Chapter 124: Regrets

Only Elder Shi remained standing there as the director’s voice echoed through the large lounge.

"Everyone, please take your seats as soon as possible. Our drawing ceremony is about to begin."

Elder Shi glared at Lin Ze for a moment, then, with suppressed anger, nodded and walked to stand behind Xu Shenshen. On the screen in front, the director appeared, holding a card emblazoned with the words *Super Singer-Songwriter*.

"Everyone, the results of the two rounds of voting have been tallied. It is with regret that I inform you that the contestant ranked last will be leaving our program."

The others showed little reaction, save for Xiao Wei and A-Guang, who both grew tense and exchanged a glance. Their vote counts were very close; it was essentially a matter of whose fans had been more supportive.

"I am very sorry, but the person in last place is..." The director glanced at the card in his hand once more, the camera focusing on the words *Super Singer-Songwriter*. "Singer A-Guang."

Despite having braced himself for this, A-Guang still felt a wave of disappointment. *A one-round trip...* He shook his head, stood up, and bowed to everyone. The others offered him words of comfort. A-Guang took a deep breath and put on a smile. It didn't matter; at least now he knew the extent of the gap between him and the professional singers, and he would simply have to work harder in the future.

"The singer in last place may perform one final song during the next episode. Thank you for participating in our program."

With the somber topic behind them, it was time to draw the themes. A staff member brought out a box and placed it before them. Lin Ze sat waiting for the others to go first, but to his surprise, the first one to stand up was Elder Shi.

*If it’s him...*

While Elder Shi was busy stretching his back after standing up, Lin Ze took the initiative, walked up, and plucked a small ball from the box. Ignoring the murderous look from Elder Shi, he cracked open the ball and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Let’s Get Married."

When these three words were revealed to everyone, the direction became clear: a passionate love song. After Lin Ze showed it to everyone, Elder Shi came to his side, let out a cold snort, and reached into the box to take his own ball. Upon opening it, the result was starkly different from Lin Ze’s.

"Some regrets do not fade with time; they only become more deeply etched into the soul."

These two themes—one for a passionate love song, and the other perfectly suited for a melancholic one—seemed tailored specifically for Elder Shi, as love songs were his specialty.

As everyone took their turns drawing, and the final ball was pulled, "Regret" had won over "Passion" by a four-to-three margin.

"It seems the themes this time are relatively simple," Rong Zhengyu said with a smile, looking at Lin Ze.

"Perhaps, but while melancholic love songs are easy to start, it is not easy to elevate them," Lin Ze replied, shaking his head. "Regret... unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much regret in my life."

"Good! That’s the spirit!" Chen Nan praised him.

"Regret, huh." Panda looked toward his songwriter, and the two shared a knowing smile. "Apologies everyone, but we’ve had an idea brewing for a long time. We might be stepping ahead of everyone else in our creation this time."

"Don't, don't brag yet," Xiao Wei pulled Panda back. "What if Brother Lin pulls out another one of his 'old collections' and hits you so hard you can't find your way home?"

"That’s unlikely," Chen Nan added. "Didn't Lin just perform *Old Boy*? Surely he doesn't have anything else related to regret left, right?"

The group chatted happily, but Elder Shi and Xu Shenshen couldn't find an opening to join in. Being left on the sidelines made the situation incredibly awkward for them. After some idle chatter, the day’s filming concluded, and everyone bid their farewells to head home.

Two days of creation followed. Lin Ze had to figure out how to handle the remaining filming. It would be best to let everyone see him working hard. That night, he discussed ideas with Su Zihan until late, falling asleep only in the early hours. He slept until noon.

The cameraman and his assistant, seemingly anticipating this, didn't bother calling Lin Ze in the morning; they simply found a nearby cafe and sat comfortably. It wasn't until Lin Ze woke up at noon that he finally called them. That afternoon, thinking it over, he actually took both cameramen to an internet cafe to play games. After all, what could be more regretful than failing to unleash your ultimate ability during a match?

The next day, Lin Ze filmed some supplementary shots. In the footage, he was seen alone on the balcony contemplating sorrow, and then hunched over his desk writing, appearing extremely diligent and focused.

Soon, it was time for the evening's performance. Upon arriving at the venue, A-Guang performed the opening act, and now, even if one drew the first slot, there was no need to fear.

Lin Ze went first and happened to draw fifth. Elder Shi went second and drew fourth. Although no one paid attention to Elder Shi, he remained a formidable mountain in everyone's minds. Everyone in the entertainment industry had heard his songs; many of his love songs had become classics. They feared performing after Elder Shi, just as they feared performing after Lin Ze.

But now, with Lin Ze following Elder Shi, it effectively neutralized one of the slots, making the first position less daunting. Xiao Wei went first, followed by Li Xiyan, Panda, Elder Shi, Lin Ze, Rong Zhengyu, and Chen Nan. As if to make up for Chen Nan having to go first last time, he drew the final slot this time, successfully avoiding the two strongest competitors. Chen Nan was thrilled.

A-Guang, as the opening act, performed a piece with a classical flair, drawing a period to his time on the show. For Xiao Wei, going first was too much to handle; in his state of near-collapse, he unintentionally added an extra layer of "regret" to his performance. Li Xiyan’s song, just as Lin Ze had predicted, was merely one that barely cleared the passing mark. Love songs are easy to write but difficult to master.

Then, Panda took the stage. Dressed in *Hanfu*, the large screen behind him slowly displayed two characters: *Nameless*.

"Firelight tears through a thousand miles of darkness."
"Black smoke obscures the bright moon over distant mountains."

It was a classical-style song, yet the background music seemed to echo with the sounds of battle. After the cries of war faded, a profound peace settled in—as if the blade of time had gently swept across the scroll of history. To everyone's surprise, Panda seemed to be playing the role of an immortal, witnessing the destruction and rebirth of dynasties.

Regret, it seemed, was not limited to love alone.