One by one, the performers got booted off stage, but the audience? Still stone-faced, barely a sniffle in sight. Up on the high platform, Yvonne Li scrunched up her face like she’d just bitten a lemon—clearly, today’s show was a total flop in her eyes.
"Don’t be upset, Mistress. Have some fruit first." Her blue-robed boy toy hurriedly peeled a grape and fed it to her, eager to please.
"Seriously? Was my singing not tear-jerking enough? You cold-hearted robots!" Clara Night belted out her sixth line, but the crowd was dead silent—some folks even started yawning. For the pampered Clara, this was next-level humiliation!
"Next!" The pink-robed announcer frowned in disgust at Clara’s tantrum and quickly called for the next contestant.
"You can sing too?" Ivy Shen glanced at Caleb Miles, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Of course! With such a loaded first-place prize, I’m going all out." As soon as Caleb finished speaking, his abacus started clacking away.
"Disqualified!"
"Next!"
Then came Brooke, Wynter, May, and Summer. Sadly, only Brooke and May made it through—though Ivy barely understood their songs, a few people wiped their eyes, prompting Yvonne Li to nod approvingly. The blue-robed announcer quickly shouted, "Passed!"
Next up, Caleb Miles took the stage under Ivy Shen’s watchful gaze. Instantly, the crowd fell silent.
Caleb gave a slight bow and flashed a smile at the crowd, then threw his head back, closed his eyes, and let out a wail: "Father! Mother! You left so early—how am I supposed to survive all alone? Only true filial children can understand this song! If you’re not crying, you’re a heartless rogue! Waaaah, waaaah, waaaaaah!"
Hearing this, Ivy Shen was absolutely gobsmacked. This abacus dude was a scheming legend—he picked a funeral wail, sobbed for his dad, then his mom, then basically called out the crowd for being heartless if they didn’t cry. Bro! With him guilt-tripping like that, who dared not act filial? Even though his singing sounded like a pack of ghosts, everyone fake-dabbed their eyes like Oscar winners.
And as if things couldn’t get any more awkward, Yvonne Li’s harem boys behind her even rolled up their sleeves and started fake-sobbing. Honestly, everyone wanted to yell, "Can you NOT? My ears are dying!" But of course, nobody dared say it—who wants to admit they’re not a filial child?
"Alright, alright, that was so moving. Passed!" The blue-robed announcer said quickly, though inside he was thinking, I’ve never heard anything so awful!
"Okay, next!"
At that cue, everyone dropped their sleeves in perfect sync—no tears, no drama, just instant emotional reset. Ivy Shen mentally gave Caleb a savage gold star: this guy could calculate people’s hearts, not just their wallets. Ruthless!
"It’s your turn. Stop spacing out," Caleb Miles walked off stage, smug, and nudged Ivy with his elbow.
"Oh, right!" Ivy snapped back to reality and hurried up to the stage.
"Whoa, how can a girl be this ugly?"
"Wow, someone’s actually uglier than me! Haha, this is great!"
"With a face like that, what song could possibly move anyone?"
The crowd buzzed with gossip, all about how hideous she was. But Ivy Shen didn’t care—she wasn’t here for a beauty contest!
"Alright, get started!" The blue-robed announcer waved his handkerchief, eager to get things moving.
Seeing this, Ivy Shen took a deep breath, let her emotions settle, and slowly closed her eyes. The song in her heart drifted out, soft and slow: "Only Mother Is Good in This World. A child with a mother is like a precious jewel, safe in her arms and surrounded by happiness. Only Mother Is Good in This World. A child without a mother is like a weed, bullied and knocked down by a stepmother—how pitiful."
***
[Author’s Note: This is not part of the story.]
PS: Darlings, you should read at night! I almost never update during the day, so nighttime is when the new chapters drop. No need to keep refreshing all day!