Chapter 10

【Holy crap! Song Shuqi actually asked!】

【I’ve been wondering about that for so long too!】

【Why else would he make a comeback? To rake in cash, of course. He hasn’t shown his face in two years. Even if he were working, passersby would’ve snapped photos of him, right? But there hasn’t been a single peep. What could he have been doing besides lying flat and slacking off? Back when he quit the industry, he talked so grandly about chasing his dreams, but only his fans were gullible enough to believe that.】

【I’d advise Qiao Yanli’s fans not to get so emotionally invested. What does he have besides a pretty face? When it comes to works, he has none. He even gave up halfway as an idol. He talked big about chasing dreams, but all he did was go home and lounge around doing nothing. If he had even an ounce of career ambition, he wouldn’t have thrown his fans away and quit the industry back then. What kind of idol does that? Does slacking off like this do justice to his fans’ hopes and support?】

【How does Qiao Yanli have no works? He released albums, produced songs, and every single stage and song was his work! Could the haters please stop lying through their teeth?】

【Right, right, sure, your Qiao also has that great “masterpiece” called the Water Bird Award. You fans need to wake up and drop the idol filters!】

【I’ve been wanting to say this for a while: you’ve been praising Qiao Yanli all day for knowing how to make money and cook, but have you already forgotten everything that happened before?】

Arguments raged relentlessly across the bullet comments, driving the stream’s popularity higher and higher. With prime-time evening traffic at its peak, it shattered the record for the entire day.

Countless people were watching the livestream. At the same time, the topic of Song Shuqi questioning Qiao Yanli quietly climbed the trending searches, and under the maneuvering of people with ulterior motives, swarms of anti-fans entered the fray.

Even more anti-fans flooded into the stream, launching into vicious tirades.

Qiao Yanli’s anti-fan base was a complicated mix. Back then, when he shot to fame with unstoppable momentum, the people he attracted most, aside from those drawn purely to his looks, were fans invested in his career success.

When he first joined the talent show, his singing and dancing were inferior to the others, and people only noticed him because of his striking looks. But after that came a rate of growth so terrifying he seemed like a monster. For career-oriented fans, supporting Qiao Yanli gave an extraordinary sense of accomplishment. He was hardworking and gifted, boasting achievements solid enough to silence any skeptic. Within a short time after debuting, his popularity reached the pinnacle of top-tier stardom, and his skills rivaled seasoned singers.

Yet right at his peak, he suddenly retired from showbiz. He won the Golden Finch Award, a prestigious honor in the industry, and announced from the podium that he was leaving to chase his dreams. Naturally, his fans harbored immense expectations, assuming he planned to take time to hone his craft and produce even better works. Who could have guessed that he would vanish without a trace?

The next time he appeared in the news was just recently, with that single photo posted by a marketing account.

Domestic entertainment offered limited room for idols to grow, and Qiao Yanli had already reached the top. Even if he stopped being an idol, couldn’t he have continued making music, releasing albums, and living as a low-profile musician?

Or, like other idols, couldn’t he have transitioned into acting and starred in idol dramas?

Instead, he did none of that, returning home at a young age to lounge around twiddling his thumbs!

Just like tiger parents dealing with a child who refused to strive, the fans were utterly exasperated that this piece of iron wouldn’t turn into steel!

If that had merely been the disappointment of career fans, the biggest stain on his record was the Golden Finch Award he had once received.

The Golden Finch Award was originally a music award with tremendous credibility in the country, and past recipients had all been formidable, powerhouse vocalists.

Sales for Qiao Yanli’s final album had broken records, dominating the charts on major music platforms. Favorable reviews poured in like running water across the internet, and music critics showered him with praise. After he was nominated for the Golden Finch Award and won, his fans were riding high, walking with their chins up.

Plenty of idols released albums, but very few ever earned the recognition of professional awards.

This was supposed to be one of Qiao Yanli’s crowning achievements.

But the very next year, when the Golden Finch Award selections came around again, another idol-turned-singer actually took home the prize!

That singer produced nothing but cloying love songs, with mediocre vocal ability and unremarkable tracks. His popularity and sales weren’t even particularly impressive, and outside his own fandom, he barely had an audience. As soon as the award was handed out, the Golden Finch Award was instantly mocked as the Water Bird Award, and its credibility took a massive hit.

While that singer was being universally mocked, people began to think of Qiao Yanli, who had also debuted through an idol survival show.

Even though plenty of people still believed the songs Qiao Yanli released were truly great and of exceptional quality, now that the award had been watered down, the public began questioning his past achievements. What his fans once considered a badge of honor instead became a stain on his history.

This industry never lacked behind-the-scenes financial manipulation. Unfortunately, Qiao Yanli had already retired, his team had disbanded, and no one stepped forward to clarify or respond. Under the one-sided tide of public opinion, quite a few fans abandoned the fandom and turned against him, drawing in a horde of anti-fans as well.

When news of Qiao Yanli’s comeback broke, countless reporters and media outlets scrambled for first-hand coverage, yet none of them found an opportunity.

And now, right in front of everyone, the question that sparked the most curiosity and drew the harshest criticism had finally been asked!

In front of the camera and behind it, the guests on the show and the audience watching the stream all held their breath, waiting for his answer.

Song Shuqi clenched his hands tightly and licked his dry lips, barely able to contain his excitement. On the surface, however, he still wore an innocent expression, as if he were truly an ardent little fan.

But Qiao Yanli only gave him an odd look.

“You like my songs that much?”

Song Shuqi froze.

He had asked so much, never expecting Qiao Yanli to seize upon an irrelevant remark. Still, since the words had come from his own mouth, he naturally couldn’t deny them.

“Yes, I really like your songs. Actually, I came from a survival show too, and for my first stage performance, I sang one of your songs.” Naturally, that had also been to ride Qiao Yanli’s coattails and promote himself as “Xiao Qiao Yanli.”

But in front of everyone, he spoke with high-minded sincerity: “It’s such a pity you left the industry so early. As a fan, I was heartbroken… Luckily, you’ve made a comeback now. Will I get to hear you sing again in the future?”

“Not necessarily,” Qiao Yanli replied swiftly.

Song Shuqi was ecstatic inside, yet he maintained a flawless facade, displaying only disappointment in a performance that surpassed every bit of acting skill he had ever mustered in his career.

“You’re not going to sing anymore?!”

Qiao Yanli said, “I will. But that’s not the goal of my comeback.”

“Does it have to do with the dream you talked about when you retired?” Song Shuqi pressed relentlessly.

“No.”

“Then is this comeback also part of your dream…”

Qiao Yanli gave a slight nod.

Song Shuqi’s palms were soaked with sweat. “Since it’s unrelated, which one is your dream? When you debuted as an idol, wasn’t the stage your dream?”

Qiao Yanli gave him a puzzled look.

Under the brilliant glow of the crystal chandelier, his dark eyes were like mysterious obsidian. He half-closed his eyes as if in thought, his long lashes casting dense shadows.

After a long moment, he looked up, the faces of everyone present reflected in his eyes. Though his expression remained calm, his confusion was genuine.

Puzzled, he asked, “Can a person only have one dream?”