This was a woman difficult to describe in words.
She wore a perfectly tailored white blouse paired with a simple, elegant black long skirt. It was merely the simplest white top and black skirt, yet on her, it shone more dazzlingly than any elaborate couture gown.
With light steps, her skirt swayed gently, outlining a graceful yet sensual, perfect curve. Her hair flowed subtly, her phoenix-like eyes slightly lifted, exuding an unmatched blend of stunning beauty and disdainful allure.
The dazzling stage lights seemed to dim, and all sounds faded. The entire world fell silent for her.
Tap, tap, tap, accompanied by the sound of her high heels, the woman walked towards the mentor panel, her steps calm, her demeanor incomparably cool.
Moments later, people finally reacted, and a colossal wave of sound instantly swept through the entire recording studio.
"Celeste Monroe?!!!"
"Oh my god! The Diva Queen is actually on a reality show?!"
"This can't be real, can it?"
The audience went wild. I just came to a music reality show, how am I seeing the number one Pop Queen?! Oh no, besides being the number one Pop Queen, she was also America's Most Beautiful Woman, ranked first on Asia's Most Beautiful Faces, with the highest album sales, and the most music awards. She was an untouchable, lofty flower, a legend one could only look up to!
Everyone knew that Celeste Monroe focused solely on music and never participated in reality shows. But now, she was appearing live on "The Voice of America."
This can't be a dream, can it?
If they hadn't signed non-disclosure agreements and had their phones collected before entering, many audience members would have immediately called their family and friends.
Mom, I saw Celeste Monroe! A live one!
The contestant backstage area was equally abuzz.
"Ahhh! Celeste Monroe! Is this real?!"
"Am I actually going to sing in front of Diva Celeste?"
"Just seeing the real Diva Queen makes it worth it even if I get eliminated right away!"
Many reality shows had scripts, and even if not, guests would perform strategically. For example, when Amelia Quinn and the others appeared earlier, while the contestants were excited, they weren't as exaggerated as they seemed, performing their professional "cheering duty." But at this moment, the contestants' excitement and frenzy had no trace of performance. The name Celeste Monroe represented the dream of every singer. Even if they were eliminated in the first two rounds, being on the same stage as Celeste Monroe was enough bragging rights for a lifetime!
Aunt Celeste?
Among the group of excited contestants, Frank, who had remained calm, also widened his eyes. Why is Aunt Celeste here too? Lately, Celeste Monroe had been checking his practice progress, like a strict teacher. Their lengthy chat history was full of singing tips and questions, sometimes even a teacher's critique of a student. But despite all their conversations, Celeste Monroe had never mentioned she would also be on "The Voice of America"? From Frank's understanding of Celeste Monroe, she would never waste time participating in a reality show.
Frank's heart stirred. Could Celeste Monroe's presence on "The Voice of America" be related to me? Then he shook his head and chuckled. Frank, you're being too conceited. Aunt Celeste is helping you because she doesn't want to owe a favor.At most, it's just a bit of concern from an elder for a junior.
Frank quickly regained his composure. No matter who the mentors were, once on stage, he would let his music speak.
At this moment, all the other contestants looked at Frank with peculiar expressions. You casually join a music reality show, and then you see your ex-wife and your ex-wife's aunt sitting on the mentor panel. Well, well, well, you're not here to sing; you're clearly here to face a family judgment!
As people were still excited and shocked, James Dawson suddenly walked up to Celeste Monroe, pulled out a bouquet of roses from somewhere, knelt on one knee, his face full of deep affection.
"Celeste, you are the moon in the sky, and I am a sparrow on the ground. I want to fly to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the moon. Will you allow it?"
The entire venue fell silent. A man holding roses, kneeling on one knee, a woman beautiful and aloof, expressionless. Moments later, Celeste Monroe turned and walked to the mentor panel and sat down.
Pfft!
A female audience member couldn't help but burst out laughing, and other audience members followed suit.
"Holy cow! I almost forgot! King James has been chasing Diva Celeste for a whole decade!"
"I knew that scene just now looked familiar! This is already the Nth time I've seen James Dawson publicly confess to Celeste Monroe!"
"This time wasn't bad; Diva Celeste at least looked at him, hahaha!"
Amidst the audience's laughter, James Dawson stood up, showing no embarrassment, but rather an expression of renewed determination. "Celeste, rest assured, I won't give up!" He had pursued Celeste Monroe for ten years, rejected countless times, and had long since grown accustomed to it.
The contestants backstage also found the scene amusing and ridiculous. James Dawson being rejected by Diva Celeste was a well-known spectacle, and witnessing it firsthand today was quite entertaining.
"I actually think Mr. Dawson and Ms. Monroe are a good match." Alex Stone said, looking as if he'd found a new "ship."
"The Diva Queen's rejection was so fierce!" Several female contestants looked at Celeste Monroe with adoration.
Frank, however, was undistracted, closing his eyes and silently rehearsing the song he was about to perform. This was his first time performing on such a large stage, and he had to be perfect, performing at his absolute best.
On the mentor panel, Celeste Monroe and James Dawson took their seats. Emily Chen happily said to Celeste Monroe: "Ms. Monroe, I'm your fan! Wow, I'm so happy to see you in person!" The sweet girl smiled brightly, revealing her two adorable little canine teeth.
Celeste Monroe nodded slightly to her. "Thank you. I've heard your songs; they're very good."
"Ms. Monroe actually praised me! Wow!" Emily Chen was so happy she almost fainted. Amelia Quinn, meanwhile, leaned over, feigning familiarity.
"Aunt Celeste, long time no see. How have you been recently?" She was quite pleased with herself; Emily Chen could only act like a little fan in front of her aunt, but she was a genuine niece. Just this relationship alone was something Emily Chen couldn't compare to. Due to their similar status and age, Amelia had unconsciously begun to see Emily Chen as a rival.
At this moment, the scene on the mentor panel was being displayed on the live screens, and Amelia intentionally tried to show off her familial relationship with Celeste Monroe. Liam Reed did the same, smiling cordially at Celeste Monroe: "Aunt Celeste, hello. I'm a fan of yours too." His calling her "Aunt Celeste" after Amelia immediately excited both Amelia and his "ship" fans.
"Liam called her 'Aunt Celeste' too! Does this mean my Twilight 'ship' is already official?"
"Could they have met the family privately already?"
"Wow, so sweet!"
The Twilight 'ship' fans were in a frenzy, only to see Celeste Monroe nod indifferently to Amelia, then turn to Liam and say: "I am not your aunt."
The 'ship' fans instantly froze awkwardly. Liam also looked stunned, then immediately put on a fawning smile: "I'm sorry, Ms. Monroe. I was just following Amelia's lead. It was presumptuous of me."
Amelia was a bit embarrassed, but Celeste Monroe said nothing more, sitting calmly with an expressionless face.
All five mentors had entered. Host Dana Peterson began to introduce the competition rules:
Thirty-six contestants would perform in order of drawing lots, with mentors and the audience jointly scoring them. Each mentor held one hundred points, totaling five hundred points for the five mentors. The five hundred audience members each had one point, also totaling five hundred points. Each contestant's maximum total score was one thousand points. After each episode, contestants would be ranked by their scores, and the bottom four in the overall ranking after every two episodes would be eliminated.
After explaining the rules, the beautiful host smiled and announced: "Then, 'The Voice of America' Season 2 competition stage, now begins! The theme for the first competition — Old Flames!"