《The Strong Beauty is a Goddess in Showbiz》 Chapter 1: Can You Take Me Away?

Chapter 1: Can You Take Me Away?

On the outskirts of Jingdu, a car roared through the night. Through the rearview mirror, Jin Si nced at cars that kept chasing after him. "What''s up ahead?" He asked with a cold voice andnguid tone, conveying his icy arrogance. "Yunu Bay." His subordinate, who was driving, replied, with slight hesitation, "It''s said that something supernatural happened over there. Many people have ever witnessed that a female ghost dressed in a white dress appeared by the bay in the middle of the night." The stretch of suburban road they were driving through right now had one side free of any tall buildings, revealing a bright moon and a sea of shimmering stars. At Yunu Bay, a dense fog covered up any view of the sea. Suddenly,rge waves burst through the calm and still sea. Whoosh! Out of nowhere, a young woman dressed in white and soaked to the bone appeared in the middle of the sea. Her long ck hairs clung to her body as the gentle moonlight shone down on her fair and delicate skin, making it look even more beautiful. The young woman dazedly stood there for a very long time before she eventually moved her limbs in a mechanical and stiff manner. The memories that surfaced in her mind were a vast difference from the calm, blue sea by which she was surrounded. The rebel army''s fires had been unstoppable as the inferno engulfed the pce and the divine temple, wiping out all of their glorious riches and rot housed within. As the high priestess, she had been confined within those walls from birth. Thus, she had chosen tomit suicide when the rebel army marched into the temple. She had not expected her soul to wake up in a new body and a strange new world, however. Qi Wu was the name of the girl she now lived in. After her parents died when she was just a child, she was adopted by her uncle and aunt. However, they did not treat her well as they had only adopted her to get their hands on the inheritance her parents left behind for her. Over a decade of living in someone else''s house gave her a fragile and sensitive mind. Hence, after her crush and cousin betrayed her, she threw herself into the sea, choosing death over the agony she felt. Every memory about this world, other than what Qi Wu had experienced, was all a blur. Still, she would not let herself down in dejection. The body she was upying was filled with life. Staring up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, she said with an ethereal voice that rang through the air, "I''m sorry. Please allow me to live on for you." She suddenly noticed bright car lights behind her as she heard cars honking while tires screeched against the tar road. When Qi Wu turned around to look, her entire face was so brightly lit up that the full moon seemed dull inparison. The radiant glow of her face came from a beauty that emanated from her very core that made her face seem exquisite yet not at all sharp. Her eyes did not gleam with a brilliant ze, but they were unforgettable. As she walked out of the sea, her white dress, translucent from the dampness, clung to her beautiful curves. Even so, she ignored it and continued walking with a calm and indifferent look on her face. Qi Wu observed the objects on the road with her head tilted in bted recognition. The memories sleeping within the body told her they were a means of transportation in this world. That meant humans could be found within. With that in mind, she walked up the shore. Meanwhile, the men sitting in one of the cars chasing after the first car frowned when they noticed their target suddenly slowing down. "Why are they slowing down?" "Well, it''s great news, right? If the man inside there really is the Xi family heir, our fortunes will be reversed! " "Stop dawdling. We are at Yunu Bay where it is known to be haunted! It''s sote at night that I''m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Bro, overtake them!" "Wait-" One of the men noticed something was off about the situation and tried to stop them, but it was toote. Their car had already sped up. Excited grins spread across the men''s faces. Just as the car was about to overtake the first car, a bright white shadow shed before them. Sometime during the excitement, Qi Wu appeared before the car. Even when the car was about to crash into her, she did not dodge. Instead, she calmly raised a hand and ced it on the car bo while staring at it. Although her slender fingers looked so very delicate and fragile, what happened next¡­ Screech! The entire front of the car crumpled under her fingers, forcing the car to a sudden halt. The remaining energy of the car''s momentum swung the car''s body up in the air until it was nearly perpendicr to the ground. For a moment, the whole world seemed to stop. A deathly silence filled the still air. The men inside the car stared with shocked and terrified eyes as Qi Wu took a few steps backward. Then, she calmly let go of the car, causing it to m into the ground with an earth-shattering bang that left the car swaying in the air as it might break apart right then and there. The loud crash caused the other cars on the road to pull to a stop. Qi Wu turned to look at the men inside the car she just destroyed and stutteringly asked, "Excuse me¡­" To her surprise, she was immediately interrupted by the pack of men loudly shrieking, "It''s a ghost!" "Huh?" She stared in confusion as every car on the road promptly raced away at full speed as though fearsome debt collectors were chasing them. Everything had happened so fast that they were all gone from view within a few seconds of the crash. Upon seeing that, Qi Wu had no choice but to turn her attention to the only remaining car in view. Jin Si nced at his subordinate, who was evidently suffering from immense shock, and said with a faint smirk on his lips, "The ghost you were talking about is here." Lou Ying stiffly turned to look at him. "Sir, she just stopped that car with one hand. That''s insane! No average human being can do that." That meant the legend of Yunu Bay was true! Jin Si stroked his chin in solemn thought for a moment before nodding. "She''s quite strong." As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed a white figure appear before him. He was only able to have a clear view of Qi Wu''s face after she started walking over to them. His breathing faltered for one uncontroble moment. While he had been surrounded by women of unparalleled beauty since young, all of them frankly seemed lifelesspared to her eyes. "S-Sir, s-she''s walking over!" Lou Ying''s horrified exmation snapped Jin Si out of his thoughts. Jin Si frowned. Then, he rolled down the car window and looked at the young woman who quietly stared back at him. "What is it?" As Qi Wu was still pondering on how she was supposed to interact with the people of this world, she spoke very slowly. "Excuse me, can you take me away?" Silence fell. The two men inside the car were immediately rendered speechless. Unlike Lou Ying who did not speak for a long while, Jin Si quickly reacted to her request. He could not help but smile when he noticed the innocent look in her eyes. It was as if she was someone who had just arrived in this world. He soon nodded. "Okay." Lou Ying was shocked. For a moment, he lost control of himself and turned to look at Jin Si in horror. Had Jin Si gone crazy from the constant nagging to get married? Was he going to bring a ghost home? "You''ll have to pay us though." "Pay you?" As per habit, Qi Wu tilted her head in confusion. When she finally understood what he meant, she shook her head and sincerely stated, "I don''t have any money on me." In this world, money was everything. One could not do anything without any money at all. That was what Qi Wu had gathered from the instincts and memories left inside this body. Hence, she needed money to survive. "It''s okay. You can pay us by working for me." Jin Si''s voice was like a chilly breeze blowing through the air, causing others to inadvertently follow along his lead. Chapter 2: Be My Bodyguard To Protect Me

Chapter 2: Be My Bodyguard To Protect Me

"Be my bodyguard to protect me." Qi Wu was carefully thinking over Jin Si''s offer while Lou Ying went from horrified to appalled and numb. Why did Jin Si sound like he was trying to lure in an unsuspecting young girl? As Qi Wu pondered, Jin Si could guess what she was going to say from the look in her eyes. "All bodyguards are paid. Your sry will be high enough that you can afford our price for taking you in and also guarantee you will have a secure livelihood in the future." Qi Wu snapped out of her thoughts and said without hesitation, "I''ll do it." While she did not know what it meant to be a bodyguard, she knew how to protect other people. A minuteter, the car started moving once again. Lou Ying could not help but nce at the two individuals sitting in the back through the rearview mirror. As soon as Qi Wu got into the car, Jin Si handed his suit jacket over so that she could wrap it around her soaking-wet body. Just as Qi Wu thanked him, her stomach growled in protest. Jin Si nced at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that there was something inside his jacket pocket. Qi Wu watched as he calmly pulled out a few lemon drops from the pocket and handed them to her. "Here." The candies had been stuffed into his pocket by his nephews and nieces during his visit home earlier that day. "Thank you." Qi Wu then unwrapped one of the lemon drops with a grave look on her face. The lemon-vored candy was covered in a light dusting of white powdered sugar. She carefully slid it into her mouth. Her brows were furrowed for a few moments before they rxed. "They''re very sweet." Jin Si raised an eyebrow. "You''re the first to ever call them sweet." "Well, that''s what they are." Qi Wu''s retort was spoken in a calm and subdued voice that made her sound just like a young beast stubbornly defending its territory. Upon hearing that, Jin Si did not say another word. There was a strange and conflicted look on Lou Ying''s face when he saw Jin Si''s reaction. Mr. Xi had instructed Lou Ying to seize any chance of Jin Si falling in love and do his best to push Jin Si closer to the potential love interest. It should not be a problem if the woman was a ghost, right? * Qi Wu followed Jin Si back home. After getting out of the car, Jin Si nced at Qi Wu, who seemed to be familiarizing herself with her new surroundings, before turning to say to Lou Ying, "Look into her." "Very well!" Lou Ying replied with a solemn expression. By the time Jin Si said that, Lou Ying had already been filling in the gaps in Qi Wu''s identity with his imagination, inspired by years of reading. The ghost was sent by an enemy and was asked to stay because Jin Si found her suspicion. However, the next thing Jin Si said was, "You can leave now." Lou Ying silently stared. As he watched Jin Si eagerly walk over to Qi Wu, he grumbled in his mind, Were spectators not allowed to view the bird Jin Si was keeping in a gilded cage? As Lou Ying left, Jin Si continued to observe Qi Wu. He led her into the house and pointed to the guest room next to his bedroom. "This is where you''ll stay. There are brand new clothes in the closet." Soon after saying that, he recalled the innocent and naive look in her eyes during the start of their encounter. She seemed to be wondering how to integrate herself into this world. Hence, he subconsciously added, "Feel free to ask me for help if you don''t know how to use anything inside." "There''s no need," Qi Wu said, shaking her head. After the rejection, Jin Si fell silent and immediately walked away. Half an hourter, Qi Wu knocked on Jin Si''s door. He raised his eyebrows at the girl quietly standing outside the door. Not even the extremely average-looking dark gray sleep gown she was wearing was capable of hiding her inherent brilliance. Jin Si then shifted his gaze to look at her dripping wet hair. There was not a hint of embarrassment on Qi Wu''s face as she calmly asked, "Can you help me turn on the TV?" Only the most advanced smart home appliances were used in Jin Si''s home. While Qi Wu still had ess to her body''s memories, the other Qi Wu had never seen anything this high-tech before. Jin Si shot her a nce with a faint smile on his lips. "Since you don''t know how to turn on the TV, does that mean you also don''t know how to use a hairdryer?" "I don''t need to," Qi Wu bluntly replied. "my hairs will get to dry by itself." She was not in the habit of using that appliance. Upon hearing that, Jin Si shoved his hands into his pockets and quietly walked past Qi Wu into the living room. Using the smart home console by a wall of the living room, he turned on the TV beforenguidly saying to Qi Wu, "The remote control is on the table." Qi Wu solemnly nodded. Jin Si watched as Qi Wu sat on the sofa and quietly watched the TV. After one long look at her, Jin Si turned and walked away. When he came out of the bedroom with the hairdryer, he spotted several pink piggies being disyed on the wide-screen TV. It was such a stark differencepared to the minimalistic and cold decor of the room. Jin Si stared. He swore that was not the channel ying on the TV when he turned it on. Jin Si massaged his brows with a sigh and walked over. "What are you doing?" "Studying." Qi Wu''s serious reply thoroughly made Jin Si feel speechless for the first time. He then recalled the cartoon on the screen was targeted toward pre-school kids. With that in mind, the studious look on her face as she watched the show was actually... not that strange. Jin Si''s face darkened. After plugging in the hairdryer, he handed it to her. When Qi Wu eventually looked at him, he ndly stated, "The most important part of being a bodyguard is to obey your boss'' orders." From Qi Wu''s silence, Jin Si knew that she was still "deciphering" his statement. Instead of rushing her, he calmly waited for her reaction. Sure enough, a few secondster, Qi Wu silently took the hairdryer. The gentle sounds of the hairdryer filled the air of the living room. Jin Si''s lips were also tilted upward in an imperceptible smile. * The next day, Jin Si went to the study room to read the investigation results Lou Ying had sent over. As he silently gazed down at the document, Lou Ying continued to summarize the report over the phone, "Her name is Qi Wu, a native in Jingdu. She was taken in by her aunt and uncle after her parents passed away, but the investigation revealed that they only took her in because of her inheritance." "I dug further into her situation. Her life is quite horrible, and she is an introvert who is prone to self-deprecation. After being cheated by a scumbag and her cousin, she decided to throw herself into the sea. She must havemitted suicide because the shock was too much for her." Jin Si had not said a single word by now. When he heard the words "introvert" and "prone to self-deprecation", he turned his attention to the photo on the document in front of him. How could the owner of those eyes be the same person found in this photo? Moreover, she did not fit the description given at all. "In that case, you thought a girl whomitted suicide was a ghost?" "Sir... ording to the investigation report, Qi Wu never disyed any insane feats of strength before. Maybe she has been possessed by the ghost of Yunu Bay!" Lou Ying sounded so sure of himself. There was a pause of silence from Jin Si. After a while, he let out a mysterious chuckle. "Maybe." While he did not know where this naive ghost came from, he did not care who she was as long as she could be of use to him. Jin Si casually flung the document on the table and coldly dered, "Enough. There''s no need to investigate further." Chapter 3: Is His Name Jin Si

Chapter 3: Is His Name Jin Si

When Jin Si walked out of the study room, he was greeted by the sight of Qi Wu watching the cartoon featuring a family of pigs on the TV in the living room while wearing her dry white dress. A few strands of her silky smooth hair were slightly curled because of ack of thorough care. The way she would asionally nod in response to what she was solemnly watching made her look rather goofy. By now, Jin Si had gotten used to the family of pink pigs that stood out like a sore thumb in his home. His gaze shifted from Qi Wu to the house entrance. The doorbell rang as someone appeared on the surveince camera''s disy screen located next to the door. The neer had curly brown hair and wore ck-rimmed sses while an unlit cigarette hung from his mouth. He was holding a phone up to his ear like he was on a call. Jin Si opened the door after taking one nce at the screen. Chang Xun, his manager, was going to walk in as soon as the door opened, but then he recalled Jin Si''s weird quirk. Worried, he dered, "I didn''t light up the cigarette." Jin Si silently shot him a look. Chang Xun was already used to Jin Si''s behavior though, so he turned his attention back to grumbling at the person at the end of the call. "Song, it''s not that I don''t want to help you, but you know that I have stopped working with newbies for a long time now. I still have a very demanding talent to serv- D*mn!" Chang Xun immediately stopped talking when Qi Wu turned to curiously look at him. Before Qi Wu realized what was going on, Chang Xun had instantly started a whole new speech in an eager voice, saying, "Song, you lucky man! I have just met a top-tier candidate! No one like her exists in the entire industry. Putting aside everything else, just her face alone would make her famous! What? What do you mean she can''t do it just because of her beauty? Jin Si is only able to live a good life all thanks to that handsome face!" "Ahem." Jin Si coldly red at Chang Xun. "Get out if you''re going to keep shouting." Despite his anger, Chang Xun did not dare to say a thing. He was itching to make use of the wonderful potential he could see, but Jin Si''s warning re meant he had no choice but to abandon his good friend on the other side of the call who was just as eager to know what happened. After Chang Xun hung up, realization abruptly hit him. In a high-pitched voice, he shrieked, "No way! Why is there a woman in your house?" Qi Wu silently covered her ears. Due to Jin Si''s oppressive nature, Chang Xun swiftly quieted down after that shriek and cautiously directed his question to Jin Si in as timid a voice as possible. "What''s going on, Jin? Who is this girl?" "She''s here to repay a debt." Jin Si''s short and simple answer resulted in Chang Xun imagining an entire soap opera featuring a rtionship of love and torment where an innocent young woman willingly allowed herself to be held captive for the sake of love. One look into Chang Xun''s eyes and Jin Si knew Chang Xun was imagining an utterly ridiculous story. "She is my bodyguard." "Try that lie on someone else! Look at how slim her arms and legs are. It''s easier to believe you are her protector." Chang Xun did not even pause to think before shooting out a retort. As one of the top managers in the entertainment industry, Chang Xun could only stay at the top for years because of his sharp eyes. In his eyes, the young woman he was looking at was like a bird in a gilded cage that was ignorant of the ways of the world. The noble way she held herself was only possible if someone was born into high society. It was not an air that could be cultivatedte in life. Chang Xun had alsopletely forgotten about how he had misjudged Jin Si back then. Qi Wu had been staring at Chang Xun the entire time, so when she heard him doubt her ability, she turned and solemnly stated to Jin Si, "I always keep my word. I will not let anyone hurt you." Jin Si raised his eyebrows. For some reason, he ended up saying in agreement, "Okay." After all, Qi Wu was right. With her monstrous strength, who could get past her? Chang Xun silently stared. There was a conflicted and confused look on his face. What were these two doing? Jin Si was not a talkative person. Thus, that brief exnation was all that he could be bothered to provide on this matter. "What are you doing here?" "I was going to ask what is going on in your life recently, but now... Step aside. It''s time for me to discuss with the young woman about her future." All Chang Xun could think about right now was Qi Wu''s incredible potential. Thus, he mustered up his courage for once. Jin Si sneered. "Step aside so that you can spin a story?" In order to prevent himself from falling ill once more due to anger, Chang Xun ignored Jin Si and sat down beside Qi Wu with a smile on his face and hands rubbing together. Qi Wu nced at him, then turned to Jin Si. "What does that mean?" Chang Xun also started speaking at the same time. "Miss, do you want to be famous? Would you like to shine bright like a stare while millions adore you?" Jin Si smirked and jerked his chin at Chang Xun. "Exactly what that is." Qi Wu seemingly understood what he meant and nodded. "Thank you." Chang Xun''s face had turned dark as she sincerely thanked Jin Si. "Stop badmouthing me. Song has worn away at my patience. Now that I''ve finally bumped into an amazing talent, can''t you just let me have what I want for once?" When Jin Si heard that, henguidly asked, "Song Qi?" Chang Xun nodded. "Yes, it''s him. Do you remember how he has been preparing for ''Rookie Assembly''? Now that the higher-ups are giving him some support, he will be filming soon. I suspect there is a lot of support behind this push since I saw a lot of controversial names on the list of candidates." "What does that have to do with my bodyguard?" "The show is about to start soon, and they need a rookie who can get discussions going. Song''s standards are so high that he does not like any of the talents rmended to him!" After Chang Xun''s rant, Jin Si did not say another word. Thus, Chang Xun turned back to Qi Wu and asked, "Did any of what I said tempt you at all? The show is going to be one of the biggest hits of the summer. You just need to show up on camera a few times. I guarantee that no one can ever forget about you!" As long as Qi Wu left asting impression in the audience''s minds, Chang Xun believed that it was only a matter of time before she became famous. "I''m not tempted." Qi Wu did not even spare the offer more consideration. Afterzily responding to Chang Xun''s question, she turned her attention back to the family of little piggies. Jin Si had expected that to happen. He shot his manager a look. "I''m going to be on a break. If that''s all, you may leave." "I changed your stubborn mind back then, so there''s no way I can''t convince a young woman to see things my way." Chang Xun evidently had not given up. "Miss, there''s no future in being a bodyguard, especially when you''re working for Jin Si!" At the end of his sentence, Chang Xun fearfully nced at Jin Si. When he saw that Jin Si was not paying attention to him, he lowered his voice to cautiously whisper, "This man''s temper is just horrible. I guarantee you will want to resign in a few days." Qi Wu looked up and curiously asked, "Is his name Jin Si?" Chang Xun was confused. He had multiple scripted replies ready to go, but all of his nning fell short because of her question. He whipped his head around to stare at Jin Si in shock. "No way! Jin, did you kidnap an innocent young woman?" Why else would she not know Jin Si''s name? There was no way she was sent to the wrong house, right? "I asked him to take me away," Qi Wu solemnly corrected. "Yes, yes. Chang Xun looked at Qi Wu with pity lurking inside his eyes. Did she gain her unforgettable beauty by trading in her brains? Chapter 4: Tiny Lemon Drop

Chapter 4: Tiny Lemon Drop

"You should go." Without exining anything, Jin Si ordered Chang Xun to leave. Chang Xun was unwilling to leave when a potential star was sitting there right in front of him. Despite Jin Si''s oppressive re boring holes into him, he persistently added, "Are you sure you don''t want to be a star? You''ll earn more money than you can make as a bodyguard." He seemed to have hit the nail on the head with those words as Qi Wu immediately shot to her feet and repeated what Chang Xun just said. "Earn more money?" Silence fell. Jin Si, who was standing not that far away, pursed his lips. He stared at Qi Wu for a few seconds before looking away. He had forgotten that since that was the bait he used to lure her to his side, it naturally meant others could do the same. Upon seeing a shimmer of hope, Chang Xun immediately stopped walking. "That''s right. You can earn a lot of money by being a celebrity, especially if you go on this show that I''m thinking of. Just by appearing in one round on the show, you can earn tens of thousands!" Qi Wu nodded. "That''s a lot." Her voice was so calm that it was hard to tell what she meant by that. Chang Xun froze. If not for Qi Wu''s focused and solemn expression, he would have suspected her of toying with him. "Does that mean you''ve changed your mind?" As Chang Xun said that, Jin Si unwittingly turned to look at Qi Wu. To his surprise, his gaze met hers as soon he turned around. She was looking at him with a serious look on her beautiful face as she gently asked, "Can I go?" Suddenly, a thought popped into Jin Si''s mind. Why do you want to go? In the end, all he could say in his cold voice was, "It''s up to you." When Chang Xun saw that Jin Si would not interfere in this matter, he instantly got excited. "Jin, why not have her sign on with your talent agency? You''re the only talent the agency has right now anyway." Chang Xun had seen many promising talents over the years. However, none of them were as enchanting as Qi Wu. She was like a nk piece of paper, enticing others to write on. He adored talent so much that he naturally did not want to miss out on her. "Not everyone can sign on with me," Jin Si coldly said. Qi Wu merely tilted her head and did not respond to that deration. Chang Xun was worried she might not be scared away by Jin Si''s sharp tongue, but soon stopped worrying when he saw that she was lost in her thoughts. "What''s your phone number? If you give it to me, I can send you the application formter." "I don''t have one," Qi Wu replied with another tilt of her head. Once more, Chang Xun felt himself rendered speechless. He forced himself to turn to Jin Si and ask, "Is she telling the truth? She''s not pulling my leg, right?" How was it possible for anyone to not have a phone number in this day and age? Jin Si ignored him and pressed a button on the control panel next to him to open the door. Lou Ying walked into the house. He was about to greet Jin Si but changed his greeting after he spotted Chang Xun. "Everything''s ready, Mr. Jin." "Let''s go," Jin Si said to Qi Wu as he stood up. Qi Wu obediently stood up without asking where they were going. Instead, it was Chang Xun who asked, "Where are you going?" "Just as you asked, we''re going to get her a phone number," Jin Singuidly answered. Chang Xun fell silent. Why did Jin Si''s answer sound hostile to him? * With the help of his connections, Jin Si got Qi Wu an identification document before leading her to a phone shop to buy a new phone as well as a new phone number. As soon as the phone number was activated on Qi Wu''s new phone, the first thing Jin Si did was save his number on it. As he observed the quiet woman standing before him, he abruptly asked, "Don''t you want to go home?" Qi Wu tilted her head and pondered for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I don''t have a home." The family who took her in no longer had anything to do with her. A thought struck her, and she added, "I''ll work hard to pay the rent." Jin Si''s lips curled upward in a smile as he said with a dark look in his eyes, "You''re quick to learn." With his hands in his pockets, he slowly strode forward. "Let''s go. It''s time for our next meal." Qi Wu followed him and tilted her head up to solemnly ask, "Do you still have the candy from yesterday?" Jin Si did not respond. He stopped and turned his head around to look at her. When he saw that she was still stubbornly waiting for his answer with a strand of hair yfully sticking out on the top of her head. He could not help but stroke it with a hand. Unbeknownst to him, the unexpected smooth and silky quality of her hair and her overly obedient posture made joy sh through him. His hand only lingered for a moment before he pulled his hand back and nkly replied, "I''ll buy you someter." Lou Ying, who was walking behind them, had been thoroughly relegated to the background. He just could not imagine the arrogant and cold man he knew would actually handle all these trivial tasks himself. Had the ghost cast a spell on him? Should Lou Ying push them together or not? The trip ended with Qi Wu happily following Jin Si home with a jar of lemon drops. After arriving back home, she promptly sat on the sofa and silently stared at Jin Si. The look in her eyes was a clear message to Jin Si who then turned on the TV with a click of his tongue. He watched as Qi Wu continued to focus on her "studies". "Do you know how to use your new phone?" he asked. Upon hearing that, Qi Wu turned away from her "studying" and pulled out her new phone from the sling bag next to her. She then showcased her ability to turn on the phone. She did everything with a serious look on her face, never once realizing the way she did that could be misinterpreted as the action of someone who was dim-witted. Not even the person watching her do that realized just how childish she was acting. Jin Si''s lips twitched upward imperceptibly as he casually asked, "Not bad. Do you know how to send me a message?" Qi Wu silently fiddled with her phone in response. Around ten secondster, Jin Si received a new message. Tiny Lemon Drop: ^_^ Jin Si was at a loss for words. "Tiny Lemon Drop" was the nickname he gave to Qi Wu on his phone. The smiley face she sent him was also something she learned from him, but that smile¡­ That was something he used when he was mocking the other person. The fact that Qi Wu sent that specific smiley face to him made him feel like he had just shot himself in the foot. * Chang Xun was so very worried about his new talent that he forced himself to visit the very next day. Despite the death re sent his way by Jin Si due to being woken up, he cautiously walked over to Qi Wu who was preupied with the show about the pink pigs. Strangely enough, Jin Si''s threatening re vanished the moment Chang Xun got close to Qi Wu. While he found it weird, he did not think too much about it and instead eagerly greeted Qi Wu. "Hi! Why didn''t you ept my friend request? It''s fine, though. I''ve already printed out the form. You just need to fill it in now." Qi Wu patiently turned around and calmly responded, "Jin Si said I shouldn''t add people who like to spin stories as friends." Confusion was painted all over Chang Xun''s face. Despite the overwhelming heartbreak and bewilderment he felt, he did not dare question Jin Si about that response. Hence, his only choice was to suppress his negative feelings. "I was not spinning a story back then! It''s calleding up with a logical n for the future. My name is Chang Xun, and you promised me you would go work on the show, remember?" Chapter 5: I Promised Jin Si I Would Finish Breakfast

Chapter 5: I Promised Jin Si I Would Finish Breakfast

Chang Xun had learned from his mistakes. Since Qi Wu was very interested in anything that made her money, he would constantly bring it up as a key phrase. As expected, Qi Wu immediately became very cooperative after hearing him say that. "Yes!" She emphatically nodded. "Work to earn money." "That''s right! Come, let''s fill in this form." As Chang Xun watched Qi Wu solemnly fill out the form, he suddenly felt like he was a jaded father raising a precious daughter of his own. Well, Qi Wu was just too cooperative and obedient. After years of being tormented by Jin Si, Chang Xu felt a strange sense of unease. However, that feeling did notst for long as he watched Qi Wu fill in the field for "hobbies and specialities" with activities such as sword dance, praying, and chanting. What on earth? "Wait!" Chang Xun interrupted with a dark look on his face. "What even is sword dance? Is it a type of dance? Also, praying¡­ Let''s not write something that will build up an easily destroyed charade." Qi Wu blinked at him, confused. She was already holding herself back when filling out the form. Except for the activities listed, the most important part about being the high priestess was her eyes which allowed her to read someone''s fate in a nce. With that in mind, she turned and gazed at Jin Si in thought. He was the ruler of life and death, the one with the power to kill. It was a very intense fate that she had only ever seen in one person before. However, that person had died to her sword. Jin Si had noticed Qi Wu''s gaze and nned to ignore her, but then he realized she seemed to be spacing out while staring at him. It felt like she was looking at another person through him with an explicable glow in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked, subtly frowning. Qi Wu shook her head and silently looked away. He subconsciously tightened his hand around his ss of water when he saw that. Meanwhile, Chang Xun had not noticed the weird tension in the air as he was busy racking his brains to modify the form Qi Wu had filled in to create a character she could use and develop further. "Alright, take a look and tell me what needs to be changed. Don''t worry about the character and story we created. You just need to do your best." For a neer like Qi Wu, exposure was the most important thing she needed. Only people who were famous needed to maintain an image. Qi Wu did not find anything that needed to be changed on the form, so Chang Xun took the form and put it away. As he did not dare to stay any longer, he stood up and said to Jin Si, "I''ll bring her to the agency tomorrow so she can be filled in on what she needs to know. Is that okay?" "That''s her business." After that cold deration, Jin Si left the living room. Baffled, Chang Xun turned to look at Qi Wu in confusion. "Did he get up on the wrong side of the bed?" Chang Xun had known Jin Si for a long time. While Jin Si had a horrible temper, he knew that Jin Si rarely got angry out of the blue. After a few seconds of thinking, Qi Wu shook her head and replied, "He woke up as usual." Chang Xun silently stared. His lips twitched. Whatever. Why was he concerned about that man? He was only making life hard for himself. * Jin Si had entered the study room prepared to just find something to do. He did not know just what triggered that ball of anger raging in him, so he decided to push it out of his mind through work. However, around ten minutester, Qi Wu knocked on the door. Through the surveince system installed on hisputer, Jin Si could see her standing outside the study room with the jar of lemon drops he bought her. She stood there, silently and sweetly waiting for him to open the door. Hesitation shed in his eyes. In the end, he opened the door. When Qi Wu walked in, Jin Si stiffly asked, "What is it?" She lowered her head as she unscrewed the top of the jar. "I had three lemon drops just now, but can I have two more now?" He stared, speechless. Jin Si realized that he had been feeling at a loss for words a little too often over the past two days. For some reason, he wanted tough when he saw just how serious she was when she asked that question. The aloof and icy demeanor he tried so hard to put on instantly vanished. "Why ask me? I bought it for you, so it''s yours." Qi Wu tilted her head and inquisitively asked, "Back when we were buying the jar of lemon drops, I heard a little kid ask for permission." She could remember as clear as day how the child had asked his mother for permission to have a few more pieces of candy. His mother responded that she would not make him dinner if he ate too much candy. While she wanted to have a lemon drop now, she also wanted her next meal. As Jin Si paid for all of her meals now, she naturally assumed the role that the child yed. Jin Si silently stared. Was she a baby ghost forced to work? Was it normal for ghosts to be so¡­ foolish and guileless these days? When he saw that Qi Wu was still staring at him, persistently waiting for an answer, Jin Si felt his mischievous side waking up. Thus, he deliberately shook his head in cold rejection. "No." Qi Wu instantly wilted with her head hung so low that she looked like a pitiful rabbit that did not even know she should be negotiating with her cute looks. Jin Si had never seen her look this way before. The sight was so novel that he could not resist teasing her once more, saying, "You''ll have cavities if you eat too much candy." She pursed her lips. It did not ur to her at all that she was actually a grown woman, not a gullible three-year-old toddler. Joy shimmered in Jin Si''s eyes when he saw that she had easily believed her. "Still, if you eat more during proper meals, I can reward you with two extra pieces of candy." When Qi Wu ate, she chewed very slowly and ate very little. Her body was rather malnourished in the first ce, so her behavior only made her look even thinner and weaker. Even so, this frail body was home to a monstrous strength. His request¡­ Qi Wu eagerly nodded with eyes shining as bright as stars with excitement. "I can do that!" Jin Si could almost see perked-up ears on her head from how excited she was. * When Chang Xun arrived the next morning to pick up Qi Wu, he found her still sitting at the dining table and solemnly focused on consuming her breakfast. "Huh? Chang Xun was bemused. Qi Wu should be watching her cartoons from the couch already by this hour. To his immense horror, he watched as Jin Si walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich in his hands and handed it to Qi Wu. Qi Wu silently stared at it with a pout on her lips. "I''ve already had a lot¡­" Jin Si nced down at her downturned lips and insistently held the sandwich out to her. When Qi Wu continued to re at him with a reproachful glint in her eyes, he calmly and patiently stated, "Onest sandwich." Chang Xun knew that Jin Si was someone who usually cooked for himself since he disliked it when others disrupted his life, but Chang Xun could never have imagined Jin Si to be capable of cooking for others. "Hello. Please wait for a moment. I promised Jin Si I would finish my breakfast," Qi Wu politely greeted when she spotted Chang Xun since she remembered who he was now. Chang Xun''s jaw dropped in confusion. What? Was Qi Wu sure the "Jin Si" they knew was the same person? Chapter 6: The Money Is for Jin Si

Chapter 6: The Money Is for Jin Si

Even when Qi Wu was ready to leave, Chang Xun had not recovered from the shock and terror of what he had just witnessed. The two individuals directly involved in that terrifying scene acted so calmly that he was also starting to wonder if his incredulity was a little too much. "Are we not going?" He was snapped out of his thoughts by Qi Wu''s question. "Yes. Let''s go! Right away!" he eximed with a hurried nod. Qi Wu did not say another word before walking out the door. As Chang Xun followed her to the door, he kept turning around to nce at Jin Si. "Jin, we¡­ we''ll be going now?" Jin Si answered him by coldly walking away. Chang Xun secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for that reaction. Jin Si was still the same inhumane man. * Chang Xun led Qi Wu into the office of Jin Si''s agency. As Jin Si was the most famous three-time award-winning actor around, Chaoqi Group, his old agency, immediately gave him an entire floor of his own the moment he brought up the idea of establishing his own brand and starting an independent agency. Not only was there no change in how Jin Si was treated or the roles avable to him, but he could also just request Chaoqi Group for employees. Qi Wu and Chang Xun walked out of the elevator. The office''s decor was simr to that of Jin Si''s home. It was cold and simplistic, just like how he was aloof and frigid. The only difference was that the walls here were decorated with posters from the films Jin Si had acted in as well as the awards he won. Jin Si had been an actor for three years, and he only ever filmed one movie a year. However, he definitely deserved to be called a three-time award-winning actor because every single one of his movies would go on to win the three most prestigious film awards in China. When Chang Xun noticed that Qi Wu had been staring unblinkingly at the movie posters, he could not resist asking, "What is it? Do you want to act as well?" Qi Wu did not look away as she softly replied, "I can do that." It was can and not want. As the most talented priestess of the temple, she was proficient in many abilities. However, that did not mean she could do whatever she wanted. Those abilities only tightened her shackles. In the beginning, perhaps she did feel the desire to do something. As time passed, those desires were pushed out of her mind. "What is this?" Qi Wu pointed at one of the posters as she asked. Chang Xun nced at it and excitedly introduced the film to her, "This is the very first movie Jin Si acted in back when he debuted. He yed a young tyrant king." "I remember how everyone on set was frozen with shock when they saw him acting. It felt like he really was that young man who ruled with an iron fist. His acting in that movie left a deep impression on everyone present, and it made his career much easier and smoother." "He certainly is someone special," Qi Wu calmly said with a nod. For someone born with the fate he had, it was only a matter of desire when it came to taking the ce of someone born under the king star. Chang Xun did not really understand what she said. When she turned away from the poster, he hurriedly said, "Let''s get back to business. Allow me to brief you on the show." "Rookie Assembly" was apetition organized by Song Qi, an extremely well-known director, and several of the well-connected talent show producers in the industry. One hundredpetitors consist of neers to the industry, members of the public, and controversial names in the country. Contestants would be divided into the Actor, the Musician, and the Idol categories. After a few rounds of elimination within the categories, the best contestants of the category wouldpete against each other to be the final champion. Chang Xun was so full of hope and anticipation for this neer that he had just found that he poured his heart and soul into telling her everything she needed to keep an eye out for. He did not even hold back when he told her all about how some talent shows were rigged. "If you''re interested in acting, you can choose to be in the Actor category when it''s time to split up the contestants. However, unless you are as incredibly lucky as Jin Si, you''ll onlyst one round since you haven''t been trained before." "Onest thing¡­ fame and fortune are double-edged swords. If you wish to continue on this path, you have to be careful. One wrong step and everything will go wrong." Qi Wu calmly gazed back at him, seemingly lost in her thoughts. However, she was actually listening to every word Chang Xun said. Eventually, Chang Xun had to stop as his mouth had gone dry. As he was looking for some water, she asked, "When will I be paid?" Chang Xun stared at her with a question in his eyes. He felt like everything he had said had been for nothing. "You will usually be paid after the show has wrapped up filming¡­ Are you that short on money?" There was a tinge of helplessness in his voice when he asked that. From the way Qi Wu carried herself, there was no way Chang Xun could have imagined she was penniless. She was just like Jin Si from back then. He also looked very noble and posh, but he was actually poor beyond belief. Qi Wu nodded and honestly replied, "Very." "Why?" "The money is for Jin Si." Everything she owned right now was given to her by Jin Si, so she had to make as much money as she could to promptly pay him back. When Chang Xun heard Qi Wu''s answer and how sincere she was, he wished that he could instantly travel back in time to p his past self to death. Why did he have to be so nosey? There was aplicated look on Chang Xun''s face as he drove Qi Wu back to Jin Si''s house. As Chang Xun watched Qi Wu excitedly skip ahead of him at the thought of being so close to home, he could not resist shaking his head in pity. She was an amazing woman. It was such a shame she fell in love with Jin Si. When Qi Wu opened the front door, she realized Jin Si was not at home. Perhaps it was because she had grown used to Jin Si''s sudden appearances and disappearance. Perhaps she just did not care. Either way, she did not react at all to his absence and calmly walked over to the living room. She had to continue "studying" from the family of pink pigs. What did it feel like to be a manager who just loved to fantasize and make assumptions about everything going on around him? Chang Xun was a prime example of that character. In his mind, Qi Wu''sck of reaction had been transformed into a look of dejection on her face as Jin Si was not home. However, she did not want to show how upset she was in front of him, so she forced herself to focus on the TV to take her mind off her emotions. Her obedient and sweet personality had thoroughly enraptured Chang Xun''s maternal side. He did not even hesitate before he started cursing Jin Si out in his mind. What was wrong with Jin Si? How could he not have told her that he was going out? How could he just leave her all alone like this? No matter how much he did not like her, she was staying in his home. At the very least, he had to take responsibility for her. As Chang Xun criticized Jin Si, he forgot that Jin Si would not even tell Chang Xun his home address back then. Chang Xun had also forgotten that only children needed to be babysat by an adult while at home. * Meanwhile, Jin Si inexplicably sneezed. He did not think much about it and continued walking. Lou Ying, who was walking behind him, suddenly asked, "Sir, is that not the candy shop famous for its handmade lemon drops?" Jin Si stopped in his tracks and looked across the street at the traditional lemon drop candy shop. The jar of lemon drops he had bought for Qi Wu came from this shop. Based on how often she ate¡­ that jar probably would notst for long. Jin Si turned and walked away. Lou Ying was dumbfounded when he saw Jin Si walk away. He had expected Jin Si to walk over to the shop instead. "Sir, are we not going to buy some candy for that¡­ for Miss Qi?" Jin Si turned around and nced at him with a faint smile on his lips. "Do you have a lot of time on your hands?" Lou Ying''s heart skipped in fear. He promptly mimed zipping up his mouth before walking over to follow Jin Si. However, now that Lou Ying had voiced that question aloud, emotions started warring within Jin Si. Why did he just walk away? Well, it was quite funny and interesting to see her begging him for more candy with wide eyes. Chapter 7: There’s No Way You’re Under Jin Si, Right?

Chapter 7: There''s No Way You''re Under Jin Si, Right?

A weekter, Chang Xun happily drove Qi Wu to the filming location of the talent show. "Filming willst three months in total. From now on, how far you''ll go depends on you." When he saw that Qi Wu was absent-mindedly staring out of the car window, Chang Xun gritted his teeth, knowing full well why she wanted topete in the show. He then decided to give her a strong dose of encouragement. "Someone on the inside said that the top three leaders of the entertainment industry have invested in this show. Hence, the rewards will be exceptionally generous. The longer you stay on the show, the better you''ll be paid." Finally, Qi Wu reacted to Chang Xun''s words. "Will that money be enough for Jin Si?" The corner of Chang Xun''s mouth twitched. While he was starting to get used to Jin Si always being on Qi Wu''s mind, he still felt like a dog that had been unexpectedly kicked. "The rewards might be generous, but they are far inferiorpared to how much Jin Si earns every year. He might not be a good man, but he is very talented." Qi Wu thoughtfully nodded. She had interpreted what Chang Xun said as a deration that she needed to work a lot harder in order to fully pay Jin Si back. * The filming location for "Rookie Assembly" was in an area popted with vis by the shores of Jingdu Bay with Jingdu Stadium, the recording venue for the concerts, located nearby. There were many cars parked outside the stadium. Some of the neers participating in the show might not have made their official debut yet, but they had already signed on with an agency. However, most of the industry neers were those who had not been lucky enough to be selected by a patron. Their eyes were filled with longing and passion as they stared at the spacious and tall building in front of them. This was where their dreams coulde true. As a top-tier talent manager in the industry, Chang Xun would be recognized by many of those present. As he did not want to attract unnecessary attention to Qi Wu, he did not get out of the car. After she stepped out of the car, he was still worried, so he carefully rolled the window down slightly to say, "Don''t feel too pressured. You just need to show what you can do." Either way, she just needed to stand there, and half of the battle would have been won. Chang Xun had a lot of confidence in her beauty. He waited until Qi Wu nodded in response before driving away. Qi Wu watched the car disappear from her view before turning around to face the stadium. Instead of heading straight toward the reception counter within the stadium, she observed the woman standing alone on the edges of the crowd hovering around the reception. Compared to the woman who was dressed in an elegant and youthful outfit with her face covered in eye-catching makeup, Qi Wu looked rather in with no makeup on her face and wearing only a simple white dress. When the woman curiously nced at her, Qi Wu openly stared back. It was the woman who first caved in to the urge to walk over. The woman nced in the direction Chang Xun''s car disappeared off to and clicked her tongue. "Are you a neer Chang Xun took on?" Qi Wu tilted her head for a moment before shaking her head. That made the woman stare at her with even more intense curiosity. "You''re not? For a top-tier talent manager to drop you off¡­ Could it be you''re a rtive of Chang Xun? No way. He could never be rted to someone as ethereal as you." She then let out a chuckle. "Whatever. There''s no way you''re under Jin Si, right?" The entire time, she had been mumbling softly to herself. Due to her disbelief, she decided to give up on guessing who Qi Wu was. "My name is Xuxu, Jiang Xuxu. What''s your name?" the woman asked with her hand graciously held out. "Qi Wu." Qi Wu then shook Jiang Xuxu''s hand. Although Jiang Xuxu was a woman herself, Qi Wu''s palm was so delicate and soft that she could not resist a brief caress of Qi Wu''s hand before letting go. "What''s your skincare routine? Your skin is so soft!" Qi Wu tilted her head and solemnly answered, "I don''t have a skincare routine." The meek look on her face melted Jiang Xuxu''s heart, giving her the strong urge to pat Qi Wu on the head. "Little One, let me treat you to a meal one day." Jiang Xuxu''s curiosity was piqued when Qi Wu''s face remained nk upon hearing her name. Qi Wu did not even show any signs of revulsion or hatred. "Aren''t you going to do something? Especially since you know my name now," Jiang Xuxu asked. Visible confusion shed in Qi Wu''s eyes. "Huh? Did we need to do something after we''ve exchanged names?" Jiang Xuxu was at a loss for words. "Well, I¡­ Forget it. It''s good that you don''t know anything." There was nothing for Jiang Xuxu to exin when it came to the nderous rumors being spread about her. A clear conscience fears no usation. At first, Jiang Xuxu had only noticed Qi Wu because Chang Xun had dropped Qi Wu off. Hence, she wanted to seize this chance to find out more about the situation. Still, there was no denying that she had somehow been enthralled by how genuine Qi Wu was. She grabbed Qi Wu by the arm and pulled her toward the reception counter. "Let''s go. It''s time for us to go inside." Jiang Xuxu pulled Qi Wu over to the reception counter. Their appearance caused the crowd to whisper about them. "Isn''t that the famous streamer who was exposed for having a sugar daddy? She''s actually participating in thepetition," someonemented. "Tsk! None of the female influencers have any skill. I think she''s here because she has no choice since she boasted abouting in her stream." "Who''s that next to her?" "Look at her beauty. Is she a new talent from an agency?" The entire time, Jiang Xuxu had been keeping an eye out for Qi Wu''s reaction. Those people in the crowd had deliberately spoken louder than usual so that Jiang Xuxu would hear them. That meant Qi Wu definitely heard them as well. However, Qi Wu did not react at all. Upon seeing that, Jiang Xuxu let out a soft sigh of relief. If this ethereal-looking woman despised her, Jiang Xuxu would be extremely upset over the first time she ever tried to proactively befriend someone. "After signing in, please head inside where a staff member will be waiting to guide you around." As soon as Qi Wu finished signing in, Jiang Xuxu impatiently dragged her into the stadium. "I haven''t seen a dance stage as big as this before. Let''s go check it out already!" Qi Wu briefly nced around the area before turning her attention away from the decor. The Central Temple she had to pray in every single day was much morevishly decorated than this ce. * Meanwhile, Chang Xun called Jin Si not long after leaving the filming location of "Rookie Assembly". It was a long wait before he finally heard an icy voice impatiently snapping over the phone, "Tell me." Chang Xun shivered. He knew just how bad Jin Si''s temper was after being woken up. He had taken the brunt of Jin Si''s anger several times during the start of their partnership. Since then, he rarely sought Jin Si out in the morning. Even so¡­ That morning when he went to pick up Qi Wu, Jin Si was still in the mood to cook breakfast for Qi Wu. However, that retort was not something Chang Xun would ever dare say to Jin Si. "I''ve dropped her off. She looks like she''s interested in acting. When we were at the office, she kept staring at your movie posters. Still, this show will not make its contestants choose a category until the third episode. They would not even stream the event until the third round of thepetitions when the streams would be started at random times of the day, after some editing, of course. Song Qi really knows how to have fun." Chang Xun had rambled for a few long minutes, but there was only one thing Jin Si actually registered in his mind. "She was staring at my movie posters?" Jin Si repeated. Chang Xun fell silent. Is that even the point I''m trying to make, mister? Suppressing the urge to shoot back a sassy retort, Chang Xun casually replied, "Perhaps Qi Wu might change her mind in the future when she has seen more of the world." Jin Si softly chuckled. "She won''t." His voice rang with cast-iron resolution. Chapter 8: Jin Si, This Job Says I Can’t Go Home

Chapter 8: Jin Si, This Job Says I Can''t Go Home

A month ago, the production team had converted the entire Jingdu Stadium into a viable filming location. With the help of the signs found everywhere, Jiang Xuxu soon led Qi Wu into a spacious break room. They were not at the actual filming location yet. This was merely a ce where the contestants could meet up with members of the production team. There were already quite a few contestants milling about in the room. Some of them were huddled together while others sat by themselves. "I''ve investigated many of them. Now, I''ll share all my information with you for free!" With a mysterious air around her, Jiang Xuxu pulled Qi Wu down to sit in a corner. Qi Wu did not protest at all and just followed along. "ording to the name list online, a lot of agencies have sent their rookies over for training. That means those people will definitely know more about what''s going on behind the scenes than we do, like thepetition schedules and elimination rules." Jiang Xuxu spoke in a soft murmur. This was something she only found out through the so-called top streamers unting in the group chats back when she was still a streamer. There was no such thing as an actual rookie in a talent show. The production team was not made of fools. Neers in the industry would not have anyone talking about them. No matter how grand the production was, the industry needed to be involved to provide a boost to the show''s poprity. As soon as Jiang Xuxu finished saying that, Qi Wu calmly spoke up from beside her. "We will not be divided into separate categories for the first three episodes. Everyone has to first go through training and assessment. The realpetition begins after the third episode." Jiang Xuxu was at a loss for words. She stared at Qi Wu with wide, disbelieving eyes. Qi Wu looked at Jiang Xuxu and tilted her head. Her eyes were clear and honest as she asked, "Do you want to know about the elimination rules as well?" Jiang Xuxu clicked her tongue. "Goodness¡­ Did Chang Xun tell you all that?" She soon received an affirmative reply from Qi Wu. At that very moment, Jiang Xuxu yearned to interrogate Qi Wu. Chang Xun had already told her all about thepetition. How could he not have signed her on as one of his talents?" Could it be that he refused to sign on new talents just like that and wanted to test Qi Wu? With that in mind, Jiang Xuxu started to feel anxious. If Qi Wu and her divine beauty could not break into the entertainment industry, it would be a major loss in Jiang Xuxu''s mind. She cautiously looked around before swiftly leaning in close to Qi Wu''s ear and said, "You can''t tell anyone else what you know." Qi Wu was so sweet that she might not even know when she was being used. Even Jiang Xuxu had approached her with an ulterior motive in mind. Qi Wu looked at Jiang Xuxu, who was beside herself with nervousness, and nodded in agreement. Jiang Xuxu heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that. "Contestant Jiang Xuxu, where are you? Pleasee here for your briefing." A staff member had called out from behind Jiang Xuxu just as she leaned back away from Qi Wu. "Wait here for me. I''ll be back in a while." Jiang Xuxu barely had time to inform Qi Wu where she was going before she had to hurry off. Qi Wu watched her walk over to the staff member before calmly looking away. Not long after that, a stern-looking woman with short hair and dressed in a white business suit appeared before Qi Wu. The other woman had a file in her arms. After taking one look at Qi Wu, she closed the file and put it away. "You must be Qi Wu. I am Qu Man. I''ll be briefing you today." She spoke in a crisp voice that showed not a single trace of hesitation or reservation. "We will officially start filming in an hour. There are two rules you must keep in mind at all times. One, if you quit thepetition halfway through filming, you will need to pay double the early termination fee listed. Two, your phone will be confiscated once filming starts. The production team will provide you with a new phone, but you are not allowed to contact anyone outside the show while we are filming unless specifically requested." After she finished speaking, Qu Man nced up at the woman standing before her, whoseck of makeup made her look extremely beautiful and otherworldly. "Are there any questions?" Qi Wu gave a small nod. "When do I clock off?" Qu Man frowned, stunned. "Clock off? Well¡­ after the filming is done. During filming, all contestants are to live in the living quarters provided." For an instant, Qu Man could sense the young woman standing in front of her instantly wilting and withering away out of disinterest. She opened her mouth to say something, but she did not know what. All of the information Qu Man had just listed was written in the contract. It was basicmon sense, but Qu Man could not find herself to speak harshly to the young woman standing before her. Qi Wu looked up and solemnly stared at Qu Man. "Does that mean I can''t even head home for dinner?" Qu Man had to force herself to look away. "You can''t. We''ll be providing food and drinks¡­ If you did not tell your family about this, you may call them now before I confiscate your phone." Afraid that she might be soft-hearted and do something she should not, Qu Man nned to walk further away and only return once Qi Wu was finished with her phone call. She had barely taken a few steps when she heard Qi Wu''s soft and bell-like voice say to the person on the other end of the call, "Jin Si, this job says I can''t go home for meals." That one name forced Qu Man to screech to a halt. Suppressing her astonishment and shock, Qu Man whirled around to stare at Qi Wu in disbelief as Qi Wu continued to speak into the phone with a distressed look on her face. It was just a coincidence, right? However, this was someone Chang Xun personally dropped off. It might not be a coincidence. Conflicting emotions warred within her. Her principles told her to stop eavesdropping, yet her nosy curiositypelled her to keep listening. Her feet began to uncontrobly shift toward Qi Wu in an honest disy of her desires. "I''m also almost out of lemon drops," Qi Wu continued, sounding extremely agonized. "Well, if you''re out, you''re out." Jin Si''s voice was cold and indifferent over the phone. However, what he said made Qi Wu scowl. "If I''m out of lemon drops, we can buy more." She looked so much like she was trying to argue with him with logic. Jin Si chuckled. There was a mischievous lilt in his voice as he asked, "Do you have the money to buy candy?" All of Qi Wu''s confidence vanished the moment she heard that. She had no money. However, it was clear that she still wanted to defend her desire. Hence, with puffed-up cheeks, she retorted, "I''ll work hard to repay you." "I''ll be waiting." Jin Si grinned as he replied. Even if Qi Wu were not there before him, he could still imagine her solemnly staring back at him as an image of him was reflected within the shadows of her deep, ck eyes. Now that he was done teasing her, it was time for him to pacify her. A thought must have struck him, however, as he abruptly said, "What about thepetition? What category will you choose?" "Do you want me to go into acting?" Qi Wu was blunter than Jin Si expected. With just one sentence, she could tell what he really wanted to know. "Would you like to?" His steady voice and nd tone suddenly gave her a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Would you like to? That was one simple question, but it was the second time ever in her two lifetimes she had heard someone ask her that. The soul that died under her de once asked her that as well. "Your Excellency, the majestic mountains and beautiful rivers outside these walls are not as interesting as this deathly silent temple of yours. Still, would you like to go?" Chapter 9: Wait for Jin Si To Buy Her More Lemon Drops

Chapter 9: Wait for Jin Si To Buy Her More Lemon Drops

Jin Si did not speak when Qi Wu fell silent. The moment of silence dragged on until Qu Man, who was eavesdropping nearby, could not resist clearing her throat. "It''s time to hand over your phone." There was a conflicted look on Qu Man''s face as she said that. While she could not hear what had actually been said, she was certain the man Qi Wu called was the Jin Si she knew. Jin Si was actually quite the weirdo in the entertainment industry. Most actors would act very cautious whenever they start working on a film set, terrified of giving anyone ammunition against them. When it came to Jin Si, the ones who were cautious and terrified would actually be the production team. However, with how powerful and skilled he was, there was no one who could actually kick him off his tower. Hence, despite the fact that he instantly shattered any goodwill anyone might have for him anytime he opened his mouth, his poprity remained unparalleled. Qu Man''s reminder snapped Qi Wu out of her thoughts. Before hanging up, Qi Wu dazedly replied to Jin Si in a soft but firm voice. "I do¡­" She heard Jin Si chuckle in response. All of her desires and yearnings that had been whittled away by the years sparked to life in that one moment. It felt like she had crossed time and space to answer the question she had never been able to answer back then. Jiang Xuxu came back soon after the call ended. "Qi Wu, filming is about to start soon." By now, Qi Wu had regained herposure. She then handed her phone to Qu Man. Qu Man did not say anything about the situation and merely nced at Jiang Xuxu before walking away. Jiang Xuxu walked over and grabbed Qi Wu''s arm, muttering, "I was so afraid there would be a trap lying in wait for us that I kept asking that staff member questions." When Jiang Xuxu looked down to find Qi Wu being unusually silent, she curiously asked, "Why aren''t you speaking, sweetie? Did that staff member bully you just now?" Qi Wu shook her head. The two words Qi Wu calmly said in response confused Jiang Xuxu. "Being frugal." She would have to wait for Jin Si to buy her more lemon drops next time. * After Qu Man stepped out of the break room set aside for the contestants, she immediately headed to the backstage control room. When Song Si, who was surrounded by the rest of the production team and observing the contestants through the surveince cameras, spotted Qu Man, he solemnly waved her over. "Why were you gone for so long? How is the woman Chang Xun found for us?" Song Qi was the typical stern-looking man who appeared strict and stubborn even if he did not say a single word. He sounded extremelymanding every single time he spoke. Qu Man sighed. "Her beauty is natural. She had never gone through stic surgery. Chang Xun has very sharp eyes. It''s only a matter of time before she bes famous." Surprise shed through Song Qi''s eyes when he heard that. Qu Man''s coworkers in the room were more direct with their reactions. They all chuckled like they had heard the greatest joke of the century. "Are you for real, Qu Man? Did you go easy on her?" "Someone actually got the demon of Talent Rtions to go easy. Are you sleeping with Chang Xun?" Qu Man immediately pped thest person who spoke on the shoulder. As she angrily red at the man, she huffed out, "Hu Mofei! Can''t you be professional?" Hu Mofei pursed his lips. "Still, the woman''s pretty face should be able to bring in some viewers. What''s on your mind about the marketing, Mr. Song?" Song Qi gave Hu Mofei a sideways nce. "You''re the head of marketing. You handle it." He then stood up and walked over to a corner of the room. "Qu Man,e with me." Qu Man followed Song Qi and said in a hushed whisper, "There''s one more thing you need to keep in mind, Mr. Song." "Oh?" Song Qi shot her a nce, signaling for her to continue. "The woman Chang Xun brought in seems to be connected to Jin Si." "Huh?" Even Song Qi, someone who was forever serious, could not hold back his shock when he heard Jin Si was involved. He nced at Qu Man. "That''s just a guess, right?" "Yes," Qu Man replied with a nod, but then she added, "I''m unlikely to be wrong though." Song Qi immediately waved a hand to emphasize his words. "There was no way Jin Si would be involved. We all know exactly what kind of brat he is, don''t we?" The final sentence was spoken so loudly that Song Qi was almost shouting. Qu Man helplessly stared. Just as she was about to bring up evidence to back up her words, Song Qi waved his hand once more to stop her from speaking. "Enough. Even if everyone in the entertainment industry is embroiled in a scandal, Jin Si would never be involved." Song Si''s resolute decision told Qu Man that he would never change his mind unless he saw the proof with his own eyes. However, Song Qi was also the kind of person who would dismiss anything he witnessed with an excuse he made up. Upon thinking that, Qu Man suddenly wanted to see what would happen if Jin Si appeared in the show. Unfortunately, no one on the team would have the nerve to invite Jin Si. Well, it would be more urate to say that no one in the entire industry had the nerve to do that. * The filming had officially started. As the order they were meant to enter the arena was decided at random, almost all the contestants present turned to look at her when she entered the hall. Despite her calm andposed face and in white dress, nothing could hide the brilliance she inherently radiated. With the spotlight trained on her, the air around her seemed to sparkle in gold as shimmering dots of light flickered around her. The stares only went away when Qi Wu walked over to Jiang Xuxu. She had just sat down when she heard Jiang Xuxu worriedly moan, "Why did you sit down so soon? You should have introduced yourself first." Hu Mofei who was sitting in the control room was simrly frustrated. "Why did she not say a single word? Does she have social anxiety? Did Chang Xun not teach her how to keep the camera''s attention on her?" Song Qi, who was in a discussion nearby with the others on the team, rolled his eyes in response. "She''s just as bad as everyone else, so why are you only focusing on her?" As he said that, he turned to observe the situation in the hall. He spotted Qi Wu silently sitting beside Jiang Xuxu. She did not fight for attention at all. The moment there was a crowd around her, she would be easily overlooked. Song Qi was abruptly filled with disappointment, and he shook his head. "Even the woman next to her knows to catch the cameras'' attention." As soon as he said that, Qi Wu suddenly looked up at the camera closest to her. As she tilted her head, her long ck hairnguidly framed her face. With how ethereal and dreamy the lights of the hall were, her beautiful face seemed like the face of a heavenly being instead. Song Qi was stunned. "D*mn!" It was clear that Hu Mofei noticed what was going on as well as he instantly shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Camera Three, stay alert! Also, send me a high-resolution version of that clip to me." When Song Qi snapped back to his senses, Qi Wu was already looking away. He clicked his tongue and returned to his meeting. Jiang Xuxu nodded in relief when she noticed Qi Wu understood what to do. "That is within the camera''s view. Remember, when you''re on stage, you must always know where the cameras are and where they can see you. Otherwise, you might not even be seen at all during the episode." Finally, this silly beauty understands the importance of where the cameras are, Jiang Xuxu thought to herself. While all talent shows were rigged, no one would bear to delete any scene that featured a face as divine as Song Qi''s. Chapter 10: Work. Money

Chapter 10: Work. Money

Qi Wu nced at Jiang Xuxu but did not say anything. She had sensed that someone was staring at her through the camera just now. The rest of the contestants continued to stream into the hall. Soon, the spacious hall was packed with 100 contestants. When Jiang Xuxu looked around and saw that most of them were industry rookies who had yet to debut or had only just made their debut, her worry dissipated a little. Suddenly, she let out a gasp of surprise. "Sweetie, look at the corner on your upper right-hand side." Qi Wu understood "sweetie" to be the nickname Jiang Xuxu had given her, so she looked in the direction Jiang Xuxu told her to. However, she only took one nce before looking away. In that corner was a young woman sitting all alone as the people around her seemed to be avoiding her out of disdain. There was a dark and gloomy look on her face that seemed very unfriendly and disdainful, but Qi Wu could sense her determination and resolute heart. Qi Wu turned to Jiang Xuxu and asked in confusion, "What is it?" Jiang Xuxu clicked her tongue. "You really are new to the industry. Don''t you recognize Tong Luo? Did you even do your homework beforeing on the show?" "Do I need to know her?" There was a solemn look on Qi Wu''s face. She did not sound like she was joking at all and actually just wanted to know. Jiang Xuxu was rendered speechless by Qi Wu''s response. It took her a long while before she could say anything. After a while, she let out a hoarse chuckle and gave in to the urges that had been guing her this entire time¡ªshe pinched Qi Wu''s cheeks. She pinched those two fair cheeks so hard that there were faint lines left behind by her fingers, but those soon disappeared. "Tong Luo¡­ She was a very famous child star. She made her debut at eight and won the Gilly Blossom Award for Best Neer. Unfortunately, it was exposed that she was the illegitimate daughter of some rich and powerful family, so her agency killed her career." Jiang Xuxu nced at Tong Luo and heaved a mournful sigh. "Who would have known that she would participate in a talentpetition eight years after she disappeared? Look at her now. She will be a very strong opponent." "Yes." Qi Wu''s soft reply was a confirmation of what Jiang Xuxu stated in the end. Jiang Xuxu was going to continue observing the situation but then she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Her face twisted. Suddenly, all interest had fled from her voice. "That woman is everywhere." As soon as she muttered that, Song Qi entered the hall. The moment Song Qi stepped into the room, every contestant who had been chattering away immediately fell silent. In unison, they stood up and greeted him. "Good day, Mr. Song!" Song Qi looked around with a nk look on his face. Wherever he looked, the contestants would subconsciously tense up. Some of them even shifted to standing like a soldier at attention. There were two main reasons for the grandeur of "Rookie Assembly"; the show had some of the best sponsors, and Song Qi was the lead director and one of the mentors of the show. Song Qi had always been known for having a stern, emotionless face and a prickly, nitpicky personality. However, all of his works ended up as undisputed ssics. Thus, he had a great reputation. As Song Qi''s gaze swept past Qi Wu, his brows twitched when he saw her let out azy yawn. Chang Xun would never just shove a random person in just so he had someone, right? While Qi Wu''s face would indeed draw audiences in, she was way too unmotivated! He suppressed his displeasure and solemnly cleared his throat. "All 100 of you have been carefully selected from the tens of millions in this country. I hope you''re ready for the challenges that have been waiting for you from the moment you choose to join the show," he dered. "The next three months will be filled with challenges, and the one whosts until the very end will be the winner. The path to fame is one sought after by many. Neerse and go like the wind. Will you be burned to ashes or ascend to the stand with the stars? That is all up to you." As a famous director, Song Qi certainly knew how to set the mood with just a few simple sentences. By the time he was done speaking, many of the contestants had mes of ambition zing in their eyes. Most of the people who joined this talent show came intending to be famous. Song Qi''s direct approach also made them throw away their hesitations. Jiang Xuxu gently nudged Qi Wu with an elbow. "Mr. Song is amazing. I could feel motivation burning in me. I''m here because I want to be famous anyway. You must feel the same, right?" Qi Wu shook her head and said in a clear voice, "Work. Money." Jiang Xuxu fell silent. Her mouth was gaping wide open as she stared at Qi Wu with confused eyes. After thinking about it for a few moments, she finally understood what was happening. If Qi Wu really wanted to join the entertainment industry, she would have already received multiple offers due to her beauty. Why would she have waited until now? Jiang Xuxu had nned on being more tactful with her next question but ended up just blurting out her question as her brain was stuck on a single train of thought. "Are you that short on cash?" She immediately regretted asking that question. How could she have brought up something so painful for Qi Wu? However, Qi Wu was not an overthinker like Jiang Xuxu was. Hence, she calmly nodded. "Yes." She sounded so serious that Jiang Xuxu felt her heart ache in sympathy. One look at Qi Wu''s beautiful face and Jiang Xuxu could already imagine she was a naive young girl forced to work because of a major change in the family. Jiang Xuxu took a deep breath and made up her mind. "I''ll do my best to help you." Qi Wu nced at her in confusion. "You can all head to your rooms now. We have already assigned everyone to a room in the living quarters. You''ll know where you''ll be staying and who your roommate is by the names listed on the door." Song Qi then immediately walked out of the hall without a pause or hesitation. The silence in the hall was eventually broken after he left as the contestants started chattering with each other. Some of them were already heading toward the living quarters. Seeing that, Jiang Xuxu felt the urge to know who her roommate was now. As she pulled Qi Wu along, she excitedlymented, "How nice it would be if we could share the same room." However, just as they were about to leave the hall, someone walked over and blocked their way out. It was a woman with her face covered in a thickyer of makeup. From the way she dressed, one could vaguely see hints of Jiang Xuxu''s style. Nevertheless, no matter how thick her makeup was, nothing could hide the sinister look in her eyes. "What a coincidence, Xuxu. You''re really here." There was a scornful smirk on her lips as she giggled at Jiang Xuxu. Jiang Xuxu frowned out of impatience. As she did not want to be outdone, she shot back, "Same to you, Qiu Yan. What? Are you so used to being number two all the time that you have to follow me wherever I go?" The phrase "being number two all the time" seemed to have triggered Qiu Yan as she coldly scoffed. "I''m here because I signed on with a talent agency. What about you? Would any talent agent even want you?" "Tsk." Jiang Xuxu did not seem to take Qiu Yan''s words to heart as she softly grumbled to herself, "Who knows how you got the agent to take you on in the first ce?" "You!" Qiu Yan screeched, furious. However, she soon stopped when she noticed Qi Wu standing nearby. She turned to Qi Wu and smiled. "Well, Jiang Xuxu, let''s not throw stones just yet. After all, we don''t know who will be thest oneughing." After that confusing statement from Qiu Yan, she haughtily strutted out of the hall. Chapter 11: Are You Worried About Me, Sweetie?

Chapter 11: Are You Worried About Me, Sweetie?

Jiang Xuxu soon understood why Qiu Yan said what she said, She nced at Qi Wu and burst outughing. "Hahahaha!" Qi Wu looked at her and tilted her head in confusion. Jiang Xuxu smiled back and shook her head. "Come on, sweetie. Let''s go find our rooms." Qiu Yan had assumed Qi Wu was going to be her crutch in the show. Well, it was fine. Jiang Xuxu did not mind being associated with her silly little angel. Qi Wu nced at Qiu Yan''s retreating back and softlymented, "That person hates you a lot." To her surprise, Jiang Xuxu merely made a heart gesture with her hands and happily eximed, "Are you worried about me, sweetie?" Qi Wu stared at her in silence. Confusion shed in her eyes. She did not understand why Jiang Xuxu was so happy. * The production team was very generous, booking out the entire area to serve as the contestants'' living quarters. There were four rows of vis with each vi amodating four to six contestants. Throughout the walk over to the name list, Jiang Xuxu prayed fervently that she would be able to live with her silly little angel. Her praying ended abruptly when she saw Qi Wu''s name appear next to Tong Luo''s on the list. Her eyes had eyes like saucers. "You''re roommates with Tong Luo!" Tong Luo arrived at the vi as soon as she said that. Tong Luo nced at her name on the door before looking at Qi Wu. The gloomy and hostile look in her eyes intensified. Then, she coldly brushed past the two women to enter the vi. As Jiang Xuxu rubbed her arms, shemented, "Something about Tong Luo feels strangely off to me. Don''t you think so, sweetie?" "She dislikes me." That was Qi Wu''s response. Jiang Xuxu was at a loss for words. "No way. We haven''t even chosen which category we''ll be in yet. Have we already startedpeting against each other?" She started worrying. "What do we do? Can the two of you still live in the same room in peace?" In her mind, Qi Wu was an angel who did not care to fight for what she wanted. Did that mean Qi Wu would be bullied if she had to share a room with someone who was very ambitious? Qi Wu did not say a word and merely looked at Jiang Xuxu before saying, "Do you need me to go with you to look for your room?" Jiang Xuxu hurriedly waved her hands. "It''s fine. There''s no need. You should check in on your new roommate. Tell me if she bullies you!" Qi Wu did not agree to the request and simply said, "Goodbye." Jiang Xuxu watched with the worried eyes of a mother hen as Qi Wu walked into the vi. The vi Qi Wu was assigned to would be home to four contestants. Hence, she and Tong Luo would be sharing with two other contestants. The other two contestants were nowhere to be found when Qi Wu walked in, so she headed straight for the door with her name on it. Tong Luo was already inside the room when Qi Wu opened the door and only spared Qi Wu a nce before turning her attention back to her task. "Hello," Qi Wu softly greeted before sitting down on the only empty bed in the room. She had not packed a lot for the contest as even the bag she carried with her was bought for her by Jin Si at thest minute. In total, she had only packed two spare changes of clothes and her jar of lemon drops. Silence fell in the room. A few long momentster, Tong Luo hoarsely asked, "Which category will you choose?" Qi Wu calmly gazed into Tong Luo''s nervous and hostile eyes. "The Actor category." Tong Luo bit her lips when she heard that. "I''ll admit that you''re beautiful enough that a lot of people will be drawn to you, but acting requires more than just looks. It seems we will bepetitors from now on." Her words were filled with aggression and hostility. It was as though she could not even be bothered to pretend to be polite after hearing Qi Wu''s answer. "Thanks." Qi Wu was not at all provoked by what Tong Luo said. She had always been a talented young girl. Even when she was undergoing the selection to be priestess, no one had dared to openly admit they were all opponents. Tong Luo was rendered speechless by that answer. Lost in her thoughts, she furrowed her brows for a long time before she eventually muttered, "Weirdo." The two of them did not speak again after that. That was until Tong Luo stood up to head toward the closet. The cab was decorated with some of the merchandise from the sponsors of "Rookie Assembly". The most eye-catching of them all was the heavy gold-ted statue with the words "L&P" etched into it. The statue was of a running man whose muscles were so strong that they allowed him to fly. Tong Luo''s hiss echoed through the room. Tong Luo had identally stubbed her toe against the edge of the closet. The pain was so bad that she immediately ced a hand on the cab so that she could check if her toe was swollen red. That was why she did not notice that the statue was swaying dangerously on the edge of the cab above her. The soft sounds of the statue wobbling around made Tong Luo look up to find the statue about to hit her in the face at the very next second. Her pupils shrank in fear. It was so close to her that she could not have reacted in time. Just as despair rose in her, she heard a calm voice say into her ear, "Be careful." Bang! Tong Luo''s legs turned to jelly as she instantly fell backward on the ground. She gazed up at Qi Wu''s calm face with fearful eyes as Qi Wu held up the statue that was going to crash straight onto Tong Luo''s head. "You¡­! That statue is really heavy!" She could not help but shout in shock. Meanwhile, they also heard the production team''s voices through their headsets as the crew cried out in fear and worry. "Tong Luo, are you two all right? We''ll send someone over right away!" There was no change in Qi Wu''s expression as she ced the statue on a nearby table before standing up on her tiptoes to look at the top of the cab. "The statue was not properly secured." Tong Luo remained silent. She did not know what to say at all. From the moment she made her debut, she had reached the top of the industry. Before she could even properly enjoy life under the bright spotlights, life dragged her down to the very bottom as if it were all a prank. No one could have known just how much she had to endure over thest eight years just to get this chance. This was her only chance to turn the tables on her life. That was why she would do anything she could tost until the end of thepetition. After taking a brief moment to calm herself down and waiting for the crew to arrive, Tong Luo stood up. "Thank you for saving me, but I won''t let you win either." Tong Luo knew that it was extremely unfriendly of her to say that at this time, but the cruel life she had to endure for thest eight years forced her to lose all sentiment and be practical. To her surprise, despite how hostile she sounded, Qi Wu politely nodded in response. "Okay," Qi Wu said. She sounded so calm and gentle that it made Tong Luo uneasy. Tong Luo would much rather Qi Wu get angry. When the production crew arrived, their disbelief was clear in their voices. "You caught the statue with one hand?" Even the most muscr man in their prop department needed two hands to securely carry the statue. However, they had just watched Qi Wu casually catch the statue through the cameras. Qi Wu nodded. With a calm and unaffected look on her face, she replied, "I''m strong." The two crew members looked at each other. Based on how thin and frail Qi Wu looked, "strong" was not a descriptor anyone would have used for her. Even Qu Man, who had been following behind the two crew members, could not stand their disbelief. She rolled her eyes and barked out, "Go secure the statue already! Then, check everything else once more. I do not want to see this happening again." The two crew members hurriedly nodded and went to work. Qu Man nced at Tong Luo with calm eyes and asked in a professional tone of voice, "Are you suffering from shock?" Tong Luo shook her head. "No." Even if she were in shock, she knew there was no point admitting it. Song Qi would happily watch his contestants suffer as long as nothing major happened. As expected, Qu Man did not question her any further. Chapter 12: Jin Si Cooks at Home

Chapter 12: Jin Si Cooks at Home

Qu Man turned to Qi Wu. Although she tried to be professional, she still could not resist saying, "Thank goodness you were here." Qu Man absolutely did not want it to be known that the head of Talent Rtions was paying extra attention to some young girl. However, she really wanted to know the gossip! She especially wanted to know what was going on with Jin Si. Even if all she got was gossip, it would be a win for her! Qi Wu blinked at Qu Man and asked, "Excuse me, can we eat now?" She then looked down at her t belly. "There''s still another hour before the cafeteria opens." Qu Man was filled with admiration for Qi Wu. The only thing Qi Wu thought about was food, not the uingpetition. "There''s a tiny kitchen in the vi with some food stocked. If you know how to cook, you can make a meal for yourself." "I don''t know how to cook¡­" Qi Wu''s shoulders slumped this time as well. Qu Man could not help but blurt out, "Who cooks at home?" "Jin¡­" Qi Wu had just started answering the question when Qu Man started coughing hard like she had asthma. The crew members and Tong Luo, who were all still in the room, stared at her in confusion. Qu Man''s face was red from how hard she was coughing, but her coughing still did not feel as intense as the shock she felt upon hearing what Qi Wu said. A man named Jin? It was Jin Si! Qi Wu was actually living with Jin Si, and he cooked! While Qu Man looked cold and aloof on the outside, she was actually floating with glee on the inside over the gossip she had just heard. If they were not filming, she would have instantly started interrogating Qi Wu for more information. "In that case, you''ll have to wait. You two, let''s go check the rest of the quarters." When Qu Man led the two crew members out of the room, Qi Wu let out a heavy sigh and prepared herself to go digging for her jar of lemon drops. Just then, Tong Luo meekly called out from behind her, "I know how to cook. If you don''t mind¡­" Qi Wu immediately snapped her head up to look at Tong Luo with gleaming eyes. "Really?" Tong Luo''s words drifted into the void. As she stared at the pair of bright eyes staring at her with starry sparkles in them, she could not bring herself to say no. "Yes." Thus, Tong Luo headed down to the kitchen with Qi Wu following closely behind. * Although Qu Man looked calm andposed, her feet were already racing away toward the control room. At the moment, the rest of the production staff had left to work on their tasks, leaving just enough people needed to stay in the control room to monitor everyone else. Qu Man strode into Song Qi''s office to find the man unhappily grumbling into the phone, "What are you saying? What do you think I would do to a young woman?" "Enough! It has not even been a whole day since you dropped her off, yet you''re here asking about her situation. Who is she? Your daughter?" Qu Man silently stood to the side. From the way Song Qi was speaking, she could guess who the other man on the phone was. The question was whether Chang Xun called because he wanted to or because Jin Si asked him to. Qu Man''s imagination could not envision what it would look like for a weirdo like Jin Si to get together with Qi Wu. Either way, it would be a very shocking sight to behold. Song Qi eventually hung up on the phone as he loudly filled the air with curses. He nced at Qu Man and coldly scoffed. "Just what on earth is wrong with Chang Xu? Why is an unambitious girl that important to him?" Song Qi''s first impression of Qi Wu was the worst it could be. He was even starting to have doubts about Chang Xun. "What if this is all just a scheme? Did he collude with the sponsors to shove the girl into my show?" Qu Man did not respond to the question. She was smart enough not to do that. Even though Chaoqi Group, Jin Si''s old agency, was one of the show''s three biggest sponsors. Once Song Qi was done cursing out Chang Xun, he began to question her about the incident that had just happened. "Was Tong Luo hurt?" Qu Man shook her head. "Qi Wu caught the statue just in time. Tong Luo is only suffering from mild shock." "Oh?" Surprise shed in Song Qi''s eyes as he asked in a skeptical tone, "Are you saying that frail, weak young woman caught the statue?" Qu Man helplessly nodded. "She said it was because she was strong. As the entire incident is a mistake on our end, I''ll have them delete that clipter on in editing." Song Qi did not reply to her and instead pulled up the surveince footage of the incident. His gaze never once left theputer screen as he thoughtfully observed what happened. Then, he shook his head. "No." He pointed to the video on theputer screen and confidently dered, "We''ll have to air this segment. Tell the editors to put it in the teaser trailer." Qu Man was stunned. "Why?" Song Qi had been dissatisfied with Qi Wu''s performance before. He disliked her for herck of ambition. Why would he be willing to give her room in the show''s trailer? "You and I both know what Tong Luo''s situation is right now. There will be mes ofpetition between two roommates. They''ll also both draw a lot of attention from the audience. This scene is great on all fronts." Song Qi''s voice was calm and cold as he analyzed the situation. Qu Man understood what he was thinking after hearing that. "I''ll go discuss it with Hu Mofei right away." *** Meanwhile, back in the vi. Qi Wu''s burning stare remained trained on Tong Luo from the moment she ced a bowl of noodles and vegetables on the table. Unsettled by the way Qi Wu was staring at her, Tong Luo softly cleared her throat and said, "It''s just a snack to tide you over." "Thank you for cooking for me." Qi Wu quietly sat in her chair and spoke in such a soft and sweet voice that no one could think ill or harshly of her. "You''re wee¡­" On the surface, Tong Luo calmly looked away. On the inside, she was filled with dark and gloomy thoughts. The more honest and blunt Qi Wu was, the darker Tong Luo''s thoughts felt. She did not use to be like this¡­ Just as Tong Luo''s thoughts were about to overwhelm her, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Qi Wu had split the bowl of noodles into two before pushing one of them over to her. That snapped Tong Luo out of her spiraling thoughts as she dazedly stared at Qi Wu. "A bowl for each of us." After saying that, Qi Wu happily devoured her bowl of noodles. It was just a simple bowl of noodles, yet Qi Wu looked so satisfied by it. Not only was Qi Wu''s joy clear to see, but the naturally rxed look on her face brought heartfelt joy to Tong Luo, the person who cooked those noodles. "You don''t want all of the noodles?" Tong Luo could not resist asking Qi Wu, who had already finished her bowl of noodles, as she looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. She had done her best to refrain from talking to Qi Wu, but Qi Wu was constantly catching her off-guard. She just felt an inherent desire to talk to Qi Wu. Qi Wu solemnly shook her head. "I had a big breakfast this morning, so I can eat less for lunch." She spoke so seriously that she sounded like a child who was strictly abiding by the rules their parents had set in ce. That finally made it impossible for Tong Luo to suppress her smile. "Is that what your family said?" Upon hearing the question, Qi Wu ced a hand on the table and tilted her head as she contemted the rtionship between her and Jin Si. After a while, she shook her head. "No. It was my debtholder who said that." Yes, Jin Si was her debtholder. Chapter 13: Jin Si, You’re the Best Debtholder Ever

Chapter 13: Jin Si, You¡¯re the Best Debtholder Ever

No one spoke. A deathly still silence filled the room. After a long time, Tong Luo eventually found her voice. "Do you mean to say the person who cooks for you is your¡­ debtholder?" "Yes!" Qi Qu emphatically nodded. She did not look like she was joking at all. Tong Luo awkwardlyughed. She did not know if she should be calling Qi Wu naive or¡­ No debtholder would actually cook for their debtor! However, Qi Wu looked so serious without a hint of glee in those eyes that Tong Luo decided to push her curiosity out of her mind to avoid being dragged into a mess. "You have a kind debtholder," shemented. "You''re right." Tong Luo''sment had earned her Qi Wu''s approval once more. Not only would Jin Si cook for her, but he would also buy her lemon drops and allow her to live in his home. He was the best debtholder ever! At a loss for words from conflicting feelings, Tong Luo decided to focus on her bowl of noodles. As she was enjoying her food, the two other housemates arrived. It was clear that the two contestants knew each other as they were holding hands as they walked in. The pleasant looks on their faces twisted when they noticed Tong Luo sitting at the dinner table, however. When one of them eventually spotted Qi Wu, her eyes lit up and she dragged her friend over to Qi Wu. "Hello! We''re your housemates. My name is Yao Ning, and she''s Yin Yueyue." There was a bright smile on her face as she asked in an extremely friendly voice, "You have amazing skin. Are you a neer to the industry?" Yin Yueyue snapped out of her thoughts and started ying along as well. "Yes! I''ve been wanting to get to know you since I saw you enter the hall. I did not expect us to be lucky enough to be in the same vi!" Both of thempletely ignored Tong Luo as they focused all their attention on Qi Wu. As for Tong Luo, she merely ignored them after letting a sh of scorn show in her eyes. These two were only using the most basic tactic of befriending someone while pushing another away. Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue were certain Qi Wu must be from some talent agency. If they could befriend someone from a talent agency while they were on the show, they might be able to show up more often in the edited episodes. They naturally understood the importance of appearing more often on a show for neers like them. As for their "senior", Tong Luo, they had long since abandoned all thoughts of her. After all, someone who had been hidden away from the industry just two years after making her debut cannot draw any attention at all. Tong Luo was already struggling on herst legs. "Qi Wu." After Qi Wu calmly stated her name, she turned to look at Tong Luo and urged her, "It''s your turn." Tong Luo stared in silence. Did Qi Wu think this was the time for self-introduction? While the other two contestants knew Tong Luo and Qi Wu were sitting together at the table, they had never imagined Qi Wu would be nice to Tong Luo. Did theye in toote? Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue nced at each other. Their schemes were as clear as day in Tong Luo''s eyes. Well, she already had dozens ofbels and targets stuck to her. She did not mind if there was one more target on her back. With a cold scoff, she stated, "They would much rather that I am mute." Her blunt reveal of their intentions caused Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue''s faces to turn ugly. However, Yao Ning soon recovered from the shock and came up with a way to dispel the awkward tension. With a look full of innocence and shock, she smiled at Tong Luo and eximed, "You''re here as well! I''m sorry. We were in such a hurry that we didn''t see you." Yin Yueyue chimed in as well, "You wouldn''t hold it against us, right?" Tong Luo nodded, seemingly in agreement. There was a mocking and sinister glint in her eyes as she looked at the two of them. "True. I would never hold a grudge against those who are blind." Yao Ning hated people like Tong Luo who acted all high and mighty, but with so many cameras trained on them, she could not really do anything. However, if she could provoke Tong Luo into humiliating herself¡­ ording to the rumors, the real daughter of the Tong family was also participating in the talent show. Just as Yao Ning was about to use her underhanded tactics to anger Tong Luo, Qi Wu coldly dered from behind Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue, "I''m full." The other three women in the room all turned to look at her. However, Qi Wu looked straight at Tong Luo, ignoring Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue. "Can we head back up now?" Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue stared at Qi Wu in disbelief over how they were just ignored. Even Tong Luo was stunned. Qi Wu actually chose her. Still, Tong Luo did not want to continue breathing the same air as the other two, so she did not hesitate before nodding. "Let''s head back." Thus, the two women left the living room together, leaving behind Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue with shock and disgruntlement painted all across their faces. Yin Yueyue could not resist softly cursing. "Those two know each other! Do you think they''ve already joined forces?" "Even if Tong Luo appears on the show, she would only be cursed by the fans until she is canceled. Don''t forget, her older sister is here as well." In contrast to Yin Yueyue''sck of control over her temper, Yao Ning was much moreposed. While she was unhappy with Tong Luo''s haughty attitude, she was very happy she could watch Tong Luo sh against the real daughter of the Tong family. It would spark many heated debates when that happened * Tong Luo waited until the door closed behind them before finally asking the question that had been bothering her the entire time. "Why help me?" Qi Wu turned to look at her. "I don''t like them." She spoke in a slow yet deliberate manner that rang with sincerity and solemnity. Tong Luo was stunned. The words "does that mean you like me?" nearly leaped from the tip of her tongue. When she saw that Qi Wu had returned to the spot by the window and pulled out the phone the production team gave them from her bag, Tong Luo forced those words back down her throat. Realization suddenly struck her as panic filled her heart. What was she doing? She was actually going to befriend Qi Wu! Qi Wu did not notice Tong Luo''s journey of panic and conflicted distress. Instead, she was focused on the phone the production team gave her. It was one of thetest phone models from Chaoqi Group. Its soft and gradual color tones had garnered it the love of many young consumers. Qi Wu turned the phone this way and that. When she realized it was the same model as the phone Jin Si bought her, she quickly understood how to use it. She then tapped into her messaging app to send a message to the only contact she had. Wu: ^_^ Jin Si was working on something at Yunu Bay when he received the message. He was at a loss for words when he saw the familiar smiley face. Before he could reply to her, he received another message from her. Tiny Lemon Drop: Jin Si, you''re the best debtholder ever. Jin Si silently stared at the message. Debtholder? With lowered eyes, he chuckled. There was no need to wonder about it. She had definitely been learning from a new set of "study materials." Without the cover of the night, Yunu Bay''s white sandy beaches and blue waters shimmered as the sun shone down in rays of hazy gold. However, whatever was happening right now at Yunu Bay was not as beautiful as the ce was. Ignoring the group of men struggling hard against the sand as they were pinned down by his subordinates, Jin Si calmly replied to Qi Wu. Jin Su: In that case, can you tell your debtholder if you''ve had lunch yet? Chapter 14: Jin Si, Your Cooking Is the Best

Chapter 14: Jin Si, Your Cooking Is the Best

Tiny Lemon Drop: I have. My new roommate made me noodles ^_^ Jin Si raised his eyebrows upon reading that. It looked like Qi Wu was doing well for herself. It had been less than a day and she had already had someone willing to cook for her. Jin Si: Is that so? It looks like I don''t need to cook for you then. Tiny Lemon Drop: (=?§¥?=) Even through the screen and the emoticon she sent, Jin Si could envision the dazed look on her face before confusion and panic swiftly reced it. It would have been an interesting sight to behold if she were standing in front of him. Before Jin Si could message back, he received a phone call from her. Meanwhile, Tong Luo watched with wide eyes as Qi Wu leaped from her bed to dash straight into the bathroom. She ran so fast like every second counted, acting just like someone who had done something wrong and urgently needed to pacify their partner right away. If Qi Wu wanted to call someone, she had to hide in a spot without any cameras around. That was something Chang Xun repeatedly reminded her of. Well, Qi Wu remembered that piece of instruction. When Jin Si finally answered the call, Qi Wu hurriedly cried out in her sweet voice that rang clearly through the phone. "Jin Si, your cooking is the best!" If Jin Si listened closely, he could hear an angry huff in Qi Wu''s voice. It was as if she was using Jin Si of kicking up a fuss over nothing. Still, she had no choice but to pacify him in order to protect her meals in the long term. "That''s why, you should be sad." Jin Si nearly burst out chuckling from anger when he heard that. How could he be sad? Did she think he would be sad because he could not cook for her? "I understand," he calmly replied. After hanging up, Jin Si turned around only to be greeted with wide-eyed stares from over a dozen men. Jin Si could almost read Lou Ying''s mind as the only thing missing from the look in his eyes were the words "Jin Si must be talking to that ghost again". With his usual aloof and icy demeanor, he ignored their looks of disbelief. He was theplete opposite of the smiling man who had spoken on the phone just now. "Have they spoken?" Jin Si asked, ncing at Lou Ying. Lou Ying''s gaze immediately turned serious as he turned to look at the group of men behind him. The disbelief in his eyes had been reced with a cold and sinister anger. "They''re from Changteng Holdings. Ever since their boss was imprisoned, these men are treated as viewed as badly as street rats. That''s why they did all that to look into you, sir." When he said that, one of the men being pinned down so hard on the sandy beach that his mouth was filled with sand snapped their head up. "You really are from the Xi family! Who could have thought the heir of the family really is an¡­" Before he could finish speaking, the man pinning him down pped a hand over his mouth to forcefully shut him up. Jin Si ignored the man''s desperate struggles. "If all the information has been found, clean this up as per usual." He slowly pulled his gloves off as his voice boomed with the lofty cruel voice expected of someone who stood at the top of the world. He turned to leave but soon stopped when he heard his men chattering behind him. "It''s so quiet during the day here. The ghost shouldn''t appear at this time, right?" one of themmented. "Don''t think about that!" "Shut up! Must you mention the ghost?" It was then that Jin Si remembered one of these men must have gotten a clear look at Qi Wu''s face when she appeared that night. With that in mind, he summoned Lou Ying over. Despite his confusion, Lou Ying respectfully walked over. "Sir?" Jin Si nced at the men behind him out of the corner of his eye he ordered in a spine-chilling voice, "Shut them up forever." As for how, well, there were many ways to shut someone up forever. Lou Ying stared in shock as a strange thought popped into his mind. Was it because of that ghost? However, his self-preservation instincts were strong enough that he did not voice that question. Instead, he solemnly nodded. "Yes, sir." * On the next day before the sun had fully risen, the bell rang loudly through the living quarters. One hundred contestants stumbled out of their vis, bleary-eyed and confused. Qi Wu also spotted Tong Luo who had just returned back to the vi while dressed in purple athleticwear. She seemed to have just finished a round of exercise as her forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Then, seemingly as though Tong Luo noticed Qi Wu''s gaze, she turned to look at her for a few silent moments before slowly walking over to stand beside Qi Wu. Meanwhile, the loudspeaker red as Song Qi spoke. "Today is the first day of our training camp. Everyone, get in line. You''ll be running onep around the area." As soon as he said that, many of the contestants began to wail in despair. For most of them, thest time they were forced to run ap was back in university. The moment they became working adults, jogging became one of thest things on their minds. Yin Yueyue looked at Tong Luo who had just returned from her exercise and could not resist feeling glee over Tong Luo''s misfortune. "Onep around the area has to be at least around two miles, right? I wonder if you can handle that." Tong Luo had left the vi at around six in the morning and only returned to the vi after an hour of exercise. While she was exhausted, this was all just part of her daily routine. Hence, she was used to the ache in her muscles. When she heard what Yin Yueyue said, she only shot Yin Yueyue a cold look. She did not even feel the desire to respond verbally. However, when Tong Luo spotted Qi Wu''snky limbs out of the corner of her eye, she could not help but worry. Would Qi Wu be gasping for breath as soon as they started running? If worsees to worst, she would hang around to help Qi Wuter¡­ It was to pay back the favor from the day before. Qi Wu sincerely looked into Tong Luo''s eyes and whispered, "I can pull you along as we run." Tong Luo felt at a loss for words. Finally, with a twitch of her lips, she replied, "It''s fine. Thanks." Her years of exercise had trained running into mere muscle memory. It was only an extra two miles for the day. It was not like she could not run at all. With the blow of a whistle, a few of the contestants started running. With someone leading the pack, the rest soon followed. Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue did not want to even look at Tong Luo. Naturally, that meant they did not want to run with her either. Hence, they started running far ahead. As for Tong Luo and Qi Wu, the two of them somehow ended up at the back of the group while trying to take care of each other. The living quarters selected for the contestants had arge man-madeke nearby. The troop of one hundred contestants ran around theke, asionally filling the air with cheers of encouragement. The group ran in an orderly manner at first. However, those who did not have high stamina or rarely exercised soon fell to the back of the group. Jiang Xuxu was among those individuals. She panted hard as shegged behind the entire group. Then, she spotted Qi Wu running together with Tong Luo. In fact, they were standing very close togetherpared to how close others were to each other. Her eyes widened with shock. As she gasped for breath, she hurriedly dashed over to Qi Wu. "Are you tired, sweetie?" Qi Wu''s breaths came out in even bursts with her feet moving to a steady rhythm. The calm look on her face did not show any signs of fatigue either. Compared to Qi Wu, Jiang Xuxu looked dog-tired. Qi Wu shook her head and tilted her head as she looked at Jiang Xuxu. "You look exhausted though." Jiang Xuxu silently stared at Qi Wu. It was only then that she realized Qi Wu was in tip-top shape. Jiang Xuxu was simply asking to be embarrassed when she asked Qi Wu if she was tired. Chapter 15: How To Manipulate the Silly Little Angel

Chapter 15: How To Manipte the Silly Little Angel

"My roommate is just too strong. She has been at the front of the group the entire time. At first, I wanted to run with her so that I could befriend her, but halfway through the run, I gave up." Despite how hard Jiang Xuxu was panting, she could not resist talking to Qi Wu. Qi Wu solemnly nodded and held a hand to her while calmly asking, "Do you want me to pull you along?" They were halfway through thep by now. More people were starting to run out of stamina. The orderly lines soon dissolved into tiny groups of runners. However, that allowed those who frequently exercised and kept themselves fit to stand out from the crowd. Through the camera, their elegant postures as they ran looked extremely beautiful. They were not even panting hard like those who were so tired that theypletely abandoned all facades. Jiang Xuxu was touched by the sincere offer. She did not y hard to get at all and immediately grabbed Qi Wu''s hand. "You''re the best, sweetie," she said in a sweet, coquettish voice. "Sure." After saying that, Qi Wu turned to look at the other woman next to her. "I can pull you along too." Running was so much easier than theplicated ceremonies in the past with its many steps. They were both tiring but running at least allowed her to rx. "I don''t need to be pulled along." Tong Luo eventually realized that Qi Wu really could run. In fact, Qi Wu could even control how fast she was running without a single hitch in her breath. When Tong Luo recalled how Qi Wu had caught the statue with a single hand the day before, she finally believed that a monstrous strength could be hiding within Qi Wu''s frail body. Now, she felt herpetitive spirit had awakened. She had not been mistaken. Qi Wu really was going to be strongpetition! Once the two miles were over and everyone was back to where they started, there were only a few people left who could remain standing. Some of the contestants had abandoned all sense of propriety and started frantically fanning themselves while resting on the ground while others sought out water to hydrate themselves. Jiang Xuxu was one of the contestants who had given up on maintaining a dignified appearance. She was bent over in half with one hand nted on her waist to help bnce herself while her other hand held on tight to Qi Wu''s hand. "I swear I have never run so hard before, not even for my university''s fitness test." Qi Wu blinked. Then, she held up the hand Jiang Xuxu was still clinging to and gently said, "We''re done running. You can let go now." Jiang Xuxu immediately turned around to stare at Qi Wu with pitiful eyes. "I''m so exhausted right now. I can only recover if I hold your hand, sweetie." "Okay¡­" Qi Wu fell silent as though she was confused by how Jiang Xuxu could use such a ridiculous excuse. Still, she did not reject Jiang Xuxu''s request to hold hands. Meanwhile, Jiang Xuxu was internally cheering with joy. She knew how to manipte her silly little angel now! Tong Luo was bewildered. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. Qi Wu actually believed what Jiang Xuxu said! Every contestant''s outfit had now beenbeled with their names, and Jiang Xuxu had just been trending on the inte for her scandal. Hence, it did not take long for Tong Luo to realize who Jiang Xuxu was. In Tong Luo''s eyes, Jiang Xuxu said all that as a tant attempt to take advantage of Qi Wu, yet Qi Wu allowed it. Was Qi Wu a pushover? Tong Luo frowned. However, she soon shook her head with a bitter smile. She could barely keep herself safe. Why was she wasting her energy worrying over other people? Furthermore, Qi Wu was anotherpetitor. Tong Luo should be happy that Qi Wu was an easily manipted pushover. The issue was that Tong Luo could not find it in herself to feel happy about it. After the run, everyone streamed into the cafeteria. Due to how much energy they had used up in the morning, they all had great appetites and happily ate their fill. * Meanwhile, in the control room, Song Qi pulled up the recording of that morning''s run. He was surprised to find that Qi Wu had been breathing steadily for the entire two-mile run. "Oh? I didn''t expect her to have good stamina." Hu Mofei leaned over to watch the video. "I wouldn''t just call that good. Have you not realized that she has been running at a constant pace the entire time without a single hitch in her breath? I suspect she has been trained in martial arts!" Song Qi rolled his eyes. "No martial artist is that skinny." "Song, that''s called judging a book by its cover!" As Qu Man had walked in just as Hu Mofei said that, she found her lips twitching in annoyance as she immediately smacked the stack of documents she was carrying against his chest. "You talk as if you don''t judge others based on their appearances as well! How many times have you looked at the image of Qi Wu turning around?" she bluntly retorted. Hu Mofei was a thick-skinned man, so he immediately started chuckling in response. "I''ve liked that girl since the very first moment I saw her. She''s just like my precious little daughter." Qu Man clicked her tongue. "Stop acting like you can have your cake and eat it too." Song Qi chimed in as well to support Qu Man. "You''re also incapable of having a daughter like her anyway. You''re in your forties and yet you''ve yet to be married!" "Song¡­ Didn''t we say we would not talk about my bachelorhood?" Hu Mofei''s entire demeanor turned dark and gloomy when a nerve was struck. He used to be engaged. They were considered a good match. However, just two weeks before the wedding, his fianc¨¦e eloped with another man because she disliked how little he was home due to work and the fact that the entertainment industry was full of dirty scandals. The trauma from that had stayed with Hu Mofei over the years. Eventually, he realized he could never escape the trauma, so he decided to just be single forever. Song Qi awkwardly cleared his throat. He had been so keen on arguing back with Hu Mofei that he did not realize what he had said until it was toote. Qu Man promptly changed the subject. "Here is today''s schedule and script. Have a look through it." Song Qi epted the document and casually flipped through it. "It''s just a simple talent showcase where everyone has one minute to show off something." "I wonder what Qi Wu will perform," Hu Mofei swiftlymented. Qu Man scanned through the spreadsheet on her tablet. Suddenly, she let out a noise of surprise. "She doesn''t have any music listed." Even if "Rookie Assembly" was a talent show that included many contestants of varying specialties who would then be split off into different categories, almost everyone had chosen to sing or dance when it came to the first talent showcase. After all, those were the hardest to make a mistake on. Upon hearing that, Song Qi pulled up the registration form Qi Wu handed in. For her hobbies and specialties, she had listed dancing and singing. Those were verymon and general specialties. Hu Mofei clicked his tongue in surprise. "Do you think she''s going to sing without backing music? Is she that confident in her voice?" To sing without backing music meant the only thing anyone could hear was the singer''s voice. In that sort of situation, even the slightest mistakes would be amplified into a major w. Song Qi scoffed. "Let''s hope she doesn''t shoot herself in the foot." As the self-appointed father figure and fan of Qi Wu, Hu Mofei naturally could not just let the nder be. He immediately shot back, "What if her voice is really good?" Song Qi had been feeling guilty about what he just said, so he merely huffed and did not argue back. Qu Man heaved a sigh of relief when she noticed that the awkward tension between the two men was dissipating. When she recalled that she would be meeting up with the contestantster, worry returned to the front of her mind once more. She grabbed the walkie-talkie and said to them, "Later on when we''re at the filming location, keep a close eye on the Tong family sisters." Chapter 16: To Be a Powerhouse

Chapter 16: To Be a Powerhouse

Hu Mofeiughed when he heard that. With sinister glee in his eyes, he said to Song Qi, "You''re simply amazing at selecting contestants, Song. You really have invited all sorts of trouble to the show." Qu Man bitterly smiled. "We at the Talent Rtions department really have our work cut out for us. Thank goodness Song didn''t decide to stream from the very beginning of thepetition. Otherwise, we would have more than just this to worry about." When Song Qi saw that his two trusted subordinates were tantlyining about him to his face, he angrily huffed with a scowl. He threw his hands in the air. "I didn''t know that the Tong family''s daughter would actuallye! While in the show, they would all want to maintain their dignity. Nothing big should happen." Hu Mofei and Qu Man nced at each other and shook their heads, sighing. "Hopefully." * Meanwhile, the Tong sisters Qu Man mentioned bumped into each other when they walked into the hall. When the contestants first entered the hall, Tong Luo had sat all the way in the corner by herself while Tong Fei, her older sister in name, had walked in with a group of followers surrounding her. Tong Fei had also sat at the very front. Naturally, that meant the two of them never met each other. However, a few minutes ago when Tong Luo entered the arena with Qi Wu and Jiang Xuxu, she bumped into Tong Fei who was walking with a group of admiring followers. Jiang Xuxu had stolen Qi Wu''s attention from the moment she appeared, and Tong Luo would naturally not fight with Jiang Xuxu for attention. Hence, she would walk at a distance near them yet not too far away from them. Hence, she did not notice Tong Fei who had been walking over from behind. That was until Tong Fei mmed into her shoulder, causing her to stumble from the impact. Tong Fei ignored her, however, and haughtily continued walking forward. Tong Luo only realized what happened when Tong Fei''s followers nced at her with mocking eyes. "If you can''t walk properly, get out of the corridor." Tong Fei''s eyes were filled with contempt and derision as she looked at Tong Luo. In response, Tong Luo lowered her eyes to hide the darkness in them. She could not respond to Tong Fei. That was because the more she responded, the worse Tong Fei would get. She had nothing now. She could not destroy her path forward just because of Tong Fei. Just as Tong Luo was forcing herself to be the bigger person, a calm voice chimed in, "Xuxu, is there something wrong with her legs?" Tong Luo was stunned. She knew who the speaker was. That was Qi Wu. Out of reflex, she shot her head up to look at Qi Wu and found her looking as calm andposed as ever. Qi Wu looked like the whole world was actually not part of her world. In fact, she might even be above everything. She would always be living high up near the sky, in a ce that was colder and even lonelier than the moon. Jiang Xuxu, who had been focused on watching the show, was stunned upon being cued to speak. "Who?" She had not realized who Qi Wu was talking about. "That woman who bumped into Tong Luo," Qi Wu replied. Then, she continued, "If there''s nothing wrong with her legs, then why did she crash into other people? Is there something wrong with her eyes?" Every contestant had their name clearlybeled on their outfit, but Qi Wu seemed to be blind to thebels and just referred to Tong Fei as "that woman." Silence fell. Tong Xuxu nced at Tong Fei in awkward surprise. She did not know what to say to Qi Wu. While she reveled in gossip, that did not mean she wanted to be part of it! Although Tong Fei''s actions were rather cruel and mean, that was family business, rich people''s business. It was not up to random nobodies like them to step in¡­ Jiang Xuxu could clearly sense more and more eyes turning to stare at them, but Qi Wu continued to remain calm andposed. It was very admirable. Tong Fei stopped. Surrounded by her followers, she turned to look at Qi Wu. When she saw just how refreshingly beautiful Qi Wu was, she paused in shock. However, she soon frowned and shifted her gaze down. "Qi Wu, correct?" She coldly huffed. "This is a private matter between Tong Luo and me. Do not meddle in this." "If you''re not feeling well, you need to visit the doctor soon." Qi Wu''s tone remained as even as usual, making her words sound just like a kind suggestion. However, Tong Fei''s face immediately darkened when she heard that. She thought Qi Wu was taunting her. "Pfft!" Jiang Xuxu could not resist letting augh burst out of her when she heard that. Just then, a crew member walked over and told them to stop dallying around the entrance as filming was about to start. Suppressing the fury zing in her, Tong Fei red at Qi Wu before proudly strutting into the hall. Naturally, her followers did not dare stay behind, so they all followed her into the hall. When the stares directed at the group finally went away, Jiang Xuxu heaved a sigh of relief. She then turned to Qi Wu and worriedly said, "You shouldn''t pick a fight with Tong Fei, sweetie." Before Qi Wu could respond, Tong Luo spoke up from behind them. "She''s right. You shouldn''t¡­" "She''s taking advantage of your self-control." Qi Wu interrupted with her cold and logical statement before Tong Luo could finish speaking. Stunned, Tong Luo nkly looked at Qi Wu. The young woman stood there at the doorway with the light shining from behind her. Her face was always nk and logical as if nothing was worthy of disrupting her inner peace. Qi Wu calmly looked back at her. "How long can that controlst? Perhaps she might force you to quit the show next time." "No way!" Tong Luo did not even have to think before denying the possibility of quitting the show. She had racked her brain and done everything she could just to stand a chance to return to the stage. No matter what, she could not let Tong Fei ruin her chance. However, she honestly did not feel that confident about that. She understood all too well just how arrogant and bold Tong Fei could be now that she had the Tong family backing her up. Jiang Xuxu understood what Qi Wu meant by now. She nced at Tong Luo and softly said, "Tong Fei looks like someone who will take a mile if given an inch." While Qi Wu seemed harmless, whatever she said would always be an urate assessment of the situation. "Defeat her using your stage." "I will¡­ Still, you shouldn''t involve yourselves. Tong Fei loves to hold grudges." Tong Luo''s conflicting feelings finally calmed down. She had never expected someone she had never once shown any kindness to before would repeatedly help her out. What an absolute joke. The parents who raised her for years abandoned her just like that while a stranger she barely knew and viewed as apetitor would help her. "Yes, sweetie. Tong Fei does not look like a kind person." That was exactly what Jiang Xuxu was worried about. Her silly little angel''s family was so poor that she had to be a celebrity to help pay the bills. If Qi Wu ended up making an enemy out of someone as powerful as Tong Fei¡­ Could Qi Wu continue down this path still? Jiang Xuxu frowned. Oh, how she worried. "Huh?" Qi Wu stared at Jiang Xuxu with obvious confusion. Then, she let out a chuckle. "There''s no need to fear her." Jiang Xuxu and Tong Lou were rendered speechless. Was this what it was like to be a powerhouse? In Qi Wu''s point of view, anything that did not involve risking one''s life was considered a trivial matter that could be resolved. After all, she had stood witness to kings and lords, who were powerful tyrants that did not even care about human lives, going down on their knees begging and pleading for her to issue a decree just so their enemies could die. They did all they could to threaten and kill each other. Meanwhile, Tong Fei merely issued a threat that would not even result in anything harmful. In Qi Wu''s eyes, Tong Fei was being ridiculously friendlypared to those men. Chapter 17: The Angel Is a Devil

Chapter 17: The Angel Is a Devil

When Jiang Xuxu, Tong Luo, and Qi Wu walked into the hall, many of the contestants who had witnessed what just happened outside reflexively turned to nce at them. Jiang Xuxu hurriedly pulled Qi Wu over to the side and sat down. As Tong Luo did not want to drag anyone else into her mess, she was going to sit somewhere else to show that Qi Wu had nothing to do with her. Hence, she did not follow Jiang Xuxu and Qi Wu. However, just as she was about to walk away, Qi Wu turned and looked at her. Qi Wu''s eyes were so calm and clear. It felt like a whole world could fit in those eyes, yet they were so empty. In an instant, Tong Luo felt as if her entire being was exposed to those eyes. It felt like her entire mind, from the inside to the outside, was being carefully dissected and analyzed. Qi Wu had not said a single word, yet one look from her was enough to render Tong Luo speechless and hesitant to walk away. Thus, after a few moments of silence, Tong Luo walked over and sat down not far away from Qi Wu. When Jiang Xuxu witnessed what happened, she could not resist whispering to Qi Wu, "Sweetie, why are you so nice to Tong Luo?" "She''s not a bad one," Qi Wu softly answered. The stars representing Tong Luo''s fate might be feeble and weak, but they had never gone out. It meant Tong Luo had the courage and perseverance to be reborn after being pushed to the brink of death. As the most talented priestess of her era, Qi Wu had seen too many individuals suffering from the same fate as Tong Luo. However, she would always lend them a helping hand without hesitation. Perhaps it was because she was envious that they had the chance to change their fates. Jiang Xuxu silently stared. It took her a long while before she could speak again. On one hand, it felt like Qi Wu was just too kind for this world. That type of kindness would only lead to Qi Wu''s destruction in such apetitive talent show. On the other hand, Qi Wu was capable of pushing someone like Tong Fei into stomping off in anger with just a few words. Was her silly little angel¡­ secretly a devil? * The moment Song Qi walked in, silence immediately fell in the hall previously bustling with chatter. No one dared to make a single noise when Song Qi was around. He scanned everyone in the hall with his stern eyes. When he noticed Qi Wu who acted as rxed as always, he could not help but spend a few more seconds observing her. There were cameras stationed near the doors, so Song Qi heard everything Qi Wu had said just now. He just did not get it. Qi Wu was clearly someone who had a sound mind, so why was she sozy when it came to her own future? She should fight for herself as well! What a waste of her great beauty. While Song Qi was not a man who cared a lot about beauty, he had to admit that Qi Wu waspletely capable of earning big bucks with that face of hers. "After our morning run, I''ve realized that many of you are very idle in your life. Perhaps you think that physical exercise is useless." Song Qi''s voice boomed through the entire hall. "However, you will have to rehearse over and over again for the next three months on the show. How can you survive without sufficient stamina?" His brief speech terrified everyone so much that no one dared let a single peep out. Some of them even began to hold their breath in hopes of making less noise. "If you''re going to be thiszy tomorrow morning, you''ll be running an extrap." Song Qi''s deration terrified the contestants even further, causing looks of agony to sh across their faces. After all, onep around the area was around two miles. If they had to run twops, just how long would it take for them to finish the twops? Many rumors circted through the industry about Song Qi and his temper, but this was the first time most of them personally interacted with him. None of them had the right to work with Song Qi prior to the talent show. The contestants only started rxing once the talent showcase started and Song Qi''s oppressive presence went away. Jiang Xuxu patted her chest to calm herself down. "I have finally witnessed just how strict Mr. Song is." Qi Wu tilted her head. Her pink lips parted as she said, "You''ll be witnessing it for three whole months." That rendered Jiang Xuxu speechless. Her angel really was a devil! Why else would Qi Wu say something so heartbreaking? However, she soon snapped back to her senses and promptly wrapped her arms around Qi Wu in an excited hug. "Are you saying that I can stay until the veryst round?" Qi Wu steadily stared at Jiang Xuxu in response. Her calm and honest eyes seemed to be lost in thought as she seemingly analyzed Jiang Xuxu, causing Jiang Xuxu to feel very weirded out and ufortable. With an awkward chuckle, Jiang Xuxu said in an attempt to break the tension, "I''m just joking¡­" Before she could finish speaking, Qi Wu had looked away. As Qi Wu did so, she said, "As long as you set your mind to it, you can do it." Jiang Xuxu stared in confusion. After a while, she started grinning to herself.'' For the first talent showcase, the order the contestants performed was decided by lottery. There were one hundred contestants. Even if all of them only got to perform for one minute each, the entire process would take at least two hours. When it was time for Tong Fei to perform, Jiang Xuxu could not resist ncing at Tong Luo. She found that Tong Luo was silently looking down in deep thought. She sighed once more at howplicated rich families were. Tong Fei chose to sing for her performance. The song she selected was a song that had been sung by someone who used to be extremely famous. Whenever a contestant performed a song on the show, they had to buy the rights to perform from the rights holders. As for this extremely famous singer the song belonged to, he had retired decades ago and the right to perform any of his songs could cost at least a million. Tong Fei chose this specific song because she wanted to unt the wealth of the family that was the source of her pride. With the Tong family supporting her, she could easily afford to pay millions for the right to perform a song. It showed that Tong Fei could have anything she wanted! Unfortunately, no matter how rich she was, she was not that strong of a singer. Her voice started trembling hard just a few bars into the song. In fact, she was even off-beat and nearly sang faster than the backing track. Disdain shimmered in the eyes of many professional singers present. Even Jiang Xuxu could hear that something was off about the way Tong Fei sang. She was instantly filled with glee. "She was so arrogant that I thought she was quite talented." In the end, Tong Fei performed worse than someone like Jiang Xuxu who only sang and danced for her streams. Qi Wu nodded in agreement. "She has focused her efforts on the wrong aspects." She had sounded so much like an old womanmenting that Jiang Xuxu instinctively pinched Qi Wu''s tender cheeks. Ever since she found out that Qi Wu had a soft heart and could not resist it when others pleaded cutely, she had gotten bolder. "Just how old are you? Just listen to how old you sound." "I''m twenty-two." Qi Wu answered while her cheeks were being pinched. However, because her cheeks were being pinched, her face looked rather cute and goofy while there was a hint of a cute lisp as she spoke. It was so cute that Jiang Xuxu was shrieking with joy on the inside. "I''m also twenty-two, but I don''t sound as jaded as you do." Finally, Jiang Xuxu set Qi Wu''s cheeks free. Her mood had instantly improved upon seeing the dazed look on Qi Wu''s face. She leaned in close to examine Qi Wu''s face. Then, she let out a gasp of surprise. "You''re not wearing any makeup!" She initially assumed Qi Wu was only wearing a thinyer of makeup. That was why it did not look that obvious, especially since Qi Wu''s skin was very fair and smooth. However, upon a closer look, Jiang Xuxu realized Qi Wu did not have any makeup on at all! Her smooth skin and enthralling radiant glow were all natural! Jiang Xuxu could not help but feel a pang of envy hit her. Qi Wu was so blessed that the world truly was her oyster! Chapter 18: She Was Worth Any and All Effort!

Chapter 18: She Was Worth Any and All Effort!

"Makeup?" Qi Wu repeated before calmly shaking her head. "I don''t use that." Qi Wu had not cared if she wore makeup, and there was no way Jin Si would have asked her about that. As for Chang Xun¡­ He was such an overbearing mother hen that naturally assumed makeup was something every woman owned, so he did not need to worry needlessly. Hence, Qi Wu did not own any makeup. Jiang Xuxu, who did not know the truth about Qi Wu''s situation, felt her heart ached even more for Qi Wu. In her mind, Qi Wu was a na?ve girl whose family was in dire straits and could not even afford to buy her a single cosmetic product. Talents who had not signed on with a talent agency had to pay for their own makeup and outfits at the start. Overwhelmed by an urge to do good, Jiang Xuxu promptly dered, "I have an extra set of makeup with me, sweetie. If you don''t mind, I can give it to you." Qi Wu blinked. "Thanks but I wouldn''t know how to use it." There was a wide variety of makeup in this era, and they all looked soplicated. Qi Wu had not included that field in her studies yet. Back in the temple, she never actively dressed herself up anyway. Her handmaidens would handle everything for her. When she lived in the temple, she did not deliberately dress herself up. The maids of the temple would take care of everything for her. Jiang Xuxu silently stared. Once more, she was drowning in a mind-numbing pit of admiration. "Is this what they mean when they say pure gold does not rust?" Oh, how she envied Qi Wu! If it was possible, no one wanted to wake up an hour early just to do their makeup. Would that time not be better used for sleeping? "Sweetie, let me put on some simple makeup for you in the future. You really can''t go on like this." Jiang Xuxu felt like she worried about Qi Wu more than she worried about herself. However, one look at Qi Wu and she found herself willingly epting the burden. Qi Wu was so sweet. She was worth any and all effort! Jiang Xu screamed and shouted on the inside about how great Qi Wu was as her mind slowly evolved into the mind of a hardcore fan. Qi Wu did not ept the offer and instead turned to look at the stage. "It''s your turn." Jiang Xuxu froze in shock. It was only then that she realized she had been so preupied with whispering to Qi Wu that she forgot to watch the performances being put on. If the production team focused on them¡­ For the first time ever, Jiang Xuxu prayed that Song Qi would forget all about them. However, that was evidently impossible with Qi Wu around. Meanwhile, in the control room located in the backstage area, Qu Man and Hu Mofei had listened in on the entire conversation. As the two women were still wearing their mics, the production team could hear every word spoken no matter how softly they whispered. At first, Song Qi had been observing the hall with stern eyes, solemnly keeping an eye out for potentially great contestants. However, he could no longer focus on his task due to Qu Man and Hu Mofei constantly whispering and chattering over the radios. "Are the two of you going to just stare at her the entire day?" he snapped. Qu Man and Hu Mofei instantly shot back with retorts of their own." "I''m her primary contact. Can I not keep an eye on her?" "I''m her fan. It''s a fan''s right to watch their idols!" Silence fell. Song Qi felt too exhausted to even argue back. The two of them were usually very efficient and professional while working for him. They were rarely ever distracted while working. However, now¡­ they were both bewitched by a young woman! Did she cast a spell on them or something? The more Song Qi thought about it, the angrier he was. In the end, he scoffed. "You''re embarrassing!" Qu Man and Hu Mofei both ignored him. "Still, who would have thought? Qi Wu does not wear any makeup at all. No wonder Chang Xun ces that much importance on her. She has a great foundation to work with. As long as she''s not aplete fool, she would do well with some training." Qu Man continued to mutter to herself as she observed Qi Wu through the cameras. Compared to Hu Mofei who gazed at Qi Wu with paternal adoration, Qu Man''s admiration for Qi Wu was more objective and rational. * As a streamer who was famous for her singing and dancing, Jiang Xuxu naturally chose to perform the routine she was most familiar with for the showcase. The song she chose was very cheerful. Soon, the entire hall was filled with joy. Due to her extroverted nature, Jiang Xuxu did not feel any stage fright and enthusiastically interacted with the crowd. As it would help with the filming, many of the other contestants were naturally willing to y along. Once her performance was over, the entire hall was filled with excited cheers. The depressing gloom from before had vanished. Song Qi, who was sitting at the furthest seat on the judging table, silently nodded in approval. As soon as Jiang Xuxu got off the stage, she eagerly returned to Qi Wu''s side. When she eventually sat down, she realized her hands had been clenched so tightly that they were covered in a thin sheen of sweat. "Did you know that I nearly went off-pitch because I happened to lock eyes with Mr. Song once during the performance just now?" "You did well." Qi Wu did not beat around the bush with her praise. When she looked up at Jiang Xuxu, her eyes seemed to be filled with starlight due to the reflection of the lights above them. "You were born to be an idol." She had spoken solemnly without using any flowery words. Still, it was enough for Jiang Xuxu''s heart to mysteriously start racing. There was nothing that gave more joy than genuine approval and praise. Jiang Xuxu nearly lost control of her volume as she cried out, "I love you, sweetie!" Qi Wu helplessly patted her on the shoulder. Sitting a few seats away, Tong Luo watched the two interact with a flicker of envy in her eyes. However, she soon looked away and forced herself to calm down so that she could perform at her best. A few more contestants performed after Jiang Xuxu. Then, it was Tong Luo''s turn. When she walked up the stage, the audience began to chatter and mutter among themselves. She could feel stares of curiosity, shock, and scorn directed her way. Her face remained calm andposed as she dipped into a slight bow in the direction of Song Qi before she got into position for her performance. She had chosen to perform a scene from a stage performance. The character she was embodying was a flower that continued to grow toward the sun despite being beaten down time and time again by the wind and rain. Tong Luo had taken dancing lessons since she was a child, so she was not a bad dancer. Her bodynguage and the expressions on her face fit perfectly with the music soaring through the air. Even the contestants who had red at her in disdain slowly found themselves gazing at her with solemn eyes. No one thought Tong Luo could endure all that she had suffered and eight whole years of being ignored by her agency and still be in prime condition to perform. Even Song Qi felt surprised. Through the radio, Qu Manmented, "It looks like she had taken this opportunity as her onest chance to turn her life around." Song Qi agreed with that statement. This was especially obvious when Tong Luo had to fall to the ground as part of her performance. She actually fell with a loud thud that had everyone staring in shock. However, she seemed to not notice the pain and continued dancing. A minute passed by. Her performance ended exactly on the dot. No one could react at first. Then, a p snapped them out of their stupor, causing them to apud as well. Tong Luo saw that the person who had pped first was Qi Wu. Conflicted emotions warred harder within her eyes. For once, Song Qi actuallymented on a performance. "You did not let yourself go. I admire that." The crowd immediately erupted into a frenzy. That was because none of the contestants from before received ament from Song Qi himself. "Thank you, Mr. Song." Tong Luo had to hold back her excitement as she walked off the stage. Chapter 19: Time for Lunch

Chapter 19: Time for Lunch

Tong Luo''s sessful performance changed many people''s impressions of her. That was becausepared to Tong Fei''s arrogant attitude, Tong Luo garnered more approval for using her own skills to prove her worth. Most of the contestants present would rather be eliminated by someone who used their skills to do so, not through having a rich family. When Tong Luo returned to her seat, she remembered how Jiang Xuxu had rushed straight back to Qi Wu''s side to tell Qi Wu all about her time on the stage. She subconsciously turned to look at Qi Wu. They locked eyes. Embarrassed and feeling awkward she had been caught staring, Tong Luo swiftly looked away. However, just as she did so, she heard Qi Wu call out to her, "Congrattions." Although Tong Luo did not turn back around, she could not help but curl up the corners of her mouth. Many outstanding contestants performed after Tong Luo. While Song Qi was a man of few words, he would asionally chime in with ament of his own. However, onement was enough to make most of the contestants go into a stupor out of shock. Qi Wu would be performing ratherte near the end of the showcase. When it was her turn to perform, everyone looked visibly fatigued. She calmly walked up to the stage with Jiang Xuxu''s cheers of encouragement in her ears. The moment she appeared in front of the audience, whispers broke out all across the hall. "That face¡­ It''s exquisite." "She must be from a talent agency, right?" "From the looks of it, she must be putting on an air of cold superiority. I wonder how talented she really is." Qi Wu was dressed in a in white dress and had no other essories. However, her beauty shone brightly even without the aid of makeup, and it was enough to capture everyone''s gaze. Meanwhile, Song Qi was on the brink of destroying his radio due to all of Hu Mofei''s tormenting chatter. Song Qi picked up his microphone and sternly asked, "Are you sure you don''t need any apanying music?" "Yes." Qi Wu''s reply was gentle and warm. She may not have trained professionally in singing, but every morning, the temple''s courtyard would be filled with the songs she sang for the birds and the flowers around her. They would always linger around her for a very long time. They were a rare joy in her monotonous life. Song Qi did not ask any more questions after that. Qi Wu picked up the microphone and began to hum into it. The melody drifted through the air like the sweet calls of birds waking up in the morning. The melody carried with it a carefree lilt that instantly made everyone listening rx. There was not a single word sung. The entire song consisted of strange yet rhythmic notes. Her clear voice was as sweet as the morning dew. She seemed like a goddess hiding within the mountains tenderly singing her blessings to be brought to her believers as a merciful and gentle light shone in her eyes. The song soon ended, but no one was able to wake up from the gentle dream they had been lured into. They only snapped back to their senses when Qi Wu walked off the stage. Unlike the excited and shocked tension that had filled the air previously during the showcase, Qi Wu''s song had been a silent melody that slithered its way around the listeners. When they eventually woke up, all they felt was a sense of mncholy from a dream they once had. The song did not invoke intense passion within them, but it still made the emotions heavy to bear. Song Qi snapped out of his daze with a conflicted look on his face. "What''s the name of that song?" At that moment, he could feel the warmth of the morning sun in spring through her voice. It felt so real, yet it was all just a melody someone sang. He had not expected the young woman he had been furious at for herck of ambition would have such a hypnotic singing voice. Song Qi had to admit that he had been blind to her strengths before. Qi Wu shook her head in response. "It has no name." Just as Song Qi was about to continue questioning her, Qi Wu borated on her response. "Everyone experiences the song differently. There is no need to limit it with a name," she said. Stunned, Song Qi actually found himself unable to argue against that. Qi Wu then returned to Jiang Xuxu''s side. "Sweetie¡­ Your voice is absolutely amazing. It''s way better than any melody found in nature." Jiang Xuxu instantly pounced and wrapped Qi Wu in a hug. She knew Qi Wu''s voice was pleasant to listen to, but she had not expected Qi Wu''s voice to sound even better when Qi Wu sang. "Did you know? Your song brought me back to when I was back home. Early in the mornings, I would watch as the sun shone brightly outside my window¡­ It was so nostalgic," Jiang Xuxu chattered. Qi Wu smiled. "You are very lucky." "Indeed, I am! I must be to have met you, sweetie." Jiang Xuxu really was an expert at corny pickup lines. She always had a line up her sleeves, ready to be deployed. Their affectionate interactions had resulted in many of the other contestants staring at Jiang Xuxu with envy in their eyes. They wanted to hug Qi Wu as well! The morning''s talent showcase ended with many of the outstanding contestants receivingments from Song Qi. The showcase also ignited the nervous tension in the air. "You may now head off to lunch. After the break, we''ll be gathering at the field next to theke." After Song Qi was done giving out the instructions, he left the hall. When everyone else in the hall saw that the great viin who had filled the hall with his oppressive air was gone, they all let out a cheer. Soon, people started chattering to each other about getting lunch together. Naturally, Jiang Xuxu grabbed Qi Wu''s hand and led her to the doors as well. When they passed by Tong Luo, she hesitated for a moment before quickly asking, "Do you want to join us?" Tong Luo was stunned. There was a lost look on her face as she did not seem to have fully registered Jiang Xuxu''s invitation. She did not snap out of her daze until Qi Wu nudged her. "It''s time for lunch." Jin Si told her to eat at regr times. "Okay." As Tong Luo responded, she felt her eyes stinging. She could also sense that the hostile res directed her way had significantly decreased in number. * Lunch was avish affair that included a wide variety of dishes. However, Qi Wu still missed Jin Si''s cooking. When she thought about how she could not taste Jin Si''s cooking for three whole months, Qi Wu could not help but heave a mncholic sigh. Jiang Xuxu, who had been focused on her food, looked up with a questioning gaze when she heard the sigh. "What is it, sweetie? Is the food not good?" Qi Wu shook her head. "I miss food from home." "I see." Jiang Xuxu nodded in understanding. "I''ve been living by myself for over a year now, but I still miss my parents'' cooking." A series of loud coughs echoed through the air. Tong Luo, who was sitting across from them, had choked on her food. That was because she suddenly remembered that Qi Wu was referring to the cooking of her "debtholder"! As Jiang Xuxu did not know anything about that, she merely shot Tong Luo a weirded-out look. "Did you just choke on your food?" "I''m fine¡­" Tong Luo, who knew that the matter was not as simple as Jiang Xuxu thought, decided to keep her mouth shut until she knew exactly what was going on so that Qi Wu would not be embroiled in a scandal. She knew full well what kind of damage baseless rumors could do to a person. Qi Wu merely mumbled something in response before falling silent about the subject. Hence, Jiang Xuxu did not continue on about it. After lunch, the three of them decided to head back to their rooms for a nap. However, just as they stood up, Qi Wu spotted Tong Fei and her followers walking over to them. Well, to be more urate, they were walking toward Tong Luo. Chapter 20: I Need To Call My Debtholder First

Chapter 20: I Need To Call My Debtholder First

Jiang Xuxu also noticed Tong Fei and her group. She turned to Tong Luo and muttered, "She really is everywhere. How could she still have the nerve toe after you?" Tong Fei had exposed her weakness during the talent showcase. In essence, she was just some daughter of a rich family who was in the industry to have fun. She did not really join the talent show just topete. As for her goal, there was no doubt that she wanted to target Tong Luo. That alone was enough to make Jiang Xuxu hate her. Tong Luo''s face darkened. She knew that no matter where she went, Tong Fei would never let her go. However, she could not drag the people around her into her mess again. Just as she was about to step up to Tong Fei and her group, Qi Wu chimed in with a disapproving tone in her voice, "Tong Luo, can you please make way for those whose legs and eyes aren''t working properly? We cannot discriminate against the disabled." Jiang Xuxu and Tong Luo had both been rendered speechless. Qi Wu''s statement instantly caught the attention of Tong Fei. "Who did you call disabled?" Tong Fei screeched. Qi Wu tilted her head and calmly said with a sad shake of her head. "I see. Your ears aren''t working well either." "Pfft!" Once more, Jiang Xuxu could not hold back theughter from bursting from her lips. The followers standing behind Tong Fei instantly red at her. Jiang Xuxu did not care about that now. From the moment she invited Tong Luo to join them for lunch, she was destined to be Tong Fei''s enemy. Now that she was a character in this drama, she should just let herself enjoy the drama however she liked. Not even Tong Luo was able to maintain a calm and unsmiling face when she heard what Qi Wu said. "Qi Wu, right? I''ll remember you." Tong Fei was beside herself with fury, yet she could not find anything to attack at all. After all, Qi Wu had not actually cursed Tong Fei out. In fact, Qi Wu had been very polite. However, those polite words were the very reason Tong Fei was simmering with anger. With no choice but to take the loss, Tong Fei turned to re at Tong Luo. "Are you a coward who only knows to hide behind others now that you have someone to protect you, Tong Luo? Let''s see how long you''llst strutting around in your arrogance!" Exasperation shed in Tong Luo''s eyes. If not for the Tong family''s support, Tong Fei''s bullying ways would have her being the target of retaliation a long time ago. Tong Luo did not want anything untoward to happen, so she had always chosen to just let it go. However, she did not want to let it go or hold back anymore. "When ites to arrogantly strutting around, you''re more likely to win the match." Tong Luo''s response caused surprise to sh across Tong Fei''s face. However, she soon smiled and said, "What''s this? Do you think you can start over again just because Mr. Song gave you ament on your performance?" Taking a few steps forward, she then continued in a hushed voice that tantly spoke of her sinister intentions, "Don''t even think about using this talent show to start over when I''m around." Tong Luo''s face twisted in surprise as her hands suddenly clenched into fists. This was the one thing she could not tolerate, yet Tong Fei was never willing topromise, forever pushing further and further into a corner. Just as Tong Luo''s mind descended into chaos, Qi Wu''s nd voice echoed through her ears. "Tong Luo." Qi Wu had snapped Tong Luo out of her stupor. Stunned, Tong Luo turned to look at Qi Wu. "Do you know how to insult other people?" Qi Wu solemnly asked. "Huh?" Tong Luo was visibly confused. Qi Wu tilted her head and said in a conflicted and frustrated voice, "While it''s not good to insult another human being, the woman standing in front of you is someone you can shout at." It was not good to insult other human beings, but Tong Fei was an eptable target for insults. It did not take long before most of the people present understood the implied message hidden in Qi Wu''s words. Jiang Xuxu, who hadpletely let go of her self-control, instantly gave Qi Wu a thumbs-up for implying that Tong Fei was not human. Her silly little angel really was a devil. She had such a sharp tongue! The innocent act she put on looked so very realistic. It was honestly such a pity that Qi Wu was not an actress. "Qi Wu, are you¡­" Tong Fei was so infuriated that she started shouting. However, halfway through her sentence, Tong Luo interrupted her. With icy eyes, Tong Luo looked at Tong Fei and said, "Do you think you can still be here because you have the Tong family supporting you? No. You''re still here because the rules of this production have been protecting you." Tong Fei''s face darkened. "What do you mean by that?" "If not for the rule that forbids contestants from challenging each other, you would have been sent packing as soon as the talent showcase ended just now." When Tong Luo said that, she felt a sense of freedom she had never felt before. Ever since her mother passed away three years ago, she had been so very cautious in everything she did as if she was skating on thin ice. When Qi Wu told her to insult Tong Fei, she actually felt herself trembling with anticipation. She really did feel better after insulting Tong Fei. As for the Tong family''s uing act of revenge, they would not interfere with anything at all in the production during filming. With Song Qi''s power and temper at y along with the three leaders of the entertainment industry being invested in the show, what right did the Tong family have to meddle with the show? "How dare you, Tong Luo! You actually¡­" Tong Fei''s entire body was shaking from fury. Perhaps it was because Tong Luo had never reacted to her bullying and mocking before, but Tong Fei had self-righteously thought Tong Luo was someone she could push around as she pleased. It never urred to her that no one would forever remain a pushover. The group of girls standing behind Tong Fei nced at each other, but no one would actually step up to defend Tong Fei. At the end of the day, their friendship was just a superficial lie. If not for money and power, no one would want to be ordered around by Tong Fei like a maid. "You''re shaking really badly. I think you should consult a doctor. We wouldn''t want the production team''s reputation to suffer. All right. We need to go now." After Tong Luo said that, she walked away with Qi Wu and Jiang Xuxu in tow as the others gazed at her retreating back in admiration. * The moment Tong Luo walked out of the cafeteria, her tense muscles suddenly rxed, nearly causing her to fall over as she walked. "Phew." She heaved a sigh of relief before solemnly looking up at the other two women. Her voice was filled with gratitude and sincerity that had been missing before. "Thank you so much." She did not know what else she could say, but she felt like no matter how many words she said, she could never properly convey the emotions she felt right now. Jiang Xuxu, who still had a hand holding onto Qi Wu''s arm, smiled in response. "It''s good that you can push past the trauma, but from now on, she will be after you even more. You have to be on your guard against her schemes." "I will," Tong Luo replied. She had never been delusional enough to ask Tong Fei to leave her be. Once Jiang Xuxu escorted Qi Wu and Tong Luo back to their vi, she waved farewell before heading back to her room. Tong Luo turned to Qi Wu with a faint smile spread across her lips. "Let''s rest up." At first, Tong Luo had been so wary and guarded against Qi Wu. In just one day, her rtionship with Qi Wu had turned into a rather¡­ peculiar state. Tong Luo watched as the young woman quietly stood by the doorway while also acting like an innocent child and yfully kicked at the tiny stone that had been on the ground next to her feet. Tong Luo could not help butugh. Qi Wu had an air of sincerity that touched everyone around her. Who would not be lured in by her? In response to Tong Luo''s statement, Qi Wu obediently nodded and paused for a moment before asking, "Before turning in for a nap, I need to call my debtholder first." Tong Luo was at a loss for words. While she was not someone who liked to gossip, Qi Wu''s debtholder was truly someone who she desperately wanted to know more about. Chapter 21: Would You Like To Hear Me Sing, Jin Si?

Chapter 21: Would You Like To Hear Me Sing, Jin Si?

Unfortunately for Tong Luo, Qi Wu would not give her a chance to gossip as she instantly picked up her phone and hid in the bathroom as soon as they entered their room. Qi Wu kept Chang Xun''s instructions fresh in her mind. She could not mention a word about Chang Xun or Jin Si, and she could only call them at ces where there were no cameras around. She also knew that Jin Si was a very famous man, so she could not mention his name at all. She could only use the term "debtholder" whenever she referred to him. * Meanwhile, in a dark basement. Jin Si sat on the throne ced in the middle of the room as he slowly peeled away his blood-stained gloves. Just like one of the noblemen from the Middle Ages, his movements were elegant and steady at his own pace. Nevertheless, the bloody gloves were a clear indicator that his noble grace was just a fa?ade. That was because madness still lurked in his eyes. In front of him was a middle-aged man, tied to the chair he was sitting in. The man''s hair was a mess and soaked with sweat. His head hung feebly down as though he was barely holding on to life. His left shoulder was stained red with fresh blood that slowly flowed down his arm before dripping onto the ground. The two emotionless bodyguards standing next to the tied-up man were indifferent to the man''s injuries. Under the dim glow of the basement, Jin Si looked like a sharp, lethal de as light and shadow mixed on his face. Lou Ying walked into the room from the door behind Jin Si, walked over to him, and respectfully leaned over to whisper into his ear, "Sir, I can find the remaining men of the group based on the intel he provided. I''ll have the men search for them immediately." Just then, Jin Si''s phone rang. When Jin Si saw the name "Tiny Lemon Drop" disyed on the phone, he nced up at Lou Ying. Lou Ying immediately stopped his report. As soon as Jin Si answered the phone, Qi Wu''s cheerful voice called out, "I just had lunch, Jin Si." Lou Ying was rendered speechless. He was close enough that he heard every word she said. He instinctively shuffled away. It was best to stay away whenever Jin Si was on the phone with that ghost. Otherwise, Lou Ying would start to question his life once more. "Why are you telling me that?" With Qi Wu''s happy-go-lucky voice as aparison, the icy nature of Jin Si''s voice was highlighted. Due to his location, his core personality was showing, and had yet to fully regain the mask he previously used. "That''s because I want to tell you that your cooking is still the best!" Qi Wu did not seem to be affected by the change and continued to shower praise on him with a gentle warmth in her voice. However, just by hearing her voice, Jin Si could imagine what she looked like right now. She must definitely look rather¡­ silly. The image Jin Si envisioned cheered him up so much that the bloodthirsty glint in his eyes had vanished, slowly reced by his usual regal gaze. After giving Lou Ying an order through hand gestures, Jin Si ignored Lou Ying''s gossipy eyes and walked out of the room. Through the door, Jin Si stepped out into the sunlight, leaving behind the familiar darkness. His scowl eased up as well. "No matter what you say, I will not show up at the filming location just to cook for you." Qi Wu seemed to be very dissatisfied with his answer as she huffily retorted in a voice that betrayed her sulking mood, "I didn''t think that at all!" Jin Si silently chuckled. "As my bodyguard, you ran off to join a talent show instead of protecting me. Say, should I fire you?" Qi Wu''s eyes went nk. However, she was not as easily fooled as before and promptly started to argue back using the logic she had acquired. "You agreed to it!" "When did I do that?" "When you bought me the phone." Qi Wu had spoken in a matter-of-fact tone. She had assumed that she was given a phone because Chang Xun wanted a way to contact her. Jin Si had also said she could do as she wished. Her memory was so very good that she could clearly repeat every single word spoken during the conversation. Once she was done exining her logic, she added, "Still, it''s so strange. They took away my phone, but then gave me an identical pher." Jin Si let out an amused huff. "Every item appearing in the show is there because the sponsors want it to be there. Without those sponsors, those items would never appear in the show. The phone you have is thetest model Chaoqi Group''s subsidiarypany created. They are investors in the show." Qi Wu nodded, vaguely understanding what he was saying. Jin Si then recalled her innocent and na?ve personality. "Did anyone say anything weird to you today?" As someone who was also part of the entertainment industry, he was naturally familiar with the schemes and tricks often used by others in the industry. When someone who stood out from the crowd in every way appeared, she would be the focus of attention. "Hm?" Qi Wu tilted her head and obediently replied, "Not at all. Well, there was a disabled person who kept uttering nonsense. This production team is so amazing! They have so much respect for the disabled." "Disabled¡­?" There was a lost look in Jin Si''s eyes as though he was doubting his very ears. "Yes. Her legs aren''t working that well, and neither are her eyes and ears," Qi Wu responded. Jin Si felt at a loss for words. Despite how tactful Qi Wu was, he only needed to use a little bit of logic to understand what her train of thought was. It looked like she would not be a pushover for everyone. Suddenly, Qi Wu asked, "Would you like to hear me sing, Jin Si?" He had helped her so much that she wanted to pay him back for it, even if it was just a little bit. Silence fell. Jin Si did not say a word. Qi Wu waited for a full minute before she started to hum softly. Her joyful and warm melody traveled through the phone and into his ear. Just by listening to her voice, Jin Si could envision her softly humming with her eyes closed. She would have looked so peaceful and perfect. His throat bobbed up and down as he subconsciously turned on the recording function on his phone. His mind went nk like it was lost in a dream full of fluffy white clouds. A dark abyss yawned below him while he steadily walked across it. However, at the end of the song, the gentle dream shattered into pieces. The abrupt sensation of falling jolted Jin Si back to his senses. Confusion shed in his eyes. Before Jin Si could think, he started speaking in a deep voice. "You¡­" "Do you like it?" Qi Wu had interrupted him. Jin Si paused for a moment before calmly shifting his gaze to somewhere else. "It''s barely passable." "Oh¡­ Okay." Qi Wu did not feel upset or anything like that. She calmly acknowledged before letting out a huge yawn. "Good afternoon, Jin Si." "Afternoon." Even after hanging up on the phone, Jin Si continued to stand there in silence for a very long time. He was reminiscing, savoring the memory of what he just felt, yet he was also overwhelmed by apprehension. Jin Si could not help but mind the loss of control, but deep down, he wanted to savor that feeling of freedom once more. The conflicting feelings warred in him, tearing his heart into pieces. It made it impossible for him to do anything else but stand there for a very long time. When Lou Ying eventually walked out of the room, he watched as Jin Si set a recorded melody as his ringtone with a nk look in his eyes. Lou Ying was confused. What did he miss? Chapter 22: Qi Wu... Way Too Cute

Chapter 22: Qi Wu... Way Too Cute

When Qi Wu walked out of the bathroom, Tong Luo immediately sat up on the bed. She had been tossing and turning since she could not fall asleep. "Were you¡­ singing just now?" Tong Luo hesitated for a few moments before slowly posing her question. There was nothing that could be done about it. Although the doors did keep out most of the noises when they were closed, Tong Luo could still hear Qi Wu singing in the bathroom. "Yes." Qi Wu sat on her bed and pulled out the remaining few lemon drops in her jar. A frown settled on her brows as he reluctantly yet eagerly ate a lemon drop. By now, Tong Luo had filled in the gaps on what she thought must have happened. Qi Wu had gone to call her debtholder, so that could only mean she had sung for her debtholder. The more Tong Luo knew about the situation, the moreplex this "debtholder" was. * As Song Qi''s voice echoed from the speakers installed all over the contestants'' living quarters, the contestants who had just woken up from their afternoon nap hurriedly ran over to the field located next to theke. Qi Wu was still half-awake and hadnguidly stumbled along with Tong Luo over to join the back of the group of contestants while her eyes drooped drowsily. When Song Qi walked over with his speakerphone, he quickly noticed Qi Wu. It was now a hard task for Song Qi to not notice Qi Wu. After all, Hu Mofei would immediately start bbering away on the production team''s radio channel. Just like what he was doing right now. "Did my darling daughter not have a good nap? Song, why did you have to make them gather here so early?" Hu Mofei whined. "It''s already two o''clock!" Song Qi shot back. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. It was basically impossible for him to have a proper conversation with a fan like Hu Mofei. When the contestants saw Song Qi getting angry, they all thought their idyllic andzy mannerisms had infuriated him. Thus, all of them stood up straight out of fear, looking just like a troop of soldiers. Tong Luo carefully kept an eye on Qi Wu the entire time, worried that Qi Wu might fall asleep at any moment. Eventually, Tong Luo could not resist saying to Qi Wu, "Mr. Song is here." Qi Wu gave her a small nod in return. The bleary and obedient look in her eyes nearly made Tong Luo give in to the urge to run a hand through Qi Wu''s hair. After all, she just looked way too cute in her current state. Song Qi held up his speakerphone and said in a voice that echoed all across the field. "After the end of our talent showcase this morning, I believe you should all have a basic understanding of the people next to you. Your next tasks will y an important role in the category you''ll go toter on. Please treat every task seriously." People immediately started whispering when they heard that. Song Qi did not stop them and allowed their imaginations to run wild. After a while, he spoke up once more. "I trust many of you have now guessed that there will be three categories in this show. There are only twenty slots for each category, which means by the time it is time to select your category, forty of you will have left the show." As soon as he said that, everyone started shifting around restlessly. That meant nearly half of them would be eliminated by the time they were able to select which category to enter. It was a realization that made many panic. Clearing his throat, Song Qi continued, "Your next tasks are going to be about your ability to choose which category you''ll be in. Every task will give you a certain number of points. When the timees, the contestant with the highest number of points would be the first person to choose where they would be going while the contestant with the lowest number of points would gost. The top ten contestants will win the right to make the first pick and also to reject a challenge once." "However, you can''t rest easy just because you have the first pick. You might have to duel against challengers. In here, might makes right." Song Qi''s booming voice leftsting impressions in everyone''s minds. That meant even if the contestant with the most points had finished all the tasks and had first pick for which category they wanted to go to, they would also need to be a very talented contestant as they might end up being challengedter on. "This afternoon, you will all y in a three-legged race. Get past the obstacles set on your path and win points. You will be awarded points ording to how fast you get through the challenges. Your partner will be your roommate. Now, you''ll have ten minutes to discuss strategies." Song Qi immediately walked out of the cameras'' view as soon as he was finished speaking, leaving all one hundred contestants standing around in the field. Soon, the crew members were handing out equipment needed for the three-legged race. The contestants grabbed the items needed and promptly started discussing what to do during the task with their partners. It was not just a simple race, after all. From start to finish, it was at least a quarter mile. That did not include the many traps and obstacles that might have been set up along the way. Tong Luo stared at a few of the obstacles visible from a distance and clicked her tongue. "Why are there hay and wooden logs? Are they saying that two of us need to cross it at the same time?" The entire ce being used for the race was only a quarter mile long, but Tong Luo could only spot a few of the obstacles that had been set up. However, it was clear that the production team had spent a lot of hours designing the obstacle course. Many of the obstacles she could spot were very difficult. It was evidently not just a test of teamwork, but also a test of intelligence. When she turned her attention away from the obstacles, she noticed Qi Wu examining the rope they were given and hurriedly exined, "That''s to tie two of our legs together." Upon seeing the nk look in Qi Wu''s eyes, she asked, "Have you never participated in a three-legged race before?" Qi Wu shook her head. "I never yed games." The temple was a holy sanctuary. How could something like entertainment ever exist within its walls? Tong Luo was stunned. She had not expected Qi Wu to have never yed a game before as she had only assumed Qi Wu had never run in a three-legged race before. There was an indescribable ball of feelings swelling inside her heart. She knelt down and used the rope to tie two of their legs together, even using a special knot to make sure the rope did not loosen over time. "Three-legged races are simple. Two of our legs will be tied together, so we need to be in sync no matter what we do or where we walk." After a brief exnation of the rules by Tong Luo, Qi Wu soon understood what the game was about. "Teamwork," Qi Wu softly eximed. "Yes." Tong Luo''s answer was simple. Qi Wu tilted her head as she looked at Tong Luo. "Do you trust me?" Stunned, Tong Luo paused and looked up. When her eyes met Qi Wu''s calm eyes, she subconsciously nodded. "I do." As soon as she said that, a smile spread across Qi Wu''s face. "I''ll go with your speed." "We can both amodate each other. For now, let''s work on walking." Qi Wu''s smile was so radiant that Tong Luo did not even realize it when she started speaking faster and faster. The two women soon began practicing. They were nearly the same height. With their quick minds and willingness to work with each other, they were soon able to walk around in a bnced manner. The other teams were also quick to familiarize themselves with each other. However, there were a few teams that just could not work together. For example, Tong Fei and Qiu Yan. The two of them had been assigned to the same room by the production team, but Tong Fei was a pampered princess who looked down on Qiu Yan while Qiu Yan refused to fawn over Tong Fei since Qiu Yan had already signed on with a talent agency. However, they were now trapped together because of this game. Naturally, Tong Fei was not someone who wouldpromise and conform to other people''s movements. Qiu Yan could barely be polite to her, and even that was only because of the Tong family. As they both disliked each other, they were constantly stumbling and crawling as they moved around. They looked just like two wriggling worms. When Jiang Xuxu brought her roommate over to talk to them, her gleeful grin could not be hidden at all. "You should go over there and have a look. The two of them are just amazing. The production team really did well with this arrangement." Chapter 23: They Would Be Each Other’s Opponents in the Future

Chapter 23: They Would Be Each Other¡¯s Opponents in the Future

Qi Wu and Tong Luo immediately looked up in Tong Fei''s direction after hearing what Jiang Xuxu said. There were only three minutes left in the ten minutes Song Qi had given them to prepare and strategize. However, it was obvious from the way Tong Fei''s icy face was locked in a haughty expression that she did not get along with Qiu Yan. As for Qiu Yan, she was initially able to get along with Tong Fei. However, after seeing Tong Fei act like a spoiled brat and was even arrogant enough to im she did not care about points at all, Qiu Yan could not be bothered catering to Tong Fei''s whims anymore. Even if Tong Fei did not care, Qiu Yan did. Although she had signed on with a talent agency, she had to beg and plead just to get this chance to participate in the show. There was no way she would get any preferential treatment on the show. As Qiu Yan watched Tong Fei throw a tantrum, she could not help but sarcastically suggest, "Since you find all of this beneath you, why don''t you just head home and continue on as a rich family''s daughter? Why bothering here to suffer?" Tong Fei sneered. "Don''t assume I don''t know the only reason you''re working so hard is just for those points. Make an enemy out of me and I''ll make sure that you won''t get a single point!" "You¡­!" Qiu Yan''s face twisted in anger. Standing not that far away was Qi Wu who leisurely apuded when she saw what was going on. "It seems they are getting along," shemented. Tong Luo''s lips twitched when she heard that. With aplicated look in her eyes, she looked away from the other duo. "You think that''s getting along well?" Qi Wu tilted her head. "They are just having a friendly conversation, right?" Despite the pure look in her clear eyes, every word she spoke had everyone torn between crying andughing. "Your tongue is still the sharpest around, sweetie!" Jiang Xuxu had already gotten used to this shocking side of Qi Wu. While a harmless littlemb would be very cute, would life not be more exciting with the presence of Qi Wu, a ck sheep disguised as a white sheep? Qi Wu looked away and noticed the woman silently standing behind Jiang Xuxu. She was wearing a ck leather jacket and a white spaghetti-strap top. A thing chain hanging from the waistband of her high-waisted shorts connected to the leg strap around her thigh, entuating her long legs. She was a very tall woman who was almost six feet tall. Standing next to her, Jiang Xuxu looked very short despite her height of 5''4". Reminded by Qi Wu''s stare, Jiang Xuxu finally recalled the reason she approached them to begin with. "Oh, right. I want to introduce you two to my partner." She turned to the side so that the woman standing behind her could be seen. "This is Ke Lu, my roommate and partner. She used to be a singer for a bar." Ke Lu looked up upon hearing her name. "Hello." With a few silver strands hiding among her neat and short hair and the handsome yet cold and aloof look in her eyes, she looked just like the typical big sister character from shows. "Hello." Tong Luo stiffly nodded in a shocked but pleased manner. She was going to introduce herself, but then Jiang Xuxu said with a wave of her hand, "It''s okay. I''ve already told her all about you guys." Then, Jiang Xuxu grabbed Ke Lu''s arm and jerked her chin at Qi Wu. "This is Qi Wu, the one I''ve been telling you about. Isn''t she just a beauty up close?" "... I know of her." Ke Lu silently nced at Qi Wu before looking away. "Thanks," Qi Wu said. "Good luck, Xuxu." Before Jiang Xuxu pulled Ke Lu away, Qi Wu called out to them in her usual calm voice. There was currently only one minute left on the timer. "Good luck to you too, sweetie!" Jiang Xuxu immediately turned around and excitedly shouted back in encouragement. When the ten minutes were up, the referee of the obstacle course came forward to sort the groups. Even if the 100 contestants were divided into teams of two, there would still be 50 teamspeting. Naturally, they could not go through the obstacle course all at once. Thus, the referee divided the contestants into five groups of ten teams each. Qi Wu and Tong Luo happened to be in the first group. "The first group¡­ It will be good to end early." "Yes." The two of them quickly headed to the starting line. Tong Luo had tied the rope around their feet with a special knot that made sure it would not be untied no matter how hard they jumped. After all, ording to the rules of thepetition, if the rope fell off, they had to start all over again. There were many obstacles scattered throughout their quarter-mile journey. It would be a major loss if they were failing because the rope kept falling off. As the two of them waited at the starting line, the other contestants watching from behind started whispering to each other about them. "That''s Tong Luo and¡­ Qi Wu? They''re roommates!" "It''s an alliance between the strong." "Tong Luo will definitely choose to be in the Actor category. As for Qi Wu, it''s hard to say." "She''s an amazing singer. It will be a shame if she does not get into the Musician category." As the spectators chattered, the referee blew his whistle, signaling the start of the race. Many of the teams impatiently rushed ahead. While they were fast, they were not all that neat and steady. However, they had probably practiced in advance for this, so they did not actually fall over. Inparison, Qi Wu and Tong Luo were like old womenpeting against a group full of youngsters as they were the only team that kept marching forward at their own steady pace. However, that yed to their benefit at the first obstacle. The first obstacle was the wooden log bridge Tong Luo spotted. The log itself wasn''t that tall and hard to get on, but the path ahead was very narrow. identally stepping a foot off it meant the team had to restart the obstacle. As the first few teams were eager to keep rushing forward, they did not hesitate at all when they arrived at the first obstacle. However, they were now on a round wooden log and not on t ground. Therefore, some teams soon became a heap of tangled limbs on the floor from losing their bnce. "Ah!" One of the teams cried out before the two of them twisted and tumbled off the wooden log together. Fortunately, the ground below was soft grass. When Tong Luo saw this, she faltered. She looked at Qi Wu. As their legs were tied together, their bodies were pressed very close together at that moment. They were so close that Tong Luo''s nose was filled with Qi Wu''s reassuring scent. "Let''s just follow the pace we set before." "All right." Qi Wu agreed. Thus, while the other teams were still struggling to clear the obstacle, Qi Wu and Tong Luo walked past them calmly as if they were walking on t ground instead of on a log. Soon, the other teams realized that while Qi Wu and Tong Luo weren''t the fastest team, they were the most bnced and steady as they continued to march forward. Some teams might get stuck at an obstacle and have to retry it a few more times, but Qi Wu and Tong Luo never stopped. Eventually, they were ahead of the group. "Only a few more feet left." Tong Luo could not help but smile. Both of them had good stamina, and they did not make any mistakes along the way. Hence, the quarter-mile run felt exceptionally easy. They kept going until they became the first team to reach the finish line. Still, Tong Luo did not feel any exhaustion in her limbs. Instead, she felt very much at ease. She liked the feeling of tackling challenges with Qi Wu by her side. Qi Wu took off the rope, easily undoing the special knot that Tong Luo had used in just a few seconds. She handed the rope back to Tong Luo. "It''s over. We''re in first ce." "Yes! We are number one!" Tong Luo emphatically agreed. However, she soon froze. That was because something like this could only happen today. After all, they would be each other''s opponents in the future. Chapter 24: I’ll See You at the Top

Chapter 24: I¡¯ll See You at the Top

Tong Fei soon found out about Qi Wu and Tong Luoing in first among their group. That infuriated her so much that her face twisted into an ugly look. "Tong Luo does not deserve to be first ce!" she screeched. She then turned and scowled at Qiu Yan. "We will be first ce as well." Qiu Yan could not even be bothered to respond to her by now. In the back of her mind, she jeered and mocked Tong Fei''s arrogant and furious words. At the very least, those two had gotten first ce because they could do it, unlike Tong Fei who was all talk and no action. Soon after the first group was finished, the second group was sent over to tackle the obstacle course. Many of the teams in the second group wanted to imitate Qi Wu and Tong Luo''s tactic but for some strange reason, they could not keep up the same pace for long before they kept making mistakes. The scene was like the blind leading the blind. When the first group that was resting after going through the obstacle course saw that, they all burst outughing. "If it was really that simple, we would have imitated them long ago!" Song Qi, who was already back with the production team, frowned and shook his head when he saw what the second group was doing. "Just what are they doing?" Qu Man smiled. "They''re trying to mimic Qi Wu and Tong Luo''s method of getting through the obstacles." Song Qi was so angry that he scoffed several times in a row. "They can mimic Qi Wu and Tong Luo, but they''re only imitating what''s on the surface. They just don''t understand that the pair can do what they did because theypromised andpensated for each other." Song Qi had hit the nail on the head, bluntly pointing out the critical mistake everyone in the second group was making. It was only because Qi Wu and Tong Luo had such great chemistry that even if one of them made a mistake, the other person would quickly make up for it. This way, their likelihood of failing was drastically decreased. Jiang Xuxu quickly pulled Ke Lu over for a "study session." They were lucky to have been ced in thest group, so they had enough time to observe and learn from the previous winners. "My goodness! How were you two so well-bnced?" Qi Wu looked up at Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu and asked a question that thoroughly confused Jiang Xuxu, "Do you like her?" "Huh?" Jiang Xuxu was stunned. Her mind had almost gone into the gutter when she took another look into Qi Wu''s eyes and realized that Qi Wu really did just mean the basic version of "like" instead of the implied "love." She nced at Ke Lu. "We¡­ get along." She was too afraid to be too confident in her answer since the two of them had only properly interacted for one day, but their personalities meshed together quite well. "Yes." "In that case, ept her," Qi Wu stated. Jiang Xuxu was at a loss for words. Did all powerhouses like to beat around the bush? Ke Lu grabbed Jiang Xuxu by the arm and nodded to Qi Wu. "I understand." Jiang Xuxu whirled around in pleasant surprise when she heard that. "Really? Let''s hurry up and practice then!" She then waved farewell to Qi Wu before following Ke Lu back to their spot for some practice. After Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu were gone, Tong Luo, who had been silent since they finished the obstacle course, finally summoned the courage to call out to Qi Wu. Qi Wu turned around and silently looked at her. When Tong Luo looked into Qi Wu''s eyes, her courage almost fled from her. "Don''t be so nice to me in the future. We can''t always be allies." Her voice was trembling as she spoke. She liked Qi Wu a lot but for the sake of her future, she had no choice but to abandon her one and only friend. Tong Luo kept asking herself if it was worth it. However, she could not afford to risk it. After her mother passed away, she made a vow in front of the grave. No matter what the price was, she would return to the stage. "Why?" Qi Wu was confused. "Why can''t I be nice to you just because you''re my opponent? Am I in your way?" The confusion andck of understanding swirling in her eyes made her look like an innocent little child slowly figuring out the rules of the world around them. While it had been a long time ago before she was an actual priestess, Qi Wu would never forget the girls who were being tested alongside her. Those girls felt nothing for her except for awe and fear. Even if they knew they could never be the next priestess because she was there. "Not at all!" Tong Luo''s sense of rationality went out the window when she heard Qi Wu''sst question. All concerns and worries were thrown out the window as she frantically tried to exin her thought process while stumbling over her words. She had never thought Qi Wu was in her way. On the contrary, she was very happy to have an opponent like Qi Wu. The confusion in Qi Wu''s eyes slowly faded away. When she next spoke, her voice was as gentle as it had always been, making her sound like a merciful goddess filled with pity for the world. "I''m not that nice to you. You deserve better." "Aargh! You¡­!" Tong Luo was overwhelmed by the indescribable feelings warring in her. With bright red cheeks, the only reaction she could think of was stamping her feet to hide her embarrassment. Her face burned even brighter when Qi Wu innocently blinked at her in response. She had been so mean to Qi Wu, so why was Qi Wu still¡­ After a while, she seemed to have given up struggling against her impulses, and her shoulders drooped. "How are you so cute?" Her tone was not just a little depressed, as if she was despising herself for surrendering so quickly. Qi Wu''s eyes lit up with a bright smile as well as a yearning for knowledge. "Is ''cute'' apliment? In that case, you''re also very cute." Tong Luo stared in silence. She decided to just give up her dignity in the face of the second wave of cuteness directed her way and immediately covered her face with her hands. After a long while, she said, "I will work hard to be an opponent worthy of you." She ced her hands down, revealing eyes burning brightly with the desire to win against an evenly matched opponent. "I''ll see you at the top, one day." "Alright." Qi Wu replied with the same serious tone Tong Luo used. Tong Luo had not expected the dilemma bothering her for so long to be resolved with just a few words from Qi Wu. There was nothing else to worry about now. Qi Wu was right. Being friends would not affect thepetition. On the contrary, she should work harder just to be Qi Wu''s opponent. It was the kind of mutual respect that could only exist inpetitions. "Qi Wu, you''re amazing!" Tong Luo''s tone was full of admiration and awe. Qi Wu was a few years older than her, and that age gap made it easier for Tong Luo to view Qi Wu with even more admiration than before. Moreover, now that she was free from her mental burden, she was starting to open up again. The gloominess and wariness lingering around her when they first met seemed to have disappeared. "Is that considered amazing?" Qi Wu was serious, but Tong Luo assumed she was just being humble. She waved her hand. "I know. Powerhouses like you prefer to be humble andy low. I understand." Qi Wu blinked. Over an hour passed, and finally, thest group was going to run the obstacle course. Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu were not the only ones they knew who were in this group. Tong Fei and Qiu Yan were also in thest group. They just so happened to be assigned to the starting position next to Jiang Xuxu. When Qiu Yan spotted Jiang Xuxu, she could not resist sneering. "What a coincidence, Jiang Xuxu. From the way you look, you''re not trying to get first ce, are you?" Jiang Xuxunguidly nced at her andughed. "Even now, I still feel pity for you, Qiu Yan." Chapter 25: Buy You All the Lemon Drops You Can Ever Want

Chapter 25: Buy You All the Lemon Drops You Can Ever Want

Silence fell. Qiu Yan''s face twisted as her sore spot was hit. She did not know if Jiang Xuxu got along well with her teammate, but that rtionship would definitely be better than the one Qiu Yan had with her teammate. Soon, the referee blew the whistle, and the ten teams instantly dashed forward from the starting line. Tong Luo, who had already retreated to the shade to rest, soon bore witness to a marvelous show being performed on the field. "Pfft!" She could not help butugh as quickly pulled Qi Wu over. "Look, Qi Wu." Qi Wu''s gaze followed Tong Luo''s finger. Thepetition had just begun, and most of the teams had arrived at the first obstacle. With what they learned from the previous groups, the teams of this group were able to cross the log bridge much faster than the other teams. All of the teams except for Tong Fei and Qu Yan, obviously. After all, they had already started arguing and fighting with each other before they even stepped onto the wooden bridge. Tong Fei crossed her arms and arrogantly red at Qiu Yan. "Can you just stand still? What if you make me fall?" A superficial smile spread across Qiu Yan''s lips. "O greatdy, why don''t you think about what we should do if you''re the one who loses their bnce?" Tong Fei raised her eyebrows in disdain. "This game is so simple that there''s no way I would fail." However, just as they stepped onto the logs, Tong Fei suddenly shouted. "Aah!" The next thing anyone knew, the teams around her watched as she panicked while falling to the side. She also grabbed Qiu Yan as she fell, causing Qiu Yan to fall as well even though Qiu Yan was capable of keeping herself standing. Both of them ended up in a tangled heap of limbs on the ground. "What are you doing?" Qiu Yan was so angry that her face had turned ugly. She could have pulled Tong Fei back and prevented her from falling off, but Tong Fei had to drag her down before she could even do that. Naturally, Tong Fei would never admit to having made a mistake. She also refused to back down when questioned by Qiu Yan and shouted back, "I must have fallen because you keep losing your bnce!" Outside the obstacle course, Qi Wu smiled as she watched them fight. "Is this what it means to go through thick and thin together?" "... I would have believed Tong Fei if she hadn''t been so obvious when she dragged Qiu Yan down with her." "They''re certainly redefining the phrase ''through thick and thin,''" Tong Luo jeered. There was no way Tong Luo would ever miss out on a chance tough at Tong Fei. Tong Fei had humiliated Tong Luo countless times in public and in private just because she was the daughter of the Tong family. If Tong Luo had not held herself back and just endured until she found this opportunity, she would probably have lived out the rest of her life under Tong Fei''s oppressive thumb. After the incident, the teams around Tong Fei and Qiu Yan consciously distanced themselves from the duo. After all, they did not want to be dragged into a mess they were not part of. For once, Jiang Xuxu did not join in the fun and just focused on clearing the obstacles with Ke Lu. Tong Fei and Qiu Yan''s humiliation was not over yet. They constantly entertained the audience with their many failures at every obstacle they had to ovee. Among the production team, many of them were already on the brink of bursting out loud withughter. If not for Song Qi''s rules, they would be filling the air withughter by now. As Song Qi''s long-time colleague and friend, Hu Mofei did not care that much about the rules. He had not stoppedughing since the start of the group''s run. "Oh, these two women! I nearly thought we had given them a script to act out, but no. They''re just being themselves!" Hu Mofei eximed. Song Qi''s face was very dark. With a cold snort, he instructed, "Put this in the trailer." "Oh?" Hu Mofei turned around in surprise. "This very segment? Will the Tong family not say anything?" Song Qi snapped his eyes shut as if he did not want to look at the frustrating scene ying out before him any longer. "Letting Tong Fei join in the show is the most leniency I can show. Now, it is time for us to make use of the only value she has." Respect and tolerance from Song Qi were not qualities anyone could easily demand from him. Sometimes, not even the employees from the three giants of the industry could demand respect from him. Furthermore, the Tong family had no connections in the industry. "Very well. You are the executive director. What you say, goes." Hu Mofei grinned. The moment Song Qi gave him themand, he already had an idea in mind on how to use this segment to create a trailer that would go viral. After the three-legged race was over, the LED screen nearby disyed the time it had taken for every team to finish the obstacle course. Qi Wu and Tong Luo had the shortest clear time, so they were awarded ten points, the highest number of points avable. The remaining teams each received a gradually decreasing number of points while the thirty slowest teams did not receive any points. As Song Qi solemnly announced the final results, the LED screen behind him disyed a scoreboard that updated in real-time. When the sixty contestants saw that they had gotten zero points, they all wailed in agony. They did not realize it would be so difficult to earn a single point in thepetition. "Now, you may go back and rest. The outdoor barbecue party we have prepared for you will start when night falls." As soon as Song Qi finished speaking, everyone burst out into cheers. "This production is so rich! They''re actually throwing us a barbecue party!" "This ce is so pretty. It would have been a real pity if we didn''t spend some time under the stars." The contestants soon dispersed. Once all the contestants had left, Song Qi turned around and signaled for Qu Man to start. Qu Man nodded and immediately led her subordinates to get the ce ready. * When Qi Wu and Tong Luo returned to the vi, they bumped into Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue. Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue had been sulking silently in frustration until they spotted Qi Wu and Tong Luo. They could not help but look embarrassed. Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue did not receive any points from the race. Looking at Qi Wu and Tong Luo now, they were reminded of how they treated Tong Luo with disdain when it was her team who won ten points. Yao Ning wished she could just p her past self in the face. She had not expected Tong Luo to be able to turn the tide. If she had known earlier, she would not have been so cruel and persistent. If she had not done that, she might be able to have a few frames of an episode to herself by hanging around them. She awkwardly smiled at the two women. In order to make herself stand out, she decided to just break the stalemate despite the humiliation. "Oh, you''re back¡­" Before she could finish her sentence, Qi Wu grabbed Tong Luo''s arm and pulled her further into the vi. "I''m exhausted, Tong Luo." "Let''s hurry back to our room and rest." Tong Luo shot Yao Ning and Yin Yueyue long looks with eyes that shimmered with a trace of derision, making them feel very ufortable. Upon returning to the bedroom, Tong Luo rxed and sat down on her bed. She then looked at Qi Wu with eager eyes. "Were you defending me just now?" However, the only response she received was the sight of Qi Wu staring nkly at her jar with only three lemon drops left in it. Although Qi Wu looked calm andposed as usual, Tong Luo strangely felt a sense of grief and distress from her bodynguage. "What''s wrong?" Tong Luo had silently walked over to Qi Wu. Qi Wu heaved a heavy sigh and replied in a miserable and soft voice, "There are only three lemon drops left." When would Jin Si buy her more? Tong Luo stared in silence. The only thing she knew right now was a loud voice shouting in her mind, I''ll buy you some! I''ll buy you all the lemon drops you can ever want! Chapter 26: Did This Angel Fall From the Sky?

Chapter 26: Did This Angel Fall From the Sky?

As the radiant sunset hues faded from the sky, darkness swept through the air, living brilliant dots of stars shimmering in the air. There was a mild breeze that evening, causing the trees to rustle as the colorful lights hanging from their branches swayed with the wind. The party was all set up with grills and various barbecue tools ready to be used by the time the candidates arrived. However, the food was nowhere to be seen. The candidates soon realized what the issue was. As Jiang Xuxu dragged Ke Lu over to Qi Wu and Tong Luo, she asked, "Didn''t they say we''ll have a barbecue party? I don''t see any food." "Search," Qi Wu answered. There was no such thing as a free meal. As expected, soon after Qi Wu spoke, Song Qi walked over to the contestants. "I''m sure you have all realized by now that there is no food present." The candidates who had been searching for the food instantly froze when they heard Song Qi speak. "While the theme for tonight is a barbecue party, you will need to hunt for your food. There are cards with the names of the food you''ll need scattered all around the area. Every food alsoes with its own set of points. Find the cards to gain both food and points." The candidates immediately started chattering. "I just knew it wouldn''t be a simple barbecue party!" "All of this effort just to enjoy some barbecue during the show¡­" "At least we''re only looking for something. We can even gain points by doing so." As the candidates were starting to get engrossed in their discussion, Song Qi cleared his throat to grab their attention. "You have thirty minutes to search. We''ll tally up your scores once you''re done." He then walked back to the production team. Soon, a thirty-minute timer was disyed on the LED board nearby. When the candidates realized their time had started, they promptly abandoned all theirining and charged for the grass field. No one wanted to be left behind. Tong Luo nced at the retreating backs of the other candidates and turned to look at Qi Wu. "Shall we go?" Jiang Xuxu nodded as well and started dragging Ke Lu along. "If we''re slow, we might not even get anything to eatter." "Are you after the food or the points?" Ke Lu stood there in silence, staring down at the arm Jiang Xuxu had grabbed. "Of course, I want both!" Jiang Xuxu responded without hesitation. "Why drag me along? We don''t need to team up for this segment." Ke Lu''s reminder caused realization to dawn on Jiang Xuxu. "I''m just not used to going at it alone," Jiang Xuxu exined, awkwardly letting go of Ke Lu. Silence fell. Ke Lu felt speechless. Tong Luo frowned. "That means splitting up to search for the cards is for the best." As soon as she said that, she turned to find Qi Wu had mysteriously vanished from behind her sometime during the conversation and had walked ahead of them. "Qi Wu," Tong Luo eximed in shock. Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu turned around to find Qi Wu leisurely strolling by thekeside. However, she would always head to certain locations and, with great uracy, find a card either hiding between the leaves, behind a tree, or among the colorful strings of lights. In the few minutes they had been talking, Qi Wu had found around four or five cards. When she was done walking by theke, she turned around and suddenly stared at the cameraman wrapped in a gray hooding who was filming her from behind. "Little Gray." Her voice was soft as she called out to him. The cameraman was stunned. Was "Little Gray" referring to him? The cameraman assigned to Qi Wu was often called Gray by the other crew members, but Hu Mofei liked to call him Little Gray instead. When Qi Wu called out to the cameraman, he nearly thought she had been possessed by Hu Mofei. Qi Wu evidently could not read his mind as she soon walked over to him. Seeing that, he hurriedly walked backward. Qi Wu frowned and shot him a stern look. "Don''t move." While those words were meant to be threatening, her voice did not ring with any sense of overwhelming authority. Still, it was enough to make him stand still. He remained frozen until Qi Wu pulled out a card from the hood of his hoodie. "The props department hid a card in my hoodie?" he yelped. He stared at the card in her hand in confusion while disbelief was painted all over his face. He was not the only person who was stunned by the new development. The production team monitoring from afar was shocked as well. There was no way to hide the astonishment in Song Qi''s eyes as he muttered to himself, "Just how sharp are her eyes?" Qu Man could not resist snickering. "The props department is full of evil pranksters. They even hid a card in Gray''s hoodie." "All of that is useless against my darling daughter. She still found it!" Hu Mofei looked so proud. A few secondster, Qi Wu abandoned the stunned cameraman to return to her friends. She returned to the three women with six cards in hand. Qi Wu looked at Jiang Xuxu and slowly asked, "What would you like to eat, Xuxu?" "Pork belly!" Jiang Xuxu had not realized why Qi Wu asked her that question and had only answered out of instinct. She watched as Qi Wu scanned her cards before pulling out a card with the words "pork belly" written on it and holding it out to her. "For you," Qi Wu said in her tranquil, sweet voice. It was only then that realization struck Jiang Xuxu. She hurriedly waved her hands in refusal. "There''s no need. You found the cards yourself." While Jiang Xuxu really wanted the points, she knew that Qi Wu found them all by herself. Jiang Xuxu could not allow herself to profit from doing nothing. "It''s fine." Qi Wu did not hesitate at all as she continued with a blink of her eyes, "I would like to try some as well. Can you give me some?" Jiang Xuxu was so moved that she felt the strong urge to wrap her arms around Qi Wu in a bear hug. Did this angel fall from the sky? Qi Wu then had Tong Luo and Ke Lu pick one of their favorite foods. At first, Tong Luo felt bad about it, but she soon let go of her hesitation and epted the offered card when she saw how serious Qi Wu was. Ke Lu did not remain silent for long. After epting the card Qi Wu handed to her, she calmly asked, "What would you like to eat? I''ll find them for you." Upon hearing that, Qi Wu tilted her head, deep in thought. After a while, she sadly shook her head. "I''ve never tried barbecue before." Food served in the temple followed a very strict diet. The fires and smoke of the mortal world seemed so distant from the temple, leaving behind a majestic yet rotting chill. Everyone was shocked. They all stared at her with wide eyes. Jiang Xuxu felt her heart ache even more. She instantly thumped her chest and dered, "Just wait here, sweetie. I''ll cook for youter. I''m great at cooking meat!" There was a conflicted look in Tong Luo''s eyes as she looked away. Still, her voice rang with firm determination. "I''ll look for more cards now." Ke Luo emphatically nodded in agreement. "Same." They had to offer Qi Wu the best food there was! All three of them had the same thought in mind. Qi Wu blinked in confusion at the three women who were suddenly filled with determination. "Good luck?" The production team silently stared from nearby, simrly confused. Chapter 27: Does She Have a Radar Installed in Her?

Chapter 27: Does She Have a Radar Installed in Her?

Song Qi watched as the three women walked away in different directions due to some sudden burst of excitement. In fact, they were so excited that they started running. He turned and shot Qu Man and Hu Mofei a confused look. "Why are those three so motivated all of a sudden?" Qu Man, who had been listening with one ear to her radio the entire time, shot Song Qi a meaningful look. "Why don''t you listen in on Qi Wu''s microphone?" Jiang Xuxu, Tong Luo, and Ke Lu were above average among all the contestants, so they were not that interested in points. However, they were instantly pushed to search for the cards because Qi Wu had never tried barbecue before. "I don''t care about that girl." Song Qi muttered to himself with a cold look on his face, clearly dissatisfied with how invested his two subordinates were in Qi Wu. Due to Song Qi''s strict views and high standards, he forbade any preferential treatment or exemptions on his shows. He also had to force himself not to pay attention to Qi Wu. However, Hu Mofei had been working with Song Qi for over a decade, so he was unwilling to amodate Song Qi''s stubbornness. The moment he heard what Song Qi said, he instantly pushed his way over to stand by Song Qi''s side. "If you won''t switch to her side, I will. I''ll pull up Little Gray''s footage." Hu Mofei deftly seized control of theptop in front of Song Qi to pull up the camera they had following Qi Wu. "Hey!" Song Qi scowled and angrily huffed. "How can you be so bold? You are not paid to look at your idol at work!" Hu Mofei rolled his eyes. "Song, she doesn''t even know who I am? What do you mean by being paid to look at my idol? I pay attention to her because she is worth keeping an eye on." For once, Qu Man agreed with him. "He''s right. Qi Wu will be a topic of great interest." Song Qi red at them. By now, he could not even be bothered to talk to them. When he turned to look at theptop screen, his eyes went wide with shock. "Why does she have seven cards?" He had been astounded when she had found six cards just hiding near the site. After all, most contestants would choose to run away from the field as soon as the timer started. No one could have thought that there would be cards hiding close to them. Qi Wu had thought of that, though. She had also found the cards hidden by theke. She had a total of six cards, but three of them were given away. However, she now had seven cards in her hands. That meant she had found four more cards during the production team''s brief conversation. If it weren''t for the fact that most of the contestants seen in the other cameras were still frantically searching for cards while some had not even found a single card, Song Qi would have suspected the props department had gone easy on the contestants. Hu Mofei had been watching Qi Wu''s camera from the start. Still, he could not contain his shock and muttered to himself, "Why does she act like she has some sort of radar installed in her? She finds a card as soon as she stops walking." If the entire clip was aired, a lot of their viewers would start to wonder if Qi Wu had been provided with a cheat sheet. However, everyone in the production team was bbergasted as well. Song Qi looked at Hu Mofei with a suspicious look in his eyes. Hu Mofei had been confused at first by the stare, but when realization dawned on him, he immediately shot to his feet. "What do you mean by that, Song? Are you using me of helping her? I''m not in charge of props!" Song Qi angrily huffed. "Enough. I''m not using you of anything. She just has good luck." Hu Mofei and Qu Man exchanged a look when they heard that. Even now, Song Qi was still stubbornly insisting it was all a matter of luck. Meanwhile, the timer disyed on the LED screen had ticked down to fifteen minutes. The speakers stationed around the living quarters began to sound out reminders. "There are fifteen minutes left on the timer." Qi Wu calmly pulled out a card from beneath a letterbox nearby. Just as she was about to continue with her search, she noticed Jiang Xuxu excitedly waving her over from a distance. "Come quickly!" Qi Wu turned and walked over to Jiang Xuxu. "What is it?" she asked. Jiang Xuxu led her around the corner in a secretive manner. Then, they poked their heads around the corner. "Look over there," Jiang Xuxu said, pointing with a finger. Qi Wu followed the finger and found Tong Fei and her group of followers confronting¡­ Qiu Yan, who was standing there all by herself. "Qiu Yan and Tong Fei are fighting over a card, I think," Jiang Xuxu exined in a whisper. "I noticed them toote to know who found the card first. Still, just judging by who looks the strongest, Tong Fei won the fight." There was drama happening. How could Jiang Xuxu not share the gossip with her dearest friends? How she wished she could call everyone over to watch the catfight. "What a pity I couldn''t find Tong Luo and Ke Lu," she muttered. However, she was happy enough with Qi Wu''s presence. As soon as she finished muttering to herself, Tong Fei''s arrogant and unrestrained voice boomed through the air. "Qiu Yan, be sensible. The card is mine." Upon hearing that, Qiu Yan scoffed. "Yours? Did you bring a whole group of women over just to keep an eye on me so that you could steal a card I found?" "Did youy your hands on it? No? That means you did not actually find it. It''s in my hands now, so it''s mine." Tong Fei did not feel ashamed of her behavior. Conversely, she was actually holding her head up with a puffed chest as she described what she had done. The group of women behind her exchanged nces. A lot of them actually thought what they did was not ethical, but they did not dare offend Tong Fei. Qiu Yan was trembling in anger. There was a sinister glint in her eyes as she red at Tong Fei as though she wished looks could kill. "Does the esteemed daughter of the Tong family not care about her dignity and reputation anymore? You are so much more inferior than Tong Luo!" "How can youpare her to me? She''s nothing!" The moment Qiu Yan mentioned Tong Luo, Tong Fei''s haughty expression instantly twisted into an ugly look. "She''s not even fit to polish my shoes! Do you know just how¡­" "Tong Fei!" The group of women behind her hurriedly stopped her from saying anything more. The Tong family had arranged for them to join the talent show as a sort of "handmaiden". Their duty was to support Tong Fei in everything. While Tong Fei had long since chased away the cameraman assigned to her, they were all mic''d up. If Tong Fei continued speaking, this would turn into more than a simple argument. Tong Fei''s face twisted as though a thought had just struck her. Thus, she had no choice but to swallow back what she nned to say. "Anyway, the card is mine. If you want it, you''ll have to take it with your own hands!" Tong Fei shot Qiu Yan another derisive re before stomping away with her head held high and her group of followers scurrying behind her. Qiu Yan was so angry that she desperately needed an outlet for her anger. However, she had no choice but to continue her search for the cards while she still had time. Jiang Xuxu was disappointed to see that the two women did not tear each other into pieces. "I thought Tong Fei would drop a bomb on us or something. What a pity she was stopped from talking." "She can''t hide what she knows for long." Qi Wu''s voice was as soft as a whisper when she responded to Jiang Xuxu. Chapter 28: Qi Wu Truly Was a Powerhouse

Chapter 28: Qi Wu Truly Was a Powerhouse

Jiang Xuxu nodded in agreement with Qi Wu''s deration and solemnly said, "Poor Tong Luo. Who knows how much she had to suffer just because of Tong Fei." As someone born into a well-off family who doted on her, Jiang Xuxu''s only setback in life had been the scandal that called her out for being a streamer with a sugar daddy. She did not know much about Tong Luo''s life. Tong Luo had not chosen to be born into that family, yet it still affected her entire life. * When the countdown ended, the contestants all streamed back to the site. A lot of the contestants had collected three or four cards. The unluckier contestants only had one or two cards. Only a few contestants were lucky enough to have found over five cards. As for Qi Wu, she had ten cards all to herself. This was the final result after she had been dragged away by Jiang Xuxu to watch the drama unfold. "All contestants may now head to the food exchange counter with your cards." The number of points a card was worth was written on the back of the card. Hence, before heading over to the food exchange counter, Jiang Xuxu dragged Qi Wu, Ke Lu, and Tong Luo to the side so that they could calcte how many points they would get. "Sweetie, pork belly is worth five points. Why don''t you take it instead?" Jiang Xuxu eximed. Five was the maximum number of points a contestant could receive from a card. Qi Wu shook her head and pulled ten cards out from her jacket pocket with a face so calm that it was as if she had only asked everyone what they would be eating that day. "I have more," Qi Wu responded. Jiang Xuxu was rendered speechless. Qi Wu truly was a powerhouse. Tong Luo pulled out one of her cards and shuffled over to stand beside Qi Wu so that she could show the card to Qi Wu. "I found a card for oysters, and I know how to clean and prepare them. I''ll make some for youter." Qi Wu''s eyes lit up as she sweetly replied, "Okay." Tong Luo felt so much happier after receiving a response from Tong Luo that there was a skip in her step as she walked away. There was a smile on Qi Wu''s lips as she watched Tong Luo walk away. She could feel the change happening in Tong Luo as she went from the sea of lonely despair she was drowning in to being filled with enthusiasm for life. How enviable. Behind her, a cold voice suddenly spoke up, "I found a card formb skewers. I''m not bad at cooking them." It was Ke Luo. The raspy, smoky quality of her voice and cold demeanor had everyone thinking she was an unfriendly person. However, she was currently being so kind and sweet to Qi Wu even though her face looked as aloof and frigid as always. Qi Wu turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you." A light shed in Ke Luo''s eyes before she looked away, seemingly out of difort, as she grunted in response. Once the contestants were done at the food exchange counter and returned to the site, the LED screen disyed everyone''s updated scores. A lot of the contestants had lost their appetite the moment they noticed they were at the bottom of the leaderboard. However, there were quite a few contestants whose rankings had improved since earlier in the afternoon. "Goodness! Qi Wu has taken her score to the next level!" "No wonder I can''t find any of the cards. She took everything! How many did she find?" "I saw her pull out ten cards when we came back¡­" "Is she a powerhouse? I want someone like that to pull me up as well." The contestants were all shocked beyond belief as they stared at Qi Wu''s score. Of course, the happiest contestant of all was Jiang Xuxu as she received a high score without doing too much and had spent some time clinging to Qi Wu. Qi Wu and her group found a grill for themselves. While they did not grow up in the same households, they all knew how to clean and prepare the food they had gotten. Everyone¡­ except for Qi Wu. At that moment, she was standing next to the sink and solemnly stared down at the oyster Tong Luo was preparing. Tong Luo tensed up from how intense Qi Wu''s stare was. Tong Luo gulped and finally caved in to the bright eyes staring straight at her. "Is something wrong?" Qi Wu shook her head in response and whispered, "It''s my first time seeing an o-oyster." She had replied so sincerely with steady eyes that did not even drift off to the side that she sounded just like a bird that was only stepping foot in the world for the first time after being kept hidden away in a gilded cage. She treated everything with the same curiosity and solemnity. "I''ll be done soon. They''ll taste amazing once we grill them." Tong Luo had to speak with a tight throat. She had already surrendered to Qi Wu''s cuteness, so why was she still under attack? Just then, Jiang Xuxu appeared and saved Tong Luo who was so flustered by how cute Qi Wu looked that she nearly forgot how to clean and prepare oysters for grilling. "Sweetie, can you grab us some seasonings?" she called out to Qi Wu. Qi Wu instantly headed over to Jiang Xuxu. Tong Luo instantly heaved a great sigh of relief when Qi Wu was gone. "Chili peppers, cumin, minced garlic¡­" Jiang Xuxu was counting out the seasonings she needed Qi Wu to grab for her with one hand. At the end of the list, she asked, worried, "You know what those are, right?" "I do." Qi Wu replied with a confident nod. Jin Si used those all the time. Jiang Xuxu smiled. "The seasonings are all up ahead over there. Be quick." "Okay." Qi Wu nodded before turning to walk over to the seasoning area. As soon as she walked away from her protective group and appeared alone in the seasoning area, people turned to stare at her. She was a great beauty and was at the top of the leaderboard. It was nearly impossible for people to not pay attention to her. However, most people did not know her well. Even if they wanted to befriend her now, she was constantly protected by her friends hovering nearby. Naturally, no one stood a chance of befriending her. Now was their chance. Still, as they watched Qi Wu calmly look through the seasonings for the items she needed, no one actually dared to walk over to her. After all, they did not know what kind of person she was. Qi Wu had gathered most of the seasonings Jiang Xuxu listed out, but there were a few items she had never seen before. She stood there frowning as she wondered what she should do next. The family of pink pigs she watched never taught her how to differentiate one seasoning from the next. Just then, someone with a warm voice asked from behind her, "Do you need help?" Qi Wu turned around to find a man standing behind her. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt with a pair of spectacles perched on his nose. His eyes shimmered with warmth and sincerity as he gazed at Qi Wu. She looked down and nced at the name printed on the corner of his shirt¡ªTan Song. "Hello." After greeting him, Qi Wu replied, "I''m looking for rosemary oil." Tan Song nodded with a smile. "You''re in the wrong section. Rosemary oil is over there on that rack." Qi Wu turned to look at the rack he pointed to. Just as he said, there were many more bottles and seasonings found there, and they all hadbels. Rosemary oil could be seen on that rack. She silently stared for a moment before saying to him, "Thanks." "My name is Tan Song. I''m honored to meet you. I really like your voice. It''s special." As Qi Wu walked over to the rack behind her, Tan Song followed her instead of leaving. "Could I ask you for a few pointers?" Chapter 29: How Did Qi Wu Fool These Three Into Adoring Her?

Chapter 29: How Did Qi Wu Fool These Three Into Adoring Her?

Qi Wu stopped walking. She turned to stare at Tan Song in confusion. "I''m not good enough to teach you." She spoke with a calm face. There was no attempt to be humble. She was actually speaking the truth. After all, she had never properly studied music. Tan Song was stunned. He had known he might be rejected, but he did not think that would be the reason for the rejection. When he saw that Qi Wu was going to walk away, he could not help but frantically call out, "That''s not what I mean. Your voice has inspired me. I¡­ If it''s possible, can we coborate?" "Not at all." Qi Wu then gently continued, "I will not be in the Musician category." Her answer seemed to havepletely caught him by surprise as Tan Song just stared at her in shock until she walked away from the seasoning area. He only snapped back to his senses after she disappeared from his view. Disappointment and regret shed in his eyes. While the song she sang was childish and simple and, from a professional perspective, extremely wed, Tan Song liked the hypnotic quality of her voice. The most precious and raremodity in music was the ability to evoke emotions in the audience, to resonate with their emotions. This was what Tan Song had been pursuing his entire career but¡­ he had never once found it. * When Qi Wu returned with an armful of seasonings, she looked so sweet and obedient that Jiang Xuxu could not stop a motherly grin from spreading across her face. As she stroked Qi Wu''s head, she cheerfully said, "Oh, sweetie, you got everything I needed! You''re amazing!" Qi Wu was not surprised by Jiang Xuxu abruptly stroking her head. In fact, she even stopped walking so that Jiang Xuxu could continue stroking her head. However, Jiang Xuxu''s behavior had Tong Luo and Ke Lu looking up to stare at her with deep, dark eyes. As Jiang Xuxu had her back to them, she naturally did not notice their stares. After grabbing the seasonings from Qi Wu, she hurriedly grabbed a folding chair, unfolded it, and ced it somewhere nearby. "Sit here, sweetie. The smoke won''t reach you here." Once Qi Wu was settled in, Jiang Xuxu swiftly walked over to help Tong Luo and Ke Lu with the cooking. As they all disliked crowds, they had chosen the grill that was located at the edge of the site. Sitting by theke, Qi Wu enjoyed the quiet night while the other three women worked hard to feed her. This entire scene was captured by Gray''s camera and projected on Song Qi''sptop. As for Song Qi himself, he was silently staring at theptop screen. When Qu Man finally got back from her meeting and found Song Qi watching the camera assigned to Qi Wu, she chuckled. "Didn''t you say you won''t pay attention to her?" Song Qi turned around and, shockingly enough, did not shoot back a retort. Instead, he just asked with a conflicted look in his eyes, "How did Qi Wu fool these three into adoring her?" "Fool?" Qu Man huffed. "Song, it''s time you change that old-school mindset of yours. Qi Wu touched their hearts with her sincerity." As she put down her stack of documents, she ced one arm on the table and used it to support herself while she leaned in to look down at Song Qi. "Perhaps you should try talking to her." What was that alluring about Qi Wu? Her face was the biggest lure, but past her beauty, what attracted the women to her was her genuine sincerity. She was just like an empty page that was so nk that everyone wanted to write on it. Song Qi waved his hands at her. "Executive directors do not interact with contestants in private. I''m also one of the mentors¡­" His voice suddenly drifted off as he said that. Qu Man winked. "Yes, you are a mentor on the show." She then walked away. With how obvious she had been, Song Qi deserved what would happen if he did not get over himself. She was certain that this show was only the start. Qi Wu would eventually stand in front of the entire world. At that thought, Qu Man felt a rush of excitement. Which category would Qi Wu select when it was time to choose? As for Song Qi who had been led to a breakthrough by Qu Man, he silently stared into the distance before looking down at the documents Qu Man brought over. * Naturally, Qi Wu was not someone who would just sit in her chair and daydream. With her elbows on her knees and her chin on her palms, she silently watched as the three women bustled about. Perhaps it was out of nerves. Perhaps it was because of something else. Whatever it was, they were working much faster than before. Curiosity and thirst lurked within Qi Wu''s eyes. She wanted to be part of this world, to see what she had never seen before in her past life. When she was living in the temple, not only would that just be a hope, but it would also be considered a hallucination. When Tan Song spotted Qi Wu after relentless searching, he found her silently sitting in her chair. She was all alone and quiet. That was what Tan Song sensed radiating from her. However, he also felt a surge of vitality radiating from her. He could not help but walk over to politely call out to her, "Hello." Qi Wu turned around and stared at him with confused eyes. "I''ve already said no." Despite how calm she sounded, Tan Song still felt embarrassed about being called out for that. "I don''t mean to pester you," he clumsily said and handed over the manuscript he was holding to her beforeunching into his exnation. "This is what I got when you inspired me. If possible, I would love for you to look at it." Tan Song seemed unused tomunicating with other people as he kept stumbling over his own words. However, his eyes shone brightly with genuine eagerness. With that gaze trained on her, Qi Wu epted the manuscript offered to her. The writing on the paper was rather messy, like a first draftposition, but Qi Wu and her discerning eyes could tell that the person who wrote had been filled with heartfelt excitement and longing. As Qi Wu solemnly read through the paper in her hand, Tan Song eagerly introduced himself. "My name is Tan Song. I''m a ssical musician." When he finished speaking, he found Qi Wu gazing up at him with confusion and pity. Her gaze made his voice die in his throat. At that very moment, he felt as if he had met an adoring god with pity in his heart for humanity. Qi Wu was audibly bewildered as she asked, "Why would you build a cage to trap yourself in it?" For her whole life, she had been trapped in the temple. That was her fate. However, the man standing before her had willingly trapped himself in a cage. Tan Song stared back in visible shock. He seemed to not have registered what she said as he dazedly asked, "What?" Qi Wu handed the manuscript back to him. "There may be limits to music, but there are none to your imagination." She continued staring at him until he scrambled away in a manner akin to running away from something with his manuscript in hand. Just then, Tong Luo who had been silently watching them interact spoke up. "Qi Wu, when did you meet Tan Song?" "I met him at the seasoning area just now. He helped me." Upon hearing that, Jiang Xuxu leaned over. "What is it? Is Tan Song part of the entertainment industry? I''ve never heard of him before now." "Tan Song has been in the industry for a few years, but he has never really been popr due to his stubborn nature. Honestly speaking, he''s quite talented. He just can''t gather enough poprity," Tong Luo exined. Chapter 30: Cannot Let Her Sugar Daddy Affect Her Career!

Chapter 30: Cannot Let Her Sugar Daddy Affect Her Career!

Jiang Xuxu nodded. "That''s a pity." Qi Wu calmly shifted her gaze back to her friends. How could someone who intentionally trapped himself resonate with what others felt? * Within the production team''s area, Song Qi held a script in his hands while his eyes were locked in Qi Wu''s direction. The pen he held over the script never dipped to leave a mark on the page. Standing next to him, Qu Man could not suppress the sinister glee rising in her. "Song, another of your esteemed contestants has made contact with Qi Wu. How do you feel?" "If she can truly change Tan Song, then she can be considered his savior," Song Qi said. Qu Man could not resistmenting further. "Technically speaking, Tan Song does not fit the bill for our show. If Ms. Tang had not asked for a favor¡­ She''s such a great mentor. Even after all these years, Ms. Tang still thinks highly of Tan Song''s potential. I hope Tan Song does go through the needed changes." Song Qi''s voice was filled with nostalgia and regret. "Back when Tan Song first debuted, all the bigpanies fought over his songs. Who knew that in just a few months after that, he would be stuck." With an abrupt change in tone, Song Qi turned to ask Qu Man, "Do you think Qi Wu has the power to change him?" Qu Man clicked her tongue. "Do not set yourself up, Song." Still, Qu Man turned to look at Qi Wu''s figure in the distance as anticipation rang audibly in her voice. "I wonder what miracles await us." It would be the best day of her life if she could also spot Jin Si interacting with Qi Wu. Meanwhile, the food that had been cooking on the grill was finally done. Qi Wu was called over to a nearby table by Jiang Xuxu. Her eyes shimmered with childlike innocence and curiosity as she looked at the tableden with food she had never tasted before. Pointing to one of the tters, she softly asked, "Are those oysters?" Tong Luo nodded and exined as she pointed at the tes. "Start by adding minced garlic or any of the other seasonings to it. Give it a try. See if you like it." Qi Wu did not even hesitate before replying, "I like it." "You haven''t even tried it yet." "Well, I like it." Qi Wu''s answer was simple yet sinct. While that filled Tong Luo with embarrassment, she was also eager to see Qi Wu''s reaction. She picked up one of the oysters and ced it on Qi Wu''s te. "Go on. Try it." "Okay." Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu all took turns feeding her, and Qi Wu kindly tried everything they served her. Her eyes were shining brightly with the satisfaction of having eaten something delicious. Coupled with how beautiful she was, the sight of her happily eating was a feast for the eyes. About a third of the food on the table went to Qi Wu. She kept eating until she let out a tiny burp. Her brows immediately furrowed in distress. "Oh, no." Jiang Xuxu, who was sitting beside her, heard her mumble. "Oh, no? What is it? Shall I cook more for you?" Jiang Xuxu asked. Her face was very calm as she had not realized Qi Wu had overeaten. "I can''t eat anymore." Qi Wu''s entire face was twisted in distress as she muttered, "Overeating means being scolded by J¡ªby my debtholder." The feast she enjoyed had rxed her so much that she nearly said Jin Si''s name out loud. Jiang Xuxu was not paying too much attention to Qi Wu, so she did not hear thatst sentence. "What did you just say, sweetie?" Qi Wu shook her head. "I''ll get a scolding." Jiang Xuxu burst out chuckling. "You''re already twenty-two. How are you still worried about being scolded? Still, if I were home, I would need to sneak around like a thief even if I just wanted a cup of boba tea." Jiang Xuxu had logically assumed the person scolding Qi Wu would be her parents. Hence, she did not notice anything off about Qi Wu''s reaction. However, Tong Luo had been sitting on the other side of Qi Wu and had heard every word she said. Was that a "j" or a "g"? As in a gentleman caller? Could it be that the debtholder Qi Wu talked about was actually her¡­ sugar daddy? For a moment, emotions warred within Tong Luo''s eyes. She was conflicted not because she now knew Qi Wu had a sugar daddy, but because she could not imagine who could be powerful enough to keep Qi Wu as their bird in a gilded cage. Who could hide the moon away? Tong Luo nked out for a few long minutes. It took a while before she snapped back to her senses. She subconsciously grabbed Qi Wu''s arm, causing Qi Wu to turn around with a question in her eyes. Tong Luo looked into Qi Wu''s eyes and swore, "I won''t say anything. Don''t worry." Not only would she not say anything about this, but she would also do her best to hide this from everyone else. After all, who knew if Qi Wu''s sugar daddy would negatively affect her career? If Qi Wu identally made an enemy of the wrong person, this sugar daddy might end up being a scandal the others would hound Qi Wu for. She could not let this sugar daddy affect Qi Wu''s career! Qi Wu blinked, feeling even more confused. She did not understand why Tong Luo was suddenly so agitated. Just then, Qiu Yan''s shrieks filled the air, startling everyone in the area. "Fire! I''m on fire!" Qi Wu''s pupils shrank. Qiu Yan leaped from her chair in horror while standing behind her was Tong Fei with unmistakable and uncontroble glee painted all over her face. As Qiu Yan darted around the area, the embers falling off her body fell on the grass and started tiny fires. The other contestants around her ran to the side, horrified and panicking hard. "Why did the grill topple over all of a sudden?" someone cried out. "Her clothes are on fire¡­" Song Qi''s face had gone ghastly pale as he watched from the distance. "Where are the emergency responders?" "They''re on their way," Qu Man worriedly replied. Just as she turned to look at the contestants, she spotted something that made her pause. "Qi Wu¡­" Ssh! Just as everyone was running away while panicking, Qi Wu had somehow found a water hose and immediately sprayed the area with water. The tiny fires on the ground were instantly extinguished, leaving behind spots of inky ck. As for Qiu Yan who had just been saved, she was standing there, frozen with shock and staring at Qi Wu with wide eyes. "Y-You saved me¡­" As soon as she said that, Jiang Xuxu and the others came running over from behind Qi Wu. "Qi Wu!" The three women hurriedly ran over to her. "How were you so fast? Where did you find the hose?" Jiang Xuxu was not a physically fit woman, but her worry for Qi Wu was so overwhelming that she was able to keep up with two women who actively exercised. "Just over there. It only took a few seconds for me to spot it," Qi Wu replied. "You scared me to death." Jiang Xuxu heaved a sigh of relief. Song Qi had not expected Qi Wu to act so fast. He frowned. "Everyone, stop what you''re doing." Then, he walked over to the group of women. His face was so dark with fury that Qu Man hurriedly followed him, afraid that something might happen. The terrified contestants seemed to takefort in Song Qi''s presence, and they carefully observed him. Song Qi looked around, examining the nearby area. When he spotted Tong Fei hiding among the crowd and angrily grinding her teeth, the frigid look in his eyes intensified. Eventually, he turned to look at Qiu Yan who was trembling from shock. "What happened?" he sternly asked in an icy voice. Chapter 31: You Seem Upset About It

Chapter 31: You Seem Upset About It

"Mr. Song¡­" Qiu Yan hurriedly stepped forward and scanned the crowd around her. A few secondster, she suddenly pointed at someone and screeched in fear, "It was Tong Fei! She pushed my grill over! She was going to kill me!" Every contestant in the area she pointed at promptly moved away, which exposed Tong Fei who had been hiding in the ground. Tong Fei''s face turned pale. "What are you saying, Qiu Yan?" She then grabbed the arm of a woman standing next to her and barked out in amanding tone, "I was with you just now, right?" The woman was one of Tong Fei''s followers. She seemed to be in shock over what happened as she said with shifty eyes, "Tong Fei, I¡­" She hesitated and stammered for a very long time, tormented by her conscience that made her unable to agree with Tong Fei''s im. When Tong Fei saw that her follower was refusing to speak, Tong Fei was so angry that she shoved the arm she was holding away while swinging one of her hands high in the air to p her follower. However, just before the pnded, Tong Luo stopped her. Tong Fei stared at the woman grabbing her wrist in shock before angrily shrieking, "Tong Luo, how dare you¡­" "Shut up! Haven''t you embarrassed yourself enough?" Tong Luo had interrupted Tong Fei''s shrieking with a look. Tong Fei stared at Tong Luo in disbelief, shocked that she actually felt like shrinking away from Tong Luo''s icy re. Silence fell. It was a deathly still silence that was abruptly broken by a series of loud ps. p. p. p. Everyone whirled around to find that the person pping was actually Song Qi. "I very much regret turning off all the cameras now. What an exciting show we have missed." There was not a single hint of a smile or a joke on his face as fury simmered in his stern eyes. The power behind his stare inexplicably terrified Tong Fei. "I¡­ Qiu Yan is just paranoid and delusional. What does that have to do with me?" It was clear that her stubbornness was greater than her fear. Qi Wu who had been silently watching Tong Fei the entire time quietlymented, "Foolish." Song Qi coldly scoffed at the same time. "Tong Fei, do you think all of our cameras are idiots? Perhaps you just think that you can do whatever you want because you''re from a rich and powerful family?" Tong Fei was stunned. With a dark look on her face, she snapped her head around to look at the camera hanging on the tree behind Qiu Yan. Now that she had finally emerged victorious for once, Qiu Yan had a proud look in her eyes as she spat out, "You''re done for, Tong Fei!" Tong Fei whirled around and fiercely barked out, "Just who do you think you are? I¡­" "Enough!" Song Qi abruptly raised his voice and interrupted her before snapping out with icy eyes, "Call the Tong family. Tell them to take her away!" "What?" Tong Fei finally snapped back to her senses when she heard that. As she looked at Tong Luo who was standing in the distance, she muttered to herself, "No. I can''t leave." Then, in a louder, much more forceful voice, she shouted, "That''s right. I can''t leave yet!" "That is not up to you." After saying that, Song Qi closed his eyes. It was clear he did not want to look at this frustrating sight for another second. "Take her away," he said to the crew members with a wave of his hand. Two crew members immediately stepped forward to force Tong Fei away from the site. "Let me go! Do you know who I am?" When Tong Fei saw that the crew members were not listening to her and insisted on taking her away, she panicked. With no regard left for her dignity and image, she struggled hard and wildly kicked her feet in the air. She even mmed her fists against the two crew members restraining her. "I''m ordering you to stop! Do you hear me? I''m going to call¡­ I''ll tell my father!" As Tong Fei was led away, her voice faded into the distance until she could not be heard. The rest of the contestants all looked at each other. Song Qi turned to Qu Man and said, "You''ll handle it." "Understood." Qu Man nodded and walked away with two more crew members. Song Qi headed back to the production team''s zone but halfway through his journey, his eyes met Qi Wu''s. He stopped. Upon recalling how fast Qi Wu had reacted and how calmly she had put out the fire, Song Qi cleared his throat and said, "You did well." Qi Wu steadily looked at him with mild confusion shimmering in her eyes. "You seem upset about it." Song Qi fell silent, filling the air with awkward tension. How did she know that by just looking at him? Indeed, he was upset. After all, while he had always been angry at how unambitious Qi Wu was, he was not a man who could not separate right from wrong. Under Qi Wu''s gaze, he suddenly felt pinned and exposed. Thus, he spat out a "you''re mistaken" in her direction before hurriedly walking away. Qi Wu slowly looked away. Before she could head over to Jiang Xuxu and the others, she spotted Qiu Yan walking over to her. "Thank you for just now." The pride in Qiu Yan''s eyes shined brightly without restraint. "How did you get to me so quickly? Have you been paying attention to me this whole time?" She scanned Qi Wu up and down before clicking her tongue. "You''re not bad, just a little blind since you''re with Jiang Xuxu." Qi Wu silently stared at her. As the owner of the Eyes of rity, Qi Wu had never been called blind before. "Qiu Yan!" Jiang Xuxu came into view after her roar echoed through the air. "What do you think you''re doing?" Qiu Yan scurried away while shouting back, "I''m only telling her to stop wasting her time on you!" "That''s it! Come here, Ms. Forever Number Two!" Jiang Xuxu furiously charged over. As she ran past Qi Wu, she paused and nervously said, "Please don''t listen to her, sweetie." Qi Wu nodded with a faint smile on her lips. It was only then that Jiang Xuxu stopped worrying and focused on running after Qiu Yan. Suddenly, Ke Lu appeared behind Qi Wu from wherever she had disappeared to, then she gently tapped Qi Wu on the shoulder. Qi Wu turned around and silently looked at her. In response, Ke Lu opened up her hand to reveal a piece of paper-wrapped chocte. "What''s this?" Qi Wu curiously examined the chocte in Ke Lu''s hand. "Chocte. Try it." Ke Lu was a woman of few words, but she always made sure to say what she wanted. Qi Wu''s smile deepened. "Thank you." After tearing the packaging open to reveal the piece of white chocte hiding within, Ke Lu held it out to her. Qi Wu nced up at Ke Lu before taking a careful bite of the chocte. Her nose was instantly filled with a thick rich scent of sweet milk. The chocte melted into a faintly sweet liquid that spread throughout her mouth. Her eyes widened. "It''s good." Something shed in Ke Lu''s eyes before she ndly grunted in acknowledgement. When Tong Luo walked over, there was an uncontroble joy brimming in her eyes. "Mr. Song was so angry. Tong Fei would probably not be back now." Qi Wu did not respond to that. As something shed in her eyes, she nced at where Qiu Yan was standing. Tong Luo did not notice anything off about Qi Wu''s behavior, however, and happily said, "Let''s head back, Qi Wu." Jiang Xuxu, who had been busy chasing Qiu Yan around, suddenly turned around and called out, "Wait for me! I''ming too!" Chapter 32: Jin Si, Chocolate Is Delicious

Chapter 32: Jin Si, Chocte Is Delicious

Qiu Yan was panting hard, so when she saw that Jiang Xuxu had stopped, she stopped running as well to catch her breath. "You''re mad, Jiang Xuxu!" Unfortunately, her lofty screech posed no threat due to how hard she had to gasp even to breathe. She was barely able to finish her sentence. Jiang Xuxu turned around to shoot her a look of disdain. "Stop with the schemes. Instigate another fight again and I''ll do worse to you." Qiu Yan had only meant what she said to Qi Wu as a joke, but what Jiang Xuxu just said provoked Qiu Yan to fully lean into it. With a cold scoff, she eximed, "Scared? Well then, I should just steal Qi Wu then!" Jiang Xuxu raised a fist in her direction. "Try me!" "I''m not scared of you!" Qiu Yan held her head up high. She had already made an enemy out of Tong Fei, so why would she be afraid of Jiang Xuxu who was just a nobody? The proud look on her face sent Jiang Xuxu reeling in anger, making her roll up her sleeves in preparation for a fight. "Xuxu." Suddenly, Qi Wu chimed in with her cold voice. Jiang Xuxu instantly stopped what she was doing. ring at Qiu Yan, she spat out, "You lucked out!" Then, she turned and walked away without sparing Qiu Yan another nce. * Qi Wu''s phone rang just as Qi Wu and Tong Luo returned to their room. Tong Luo immediately tensed up, reminded of Qi Wu''s sugar daddy. When she cautiously nced at Qi Wu, she found Qi Wu calmly entering the bathroom with her phone in hand. Tong Luo frowned. Why was Qi Wu so calm? That thought made her stop worrying since she thought it meant the call was not from the sugar daddy. Meanwhile, Qi Wu answered the call as soon as she entered the bathroom. "Chang Xun," she warmly greeted. "Do you remember what I told you? You''re in the bathroom right now, right?" Chang Xun''s worry was evident even over the phone. Qi Wu hummed in confirmation and added, "I''m there." "Good." Chang Xun heaved a sigh of relief before continuing with a smile audible in his voice, "Today''s the first day of filming. Everything okay?" Qi Wu had too much she needed to learn, so Chang Xun did not actually hold high hopes for her. This was just to return Song Qi''s favor. Hence, Qi Wu just needed to have fun. Qi Wu nodded and softly replied, "Yes. I had fun." It was only then that Chang Xun properly let go of his worry. "Have you contacted Jin Si yet? No, forget it. That cold-blooded man will just ignore you. Tell me if you need anything." "Okay¡­" Qi Wu slowly blinked in confusion. Jin Si did not ignore her though. Chang Xun ended the call after a few more questions, so Qi Wu did not tell him about the calls to Jin Si. When Qi Wu walked out of the bathroom, Tong Luo immediately sat up straight. She had been keeping an eye out for the bathroom door the entire time. "What''s with you?" Qi Wu asked. "N-Nothing. I''m going to wash up!" For some reason, Tong Luo felt guilt rise in her when Qi Wu asked that. Hence, she made up an excuse to hide in the bathroom. Qi Wu turned her attention away and sat down on her bed. She then scrolled through her chat messages to message Jin Si. Wu: Jin Si, chocte is delicious! ^_^ She was acting just like a kid who was sharing a piece of happy news with her friend. Perhaps Jin Si was busy as he did not respond to her right away. Qi Wu was not surprised, nor did she think too much about it. Just as she was about to put her phone down, Tong Luo walked out of the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye, Tong Luo noticed that Qi Wu was messaging someone. Then, before Tong Luo could think about what she was doing, she asked, "What are you doing, Qi Wu?" "Making a report to my debtholder." Qi Wu sounded calm andposed as she stated that. While there was nothing special about the way she said it, her words left a deep impression on Tong Luo''s mind. Was Qi Wu''s sugar daddy that possessive? He had mandated she report to him every single day! Tong Luo''s impression of this faceless man had sunk to the lowest it could ever be. She sat down beside Qi Wu and solemnly said, "You need to learn to say no, Qi Wu." Qi Wu blinked in confusion. She did know how to say no. In Tong Luo''s eyes, Qi Wu''s confusion turned into dazed obedience that made her look like a pushover. Tong Luo heaved a sigh. "Forget it." She did not know the full story behind everything, so it would not be good for her to poke her nose in this. She would just have to keep a closer eye on Qi Wu. This sugar daddy cannot be allowed to interfere with Qi Wu''s career! Tong Luo felt herself burning up with a strange passion. Thus, Qi Wu had gained another strange fan who was deeply invested in her career. Now that Tong Luo had made up her mind, she stopped worrying about this. Just as she moved to head back to her bed, she suddenly realized something important. She sat back down on Qi Wu''s bed. "We haven''t even added me as your friend yet." "Okay." Qi Wu''s reply was calm and pliant. Jin Si had told her to never add anyone as a friend if they were someone who liked to spin stories, but Tong Luo did not seem to be part of that group. * The next morning, the contestants were woken up at 7:00 a.m. again for their morning run. After a day of settling in, the situation was much better than the chaos that reigned the other morning even though many of them were stillpletely exhausted by the end of the run. At the very least, there were no more wails of agony. While Tong Luo knew Qi Wu was capable of surviving the run, they continued to run at the back of the group at an even pace. That was because they were joined by Jiang Xuxu who would bepletely exhausted after running a few hundred feet. Even Ke Luo who had been running at the head of the group yesterday had been dragged to the back by Jiang Xuxu. Jiang Xuxu''s logic was that they needed to work together. She even self-righteously argued, "Don''t you want to witness the birth of an idol?" Ke Lu rolled her eyes and silently looked away. Tong Luo did not even bother looking at her. Qi Wu was the only one who took her seriously, and she replied, "You aren''t improving though, Xuxu." Silence fell. Jiang Xuxu felt like she had been shot through the heart. When it came to breaking hearts, Qi Wu really did not discriminate between friend and foe. "I''m just starting out. Have faith in me. You''ll see my proper growth in a month!" Jiang Xuxu muttered. "I believe in you." Qi Wu''s voice was as nd as always. Jiang Xuxu choked. She wanted to grumble about how perfunctory Qi Wu was being, but judging by the look in Qi Wu''s eyes, Qi Wu was serious. That was one of the magical aspects of Qi Wu. No matter what she said, it always felt incredulous to doubt her. After the run, the contestants streamed into the cafeteria for their breakfast. As the production team was not filming them during the meal, the contestants were able to move about in a much more carefree manner. Qi Wu and her group silently sat at a table near the windows and enjoyed their breakfast. The silence did notst for long as they suddenly heard Qiu Yan arrogantly pondering aloud nearby, "I wonder if Tong Fei is gone yet. What a pity I can''t see her get dragged home." Qi Wu turned around. Qiu Yan was walking in the middle of a group of women and recounting what had happened the night before. It was clear that the fire was a blessing in disguise for her as her poprity had grown overnight. However¡­ Qi Wu only stared at her for a few more seconds before calmly looking away. Chapter 33: Qiu Yan Would Never Have the Chance

Chapter 33: Qiu Yan Would Never Have the Chance

Naturally, Jiang Xuxu could not bear to see Qiu Yan doing well. Hence, when she saw that Qiu Yan''s loudment attracted a lot of attention, she scowled and muttered, "Karma will bite you one day!" Qiu Yan had been walking over in their direction, so when she spotted Jiang Xuxu muttering to herself with her head lowered, she promptly walked over. With her hands nted on her hips, Qiu Yan demanded, "Are you badmouthing me again?" Jiang Xuxu rolled her eyes. "You must think that because you''re always badmouthing me." Qiu Yan red but did not keep arguing with Jiang Xuxu. Instead, she cleared her throat and turned to Qi Wu. "I need to speak with you, Qi Wu." As soon as she said that, the other three women at the table instantly snapped their heads up to warily stare at Qiu Yan, causing her to subconsciously shrink back. "What do you want?" "What do you want with Qi Wu?" The person who retorted was Tong Luo. She was staring straight into Qiu Yan''s eyes as though she was trying to dig deep into Qiu Yan''s mind for any ulterior motives. Her stare caused Qiu Yan to panic. However, Qiu Yan soon calmed down. "It''ll only be a few minutes. Qi Wu hasn''t even said anything yet. Why are you panicking?" "We all know what you''re after," Jiang Xuxu spat out. In her eyes, Qiu Yan clearly had sinister intentions. Perhaps Qiu Yan wanted to speak with Qi Wu in private so that she could lie and badmouth Jiang Xuxu. "Don''t go." Even the ever-silent Ke Lu had spoken up as well. Qiu Yan felt the corners of her mouth twitch, seemingly rendered speechless by how protective they were. "I''m only going to talk to her. Do you need to do this?" Just as Qiu Yan was about to fight with the three women, Qi Wu, the person they were arguing over, stood up. "Where to?" Qi Wu calmly asked. Joy shed in Qiu Yan''s eyes. As she shot a smug look at Jiang Xuxu and the others, she boasted, "See? She''s willing to go with me." "Come, let''s speak over there," she then said to Qi Wu. "Sweetie¡­" Jiang Xuxu stared at Qi Wu in worry. Qi Wu turned around and shook her head in response. "It''ll be fine." Qiu Yan dragged Qi Wu over to a quiet and remote corner. She only stopped after examining their surroundings to ensure no cameras were pointed in their direction. "What do you want?" Qi Wu asked as she watched Qiu Yan look around. "Just as I told youst night, you''ll go nowhere if you stick with Jiang Xuxu." Qiu Yan held her head up high as she eagerly continued, "I looked into youst night. You''re not an industry nt." In the talent show, industry nts refer to those who had signed on with an agency and had already gotten a foot in the door. Qi Wu might be extremely talented, but she really was a nobody. "Jiang Xuxu will only drag you down. I''m not like her. I''ve signed on with an agency before joining the show." Her excitement grew more obvious the longer she spoke. However, her excitement ended up being extinguished when she saw how calm Qi Wu''s deep eyes were. "Don''t you believe me?" Aggravation and anger wereced in Qiu Yan''s voice as she barked out, "I wouldn''t be offering my help if you hadn''t saved me!" Qi Wu tilted her head and continued staring at Qiu Yan. Upon seeing that, Qiu Yan clenched her jaw and pulled out her phone. "Let me show you a photo." She then pulled up a photo and handed the phone to Qi Wu. When Qi Wu looked at it, she found that it was a picture of Qiu Yan and¡­ a middle-aged man. The man was visibly balding. Even so, there was a look of adoration on Qiu Yan''s face as her voice softened into a sweet tone. "This is my boyfriend. I am only here because he helped me." Qi Wu nkly looked at Qiu Yan. "Do you love each other?" "Of course!" Then, as though Qiu Yan was trying to prove something, she promptly retorted, "He''s great and gives me what I want. Isn''t that enough?" "If we end up in the same category, would you still help me?" Qiu Yan was stunned. There was a shifty look in her eyes as she responded, "You are a great singer, so you must be going into the Musician category." Qi Wu sighed. "I won''t be going into that category." "Well, I¡­" Emotions warred inside Qiu Yan. There was now a look of wariness in her eyes as she examined Qi Wu. This was a face that had everyone enthralled as soon as they looked at her. Qiu Yan knew that most of the idols'' careers depended on their beauty. If Qi Wu chose to go into the Idol category, then she would instantly be the star of the show with everyone else only ying supporting roles. Qi Wu calmly stood there and let Qiu Yan scan her up and down while observing every change in Qiu Yan''s expression. Just then, Qiu Yan''s phone buzzed. After ncing down at it, Qiu Yan smiled. She then nced at Qi Wu once more before walking away. She did not say another word about her offer. Qi Wu did not feel anything as she watched Qiu Yan walk away. She merely shook her head. "What a pity." When she returned to Jiang Xuxu and the others, she was the focus of their attention. "Qiu Yan didn''t say anything bad to you, right? Ignore her, sweetie. This isn''t the first time she has gone off her rocker," Jiang Xuxu said. "She looks like she prefers underhanded tactics. Be careful," Tong Luo added. "Yes¡­" Qi Wu responded. Her tone of voice was very nonchnt. She had wanted to tell them that Qiu Yan would never have the chance to do anything. However, as the beholder of the Eyes of rity and the most talented high priestess of the millennium, Qi Wu knew that some destinies were set in stone. She was only a spectator. "Will all contestants please gather in the stadium? Filming is starting soon." As soon as the announcement was heard, the contestants swiftly left the cafeteria to head to the stadium. * Meanwhile, in the control room, Song Qi wasnguidly sipping from his mug while watching the contestants through the many cameras around the area. Qu Man walked into the room with her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. When she saw how rxed Song Qi waspared to herself, she instantly rolled her eyes. "You sure know how to enjoy life, Song. You leave all the hard work to me." Song Qi nced at her. "You''re a very capable subordinate. Nothing can stop you." "Ha." Qu Man pursed her mouth. "You weren''t there when the Tong family came for Tong Feist night. It wasplete chaos." She sighed. "I''ve never met a woman from high society who was as troublesome as her." "I hear Tong Fei was not raised in the Tong family. She was only brought back at around ten years old." Qu Man frowned. "The Tong family has a lot of drama." "Are you still expecting Tong Fei to just calmly walk away?" Song Qi shot her a meaningful look. Qu Man stared in shock and silence as realization struck her. Chapter 34: The Theme Song of the Cartoon With the Pink Pigs

Chapter 34: The Theme Song of the Cartoon With the Pink Pigs

The noisy contestants only fell silent when Song Qi walked in. "Before we hand you your tasks for the day, we will first randomly assign you into groups." The word "random" caused a wave of loud reactions from the contestants. "Random?" "If I end up with a freeloader¡­" "Be more optimistic. What if they''re a powerhouse?" Even Jiang Xuxu was muttering about the announcement. "Whatever the task is, do not split us up." Tong Luo subconsciously leaned in closer to Qi Wu. She did not want to team up with anyone else. No matter how loudly the contestant discussed, the production team already had their tub of balls set up on the stage. "Those with the same number will be on the same team." Song Qi then moved to stand behind the tub. The contestants all nced at each other before lining up to grab a ball from the tub. Soon, the stadium was filled with contestants calling out number after number in search of their partners. Jiang Xuxu drew a ball with the number "26". As soon as she knew her number, she immediately turned to anxiously stare at Qi Wu who had also just returned from grabbing a ball. "Is yours 26, sweetie?" Jiang Xuxu eagerly watched as Qi Wu turned her ball around to reveal a¡­ "9". She promptly withered. Then, she heard a very familiar voice calling out from behind her, "Who''s 26?". Jiang Xuxu was visibly bewildered. She turned around in disbelief to find Qiu Yan shouting as she held up a ball that had the same number as Jiang Xuxu''s ball written on it. The two women soon locked eyes. Qiu Yan seemed to be able to read the number on Jiang Xuxu''s ball. A deadly silence soon fell over them. Qi Wu looked at the two of them and silently retreated from the area. Soon after that, the air was filled with shouts as Jiang Xuxu and Qiu Yan started arguing. "Why is it you?" They both shrieked at the same time. "What bad luck!" Jiang Xuxu huffed. "I should be saying that," Qiu Yan retorted. However, that was the only retort Qiu Yan had in her as she soon fell silent. Compared to how she would constantly provoke Jiang Xuxu in the past, her behavior was decidedly strange. "You¡­" Jiang Xuxu frowned. She had only said one word before Qiu Yan walked away. "Weirdo," Jiang Xuxu muttered. Tong Luo and Ke Lu had better luck as they were assigned to the same team. The only one of them without a teammate was now Qi Wu. She held onto her ball with the number "9" and silently stood still. Suddenly, she heard a man''s gentle voice call out to her, "What a coincidence, Qi Wu." Qi Wu turned around to find Tan Song smiling at her with a ball in his hand that had the same number as hers. "Hello," she ndly replied. Three minutester, all contestants had found their teammates. As the contestants had abruptly been resorted into new teams, some of the contestants did not even know who their new teammates were. Hence, an awkward silence filled the air. Song Qi did not care, however. "Your task for the morning is simple. ''Guess the song'' is a simple game, right? After we y a snippet of a song and show you the lyrics, you have to tell us the name of the song and the singer. If either of them is wrong, you don''t get a point." It was evident that the game was easier for those who wanted to be singers and idols. However, what he said next had everyone worried once more. "The difficulty is in the range of music we have included. There will be decades of ssics included in the list." Most of the contestants were youngsters who rarely bothered to listen to the old ssics. "You now have three minutes to get to know your teammate. After that, you will battle each other in groups of five teams. The order will be random as well." The contestants could not be bothered whining about the rules. As soon as Song Qi finished speaking, they hurriedly got to know their new partners. After all, this task needed them to work together to win. Qi Wu turned to Tan Song. "I''m sorry." Her abrupt apology stunned Tan Song. "W-Why?" "I don''t know anything," Qi Wu bluntly admitted. The only song she knew was the theme song of the cartoon with the pink pigs. "Huh?" Tan Song had assumed Qi Wu was being humble, so he merely shook his head with a smile. "It''s fine. As long as you participate." He did not care too much about points. As Song Qi said, might makes right. "I''ll do my best to answer the questions. It''s fine as long as we''re not inst ce." Tan Song even started joking around. Qi Wu tilted her head at him and slowly blinked. "Good luck." * Tan Song only realized that Qi Wu was being absolutely honest when it was their turn to y the game. As soon as a song started ying, Qi Wu would silently stand there and zone out as though she was not part of the game at all. An outsider might assume she was just being a freeloader, but Tan Song knew it was because she really did not know any of the songs at all. Hence, Qi Wu''s "good luck" was a heavy weight on his shoulders. For some reason, Tan Song felt his sense of responsibility intensify as he became the g bearer for their team. As everyone pondered on what the new song was with frowns on their faces, Tan Song hurriedly pressed his team''s button, lighting it up. "The song is ''Refinement'' by Tang Liuhua." As soon as he said that, the word "correct" appeared on the LED screen. He was instantly the focus of attention. "Really? Tang Liuhua sang that?" one of the contestants eximed. "I''m her fan yet I don''t even know that song exists¡­" "Tan Song sounds familiar." "I remember now! He''s the student that Ms. Tang had high hopes for during that one time she acted as a judge. Unfortunately, there has been no news of him since." "It has been a few years since his debut, right? Why is he here?" Tan Song felt cold sweat appearing on his hands as the contestants gossiped about him. It was¡­ the same old feeling again. Everyone was staring at him. It felt like he was trapped on the edge of a cliff. One tiny mistake would lead to him shattering into tiny pieces. Just as Tan Song was lost in his fear, Qi Wu looked at him and said with a tilt of her head, "You''re amazing." Her calm voice pierced through the heavy fog and dragged him back to reality. He stared at Qi Wu with weirded-out eyes. She did not say anything about him zoning out and merely stated, "You know this song as well." For some reason, when Tan Song read the lyrics disyed on the screen, he was answering the question before he could even think about it. "It''s ''A Tranquil Path'' by Hong Luan." Tan Song had correctly guessed another song that had stumped even the greatest ssical song lover among the contestants. Respect now shimmered in the eyes of every contestant as they stared at him. A faint smile spread across Qi Wu''s lips. "See? You can do it." Chapter 35: Just How Fast Was She?

Chapter 35: Just How Fast Was She?

Tan Song felt an unprecedented sense of peace with Qi Wu''s calm eyes on him. He did not understand why. When people looked at him with anticipation and awe, he would feel like he was going to be pushed off the face of a cliff as breathing became too hard for him. However, the woman standing before him had dragged him back from the deep sea he had been drowning in. His voice softened as he replied, "Yes, I can." He had spoken with a confidence he had never felt before. Meanwhile, Song Qi had been observing Tan Song the entire time from off-stage. He smiled and turned off the headset connected to the stadium''s audio and picked up the team''s internal radio. "It looks like Tan Song is still as capable as ever, even if he has notpletely moved on from his trauma." "This is what he''s good at, after all. I don''t understand why he can''t move beyond ssical music since he knows so much," Qu Man responded over the radio. His music was stale, lifeless, and empty. That was what many music critics said six months after Tan Song''s debut. At that time, the prodigy Tang Liuhua, the Queen of Music, had admired was nowhere to be seen. Something shed in Song Qi''s eyes as he gazed at the young man on the stage whose confidence slowly returned to him. He smiled. "He may have been asking that very same question as well." Now, Tan Song knew where to find the answer. The next few songs being yed were all ssics from the seventies and eighties, songs that few of the contestants had ever heard. Hence, Tan Song instantly stood out from the crowd. Then, the next song yed sounded very familiar to many contestants. Finally, it was time for them to shine. Contestants had their hands eagerly hovered over their buttons. The song ended. It was time for them to fight to name it. Uncontroble excitement was painted all over the contestants'' faces as they hurriedly tried to win the right to answer the question. However, someone else was faster than all of them. The loud beep echoing through the air caused everyone to stare at Qi Wu in shock, for she had calmly mmed her hand on the button. Confusion filled the air. Just how fast was she? Now that Qi Wu had won the right for her team to answer the question, she turned to look at Tan Song with eyes that practically screamed "I did my job, so answer it already.''" Silence fell. Tan Song''s lips twitched in speechlessness. A few secondster, he sighed and called out, "''Love in the City'' by Bai Huiyun." The word "correct" shed on the LED screen as soon as he finished speaking. The contestants on stage immediately started whispering among themselves. "I thought it was ''Love Without Limits.'' I didn''t expect it to be ''Love in the City.''" "Bai Huiyun¡­ If I remember correctly, she debuted at the same time Tan Song did, right?" "Yup. Back then, he was always in first ce while she would always be in second ce. No one back then could''ve imagined Tan Song to start over again." At the end of the game, Qi Wu''s team had won first ce among their group even though Qi Wu did nothing. However, everyone was so busy gossiping about Tan Song and Bai Huiyun that no one paid her any attention at all. "You were amazing, sweetie!" During the break, Jiang Xuxu instantly ran over. She had felt so proud when she saw Qi Wu at the top of the leaderboard. "Tan Song answered the questions though," Qi Wu replied. "Not me." Jiang Xuxu pped her hands in a way that spoke of her firm belief in her idol being the best all the time. "Luck is also a talent. Your luck in finding an amazing partner is proof that you''re amazing!" The way she exined it made her weird logic actually sound rational. Qi Wu tilted her head and thought about it. Eventually, she patiently nodded and said, "You''re right." Jiang Xuxu grinned brightly at her. "Right?" Tong Luo and Ke Lu watched, speechless. Just then, Tan Song walked over to them. Qi Wu was standing in the middle of the group, a clear sign of how the other three women had intentionally formed a protective circle around her. Tan Song had to stop and stand at a safe distance. "Qi Wu." Upon hearing someone call out to her, she turned around. Tan Song smiled. "Mr. Song said the teams formed today have to go around together." The moment he said that, he felt a hostile re directed at him. When he looked over, he was surprised to see that the person ring at him was Tong Luo who was standing behind Qi Wu. Silence fell. What was going on? He froze in confusion. However, before he could think any further about it, Qi Wu was walking toward him. "Let''s go. Break is nearly over." Tan Song subconsciously nodded, and the hostile re in Tong Luo''s eyes immediately vanished. That rendered him speechless. However, Tan Song did not have great social skills. The person he was most familiar with was his manager, so he did not understand what Tong Luo meant by that re. By the time Qi Wu and Tan Song got back to their seats, filming had started up again. Coincidentally, this round included Jiang Xuxu and Qiu Yan. The two women did not forget about their hostile rtionship just because they were now teammates. The entire time, they coldly looked away from each other, pretending as though the other did not exist. That meant they lost out on quite a few chances to answer the question at the start of the game. Qiu Yan darkly red at Jiang Xuxu. "Can you even do this? Aren''t you always singing in your streams? Why don''t you know any songs here?" Jiang Xuxu did not have a great memory. Hence, she only vaguely knew the songs and could never remember the song''s entire name. Qiu Yan''s criticism pushed her into letting out a bark of derisiveughter. "I''m still better than you, Ms. Forever Number Two." "Remember those words well because I''ll make you eat them one day!" After that retort, Qiu Yan decided to stop arguing with Jiang Xuxu and focused on the game. However, she could not answer a single question correctly. There was something off about Qiu Yan''s behavior. In the past, she would always insist on arguing with Jiang Xuxu until someone won the argument. Jiang Xuxu had been rivals with Qiu Yan for so long that she naturally noticed that. Once the game was over, Jiang Xuxu immediately asked Qiu Yan with a frown on her face, "What''s wrong with you?" Qiu Yan froze before looking away and coldly stating, "I''m fine." At that moment, one of the crew members walked over to them. "Qiu Yan, someone''s asking for you." Jiang Xuxu watched as Qiu Yan''s face immediately turned stark white. She was about to grab Qiu Yan by the arm but was toote as Qiu Yan and the crew member were already gone. As she pursed her lips and watched Qiu Yan walk away, she felt a mysterious sense of foreboding rising in her. * During the lunch break, Jiang Xuxu told the group about Qiu Yan''s abnormal behavior. "I''ve been fighting with her for years. While I don''t like her, I don''t want anything bad to happen to her." Jiang Xuxu frowned and let out a heavy sigh. When Qi Wu saw how worried Jiang Xuxu was, she said, "You can''t stop it." As the most talented high priestess of the millennium, Qi Wu had known the fates of many people ahead of time, but all she could was watch as they traveled down the path destiny wrote for them. All of them did that, except for one. The man who died before her very eyes had thoroughly escaped fate''s design. Chapter 36: This Heartless Scoundrel!

Chapter 36: This Heartless Scoundrel!

"It''s Tong Fei." Tong Luo suddenly chimed in. When everyone turned to look at her, she calmly continued, "Tong Fei would never leave after being humiliated. The Tong family is now meddling in this." Everyone knew about the years of pain and suffering Tong Luo had to endure, hidden away behind her cold fa?ade. Realization suddenly struck Jiang Xuxu. "They can''t do anything to Mr. Song, so they''re going after Qiu Yan?" Furious, she mmed her palms on the table as shock was painted all over her face. "Tong Fei was in the wrong! She has some nerveing back here." "Tong Fei only cares about the end result. She doesn''t care how it gets done." Tong Luo was calm, certain in her rationale. She knew Tong Fei all too well. Tong Fei had been after her in the first ce, so how could she just leave when Tong Luo was still safe and sound in the show? To someone as mean-spirited as Tong Fei, that was uneptable. "I told Qiu Yan not to be so arrogant. I didn''t expect karma to hit her so quickly." Jiang Xuxu softly muttered to herself. She did not understand what the rich and powerful were like, but she knew that if Tong Fei was bad, the Tong family would be worse. * It was time for the afternoon filming session to start. Jiang Xuxu searched the entire ce and still could not find her teammate. Just then, she was approached by the crew member from before. "Ms. Jiang, your teammate is busy with another job. You''ll be alone for the afternoon." Jiang Xuxu silently nodded in response. Forcing herself to smile, she replied, "Good. I didn''t want to be teammates with my rival, anyway." The crew member seemed satisfied with her answer as she smiled at Jiang Xuxu before leaving. As Jiang Xuxu watched her walk away, she curled her lips up in a derisive sneer. "Another job"¡­ What a great excuse. Meanwhile, Qi Wu was meeting up with her new teammate. When Tan Song saw Qi Wu standing by the stadium entrance, he hurriedly walked over. "My apologies for the dy." Qi Wu calmly shook her head to indicate it was fine. Just as they were about to head into the stadium, someone called out to her from behind. "Don''t¡­" Tan Song only had enough time to utter one word before Qi Wu turned around. Helplessness shed in his eyes. The person who called out to Qi Wu was a young man. His hair had been dyed a dark red that made him seem bold and noble. However, his face was rather sweet and demure with a hint of childlike innocence. He was barely over six feet, but there was a shapeless air of oppressiveness that lingered around him as he walked over to Qi Wu. Qi Wu did not seem to feel that oppressive aura, however. She calmly looked up at him and asked, "You called?" The young man snorted. "You''re not as amazing as they say. Without your luck, you would never have won this morning!" Tan Song panicked. "Jiang Yiran, don''t say that." Tan Song was not good at socializing, so his attempts to defend Qi Wu were very clumsy. His shout captured Jiang Yiran''s attention, who then turned to look at him. Disbelief was painted all over his face. "Bro, she''s just a stranger. You would actually¡­" He did not finish his sentence and, after a few moments, shot Qi Wu an angry re before stomping away. Tan Song heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Jiang Yiran did not continue bothering Qi Wu. He then turned to Qi Wu with an apologetic look on his face. "I''m sorry. I don''t know why he was after you." Qi Wu tilted her head and solemnly stared back. "Do you really not know?" "S-Should I?" Faced with Qi Wu''s calm and seemingly infinite eyes, Tan Song tensed up in nervousness. However, Qi Wu merely looked away and softly remarked, "Fool." The way that man looked at her was exactly the same way Tong Luo looked at Tan Song. While their eyes burned with hostility, they had no intention to hurt their targets. They were ring simply because they were possessive. Tan Song silently stared. The man who had beenbeled a fool did not dare to get angry or protest thebel. He had always been stuck in his own world over the years. The only other people he interacted with were his family and manager. Approaching Qi Wu was something that took dozens of tries to muster his courage. Qi Wu and Tan Song sat down beside Jiang Xuxu. When Qi Wu saw that Jiang Xuxu was alone, realization shed in her eyes. It was at that time that Jiang Xuxu leaned over to whisper into Qi Wu''s ear, "Is Jiang Yiran staring at you or Tan Song?" Qi Wu looked up to find Jiang Yiran warily staring at them with his cheeks puffed up as though he was upset. "Both," she softly replied. Jiang Xuxu fell silent. Confusion was painted all over her face. However, she had always been somewhat scatterbrained, so she did not really push for an answer. "Okay, as long as he''s not going to target you. Jiang Yiran is a neer Yuchu Entertainment is heavily betting on. They started promoting him before filming even started. He is the most popr among all of us here." Jiang Xuxu had thoroughly done her homework before arriving for the filming. The moment "Rookie Assembly" announced their list of contestants, she would scour the inte to find out more about them. "They say Yuchu Entertainment even had someonepose a song for Jiang Yiran so that he could sing it during thepetition." All of those tiny pieces of information had been found in the fan group chats she had joined as part of her investigation. Qi Wu calmly nodded. Just then, Song Qi entered the stadium. * Meanwhile, outside the filming location of "Rookie Assembly." As Chang Xun picked up his phone after parking the car, he started grumbling, "Why would it be boring? She lives with you. At the very least, take responsibility for her. She''s so innocent. I really can''t stop worrying if I don''t check in on her. During the few days Chang Xun spent interacting with Qi Wu, he recognized a problem with her. She was way too innocent. She was curious about everything in the world, be it good or bad. She never held a grudge either. It would be weird if a pushover like her was not bullied in a talent show. Chang Xun did not trust an old fart like Song Qi to properly take care of her, so he had to personally check in on her before he could stop worrying. Over the phone, Jin Si let out a cold snort ofughter. "She''s working for you instead of me. Be thankful I haven''t kicked her out." Chang Xun felt his lips twitch, but he did not dare tell Jin Si exactly what he thought. Thus, all he could do was curse Jin Si out in his mind. This heartless scoundrel! As he stepped out of the car and headed into the filming location, he retorted, "I didn''t ask you toe with me. I just want you to listen while I keep the call going." Jin Si did not respond to Chang Xun, but he didn''t hang up either. He turned to look at his chat with Qi Wu. Thest message sent was still Qi Wu''s message about chocte. Chapter 37: She Did Not Care for Lemon Drops Now

Chapter 37: She Did Not Care for Lemon Drops Now

Jin Si silently pursed his lips. Qi Wu was already ecstatic over her new candy. Naturally, she did not care for lemon drops now. Only a fool like Chang Xun would be worried about her. Despite that thought, Jin Si remained on the line with Chang Xun. Meanwhile, Chang Xun had used his connections to let himself into the production team''s control room. Qu Man was currently waiting backstage so that she could coordinate with Song Qi. When she spotted Chang Xun sneaking into the room, hunched over like someical thief, she could not help but roll her eyes. "Why are you here?" she impatiently asked. Realizing he had been discovered, Chang Xun straightened up and strode over. "Why so annoyed?" He stood before Qu Man and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "We were so close before." Hu Mofei''s thoughtless remark was actually true. Something had happened between Qu Man and Chang Xun. However, the fact that they used to date was still a secret only known to the two of them. After they broke up, they felt so humiliated by what happened during the rtionship that they both swore never to tell anyone about it. Qu Man''s eyes turned to ice. Her re was as sharp as a knife. "Shut up." Chang Xun stopped before he went too far and linked his hands behind his head whilenguidly walking over to Song Qi''s seat. "Hey, bro. You. Yes, you." He did not hesitate before starting to make requests of the crew member like he was a friend. "Can you focus on Qi Wu''s camera? Make sure I can hear whatever''s going on as well." Silence fell. The crew members stared at Qu Man with a lost look on their faces. Chang Xun was an extremely famous manager in the industry. His greatest achievement was turning Jin Si from a nobody to a three-time award-winning actor in just three years. Hence, everyone in the room recognized Chang Xun. Qu Man had shut her eyes out of frustration. However, Chang Xun soon started acting up as he grumbled, "Come on. Don''t be so petty. We''re all friends, right? I''ll just watch. I won''t record anything!" He was like a mosquito persistently buzzing around Qu Man''s ear, disrupting her peace. She snapped her eyes open and sighed in a tone of surrender, "Give it to him." A smile instantly appeared on Chang Xun''s face. "Do you hear that? The great demon says yes." The crew members all looked at him with starry eyes. Out of the entire production team, only a few dared to call Qu Man a demon to her face. Song Qi, who was in the main hall of the stadium, noticed the ruckus happening in the control room. He picked up his radio and asked, "What''s going on, Qu Man?" "Chang Xun''s here," Qu Man replied, exasperated. Confusion shed across Song Qi''s face. "Why is he here?" Qu Man nced at Chang Xun, who was happily watching the camera trained on Qi Wu, and rested her head in her hand as she helplessly answered, "He''s here to watch because he''s afraid you''re bullying his daughter." The look on Chang Xun''s face was nearly identical to Hu Mofei''s. "Is he mad?" Song Qi could not resist letting out a curse. Qu Man nodded in agreement. "He''s quite mad." Just then, Chang Xun spoke up through the radio, "What''s this, Song? I''ve been of great help to you." Qu Man turned in surprise to find Chang Xun boldly looking at her as he spoke into a radio he had dug up from somewhere. She decided to just ignore him. Upon seeing that, Chang Xun picked up the script Song Qi had left at his desk and flipped through it. "Let me see what you have nned¡­ Wishing bottles? Song, when did you be so tacky?" "Shut up and just watch!" * Meanwhile, the filming was happening as normal. The contestants wrote down their wishes for the next three months into strips of paper before stuffing them into ss bottles. The bottles were so tiny that their palms were bigger than the bottles. Just then, the crew raised the red curtains. Hiding behind the curtains was a pond with the statue of a huge stone turtle with its mouth open as water flowed around it. "This is the Pond of Dreams." When the contestants continued to stare at him in confusion, Song Qi exined, "You will throw your bottles into the turtle''s mouth. If you seed, you win ten points." Most people have thrown coins into wishing wells and ponds before. It was just one of the many rituals humans had to pray for luck, but no one was actually able to throw a coin into the mouth of the stone turtle statues located inside the ponds. As for the pond that had been set up, there was water constantly flowing everywhere and around the turtle, making it harder for anyone to know when to throw the bottle into the turtle''s mouth. Song Qi was not surprised to see fear and hesitation in some of the contestants. "You can choose to keep your bottles and hang them by the Tree of Dreams, but you won''t gain any points that way." Some heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that. However, many were still tempted by the ten points offered. The bolder contestants were already standing up. "Mr. Song, can I have a practice throw?" As that contestant was the first to go, Song Qi allowed it. A crew member stepped forward and handed the contestant an empty ss bottle. Now, everyone''s attention was on the brave contestant who was the first to step forward. The contestant took a deep breath and silently observed the flowing waters without moving a single inch. A lot of the other contestants had realized what he was trying to do. He was trying to synchronize his throw with the water so that the bottle could flow along the currents and into the turtle''s mouth. Finally, he made his move. He threw the empty bottle into the air, and itnded in the pond with a gentle ssh. Every contestant in the stadium held their breath as they watched the bottle. However, the bottle did not flow into the turtle''s mouth as nned. Instead, it gently brushed past the turtle''s face before sinking into the pond. Pity filled the hearts of many contestants. "It was only a few inches. What a pity." "The water is actually flowing fast. Can a bottle really make it?" "Just try it. It''s ten points!" Ten points was enough for a contestant to be within the top twenty. Just then, Chang Xun picked up a headset and adjusted it so that it connected to Qi Wu''s microphone. "Are you going to give it a try?" Qi Wu''s gentle voice filled Chang Xun''s ears. Chang Xun looked around and found that Qu Man was having a meeting with some of the crew on the other side of the room. Evidently, she could not be bothered with him anymore. As for the rest of the crew, they were all busy with their own work. Naturally, they would not bother him. Chang Xun pulled out his phone and ced the headset near the phone''s microphone. Once that was done, Chang Xun whispered into the phone. "Enjoy listening." Chapter 38: What Am I Going To Say to Jin Si?

Chapter 38: What Am I Going To Say to Jin Si?

While Chang Xun had always felt a man as cold and heartless as Jin Si did not deserve love, he would still help Jin Si out of respect. He thought of it as a way to ensure Qi Wu could see Jin Si''s true colors as soon as possible so that she could run away and live a grand life as a beautiful singledy. Jin Si did not speak. However, his gaze remained trained on his phone. What he heard nexting through the phone was a man''s voice. "Many ces have a custom of throwing coins into the water as a way to pray for luck. We do not dig too deep into its origins because most of us like to look on the bright side. That''s why I''ll be giving it a try as well." The man''s voice was crisp and warm in a way that did not irritate those listening to him. Qi Wu silently stared at Tan Song for a few moments before looking away. In a voice that rang with assurance, she stated, "Your throw will be a sess." His wish woulde true. She looked forward to the day when the caged bird would finally set itself free and fly away. The sight would be more brilliant than the fires in which she had sought death. Tan Song chuckled. "Thanks. Yours will too." Qi Wu did not respond to that. Instead, she calmly stated, "Going with the flow will not give you what you want. Chances are not easy toe by, get it?" Tan Song froze. He was not that oblivious. Hence, he soon understood what Qi Wu really meant by that. "I-I do." He could not resist feeling embarrassed. Tan Song had tried to walk out of the maze he was trapped in, but every time he felt the urge to do it, the awed and expectant stares would force him to withdraw all the way back to the start. It was a strange cycle in which he was trapped. In the end, he just did not dare to step out of hisfort zone. "I¡­'' Tan Song took a deep breath. Qi Wu watched as doubt and hesitation danced in his eyes. "It''s time for you to walk out," she said, interrupting him. After what happened to the first contestant''s throw, a few of the other contestants showed signs of quitting while the contestants ready for the challenge had stepped forward. Qi Wu watched as Tan Song slowly stood out from the crowd. His appearance made those around him stop and stare. Even Song Qi who was watching from the edge of the crowd stared at him with stunned eyes. "Tan Song¡­ he came forward without prompting." In Song Qi''s eyes, Tan Song was someone who had never fought for what he wanted while also dealing with his problematic personality. If not for how very talented he was, he would have been drowned out by the crowd. As Tan Song stood in the middle of the crowd with everyone watching him, he felt a familiar tension locking up his limbs. It felt like he was standing on a narrow bridge over a deep chasm while the bridge swayed and trembled under him. Cold sweat formed on his brow. When he did not move and just stood there, the contestants around him started whispering to each other. When he heard those whispers, he instinctively turned to look at where Qi Wu was standing. Her eyes were as calm and honest as always. As long as she was standing there, Tan Song felt a sense of peace and reassurance he had never felt before. He watched as her lips parted and mouthed out the words "walk out." This was a prison cell that could not hold him in, yet he never took a step out of it. Tan Song did not know when it happened. All he knew was that his mind and his body felt temporarily disconnected, allowing his body to decide for him. The loud thunk echoing through the air snapped his mind back to reality. He stared in shock as the ss bottle that was home to his deepest desires fell straight into the turtle''s mouth. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by loud cheers. "It went in! It actually went in!" At that moment, Tan Song felt like he had traveled back to that night five years ago when he made his debut. Cheers and screams of joy filled the air as colorful lights danced in encouragement. Everyone was shouting with excitement. All of that was for him. Hence, he fell in love with the feeling of being the star shining brightly on stage. The contestants watched with admiration and shock as Tan Song returned to Qi Wu''s side. Glee danced in his eyes. He seemed to be on the brink of tears out of happiness as his eyes had turned red. "I remember that feeling now." There was now a healthy, radiant glow on his face. He looked so very different. He sincerely thanked Qi Wu. "Thank you, Qi Wu. You inspired me and taught me that¡­" Qi Wu tilted her head and gazed back at him. "It all still depends on you, right?" Warmth filled Tan Song''s heart as a bright flush colored his cheeks. "You really are the star of my life!" Meanwhile, in the control room. Doot. Doot. Doot. The abrupt sound of the call ending snapped Chang Xun out of his thoughts. He nced down at the phone to see that Jin Si had hung up. Confused, he muttered to himself, "What''s wrong now? Has he gone mad again?" He did not take Jin Si''s sudden actions to heart. After all, in his eyes, this was just another day in the life of interacting with a madman like Jin Si. Just then, Qu Man walked over to him. "Why are you still here?" Her disdain and intent to chase him off was evident to all. However, Chang Xun ignored it. He pointed at the screen in front of him and asked, "Is that Tan Song? Why is he on Qi Wu''s team?" Qu Man nced at the screen and honestly told Chang Xun everything. "Ms. Tang arranged for Tan Song to join the show. You know how upset she is over what happened to her dear student. She''s hoping this show will prompt Tan Song to change." On the screen, Tan Song followed closely behind Qi Wu like an enthralled fan. The lively glow on his face was something they had never seen before on his face. Qu Man could not help but smile. "Look. A miracle happened." She then looked down to find Chang Xun frowning at the screen in worry while muttering to himself, "Will this silly girl be inst ce?" Qu Man was rendered speechless. She rolled her eyes. "The silly girl you''re referring to is at the top of the leaderboard." "For real? Song''s being that nice to me?" Chang Xun was shocked. "Ha!" Qu Man let out a mocking chuckle. "Who do you think you are? Song doesn''t care about you. Qi Wu got there all by herself." She then pulled up the leaderboard to show Chang Xun the scores. Chang Xun fell silent in thought as he saw that Qi Wu was in the lead by over twenty points. "Crap," he muttered with a dazed look in his eyes. He thought that Qi Wu''s situation meant she would have done well just by not being kicked out within the first three episodes. Reality pped him in the face, however. Qu Man leaned over with a frown. "What is it?" Chang Xun was still pondering about how to exin this to Jin Si, so he did not even realize what he was saying before he answered Qu Man, "What am I going to say to Jin Si?" Chapter 39: Chocolate Can’t Lure Me Away

Chapter 39: Chocte Can¡¯t Lure Me Away

Chang Xun felt terror overwhelm him when he thought of Jin Si''s furious face. He had only nned on letting Qi Wu have some fun. He did not think much of it. It would only be about two weeks, then he could return her to Jin Si. However, with the current situation¡­ If Qi Wu stayed on any longer or actually made a debut in the entertainment industry with her beautiful face¡­ Chang Xun suddenly shuddered. He could already envision Jin Si''s killer re. He did steal Jin Si''s bodyguard away, even if he actually did not believe that Qi Wu was Jin Si''s bodyguard. Qu Man was shocked. With the hint of gossip in the air, she subtly tried to probe for more information. "Why tell Jin Si about this?" "I¡­" Chang Xun abruptly realized what he was going to say as soon as he started speaking. "You were trying to pull a fast one on me!" "Ah." Since Chang Xun realized what was happening, Qu Man lost interest and moved away. She started trying to kick him out once again. "Why are you still here?" As Chang Xun stood up, he asked, "Where''s Hu? I haven''t seen him around. The first episode is airing soon, right? Overtime?" "Ah, so you do know about overtime. Why are you asking?" Upon hearing that, Chang Xun did not ask any more questions. He headed toward the exit and waved at Qu Man as he called out over his shoulder, "Let Song know that I''m going." * "Aren''t you going to throw it in?" Tan Song was confused. He watched as Qi Wu, ss bottle in hand, lined up with the other contestants by the tree the production team had transnted over. He did not understand what was happening. "If you do that, you''ll definitely get ten points." Tan Song now had absolute faith in Qi Wu. "I don''t need it." Qi Wu did not turn around as she solemnly focused on tying her ss bottle to the tree branch before climbing down thedder. In the past, she was the only one who would listen to the believers'' prayers and their tales of joy and woe. No god had ever responded to her prayers. That was because there was only one fate waiting for her. All other desires were just unnecessary burdens. Tan Song dazedly stared at Qi Wu''s back. For some reason, he felt a strong sense of unmistakable loneliness and sorrow radiating from her. That was not something that should be founding from a happy young woman. Qi Wu walked over to him. "Today''s tasks are done. I''m happy to have teamed up with you today." "Same¡­" Tan Song smiled at her. Still, it was thisplicated and contradictory individual who helped him out. "I''m thinking of editing and redrafting the manuscript I showed you before. Do you mind taking a look once I''m done?" His heart was filled with hope and warring emotions as he asked that. While he hoped for his changes to be acknowledged and approved, he was also afraid of being rejected. "Sure." Qi Wu agreed. Hence, Tan Song walked away with a skip in his step. * When Qi Wu returned to the vi, she spotted Tong Luo bustling about in the kitchen while Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu sat on the living room couch. The other two housemates were nowhere to be found. Jiang Xuxu quickly waved Qi Wu over when she spotted Qi Wu. "Come quick! It''s our lucky day!" Ke Lu stood up. "I''ll go help Tong Luo." Now, the only ones left in the living room were Qi Wu and Jiang Xuxu. Jiang Xuxu ced an arm over Qi Wu''s shoulder andzily asked, "Did you throw your bottle into the pond?" Qi Wu shook her head. "No." "Heh. Ke Lu didn''t either. She said it was better to depend on herself than believe in superstition. You two really are very pragmatic." Then, her shoulders drooped. "Tong Luo and I didn''t get the bottles into the mouth anyway. It was so hard. How did Tan Song do it?" Qi Wu smiled and kept quiet. However, Jiang Xuxu did not think about it for long and soon threw it out of her mind. "Let''s talk about other things. I hear the production team will be posting the promotional posters tonight. They''ll also announce the first episode. Remember to keep an eye out!" "Okay." Qi Wu nodded. Once they were done with their meal, Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu headed back to their vi while Qi Wu and Tong Luo retreated to their room. When Qi Wu pulled out her phone, which she had not checked for a very long time, she realized thest message she received had been an hour ago from Jin Si. Jin Si: Do you still want lemon drops? Lemon drops! Her mind automatically clung to those words as Qi Wu happily leaped from her bed to hide in the bathroom. Tong Luo''s face was nk with dejection as she watched Qi Wu''s reaction. There was no doubt that the other person was Qi Wu''s sugar daddy. Yet Qi Wu was foolish enough to be happy about it! Unbeknownst to Qi Wu, Tong Luo now thought of her as a foolish woman who was being cheated. The moment Qi Wu entered the bathroom, she cheerfully called Jin Si. "Jin Si," Qi Wu happily greeted as soon as the call was answered. She sounded so happy that her voice sounded very sweet when calling out his name. There was a moment of silence before Jin Si replied, "Speak properly." Qi Wu blinked in confusion. She had spoken in a proper sentence. However, she did not voice that thought and sweetly said, "Lemon drops, Jin Si." "Ha!" A chuckle burst from Jin Si''s lips. "You still want lemon drops? I thought you''d been lured away by chocte." "Huh?" With a confused look on her face, Qi Wu asked, "Chocte can''t lure me away." Her reply rendered Jin Si speechless. If chocte could not lure Qi Wu away, could lemon drops lure her away? However, he soon went stiff. It must have been Qi Wu''s influence. Why else would he think something that childish? "I told you not to befriend those who spin stories or eat candy given by just anyone," he coldly stated. Qi Wu did not seem to sense the frigid tone in his voice, however. She solemnly exined, "You never said the second part." Jin Si did not say anything. Her retorts had him at a loss for words. However, she was evidently not done yet as she continued, "Ke Lu is not ''just anyone'' either." Jin Si fell silent once more. First, it was a man called Tan Song. Now, it was someone called Ke Lu. Qi Wu, this innocent and na?ve ghost, had befriended so many people in just a few days. He had been quiet for so long that Qi Wu softly spoke up once more, "Jin Si, my lemon drops¡­" Her reminder snapped him out of his thoughts. "If you eat my lemon drops, you can''t eat chocte again. Are you sure?" There was a trace of a vague and indistinct mix of emotions in Jin Si''s icy voice. It was as if he did not even realize there was anything wrong with those emotions. "Okay¡­" There was a sullen tone in Qi Wu''s voice. "Wait for me at the doors of the stadium at 8:00 p.m.ter." With that said, Jin Si ended the call. The moment Qi Wu heard that she would be getting her lemon drops, there was a skip in her step as she walked out of the bathroom. In Tong Luo''s eyes, that reaction meant Qi Wu was ecstatic just because of a single phone call. In her mind, Qi Wu''s sugar daddy was great at spinning stories. Chapter 40: Jin Si, Candy

Chapter 40: Jin Si, Candy

8.00 p.m. That was when the production team would be releasing the promotional posters along with their first episode announcement. Once Tong Luo had washed up, she walked out of the bathroom to call Qi Wu over so that they could look at them together. However, she walked out to find Qi Wu leaving their room. Tong Luo silently stared. Why was Qi Wu going out all alone at this hour? An uncontroble voice within her asked, Was Qi Wu sneaking out to meet her sugar daddy? At that thought, Tong Luo could not resist peeking out of the window. Qi Wu just so happened to be walking out of the vi. As for where she was going¡­ It was the stadium. * Qi Wu appeared at the entrance of the stadium as promised. As they would not be filming that evening, the contestants were all resting in their vis. Hence, only a few streetmps stayed on outside the stadium, lighting up the area with their dim lights. Qi Wu silently stood under one of the streetmps so that she would be in the light. Then, a frosty voice called out from behind her. "Turn around." Qi Wu turned around. Jin Si was standing just a few feet away from her. He was dressed in a long ck coat that entuated his tall body and long legs. The evening breeze rushed past them, causing the tails of the coat to sway in the wind. Jin Si silently stared at her while breathing out tiny puffs of air, turned white by the chill of the night. Although visibility was low due to the nket of mist in the area, he still had a clear view of Qi Wu''s appearance. It had only been a few days since theyst met, but she felt like she had changed a lot. If he had to pinpoint a reason, it was because she looked much better now than back then when she did not know a single thing. She was doing her best to blend in with this world. Deep down, Jin Si heaved a sigh. With the light shining down from behind her, Qi Wu slowly walked from the light into the dark toward where he was. Her pace was neither fast nor slow, but she did not hesitate at all. Jin Si''s eyshes trembled. This had been a sight he had fantasized about for years. "Jin Si, candy." Qi Wu''s voice snapped him out of his dreamlike state. He coldly pursed his lips. "You like it that much? Be careful. You might get cavities." Qi Wu frowned and solemnly retorted, "I''m eating proper meals. I won''t get cavities!" Her voice was soft and sweet without a hint of aggression at all. It only made him want to tease her even more. Thus, Jin Si''s mischievous side awakened once more. "Is that so? For the sake of your health, I don''t think I should give you more lemon drops." There was a nk look in Qi Wu''s eyes. It reminded him of that emoticon she had sent him a while ago. It looked just like her. Both looked so goofy and ditzy. The corners of his lips twitched upward imperceptibly. When he looked back down at her, he found Qi Wu ring at him with puffed-up cheeks. "Did you even buy them for me?" She was so confident in her usation. Jin Si silently chuckled before letting out a scoff. "Am I that kind of person?" When he saw that Qi Wu was still angry and refused to acknowledge him, Jin Si pulled out the jar of lemon drops from his pocket. As he watched Qi Wu happily grab the jar of candy and tenderly hold it in her arms like a precious baby, Jing Si sighed. "You can only have two a day." "Okay!" Qi Wu''s answer, while verbal, was somewhat dismissive. Jin Si sighed once more but did not react in any other way. Perhaps he did not realize it, but his patience for Qi Wu was greater than what it was before. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you having fun?" Hearing that, Qi Wu pushed aside her joy at having a brand new jar of lemon drops and seriously considered her answer. A minuteter, she solemnly nodded. "Yes!" She then held up a hand and counted with her fingers. "I met a lot of interesting friends. There''s Tong Luo, Xuxu, Ke Lu, Tan Song¡­ Jiang Yiran is a cute kid too." If Jiang Yiran heard that the woman he thought of as a rival was calling him cute, he would likely explode. Jin Si was confused. Were there not only two? Why were there suddenly so many friends? His face instantly darkened. "Since you''re having fun, why care about lemon drops?" There was a slight frown of confusion on her face. "It''s not the same." "Ha." Jin Si coldly chuckled. With her jar of lemon drops in her arms, Qi Wu watched with bewildered eyes as Jin Si turned and walked away with an emotionless look on his face. She slowly tilted her head. Why was Jin Si angry? Jin Si only realized he was seething with anger for some unknown reason when he got back in the car. He scowled. Soon, that ball of fury dissipated, leaving only cold logic in his brain. He nced up at Lou Ying, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, and barked out, "Snap out of it. Drive." "Yes, sir." As Lou Ying did not dare to protest, he hurriedly started the car and drove off. Jin Si had gone to the candy shop to buy thest jar of lemon drops avable and drove all the way here just to deliver the jar of candy. In the end, he came back filled with rage. As days went by, Lou Ying realized he did not understand the changes in Jin Si. Was the ghost that enchanting? * When Qi Wu opened the door, she found Tong Luo leaning against the window and staring outside as though she was searching for something. Qi Wu blinked and softly called out, "Tong Luo?" Bam! Tong Luo had jumped with fright and nearly fell off her chair. She awkwardly turned around to look at Qi Wu. "You''re back¡­" As soon as she said that, she spotted the new jar of lemon drops in Qi Wu''s arms. "You went to pick up some lemon drops?" Qi Wu nodded. "My debtholder bought them for me!" Silence fell. There was a conflicted look on Tong Luo''s face as she found herself at a loss for words. Why was Qi Wu so easily fooled that just one jar of lemon drops was enough for her? However¡­ Tong Luo stared at the jar of lemon drops in shock. "Is this from that famous handmade lemon drop maker on Main Street?" Qi Wu did not understand what Tong Luo was referring to. Her eyes shined with confusion as she nkly asked, "What is it?" There was a pause. "It''s fine. Enjoy them." In the end, Tong Luo did not tell Qi Wu about the lemon drop maker. While she did not know much about high society, she had heard Tong Fei boast about how that lemon drop maker only sold their goods to the upper crust, so the price, taste, and even packaging of their candy was iparable to the lemon drops sold elsewhere. Still, anyone who could be Qi Wu''s sugar daddy should not be poor anyway. Tong Luo could not help but stare at Qi Wu. She was already happily unscrewing the lid of her new jar of lemon drops. As for the empty jar, she did not throw it away. Instead, she kept it somewhere safe and sound. Upon noticing Tong Luo''s stare, Qi Wu kindly offered, "You can have one, Tong Luo." Tong Luo merely sighed. "I''ve brushed my teeth already. You enjoy it." Although the sugar daddy was a powerful man¡­ He sure was stingy. Qi Wu deserved all the lemon drops in the world! Chapter 41 - 41: Qi Wu, Fallen Angel Chapter 41: Qi Wu, Fallen Angel Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS After Qi Wu obediently ate one lemon candy, Tong Luo suddenly let out a gasp. Qi Wu carefully put away the jar of lemon candy, cing it on the bedside table beside her. She then tilted her head in question at Tong Luo¡¯s abrupt response. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I forgot to tell you, Qi Wu. You¡¯re famous!¡± Tong Luo rushed over and hugged Qi Wu around the shoulders. Her voice was trembling with audible excitement as she eximed, ¡°Everyone is talking about you on the Inte!¡± She was genuinely happy for Qi Wu. With just one promotional picture, Qi Wu was able to stand out from the crowd and dominate conversations despite the poprity of the other contestants. One could say that she was blessed by the gods. It was theplete opposite of the post with Tong Luo which was flooded byments bashing on her. She might have felt envious or jealous before. In fact, she might even resent Qi wu. Now? She understood just why those people might be attracted to Qi Wu. Her impable skin might be a gift from the gods, but the kindness and sincerity found underneath the beauty was entirely Qi Wu. ¡°Are you happy? However, Qi Wu, the person who was now famous, did not really react. She calmly looked at Tong Luo as she asked her question. After a pause, Tong Luo replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Despite her rxed tone of voice, there was an unmistakable trace of sorrow in it. Once upon a time, she, too, was a star of the inte. Less than two yearster, she was left with nothing. If it were not for the insults reminding her of that, she would have thought it was all just a dream. Suddenly, Qi Wu¡¯s soft and clear voice echoed through the air. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you too.¡± Tong Luo dazedly looked up with confusion in her eyes. Qi Wu lowered her beautiful eyes which were as vast and unintentionally alluring as the night sky. ¡°This is just the first step for you.¡± The most beautiful thing in the world was hope that had been ignited in the midst of desperation. Once more, Tong Luo wrapped Qi Wu in a hug. Qi Wu was not surprised by the embrace and gently patted Tong Luo on the back with a gentle look in her eyes. She looked just like a benevolent goddess full of love and mercy. ¡°Sometimes, it feels like the two of us aren¡¯t around the same age at all,¡± Tong Luo abruptly said. She continued, ¡°I always find myself reassured by you¡­¡± There was a faint smile on Qi Wu¡¯s face. To a certain extent, priestesses were the spiritual support of the people. Those who believed in her and respected her prayed that she could chase away their sorrows and bring hope back to them. That was what she did. She exorcized, blessed, guided them to their fate, performed ceremonies and prayers¡­However, as the years went by, the Temple was doomed to disappear into the darkness of the night one day. Tong Luo abruptly looked up with a solemn look on her face. ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Perhaps this is the power of an idol! I¡¯ve never admired anyone before. You¡¯re the first, Qi Wu!¡± You are my eternal me. Tong Luo kept that thought to herself. Meanwhile, Jin Si, who was still in the car, received a call from Chang Xun. He nned on ignoring the call, but Chang Xun was persistent and did not take the hint to stop calling. Annoyed, Jin Si answered the phone and coldly barked out, ¡°What is it?¡± As someone who had dealt with Jin Si for three years, Chang Xun soon realized that Jin Si was in his usual crazy state of mind. However, he was so excited at the moment that he did not care about Jin Si¡¯s bad mood. ¡°Jin, have you looked online? Everyone¡¯s talking about Qi Wu. Just one promotional post is enough to make her one of the top trending topics of the day. Everyone is now scouring the inte for information on her!¡± ¡°What?¡± Jin Si frowned. His voice wasced with a rather strange emotion. As Chang Xun was still overwhelmed by his excitement, he continued to exim, ¡°I just knew it! When have I ever been wrong? Qi Wu¡¯s beauty is enough to make her go viral!¡± However, what Jin Si said in the next moment extinguished all traces of Chang Xun¡¯s excitement. It was like pouring a bucket of icy water over a fire. Chang Xun remained speechless for a few long minutes. Eventually, he let out an awkward chuckle as he did his best to salvage the situation. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s here for you. Life back home is much morefortable now that she¡¯s not bothering you all the time, right? I¡¯m helping her set new goals and establish independence. That¡¯s what all women should have these days!¡± If Chang Xun were not that scared of Jin Si, he would have rolled his eyes. He wanted Qi Wu to focus on her career so that she would not be so hung up on Jin Si like some lovesick fool. After all the effort he put into his speech, the only reply he got was cold, mean, and short. ¡°You need a doctor.¡± The moment Jin Si hung up, Chang Xun finally caved into the urge to fill the air with curses so bad that they needed to be censored. Realization soon struck Chang Xun. As he had only nned for Qi Wu to have some fun for a brief while, he did not have the time to instruct her on anything else. With how popr Qi Wu was, it would not be long before agencies knocked on her door. ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Chang Xun let out a soft curse. He found Qi Wu first! Even if Jin Si did not want her in his agency, Chaoqi Group would not be of the same mind. After hanging up, Jin Si did not put down his phone. When silence continued for a few long minutes, Lou Ying cautiously nced behind him through the rearview mirror. He found Jin Si coldly scrolling through social media. Lou Ying was speechless. Was there a secret side to Jin Si? For example, was he someone who said one thing but meant another? The moment Jin Si opened up social media, he was immediately greeted by the post by the official ount of ¡°Rookie Assembly.¡± He tapped into Qi Wu¡¯s poster. The production team must have noticed Qi Wu¡¯s poprity because they had her promotional poster published in a separate post. The other promotional posters that were published by themselves were all for participants who were well-known. Qi Wu was the only individual that no one on the inte knew about. ¡®D*mn, is she a fallen angel?¡¯ ¡®She redefines the word, ¡°Rookie.¡± I love it!¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s someone who stands out from the crowd.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s her social media handle? Rookie Assembly. be smart and hand it over!¡¯ Through the hard work of random inte strangers, #QiWuFallenAngel has been trending on every corner of the inte. Qi Wu did not have any PR department to help her out. The production team was not helping her either. She was trending solely because of strangers. Jin Si calmly looked at Qi Wu¡¯s poster. She was wearing the same uniform as everyone else and just sat there, silently staring into the camera. Even so, Jin Si was enthralled by her eyes. The light of his phone screen shining on his icy face highlighted the darkness shimmering in his eyes which were as dark and mysterious as a dark hole.. Chapter 42 - 42: Pretty Plain and Just So-so Chapter 42: Pretty in and Just So-so Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS There was a long moment of silence before Jin Si, with a nk look on his face,mented on the post full of praises for Qi Wu¡¯s beauty. Thement read, ¡®Pretty in and just so-so.¡¯ He then put his phone away. Little did he know, his words had caused a hugemotion. Chang Xun was the only one running Jin Si¡¯s agency. He did not even have an assistant. There were two reasons for that. One, Jin Si¡¯s yearly workload could be counted on one hand. Two, Jin Si¡¯s personality was so erratic and frustrating that no one else could stand it. Chang Xun did not even dare to tell Jin Si what to do, let alone manage Jin Si¡¯s social media ounts for him. Jin Si had always been in control of his social media presence, which meant the ount had never been touched because he did not care to post on it. However, that did not stop the fans from following him, resulting in over 50 million followers. Many of those followers were also very active on social media. Hence, the fans were always waiting for him to post something. Finally, they spotted one of hisments. ¡®Has someone finally hacked into his ount?¡¯ ¡®As an old fan of his, I must make it known that his tongue is always this sharp. It has nothing to do with her!¡¯ ¡®I was lured over by hisment, so he has finally done a good deed. Without him, I would never have known about her!¡¯ ¡®His actions have nothing to do with his fans. We¡¯ve always tried to curb his tongue!¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it strange that he would be in thements section?¡¯ By the time Chang Xun knew about it, there were over 30,000 replies to Jin Si¡¯sment. The replies all belonged to Jin Si¡¯s fans. Chang Xun nearly fainted from shock when he read thement. He did not care what Jin Si¡¯s motive was, for now. All he understood was that Jin Si had created him a lot more work with one callousment. However, Jin Si¡¯s fans did not get the wrong idea from thement. On the bright side, thement gave Qi Wu more fans. Through hard work and long hours in the office, Chang Xun was finally able to make the uproar around Jin Si¡¯sment die down. However, after a whole night, everyone knew about it anyway. The next morning, Song Qi scowled at Qu Man. ¡°Is Jin Si deliberately making things difficult for me? How can he call Qi Wu¡¯s face in? He just insulted everyone else as well!¡± he said. Qu Man listlessly responded, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Bewildered by her response, Song Qi asked, ¡°What happened to you? Is it that time of the month?¡± Qu Man nced at him. ¡°Worse.¡± Before yesterday happened, she was hard at work digging up gossip about Qi Wu and Jin Si¡¯s rtionship. She wanted to bear witness to the tale of the high and mighty beauty being dragged down by love. However, Jin Si had dealt her a huge blow with hisment. He had not fallen for Qi Wu at all! That meant Qi Wu was most likely rejected after pestering him. Jin Si must have been so disgusted that he could not resist bashing her. Qu Man was not that shocked. Jin Si was still the cold, mean, and vicious psychopath she knew. In the end, it was better to think of it as making a wrong guess. It was no different than seeing a ship she supported be broken up before it even sailed. Song Qi silently stared. He could not think of anything more severe than period pain. However, he knew to leave women be when they were in a bad mood. Thus, he softly cleared his throat and patted Qu Man on the shoulder as he reassuringly said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± There was only one week left until the day the contestants had to choose their category. During that week. the production team had them sign up for sses ording to the path they wished to take. Qi Wu and Tong Luo walked to the ssroom together, attracting the attention of many people along the way. After all, many contestants had been waiting for the official announcement on social media. There was so much heated debate in thements of Qi Wu¡¯s poster, and naturally, it meant no one missed what was going on. Everyone now wanted to know what sses she would take. After Jin Si¡¯sment, her poster exploded in poprity. The post went from being among the top 15 trending topics to being the top trending topic of the entire tform. However, her poprity was nothingpared to Jin Si¡¯s. Tong Luo also saw thementst night. Not only had she noticed themotion, but she had also stayed up all night scrolling through thements on her alternate ount. However, Qi Wu had already gone to bed by that time. As she did not even have a social media ount, Tong Luo did not tell her about it. Tong Luo was afraid Qi Wu¡¯s calm demeanor would shatter when she found out about it. With that in mind, she could not resist trying to say reassuringly, ¡°Ignore thements, Qi Wu.¡± Qi Wu stopped and turned solemnly to look at Tong Luo. ¡°Whatments?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± Tong Luo found herself unable to say a word when faced with such a stare. Deep down, she cursed Jin Si out. Was he blind? Qi Wu was as beautiful as an angel! Qi Wu stepped forward and said in a tone that brook no argument, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Jinmented on the post with your poster.¡± The words practically leaped out of Tong Luo¡¯s mouth. Realizing what she had just said, Tong Luo nervously stared at Qi Wu. However, Qi Wu merely tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Jin?¡± Was she supposed to know who that was? ¡°Jin Si the three-time award-winning actor? Everyone just calls him Jin. He¡¯s an infamously high and mighty man in the industry with a sharp tongue that spares no one. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s actually targeting you.¡± Tong Luo hurriedly offered an exnation after the brief introduction. She did not want Qi Wu to get angry over Jin Si¡¯s sharp tongue. ¡°Jin Si¡­ Qi Wu¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard the familiar name. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± In the end, Tong Luo could not hold strong against the look in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes and spat out through gritted teeth, ¡°Pretty in and just so-so.¡± She then hurriedly exined, ¡°That¡¯s what Jin Si said, not me!¡± What she saw next stunned her. That was because the smile on Qi Wu¡¯s lips had vanished as the air around her suddenly turned deathly still. Tong Luio panicked. She clumsily and frantically offered another exnation, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that Jin Si has bad taste! Don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯ Qi Wu interrupted before Tong Luo could finish speaking. Looking at Tong Luo¡¯s anxious and worried face, Qi Wu smiled. ¡°I know that he didn¡¯t actually finish his sentence.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tong Luo was confused. However, since Qi Wu had recovered from the shock, she did not dare push for an answer. Instead, she swiftly nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s head to ss. The other two mentors are arriving today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Wu was not lying. Pretty in and just so-so¡­ ¡­but I am a mortal, so we are a match made in heaven. Those were the words of the man who died by her sword.. Chapter 43 - 43: He Was, in Fact, Mad With Jealousy! Chapter 43: He Was, in Fact, Mad With Jealousy! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Just who was Jin Si? Qi Wu pondered as she walked. It was extremely rare for someone to be born under the king star. The chances were one in a million. However, Qi Wu has encountered two so far. One of them was extremely ambitious and hadmitted many crimes while the other was noble, cold, and reserved. Could they be the same person? When Qi Wu and Tong Luo arrived at the lecture hall, many contestants were already inside and seated. Jiang Xuxu had reserved seats for them. As a cker, she intentionally went for thest row. ¡°Hurry over. I got up really early to grab us these seats!¡± Tong Luo pulled Qi Wu over before turning to Jiang Xuxu and helplessly asked, ¡°Did you know that the other two mentors areing today?¡± ¡°I do. ¡® Jiang Xuxu had answered promptly as she did not realize what was happening. ¡°Song Qi is one of the mentors, so anyone who is also a mentor will be someone high up in the industry. How much can we even learn by sitting in the back? We might not be able to even get into their ssester.¡± Jiang Xuxu was stunned. Ke Lu, who was sitting next to her, leaned forward and chimed in. ¡± I told her that as well, but she insisted that thest row was the ce where all the strong students sat.¡± Tong Luo was at a loss for words. Whichint should she even start with? Thest row was where the freeloaders sat, after all. When Tan Song walked in from the door, his eyes lit up when he saw Qi Wu sitting in thest row. Without hesitation, he walked over to Qi Wu. However, there was one person who was clearly faster than him. Jiang Yiran came out of nowhere and sat down beside Qi Wu before Tan Song could. Smiling up at Tan Song, Jiang Yiran said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit together.¡± Tan Song pursed his lips as his eyes dimmed. He did not say a word as he sat down beside Jiang Yiran. Jiang Yiran was a newbie that Yuchu Entertainment was trying to promote while Tan Song was just an unpopr artist who could not make it. Naturally, Jiang Yiran had more value in thepany¡¯s eyes. Therefore, while he knew Jiang Yiran had stolen the seat on purpose, he would not say anything. Jiang Yiran did not know what Tan Song was thinking and was merely happy as a hint of joy shed across his face. However, when he turned around and saw Qi Wu sitting beside him, his expression instantly darkened. The young man scoffed. ¡°You really stole the limelight yesterday.¡± Hearing this, Qi Wu calmly turned to look at him. ¡°Jealous?¡± Her words instantly set off Jiang Yiran¡¯s explosive temper. ¡°Why would I be jealous? I have 5 million followers! How many do you have? What? Do you not have an ount?¡± The young man was huffing and puffing, looking extremely stubborn and upset. Qi Wu blinked and nodded as she honestly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a social media ount.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Jiang Yiran did not know what to say. Could she not tell that he was being sarcastic? Qi Wu then ignored him and greeted Tan Song by name. Tan Song, who had been silent all this while, instantly looked up. ¡°Present.¡± He did not even bother hiding the gentle tone in his voice. ¡°Can you show me your revised manuscript?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Tan Song did not expect her to take the initiative in this matter. Just like a fan who had been noticed by his idol, he was incredibly excited and a little impatient. When Tan Song finally pulled out the manuscript and handed it to Qi Wu, he thoughtfully said, ¡°Let me know what you think. Your opinion is important to me.¡± ¡°I will.¡± However, she did not immediately read it. Instead, she looked at Jiang Yiran with lowered eyes and softly asked, ¡°Are you jealous now?¡± Jiang Yiran was speechless. He was, in fact, mad with jealousy! It was then that he realized the revenge of the wicked was always silent but deadly. Therefore, Jiang Yiran could only watch helplessly as Qi Wu held the manuscript that Tan Song had personally written. Suddenly, there was a huge ruckus in the ssroom. The contestants stared in shock at Tong Fei, who had suddenly appeared at the door. The ones who were most shocked were the contestants who had been chosen by the Tong Family to be her backup. Their faces were extremely pale as they stared at her. Tong Fei looked around the hall with a sharp re. When she saw Tong Luo, the viciousness in her eyes intensified. In the end, her gaze fell on the girls who had been her followers. Her entitled mentality was exposed from the moment she spoke. ¡°Hurry up and give up your seat to me!¡± The girls did not dare to say anything. Tong Fei had made a huge mistake and was scolded so harshly by Song Qi. Even so, she was still able toe back. It was clear that the Tong family had done quite a lot behind the scenes. Not long after Tong Fei entered, Qiu Yan, who had gone missing for a whole day, appeared. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight and was in a bad mood as she kept her head lowered. As the other contestants spected and stared, she silently walked to a seat on thest row and sat down. Tong Fei smugly grinned as she looked at Qiu Yan who was huddled up in thest row like a scared chicken. She stretched out her fingers and cheerfully admired her manicured nails. ¡°What a joke to think anyone would dare behave that atrociously to me.¡± Tong Fei purposefully said that in a voice loud enough for Qiu Yan to hear. Therefore, everyone in thest row heard her. Jiang Xuxu had been frowning ever since the two of them came in. ¡± Tong Fei is ridiculously arrogant.¡± Tong Luo had long expected this situation, so she was not surprised. ¡°The Tong family will grant Tong Fei¡¯s every request. They probably know that it¡¯s not easy to get through to Mr. Song, so they went after Qiu Yan.¡± With Qiu Yan¡¯s family background, she could never be more stubborn than the Tong family. She had already witnessed the Tong family¡¯s ability to distort the truth from the incident eight years ago. They would not even spare the daughter they had raised for many years, so why would they y nice with a stranger? Jiang Yiran suddenly joined the discussion, saying, ¡°You underestimate Mr. Song and the production team.¡± Jiang Xuxu was a friendly person, so she immediately asked, ¡°You¡¯re a good friend!¡± Jiang Yiran nced at Qi Wu. Upon seeing that no reaction from her, he could not help but feel angry. ¡°Although the Tong family has sent Tong Fei back, Mr. Song will make her regret this decision sooner orter. He¡¯s infamous in the entertainment industry for being too old-fashioned.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a stern and cold voice suddenly said from behind him, ¡°Who are you calling old-fashioned?¡± Not realizing something was wrong, Jiang Yiran subconsciously replied,¡± Of course it¡¯s Song¡­¡± In the next second, he shot to his feet like a student who had been caught red-handed. He stood as straight and stiff as a soldier at attention. ¡°M-Mr. song!¡± When Jiang Yiran saw Song Qi suddenly appear behind him, he was so scared that he started to stutter.. Chapter 44 - 44: He Has a Bad Temper Chapter 44: He Has a Bad Temper Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Song Qi coldly snorted and scanned the people in the back row. With raised eyebrows and a voice full of disappointment and frustration, he asked, ¡°Why are you in thest row?¡± None of them dared to speak and lowered their heads in unison. That infuriated Song Qi even more. However, he did not say anything. After ncing at Qi Wu, he walked to the stage. Qi Wu had shown herself to have quite a steady mind. ¡°Quiet.¡± Song Qi¡¯s arrival made the contestants stop discussing Tong Fei and Qiu Yan. ¡°You had a few days to adapt to life here, so sses will now start. I believe you have all heard the news. There will be a total of three mentors. Not only will the mentors be teaching you, but they will also be the judges for the contest.¡± ¡°When you choose your path, each mentor has three deciding votes that can allow a contestant to directly get into the desired category, and others cannot snatch the spot from that contestant.¡± Many of the contestants were excited to hear that. The vote was a guaranteed entry into the contest! ¡°I wonder who the other two mentors are,¡± someonemented. ¡°I hear they¡¯ll all be famous people!¡± ¡°Mr. Song himself is very famous and talented, so the other two mentors must be the same.¡± Song Qi did not leave the contestants guessing for long. He pped his hands. Suddenly, one of the doors behind him opened to reveal a middle-aged woman who still retained her charm. The woman was wearing a beige leisure dress. Her movements were elegant and dignified while her eyes were cold and stern. However, her aloofness did not curb the contestants¡¯ enthusiasm. ¡°Let us wee my old friend, award-winning singer Tang Liuhua!¡± ¡°It really is Ms. Tang!¡± ¡°She¡¯s way too famous for this!¡± ¡°Ms. Tang hasn¡¯t taught anyone for five or six years, right? Mr. Song is really impressive!¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to look forward to the next mentor.¡± Tang Liuhua was a serious person, but her expression softened a little when she saw Tan Song. ¡°I am Tang Liuhua.¡± As soon as she spoke, the contestants fell silent. ¡°My requirements will be very strict. If you can¡¯t ept that, don¡¯t learn from me.¡± Many of the contestants who were excited to see her immediately changed their minds because of that. After all, anyone who was an old friend of Song Qi¡­They would be equally as strict as him. However, Tang Liuhua didn¡¯t mind the silence. After saying her piece, she retreated to Song Qi¡¯s side. Song Qi coughed. ¡°There¡¯s still onest mentor. Let¡¯s wee¡­¡± As soon as he said that, thest door opened. A tall man walked out from inside. He had a warm smile on his face, but his eyes were cold and distant. As soon as he appeared, many women in the hall could not help but scream. ¡°It¡¯s Shen Xi, one of China¡¯s very first idols!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Shen is actually going to be a mentor! This is his first time being a mentor after his transition from an idol, right?¡± ¡°This lineup of mentors is godlike!¡± Although Shen Xi wasn¡¯t as experienced as Song Qi and Tang Liuhua, he was the only one among the first generation of idols in China who sessfully shifted career paths and won the title of Best Actor. Therefore, even though he was now a fully-fledged actor, his fans were still as loyal and fanatic as idol fans. When Song Qi saw this, he could not help but tease, ¡°It seems that Shen Xi is still the most popr among us. Look at how excited these girls are.¡± Shen Xi smiled. ¡°We still have you to thank for inviting us.¡± Now that all three mentors were here, they could excite the contestants just by standing there. How could the contestants not be excited when a top figure in the industry would be their mentor? ¡°The three mentors have listed the sses they will be teaching. You can sign up to whichever you like, but the production team will not interfere if the mentors refuse to take you on as a student.¡± Silence instantly fell. However, few people had any objections. Soon, the three mentors left the lecture hall, leaving the space for the contestants to sign up for their sses. Before he left, Shen Xi nced at thest row of the lecture hall. ¡°Song, is that Qi Wu, the one who was trendingst night?¡± ¡°Yeah. Were you actually paying attention to that?¡± At the same time, Qi Wu looked up at Shen Xi¡¯s retreating figure for one brief second before looking away. Tong Luo, who was sitting beside her, was still struggling with which sses to pick. ¡°Mr. Shen is a capable actor. Mr. Song has also witnessed the birth of many Best Actors and Best Actresses. He has a sharp eye¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go to all of them?¡± Qi Wu calmly interrupted. Tong Luo stared in shock. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little disrespectful to the teachers?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Tong Luo quickly got over it. She was confident that she would definitely be able to attend the same sses as Qi Wu, but when she handed in her form, she suddenly realized that she only had one ss that ovepped with Qi Wu¡¯s. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Mr. Song¡¯s ss?¡± Tong Luo could not help but ask. The courses that Qi Wu chose were all taught by Shen Xi. However, while Shen Xi had offered sses on acting, most of his sses were about being an idol. Hence, there were only three acting sses in a week. In other words, Qi Wu only had three acting sses. Qi Wu calmly shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He has a bad temper,¡± Qi Wu softly replied. Tong Luo was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, at the control room. The three mentors and the staff members in the control room all heard Qi Wu¡¯s reply. Shen Xi could not help butugh. He looked at Song Qi, whose face had darkened. ¡°Song, what did you do to her?¡± Song Qi suddenly remembered the girl telling him in all seriousness that he seemed upset. Qi Wu liked to hold onto grudges, it seemed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to teach her anyway!¡± he coldly snorted. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s all show and no go!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that she changed Tan Song?¡± Tang Liuhua suddenly chimed in. Song Qi choked when he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s just a small change. Perhaps Tan Song had gotten through his mental block himself!¡± At that moment, Qu Man walked over.¡± Ms. Tang, Mr. Shen.¡± She looked at Song Qi, who was throwing a tantrum, and rolled her eyes. ¡°Ignore Song, he just refuses to acknowledge Qi Wu¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°How is it a refusal to acknowledge her? She¡¯s refusing to attend my ss. I¡¯m not stopping her!¡± Song Qi was so angry that his wrinkled face turned red as he loudly defended himself. Qu Man clicked her tongue. ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re jealous that Qi Wu didn¡¯t choose your ss..¡± Chapter 45 - 45: They’re Just Teasing the Kid Chapter 45: They¡¯re Just Teasing the Kid Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Song Qi finally realized what he just said. As he turned to find meaningful looks on the faces of Qu Man and the others in the room, he coldly snorted. ¡°Whatever you say! ¡± Tang Liuhua sighed, as a trace of exhaustion appeared on her graceful and dignified face. ¡°ss starts in the afternoon. I¡¯m going to rest for a while.¡± ¡°You need to rest more. You¡¯re not feeling well yet you¡¯re still worried about your student.¡± Song Qi was a straightforward man and had been friends with Tang Liuhua for more than 10 years. There was no need for him to beat around the bush. Tang Liuhua could not help butugh. ¡°I¡¯m also looking for a sessor for myself. ¡± Song Qi nodded and did not say anything else. The group of mentors then walked out of the door. Shen Xi walked at the back. Out of the corner of his eye, he nced at the live footage disyed on the screen behind him. As he looked at the young girl who was surrounded by a crowd, a glimmer of interest shed in his eyes. After the course selection, Jiang Xuxu wanted to ask Qiu Yan about it, but when she stood up, she realized that Qiu Yan had already left through the back door. She frowned. ¡°Forget it.¡± Even if she asked, she could not have stopped her. At this moment, Tong Fei walked to thest row. When she passed by Tong Luo, she stopped. Her arrogant gaze fell on Tong Luo, but her words did not hurt as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate just yet.¡± Tong Luo met her gaze and retorted, ¡°You too.¡± Tong Fei¡¯s gaze instantly turned vicious, but she was still apprehensive about something as she only red at Tong Luo before leaving with a group of people. ¡°Tch, you¡¯re still delusional.¡± Jiang Yiran suddenly sneered. He turned his head and was just about to muster up the courage to invite Tan Song to the cafeteria for a meal together. Unfortunately, by the time he turned around, Tan Song had already chased after Qi Wu. Jiang Yiran was speechless. Jiang Xuxu walked over and saw that he was still standing there in a daze. She could not help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Jiang Yiran nced at her and gritted his teeth. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going!¡± Tan Song had wanted to use their lunch break to talk to Qi Wu about his work. However, he did not expect to find a group of people standing behind him when he turned around. Especially when Jiang Yiran was among them. He was shocked. Just as Tan Song sensed that something was wrong, Qi Wu¡¯s excited singing drew him back to reality. ¡°Is that it?¡± Qi Wu turned to look at him. Tan Song could not care less about anything else after that. He hurriedly nodded to Qi Wu. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the feeling!¡± ¡°Tan Song, do you like the morning dew, the chirping of the birds outside the window, the swaying of the branches and leaves, and the warm sunlight?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s voice seemed to have some kind of magic as it entranced Tan Song, gradually constructing a rather normal picture with her words that also made his heart throb. That feeling seemed like he was touched deep down. When he came back to his senses, he saw Qi Wu looking at him with a smile. Qi Wu handed the manuscript back and softly said, ¡°Remember that feeling.¡± Imagination had no boundaries. Tan Song was just too confined to himself and reality, so he could not break free from his own limitations. He could not even resonate with his own work, so how could he make his works resonate with others? Meanwhile, the people behind Qi Wu and Tan Song whispered to each other. ¡°When did they be so close?¡± Jiang Xuxu asked. ¡°They were only teammates for a day.¡± Even Tong Luo could not help but whisper back. Jiang Yiran had his arms crossed as he walked and stared at Qi Wu and Tan Song with an unhappy expression. When he heard them whispering, he could not help but agree with them. ¡°That¡¯s right! He didn¡¯t know what Qi Wu, this viin, had done!¡± As soon as he said that, the people walking next to him looked over to him. Tong Luo angrily red at him. ¡°Shut up if you can¡¯t keep a civil tongue!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the viin here!¡± Jiang Xuxu did not want to be outdone. Ke Lu was the one to deal the final blow as she coldly and disdainfully retorted, ¡°Sour grapes.¡± Jiang Yiran¡¯s eyes widened in shock. What happened to the peaceful attitudes from before? Qi Wu and Tan Song were not deaf to themotion happening behind them. Tan Song turned around. When he saw that Jiang Yiran was arguing with Jiang Xuxu, he could not help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Qi Wu looked back and casually replied, ¡°They¡¯re just teasing the kid.¡± Silence fell. Tan Song did not know what to say. He turned around and nced at Jiang Yiran once more. For the first time, a pitying look appeared in his eyes. By the time they arrived at the cafeteria, Jiang Yiran was naturally defeated by the three women around him. However, the young man¡¯s unwillingness to admit defeat caused him to stubbornly refute, ¡°I won¡¯t lower myself to the same level as you viins!¡± After their walk, Jiang Yiran now had three more names listed in his list of viins. Qi Wu suddenly turned around and asked him, ¡°Do you want to eat with us?¡± Without thinking, Jiang Yiran retorted, ¡°Who would want to¡­¡± ¡°Tan Song will be with us.¡± Qi Wu calmly interrupted him. Thus, Jiang Yiran immediately stopped and changed his answer. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll go get your tes now.¡± Despite the fake smile on his face, he felt like crying on the inside. He felt like he was being manipted. After Jiang Yiran left, Tan Song worriedly asked Qi Wu, ¡°Why did you let him stay? He¡­¡± Tan Song thought of his previous experiences with Jiang Yiran and helplessly shook his head. Qi Wu nced at him and softly replied, ¡°I¡¯m helping the child solve a tiny problem. ¡± No one knew who she meant by that. With two more people in their group, Jiang Xuxu was naturally very happy as she was a social butterfly. ¡°Come,e. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Jiang Yiran coldly snorted. However, under Tan Song¡¯s stare, he behaved and just focused on his meal. ¡°What ss do you have in the afternoon, Qi Wu?¡± ¡°Acting basics. ¡± Jiang Xuxu excitedly nodded when she heard that. ¡°We can head over thereter together.¡± She then leaned forward to sprawl out across the table. ¡°Ke Lu will be attending Ms. Tang¡¯s ss with Tan Song and the others. This is probably the only ss we share.¡± Tong Luo nced at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you practice in an empty ssroom when you have spare time?¡± What she said ignited Jiang Xuxu¡¯s fighting spirit, making her sit up straight. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m an idol. I¡¯ll show you just how much I can change in one month! ¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Qi Wu said with a smile. Jiang Yiran suddenly interrupted, ¡°Ha! N?lVe.¡± Tan Song hurriedly coughed to stop anyone from responding and blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him.. He¡¯s just a kid¡­¡± Chapter 46 - 46: You Are the Great General Chapter 46: You Are the Great General Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Tan Song fell silent the moment he finished speaking. Qi Wu¡¯s statement that ¡°they were just teasing the kid¡± had been stuck in his mind, so he had actually thought of Jiang Yiran as a child just now. Just as Tan Song fell silent, Jiang Yiran blurted out to defend himself, ¡°I¡¯m already an adult! ¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a slip of the tongue¡­¡± An awkward look was painted across Tan Song¡¯s face. Jiang Xuxu could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re the youngest here. Tong Luo is 3 months older than you! ¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Jiang Yiran stared at her with a strange look in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a wicked woman!¡± Jiang Xuxu rolled her eyes. Before the show started filming, Jiang Yiran was one of the most popr contestants, so Jiang Xuxu naturally looked into him as well. Moreover, anyone who was somewhat popr after making their debut had a lot of their private information on the Inte. One just needed to separate the truth from the lies. Tan Song could not help but look over. This time, he finally realized that something was wrong. Whenever he looked over, Jiang Yiran would immediately be quiet and well-behaved. Was Jiang Yiran afraid of him? There was now a strange glint in Tan Song¡¯s eyes. However, when he thought of what had happened before, that ridiculous notion was quickly dispelled from his mind. Not only was Jiang Yiran a rookie that Yuchu Entertainment was promoting, but his family was also the head of Jiang¡¯s Global Pharmaceuticals in Jingdu. Hence, Tan Song was not surprised to see that Jiang Yiran was somewhat entitled and spoiled, but that meant he would further avoid interacting with Jiang Yiran. After lunch, the group dispersed and went back to their dorm rooms to rest. As soon as they returned to their bedroom, Tong Luo saw Qi Wu pick up her phone and calmly walk into the bathroom before Tong Luo could tell her to rest. Tong Luo did not think that it was a call from her sugar daddy this time. That was because something dark seemed to be brewing beneath Qi Wu¡¯s eyes. Qi Wu locked the bathroom door and looked at herself in the mirror. Compared to her previous life when she was a temple priestess, there was a hint of gentleness and liveliness in her current face. This made Qi Wu realize that the cold-hearted priestess, trapped in the cold temple building, was gone. She did not move an inch and continued to stare at herself in the mirror. She subconsciously clenched her hand around the phone. After a while, Qi Wu called Jin Si with a nk look on her face. Doot. Doot. Doot. The bathroom was silent. asionally, she could faintly hear water rushing through the pipes, so the dial tone sounded crystal clear as it echoed through the room. About 10 secondster, Jin Si picked up the phone. There was a faint static noise as Jin Si asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You are the Great General of Destiny.¡± Qi Wu coldly stared at her reflection as it gradually merged with her old appearance as a temple priestess. In the solemn and sacred temple, countless huge pirs lined the halls whileyers of golden fabric hung from the top of the pirs. That empty hall was lit by flickering candles housed by candle holders made of gold in every corner. In that cold and silent hall, the priestess sat on a seat high above everyone else while wearing aplicated and elegant robe as she looked down at the people below. Her eyes were filled withpassion yet indifference at everything. Her calm and dignified voice suddenly echoed through the quiet and empty hall. ¡°You are the Great General of Destiny.¡± Once more, Qi Wu repeated that line. Jin Si was silent. After a while, Jin Si asked, ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Qi Wu instantly snapped back to her senses. She shook her head. ¡°That was practice for an acting ss.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jin Si raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Wu softly replied. ¡°Good afternoon, Jin Si.¡± Without waiting for Jin Si¡¯s reply, she hung up. When the call ended, Qi Wu¡¯s calm had returned. Although there were many simrities between the two men, Jin Si was definitely not that person. Meanwhile, Jin Si stared down at his phone after Qi Wu hung up on him. He silently stared at it for a very long time. When Lou Ying walked in, he was startled by how still Jin Si was. If Jin Si had not snapped back to his senses and nced at him, Lou Ying would have thought that Jin Si had lost his soul to the ghost. ¡°Lou Ying,¡± Jin Si suddenly called out. Lou Ying subconsciously straightened his back and firmly replied, ¡°Present, sir! ¡± Silence fell. Jin Si speechlessly looked at Lou Ying before silently sighing. ¡°Forget it.¡± It was better not to ask Lou Ying. Furthermore, Jin Si could not even begin to describe that feeling. Jin Si¡¯s heart had skipped a beat when he heard Qi Wu¡¯s words. It was as if he had opened Pandora¡¯s Box, releasing something that was out of his control. Lou Ying was confused. While Jin Si did not say anything, Lou Ying could feel that he was being looked down upon. In the afternoon, Jiang Xuxu acted like a serious and responsible student and brought a bunch of snacks and drinks for Qi Wu. Then, she stuffed them into Qi Wu¡¯s small bag. Qi Wu blinked. ¡°Xuxu, what¡¯s this?¡± Jiang Xuxu looked up in surprise. ¡°They¡¯re jelly!¡± She quickly opened her backpack. ¡°What vor do you want? I have honeydew, coconut, and.. She listed out all the vors before showing Qi Wu how it was meant to be eaten. Qi Wu curiously followed her example. ¡°Like this?¡± Qi Wu obediently asked. Jiang Xuxu was shocked. She felt like her heart was about to melt. ¡°Yes! Oh, how can you be so cute?¡± If Qi Wu had not been in the middle of eating, Jiang Xuxu would have already pounced on her. A rxed smile appeared on Qi Wu¡¯s face, like an easily satisfied child. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s delicious.¡± At that moment, Shen Xi walked into the room. There were many people in the lecture hall. After all, in terms of poprity, Shen Xi was the most popr among the three mentors. Moreover, he taught both idol and acting sses. After Jiang Xuxu fed Qi Wu, she was back in her social butterfly mode and briefly scanned the others in the room. When she saw that Tong Fei was also in the ssroom, she immediately lost interest in socializing. She pursed her lips. ¡°Why are we in the same ss as Tong Fei?¡± Hearing that, Qi Wu slowly looked up at Tong Fei. She was seated in the front row near the door. As soon as Shen Xi walked in, her eyes seemed to be glued to him as they never moved away. A thoughtful look gleamed in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes. Just as she was about to look away, she met Shen Xi¡¯s gaze. He seemed to be observing her too.. Chapter 47 - 47: Big Shots Were Always Confident Chapter 47: Big Shots Were Always Confident Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Shen Xi and Qi Wu locked eyes as if they were evenly matched opponents as they both subtly observed each other. A few secondster, Shen Xi smiled and withdrew his probing gaze. ¡°I am your teacher for this ss, Shen Xi.¡± As Shen Xi started ss, Qi Wu lowered her eyes. Sometime during Shen Xi¡¯s lecture, Qi Wu seemed to hear someone call out her name. When Jiang Xuxu saw that Qi Wu was spacing out while Shen Xi smiled at Qi Wu from the front, she could not help but feel anxious. ¡°Sweetie, Mr. Shen is talking to you!¡± Jiang Xuxu whispered as she nudged awake her spaced-out deskmate. Qi Wu snapped back to her senses. As everyone stared at her, she calmly stood up. She nced down and saw Tong Fei¡¯s gloating stare. She seemed to be very certain that Qi Wu would be punished. Even the other contestants in the ssroom thought the same. While Shen Xi looked gentle, his silence seemed very stern. Even if he did not punish Qi Wu directly, he would do it in other ways. Unfortunately, everyone was wrong. Shen Xi did not care about Qi Wu spacing out and just asked her, ¡°What do you think acting is, Miss Qi Wu?¡± ¡°Bing someone else.¡± Qi Wu answered without hesitation. She would be shedding her shackles and temporarily turning into another person to experience another life. The smile on Shen Xi¡¯s face deepened. He did notment on the answer and just told her to sit back down. ¡°Next, I will randomly assign you partners for the following training.¡± After Qi Wu sat down, Jiang Xuxu quickly leaned over and she worriedly said, ¡°You scared me to death. I thought you were going to be reprimanded by Mr. Shen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Qi Wu softlyforted. While the two of them were whispering, Shen Xi had already disyed his team assignments on the whiteboard. Jiang Xuxu did not dare to look at it. She put her palms together and softly prayed, ¡°Dear gods, I will offer you 5 pounds of the best meat if you will assign Qi Wu to be my partner.¡± Qi Wu blinked and nced at the teams listed on the whiteboard. Her eyes shined with a smile. ¡°You won¡¯t be offering anyone that, Xuxu.¡± That confused Jiang Xuxu. She opened her eyes in shock and froze as she looked at the groups on the whiteboard. She had been assigned to a person she was not familiar with. She looked at the name of Qi Wu¡¯s partner and she did not know that name as well. ¡°Qin Jiayan.. Jiang Xuxu¡¯s eyes were filled with doubt. ¡°I don¡¯t recall that name at all.¡± Qi Wu shook her head. At that moment, a deep but youthful voice called out from behind them. ¡°T-That¡¯s me¡­¡± Qi Wu and Jiang Xuxu turned around to find a tall young man standing behind them. The young man was nearly 6 feet tall. He looked quite fair and delicate with clear eyes that shimmered with energy. The moment Qi Wu turned around, a hint of surprise shed across his eyes as the back of his ears turned red. Jiang Xuxu looked at the namebel on his shirt and patted Qi Wu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your partner is here. I¡¯ll go find my partner then.¡± After that, she went looking for her partner, leaving the space for Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan. After Jiang Xuxu left, the two of them silently stared at each other. In the end, Qin Jiayan could not stand the awkward tension and nervously asked, ¡°W-What should we do?¡± Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°I do not know.¡± She then sat back down and pointed to the seat beside her. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Jiayan subconsciously followed her order and sat down. After sitting down, he turned to look at Qi Wu in confusion. He was now even more nervous than before because of how close he was to her. ¡°Excuse me, what should I do after sitting down?¡± ¡°Space out.¡± ¡°Oka- What?¡± Qin Jiayan had blindly responded before abruptly realizing what she said. He sharply inhaled, but Qi Wu looked so calm that he did not dare question her. Perhaps big shots were just that different. Qin Jiayan, who did not dare to question anything, really did as Qi Wu said and spaced out. It was not until Shen Xi arrived at thest row as he walked around the ss that he saw the two of them spaced out in their seats. Should he beughing or crying in response? ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Qin Jiayan suddenly snapped back to his senses and stared at Shen Xi who was standing beside him. There was a guilty tone in his voice as he replied, ¡®We¡¯re¡­ thinking, Mr. Shen.¡± They would be in trouble if he said they were spacing out. ¡°Thinking?¡± Shen Xi slowly repeated as he looked at Qin Jiayan with an inexplicably oppressive aura. Qin Jiayan nearly broke down and told the truth. ¡°We¡¯re thinking about why Jiang Yu and Cheng Cheng chose to end their rtionship with a teru-teru bozu.¡± Qi Wu suddenly chimed in, saving Qin Jiayan who was about to surrender. Qin Jiayan turned around in shock and saw that there was no panic or guilt on Qi Wu¡¯s face. She was just calm. As soon as Qi Wu spoke, Shen Xi¡¯s gaze left Qin Jiayan. ¡°What are your answers?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I have one.¡± Qi Wu answered in an honest and matter-of-fact tone of voice. At that moment, Qin Jiayan understood why big shots were always so confident. If Shen Xi were not around, he would have instantly given Qi Wu a thumbs-up. Shen Xi nodded. ¡°Continue thinking then.¡± He then turned around and left. Qin Jiayan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± he sincerely praised. ¡°Still, what was that about Jiang Yu and Cheng Chen?¡± Qi Wu nced at him and then looked at the whiteboard at the front. ¡°The characters we¡¯ll be ying during practiceter,¡± she softly replied. Qin Jiayan silently stared. He seemed to see exasperation in her eyes. No wonder Qi Wu had been looking ahead. She was thinking, not spacing out! He was the only one who actually spaced out with his head ducked low. Qin Jiayan instantly wanted to cry but found no tears avable to him. He was dragging her down. He was just a young man who had recentlye of age, so he had not properly experienced adult life yet. While he was quite immature and naive, his sincerity was true. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you down¡­¡± Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°You do not belong here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Jiayan suddenly looked up and stared into Qi Wu¡¯s eyes. At that moment, he seemed to feel removed from everything yet close to them. Confusion shed in his eyes. ¡°What?¡± Qi Wu spoke as if she was reciting a prophecy. ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way..¡± Chapter 48 - 48: Qj Wu had gone crazy Chapter 48: Qj Wu had gone crazy Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS When Qin Jiayan woke up from his daze, he saw Qi Wu standing in the aisle beside the table and silently looking at him. He was stunned. ¡°I just¡­What happened?¡± Qin Jiayan could not seem to recall those few short seconds as the memories felt shrouded in fog. He could only recall a vague feeling. ¡°You were just¡­¡¯ Qi Wu spoke slowly, and Qin Jiayan could not help but stare at her nervously. Eventually, she coldly stated, ¡°Spacing out.¡± Qin Jiayan fell silent. After a while, he stood up and said in embarrassment,¡± I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Time to practice.¡± Qi Wu was looking elsewhere. The lecture hall was very big, and many contestants had found a corner to practice in with their partners. After all, Shen Xi had said that he would check on their progress before ss ended. Qin Jiayan did his best to familiarize himself with the script. Jiang Yu and Cheng Cheng were a pair of lovers who had never been separated from each other. Their rtionship started at university and went through working life until they decided to get married. However, on a rainy night just before the wedding, Cheng Cheng returned the teru teru bozu doll Jiang Yu gave her and was never seen again. There were only a few short lines in the script, but they were enough to express the characters¡¯ love. Qin Jiayan widened his eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± The young man was still very young and had never experienced love before, so he naturally did not know the meaning hiding in the script. ¡°Love is the Garden of Eden, but marriage is not. After bing working adults, even the smallest squabbles over daily necessities were enough to be the catalyst for divorce.¡± Qi Wu calmly and rationally exined as her beautiful eyes shone brightly. Even though Jiang Yu and Cheng Cheng had never been apart, the many conflicts had umted little by little. The proverb, a small leak will sink a great ship, was not a proverb for nothing. Evesting love ended in marriage. Deep down, they knew that. That was why they chose to end it with dignity. The return of the doll meant that there would no longer be days of sunshine shared between them. After Qin Jiayan heard Qi Wu¡¯s analysis, he waspletely in awe of her. ¡°Qi Wu, you¡¯re amazing! You must have gone through a lot to be able to tell all that from just a few lines!¡± Qi Wu did not reply. For the first time, she felt speechless. Had she gone through a lot? Emotions were a burden to priestesses. They were meant to wait for their fates toe true with absolute rationality and a calm mind. many lovers who were unable to get together in the end. They woulde to the temple to cry and pray, hoping that the gods would protect them and return their loved ones to them.. After Qin Jiayan said that, he btedly realized what he had just said and quickly covered his mouth. His eyes were wide open with obvious panic and guilt shining in his eyes. He did not know how to hide his emotions at all. That was what Qi Wu observed. Qin Jiayan was very apologetic as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qi Wu. I think I said something wrong¡­¡± Qi Wu tilted her head.¡± You¡¯ve apologized three times in the past hour. Do you like apologizing?¡± Qin Jiayan quickly shook his head. ¡°Do I need to give you time to prepare?¡± Qin Jiayan thought of his bad acting skills and knew that he would definitely be a burden to her, so he subconsciously wanted to apologize again. However, before he could speak, he met Qi Wu¡¯s gaze. Staring into her eyes, Qin Jiayan suddenly could not find it in him to apologize. Thus, he ended up saying, ¡°I-I¡¯ll try my best not to drag you down!¡± Qi Wu blinked and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as Shen Xi doesn¡¯t find out.¡± Qin Jiayan fell silent. Why did he feel like she was very different from what he had imagined? Why did he find her cute? ¡°Pardon me, but I¡¯ve already found out.¡± Shen Xi suddenly spoke up from behind them in a slightly exasperated voice. Qi Wu paused for a moment before calmly turning around. She acted like she had not messed up at all. Qin Jiayan himself was drowning in guilt under Shen Xi¡¯s gaze. ¡°Next time, Mr. Shen, don¡¯t hide and eavesdrop on us.¡± When Qi Wu said this, Qin Jiayan felt faint. He swore to never ck off in the next ss. Shen Xi raised his eyebrows and replied in a gentle voice, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll make sure to work on that.¡± Qi Wu nodded. ¡°We need to practice.¡± In other words, she was telling him off for affecting them and that he needed to hurry up and leave. Qin Jiayan was speechless. Qi Wu had gone crazy! What Qin Jiayan found harder to believe was that Shen Xi actually left! He also wished them good practice before leaving. Qin Jiayan silently stared. He had heard so many rumors about how strict the three mentors were. Why was Mr. Shen so easy to talk to? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to practice?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s casual question immediately snapped Qin Jiayan back to his senses. He did not dare to say another word. Qi Wu nodded. Then, Qin Jiayan quickly discovered that the air around Qi Wu had changed. Cheng Cheng was a woman from the south. She was elegant and refined with a gentle and soft voice. However, no matter how gentle her voice was, it would always be tainted with intense sadness and determination. ¡°Jiang Yu, it¡¯s over¡­¡± Her sobbing rang with warm determination. The change was so sudden that Qin Jiayan¡¯s brain went nk. The eyes of the woman standing in front of him were slightly red. He blurted out, ¡°I won¡¯t leave you behind!¡± Qi Wu¡¯s eyes instantly regained their calmness as she looked at him in confusion. ¡°You messed up the lines.¡± Qin Jiayan was embarrassed. He had been immersed in Qi Wu¡¯s acting before he even knew it. Unfortunately, Qi Wu had already gone back into character while he was still Qin Jiayan. ¡°0-0ne more time.¡± Qi Wu did not say anything and just got into character again. Qin Jiayan failed again. They repeated the scene three times, but Qin Jiayan was unable to get into character. Qin Jiayan slumped on the ground dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m too weak.¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± Qi Wu replied affirmatively. Qin Jiayan fell silent. That was too brutally honest. He became even more depressed. Qin Jiayan only nned tost until the first round, so he had never really been that serious, but he never wanted to drag his teammate down. After all, his teammate was really strong! Qi Wu sat down beside him. ¡°Although the script is very short, you have to use your own way to build Jiang Yu¡¯s character. Why would he do such a thing? Everything must have a logical reason.¡± Qi Wu slowly continued,¡± In other words, you¡¯ve always been ying Qin Jiayan and not Jiang Yu.¡± Realization slowly dawned on Qin Jiayan, inspired by her analysis. ¡°Let me think about it,¡± he said, nervous and excited at the same time. ¡°Okay. ¡± Qi Wu softly replied. The young man stared down at the script that only had a few lines of words and pondered hard. However, Qi Wu knew that he belonged to another more dazzling and grand stage.. Chapter 49 - 49: Jin Si Won’t Interfere With My Decisions Chapter 49: Jin Si Won¡¯t Interfere With My Decisions Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qin Jiayan finally thought of something when ss was about to end. Just as Qin Jiayan was worried that Shen Xi would check on their performance, Shen Xi just casually nced at them before letting them go. Qin Jiayan could not help but heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Great,¡± he whispered. ¡°Mr. Shen has let us go.¡± Qi Wu nced at him and did not say anything. Shen Xi randomly selected three groups to perform. Then, Qin Jiayan quickly realized that he did not need to spend much effort to match those people¡¯s performances. Their performances did not feel as inescapable as Qi Wu¡¯s. Qi Wu¡­She was born with the ability to influence the emotions of the people around her. Upon realizing that, Qin Jiayan finally understood that he was not stupid; his teammate was simply too talented. She did not need a lot of time to get into a new role and exude control over the scene. If she were a professional actor, she would shock the entire industry. That was because this kind of ability to suppress everything with just acting skills was something that only a few award-winning actors and actresses could do. Qin Jiayan did not understand the industry well, but that did not stop him from being awed by Qi Wu. After the afternoon ss ended, Qin Jiayan wanted to look for Qi Wu, but just as he was about to speak, he saw a young and beautiful woman standing beside Qi wu. The two of them seemed to have a good rtionship as the woman called Jiang Xuxu put her arm around Qi Wu¡¯s shoulder without any hesitation. Upon seeing this, Qin Jiayan lowered his head and looked at his faded sneakers. He pursed his lips and dispelled the thought. He nced at Qi Wu¡¯s departing figure. Once more, he became a stranger among the crowd and disappeared from the lecture hall. ¡°Sweetie, what are you looking at?¡± Jiang Xuxu curiously asked as she also turned around to take a look. However, there was no one behind them. Qi Wu looked away and calmly shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Qi Wu returned to the room, Tong Luo was ying with her facial expressions in front of the mirror. Upon seeing her return, Tong Luo said to her, ¡°The first episode will be broadcast tonight, but I¡¯ve applied for a ssroom to practice in. Do you want to go with me?¡± Before Qi Wu could answer, her phone rang. Qi Wu nced at Tong Luo and gently replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Then, she pulled out her phone and walked to the bathroom. Tong Luo looked at Qi Wu¡¯s retreating back and blinked in confusion. It seemed like in the past few days¡­Qi Wu had avoided contacting her sugar daddy. Joy filled her at that thought. Could it be that Qi Wu finally realized that focusing on her career was the proper path and had started to ignore her sugar daddy? The call was from Chang Xun. After Qi Wu closed the door, she answered the call. ¡°Ahem. Qi Wu, did I disturb you? I don¡¯t have much to say. I just want to tell you that¡­the show will be broadcast today, and then¡­You know how your promotional poster got you some fame, right? In the future, you¡¯ll definitely¡­¡± Chang Xun spoke slowly over the phone as if he was feeling hesitant. He kept stuttering and dying the end of his sentence. ¡°Chang Xun,¡± Qi Wu interrupted. Her indifferent and firm interruption sessfully made Chang Xun stop. Chang Xun scratched the back of his head, gritted his teeth, and bluntly said, ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. After the show airs, your poprity will definitely skyrocket again. At that time, there will be management agencies that will extend offers to you. While I discovered you.. ¡°I will choose you.¡± Those four simple words filled Chang Xun with joy. ¡°I won¡¯t go to anyone else. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Qi Wu slowly continued. Chang Xun was touched. Was she an angel? That psychopath, Jin Si, was not worthy of such an angel! ¡°Good, good,¡± he excitedly responded. To make sure Qi Wu did not regret her decision, Chang Xun felt his passion for his work ignited once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to Jin Si for you even if I have to risk my life! Entering the entertainment industry is the best choice for you. I¡¯ll properly n for you. In less than 3 years, you¡¯ll definitely be more popr than Jin Si!¡± Qi Wu tilted her head and stated, ¡°Jin Si won¡¯t interfere with my decisions. You don¡¯t have to risk your life.¡± Chang Xun was speechless. It was just a metaphor, child! If he really died, he would not be able to do anything. However, Qi Wu¡¯s statement made Chang Xun frown in distress. Qi Wu was indeed an angel, but at the same time, she was also a lovesick fool! She had an incredibly rose-tinted view of Jin Si. However, Chang Xun was afraid that mentioning that now would turn Qi Wu away, so his only choice was to send her a copy of his data worth dozens of GB. Then, he realized that Qi Wu had not added him on the messaging app yet. Chang Xun also remembered that Jin Si was the culprit behind that. Cold and heartless psychopath! After Qi Wu agreed to add him on the app, Chang Xun eagerly sent those documents over. Chang Xun: Link to an article titled ¡°A certain female star was cheated on! She was actually fooled by a hot new celebrity¡± Chang Xun: Link to an article titled ¡°After the award-winning actress married into a wealthy family, she was no longer as happy as before! Chang Xun: Link to an article titled ¡°Artist rots in jail for a lover while the lover travels the world with a new girl¡± After sending all those links, Chang Xun even sent over a lot of advice. All of that was just to tell Qi Wu that the entertainment industry was not as simple as she thought. There were many shady dealings, so Qi Wu had to be more vignt. Most importantly, stop being so lovesick! However, Chang Xun did not dare to tell her thest piece of advice. Still, he was confident that the articles he sent to Qi Wu were enough for her to understand where he wasing from. As Chang Xun sent those links over, Qi Wu was sitting in the corner of a ssroom and quietly watching Tong Luo practice. Her phone buzzed three times in a row, forcing her to look at it. She silently stared. Her clear and beautiful eyes were filled with confusion. Was it time for Chang Xun to take his medicine? Tong Luo practiced in front of the mirror for a while and then turned around to look at Qi Wu. Instead of practicing, Qi Wu was looking at her phone. The light from the phone shining on her face made her seem even more serious and entranced. Tong Luo could not resist calling out, ¡°Qi Wu.¡± Qi Wu looked up at her and Tong Luo continued, ¡°What are you doing? You look so serious.¡± Qi Wu firmly nodded. She tightened her hand around her phone and solemnly replied, ¡°Studying.¡± Tong Luo was at a loss for words. Studying through her phone? The rebellious boy who lived near her ce used that excuse before. Then, as expected, he got punished by both of his parents. However, Tong Luo¡¯s disbelief wavered when she saw Qi Wu¡¯s serious face, especially with how beautiful she looked. If it was Qi Wu, it was definitely not an excuse! Chapter 50 - 50: I’ll Work Hard To Be Your Equal Chapter 50: I¡¯ll Work Hard To Be Your Equal Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS However, when Tong Luo looked at Qi Wu once more after practicing by herself for more than ten minutes, she found that Qi Wu was no longer ying with her phone. She was not pleased about it though. That was because Qi Wu started daydreaming after she stopped ying with her phone. Tong Luo was speechless. She had a feeling that Qi Wu was cking off, and she had evidence. Thus, Tong Luo felt responsible for motivating Qi Wu to practice as well through her own hard work. She walked over and said, ¡°Let¡¯s practice together, Qi Wu.¡± Nothing was better at improving rtionships and pushing each other to greater heights than practicing together. Tong Luo sat down beside Qi Wu. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying Mr. Song¡¯s script recently. There¡¯s a scene where two love rivals fight.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Wu continued, ¡°Can you show me the script?¡± Tong Luo eagerly handed over the script she was holding. Qi Wu took the script and quickly read it. Tong Luo did not dare to disturb her, so she silently waited. A few minutester, Qi Wu put down the script and softly said, ¡°We can start now.¡± ¡°Sure¡­really?¡± Tong Luo had responded out of habit before realizing what Qi Wu said. Her eyes widened with shock. ¡°Have you read through everything already?¡± How many minutes had passed? Qi Wu nodded. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tong Luo felt a burning desire to find out just how talented Qi Wu was. Tong Luo had won the Gilly Blossom Best Neer Award the year she debuted, and she had not let herself go to waste these past few years. Instead, she had been lying low, so she was very confident in herself. ¡°How do you know that¡¯s what I want?¡± Qi Wu spat out her lines coldly and aggressively. She stared at Tong Luo with indifferent eyes as she calmly exuded an oppressive air. ¡°What can a sheltered young miss like you understand?¡± Despite how gently the line was delivered, her voice rang with an inexplicable strength that seemed boosted by the strong emotions suppressed deep in her heart. Tong Luo was stunned. After three seconds of silence, she snapped back to her senses and acted out pal L. There were only a dozen lines in this scene, but Tong Luo felt unusually satisfied. The feeling of being immersed in the scene, subconsciously merging with the character and reacting like she was the character in the y instead of acting it out. All of that was possible because of Qi Wu¡¯s efforts. She was dumbfounded. ¡°Qi Wu, this isn¡¯t your first time acting, is it?¡± Tong Luo blurted out. Qi Wu had to be more experienced and mature than many veteran actors since she was able to seamlessly immerse her fellow actors in the scene. Qi Wu shook her head. Just as Tong Luo was about to heave a sigh of relief, she heard Qi Wu say, ¡°Including the scene in the afternoon, this is my second time.¡± Tong Luo was rendered speechless. She was almost choked in shock. She was not jealous at all. That was because there was no way topete with that at all, so even jealousy became a luxury. However, Tong Luo did not feel defeated. Instead, she became even more excited. She now had a new target in her career. Thus, after the scene ended, Tong Luo excitedly said to Qi Wu, ¡°I will work hard to be your equal!¡± Her face was slightly flushed. It was not because she was angry, but because of her overwhelming emotions. Qi Wu smiled slightly at her. Priestesses divined and brought hope and perspective to the rest of the world, so she naturally became someone who could control a room with her presence. She did not have a talent for acting. It was all because she had too many emotions locked away from the great number of people she had met over the years. Now, the feelings she felt did not need to be hidden away since she was not a priestess. She could experience a different life. At that moment, the lights in the practice room suddenly went out. In the darkness, Tong Luo¡¯s terrified scream sounded exceptionally loud and clear. Qi Wu frowned and looked at the ck shadow that shed past the door. Then, she reached out and put her arms around Tong Luo¡¯s shoulders, saying in aforting tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Her voice was so gentle that it made Tong Luo, who had been trembling with fear, slowly calm down. However, she still covered her head with both hands and curled up in Qi Wu¡¯s arms. ¡°It¡¯s Tong Fei. It¡¯s her¡­¡± Her voice trembled. Tong Luo would never forget that not long after Tong Fei returned to the Tong family, she locked the young Tong Luo in an underground storeroom that no one cared about. She still remembered that room. Light was nowhere to be found, and junk was piled up haphazardly around the room. There were even rats. She curled up in the corner without moving, and the sounds of the rats rang loud in her ears. Her fear of the dark was like a giant hand grabbing her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. It was only two dayster before she was found. Her mother had realized that something was wrong and kicked up a fuss so the Tong family sent someone to look for her. When found, Tong Luo was on the verge of death. From then on, she had always been afraid of the dark. Qi Wu turned on the light on her phone and looked down at Tong Luo. ¡°We have light. I¡¯ll lead you out.¡± The light from the phone lit up the room and dispelled the panic in Tong Luo¡¯s mind. She panted heavily and moved to stand up, but because of how intense her fear was, her legs were too weak to walk on. ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength,¡¯ Tong Luo said. As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Wu suddenly shoved the phone into Tong Luo¡¯s arms. Tong Luo stared in confusion before Qi Wu lifted her in a bridal carry. Tong Luo was speechless. Qi Wu looked much thinner than her. In addition, Tong Luo trained all year round. Even so, Qi Wu could still carry her so easily. When Qi Wu carried her out to the brightly lit corridor and ced her down, Tong Luo dazedly handed the phone back. Qi Wu took the phone. ¡°Wait here for a while.¡± ¡°Wait! ¡± Tong Luo quickly stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Okay. ¡± Qi Wu did not refuse her request. Now that they were in a bright ce, Tong Luo gradually recovered her strength. Soon, the two of them found the cable that powered the room¡¯s lights. Tong Luo clenched her fists as she saw the power cord that led to the ssroom had been cut. ¡°Tong Fei,¡± she spat out through gritted teeth. Qi Wu nced at her. ¡°You can feel hatred, but don¡¯t let it drive you.¡± The mes of hatred would destroy others, but they would also destroy the owner in the end. Tong Luo was stunned for a moment. Her dark eyes slowly brightened up. ¡°¡­I know.¡± Qi Wu looked at the cut power cord and calmly made a phone call. Tong Luo did not know what she was going to do and simply looked at her in confusion. The other person soon picked up and Qi Wu said, ¡°Hello, I want to report that someone is deliberately destroying public property.¡± Meanwhile, in the control room. Qu Man was still a little confused when she received a call from an unknown number. When she heard what Qi Wu said, she was speechless.. Chapter 51 - 51: Jin Si, You Can’t Hold Her Back! Chapter 51: Jin Si, You Can¡¯t Hold Her Back! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS How did Qi Wu know Qu Man¡¯s phone number? Despite her confusion, she still wrote down what Qi Wu said and asked them to wait for more updates. At that moment, Song Qi walked over. ¡°What happened? The first episode will be broadcast in 30 minutes.¡± Qu Man sighed. ¡°It¡¯s Qi Wu. She told me that the power cord of ssroom 101 in Area A was cut by someone maliciously. Tong Luo¡¯s fear of the dark was triggered. ¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Tong Fei.¡± Song Qi suddenly frowned as he solemnly grumbled, ¡°The Tong family¡­is really pushing me to anger.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to check the surveince cameras,¡± Qu Man promptly said. ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s one of Tong Fei¡¯s scapegoats.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Song Qi snorted. ¡°I was going to be nice to the Tong family and just ask Tong Fei to leave. Since she doesn¡¯t appreciate the gesture, I¡¯ll squeeze her dry to increase the poprity of the show.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already fired the person the Tong family nted.¡± Qu Man couldn¡¯t help but smile.¡± As expected of you, Song. You¡¯re so efficient.¡± After the call, Qi Wu brought Tong Luo back to their room to rest. She then handed Tong Luo a cup of warm water. After Tong Luo had a few sips, she finally felt alive once more as her brain started working. When she thought of Qi Wu¡¯s actions just now, her eyes could not help but turn red. She stared at Qi Wu and abruptly muttered, ¡°If only I were a man¡­¡± Qi Wu looked at her in confusion. Then, she heard Tong Luo resentfully say, ¡°That man is so lucky!¡± Tong Luo¡¯s hatred for this unknown sugar daddy had reached its peak. Qi Wu was speechless. The people of this world were so strange. Tong Luo suddenly asked, ¡°Has the first episode started broadcasting yet?¡± She immediately jumped out of bed and went to turn on the TV in the living room. Qi Wu was already used to Tong Luo¡¯s abruptness, so she calmly walked over when Tong Luo beckoned her over. Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion. By the time Jin Si realized he was watching the first episode of ¡°Rookie Assembly¡±, it was already toote. The program was broadcasting the part where Qi Wu sang. Recalling the ringtone he had set for his phone some time ago, Jin Si¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and he could not help but continue watching. Suddenly, the door creaked. Jin Si looked back. ¡°Who is it?¡± Outside his room stood a little girl in a princess dress with a tutu with an exquisite crown on her head. Upon closer inspection, she looked a little simr to Jin Si. She confusedly looked at Jin Si and curiously asked, ¡°What are you doing, Uncle?¡± Then, she ran in. The little girl seemed to be very familiar with Jin Si as she climbed onto the sofa without him saying a word. Then, she obediently found a seat beside Jin Si and sat down. Her eyes widened as she looked at the TV screen. Jin Si helplessly held her up.¡± Xi Huanran, who said you coulde in without knocking?¡± Xi Huanran replied in her childish voice, ¡°You didn¡¯t lock the door!¡± She then turned to look at Jin Si andined, ¡°Uncle, it has been a long time since you brought me any lemon drops. Was my hint not obvious enough?¡± Jin Si fell silent. He suddenly remembered that thest time he went home, Xi Huanran had secretly stuffed candy into his pockets. She was hinting at him to buy candy for her. In the end, he was too busy buying lemon drops for Qi Wu. However, he would not be Jin Si if he felt guilty over that. He coughed, and coldly replied, ¡°Look at those ugly teeth of yours.¡± Xi Huanran was so angry that she burst into tears. She looked at Jin Si with tears in her eyes and sniffled. ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± Jin Si ignored her. At that moment, Chang Xun called. Jin Si ndly answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Jin Si, let me tell you about Qi Wu.¡± Chang Xun¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°The first episode of the show hasn¡¯t even finished broadcasting, yet her poprity is rising fast. You didn¡¯t want her in your agency, but I can¡¯t just let someone else steal someone this talented from us.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Jin Si impatiently interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Chaoqi Group to sign her on and I¡¯ll take care of her. Jin Si, you can¡¯t hold her back!¡± It took a lot of courage for Chang Xun to say that. ¡°Huh?¡± A strange look shed across Jin Si¡¯s eyes. He understood what the first sentence meant, but what did the second sentence mean? ¡°How am I holding her back?¡± There was a hint of self-mockery in his question. She was very opinionated, so how could he hold her back? ¡°All right! Then, after the show ends, I¡¯ll sign her under the Chaoqi Group.¡± ¡°Up to you.¡± Jin Si hung up. He then looked down at Xi Huanran, who had been staring at him curiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xi Huanran blinked and frankly asked, ¡°Uncle, are you angry?¡± Jin Si froze for a moment before he looked away. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± He picked Xi Huanran up and ced her outside the room. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some lemon drops next time.¡± Xi Huanran happily nodded. ¡°You promised!¡± Then, she ran away. Jin Si watched her leave before heading back into the room. However, what he did not know was that Xi Huanran had gone to look for her grandfather after returning to the living room. ¡°Grandpa. Grandpa.¡± Xi Huanran softly called out. Mr. Xi, who was reading the newspaper while sitting on the couch, put down the paper and kindly smiled at her. He picked her up and ced her on hisp. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Princess?¡± Xi Huanran stood up and leaned in to whisper into Mr. Xi¡¯s ear. ¡°I know Uncle¡¯s secret!¡± Surprise shed across Mr. Xi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Uncle likes to watch a beautifuldy on TV!¡± Xi Huanran sounded very confident despite the childish timbre of her voice. Mr. Xi was speechless. For a moment, he did not know if she really was telling the truth. After all, ording to his son¡¯s personality, that was impossible. If Jin Si were a womanizer, Mr. Xi would not have to worry about Jin Si¡¯s marriage status. He even forced his wife to go to church to pray for love in their son¡¯s life. ¡°Rookie Assembly¡± started promoting itself a few days ago, gaining a boost in poprity when they released the posters. Now, their poprity has skyrocketed. The show attracted dreamers of all ages and professions from all over the world.. Chapter 52 - 52: Was Qi Wu the Chosen One Chapter 52: Was Qi Wu the Chosen One Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Although most of the people in the show were amateurs, that was only another selling point. After all, even if the entertainment industry was full of beautiful women and handsome men, too much beauty was still an eyesore. Therefore, the young and inexperienced all caught the attention of the audience. With an experienced Mr. in charge, a team of aces and so many things involved, it was clear that ¡°Rookie Assembly¡± had a big budget. Hence, an hour after the first episode ended, everyone was talking about the show. #Breaking: Rookie Assembly #Return of a Scorned Child Star #Rookie Assembly Contestants #The Beauty of an Angel, the Voice of an Angel The first episode of the show had done incredibly well, which naturally boosted the production team¡¯s confidence. Not long after the show aired, Song Qi received a call from one of the investors, the CEO of L&P. Song Qi was a little confused as to why the investor would call him. He quickly answered the call. ¡°Mr. Song, please tell me about Qi Wu.¡± As soon as the call was connected, the CEO of L&P immediately started talking. Song Qi was speechless. While L&P was a big sports brand in the country, it was also the top sports brand in the world since going international after three generations of presidents. Thus, they never had a shortage of brand ambassadors. Song Qi had never seen the CEO of L&P act this way before. He cleared his throat. ¡°Mr. Xu, please calm down.¡± ¡°That girl perfectly exined the original intention of our brand! I¡¯ve already reported this to the board of directors. I want her as our brand ambassador.¡± Mr. Xu did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. Song Qi was confused. He was stunned. At L&P¡¯s level, they no longer needed to use celebrities to attract customers. On the contrary, they paid more attention to ways of interpreting the brand to increase its influence. However, Qi Wu had not even debuted yet, and she had only made a few appearances on the show. Even so, L&P was already seeking a coboration with her. Where was their pride as a top international brand? Was Qi Wu the Chosen One or something? As someone who had gone through a lot, Song Qi was quick to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Xu. I cannot decide for her. After all, she¡¯s still an amateur.¡± ¡°Of course. Thank you for letting me witness beauty and power going hand in hand. I look forward to her answer.¡¯ Mr. Xu was very polite in his reply. He did not disy the arrogance one might expect from the CEO of a big brand. After the phone call ended, Song Qi felt numb. What did it mean to be a brand ambassador? It was a level of endorsement that was second only to being an experiential brand ambassador, which was already rare for A-list celebrities. L&P now wanted a rookie, an amateur. Song Qi walked to a quiet corner and called Chang Xun. When Chang Xun answered the call, Song Qi asked, ¡°Tell me honestly, could Qi Wu be your industry nt?¡± Chang Xun was taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Song?¡± he angrily eximed. ¡°I thought I was going crazy too,¡± Song Qi replied faintly. ¡°The CEO of L&P just called and wanted to invite her to be the brand ambassador.¡± Chang Xun remained silent. For a moment, they were both silent. Then, Chang Xun chuckled and said, ¡± Song, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years, but this is the first time I¡¯ve heard you crack a joke.¡± ¡°Shoo!¡± Song Qi replied. Song Qi rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one joking. I¡¯m serious.¡± Chang Xun fell silent again. After a while, he said in disbelief, ¡°Am I that lucky? Are all the artists I find that awesome?¡± He still remembered a simr situation when Jin Si just started filming his first movie. At that time, as soon as the movie¡¯s behind-the-scenes footage was released, numerous high-end brands wanted to work with him. Qi Wu¡¯s situation was even more remarkable. She had not even officially debuted yet, and offers were alreadying her way. Song Qi snorted, ¡°Do you know of Qi Wu¡¯s strength? If she cannot handle this¡­ You know, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.¡± He hoped this would make Chang Xun properly consider this issue. He did not expect Chang Xun¡¯s response to be so enthusiastic as Chang Xun eximed, ¡°Qi Wu is an angel! Those jealous people should just go away!¡± Song Qi was dumbfounded. He felt that Chang Xun¡¯s current mindset was simr to Hu Mofei¡¯s. Chang Xun quickly calmed down. ¡°I have to ask Qi Wu for her opinion on this matter.¡± She did not know much about the entertainment industry, so Chang Xun had to find the time to sit down and talk to her. ¡°Fine. Just let me know because I need to reply to L&P.¡± Song Qi agreed to wait. When Qu Man approached Song Qi with the data from the first episode, which had been aired two hours earlier, she found Song Qi engrossed in the screen before him with a pensive expression on his face. Upon ncing at the screen, she realized it was a shot of Qi Wu. When she saw the inquisitive look in his eyes, Qu Man could not help but quip, ¡°No matter how much you look at her image, it¡¯s better to get to know her in person.¡± ¡°Who said I wanted to¡­¡¯ Song Qi turned around as he started to retort but stopped himself, likely recalling what happened earlier. In the end, he muttered, ¡°Forget it.¡± Qu Man handed over the tablet and asked, ¡°It¡¯s within expectations. Our numbers have shot up high and the ratings are still rising. Do you want to give it a push?¡± Song Qi nodded and said, ¡°Do it.¡± Then, as a thought abruptly crossed his mind, a hint of disgust briefly shed across his face. ¡°What¡¯s the update on Tong Luo¡¯s situation?¡± Qu Man nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, we found the scapegoat. I¡¯ll make an announcement tomorrow.¡± ¡°Highlight the negative news about Tong Fei for the first episode.¡± Song Qi had a nk look on his face. Thus, when Tong Luo steeled herself mentally and was prepared to read up on people bashing her, she was surprised to find that the criticism directed at her had significantly decreased. There was even more criticism¡­directed at Tong Fei. ¡®Is this Tong Fei, the sister of Tong Luo who was exposed as the illegitimate daughter? Is this what rich people are like?¡¯ ¡®As expected of a daughter from a wealthy family. She doesn¡¯t even know how to restrain herself on the show. She¡¯s such an eyesore.¡¯ ¡®I feel much happier after seeing the angel admonish her. It¡¯s like she knew what I was thinking!¡¯ ¡®To be honest, Tong Luo didn¡¯t ask to be an illegitimate daughter. Tong Fei is too much.¡¯ Tong Luo had prepared herself for ridicule and scorn from the audience when she clicked into thements. She was taken aback when she saw that the curses were not directed at her. Eager to share this development with Qi Wu, Tong Luo told her all about it. Upon hearing this, Qi Wu responded with aposed smile. She gently stroked the hair on the back of Tong Luo¡¯s head and spoke with a serene andpassionate voice, ¡°One day, you will gain all that you have lost.¡± Tong Luo was stunned by the smile on Qi Wu¡¯s face. Although she had seen Qi Wu smile many times before, she had never felt such a sense of distance between them. It was as if Qi Wu were a distant, ethereal moon, casting its cold, purifying light upon the earth as a show of mercy.. Chapter 53 - 53: You ‘re Out Chapter 53: You ¡®re Out Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS After the first episode was broadcast, all the contestants gained some poprity, but only Tong Fei received a lot of hatements. Upon learning of that, she immediately vented her anger by smashing things in her room. Her followers dared not approach her during this tantrum and kept their distance. When Tong Fei grew tired of her rampage, she grabbed her phone and called the Tong family. ¡°Dad! Someone must be messing with me! Has the topic been erased yet?¡± She had demanded, not asked. Even in front of her father, she was extremely arrogant. ¡°My dear daughter, the people are working on it. Did you make an enemy? How dare they do this to you!¡± he replied. Tong Fei fell into deep thought. ¡°Tong Luo doesn¡¯t have this capability at all. Could it be¡­¡± Tong Fei began to entertain a possibility as a malicious glint entered her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the woman called Qi Wu who stays by Tong Luo¡¯s side! She definitely has someone powerful backing her up. Dad, investigate her!¡± Tong Fei felt jealousy rise in her the moment she thought of Qi Wu¡¯s ethereal beauty. Thus, she kepting up with malicious spections about Qi Wu. How could someone like Qi Wu stay safe in the entertainment industry without any help? There must be someone supporting her. That was why she was so confident in herself! Tong Fei ended the call after her father agreed to investigate Qi Wu. The more she pondered Qi Wu¡¯s earlier confrontational words, the more convinced she was of her theory. That afternoon, Qi Wu and Tong Luo attended their only shared ss. Coincidentally, Tong Fei was also in the same ss. Tong Luo quickly noticed that Tong Fei, who had previously been fixated on her, was now focusing her attention on Qi Wu. A sense of foreboding washed over Tong Luo. Tong Luo looked at the person beside her with a worried expression. ¡°Be careful of Tong Fei.¡± Upon hearing that, Qi Wu looked up and nced at Tong Fei, who was seated at the front of the ss. Although she did not say anything, her gaze clearly expressed her disdain. Tong Fei was visibly angered by Qi Wu¡¯s stare. She could not wait to know the results of the investigation into Qi Wu. Once she knew who was supporting Qi Wu¡­Tong Fei would have her revenge. She would make Qi Wu kneel before her, begging for mercy. Tong Fei¡¯s entire being radiated with smug glee at those thoughts. Tong Luo whispered into Qi Wu¡¯s ear, ¡°Look at her eyes. She has a new n.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± Qi Wu asked. Without hesitation, Tong Luo replied, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried!¡± Tong Luo had grown somewhat ustomed to Tong Fei¡¯s attacks. However, if the schemes were aimed at Qi Wu¡­she did not want to see that happen at all, especially since Qi Wu had that ticking time bomb that was her sugar daddy. While she had never experienced it for herself, she knew just how strict and demanding the entertainment industry was when it came to women. If people found out about the sugar daddy, Qi Wu was doomed. ¡°I understand.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s answer was very cryptic. Tong Luo did not get it. However, she soon understood what Qi Wu meant. During Shen Xi¡¯s lecture, Qi Wu raised her hand, catching Shen Xi¡¯s attention. Shen Xi looked at Qi Wu with a hint of bewilderment. ¡°Miss Qi.¡± Qi Wu confidently stood up. ¡°I¡¯m willing to y the part of the arrogant concubine.¡± She then turned to look at Tong Fei who was seated at the front. ¡°As for the role of the female lead, I believe Tong Fei is exceptionally suitable for it.¡± Shen Xi was rendered speechless. The lesson Shen Xi was teaching involved a drama where the female lead had grown up in a royal harem. She was a gentle and kind character. Tong Fei was ill-suited for the role. Could this choice be based solely on the ¡°Fei¡± in their names? Tong Fei suddenly snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing her name. What was that? Female lead? Tong Fei, who had been daydreaming and staring at Shen Xi throughout the lecture, did not even know what was going on but thought that Qi Wu was delivering a veiledpliment. She proudly got to her feet. ¡°You¡¯ve made the right choice. I really am the only one who can y the female lead!¡± This promation silenced the other students in the ssroom. Most of them had read thements online and were aware of what people thought of Tong Fei¡¯s controversial behavior, especially how she never knew toy low. She made so many enemies through those actions. Qi Wu remained silent and calmly made her way to the front. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Tong Fei did not know what Qi Wu was nning, but Tong Fei was the female lead. There was no way she could be defeated by a supporting actress! Hence, she walked up to the podium as well. Shen Xi silently nced at the plot outline written on the board and a sh of derisiveughter shed across his eyes. ¡°Since you two are so kind as to volunteer, please show the ss what you can do. Remember, stick to the characters you are given.¡± Shen Xi heavily emphasized hisst sentence. Tong Fei was overjoyed to see Shen Xi looking at her. Without thinking about it, she nodded and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Shen. That¡¯ll be no problem!¡± Qi Wu nced at Shen Xi. When she turned back around to face Tong Fei, her entire demeanor had changed. She now exuded an intense arrogance and entitled disposition that came from being raised within the pce walls. All of that was conveyed through the look in her eyes. ¡°How dare a lowly ve dream of sleeping with the Emperor!¡± Tong Fei froze. Qi Wu¡¯s contemptuous and icy re made her feel like an insignificant ant. The emotions caused Tong Fei to momentarily forget the reality of the situation. Her face twisted in anger. ¡°What did you say?¡± She took a step forward. ¡°You would d-¡± p! The p echoed through the room, shocking everyone. ¡°I can kill you as easily as I can crush an ant. Know your ce and your value.¡± At that moment, Qi Wu was the perfect embodiment of the haughty concubine who was beloved and spoiled by everyone in the pce. She even made the character seem more wicked and arrogant than the script said. In the heat of the moment, Tong Fei went mad and charged at Qi Wu. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± However, her hands were easily caught by Qi Wu before they could hit her. Qi Wu shifted out of her acting mindset and calmly regarded Tong Fei. ¡°It was required by the script. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Tong Fei was left dumbfounded as she turned to look at the room. She slowly realized that all eyes were on her. She soon snapped out of her daze and turned to re at Qi Wu. ¡°You did it on purpose!¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s voice was calm while her eyes held neither pity norpassion, only an icy resolve that came from witnessing the end of a test. ¡°You¡¯re out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tong Fei stared at Shen Xi, who stood by the podium. When she noticed that the smile on the corner of Shen Xi¡¯s mouth had vanished, panic surged within her. Tong Fei wanted to defend herself but was abruptly cut off by Shen Xi who said, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡¯ ¡°Tong Fei, youck the qualities required of an actress. My ss isn¡¯t suitable for you. Please leave..¡± Chapter 54 - 54: Her Angel Really Was a Devil in Disguise! Chapter 54: Her Angel Really Was a Devil in Disguise! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Naturally, Tong Fei refused to leave. She sadly looked at Shen Xi, hoping to obtain his pity. ¡°It¡¯s Qi Wu. This was all a plot.. Shen Xi did not even spare her a nce. Tong Fei reluctantly lowered her eyes and then looked at Qi Wu with obvious hatred. ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug. I¡¯ll expose you sooner orter!¡± Qi Wu just walked past her and off the stage. Tong Fei waspletely ignored. With so many people watching, she was too ashamed to stay any longer. With an angry il of her arm, she stomped out of the lecture hall. Shen Xi cleared his voice and did not say anything about what just happened. Instead, he casually said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the ss.¡± The other contestants dared not say anything, so the ss continued. When Qi Wu returned to her seat, Tong Luo had yet to recover from the shock. Qi Wu waved her hand in front of Tong Luo¡¯s eyes. Tong Luo snapped back to her senses, but her eyes were still misty from the staring. Then, her eyes widened. ¡°You just¡­¡± She really could not believe that the arrogant and despotic woman on the stage was Qi Wu. Most importantly, her kind and sincere angel did not hesitate before pping Tong Fei. She was just¡­amazing! Emotions surged in Tong Luo. Qi Wu tilted her head and stared at her. ¡°You were worried, right?¡± Therefore, she chased Tong Fei out. Hearing that, Tong Luo froze. ¡°I¡­¡± she cautiously said. ¡°Did you do it because of what I said just now?¡± Qi Wu nodded. Tong Luo did not know what to say. However, a thought eventually broke through the chaos to make itself known. Qi Wu was amazing! The gods must have pitied her tough life, so they sent Qi Wu down to save her! After that, Tong Luo felt deeply worried. ¡°The Tong family is very powerful and influential in Jingdu. You¡¯ve thoroughly angered Tong Fei. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll just backstab you now.¡± Qi Wuforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Tong Luo looked at her with aplicated expression. Was Qi Wu¡¯s backer so very powerful that she felt she could do anything? However, she only knew of a few big shots in Jingdu¡­Whatever. Tong Luo came to a decision. She held Qi Wu¡¯s hands with unprecedented sincerity and determination shining in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Tong Fei targets you, I¡¯ll destroy her even if I have to sacrifice mvself!¡± When the filming started, Tong Luo entered thepetition with a very clear utilitarian-oriented mindset. She even made sure everyone knew just how thorny she was. However, over time, she started to show her softer side. All of this was because of Qi Wu¡¯s presence. Qi Wu looked down at Tong Luo¡¯s hands and blinked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself.¡± That was because the Tong family would kill themselves off. She was the most talented priestess ever seen. Her fate was closely tied to the star of Destiny. As the high priestess, shemunicated with the stars, foretold the future, and bore the joys and pains of the world. She was beyond blessed. Jin Si¡¯s fate was so remarkable that it required someone very special to change it. In other words, anyone who dared make an enemy out of Qi Wu would be in trouble. The Tong family might try to harm her, but the price they would pay was something they could not afford. It was human nature to gossip, so everyone soon knew that Qi Wu had openly gone after Tong Fei in ss. Therefore, when Qi Wu walked into the cafeteria, everyone instantly turned to look at her. Their eyes were filled with admiration. She really was a true big shot. She was so brave! ¡°It¡¯s fine. The viewers have eyes. They¡¯ll see Tong Fei just got what she deserved. It has nothing to do with Qi Wu.¡± Despite saying that, Jiang Xuxu was still shocked that Qi Wu had pped Tong Fei across the face. Even though it was part of a performance, it was a real p! Her angel really was a devil in disguise! ¡°Tong Fei is capable of anything for the sake of revenge,¡± Tong Luo darkly said. Even Ke Lu, who had been quiet the entire time, was thinking hard about the situation. However, Qi Wu remained calm despite being the main target. She quietly ate her lunch. After lunch, the production team made an announcement. Tong Luo was aware that Tong Fei was not one to personally get her hands dirty, especially when scheming behind the scenes. Nevertheless, she was surprised to hear that their housemate, Yao Ning, was the one responsible. Yao Ning was disqualified from thepetition by the production team due to the destruction of public property and attacking another contestant. Tong Luo did think much about the punishment. However, she nced at Qi Wu who was calm the entire time. When she thought about how Qi Wu had changed her behavior to target Tong Fei, Tong Luo¡¯s admiration for Qi Wu grew even stronger. Why was Qi Wu so amazing? In the afternoon, Tong Luo had a full schedule while Qi Wu had none. However, Qi Wu did not stay idle. That was because Chang Xun had called. ¡°Am I disturbing you?¡± He had spoken with great care as if tending to a delicate flower that had just blossomed. It was quite a changepared to his usual brash tone. ¡°No, you aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this¡ªhow much do you know about the sports brand L&P?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s gaze shifted to the statue that had been locked in ce by the production team. ¡°I nearly crashed into Tong Luo¡¯s statue,¡± she softly replied. Fortunately, Chang Xun had caught up on what happened in the first episode. He would not have known what she meant otherwise. The statue certainly was from L&P. Chang Xun let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. L&P is the top sports brand in the country, and even A-list celebrities find it challenging to even ask for a coboration. Still, their CEO personally wants you to be their brand ambassador. You¡¯re still an amateur, yet you are given a great opportunity that is bound to attract the envy of many people. No need to be afraid though.. Chang Xun went to great lengths to provide Qi Wu with a crash course on endorsements, but he found himself at a loss when Qi Wu responded with visible confusion. ¡°What is a brand endorsement?¡± Chang Xun was left speechless. He now realized that his efforts had been in vain. He hurriedly shoved a few cough drops into his mouth to soothe his throat before he patiently exined brand endorsements to Qi Wu. Qi Wu was quick to grasp the concept. ¡°Will it be printed on paper like Jin Si¡¯s posters?¡± Chang Xun¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°That¡¯s just a formality. Why do you only remember Jin Si¡¯s posters? I¡¯ve exined so much, and you can¡¯t even recall any of it.¡± ¡°I remember everything,¡± Qi Wu reassured him. Chang Xun¡¯s heart shattered as he thought about how he had given her numerous examples until it felt like his hair had turned gray during the process. He could not help but grumble, ¡°You didn¡¯t remember a thing! Why are you still thinking about Jin Si?¡± Qi Wu fell silent for a moment. ¡°¡­Chang Xun, stop..¡± Chapter 55 - 55: I’m Not Thinking About Jin Si Chapter 55: I¡¯m Not Thinking About Jin Si Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS After a moment of pause, Qi Wu coldly continued, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not thinking about Jin Si.¡± Priestesses were cold-hearted and adhered strictly to destiny. Even though Qi Wu was no longer a priestess, her personality could not be changed that easily. She might feelpassion, but she did not know love. Chang Xun naturally heard the seriousness in Qi Wu¡¯s tone. He mistakenly thought that Qi Wu had finally thought things through, so he nodded in relief. ¡°You should have been like this a long time ago. If there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s take it slow. Remember, your career is the right priority!¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Qi Wu did not correct his assumption. Chang Xun told her a few more things of not before finally dering, ¡°I¡¯ll go and reject L&P¡¯s invitation first. After all, you¡¯re still an amateur. Let¡¯s talk about it after you get through the show.¡± If Qi Wu could not even make her debut, how could she be a brand ambassador for L&P? Chang Xun would not put Qi Wu through that mess. ¡°Alright.¡± After the call ended, Chang Xun called Mr. Xu. As a veteran talent manager in the entertainment industry with a knack forworking, Chang Xun naturally had Mr. Xu¡¯s contact information. ¡°Mr. Chang, what has brought you to me?¡± Mr. Xu was audibly surprised over the phone. Chang Xun smiled. ¡°Mr. Xu, you¡¯re so funny. I just wanted to tell you that Qi Wu is my talent.¡± ¡°Oh? What a coincidence. Mr. Xu¡¯s surprise did not seem fake. He soonughed. ¡°Looks like your eye for talent is as sharp as ever. You¡¯ve found another promising talent.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Chang Xun was obviously pleased with thispliment, especially since Qi Wu was much easier to work with than Jin Si. She was obedient and cooperative. Who would hate her? ¡°I¡¯m calling to let you know that she¡¯s not ready to ept your offer at the moment. Her career will only begin after the end of ¡®Rookie Assembly.¡¯¡± Mr. Xu quickly understood the purpose of Chang Xun¡¯s call. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°We¡¯re old friends. I believe Qi Wu is a great candidate. After she debuts, I¡¯m willing to offer her another chance to consider our invitation. What do you think?¡± Chang Xun paused. ¡°Mr. Xu, have you been possessed? Why are you suddenly so amodating?¡± He could not resist asking that. After all, L&P did not get to where it was by being nice. On the contrary, they were very strict when it came to operation protocols and public rtions. Any slightest possibility of damage to the brand had to be nipped in the bud. ¡°Hahaha. Well, I¡¯m not going to keep it a secret, but when I presented the proposal to the board of directors, they unanimously approved it. Also¡­l genuinely want to see you flex your skills.¡± Mr. Xuughed instead of getting angry upon being questioned. It was clear he had high hopes for Qi Wu¡¯s future career. Chang Xun raised his eyebrows, quite pleased with Mr. Xu¡¯s words. ¡°Since you¡¯ve put it that way, it would be impolite of me to refuse.¡± With this matter settled, Chang Xun could not contain his excitement and immediately called Jin Si. Ever since he had a new talent to manage, Chang Xun had be less willing to tolerate Jin Sit s behavior. After all, every time Jin Si took a break, it wouldst 3 months or more! Jin Si ended the call abruptly just three seconds after Chang Xun called. Chang Xun stood there and cursed Jin Si out for three minutes straight. It was Qi Wu¡¯sst ss. When Qin Jiayan walked into the ssroom and saw her sitting in thest row by the window,zily propping her chin up with one hand as she gazed out the window, he subconsciously wanted to move closer to her. However, as soon as he started moving, Qin Jiayan stopped. He looked down at his clean but obviously old shoes and pursed his lips. How could someone like him be worthy of approaching a star like her? Just as Qin Jiayan was about to turn and leave, Qi Wu¡¯s indifferent voice called out to him, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qin Jiayan looked up in surprise. Turning around, he saw Qi Wu, who had been lost in thought a while ago, had turned to look at him with calm eyes. The morning light cast a gentle glow on her, entuating her beauty, and draping over her in a pale golden chiffon shawl. Qin Jiayan suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, but he did not know how to respond. ¡°I¡­¡± His ears turned red, and he awkwardly lowered his head. ¡°ss is about to start.¡± The faint urging tone in her voice prompted Qin Jiayan to push past his awkwardness to sit down beside Qi Wu. Qi Wu¡¯s presence was overpowering, and Qin Jiayan, whocked social experience, did not know how to handle it. In the end, he clumsily started, ¡°Why did you choose Mr. Shen¡¯s ss?¡± ¡°Because he has the fewest sses. Qin Jiayan was taken aback by her unexpected answer. He was so shocked that he blurted out what he was thinking, ¡°Me too.¡± Pfft! Qi Wu chuckled softly, which took Qin Jiayan by surprise. Her eyshes seemed dusted with gold, making her look even more enchanting when she smiled. For some reason, Qin Jiayan felt more at ease after seeing Qi Wu¡¯s smile. ¡°We seem to think the same,¡± hemented softly. If it weren¡¯t for his family pressuring him, Qin Jiayan would not have participated in this contest. When he was at his wit¡¯s end, he stumbled upon this reality show. With hopes of being paid, Qin Jiayan abandoned his original dream and applied to the show. He knew hecked talent, so his only goal was to work hard so that he was not a burden to his team. With that in mind, Qin Jiayan could not help but nce at However, her teammate was so strong that he did not seem weak even if he was a burden. As Shen Xi¡¯s final ss ended, he made a brief closing statement. ¡°Thank you for your trust and cooperation during this period. I wish you all the best in the uingpetition.¡± He continued, ¡°We have received notice from the production team that tomorrow at 7.00 p.m. we will be broadcasting live. You will be appearing with your current partner on Chaoyang TV¡¯s streaming tform for two hours. After the stream ends, you will gain different points based on your poprity rankings.¡± Everyone was shocked. They all started whispering to each other about it. ¡°This is so sudden. It¡¯s a poprity contest¡­l definitely won¡¯t stand a chance,¡± someone said. ¡°This favors the celebrity contestants. For amateurs like us, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Sometimes, luck is also part of our talents.¡± Just then, a contestant raised their hand. ¡°Mr. Shen, are there any rules for the content of the live stream?¡± Shen Xi shook his head. ¡°You just need to abide by the tform¡¯s rules and regtions..¡± Chapter 56 - 56: Of All the People They Could Have Provoked Chapter 56: Of All the People They Could Have Provoked Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS After Shen Xi said that, a lot of the contestants had an idea in mind already. After Shen Xi¡¯s lesson ended, the contestants expressed their gratitude to him before they hurried back to prepare for tomorrow night¡¯s stream. With the help of the promotional posts and the first episode, many contestants gained a decent following for themselves. Now was naturally the time to ensure the loyalty of those new fans. When Qin Jiayan knew that it was going to be a stream, his brain went nk. ¡°A s-stream!¡± He could not help but gasp. At that moment, Qi Wu stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Qin Jiayan quickly stood up and followed Qi Wu. Qi Wu looked soposed that he could not help but express his concerns. ¡°I¡¯m just an amateur who doesn¡¯t know anyone. I¡¯ll drag you down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± She stopped and turned to look at Qin Jiayan with a serious expression. ¡°The most important thing right now is to have lunch.¡± Qin Jiayan was speechless. He could not fathom the mindset of a big shot like Qi Wu. However, he did not dare to disturb Qi Wu from her meal, so he silently followed her to the cafeteria. They were among the first to enter the cafeteria, and the staff had just finished with the food. One of the cafeteria staff members recognized Qi Wu and cheerfully greeted her. ¡°Qi Wu, you¡¯re here. I told you I¡¯d see you at mealtime! Let¡¯s see if today¡¯s dishes suit your taste!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Wu then demurely walked over. Qin Jiayan was bewildered. Did all the cafeteria staff know Qi Wu? It seemed the cafeteria staff member who spoke had never seen Qin Jiayan before. Surprised, he asked Qi Wu, ¡°You¡¯ve changedpanions again?¡± Qi Wu interjected with a touch of seriousness, ¡°Kids these days never stick to regr meal times. It¡¯s so bad.¡± The cafeteria staff member heartilyughed. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Your eating habits are exemry!¡± After Qi Wu had chosen her meal, the cafeteria staff member kindly looked at her as she walked away. Then, he turned to Qin Jiayan, who seemed more reserved, and patted his shoulder while offering some encouraging words. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like her? Don¡¯t look down on yourself.¡± Qin Jiayan was taken aback by the unexpected support. He stared nkly at the cafeteria staff member who was walking away. Then, he hurriedly caught up with Qi Wu. He had no trouble finding her; she stood out in the crowd. He sat down across from her. Qin Jiayan watched as Qi Wu calmly and elegantly enjoyed her meal. Her movements were graceful, and her eyes held a serene charm. When she looked up after finishing her meal, Qin Jiayan asked, ¡°What are we going to livestream?¡± ¡°What are you good at?¡± With a full stomach, Qi Wu¡¯s eyes were narrowed in pleasure. In response to her question, Qin Jiayan instinctively answered, ¡°Gaming.¡± However, as soon as the words left his mouth and he realized what he said, he frantically waved his hands and corrected himself, ¡°N-No, I mean¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s y games then.¡± Qi Wu calmly interrupted. With a calm and gentle expression, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y though. Can you teach me?¡± Her gaze made it impossible for Qin Jiayan to refuse. ¡°S-Sure,¡± he hesitantly replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate to stream games?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t care.¡± Qi Wu bluntly stated. Qin Jiayan observed Qi Wu¡¯s carefree attitude and felt like he was a diligent employee worried about his boss¡¯zy attitude. The more he worried, thezier his boss became. Hence, he was determined to just go along with it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you download the game first.¡± Thus, the two of them spent the entire afternoon in a corner of the cafeteria while she learned the game. When Qin Jiayan finally emerged from the satisfying gaming session, he noticed Qi Wu¡¯s meaningful gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he nervously asked. Qi Wu¡¯s fingers rested on the phone screen as shemented, ¡°You¡¯re well-suited to this.¡± It was only when he was engrossed in the game could Qi Wu witnessed the young man¡¯s lively and spirited demeanor. The restraint and inferiority he had shown in the past seemed to have vanished, leaving behind a confident and determined individual. ¡°Thank you.¡± There was a sh of sadness in Qin Jiayan¡¯s eyes. Had circumstances been different, he might have pursued this path long ago. Unfortunately, it was not up to him. Qi Wu didn¡¯t say anything more. She could shape the destiny of the world, but she could not directly intervene in their lives. In the Xi family residence. Jin Si idly watched his nephew and niece engage in their usual squabble. Being twins, the two youngsters often shed and refused to give in to each other. Fights were a regr urrence. Instead of stopping them, Jin Si watched with amusement. If one of them lost, they might even receive a sharpment from him. At that moment, Lou Ying approached. He leaned down and whispered in Jin Si¡¯s ear, ¡°Sir, the Tong family is investigating Miss Qi.¡± Jin Si¡¯s expression froze upon hearing that. However, he did not react strongly and asked nonchntly, ¡°What¡¯s their reason?¡± ¡°The Tong family¡¯s daughter is participating in the same show¡­and they¡¯re investigating Miss Qi as an act of revenge for bullying.¡± As Lou Ying said that, his expression noticeably changed. Of all the people they could have provoked, they had to go after Qi Wu. She was a ghost from Yunu Bay! ¡°Oh? That bad?¡± Jin Si raised an eyebrow, finally showing some interest. Lou Ying was at a loss for words. Why did he sense a hint of pride in Jin Si¡¯s tone? ¡°What should we do, sir?¡± ¡°Qi Wu still has her uses. We can¡¯t allow the Tong family to get in the way.¡± Jin Si responded with hostility in his tone. Lou Ying stared for a moment before finally nodding with a conflicted look on his face. ¡°Yes. He could not help butment deep down, Even though Qi Wu had her uses, Jin Si had not allowed her to take any action. Not only did he permit the ghost to join the show, but he was also going to let her make her debut. As for why Lou Ying knew that¡­ He was a dutiful subordinate and had his ways of gathering intelligence from various social media tforms. This was just a simple trick up his sleeves. Not far away, the quarreling siblings observed Jin Si with curiosity. Xi Huanran grabbed her brother¡¯s arm and ran over. ¡°Uncle, did you just say someone¡¯s name?¡± Jin Si looked down at her and coldly replied, ¡°You misheard.¡± ¡°I did not!¡± The little girl angrily retorted. ¡°I have very sharp ears!¡± With a mischievous glint in her eye, she continued, ¡°I know that you like the beautifuldy on TV!¡± Jin Si was puzzled. He understood the words she said but the sentence confused him.. Chapter 57 - 57: Live broadcast of the game scene Chapter 57: Live broadcast of the game scene Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS At 6.50 p.m., Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan arrived at the streaming room. The production team had provided fifty individual streaming rooms, each equipped with top-notch broadcasting equipment. It was a testament to the production¡¯s substantial budget. Qu Man, stationed in the control room, was connected to all the contestants¡¯ earpieces. ¡°Attention, all contestants. You have ten minutes to adjust your equipment. After that, you willmence your streams using the ounts we sent the details of to you earlier. Be mindful of your words and actions. We will be monitoring you. ¡± After delivering those instructions, Qu Man turned off her earpiece. Once the instructions were done, Qin Jiayan turned to look at Qi Wu. To his surprise, she was looking at him too. Qin Jiayan felt a pang of nervousness. ¡°Have you changed your mind?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± With an earnest voice, Qi Wu continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to operate this equipment.¡± Qin Jiayan let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I know how to use them.¡± After their interactions, Qin Jiayan formed a general understanding of Qi Wu. She could exude the calm aura of a big shot, but at times, she would show an endearing and na?ve side. Once their broadcasting equipment was set up, Qin Jiayan anxiously waited for 7.00 p.m. He had adjusted most of the lighting and camera angles to focus on Qi Wu. In his mind, he believed nothing would captivate the audience more than her. At exactly 7.00 p.m., everyone started streaming. Qin Jiayan picked up his phone. He could feel the cold sweat on his palms. He awkwardly grabbed a tissue and wiped his hands with it. Out of the corner of his eye, he nced at the upper right corner of his screen where the viewer count would be disyed¡ªo. As expected. However, before he could dwell on the disappointment, he received a game invitation from Qi Wu. Turning around, he saw Qi Wu winking at him. ¡°I want to try out a new hero.¡± All other thoughts were immediately pushed aside. ¡°Which hero would you like to y?¡± ¡°The elf with the bow and arrow.¡± Qin Jiayan hesitated for a moment due to her choice of words but quickly understood what she meant. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll y support and protect you.¡± Thus, while the other contestants struggled to engage their viewers with various talents and gimmicks, Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan just yed games. To ensure that every contestant¡¯s stream ran smoothly, the control room had a wall of screens dedicated to consecutively monitoring all of the streams. Hence, as other contestants tried desperately to garner viewers, Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan¡¯s stream was particrly eye-catching. Qu Man silently stared for a whole minute before turning to Song Qi, who was equally silent. Song Qi gritted his teeth. ¡°Are they for real?¡± Qu Man did not immediately respond. Instead, she checked the stats on her tablet. On the day before, they had made a social media post officially announcing the stream session. Due to Qi Wu¡¯s sudden entry into the entertainment industry and her absence on social media, many of the fans would end upmenting on the show¡¯s posts instead. ¡®Where¡¯s the angel? Tell us now!¡¯ ¡®Chaoyang TV, right? They¡¯ve started already! Wait for me, my angel!¡¯ ¡®I wonder what she¡¯ll be streaming. I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡¯ As a result, these tans were now scouring countless live streams, and many had already found Qi Wu. The viewer count in their stream was no longer at o. Qu Man grinned slightly and did not respond to Song Qi. Meanwhile, in Chaoyang TV¡¯s backstage management chat group. Administrator 01: Who set channel 6533xx to Talent Show? Shouldn¡¯t it be in Gaming? Administrator 05: My bad. I¡¯ll go and change it now! Administrator 05 immediately rushed over to the stream in question. When he saw the angelic face in the camera, he could not help but mutter, ¡°You can¡¯t me me for this. Aren¡¯t streams with good looks usually in Talent Show?¡± When he looked up at the game taking up two-thirds of the stream disy, he froze in shock. ¡°Those skills¡­ He did not say anything else and hurriedly switched the stream over to the Gaming category. Thus, an hourter, Qu Man casually nced at Qi Wu¡¯s stream and realized that the number of viewers had already exceeded 30,000. This was unbelievable for two amateurs. Especially since¡­their chat was so much more active than the streams with 100,000 viewers. ¡®101, why is the support even more aggressive than the DPS?¡¯ ¡®New streamer? I never thought I would be watching torture during a stream these days. Is it because she¡¯s pretty?¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s too pretty +1. She may be bad, but I can¡¯t get angry with that face.¡¯ ¡®Although she¡¯s a noob, her support is amazing! None of them wants to fight the DPS now. They have all been scared away by the support.¡¯ ¡®Support, please y something else! It¡¯s a waste of your talent!¡¯ Qu Man was confused. As someone who did not pay attention to games, she did not understand what thements were talking about. Sensing that something was amiss, Qu Man quickly went to investigate. In the end, she realized that the Chaoyang TV staff had mistakenly assigned Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan¡¯s stream to the wrong category. This discovery left her unsure whether tough or cry. However, as she observed the stream, she could not help but think that Qin Jiayan might have identally entered the wrongpetition Even though she did not have much gaming knowledge, it was apparent that eSports was a more fitting field for Qin Jiayan. Just as Qu Man was about to instruct the staff to change the stream¡¯s category, several usernames with special effects entered the stream. ¡®User GAL-Chenfeng has entered the stream.¡¯ ¡®User GAL-Luanluan has entered the stream.¡¯ The moment those users with shimmering special effects joined, the viewer count in the upper right corner surged rapidly. In less than 3 minutes, the viewer count in Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan¡¯s stream had exceeded 100,000. Qu Man was at a loss for words. How were they going to recategorize the stream now? She stared in disbelief and stayed on the stream to watch. GAT.-Chenfeng: Is this ¡°Unskilled_Charger¡±? Thement was highlighted and pinned to the top of the chat. ¡®It¡¯s the captain of the eSports team GAL!¡¯ ¡®Aah, it¡¯s Chenfeng!¡¯ ¡®Wait! Unskilled_Charger? The unaffiliated yer who rejected all the major teams in the country?¡¯ ¡®He looks so delicate and tender¡­Oh, no! My heart skipped a beat!¡¯ ¡®Move aside,dy. I¡¯m here to watch actually skilled yers!¡¯ At that moment, Qi Wu seemed to sense something and slowly raised her head. On her phone screen, her archer character had been surrounded by three opponents. By the time the support arrived, her screen had already turned ck. The support silently stopped there for a second before switching to DPS equipment and killing off all three opponents. The three opponents immediately spammed question marks in the game chat.. Chapter 58 - 58: Chang Xun, turn into a pink pig Chapter 58: Chang Xun, turn into a pink pig Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS QTIEPIE (Hans): The support is cheating! After Qin Jiayan avenged Qi Wu, he ignored the in-game chat and destroyed the enemy¡¯s base. When the match ended, he noticed that Qi Wu had not moved. He looked up in confusion and realized that Qi Wu had put down her phone at some point and was curiously staring at theputer screen in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, bewildered. Qi Wu turned to look at him. ¡°They seem to be calling for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He then looked at the stream chat. When he noticed that the number of viewers in their livestream room had exceeded 100,000 and was still growing towards 150,000, a hint of astonishment shed across his eyes. Then, Qin Jiayan saw a few familiar usernames. He lowered his eyes and emotionlessly replied, ¡°They have the wrong person.¡± He ignored the chaos in the chat and started the next round without saying anything. As soon as he entered the hero selection screen, he saw two familiar IDs in the teammate list. They were the two yers from the GAL eSports team. Qin Jiayan was rendered speechless. As both his and Qi Wu¡¯s ounts were unranked, it was obvious that the other two were using smurf ounts. What a coincidence for them to be in the same game. GAT a-Chengfeng: What a coincidence. GAL-Luanluan: We just want to chat with you again. Qin Jiayan nced at Qi Wu in panic. However, Qi Wu was focused on choosing a hero. When Qin Jiayan looked over, she slowly said, ¡°I want to y the one that can possess others.¡± ¡°Yao? You can y.¡± Therefore, not long after the game started, Qin Jiayan realized that once Qi Wu¡¯s character reached level 4 and she could possess him, she immediately hung onto his character¡¯s head and freeloaded off of him. Qi Wu was currently chatting in the in-game chat. She would also chat in the stream. Leaning closer to the screen, she asked in a puzzled tone, ¡°What¡¯s this random king yer they¡¯re talking about?¡± The viewers¡¯ hearts skipped a beat at the abrupt close-up of her beauty. ¡®Thank you for the 4K image! It perfectly showcases her wless face!¡¯ ¡®Let me exin! Unskilled_Charger has never disappeared from the Top 10 list for our server in the game LON, and it¡¯s for the solo leaderboard! The most amazing thing is that he rejected invitations from all major teams in the country just a month ago!¡¯ ¡®Everyone has watched the editedptions of the powerhouses ying. If I had to y against that, I would be sobbing.¡¯ ¡®Miss, check the inbox! I sent you a greatption video.¡¯ Qi Wu nodded thoughtfully after receiving enthusiastic exnations from the stream chat. She sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why Qin Jiayan is so strong.¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s hand trembled when he heard Qi Wu¡¯spliment, and he ended up hitting the wall in the game. Chenfeng speechlessly stared as his character was right next to Qin Jiayan¡¯s just then. He had just watched Unskilled_Charger walking into a wall. When the viewers heard the name, they finally realized what was going on and looked at the title of the stream. ¡®Rookie Assembly: Qi Wu X Qin Jiayan¡¯s Livestream.¡¯ The viewers were bewildered. Had they entered the wrong stream? At that moment, fans of Qi Wu, who had been lost for a long time, finally discovered the stream. ¡®Aaah! I finally found you!¡¯ ¡®Awesome! There were no blind spots in the livestream!¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s the angel¡¯s social media ount username? I need it now.¡¯ However, before these fans could ask anything, they saw the game that upied two-thirds of the stream and their Angel tantly cking off. No one had anyints anyway. After all, the team waspletely overkill. Qi Wu would even be fine if she wanted to just take a stroll through the map. ¡®Thanks for the invitation. It must be an honor to carry Angel.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s fine to be bad at the game. It means the world is still fair.¡¯ ¡®I just imagined her bumping around, getting lost in the map. Help, it¡¯s so cute! I¡¯ve been bewitched!¡¯ The gamers in the stream were confused. They really did not understand those who liked idols. If Qi Wu were in the esports circle, she would have been bashed for hours. However, when people looked at Qi Wu, who was stunning even when she was looking down, they still felt that it was worth it. She deserved the best in the world. With the support of Qi Wu¡¯s fans and the gaming viewers, the number of viewers in the stream finally stabilized at around 180,000. This put them in the top five among the 50 streams. After the stream ended, Qi Wu looked at the ount of the user ¡®GAL-Chenfeng¡¯ and sent them a private message, ¡®Hi.¡¯ During the 2 hours, Qu Man spent over an hour in Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan¡¯s stream. In order to understand thenguage used in the stream chat, she even did some research of her own. After the stream ended, Qu Man brought the statistics report to Song Qi. ¡°How did Qin Jiayan pass your preliminary selection?¡± Song Qi nced at it. ¡°How would I remember that? Is there something wrong with him?¡± Qu Man rolled her eyes. ¡°The contestant you can¡¯t remember is a genius that everyone wants in the eSports world.¡± Song Qi was speechless. His mind went nk for a moment. ¡°What on earth?¡± Was he getting too old to keep up with the times? ¡°Go watch Qin Jiayan¡¯s stream rey.¡± Meanwhile, Qi Wu just spent half an hourmunicating with Lin Chenfeng. After their conversation ended, Lin Chenfeng sent her a message of gratitude. GAL-Chenfeng: Miss Qi, thank you very much. I¡¯ll discuss it with my boss. Qi Wu exited the streaming app with a calm look on her face. Tong Luo walked into the room with a strange look on her face. ¡°Qi Wu, I heard you guys streamed for two hours?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just¡­envious.¡± Tong Luo had muttered thest word. It would be a lie to say that she was not envious. After ying a game for two hours, they managed to umte 180,000 viewers. Could it be true that the less one struggled, the luckier they got? Even Tong Luo, who had always been resolute and hardworking, felt shaken to the core. At the same time, Qi Wu received a message from Chang Xun. Chang Xun: ¡°King yer x Angel? Rewatch the stream of delights!¡± Chang Xun: Were you ying a game during thepetition? If not for Chang Xun¡¯s habit of scrolling through social media and his current sensitivity to the term ¡°angel,¡± he probably would not have found out so quickly. Before Qi Wu could respond, she received another message from Chang Xun. Chang Xun: Your beauty really can shield you from all the hate. I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯ll end up dealing with the aftermath otherwise. Qi Wu¡¯s cheeks puffed up. Even as she typed on her phone, she could not help but feel indignant. Wu: Chang Xun, turn into a pink pig.. Chapter 59 - 59: Insulted by Qi Wu Chapter 59: Insulted by Qi Wu Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Chang Xun: Was he being insulted? Qi Wu actually insulted him! Chang Xun experienced a whirlwind of emotions at that moment. It was worth noting that before sending Qi Wu to join the contest, Chang Xun had always seen her as an obedient and cooperative talent he did not have to worry over. Now, this obedient talent seemed to be showing a different side of herself. Chang Xun could not say anything to Qi Wu, so he directed his frustration toward Song Qi. What kind of lousy program is this? You led my obedient talent astray! Song Qi sneezed several times. He frowned and looked at Qu Man beside him. ¡°Is itte spring? I think I caught a cold.¡± Qu Man nced at him and casually remarked, ¡°Maybe someone is bad mouthing you behind your back.¡± Song Qi did not refute that. Clearly, he agreed with that possibility. After Shen Xi¡¯s acting ss ended, the two freeloaders were often seen together. In preparation for the uing selection that was happening in three days, Jiang Xuxu and the others requested a ssroom so that the group could practice and prepare together. Except for Tong Luo who had a packed schedule, even Tan Song and Jiang Yiran joined them. They did not disturb each other and just practiced in their own little corner. Consequently, Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan, who were resting on some cushions along the wall, drew a lot of attention. Jiang Xuxu had nced at them more than once. There was an unmistakable tinge of envy in her tone. ¡°How nice to have one of the best yers in the country to carry you. I want to y games in my stream too.¡± Ke Lu could not help but look up upon hearing Jiang Xuxu¡¯s words. ¡°When you master this group dance, you can say that again.¡± Jiang Xuxu¡¯s enthusiasm instantly waned upon hearing Ke Lu¡¯s orders. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and resolutely stood up. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be defeated by a dance!¡± Tan Song¡¯s gaze asionally drifted toward Qi Wu and the others. Qi Wu was ying games with Qin Jiayan the entire time. She seemed at ease and had a faint smile on her lips. The disappointment in Tan Song¡¯s eyes intensified. At that moment, Jiang Yiran, who had been observing Tan Song from behind, finally mustered the courage to approach. ¡°I have a question for you,¡± he said. Tan Song turned around. Jiang Yiran was surprised by the emotions he could see in Tan Song¡¯s eyes, but Tan Song quicklyposed himself. ¡°What is it?¡± As Jiang Yiran asked his question, his gaze shifted to look at Qi Wu. Meanwhile, Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan, the center of attention, were not as rxed as they seemed. After two games, Qin Jiayan mentally prepared himself and finally broached the topic, ¡°Qi Wu, did you tell GAL about my situation?¡± Shortly after the livestream ended, Qin Jiayan received a message from GAL. He was going to reject them again, but he noticed that they did not mention joining the team this time. Instead, they just asked for a chance. GAL was one of the top teams in the country, and their interest meant they valued him. Qin Jiayan could give up on his future, but he could not bear to decline a sincere offer from someone who treated him well. Qi Wu raised her head and indifferently replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know about your situation. I just wanted them to understand you better as a person.¡± Not just as one of the best yers in the country. Qin Jiayan froze. After a long pause, he slowly said, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± He was not skilled at expressing his emotions with words, so he struggled to know what to say to Qi Wu. However, he knew for a fact that he wanted to thank her. She was coldly logical as if none of this concerned her. She was like the bright moon far beyond their reach, yet she always guided them. Jiang Xuxu could not help but chime in just then. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to y any more games?¡± Qi Wu looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want to y too?¡± ¡°Of course, I want to y.¡± Jiang Xuxu immediately responded. She really wanted to throw herself into Qi Wu¡¯s arms and vent her frustrations. However, she was sweating profusely, so she dropped the idea. Hearing that, Qi Wu turned to Qin Jiayan and raised her chin slightly as if urging him. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to answer.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Qin Jiayan was confused, but then he met Jiang Xuxu¡¯s hopeful and pitiful gaze. ¡°Please? Carry me?¡± Jiang Xuxu had a beautiful face that even more charming when framed by messy strands of hair that had fallen out during practice. He immediately blushed and lowered his head. ¡°0-0kay.¡± Jiang Xuxu¡¯s face lit up with a joyful smile. She threw her hand up in a gesture of victory and eximed, ¡°Yay! I¡¯m going to be carried by the best yer around!¡± However, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s happiness was short-lived. ¡°Are you done resting yet?¡± Ke Lu coldly asked from behind Jiang Xuxu. Jiang Xuxu¡¯s shoulders instantly slumped. She shrugged and said to Qi Wu, ¡°My hardworking roommate is so scary. I really envy you.¡± Ke Lu mercilessly called out, ¡°You can rest if you can deliver a performance like Qi Wii.¡± Jiang Xuxu turned around in shock. Ke Lu had moved to stand right behind her without her noticing. Jiang Xuxu immediately raised her hands in surrender. Then, afraid of Ke Lu¡¯s scolding, she dejectedly scurried away. Ke Lu nced at Jiang Xuxu before turning around to silently hand Qi Wu a few pieces of wrapped milk bottle gums. Qi Wu curiously examined the wrapped candy with cartoon illustrations. ¡°It¡¯s milk-vored candy,¡± Ke Lu briefly exined. Then, she went back to her singing practice. Qi Wu blinked and then looked at Qin Jiayan with the candies in her hand. ¡°Do you want one?¡± Qin Jiayan immediately shook his head. He dared not eat them. Not far away, Jiang Yiran finally figured out what was going on as he watched Tan Song grow more solemn and reserved. Qi Wu¡­ seemed to be ignoring them. As he watched Tan Song focus on revising his melody and tuning his guitar, he realized there was a gloomy aura around Tan Song, leading Jiang Yiran to reluctantly call out, ¡°Qi Wu.¡± When Qi Wu looked over, Jiang Yiran sensed Tan Song sitting up straight and instantly snapping out of his funk. He looked just like a student that suddenly became hardworking because his teacher was watching. Jiang Yiran felt speechless. He was at a loss for words from disbelief. What turned Tan Song into this state? As Qi Wu walked over, Tan Song¡¯s face turned even more solemn. ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Wu asked. Suppressing his frustration, Jiang Yiran asked, ¡°What do you think of Tan Song¡¯s new song?¡± Upon hearing that, Qi Wu approached Tan Song and began discussing the song with him. Jiang Yiran would have immediately rolled his eyes if it were not for the situation they were in. He was way too familiar with Tan Song¡¯s current behavior. When he had sought Tan Song¡¯s guidance earlier, he had looked at Tan Song with the same kind of admiration and excitement, gazing at Tan Song like he hung the moon and the stars. Still¡­ Jiang Yiran stared at Qi Wu with a strange look in his eyes. What kind of witchcraft did she use to captivate everyone in this room? Chapter 60 - 60: Good for Qi Wu To Be Vicious Chapter 60: Good for Qi Wu To Be Vicious Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Even after Tong Luo¡¯s ss ended, Jiang Yiran still did not know the answer to the question. After lunch, the group dispersed. Qi Wu and Tong Luo had just walked into the vi when they saw Yin Yueyue sitting on the couch in the living room. Ever since Yin Yueyue had been humiliated, she rarely showed up before them. After Yao Ning was expelled from thepetition, Yin Yueyue¡¯s appearances were practically none. When Yin Yueyue noticed their return, she immediately turned to look at them. Tong Luo nced at Qi Wu. She immediately rxed upon seeing no reaction from Qi Wu. Yin Yueyue stood up and walked over to them. Seeing Tong Luo¡¯s wary gaze, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°I mean no harm,¡± she awkwardly exined. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Tong Luo¡¯s tone did not soften just because of that statement. She still wore her thorny armor when around others, only showing her soft side to Qi Wu. Yin Yueyue¡¯s gaze shifted to Qi Wu, and she finally mustered up the courage to say, ¡°Tong Fei is after you. Yao Ning was kicked out because of her!¡± When Qi Wu and Tong Luo did not react to that, Yin Yueyue panicked. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! I¡¯m only telling you this because I don¡¯t want to be Tong Fei¡¯s puppet!¡± ¡°You just want to use us to get rid of Tong Fei so that she won¡¯t threaten you.¡± Tong Luo knew why Yin Yueyue was suddenly confessing within seconds of that statement. Yin Yueyue¡¯s face turned pale as her true intentions were exposed, but she still tried to talk her way around them, saying, ¡°I-I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Her primary target is Qi Wu!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need your unnecessary help.¡± After coldly saying that, Tong Luo grabbed Qi Wu¡¯s hand and headed upstairs. Qi Wu had just stepped onto the stairs when she suddenly turned around to look at Yin Yueyue. ¡°Rather than pinning your hopes on others, it¡¯s better to save yourself.¡± Yin Yueyue stared at the two of them as they went upstairs. When she thought about what Qi Wu said, she hurriedly and silently left the vi. After returning to their room, Tong Luo immediately started exining her logic to Qi Wu. ¡°I know Tong Fei won¡¯t let it go, but Yin Yueyue¡¯s confession is so sudden that it¡¯s hard to guarantee that she wasn¡¯t doing this under Tong Fei¡¯s orders so that we would panic¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Qi Wu interrupted. Tong Luo¡¯s anxious frown slowly faded away when she heard that. She was afraid that there was a conspiracy behind Yin Yueyue¡¯s sudden change of heart. ¡°However, ording to Tong Fei¡¯s way of doing things, she would never be capable of doing that,¡± Qi Wu solemnly stated. Tong Luo was at a loss for words. Was Qi Wu saying Tong Fei was dumb? How could Qi Wu say something so sassy and hurtful with that calm face? Still, thement made Tong Luo feel much more at ease. It was good for Qi Wu to be vicious. At the very least, she was not an easy target for bullies. In a corner free from any surveince cameras, Tong Fei was on the phone with the Tong family. ¡°Dad, are you sure? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± she abruptly eximed in an agitated manner. ¡°Qi Wu is really just an ordinary person. She doesn¡¯t have anyone backing her. Just luck,¡± her father replied. Naturally, Tong Fei could not ept that. Hatred shed in her eyes as she bit her lips. After a while, a thought seemed to have struck Tong Fei as she suddenly said, ¡°Dad, since she¡¯s clean, we can just create some problems for her.¡± Tong Fei smugly grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with her the same way we dealt with Tong Luo in the past. You haven¡¯t forgotten how, right?¡± There was silence as her father did not respond. Tong Fei was so anxious that she sounded frantic as she said, ¡°Dad, you said that I can do whatever I want! If you hadn¡¯t sent me to the countryside, Tong Luo would not have taken my ce for years!¡± Tong Fei¡¯s words finally pushed him to respond. He sighed. ¡°Once Qi Wu is dealt with, you should behave yourself on the show. If Song Qi catches you red-handed, I won¡¯t be able to save you anymore.¡± Tong Fei happily smiled upon hearing the agreement. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Dad! For Qi Wu, we can¡­ The more she spoke, the more excited she became. She did not hold back at all, spitting out ideas even more sinister than thest. She was a devil in disguise, finally showing her true self in a corner where no one could see her. At this moment, a faint light shed around the corner. Yin Yueyue saved the recording. Then, she nced at Tong Fei who was still happily chattering away. Too scared to stay any longer, she quickly left. Panic and fear were written all over her face. The adrenaline and anxiety caused her feet to feel weak. She stumbled as her hands were drenched in cold sweat. She gripped her phone tightly. Even so, she was more excited than afraid. Now that she had something to ckmail Tong Fei with, she did not need to be afraid! However, when Yin Yueyue thought of Tong Fei¡¯s vicious face, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Like a popped bubble, her excitement faded away as she abruptly calmed down. Could she really threaten Tong Fei? She was so vicious to Qi Wu, so why would she ever be nicer to Yin Yueyue when she had ckmail on her? Yin Yueyue slowly rxed her grip on the phone and silently slid it into her bag. She was reminded of Qi Wu¡¯s statement. It seemed like¡­this was destined to happen. The night before the selection day, no sses were held. The three mentors stood in the hall, facing 100 contestants. Song Qi¡¯s serious gaze swept across the contestants. When he saw Qi Wu, he started to get angry again. Qi Wu really did it! She did not attend any of his sses! Was he that bad? Song Qi, who was feeling extremely upset, decided to make Qi Wu regret that decision. He cleared his throat, attracting the contestants¡¯ attention. He then slowly said, ¡°Tomorrow is the day.¡± ¡°The leaderboard disyed on the screen behind us shows the order in which you will make your choice tomorrow.¡± 100 contestants might not seem like a lot, but when all of their names appeared on the screen together, something felt different. That was because they suddenly realized just the further down the list they were, the slimmer their hopes. ¡°Don¡¯t rx even if you pass thest 2 weeks because you will only experience just how harsh the contest is after we properly get into the swing of things.¡± ¡°Most of you will be leaving in the next few episodes until there are only three people in the end.¡± When Song Qi announced that, the contestants suddenly broke into chatter. This was a talent show, and there were only a few spots. They had to give their all if they wanted the spot.. Chapter 61 - 61: Jin Si Is No Sugar Daddy Chapter 61: Jin Si Is No Sugar Daddy Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qi Wu was not affected by the contestants¡¯ anxious chatter. However, she suddenly turned around and looked behind her. She caught Tong Fei off-guard as she red at Qi Wu with a sinister glint in her eyes. Tong Fei did not expect Qi Wu to suddenly turn around and look her straight in the eyes. However, at the thought that after tonight, Qi Wu¡¯s reputation would be ruined to the point where she would be kicked out of the industry just like Tong Luo back then, Tong Fei could not help but feel smug. Hence, she red back at Qi Wu. Qi Wu ignored her and coldly looked away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tong Luo softly asked. Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± The contestants returned to their dorms to rest early that evening to prepare for the next day¡¯s events. Coincidentally, the second episode of the ¡°Rookie Assembly¡± was being broadcast that evening. It continued to garner positive viewer ratings, maintaining the show¡¯s momentum. Shortly after the second episode ended, a prominent social media influencer posted an expos¨¦ on Qi Wu. Breaking News Daily V: Who is Angel from the recent hit talent show ¡°Rookie Assembly ¡°? Here¡¯s the truth about her. After it was published, it swiftly went viral, appearing on trending topics on all social media tforms. ¡®The True Colors of the Angel.¡¯ ¡®Angel, an Industry nt with a Sugar Daddy.¡¯ Those were the two most popr headlines about the subject with many peoplementing on it. ¡®For real? She hasn¡¯t even debuted. How is she doomed already?¡¯ ¡®I thought it was possible when I saw how popr she is, but it¡¯s actually a sugar daddy. No wonder.¡¯ ¡®Everybody¡¯s so creative. Beauty is enough to make Qi Wu famous, but Song Qi is in charge of ¡°Rookie Assembly¡±. She would¡¯ve been kicked out if she¡¯s not good enough.¡¯ ¡®The article had no concrete proof, so I won¡¯t say anything for now.¡¯ ¡®Off-topic but I envy that sugar daddy.¡¯ ¡®Same. I¡¯m in love with her face. Stay away from her already!¡¯ With the help of bots, the number ofments pushed the articles on Qi Wu¡¯s dirtyundry to be the number 1 trending topic. As no one really knew what Qi Wu was like, the fans Qi Wu attracted through her beauty swiftly abandoned her. There were only a small number ofments from those who were willing to defend her. What Tong Luo was worried about finally happened. When she saw the news about Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy, she immediately told Qi Wu about the viral article. ¡°It¡¯s the Tong family. They¡¯ve made their move.¡± Tong Luo gritted her teeth. It was the same old method. It felt like the same nightmare from eight years ago. However, her anger was even stronger than it was eight years ago. Eight years ago, she was powerless and was left to suffer by herself. She was stronger and would no longer drown in the pain of the past. Her fury was greater this time because this was just a repeat of the incident, but it was now directed at her dearest friend. Tong Luo turned to Qi Wu and promised, ¡°I have some evidence of their deeds. I won¡¯t let them hurt you without being punished.¡± However, Qi Wu did not react to the news. She could not even be bothered to read the article. She grabbed Tong Luo with one hand. ¡°Come back.¡± While she sounded calm without a single trace of solemnity, it still caused Tong Luo¡¯s to die down. She calmed down. Qi Wu stretched out a hand and carefully tucked the loose strands of hair behind Tong Luo¡¯s ears. ¡°Remember what I said? They will reap what they sow.¡± Her words were like a prophecy. When Chang Xun saw the articles, he instantly assumed Qi Wu and Jin Si¡¯s rtionship had finally been discovered. However, he soon choked on his saliva when he realized what he had thought. ¡°Jin Si is no sugar daddy! As if that psychopath can find a partner,¡± he spat out. He instantly called Qi Wu. Qi Wu¡¯s phone rang. Tong Luo was instantly anxious. ¡°Is it your debtholder?¡± Qi Wu calmly picked up her phone and shook her head. Then, she walked into the bathroom. Tong Luo heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that it was not the debtholder. However, her fury rose once more at that thought. What was going on with the sugar daddy? How could he not say anything to Qi Wu when something this major has happened? After Qi Wu walked into the bathroom, she answered the call. ¡°Chang Xun. ¡± Her calm voice made Chang Xun heave a sigh of relief before saying, ¡°I know about the trending articles. Good. You¡¯re not letting them affect you.¡± To those who had yet to formally start working in the entertainment industry, a small setback could traumatize them forever. Chang Xun called Qi Wu because he was worried about that. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the articles, but you should think of any potential enemies you¡¯ve made.¡± The only people Qi Wu hade into contact with recently would be the contestants from ¡°Rookie Assembly,¡± but with her personality¡­Chang Xun could not think of anyone who would be hostile against her. ¡°It¡¯s Tong Fei,¡± Qi Wu ndly replied. ¡°The daughter of the Tong family who was bashed? I see. I¡¯ll have the headlines dealt with in an hour, but you have to make a statement. I¡¯ve registered an ount for you. Remember to make a post.¡± Chang Xun was very efficient. After the call ended, he immediately sent Qi Wu the details of the social media ount created before contacting his old friends. It had been a long time since he had something to do. That was because no one would be foolish enough to target Jin Si. Hence, Chang Xun had nothing to do as his manager. After the call ended, Qi Wu walked out of the bathroom. She found Tong Luo standing at the door of the room. Their door was open, and Yin Yueyue was standing outside. Upon seeing Qi Wu, Tong Luo shrugged in response. ¡°She insisted on seeing you.¡± Qi Wu calmly looked at Yin Yueyue. Yin Yueyue mustered up her courage and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Tong Fei get what she wants!¡± Then, she left without saying anything. The interaction seemed to have prompted a thought as Qi Wu blinked. An hourter, the trending topic about Qi Wu had shifted lower down the list with bigger news soaking up the attention the articles had enjoyed. Those overly obvious fakements had also been filtered out. If someone clicked into the ount, they would find that those ounts had been deleted. Tong Fei did not spend too long celebrating before she realized that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she screamed. ¡°Where are the hatements? Why isn¡¯t Qi Wu¡¯s scandal the top trending topic?¡± Tong Fei hurriedly called her father. ¡°Dad, what happened? Where¡¯s the dirt on Qi Wu?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to happen either. It¡¯s very likely that she does have a backer but we¡­just couldn¡¯t dig up their name,¡± he darkly replied.. Chapter 62 - 62: Who Could Refuse a Star Shining Brightly Down on Them Chapter 62: Who Could Refuse a Star Shining Brightly Down on Them Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°Impossible.¡± Tong Fei¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as she muttered, ¡°This is impossible. How can she be better¡­¡± She did not finish her sentence, but the upset in her voice was audible. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t care! You have to help me. I can¡¯t lose to Qi Wu!¡± Tong Fei did not care about anything else. She only knew that if losing here meant she would have suffered an absolute defeat. ¡°If even the Tong family can¡¯t find out who this backer is, then she¡­¡± Her father sounded troubled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just let it go this time before things get out of¡­¡± As someone who led the Tong family to where it was now, Tong Fei¡¯s father was not stupid. After he found out that the dirt on Qi Wu had been deleted, he knew that something was wrong. The best thing to do was to cut their losses. However, Tong Fei did not think the same because she was extremely selfish and only cared about herself. ¡°How can we leave this be? We can¡¯t quit!¡± There was a hint of hysteria in her voice. When Tong Fei thought of Qi Wu¡¯s mocking attitude toward her and the p that humiliated her in front of Shen Xi and got her kicked out of the ss, she found the anger unbearable. Unbeknownst to her, there was an even greater catastrophe waiting for her while she threw a fit. Half an hour after Qi Wu¡¯s scandal was removed as a trending topic, Yin Yueyue, a contestant in ¡°Rookie Assembly,¡± posted a recording on her social media ount. It was the recording from when she was eavesdropping on Tong Fei¡¯s conversation with her father. Yin Yueyue did not even edit it and just left the recording as is. However, this helped in showcasing Tong Fei¡¯s true nature. Rookie-Yin Yueyue: Justice will prevail. In just over 10 minutes after the recording was uploaded, it went viral. It also went viral just through the power of the masses. ¡®After listening to the recording, my mind has been shattered.¡¯ ¡®Tong Fei was evil enough in the first 2 episodes. I didn¡¯t expect her to be even more vicious. Out! Out!¡¯ ¡®We must protect the Angel. Demons, begone!¡¯ ¡®It makes me feel so bad for the first victim, Tong Luo. She was only 10 at the time when everyone abandoned her.¡¯ ¡®Tong Luo finally has a chance to make aeback, and there are still haters jumping around. I really feel sorry for her.¡¯ When Chang Xun found out about the recording, he was stunned. Was he blessed? The assist came out of nowhere. He did not even need to look for the evidence himself. Deep in his heart, Chang Xun thanked Yin Yueyue and immediately used his connections to get Yin Yueyue¡¯s post boosted. Tong Luo had been scrolling through social media, so she immediately saw Yin Yuevue¡¯s post. She listened to the entire recording. She had not expected Yin Yueyue to be so brave. With this recording, no matter what the Tong family imed, no one would believe them. For a moment, Tong Luo shot a conflicted look at Qi Wu, who was sitting by her bed and solemnly staring at her phone. Perhaps she was just that kind of person. She was someone who could make a paranoid person rx, cheer up a closed-off person, and push the cowardly to be brave for once¡­ After all, who could refuse a star shining brightly down on them? As Tong Luo looked at Qi Wu, Qi Wu suddenly looked up and called out, ¡°Tong Luo.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tong Luo dazedly asked. ¡°How do I post on social media?¡± There was an obvious hint of distress in her voice. Tong Luo was speechless. Had Qi Wu been sitting there for 30 minutes just trying to figure out how to post on social media? There was an exasperated tilt of Tong Luo¡¯s lips. Then, she sat beside Qi Wu and taught her how to make a post. Actually, Qi Wu had forgotten what Chang Xun told her to do the moment she clicked on the app because the app¡¯s rmendations were so interesting. As someone who was intensely curious about everything in this world, Qi Wu could not refuse those rmendations. By the time she snapped out of her inte addiction and remembered what Chang Xun told her to do, 30 minutes had passed. She quickly posted her first social media post. QiWu: Tong Luo had watched her post, and it rendered her speechless. For some reason, that emoticon looked rather mocking. She did not just stay idle either. She picked up her phone and shared Qi Wu¡¯s post with an additionalment. Actress Tong Luo: Angel is here! Tong Luo¡¯s ount had been abandoned for years, but with her appearance in Rookie Assembly, many of her fans followed her again. Of course, she also attracted haters. Just as the haters thought it was their time to shine, they realized that Tong Luo¡¯s first post after hereback was not about herself. With the help of Tong Luo¡¯s post, people soon found Qi Wu¡¯s ount and followed her. Qi Wu¡¯s fans began crying in herments about how bad they felt for her while also begging for a selfie. After Tong Luo shared the post, she realized she had been added to a new chat group. The group consisted of her, Jiang Xuxu, Ke Lu, Tan Song, Jiang Yiran, and even Qin Jiayan. Everyone who had been added to the group was visibly confused. This was especially so for Jiang Yiran. He was already impatiently spamming the chat. Jiang Yiran: What do you want? I¡¯m busy catching up on that evil woman¡¯s gossip! Jiang Xuxu: Call another woman evil again and I¡¯ll kick you out! They then began to crack jokes at each other. However, they were basically discussing Qi Wu¡¯s scandal. After a while, Jiang Xuxu suddenly tagged Tong Luo. Jiang Xuxu: @Tong Luo, is she next to you? She has always felt so outdated that I never dared add her on the messaging app. Add her to the group. Tong Luo: In that case, she was actually the first to add Qi Wu on the app. As she suppressed the joy in her heart, Tong Luo added Qi Wu to the group. The moment Qi Wu was added, the group immediately stopped arguing like immature kids and made peace with each other. Jiang Xuxu: You¡¯re finally here, Sweetie. My heart aches for you. This disaster came out of nowhere¡­ Ke Lu: Tong Fei deserves it. Tan Song: Don¡¯t take it to heart. She deserved it. Qin Jiayan: ¡­we can y a few rounds if you¡¯re sad. Jiang Yiran: Huh? Jiang Yiran just did not understand the group¡¯s mindset and thought to himself, Am I the only sane person in this group? Qi Wu blinked as she read the chat. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face as she replied to the messages. Wu: It¡¯s okay, I didn¡¯t read it. Tong Luo¡¯s lips twitched when she read the reply. The whole fiasco onlysted 3 hours. During that time, Qi Wu only spent 30 minutes on her phone, and it was because she was trying to figure out how to make a post. The calmer Qi Wu was, the faster the scandal was resolved. She did not even need to do anything. Tong Luo suddenly felt a pang of unease at that thought. She had to show it off somehow or she would be quite upset.. Chapter 63 - 63: Tong Luo’s Identity Chapter 63: Tong Luo¡¯s Identity Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Tong Fei disappeared the very next day. Jiang Xuxu quickly asked around about it before some gossip before discreetly sharing the gossip with her friends. ¡°I heard from Tong Fei¡¯s roommate that she was picked up by the Tong family in the middle of the night. She won¡¯t be returning in the future.¡± Upon hearing that, Tong Luo was surprised and muttered, ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility; something happened to the Tong family.¡± The Tong family was the source of Tong Fei¡¯s ego. With how relentless and stubborn Tong Fei was, there was no way she would leave before she got what she wanted. Just then, Tan Song and Jiang Yiran walked over to them. Upon hearing Tong Luo¡¯sment, Jiang Yiran clicked his tongue and remarked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Tong Realty¡¯stest project has been found to have several severe safety ws. There are even reports from former employees stating that someone died during the construction process.¡± Despite the Tong family¡¯s prominence in the capital¡¯s real estate industry, they still could not evade scrutiny from the authorities. It was no surprise that the Tong Family hastily took Tong Fei away. The investigation meant Tong Fei¡¯s father would be spending decades in prison. There was a distant look in Tong Luo¡¯s eyes as she muttered, ¡°They¡¯ve brought this on themselves¡­¡± She had not expected the Tong family¡¯s downfall toe out of nowhere. For the past 8 years, she had constantly prayed for their downfall. However, now that it finally happened, her hatred was gone. Jiang Xuxu immediately pulled Jiang Yiran closer to learn more about it. Qi Wu quietly sat on the side as she listened to their conversation. Her eyes were neither sad nor joyful with only a lonely calm look in them. Over the years, the Tong family had enjoyed a life of luxury. They had to pay the price eventually. Everyone was now talking about the Tong family scandal. It was worth noting that the Tong family had been expanding its empire for years, absorbing numerous real estatepanies in the city. No one had expected their rapid rise or their sudden fall. The day after the Tong family came under investigation, Tong Luo submitted a report to the government about her status as the daughter of a military veteran. In the report, Tong Luo revealed her true identity. Over 20 years ago, Tong Luo¡¯s actual father and Tong Fei¡¯s father had served in the same military unit and became as close as brothers. During a mission, Tong Luo¡¯s father sacrificed himself to save Tong Fei¡¯s father. Before his death, he had implored Tong Fei¡¯s father to care for his wife and child, but Tong Fei¡¯s father had not fulfilled his promise. Then, Tong Fei fell seriously ill as a baby with a fever that just would not die down and kept sapping away at her strength. The Tong family sought a way to send her to the countryside for her health. They also needed a girl born on the same day as Tong Fei as part of the superstitious ritual to take on Tong Fei¡¯s bad luck. Tong Fei and Tong Luo just so happened to be born on the very same day with Tong Fei being older by a few hours. Tong Fei¡¯s father came up with the idea to use Tong Luo. Through deception and maniption, he convinced Tong Luo¡¯s mother to entrust Tong Luo to him in hopes of giving her a better life. At 10 years old, Tong Fei returned to the city. Afraid that everything would be exposed, Tong Fei¡¯s father went to great lengths to forge Tong Luo¡¯s identity as his illegitimate daughter. He also ndered her and attempted to ruin her. Tong Luo had started filling in this report ever since her mother¡¯s death. Now, it would finally be submitted. The entire Tong family wasplicit in this crime. Tong Luo wanted the Tong family imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Due to her status as the child of a military veteran killed on duty, the government treated the case with great importance and immediately started investigating and interrogating the Tong family. Tong Luo¡¯s actions inadvertently prevented the Tong family from spiriting Tong Fei away. Thus, everyone in the Tong family was arrested. Through intense interrogation, it was revealed that Tong Luo was telling the truth. To clear her name and ensure justice was served, the Tong family trial was open to the public. Not a single member of the Tong Family, including Tong Fei, managed to dodge the consequences of their actions. Tong Luo finally received closure for her status as an illegitimate daughter and the injustices she had to suffer. However, that would happen in the future. When Qi Wu entered the contestants¡¯ break room, almost everyone turned to stare at her. Although her scandal had only been viral for a little over three hours, many contestants had been actively monitoring the inte. Qi Wu was the first person to make Tong Fei suffer. Naturally, all the contestants were curious about her. Amid the scrutiny, Qi Wu calmly took a seat next to Tong Luo, Jiang Xuxu, and the others. Meanwhile, Hu Mofei, who had been working tirelessly for days, had just returned to the control room for a brief respite. To his dismay, he realized that he had missed numerous updates about Qi Wu during his long work session. The look on his face was one of extreme frustration and looked even uglier than if he had cried. Song Qi could not bear to see Hu Mofei like this and scolded him, ¡°Don¡¯t act so pitiful!¡± That only worsened Hu Mofei¡¯s mood. Rolling her eyes, Qu Man remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke him. You just don¡¯t get how he feels. He¡¯s a fan, after all.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not good for him to be like this either¡­¡¯ Song Qi could not help but mutter. At that moment, Hu Mofei suddenly looked up and eximed, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t forced so much work on me, I wouldn¡¯t be like this!¡± Song Qi awkwardly cleared his throat. Feeling guilty, Song Qi decided to make a strategic retreat, saying, ¡°The filming is about to start. I¡¯ll go find Tang Liuhua and Shen Xi.¡± As Song Qi walked out of the control room, Hu Mofei could not help but loudly shout, ¡°Song, you¡¯re truly evil!¡± Song Qi quickened his pace and promptly left the room. He was out of breath when he found Tang Liuhua and Shen Xi. Tang Liuhua could not help asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You look guilty.¡± It was clear that their many years of friendship had allowed Tang Liuhua to instantly deduce what was going on. However, Song Qi was in no mood to admit to his guilt. He cleared his throat and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± As special effects were set off, the three mentors appeared on the semi-circr stage as a hundred contestants stood off-stage. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has been eagerly anticipating this day.¡± Song Qi started with a brief introduction. Right after that, three sound effects were yed as the three doors behind the mentors swung open. The doors werebeled ¡°Musician,¡± ¡°Actor,¡± and ¡°Idol¡±. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you behind the doors. ¡® Song Qi, Shen Xi, and Tang Liuhua exchanged nces before proceeding through their respective doors. The stadium was filled with exhrating music. Many contestants were eager to choose their door. However, ording to the rules, the selection order was based on the contestants¡¯ rankings. The name of the first contestant to choose a category appeared on the screen¡ª Everyone watched as Qi Wu calmly stood up and made her way to the doorbeled ¡°Actor.¡± The contestants behind her frantically discuss this turn of events. Song Qi had been watching through the surveince cameras as Qi Wu chose his door. He could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction.. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to attend my ss before, but you still chose me!¡± Chapter 64 - 64: Song Qj, a Vengeful Spirit Chapter 64: Song Qj, a Vengeful Spirit Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°Acting? She chose Mr. Shen¡¯s ss, so I thought she would go through the Idol door¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense! I thought she would choose the Musician door because of the talent showcase!¡± ¡°All I can say is that we can never know what the big shots think.¡± Qi Wu stepped through the door. At the end of the corridor was another room. Song Qi sat behind a table in the room, waiting for her with a serious look on his face. Upon seeing Qi Wu¡¯s calm expression, Song Qi inexplicably felt the urge to chat with her. ¡°You attended Shen Xi¡¯s ss. Why didn¡¯t you go through the Idol door¡± Song Qi would never admit that he asked that because it bothered him. Qi Wu casually nced at him and tilted her head in thought. After a while, she softly said, ¡°Vengeful spirit.¡± It was a critical hit! Song Qi was dumbfounded. He could only watch as Qi Wu took a seat behind him. In contrast to Song Qi¡¯s stunned expression, Hu Mofei was delighted as he watched from the control room. He rubbed his hands together in glee as he kept talking to Qu Man. ¡°Qu Man, did you see that? Hahahaha! It has been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Song suffer!¡± ¡°My darling daughter is amazing. Her tongue is so sharp!¡± Hu Mofei was not angry at that. In fact, he felt pride at that thought. Qu Man speechlessly nced at him. ¡°Whatever.¡± After Qi Wu, Jiang Yiran, Tong Luo, Jiang Xuxu, and the others chose their doors. Jiang Yiran, Tan Song, and Ke Lu all chose the Musician door while Jiang Xuxu and Qiu Yan chose the Idol door. Jiang Xuxu frowned when she saw Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan had seemingly disappeared from the contest after the incident. Jiang Xuxu suddenly realized that it had been a long time since shest argued with Qiu Yan. Soon, all the spots were filled. The remaining 40 contestants were naturally unwilling to give up. They quickly began to choose their opponents. A small number of contestants seeded in their challenges and managed to rece the other contestants, but most of them eventually had to leave the contest. Each room had a screen connected to the surveince cameras so that the yers inside the rooms could see what was happening outside. When Tong Luo saw the contestants who had failed their challenges walk out of the room with dejected expressions, she instinctively grabbed Qi Wu¡¯s wrist. Qi Wu looked at her. The calm in her eyes reassured Tong Luo. She smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ll make it to the end, right?¡± Qi Wu quietly gazed into her eyes. Just when Tong Luo was about to give up, Qi Wu finally spoke. ¡°We will.¡± Tong Luo smiled and pulled her hand back. However, she knew deep in her heart¡­ Only one person in this room could remain to the end. Perhaps a miracle would happen, but where would that miracle be? After the selection ended, 40 contestants were eliminated. They had lived together for 2 weeks, so many contestants were reluctant to leave. When the contestants finished packing their luggage and were about to leave, Qi Wu watched from behind the window as people bid each other farewell. Partings was the mostmon event in a person¡¯s life. A long, long time ago, in that time that Qi Wu barely remembered, there was a person who woulde to her temple at midnight under starlight and candlelight to beg her to pray for his safe return from an expedition. That was the first parting of Qi Wu¡¯s life. She had witnessed many people part ways, be it in life or in death. However, she had only parted ways with someone a few times in her entire life. Tong Luo finished packing her luggage and noticed Qi Wu dazedly staring out of the window. ¡°Qi Wu, are you done packing? We need to move to our new rooms.¡± Qi Wu turned around and nodded, softly replying, ¡°All done.¡± Everything she owned could fit in one backpack. Tong Luo¡¯s gaze fell on the backpack beside Qi Wu, feeling a bit indignant on Qi Wu¡¯s behalf. On the day they moved in, she noticed that Qi Wu had very few belongings. She did not own any skincare products or cosmetics, and she only had two sets of clothes. Stingy! How stingy! This was the stingiest sugar daddy Tong Luo had ever seen! 40 contestants had been eliminated, so there were now empty rooms. Thus, rooms had to be reassigned. Meanwhile, in the control room, Song Qi suddenly felt immense pressure in the air as he looked at the people staring at him. After a while, he suddenly shouted, ¡°What are you looking at? I have always been fair and strict. I never give anyone a free pass. You all know that!¡± Hu Mofei sneered. ¡°What if my daughter¡¯s new roommate is a schemer like Tong Fei?¡± Tang Liuhua let out a long sigh. ¡°Song, I only have one student. Tan Song¡­¡± Qu Man looked at the screen in front of her and said without looking back, ¡°Song, if you don¡¯t cave in now, the contestants you like might just be harshly treated.¡± That was exactly what Song Qi did not want. He softly cursed, ¡°Is Qi Wu really so amazing that they would treat their future as a joke?¡± Shen Xi, who had been quietly watching, suddenlyughed. ¡°Mr. Song, could it be that they¡¯re not fooling around with their future, but rather without Qi Wu, they might still be lost and confused?¡± Shen Xi¡¯s question had Song Qi pondering. Now that he thought about it, Qi Wu was influencing the people around her, silently guiding them along their paths. Song Qi gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. ¡°Alright, but this will be the only time!¡± He had never expected that he would go against the principles he had adhered to for more than 10 years all because of a young girl. More importantly, that girl had just insulted him to his face not long ago. He was not someone who held grudges and insisted on revenge. There was no one more magnanimous than him. Song Qi could not help but grumble. Actually, Hu Mofei and the others¡¯ requests were simple. They wanted Qi Wu and the others to live together. It was just a matter of changing the dormitory numbers. To Song Qi, it did not really challenge any of his principles. Thus, in the end, he went along with their wishes. When Tong Luo dragged Qi Wu over to the staff members to see which rooms they were assigned to, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°This is great, Qi Wu. We are all staying in the same vi!¡± Tong Luo smiled. While she would not get to stay in the same room as Qi Wu, at least they were still living in the same vi. Moreover, Tan Song and Jiang Yiran were staying in the vi next to theirs. Qi Wu nodded. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re still together.¡± At that moment, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s voice called out from downstairs.. ¡°Sweetie, Tong Luo, are you guys ready? After we ce our stuff in our new rooms, we still have to send Qin Jiayan off!¡± Chapter 65 - 65: Eating, Playing Games, and Helping the Kids With Their Problems Chapter 65: Eating, ying Games, and Helping the Kids With Their Problems Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qin Jiayan was one of the 40 eliminated contestants. He knew that he did not have any talent as an entertainer, so he had always justzed about when it came to points. He did not even challenge anyone. Instead, he quietly waited for everyone to finish up. When the group of people arrived at the exit to send Qin Jiayan off, Qin Jiayan suddenly looked at Qi Wu and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said yes to GAL.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Qi Wu stared at him. ¡°I will be heading to GAL¡¯s headquarters for a trial tomorrow. If the trial goes well, I will join them as a yer on their main team topete in the next season¡¯s tournaments.¡± Qin Jiayan could not suppress his excitement, so joy and longing were audible in his voice. The major esports teams had previously invited him to start from their youth division. However, GAL had extended an invitation to him because their jungler was about to retire. They wanted him as a reserve. However, a sudden family emergency meant GAL¡¯s jungler wanted to retire early. Hence, GAL eventually decided to let Qin Jiayan start in their main team. A faint smile appeared on Qi Wu¡¯s face. ¡°Congrattions on embarking on your path up to the stars.¡± Qin Jiayan finally returned to the right path. As he did not keep his voice low when he spoke, everyone sending him off heard him. As a gamer, Jiang Xuxu was naturally the first to get excited. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to see you in a tournament soon, right? I actually have a pro yer as a friend now!¡± ¡°Not bad, dude. Remember to carry me in our games!¡± Jiang Yiran was also into gaming, so he naturally joined in the celebration when he heard about Qin Jiayan¡¯s offer. The others also expressed their blessings to Qin Jiayan in their own ways. Qin Jiayan had never been treated like this before and immediately felt embarrassed. Due to his introverted personality and the fact that he only yed games, he did not have many friends. Looking at the sincere and caring eyes of the people around him, Qin Jiayan felt warmth fill his heart. He turned to nce at Qi Wu. He smiled brightly at her. As Qi Wu said, his path would be one lit by the stars and apanied by glory. After Qin Jiayan left, the group returned to the vi. Jiang Yiran ced his hands behind his head and loudly said, ¡°I¡¯m staying with Tan Song and the four of you are actually living together. No matter how you look at it, this isn¡¯t random.¡± He had no idea that his off-hand guess was actually the truth. Jiang Xuxu rolled her eyes and retorted, ¡°Why? Are you jealous of us?¡± ¡°Why would I be jealous of you?¡± Jiang Yiran was so angry that heughed. He held his chin up high and continued, ¡°After all, I¡¯m living with Tan Song.¡± Tan Song was at a loss for words. He pursed his lips tightly as confusion shed in his eyes. Why did Jiang Yiran seem to have changed into apletely different person ever since appearing on this show? Compared to how he would constantly pick fights with Tan Song before as well as the insistent desire to always be better¡­He was acting like he had never done any of that. As Jiang Xuxu and Jiang Yiran joked around, the group soon parted ways to head back to their rooms. Jiang Xuxu swiftly grabbed Qi Wu¡¯s arm. ¡°Yay! I¡¯ve always wanted to live with you, Sweetie!¡± However, when Jiang Xuxu returned to the room, she spotted the lonely backpack on Qi Wu¡¯s bed. As she looked at her own suitcases, she fell silent. ¡°Sweetie, don¡¯t tell me this is all you have?¡± she eventually asked. Qi Wu nodded. Hence, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s pity for Qi Wu grew once more. Qi Wu was an angel. She should be loved and pampered. Why was her life like this? It was no wonder Qi Wu never put on makeup before. Jiang Xuxu¡¯s imagination kept adding more details to Qi Wu¡¯s supposedly miserable life. In her eyes, Qi Wu was a subject of great sympathy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In the future, what I have, you will too!¡± Qi Wu was confused by the abrupt promise. Just then, Qi Wu¡¯s phone rang. Jiang Xuxu kindly walked away. ¡°Go answer the call. I¡¯ll unpack.¡± Qi Wu nced at her before walking into the bathroom. The call was from Chang Xun. ¡°You didn¡¯t get eliminated, did you?¡± He sounded very cautious like he was afraid of provoking Qi Wu. ¡­ No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Qi Wu paused for a second before she replied. Chang Xun could be heard heaving a loud sigh of relief. ¡°Which category did you choose?¡± he asked. ¡°Actor.¡± When she recalled Chang Xun¡¯s previous reaction, Qi Wu pursed her lips as a headache built up in her head. ¡°It¡¯s not because of Jin Si.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. Chang Xun was speechless. What kind of tone was that? Was he that unreasonable in her eyes? Chang Xun felt a pang of pain. His sweet and obedient talent was no longer as sweet. Still, he dutifully said, ¡°You haven¡¯t studied acting before. If you have the chance, watch the others and learn from them. You know Tong Luo, right? Try to learn from her.¡± Chang Xun made his judgment based on the fact that Tong Luo had shared Qi Wu¡¯s post yesterday when the inte hated Qi Wu. After all, Tong Luo was a child star who had won the Gilly Blossom Best Neer Award right after her debut. Chang Xun was confident in her skills. Just then, Chang Xun suddenly thought to check on Qi Wu¡¯s well-being, so he casually asked, ¡°By the way, what do you usually do when you have free time?¡± Chang Xun¡¯s sudden bout of concern made Qi Wu seriously think about her answer for a few seconds before she obediently answered, ¡°Eating, ying games, and helping the kids with their problems.¡± Chang Xun had a look of disbelief. Silence fell. Chang Xun suspected that there was something wrong with his ears. Forget about eating and ying games, why would there be children with problems Qi Wu needed to solve? Qi Wu herself was a problem! ¡°Wait, no. You have to be career-minded, got it? Be professional! I might have said you¡¯re there to y, but you¡¯re too focused on having fun.¡± Out of worry, Chang Xun did his best to advise Qi Wu to change her ways. ¡°I¡¯m working hard.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s cheeks puffed up in disagreement with Chang Xun¡¯s usations. ¡°Sure¡­¡± Chang Xun did not sound like he believed her. ¡°I¡¯ll send you some educational videos. Watch them when you¡¯re free. Acting skills are something you have to gain on your own through your ownprehension.¡± Qi Wu agreed. When she walked out of the bathroom, Jiang Xuxu waved at her. ¡°Let¡¯s take a nap, Sweetie. We have to meet up with the rest in the afternoon. I think we¡¯ll be given a mission or something.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Wu warmly replied.. Chapter 66 - 66: She Owes Me More Than She Could Ever Repay Chapter 66: She Owes Me More Than She Could Ever Repay Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS In the afternoon, Qi Wu, Jiang Xuxu, and the others arrived at the rehearsal studio. They had been informed by the staff toe here. Tan Song and Jiang Yiran were also in the ssroom. Evidently, they were also told the same. As the room was full of familiar faces, they quickly rxed and sat together on the ground to chat. Jiang Xuxu was woken up by more than a dozen rms. Hence, as soon as she sat down, she started yawning. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Song Qi¡¯s voice sounded from the PA speaker in the room. ¡°Is everyone in their assigned rooms?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s mission is to make sure you¡¯re certain of your path and to get to know each other better. Later on, you can make a phone call to your family and friends to exin to them your resolution.¡± Realization struck the contestants¡ªit was just a heart-to-heart talk! Jiang Yiran¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Since when did Mr. Song start implementing emotional segments?¡± ¡°Who should I call?¡± Jiang Xuxu curled up so that she could rest her chin on her knees, as she thought. Meanwhile, Jin Si arrived at the Chaoqi Group office for the first time in a very long time. He went straight to the floor where his agency was located. Along the way, the staff members who saw him looked at him with admiration, but no one dared to go up to him and ask for his autograph. Jin Si had been in the industry for three years, but he had never signed anything for a fan. The elevator doors soon opened. When Jin Si walked into the office, he saw Chang Xun working hard at his desk. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re working hard.¡± Hearing his voice, Chang Xun looked up with surprise in his eyes. ¡°Did the sun rise from the west? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I was passing by.¡± Jin Si sounded very calm and nonchnt as he took off his coat and ced it on the couch nearby. He walked over and saw the roadmap for Qi Wu¡¯s acting career on Chang Xun¡¯s desk. Jin Si was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re nning out her career?¡± For some reason, his voice turned icy,ced with a hint of emotion. Chang Xun did not notice Jin Si¡¯s unusual behavior and simply nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Jin Si sneered. ¡°She was just dealing with a big scandal the other day, and you are already nning out her career.¡± ¡°How did you know that Qi Wu was involved in a scandal?¡± As expected of the manager who had to deal with Jin Si for 3 years, Chang Xun instantly focused on the core of Jin Si¡¯s statement. He immediately started dissecting the situation. ¡°I keep telling you to keep up a social media presence, but you constantly ignore me. However, over the past few days, you¡¯ve posted twice, and all for Qi Wu!¡± After saying that, Chang Xun solemnly continued, ¡°Jin Si, I finally managed to convince Qi Wu to not waste her time. Don¡¯t drag her down.¡± Jin Si was speechless. Wasting her time on who? There was a strange look on his face as he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± At that moment, everyone watched as Qi Wu was the first person to make a call. She went through her contact list and nced at the name of the contactbeled ¡°Debtholder¡± before calling Chang Xun. Jiang Xuxu impatiently called out. ¡°Now, put it on speaker!¡± Qi Wu obediently pressed the speakerphone button. Tong Luo was worried. Qi Wu did not call her sugar daddy, right? There was no way Qi Wu was that enraptured by him, right? Chang Xun was still arguing with Jin Si when he suddenly noticed his phone vibrating on the table. The caller ID was Qi Wu. Chang Xun was puzzled. ¡°Why is Qi Wu calling me?¡± Then, as Jin Si silently red, Chang Xun answered the call. Perhaps it was because of Jin Si¡¯s oppressive gaze, but Chang Xun actually put the call on speakerphone. ¡°Qi Wu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The production team asked me to call my family and friends. I want to tell you that I¡¯ll work hard,¡± Qi Wu gently replied. Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, the two men who heard her hadpletely different reactions. Chang Xun was surprised and touched as he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re finally agreeing with me! ¡± Jin Si¡¯s face darkened. Why did she call Chang Xun? Qi Wu¡¯s brows furrowed as if she did not know what to do with Chang Xun. After a while, she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard, so don¡¯t cry.¡± Chang Xun was already fantasizing about how the sweet and obedient girl he knew was back, so he just kept humming in acknowledgment. ¡°Work hard. Everything else is just a distraction.¡± As he knew the call would be recorded, Chang Xun did not mention Jin Si. When everyone in the rehearsal studio heard Chang Xun¡¯s audibly emotional voice, they felt embarrassed for him. Other than Ke Lu, everyone recognized Chang Xun¡¯s voice. At first, they were surprised to find out Qi Wu knew Chang Xun, but they soon calmed down from the realization. Just as Qi Wu was about to end the call, Jin Si, who had been silently listening this whole time, finally could not help chiming in. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± Chang Xun froze in shock. Then, with a trembling finger, he swiftly ended the call. As Jin Si red, Chang Xun felt like crying but could not muster a single tear. ¡°Can you not do that? What if they recognized us?¡± Jin Si pursed his lips and unhappily replied, ¡°So be it then. Why is it a problem?¡± Silence fell. Chang Xun did not know what to say. It seemed Jin Si had woken up on the wrong side of the bed again. Given Jin Si¡¯s status, everyone in the entertainment industry wanted to be associated with him. If they were lucky, they might be able to skyrocket to fame. However, due to Jin Si¡¯s personality, no one had the guts to do so. After all, his tongue was sharp enough to make enemies of everyone in the industry. Even his diehard fans frantically begged for a way to shut him up. Chang Xun tiredly said, ¡°You want to get rid of her anyway. She has her own career now. After she pays off your debt, just part on good terms, okay?¡± Jin Si sneered. ¡°She owes me more than she could ever repay.¡± The call ended so abruptly that it took everyone a few seconds to realize what had happened. Qi Wu held out the phone, innocently blinking as she said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Jiang Xuxu immediately stepped up to smooth things over. ¡°All right. Who¡¯s next?¡± Jiang Yiran recalled the voice that suddenly chimed in before the call ended and muttered, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard that voice before.¡¯ Tong Luo silently nodded. It sounded familiar to her as well. When she heard what Jiang Xuxu said, she looked up. ¡°I¡¯m next.¡± Jiang Xuxu immediately turned around and asked, ¡°Who are you going to call?¡± After taking a deep breath, Tong Luo dialed a number as everyone watched. A few secondster, Qi Wu¡¯s phone rang.. Chapter 67 - 67: You Fanatics Chapter 67: You Fanatics Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS The other people in the room only realized what was happening when Qi Wu answered the call. ¡°You called Qi Wu?¡± Jiang Xuxu looked at Tong Luo in surprise. Tong Luo nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no rule that says I can¡¯t call someone in this room, right?¡± The others immediately fell silent. Tong Luo¡¯s mother passed away 3 years ago. From then on, she essentially had no other rtives. As Qi Wu answered, she solemnly said into the phone, ¡°Hello, Tong Luo.¡± Tong Luo could not help butugh at the look on Qi Wu¡¯s face. After she finally suppressed her smile, she blurted out everything she was thinking, ¡°Qi Wu, I will always stand by your side until the veryst moment.¡± Until the very second we need to duel each other, please rest easy that I will do all that I can. I swear, out of respect for myself and for you. Tong Luo kept thest lines to herself. Qi Wu looked at her with a smile shimmering in her eyes. ¡°I hope you get what you want.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Tong Luo replied with an innocent smile on her face. Although the phone call was short, no one pestered them about it. The next person to make a call was Jiang Xuxu. Everyone watched as she nervously looked up before swiftly dialing a number. Qi Wu¡¯s phone rang once more. The others were speechless. What was going on? Why was this happening a second time? Qi Wu blinked. She looked at Jiang Xuxu with a gentle and encouraging gaze while she reassuringly said in her gentle voice, ¡°Xuxu.¡± In an instant, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s nervousness and uneasiness vanished. She exhaled and mustered up her courage. ¡°I will keep my promise. In the future, anything I gain will be yours too.¡± As soon as she said that, she immediately switched her tone to a very cutesy voice as though she was not used to acting serious. ¡°Wait for me, Sweetie!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Wu obediently agreed. After that, Qi Wu was called again by Ke Lu and Tan Song. Like a goddess, she listened to the dreams and prayers of everyone around her. Just like a merciful goddess, she always had a kind and gentle response for them. Thest to go was Jiang Yiran. He was silent with shock. Confusion was painted all over his face. Jiang Yiran looked at them in disbelief. ¡°No! Y-You guys¡­¡± He stammered for a long time, but he was so angry that he could notplete a single sentence. Finally, he burst out into curses. ¡°You fanatics!¡± Could their admiration for Qi Wu be any more obvious? Jiang Yiran was huffing in anger as he finally made his call. It was to Tan Song. Tan Song was confused. The others were speechless. When Jiang Xuxu, Tong Luo, and the others stared at him, Jiang Yiran felt a little guilty about his reaction. Still, he resolutely shot back, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m just doing the same thing you did!¡± The production team who had been keeping an eye on the room fell silent as they witnessed what happened. Qu Man nced at Song Qi who had not moved an inch for three whole minutes. He was petrified. She patted Song Qi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°As you can see, Song, that¡¯s what they wanted to do.¡± When he heard that, the only thing Song Qi could think of was, Thank goodness, Hu Mofei is not in the room. Otherwise, I would be deaf by now. Shen Xi smiled as he looked down at the screen disying a young woman who was clearly the center of attention. An inquisitive look shed in his eyes as he mused, ¡°So many blossoms have bloomed.¡± There was a sigh in Tang Liuhua¡¯s voice as she said, ¡°It has been so long since I¡¯ve heard Tan Son speak so honestly to an outsider.¡± Song Qi was speechless. Could they stop chattering within his hearing? Despite all that, Song Qi found himself unable to look away from the image of When the segment ended, Qi Wu got up and was about to leave when she saw Tan Song lingering behind her. She nced at Jiang Yiran, who was busy arguing with Jiang Xuxu and Tong Luo, and turned to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to talk to him?¡± During Jiang Yiran¡¯s call just now, Tan Song had been acting off. The perfunctory tone in his voice was too obvious. Startled, Tan Song dazedly nced at Qi Wu. ¡°You¡­¡± He had just opened his mouth to speak when Qi Wu walked past him. Whatever she said to Jiang Yiran apparently shocked him as he whirled around to look at Tan Song in surprise. ¡°Tan Song?¡± he called out. Tan Song pursed his lips. After a while, he nodded. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Seeing that the two of them had something to say, Qi Wu and the others returned to the rooms. Jiang Yiran curiously watched Tan Song. The fact that they were the only two people in the room made him anxious. It was so awkward that Tan Song began to fidget on the spot as he recalled what he had dered during the call. He had been so affected by the other¡¯s fanatic behavior that he unwittingly blurted out something extremely cringe-worthy. ¡°Tan Song, I¡­¡± Jiang Yiran had just opened his mouth when Tan Song interrupted, ¡°You said that you¡¯ve always admired me?¡± For a moment, Jiang Yiran froze. He had felt happy at first, but when he saw Tan Song¡¯s expression, he suddenly realized that things were not going in the direction he had expected. That was because Tan Song looked extremely lonely as his entire body emitted a cold and distant aura. He was all too familiar with Tan Song¡¯s appearance. It was how Tan Song a year after making his debut. Jiang Yiran opened his mouth to speak, but he could not say a word despite the many thoughts running through his mind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he nkly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to be ahead of me in terms of events or publicity. I don¡¯t even care if you want to snatch away everything that used to be mine, but why did you steal my songs to be your stepping stones?¡± Tan Song looked right into Jiang Yiran¡¯s eyes as he slowly continued, ¡°Is this what you mean by admiration?¡± Jiang Yiran was bewildered. His mind went nk. ¡°No way!¡± he swiftly blurted without thinking. He had joined the entertainment industry because of Tan Song. As he pursued his dream of music, he hoped more than anyone else that Tan Song could stand at the top of the world, just like he used to when he first made his debut. However, looking into Tan Song¡¯s cold and indifferent eyes, Jiang Yiran knew that if he did not do anything now, this rtionship would be unsalvageable. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of stealing anything from you, much less your songs. I have been eagerly waiting to work with you from the moment I joined thepany, but my manager keeps saying you aren¡¯t in good shape for that. I was told to wait.¡± Jiang Yiran had exined in a panic until a certain someone came to mind, instantly making him go silent in shock.. Chapter 68 - 68: Everything She Knew Came From the Pink Pig! Chapter 68: Everything She Knew Came From the Pink Pig! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jiang Yiran seemed to have figured everything out. With gritted teeth, he spat out, ¡°My manager!¡± Tan Song was stunned. Jiang Yiran did not look like he was lying. He¡­genuinely cared about Tan Song. Tan Song was not someone who liked to live in denial. However, the realization still made him feel very conflicted. When he was at his peak, he was inundated with praise and expectations, but when he hit rock bottom, everyone ignored him. How could he live up to their expectations? Jiang Yiran¡¯s mind worked quickly. He immediately looked up. ¡°Give me two days, no, just one day. I¡¯ll give you a proper exnation tomorrow.¡± It was no wonder Tan Song seemed to have been hiding away all these years, overlooked and invisible in thepany. He did not even attend the ¡°Rookie Assembly¡± contest through their agency. Jiang Yiran had naively thought that Tan Song had isted himself because he was stuck in a depressive spiral. He thought that was why Tan Song had cut off all contact with the outside world. Now, Jiang Yiran realized that the problem did not just lie within Tan Song but also with their agency. Jiang Yiran felt nauseous when he thought about how he might have actually stolen what belonged to Tan Song. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Tan Song abruptly called out. Jiang Yiran froze as he looked at Tan Song in disbelief. Tan Song lowered his eyes. ¡°With the way that I am, there¡¯s no need to dwell in the past anymore¡­Thank you for your admiration.¡± Jiang Yiran¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Tan Song walk past him. ¡°Tan Song.¡± He urgently called out to Tan Song. When Tan Song looked back, he took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve already been brave. Can you be brave too?¡± As Tan Song dazedly stared in confusion, Jiang Yiran decided to push aside all thoughts about how awkward this would be. He just wanted to express himself. ¡°Just like Qi Wu, I want to see you shine brightly once more!¡± Silence fell. The four individuals eavesdropping by the door exchanged nces. Jiang Xuxu paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you think they¡¯re done? Are they fighting?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be silent if they¡¯re fighting, right?¡± Tong Luo looked conflicted. At that moment, Qi Wu, who was originally pulled over to the door by Jiang Xuxu, quietly stepped backward. Jiang Xuxu noticed her shuffling away and looked back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll only be here for a while longer.¡± As soon as she said that, the door suddenly opened. ¡°Aah!¡± Jiang Xuxu almost fell, but Qi Wu managed to pull her back up in time. She turned around in shock to find Qi Wu looking at her innocently and saying, ¡°I was going to say, they¡¯re done.¡± Jiang Xuxu was speechless. Qi Wu did not mention anything of the sort! Tan Song and Jiang Yiran silently looked at the four individuals who had imed they were going back to rest but were lurking by the door. Jiang Yiran had never felt so embarrassed before. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t leave in the end,¡± he said through gritted teeth. Everyone chose to remain silent in the face of his usation. Qi Wu was the only one who honestly answered, ¡°Xuxu was worried you guys would fight.¡± Jiang Xuxu gave Qi Wu a horrified look. Qi Wu just threw her under the bus! As expected, the moment she turned around, Jiang Yiran had locked onto her. Jiang Xuxu wanted to cry but could not muster up any tears. Cautiously, she started, ¡°Hear me out¡­ She knew how proud Jiang Yiran was. If he found out they had witnessed his emotional confession the entire time, he would most likely explode with anger. Jiang Yiran¡¯s face had turned dark with fury. ¡°Jiang Xuxu!¡± ¡°Shoot! Jiang Yiran,e on!¡± When she saw Jiang Yiran charging toward her, Jiang Xuxu was so scared that she immediately jumped up and ran away. Jiang Yiran instantly chased after her. However, if one looked closely, they would find the tips of his ears had turnedpletely red. He was using his anger and yful response to mask his embarrassment. Tong Luo shrugged helplessly. ¡°Let¡¯s head back too.¡± The others nodded. Tan Song and Qi Wu were walking at the back of the group when Tan Song suddenly turned to look at Qi Wu. ¡°Jiang Yiran is right. It¡¯s time for me to be brave for once.¡± It was time for him to pay more attention to the people around him. He was not the only one who was hurt by the neglect he suffered. After everyone returned to their rooms, Qi Wu picked up her phone and walked to the bathroom. Jiang Xuxu, who followed her back to their room, did not think much of it. She assumed Qi Wu wanted to have a private conversation with her family. Qi Wu dialed Jin Si¡¯s number. For some reason, Jin Si, who usually answered her calls within seconds, made Qi Wu wait for a long time. Nevertheless, there was not a single hint of impatience on her face. She waited patiently for Jin Si to answer the call. Finally, just as the call was about to end, Jin Si answered the phone. ¡°What is ¡°Jin Si,¡± Qi Wu softly called out to him. ¡°What do you want?¡± Jin Si¡¯s response was cold, even colder than usual. Qi Wu tilted her head, seemingly curious. ¡°Are you angry? Why?¡± Jin Si was so infuriated that heughed. His tone remained icy as he said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± ¡°I meant that message for you.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s unhurried voice cut in, causing Jin Si¡¯s finger to stop as it hovered over the End Call button. He did not speak, but Qi Wu could hear his breathing over the phone. He was listening. She continued, ¡°I¡¯ll work hard and support you.¡± Silence fell. Had he picked up a daughter instead who was going to support him in his old age? Jin Si could not help but be amused by the word ¡°support.¡± The frustration he felt dissipated as a small smile spread across his face. ¡°You? Support me?¡± he repeated. ¡°Yournguage teacher would be shocked if they heard that,¡± he continued. Qi Wu solemnly corrected him. ¡°I don¡¯t have anguage teacher.¡± Everything she knew came from the pink pig! Jin Si cleared his throat. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± He refused to admit that he cared, but he took it for granted that she would call him since he was the one who had taken Qi Wu in. ¡°Chang Xun said your identity is special, and you can¡¯t appear on the show at all. Not even if it¡¯s just your voice,¡± Qi Wu obediently replied. Chang Xun was not wrong. Any connection to Jin Si would cause a significant stir in the entertainment industry. Jin Si¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, but his tone remained as calm as ever. ¡°You believed him? That¡¯s just a lie he tells to fool kids.¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied, pouting. Her resolute tone caused Jin Si¡¯s eyes to darken as he thought she was defending Chang Xun. The next thing he knew, Qi Wu softly muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± Silence fell once more. Jin Si was speechless when he heard that. She sounded somewhat upset in her response.. Chapter 69 - 69: Jin Si, You Are Infamous Chapter 69: Jin Si, You Are Infamous Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS A mocking glint flickered in Jin Sit s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not a child, so how could you be deceived by Chang Xun?¡± Qi Wu examined herself in the mirror with her clear eyes shimmering brightly. ¡°What Chang Xun said is true. Jin Si, you are infamous. Everyone wishes you¡¯d just stay quiet.¡± The infamous Jin Si was rendered speechless. Her words caused him to choke on his own saliva. He did not expect her to understand the inte so quickly, especially not when it came to his reputation. Amused yet irritated, he raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t I not treated you well enough? ¡± He could confidently say that his patience and tolerance toward Qi Wu surpassed anyone else¡¯s. However, it now looked like she did not appreciate it. She was even ganging up on him with other people. Qi Wu fell silent. Just as Jin Si was about to hang up, she sincerely and gently said, ¡°You¡¯re the best debtholder ever, Jin Si!¡± It was the second time. Jin Si could not help but count it out. This was the second time she said something like that. She sounded as sincere asst time, and just likest time, he was filled with joy upon hearing that. When Qi Wu left the bathroom, she found Tong Luo waiting in the room. Tong Luo paused when she saw the look on Qi Wu¡¯s face. With a vague suspicion in her mind, she asked, ¡°Did you just call your¡­debtholder?¡± As Tong Luo stared with an expectant yet hesitant gaze, Qi Wu nodded. Jiang Xuxu curiously chimed in, ¡°Debtholder?¡± Before Qi Wu could reply, Jiang Xuxu already had a fantastical story made up. ¡°Is that like a nickname for someone in your family? That¡¯s so interesting,¡± Jiang Xuxumented with augh. Tong Luo¡¯s lips twitched. She nced at Jiang Xuxu and helplessly sighed. Qi Wu tilted her head. With clear eyes, she replied, ¡°A debtholder means a debtholder. ¡± Jiang Xuxu cooperatively shot Qi Wu an understanding look before turning to look at the door. ¡°Where¡¯s Ke Lu? Why isn¡¯t she here yet?¡± As soon as she said that, Ke Lu appeared at the door. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Dressed in pajamas, Ke Lu looked nothing like her usual cool and handsome self. Instead, she looked moreposed and mature. There was a table between the two beds, so Jiang Xuxu quickly called for everyone to sit down by it. Ke Lu took a seat beside her and casually asked. ¡°What¡¯s this important thing we need to discuss?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Everyone watched as Jiang Xuxu cackled while pulling out a deck of brand-new cards with a wide grin on her face. ¡°Look at what I¡¯ve prepared for us! I¡¯ve wanted to y a four-person card game with you guys for a while now.¡± Ke Lu and Tong Luo silently stared. Then, Ke Lu shot Jiang Xuxu an incredulous look. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten that tomorrow is the song selection for the first performance?¡± ¡°How could I forget?¡± Despite her impatient reply, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s eyes had drifted to the side. Tong Luo knew what was going on when she saw that. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and calmly looked at Jiang Xuxu. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Jiang Xuxu did not reply. She was someone who could not hide her emotions well. Tong Luo¡¯s guess was so urate that she immediately felt guilty, and her expression showed it. ¡°I-I¡¯m not that nervous¡­¡± Qi Wu was the only one curiously staring at the rectangr box in Jiang Xuxu¡¯s hand. She pointed at the box and asked, ¡°Xuxu, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°ying cards, Sweetie!¡± Jiang Xuxu was genuinely shocked. Did Qi Wu not even recognize ying cards? However, in order to prevent Qi Wu from overthinking, Jiang Xuxu quickly continued, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to yter. You¡¯re so smart, you¡¯ll surely catch on quickly!¡± Qi Wu nodded with anticipation in her eyes. Ke Lu and Tong Luo exchanged nces when they saw Qi Wu¡¯s expression but did not say anything. ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± Before long, the four of them started the game with Jiang Xuxu dealing the cards. Shortly after, the room was filled with their chatter. ¡°Aah! Why are my cards so bad?¡± ¡°Xuxu, your eyes are almost glued to my cards.¡± ¡°Boom!¡± ¡°You¡¯re good, Qi Wu. You won again.¡± In the control room, Hu Mofei once again cheered for Qi Wu. ¡°Incredible! Her luck is unbelievable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they have any sense of urgency?¡± Song Qi grumbled. ¡°How could they be ying cards on the show? Thank goodness, we haven¡¯t started broadcasting live yet. Otherwise, they would have been trending for all the wrong reasons!¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Hu MO Fei nced at him. ¡°Why can¡¯t they rx? Think about how hard they¡¯ve been practicing.¡± Song Qi choked when he heard Hu Mofei¡¯s words. Why was everything he heardtely shocking him? Moreover, it was often because of Qi Wu. While Song Qi was lost in his thoughts, Hu Mofei chuckled again. ¡°Another lucky hand for her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re spoiling her rotten!¡± Song Qi grumbled before marching out of the room in frustration with his hands behind his back. He needed to take a walk. It would be better than stewing in frustration. At first, he only wanted some fresh air, but the cool night breeze outside swiftly blew away his frustrations. The quiet and peaceful streets calmed his mind. As a result, he kept walking and did not want to return to the control room. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been wandering outside when he suddenly bumped into Qi Wu who was standing near the vi¡¯s entrance. She stood there motionless as she looked up at the sky like she was deep in meditation. Song Qi suddenly felt likeughing at himself. Why did he think she was exuding an air of age-old loneliness and dead silence? She was just a young woman. He cleared his throat and walked over to her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Wu slowly turned away from the evening sky to look at Song Qi. When she eventually replied, she greeted him, ¡°Ah, the vengeful spirit.¡± Song Qi froze for a moment. With a bark ofughter born from irritation, he shot back, ¡°I am not vengeful! Also, I am now your mentor. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll be angry with you about Qi Wu silently stared at him with her head tilted to the side. A few momentster, Song Qi abruptly realized what he had just said made him sound particrly petty, like a vengeful spirit. Song Qi was abruptly overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and awkwardness, especially since Qi Wu was still staring at him. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Looking at the sky.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s reply was short and simple. ¡°Looking at the sky?¡± Song Qi repeated in a puzzled tone before gazing up at the night sky. It was not a particrly beautiful night. Dark clouds covered a significant portion of the starry sky. Even the moon was shrouded in mist. ¡°What¡¯s there to see tonight? It just looks like it might rain tomorrow.¡± Song Qi turned to stare at Qi Wu with a strange look.. Chapter 70 - 70: No One Knows How to Silence a Room Better Chapter 70: No One Knows How to Silence a Room Better Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°The stars may be hidden, but their beauty remains. We can still see much from them.¡± All one needed was the Eyes of rity. Qi Wu silently added in her mind. Everything could be seen ying out in the vast sky with stars twinkling and fading away, representatives of the stars¡¯ life and death. In the empty temple, Qi Wu had silently gazed up into the night sky to deduce the fate of the world around her, apanied only by flickering candlelight. For some reason, what she said made Song Qi want to keep pushing with the conversation. With his hands behind his back, he calmly stated, ¡°Since you¡¯re so insightful and influential, you must have been through a lot. Why be an actress? Have you not been through enough?¡± From the moment Song Qi saw Qi Wu, he could tell she was different. She had not gone through a normal life of slowly learning to speak and stumbling through life until she was able to be part of society. ¡°While all five of our senses may be connected, that does not mean all that we see and hear can be touched.¡± Qi Wu looked calm without a hint of sadness on her face. She wanted to experience life, to abandon the shackles of her identity, to be someone else, and to experience a different life. That was the only way to prove that she was truly part of this world, that she was no longer the priestess trapped in her temple. Song Qi was frozen on the spot as he contemted her words while Qi Wu eventually turned and walked into the vi. After some time, he could not help but chuckle as he stared at the vi. ¡°She¡¯s quite an intriguing person.¡± The next morning, when Qi Wu woke up, she found Jiang Xuxu sitting by her bedside. This was theplete opposite behavior Jiang Xuxu had exhibited in the past when she would stay in bed until the veryst moment. Qi Wu silently stared for a moment before gently poking Jiang Xuxu¡¯s cheek. ¡°Xuxu, you startled me.¡± Jiang Xuxu dazedly shook her head a few times to snap herself awake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sweetie,¡± she cried out. ¡°I was so nervous that I couldn¡¯t sleep. What if I can¡¯t choose the song I want, or if I can¡¯t perform it well? ¡® As she spoke, Jiang Xuxu threw herself into Qi Wu¡¯s arms. Qi Wu blinked. When she saw Jiang Xuxu looking up at her pitifully, she gently patted Jiang Xuxu¡¯s shoulder, as if offeringfort. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine as long as you put your heart into it.¡± Jiang Xuxu understood that Qi Wu was only trying tofort her. Still, it worked in calming her down. Nothing felt overwhelminglyrge with that gentle gaze trained on her. Since she was already here, she would deal with whatever came her way. As long as she gave it her all, she would have no regrets. With that realization, Jiang Xuxu quicklyposed herself. In the lecture hall where the contestants were gathered. As there were now 40 fewer contestants, there was a noticeable gap in the crowd. Recognizing that they might be the next to leave thepetition, the remaining contestants felt a sense of urgency. When Song Qi and the other two mentors entered, all eyes turned toward them. Song Qi picked up the microphone and addressed the contestants, ¡°I trust you all know that you will be choosing your first song to perform soon. This will be the preliminary contest. Thest 4 contestants of every category will be disqualified, so please cherish every performance you give.¡± Essentially, only 16 out of 20 would be moving on to the next round. Thanks to Song Qi¡¯s warnings, the contestants did not panic much. After Song Qi¡¯s speech, 3 LED screens appeared behind the mentors that yed every song and clip that the contestants would have to perform. Almost every new clip elicited surprised exmations from the contestants. ¡°That¡¯s Ms. Tang¡¯s ¡®Refinement¡¯! My goodness, are we starting off with something that challenging?¡± ¡®¡±A Tranquil Path¡¯? ¡®Love in the City¡¯? Weren¡¯t these the songs that appeared in the game? Mr. Song was preparing us for this!¡± ¡°Whoa! The Actor contestants will have a tough time. They¡¯ll have to act out Mr. Song¡¯s ¡®City of Loneliness¡¯. Who would dare to take that on?¡± After everything was announced, Song Qi grabbed the microphone once more and looked at the contestants buzzing with excitement as he dered, ¡°There are only a certain number of spots for each song or clip to be performed.¡± Upon hearing that, Jiang Xuxu anxiously gripped Qi Wu¡¯s wrist. When Qi Wu turned to her, Jiang Xuxu whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going topete for these songster. I really want to perform ¡®Love in the City¡¯ though.¡± Qi Wu looked at her and softly reassured, ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Song Qi¡¯s voice echoed through the hall once again. ¡°The order for song selection is simple. You¡¯ll be ying a simple zame.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fighting for the right to have the first choice through arm wrestlingpetition as the ultimate winners of every category will go first.¡± The contestants were speechless. That was the game? Even if the contestants tried to conceal it, their expressions revealed their disgruntled urge toin about the announcement. Even Tong Luo could not help but mutter, ¡°No one knows how to silence a room better than Mr. Song.¡± Jiang Xuxu seemed on the verge of tears as shemented, ¡°This is my worst nightmare.¡± ¡°Xuxu, turn around.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s voice broke the anxious wails. Jiang Xuxu turned her head with a puzzled expression. The people around her were in the Idol category, which meant they were all her opponents. Before she could understand what Qi Wu wanted, she heard Qi Wu say, ¡°Look at your opponents. They seem even more nervous than you.¡± There was a moment of silence. Jiang Xuxu suddenly understood Qi Wu¡¯s intent as she looked at the anxious faces around her. When it came to honesty and heartfelt reassurance, no one couldpare to Qi wu. Jiang Xuxu chuckled in response to Qi Wu¡¯s statement. Sheposed herself and looked at Qi Wu who looked so calm that she could not resist asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Qi Wu calmly shook her head. Genuine confusion shed in her eyes as she asked in return, ¡°Why should I be worried?¡± Tong Luo¡¯s lips twitched when she heard Qi Wu¡¯s response. Recalling Qi Wu¡¯s incredible strength when catching the statue, she knew that there was no need for Qi Wu to be worried. In fact, Qi Wu¡¯s opponents should be the ones worrying. The crew swiftly brought a few tables for the arm-wrestlingpetition as the contestants were randomly assigned to their opponents. Every matchup was disyed on the screens. Qi Wu soon spotted her opponent who was an energetic girl with two ponytails. The young woman was initially surprised to see Qi Wu, but then she became nervous. Why was she so unlucky to be matched against the bigshot from the get-go? However, as she looked down, she noticed how slender Qi Wu¡¯s wrists were. Now, she was starting to wonder if they were perhaps evenly matched in strength. ¡°Can we start now?¡± Qi Wu asked as she calmly rolled up her sleeves.. Chapter 71 - 71: Were Angels Meant To Be This Strong? Chapter 71: Were Angels Meant To Be This Strong? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°Alright!¡± The young woman swiftly nodded. She extended her hand and gripped Qi Wu¡¯s. As they had to stand very close to each other, the young woman was taken aback by Qi Wu¡¯s beauty, causing her to space out from being enthralled by Qi wu. Qi Wu¡¯s skin was wless. Even the hair on her arm was barely noticeable. While she was lost in thought, Qi Wu¡¯s voice gently called out, ¡°Done.¡± The next thing the young woman saw was Qi Wu effortlessly flexing her wrist. Her arm immediately twisted backward without an ounce of resistance. The young woman was bewildered. She stared at her arm, which was lying t on the table, in disbelief. Even though Qi Wu had already pulled back, she could still feel the effects of Qi Wu¡¯s strength lingering in her arm. Were angels meant to be this strong? The girl found it hard to believe. Even in thetter rounds, she kept a close eye on Qi Wu. It was not until she witnessed Qi Wu easily defeat every single one of her opponents that she finally epted the fact that Qi Wu was strong. In the end, Qi Wu and Tong Luo were thest two standing for the women¡¯s division of the Actor category. As Tong Luo had expected, Qi Wu was her final opponent. She turned to the referee standing nearby and raised her hand. ¡°I forfeit.¡± The referee was at a loss for words. The other contestants did not object to her surrender. After all, surrendering now was better than being defeated in a second! ¡°Qi Wu¡¯s wrist is so slim. How is she so strong?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she tired? I don¡¯t even see a drop of sweat on her face!¡± ¡°Is arm wrestling a required skill for angels?¡± ¡°All I can say is that the bigshot is definitely a powerhouse. She¡¯s great at everything, even arm wrestling.¡± Song Qi, who was watching from the sidelines, was not surprised by this turn of events. He had known about the peculiar strength hidden within Qi Wu¡¯snky body since Qi Wu had saved Tong Luo. Shen Xi smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Qi Wu to be so strong.¡± ¡°She¡¯s full of surprises,¡± Song Qi remarked. When Tang Liuhua¡¯s cold gaze fell upon Qi Wu, a hint of amusement shed in her eyes. With the conclusion of the arm wrestlingpetition, it was time for the contestants to make their choice. As Qi Wu stood in front of Song Qi and scanned the four scripts avable, she suddenly nced up at him. Ignoring Song Qi¡¯s puzzled expression, she chose Song Qi¡¯s ¡°City of Loneliness.¡± On the screen, Qi Wu¡¯s picture was swiftly added to the column next to the script¡¯s name. After making her choice, Qi Wu turned and walked away. Song Qi could not resist clicking his tongue as he watched her leave. Show me just what kind of characters you can bring to life. Shortly after Qi Wu made her selection, Jiang Xuxu excitedly rushed over from the Idol category side of the hall to her side. ¡°I got ¡®Love in the City,¡¯ Sweetie!¡± Jiang Xuxu eximed. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Qi Wu replied with a gentle voice. At that moment, Tan Song chimed in from behind them, ¡°You picked ¡®Love in the City¡¯? I have a recording of Bai Huiyun¡¯s dance rehearsal. Do you need it?¡± Qi Wu and Jiang Xuxu simultaneously turned to him. Jiang Xuxu was taken aback. ¡°You really have one? Oh, yeah. You and Bai Huiyun are in the same generation. Still, why would she send you a recording of her dance rehearsal? Could it be that you two¡­¡± Curiosity was audible in her voice. Tan Song froze for a moment before panic shed across his face. He hastily waved his hands in denial as he clumsily exined, ¡°No! We¡¯re just friends!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Xuxu inched closer. Tan Song blushed. ¡°Really!¡± ¡°Xuxu, stop teasing him.¡± Qi Wu sounded exasperated. Jiang Xuxu suddenlyughed. ¡°I was just messing with you. Well, sharing is caring. ¡± Tan Song could not help but heave a sigh of relief. He looked at Qi Wu with gratitude, but before he could fully rx, Jiang Xuxu piped up once more, asking, ¡°Are you not going to share it with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send it to youter!¡± Jiang Xuxu was born with a carefree and friendly personality. As long as she did not dislike someone, she could always get along with them. Compared to her, Tan Song looked like he had social anxiety disorder. Hence, Tan Song found himself helpless against Jiang Xuxu¡¯s teasing. ¡°Thank you, my friend!¡± Jiang Xuxu happily patted Tan Song¡¯s shoulder. Tan Song shook his head as his ears turned red. At that moment, Jiang Yiran rushed over. ¡°Jiang Xuxu, let go of him!¡± Jiang Xuxu only behaved when Qi Wu asked her to. When other people tried to order her around, it tended to spark her rebellious nature. Therefore, when she heard Jiang Yiran, Jiang Xuxu did not back away from Tan Song. Instead, she clung to his arm. ¡°Look at how worried you are. I didn¡¯t even do anything to him!¡± ¡°You evil woman!¡± ¡°Kinda,¡± Jiang Xuxu conceded. She stuck her tongue out yfully. Tong Luo observed from the side. She was now livelier and more yful than before. After the Tong family was taken care of, a heavy weight seemed to have been lifted off her shoulders. She could finally be true to herself. Jiang Xuxu and Jiang Yiran¡¯s bickering led Tong Luo to cheer, ¡°Go, Jiang Xuxu!¡± Qi Wu blinked as a smile yed on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s so fun to tease kids.¡± Ke Lu silently gave Qi Wu a sideways nce. It was clear that Qi Wu was adding fuel to the fire. Their yful banter eventually grew a little too loud. When they finally realized it, they turned around to find Song Qi darkly ring at them. They fell silent. Shoot. They were in trouble. When Song Qi saw that they had finally quieted down, he immediately shouted out, ¡°You guys will be staying behind to clean up after this!¡± Thus, the six of them were left behind when everyone filed out. Jiang Yiran grumbled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mr. Song? Why am I being punished as well?¡± Jiang Xuxu, who had just walked back from moving a table with Qi Wu, rolled her eyes upon hearing that. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t made a scene, we wouldn¡¯t have been forced to stay behind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because you were fooling around with Tan Song,¡± Jiang Yiran retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. What¡¯s wrong with friends having fun? Don¡¯t you agree, Tan Song?¡± Due to the intense and threatening re from Jiang Xuxu, Tan Song reluctantly muttered through gritted teeth, ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Xuxu turned to Jiang Yiran with a triumphant expression. ¡°See?¡± Just then, Ke Lu walked over and gently tapped Jiang Xuxu on the head. ¡°Stop chattering. You may not be hungry, but Qi Wu is.¡± Upon hearing that, Jiang Xuxu quickly turned to Qi Wu. Qi Wu solemnly nodded. ¡°Xuxu, we have to keep to regr mealtimes..¡± Chapter 72 - 72: You Snuck in To Check on Her? Chapter 72: You Snuck in To Check on Her? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry! How could I have let you go hungry, Sweetie? Jiang Yiran, move already!¡± Jiang Xuxu knew how into food Qi Wu was. Hence, she immediately felt guilty upon realizing they were making Qi Wu wait. Qi Wu was already so thin! Her rose-tinted view of Qi Wu caused her to momentarily forget that Qi Wu¡¯s slender arms had defeated everyone in the arm wrestlingpetition. Eyes wide with confusion, Jiang Yiran stared. This was a clear case of double standards. What was even worse was that Tan Song chimed in, saying, ¡°We only have one table left. We can leave after moving it.¡± Jiang Yiran was speechless. Jiang Yiran had no choice but toply. Why was this happening? How did he end up trying to fight for a ce in a group of fanatics? After the selection, contestants had a week to study and rehearse their parts. A weekter, thepetition would be broadcast live. As the contestants performed, the audience could start voting. Today marked the first day of practice. Qi Wu arrived at the designated ssroom alone to meet with Song Qi. As she arrived, she found Song Qi already inside, waiting. Meanwhile, in the control room, Chang Xun was there once more. As Qu Man exited her office, she spotted Chang Xun sneaking into the room like a mischievous dog. She raised an eyebrow with a dark look in her eyes. ¡°Are you a dog?¡± Seeing that it was Qu Man, Chang Xun breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly reverted to his usual demeanor. ¡°Is Song here?¡± Qu Man gestured toward the surveince footage disyed nearby. ¡°He¡¯s meeting with Qi Wu.¡± Chang Xun was confused. He immediately sat down near the screen. Coincidentally, Hu Mofei was also present. ¡°Hey, Chang, what brings you here?¡± Hu Mofei asked. ¡°I¡¯m here to check on Qi Wu¡¯s progress,¡± Chang Xun replied, not bothering to turn his head. Hu Mofei knew that Chang Xun was the one who had talked to Qi Wu earlier, so he was not surprised to hear that. He patted Chang Xun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chang. Our daughter is quite capable. Even Song can¡¯t win in an argument.¡± ¡°Our daughter?¡± Chang Xun raised an eyebrow. ¡°Since when were you into celebrities, old man?¡± Shortly after that, Qu Man found herself staring in disbelief as she watched the two men who were Qi Wu¡¯s fans bicker like schoolyard kids. It was truly unbearable. She shook her head in exasperation. Not long after Qi Wu arrived, Song Qi handed her the script he had prepared in advance. ¡°Normally, you¡¯d only need to perform for one minute, but I think you need the entire script.¡± Qi Wu epted the script and, after sitting down on a stool beside Song Qi, began to read through it. Song Qi could not help but feel a bit uneasy as he silently watched her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? ¡®City of Loneliness¡¯ is different from the others. It has very little dialogue, and much of it relies on the actors¡¯ own interpretation and acting.¡± Qi Wu calmly flipped through the script without responding to Song Qi. Song Qi¡¯s unease grew. ¡°Do you know Xu Jingcheng?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s an award-winning actor, and his final film before retirement was ¡®City of Loneliness.¡¯ Even so, it took him a week to fully immerse himself in the role.¡± In the control room, Chang Xun and Hu Mofei had ceased their yful banter to focus on Song Qi and Qi Wu. They were rendered speechless upon realizing Song Qi was bbering and pushing Qi Wu for an answer. They exchanged a look. Chang Xun muttered, ¡°Is Song going through a midlife crisis? Isn¡¯t he usually the type to avoid unnecessary words? When did he be so talkative?¡± After a brief pause, Hu Mofei shook his head. ¡± Song is acting out of character.¡± Qi Wu had clearly indicated that she wanted to read the script on her own, but Song Qi kept talking to her. Due to his persistence, Qi Wu finally looked up and replied to him. ¡°You have answered every question I might even have.¡± Song Qi froze in shock. He recalled what he just said and realized she was right. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he asked, ¡°Do you understand it now?¡± Qi Wu tilted her head. Instead of replying to the question, she started exining her understanding of what she thought of the script. ¡®¡±City of Loneliness¡¯ is about a city that had cut off all love. Xi Yu is a demon disguised as a human. She is driven by her demonic instincts. By chance, she bumped into a foreigner who will bring love back to the city, causing the haze shrouding the city to dissipate.¡± She calmly continued, ¡°Xi Yu died before that could happen. It¡¯s not because she fell in love with the foreigner. She was defeated by the city which had found love once more. The script never once mentioned what kind of demon Xi Yu was. Her death was also abrupt with no exnation given. Song Qi listened intently. At the end of her exnation, he excitedly asked, ¡°What kind of demon do you think she is?¡± ¡°A demon of emotions.¡¯ Qi Wu did not hesitate. ¡°Isted from all love, the city made her grow stronger. When love returned, Xi Yu did not have anyone to love. Basically, the foreigner was not worth her love. That was why she lost.¡± That was why thest line of the script was, ¡°O great demon who has abandoned love, why love?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very smart and perceptive, but that¡¯s not all you need to be an actor.¡± Anticipation was growing within Song Qi. He had momentarily forgotten his initial low opinion of Qi Wu and the notion that she was simply well-connected but talentless. Qi Wu stood up. Without a word, she suddenly fell to the floor with a thud. The sharp sound of impact echoed in the room. Everyone was stunned, even Song Qi. Then, his eyes widened in realization. Qi Wu¡¯s face contorted in agony and defeat, yet her expression still carried a hint of disdain. She was, after all, the formidable demon who ruled over the City of Loneliness. Even in her defeat, her arrogance remained evident. She crawled slowly through the pain as though she was near her destination. Just as she was about to copse, she reached out with trembling hands. It was as though she were grasping for something that eluded her, slipping through her fingers. Defeat shed in her disdainful eyes as her eyes dimmed. She no longer felt any struggle or resentment. Her hand dropped limply. In the control room, silence reigned. Almost every staff member had stopped what they were doing to watch Qi Wu¡¯s performance on the screen. Chang Xun¡¯s phone rang, breaking the heavy tension in the room. Chang Xun snapped back to reality and checked the caller ID. It was Jin Si. Confused, he answered the phone. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m watching Qi Wu from the production team¡¯s control room,¡± Chang Xun reflexively replied. There was a grunt of confusion before Jin Sit s voice turned icy cold.. ¡°You snuck in to check on her?¡± Chapter 73 - 73: You Get It Now Right, Song? Chapter 73: You Get It Now Right, Song? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°I wasn¡¯t sneaking. She¡¯s my talent. I¡¯m publicly checking in on her!¡± After the retort, Chang Xun enthusiastically said to Jin Si, ¡°Jin Si, I didn¡¯t expect Qi Wu to have such acting talent. Although she still looks young and inexperienced, her ability to evoke empathy is much stronger than yours back in the day!¡± He could not help but feel a sense of pride. ¡°I really have a good eye for talent. I actually managed to discover two hidden gems.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Before Chang Xun could bask in his pride, Jin Si abruptly ended the call. Doot. Doot. Doot. Chang Xun stared at the phone and grumbled, ¡°Crazy!¡± He then patted Hu Mofei¡¯s shoulder in a brotherly manner. Looking at Qi Wu on the screen, hemented, ¡°Hu, our daughter has done exceptionally well!¡± ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Hu Mofei was quick to agree. Thus, Qu Man watched as the two men formed an alliance as fans of Qi Wu, addressing each other as brothers in arms. She massaged her temple as she felt a headacheing on. She had witnessed this scenario so often that it was driving her crazy. The moment Qi Wu finished her performance, all of Song Qi¡¯s preconceived notions about her vanished. It was only by witnessing her performance firsthand did he truly understand why Qu Man had insisted he actually talk to Qi Wu. It was as if she possessed a magical power that could effortlessly sway those around her and their emotions. Song Qi shot to his feet. ¡°If you haven¡¯t had any acting experience before, with your talent, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you be an award-winning actress. ¡± Everyone else would have known that this was the highest praise Song Qi had ever bestowed upon anyone. Given his exacting standards, very few actors earned his approval. Praise was even more unlikely. However, Qi Wu remained calm and merely regarded him with a cid expression devoid of any other reaction. ¡°How did you immerse yourself so deeply in Xiyu¡¯s emotions?¡± Song Qi asked. Even aplished actors would marvel at her ability to get into character so quickly and effortlessly. Although there were still many areas where her inexperience showed, her natural talent more thanpensated for those shorings. ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot, so I know how to amplify those emotions,¡± Qi Wu replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Song Qi only assumed she had a tumultuous life which gave her the inherent ability to empathize. Unbeknownst to him, Qi Wu was a high priestess who had to listen as the believers confessed their hopes and desires. She felt every one of their thoughts, emotions, and wishes. When Qi Wu returned to the vi, Jiang Xuxu and Ke Lu went to practice in the rehearsal studio. Hence, Tong Luo was the only one around as she studied her script in her room. Upon Qi Wu¡¯s return, Tong Luo approached her, concerned. ¡°How did it go? Did Mr. Song give you a hard time?¡± Tong Luo knew that Song Qi was infamous for berating nearly every actor he worked with, with the exception of Jin Si. Qi Wu thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s just a bit long-winded.¡± His constant chatter was like a bee buzzing by her ears. Tong Luo stared in silence. She was dumbfounded. Song Qi was known for being one of the most challenging directors to work with due to his reluctance to offer guidance. It was said that actors who sought his advice often were more likely to receive sarcasticments than any usefulments. Song Qi and Jin Si were known as the two most acerbic figures in the entertainment industry. However, Tong Luo suddenly remembered Qi Wu¡¯s performance from earlier and stopped worrying. Even Song Qi would be enthralled by Qi Wu. When Song Qi returned to the control room, he found Qu Man, Hu Mofei, and Chang Xun simultaneously turned to stare at him from where they were sitting. Surprised, Song Qi looked at them quizzically. ¡°What are you doing? Also, Chang Xun, why are you here again?¡± Chang Xun chuckled. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d mistreat my daughter.¡± Song Qi stared in confusion. Was Chang Xun also under Qi Wu¡¯s spell? With twitching lips, Song Qi waved off their concern. ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking to fanatics like you.¡± Just then, Hu Mofei chimed in with a passive-aggressive voice, ¡°I wonder who that old man nagging at my darling was. He was so annoying.¡± It was then that Song Qi realized they had been watching his interaction with Qi Wu. Suddenly, there was an awkward tension in the air. He cleared his throat and tried to change the topic. ¡°You know nothing. I was just¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Qu Man stood up and walked past him. He could see the smile was trying to hide as she said, ¡°You get it now right, Song?¡± Song Qi was at a loss for words. Were these three people waiting to see him embarrass himself? Did they have no regard for his dignity? However, when he recalled his initial prejudice against Qi Wu, Song Qi btedly realized that he had indeed misjudged her. Qi Wu was practicing her falls in the carpeted area of the vi. Song Qi had been rmed by her earlier fall. He was worried that her legs would end up covered in bruises, so he taught her various ways to fall without injuring herself. She was happily practicing, enjoying the sensation of being in the zone until her phone beeped. Qi Wu nced at the phone. It was Jin Si. She picked up her phone and headed to the bathroom. ¡°Jin Si.¡± As soon as Qi Wu uttered his name, Jin Si said, ¡°I¡¯m outside the stadium.¡± After a brief pause, Jin Si slowly added, ¡°I brought you some lemon drops.¡± ¡°10 minutes,¡± Qi Wu softly replied. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± Jin Si seemed to find her response amusing. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait.¡± Ten minutester, Qi Wu appeared before Jin Si as promised. Jin Si noticed that there was a sticky residue on her forehead. As he stared at it, he asked, ¡°What were you up to?¡± Qi Wu obediently answered, ¡°I was practicing my falls.¡± Her response reminded Jin Si of what Chang Xun told him earlier in the day. He could not help but click his tongue. He took out the jar of lemon drops from his pocket. ¡°Candy.¡± However, Qi Wu did not take it. She tilted her head and looked at Jin Si with a faint hint of confusion in her eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished the lemon drops you gave me yet.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that half a month ago? Why haven¡¯t you finished it yet?¡± Jin Si¡¯s tone was icy cold with disbelief. After all, when she was at home, Qi Wu would eat a few pieces of lemon drops every day. Even so, she would look at him with pleading eyes hoping to get approval for more. Why was her self-control present now that he was not around? ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Wu shook her head and stuck out her tongue, embarrassed. ¡°Ke Lu gives me lots of candy¡­Xuxu and the others do too.¡± Jin Si¡¯s eyelids twitched violently as his hand tightened around the jar of candy until he nearly shattered it.. Chapter 74 - 74: Chang Xun, Be Normal, Please Chapter 74: Chang Xun, Be Normal, Please Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡°Very well. ¡± Jin Si sounded like he had spat the words out through gritted teeth. ¡°With so many people taking care of you, you obviously don¡¯t need me.¡± A minuteter, Qi Wu watched Jin Si coldly stomp away with her head tilted in confusion. Why did Jin Si get angry again? Jin Si returned to the car in a foul mood. Lou Ying dared not even breathe loudly and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Lou Ying¡¯s job was bing increasingly difficult. Why was Jin Si always angry after a meeting with Qi Wu? Just then, Jin Si¡¯s phone rang. Lou Ying felt nothing upon hearing Qi Wu¡¯s voice. He had grown used to Jin Si¡¯s ringtone by now. The call was from Xi Huanran. As soon as Jin Si answered, she immediately asked, ¡°Uncle, when are you going to buy the lemon drops you promised?¡± The mention of the lemon drops reminded Jin Si of the jar of lemon drops that Qi Wu had rejected earlier. ¡°From now on, you will never get any lemon drops.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xi Huanran was extremely confused over beingshed out at out of nowhere. Exasperated with her unpredictable uncle, she indignantly eximed just before hanging up, ¡°You¡¯re a meanie!¡± After the call ended, Jin Si gradually regained hisposure. He leaned back in his seat and pondered with closed eyes and a raised chin. No one knew what was going through his mind. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at Lou Ying. ¡°Back to the old mansion.¡± When Qi Wu returned to her room, she received a message from Qin Jiayan. (in Jiayan: Qi Wu, I¡¯m officially part of GAL now. [Image] Attached to the message was a photo of Qin Jiayan at GAL¡¯s base. Although Qi Wu did not quite understand the actual significance, she congratted him anyway. She then opened up social media. It was now her primary textbook. Today marked the release of the third episode of ¡°Rookie Assembly.¡± Coupled with the impact of the reception of the live streams, the third episode had already sparked heated debates all over the inte. Everyone was talking specifically about the announcement from GAL¡¯s official ount which was posted before the third episode aired. GAL had a new jungler¡ªQin Jiayan. The esports and entertainment industries were in a frenzy. ¡®GAL¡¯s new jungler!¡¯ ¡®Esports powerhouse x angel newbie: live stream¡¯ ¡®I regret missing the livestream!¡¯ ¡®Esports powerhouse and angel newbie make the best ship ever! How can they be broken up?¡¯ ¡®Qin Jiayan is going to be eliminated in the next episode. After all, he¡¯s now part of GAL. Give up. There¡¯s no hope for this ship.¡¯ ¡®They could remain in contact! I believe they¡¯re still ying games together!¡¯ ¡®Esports yers don¡¯t have time for that! Go away if you¡¯re just a shipper. I¡¯m waiting for Unskilled_Charger to lead GAL to aeback!¡¯ ¡®I miss the days when GAL won three consecutive championships. I¡¯ve been their fan for a while, so I only want Qin Jiayan to work well with the team.¡¯ Qi Wu scrolled through thements with an intent to learn. After a while, she sent Qin Jiayan a message. Wu: What does it mean to ship someone? (¨¹n Jiayan: After a few minutes of silence, he replied to her with an image that was a screenshot of his search results. Shortly afterward, he sent her several voice messages which she listened to. Qin Jiayan sounded nervous and panicked over the phone. ¡°I absolutely do not like you in that way, Qi Wu! I only admire and respect you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just making things up¡­ ¡°I promise to work hard and not let you down!¡± Qi Wu blinked and smiled before setting her phone down. However, just as she put it down, she received a call from Chang Xun. Qi Wu could sense Chang Xun¡¯s anxiety even before she even picked up. As expected, when the call connected, Chang Xun impatiently asked, ¡°Why did you start a scandal before you even made your debut?¡± While Chang Xun had long anticipated that trouble woulde knocking once Qi Wu became famous, he did not expect it to happen so soon. It was just gossip and a small group of shippers. It did not matter much, but if this happened a few more times, Qi Wu would be forever known as the celebrity from the scandals. This would mean that when people thought of her, they would instantly think of her scandals instead of her works. Qi Wu was a diligent student, so she was well aware of what ¡°scandals¡± meant. ¡°It¡¯s not a real scandal. It¡¯s just a fantasy of the people online,¡± she solemnly exined. She had been very serious. Chang Xun was at a loss for words. While it was a scandal that started from nowhere by the inte itself, he did not expect such an effect just because of thebination of Qi Wu¡¯s beauty and Qin Jiayan¡¯s identity in the esports industry. Chang Xun¡¯s headache worsened when he thought about Jin Si. He was clearly indifferent when it came to Qi Wu, yet he still poked his nose into everything. Jin Si was just a hypocrite! Chang Xun internally cursed Jin Si out while gently reassuring Qi Wu, ¡°It¡¯s alright. This just means that you¡¯re bing popr.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the rest. Just enjoy yourself and don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡± After witnessing Qi Wu¡¯s impressive performance that morning, Chang Xun had grown gentler and more tolerant when talking to Qi Wu. After all, Chang Xun already had a better impression of Qi Wu than Jin Si. Qi Wu remained silent for a moment before earnestly saying, ¡°Chang Xun, be normal, please.¡± Chang Xun was confused. Thus, Qi Wu killed Chang Xun¡¯s newfound gentle and tolerant mindset with those words. As Jin Si arrived at the Xi family residence, he spotted Xi Huanran sitting by the entrance on a small stool with her arms indignantly crossed. When she spotted Jin Si, she made a point of audibly snorting as if attempting to draw his attention. Lou Ying walked up to Jin Si and whispered, ¡°Sir, Mr. Xi is back.¡± Jin Si raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. He looked at Xi Huanran, who was still standing in front of the entrance and blocking it. With that in mind, he understood why she was being so bold. Despite her nerves, Xi Huanran angrily shouted, ¡°No lemon drops, no entry!¡± Jin Si walked over and picked up the little girl with one hand as he coldly asked, ¡°Are you feeling brave now?¡± Xi Huanran looked at him with a mix of anger and grievance shimmering in her eyes. Her eyes were red, but she refused to cry. She knew that crying would only invite more mockery from her wicked uncle. There was no way she would give Jin Si the satisfaction ofughing at her. The little girl struggled with all her might.. ¡°Meanie, let go of me or I¡¯ll bite you!¡± Chapter 75 - 75: We Both Like Lemon Drops Chapter 75: We Both Like Lemon Drops Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jin Si looked at Xi Huanran¡¯s angry face and scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just a brat without all her teeth. Bite me? Ha!¡± Xi Huanran was even more upset upon hearing that. With clenched fists, she shouted, ¡°My teeth wille out whole and healthy! I¡¯ll bite you then!¡± Jin Si smirked. ¡°Ambitious.¡± With that said, he set Xi Huanran down and examined her. Xi Huanran resolutely stood strong with her head raised in an attempt to stare up at him even though he towered over her. After a while, Jin Si pulled out a jar of lemon drops from his coat pocket. Xi Huanran¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Lemon drops!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for you,¡± Jin Si calmly stated. ¡°I can only give you two pieces.¡± With her lemon drops at risk, Xi Huanran forgot all about her earlier vow and quickly nodded in agreement. Jin Si watched as Xi Huanran unwrapped her lemon drops. For a moment, he could not help but think of Qi Wu. Qi Wu was not as demanding as Xi Huanran. She would never resort to tricks, no matter how much she wanted the candy. The moment she looked at him with those innocent eyes, he would be powerless to resist. Once Xi Huanran had both lemon drops in her mouth, she snapped out of her happy stupor and realized what he said. Puzzled, she asked, ¡°Whose lemon drops are these?¡± Jin Si did not answer her, so she began to specte on her own. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve developed a liking for lemon drops too?¡± Speechless, Jin Si nced at her before turning her around with one hand as he walked past her to head into the house. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡± Xi Huanran quickly followed him. When they entered the living room, they caught the attention of the man sitting in the living room. Xi Huanran excitedly called out, ¡°Daddy!¡± Jin Si greeted the man with a nod, ¡°Shichen.¡± Fu Shichen set aside his tablet with a smile and said to Xi Huanran, ¡°Weren¡¯t you determined to settle the score with your uncle just now? How did you make amends so quickly?¡± A child¡¯s anger was fleeting. Once Jin Si appeased her with two pieces of lemon drops, Xi Huanran was no longer upset with him. She shook her head. ¡°We made up! It¡¯s because we have something inmon now.¡± The honest look on her face intrigued Fu Shichen. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°We both like lemon drops!¡± Xi Huanran solemnly dered. Jin Si was at a loss for words once more. Jin Si looked away when he saw Fu Shichen¡¯s meaningful gaze directed at him. Suddenly, Fu Shichen started talking about Jin Si¡¯s work. ¡°Do you know about the new talent Chang Xun is managing?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Jin Si¡¯s reply was simple and to the point as his face remained as cold and calm as ever. Fu Shichen¡¯s eyes lit up as he continued, ¡°Chang Xun has been singing her praises for the past couple of days. It¡¯s like he¡¯s talking about you. Still, she does seem to have potential. She¡¯s trending on social media again. Apparently, it¡¯s because of her connection with an esports yer.¡± ¡°The inte loves esports professional yers and female celebrities. No wonder they¡¯re trending.¡± Jin Si was puzzled. Was that true? Why did he not know that? ¡°Boring,¡± he coldlymented. Fu Shichen watched Jin Si walk up the stairs before looking away. Just then, Xi Huanran who had been ying with her doll nearby rushed over to hug Fu Shichen and mysteriously said, ¡°Daddy, Uncle likes to watch the prettydy on TV.¡± Fu Shichen was taken aback. His reaction was no different from Mr. Xi¡¯s earlier reaction. They both wondered if she was actually talking about the same man they were thinking of. Xi Huanran pouted at hisck of response. ¡°Daddy, you don¡¯t believe me either, do you?¡± Fu Shichen smiled and wrapped his arms around Xi Huanran. ¡°Of course, I do! Tell me more about this.¡± When Jiang Xuxu and the others returned to the vi, they quickly noticed that Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan were trending online. They could not help but feel envious. ¡°Qin Jiayan, that brat! I haven¡¯t even gone on a single headline with Sweetie!¡± Jiang Xuxu indignantly eximed. She picked up her phone and started to message Qin Jiayan in the group chat, yfully threatening to beat him up. Tong Luo, on the other hand, leaned in to watch but did not join in on Jiang Xuxu¡¯s yful banter. ¡°Are you meeting up with Mr. Song tomorrow?¡± Tong Luo asked. Qi Wu nodded. After a moment, Tong Luo softly asked, ¡°Can I sit in to observe?¡± The strange look Qi Wu shot at her caused Tong Luo to feel slightly anxious. ¡°I-Is it okay?¡± ¡°Why do you want to observe someone who isn¡¯t acting properly?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tong Luo was confused. Qi Wu then frowned as she sadly exined, ¡°Mr. Song said I am so bad at the basics that I can¡¯t even act properly.¡± Qi Wu fell silent. That did sound like the Song Qi she knew. Afraid that her silence would hurt Qi Wu, Tong Luo hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m okay with it. I may look experienced, but I was worse than you when I first started out.¡± She thenunched into a story of her past experiences. As a child, the Tong family did not care for her. After she became a child star, she was taught by acting teachers her agency assigned to her. Tong Luo did not think much of her career at first. She only focused on improving when her teachers kept punishing her. Eventually, she found joy in acting. Eventually, she forgot the purpose of her story and just kept talking. A few minutester, she suddenly realized what she had done when she saw Qi Wu smiling at her. ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡± Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°You glow when you talk about the past.¡± As Tong Luo stared in astonishment, Qi Wu wrapped her in a hug. ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Keep shining bright.¡± Even after Qi Wu left, Tong Luo could still feel the warmth of the hug. Who could resist Qi Wu¡¯s gentle warmth? No one. When Song Qi saw that Qi Wu and Tong Luo came together, he did not say anything. In fact, he even allowed Tong Luo to teach Qi Wu the basics of acting. Noticing Tong Luo¡¯s surprise, Song Qi waved his hand and said, ¡°For the next few days, teach her the basics of acting. Don¡¯t worry. You can learn a lot from her even if it¡¯s something that simple.¡± Tong Luo took Song Qi¡¯s words seriously. During their practice sessions, Tong Luo quickly realized what Song Qi meant. Qi Wu had an incredible ability to seize control of the scene. A single nce from her would have Tong Luo instinctively shifting to amodate her. As a result, Tong Luo no longer sought guidance from Song Qi and instead focused on rehearsing with Qi Wu. Tong Luo felt like drowning in that sensation every time they performed together. After a while, she gradually regained her old sense of self-control. After another round of rehearsal, Tong Luo and Qi Wu were sprawled out on the carpet to rest. ¡°Nervous about thepetition happening in two days, Qi Wu?¡± Tong Luo asked. Contrary to Tong Luo¡¯s expectation, Qi Wu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Tong Luo straightened up in surprise. ¡°Why?¡± Qi Wu had always been calm andposed, seemingly unaffected by everything around her.. Chapter 76 - 76: Stingy Sugar Daddy Chapter 76: Stingy Sugar Daddy Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qi Wu smiled but did not answer the question. This feeling was simr to the anxiety she felt when was chosen as the new high priestess. At that time, she had yet to know what life was like or how unpredictable the world could be. Tasked with a mission for the sake of the world, she inherited the role that would imprison her for life. She missed that kind of feeling, even if reliving it again meant going through imprisonment once more. The difference was that nothing could restrain her now. The high priestess had long been reduced to dust along with the temple by the mes of the rebel army. Tong Luo did not push any further and just enjoyed this rare moment of leisure. After a while, an important question struck her mind, and she sat up. ¡°Although the production team can provide us with makeup and costumes, it¡¯s still not the same since we didn¡¯t prepare them ourselves. Qi Wu, you have more clothes, right?¡± Tong Luo tentatively asked. Qi Wu¡¯s luggage was pitifully small. She was also used to not wearing any makeup. Even the light makeup she had put on for the past few days was done by Jiang Xuxu who woke up especially early just for that. Qi Wu did not care about her appearance at all. Qi Wu shook her head, confirming Tong Luo¡¯s suspicions. Tong Luo could not help but mutter, ¡°You¡¯re ying the role of the great demon in Mr. Song¡¯s ¡®City of Loneliness¡¯, so your costume and makeup will be worth quite a lot of points.¡± She started worrying. ¡°What a pity none of my outfits will fit you¡­¡± Tong Luo was able to survive until the show started because she was a somewhat famous child celebrity who had inherited quite a hefty sum from herte mother. However, Tong Luo did not know much about Qi Wu¡¯s family and had never heard her mention them. However, since Qi Wu had a sugar daddy, she could not be doing that well for herself. A person suddenly appeared in Tong Luo¡¯s mind, causing her to exim, ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s Chang Xun!¡± Qi Wu watched with a confused gaze as Tong Luo happily said, ¡°Chang Xun is a top-tier manager after all. As long as we exin the situation to him, he will definitely save us!¡± Tong Luo urged Qi Wu to head into the bathroom with her phone. Tong Luo even followed her out of worry. ¡°Qi Wu, your outfit is really important, especially when you¡¯re on stage!¡± Tong Luo¡¯s constant nagging forced Qi Wu to helplessly unlock her phone. Just as she was about to call Chang Xun, Jin Si¡¯s name shed on her screen as the phone rang. Hisbel of ¡°debtholder¡± was clear for all to see. Before Qi Wu could react, she heard Tong Luo mutter through gritted teeth, ¡°Bold of him to still call.¡± Qi Wu blinked and turned to look at her in confusion. Tong Luo¡¯s heart ached when she saw Qi Wu¡¯s reaction. ¡°I know that many things are not within your control, but there are some things that you have to fight for. Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡± Then, she steeled her heart and made up her mind. ¡°If you can¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll help you. Give me your phone.¡± ¡°You want to answer the call?¡± The confusion in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes dissipated. She finally understood what Tong Luo meant. Tong Luo¡¯s impulsive urge suddenly died down when she met Qi Wu¡¯s gaze. She nervously asked, ¡°Do you mind? Will it affect you¡­¡± What if Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy was angered by what Tong Luo was going to do? She would have dragged Qi Wu down for nothing. Tong Luo was annoyed by her impulsiveness. Qi Wu shook her head and handed over the phone. ¡°You do it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tong Luo felt uncertain. After Qi Wu reassured her once more, she felt much more confident. Tong Luo took the phone and answered the call. ¡°Qi Wii.¡± Jin Si¡¯s cold and deep voice sounded over the phone. For a moment, Tong Luo was stunned. For some reason, the voice sounded very familiar, but she just did not know why. With Qi Wu¡¯s problem in mind, Tong Luo hurriedly pushed those thoughts aside. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Qi Wu¡¯s roommate. I didn¡¯t want tomunicate with you like this, but do you know that thepetition is in two days? This is Qi Wu¡¯s first time on stage. It¡¯s very important to her.¡± At first, Tong Luo was able to remain calm and rational. However, the more she spoke, the angrier she felt. ¡°It¡¯s one thing for Qi Wu to have a tiny amount of luggage while filming the show and for her to have to carefully ration out her lemon drops, but her first appearance on stage is very important. Can you please be more attentive and actually do something for her? You¡¯re a sessful man. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t afford to give her anything! ¡® If not for the sake of being polite and out of fear of making things worse for Qi Wu, Tong Luo would have started cursing him out for being stingy. Jin Si fell silent the moment Tong Luo started speaking. His face darkened when he heard the implicit insults. He had never been called stingy before. ¡°Who are you?¡± The icy and oppressive tone in his voice extinguished Tong Luo¡¯s rage. She abruptly calmed down and replied, ¡°Tong Luo, My name is Tong Luo. The message came from me, and Qi Wu has nothing to do with it.¡± Jin Si ignored her deration and simply stated, ¡°Pass the phone to Qi Wu.¡± Before Tong Luo knew it, she was handing the phone over to Qi Wu. Perhaps it was because of themanding tone of Jin Si¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go out first so that I¡¯m not disturbing you,¡± she whispered. Qi Wu nced at her. After Tong Luo left the bathroom, she lowered her eyes and called out into the phone, ¡°Jin Si.¡± ¡°Carefully rationing your lemon drops? Poor thing.¡± Jin Si sneered. He did not even notice the hint of sarcasm in his tone. It was because she had just refused his jar of lemon drops a few days ago. ¡°That was when you refused to let me eat any back then,¡± Qi Wu solemnly exined. There was a faintly usatory tone in her voice. Jin Si was at a loss for words. If she had not mentioned it, Jin Si would have forgotten about that. During that period of time, she was in love with the lemon drops and would eat so many of them that it was like she was living off of them. He had to buy more almost every three days. After a while, he began restricting her consumption. Jin Si cleared his throat. ¡°When is the first performance?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow at 8.00 p.m.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jin Si then recalled Tong Luo¡¯s scolding and could not help but massage his temple. ¡°Chang Xun will contact you tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Qi Wu was not curious at all about the change and simply agreed to it. That made Jin Si feel a little ufortable. However, he did not know of any reason for his unease, so he immediately hung up. After the call ended, Jin Si thought for a moment and dialed Chang Xun¡¯s number. ¡°What¡¯s up, Jin?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of the famous brand you showed me before?¡± Jin Si asked directly. Chang Xun mistakenly thought that Jin Si had finally be a little more ambitious, so he jumped up excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re finally going toe back to work!¡± he eximed.. Chapter 77 - 77: Sugar Daddy Came to His Senses a Little Too Hard Chapter 77: Sugar Daddy Came to His Senses a Little Too Hard Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jin Si¡¯s mouth twitched in speechlessness. ¡°Just tell me what it¡¯s called.¡± ¡°Dream Fantasy. The brand has a good reputation and every product theyunch is closely linked to a specific aspect of the local culture. It has won many awards locally and internationally¡­¡± Chang Xun kept bbering on and on about the brand. However, Jin Si could not be bothered to listen after hearing the first few sentences, so he interrupted Chang Xun¡¯s passionate speech and said, ¡°Send a set of their new designs and cosmetic products to Qi Wu.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chang Xun abruptly fell silent. After a long while, he said in a resentful tone, ¡°Are you calling me about Qi Wu, again?¡± Jin Si frowned. ¡°Be reasonable. If Qi Wu doesn¡¯t like the outfit, let her choose her own. Put it under my tab.¡± Chang Xun sharply inhaled as realization struck him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Thepetition is in two days, but Qi Wu doesn¡¯t even have a decent outfit¡­¡± After the third episode, Chang Xun finally realized that Qi Wu had always gone around without any makeup on. She never styled her hair either, allowing her long locks to just fall down her back. Even the asional ponytail was Jiang Xuxu¡¯s work. The first thing Chang Xun did when he came to his senses was to berate Jin Si. ¡°Jin Si, you¡¯re really inhumane!¡± Jin Si was confused. What did it have to do with him? Chang Xun was still cursing him out. ¡°She may be offering herself up on a silver tter, but how can you trample all over her heart? How can you restrict her on this as well? You¡¯re so stingy!¡± As soon as the word ¡°stingy¡± was uttered, Jin Si¡¯s eyes instantly drooped down as an oppressive glint shimmered in them. This was the second time he had been scolded today. It was all because of Qi Wu. However, he had never trampled over Qi Wu¡¯s heart. When did she ever offer up any of that? Chang Xun was clearly a fan who adored Qi Wu like a daughter of his own. His rose-tinted sses allowed him to ignore his fear of Jin Si. That was why he was bold enough to shout at Jin Si. Now that Chang Xun had released some of his anger by scolding Jin Si, he started to worry about Qi Wu. ¡°If I contact the brand, I can borrow many outfits¡­ After all, Qi Wu had called him, so there was no need to hide the fact that Chang Xun was her manager. Those who were observant probably already knew that Qi Wu was a talent under him. Good. It saved Chang Xun from worrying about whether there would be those blind enough to want to poach Qi Wu from him. ¡°No need for that.¡¯ ¡°Whatever she needs, just put it on my tab,¡± Jin Si coldly said, interrupting Chang Xun¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?¡± Chang Xun was so shocked that he just blurted that out. Jin Si¡¯s face darkened as he said in a frosty voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to work, just retire early.¡± Sensing the danger he was in, Chang Xun shuddered. ¡°I mean, there are designs that will cost hundreds of thousands or even millions. Are you sure you want to buy that for Qi Wu? Likely, she will only wear it once, so we can just borrow an outfit,¡± he carefully said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just buy whatever it is for her.¡± Jin Si¡¯s voice was cold and resolute, causing Chang Xun to grumble in his mind. If he had not known that Jin Si had started out as a penniless poor boy, he would have been shocked by those bold derations. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll settle it then.¡± In any case, he was not spending his own money. Chang Xun did not hesitate again. His daughter deserved the best! The fourth episode would be broadcast at night. Not long after Chang Xun finished dealing with Qi Wu and Qin Jiayan¡¯s scandal, he was overwhelmed by another matter. That was because many people knew that Qi Wu was talking to Chang Xun. The only thing Chang Xun could be d for was that Jin Si¡¯s voice could not be clearly heard during the call. Chang Xun also ended the calls fast enough that no extra attention was attracted. ¡®Whoa! The fallen angel is Chang Xun¡¯s new talent! That means she is now Jin Si¡¯s junior.¡¯ ¡®Friends, I suddenly realized why Jinmented on Qi Wu¡¯s post.¡¯ ¡®As expected of Jin, he won¡¯t even spare his own junior.¡¯ ¡®My heart goes out to the angel. The world is fair. She has beauty but she¡¯s also unlucky enough to be stuck with a senior with a sharp tongue.¡¯ ¡®The sensible fans of Jin have noticed Giselle. We¡¯llfort her in the future!¡¯ After scrolling through thements section, everyone felt sorry for Qi Wu. Most of them were Jin Si¡¯s fans. They were so united that they looked like demons. Chang Xun had not expected Qi Wu to attract fans in such a way. This was probably the one time Jin Si came in useful. In addition, Qi Wu was also viral because everyone unanimously chose to call her and tell her their wishes. ¡®Tong Luo, Jiang Xuxu, Tan Song, and Ke Lu¡­They all chose Qi Wu. It¡¯s obvious that she really is a gentle soul.¡¯ ¡®Being gentle and sincere will make you invincible! Qi Wu has attracted a lot of fans this time. ¡®They all treat Qi Wu as a guiding star. I¡¯m so touched. I hope they can all stay on until the end.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s rare to see such honesty on game shows. Still, I have to remind everyone that there can only be 1 winner per group.¡¯ ¡®Shut up!¡¯ Very good. We have now achieved a world where only Jiang Yiran is hurt.¡¯ ¡®I feel bad for him, but I feel likeughing more. What¡¯s going on? He knew he was with a group of fanatics until now, right? He didn¡¯t?¡¯ ¡®Sad News: Qi Wu is Jin Sit s junior¡¯ ¡®Qi Wu the Guiding Star¡¯ Qi Wu was trending again, and Chang Xun was now able to calmly ept the fact. He finally understood that some people were just born to be popr. He might as well hurry up and prepare clothes and a stylist for Qi Wu instead of worrying about the inte. After all, no matter how popr she was online, nothing could give Qi Wu the ability to stand firm more than having a proper piece of redited work. He immediately made a call to the person in charge of Dream Fantasy. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chang Xun. Yes, you can bring them all over. Money is not an issue!¡± Chang Xun felt so strong after spending Jin Si¡¯s money. On the afternoon of the second day, Qi Wu and Tong Luo had just finished rehearsing their scenes when Qu Man¡¯s voice came from Qi Wu¡¯s earpiece. ¡°Qi Wu,e backstage. There¡¯s something for you.¡± Qi Wu acknowledged the instruction and told Tong Luo about it. ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡± Tong Luo hesitated for a second and then nodded. Although she had never had a good impression of that stingy sugar daddy, what if he suddenly came to his senses? Tong Luo had not expected the stingy man toe to his senses that quickly or thatpletely. When she saw the person in charge of Dream Fantasy appear backstage with three mobile wardrobes behind him, she fell silent. However, what made her feel even more speechless was yet toe. The person in charge of Dream Fantasy quickly walked over and said to Qi Wu in a gentle voice, ¡°Hello, Miss Qi. After learning of your needs, we immediately came for you. We have one of our senior designers with us who can adjust your clothes ording to your needs.¡± Tong Luo did not know what to say. Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy came to his senses a little too hard.. Chapter 78 - 78: That Man Really Lucked Out! Chapter 78: That Man Really Lucked Out! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS While Tong Luo was busy being speechless, the person in charge of Dream Fantasy had already started talking to Qi Wu. When he found out that Qi Wu was going to act in Song Qi¡¯s ¡°City of Loneliness,¡± he was both surprised and delighted. ¡°What a coincidence. One of the costumes we prepared for you was inspired by wintersweet. It fits your character very well.¡± Tong Luo then watched as Qi Wu discussed the clothes¡¯ alteration with the person in charge of Dream Fantasy and their senior designer. There were only five senior designers in Dream Fantasy, and one of them was now here. These five senior designers had the same pride as the schrs of old, especially since they only approved of models who were as beautiful as their designs. However, Tong Luo saw that the senior designer¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw Qi Wu. He kept showering her withpliments Tong Luo could not help butugh. She was happy for Qi Wu. No matter what, Qi Wu¡¯s paths would never be closed off. She would always be loved by the gods. Tong Luo was going to leave after Qi Wu left with the Dream Fantasy duo, but then she overheard Song Qi talking to Chang Xun. ¡°Chang, when did you be so generous? The person in charge of Dream Fantasy even came here personally. You¡¯ve really put in a lot of effort for Qi It was unknown what Chang Xun said, but Song Qi snorted and said in an even more surprised tone, ¡°Really? Which fool is that powerful?¡± Tong Luo was speechless. Could this fool be Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy? He was actually able to contact Chang Xun and even make Chang Xun work for him. There was no way this man was just a simple rich man. After all, Chang Xun was now one of the top managers in the entertainment industry. He was also an old employee of Chaoqi Group. Even the directors of Chaoqi Group would chat with him when they saw him. Tong Luo left soon after, so she missed Song Qi¡¯s slightly horrified tone as he eximed, ¡°Chang Xun, are you kidding?¡± ¡°How could that fool be Jin Si? Are you sure it¡¯s not just your imagination?¡± After settling the matter of her outfit with Dream Fantasy, Qi Wu returned to the vi. On the way, Chang Xun called her again and said that he had already arranged a stylist for her, so she did not have to worry. Qi Wu agreed. When Qi Wu returned to the vi, Tong Luo immediately jumped up and rushed over to her. ¡°How is it? Is it all done?¡± Qi Wu smiled and nodded, then she softly said, ¡°Thank you, Tong Luo.¡± Tong Luo was excited, but Qi Wu¡¯s stare made her feel shy. To hide her emotions, she frantically waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Now, you have an outfit worthy of you.¡± With Qi Wu¡¯s problem solved, Tong Luo¡¯s fighting spirit was ignited once more. She quickly pulled Qi Wu out for the final rehearsal. After a day of rehearsals, Qi Wu walked into the bathroom and called Jin Si. The call was soon answered, and she gently greeted, ¡°Jin Si.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally finished your lemon drops. Is that why you¡¯re calling me?¡± Jin Si raised his eyebrows. Qi Wu tilted her head in confusion and obediently answered Jin Si, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished them. There¡¯s still a lot left.¡¯ There¡¯s still a lot left. That statement infuriated Jin Si. His eyes darkened. ¡°Why did you call me then? Bored and looking for trouble?¡± Qi Wu was not scared away by his cold and heartless tone. Her gentle voice did not waver as she said, ¡± I want to thank you for the clothes.¡± Upon hearing that, Jin Si knew without a doubt that Chang Xun had spilled the beans again. The corners of his mouth curled up in a slight smile, but what he heard next made him freeze in shock. ¡°Chang Xun said that it¡¯s really rare for a miser like you to spare anything,¡± said Jin Si was speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Wu obediently replied and then continued, ¡°Will youe to watch my performance tomorrow night at 8.00 p.m.?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡± Jin Si did not reject her outright, but he did not say yes either. Qi Wu calmly nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Her expression was neither sad nor happy. She did not appear sad at all because of Jin Si¡¯s answer, but this made Jin Si even more unhappy. However, he could not name the reason for his upset, so he could only scowl in response. Then, he listened as Qi Wu mercilessly hung up the phone right away. Jin Si¡¯s pupils dted. For an inexplicable reason, he was furious. He really wanted to drag Chang Xun over to show him just who between Jin Si and Qi Wu was the one trampling over the other¡¯s heart. Before thepetition officially began, every contestant was rehearsing and makingst-minute adjustments. The budget for thepetition was huge, so they were able to set up 3 stages with a main stage in the middle and 2 supplementary stages. The stylist Chang Xun hired had contacted Qi Wu early on. Soon, Qi Wu followed her into the dressing room to get changed and dolled up. The next time Qi Wu appeared in front of everyone, everyone could not help but stare at her, even though there was no spotlight on her. This was because they could not imagine how Qi Wu could appear holy and sacred while wearing a bloody red dress that made her look like a demon. There was only a simple golden hairpin on her head, but it was enough to make her look very elegant and stunning. She had only taken a few steps. As her calm gaze swept past the other contestants, everyone felt like she was Xi Yu who had stepped out of her show and into reality. The moment Qi Wu sat in her assigned seat, everyone kept looking at her no matter how dazzling the stage lights were. Many of the contestants who were in the Actor category sat away from her to avoid being in the spotlight. Qi Wu quietly lowered her eyes. She was already used to the attention. When Tong Luo appeared, she ignored the strange looks sent her way and walked straight toward Qi Wu. Her voice rang with audible amazement as she eximed, ¡°Qi Wu, this dress really suits you.¡± Qi Wu raised her head and smiled. ¡°Tong Luo.¡± She seemed to be glowing as the lights from all over the hall shined and reflected off her. Tong Luo¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the smile. ¡°If I were a man, I would definitely have fallen in love with you,¡± she muttered. Qi Wu leaned over and looked at her with puzzled eyes. ¡°What?¡± Tong Luo was startled. She had not realized just how close Qi Wu was. Tong Luo did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Don¡¯t lean in so suddenly,¡± she solemnly said. She would be just as bad as Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy then. The thought infuriated Tong Luo once more. That man really lucked out! Chapter 79 - 79: Qi Wu Is the Epitome of Gentleness! Chapter 79: Qi Wu Is the Epitome of Gentleness! Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qi Wu tilted her head. Despite the confusion she felt when she heard Tong Luo¡¯s request, she still nodded in agreement. Without Qi Wu staring at her, Tong Luo finally felt less stressed. She heaved a sigh of relief. The next thing she heard was a robotic voice echoing from the loudspeaker in the stadium. ¡°Attention, contestants. The live broadcast will begin in three minutes.¡± Meanwhile, ¡°Rookie Assembly ¡± was also being broadcast on Chaoyang TV¡¯s official livestream. Before the stream even started, there were already 100,000 viewers. The audience stared at the countdown timer with hearts racing in anticipation as the chat sped by. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s starting! You¡¯ve made me wait for so long!¡¯ ¡®Can we only vote after the stream starts? I want to vote for Angel already.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s starting!¡¯ The countdown finally ended. The next thing the audience knew, they were staring at the contestants on their screens. The huge group of colorfully dressed contestants standing inside the vast stadium was such a refreshing sight for the audience. The camera even slowly panned across everyone¡¯s faces, resulting in more peoplementing. The stars of the discussions were primarily thest few contestants. ¡®Help! Jiang Yiran is so hot! I love it!¡¯ ¡®That outfit is so sweet and sensual. How is that possible? Is this Jiang Xuxu¡¯s runway? I¡¯m in love!¡¯ ¡®Tong Luo looks so beautiful in her traditional warrior¡¯s outfit. She looked just like one of those ssical heroines when she¡¯s not smiling.¡¯ ¡®Shoot! Guys, what do I see? Is that Angel next to Tong Luo?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s Giselle! She¡¯s wearing one of Dream Fantasy¡¯stest designs. She looks so good in it!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s from Dream Fantasy? Well, Chang Xun is her manager. It¡¯s not weird.¡¯ ¡®Even if she¡¯s cursed with a senior like Jin Si, she¡¯s really safe to debut. Good luck, Giselle!¡¯ 3 minutes after the stream started, Song Qi and the other mentors appeared by their seats on the stage. ¡°We wee our 60 contestants to the first stop in their journey¡ªthe Neer Competition! ¡± In the dressing room, the contestants stared up at the screen and listened to Song Qi¡¯s speech. ¡°Voting has now started. Once thepetition is over, the 4 contestants of each category with the least votes will be leaving us for good. Reminder, a vote from a mentor will increase the contestant¡¯s votes by 20%.¡± There was an uproar in the dressing room because of thatst rule. It meant that if a contestant had 100 votes, a mentor¡¯s vote would push the number up to 120. Every mentor only had 1 vote. Some of them might not even give their vote out at all. ¡°The order of the performances will be determined by lottery.¡± Soon, the results were shown on the screen. The first to perform was a contestant from the Idol category. It was impossible for the first to perform to not feel anxious. The contestant took a deep breath and put on a dazzling smile before walking over to the stage. ¡°Qi Wu, I¡¯m getting nervous.¡± Tong Luo suddenly whispered from her spot next to Qi Wu. Qi Wu tilted her head and looked at her. ¡°Why?¡± Tong Luo gave Qi Wu a wan smile. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve been away from the stage for too long. It¡¯s no longer familiar to me.¡± She had never given up on acting in the past few years. She longed to return to the stage she loved. However, just as that moment was about to happen, Tong Luo shrank back. Perhaps this was what people felt when they said they were afraid of home. Qi Wu put a hand on the back of Tong Luo¡¯s head, gently forcing her to look up. Tong Luo looked at her in a daze. All she could think of was Qi Wu¡¯s tranquil and reassuring warm gaze. ¡°You¡¯re good enough,¡± Qi Wu slowly said as Tong Luo stared in shock. ¡°You¡¯ve never made a mistake in our practice, and you won¡¯t this time either.¡± Tong Luo was so strict with herself that she obsessed over minute details. Qi Wu sighed. ¡°Rx a little. Pushing too hard will only backfire on you.¡± Upon hearing that, Tong Luo lowered her head in embarrassment like a guilty kid. ¡°I-I will be careful.¡¯ Qi Wu smiled and nodded before calmly pulling back. Unbeknownst to them, what happened was being broadcast on the stream. Everyone who watched what happened went crazy. ¡®Qi Wu is the epitome of gentleness!¡¯ ¡®Tong Luo wasn¡¯t like this in the previous two episodes. I can only say that gentleness is really a very powerful force!¡¯ ¡®Angel is beautiful and kind, but she¡¯s a little too strong.¡¯ ¡®The person above me is hrious. No one expected the gentle and demure angel to be the best at arm wrestling 101.¡¯ The people were not blind. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Tong Luo was more cheerful and lively now. She was even willing to show her true self. All of the changes could be attributed to Qi Wu. Tong Luo was one of the first few contestants to perform, Hence, it was soon her turn. Qi Wu watched as she stood up. Tong Luo chose to perform a scene from the movie ¡°Chivalry¡± where a youngdy who wanted to make a name for herself saved the women and children of the market. This youngdy had a chivalrous heart, but she was reckless and did not care about the consequences of her actions. This was a scene that changed her perspective on the world and marked the moment when she started growing into the mature heroine she would be in the future. Tong Luo was a young woman, so she looked perfect for the role of a young and impetuousdy. ¡°Today, justice will be served!¡± The young woman was dressed in a pure white robe and had a sword in her hand. She did not show any weakness when she stared at the lechers in front of her with eyes filled with tenacity and a strong sense of righteousness. Song Qi nodded from her spot without batting an eyelid. ¡°Finally, she looks like how she used to be.¡± When Tong Luo ended her performance, the stream was overwhelmed with excited responses. ¡®In Tong Luo¡¯s first role, she yed a blind girl. I was entranced by her quick-wittedness in the show.¡¯ ¡®I can tell that Tong Luo really loves acting. She¡¯s putting a lot of effort into portraying this character!¡¯ ¡®The blind girl was the role that turned me into a fan. I¡¯ve been waiting for her to grow up. Thank goodness, she¡¯s still as good as before. I¡¯m so happy!¡¯ While a few of her old fans and random inte strangers tried their best to get the others to vote for Tong Luo, Tong Luo went straight to the dressing room to sit down next to Qi Wu.. Chapter 80 - 80: Guilty for Some Reason Chapter 80: Guilty for Some Reason Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Tong Luo eagerly looked at Qi Wu in a somewhat nervous manner. When Qi Wu praised her, Tong Luo could not contain her joy anymore and made the gesture of victory. Tong Luo¡¯s old fans who were caught off-guard by the reaction all clicked their tongues. Their painstaking efforts in voting for Tong Luo might not even make her happier than Qi Wu¡¯s praise. Jiang Yiran, Jiang Xuxu, Ke Lu¡­even Tan Song performed to the best they could on stage. Tang Liuhua¡¯s eyes turned red as she watched the new changes in Tan Song. Tan Song chose to perform Tang Liuhua¡¯s ¡°Refinement.¡± As he had made some changes to the song, transforming it into something that was his, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up when they saw the refreshing take on the song. Tang Liuhua¡¯s stern face finally eased up. There was a gentle lilt in her cold voice as she said, ¡°I can see that you are searching for your own path.¡± Tan Song did his best to restrain his excitement and nervously bowed toward Tang Liuhua when he heard that judgment. Tang Liuhua continued with a smile, ¡°Although you¡¯re still new to this, you must persevere on this path. Don¡¯t go down the wrong path again.¡± ording to Tan Song¡¯s talent, as long as he continued to persevere, it was only a matter of time before he reached her level. When Tan Song heard ¡°don¡¯t go down the wrong path again,¡± his mind drifted off for a moment. He thought of Qi Wu. With such a dazzling being nearby, he would never go down the wrong path again. Tan Song¡¯s transformation was acknowledged by many fans. ¡®I¡¯m so happy that I can see the high-spirited young man from the past once more.¡¯ ¡®In just a few years, he has regained the inspiration he lost. I look forward to what he does next.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know if anyone still remembers it, but Tan Song is the only student that Tang Liuhua handpicked. There¡¯s no doubt about his talent!¡¯ ¡®I look forward to Tan Song¡¯s rebirth!¡¯ Qi Wu was one of thest few contestants to perform. She had been calm throughout the wait. Even so, she looked as wlessly dignified as when she first started waiting. Even Tong Luo could not help but yawn a few times. Still, Qi Wu remained still. If it were not for the fact that she would tilt her head from time to time and answer Tong Luo¡¯s questions, everyone would have thought she was one of those semi-petrified old monks frozen in meditation. When Qi Wu¡¯s name appeared on the screen, she calmly stood up as everyone turned to watch her. With a straight back and an invisible sense of oppression around her, she walked onto the stage. The contestants looked at her outfit and sighed. In their minds, Qi Wu was already halfway to winning with that outfit of hers. Everyone paled inparison to her. No one could steal the spotlight away from her. Meanwhile, Jin Si had just finished all his work and turned to nce at the clock on the wall. When he saw that it was past 9.00 p.m., he frowned. At this time, Qi Wu would surely be done with her performance. However, he subconsciously clicked on Chaoyang TV¡¯s website. The stream was on the main page, so the moment the page loaded, he was greeted by the sight of Qi Wu in a red dress. Astonishment shed in his eyes as his cursors inched over and clicked into the stream. Jin Si nced down at his hand but did not say anything as he turned to watch He had always remembered Qi Wu as someone who liked to wear in clothes. Her current outfit was very borate, including her makeup that included drawings of plum blossom petals that entuated her beauty. Despite the red dress she was wearing, she still looked holier than anyone around. He was so engrossed with her performance that he instantly clenched his hands into fists when she fell. Meanwhile, outside the room. Xi Huanran snuck over to Jin Si¡¯s bedroom door. She was very proud to see that Jin Si did not close the door again. ¡°He¡¯s so careless!¡± After sticking her tongue out at the door, she stealthily snuck through the gap. The room was dimly lit as that was Jin Si¡¯s preference, but she was not afraid. She swiftly and quietly walked in, sneaking her way over to where Jin Si was. In an attempt to scare him, she leaped out at him with her hands held next to her mouth as if they were fangs. ¡°Boo! Give me lemon drops, now!¡± Jin Si was frightened. That was because he felt guilty for some reason. He looked at the stream for a few silent moments before turning back to Xi Huanran. With raised eyebrows, he shot her an exasperated look. There was no hiding the disdain in Jin Si¡¯s voice as he said, ¡°Enter without knocking one more time and I¡¯ll send you over to your brother¡¯s side.¡± That terrified Xi Huanran. When she recalled her brother¡¯s schedule which was all filled up with sses. Fear ran down her spine. Thus, she immediately crawled her way onto Jin Si¡¯sp to pleadingly say, ¡°Don¡¯t send me away.¡± The pathetic and sad look on her face made Jin Si click his tongue before he nkly picked her up by the cor of her shirt to ce her on the floor. Then, looking down at her, he said, ¡°There are no lemon drops here. Go y by yourself. ¡± Xi Huanran felt very wronged. Her uncle was a heartless meanie! Just as she was about to dejectedly leave the room, she noticed the stream ying on Jin Si¡¯sputer. ¡°Huh?¡± With an exmation of surprise, Xi Huanran turned around and nimbly climbed onto Jin Si¡¯s chair. She pointed to Qi Wu¡¯s figure on the screen and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the prettydy you were watching on TV?¡± She had a great memory. When she thought about how no one believed her, she clenched her fists. ¡°Hmph! Grandpa and Dad don¡¯t even believe me, but I¡¯m not a liar.¡± Jin Si was puzzled. Realization soon struck him and his face darkened. ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Xi Huanran stared in shock when she noticed the abrupt change on Jin Si¡¯s face. Carefully, she replied, ¡°I told them you like to watch a prettydy on TV.¡± Her voice was soft like all children¡¯s voices were. Then, she angrily huffed out, ¡°They didn¡¯t believe me though. Hmph!¡± When Jin Si heard that, he subconsciously sighed in relief. His face reverted back to its usual state as he smiled and ruffled Xi Huanran¡¯s hair. ¡°True, they would not believe you..¡± Chapter 81 - 81: Escape From This World of Fanatics Chapter 81: Escape From This World of Fanatics Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jin Si¡¯s words caused Xi Huanran to angrily re at him. After a while, the little girl seemed to have thought of something as she excitedly climbed down from the chair, saying, ¡°Grandpa is home. I¡¯ll call him over right now. He¡¯ll believe me then!¡± Jin Si silently stared. The corners of his mouth twitched as he lifted Xi Huanran by the back of her cor again. The little child struggled and kicked as she hung in the air. ¡°Let me go!¡± Jin Si ced her on the chair. His head was aching as he asked, ¡°Are you done with lemon drops?¡± Xi Huanran¡¯s mind raced. She stopped struggling and looked at Jin Si with a puzzled expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there are no more?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the shop to buy more.¡± Jin Si was at a loss for words. Still, for some reason, he would rather bring Xi Huanran to buy another jar of lemon drops than give her the jar Qi Wu rejected. Jin Si did not have time to think about it. His reluctance was born from a subconscious instinct. Xi Huanran¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that she could have an entire jar of lemon drops to herself. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jin Si nodded. After a pause, he continued, ¡°You can¡¯t tell any of this nonsense to Grandpa and the others again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never get another lemon drop in your life.¡± Candy was always the biggest priority to children. Therefore, Xi Huanran agreed to Jin Si¡¯s condition without hesitation. She quickly shook her head and cutely said, ¡°I have forgotten about everything!¡± Jin Si smirked. Just then, Xi Huanran suddenly turned to look at the stream. ¡°Huh? Her performance is done.¡± Jin Si scoffed. There was a hint of resentment in his voice that even he did not notice. ¡°It ended a long time ago.¡± Xi Huanran nted her fists on her hips and proudly stated, ¡°Still, I saw that the man gave her his vote!¡± Jin Si¡¯s smile froze. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Which man?¡± She stood on her tiptoes and pointed at someone on the screen. ¡°This man.¡± Jin Si looked at who she was pointing to and saw Shen Xi. He was no stranger to Shen Xi, but he did not understand why someone like Shen Xi would give Qi Wu preferential treatment. Shen Xi might seem to be a gentleman, but he never cared about anyone or anything. On the screen, Shen Xi had a gentlemanly smile on his face as he reminisced about Qi Wu¡¯s performance with Song Qi. Jin Si¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold. ¡°Janus-faced.¡± Xi Huanran did not understand what he said and eagerly asked, ¡°What does that mean?¡± Jin Si lowered his head and looked at her confused face before picking her up and pointing to Shen Xi on the screen. ¡°It means him.¡± Xi Huanran nodded in a somewhat confused yet understanding manner. She pointed at Shen Xi, just like Jin Si was doing, and said, ¡°I see. This man is Janus-faced.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± He had no idea how childish his actions were. Xi Huanran, who was rarely praised by her uncle instead of insulted, was overjoyed when she heard that. ¡°Let¡¯s go buy you some lemon drops.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s performance of ¡°City of Loneliness¡± not only sparked a lot of discussion online but also made Shen Xi, one of the mentors, vote for her. Shen Xi¡¯s vote was the first vote to be cast among the three mentors. This made many contestants look at Qi Wu with envy. Although the contestants couldn¡¯t see the number of votes before the results were announced, they could already guess that Qi Wu was definitely within the top ten. That was indeed the case. After Qi Wu¡¯s performance ended, she was trending again. ¡®Qi Wu¡¯s Interpretation of ¡°City of Loneliness¡± and Xi Yu!¡¯ ¡®¡±City of Loneliness¡± is an old movie. I can never forget Xi Yu. I didn¡¯t expect Qi Wu to be able toe up with another interpretation.¡¯ ¡®Angel¡¯s Xi Yu is so noble and arrogant that I can just tell the demon¡¯s pride had not been cast aside despite her humiliating defeat.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no way anyone with Qi Wu¡¯s face can act out a pathetic character.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful! Step on me, Angel!¡¯ Chang Xun could no longer remember how many times Qi Wu had been trending. He even felt a strange sense of relief. Qi Wu was so hardworking that he would not have to splurge on publicity and marketing in the future. Chang Xun nonchntly clicked on the voting page and was so scared by what he saw that he immediately cursed out loud. How was Qi Wu in second ce? She was only second to Jiang Yiran, who was ranked first! Jiang Yiran had already debuted for more than a year and had five million fans on social media. He had an agency that had a proper protocol for everything while his fans were all in organized groups. Long before voting started, the big names among Jiang Yiran¡¯s fans had already reminded everyone to vote. Now, Qi Wu, who only had a few hundred thousand followers, was second only to him in terms of votes. This meant that Qi Wu would very likely surpass Jiang Yiran in the near future. Chang Xun, who only wanted Qi Wu to have fun, was at a loss for words. She was being a little too talented. Now, she was going to be top-tier famous overnight! At the end of thepetition, the production team announced the voting results. When the crowd saw that Qi Wu was in second ce, second only to Jiang Yiran, it instantly caused amotion. People looked at the young woman who stood out even among the crowd. Somehow, it was not that surprising. Some people even thought that if Jiang Yiran had not made his debut long ago and started with an advantage, Qi Wu would be in first ce. Jiang Yiran could not help but feel a little surprised when he saw that. Qi Wu was the true rookie among the two of them. It was only a matter of time before her fame would skyrocket, bringing her to the top of the pyramid. He could not help but mutter, ¡°She¡¯s not bad for an evil woman. It¡¯ll only be a few more episodes before she overtakes me. Tan Song, who was standing next to him since they were in the same category, lowered his eyes and said without thinking, ¡°It is inevitable.¡± Tan Song was not satisfied with this result. In his heart, Qi Wu was undoubtedly number one. Jiang Yiran was speechless. While he knew that this was something a fanatic of Qi Wu would say, it was still very heart-wrenching. He felt that he could publish a book in the future called ¡°My Idol is My Most Hated Enemy¡¯s Fan¡± that would include a 100,000-word essayining about this issue. To his surprise, that was not all. Ke Lu was there to shove the knife deeper into him. She coldly nced at him and said, ¡°Soon, she¡¯ll surpass you.¡± Xiang Yiran was confused. This was the first time she had ever spoken to him, and it was for Qi Wu. At that moment, he wished for an escape from this world of fanatics.. Chapter 82 - 82: It’s Because of My Debtholder Chapter 82: It¡¯s Because of My Debtholder Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Once the Neer Competition was over, thest 4 contestants of each category would be disqualified from the show. Many of the contestants did not expect today to be their only chance to perform on stage. The yers who were able to stay were not that happy either because they knew that they might be the next to be disqualified. At that time, the stream was still ongoing, so the audience could see the true reactions of the contestants who were leaving. ¡®To be honest, it makes me want to cry.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the cruelty of talent shows. There¡¯s always someone leaving. Only the best can stay.¡¯ ¡®I hope they don¡¯t get stuck on their failure and find a path forward.¡¯ After thepetition ended, Song Qi had some somewhat good news to announce. ¡°Congrattions to the contestants who stayed. We will not continue with the next stage of thepetition in the next episode. The production team will assign you a mission that will affect the order you¡¯ll be choosing your song or performance for the next stage.¡± The contestants were happy when they heard the first half of the speech, but when they heard that thepletion rate of the mission would affect their ability to choose their next performance, their faces fell. ¡°How can we rx now? He is obviously changing things up to keep us on our toes.¡± The contestants muttered among themselves. However, rxation time was always good. After a night of intense stress, the contestants could finally have a good night¡¯s rest. Jiang Xuxu pulled out her deck of cards again. She skillfully dealt the cards and looked at the other three before casually saying, ¡°Why are you looking at me? Take your cards!¡± Qi Wu blinked and picked up her hand of cards. She knew how to y now. Seeing that, Tong Luo and Ke Lu looked at each other and helplessly joined the game. Jiang Xuxu started chatting during the game. ¡°The person in charge of Dream Fantasy came all the way here. Really? Wow, Chang Xun is quite good.¡± Once she started talking, she would not stop. Upon noticing Qi Wu was staring at the cards in her hand, she continued, ¡°When I saw Chang Xun drop you off, I knew this day woulde! You¡¯re so amazing. He should be honored to be your manager!¡± However, Qi Wu immediately yed her card before looking up to refute Jiang Xuxu¡¯sment. ¡°It wasn¡¯t because of Chang Xun.¡± As Jiang Xuxu stared in confusion, Qi Wu slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s because of my debtholder. ¡± Before Jiang Xuxu could react, Tong Luo had already started coughing. She kept coughing and coughing loudly to interrupt everyone. She had not expected Qi Wu to just blurt it out like that! Fortunately, the camera was not recording tonight. Otherwise, Qi Wu would be doomed once this conversation was aired. Ke Lu noticed something was off and calmly nced at Tong Luo. Jiang Xuxu was stunned when she heard Qi Wu¡¯s answer. She remembered that Qi Wu¡¯s family had fallen from grace¡­A debtholder? Had her heartless parents sold her off to¡­ Jiang Xuxu did not want to think about it anymore. Anger surged in her. Her fury burned bright when she looked at Qi Wu¡¯s calm andposed face. How much pain did Qi Wu have to go through before she could master this nk look of tranquility? She finally could not hold it in any longer and mmed her hands on the table as she shot to her feet. ¡°Darn it!¡± The other three women looked up at her. Qi Wu quietly looked at Jiang Xuxu¡¯s hands on the table and solemnly asked, ¡°Xuxu, don¡¯t your hands hurt?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Xuxu immediately raised her hands and blew on them in pain. ¡°It hurts so much.¡± Tong Luo and Ke Lu were speechless. Was this aedy skit? Jiang Xuxu blew on her hands a few more times before seriously saying to Qi Wu, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You still have us.¡± After she finished speaking, she looked at Tong Luo and Ke Lu. ¡°No matter what kind of person she is, we will always stand behind her, right?¡± Tong Luo, who knew some of the truth, was at a loss for words. She felt that Jiang Xuxu had made the wrong guess, but it was a reasonable guess. Thus, she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ke Lu, who did not understand what was going on but had made an educated guess based on their reactions, nodded as well. Qi Wu tilted her head and looked at them in confusion. ¡°What is going on with you guys?¡± Jiang Xuxu was overwhelmed with sorrow for Qi Wu¡¯s situation. She thought that Qi Wu was forced to enter the industry because her family was in financial trouble. She had not expected that Qi Wu had been forced into something worse before this. ¡°Sweetie, is your debtholder good to you?¡± She was very careful as she asked that, afraid that she would trigger something. Seeing that Jiang Xuxu was bold enough to directly ask, Tong Luo and Ke Lu remained silent as they turned to look at Qi Wu. They were all quietly waiting for Qi Wu¡¯s answer. ¡°He¡¯s great. He gives me a ce to live, cooks for me, and even buys me lemon drops,¡± Qi Wu calmly replied. She then added with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s the best debtholder ever.¡± Emotions warred within the other three when they heard that. How was this man a debtholder? No man would be this nice to their girlfriend, let alone anyone else. However, looking at Qi Wu¡¯s face, Jiang Xuxu misunderstood the situation and thought Qi Wu was just in love. Wary, she immediately interrupted, ¡°That won¡¯t do, Sweetie!¡± ¡°How can you be satisfied so easily?¡± she asked with a pained expression. Even if you owe him¡­forget it. Still, you have to take what you want when it¡¯s time! You can¡¯t mistreat yourself, understand?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°How did you know that I owe him a lot of money?¡± Then, she recalled that Chang Xun had said that she might not be able to support Jin Si with her sry. She slumped in dejection. ¡°I still have to earn a lot more money to be able to support him.¡± None of them were on the same wavelength at all. Despite that, they were somehow able tomunicate without hassle. This time, before Jiang Xuxu could get angry, Tong Luo was the first to speak up in anger. ¡°Scumbag! Is he toying with you? Does he think you¡¯re just a tool to be used for money?¡± She had a slight change of opinion about Qi Wu¡¯s sugar daddy because of Dream Fantasy, but now it seemed like that was just nonsense! Even the taciturn Ke Lu decided to chime in. ¡°Lovestruck is bad.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes!¡± Jiang Xuxu quickly nodded. ¡°Your career is the most important thing of all! As long as you have a career and pay off your debts, you won¡¯t have to worry about him controlling you!¡± Tong Luo solemnly nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hinder your career!¡± Not even herself would be allowed to do so. Their sudden derations had Qi Wu blinking in confusion. ¡°I think you misunderstood something.¡± Jiang Xuxu and Tong Luo immediately shook their heads as they said in unison, ¡°Nope! We¡¯re serious!¡± Even Ke Lu nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Thus, a beautiful misunderstanding was born.. Chapter 83 - 83: How Did One Anger a Group of Fanatics With Just One Sentence? Chapter 83: How Did One Anger a Group of Fanatics With Just One Sentence? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS The next morning, the remaining 48 contestants headed to the cafeteria for breakfast after their morning exercise. As soon as they stepped into the cafeteria, they heard Song Qi say through the loudspeakers, ¡°Good morning, contestants.¡± ¡°Your mission today is a charity sale. You will be randomly assigned to 3 parks in the city. The money you earn will all go to charity.¡± ¡°There are no restrictions on the sale of goods. The contestant with the highest earnings in each category has the right to choose first. You will now receive information about your new teammates.¡± After Song Qi said that, everyone subconsciously looked for their phones to check on who their teammates were. There were 3 parks and 48 contestants, which meant that each park had at least 16 contestants. Tong Luo froze when she saw the names listed. She immediately looked at Qi Wu in panic. Sensing her gaze, Qi Wu turned to look at her. Tong Luo¡¯s annoyed and saddened voice rang out, saying, ¡°We¡¯re not going to the same park!¡± Qi Wu smiled. Next, Jiang Xuxu¡¯s wailing echoed through the air. ¡°Why am I teamed up with Jiang Yiran?¡± Jiang Yiran was puzzled for a moment. Then, he was upset. ¡°Jiang Xuxu, what do you mean by that?¡± Jiang Xuxu nced at him with visible disdain in her eyes. Then, she wrapped her arms around Qi Wu¡¯s shoulders and rested her head on Qi Wu¡¯s shoulder as she pitifully grumbled. ¡°I want to be with Sweetie.¡± Qi Wufortingly patted her on the back and gently said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± When Jiang Yiran saw that, he acted like he was going to vomit. ¡°I smell a two-faced liar in the room.¡¯ Jiang Xuxu¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously. Instead of getting angry, sheughed. ¡°I can be worse if you want.¡± She slowly stepped away from Qi Wu. In the next moment, she pounced on Jiang Yiran. ¡°Before that, I¡¯ll strangle you to death!¡± Jiang Yiran was so scared that he shot to his feet while cursing out, ¡°Shoot!¡± Tan Song looked at the list of names and silently pursed his lips. He had a smile on his face, but it vanished when he saw that he was not on the same team as Qi Wu. None of them had been assigned to the same park as Qi Wu. After epting this fact, Jiang Xuxu could not help but m her hands on the table. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this assignment! Are they targeting us?¡± In the control room, Song Qi sneezed. Sensing Qu Man¡¯s stare, he rubbed his nose. ¡°What are you looking at me for? I didn¡¯t expect theputer to split them up!¡± They really were not the ones behind it this time. They left the distribution to theputers. Even Song Qi was stunned when he saw that Qi Wu was not assigned to the same park as the others. Could it be that even theputers could not stand their antics anymore and wanted to break them up? It was undeniable that Song Qi was gloating about the crisis. Qu Man¡¯s mouth twitched as she sighed. ¡°The list has been sent out. It¡¯s up to them now.¡± Then, she seemed to have thought of something and muttered, ¡°Please don¡¯t just give up and fool around.. Ke Lu nced at Jiang Xuxu¡¯s dejected figure and coldly said, ¡°Rather than wasting time here, it¡¯s better to think about what to do next.¡± Tong Luo and Tan Song immediately agreed with that. ¡°Let¡¯s think about what to sell.¡± Tong Luo frowned and could not help but worry. Although there were no restrictions on what they could sell, they did not have much to sell. ¡°I brought a lot of small essories over. I can sell some of them,¡± Jiang Xuxu said while fidgeting. ¡°Heh. It¡¯s so obvious that you¡¯re all newbies who know nothing.¡± Jiang Yiran, who had been chased away by Jiang Xuxu, bravely came back. Before he could sit down, he could not help but mock them. Thus, he was the target of Qi Wu¡¯s death stare. Despite his anger, Jiang Yiran dared not speak. He coughed and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°What I mean is, the items can be handmade crafts, posters, autographs, or even food made by you! Don¡¯t you understand that you¡¯re an idol?¡± Among all the individuals present, Jiang Yiran was probably the only one who had truly be famous and knew what it was like to be adored by fans. He had attended many events, so he knew what fans liked. Realization struck. At that moment, Qi Wu slowly looked up at them with a solemn yet confused look. ¡°What is a charity sale?¡± Everyone who had juste up with an idea froze. They looked at Qi Wu¡¯s solemn eyes and suddenly felt a sense of responsibility surge in them. ¡°A charity sale is where you sell your things for money to be used for charity, ¡± Tan Song gently exined. Qi Wu nodded in understanding. Her things¡­she only had lemon drops. ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Let¡¯s go and prepare now!¡± The production team only gave them half a day to prepare. Tomorrow, the production team¡¯s vehicles would take them to the parks for the charity sale. Not long after Song Qi announced the mission, the contestants left the cafeteria. Qi Wu and the others were thest to leave. Just as she walked out of the cafeteria, Qi Wu spotted Qiu Yan walking toward her. If Qiu Yan had not appeared in front of them, they would have forgotten about her. Qiu Yan stopped when she was somewhat close to them and called out, ¡°Qi Wu.¡± Hearing Qiu Yan¡¯s voice, Jiang Xuxu stopped in her tracks. ¡°Qiu Yan? What are you doing here?¡± Qiu Yan nced at her. ¡°I¡¯m here for Qi Wu. Don¡¯t get in my way.¡± ¡°Who knows what schemes you¡¯re up to now?¡± Jiang Xuxu dragged Qi Wu over to stand behind her as if Jiang Xuxu was a mother protecting her child. There was a wary look in her eyes as she red at Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan¡¯s unusual behavior was too strange. This was aplete change from her previous self, who always had to be in the limelight. Qiu Yan sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the list? I¡¯m in the same park as Qi Wu. On the contrary¡­¡± Her gaze swept across the group of people behind Qi Wu. When she saw Jiang Yiran, she seemed to freeze in fear before hurriedly looking away. ¡°None of you will be with her.¡± How did one anger a group of fanatics with just one sentence? Qiu Yan did that. Now, everyone¡¯s faces are twisted in anger. It was not just Jiang Xuxu who was warily ring at Qiu Yan now. ¡°I just wanted to thank Qi Wu. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Qiu Yan ignored the others and looked at Qi Wu with a calm look on her face. ¡°You won¡¯t refuse my thanks, will you?¡± She seemed to know that Qi Wu was easily persuaded and that the others would listen to her, so she directly went for Qi Wu. Tong Luo subconsciously ced a hand on Qi Wu¡¯s arm and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Although she said that, she knew very well that Qi Wu would most likely go. She was always neutral in everything and forever treated others with kindness even though they may be bad people unless they injured the innocent and risked lives as Tong Fei did.. Chapter 84 - 84: Why Tan Song Would Go Through All That Trouble To Treat Her Well Chapter 84: Why Tan Song Would Go Through All That Trouble To Treat Her Well Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Sure enough, Qi Wu gently pushed Tong Luo¡¯s hand away and softly said, ¡°You guys can go back first.¡± ¡°How can this be?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you here!¡± Jiang Xuxu hurriedly said. Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°Go back.¡± At Qi Wu¡¯s insistence, they looked at each other and could onlypromise. Seeing that, the smugness in Qiu Yan¡¯s eyes grew. Ke Lu walked past her and coldly warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t try any of your schemes on her.¡± Qiu Yan was startled. She looked at Ke Lu¡¯s cold and indifferent eyes and shivered. What was going on? Why did this woman, whom she rarely paid attention to, make her hair stand on end just now? ¡°Qiu Yan.¡± Qiu Yan only came back to her senses when Qi Wu called out to her. She forced a smile. ¡°L-Let¡¯s go.¡± Qi Wu nced at Qiu Yan¡¯s pale face and didn¡¯t say anything. She quietly followed Qiu Yan. The two of them stopped in an empty alley. Qiu Yan took a deep breath and stated her purpose. ¡°I want to thank you for helping me get rid of Tong Fei.¡± Qi Wu tilted his head. ¡°She did it to herself.¡± She didn¡¯t do anything. Qiu Yan shook her head. ¡°If she didn¡¯t nder you, I¡¯m afraid she and the Tong family wouldn¡¯t have fallen so quickly.¡± Hearing this, Qi Wu¡¯s eyes shed. She stared at Qiu Yan without blinking, but Qiu Yan didn¡¯t sense it. She smiled bitterly and started talking. ¡°Sometimes, I¡¯m jealous of Jiang Xuxu. She¡¯s prettier than me and has better resources than me. She¡¯s always been better than me when she was a streamer, but now¡­¡± Qiu Yan nced at Qi Wu as her voice filled with jealousy. ¡°She has you by her side.¡± ¡°If the Derson beside me was vou¡­¡± Qiu Yan couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. It seemed that she felt that it was too embarrassing, so she changed the topic. ¡°Do you know what I experienced on the day I was taken away?¡± Qi Wu didn¡¯t say anything and looked at her calmly. It was this kind of magnanimous expression that made Qiu Yan willingly reveal the humiliation that she could not bear. ¡°My boyfriend, to appease Tong Fei, personally used a cigarette butt to burn wounds on my back one after another.¡± Qiu Yan suppressed her anger and upset and continued in a choked voice, ¡°He even groveled at Tong Fei and fawned over her to the point that I detested him. At that time, I was thinking that power was a good thing.¡± Qi Wu looked at the mes of hatred flickering in her eyes and sighed. ¡°But you still love him.¡± Qiu Yan suddenly froze as she gradually regained her rationality. She muttered to herself as if she was trying to convince herself, ¡°He was the one who brought me out of that circle and gave me a chance¡­¡± There was no pity in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes as she looked at her and he coldly said, ¡°Foolish. ¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± Qiu Yan¡¯s voice suddenly rose a few decibels. ¡°I can only keep climbing up. As long as I have power, no one will abuse me!¡± Qi Wu looked at her indifferently, like a merciful and cold goddess who was simply observing the world. Perhaps Qiu Yan was worthy of pity in the beginning, but it was obvious that she had lost herself in the wrong choices she made. ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± Qi Wu interrupted her calmly. ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Qiu Yan hurriedly said, ¡°If you were to do it again, would you choose Jiang Xuxu or me?¡± Qi Wu didn¡¯t answer and just quietly looked at her. Upon seeing her reflection in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes, Qiu Yan couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip. Just as Qiu Yan was about to give in, Qi Wu finally spoke, ¡°The choice has never been mine.¡± Her gaze swept across Qiu Yan, her expression neither sad nor happy. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± Looking at Qiu Yan¡¯s confused eyes, Qi Wu said, ¡°I should go.¡± Then, she walked away. Qiu Yan watched her figure disappear from view. She didn¡¯t say anything, but her hands were clenched into fists. When Qi Wu returned to the vi, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything to you, did she?¡± Jiang Xuxu asked nervously. Qi Wu shook her head. Seeing this, Jiang Xuxu was relieved. But when she thought of Qiu Yan¡¯s abnormal behavior, she couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°It feels weird. Qi Wu looked at her and smiled. At that moment, Ke Lu came down from upstairs with a metal box in her arms. Ke Lu walked up to Qi Wu and opened the lid of the metal box. There were all kinds of candies inside. The packaging of the candy was colorful with a few especially cute patterns. There were many candies inside that Qi Wu had never eaten before. She couldn¡¯t help but curiously and solemnly ask, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Yours.¡± Ke Lu then continued, ¡°You won¡¯t go empty-handed to the charity sale tomorrow.¡± Qi Wu¡¯s eyes widened slightly in joy, but her tone was firm and gentle. ¡°But this is the candy you gave me. I don¡¯t want to sell it.¡± Qi Wu cherished every gift from her friends. Ke Lu¡¯s cold and stern expression almost broke because of how cute Qi Wu was. Her fingertips moved subconsciously as if she wanted to stroke Qi Wu¡¯s head. In the end, she forced herself to lower her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are a lot of candies. You can take out some.¡± Since Ke Lu had made a move, Jiang Xuxu also ced a dazzling array of small essories that she had pulled out of her belongings into Qi Wu¡¯s arms. ¡°Sweetie, bring my share along too! I still have a lot of things here. Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Tong Luo gave Qi Wu the stack of origami she had made herself. Lifelike paper cranes and roses joined the pile in Qi Wu¡¯s arms. Qi Wu blinked. Seeing that there were so many things in her arms, she slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± This was the first time she had experienced such a feeling of reluctance. As these were something her friends had given her, Qi Wu could feel their warmth when her fingertips touched them. Jiang Xuxu burst intoughter and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll have more in the future!¡± At that moment, Jiang Yiran loudly called out from outside the vi. ¡°Open the door, Jiang Xuxu!¡± Not long after, Tan Song and Jiang Yiran walked in. The two of them had brought some stuff over. As expected, these things ended up in Qi Wu¡¯s hands. It seemed like this was the first time Jiang Yiran had done something like this. He couldn¡¯t help but look awkward. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Oi Wu smiled at him. ¡°Thank vou.¡± Jiang Yiran¡¯s heartbeat suddenly sped up. At that moment, he seemed to understand why Tan Song would go through all that trouble to treat her well.. Chapter 85 - 85: How Many Times You Gave Qi Wu Special Treatment Chapter 85: How Many Times You Gave Qi Wu Special Treatment Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jiang Yiran forced himself to look away as if to cover up his blushing ears as he awkwardly said, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you smile at me. I still won¡¯t forgive you for stealing Tan Song away!¡± Everyone was a fanatic now. When Qi Wu heard that, she obediently stopped smiling. ¡°Then I won¡¯t smile anymore.¡± Jiang Yiran was confused. Why was she so honest and obedient? He was now going to die from the res sent his way! With the support of a group of people, Qi Wu¡¯s belongings visibly increased, but she still only had one backpack. Thus, she looked at everyone¡¯s gifts in distress and muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t fit them all in.¡± Jiang Yiran looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Your luggage is just a¡­Hiss!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Tan Song, who was beside him, elbowed him. Jiang Yiran only felt the pain tor a moment, but his disbelietsted longer. That was because he didn¡¯t expect the gentle and polite Tan Song to elbow anyone. How could a person change so much right just because they were now fanatic about an idol? Jiang Xuxu red at Jiang Yiran, who looked away in speechlessness, then hurriedly said to Qi Wu, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sweetie. I just so happen to have an empty suitcase. You can just take that with you tomorrow!¡± Jiang Yiran, who had just been lectured by Tan Song, did not dare to make a sound. He could only watch as Qi Wu was surrounded by the group who cared for her. As he watched, he suddenly felt envious. The next day, Qi Wu boarded the production team¡¯s bus under the worried gazes of her ¡°guardians.¡± Qu Man was speechless. ¡°Hurry up and get to your bus. Why are you still standing here?¡± As Qu Man shouted at them, the group gradually dispersed. Qi Wu sat by the window and waved goodbye to them. She only pulled back after Qu Man chased the group back to their respective buses. Then, Qiu Yan sat beside her. The bus soon started moving. Qi Wu quietly looked at the scenery outside the window without saying a word. After a while, Qiu Yan suddenly said, ¡°I will prove to you that I am the best candidate.¡± Qi Wu helplessly sighed when she heard this. She seemed like a goddess of pity, sighing as she looked at the people struggling in their hard lives. ¡°Why do you have to prove it to me?¡± Her tone was gentle. ¡°You could make a better choice.¡± A person¡¯s life was nothing more than a series of multiple-choice questions, big or small. The difference was only in what their paths would look like as they walked down them. Qi Wu had enough patience and tolerance. However, Qiu Yan had already reached the point where she was just stubbornly refusing to see the error in her ways. When she heard what Qi Wu said, she adamantly dered, ¡°I will prove it.¡± When she heard the same answer, a hint of regret shed across Qi Wu¡¯s eyes. She then stopped trying to dissuade Qiu Yan. She had witnessed too many people who were obstinate in continuing down the wrong path and suffered the consequences for that. She could guide them, but she could not directly interfere with their fates. After driving for more than half an hour, they arrived at the park where Qi Wu¡¯s group was going to conduct the charity sale Central Park. It was thergest park around. Located in the center of the city where every inch ofnd was worth its weight in gold, it was surrounded by high-rise buildings and the living quarters of the elite. Once divided by the production team, everyone was given a huge area of the park. Hence, it didn¡¯t take long for the 16 contestants to spread out and look for the stalls that the program team had already set up. The cameramen were already in position. After Song Qi and the others sent the signal to start, the cameras started rolling. The stream was divided into 9 streams, which would be switched in and out based on the feedback from the audience. The fans who were notified of the stream started pouring in one after another. ¡®Are we going on an outdoor shoot today? I envy the people who live in the capital.¡¯ ¡®Everything looks very familiar. Are they at a park?¡¯ ¡®Congrattions for guessing correctly! I just came back from the park and saw the show¡¯s bus driving to it.] ¡®I¡¯m rubbing my hands in anticipation. I wonder what kind of activity it will be.¡¯ At the same time, Qi Wu¡¯s cameraman, Gray, looked silently at Qi Wu, who had not moved at all since she got out of the bus. Looking at Qi Wu¡¯s serious expression, Gray couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she was thinking. Not long after, Qi Wu turned around and asked him for help, ¡°Gray, where are we going?¡± Xiao Hui staggered, almost losing his grip on the camera. The cameramen were usually mute and were only responsible for operating the cameras. However, looking at Qi Wu¡¯s pitiful and pleading face, Xiao Hui silently pointed out a direction to her. Thanks to the fact that the props team ced a card on his hat, he had sessfully infiltrated the props team¡¯s group chat. Therefore, he knew that there was a stall set up by the production team by theke in the park. Qi Wu thanked him in a low voice before walking in the direction Gray pointed out. Every time Qi Wu slowed down and turned her head to look at him, Gray would give her another hint. Song Qi, who was watching from the control room, could not help but curse Gray out. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you giving directions to the contestants!¡± Gray was a member of the publicity team. Thus, Hu Mofei was the first to be upset when Gray was scolded. ¡°Why are you scolding him? Remember how many times you gave Qi Wu special treatment when she was rehearsing for ¡®City of Loneliness!?¡± Song Qi fell silent. He had no choice but to swallow his anger. Thinking about it carefully, he really did give Qi Wu special treatment. He appeared so often that he could see disdain in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes when looking at him. Thus, he could only shrug and turn a blind eye. Meanwhile, with Gray¡¯s help, Qi Wu sessfully found a stall that had yet to be upied. Along the way, while Qi Wu didn¡¯t make a sound, her eye-catching beauty meant her stall had already attracted a few visitors before it even opened for business. She carefully ced all sorts of trinkets on the stall as if they were priceless treasures. Many people were moved by this scene. Perhaps in their eyes, these were nothing, but in Qi Wu¡¯s eyes, they were precious gifts of love. Hence, after Qi Wu arranged them neatly one by one, two little girls, who had watched her walk over, finally couldn¡¯t hold their excitement any longer and walked over to her stall. They looked at Qi Wu with restrained excitement shimmering in their eyes. ¡°Excuse me, are these for sale?¡± Qi Wu seemed a little conflicted, but when she thought about how everyone had instructed her to sell them before she got on the bus, she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This is a rose that Tong Luo personally folded. This is¡­¡± She very carefully introduced the items, clearly exining the origins of each item. She even emphasized the intent behind them, which caused a pang in the hearts of everyone who listened to her.. Chapter 86 - 86: No One Can Say No to Angel Chapter 86: No One Can Say No to Angel Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS The stream just so happened to be showing Qi Wu then, so most of the viewers heard her introductions. ¡®Angel is the best! She can remember what everyone said!¡¯ ¡®Tell me where it is now! I want to support her!¡¯ The two little girls were even more tempted to buy something after hearing her introduction. They excitedly pointed at a few of the trinkets and said, ¡°Can we have Tong Luo¡¯s paper crane and Jiang Xuxu¡¯s hairpin?¡± ¡°I want Ke Lu¡¯s candy!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As their desires were pure and innocent, Qi Wu agreed to sell the items. She did not know how to set the price, so she let the two little girls decide. They looked at each other and shyly grabbed their skirts. ¡°Miss, we didn¡¯t bring a lot of money with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Whatever you can afford.¡± Qi Wu didn¡¯t care how much she could earn. She just didn¡¯t want to disappoint anyone. Hearing that, the two little girls finally mustered up their courage and pulled out a few bills from their small bags. One of them carefully folded the bills and handed them to Qi Wu as she said, ¡°Miss, this is all the money we have.¡± The stream viewers were speechless. ¡®That¡¯s not a lot of money? Really?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m actually poorer than a child¡­¡¯ ¡®This is Central Park. Just think about the people living nearby.¡¯ Qi Wu didn¡¯t care about the money, so she calmly epted it. Upon seeing that the two little girls were reluctant to leave, she took out the jar of lemon drops from her backpack. She gently asked the two little girls, ¡°Do you want some lemon drops?¡± They recognized thebel on the jar. The jar was from the famous handmade lemon drop shop on Main Street. They eagerly nodded. After Qi Wu gave them two pieces each, the girls sweetly smiled in joy. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Wu couldn¡¯t help but smile.¡± You¡¯re wee.¡± With the two little girls leading the charge, the other visitors who had been standing nearby for a long time finally moved. However, as if they were afraid of scaring Qi Wu, they didn¡¯t rush over like a swarm of bees. Instead, they politely lined up. The stream viewers were touched upon seeing that. ¡®As expected, no one can say no to Angel.¡¯ ¡®Haha, are they afraid of scaring Qi Wu? What they don¡¯t know is that she is an angel with monstrous strength!¡¯ ¡®Can the young man stop blushing? Angel belongs to everyone!¡¯ Xi family residence. Xi Huanran had changed and was ready to go to the park. When she passed by the living room, she spotted Jin Si ying chess with Mr. Xi. She could not help but pounce at them. She eagerly looked at Jin Si. ¡°Uncle, can you apany me to the park?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jin Si coldly and heartlessly replied. As her grandfather was present, Xi Huanran decided to muster up her tears and sobbed. ¡°I just want to y with you!¡± Mr. Xi could not ignore his granddaughter¡¯s sobbing. He looked up at Jin Si and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been at home for a while. Why don¡¯t you bring Huanran out to y? What kind of uncle are you?¡±¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want her toe back crying, that¡¯s fine,¡± Jin Si replied calmly. Mr. Xi choked. He thought of Jin Si¡¯s personality and realized that it might actually happen. When she heard that, Xi Huanran stopped acting and grumbled, ¡°I won¡¯te back crying!¡± ¡°Oh? Then, go to the park by yourself.¡± Jin Si coldly rejected her once more. Xi Huanran was so angry that she jumped off the couch and angrily stomped away. ¡°Meanie! You¡¯ll regret this! Come on, Mr. Butler. We¡¯ll go by ourselves!¡± Jin Si could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if I go with you.¡± Mr. Xi helplessly looked at his son.¡± Can¡¯t you go with them? She¡¯s your niece, after all. ¡°I¡¯m doing this so that she doesn¡¯t get cheated when she¡¯s older,¡± Jin Si calmly said. Mr. Xi was at a loss for words. The ce where Xi Huanran often went was Central Park. The people who brought her here before were always the family¡¯s butler. Although she liked to y, she was very sensible and would not run around and cause trouble for the old butler. However, not long after they arrived at the park, Xi Huanran realized that the park was full of people today. She could not help but tug at the butler¡¯s pants and curiously asked, ¡°Mr. Butler, why is the park so lively today?¡± The butler went to ask a passerby. Not long after, he returned with an answer for Xi Huanran. ¡°Miss, it seems that the contestants of a show are hosting charity sales here. That¡¯s why they¡¯re all here.¡± Xi Huanran nodded, not fully understanding what that meant. She loved to join in the fun, so she naturally refused to miss out. Thus, she immediately went to the area where the charity sales were happening. Xi Huanran followed her usual habit of heading to thekeside where she liked to hang out. However, before she arrived at her destination, she spotted the prettydy that was on TV. The little girl eximed, ¡°It¡¯s the prettydy from TV!¡± Then, Xi Huanran impatiently ran over. ¡°Mr. Butler, hurry up!¡± Her sudden excitement confused the butler. However, upon seeing how many people were there, he immediately followed her as he was afraid that she would get lost. At that moment, Qi Wu¡¯s stall had already lost more than half of its items. Not only were there park visitors who were lured over by her beauty, but there were also fans who came to see her. The excited screams of her fans couldpete with the screams of fans attending arge-scale fan meeting. ¡°Aah! Angel is even more beautiful in person!¡± ¡°Her voice is so gentle! I¡¯m falling in love!¡± Qi Wu gently gazed at them in confusion. ¡°Angel? Do you mean me?¡± The fans were even happier to be responded to. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re an angel fallen from the skies to save us!¡± Qi Wu could not help but smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she sincerely said. The fans shook their heads. ¡°No, no. We should be thanking you! You must make it to the end and debut! You¡¯ll lead our entertainment industry to greater heights!¡± ¡°I want to be a hardcore fan! Angel, you must make your debut!¡± The joy and excitement Qi Wu sensed from their words made the smile on her lips deepen. One of the fans took a photo of that. ¡°I think I have the talent to run a fan page. What do you think?¡± Her friend next to her mercilessly popped her bubble. ¡°You talk like she has an ugly side.¡± The fan tried to defend her dignity and said, ¡°No! I will run a fan page and be a big name in Angel¡¯s fandom!¡± Chapter 87 - 87: The Pretty Lady Uncle Likes To Watch Chapter 87: The Pretty Lady Uncle Likes To Watch Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS The fans didn¡¯t stay for long. After buying the things they wanted, they only lingered for a while before politely leaving so that they would not bother Qi Wu and the other customers who wanted to purchase something. The people around the stall eventually left, leaving only one or two people who were still trying to make up their minds. Just then, Xi Huanran appeared on the right side of the stall. She curiously looked up at Qi Wu. ¡°Are you the prettydy on TV?¡± Her big, lively eyes shimmered as she sized up Qi Wu. Qi Wu looked at the girl who suddenly appeared beside her and tilted her head. ¡°The prettydy on TV?¡± The next thing she knew, the girl seemed to have gotten confirmation as she suddenly happily shouted, ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the prettydy Uncle likes to watch!¡± The butler standing behind her was speechless. He seemed to have heard something strange. Xi Huanran was not afraid of strangers at all. She also liked Qi Wu very much, so wanted to cling to Qi Wu. Hence, she mustered up her courage and walked to Qi Wu¡¯s side. ¡°Are you having a charity sale?¡± Qi Wu nodded. Seeing that, Xi Huanran ced her hands behind her back like she was imitating an adult. ¡°I know what a charity sale is. I want to contribute too!¡± Then, her big round eyes swept across the stall¡¯s surface. ¡°Which of these are yours?¡± Qi Wu squatted down and gently exined to her, ¡°These are gifts from my friends. I only¡­¡± She nced around and pulled out the jar of lemon drops that only had a few pieces left. ¡°I only have lemon drops,¡± she solemnly continued. Unexpectedly, Xi Huanran¡¯s eyes lit up. She pulled out a simr jar of lemon drops from her bag. She happily said to Qi Wu, ¡°I have that, too! Uncle bought it for me!¡± Qi Wu was surprised. ¡°You have a lot left,¡± Qi Wu said, swiftly getting engrossed in the topic. Xi Huanran proudly raised her head. ¡°Uncle bought it for me, but since you¡¯re so pretty, I can give you some.¡± Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t take away what others love.¡± Xi Huanran looked puzzled. ¡°What about sharing with friends? Do you want to be my friend?¡± As she spoke, she slowly slumped over with a sad frown as her face scrunched up in distress. ¡°Friends?¡± Qi Wu tilted her head and looked at Xi Huanran. She smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then, I can share my lemon drops with you.¡± Thus, the two became friends and exchanged the same amount of lemon drops. Still, they were very happy about the trade. The stream viewers watched with relish. They were not bored at all. ¡®The girl is so pretty! Her parents must be very pretty as well.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s pretty and part of the elite. Look at the butler standing behind her.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a perfect match with Angel! How can she be so cute? That¡¯s against the rules of physics!¡¯ After the exchange, Xi Huanran softly asked, ¡°Can I take a photo with my new friend?¡± Qi Wu dly agreed to the request. Hence, the little girl threw herself into Qi Wu¡¯s arms with an excited and shy look on her face as her eyes widened in excitement. ¡°You smell so good.¡± She then began to urge the butler to take a photo. ¡°Mr. Butler, take a photo of The butler kindly took a picture of them. The other people standing around felt envious. How nice it was to be a child. They could do whatever they wanted. Xi Huanran was still not satisfied with 1 photo. After she set the photo as her phone lock screen wallpaper, she asked, ¡°Can we exchange contact information No one would be able to say no when a cute little girl was staring at them with clear, bright eyes. Qi Wu was no exception. She nodded once more. ¡°All right.¡± The viewers were shocked. ¡®Let her go! I want Angel¡¯s contact information!¡¯ ¡®I want to be that girl. That would be great.¡¯ ¡®How I wish I could see what photos Angel uploads and sends. Surely, they¡¯ll all feature her beauty.¡¯ In reality, Qi Wu had never posted or sent any photos of herself, if she even did upload anything. That was because she did not know how to do so. With contact information exchanged, Xi Huanran, who thought that she had made a new friend, immediately helped Qi Wu attract more customers. The little girl¡¯s voice was crisp and clear as she happily bounced around. She instantly attracted many visitors with her lively nature. Between the two of them, the trinkets were soon sold out. It was around noon, still. Qi Wu did not know how much money she had earned that day. She looked at the bills in the cardboard box and turned around to look at Gray. ¡°Is this enough?¡± she solemnly asked. Gray looked at therge bills in the box and slowly nodded. As Qi Wu didn¡¯t set a price and the people living near the park were either rich or powerful, everyone was happy to pay more for charity. Hence, she had actually umted a lot of money. Qi Wu handed the cardboard box to the production team. She looked down at her new friend, who was still waiting by her side and gently asked, ¡°I don¡¯t have money. Otherwise, I¡¯d treat you to lunch.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Xi Huanran looked up. ¡°I have money, though.¡± Then, she happily cried out, ¡°Can we go for lunch together?¡± Qi Wu regretfully shook her head. ¡°I still have to work.¡± She had promised Chang Xun that she would work hard. ¡°Okay.¡± While the little girl was disappointed, she was not unreasonable. Hence, she stood at the entrance of the park and waved goodbye to Qi Wu. ¡°I will vote for you!¡± Qi Wu responded with a smile. Xi Huanran was very happy with her trip. When she returned to the Xi family residence, she was still jumping around excitedly. Jin Si, who was passing by, smirked. ¡°You¡¯re like a monkey.¡± Xi Huanran¡¯s excitement immediately died down as her face fell. ¡°I am not a monkey!¡± She had wanted to tell Jin Si that she had met the prettydy, but then she suddenly remembered her promise to Jin Si and quickly covered her mouth. She jogged over and softly said to Jin Si, ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± She tugged at Jin Si¡¯s pants to move him upstairs. Jin Si calmly watched as she tried her best to pull him away but failed to do so. He lifted Xi Huanran up with a mocking smile. Xi Huanran seemed to have something urgent to tell him, so she did not. She hurriedly urged Jin Si to return to his room. Jin Si raised his eyebrows and looked at her inquisitively before he leisurely walked upstairs. After bringing Xi Huanran to his room, Jin Si put her down. She bounced over to him and showed off her phone¡¯s screen.. ¡°Look! I have a photo of me with the prettydy!¡± Chapter 88 - 88: Protect Qi Wu From the Dark Chapter 88: Protect Qi Wu From the Dark Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jin Si suddenly froze. While looking at the photo, he was not looking at Xi Huanran who was snuggling in Qi Wu¡¯s arms and smiling like a little fool. Instead, he was staring at Qi Wu in the photo. She seemed to have grown up a lot and liked to smile more. Jin Si mused. Xi Huanran was a little tired after holding the phone up for a few seconds straight. Just as she was about to pull back. Jin Si took the phone away from her. She let out a cry and nted her hands on her hips. ¡°Give it back!¡± Jin Si ignored her and asked, ¡°Where did you take this?¡± ¡°At the park,¡± Xi Huanran muttered. ¡°She¡¯s so pretty and nice. She even exchanged lemon drops with me!¡± Jin Si did not know what to say. He was the one who bought the candies, after all. The corners of his mouth twitched as he calmly looked at Xi Huanran. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, did you?¡± It could be said that Jin Si knew his impatient niece very well. He would never believe that she was capable of behaving herself. As expected, there was a strange glint in her eyes. She ced her hands behind her back and bashfully said, ¡°We¡¯ve added each other on messaging apps. We¡¯re already good friends now!¡± An inexplicable anger welled up in Jin Si¡¯s heart. He sneered. ¡°Friends? With a little brat like you?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± In order to express her anger, Xi Huanran snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to y with you anymore! I have new friends!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she moved to snatch the phone from Jin Si¡¯s hand. However, the height difference was so great that Xi Huanran was left jumping in vain. When she was tired of jumping and bent over to catch her breath, Jin Si slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her.¡± Hearing that, the little girl immediately moved closer. ¡°Uncle, do you really know her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Jin Si¡¯s answer was blunt and tactless. He used one hand to keep Xi Huanran away while returning the phone with his other hand. Xi Huanran was even more confused when she received the phone. After a while, she came to a realization and happily shouted, ¡°I know!¡± Then, she announced in all seriousness, ¡°She¡¯s a celebrity you like! Fans like to protect their idols from the dark, right?¡± Jin Si¡¯s face darkened as he looked at her in confusion. Protect Qi Wu from the dark? Him? Jin Si sneered. ¡°I think you hit your head a few too many times when you were growing up.¡± Xi Huanran was used to being insulted by her uncle. If Jin Si were to treat her gently one day, Xi Huanran would feel afraid instead. She twisted her fingers together and dazedly asked, ¡°Why do you keep watching her on TV then?¡± Jin Si was stunned by the question. He looked away coldly. ¡°No reason.¡± How would he know why? Jin Si opened the door and was about to leave when Xi Huanran hurriedly called out to him, ¡°Uncle, where are you going?¡± ¡°On a walk to aid with digestion,¡± said Jin Si without turning his head. Xi Huanran stopped in her tracks. Her beautiful and tender face was filled with doubt and confusion. Jin Si had never done that before. As Qi Wu¡¯s charity sale had ended, she nked out at her stall after she watched Xi Huanran leave. After some time, she turned around and saw Qiu Yan standing behind her. Qiu Yan seemed to have been standing there for quite a while. It was not until she turned around that Qiu Yan came forward. ¡°Are you done too?¡± There was an unconceble pride on her face. It was obvious that her charity sale had gone very smoothly. Qi Wu calmly hummed in acknowledgement. Qiu Yan took another step forward and continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t we team up next? They¡¯re not here anyway.¡± Qi Wu frowned when she saw Qiu Yan walking closer. Then, she looked behind Qiu Yan and softly said, ¡°Qiu Yan, turn around.¡± Qiu Yan turned around in confusion. What she saw next petrified her. What did she see? It was her boyfriend. He was currently in a car a few meters away from her and acting very gentle and doting around another woman. When she saw the man lower his head to kiss that woman, Qiu Yan couldn¡¯t control her anger anymore. She recognized that woman. It was her boyfriend¡¯s superior. She was so angry that her entire body trembled, and her voice was so shrill that it almost cracked as she shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qiu Yan felt as if she had fallen into a sea of icy water, but what felt even colder was her heart. She had suffered so much for him. In order to let him climb higher in his job, she was willing to endure Tong Fei¡¯s humiliation and torture. In the end, he just¡­ Qiu Yan couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rushed over like a mad woman. When her boyfriend heard her voice, he turned around and saw her charging over. He started the car in a panic. However, Qiu Yan was still waiting for an answer. She still had hope for that man, so she rushed to the front of the car. ¡°Move aside!¡± The man in the car cursed. When he saw that Qiu Yan was not moving at all, he made up his mind and drove at her as though he was going to ram into her. The people around the area and the stream viewers felt their hearts sink when they saw that. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why is Qiu Yan acting so crazy?¡¯ ¡®He can¡¯t be thinking of crashing into her, right? Shoot!¡¯ ¡®Qiu Yan is a fool. Get out of the way! Scumbags are not worth it!¡¯ Qiu Yan looked at the man¡¯s hideous face through the ss and her heart turned cold. She even¡­thought it would be nice if she could be set free just like that. However, in the next moment, Qi Wu appeared out of nowhere to stand beside the car. She frowned and reached in to turn the steering wheel. The car swiftly turned toward a streetmp nearby. The man¡¯s eyes widened in shock. As the screams of the woman in the passenger seat echoed through the air, he subconsciously stepped on the brakes. Bang! The front of the car still hit the streetmp, resulting in a dent in the metal. The two people in the car were in shock. When the man came back to his senses, he wanted to turn around and scold the person who touched his steering wheel. However, when he turned around, he was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say anything. Not only was it because of Qi Wu¡¯s beauty, but also because of the frosty look on her face that made her seem like a stern but rational and calm judge. Qiu Yan was prepared to die. She didn¡¯t expect the courage she had mustered up to crumble when she saw Qi Wu save her. Her legs went weak. Fear instantly swept through her entire body. She limply fell to the ground. At that moment, the viewers were busy chatting away in the stream about Qi Wu¡¯s swift reaction. ¡®Darn! What did I just see? She¡¯s so strong!¡¯ ¡®She actually held onto the car door with one hand to force the car to slow down while her other hand turned the steering wheel!¡¯ Chapter 89 - 89: Jin Si, You’re Petty Chapter 89: Jin Si, You¡¯re Petty Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS ¡®She¡¯s not just strong. She has the strength of a monster!¡¯ ¡®Qi Wu is just amazing. She didn¡¯t want to talk to Qiu Yan, but she still risked her life to save Qiu Yan!¡¯ ¡®What if that move was actually not a great feat for Angel?¡¯ The truth was just as that person said. Qi Wu thought nothing of what she did. Still, it was the second time she had stopped a car. Qi Wu couldn¡¯t help but feel a little vexed. Why did the people in this world like to crash their cars? She coldly looked away and tilted her head as she looked at Qiu Yan who had fallen to the ground. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qiu Yan calmed down slightly upon meeting Qi Wu¡¯s eyes. She stiffly nodded. Just then, the two people had gotten out of the car. The woman was cursing the man out with an ugly look on her face. After she finished shouting, she haughtily stood away from him. The man was clearly groveling as he spoke to her. Once her anger died down a little, he turned to look at Qiu Yan. The moment he turned his head, a dark look reced the fawning look on his face. ¡°Qiu Yan, what are you doing? We¡¯ve already broken up!¡± ¡°Broken up?¡± Qiu Yan stared at him in disbelief. She didn¡¯t know where the strength came from, but she stood up and stomped over. ¡°When did this happen?¡± she slowly spat out. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me anything!¡± He guiltily looked away. However, he continued to confidently dere, ¡°Back then.¡± When Qiu Yan heard that, it became clear that it was when Tong Fei had targeted her and ordered this man to humiliate her. It turned out that he had already decided to abandon her back then. However, she was still delusional and treated him like he was her savior. At that moment, the resentment in Qiu Yan¡¯s heart seemed to rush through her body. Without thinking twice, she pounced. ¡°Scum!¡± Her sharp nails scratched the man¡¯s face, instantly leaving bloody scratches on his face. His face twisted as he softly cursed. ¡°Crazy woman, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Qiu Yan had already lost all sense of rationality. She wanted to drag him down to hell with her. She was already ruined, so he could forget about living a good life! Qi Wu seemed to have expected this oue. She calmly retreated to the side. When the other people pointed at her, she turned around and looked at Gray who was standing behind her. Upon seeing Gray¡¯s dumbfounded expression, she said, ¡°Wake up. Call the police.¡± Xiao Hui suddenly snapped back to his senses when she said that. He hurriedly pulled out his phone, almost losing his grip on the camera. When the stream viewers saw the camera shaking, they wished they could run over to stabilize the camera for him. Qi Wu stepped forward and took the camera that weighed around 8 pounds from his hands, then she aimed the camera at Qiu Yan and the others. The viewers were caught off guard. The production team was also shocked by what she did. ¡®¡­ As expected of a big shot, she¡¯s so calm!¡¯ ¡®I have a feeling that Angel has a lot of hidden skills.¡¯ ¡®Why doesn¡¯t Qi Wu go up and stop the fight?¡¯ ¡®Are you dumb? She would be implicated if she tried to mediate the fight, and it is not appropriate for others to interfere in a rtionship. I think it¡¯s good enough that Qi Wu saved Qiu Yan.¡¯ ¡®Agreed! Don¡¯t tie Angel down with your high and mighty attitude on morality!¡¯ ¡®Actually, it¡¯s quite fun to watch Qiu Yan tear a scumbag apart.¡¯ While Gray called the police, Qi Wu, who was carrying the camera, nced at a corner of the park. She seemed to have seen someone. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she silently mouthed, ¡°Jin Si.¡± Not far away, Jin Si stood quietly behind the bushes. When he sensed that Qi Wu had noticed him, a smile shed in his eyes. When he saw Qi Wu rush out to save Qiu Yan, Jin Si almost lost control of himself. However, when he saw how easily she managed to control the situation, Jin Si finally came to his senses. Why was he worried about her? She was a capable woman. However, the lingering tension in his body reminded him that he was very worried just now. Finally, Gray got through to the police. When he ended the call, he realized that Qi Wu had been helping him carry the camera. Looking at her rxed face, Xiao Hui was bewildered. She truly had monstrous strength! She had just saved someone, yet she still had the strength to carry the camera. Just how strong was she? Gray looked at her with admiration. ¡°I¡¯ve already called the police. The police will be here soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Wu returned the camera to him. ¡°Continue filming. I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡± Then, she waved her hand and casually walked away. Gray, who was holding the camera with a silly look on his face, was at a loss for words. Wait. He should follow her. He was not here to film a fight. Gray and Qiu Yan¡¯s cameraman looked at each other before silently settling down by the road. After Qi Wu walked away, she headed down a small path in the park. She walked aimlessly until she heard Jin Si¡¯s voice from behind her. ¡°Turn around.¡± Qi Wu stopped in her tracks and turned around to quietly look at her. ¡°Jin Si.¡± She tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jin Si walked forward and used the same excuse he had just used. ¡°On a walk to aid digestion.¡± Qi Wu mercilessly exposed him for his lie. ¡°You¡¯ve never done that before.¡± Jin Si fell silent. After a moment, he said, ¡°It was on a whim.¡¯ ¡°Alright then.¡± Qi Wu quickly epted this reason. She took the small backpack on her shoulder and pulled out her somewhat empty jar of lemon drops from it. She looked just like a child reporting to her guardian. ¡°Jin Si, I¡¯m almost out of lemon drops,¡± she said. Jin Si raised his eyebrows andnguidly said, ¡°Why did you give it out to other people then?¡± Qi Wu stared in confusion. ¡°How did you know?¡± Jin Si froze. A trace of panic shed across his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. ¡°I guessed.¡± Qi Wu nodded. Although Jin Si was lying, she did not expose him. Jin Si, who did not know that Qi Wu had seen through him, slowly asked, ¡°You want more? You said nost time.¡¯ Qi Wu stared at him. After a while, she slowly said, ¡°Jin Si, you¡¯re petty.¡± Jin Si was so angry that he felt likeughing. That urge grew stronger when he saw the look in her deep eyes as if she was using him of bringing up old scores. He reached out to stroke her soft hair as the corners of his mouth curled up into a yful smile. Then, he casually and loftily said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m petty..¡± Chapter 90 - 90: Angel of Monstrous Strength: The Ideal Boyfriend Chapter 90: Angel of Monstrous Strength: The Ideal Boyfriend Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS A minuteter, Jin Si looked at Qi Wu, who was carefully tugging at the corner of his shirt. He did not know whether tough or cry. He nced at her and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Qi Wu pursed her lips and tried to demand, ¡°Jin Si, candy.¡± Jin Si stared at her as his thoughts wandered. She liked to call him by his name. No matter what the asion was, she tended to call him by name first. Nothing sounded nicer than when she pleaded with him for more candy. He snapped back to reality and looked at Qi Wu, who had somehow moved to stand right in front of him while he was lost in his thoughts. Jin Si took a step back without batting an eyelid. Then, he pulled out the jar of lemon drops that he had subconsciously kept on him before he left the Xi family residence. It was a small jar of lemon drops that was only the size of Jin Sit s palm. He handed the jar of lemon drops to Qi Wu and said, ¡°If you refuse again next time, there won¡¯t be any more.¡± After saying this, he couldn¡¯t help but think that he was indeed very stingy. Jin Si¡¯s gaze immediatelynded on something behind Qi Wu. When he saw that Qi Wu¡¯s cameraman was about to find them, a hint of displeasure shed across his eyes. However, he didn¡¯t show it in front of Qi Wu. Jin Si lowered his eyes and quietly watched Qi Wu stuff the jar of lemon drops into the small backpack he had bought for her. ¡°I should go,¡± he softly said. Qi Wu didn¡¯t ask why and just waved at him. ¡°Goodbye, Jin Si.¡± Jin Si could not help but snort. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he only took a deep look at Qi Wu before turning around and disappearing around the corner. Qi Wu calmly turned around and walked toward Gray. When he saw that he had finally found her, Xiao Hui heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°The police have already taken the three of them away.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Qi Wu followed Gray back to the production team¡¯s bus parked at the entrance of the park. All the contestants were already on the bus, except for Qi Wu and Gray. When most of them returned, they witnessed the scene of Qiu Yan and the others being taken away by the police. They were curious about what happened. Later on, it was the bystanders who kindly exined to them what had happened. The contestants who heard about the incident looked at Qi Wu, who calmly got into the car, and immediately felt a deep respect for her. She was ridiculously strong! How could such a powerhouse be on the same show as they were? What they didn¡¯t know was that not long after they returned to their rooms, Qi Wu was trending again. ¡®Angel of Monstrous Strength: the Ideal Boyfriend¡¯ ¡®Breaking News: Love Triangle Spat at Central Park; Qiu Yan of ¡°Rookie Assembly¡± involved!¡¯ As a lot of people were around, there were a lot of recordings of the incident. Moreover, the production team was streaming the entire time. As Song Qi wanted to watch what was happening, he could not bear to cut away to another camera. Thus, when Chang Xun silently watched the video of Qi Wu saving Qiu Yan, he fell into thought. He picked up the box of cigarettes beside him, took out a cigarette, and lit it. When the cigarette was finished, Chang Xun was still worried and could not figure her out. Finally, he dialed Jin Si¡¯s number. As soon as the call went through, his voice trembled as he asked, ¡°Jin Si, is Qi Wu really your bodyguard?¡± Chang Xun was in a state of disbelief, but the truth was right in front of him. He had no choice but to ept it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say those who offer themselves up are worthless?¡± Jin Si¡¯s sarcasm was clear over the phone. Chang Xun was so frightened that his heart trembled. He looked like he wanted to cry, but no tears came out. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were telling the truth!¡± Qi Wu didn¡¯t look like a bodyguard. Moreover,pared to Jin Si, the thin and quiet Qi Wu clearly looked more like someone who needed to be protected. However, Chang Xun turned his head and looked at theputer screen in front of him. Qi Wu was forcing the car to slow down with one hand while his other hand was still calmly controlling the steering wheel. He suddenly realized that he had been too naive. Even though he had heard that Qi Wu had great strength, it was only limited to that. He had never thought that her strength would actually be that monstrous! In the end, he tricked Jin Si¡¯s bodyguard into bing a celebrity. It was no wonder that Jin Si disliked him. After all, the bodyguard that he had liked and coaxed into his employment had been stolen. Wait a minute! Chang Xun suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Since she¡¯s a bodyguard, why did you cook for her? You even bought her clothes and candy?¡± It was what led to the misunderstanding. Jin Si¡¯s behavior was the problem here. As a thought struck him, Chang Xun said, ¡°Jin Si, are you.. Jin Si froze, but his attention was still on the call. ¡°Do you have something on Qi Wu?¡± Chang Xun continued. Jin Si was rendered speechless. What expectations did he have for Chang Xun¡¯s mind? ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Jin Si abruptly ended the call. As the phone continued to beep, Chang Xun kept thinking about it. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was. What a surprise. He had not expected this to be the truth. Why was he suddenly so excited? He really wanted to know how Qi Wu managed to control Jin Si. Before Qi Wu could go to the cafeteria to greet the workers there, he was surrounded by her friends, who had rushed back. ¡°Sweetie, you scared me to death! How could you just stop the car like that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do something so dangerous again.¡± ¡°After this, Qiu Yan probably won¡¯t appear around here again.¡± ¡°Were you born with this strange strength?¡± When they saw the video that had gone viral, they impatiently rushed back. When they saw that Qi Wu was fine, they were relieved. Jiang Yiran even asked Qi Wu if she was born with this strange strength. The others red at him. ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Wu solemnly answered. Jiang Yiran was a little envious. He wanted to have such an ability as well. Jiang Xuxu rolled her eyes at Jiang Yiran and clung to Qi Wu¡¯s arm. ¡°He¡¯s just throwing a fit. Ignore him. Let¡¯s get some food.¡± ¡°I am not throwing a fit!¡± Jiang Yiran immediately chased after them, cursing aloud the whole time. Tong Luo, Ke Lu, and Tan Song silently looked at him. The message in their eyes was evident. Jiang Yiran was speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched. Surrounded by the group of fanatics, he could only admit defeat. ¡°Forget it. Anyway, everyone is envious of her strength!¡± The noon sun shone brightly down at the group of young individuals as they walked down the road with their shadows yfully bumping into each other. It was a sight that spoke of springtime.. Chapter 91 - 91: Encouraging Her To Fall in Love Chapter 91: Encouraging Her To Fall in Love Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS The next day, the contestants gathered in the hall. ¡°The nextpetition will be called the Advancement Competition. Simrly, after the round ends, thest 4 contestants of each category will be disqualified.¡± As they had already introduced the rules before, Song Qi only briefly said a few words before announcing what the contestants could select this time. ¡°Also, due to the unique nature of the Musician category, you guys can perform songs you¡¯ve written yourselves.¡± There were quite a few songwriters in the Musician category. When they heard this, excitement shone on their faces. Tan Song¡¯s eyes flickered as he thought of the piece he was about to finish, and his gaze subconsciously turned to Qi Wu. When Jiang Yiran heard what Song Qi said, the first thing that came to mind was Tan Song. However, just as he was about to turn around and say something, he saw Tan Song staring at Qi Wu again. Fortunately, Jiang Yiran was already used to it after being exposed to it all the time. Tong Luo couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue after reading about the scripts avable for them. ¡°It really is apetition for advancement. The difficulty of the scripts has obviously increased to the next level. Qi Wu, which one are you going to choose?¡± Qi Wu quietly watched the four clips ying on the screen. After a while, she gently answered Tong Luo¡¯s question. ¡°Dreand.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tong Luo was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®Dreand¡¯ a romance drama? Why would you¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, Tong Luo suddenly thought of the sugar daddy who treated Qi Wu as a money-making tool, and she immediately became wary. ¡°Why do you want to choose this?¡± she cautiously asked. ¡°I want to experience that,¡± Qi Wu calmly and firmly said. She wanted to know how it felt to be healed. ¡°Dreand¡± was a short story about a young girl who was stuck in a hospital because of her illness. She was then healed by a young man who appeared in her dream. In the end, she won in her fight against her illness. However, in Tong Luo¡¯s eyes, it sounded like Qi Wu wanted to fall in love. Honestly speaking, Tong Luo felt ufortable at the thought of Qi Wu dating. She should be loved by everyone, not just one person. Unfortunately, no matter how upset Tong Luo was, Qi Wu still chose ¡°Dreand.¡± When she made her choice, not only were the other contestants surprised, but Song Qi was also surprised. After all, judging by Qi Wu¡¯s cold demeanor, she didn¡¯t look like someone who would act in a romance drama. Song Qi¡¯s eyes were sharp, so he was able to get straight to the point as he questioned, ¡°Qi Wu doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s been in a rtionship before. Can she seed in a romance?¡± Qu Man shrugged. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll surprise you.¡± ¡°Absolutely impossible.¡± Song Qi was very certain of his answer. ¡°Perhaps she has witnessed a lot, but love is not something that can be acted out. This is the only thing that needs to be experienced.¡± When Hu Mofei heard that, he immediately felt that something was wrong. ¡°Song, are you encouraging my daughter to fall in love?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Song Qi cursed. ¡°Xuxu, what does it feel like to be in love?¡± This was the third time Qi Wu had grabbed someone and asked that question. Jiang Xuxu thought that Qi Wu was testing her, so she solemnly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know that a proper idol should focus on her career. I would never fall in love!¡± Qi Wu was speechless. It was rare for her to feel that way. Tong Luo, who was passing by, helplessly sighed. ¡°She chose a romance drama and is now looking for inspiration.¡± Qi Wu nodded in agreement. Jiang Xuxu heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that. I might be a social butterfly, but I am forever alone.¡± Qi Wu was confused. Why couldn¡¯t she find anyone who had been in love before? What kind of strange maic field had gathered them here? She looked at Ke Lu, who had just returned from vocal training, and called out to her. ¡°Ke Lu.¡¯ When Ke Lu looked over, Qi Wu asked, ¡°Have you ever been in a rtionship?¡± Tong Luo and Jiang Xuxu pricked up their ears. Ke Lu was the most mysterious person in their group. Not only was she quiet, but she also never talked about herself. In addition, Ke Lu was aloof by nature. Even Jiang Xuxu, who had always been familiar with her, was afraid of making her upset. Qi Wu was special. Upon hearing Qi Wu¡¯s question, Ke Lu¡¯s cold eyes suddenly narrowed. As the three of them watched, she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± There was a loud hiss. It came from Jiang Xuxu. When others stared at her, she quickly covered her mouth and carefully said, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised¡­¡± Ke Lu didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it. After answering that, she said to Qi Wu, ¡°Men are not good people. Most couples in this world will eventually resent each other.¡± Tong Luo and Jiang Xuxu fell silent. That was a clear sign that the rtionship had not ended well. After all that, Qi Wu still did not get a reliable answer. Although she had a week to prepare, it wasn¡¯t a good idea for her to remain clueless, so Tong Luo thought of a solution for her. ¡°I¡¯ll rmend a few romance dramas you can watch.¡± Qi Wu readily agreed. She solemnly watched the few romance dramas that Tong Luo rmended. Before Tong Luo left for training, Qi Wu was watching those shows. When Tong Luo returned, Qi Wu was still at it. However, looking at Qi Wu¡¯s expression, Tong Luo noticed something strange. Other people smiled or reacted simrly when watching a romance drama. Why did Qi Wu look so serious and obedient? This was not the normal reaction to seeing other people falling in love. Thus, Tong Luo walked over and tried to exin things to Qi Wu. ¡°Look at this drama. The male lead has put in a lot of effort to celebrate the female lead¡¯s birthday. Do you think he treats the female lead well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Wu nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it give you a sweet feeling?¡± ¡°Sweet?¡± Qi Wu solemnly asked, ¡°Is it as sweet as lemon drops?¡± ¡°Lemon drops should be sweet and sour.¡± Tong Luo awkwardly replied as she realized she did not know where to go from there. Qi Wu¡¯s eyes were clear and bright, reflecting everything around her, but there was not a trace of love in them. Tong Luo couldn¡¯t help but feel dazed. She suddenly wondered if there was anyone who could make Qi Wu feel love and have a taste of the forbidden fruit. She didn¡¯t want to see Qi Wu suffer because of love, but she also didn¡¯t want her to never experience love. She should love and be loved.. Chapter 92 - 92: Have You Ever Fallen in Love, Jin Si? Chapter 92: Have You Ever Fallen in Love, Jin Si? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS In the end, Tong Luo¡¯s n to let Qi Wu experience love through a romance drama failed. She even found the most heart-wrenching romance movie of all time. Tong Luo was crying by the end of the show. However, Qi Wu was calm and rationally analyzed the most touching part of the story in a clear and organized fashion. She might be moved, but it was not because she understood the feeling. She just felt pity for the main characters due to what they had to suffer. In the end, Tong Luo felt like telling Qi Wu to just experience love for herself. However, she held it in. Tong Luo looked at Qi Wu¡¯s silent figure and couldn¡¯t help butfort her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We have other ways.¡± Qi Wu shook her head.¡± No need.¡± There was no other way. The priestess was meant to love the people of the world and havepassion for them, but loving one person was a fantasy. ¡°No, there must be a way!¡± Tong Luo was unusually adamant about this. ¡°Love is the most uncontroble force in the world. It can¡¯t be taught. You just haven¡¯t met the right person yet.¡± Hearing this, Qi Wu tilted her head and looked at Tong Luo with eyes filled with longing and curiosity. Tong Luo couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°When you meet him, you¡¯ll know what it¡¯s like. Love can make you whole.¡± Qi Wu nodded in confusion. When Qi Wu returned to her room to rest, Jiang Xuxu was still practicing in the rehearsal studio. She sent a message to Qi Wu, telling her not to wait up. As Qi Wu replied, her gaze stared at a certain pinned chat on the app. After a while, she got up and walked to the bathroom. ¡°Jin Si.¡± As soon as the call was connected, Qi Wu greeted him. Without waiting for Jin Si to respond, she continued, ¡°Have you ever fallen in love? Do you know what that feels like?¡± Qi Wu could hear Jin Si¡¯s breathing stop for a moment on the other end of the phone. A few secondster, he asked in a soft and cold voice, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± When Jin Si heard Qi Wu¡¯s question, he immediately thought that she had fallen in love. As for who the person was, Jin Si recalled the conversation he overheard between her and a man named Tan Song. He subconsciously furrowed his brows. ¡°How did you be so blind?¡± he sarcastically blurted out. She actually fell for that man. ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Wu was audibly confused. ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± After coldly asking that, he snorted in augh that seemed to be mixed with suppressed anger. Then, for the first time, he hung up without saying anything. Qi Wu¡¯s pupils shrank. She stared nkly at the phone screen that showed that the call had ended. This time, Jin Si¡¯s anger was different from before. Qi Wu pursed her lips and silently walked out of the bathroom. Jiang Xuxu, who had just returned, saw Qi Wu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear? Why do you look unhappy?¡± Qi Wu was stunned and touched the corners of her mouth. Was she.unhappy? Jiang Xuxu walked up and thought that Qi Wu was upset over not understanding her character, so shefortingly said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only the first day. There are still six days left.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Qi Wu seemed to be still lost in her thoughts. Her response was slower than usual. However, in the next two days, no matter how hard Qi Wu tried, she could notpletely understand the feeling. To make her feel better, Jiang Xuxu even dragged Tan Song and Jiang Yiran over. Qi Wu had to admit defeat in the face of knowing what love was. Song Qi hade over once during this period, and he was very puzzled by her behavior. ¡°Since you know that it¡¯s something you can¡¯t control, why do you still choose ¡°I am not afraid of failure.¡± Qi Wu was indifferent. Seeing that, Song Qi could not help but mutter, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. Even actors who have no love experience can put themselves in the character¡¯s shoes after a period of adjustment and learning, but you seem to feel nothing.¡± There was nothing wrong with Qi Wu¡¯s acting. She could still act it all out, but she did not have the same empathy and appeal as before. In other words, people could not understand her feelings. Qi Wu was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, there was a stubborn tone in her voice. ¡°I will persevere.¡± She would persevere until the day she found the answer. Song Qi shook his head. He really didn¡¯t expect Qi Wu¡¯s weakness to be this. ¡°Maybe you should date someone.¡± Song Qi casually said before leaving. He was joking. Qi Wu wouldn¡¯t really fall in love just to act out a one-minute performance, right? Halfway through the week, there was a public holiday. The production team stopped filming and let the contestants go home to rest for three days. Thepetition was naturally postponed. ¡°Mr. Song is so nice! I love dys!¡± Jiang Xuxu could not help but sigh after packing her luggage. She sat on the bed and looked at Qi Wu, who was stuffing the empty candy jar into her small backpack. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sweetie, who will pick you upter?¡± Jiang Xuxu¡¯s house was not in the capital. She still had to catch a flight in the afternoon, and the others had already left. ¡°Chang Xun.¡± Jiang Xuxu was not surprised to hear that name. ¡°Rest well and don¡¯t think about thepetition. Failure is not a big deal.¡± When Chang Xun called Qi Wu, Jiang Xuxu saw that she was the only one left in the vi, so she suggested walking Qi Wu out. Chang Xun¡¯s car was parked outside the stadium. Seeing that there was another person following behind Qi Wu, he quickly rolled up the window of the backseat. ¡°You can¡¯t let anyone see you!¡± Jin Si, who was sitting in the backseat, was speechless. Was he that embarrassing? Qi Wu, who was not far away, had already noticed Chang Xun¡¯s actions. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she quickly realized that there was another person in the car. Thus, she stopped and said to Jiang Xuxu, ¡°Xuxu, that¡¯s far enough.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll see you after the holidays?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Wu smiled at her and walked toward the car. When she opened the backseat door, she saw Jin Si sitting on the other side. She softly greeted him and got in. Jiang Xuxu, who was behind her, was going to turn around and head back when she suddenly saw the man who was sitting in the backseat after Qi Wu opened the car door. The man¡¯s well-defined, cold palm rested on his suit pants. The expensive watch on his wrist was particrly eye-catching. Jiang Xuxu was stunned for a moment, but her thoughts were a little scattered. Was this the person using Qi Wu as a money-making tool? Just from this short glimpse, Jiang Xuxu could conclude that the man in the car was either very rich or very powerful. There was no way he was just an ordinary man.. Chapter 93 - 93: Can You Date Me? Chapter 93: Can You Date Me? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Why would someone like that need a money-making tool? Before she could figure it out, Chang Xun drove past her. Meanwhile, inside the car. Qi Wu tilted her head and looked at Jin Si, who had a cold look on his face, and bluntly asked, ¡°Jin Si, did youe here to pick me up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Jin Si indifferently nced at her. Chang Xun, who was driving, was speechless with confusion. That was it? Where was Jin Si¡¯s ability to make people feel ashamed with just one sentence? Why did he sound so normal when talking to Qi Wu? Chang Xun looked back at the duo through the rearview mirror. He had wanted to expose Jin Si¡¯s true colors as Jin Si had clearly been urging him to pick up Qi Wu since early in the morning. However, Chang Xun then met Jin Si¡¯s gaze. Seeing Jin Si¡¯s warning re, Chang Xun awkwardly smiled and kept silent. Forget it. He wasn¡¯t Qi Wu. He could not control this psychopath. Qi Wu nodded. Jin Si liked being sarcastic. Was this his personality? Silence reigned in the car. The two people in the backseat were not talking to each other, but the one who felt like he was sitting on pins and needles was Chang Xun. After two traffic lights, Chang Xun could not help but ask Qi Wu. ¡°Qi Wu, did you make any new friends on the show?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡± Qi Wu was very happy to talk about her new friends, so she quickly started chatting with Chang Xun. ¡°There¡¯s also Tan Song and Jiang Yiran. They are all very good people.¡± When she talked about her new friends, her tone was very gentle as a faint smile spread across her lips. ¡°Heh. However, before Chang Xun could respond, Jin Si, who had been silent all this while, suddenly scoffed. Chang Xun froze as if he had a premonition of something bad happening. He immediately fell silent. Jin Si was acting up again. It was better to let Qi Wu deal with him. Qi Wu stopped talking and quietly looked at Jin Si. After a while, she frowned and said, ¡°Jin Si, don¡¯t act weird.¡± There was a hint of condemnation in her voice as a frown marred her exquisite face. Even though she was clearly scolding him, Jin Si did not show any signs of impatience. He even felt a tinge of interest as if he was a masochist being tortured. He stared at her eyes which were filled with condemnation. ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s face was serious. ¡°What you just did.¡± The man¡¯s voice carried a lofty and leisurely tone. ¡°Is that weird? You¡¯re being noisy. ¡± Qi Wu was stunned for a moment as if she was seriously considering Jin Si¡¯s words. A few secondster, she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to Chang Xun quietly in the tuture and not disturb you.¡± However, Jin Si¡¯s yful face became tense as he became audibly upset. ¡°What do you have to say to him?¡± Chang Xun did not understand what was happening. Wasn¡¯t he Qi Wu¡¯s manager? Weren¡¯t they partners who worked together for a win-win situation? Why can¡¯t they talk to each other? Chang Xun could only seethe in angry resentment as he dared not speak. When they arrived at their destination, he walked away without a word as resentment shone clearly on his face. Qi Wu looked at Chang Xun¡¯s departing figure and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with him?¡± Jin Si calmly opened the door. ¡°He¡¯s in a hurry to pray to the patron saint of his profession.¡± He then looked at Qi Wu who was standing by the doorway and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Qi Wu stopped looking around and walked into the house with Jin Si. She had been working in the show for more than a month, but the furnishings in the house had not changed at all. It was still the ce that Qi Wu was familiar with. Jin Si calmly switched the television to Pink Pig¡¯s channel. ¡°Pink Pig!¡± She joyfully cheered before running past him to sit on the couch. Her focused and lively behavior brought a sparkle to Jin Si¡¯s eyes. He turned around and walked into the kitchen. However, what he did not know was that the moment he turned around to leave, Qi Wu turned around and looked at him thoughtfully. Not long after Chang Xun arrived home, he called Qi Wu. ¡°I heard from Song that you chose ¡®Dreand¡¯ but can¡¯t get into the groove of ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I find you a professional tutor? Still, there are so many people watching that Song doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to do that¡­ Chang Xun did not know what was going on, but from what he heard from Song Qi, she seemed to have lost all ability to emote. Qi Wu¡¯s performance was not bad. It could even bepared to some of the performances of the highly skilled actors in the industry. However, that was not all that Song Qi wanted. Qi Wu calmly said, ¡°Song Qi said that I should date someone.¡± Chang Xun did not sense anything amiss. As he pondered over Song Qi¡¯s suggestion, he could not help but mutter, ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a feasible solution.¡± No matter how much one learned about love, it was not as thorough as experiencing it personally. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Chang Xun suddenly heard Qi Wu agreeing with him. The next moment, before he could think about what she meant, he heard Qi Wu shout for Jin Si to leave the kitchen. Chang Xun was confused. An intense premonition suddenly struck him. Could it be what he thought? Jin Si walked out of the kitchen when he heard Qi Wu¡¯s voice. Then, he saw Qi Wu quietly staring at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°Can you date me?¡± Qi Wu¡¯s solemn request caught him off-guard. Jin Si¡¯s entire body froze. At that moment, time seemed to stretch into infinity. He stared at Qi Wu without blinking, but he could only see the seriousness in her eyes, indicating that she was not joking. Then, Jin Si even remembered what Qi Wu had asked him before. He realized she was not talking about Tan Song. Instead, she wanted to date him. For some reason, the moment he thought that, something seemed to grow uncontrobly in his heart. Chang Xun¡¯s wailing came from Qi Wu¡¯s phone, and Jin Si snapped out of his thoughts. ¡°Qi Wu doesn¡¯t really want to date you!¡± His racing heart froze when he heard Chang Xun¡¯s words. His eyes turned cold. ¡°What do you mean?¡± There was a hint of danger in his cold tone. Then, Chang Xun pushed through his fear and exined with a trembling voice. As Chang Xun did not talk to Jin Si face-to-face, he did not know that the more he exined, the colder Jin Si¡¯s expression became. After Chang Xun finished exining, Jin Si quickly walked forward and took the phone from Qi Wu¡¯s hand. He then hung up the phone. After doing this, he looked down at Qi Wu, who was sitting on the sofa.. ¡°Is it all just for a one-minute performance?¡± Chapter 94 - 94: To Pacify the Debtholder Chapter 94: To Pacify the Debtholder Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Before Qi Wu could answer him, Jin Si sneered. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a tool?¡± As if he didn¡¯t want to hear Qi Wu¡¯s answer at all, his rejection was swift and clear. ¡°No.¡± However, there was a sense of frustration and gloom in his voice. A minuteter, Qi Wu watched Jin Si angrily stomp away and slowly blinked. Jin Si was angry. It was very serious. Qi Wu suddenly realized that. Confusion was painted all across her face,ced with a hint of helplessness and panic. However, she knew that angry people needed to be coaxed. Hence, Qi Wu looked in the direction of the kitchen and walked over. Jin Si had never stopped her from entering the kitchen, but he had never let her cook either. Everything always seemed to be under control and organized in a way that let him control Qi Wu. In the end, Jin Si, who was in control, seemed to have lost control for a moment. Qi Wu looked at the food on the kitchen counter and tilted her head. If she hadn¡¯t interrupted him just now, Jin Si would have already brought out the food and ced it on the dining table. Then, he would have called her to eat with a calm expression. That was their average day together. However, she had messed it up just now. For the first time, Qi Wu felt a terrible emotion. She stood there quietly as her entire being radiated with a sense of loneliness. She was like a goddess who had been cut off from the world, unable to blend in with humanity. After a while, she made a call. When the call connected, Qi Wu softly asked, ¡°Tong Luo, can you teach me how to bake cookies?¡± In the vi, Tong Luo would asionally make some snacks and feed them to her roommates. Qi Wu used to follow her around to watch her bake cookies. The kitchen had everything. However, the supplies she needed had clearly been forgotten about by their owner. ¡°Huh?¡± Tong Luo froze for a moment when she heard Qi Wu¡¯s request. Qi Wu rarely asked others for help, or rather, she never did. Therefore, Tong Luo couldn¡¯t hide her surprise when she heard that Qi Wu wanted to learn how to bake cookies. ¡°Can you?¡± Qi Wu asked again. Tong Luo quickly came back to her senses. ¡°Of course!¡± Then, she suddenly realized that Qi Qu sounded a little down. This wasn¡¯t because Tong Luo was sensitive. Qi Wu was always calm, so if she felt anything else, it would be very obvious. Thus, Tong Luo tentatively asked, ¡°Qi W, why do you suddenly want to bake cookies?¡± The few seconds of silence between the two seemed to stretch on forever. Finally, Qi Wu replied, ¡°To pacify my debtholder.¡± Tong Luo was speechless. Why did she even ask? Although Tong Luo didn¡¯t know the exact situation around Qi Wu and her sugar daddy, she still felt like she had just stumbled upon a disy of affection. Perhaps the sugar daddy was someone who could enlighten Qi Wu? Thus, Tong Luo reluctantly taught Qi Wu how to bake over the phone. As a fan who hoped that her idol would bemitted to reaching the peak of her career, Tong Luo didn¡¯t want Qi Wu to be misled by love, but she also didn¡¯t want Qi Wu to be ignorant. Tong Luo continued arguing with herself until the cookies were done. ¡°Tong Luo, thank you,¡± Qi Wu said. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Tong Luo sighed imperceptibly. ¡°I wish you all the best in pacifying your¡­guy.¡± When she said the word ¡°pacifying,¡± she gritted her teeth in reluctance. In her eyes, he was being ungrateful. How dare he make Qi Wu work to pacify him! The worst was that he actually had the nerve to be angry at Qi Wu! Tong Luo¡¯s thoughts continued to wander as Qi Wu hung up the phone and quietly looked at the freshly baked cookies in front of her. She ced a few small, simple-looking butter cookies on a te. The kitchen was filled with the smell of cookies. Qi Wu carried the te out of the kitchen. After Jin Si stormed out of the room, he went to the study room. This was a room he always upied. He sat on the couch beside the French window, slumped over like he was sinking into the soft cushions. The lights in the room were not switched on. Sunlight shone in from outside the window, but the light stopped just shy of Jin Si. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, giving off a gloomy aura. He was thinking, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking about. He just sat there like a statue. It had been so long since he arrived that he had lost all concept of time and could no longer remember why he was here in the first ce. After a long time, he suddenly remembered that he was wondering why he was so angry at Qi Wu. He was a cold and aloof man who never cared about anything in the world. If put that way, he was the same kind of person as Shen Xi. He should be angry at Qi Wu for using him as a tool. That was an affront to his dignity. Although few things could arouse his interest, he was still used to being in control all the time. Therefore, he would naturally be angry at Qi Wu. That was only natural. However, just as he thought that, something in him questioned if that was the truth. Jin Si suddenly frowned. The wrinkles on his eyebrows added a sense of dignity to his face, making him look like a lonely king frustrated by some dilemma. Just then, someone knocked on the door. The crisp and rhythmic knocking brought Jin Si back to his senses. Jin Si did not turn around, nor did he make a sound. The door to the study was like a decoration to Qi Wu. Previously, she only knocked out of respect and walked in without waiting for a response. That was because he had tacitly agreed to it. However, a minute had passed, and the door to the study was still closed. Jin Si impatiently frowned. He could not help but sarcastically wonder if she finally knew that he was angry. However, this did not make him feel any happier. Instead, it worsened his mood. ¡°Come in,¡± he coldly said. There seemed to be a trace of urgency in his tone. The soft sound of the door opening echoed through the room as Qi Wu obediently stuck her head in from outside the door. The way she stuck her head in made Jin Si¡¯s eyes twitch slightly. However, what he was more concerned about was the thing in Qi Wu¡¯s hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked coldly. Qi Wu looked at Jin Si¡¯s cold face and gloomy eyes before quickly walking up to him. Her fearless manner of approaching him made Jin Si purse his lips. His body, which was already stiff, tensed up because of her approach. What tricks did she want to y this time? Uncertainty filled his mind.. Chapter 95 - 95: Jin Si, Pm Pacifying You Chapter 95: Jin Si, Pm Pacifying You Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Qi Wu stopped and held out the te in her hands, presenting it with both hands as if she were presenting to him a priceless treasure. ¡°Cookies, Jin Si,¡± she softly answered. Jin Si lowered his gaze and looked at the small cookies on the te. She didn¡¯t do too badly, and the creamy fragrance was even starting to fill the air. However, he did not really like sweet and delicate food. ¡°I know,¡± he ndly said. However, Qi Wu didn¡¯t pull back. She held out the te of biscuits and quietly stared at him. Finally, Jin Si could not help but ask, ¡°What else do you want?¡± It was really strange. Jin Si was clearly still thinking about how Qi Wu had made him angry, but now that he was looking at her, he did not feel the slightest hint of anger. He even went to talk to her, just like a masochist would seek out pain. Qi Wu held the te of cookies and solemnly exined, ¡°Jin Si, I¡¯m pacifying you.¡± Jin Si did not know what to say. It was rare for Jin Si to be so surprised that he could not control the emotions on his face. His cold and thin lips were slightly parted. She was trying to pacify him. She was trying to cajole him out of his anger with cookies. Jin Si was certain of that. An indescribable emotion stirred in him and filled his entire being. It took him a while to find his voice. ¡°Why are you pacifying me?¡± He spoke stiffly. It was clear to see that he was fishing for something. Qi Wu tilted her head and replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re angry.¡± ¡°Why would I be angry? I¡¯m not angry.¡± Jin Si scoffed. However, the smile on his face wasn¡¯t as cold as before. Now, it was clear that he was hiding something else. Qi Wu looked at him and sighed. There seemed to be a helpless glimmer in her eyes, just like how a person would always be patient and tolerant with someone they liked who did not like admitting to what they truly thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jin Si. I won¡¯t ask you that again. Will you ept my apology?¡± She was so focused that it was impossible not to be moved by her apology. However, Jin Si homed in on the words ¡°I won¡¯t ask you that again.¡± What did she mean? Had she changed targets? An indescribable surge of emotions exploded in him. Suddenly, he was cold and impatient as he demanded, ¡°You¡¯ve changed targets, then? Who are you going to ask?¡± She only knew a few men. Chang Xun was just a talkative middle-aged man, so Qi Wu would not fancy him. There were only those people she knew from the show. Tan Song, Jiang Yiran¡­and the young man who yed games with her. She had certainly gotten to know a lot of people in one month. Qi Wu could only watch helplessly as Jin Si¡¯s face twisted in disdain until it turned into an ugly look. She sighed once more. ¡°I didn¡¯t change targets, nor am I looking for anyone.¡± This exnation instantly stopped Jin Si¡¯s stream of thoughts. He lowered his eyes and stared at her. She had spoken that so solemnly that it was as if she was swearing an oath. His uncertainty instantly disappeared. However, he stubbornly said, ¡°I won¡¯t be your tool.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jin Si faltered. He glumly stared at her as he slowly became upset once more. Then, he saw Qi Wu holding the te of cookies out to him. Calmly, she asked, ¡°Jin Si, do you want some?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± For some reason, he did not sound happy when he said that. Jin Si picked up a cookie and put it in his mouth. The crunchy yet soft texture along with the sweet taste of milk blossomed in his mouth. He seemed to be enjoying the cookie. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to indulge in some once in a while. A moment ago, he was brooding in displeasure. Now, they have reconciled. That afternoon, Jin Si took the initiative to show up in the living room. As he was about to walk into the kitchen, he noticed Qi Wu watching the Pink Ping again. The corners of his eyes twitched. How many episodes of those ugly things were there? She had watched so many episodes, yet there seemed to be no end in sight. Qi Wu turned around when she heard him walk in. ¡°Jin Si.¡± Her greeting caused him to stop in his tracks. ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± Qi Wu solemnly asked. Jin Si was silent for a moment. ¡°What?¡± Did she think that he was still angry? ¡°Can we go for a walk after dinner?¡± Qi Wu asked calmly. Then, she added, ¡°The two of us, together.¡± It was her frank words and her unwavering gaze that made Jin Si¡¯s heart skip a beat. He recalled the words he had said to fool Qi Wust time. Tsk. ¡°You¡¯re so demanding,¡± he said. Then, he walked straight into the kitchen. Qi Wu blinked and understood what Jin Si meant. She smiled. After dinner, Jin Si stood quietly at the entrance and waited for Qi Wu. When Qi Wu walked down the stairs, the sounds of her shoes on the stairs made Jin Si look up. It waste spring, and the weather was still a little cold. Qi Wu was wearing a thin coffee-colored shawl and a beret of the same color on her head. She looked so gentle and demure. He had bought that. Everything Qi Wu was wearing had been bought by him. The thought seemed to put Jin Si in a good mood. Qi Wu walked over to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Jin Si pulled out a face mask from the side and handed it to her. He then lowered the brim of her hat and let the girl¡¯s hair fall messily on both sides of her face. Qi Wu looked at him in confusion. ¡°Do you want to be surrounded by people?¡± Jin Si calmly asked. Although she wasn¡¯t famous yet, her stunning appearance was enough to leave a deep impression on everyone. ¡°You also need one, Jin Si,¡± Qi Wu said. ¡°Got it.¡± Jin Si smiled. Hence, the two of them covered up before leaving the house. The location for their walk was naturally Central Park. After all, Jin Si¡¯s ce was actually located near Central Park in the area known to be home to the elites of the city. As it had been drizzling before they went out, Jin Si brought an umbre with him. When they arrived at the lobby, Jin Si was about to open the umbre when he turned around and nced at Qi Wu who was standing behind him. She quietly stood there. His vision of her figure was obscured by the mist caused by the rain. Even so, Jin Si could sense that she was staring at him. Gentle, calm, and demure, she just stood where she was and waited for him. Jin Si opened the umbre and tilted it backward to ensure that Qi Wu would not be hit by a single drop of rain. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he softly said. The drizzle continued as people walked along the streets. Meanwhile, a couple slowly strolled along, sheltered by a single umbre.. Chapter 96 - 96: Do You Want To Hold My Hand? Chapter 96: Do You Want To Hold My Hand? Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS There usually weren¡¯t many people in Central Park, but today was a public holiday. As soon as they stepped into the park, Qi Wu realized that the park was brighter than before with more people standing around. ¡°Jin Si, what¡¯s that?¡± Qi Wu looked in the direction of theke in the park. There seemed to be countless candles burning there, and it was also the ce where the crowd was the most concentrated. ¡°If you want to know, let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Thus, the two of them walked to thekeside together. People gathered by theke in twos and threes. They seemed to be holding flower-shapednterns lit up by the candles within them. They would crouch down by theke with sad expressions and close their eyes to pray. Then, they ced the riverntern into theke where it would float downstream with the other rivernterns. The entire process was done in silence. asionally, people would speak softly in a way that did not disrupt the tranquility at all. Qi Wu quietly watched. Even though she was no longer a priestess, she could still feel the sadness in the air as people prayed and reminisced. Jin Si softly said into her ear, ¡°Every year around this time, the people of the city gather here to mourn the dead. We light up the river with ournterns as they float away from us.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head and looked at Qi Wu, who seemed enthralled by what she was looking at. ¡°Do you have someone you want to mourn?¡± ¡°Yes. Qi Wu answered without hesitation. It did not take long before Jin Si handed her a flowerntern. He did not say anything except, ¡°Go on.¡± Qi Wu held the flowerntern and smiled gently at Jin Si. Then, she walked toward theke. The people who had not left thekeside watched as a beautiful couple calmly walked over to join them. The young woman squatted down by theke with the riverntern in her hand while the man stood a step behind her as the umbre in his hand subconsciously moved with the woman¡¯s actions. Although their faces could not be seen, they were beautiful enough to attract a lot of attention. When the man suddenly turned to look at the onlookers with cold eyes, they suddenly realized their stares had disturbed the couple. After that, no one stared at them. Qi Wu lit the candle on the base of the riverntern. Bright mes danced within the riverntern, warming up Qi Wu¡¯s palm. Her eyes were gentle and calm as she stared at the riverntern in her hand. As if she sensed something, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. Then, she gently ced the riverntern into theke and watched it float into the distance with the other rivernterns. It was no longer alone. Did she have anyone to mourn for? She did. She was mourning the innocent girl who was the original owner of this body. She could have had a brilliant life, but her life was cut short. She was mourning the countless people who suffered due to the war. In war, it was always the civilians who suffered. She was mourning the soldiers who sacrificed their lives as the world changed. They could have chosen not to participate in that war. At that moment, Qi Wu¡¯s entire being radiated with apassion that came from within. She was a priestess through and through, and just like a goddess of mercy, she loved all living beings. ¡°Time to go.¡± Jin Si suddenly said, snapping her out of her daze. He did it on purpose. He didn¡¯t like the look on her face just now. He wanted to make it disappear. Qi Wu quietly stood up. The emotions she allowed herself to feel and show swiftly disappeared behind a calm facade. ¡°Thank you, Jin Si,¡± she gently said, turning around. Just then, the rain stopped. The beads of moisture hanging in the air drifted with the evening breeze. Jin Si put down the umbre and lowered Qi Wu¡¯s cap once more. She widened her eyes in confusion in a somewhat usatory look as she muttered, ¡°It can¡¯t go any lower.¡± Jin Si snorted and calmly pulled away. ¡°Do you really want to thank me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. Although she was still confused, Qi Wu had already made a promise. She would not change her mind. She quietly waited for what he would say next. Jin Si stood beside her. It just so happened that it was where the wind was blowing from. He calmly shielded Qi Wu from the wind and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever look like that again. ¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Wu tilted her head as she stared. ¡°I know you know what I mean,¡± said Jin Si as he straightened out her messy shawl and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Qi Wu exhaled. Her bright eyes shimmered. She nodded. ¡°I promise.¡± The two of them didn¡¯t say anything else and silently walked along the path by theke. This was a path often taken by those who came to the park for a walk. At that time, there were many couples on the path, and there were also parents taking their children out for a walk. Everyone was holding hands. Qi Wu curiously observed everything around her. She then recalled the conversation between the child and his parent at the candy shop. She lowered her head in thought. Jin Si¡¯s hand hung by his side. His fingers were long and slender, and his knuckles were cold and hard. His broad palm seemed so wide that it could hold onto anything and everything. Jin Sizily walked alongside her. After all, he was not really in the habit of taking walks to help with his digestion. The only two times he had done so was for the woman walking beside him. His thoughts wandered aimlessly, but he was soon snapped back to his senses by a delicate touch on his hand. Jin Si could not hide his shock as he lowered his eyes and watched Qi Wu¡¯s fair and soft hand loosely holding his two fingers. It was a hold that he could easily break free from. However, Jin Si did not do so. The back of her hand seemed to have turned dull and discolored from the icy wind and malnourishment. The corners of his mouth twitched silently as something in him sent taut. ¡°Why are you holding my hand?¡± Despite the question, Jin Si subconsciously tightened his grip around her cold hand, warming her hand up. ¡°They are all doing it,¡± Qi Wu said softly. Upon hearing that, Jin Si turned to look at the people around them. His heart sank. He tightened his grip on Qi Wu¡¯s hand. ¡°What do you think?¡± For a long time, Qi Wu did not answer him. His eyes slowly darkened. Then, a faint sigh came from beside him, ¡°I probably want to do it.¡± She seemed to be confused as there was a trace of uncertainty in her voice. Still, she voiced her thoughts out loud. She was rarely confused. Every word spoken by the high priestess was a prophecy. Every other word was a promise. She would not be confused because confusion never existed to those who possessed the Eyes of rity. However, this was not a problem those eyes could solve for her.. Chapter 97 - 97: Useless Jin Si Chapter 97: Useless Jin Si Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Jin Si was clearly intent on pushing his luck. When he heard Qi Wu¡¯s answer, the corners of his mouth curled up into a happy smile. ¡°If you want to, then so be it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I want to.¡± Qi Wu repeated. That was because Jin Si¡¯s palm was very warm. It drove away the chill in her hand. It felt like the sun in winter, the mes of the firece, and the searing burn of intense sincerity. It was difficult for her to feel desire. However, she probably couldn¡¯t bear to leave this warmth, so she wanted to hold his hand. That was what Qi Wu thought. Jin Si was in an unprecedentedly good mood. He held the girl¡¯s delicate and soft hand tightly until he transmitted the warmth of his palm to her. Hidden within his lofty and nonchnt voice was a hint of yfulness. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll deign to warm your hand for you.¡± After walking for some time, Jin Si suddenly sensed people staring at them. Then, he heard a sound. His eyes turned cold, and he pulled Qi Wu onto another path. A minuteter, two children, a boy and a girl, appeared at the spot where Jin Si and Qi Wu had been standing just now as an elderly butler followed them. Xi Huanran curiously looked around. ¡°Strange. I saw Uncle just now!¡± Her brother, Fu Cheng¡¯an, looked at her in exasperation. ¡°Are you itching for a beating? We were looking at a couple just now.¡± Xi Huanran was upset that he was scolding her, so her cheeks puffed up angrily. ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to re at me. Why would hee to the park and bring a woman with him?¡± Fu Cheng¡¯an coldly refuted. His cold rationality resembled Jin Si¡¯s. ¡°What if he¡¯s here with the prettydy?¡± Xi Huanran asked, unwilling to give up. ¡°You mean your new friend? That is even more impossible. We all know what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°She must be an exception!¡± Xi Huanran indignantly retorted. She did not want an uncle who would die alone, so Qi Wu must be an angel who was here to save her uncle. Everyone on the Inte said that she was an angel! Fu Cheng¡¯an looked at her in exasperation once more. He could not be bothered to speak anymore. Just then, the butler kindly squatted down in front of the little girl and gently exined, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about his love life, but it can¡¯t be rushed.¡± She could not just grab some random woman and im that she would be her uncle¡¯s wife. The butler could not help but think that. Xi Huanran looked up and solemnly asked, ¡°Is it really okay?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not urgent, then why did Grandma go to the best temple in the country to pray for him? Why does Grandpa always ask Daddy to help Uncle find a partner? Even Mommy keeps wanting to throw him into the fray with a bunch of women. ¡± The butler did not know what to say. When he thought of Xi Huanran¡¯s mother who was such a forceful woman that she won her husband by forcing the issue, he realized that she might actually do what Xi Huanran said if not for the fact that she could not control her younger brother. Therefore, even though Xi Huanran was still young, she was actually very aware of the people around her. She knew everything that she needed to know. At the same time, Jin Si and Qi Wu looked at each other while standing behind a big tree a few feet away from the trio. As they had not been speaking softly, Jin Si heard everything. Qi Wu tugged at his fingers. Jin Si lowered his eyes and quietly looked at her as if he was asking her what she wanted. They were suddenly very close together as the tree was not that wide. Hence, Jin Si was actually standing right in front of Qi Wu. She only needed to raise her head and she would be staring at his cold and sharp jaw. Qi Wu did not say anything at first. She waited until Xi Huanran was persuaded by the butler and the other boy to leave. After they left, Qi Wu slowly asked, ¡°Do you know them?¡± Jin Si looked away and walked out from behind the tree with Qi Wu. He hesitated for a moment before quickly answering the question. ¡°No. As Chang Xun said, I¡¯m just a penniless young man.¡± Qi Wu obediently nodded and did not express any doubt about Jin Si¡¯s deration. This made Jin Si ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not curious.¡± Qi Wu shook her head. ¡°True. There¡¯s nothing else to say about it.¡± Jin Si smirked. Although he was already very familiar with his fabricated backstory, he was unwilling to talk about it in front of Qi Wu. That was because it was fake. The walksted for more than an hour, but they were not impatient, especially Jin Si. He was quite patient as he apanied Qi Wu all the way through the park. This was impossible for him in the past. He would only think that it was meaningless. By the time they got home, it was alreadyte. It was drizzling once more, and the night sky was covered by dark clouds. There were only a few stars visible in the night sky. Qi Wu stood by the window of the living room, quietly watching the twinkling stars. Her eyes were nk with a strange glimmer flickering in them. Her gaze was unfathomable. After a while, she looked away and saw Jin Si walking out of the kitchen with a cup of warm milk in his hand. He handed over the warm milk, and she did not hesitate before epting it. The warmth of the milk in her hands caused a rxed and gentle smile to spread across her face. ¡°Jin Si, thank you for the walk.¡± It was an indescribable feeling. However, she did enjoy the walk. Jin Si raised his eyebrows andzily said, ¡°Don¡¯t watch TV for too long. Turn in early.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± There was a warmth in her voice. Her eyes turned to the television screen in the living room, which was ying the show with the pink pig. Her eyes lit up with joy. Qi Wu finished her milk and went back to watching Pink Pig. She watched for a while before receiving a call from Chang Xun. He seemed to be very cautious. He first asked if Jin Si was beside her. After Qi Wu denied it, he suddenly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Did he do anything to you after he got angry this morning?¡± Qi Wu shook her head. Just as Chang Xun was about to rx, Qi Wu said, ¡°That¡¯s because I pacified him.¡± Chang Xun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Were his ears mistaken? Pacify? Why did it sound so strange when used in the same sentence as Jin Si¡¯s name? His voice trembled with disbelief. ¡°H-How did you do that?¡± Qi Wu honestly answered, ¡°I made him cookies.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Was that it? That was the only thing that Chang Xun could think of. At that moment, he felt disdain for Jin Si. Useless! Why was he afraid of being angry for too long once other people had the advantage? Chapter 98 - 98: Jin Si Is Qi Wu’s Debtholder Chapter 98: Jin Si Is Qi Wu¡¯s Debtholder Trantor: CTCTRANS Editor: CTCTRANS Chang Xun did not dare voice what he was truly thinking. ¡°It¡¯S good that you¡¯re fine. Have a good night,¡± he ended up saying. Since Jin Si was no longer angry, Qi Wu should be fine, so Chang Xun did not continue asking about her. Due to that, he missed out on a piece of explosive news. Qi Wu bid him a good night as well. There were still two more days of vacation. Jin Si did not go out again. Perhaps it was because Qi Wu was back. The two of themzed at home and quietly did their own thing. That was until Qi Wu ran over to Jin Si and curiously asked him, ¡°Jin Si, how do you handle love when you¡¯re filming?¡± Jin Si stared for a moment. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ve never acted in a romance drama before.¡± He did not need that kind of thing. The roles that Jin Si favored were always characters that the other characters avoided. He looked at characters with romance storylines with contempt. Even if there were actresses in the movies that he worked on, he could easily overwhelm them when they acted together. ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Qi Wu lowered her head in disappointment. Her attempt to learn from Jin Si had failed. ¡°I can help you rehearse.¡± Jin Si suddenly said as he stared at Qi Wu without blinking with a smile in his eyes. ¡°However, I won¡¯t do it for free.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Jin Si thought for a moment and recalled the cookies from yesterday. Before he could think twice, he said, ¡°Bake me more cookies.¡± Qi Wu blinked and swiftly agreed. ¡°Alright!¡± Not long after that, Qi Wu appeared in the kitchen with Jin Si sitting by the kitchen counter, quietly waiting for his cookies toe out of the oven. As he watched Qi Wu work, he noticed that his nk, white kitchen suddenly seemed colorful with her in it. The smile in Jin Si¡¯S eyes deepened. He did not notice the change in his mood, however. It was only when Qi Wu¡¯s phone on the dining table vibrated that Jin Si lowered his eyes to take a look. It was a call from someone called Jiang Xuxu. Jin Si was no stranger to this name. She was one of the few people who often hung around Qi Wu on the show. ¡°Jiang Xuxu is calling you.¡± Qi Wu was focused on her baking. Hence, she said without looking back, ¡°Jin Si, help me answer it.¡± Jin Si clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re getting used to ordering me around.¡± However, he still took the phone and answered the call. Jiang Xuxu¡¯s energetic voice came from over the phone. ¡°Good morning! Let me tell you a piece of good news. I¡¯ve thought of a way to make you feel like you¡¯re in love!¡± The words that Jin Si was about to say suddenly stopped on the tip of his tongue. He paused for a moment. When he saw that Qi Wu did not react, he waited for Jiang Xuxu to continue. ¡°Recently, there¡¯s a viral trend online called ¡°Matching Couples¡±. It¡¯S where people get to experience a day together as a couple on a date. I think you can try it out!¡± Jin Si was puzzled. Were the people hanging around Qi Wu idiots? He couldn¡¯t hold back his disgust and didn¡¯t want to hear another word of Jiang Xuxu¡¯S nonsense about encouraging Qi Wu to experience this so-called trend. ¡°She¡¯s not free,¡± he coldly said. Jiang Xuxu¡¯S enthusiastic bber abruptly stopped. After a few seconds, she tentatively asked, ¡°Sweetie, did you learn how to change your voice?¡± The corners of Jin Si¡¯S mouth twitched. She really was stupid. Now, he was worried that Qi Wu would be assimted by these people. She was already stupid enough¡­ Jin Si turned on the speakerphone so that Qi Wu could hear what Jiang Xuxu said. She took the time to turn around and exin, ¡°Xuxu, I didn¡¯t learn to do that. ¡± Jiang Xuxu heaved a sigh of relief. She thought that Qi Wu would actually¡­wait. If that was not Qi Wu, then was it her debtholder? Jiang Xuxu¡¯S first thought was that they were living together. She awkwardly smiled and did not dare to mention what had just happened. ¡± She¡¯s very busy,¡± Jin Si reflexively answered. Then, he said in a proud voice that sounded like he was boasting, ¡°She¡¯s busy baking cookies for me.¡± Jiang Xuxu was speechless. Cookies? A woman baking cookies for a man¡­ The meaning behind that was self-evident. Her mood was now gloomier than the gloomy skies of a rainy day. Had Qi Wu been unable to get into character because she missed the debtholder she had not seen for over a month? Did people always have to torment those who were forever alone? Jiang Xuxu didn¡¯t want to continue speaking to them anymore. ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. May your happinessst for a hundred years.¡± After blurting thest sentence out on a whim, she swiftly hung up. Jin Si was confused. What did Jiang Xuxu mean by that? However, before he could investigate further, Jiang Xuxu hung up. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with her, so he put the phone aside. Jiang Xuxu, who had just hung up, suddenly felt a sense of familiarity from the voice over the phone. Her confusionsted until she heard a man speaking from the television in the living room outside the door. Jiang Xuxu jumped up from the bed and ran out. Her mother was shocked when she saw Jiang Xuxu suddenly run out. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you in a rush?¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say anything.¡± Unexpectedly, Jiang Xuxu sat beside her with a serious look on her face and started watching the movie being yed on TV. Seeing that, Mrs. Jiang could not hide her surprise. ¡°Did the sun rise from the west? You never wanted to watch a movie with me in the past.¡± Jiang Xuxu did not respond. Her emotions were a mess at that moment. The television was ying The Seventh Chamber, one of the films Jin Si acted in where he won a Best Leading Actor award. Her mother was a long-time fan of Jin Si. She would basically watch one of Jin Si¡¯S movies every once in a while. Why did Jiang Xuxu react like this? That was because she realized, to her horror, that the man from the movie sounded exactly like the man who had just spoken to her on the phone. The movies that Jin Si starred in were not dubbed over. Due to her mother¡¯s influence, Jiang Xuxu was very familiar with Jin Si¡¯S voice. Therefore, she didn¡¯t need to think about whether the voice was simr or not. It was the same person! Jiang Xuxu¡¯s brain nearly broke down from shock and horror. She subconsciously muttered, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Puzzled, Mrs. Jiang ced a hand on her daughter¡¯s forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever. What nonsense are you talking about?* Jiang Xuxu ignored her mother and walked into her room in a daze. By the time she fell onto the bed, it finally clicked that Jin Si was Qi Wu¡¯s debtholder¡­ Chapter 99 Jin Si, You Changed the Script Chapter 99 Jin Si, You Changed the Script Jiang Xuxu was recollecting all of the things she knew of Qi Wu''s debtholder. The man she saw sitting in the backseat that morning was Jin Si. After Jin Si''s agency was established, he became even more independent. Even Chang Xun was sort of set free. Hence, if Chang Xun signed Qi Wu, did that not mean that Jin Si had signed her on as one of his talents? In addition, when Qi Wu called Chang Xun previously, that familiar male voice at the end¡­was still Jin Si. However, Jiang Xuxu did not rejoice for long because she suddenly remembered that Qi Wu''s debtholder was a scumbag who treated her as a money-making tool. She had no words. The word ''scumbag'' seemed quite out of ce when Jin Si''s noble and cold face was linked to it. However, one could never judge a book by its cover. Jiang Xuxu was stuck in a dilemma. Due to her mother''s influence, she had actually watched all of Jin Si''s movies before. There was nothing to nitpick about him. Although he did not have a friendly personality, he grew a fanbase because of his skills. After all, no one in the entertainment industry was like him. He only acted in one movie a year, and every movie wouldnd him a Best Leading Actor award. Moreover, Qi Wu was baking him cookies There had to be another side to the story. Jiang Xuxu was so conflicted that she almost switched from being one of those fans who wanted their idols to stay alone forever to a shipper. In the end, she decided to talk to her friends. She sent a message to Ke Lu first. Ke Lu: ? Seeing that, Jiang Xuxu knew that Ke Lu was busy, so she quickly replied that she was fine and let her get back to her life. After trying to talk to Ke Lu, Jiang Xuxu went to Tong Luo. Jiang Xuxu: Tong Luo, what are you doing? Tong Luo replied after a few minutes, stating that she was researching snacks. Jiang Xuxu: ??? Tong Luo: In case Qi Wu asks me how to make them. Jiang Xuxu: ¡­ The case was solved. Tong Luo taught Qi Wu how to bake. Since Tong Luo taught her that, did it mean she already knew about the rtionship between Qi Wu and Jin Si? "Darn, Tong Luo really knows how to keep a secret," Jiang Xuxu muttered. However, she rxed after knowing that Tong Luo knew. This way, she didn''t have to sit on pins and needles. Her next reply was sent with a cheerful grin. Jiang Xuxu: I''ll leave you to it. Don''t worry. We''re all in the same boat. Tong Luo: ??? * Not long after Jin Si hung up, Qi Wu''s cookies were done. He casually grabbed a cookie and took a sniff of its sweet scent. In a calm voice, he asked, "Was that a new friend you met on the show?" Qi Wu, who was sitting opposite him, nodded. Jin Si put the cookie into his mouth and yfully snorted. "She''s as stupid as you are." Qi Wu did not speak. She just looked at him with cheeks puffed up in disagreement. Jin Si was not affected at all and calmly enjoyed his delicious snack. Then, a certain someone who imed he did not like sweet stuff finished the te of milk-scented cookies. He didn''t even leave a piece for Qi Wu. However, Qi Wu did not mind. She made them for Jin Si. After Jin Si finished eating, she demurely asked, "Can you rehearse with me now?" After Jin Si was satiated, there was azy nt on his brows as his facial features became much gentler. Henguidly nodded. In "Dreand," the one-minute segment that Qi Wu needed to perform was near the end of the plot. The girl''s body gradually recovered as the dream healed her, but this meant that the boy in her dreams was about to disappear. Naturally, the girl did not want the young man to disappear. She tried everything, even going against her treatment, but she was still unable to stop the young man from disappearing. She begged him to stay, but right before the young man disappeared, he merely told her to live a good life. Qi Wu was to y out that scene where she begged the boy. The young girl''s sorrow, her pleas, and her eyes filled with love were all meant to be shown through her face and actions. She did not want her savior to leave her. Qi Wu had to act out that desperate denial and the longing to make him stay, even at the cost of her life. When Jin Si found out that Qi Wu was going to act out "Dreand," he read the script in advance. He wasn''t interested in this kind of script about love and healing. Rather, he had never thought of those emotions at all. However, when Qi Wu''s eyes turned red and she bit his lower lip, Jin Si froze. He could see himself reflected in her misty eyes. Her face was filled with indescribable sorrow. Her lips trembled as she suppressed the painful pleading that was on the tip of her tongue. Her slender and fragile fingers clutched at the young man''s clothes. It was a struggle, and the girl''s red fingertips showed that she had used all her strength. Her voice was already choked up. There was no way to suppress how hoarse she sounded. "Don''t go, please." Jin Si''s heart skipped a beat. The indescribable emotion he felt swelled from his heart to his limbs. He did not move, and his body was tense. It was as if fireworks had exploded in his mind. His vision suddenly became blurry, but he could not forget the scene of Qi Wu pleading with him. How could he leave? Jin Si didn''t even have time to react before he instinctively said, "I''m not leaving." It was only when he saw Qi Wu''s puzzled gaze that he realized that something was wrong. He carefully recalled the thoughts that had just appeared in his mind, but his mind was nk. "Jin Si, you changed the script." Qi Wu''s eyes were still red, but her face was already back to its usual calm state as she solemnlyined about his refusal to work with her. Jin Si did not speak. For once, Jin Si did not immediately answer her. He pursed his lips and did not exin anything. Instead, he said, "Let''s start over." The second time, Jin Si was barely able to restrain himself when he met Qi Wu''s gaze. However, he was still unable toplete the scene with Qi Wu. The third time, Jin Si felt like he was going crazy. He simply couldn''t stand to see Qi Wu looking at him in such a sorrowful and pleading manner. She shouldn''t have shown anyone such a look, even if it was just an act. Pain, sadness, trouble, anything that would affect her happiness should be kept away from her. "That''s all. You''re already in character." Jin Si coldly said, but his cold tone was an attempt to hide the chaos that ruled his mind. He did not know why he had lost control. However, he knew that if this continued, he would get drawn into the role even if Qi Wu wasn''t. As Qi Wu had cried a few times, her eyes were as red as a rabbit''s. She tilted her head and muttered in confusion, "How strange¡­" Why was it that acting with Jin Si feltpletely different from acting with others? As long as she was looking at Jin Si, she seemed to be able to quickly immerse herself in the feelings of the character. In the end, Qi Wu gave up trying to find out the reason as Jin Si fled. Chapter 100 It Was All Over. Jin Si Had Fallen Chapter 100 It Was All Over. Jin Si Had Fallen On the third day of the break, Chang Xun still did not dare to face Jin Si. Therefore, the task of sending Qi Wu to the set fell on Jin Si. Qi Wu was sitting on the sofa and quietly watching Pink Pig while Jin Si sat on a chair nearby as he sized her up. Ever since he lost control the day before, Qi Wu had not asked him another question about what happened. After Jin Si left the room, he found many reasons for his behavior, but none of them could really exin why he lost control. It was like Pandora''s box. While tempting, once it was opened, everything became uncontroble. That version of himself felt like a stranger. Just then, the doorbell rang. Jin Si nced at it and pressed the button on the inte to open the door. Lou Ying walked in with a rack of clothes. He nced at Qi Wu, who was upying the living room to watch her show. Then, he looked at Jin Si, who had been "kicked" to a corner and was sitting on a chair. His face went dark. Qi Wu''s powers were getting stronger by the day, and Jin Si was acting stranger by the day. However, Lou Ying did not have the guts to say what he thought. On the surface, he respectfully said, "The clothes, sir." Jin Si grunted softly in reply. Then, he turned to look at Qi Wu, who had stopped watching her show to look at him. "What are you looking at me for?" He raised his eyebrows and calmly continued, "They''re for you." Qi Wu got up from the couch and walked over to Jin Si. She nced at the rack of clothes. There were all kinds of styles, and there were even bags and shoes. It could be said that whoever bought them was very thoughtful. Thebels on the items had been torn off, but from the color and texture of the fabric, they were definitely high-quality fabric. However, Qi Wu only took a nce before looking away. "Why did you buy me clothes?" "To bring to the show." Jin Si repliedzily, "Do you still remember the suitcase in your closet? Go get it."" There was no way he could say that he was still angry over being called stingy by Tong Luo. Jin Si usually did not pay attention to his clothes. After all, with his social status, there were naturally people who would buy them for him. Therefore, this was the first time he had seriously picked out clothes himself. When he was picking out these clothes, he subconsciously thought of how Qi Wu would look in them. He even matched them with suitable essories. "Alright." Qi Wu then went upstairs to look for the luggage bag. Lou Ying silently stood there as though he had blended into the background. After a while, he seemed to hear Jin Si muttering to himself, "It''s time to prepare summer clothes for her." Lou Ying was speechless. It was all over. Jin Si had fallen. * The car arrived at the open-air parking lot outside the stadium. Due to who he was, Jin Si could not show up on set, which made him a little unhappy. "Jin Si, I should go." Qi Wu''s voice snapped Jin Si back to his senses. When he saw that she was about to get out of the car, he called out to her, "Wait a minute." Hearing that, Qi Wu turned around and looked at him. Jin Si pursed his lips. "Have Lou Ying bring your stuff in for you." Lou Ying, who was driving, was caught off guard. It was just one suitcase. Furthermore, she had monstrous strength. She did not need his help. Qi Wu blinked. "I can do it myself." "Let him do it." Jin Si repeated. This time, Qi Wu didn''t refuse and just agreed to it. was shocked by how suddenly two people came racing over. Hence, not long after, Lou Ying walked behind Qi Wu with a nk face while curses echoed through his mind. Qi Wu was thest to arrive at the vi. After all, Jin Si had asked her to have dinner beforeing over. Hence, when Lou Ying followed Qi Wu in with her suitcase, he was shocked by how suddenly two people came racing over. He subconsciously retreated with the suitcase. Eventually, he realized they were just two young women who were there to pounce on Qi Wu while an aloof and attractive young woman watched from behind. "I missed you so much, Sweetie!" Lou Ying was speechless. Had Qi Wu already started to enthrall the people on the show with her powers? For a moment, Lou Ying''s eyes were filled with respect and horror as he looked at Qi Wu. She was terrifying! After Tong Luo and the others were done greeting Qi Wu, they finally noticed that there was another person following Qi Wu. Tong Luo, who still didn''t know who the real sugar daddy was, instantly became anxious. She grabbed Qi Wu''s arm with one hand and warily looked at Lou Ying. "Who are you?" Lou Ying ignored her. He turned to look at Qi Wu. "Miss Qi, I''ll leave your luggage here." Qi Wu nodded. "Goodbye, Lou Ying." Lou Ying looked at Qi Wu in astonishment and nodded in response before leaving the vi. He did not expect Qi Wu to remember his name. After all, they had not spoken to each other much. After Lou Ying left, Tong Luo tentatively asked, "Qi Wu, who was that?" "Oh..." Qi Wu carefully recalled the way Jin Si and Lou Ying interacted in the past and calmly replied, "The subordinate." Tong Luo was speechless. Jiang Xuxu instantly realized what that meant. Ever since she found out that Jin Si was Qi Wu''s debtholder, she found the fact even more unbelievable. It was simply a miracle. After all, everyone in the entertainment industry knew that Jin Si could destroy the entire entertainment industry with his words alone. However, he was a very strange man. He was clearly a poor kid who only had his looks backing him up, but the people who wanted to take him down in the past had inexplicably been bitten by karma. He was even able to secure himself as a top-tier actor with just his acting skills. Now, he was even Qi Wu''s debtholder. He also¡­treated Qi Wu well¡­ He had already given Qi Wumand over his subordinate. What else could that mean? Thus, Jiang Xuxu''s mind continued its shift toward being a shipper. She cleared her throat. "Subordinates are good. He even helped you with your luggage. What did you bring?" "Clothes." In the end, the group brought Qi Wu''s luggage upstairs and sat at the side as they watched Qi Wu unpack. Ke Lu, who had not spoken much since the beginning, stared at the new clothes Qi Wu took out and faintlymented, "Adide." Tong Luo froze. "Huh?" Jiang Xuxu looked at them strangely. "What''s Adide?" Ke Lu raised her chin. "These clothes are from Adide." Tong Luo continued, "Adide is an old fashion brand founded by the Adide family, a noble family. The brand is very high-end and known for being the arrogant brand that only allowed the clothes to select their wearer instead of allowing the buyers to select the clothes they wanted to wear. Jin Si is the only Asian who was ever invited to be the brand''s global spokesperson." Jiang Xuxu''s mind was blown. Her eyes widened with shock and glee, It was obvious that Jin Si had personally prepared the outfits! At that moment, Jiang Xuxu was done with her transformation. She was now a fan of this ship. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!