Chapter 122: I Like You So Much

The entire venue was filled with shouts and screams.

Chen Xiuyuan quickly walked onto the stage, waving his hands to signal the screaming fans to calm down, but the roar of the crowd only intensified. With a helpless sigh, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Alright, I know you are already impatient. Now, please take out your voting devices—thirty-second countdown, voting begins!"

All the audience members with voting rights immediately lowered their heads to cast votes for their favorite contestants.

"Damn it, why can't I vote for Senior Liao Yuan!"
"I have to vote for Teacher Liao!"
"Go Liao Meiqi!"
"Zhu Xiyu's legs are simply long and fair... I'm voting for Zhu Xiyu!"
"Zheng Min'er is the best!"
"Liao Meiqi is invincible, definitely voting for her!"
"I want to vote for little Nianzhi!"

The scene was bustling and chaotic. Everyone was tapping away at their devices. Soon, the thirty seconds were up.

"Voting closed!"

On stage, Chen Xiuyuan signaled the staff to collect the data as quickly as possible, then turned to Liao Yuan with a smile. "Before we announce the results, let me ask our Senior Liao Yuan a question..."

"We just watched the performance you put on with the team, 'NONONO.' It was truly both sexy and cute. So, here is my question: as a man, how are you able to dance in such a bewitching and sexy way? Honestly, while you were dancing, even an old herbivorous man like me felt his heart race!"

A massive cheer erupted throughout the venue.

"What a suggestive question!"
"So exciting!"
"Chen Xiuyuan is shameless! Trying to steal my man!"
"Ugh! Shameless!"
"Shameless +1!"

Hearing the question, the audience was incredibly excited, as if they were reliving the stunning performance Liao Yuan had given just minutes ago.

"Uh..." Liao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "The style of this dance is just like that. If it made you feel awkward, then the entire work would have been a failure. But since you called it bewitching and sexy, it just means my dance foundation is decent and I didn't hold the girls back!"

Chen Xiuyuan was clearly not satisfied with this lukewarm answer. He turned to the team members beside him. "Chen Duo, how would you evaluate Senior Liao Yuan? Be honest."

Chen Duo didn't even hesitate. "When I first saw Senior's poster, I didn't think he was that handsome, but once I saw him in person... oh my god, he's insanely handsome!"

"The entire song and the dance choreography were almost entirely completed by Senior Liao Yuan," Zhu Xiyu added, unable to help herself. "We are truly grateful to have Senior Liao Yuan in our team!"

The other girls chimed in, chirping their praise for Liao Yuan. Finally, the six girls bowed to him in unison. "Thank you!"

Liao Yuan waved his hands quickly. "No need for formalities, we're all family."

Chen Xiuyuan laughed and looked toward the mentors' seats. "Now, I'd like to ask the mentors present: in your eyes, what kind of presence is Liao Yuan?"

"I came to *Produce 101* to witness the birth of an excellent girl group! But I didn't expect that before the group was even born, I would witness the birth of a superstar!" Yu Lianzhou gave a thumbs up, marveling, "His future is infinitely promising!"

The entire audience was thrilled. No one expected a mentor like Yu Lianzhou to give such a rating. A superstar? How many people in the entire country could truly be called a superstar? Although the "Seven Sons of the Empire" were all called traffic superstars, in many people's eyes, they weren't true superstars. Conversely, a weightlifter like Tang Hong, who bled from all seven orifices for the glory of the nation, was a true superstar in the eyes of many. Those who went to fight in the NBA or represented the national team were the real superstars. It was just that society’s definition of a "superstar" had become too ambiguous, allowing mediocre nobodies to rise to fame.

In his past life, Liao Yuan had been a massive star across film, television, and music, with a reputation that spanned all of Asia. Media and public praise often began with the word "superstar." Yet, even then, he never dared to call himself one. He couldn't control what others said, but he could remain firm in his own convictions.

After Yu Lianzhou spoke, many audience members felt their blood pumping. Yet, amidst the excitement, some felt Yu Lianzhou had exaggerated, suspecting he was overhyping. After all, this was Liao Yuan's first public performance; his road to superstardom was long and arduous. It was too early to draw such conclusions.

However, the other mentors fully agreed with Yu Lianzhou. Even Chen Xiuyuan on stage nodded secretly, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Liao Yuan. He was, after all, the son of Liao Yuemin! And who was Liao Yuemin?

Fifteen or twenty years ago, he was one of the top songwriters in the domestic music scene. Every album he produced was certified platinum or even double-platinum. Unfortunately, in an era when digital music was rising and the record industry was declining, Liao Yuemin retired from the music scene, and there had been no news of him since. It was also worth noting that Liao Yuemin's wife was the renowned lead anchor of CCTV, Dong Ling. Twenty years ago, her name was a household word, and she was pursued by countless political and business titans. Yet, no one expected that this top anchor would ignore the flattery of those elites and choose to marry Liao Yuemin instead. It left countless people sighing in regret, but the talented man and the beautiful woman became a legend in the entertainment industry.

Now, what Chen Xiuyuan and others couldn't understand was that regardless of whether it was Liao Yuemin or Dong Ling, the resources and connections they had left behind in the industry should have been enough for Liao Yuan and his sister to reach the top instantly, starting their careers from a superior position. Yet now, one was a mundane radio broadcaster, and the other was struggling to the point of needing to join a talent show... What had happened in between?

"I think this performance is the best stage I have seen so far!" Mentor Jiang Lingsu commented. "I am not familiar with Teacher Liao, but his performance truly stunned me. Teacher Liao is a very capable person; his presence added so much value to this stage!"

The other mentors nodded in agreement.

"Now, I will announce the voting results!" On stage, Chen Xiuyuan didn't drag it out. He opened the envelope brought by the record-keeper and read aloud: "The voting champion for this performance is—Liao Meiqi! Congratulations, Meiqi!"

There was no surprise in this result; all the team members congratulated her. Chen Duo, however, clearly wore a forced smile. In this performance, Liao Meiqi received 3,712 votes; while not the highest in the entire show, it was enough to securely advance her to the top 22. The other members also had high popularity, making advancement not a difficult task. Only Chen Duo, whose ranking was at the bottom, was destined to leave the stage.

But she only felt a slight regret. She had witnessed this explosive performance with her own eyes and knew that after this episode aired, her popularity would see a new surge. She was grateful for Senior Liao Yuan's arrival and his help. So, as Liao Meiqi was giving her acceptance speech, Chen Duo quietly moved behind Liao Yuan and, while no one was paying attention, gave him a fierce hug.

"Senior, I like you so much!"