Tian Tian finished writing the lyrics and leaned over to take a look, only to feel her vision darken.
"Sis Yu, this..." She carefully chose her words, "How about I try writing it for you?"
Rong Yu looked as if she had been granted a reprieve. "Then I’ll leave it to you."
Tian Tian took the sketchbook and swiftly jotted down a few lines.
"Midnight in the lab, data flickers like faint starlight."
"The galaxy shines bright, with equations I’ve designed."
"..."
"Who says serving our country means only holding a gun at the border?"
"The flag we inherit must fly higher than ever before..."
Rong Yu took the notebook back, her eyes widening in astonishment. "Tian Tian, you’re amazing! You wrote this in just five minutes?"
"It’s not perfectly rhymed yet, needs more polishing," Tian Tian said sheepishly. "But do these lines capture the feeling you wanted?"
Rong Yu nodded eagerly. "Absolutely! Thank you!"
After all the girls finished their lyric-writing, they submitted them to their teacher. Teacher Lin reviewed each one, her eyes eventually lighting up. "Tian Tian’s lyrics are excellent—the message is powerful. The solo spotlight for the C-part will go to Tian Tian."
Jiang Shuang froze.
She knew all too well the benefits of the solo spotlight—if performed well, popularity would skyrocket.
If Rong Yu had been chosen, she wouldn’t have objected, since Rong Yu was the team leader.
But Tian Tian?
Lower popularity, weaker vocals—why her?
Jiang Shuang stood up, biting her lip. "Teacher Lin, the solo part is over thirty seconds long. I think it should go to either a high-ranking contestant or someone with more experience, not just... whoever wrote a few good lines."
"These lyrics are hers," Teacher Lin replied. "No one understands the emotions behind each word better than she does."
Jiang Shuang pressed her lips together.
She was a professionally trained vocalist, while Tian Tian had been a bar singer before this. Losing to Tian Tian was unbearable.
Besides, in popularity rankings, she was eighth—Tian Tian was ninth. She could easily be overtaken.
She wanted to argue further, but then she noticed all the cameras in the room turning toward her.
She knew the audience loved drama, but being at the center of it wasn’t ideal.
Reluctantly, she conceded. "Fine. We’ll follow the teacher’s decision."
After six hours of afternoon training, the group’s rap skills had improved significantly—especially Tian Tian’s. Though she had experience freestyling in bars, her technique had been self-taught. Now, with professional guidance, she seemed to have unlocked a new level, performing exceptionally well.
"Tian Tian, keep this up, and we’ll nail the performance," Rong Yu handed her a bottle of water. "Hydrate first. The mini-evaluation is about to start."
Jiang Shuang walked over too. "You’re the teacher’s pick for the C-part. Don’t let us down."
The mini-evaluation began.
As the music played, each member took turns in the center before Tian Tian stepped up for her solo. The first two segments were flawless—the judges exchanged approving glances. But just as the final note was about to land—
Tian Tian’s voice cracked like a snapped string.
She clutched her throat in panic, trying to force the high note, but only a hoarse whisper came out. Her once-clear voice now sounded like sandpaper, completely falling apart in the rap climax.
"Stop!" A judge slammed the pause button. "Tian Tian, what happened?"
Tears rolled down Tian Tian’s cheeks, but she couldn’t speak, only shaking her head desperately.
"Her voice is gone," Rong Yu wiped Tian Tian’s tears away gently. "This sudden loss of voice... were you feeling unwell earlier?"
Tian Tian shook her head again—she had no idea why this happened.
Jiang Shuang stepped forward. "Teachers, it’s obvious Tian Tian can’t handle this part. There’s still time to switch. If this happens during the finals, the whole show will suffer."
The judges murmured among themselves, considering the suggestion.
Rong Yu watched Tian Tian’s trembling shoulders, then glanced at Jiang Shuang’s eager expression.
She remembered the water bottle—the one she had given Tian Tian, which Jiang Shuang had taken afterward.
She spoke up. "Tian Tian was fine all day. It was only after drinking that water that her voice gave out. Could there have been something in it?"
Jiang Shuang stiffened but lifted her chin defiantly. "Then let someone test that water and see if there’s anything wrong with it."
The crew checked the surveillance footage, but after Jiang Shuang took the bottle, it had been mixed with a dozen others and discarded by the cleaning staff. There was no way to trace it.
The live chat exploded.
"It’s so obvious Jiang Shuang did this. How low can she go?"
"She got a taste of fame last round with the solo spotlight and shot up in rankings. Now she wants to steal Tian Tian’s chance."
"If she wants the spotlight, why not earn it fairly? Resorting to sabotage is pathetic."
"Don’t accuse without proof. Let’s wait for more details."
"..."
Despite the lack of evidence, the scandal rocketed to the top of trending searches.
#JiangShuangPoisoning
The hashtag hit a million engagements in half a day.
When the recording ended and Jiang Shuang checked her phone, seeing her Weibo flooded with hate, she nearly fainted from fury.
All she wanted was to seize every opportunity to shine—was that so wrong?
As the group exited the studio, they were met with a crowd of fans gathered at Ji’s Entertainment’s entrance.
"Yan Ting! Yan Ting!"
"Oh my god, Yan Ting is so handsome!"
"Why is Yan Ting here?"
"Rumor says he’s joining the show as a guest judge for the finals. Can you imagine the hype?"
"The other guest is actress Chi Fangfei. They’ve co-starred in four dramas—I ship them so hard!"
A group of Ji’s Entertainment staff escorted a man and woman outside. The man, in a sleek suit, was strikingly handsome, while the woman, in an elegant gown, was radiantly beautiful. Together, they looked like a perfect pair.
Fans screamed in excitement.
"Yan Ting, either stay single forever or marry Chi Fangfei!"
"Yan Ting, I only approve of you and Chi Fangfei having kids—their genes would be insane!"
"I’ve brought the marriage registry. Just sign it already!"
"..."
Chi Fangfei’s face flushed pink.
Yan Ting remained expressionless.
These fans loved shipping them, but if they ever actually dated, the backlash would be brutal—former fans could turn nastier than antis.
He wasn’t afraid of criticism.
He just didn’t want Qiu Sang to become a target.
At the thought of Qiu Sang, a faint blush tinted his cheeks.
Standing at a distance, Rong Ruoyao watched with envy. She longed to be as dazzling as Chi Fangfei someday.
Shen Lin, beside her, spoke up. "Yan Ting is preparing for a major production—he’s the male lead, Chi Fangfei the female lead. The project hasn’t even been announced, but everyone’s fighting for a role. I know the assistant director and got you an audition. Want to try?"
Rong Ruoyao perked up. "Which role is it?"
"It's not even a supporting role—just two scenes," Shen Lin said earnestly. "Don’t look down on such a small part. Over a hundred people are eyeing it. Getting screen time in Yan Ting and Chi Fangfei’s film is an incredible opportunity. You better prepare well."
Rong Ruoyao nodded in agreement.
