Chapter 158

Quintus stepped onto the stage, picked up a guitar, and tested the sound. Then, as he strummed, he began to sing a new lyrical song he had written himself. The noisy bar gradually quieted down. His voice carried a clean and ethereal quality, incredibly captivating. The moment he started singing, the once-noisy bar fell silent. The live-stream camera was also focused on Quintus. He didn’t deliberately follow the camera but instead immersed himself entirely in his song. He sang about his early success in the industry, only to be crushed into the mud by others, and finally, someone reached out to pull him back up, allowing him to see the light of the future. Quintus was fully absorbed in his performance. Through his song, he conveyed the highs and lows of his journey, from soaring at the start to being pushed down and ultimately rising again.

Most of the people in the bar were drawn into his song. They pressed the green button on their tables one after another. The number quickly exceeded one-third, then half, then two-thirds. By the end, over 90% of the audience had pressed the green button. When Quintus finished singing, Phoebe’s eyes shone with satisfaction. As expected of the person she had chosen, he did not disappoint. This song was excellent. With the publicity from such a popular reality show, it was bound to go viral. She led the applause, and soon, thunderous clapping filled the entire bar.

Maddox smiled and praised. “Quintus truly has a voice gifted by the heavens. His voice is so divine.” Lexie, a singer herself, nodded. “Yes, his voice is absolutely beautiful. Not only does he have solid vocal technique, but he also infuses his singing with deep emotions.” She added, “The moment he started singing, I had only one thought: I want his voice in my new song.” Lexie turned to Phoebe with a smile and asked, “Pheebs, after this episode wraps up, how about letting Quintus collaborate with me on a new song?” Phoebe smiled and replied, “Of course, no problem.” Lexie was a powerhouse singer with both talent and immense popularity. If Quintus could collaborate with her on a song, it would be a great opportunity to boost his recognition.

“It’s settled!” Lexie said decisively. “Then it’s settled!” She genuinely liked Quintus’s voice and felt it was a perfect fit. Of course, she also wanted to do Phoebe a favor. Previously, Phoebe had done a fortune-telling reading for Lexie and helped her avoid a dangerous situation where she nearly got hurt by a scumbag. She had been looking for a way to repay her ever since. When Quintus returned to his seat, the group raised their glasses in celebration, praising his performance.

(Quintus’s voice is stunning!) [So ethereal and pure. His vocal range is incredible, and he sings with so much emotion. Amazing!!] [I always knew he had a beautiful voice, but his previous songs were all overly intense or had complicated lyrics. They’re exhausting to listen to.] [Those songs didn’t suit him at all.] [Exactly! He debuted with an emotional ballad that got him some recognition, but then his later songs were just questionable choices.] [That was all due to his old company and management. He had no say in it.] (Yeah, that’s why Pheebs is amazing. She pulled him out of that mess, and now he can finally return to his true style.)

Chapter 158

Many people said he peaked at fourteen and then faded, but that wasn’t the case. Listening to his lyrics tonight, I wouldn’t hold back my team. He was suppressed too harshly before. (Thank you, Prela, for giving Quintus the chance to stand up again.) [Thank you, Plerbu, for letting him sing the songs he truly loves and excels at.] [And for giving us the chance to hear the songs we love again!] [May Quintus continue to surprise us in the future!] (Quintus, keep going? We believe in you!)

Many of Quintus’s fans were in front of their screens, crying as they thanked Masche. Viewers joined in, shouting their gratitude and cheering for Quintus. Because of Miorbe, who had just followed Quintus on Twitter, more and more people started to notice him. Some, captivated by his song, even…

At another table, Joshua listened to Quintus’s performance and had to admit it was decent. But seeing Quintus receive over half of the green votes made him itch to show off his own. However, he didn’t want to go on stage immediately. That would make him seem too eager. Instead, he turned to the three others at the table and asked, “Are any of you going up to sing?”

Kence shook his head. “Not me.” He was here for Phoebe and had no interest in this. Jaar also wasn’t too keen. “I’ll pass too.” He had already sung a lot while performing on the streets earlier, and his throat wasn’t in the best shape. Ieudes, he could tell that Quintus had sung exceptionally well. There was no way he could outdo that. So, he decided not to embarrass himself.

Meanwhile, Sienna put on a hesitant expression. Seeing this, Joshua said, “Sienna, why don’t we go up together? We’re already here at the bar, might as well join in the fun.” Sienna had wanted to perform anyway, especially since this was the perfect opportunity to showcase the song Joshua had written for her. She pretended to think about it before smiling. “You’re right. Since we’re here, let’s sing. Joshua, do your best.” She added, “Didn’t the host mention earlier that whoever wins the final sing-off gets their whole table’s drinks for free?” She was eyeing that final showdown but wasn’t going to say it outright.

Joshua’s eyes gleamed with ambition. “Alright, I’ll give it my best shot.” He then said, “Didn’t you write a new song? This is a great chance to let everyone hear it. Quintus performed his own original song just now.” In reality, that song had been written by Joshua for Sienna specifically for this show. He hadn’t gotten the chance to perform it during the day while busking, so now was the perfect opportunity. Sienna had the same thought and nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll go with your plan.” She then smoothly gave Joshua an opening. “Are you going to sing your new song too!”

Joshua chuckled. “Since you’re all singing new songs, I might as well join in.” Their exchange left Reece and Jamar speechless. If they wanted to sing, they should just go up. There was no need for all the unnecessary buildup. Jamar didn’t bother warning them that they might not win against Quintus. He knew there was no talking them out of it.

Chapter 158

Reece, on the other hand, didn’t care whether they made it to the final round or won at all. He just sipped his drink, occasionally glancing at Phoebe. Seeing her laughing and drinking with Maddox, her radiant smile on full display, made the alcohol in his mouth taste bitter.

Once it was their turn, Joshua let Sienna go first. Sienna stood up and walked to the stage. Since the bar often held singing competitions, the stage was well-equipped with instruments. Instead of a guitar, Joshua sat down at the piano and tested the sound. He introduced himself and the song before starting to play. As he played the piano, he sang along. Her performance was decent. Her delicate features, combined with her elegant trailing gown and the image of her playing the piano, quickly won over more than half of the audience.

Though an esports player, Maddox had taken singing and dancing lessons before entering the industry. As he listened, he couldn’t help but comment, “Her voice and style are soft, but the song itself feels very…masculine. It’s such a contradiction.” He turned to Phoebe and asked, “Did she say this was her own original song? I didn’t mishear that, right?” Phoebe nodded. “No, you heard right. That’s what she said.” She added, “I think it’s pretty contradictory too, especially the lyrics. It sounds more like it was written for a male protagonist.” She had already noticed the moment Sienna started singing – this was Joshua’s work. His writing style was unmistakable. Sienna was really bold, using a song written by Joshua to show off on a reality show. It seemed she wasn’t afraid of being exposed. Maddox was pretty sharp to have picked up on the song’s “naive boy” vibe. There were definitely professionals watching the live stream. It looked like Sienna was about to get called out today.