Chapter 99
Editor: Whiteflare
The first listener to come back to their senses asked weakly, “Right now, is he... imitating?”
Rather than imitating, it could be said he was copying altogether—it was completely the same in and out, making it impossible for the thought of “this has to be a coincidence” to arise in anyone’s mind. This blatant copying was like a match in the powder barrel, with Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s fan almost frothing at their mouths.
Audience 1: Organisators!! This person is plagiarising!! Didn’t you all say that there’s no evidence, you’ve got one right here!!
Audience 2: Don’t ask for my return date, you really are shameless! Not only did you steal Sparrow’s performance, but you didn’t even bother thinking of your own opening speech and dared to use Sparrow’s words! There really is no end to your audacity! (╯‵口′)╯︵┴─┴
Audience 3: FUCKING-!! People of Don’t ask for my return’s ilk really are set in their crooked ways—he really thought that the listeners don’t have ears and won’t realise it!!
...
But at the same time, the non-fan listeners bursted out laughing.
Most of those people were the actual fans of the game series or the novel fans who followed all the auditions of the competition, so they knew of the conflict between Bronze Sparrow Terrace and Don’t ask for my return date from the day before. They were all completely unfamiliar with the online voice acting circle, so as the outsiders, they had a much clearer view of the situation than the rest.
Audience 4: Hahahaha, the fans from the comments above, is your IQ actually so low?? Not changing even a word like this, it’s clearly No.12’s conscious move, yet you still jumped head first to yell curses, hahahaha...
Audience 5: Can’t help but second every word of the friend above!! It’s so clear that No.12 is doing this on purpose!! (slaps the floor)
Audience 6: Hahahaha, I’m about to burst from laughing! I’m betting that right now, No.12 is having quite a fun time now~
...
BINGO.
Qi Jing’s eyes curled up in a smile as he reclined languidly on the chair, continuing to parrot calmly, word after word.
The sentences were still the same, but he did change some of the words in them.
“Thanks everyone,” He imitated that slight shaking of Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s voice, even leaving the identical sniffle towards the end, “Whenever I’m met with injustice, it’s always you who stand up to mock me, to degrade me... In my eyes, my antis really are... the most hard-working antis in the world.”
During the last part, he also purposefully slowed his speech down, his voice as light as a feather.
A part of the audience couldn’t hold it anymore and rolled with laughter in the chat.
Audience 1: o(*≧▽≦)ツ Aiyo! I can’t anymore, hahahaha, No.12, spare us!!
Audience 2: o(*≧▽≦)ツ This tone straight up made me cry from laughing!!【I have fallen to the floor just now, there’s no one as exaggerated as me, if you don’t like it then come fight me!!】
Audience 3: o(*≧▽≦)ツ Hahahaha, commenter above, you lost, I have just fallen to the floor and spilled my family’s Spot’s dog food, now it’s all over the place, hahahaha...【PS: Now what about my dinner... TAT】
Audience 4: You have guts, Don’t ask for my return date! Honestly, I think that it’s you who got played into this! GrEat GoD’s a pain, and his fans are even bigger of a pain!
Audience 5: You have guts, Don’t ask for my return date! GrEat GoD’s a pain, and his fans are even bigger of a pain! +10086
Audience 6: ╰(*°▽°*)╯Return Date, look here, I’m your little fan~ This slap back feels just so good!! I fell in love with you once again, what to do!【Pfft】
...
Qi Jing’s expression was still just as calm and steady. Before the whole opening speech was concluded, he wouldn’t let off a single phrase, a single opportunity to bite back; he also wouldn’t let himself laugh too early.
“Today, I hope that I can get an explanation, as well as justice.”
Bronze Sparrow Terrace, you’re very clever and can choose your words pretty well. But I can make those words much more fair and sharp—because they were mine in the first place.
“If one does something wrong, then it’s enough if they just admit it—is there someone who has never done a wrong thing?” After saying this unhurriedly, he stepped back from copying great god’s words, going back to his own feelings and tone, changing them drastically out of a sudden.
“Unfortunately, I’m a petty person. Even after making everything clear to each other, I still...”
He paused, then finally snickered proudly. “Would never, ever want to be your friend—” Like a gentleman, he easily tore apart that unfair peace treaty.
Since the treaty already got smashed to pieces, it was now the time to declare war.
“We can begin now, Host.” He completely ignored the bout of abuses hurled at him in the chat and focused on the lines, asking Yang Chunqu to proceed.
“Eh... Ah, yes, yes!” Yang Chunqu seemed shaken by his opening and took a while to remember that she was still a host. Her whole face was red as she hurriedly put those small ripples in her heart away, asking the manager to move him up the mic sequence.
But she didn’t expect that an even more flustering act was about to take place—
“Heh,” First, it was a yet unformed, slightly drunk chuckle that could be heard, as if just on the brink of intoxication. It was a moment later that the defined laughter issued, “Hahahaha&#k2026; Another cup?”
The atmosphere changed the moment he spoke. The audience momentarily went silent, but it was unknown whether it was because of shock, or because of them getting captivated by this voice.
Qi Jing used a rather bright voice, and even though it was flirty, it couldn’t be said to be too lascivious, with a dash of the self-assured confidence of a man of Jianghu.
“Not to mention a single cup, if you pour the wine for me, Miss, then even if it was a pot, a bucket or a barrel...” He stopped for a moment, as if befuddled by the alcohol getting to his head, then chuckled lightly, “Hehe...I would still, drink it all.”
Drunk was drunk, but Qi Jing’s “drunk” turned out much more natural.
Since he kept calling “Miss”, it meant that “Qin Tuo” approached them as a “little boy”, so he should portray a kind of hesitant first steps to romance—a simplicity that could raise a sense of superiority. This way, even though the main character was no stranger to such flirtatious games, he could still make a favourable impression with those pleasure house girls.
Because his doing this had a purpose.
“Good Miss,” Qi Jing suddenly lowered his voice to call, the sound of him shifting his body languidly, as if moving over to somewhere closer to the mic as he murmured, “Talk to me to cheer me up, would you?”
Just like when a young boy is acting cute towards an older girl, how would the girls decline after just having been coaxed?
“I haven’t left the mountain for such a long time, I don’t know if something interesting happened in the town.” At this moment, his tone changed and his drunkenness disappeared, letting the listeners realise that he wasn’t in fact truly intoxicated, but meant delve for information something. “Could you... tell me something about it?”
Most of the people like Bronze Sparrow Terrace, who had only skimmed through the original text just before the audition wouldn’t know that in this scene, “Qin Tuo” wasn’t just flirting—he used his tipsy state to fish for information from the pleasure house girls.
Many officials as well as Jianghu folk visited that pleasure house every day. At that time, the main character was entrusted with the task of investigating the arrestings of the rebels by the local government, hence this act.
Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s comprehension wasn’t as deep, that’s why he committed a mistake.
Later, when the girls of the pleasure house teased “Qin Tuo”, he thought that his act got seen through and was startled at first.
“Eh... Ha, hahahaha.” Qi Jing hesitated slightly, then brushed it off with a drunken laugh, feigning innocence as he suggested, “Hehehe... Fine then, I will tell one story and you will tell me another one in return; let’s take turns listening, how about that?”
Only the fans of the original novel would hear that slip of his. But of course, the puzzled “sweetest fans in the world” wouldn’t understand it.
Audience 1: This right here!! Right, just like this!!【Novel fun rolling around on the floor】
Audience 2: Awoooooo!!! The feel of this acting is so on point!! This No.12 is not bad! Novel fun rolling around on the floor+1, joining the commenter above】
Audience 3: (//////艸//////) ...I, I love this kind of sexiness, not emphasised but still palatable... My heart is pounding, but it’s comfortable, it doesn’t feel like I’m being taken liberties with, cough cough.
Audience 4: (//////艸//////) Seconding the one above, the flirtiness of the No.10 was a bit too out of place, this one is just about right.
Audience 5: ...I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but I’m not feeling anything. Not a single bit of it is enticing, yet the ones above are all about yelling how good it is—who are they, a childcare brought by Don’t ask for my return date?? ╮(╯＿╰)╭
Audience 6: Shaking hands with the commenter above!! So full of how good he thinks he’s acting, but can’t even compare for our Sparrow. And there’s also that hypocrisy in the beginning—to plagiarise someone and still have the nerve to curse them out, I really haven’t seen such a shameless VA... Get the hell out of the online voice acting, you’re dirtying it!!
...
The fans continued to shout curses at him, but the rest of the audience was too immersed in the performance to mind them.
Qi Jing, obviously, didn’t mind them as well.
“Honestly... it’s so boring up on the mountain.” His words sounded like a complaint, but there was a trace of smile to them, with boundless love and respect hidden beneath, “My master only knows to stay aloof from the world, separating himself from the secular matters; he rarely goes down the mountain.”
For him, it was boring on the mountain, but peace and quiet was better for his master—and he was fine as long as the old man enjoyed it.
The nuance portrayed by Qi Jing was completely different from that of Bronze Sparrow Terrace’s. One was genuine complaining, while the other sounded like a tease made to look like a complaint. There was an instant change in the nature of the portrayed emotions.
At that time, Qi Jing’s voice dimmed a bit—even during this act, “Qin Tuo” couldn’t hide that small bit of disappointment in his voice, “My senior had been brought up by our master... Unlike a disciple taken in halfway like me, he has the same temperament as our master, independent and detached.”
Firstly, he wasn’t brought up by the master, so he wasn’t able to get closer to him than his senior, so it was hard to avoid the sense of loneliness.
Secondly, with his senior being this independent and detached, it was easy to tell that the connection between the two of them wasn’t that good, making him even more lonely.
With those two layers of loneliness overlapping, he wouldn’t be able to muster that irritable tone the Bronze Sparrow Terrace did, but he would rather chuckle bitterly. “Even during the usual sword practice, he... he wouldn’t spend time together with a junior disciple like me...”
That was it—the place where Bronze Sparrow Terrace got cut.
It would be impossible to say that he wasn’t nervous. But it was just the point where the first scene ended and the second was about to begin. Due to the immersion in the character, now, when the scene was meant to change, he could give himself a moment to extricate himself and have a quick glance at the timer on the screen.
“1:00”.
Hah...
He laughed in his heart, but it was very short and brief—his heart still couldn’t relax completely and was even beginning to race quicker instead.
He also subconsciously glanced at Yuan Zhengming’s voice activity icon.
Surprisingly... it was still grey and had yet to light up.
Audience 1: One minute!!
Audience 2: 〒▽〒Awoooo! One minute has already passed! It’s a new record!!
Audience 3: 〒▽〒 Return Dateeeeeeeee! Do you have any idea how me, your little silent fan, is excited for you nowwwww... 【infinite reverb】
Audience 4: (/≥▽≤/) (/≥▽≤/) (/≥▽≤/) Now I can finally proudly yell that I’m Return Date’s fan~~~【I’m so sorry, I was to afraid of the god’s fans’ bullying to say a single thing before】
Audience 5: This one I like!! He’s like a completely different person from the one during Chang Emperor’s audition!!
Audience 6: Like a completely different person +1! Teacher Yuan still didn’t call for the stop, he sure does have a good eye! It’s basically the best news for the novel fans! ～\(≧▽≦)/～
...
As the first contestant to get to the second scene, Qi Jing had no frame of reference from the previous contestants’ performances, so no one would be able to make the accusations of him copying this and that.
Now, he could make the best showcase of his acting. And he just so happened to enter the intense conflict plot in the second scene—
“What did you just say?” His whole person, from his aura to his manner all changed suddenly; the previous frivolousness disappeared in the blink of an eye as the scene gradually became grim. “You just said... that man who got put on death row—what’s his name?”
There was fury to his shock, and then panic to his fury. In a split of a second, all kinds of emotions piled together, all very distinct under that hoarse shaking of his throat.
This scene took place when the government learned about “Qin Tuo’s” contacts with the rebels and took his good friend Liu Suyu hostage, forcing him to come out in person.
The one he spoke to was the local leader of the rebels and the later founder of the “The Alliance of Twenteen Wulin”. It was him who first convinced “Qin Tuo” to make the promising youths of the Jianghu warriors of the alliance in their struggle against the court. “Qin Tuo” was worrying about his sect and the friends by his side, hesitating to make the decision, but this person promised to his face that he would make sure his family and friends would stay safe.
But with an accident like this happening, it was natural for the main character to lose temper. “That time, when I accepted your offer... Do you remember what you said!”
Qi Jing hollered harshly, making everyone’s spirit shiver without the courage to breathe too loud. He used his experience as a reporter to stress the enunciation, so even when he shouted his bearing would be anything but lacking, but he consciously let the latter query drop heavily in tone. The shivering in his voice intensified as he choked slightly on his sobs.
He took a few hurried breaths, as if forcing himself to remain calm, but his voice was nasal as he spoke, muffled, but with the stabbing sharpness showing at times.
“I rescued your people, because I couldn’t bear the incompetence of the current government, the mistreatment of the common people... I knew very well that it’s a crime that could cost me my head, but I never regretted it. But, it was on the premise of you agreeing to protect their safety.”
However...
“Why would Suyu get taken away by them!” The fury in his voice bursted out with its full, grand force, “He clearly knows nothing about the rebellion, so why does he have to put his life at stake—”
It was precisely the moment to shine, the moment where the second scene was supposed to end, but suddenly, a voice no one expected was heard.
“CUT——”
Ah. Qi Jing froze momentarily, a bit perplexed as he stopped.
He was already prepared for the fact that he could be cut at any point of his performance, but just now, he was too immersed in the role, and it took him a while to react.
“1:32”.
He looked at the stopped timer; it was actually longer than what he had expected, making him feel very satisfied. He didn’t know if Yuan Zhengming went easy on him as, in theory, he could’ve gotten cut way before that.
However, the listeners started to protest loudly.
Audience 1: 〒▽〒 Your mother!! I was so into it, and now this CUT out of nowhere!!
Audience 2: 〒▽〒 Gorilla Teacher, I hate you! Hate you! 【What to do, I want to smash Gorilla Teacher with my keyboard now!】
Audience 3: 〒▽〒 Would you dare to let him finish acting the third scene! You Old Macaque!【Oi】
Audience 4: 〒▽〒 Waaah... But with this minute and thirty two seconds, I can now die happily!! Return Date-sama, please accept my proposal!!
Audience 5: 〒▽〒 Return! Date! So! Beautiful! My bride!
Audience 6: 〒▽〒 Clutching heart and pulling hair aaaaahhhh! Can I beg No.12 to finish the third scene after the audition... Ah, no, can I beg No.12 to advance to the next stage smoothly and get the first place to play this character??
...
The more sharp listeners already noticed what was going on, so after this short minute and a few dozens of seconds, the scoldings in the chat already grew smaller in number. No matter if they were too ashamed to scold him, didn’t know how to continue to do that, or maybe suddenly realised that it was the wrong person that was being scolded, the negative comments started to disappear slowly... Anyway, it made him more relieved.
Qi Jing looked down, chuckling silently.
He still had some time left, so he could finally say the closing speech he had prepared for so long in one breath.
“Thank you,” There were no more sincere words to those who withstood the weight of the public opinion to encourage him, and to support him, “Thank you, everyone.”
After saying his most sincere thanks, he slowly retracted his smile and sat straight, his voice strong and firm.
“Yesterday, some people wanted me to apologise, the reason being me copying great god Bronze Sparrow Terrace.” He stressed each word very clearly, without the slightest fear of making the truth public, “I was bewildered, because it was clearly me who got copied, so why would I need to apologise to the one who copied me? That’s why, to not waste that accusation that got thrown at me, I could only try my best to copy great god’s opening speech to my best capability, so that I could be worthy of this reputation and to finally be able to give him my ‘apology’...”
Saying this, Qi Jing suddenly exclaimed with an “ah”, as if he realised something. “That’s not right, I actually forgot—I don’t need to apologise to the great god Bronze Sparrow Terrace for this ‘copying’, otherwise he would have already apologised to me earlier.”
At this point, he smiled slightly, using the most arrogant voice in his life, “Then there’s only one thing left for me I could apologise for, and that is for being more conscientious at voice acting than you, as well as being better—I’m terribly sorry for that.”
His statement was already done, it couldn’t be taken back. Whether it was a good or bad decision, it didn’t matter to him. He just wanted that satisfying moment of impudence, so as not to have any regrets in the future.
“To prove that my apology is sincere, I’m forfeiting this role—here, I’m giving it to you for free.” Even with this decision, he wouldn’t regret it.
Qi Jing winded it up with a slight chuckle, “Still, I finished the performance according to the rules, so I still want to take a look at my last score. I would like to ask the two judges as well as the present listeners to score it just as they normally would, but I’m giving up my rights to advance, thank you.”
As he said this, his time was already up. With a calm expression, he took off the headphones and without taking even a single look at the response in the chat, he minded his own business, cancelling his follow for Bronze Sparrow Terrace and also blacklisting him along the way. Then, he opened QQ.
Jade Butterfly, removed from his friends.
⟪Trap⟫ production crew group chat, quitted.
He changed his bio section to “see the ID”, intending to copy his friends’ numbers before abandoning this account.
By the time he finished, the scoring was also already done.
【Elapsed Time】：1:32
【Voice Quality】：4.0
【Enunciation】：4.0
【Foundation Points】：4.0
【Charisma】：4.5
Judging panel’s evaluation: 1.32 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 4.5 = 17.82 points
Additional audience vote points:72.4% voting ratio = 0.724 points
Overall score: 17.82 + 0.724 = 18.544 points
With the disadvantage of having been suppressed before the audition, the voting ratio actually turned out to be higher than great god’s instead, not to mention the rest—there was simply no excuse left for him.
Moreover, this score could hardly be surpassed by anyone else.
“Haha...” I’m really giving you this position for free, aren’t I.
He laughed calmly, put the pen he was playing with upright on the desk, then pushed it with his finger, watching as it fell with no chance of getting back up again.
“Bye bye, Bronze Sparrow Terrace.”
A/N:
2Yan’s handsomeness left him with no friends...
Kitty’s Papa: He’s got a boyfriend.
2Yan: >///<
Lotus: ...Those damned honeymoons... (runs away with Little Return Date in hands, flashed blind by the PDA and sobbing)
T/N:
Lucilla: Qi Jing is a BEAST, god damn!!! Had me howling from the satisfaction!
Whiteflare: what a mic drop! I love QJ here <3
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