Duoduo was stunned by the scolding.
She immediately lowered her head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Fourth Uncle, I was wrong..."
"Hold on, Fourth Brother, aren’t you being too harsh?" Ji Zhouye descended the stairs with messy bed hair. "Your left arm is fractured, but your right hand is fine—what’s the big deal about helping Duoduo with something? After living abroad for four years, have you lost all sense of compassion?"
Ji Liuguang’s expression darkened instantly. "If Old Master Ji wants to lecture me, fine. But you, as my younger brother, have no right to say these things to me."
Ji Zhouye smirked. "Can’t be bothered to argue with you."
He took Duoduo’s hand and softened his tone. "What did you need, Duo’er?"
Duoduo glanced nervously at Ji Liuguang before quickly following Ji Zhouye inside. After retrieving the trophy, she hurried downstairs and handed it to Old Master Ji.
Old Master Ji held the trophy, found a well-lit spot, took a photo, and posted it on Weibo, urging his fan club members to flood the comments section.
"See this? Rong Yu just won it—fresh off the press!"
"Damn, a gold medal in the CPHO competition? Anyone who wins this is basically a genius, right?"
"LOL, some random no-name award and you’re calling it genius-level?"
"You think slapping together a few English letters makes it sound prestigious? It just shows how delusional you fans are!"
"Trophies like these sell for five yuan wholesale online. Want one? I’ll give you a discount—50 cents each!"
"HAHAHA, this is too funny!"
"..."
"Are you guys living under a rock? Do you even know what CPHO stands for? The more you mock, the dumber you look!"
"CPHO is the Chinese Physics Olympiad—an extremely prestigious competition. Gold medalists get direct admission to Tsinghua or Peking University. If that’s not genius, what is?"
"I just checked the news from the competition two days ago—Rong Yu was in the group photo. Gotta say, she’s really low-key. If it were Rong Ruoyao, she’d have bragged to the entire world by now!"
"I heard only six people in the country won gold this year. Rong Yu is one of them? That’s insane!"
"No wonder the Haicheng Aerospace Institute invited her. She’s the real deal!"
"..."
"Have you all forgotten she ranked last in the monthly exam?"
"Tch, geniuses often have uneven strengths. So what if she was last? She’s still getting into Tsinghua—stay jealous!"
"..."
Meanwhile, Rong Yu was busy selecting songs, completely unaware of the online drama.
Her team had the highest popularity votes, so they got to pick first.
A short-haired, spirited girl named Tian Tian spoke up eagerly, "I’ve always wanted to do a rock performance—a fusion of traditional folk music and modern rock. The clash of genres would be epic."
Rong Yu’s eyes lit up.
She was about to respond when Jiang Shuang cut in, "Tian Tian, why don’t we hold off on your idea? Since we chose Sister Yu’s team, shouldn’t we follow her lead?"
Tian Tian froze.
She knew Jiang Shuang had teamed up with Rong Yu before—she was practically Rong Yu’s inner circle.
Did that mean team members didn’t even have the right to voice their opinions? Just blindly follow the leader?
Was this how Rong Yu kept winning first place?
Jiang Shuang turned to Rong Yu. "Sister Yu, which song do you want?"
She had chosen Rong Yu’s team to ride her coattails—she needed to stand out, to secure the most spotlight moments… just like Su Tian, whose ranking skyrocketed after a single opera-style vocal performance.
Rong Yu looked at Tian Tian. "Based on what you described, the third song would be the best fit, right?"
"Yes!" Tian Tian blinked, then launched into an excited explanation. "This song has a long instrumental break—perfect for creative reinterpretation. I think—"
After she finished rambling, Rong Yu turned to the others. "If anyone has different ideas, speak up."
Tian Tian’s vision was too enticing. For everyone present, it was a bold, thrilling challenge. Who wouldn’t want to try something groundbreaking?
The vote was unanimous.
Rong Yu raised her placard and selected the third song.
Her team members were all high-ranked, with solid skills in composition and choreography. Rong Yu only needed to oversee the big picture.
"Sister Yu, I added a drum solo to the instrumental break," Tian Tian said, chewing on her pen cap. "Has anyone here played drums before?"
Jiang Shuang immediately raised her hand. "I have some basics. I can learn fast."
This was the highlight moment—she couldn’t let it slip away.
Rong Yu scanned the group. No one else volunteered, so the solo went to Jiang Shuang.
After six days of rehearsals, the team aced their preliminary performance.
That day’s recording wrapped up by 5 PM.
Before leaving, Rong Yu reminded Jiang Shuang to find a drum tutor and practice hard. She also instructed the others to submit daily progress videos. Only then did she exit.
At the door, she spotted the Rong family waiting.
She paused, then slipped out the back.
After a moment’s thought, she texted Lin Rang:
"Senior, is there a way to transfer my household registration to the Aerospace Institute?"
Lin Rang replied: "Shouldn’t be a problem. Wait for my update."
At the rear exit, she called Ji Zhiyuan, who pulled up in his car moments later. She slid into the passenger seat.
"Hai's Group has a new product—a high school study tablet. They want Great-Grandmother to endorse it," Ji Zhiyuan said while driving. "Is she interested?"
Rong Yu shook her head. "I already told Hai Chang’an—no time."
She paused. "From now on, reject all endorsement offers except those from the Ji family."
Ji Zhiyuan nodded in acknowledgment.
When they arrived at Hibiscus Manor, Rong Yu stepped out and noticed a young man crouched by the garden.
He had jet-black hair, his eyes shadowed under his bangs. His sleeves were rolled up as he cradled a potted plant, meticulously pruning its wilted leaves.
His movements were slow, deliberate—clearly, he cherished this flower.
Seeing Rong Yu’s gaze, Ji Zhiyuan explained, "That’s Nanny Zhang’s son, He Jingchuan."
Hearing them, He Jingchuan set the pot down and stood, bowing slightly. "Young Master Ji."
Ji Zhiyuan gestured to Rong Yu. "This is Miss Rong."
He Jingchuan greeted respectfully, "Miss Rong."
Rong Yu asked, "Can the plant be saved?"
"It should recover," He Jingchuan replied, his voice low and rough. "But it’ll take time."
Rong Yu nodded. "Thank you for your effort."
