Rong Yu turned around and stepped into the recording hall.
Rong Ruoyao let out a heavy sigh of relief.
At the same time, she froze for a moment—the handbag Rong Yu was carrying looked oddly familiar.
Before she could figure it out, a girl beside her whispered, "That's a limited-edition regular handbag from the Ma family. It costs over 800,000 yuan. That’s insane money..."
Rong Ruoyao immediately smirked.
If it were a 20,000-30,000 yuan affordable luxury bag, Rong Yu might have been able to afford it.
But 800,000 yuan? Impossible.
To flaunt a counterfeit on a live-streamed show with so many cameras rolling—Rong Yu was just plain stupid.
What an embarrassment to the Rong family...
Inside the recording room, over twenty people had already gathered, exchanging pleasantries and small talk.
The moment Rong Ruoyao entered, everyone swarmed around her, showering her with flattery.
Dozens of girls desperately vied for her attention.
Rong Ruoyao maintained a sweet smile, graciously acknowledging each greeting.
The live chat exploded:
"Ruoyao is so gorgeous!"
"Adorable as a kid, stunning as an adult—do you even know how rare it is for a child star’s looks to hold up like this?"
"One vote from you, one vote from me—Ruoyao debuts tonight! Ruoyao fans, charge!"
"..."
Once everyone had arrived, the host stepped forward. "Welcome to the Star Dream Project. The journey begins, youth blossoms... Next up is the first performance. The stage is yours. Based on the judges' scores and live audience votes, the eight lowest-ranked contestants will be eliminated."
The mention of elimination instantly heightened the tension.
The songs were assigned by draw.
Eight contestants would perform together—simultaneously cooperating and competing.
Rong Yu drew a pop song.
Though she had taken vocal lessons, the training from seventy years ago was nothing like today’s techniques, and she had never even heard of modern pop singing styles.
Fortunately, the show provided a coach to teach her line by line, and she focused intently on learning.
Seeing Rong Yu casually toss her handbag on the floor, Rong Ruoyao curled her lips. Definitely fake—no one would treat a real one like that.
Upstairs, Old Master Ji sat in his office, legs crossed, watching the live stream on a large screen.
"Yuan, look—your great-grandma is studying so seriously."
"Out of all the contestants, your great-grandma is the prettiest."
"Wait—why are people in the chat insulting her?!"
Old Master Ji bolted upright.
A comment floated across the screen:
"That girl Rong Yu seems so fake."
"Her bag is obviously a knockoff. How ridiculous to bring a counterfeit on the show."
Old Master Ji flew into a rage. "Yuan, hurry up! Make me an account—I need to clap back! Fake? Fake my ass! That bastard’s whole family is fake!"
Ji Zhiyuan: "..."
The old man hadn’t set foot in Ji Corporation for nearly a decade due to poor health.
But now, he was yelling with such vigor, practically hopping mad—Ji Zhiyuan figured the old man could probably work another few years...
After a quick keyboard tap, he said, "I’ve muted them."
Satisfied, Old Master Ji returned to the stream.
The rehearsal lasted four hours, with a lunch break in between.
Just as Rong Yu was about to head to the cafeteria with her group, a staff member pulled her aside.
"Miss Rong, the chairman invites you to dine on the top floor."
Rong Yu: "..."
They’d agreed on no special treatment.
That old man was still so rebellious at his age.
With a sigh, she said, "Please tell him it’s unnecessary."
The moment the staff member left, Su Tian from her group sidled up. "Rong Yu, what did the crew want?"
Rong Yu shook her head. "Nothing. Let’s go eat."
The cafeteria buzzed with hushed chatter.
"Rong Ruoyao’s group has her and Lisa—Lisa performs overseas all the time."
"That’s the dream team. They’re on another level. No competing with that."
"Only eight people get cut in the first round. Just don’t be in the bottom eight—no need to stress."
"..."
Suddenly, the cafeteria erupted in murmurs.
The show’s director walked in with a woman in her twenties.
"That’s Secretary Lan," Su Tian whispered excitedly. "The personal secretary to the CEO of Ji Corporation. Her presence means Ji Group takes this show seriously."
Lan Rouxue stood at the center, smiling warmly. "There are no cameras here. If you have any feedback for the production team, feel free to share. I’ll ensure improvements are made."
Rong Ruoyao was stunned.
She’d actually get to meet Secretary Lan here?
For months, her father had been pulling strings just to arrange a meeting, but Secretary Lan was always too busy.
And yet, here she was, face-to-face.
Truly, only by stepping onto a grand stage could one encounter people of such stature.
Suppressing her excitement, she approached. "My father has spoken highly of you, Secretary Lan. To rise to chief secretary of Ji Corporation at such a young age—you’re an inspiration."
Lan Rouxue raised a brow. "Your father?"
Rong Ruoyao hurriedly clarified. "Rong Wangtian, from Rong Group."
"Ah, Rong Group."
Lan Rouxue pretended to recall.
In truth, she had no idea who Rong Wangtian was—but she did know Rong Yu was Rong Group’s eldest daughter.
Which made this girl the second daughter.
Half-sisters meant natural rivals.
Perhaps she could dig up some useful information.
Just as she was about to speak, her gaze landed on a familiar figure by the window.
Wasn’t that… Rong Yu?
Rong Yu was in the show too?
Did Ji Corporation suddenly launch this idol competition just to debut her?
Noticing her distraction, Rong Ruoyao grew uneasy. "Secretary Lan?"
Lan Rouxue snapped back. "You stand out among the contestants. Keep it up, and you’ll surely debut at the top."
She strode out of the cafeteria, instructing an assistant to fetch Rong Yu’s full contestant profile.
After lunch, performance time drew closer.
Rong Yu’s group was sixth to take the stage.
Time for makeup and costumes.
With only one makeup artist assigned per group, the eight girls took turns.
The first girl had just gotten her foundation done when the makeup artist’s phone rang.
"Sorry, girls," she said apologetically. "The director needs me for an emergency. I can’t finish your makeup right now."
Su Tian panicked. "Didn’t the show arrange backup artists?"
The makeup artist shook her head. "Director’s orders. Nothing I can do."
"This is unfair!" Su Tian fumed. "I’m going to complain to production!"
Rong Yu checked the clock. "We’ve got less than thirty minutes until stage time. Arguing will waste time. Better find another solution."
