in front of Shao Xinghui was on!

The atmosphere in the venue was tense; all eyes turned sharply to Shao Xinghui.
"I truly don’t know what you’re so proud of. I admit, you are indeed talented.
But do your musical achievements really justify this level of arrogance?
If you disagree with what Teacher Su said, then talk to me. I’ve released albums, I’ve won awards.
I’ve got pitch, too. Why don’t we have a straightforward discussion?"

Picking up the microphone, Shao Xinghui retorted bluntly.
He had been holding back his frustration. Though Tan Linfang’s group was indeed strong,
On this stage, the preliminary rounds required every contestant to perform independently, and what were they doing?
Showing off was one thing, but then they dragged in Su Yunqin.
Are the mentors supposed to unconditionally support these contestants from the start?
If they pull in Su Yunqin now, next time will they pull him in for a song, or Wang Tao for a dance?
If it’s a drama, would they bring in Liang Feiyue?
That’s not how a talent show works. If you stand on this stage, you follow the rules.

Clap, clap.
Clap, clap, clap.
As Shao Xinghui finished, thunderous applause erupted.
On the contestants’ platform, those who hadn’t performed stood up and applauded Shao Xinghui and Su Yunqin.
Likewise, in the live stream, viewers who shared Su Yunqin and Shao Xinghui’s views couldn’t help but cheer for them.

"Awesome!"
"Suddenly I’m a fan of Su Yunqin and Shao Xinghui."
"Ah, I didn’t expect Su Yunqin and Shao Xinghui to think just like me—they’re so bold!"
"To be honest, I’ve felt this way about the Iron Lady Girl Group for a long time. I can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, but it just makes me uncomfortable."

"Exactly. They’re actually very talented, but they’re stubbornly fixated on challenging the mentors."
The comments scrolled by in a frenzy.
Netizens who’d hesitated to voice their opinions now poured out their thoughts.
In terms of skill, Tan Linfang’s group was unmatched, but because they were always like this, people had grown tired of watching them.
Their repeated humiliation of the mentors made the stage seem disorderly.
As a result, many talent shows didn’t want them.
Yet even so, Tan Linfang and her group refused to change.
Previously, under the cameras, many celebrity mentors chose to protect their image and stay out of trouble.
After seeing it so many times, audiences just looked away and didn’t comment.
Tonight’s show was the same.
No one planned to speak up, but now, with Su Yunqin leading the charge and Shao Xinghui stepping forward, everyone’s frustration spilled out.

The camera focused on Tan Linfang.
On stage, her face full of defiance, she directly confronted Shao Xinghui: "What awards have you won? Have you taken any world-class prizes?
How much do you understand this song?
Aren’t you all just pop musicians?
Do you understand its intricacies?
You only talk theory, don’t you?"

…

"Damn!"
"Is Tan Linfang really this confrontational?"
"Is this woman crazy? She’s actually so confident?"
"Now I get why no stage wants them. Just this personality gives me a headache."

The venue erupted after Tan Linfang spoke.
People had seen mentors and contestants argue before, but never with such intensity. Shao Xinghui was, after all, a king-level figure in the current music scene.
Yet now, Tan Linfang dismissed him as worthless.
On camera, Shao Xinghui’s face turned pale; rarely angry since his debut, now he was visibly furious—yet he couldn’t retort.
Because… Tan Linfang was a woman!
If he argued with her, tomorrow’s headlines would be all about him!

"Have you won any international awards?"
Just as Shao Xinghui swallowed his anger, a cool, clear voice rang out.
Following the sound, it was Su Yunqin speaking.
From his vantage point, only Su Yunqin’s profile was visible.
On that delicate face, her fair skin glowed in the lights, revealing the fullness of her cheeks. Her small nose tipped slightly upward, and eyelashes like cicada wings cast faint shadows beneath her bright eyes.
Even while angry, Su Yunqin remained stunningly beautiful.
His heart skipped a beat, and Su Yunqin’s voice came again: "So, you’re also someone who hasn’t won a world-class award.
What then?
Is there something special about this song?
Is it that only you understand it, and others don’t?
If you’re so confident, then let me ask you: in the chorus, what techniques did you use for the semitone transitions between the onomatopoeic phrases?
And why did you start in D major when the song originally begins in C?
Do you know why this song can be played in D or C, but the original starts in C?
Why did you alter the notes ‘somilamiri’ and lower them by a semitone?
Also, your two assistants—their rhythm was off, wasn’t it? The ‘da-da-da-da’ and ‘da-da-da,’ ‘da-da-da-da’ rhythms aren’t the same.
In the original, there’s a ghost note—why wasn’t it performed?"

A barrage of questions shot from Su Yunqin like cannon fire. As her pace quickened, Tan Linfang’s face grew darker on stage.
The two girls behind her began to sweat nervously.
As members of the group, they knew exactly what Su Yunqin’s words meant.
The song "Mountain, Water, Wind, Moon" had won international awards and, for ten years, had been taboo for many superstar artists.
Not only did its high notes break the Guinness World Record, but its technical demands were exceptionally dense.
Starting in C, the entire piece was high-pitched, almost at a B5 baseline; later, there were many slides and ghost notes, and even the rhythm combined real and virtual beats.
Some techniques they didn’t even know.
They had tried to restore the original version of "Mountain, Water, Wind, Moon," but it was too difficult, so they made some cuts.
They’d always been extremely confident, but now Su Yunqin was gradually stripping that confidence away.