I am Really a Superstar

In the studio.

Flowing Time\'s performance ended.

The audience gave an enthusiastic round of applause, but the discussions weren\'t as enthusiastic as they looked on the surface.

"Great song."

"Yeah, it sounded good."

"But I feel that something\'s missing!"

"All the songs are children\'s songs today!"

"Yeah, we already heard three such songs. The new replacement masked singer sang the first one, followed by Sunset Glow, and then Flowing Time. The other replacement masked singer\'s song added an excerpt of a children\'s song to the end of his performance as well, except that he slightly arranged the melody. That was the only hint of creativity I saw today. Even though it was very enjoyable to listen to, this is too much. It\'s good that there\'s positive energy, but isn\'t this too goddamn positive, don\'t you think?"

"What can they do other than this? The contestants have been called out individually and criticized!"

"Not only on King of Masked Singers. It\'s the same story for other singing shows."

"Hai, is there not a single contestant with the backbone to stand against it?"

"Who\'d wanna step forward? They\'d just be sticking their necks out if they did that!"

"Do you think everyone is like Zhang Ye?"

"Speaking of Teacher Zhang, I\'m really starting to miss him. If Teacher Zhang were here competing, he would surely be wonderful to watch. He definitely wouldn\'t be afraid of the Ministry of Culture or some television association!"

"Haha, that\'s right. That\'s just how Zhang Ye is!"

"That\'s totally spot on. Sometimes, I criticize Zhang Ye too. But having not seen him for some time now, it feels like I\'m missing a part of myself. Do you guys think I\'m insane?"

"Sucks that Zhang Ye isn\'t taking part."

"Teacher Zhang has been thoroughly banned. Who knows how long it\'ll be before he can make a comeback."

"Hai, showbiz without Zhang Ye is as good as boring!"

"It\'s The Clown turn now!"

"He\'s the last one to perform in this first round!"

"Let\'s see what he\'s gonna sing."

Dong Shanshan\'s voice reverberated, "Let\'s welcome the final contestant—The Clown."

The audience erupted into applause. Everyone still had great expectations for The Clown.

The Clown went onstage.

The title of the song was displayed on the teleprompter screen at this moment.

"I\'m a Small, Little Bird"?

When the audience saw this, they were left speechless.

"Hell."

"It\'s another children\'s song?"

"A small, little bird? This is definitely a children\'s song!"

"I\'m sick of listening to them!"

"Can they not sing children\'s songs anymore? Please!"

"Why did those people from the television association have to butt in and cause all this trouble! A proper singing show has been forced to this state? These singers too. Why isn\'t there anyone with some backbone?"

"How weak!"

"Yeah, will no one step up and shout back?"

"This is actually pretty good. You guys just haven\'t seen how the other singing shows reacted. The songs on those other shows are basically all the same."

"Hai. Even today Zhang Ye is remembered. He who refused to return to Jiangdong 1 !"

Backstage.

The contestants who had finished performing were all seated in the tearoom.

Flowing Time, who had just returned from the stage, glanced at the television but did not say anything.

A new replacement masked singer said, "The Clown is also singing a children\'s song?"

"\' I\'m a Small, Little Bird 2 \'?" Sunset Glow blinked.

Petal Shower sulked, "What can we sing other than children\'s songs? It\'s the safest choice we have!"

The other replacement masked singer sighed. "We\'re the focus of attention right now, so it\'s best that we take the necessary precautions."

At the panel.

The judges were also giving each other looks.

Another children\'s song?

Hai.

Chen Guang smiled wryly.

Zhang Xia and Amy wore neutral expressions.

Even they were finding today\'s episode pointless.

The lights dimmed.

The music started playing.

Some of the audience members had lost concentration and had let their minds wander off after they saw the title of the song.

Without warning, The Clown began singing. With him singing, a lot of people froze on the spot and were taken by surprise!

"There are times I feel like I\'m a small, li\'l bird.

"I wanna fly,

"but no matter how I can\'t fly high."

Everyone was stunned!

It wasn\'t a children\'s song!

Holy shit!

This was not a children\'s song!

It was a fucking rock song!

In the tearoom, the look in Petal Shower\'s eyes shifted!

Flowing Time\'s eyes widened in shock!

This song…

These lyrics…

The audience perked up in an instant!

The Clown\'s eyes held gloom and despair.

"Perhaps I\'ll one day perch on the branches,

"Yet the hunters I\'ve incurred.

"Only when I flew into the blue sky did I discover that I had nothing upon which to rely."

What to do when born under evil stars;

Before I could even rise,

I was beaten unwise.

A worn-out hat covering my face,

I cross the busy marketplace.

In a old ship laden with wine jars—

floating down the brine 3 .

He was really annoyed!

He was downright disappointed!

The Clown\'s voice trembled. "Every time the dead of night arrives, I can never fall asleep."

He pointed at his chest and thumped it. "Is it only my tomorrows that won\'t ever get better, is that my keep?

"What\'s the future hold?

"Exactly who could know?

"Whether happiness is just a legend,

"I\'m forever unable to find and show."

Chen Guang was gnashing his teeth listening to the song!

Yao Jiancai was stunned!

Amy was also deeply shocked by the few lines The Clown had sung. She didn\'t even notice that her mouth was hanging agape in an inelegant manner. She just kept listening while looking like that!

The Clown suddenly sang louder.

"I\'m just a small, small, little bird!

"I wanna fly and soar, but I just can\'t fly high!

"I\'m searching and finding, looking for and seeking a warm bosom in which to lie!

"Does this request seem too hard to apply?"

Many in the audience suddenly stood up!

"This is so great!"

"Oh my god!"

"The Clown! The Clown!"

The audience was getting extremely excited!

In the tearoom, the other contestants were surprised by this!

Flowing Time said, "He\'s really willing to sing something like that?"

Even a fool could tell that other than the title of the song resembling a children\'s song, the rest of it had nothing to do with being a children\'s song!

The Clown closed his eyes.

"All you who know my name, you doing well, by the by?

"The world\'s such a small place.

"We\'re destined to have no escape, no space.

"When I\'ve had my fill of fickle feelings,

"When you decide to fight for your ideals,

"The pressures of living and the dignity of life, which has more appeal?"

To me, the most important thing is dignity!

To me, it\'s even more important than life itself!

But I\'ve already given my best!

I\'ve really given my very best!

I don\'t ask for much. All I want is to work in peace, to find a place that suits me and accepts me for me. But why can\'t I find it? Why have I been unable to find such a place in all this time?

Is it really that difficult?

Is this request really so difficult to fulfill?

Han Qi was in tears listening. It was as though The Clown\'s song contained some sort of spell that made her tears flood down her face. She did not know who The Clown was, nor did she know what The Clown\'s story was. But she was sure that it was a story full of sadness, anger, and loneliness!

Teacher Clown.

Just who are you?

How much have you gone through to be able to sing a song like this!

The Clown suddenly jumped an octave.

Was he lost?

Or was it a cry for help?

Maybe he was asking this world a question?

"I\'m just a small, small, little bird!

"I wanna fly and soar!

"But I just can\'t fly high!

"I\'m searching and finding! Looking for and seeking! A warm bosom in which to lie!

"Does this request seem too hard to apply?"

The Clown laughed at himself. Then his voice softened as he conveyed his disappointment at the industry. He sang like he was asking the world a question, "Does this request. Seem too hard. To apply?"