The live stream erupted in chaos.
"This old man is the chairman of the Ji Group? Is this for real?"
"I just searched for interviews with Mr. Ji from before and compared his appearance. It’s definitely the same person."
"Mr. Ji lost his wife in his twenties and never remarried. There’s never been any scandal about him. Would he really harass someone?"
"Hah, rich people put on a righteous front in public, but who knows how messed up they are behind closed doors?"
"If he cares about maintaining a noble image, he’d never risk harassing He Qiqi in such a public setting. Clearly, He Qiqi is using him for clout and throwing dirt on his name."
"But why would Mr. Ji be a fan of Rong Yu?"
"Mr. Ji never said he was a fan. He Qiqi dragged Rong Yu into this on purpose, didn’t she?"
"..."
Rong Ruoyao was the first to snap out of it. She quickly spoke up, "I was misled by He Qiqi’s one-sided story. Mr. Ji, I apologize."
The onlookers, none of whom could afford to offend the chairman of the Ji Group, swiftly lowered their heads and apologized.
He Qiqi’s legs gave out. Tears poured uncontrollably down her face—no acting required.
"Mr. Ji, I was wrong!" she sobbed. "I—I was harassed by an old man when I was young, so I’m subconsciously afraid of all elderly men. I couldn’t control my imagination and made up those scenes… It’s my fault. I’m sorry. Please forgive me…"
She could’ve stuck to her accusation, but she knew—crossing Mr. Ji would ruin her life.
Better to admit her mistake outright.
Old Master Ji had seen everything in his long life. Surely, he wouldn’t hold a grudge against someone so young…
Old Master Ji’s expression was icy.
His mother had been so furious she’d even hit someone. He wouldn’t forgive He Qiqi on her behalf.
Coldly, he declared, "He Qiqi’s actions violate the spirit of this program and the basic principles of being a decent human being. Effective immediately, the show is terminating its contract with her."
He Qiqi’s face twisted in disbelief.
She’d just made a slightly inappropriate joke, and now she was being fired?
How was that fair?
She opened her mouth to protest, but Old Master Ji raised a hand. "If you have anything to say, take it up with my lawyer."
Secretary Jiang said calmly, "The police are downstairs. He Qiqi, let’s go."
"No! I won’t! I didn’t commit any crime—I’m not going to the station!" He Qiqi, a girl barely in her twenties, had never faced anything like this. Her legs trembled. "Mr. Ji, I really know I was wrong. I’m still young—my whole life is ahead of me. You can’t destroy it like this…"
Rong Yu smirked. "Right, you’re young, so your life shouldn’t be ruined. But Mr. Ji is old, so it’s fine to dump all this filth on him, is that it?"
He Qiqi’s lips quivered, but no words came out.
Secretary Jiang signaled the staff, who forcibly dragged He Qiqi away.
Her cries faded into the distance.
The live stream buzzed with reactions.
"Started in third place, ended like this. What a waste of a good hand—a perfect example of self-sabotage."
"Because of people like He Qiqi, when real victims speak up in the future, will they just be accused of faking it for attention?"
"Rong Yu saw right through He Qiqi’s lies. Sharp as ever."
"Rong Yu was in the same group as He Qiqi—she knows exactly what kind of person she is. That slap was so satisfying."
"Pfft, Rong Yu’s done ads for the Ji Group. She probably knew Mr. Ji was the chairman all along. Just putting on a show to impress him."
"Wouldn’t rule that out…"
The other contestants scattered, relieved in some small way.
With He Qiqi gone, one less strong competitor remained—a silver lining for them.
But for Rong Ruoyao, it was a problem.
Their dance had been choreographed for eight people. Now, with only seven left…
"It’s fine," Rong Ruoyao forced a smile. "We’ll just adjust the formations…"
The trainees practiced until 7 p.m. for their evaluation.
Rong Yu’s group, already familiar with each other, polished their routine smoothly and passed.
As soon as filming ended, Rong Yu grabbed her bag and headed to the top floor.
The moment she entered, her bag was taken. Old Master Ji guided her to the sofa, massaging her shoulders. "Mom, you must be exhausted. Are you thirsty? Hungry? A’Yuan, pour your great-grandmother some tea."
Rong Yu looked at him. "Do you know what you did wrong?"
Old Master Ji hung his head like a scolded child. "I promise I won’t visit the set again. I won’t cause you any more trouble…"
Ji Zhiyuan brought over a cup of water. "I think we should also keep it under wraps that the Old Master is the president of Great-Grandmother’s fan club. If netizens find out, they’ll assume her high rankings are because of his influence. It’d just cause unnecessary drama."
Old Master Ji nodded eagerly. "I’ll make sure to disguise myself properly when I attend the performances."
Rong Yu sighed.
At his age, why was he still chasing after this kind of excitement? If he got hurt in a crowd… She didn’t even want to think about it.
But—
She and her son had lost seventy years together. Yingbao just wanted to be part of her life now. It was instinctive.
Just like her instinct to protect him.
Fine.
"Zhiyuan," she said, "assign more people to accompany the Old Master when he goes out. We can’t risk any accidents."
Ji Zhiyuan agreed immediately.
As the three spoke, the CEO’s assistant entered. "Sir, Miss Lan is here."
Before, Lan Rouxue could enter Ji Group with just a face scan. Even after quitting, she’d relied on her status as the CEO’s girlfriend to come and go as she pleased.
But last time, Secretary Jiang had made it clear—no former employees, not even Lan Rouxue, were allowed unrestricted access.
The company enforced the rule strictly.
Now, Lan Rouxue sat in the lobby, holding Lan Yue’s hand, her smile strained.
After kicking Ji Zhiyuan out that night, he hadn’t contacted her for days.
Was he trying to ghost her into a breakup?
