He Qiqi took the microphone.
She looked out at the audience.
There were some of her fans, but very few.
For some reason, it seemed like all these casual viewers had suddenly started supporting Rong Yu.
She said softly, "I’ve never been a team leader before, so I’m grateful to Rong Yu for helping me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do… Thankfully, we completed the performance smoothly, and I hope we didn’t disappoint the audience."
In the live stream comments:
"Ugh, why does this sound a bit fake-sweet?"
"Feels like she’s low-key shading Rong Yu for taking over her leader role."
"All she does is cry, cry, cry. If she were the leader, the whole team would just whine. Thank goodness for Rong Yu."
"Our Qiqi is clearly being bullied, and now she’s getting hate too. Poor Qiqi…"
The interview ended, and it was time for the voting round.
Rong Ruoyao’s team scored 898 votes, currently ranking first.
She wasn’t worried at all about being overtaken.
She was waiting to watch the show—to see Rong Yu get eliminated with her own eyes.
That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone digging up the fact that she and Rong Yu were sisters.
"Voting has concluded."
The host’s voice boomed.
A digital counter flashed on the big screen, spinning rapidly.
Rong Yu didn’t care much about rankings, but under the deliberately tense atmosphere, her heart couldn’t help but pound wildly.
He Qiqi bit her lip.
She could tell that this performance hadn’t been as messy as expected. They probably wouldn’t be last—maybe fifth place.
But fifth place was useless.
Only the top two teams would have all members safe.
For the rest, the bottom sixteen contestants in individual popularity would be eliminated outright.
As she was lost in thought—
The venue erupted in deafening screams.
"Oh my god!"
"No way!"
"912 votes—the highest score of the night!"
Even the host was stunned.
But on second thought, it made sense.
This team had performed last, giving them an advantage.
Plus, their singing and dancing had been flawless—highly polished and perfectly synchronized.
And with He Qiqi and Rong Yu trending all week, casual viewers had paid extra attention to this team. Everyone expected them to rank last, but their performance turned out to be spectacular.
That contrast made people instinctively cast their precious votes for them.
"First place!"
"We got first!"
"All of us are safe—no one’s getting eliminated!"
The girls cried tears of joy, lifting Rong Yu high into the air before catching her safely.
He Qiqi stood to the side, like an outsider.
She never dreamed that the team she led would take first place in the first round.
She’d been sure they’d be dead last.
The leader of the winning team would have greater authority in the next round… That should’ve been something to celebrate.
"How did this happen…?" Rong Ruoyao shot up from her seat, staring at the screen. "They actually got first place?"
Lisa frowned. "Their song was the best of the night, and their performance was outstanding. First place isn’t surprising."
Rong Ruoyao pressed her lips together.
She could accept Lisa’s team winning.
But being overshadowed by Rong Yu?
That feeling was unbearable.
At least they were still second place—all members safe, no risk of elimination.
When Rong Yu’s team returned to the recording room, they were still buzzing with excitement. Many girls came over to congratulate them, including Rong Ruoyao.
She smiled sweetly at He Qiqi. "Congratulations."
He Qiqi replied with restrained grace, "Just luck."
But everyone knew it wasn’t just luck.
A song that difficult, performed with such precision, had to be the result of grueling practice.
After some small talk, the host walked in. "Next, we’ll announce the individual popularity rankings."
The live stream had ended after the performance, leaving only internal recording—after all, the show needed to keep some suspense for the edited broadcast.
"First place: Rong Ruoyao, 856 individual votes. Second-place team bonus: +90. Total: 946."
"Second place: Lisa, 820 individual votes. Third-place team bonus: +80. Total: 900."
"Third place: …"
He Qiqi made a guess.
Her popularity had surged this week. Her individual votes should be over 800, and with the first-place team bonus, she might—just might—overtake Lisa for second place.
But then—
The host’s next words shattered her composure.
"Third place: Rong Yu, 788 individual votes. First-place team bonus: +100. Total: 888."
Every contestant in the room jumped to their feet.
From the 70s to the top three in one leap? Nothing this insane had ever happened in talent show history!
Could one performance really change public opinion so drastically?
Clearly, something had happened behind the scenes that they didn’t know about.
He Qiqi was stunned.
Third place… Her third place, stolen by Rong Yu?
First the leader role, and now this? What right did she have?
Rong Ruoyao felt a pang of unease.
For some reason, she had a sinking feeling that even her first place wasn’t secure anymore…
"Ninth place: He Qiqi…"
He Qiqi didn’t understand.
How had she fallen to ninth?
She’d gained over 200,000 sympathy fans—were they all fake?
Tears welled up in her eyes, overwhelmed by frustration.
"48th place: Su Tian…"
"51st place: Li Ying'er…"
Every member of their team had risen in the rankings—except He Qiqi. The girls were overjoyed, nearly hysterical.
Once the rankings were announced, the day’s recording officially ended.
The contestants retrieved their phones.
The top trending topics were all about Rong Yu.
#RongYuTheGenius
#FourthAviationResearchInstitute
#SmartGirlAura
#WhereIsRongYusWeibo
Seeing the hashtags, Rong Ruoyao smirked.
A genius?
Rong Yu, a genius?
A high school repeater daring to claim that title?
And the internet was buying it—flocking to vote for her!
She glanced up at Rong Yu just as staff escorted her away.
Of course. With Rong Yu’s sudden fame, the production team would treat her differently.
But Rong Ruoyao wondered—what would they do when that "genius" persona crumbled?
"What’s your Weibo handle?" Director Chen asked. "The show’s promotions need to tag the contestants."
Rong Yu shook her head. "I don’t have one."
The director frowned.
What young person didn’t use Weibo these days?
"Fans want to follow you, to interact with you. You should make one—it helps maintain your fanbase."
"Fans and idols should keep some distance. Everyone has their own lives. Meeting on stage is enough." Rong Yu replied bluntly. "Director Chen, it’s getting late. I’ll head out now."
As she stepped outside, she saw the Rong family waiting.
Rong Wangtian, Shen Lin, and Rong Ruoyao stood together, clearly there for her.
