Chapter 109: Why Haven't I Heard of It?

Returning home from the television station's rehearsal, Qin Haiyu began chattering away the moment she stepped through the door.

"Honey, you have no idea! The secrecy surrounding the singers on this show is absolutely crazy! Every singer wears a hood or mask that covers them up completely. Even if you stare at them face-to-face, you can't tell who they are at all!"

"Even the crew members are wearing masks. If the director hadn't spoken without a voice changer, we wouldn't even have known where he was!"

"Oh, right! Only five singers went to the rehearsal today. There's one named 'Patrick Star' who is supposedly too busy to show up. I wonder which big shot it is, choosing such a bizarre name with who-knows-what meaning!"

Listening to his wife ramble, Yu Zhile silently thought to himself: *That big shot named Patrick Star is actually your handsome, dashing, and immensely talented husband!*

He spoke up, "If even the people on set can't guess the singers' identities, won't it be even harder for the audience to figure them out when the show airs?"

Qin Haiyu nodded. "Aside from their build, it's impossible to tell who anyone is from their appearance! As for their voices, I listened to them during rehearsals and couldn't identify them either. They'd sound a bit like one singer, but then not really. It felt like everyone was intentionally changing their singing style and disguising their voices to keep it a secret."

Yu Zhile smiled. "Hearing you say that makes me look forward to the broadcast!"

Qin Haiyu shared his anticipation. "Recording starts tomorrow. I wonder if I can make it to the second round. Just thinking about it makes me nervous!"

Yu Zhile encouraged his wife, "Don't be nervous, just sing your best! Rock music has a very powerful live presence. If you perform well, you'll definitely get enough votes to be in the top three and advance to the second round!"

Qin Haiyu nodded. "Mm, I'll do my best tomorrow!"

Yu Zhile's mother said to her son, "You should go with Haiyu tomorrow for the recording! It'll keep you from staying cooped up at home all day until you grow mold!"

"Uh, alright! I actually wanted to go see the show in person anyway."

Yu Zhile agreed, thinking to himself that his mother's assist was perfect!

He had originally planned to sneak over right after his wife left for the studio. Now that his mother had suggested it, going together with his wife would save a lot on gas money!

Qin Haiyu said, "That works! I'll have Lingling prepare a mask for you too!"

Yu Zhile declined, "No need, nobody knows who I am anyway! I'll just slip in. Doesn't my old classmate work there? I'll ask him to get me a staff pass to make getting in and out easier."

Qin Haiyu said happily, "Great! We'll go together tomorrow then. Mom, thank you for taking care of the baby!"

Yu's mother replied, "It's no trouble at all! If you two didn't spoil her so much and couldn't bear to be apart from her for even a single day, I would have taken her back to our hometown during the summer break to play!"

Yu Zhile said, "It's so hot right now, and there's nothing much to do back home anyway. More importantly, if you take her back, she'll definitely end up hanging out with Dad. What if your precious granddaughter gets corrupted by him?"

"That is indeed a problem!" Yu's mother said solemnly. She knew her husband's temperament and character better than anyone. If their granddaughter were left in his care, she would turn from a little princess into a tomboy in a matter of minutes!

The mere thought of it was terrifying...

Listening to her parents and grandmother talk, the baby looked up curiously, her beautiful big eyes rolling around as if wondering if they were talking behind her back.

Nine o'clock in the evening.

It was time for Yu Zhile to tell the baby a story again. Over the past few days, he had lost track of how many stories he had told.

Some stories were adapted from fairy tales and fables he had read in his childhood, while others were completely made up on the spot.

Today, he suddenly found himself at a loss for what to tell. After all, everyone has moments of writer's block. Having made up so many stories, he was running dry.

After pondering for a long time, Yu Zhile had a sudden inspiration. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, today I'll tell you a story called 'Marking the Boat to Find the Sword.'"

Qin Haiyu grew curious. What was this story about?

Yu's mother asked in confusion, "Marking the Boat to Find the Sword? What kind of story is that? How come I've never heard of it?"

Yu Zhile said, "I made it up, so of course you haven't heard of it!"

Yu's mother retorted, "What's the point of a made-up story? You're just taking advantage of the fact that my precious granddaughter doesn't understand!"

Yu Zhile said earnestly, "Mom, if you listen closely, you'll see how good my stories are! Let me tell you, it's not just your granddaughter who needs a bedtime story every night. Even your daughter-in-law can't fall asleep without hearing one!"

Qin Haiyu, embarrassed, pinched her husband's waist. It was so embarrassing for her mother-in-law to know about this!

To think that a grown woman like her still needed her husband to tell her bedtime stories to fall asleep...

Even Yu's mother became curious about the story. After organizing his thoughts, Yu Zhile lowered his voice, adopting the expressive, resonant tone of a professional broadcaster to narrate a modern version of "Marking the Boat to Find the Sword."

To put it simply, the story was about a man from the State of Chu in ancient times who was crossing a river. His sword accidentally fell from the boat into the water. He immediately carved a mark on the side of the boat, claiming that this was where the sword had dropped. He believed that once the boat stopped, he could jump into the water from that exact spot to retrieve his sword.

Hearing this, Yu's mother couldn't help but comment, "Marking the boat to find the sword? This guy must be a fool!"

Yu Zhile laughed. "Exactly. This story satirizes those who are rigid, stubborn, and fail to see how things change over time. It also teaches us that we shouldn't act purely on subjective assumptions but must adapt flexibly to changing objective realities. At the same time, it warns people not to view things in a one-sided, static, or narrow-minded way!"

Qin Haiyu praised him, "You're amazing, honey! Every story you tell is full of wisdom!"

Yu Zhile said shamelessly, "Of course! Your husband is practically half a teacher now. As an educator, I must spread positive energy!"

At first, Yu's mother thought it was just a silly story about a fool. But hearing her son's explanation, she suddenly felt that this story was much better than the fables in primary school textbooks!

She remarked, "Well, the story is actually quite well-written! It has good imagery and a clear moral. But are you sure the baby can understand it?"

Yu Zhile pointed at the sleeping baby and smiled. "It doesn't matter if she understands it or not! What matters is that every time I tell her a story, she falls asleep right away."

Yu's mother was astonished to see this. Had her precious granddaughter turned into a little spirit? In just a few minutes, she had fallen asleep right after hearing the story! She fell asleep so easily!

Yu Zhile picked up the baby, placed her in her crib, and said, "Mom, we're going to bed. You should get some sleep too!"

Yu's mother nodded. "Yes, go get some rest. You two have to go record the show tomorrow morning!"

Yu Zhile almost stumbled. If they hadn't already agreed that he would accompany his wife to watch the recording, his mother's words would have completely exposed the fact that he was also participating in *The Masked Singer*!

Qin Haiyu didn't notice anything unusual and quickly nudged her husband back to their room to sleep.

The next morning.

Yu Zhile drove his wife to the television station. The long-awaited *The Masked Singer* was finally about to begin recording!