Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 91: Thank you, but I forfeit

“Young men and women.”

“Small studio apartment.”

Jessica stood at the base of the apartment building, looking up at its old-fashioned structure that oozed a sense of a bygone era.

Yet, this kind of apartment was popular among young men.

Compared to renting a hotel room, getting a small apartment and visiting just a few times a month made the rent totally worth it.

“Ha! Gotcha.” A mischievous smile flickered in Jessica’s eyes,she had quite a memorable impression of her best friend’s nephew’s impressive endowment.

Its extraordinary length was a pure shock to anyone who saw it.

She was really curious about what it would be like in action.

Although Jessica wouldn’t actually make a move on her best friend’s nephew, getting an eyeful was still on the table.

She checked to make sure no one was around and carefully made her way up the stairs.

Inside the apartment.

Ethan pulled out a sheet of A4 paper from his backpack and handed it to Blair: “Here you go, this is the song I’m preparing for my next performance.”

Blair saw it was another song and a subtle, unusual expression flickered across her face.

The last song, “Biggie Spin,” with its catchy tune and dance moves, had gone viral online in various versions.

“Coach Biggie,” a highly influential account, now boasted 700,000 followers—a significant jump from the 300,000 before his appearance on the Dream Chaser Show.

Without a doubt, Ethan had become a winner.

Blair picked up the A4 paper and scanned the lyrics.

“Song title: I Will Survive.”

“Long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.”

“I’ve got my life to live, and all my love to give.”

“And I will survive, I, I will survive.”

“…”

After reading the full lyrics, Blair’s expression grew even more perplexed.

“Are the lyrics weird?” Ethan furrowed his brow,he had chosen this song with great care.

This song had swept nearly every award possible.

“No,” Blair shook her head. “It just feels too normal.”

She hadn’t heard the performance yet, but compared to the explosive “Biggie Spin,” this was just too ordinary.

“That’s the expectation,” Ethan chuckled. “It’s like when a villain does one good deed, and suddenly everyone adores them. After my last performance, everyone’s expectations of me plummeted, so now all I need is a genuinely good song and a touching story, and they’ll fill in the blanks themselves.”

“Let me sing it for you.” Ethan picked up the A4 paper and began to sing softly.

“When you’re about to break, that’s the most crucial moment…”

His singing was really quite average.

Fortunately, the song itself was excellent and infectious, with an upbeat rhythm.

Even Ethan’s modest rendition captured about seventy percent of its charm.

Blair’s gaze gradually changed as she watched Ethan, seeing him in a new light.

After the “Biggie Spin” incident, she was braced for anything in his songwriting.

Suddenly hearing such a catchy melody took her by surprise.

With this level of talent, you could have won the championship ages ago, why all the messy antics?

Of course, Ethan wouldn’t say that this was the only song he remembered.

Outside the room.

Jessica saw the tightly closed door and the drawn curtains, further confirming her suspicions.

It was a shame she couldn’t witness the passionate intimacy of the two inside.

She pressed her ear against the door, trying to listen and confirm her guesses.

The soundproofing in these rooms wasn’t great.

When she heard singing from inside, she thought to herself how romantic these young people were, managing to sing while making love.

They really know how to have fun.

As she continued to listen, the conversation between the two, every word clear, reached her ears.

“Dream Chaser Show,” “Biggie Spin,” and the new song.

Hearing these keywords, Jessica, being a cop, quickly connected the dots.

She knew about her friend Scarlett’s nephew’s exaggerated endowment.

So, Coach Biggie had to be Scarlett’s nephew.

Jessica immediately pulled out her phone and typed the lyrics she had heard into the search bar, but unsurprisingly, it turned up nothing.

“So that song is really original?”

The question popped into her head.

Jessica placed her hand on the door, thinking of pushing it open, but hesitated and withdrew her hand.

She just needed to wait for the next broadcast of the Dream Chaser Show,everything would be clear then.

She took one last look at the door and quietly retreated.

Over the next week.

Ethan continued practicing his singing. His vocal skills were really quite average, but fortunately, the song was mainly about conveying emotion, and he could manage that much.

As the second round of the Dream Chaser Show began recording.

Ethan, dressed in a black suit and wearing a tiger mask, walked up the contestant’s ramp to the stage.

The moment he stepped on stage, more than a dozen spotlights shone on him.

At the same time, the audience erupted into deafening cheers and jeers.

“Get off the stage! Stop the vulgar performance!”

“Go Coach Biggie, I support you!”

“I want to see that, just that!”

Cheers and boos mixed together.

Most people were anticipating what bizarre performance he could pull off this time.

Ethan took a deep breath, ignoring the noise below, and softly said into the mic, “I’m performing a song, ‘I Will Survive.'”

He closed his eyes and began to sing softly, “…Long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive…”

The audience, expecting him to reveal his notorious prop, was initially disappointed. After the “Biggie Spin” incident, they really had no high hopes for his music.

But they were quickly drawn in by the catchy tune.

The classic melody was simple and upbeat, easy for anyone to hum along to.

A thought suddenly arose in the audience’s mind: “This is actually pretty good.”

On the judges’ panel, the three judges showed surprised expressions.

Even though their professional skills were average, their exposure to music had elevated their appreciation levels above that of the average audience member.

Abigaile’s eyes sparkled with excitement,she had initially not wanted to engage with this fan-fueled hype, but now, it seemed possible.

“…Long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive,” Ethan sang the line again.

The light melody had the audience humming along.

Until he sang the last line.

The hall fell silent, then erupted into deafening applause.

“Encore!”

The judges looked at him with complex expressions. If you can sing well, what was that “Biggie Spin” all about?

The judges exchanged looks, deciding to show some magnanimity. They stood up and clapped together.

The middle-aged judge picked up the mic: “Congratulations, you’ve proven you have the talent to advance to the final round.”

Ethan picked up the mic, bowed to the audience, and said, “Thank you, but I forfeit.”

His statement caused an uproar.

“There’s no need to speculate. It’s not because of any insider reasons or anything,” Ethan said into the mic, his voice soft. “Actually, I’m currently hospitalized. I came to Dream Chaser Show just to make some money, to ease the burden on the woman who’s been handling everything.”

Of course, he wouldn’t say that he was out of new tricks.

He was just riding this wave to confess to his aunt and complete his mission. That was his real goal.