The stage fan gently billowed as a Martial Monk in monastic robes suddenly executed three consecutive side flips, instantly captivating the audience.
Then, the delicate melody of a piano filled the air. Yang Chaoyue parted her cherry-red lips and began to recite in her most cheerful voice: "The carrying pole is wide, the bench is long—the pole wants to be tied to the bench!"
As she recited, her small head bobbed gently, her clear, bright voice blending seamlessly with the music.
Though no one yet understood how this related to the theme of praising China, at least it wasn't a direct assault on their ears.
Just as everyone was settling into the lighthearted atmosphere, a sudden burst of drums joined the music, followed by a driving bassline. Yang Chaoyue coolly gripped the microphone and launched into a rap:
Marilyn from London bought a qipao for her mom
Vovsky from Moscow fell in love with beef noodle soup
Skin of every hue, hair of every shade
Now everyone's speaking Chinese words
The rap interlude and the impeccable musical rhythm were flawless. Yang Chaoyue was delivering an extraordinary performance.
The audience was stunned. They had braced themselves for another round of her infamous "devilish vocals," only to be blindsided by this unexpected shift from singing to rapping.
"Was that a tongue twister? That's kind of novel. I've never heard that one before..."
"Tch, she's just playing to her strengths and avoiding her weaknesses."
"Don't jump to conclusions. Listen closely. The lyrics are brilliant. More and more countries are making Chinese a mandatory subject. As China's influence grows, foreigners need to learn our language to do business with us!"
Although it was a rap performance, Ye Huanqiu had previously noted that Yang Chaoyue's vocal tone wasn't bad at all. With proper pitch and breath control, she could rival any average singer.
Among the celebrity judges, several swayed to the rhythm and clapped along.
Except for Zhang Yanzhuo. As a rapper himself, the performance made him deeply uncomfortable. How could a tongue twister even count as rap?
Yang Chaoyue's next lines resonated even more strongly with the audience:
For years, we toiled over English pronunciation and grammar,
Now they twist their tongues to master the four tones of Chinese:
píng shàng qù rù
píng píng zè zè píng píng zè
Clever Chinese people, beautiful Chinese language!
Learning English is a major pain point for many, especially since it's one of the three core subjects tested in standardized exams. Those who excel at it love it, while those who struggle with it absolutely loathe it.
And there's no escaping it. Now, foreigners learning Chinese can finally empathize with the pain of mastering English.
Though much of the rap section wasn't proper singing, Yang Chaoyue had the audience completely captivated. They found themselves swaying their glow sticks in unison, cheering her on without even realizing it.
Just as some skeptics were about to grumble, "So she just strung together tongue twisters to make a song? Sure, the melody's catchy, but this feels like a cop-out," Yang Chaoyue silenced them.
The chorus arrived, finally validating all her hard work in front of a live audience.
[ The whole world's learning Chinese, ]
[ Confucius's wisdom is spreading far and wide. ]
[ The whole world's speaking Chinese, ]
[ Our words now command the world's full attention. ]
The pitch-perfect vocals and vibrant melody blended seamlessly, making some wonder if she was lip-syncing. But those seated near the stage knew better—they could clearly hear the sound coming directly from Yang Chaoyue's mouth.
Chen Yihan, who had previously gone to karaoke with Yang Chaoyue, couldn't help but give her best friend a thumbs-up for her performance.
The song "Chinese" wasn't particularly difficult to sing; anyone who practiced the tongue-twisters could master it. However, its accessibility didn't diminish its artistic merit. As any music enthusiast knows, even the most niche and avant-garde composition pales in comparison to a song that captures the public's imagination and inspires mass singalongs.
Art beloved by the masses is true art!
By blending traditional Chinese tongue-twisters with Western string instruments and hip-hop rhythms, "Chinese" forged its own path as a universally appealing masterpiece.
Yang Chaoyue's vocal prowess and stage presence proved she hadn't regressed since her debut; on the contrary, she had been rapidly improving.
From the audience, someone shouted across the venue to a distant figure: "Hey! Didn't you say you'd vote for Yang Chaoyue if she nailed this performance, then eat the voting machine? Well, how about it? Drop your live stream channel—I'll be the first to tune in and watch you eat it!"
The man's face turned green, and he cowered in silence.
The chorus was concise and seamlessly integrated with the tongue-twisters, perfectly complementing Yang Chaoyue's quirky and spirited personality. Her rendition of the song was truly remarkable.
The song also celebrated China's growing influence, with foreigners learning Chinese as a subtle nod to the nation's burgeoning economic and political power. The increasing global relevance of Confucius's teachings, highlighted by the worldwide proliferation of Confucius Institutes, further reinforced this theme.
The Chinese people's voices were finally being heard seriously around the world!
The song's catchy melody and tongue-twisting lyrics made it highly memorable, while the martial monks and dancers on stage delivered energetic performances that filled every moment.
As Yang Chaoyue belted out the final chorus, she brought the studio audience to a fever pitch.
When the performance ended, the thunderous applause spoke louder than words.
Li Yuanjie, who had been waiting backstage for his cue, glanced at the clock. As he returned to his seat, he noticed the crowd's enthusiastic clapping.
Since when did a competitive show become so tolerant of garbage performances, even rewarding them with applause? he wondered.
Just as he settled back, Gou Bing approached him, looking troubled.
"What's wrong?" Li Yuanjie asked.
"Young Master Li, didn't you hear? This... this song by One Leaf Knows Autumn is a smash hit!"
In terms of lyrical quality, One Leaf Knows Autumn's work far surpassed anything Gou Bing could create. He certainly lacked the creativity to seamlessly weave tongue-twisters into a song like that.
What's more, these tongue-twisters seemed to be entirely original compositions.
"Really?" Li Yuanjie was skeptical. Gou Bing gestured for him to look around. Did the audience look displeased? Were they clapping politely out of obligation?
"This is amazing, Teacher Yang! The lyrics to this tongue-twister are brilliant! Could you please perform it again for everyone?"
Yang Chaoyue nodded, picked up the microphone, and launched into another rendition.
Meng Yan beamed with pride, her thumbs-up conveying all her admiration for Yang Chaoyue.
"A Ye wrote these lyrics. He's incredible... and such a dedicated teacher! You've all heard me sing—I can finally proudly declare that I, Yang Chaoyue, am no longer a musical disaster!"
Yang Chaoyue's shout was a cathartic release, letting go of all the past criticism and frustration she had endured.
"That's right! Let's welcome Teacher Ye from One Leaf Knows Autumn to center stage!"
Ye Huanqiu, hearing his name called, rose and walked forward. Wang Ziqiang yielded the center position and eagerly began the interview: "Teacher Ye, this song is outstanding, and its theme of celebrating China is perfectly timed. Would you share with us the inspiration behind its creation?"