It wasn’t until the music ended and Miao Anyun slowly walked off stage that the online debate truly exploded.

Some said the latter half of the song was a misstep, others argued that’s exactly when the song reached its emotional peak.

Everyone had a different opinion. No one could convince the other, but they all agreed on one thing—it was an exceptional song. Especially the first two-thirds—the music and lyrics were truly remarkable!

And the background music itself? A masterclass in Western instrumentation. Many who understood Western classical music came out to praise Wu Fan’s professionalism.

Regardless of the audience’s reactions, the competition pressed on.

The lights on the stage dimmed completely. Under a single spotlight, Xia Xiyao stepped lightly, walking slowly onto the stage.

Under the beam, her expression was in stark contrast to her outfit. Though she wore an extravagant bridal gown in celebratory red, her face was a hollow, deathly mask of sorrow.

Especially those usually bright almond-shaped eyes—now they stared blankly forward, dull and lifeless.

In the dim atmosphere of the stage, she simply stood there in silence.

Eerie.

An indescribable sense of unease slowly crept into the hearts of the audience.

There was no music. No intro. Even the live audience held their breath. The entire stadium was dead silent.

On the massive screen behind her, the title of the song slowly rose.

《Double Happiness》

Lyrics and music by Gu Xingyi.
Performed by Xia Xiyao.

At that moment, everyone watching—from the live audience to the streaming viewers—fell into collective confusion.

That’s Double Happiness ?

Why did it look unfamiliar all of a sudden?

It wasn’t that they didn’t recognize the character—it was that they couldn’t believe it. How could a song named Double Happiness appear on this stage, at this moment?

Only Gu Xingyi, watching from below, took a deep breath as his eyes fell on Xia Xiyao.

Her expression right now… was absolutely perfect. So spot-on, it sent chills all through his body.

The original version of Double Happiness, written and performed by Ge Dongqi in the original world, had caused a huge stir the moment it debuted online. A song so haunting it made countless people’s skin crawl.

Now, Xia Xiyao was capturing the atmosphere of the song’s beginning to perfection.

At that moment, the music began. The audience’s eyes lit up instantly—even the mentors on stage had expressions of surprise.

Wait, was that...?

Erhu? Pipa?

The erhu played sorrow. The pipa played emotion. The moment they struck, the sadness was palpable.

Everyone fixed their gaze on Xia Xiyao on stage, still not understanding how a song titled Double Happiness could open with such heavy melancholy.

Then, a guqin joined in, followed by sharp, urgent strikes of a wooden clapper.

Xia Xiyao slowly lifted her dull eyes and turned her gaze toward the audience.

She began to sing.

    “Eighteenth of the first month, an auspicious day, he sorghum sedan rises~
    Draped in red robes, each inch sewn with sorrow, hastily trimmed~
    Cutting away her love, who never returned, she forces a smile~
    Red sandalwood clappers, cheerful in tone, yet hard to divine~”

！！！

So good! It was really good!

But… wait.

Was this… incorporating operatic elements into pop music?

And—

Eighteenth of the first month? An auspicious day? One step, one grudge? A smile worn in vain?

The audience felt a chill rise from their feet straight to the tops of their heads. Goosebumps crawled across their arms.

This Double Happiness...

Was a traditional Hua country ghost marriage!

Not a single word spoke of sorrow. Not a single word was directly scary. But every line, every phrase, carved a haunting sadness and dread into the soul.

This was a kind of fear only Hua people could truly understand.

Folk instruments, traditional customs, and the context of a ghost marriage—put together, it was utterly spine-tingling.

The livestream chat instantly exploded. Unlike the venue audience, who had to hold back their reactions, the online viewers let loose:

    “Holy crap crap crap! The moment she started singing, I swear my cabinet behind me moved!”
    “It’s late at night! Please noooo!!!”
    “This… this is the fear buried deep in the hearts of Hua people. I’m hiding under the covers as I listen right now!”
    “Wuwuwuwu! I just retracted the foot I had sticking out of the blanket!”
    “You want horror? Fine! Straight to the underworld then? Can we even enjoy the show anymore!?”

    "The song is good—but whether the person is good, I can’t say!"

    "This 'Double Happiness' is making my back go cold, my whole body tingle, my legs go weak, my joints ache, my scalp go numb, and I’m seeing black spots!"

    "Upstairs, the way you described that like you're having a seizure but made it sound poetic—kid, you’ve got talent!"

    "Aaaah~ it sounds so good, but I'm scared to keep listening! What should I do?"

Xia Xiyao had no idea what the livestream viewers were saying. At this moment, she was fully immersed in the song. Slowly raising her hand, her fingers forming an orchid pose, she let her emotions sink into melancholy. Even then, she still remembered Gu Xingyi’s words clearly—

Don’t blink.

In the next second, the music shifted. The beat of ceremonial drums kicked in, and the tempo intensified instantly.

Xia Xiyao’s head snapped up, her gaze locked onto the audience, and her singing erupted, urgent and powerful:

   “Listen—at the hour of mao, a ruckus three miles away began to stir.
   Clip-clop—the horse hooves sounded, slicing through sorrow…”

……

……

   “That gongren laughed~”

Everyone in the audience couldn’t help but gulp—it wasn’t awe, it was fear.

Even Gu Xingyi shuddered. He never imagined that having Xia Xiyao sing this song would lead to this kind of performance. It was as if she’d actually lived through it herself.

Terrifying!!!

The pipa’s music resumed. Xia Xiyao's expression turned mournful, tender. It was like she was reminiscing—or slowly pouring out her soul.

   “That gongren pondered happily for ages~
    But all he could hum… was parting sorrow…”

The tempo picked up again.

   “She still couldn’t respond this time~ Ah~
   She smiled as she cried~
   Can you guess how she smiled while crying?
   She cried~~ just look at how she cried while smiling~?
   She smiled!”

The next moment!

The sound of the suona exploded!

A high-pitched, festive tune detonated in everyone’s ears, paired with the wedding ceremonial chant in the background music—it shook everyone’s hearts to the core!

When the suona plays—it's either wealth beyond compare or a trip to the afterlife!

The instant the suona sounded, Wu Fan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Gu Xingyi! How dare he?!

This thug instrument! What right did he have to use this thug instrument?!

Wu Fan panicked! Completely panicked! Everyone knew—there’s no one the erhu can’t pull away, and no soul the suona can’t blow out!

This song had both erhu and suona!

No Western instrument could ever replicate the sound of a suona!

It was over! Wu Fan's fingernails dug deep into his palm. This song wasn’t just lyrically divine and arranged to perfection—it was fused with all sorts of folk elements, mixed traditional operatic style with modern pop—it was explosive!

The title may say “Double Happiness,” but the song sang of sorrow. And in the lyrics was buried a deep, horrifying message!

It wasn’t just Wu Fan panicking now—the entire livestream audience was in chaos!

   “Hey hey hey! Xia Xiyao! Blink! I’m begging you!”

   “Hehe~ haha~ she doesn’t even need to blink anymore!”

   “The guy upstairs has lost it! And I’m about to! Gu Xingyi, you damn old six! Art can be soulful, but not like a damn funeral! Wait—is this a wedding hall or a funeral hall?!”

   “It’s beautiful, right down to the bones, but why is it so creepy? Look at my goosebumps—they're sharper than needles!”

   “Mama! Xia Xiyao, why won’t you blink?! I beg you~ please don’t make me think you crawled up from the underworld for promo!”

   “Suddenly, I don’t envy Gu Xingyi anymore!”

   “Wuwuwuwu~ I’m alone, it’s 10:30 PM, lights off, under my blanket… bros, do you feel me?”

Yet no matter how much the livestream begged, Xia Xiyao’s singing continued.

It crept under their blankets, into their ears—like her voice filled the entire room~

At this moment, Xia Xiyao had forgotten what fear was. She had completely become one with the song.

   “At the altar, he spoke straight from the heart~
   'If I break my promise, how could I live carefree?'~

……

   On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month~ such an auspicious day!”