Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Audition

Tianwen Entertainment.

Among the five singers chosen was the has-been diva, Darling.

She was a 56-year-old female who had given birth to two sons after getting married.

Perhaps it was due to her age, but after childbirth, her voice had changed considerably.

Her once clear, soaring voice had become somewhat thick and deep, and trying to hit high notes would immediately cause her throat to hurt.

But she used to be the Queen of High Notes; none of her songs were in a low register.

As a result, she could no longer sing her old songs.

Lip-syncing was forbidden at commercial gigs and on tours. Consequently, many companies backed out of collaborating with her once they learned she could no longer perform her classic songs.

After all, what the fans loved were her greatest hits.

If she couldn’t draw in the fans, wouldn’t the very purpose of hiring her be diminished?

No capitalist was willing to lose money.

In their eyes, everyone had a different value.

They spent money to monetize that value, and only by reaping an even greater value in return could it be considered a profitable investment.

To be honest, if Darling weren’t so strapped for cash, she would have happily retired and spent her days traveling long ago.

The problem was, she was broke!

She was merely a D-level female who, by virtue of being a diva, had attracted three A-level males as mates.

But because she was unable to provide them with deep spiritual soothing, two of her mates had already passed away, and the remaining one was now in a state of convalescence.

Currently, the only males by her side in the prime of their lives were two B-level males.

They had some assets, but their income couldn’t be called wealthy—at best, it was middle-class.

The issue was that after years of being a diva, she had grown accustomed to a life of luxury. Her current lifestyle seemed incredibly tight to her.

That was why she wanted to make a comeback and earn money, but she hit a wall at every turn.

That’s just how the entertainment industry was. New talent emerged every year, and once the old-timers were out of the public eye for too long, they were forgotten.

For the past few months, she had been warming the bench at Tianwen.

Even some of the newcomers would mock her, both openly and behind her back.

Sometimes Darling would wonder if preserving her glamorous image and bowing out would be the most graceful exit.

But she couldn’t accept it.

The entertainment industry was a corrupt world, true, but it was also the easiest path to fame and fortune for low-level females like her.

The spiritual power test at age three divided everyone into different Levels.

No matter where you went, people judged your worth based on your Level.

Only in the entertainment industry could Low-level Beastmen like them defy their station.

If she hadn’t become a diva and gained so many fans, how could someone with her background possibly have married A-level males?

Now her sons were grown, and their Spiritual Power Levels were both C-level.

She needed a lot of money to pave the way for them.

So when she received the notice for an audition from the company, she warmed up her voice at home early, put on some light makeup, and rushed over.

When she arrived, she realized she was too early, but she waited patiently.

During this time, four of her juniors from the same company arrived one after another.

This made her realize that this opportunity would likely be won through the audition!

She silently cheered herself on: ’Darling, you can do this. Think about your past glory, think about your two lovely sons.’

…

Soon, the recording studio’s instructor arrived.

“Since everyone’s here, let’s begin. Darling, you’re first. Any problem with that?”

Darling shook her head, took a deep, nervous breath, and said, “I’m ready.”

“Then come on in.”

Upon entering the recording booth, Darling was momentarily surprised to see Jiang Qin already sitting there.

As a singer, she had naturally followed the show *Interstellar Composer* and recognized Jiang Qin.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Qin to be present at today’s audition.

’Could it be… I’m going to sing a new song by Jiang Qin?’

Thinking of the year-end chart battle in December, Darling’s heart pounded with excitement.

“I hear you can’t sing your old songs anymore, is that right?”

Hearing the question, Darling felt a pang of anxiety but chose to tell the truth. “Yes, I can’t sing high notes anymore.

Whenever I try to sing a high note, I get a sharp pain in my throat. I’ve seen a doctor, but they couldn’t find anything wrong.

The doctor just said it’s probably because of my age, that my voice has changed along with it.”

To put it bluntly, she was older, so her voice wasn’t as resilient as it used to be.

“Okay. Have you heard my songs?”

“I have.”

“Can you sing them?”

“Yes!”

Jiang Qin nodded. “Then pick one and sing it.”

Darling chose “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”

She actually preferred “As Wished,” but she couldn’t hit the notes, so she had to settle for a song that was less likely to cause her to make a mistake.

As she listened, however, Jiang Qin’s brow furrowed.

Darling was too focused on technique. And perhaps because her voice had made her insecure, she was timid when she started the song.

It was a song brimming with youthful energy, yet she somehow managed to sing all the character right out of it.

Still, it was clear she had some fundamental skills.

The biggest problems were her lack of confidence and her failure to let her voice loose.

After the song, Darling waited nervously for Jiang Qin’s critique.

In the past, she had been bold and unrestrained; she’d never cared so much about what others thought.

But after so many setbacks since her comeback attempt and hearing so much criticism, her confidence was gone.

She started to care about the audience’s opinion, to hold back her own style, and to fear hearing any negative feedback.

Jiang Qin could see her nervousness and said gently, “That was pretty good, you just didn’t quite let your voice loose.

Would you mind singing another one? This time, pick something you’re comfortable with. The style doesn’t matter.

As long as it’s something that lets you relax.”

This actually put Darling in a difficult position.

What she was best at were, of course, her own greatest hits, but her voice would crack the moment she tried to sing them.

As for other songs, she could sing them well, but not with any soul.

Suddenly, she thought of a song and asked, “Would a folk tune from my hometown be okay?”

“Yes.”

Darling then sang a little ditty in Vietnamese.

This made Jiang Qin’s eyes light up.

’A minority language… how rare.’

And Darling, whose voice sounded a bit flat when singing in Mandarin, sounded somewhat languid when she sang in Vietnamese.

She hadn’t expected this singer to have such a pleasant surprise in store for her.

So she crossed out the song she had originally prepared and wrote down the name of another one.

It seemed Vietnamese songs suited her better than Mandarin ones.

“Alright, you can go back for now. Wait for your agent’s notification regarding any follow-up work.

On your way out, please tell the next singer to come in.”

Darling didn’t dare ask about the audition results, afraid of displeasing Jiang Qin, so she could only leave for the time being.

After leaving the recording booth, she turned to the boy sitting closest to the door and said, “It’s your turn. Go on in.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep