"Setting up a genius persona only to have it collapse—I really don’t get why so many people like her."
"She hired a whole army of online shills to control the narrative. Who knows if they genuinely like her?"
"Someone like her doesn’t deserve to debut..."
"Ahem! Make way!"
An elderly voice suddenly cut through the chatter.
The anti-fans turned around.
They saw an old man, around seventy or eighty years old, leaning on a cane, wearing a baseball cap and a face mask, trembling as he squeezed through the crowd.
Beside him was a little girl, about four or five years old.
"Big brothers and sisters, please be careful," the girl said in a sweet, soft voice. "My great-grandpa isn’t in good health—his heart is weak, and his blood pressure is high. If something happens, the hospital bills will cost a fortune."
At those words,
the anti-fans scattered in alarm.
The group that had been gathered together, hurling insults at Rong Yu, quickly split into smaller clusters, their voices fading.
Old Master Ji reached out and high-fived Duoduo with a grin.
The contestants filed in one by one.
After the last elimination round, sixty-four girls remained.
They all looked at Rong Yu with complicated expressions.
Over the past week, Rong Yu and Zhou Yachen had been constantly trending together, pushing Rong Yu’s name beyond the confines of the show.
People who didn’t even watch the program might not recognize popular contestants like Rong Ruoyao or Lisa, but at the mention of Rong Yu, they’d go, "Oh, isn’t that the girl from the idol survival show 'Star Dream Project'?" The show’s popularity had skyrocketed as a result.
Breaking into mainstream recognition was something every newcomer dreamed of—but it was never guaranteed.
Rong Ruoyao pressed her lips together.
She wasn’t afraid of being overtaken by Lisa. What terrified her was being overshadowed by Rong Yu.
She had to shine even brighter, to hold onto her spot as number one...
"Welcome, everyone," the host said, stepping onto the stage. "This round’s recording will focus on selecting team leaders, forming groups, and choosing songs."
In the audience, He Qiqi dug her nails into her palms.
Last time, the top eight contestants automatically became team leaders—back then, she had been third.
But this time, she’d dropped to ninth. There was no way she’d be a leader now.
Whatever. Being a leader wasn’t that great anyway.
The host continued, "After several rounds together, you’ve all gotten to know each other. So this time, we’re handing the choice of team leaders to you. Each of you will cast one anonymous vote for the contestant you’d most like as your leader. The top eight vote-getters will form the new leader lineup."
He Qiqi’s mood instantly lifted.
As a dance major with strong vocals, she was confident someone would vote for her.
If she became a leader this round, she’d guide her team with patience, ensuring they nailed their performance and secured at least third place...
She wrote her own name on the ballot.
Rong Yu tapped her pen thoughtfully.
She’d teamed up twice so far and was familiar with the girls from those groups, but she didn’t know the others well.
None of her previous teammates seemed suited to lead.
Her gaze swept the crowd before she finally wrote down Lisa’s name.
The voting ended quickly.
The host began announcing the results as staff tallied the votes.
"Rong Ruoyao."
"Lisa."
"Rong Yu."
"Rong Yu..."
A long string of votes went to Rong Yu.
Su Tian giggled. "I told Li Ying’er and the others to vote for you. As long as I’m on your team, I feel safe."
Rong Ruoyao’s heart leaped into her throat.
So far, she had eighteen votes.
Rong Yu also had eighteen.
For her, a tie was as good as a loss.
There was one last vote left. The host pulled it from the box, dragging out the suspense before finally announcing—
Rong Ruoyao silently prayed to every ancestor in her family line.
Even if it wasn’t her, it couldn’t be Rong Yu.
Maybe the Rong ancestors heard her plea—
"The final vote goes to… He Qiqi!" the host declared.
He Qiqi’s face darkened.
This was her only vote. Out of over sixty people, she’d gotten just one—and it was her own. If self-voting weren’t allowed, she’d have zero.
As a former top-three contestant, the humiliation was unbearable.
The others glanced at her silently.
He Qiqi was talented, but in the last team competition, she hadn’t acted like a leader at all. She’d hogged the spotlight, her selfishness on full display. If not for Rong Yu, her team would’ve been dead last.
Rong Yu, on the other hand, might not have He Qiqi’s technical skills, but she made up for it with relentless effort. She practiced day and night, delivering flawless performances.
More importantly, Rong Yu’s popularity had exploded this week. Being on her team meant more screen time—which was exactly why she’d gotten so many votes.
"Let’s congratulate Rong Ruoyao and Rong Yu for tying for first place!"
The contestants burst into applause.
Lisa had expected to be the one sharing the spotlight with Rong Ruoyao. She never imagined it would be Rong Yu.
But she had to admit—Rong Yu had a magnetic pull, an ability to rally people around her like a backbone.
Rong Yu’s rise was entirely deserved.
After a brief internal struggle, Lisa joined in the applause.
Viewers in the livestream chat were loving it.
"This leader selection round is hilarious!"
"He Qiqi’s such a crybaby—no wonder nobody voted for her."
"But Rong Yu becoming a leader is kinda iffy. Her 'genius' act already backfired. Why do so many contestants still support her?"
"Popularity, duh. Isn’t that what these shows are about?"
"Real talent always gets buried like this..."
The host moved on to explain the team formation rules.
Members would list their preferred leaders, and leaders would pick their ideal teammates. If both sides matched, the team was set.
Rong Yu really liked her last team. The girls were sweet, hardworking, and willing to push themselves to the limit—which was why they’d won first place.
She didn’t want new teammates.
This group was perfect.
But her previous team had ten members. Even after removing He Qiqi, nine remained—and now, each team could only have eight.
Rong Yu checked the girls’ rankings. They’d all risen since the start, but some were still in danger. This round would eliminate sixteen contestants.
Su Tian was ranked forty-eighth—right on the edge.
Li Ying’er was fifty-first. At that rank, she’d be cut.
After a moment’s thought, Rong Yu approached Jiang Shuang, who was ranked sixteenth.
Before she could speak, Jiang Shuang said apologetically, "Sorry, Rong Yu. Lisa already talked to me about joining her team. I… I agreed."
"No problem," Rong Yu said with a smile. "Hope you have a great time with your new team."
Lisa smirked. "Don’t blame me for playing dirty, Rong Yu. We’re rivals, after all. Let’s see who really deserves second place."
Rong Yu shook her head. "Why settle for second? Why not aim for first?"
Lisa froze.
She’d been so fixated on defending her second-place spot.
It never occurred to her that Rong Yu’s target wasn’t her—but Rong Ruoyao.
She gave a thumbs-up and said, "Then I wish your sweetest dreams come true."
