Ding Yingyao and his group could hardly believe their eyes.
Just moments ago, the Bright Pearl University's Winter Wonderland had been packed with people, but in the blink of an eye, it had emptied out, leaving only a few of them behind—along with some bewildered security guards.
Even his manager had never witnessed such an exaggerated scene before.
A female student, no matter how stunningly beautiful, couldn’t possibly scare off an entire crowd with just a single sentence, could she?
What kind of authority would it take to achieve something like that?
Not even the university’s professors would likely have that kind of influence.
Moreover, they had clearly noticed the flicker of fear in the students’ eyes, which was downright strange.
What was there to be afraid of? Did beauty come with poison now?
In any case, they couldn’t make sense of it at all.
“What… what just happened?” Feng Caicai frowned, her brows tightly knit.
As a popular idol, she was used to being the center of attention.
But this girl in front of her had cleared the entire venue with just a few words, and it unsettled her slightly.
Ding Yingyao, however, didn’t seem bothered. His gaze was fixed on the girl, as if magnetized.
He had seen many beautiful women—heiresses, rising stars in the entertainment industry—but the aura this girl carried was unlike anything he had encountered before.
Especially her eyes—clear as a mountain lake, yet so deep they seemed to pierce through one’s soul. They were mesmerizing.
“Who is she?” Ding Yingyao couldn’t help but ask his manager.
The manager thought to himself: Why ask me? She’s right here—just talk to her yourself!
But out loud, he politely inquired, “Hello, miss. May I ask your name?”
“Liu Yutong,” the girl replied.
“Liu Yutong?”
Ding Yingyao felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.
Then it hit him, and his eyes lit up. “You’re the campus belle of Bright Pearl University?”
He had heard rumors about the university town’s most stunning beauty, Liu Yutong, whose looks were said to be otherworldly.
Now that he saw her in person, the rumors didn’t disappoint.
As for the whispers about her being “ruthless” or “vicious,” he dismissed them outright.
He figured those were just baseless rumors spread by jealous people.
How could someone with a face like that be a bad person?
Ridiculous!
If Liu Yutong wanted to break into the entertainment industry, it would be effortless.
These days, many schools and online platforms held annual campus belle contests. This year, a major portal site had launched a nationwide university beauty poll to attract user registrations. Most voters were students, but the event also drew the attention of talent scouts and entertainment agencies.
Quite a few campus belles had successfully entered showbiz this way.
When Feng Caicai heard Liu Yutong’s name and saw her face up close, a strange, indescribable feeling stirred inside her.
What an enviable face!
The real reason she had come to Bright Pearl City wasn’t just to support Ding Yingyao, her junior colleague at the agency.
She was here to film an upcoming variety show called Campus Stars, where the main attraction was scouting the most handsome and beautiful students.
Otherwise, what was the point of just wandering around a campus?
Normally, the show wouldn’t have considered Bright Pearl University—or this city at all.
It usually focused on prestigious arts schools in bigger cities, known for their abundance of attractive students.
The only reason they had made an exception this time was because of one girl.
Yes—Liu Yutong.
Liu Yutong probably had no idea that a single photo of her had been uploaded to the campus belle voting site, where it had skyrocketed to first place by an overwhelming margin.
Most contestants flaunted their best angles, but Liu Yutong’s entry was just a single shot—her back view walking down the university’s ginkgo tree-lined avenue.
Yet, that one image, with its ethereal elegance, had captivated countless viewers.
Of course, the local university students had also rallied behind her.
In the past, the five major schools had been divided, each pushing their own campus belles, splitting the votes. But Liu Yutong’s status was unique—almost everyone agreed she was the undisputed queen.
And so, with just that one back view, her votes had surged far ahead.
The organizers had even suspected vote manipulation at one point.
The buzz from the online poll had also caught the attention of the Campus Stars production team.
Later, Feng Caicai overheard the director say, “That girl’s aura is extraordinary. If she appears on camera, our ratings will explode.”
That statement had indirectly prompted her sudden visit to Bright Pearl University.
Now, she was finally face-to-face with the girl the director had been so fixated on.
Still, she couldn’t wrap her head around why the students had obeyed Liu Yutong so unquestioningly.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“Miss Liu, our show will be filming at your university in a few days. Would you be willing to appear on camera? This could be a rare opportunity for you.”
Though inwardly, Feng Caicai wasn’t thrilled about the idea—after all, a girl like Liu Yutong didn’t even need to try to steal the spotlight. If she appeared, the entire crew’s attention would be on her, leaving little room for anyone else.
But as a regular cast member sent ahead to scout locations, she had to maintain some semblance of grace.
Liu Yutong shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Ding Yingyao quickly interjected, “Miss Liu, you don’t realize how popular this show is. Just one appearance could make you famous overnight—maybe even launch your career in our industry!”
Liu Yutong replied, “I have no interest in your industry. If anything, I’d rather be the boss, making stars like you work for me.”
Ding Yingyao burst out laughing. “Hahaha! That’s a good one. Running an entertainment company isn’t something just anyone can do.”
Liu Yutong ignored him and turned to Feng Caicai instead. “Is your show still looking for regular cast members?”
Feng Caicai blinked. “What do you mean? You want to join as a regular? That’s impossible. You’re not even debuted, and even if you were—”
Liu Yutong cut her off. “You misunderstood.”
She pointed at Xue Qian beside her. “I think Professor Xue Qian has great variety show potential.”
Xue Qian froze. He hadn’t expected Liu Yutong to recommend him at such a crucial moment. Though he knew her suggestion might not carry much weight, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
"Right, right, I’m great for entertainment value—go ahead and recommend me to your director. I really want to be famous!"
Ding Yingyao immediately sneered, "You? Famous? In your dreams! You’re not even close to deserving it! And the show’s regular cast is already full—there’s no way you’re getting in."
Xue Qian shot back, "Don’t be so sure. Maybe I will."
Feng Caicai chimed in, "It’s true. There are already five regular cast members, and my junior brother is one of them."
Hearing this, Xue Qian instinctively glanced at Liu Yutong.
See? No chance.
But Liu Yutong replied calmly, "I suggest you go back and seriously reconsider Xue Qian with the director and production team. As for the reason—your regular cast is about to lose one member anyway."
She gave Ding Yingyao a pointed look.
"What do you mean? Why are you looking at me?"
Ding Yingyao’s expression finally darkened. He could tell this girl was defending Xue Qian—clearly on his side.
And for some reason, he always felt she had a faint hostility toward him.
"Are you saying I’ll leave the show? Impossible!"
"Also, why do I feel like you’re targeting me? Did I ever do anything to you?"
Liu Yutong only said coolly, "The supermarket you slandered online—it’s mine."
Ding Yingyao’s heart instantly dropped. Now he understood why those students had been so afraid of her.
