As the second round of the StarSong Gathering finals approached, online interest in the competition surged to new heights.

Xia Xiyao’s performance of Double Happiness in the previous round was still trending across major platforms. It wasn’t just because of the massive number of public clicks—it also owed to countless influencers rushing to cover it. Especially across many audio livestream platforms, Double Happiness had practically become the new benchmark for testing a streamer’s vocal ability!

But no matter how many influencers covered the song, netizens still agreed on one thing—the most beautiful ghost bride could only be Xia Xiyao.

No one could surpass Xia Xiyao when it came to Double Happiness.

Some even compared the songs from this season of StarSong Gathering to those from previous seasons—and the conclusion was unanimous: there was no comparison at all!

This season didn’t just feature songs from Xia Xiyao that far outclassed past seasons. Even other contestants, desperate not to look too outmatched, brought out performances that were leagues above what had been seen before!

And so, another post went viral online:

“A Detailed Look at Gu Xingyi’s Hidden Gem Songs—Is This the End of Disposable Pop in the Entertainment Industry?”

The post chronicled everything from the first release, A Lifetime with You, to The Wind Rises, and finally Double Happiness, explaining in detail which records each song had broken.

Even though none of these songs had officially dropped as albums on the Huayin platform yet, their play counts and engagement were undeniable.

The post ended with a single conclusion: once Xia Xiyao’s debut album was released, it would undoubtedly have every track topping Huayin’s New Song Chart—and even a Golden Melody Award wouldn’t be out of reach!

The moment this post appeared, it received overwhelming praise. Everyone’s expectations for the second round of the finals skyrocketed. What kind of new song would Gu Xingyi write for Xia Xiyao this time?

After all, this round allowed the contestants to invite a guest singer. Countless people were speculating—who would Xia Xiyao invite?

Most assumed she would definitely choose a veteran singer. This was the battle for the championship, after all. Gu Xingyi wasn’t a professional singer—there was no way he could compete with seasoned vocalists.

It was the entertainment industry. Everyone knew how it worked—murky waters, full of compromises. Even the most loving couples would give way when profit was on the line.

But still, there were those—especially fans of Gu Xingyi and Xia Xiyao—who quietly hoped that she would invite him. After all, from the moment they’d stepped into the spotlight, everything they’d done had been for each other.

They were hoping for a couple in the entertainment industry who wouldn’t follow the herd, who could keep a little piece of this messy world pure.

As for all the buzz outside, Gu Xingyi and Xia Xiyao remained completely unaware. Every day, they woke early and returned late, tirelessly practicing their song.

Thanks to Xia Xiyao’s coaching, Gu Xingyi’s singing ability had improved by leaps and bounds.

September 7th.

The second round of the StarSong Gathering finals officially began.

Up until the very start, the audience still didn’t know who Xia Xiyao and Miao Anyun had chosen as their guest performers. To preserve the suspense, the production team didn’t release even a hint of information.

At the venue, the stadium in Modu was already packed with people. Beyond the crowd of on-site attendees, there were even more journalists from countless companies—far more than any previous episode.

It was the second round of the StarSong Gathering finals—a round that could very well decide the winner.

And this episode featured love song duets. The topic of guest performers had already set the internet ablaze. Many speculated whether the two entertainment giants would bring out top-tier singers from their own stables for this crucial battle.

After all, based on previous seasons, winning the StarSong Gathering championship was like getting a golden ticket to the ranks of top-tier singers.

To maintain the air of mystery, Ren Chao had arranged a designated interview zone for reporters in front of the stadium early on, while the guest performers had already been quietly escorted backstage by the production team.

The only ones left for reporters to interview were the two known contestants: Xia Xiyao and Miao Anyun.

At 7 PM, Yun jie accompanied Xia Xiyao as she appeared at the front entrance, instantly drawing cheers from the crowd.

Not long after, Miao Anyun and her assistant also showed up at the entrance, greeted by a similar wave of applause.

This was Xia Xiyao’s first official interview since her comeback. The eyes of the gathered reporters gleamed green like wolves—they swarmed in, eager to grab the first scoop.

“Miss Xia Xiyao, may I ask who your guest performer is for this round?”

“You’ll find out once we perform!”

Xia Xiyao shook her head with a playful smile. Of course she wasn’t going to reveal anything—the production team had stressed this over and over.

“Miss Xia Xiyao, could you tell us what daily life is like between you and Gu Xingyi?”

That one she could answer. A smile appeared on Xia Xiyao’s face.

“It’s the same as any other couple. Nothing different.”

“......” The reporter who asked that question froze for a moment. That answer... might as well have been no answer at all?

He quickly turned the mic toward Miao Anyun.

“Miss Miao Anyun, you lost the last round. Do you have confidence you can turn things around this time?”

Miao Anyun glanced at Xia Xiyao beside her and smiled.

“I’ll do my best! Xia Xiyao is a very strong opponent. Competing with someone like her has taught me a lot.”

“......” The reporter was speechless again. Seriously? Did you two agree on these scripted answers ahead of time? Felt like both questions were wasted.

Just then, another reporter asked:

“Miss Xia Xiyao, what do you think about the trending topic online claiming that Gu Xingyi has elevated the standard of the entire Chinese music industry?”

Xia Xiyao blinked. In her heart, Gu Xingyi was the very best.

“I don’t know what others think, but in my heart, Gu Xingyi is the best songwriter!”

Wuhu! This interview just hit the jackpot! The reporter who asked that question beamed from ear to ear.

Xia Xiyao’s response was bold! Though she said “in my heart,” it was still a clear statement to the world that Gu Xingyi was the best lyricist and composer!

A few more reporters followed up with more questions. Seeing that time was running short, Xia Xiyao and Miao Anyun wrapped things up with brief answers and headed into the stadium.

The reporters quickly dispersed as well. They felt both satisfied and regretful—satisfied because they’d gotten some great content today, but regretful because they still didn’t know who the guest performers were.

Meanwhile, audience members began to file into the venue in an orderly fashion. In no time, every seat in the stadium was filled.

As the doors to the arena closed, a dazzling galaxy appeared overhead, and a cascade of starlight gently rained down onto the stage.

The opening music of StarSong Gathering filled the arena.

The second round of the finals had officially begun.