Just as the audience composed themselves, having drawn inspiration and passion from the music, the piano’s melody suddenly shifted. It was as if they were whisked from a passionate, heroic battlefield to a serene landscape of mountains and rivers. The stark contrast and impact seized everyone’s attention.

Xia Zhaoyun’s voice began, soft and velvety sweet. The moment she uttered her first words, the ethereal sound sent goosebumps prickling across everyone’s skin.

This wasn’t a recitation—it was practically a song!

Yet, with its deliberate, word-by-word narration, how could it be a song? It was more like a vivid scroll painting unfurling before them.

There in the dimly lit auditorium, the audience’s thoughts intertwined with the music, her voice, and the captivating script. They completely forgot their surroundings. Familiar scenes played out in their minds like a movie, or a series of moving photographs, vividly portraying the fabric of daily life.

It was as if Xia Zhaoyun had struck the most tender chord in every person’s heart. Even the toughest of men found themselves digging through faded memories, recalling their wives’ hardships and reflecting on the greatness of mothers...

As Xia Zhaoyun recited the part about her own "love, fated to meet but not to be," the image of that work pass—her ultimate trump card—suddenly flashed in her mind. Her hands and voice faltered for a second before she carried on with her performance as if nothing had happened.

But to the audience, this performance with its obvious flaw felt all the more genuine, as if they were the performer’s words straight from the heart. The moment the piano music ended, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, a resounding forecast of the excellent score she was about to receive.

After Xia Zhaoyun left the stage, the other contestant recovered her composure. She too had been moved by the performance and gave it her all to complete her own act.

Unsurprisingly, Xia Zhaoyun took first place in the semi-finals, leaving many of the other contestants practically crying with envy.

Because some of the Golden Microphone contestants were from out of town, and the finals would only involve twenty of them competing for the top spots, the entire event could be wrapped up in a single intense evening.

Therefore, taking all factors into consideration, the organizing committee scheduled the finals for six o’clock the next evening, with an estimated runtime of three and a half hours.

All the nearby guesthouses were fully booked. Some of the contestants from out of town, even those who had been eliminated, weren’t in a hurry to catch a train home. Instead, they planned to stay and witness the crowning of this year’s top three Golden Microphone winners, hoping to learn from the experience and improve themselves.

Besides these out-of-towners, there were also plenty of audience members from various work units who had used their admission tickets to book rooms in advance for the semi-finals or the finals.

Emerging from yet another guesthouse, He Qingran looked utterly dejected. "There are no more buses back to the factory at this hour, and there are no guesthouses with rooms. Yunyun, we’re going to be stranded on the streets with the kids!"

"If worst comes to worst, we can just crash in the station’s waiting room for the night," she continued. "The weather isn’t too hot or too cold right now, anyway..."

Xia Zhaoyun glanced at the two men nearby who were trying to act like gentlemen, feeling a pang of regret for not having considered this possibility.

’With so many guesthouses,’ she had thought, ’how could it be possible that not a single one had an empty room?’

But that was exactly the case. Even the storage rooms were crammed with several people.

Seeing He Qingran’s dramatic display, Liu Mingkun grinned and nudged the man beside him with his elbow. "Bro, it’s our time to shine!"

With that, he strode over and asked with an air of concern, "Still no vacant rooms?"

He Qingran nodded emphatically. Her makeup was slightly smudged, but her pretty, delicate face was still full of despair. "Yeah. The young lady at the desk said the city’s guesthouses are always packed this month. There are lots of people visiting family and friends, attending study tours, on business trips, you name it."

"And that’s not even counting the Golden Microphone competition. A lot of people booked their rooms several days in advance..."

"The last time we were here for a music event, we could still get a room in the evening. Who would’ve thought that just a few days later, there wouldn’t even be a spot left in a shared room..."

Meanwhile, Xia Zhaoyun was holding a listless Little Ruyi, while Ruyuan tugged at her skirt. The similar faces of the mother and her two children all showed faint traces of exhaustion and a hint of pitifulness.

Huo Tianhao’s hand, tucked in his pocket, tightened slightly. He couldn’t resist kicking Liu Mingkun. "Knock it off!"

’Playing the hero to save the damsel in distress might score some points, but overdoing it was just tacky.’

Liu Mingkun chuckled and quickly said, "No rooms? That’s not a big deal! Brother Hao and I are both single right now, but we’ve both been assigned apartments in our work unit’s family housing. The two of us can just squeeze into one place and let you have the other."

"You’ll have neighbors on all sides keeping an eye on things, so you two ladies won’t have to worry about safety."

"One’s with the transportation team, the other’s with the supply and marketing cooperative. You two can take your pick..."