Rong Yu walked toward the group where Su Tian stood.
She spoke up, "Anyone who hasn’t teamed up yet, come over here."
Su Tian dashed forward in an instant. "I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind, Sis Yu! Ugh, I’m so touched."
Her heart had sunk when she saw Rong Yu approach Jiang Shuang first.
She had assumed Rong Yu only wanted high-ranking members, but to her surprise, Rong Yu came straight to her next—opening her arms wide, offering an overwhelming sense of security.
The other girls, however, stayed frozen in place.
Li Ying'er’s eyes reddened slightly as she murmured, "My ranking is too low. I’d just drag the team down. It’s better if I just end up wherever fate takes me."
The others, some ranked even lower than Li Ying'er, hesitated. They had worked with Rong Yu before and knew how fiercely competitive she was. Joining her team would only make them deadweight.
"If you were really holding us back, then how did we become the best in the last performance?" Rong Yu extended her hand. "We’re all old friends here. Working together will be smoother. Anyone who wants to follow me—come on, put your hand on mine!"
Su Tian was the first to slap her hand down. "Sis Yu, I’m with you."
The other girls exchanged glances. Once Li Ying'er reached out, the rest followed suit.
Eight hands stacked together, and with a loud cheer, their morale skyrocketed.
Rong Ruoyao glanced over, a mocking smirk playing on her lips.
Apart from Rong Yu, the rest were all bottom-ranked—a bunch of misfits.
Their last win had only been because of Rong Yu’s online hype, and fast-paced dances naturally had an advantage.
But this time? No chance.
She turned with a smile to the girl before her. "He Qiqi, would you like to be on my team?"
He Qiqi wasn’t thrilled.
Rong Ruoyao was too dazzling, stealing the spotlight wherever she went. He Qiqi hated being overshadowed.
But she had no choice.
Lisa’s team was already full, and the other leaders were worse options. She couldn’t stand the thought of being beneath them.
After some thought, Rong Ruoyao’s team was her only viable option.
She clasped Rong Ruoyao’s hand. "Let’s create a stage that blows everyone away."
Rong Ruoyao grinned. "That’s exactly what I had in mind."
Once teams were finalized, song selection began—based on the combined popularity rankings of each group.
Naturally, Rong Yu’s team was last.
She shrugged. "The song left for us will definitely be the hardest. I love a challenge—what about you guys?"
Su Tian wiped sweat from her forehead. "As long as you’re happy, Sis."
Since Rong Yu’s team had won the last dance round, all the upbeat tracks were snatched up first.
The only remaining song was a slow, sentimental ballad—pure vocals.
Not technically difficult.
But scoring high? Nearly impossible.
Li Ying'er spoke up. "Sis Yu, I know someone who can rearrange songs. What if we speed this one up?"
Su Tian nodded. "We could even choreograph a dance for it."
Rong Yu rested her chin on her hand. "There are already dedicated dance tracks. No matter how we tweak this, we won’t top those. Why not lean into the emotion? Who says a stage can’t be moving?"
She stood. "Let’s head to the rehearsal room and figure it out."
Meanwhile, Rong Ruoyao’s team had chosen a hit song by Yan Ting—fast-paced, with intense choreography, guaranteed to electrify the audience.
The group was thrilled.
There was even a rap section.
Rong Ruoyao volunteered, "I’ll rewrite this rap and perform it. Any objections?"
As team leader, her word was final. No one argued.
He Qiqi, however, felt a pang of resentment.
Rong Ruoyao had a sweet, delicate image—rap didn’t suit her at all.
Wasn’t this part better suited for He Qiqi herself?
But clearly, Rong Ruoyao wasn’t giving it up.
He Qiqi stood abruptly. "I’m going to the restroom. Keep practicing without me."
She slipped out of the rehearsal room and, in a secluded hallway away from cameras, pulled out a cigarette.
The pressure of filming was unbearable. She needed the nicotine to steady her nerves.
Just then, voices drifted down from the floor above.
She quickly stubbed out the cigarette, spritzing perfume to mask the smell.
As she turned to leave, a familiar name caught her ear.
"...Take this lunch to Rong Yu. Make sure she gets it—otherwise, she’ll forget to eat again."
He Qiqi froze.
Who was sending Rong Yu food here?
She crept upstairs, pausing at the landing.
Two figures stood there—a staff member and an elderly man leaning on a cane.
That old man…
He Qiqi recognized him. She’d seen him in the audience, front row, sitting with a young girl, waving Rong Yu’s light stick.
A fan.
But this was Ji Entertainment’s private filming center. How had a fan gotten in? And bribed a staffer to deliver food?
An old man obsessed with an idol? Ridiculous.
He Qiqi lowered her gaze.
Her popularity ranking had dropped from third to ninth. Another slip, and she’d lose her shot at debuting.
If Rong Yu could claw her way up through controversy…
Why couldn’t she do the same?
Heat meant visibility. Visibility meant votes.
At twenty-two, she’d already failed one audition. She couldn’t afford to lose this chance.
She’d use every tool—every advantage—to make her debut happen.
Steeling herself, He Qiqi climbed the remaining steps.
Her sudden appearance startled Old Master Ji so badly his heart nearly gave out.
"Are you Rong Yu’s fan, Grandpa?" He Qiqi asked politely. "The show’s live right now. Having staff in the frame might look bad. Should I deliver the lunch instead?"
The staffer, sweating bullets, hesitated.
He wasn’t disobeying orders—he just didn’t know the old man was Ji Entertainment’s chairman.
As a lowly intern, appearing on camera would cost him his job.
Grateful for the out, he thrust the lunchbox at He Qiqi. "Thanks! You’re a lifesaver."
Then he bolted for the director’s booth—someone needed to investigate this trespassing fan before he ruined the broadcast.
Old Master Ji, however, recognized He Qiqi instantly.
Her fans were the ones who relentlessly attacked Rong Yu online—rabid, vicious.
If the fans were dogs, their idol couldn’t be much better.
He snatched the lunchbox back, icy. "No need for your help."
And with that, he turned away.
However, He Qiqi was quicker than him, dashing out into the corridor with a panicked expression, her face buried in her hands as she burst into tears.
