The only one with an ugly expression was Ethan Wright, who has lived off a single song his whole life. At the end of this round’s competition, the surprise guest succeeded in their challenge, which also meant his journey on “I Really Am a Singer” had come to an end—only the world where Ethan Wright is hurt was complete.

Eric Carter finally relaxed, his breathing returning to normal. The first step of the plan had succeeded, and even better, the audience merely disliked him—they hadn’t reached the point of “loathing.” They would still vote as needed, which meant there was much more room to maneuver.

Ethan Wright, in his forties, by seniority, only David Parker was qualified to speak next: “Ethan Wright, the song you chose today had a lot of low notes, which didn’t suit your strengths. The audience’s votes are more influenced by emotional impact.”

The first part was to give him an out, the latter part was consolation: “Your abilities were fully displayed on the show, so I believe your agency won’t let your talent go to waste again.”

Seniority and magnanimity? Nonsense. If he could, Ethan Wright wanted to jump up and give the surprise guest a piece of his mind. Any words of comfort sounded like empty platitudes to him.

But there was a camera right in front of him, another to the right, and one set up at an angle above.

In front of three cameras and everyone’s eyes, Ethan Wright put on a face full of relief and nonchalance.

He said, “I only have three tricks up my sleeve. When I got the notice, I planned to sing three songs and leave, but I even got to sing two more. No regrets, no regrets. Eric Carter is a talented young star with a lot of room to grow. I hope to see even more progress.”

“Singing and your work are the right path—don’t get involved in weird things. I believe you can also become an outstanding singer.” Ethan Wright advised in the tone of a senior.

Old-timers always have a hidden meaning in their words—everyone here is a veteran, so who’s playing the fox? Eric Carter pretended not to notice, nodding as if he understood the “guidance” from his senior, and the whole lounge was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.

“Mr. Wright’s voice is a treasure of the music world,” said Sarah Clark. “If we lose Mr. Wright, it’s like losing a fortune.”

“I can’t bear to see Mr. Wright go,” said Emily Harris.

“On a small scale, it’s just the end of a show. On a larger scale, it’s just a small chapter in life. We’ll meet again in the music world.” Nancy Foster offered her trademark sharp-tongued comfort: “Emily, you shouldn’t say things like that. The way you put it, it sounds like Mr. Wright is leaving us for good and we’ll never see him again.”

“That’s not what I meant…” Emily Harris tried to explain, but the words got stuck. “I just meant it’d be great if no one got eliminated from the show. My language skills aren’t great, so I didn’t express myself well.”

Nancy Foster’s way of speaking can make things awkward for others, so opinions about her are quite polarized. Fans who like her think she’s soft-hearted beneath a tough exterior, while others think she doesn’t consider other people’s feelings.

“Some people say their language skills are bad, but then they write their own songs and the lyrics are amazing,” said Sarah Clark. “If some people weren’t so humble, you’d never guess they could be so humble.”

Singer-songwriters are rare in the music world. Of the seven contestants (not counting Eric Carter), only two have the ability to write original songs.

After going solo from her girl group, Emily Harris released an album where she wrote the lyrics for more than half the songs—pretty talented.

On the other hand, maybe her lukewarm popularity is also related to writing her own songs…

“The main thing is, I can’t get good songs. There’s nothing I can do,” Emily Harris laughed twice. Her music partner immediately chimed in, facing the camera: “To all the songwriters watching on TV, this is a clear hint—if you have good songs, send them over!”

“There are too few good songs these days. Without money, it’s hard to get good songs,” Nancy Foster agreed. In the past, the music scene in Taiwan led the way in Mandarin pop, but now it’s in decline, and everyone has to head north to the mainland to make a living.

“Money—if you don’t spend it, you’ll always have enough,” Sarah Clark quipped.

Nancy Foster didn’t want to talk to Sarah Clark and rolled her eyes at her. Her music partner also helped with the ad: “Emily is giving a clear hint, and Nancy is giving a subtle one—good songs, come our way!”

“‘Wheat Waves in the Wind’ is a real good song. I just saw in the credits that the lyrics, music, and arrangement were all by Orange,” Emily Harris suddenly shifted the topic to Eric Carter.

At his peak, the original owner was called “Mr. Morgan,” but now it’s just Orange.

“With things as they are, even if I had money, I couldn’t get songs, so I have no choice but to grit my teeth and write them myself,” said Eric Carter.

“Wow, so you’re the real humble-brag master—forced to write songs yourself, huh?” Nancy Foster said. “If there’s another chance, you have to grit your teeth and write two for me.”

Grace Bennett is different from the other contestants’ music partners—she never picks up on jokes, just stands by and smiles, a bit unprofessional.

Fortunately, Eric Carter blended into the group chat pretty well. Most of the time, he quietly listened to others, and being a good listener is a great kindness.

Director Ryan Morgan announced the rules for the next round, specifically the song selection for the next competition. With that, this episode’s recording was pretty much over.

The contestants paired up to arrange dinner plans. To avoid the awkwardness of being left out, Eric Carter left first with his music partner.

It’s not that Sarah Clark and the others are snobbish or heartless—Eric Carter is a hot potato. Who would want to hang out with him? In ancient times, even rebels only implicated nine generations, but keyboard warriors start with exterminating nine generations. It’s truly terrifying.

Put yourself in their shoes—would you want to?