Chapter Twelve: Xiao Siqi’s Fightback

Xiao Yao was having so much fun on the film set that he lost all sense of time, while Xiao Siqi, now free from worries, devoted all her energy to completing her album. At last, she finished the production before the end of the year. Even before the album was completed, the lead single, "Most Beautiful," had already begun its first wave of promotion in mid-December.

In recent years, with the growing influence of Western culture, more and more Chinese people have started celebrating Western holidays. This trend is understandable: Eastern traditions emphasize family and reunion, with major holidays centered around spending time at home with loved ones. Western holidays, on the other hand, especially among young people, offer a legitimate reason to go out and have fun. Christmas, the most significant Western holiday before the year’s end, was the perfect occasion for the release of "Most Beautiful," launched just two weeks prior.

“Hello everyone, I’m Xiao Tong. Welcome to tonight’s ‘Voice of Music.’ Our first recommendation this evening is the title track ‘Most Beautiful’ from singer Xiao Siqi’s upcoming fourth original album, set for release early next year. As for myself, I have always been impressed by Xiao Siqi. He stands out in today’s music scene as one of the few artists who insist on singing only their own original songs, maintaining a relatively consistent style. However, upon receiving this new track, I noticed a significant stylistic shift for him.

“Of course, as a DJ dedicated to pleasing your ears, a change in style alone wouldn’t be enough for me to recommend this song. My principle is simple: it has to sound good. But beyond that, I have another suggestion for this song. Christmas is just around the corner—have you planned how to spend it? Have you already arranged to celebrate with someone special? Among those you’ll be with, is there someone you adore? Have you considered using the holiday as the perfect moment to confess your feelings? If you answered yes, then listen carefully to this song, learn it well, and use it to express your heart to your beloved. It’s truly an excellent choice. Now, without further ado, let’s enjoy ‘Most Beautiful,’ my recommendation for tonight...”

When a new song is released, the customary process includes promotion through music radio stations and participation in ranking charts. Despite the rise of the internet and its disruptive impact on traditional industries, this practice remains unchanged. After editors and hosts at various stations heard "Most Beautiful," they unanimously associated it with declarations of love. Normally, one might expect such confessions to be reserved for Valentine’s Day. But upon reflection, Valentine’s Day tends to be a time for established couples to enjoy their private moments. If you invite your crush out on that day, they’ll likely guess your intentions, diminishing the element of surprise. Christmas, by contrast, is often a group celebration; confessing amidst friends, with witnesses cheering you on, seems far more exciting and memorable.

“You are the most beautiful in my eyes, every smile of yours intoxicates me.” These heartfelt lyrics struck a chord with those deep in love, and fueled by the DJs’ encouragement, countless listeners began earnestly learning the song to use it for their Christmas confessions.

On Christmas Day, groups gathered, joyfully practicing the song together, while others, separated by work or distance but eager to confess, chose the traditional route of dedicating the song through radio requests.

In just four days, "Most Beautiful" surged to the top of request charts across numerous radio stations. By the weekend, it had stormed into the top three on all major music station rankings, with momentum pointing straight toward the number one spot.

Online, the song’s popularity was equally remarkable. Especially after Christmas, numerous videos and posts appeared with people singing "Most Beautiful" to express their feelings. It earned the affectionate nickname “Confession Anthem” among netizens.

The hottest beneficiary of this success was, of course, Xiao Siqi himself. The period between the year’s end and the beginning of the new one is a crucial and fiercely competitive time in the performance market. Television New Year’s galas, in particular, attract the most intense competition. High-viewership stations vie for popular artists, while popular artists seek to perform on the most-watched channels. Previously, Xiao Siqi had only appeared once on the New Year’s gala of Xiangnan TV, one of the top three stations in viewership, during the release of his first album. In recent years, he mostly performed on smaller provincial stations, ranked second or third tier. But the success of "Most Beautiful" brought him invitations from three of the top stations—Xiangnan, Donghai, and Zhejiang—to perform at their New Year’s galas.

After consulting with his management team, Xiao Siqi accepted the invitation from Xiangnan TV, with whom he had prior collaboration experience. Thus, shortly after completing his album, he rushed to Xiangnan Province to prepare rehearsals and other arrangements for the gala.

On provincial TV New Year’s gala stages, it’s rare for popular stars to perform only one song. At Xiangnan TV’s gala, Xiao Siqi sang two songs: the hit "Most Beautiful" and another from the new album, "Happy Morning." Although Xiao Siqi considered "Miss You Night" the best track on the album besides "Most Beautiful," its mournful tone was too somber for the festive atmosphere, so he chose the warm, upbeat "Happy Morning" instead.

Xiangnan TV consistently ranks first or within the top three in viewership among provincial stations and wields considerable influence. Its New Year’s gala garnered widespread attention, and Xiao Siqi’s two performances were among the highlights. While "Most Beautiful" was already well-known, the audience was pleasantly surprised by the unreleased "Happy Morning," which captivated listeners with its warm melody and lyrics filled with everyday moments, evoking a comforting sense of happiness in ordinary life.

The vivid depictions of family life in "Happy Morning" naturally reminded people of Xiao Siqi’s own story. Just six months earlier, he had endured a life-shattering tragedy—the loss of his beloved wife. Yet, rather than succumbing to despair, he channeled his pain into heartfelt love songs that radiated positive energy. Beyond his musical talent, his resilient and hopeful spirit endeared him even more to the public. Some who revisited "Most Beautiful," the so-called “confession anthem,” realized it wasn’t merely a romantic declaration but rather Xiao Siqi’s homage and remembrance of his late wife, Chen Zilin.

Thus, the attention Xiao Siqi initially gained from the song’s popularity blossomed into genuine fame for the artist himself.

Of course, no success is without criticism, especially on the internet where opinions abound. Amid widespread praise, a dissenting view quietly emerged, questioning how Xiao Siqi could produce two joyful songs despite having lost his wife, suggesting he might be “heartless” or insincere in his grief. However, this criticism was short-lived. A week later, with the release of the album’s second single, the profoundly sorrowful "Miss You Night," listeners understood that Xiao Siqi was not without pain; he simply chose not to cast sadness over the holidays. This deeply emotional song revealed the depths of his heartache and proved that his love for his wife remained profound and enduring.

The three songs released so far from the new album all demonstrate exceptional quality—more than just pleasant to the ear, they convey powerful emotions. After more than two years of quiet buildup, Xiao Siqi’s reemergence has brought a fresh and compelling presence to the music scene, raising anticipation for the full album.

When pre-sales officially began, the volume of orders already hinted that Xiao Siqi’s long-awaited comeback was poised for success.

Realizing this, Huayu Records seized the moment to push even harder, determined to secure excellent results. They quickly convened with Xiao Siqi’s management to coordinate a comprehensive promotional campaign. Advertising, media features, radio and TV chart pushes—even variety show appearances, which Xiao Siqi had previously resisted—were all arranged. The album’s subsequent sales confirmed that these efforts were well worth it.

With album sales climbing and Xiao Siqi’s star rising, the record label soon proposed the next step: a concert tour. In fact, as a singer with three albums already released, Xiao Siqi had long qualified to hold concerts. However, after his first album, despite his initial popularity, he had too few songs to fill a show. Later, although his second and third albums provided more material, poor sales and his own reservations delayed any plans. The label also lacked confidence in the financial prospects, so the idea was repeatedly postponed.

Now, with the fourth album’s success, there was no reason to delay further. Given that the Spring Festival period is another peak season for performances, and allowing time for the album’s popularity to build, the concert tour was scheduled from April to June, spanning over two months and covering around ten major cities nationwide.

For Xiao Siqi, this marked a dramatic departure from his relatively leisurely past two years. This time, it was an intense burst of activity: finishing the album at year-end, performing at the New Year’s gala, dedicating over a month post-New Year to album promotion, participating in Spring Festival events in February, then spending March preparing—training in dance, physical fitness, rehearsals—before launching the two-month concert tour from April through June. Nearly half a year passed without a moment’s rest.

By the time all this was done and Xiao Yao was finally brought back from Xiao Chengru’s care, it was already July. Xiao Siqi had gone over six months without seeing his son.