Beneath the brilliance of the galaxy onstage, Xia Xiyao’s gaze cut through the crowd and met with Gu Xingyi’s.

Gu Xingyi felt dazed for a moment—as if he were looking at the celestial fairy across the Milky Way, staring back at him from afar.

Destiny.
Wasn’t this… just destiny?

No one felt it more deeply than Gu Xingyi. It was fate that he had transmigrated into this world, that he’d met her, that he’d fallen in love with her.

The entire venue went utterly silent after Xia Xiyao’s declaration.

She said it was destiny.

The smile and joy in her eyes weren’t something that could be faked.

She truly liked him. She truly felt happy. That’s why she could say something like that.

Whether they were watching from the venue or through the livestream, the audience was quiet.

This kind of overwhelming joy—leaping from the screen—wasn’t something a woman suffering long-term abuse could just “act out.”

Then, the music began to play. On the giant screen behind the stage, the title of the song slowly appeared:
Courage
Lyrics by Gu Xingyi.
Composed and performed by Xia Xiyao.

A song they created together?

Courage?

As the intro started, the audience found themselves immersed in the melody, unconsciously drawn into it.

Xia Xiyao raised the mic, her gaze still locked with Gu Xingyi’s. This song—it was like she was telling him: Now, I have the courage to love you.

The intro faded. Her voice began gently, as if recounting something small and tender.

    “I’ve finally made this decision,
    I don’t care what others say,
    As long as you’re sure too.

    I’m willing to follow you to the ends of the earth,
    I know it won’t be easy.

    My heart has been practicing, convincing itself.
    What I fear most is you suddenly giving up.”

The crowd lost it.

Whether live or online, everyone was stunned speechless.

This was a straight-up love confession, wasn’t it? Weren’t they just feeding us dog food?!

This?!

And they say she’s living a miserable life? Being abused?!

Hell, if this is “misery,” then we single dogs wanna try being miserable too!

At that very moment, Gao Cheng and Xu Bin were watching the livestream as well. Their faces were twisted like they’d swallowed a hundred dead rats.

Why?!
They just wanted to know why.
Gu Xingyi had treated her like that, and yet she wasn’t angry? She was even confessing to him on stage?

Good thing Liu Qian wasn’t here to see this. If she were, her “Dao Heart” would’ve shattered instantly and she’d probably have transcended on the spot.

And then came the next wave that finished everyone off:

    “Love really takes courage!
    To face all the gossip and rumors!
    As long as you give me one look of certainty,
    My love will have meaning!”

IS THAT EVEN HUMAN LANGUAGE?! Netizens collectively vomited blood.

So now they were the ones spreading “gossip and rumors”?
Fine! She had courage! They admitted it! No more hate!

All she needed was one look from him to feel confident in her love?
And the original “victim” herself was now boldly standing up for Gu Xingyi?

What business did any of them—the peanut gallery—have commenting anymore?

Backstage in the control room, Director Ren Chao’s grin had practically split his face.

Another classic hit! And more importantly, the bond between Xia Xiyao and Gu Xingyi remained solid!

He could finally breathe easy—and he was over the moon.

In his eyes, Xia Xiyao was now a walking treasure chest. No—more than that. She was a treasure chest with a built-in cheat code!

On stage, Xia Xiyao continued singing. The steady courage in her voice made her message crystal clear to everyone listening.

    “We all need courage,
    To believe we’ll be together.

    Even in a sea of people, I can feel you,
    Holding your true heart in the palm of my hand.”

“We get it! We get it already! Stop flaunting it! We were wrong! Waaaaahhh!!”

“I thought this would be a roast fest tonight… Turns out it’s just a dog food party! I’m DONE!”

“But seriously, this song is amazing! Waaaahh, I love it so much! What do I do? I think I’m ready to forgive Xingao too! If we never hear his music again, how will we survive?!”

“Forgive him! We HAVE to! Xia Xiyao stood up and spoke already! What are we still hung up on?!”

“And just like that, you’re all forgiving him? Really?”

“Dude above, what’s your deal? What are you still doing here? Are you the original victim or something? Who gave you the courage—Xia Xiyao?!”

“HAHAHAHA! I’m dead—‘the courage that Xia Xiyao gave!’”

“But seriously… this song is so good. It brings back memories. If only I’d had courage like Xia Xiyao back then… maybe things would’ve ended differently.”

“Love is so hard to speak out loud. To have this kind of courage is rare. May all who bravely chase love find happiness.”

As Xia Xiyao sang, the bullet comments gradually softened. Though some netizens still felt awkward, what could they say when even the “victim” was clearly head over heels—and feeding them dog food on top of it?

What now—the emperor’s not anxious, but the eunuchs are?
Please, no one had that kind of weird hobby!

With this one bold declaration of love and a single song—Courage—Xia Xiyao won over the entire audience.
Not just with the quality of the song, but with the depth of her love and the bravery to fight for it.

Backstage, Shao Feibai looked absolutely green. He had zero courage left.

Just like that, his worst fear had come true.

He’d been hoping Gu Xingyi hadn’t written this one. But nope—turns out they co-wrote it.

If it was just a good song, he could’ve accepted it—he still had a chance.

But the problem was, the song wasn’t just good—it was perfect for the situation. It captured Xia Xiyao’s current emotions flawlessly.

One song. One declaration. And tonight’s stage had become a dog food battlefield.

How was he supposed to win now?

Shao Feibai could only chuckle bitterly and shake his head. The song he’d prepared was slightly weaker than Courage, and the vibe just couldn’t compete. His emotional delivery? Nowhere near as powerful. Only his singing technique could compete.

The competition hadn’t even ended, but he already knew the outcome.

By now, Xia Xiyao had finished her performance. She bowed politely to the audience and mentors, then stepped down from the stage.

Only when the music faded did the audience realize it was over. They had been so fully absorbed that they hadn’t even noticed time pass.

Her figure disappeared offstage—and the crowd finally erupted into thunderous applause.

They admired her—a woman brave enough to chase love. She deserved their support.

Next up, it was Shao Feibai’s turn. He quickly composed himself. No matter what, he had to give it his all. This wasn’t about anything else—this was a singer’s professional integrity.

And indeed, Shao Feibai was worthy of being a finalist. The moment the music began, he snapped into performance mode.

His voice was excellent—clear and bright. He sang an upbeat tune, and the mood in the arena instantly lifted. The audience waved glowsticks and swayed to the beat.

Even the mentors on stage smiled approvingly. Though the song couldn’t compare to Courage, the fact that Shao Feibai could still perform so well after that emotional whirlwind was already remarkable.

Definitely better than Liu Qian, another finalist who had completely collapsed under pressure.

Shao Feibai’s fans felt a little regret, but they knew their idol had done his best. After all, there was only one Xingyao in the world—not everyone could pull off a high-level original song like that in such a short time.

In the crowd, Gu Xingyi was listening carefully too.

Even if they were opponents, music knew no boundaries. A good song deserved to be heard with respect.