Chapter 2187 - 2190: The Unrivaled Mermaid Who Amazed the Crowd

When the song ended, the entire studio fell into dead silence. Everyone stared blankly at Qian Ning's peerlessly beautiful face under the spotlight, intoxicated by the lingering echo of her voice, to the point that they all forgot what they were supposed to be doing.

The lights forgot to come on, the band forgot the music, the host was still kneeling there with eyes full of devotion, and the audience forgot to applaud. Everyone just gazed, dazed, at Jinli Qianning on the stage.

At this moment, her bright eyes were limpid and pure, glittering like a skyful of stars, yet they did not soften because of the crowd's shock. Instead, they grew even colder, flagrantly flaunting that solitary pride, as if she stood at the very summit, looking down on all lives.

It inexplicably evoked a sense of distance—something that could only be admired from afar, impossible to approach.

Yet this aloofness and icy hauteur, this untouchable aura, didn't make anyone feel tired of her. On the contrary, a strange reverence rose in their hearts. It was as if even wanting a photo with her, or saying a single word to her, would be a kind of desecration, stirring up a guilty conscience from nowhere.

So everyone looked at her with eyes used to worship a Goddess, staring at her in stunned awe, until the studio was so quiet that only the whirring of equipment motors and those cautious breaths—barely louder than a whisper, as if any extra volume might startle the beauty—could be heard.

"Perfect!"

Seeing this, Shen Qiang, whose lips curved into a faint smile, started to clap. As the only one whose mind wasn't heavily affected by Qian Ning's song, he led the applause—because Shen Qiang didn't like silence that dragged on too long.

Shen Qiang's applause jolted everyone in the studio awake. In an instant, applause and screams erupted in all directions.

Onstage, Qian Ning's beautiful eyes looked at the smiling Shen Qiang, surprised yet somehow unsurprised, as if this were only natural.

"Sure enough, only he can listen to me sing with a calm heart. Only he doesn't look dumbstruck after I finish singing. Is he my Prince? But he's a bad guy!"

Qian Ning spaced out for a moment, then avoided Shen Qiang's gaze. Her expression went placid as an ancient well as she looked off to the side, trying desperately to hide the thoughts and emotions in her heart.

By now the studio had returned to normal, and the lights were already on.

Jinli Qianning, dressed in nothing resembling full stage regalia, was already beautiful to the very extreme.

It left the host—usually adept at handling all kinds of situations—completely off his game.

"Uh, uh, well, thank you, Miss Qian Ning, for bringing us that heavenly voice. Next, it's time for the judges' comments."

Nervously blurting out the simplest line he would normally say, the host forcibly swallowed back his request to take a photo with Qian Ning. After all, faced with such breathtaking beauty, even a man like him, who had seen countless celebrities, didn't dare speak lightly—because that would mean defilement.

And almost at the same time, the three stunned judges were staring at Qian Ning, utterly dumbfounded.

"Judges, please comment." Seeing the three of them spacing out, the host felt that maybe he wasn't the only one losing his composure and regained a bit of confidence as he prompted them.

Snapping out of it, the three judges exchanged shocked looks. Then the lead judge turned his astonished gaze on Jinli Qianning and spoke.

"Miss Qian Ning, you are the most talented female singer I have ever seen and heard in my life. Your voice is Spiritual Movement itself—ethereal, far-reaching, dreamlike. It not only gives people a sense of transcendence, as if cut off from the dust of the mortal world, it also has the power to reach straight into the depths of the soul. Your song is perfect. Saying this may sound like I'm incapable of finding flaws, like I'm incompetent—but I truly don't dare speak against my conscience."

The lead judge's candid sincerity.

Made Qian Ning's peerless lips curve in a faint smile.

On that already flawless face, the instant the smile melted the ice and snow, Gong Ziyi standing beside Shen Qiang had his gaze go completely glassy.

"So beautiful, so beautiful, just unbelievably beautiful. The moment she smiled, I felt like a spring breeze brushed my face. Shen Qiang, it's decided, okay? You leave now and leave her to me. I promise I'll never pester Song Weiyin again. Not only that, I absolutely won't ever be your enemy again!"

Hearing this, Shen Qiang frowned slightly, but he couldn't even be bothered to respond.

This world has far too many selfish people.

They see something good and instantly want to possess it themselves.

And never consider what the other person wants.

Qian Ning was the daughter of the Sea Demon King, a mermaid. Not only did she have a face even more exquisite than the flawless Fairy Qin Yurou, she possessed a voice straight from heaven itself.

And beyond that, the most crucial thing was—

From the very first time he heard Qian Ning's name, the Great Demons from the Happiness Gate said she could increase Shen Qiang's power.

Right up until the Great Sea Demon said that to claim the Divine Corpse, Qian Ning's help was absolutely necessary.

People had brought her up countless times, and he had brushed past her countless times.

But that is fate.

The fate between Shen Qiang and Jinli Qianning.

"Back in school, whenever I had some cool toy in my hands, or something that nobody else had, the classmates and friends around me would try everything—trading, borrowing, buying, deceiving, or just outright snatching."

Glancing sideways at Gong Ziyi, Shen Qiang smiled faintly. "Do you know how I responded to them?"

"How?" Gong Ziyi asked curiously.

"Brother's grace my ass. Get lost." Shen Qiang said calmly.

Gong Ziyi's face darkened with anger.

Meanwhile, onstage, another judge had already begun to speak.

He said, overwhelmed, "Miss Qian Ning's voice is flawless. Everything that needs to be said, Teacher Li already said. What I want to say now is that no praise in this world can accurately capture the respect I feel for you in my heart. You are perfect. You are the greatest female singer, absolutely second to none."

To call this a comment would be generous; it was more like pure flattery.

And it wasn't just him. The third judge was equally shaken.

"Hearing your voice is the greatest blessing of my entire life. Thank you for existing, Miss Qian Ning. You will definitely become the most perfect, most outstanding vocalist in this world."

Among the three judges, only the lead judge's comments sounded even slightly professional. The other two were basically Qian Ning's fanboys—besides praise, there was nothing remotely technical. By rights, comments like that should have been met with ridicule.

But at this moment in the studio, everyone agreed with them.

"Miss Qian Ning's song is the most beautiful—bar none!"

"I've always believed that when God opens a door for you, He must close a window. A woman as beautiful as Miss Qian Ning couldn't possibly also have ultimate musical Talent. But the truth proves I was wrong—because she is God's beloved favorite!"

"It's too overwhelming. After hearing Miss Qian Ning's song, I suddenly feel that all the tracks I used to treat as classics are laughable and pathetic in front of her!"