Qin Yi is very clever.
But Qin Yi has the typical traits of a straightforward man.
Unless it involves calculating interests, it’s best not to beat around the bush when talking to such a straightforward man. They hear but don’t take it to heart, and Qin Yi didn’t pay much attention to his female classmate’s complaints.
Hearing that Xu Mei was a bit disappointed, Qin Yi felt that Xu Mei was somewhat out of sorts tonight.
The competition was about to start, yet she was still distracted by who was or wasn’t in the audience. This showed she wasn’t fully focused on preparing for the competition… Was she too nervous?
This wouldn’t do!
The straightforward Qin rushed to nod at his female classmate. “She’s just too nervous. I’ll go talk to her and help calm her down.”
“Hey—”
The female classmate stomped her foot. She hadn’t finished speaking, so why was Qin Yi not playing by the rules?
Standing at the backstage entrance, the female classmate looked toward the audience. The seat next to Mrs. Qin was empty. Not only was Boss Qin absent, but Qin Jiao hadn’t appeared in Xu Mei’s cheering section either.
As the female classmate searched for Qin Jiao, Wen Ying and Qin Jiao, along with a few others, were heading to the backstage area. Before the competition began, they wanted to see Li Mengjiao.
Except for those with passes around their necks, no one was allowed backstage. Seeing Wen Ying and the others, the female classmate thought for a moment and approached them.
“Are you going to cheer for Xu Mei? I can lend you my pass, but I only have one, and there are so many of you…”
Qin Yi was straightforward, and Wang Shuang was no different. He found Xu Mei’s female classmate’s words oddly uncomfortable. Without waiting for Qin Jiao to respond, he declined her offer:
“With only one pass, who would we send in? Let’s just forget it. We’ll call Li Mengjiao and ask her to meet us at the entrance.”
They were going backstage to see Li Mengjiao—what did that have to do with Xu Mei?
Wang Shuang had dated plenty of “girlfriends,” but none had ever made him prioritise romance over friendship.
To Wang Shuang, making new friends was far harder than finding a new girlfriend. Judging others by his own standards, he thought it wouldn’t be hard for Qin Yi to find a new girlfriend either.
Xu Mei’s female classmate, Fu Jing, flushed slightly with anger at Wang Shuang’s blunt words. Wen Ying noticed and made a mental note: it wasn’t clear if Xu Mei had any issues, but this Fu Jing definitely had plenty of schemes.
Hearing Wang Shuang’s words, Qin Jiao nodded in agreement.
Her upbringing made it hard for Qin Jiao to publicly contradict Fu Jing. Denying outright that they were going to cheer for Xu Mei would be too hurtful.
Besides, what was the point of only one person going in? It was better to call Li Mengjiao to the entrance so everyone could say a few words to her!
Wang Shuang pulled out his phone to call Li Mengjiao, but no one answered. Fu Jing was about to speak again when Wang Shuang muttered to himself, “Her phone’s probably on silent. I’ll call her mum!”
Before Wang Shuang could get through, a woman in a suit walked out from inside and paused, surprised to see a few students lingering at the backstage entrance.
“Little Xie?”
This woman was Producer Yan, whom Xie Qian and Wen Ying had met when they visited the TV station with Director Lü.
The Super Girl talent show, a collaboration between Rongcheng City TV and Mango TV, had sparked some buzz in Rongcheng. The food programme launched alongside the Night Snack Street Food Festival had also received rave reviews. Every day, enthusiastic citizens called the production team to recommend their favourite foods. A programme’s success was measured by ratings and attention, and high ratings meant high attention—no fault in that logic.
Holding the reins of the city station’s two hottest shows, Producer Yan walked with an air of confidence.
The buoyant Producer Yan had a vivid memory of Xie Qian.
Hearing that Xie Qian and the others were going backstage to see a friend—and that friend was Li Mengjiao, a strong contender for tonight’s championship—she immediately granted them access.
“Auntie Yan, thank you.”
“It’s a small matter, no need to thank me. Come by the TV station another day, and I’ll have someone give you a proper tour.”
Producer Yan was very busy that night and didn’t linger long. After exchanging a few words with Xie Qian, she hurriedly left.
Wang Shuang gave Xie Qian a thumbs-up.
In this looks-obsessed world, Wang Shuang wasn’t entirely disillusioned. After all, it was like using a friend’s face card, which, rounded up, was basically his own face card.
Fu Jing watched as Producer Yan gave Xie Qian and the others the green light, feeling frustrated and thinking everything was going wrong tonight.
Backstage, the five finalists were making their final preparations.
Li Mengjiao had already done her makeup and was talking with her vocal coach, seizing every last moment before going on stage to improve her skills.
“There’s still a slight issue with the pitch of this song…”
For every comment the vocal coach made, Li Mengjiao nodded. She had small sequins glued to the corners of her eyes, sparkling brightly. Even Wen Ying found her adorable—no wonder so many people voted for her.
Li Mengjiao’s mother stood nearby with a thermos, urging her to take small sips of water to keep her throat moist after practicing a few lines.
She couldn’t drink too much—too much water might mean needing the bathroom during the competition. Only tiny sips were allowed. No success came easily, and winning the competition required utmost care and caution!
When Wen Ying and the others entered backstage, Li Mengjiao let out an excited shout. Li’s mother smiled, “You silly girl, not steady at all. Why don’t you learn from Qin Jiao and Wen Ying?”
Being unsteady was Li Mengjiao’s unique charm. If she were steady, she wouldn’t be Li Mengjiao.
Li Mengjiao was thrilled—not only because her friends had come to cheer her on, but also because of the unexpected sight of Xie Qian.
Simple-minded people think alike. Wang Shuang felt it was prestigious to ride on Xie Qian’s coattails, and Li Mengjiao thought Xie Qian’s return to Rongcheng at this time was to support her—what a great friend!
Fu Jing ran to Xu Mei’s side and whispered something in her ear. Xu Mei glanced over, and Qin Jiao walked over to say, “Good luck.”
Xu Mei’s expression dimmed slightly:
“Tonight, Mengjiao will definitely win. She has all of you as friends and huge popularity. I’m just here to make up the numbers.”
Her words left Qin Jiao at a loss for how to respond.
Wen Ying stepped forward, smiling, “Sister Xu Mei, don’t be so modest. In terms of popularity, I’d say you and Mengjiao are neck and neck. As for strength, which of the five finalists isn’t strong? The champion is decided by the judges’ evaluations and audience votes. Even if you wanted Mengjiao to win, the judges would have to agree, right?”
Backstage weren’t just Li Mengjiao and Xu Mei—there were three other finalists.
Blatantly saying Li Mengjiao would win was dismissive of the other three.
To those unaware of the context, it might sound like Xu Mei had insider information, as if Li Mengjiao was already predetermined to be the champion!
Wen Ying’s words, neither soft nor harsh, countered Xu Mei’s comments. She then pulled Qin Jiao away, saying they wouldn’t disturb Xu Mei’s pre-competition preparations.
Fu Jing hesitated, then said, “…That sounded so awkward. Am I overthinking it?”
Xu Mei’s eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly blinked away the moisture, forcing a smile. “I was too nervous and spoke carelessly.”
Qin Yi was deep in thought.
What had happened that he wasn’t aware of?
Why were his sister Qin Jiao and Wen Ying suddenly so cold toward Xu Mei?
With the competition about to start, the straightforward Qin had to temporarily suppress his doubts.
Seeing Xu Mei and Fu Jing’s behaviour, Wang Shuang quietly warned Li Mengjiao, “Be careful during the competition. Some contestants are narrow-minded. Don’t treat everyone as a good sister. You’re competitors, and some might stab you in the back.”
