CHAPTER 8: THE FIRST A

Wan Yue’s heart pounded wildly.

But music is a mysterious thing. Even when languages differ and cultures are worlds apart, the moment you hear it, you feel something.

Wan Yue felt it too.

As the melody rose, her heartbeat climbed with it. At its peak, she almost thought her heart would tear apart. But then, as the notes gradually descended, so did her panic, her breakdown, and her anxiety—all gently soothed away.

When Jiang Su finally lowered her suona, lifted the hem of her skirt, and bowed in a graceful curtain call…

Wan Yue, as if snapping out of a trance, followed suit. She and Yu Xinyan also lifted their skirts, bowed, and stepped aside, neatly concluding the performance.

[Damn, I can only say two words: Absolute legend.]

[Wan Yue finally pulled herself together…]

[I swear, with Jiang Su’s save, I almost believed this was a deliberately choreographed performance.]

[This has that “Wedding Lament” vibe!]

[Suona, the eternal god-tier instrument!]

The livestream chat flooded with messages, the screen filling up even faster than during Lin Sifeng’s girl group dance performance.

In the broadcast room, Zhao Qiuying lowered his gaze, hiding the complex emotions in his eyes. He leaned toward the microphone and murmured, “Very good.”

Xuan Wen quickly followed up, “It was indeed impressive… The first half was completed by you all, but the second half—she completed it.” Xuan Wen’s gaze skimmed over Jiang Su. “I suppose, technically, this still counts as teamwork.”

Another mentor immediately pressed down on his microphone, visibly much more enthusiastic. “Have you studied music systematically before? Your improvisation was excellent. That final phrase was an adaptation of Faith, wasn’t it? You managed to seamlessly connect it with the previous part while transforming the soft ballad into something so hauntingly dramatic… That’s not easy. Do you play any other instruments? Can you do another piece?”

As he spoke, he suddenly paused.

His eyes lingered on the girl in the center. Under the stage lighting, her skin appeared almost unnaturally pale, as if the performance had drained all her energy.

“…Forget it.” He smiled gently. “You’ve already done more than enough. Take a break. I’m giving you an A.”

The moment those words landed, the chat exploded.

[HOLY SH*T. She just played a suona, and she’s that strong?! Jiang Laoshi (Teacher Jiang) actually praised her! And so sincerely, too!]

[? Is this today’s first A?!]

The last to speak was Yelena—a striking mixed-race beauty. She had spent five years in H-country’s girl group scene, lived in M-country for three years, and had even been nominated at one of the world’s top music awards.

Her voice carried a thick ABC accent as she spoke: “In this industry, the phrase I hear the most is ‘You must have conviction.’ No one is born perfect, able to deliver the best performance effortlessly. But without conviction, standing on a stage as dazzling as this, not only will you fail to earn glory—you’ll hesitate, shrink back, and be unable to captivate the audience.”

Yelena’s fans listened in quiet reverence, some even moved to tears.

But the livestream chat was mostly filled with question marks.

[? Honestly, I didn’t fully understand that.]

[But wow, this is such high praise.]

Then Yelena continued, seamlessly shifting her tone: “You are the most conviction-filled performer I have ever seen. It’s as if you genuinely believe you can do anything…”

[ojbk, I understood this part. So basically, Wan Yue lacked conviction, which is why she messed up.]

On stage, Jiang Su gave a slight bow and gracefully thanked Yelena for her feedback.

Whatever one does, one should strive to present the best version of oneself with full confidence—wasn’t that the way it should always be?

Beside her, Yu Xinyan’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, as if the praise had been directed at her instead.

At this moment, Xuan Wen finally spoke again, shifting his gaze to Yu Xinyan. His tone was blunt: “To be honest, at first, I didn’t think you belonged here. Compared to others, you lack standout qualities…”

Barrage comments:
[+1]
[Yu Xinyan has been at this for years, but she’s barely made a ripple…]

Xuan Wen continued, “However, your performance today was surprisingly solid. No off-key notes, no lost beats, always aware of your role. You didn’t shrink back when it was your turn to sing, and you knew when to step aside and support others. You’re well-suited for a girl group. So, I’ll give you a C.”

Yu Xinyan was so overwhelmed with joy that she nearly fainted.

But instead of looking at Xuan Wen, she swiftly turned her head toward Jiang Su, her eyes shining like two massive 300-watt light bulbs.

Wan Yue clenched her palms, stealing a stunned glance at Jiang Su. Wu Qingqing’s expression was equally complex.

Barrage comments exploded:
[Holy—!]
[Yu Xinyan actually got a C!!! Same as Ding Xuan, but Ding Xuan is going to get penalized! Does this mean Yu Xinyan will gain points instead?]
[Why is she looking at Jiang Su??]
[Jiang Su told her to fill in D, didn’t she? Did Jiang Su already predict she’d get a C?]
[What exactly did Jiang Su say to her?! I’m dying to know!]

Yu Xinyan’s few devoted fans, watching the live broadcast, were already in tears.

[Ahhh, I thought my girl was destined to go back home and farm sweet potatoes.]
[Yu Xinyan, you’re killing me! You worked so hard for so many years, and you finally got a C!]

Yu Xinyan stared at Jiang Su for a few more moments before taking a deep breath, turning back, and bowing to thank Xuan Wen and the other mentors.

Wu Qingqing’s evaluation, by contrast, was far less dramatic.

Yelena simply said, “Good potential, but an average performance.”

As for Wan Yue’s critique, it was collectively skipped over—whether out of respect for her dignity or to prevent Jiang Su from being ostracized within the team.

Either way, for Wan Yue, this silence was an even greater humiliation.

Finally, Zhao Qiuying announced the rankings.

He made a deliberate effort not to let his gaze linger too long on Jiang Su, instead shifting it to Wan Yue as he read aloud: “Your ratings are—A, C, D, F.”

Wan Yue’s entire world crumbled in an instant.

When she met Zhao Qiuying’s gaze, a shiver ran down her spine, and her legs nearly gave out. In that moment, there was none of the usual excitement that came with catching the attention of a top idol.

They each took their ranking cards and left the stage.

Jiang Su, of course, didn’t forget to bend down and pick up her oversized bag on the way out.

Barrage comments:
[LMAO, she looks so ridiculous dragging that giant bag around.]
[666, no suspense at all—today’s first A.]
[Where are the people who said she’d be heading home soon?]
[= = Let’s not overhype her. She always looks sickly and distant—this kind of high-intensity training and filming, can she really keep up?]

Just as the barrage was about to turn into another heated argument, the next company group took the stage, shifting the topic of discussion.

But most of the performances that followed were… underwhelming.

Barrage comments grumbled:
[What’s going on?]
[? Are they all deliberately making Sanjin look good? Did Sanjin bribe the production team this year?]

Yu Xinyan, watching the performances in disbelief, found herself thinking—Are they… actually worse than me?

I must be imagining things.

Yu Xinyan whispered, “Why is everyone performing so poorly?”

Jiang Su turned to her. “What’s the highest number of people who have ever watched you perform at the same time?”

Yu Xinyan hesitated. “…For me, the most was a recorded show with a live audience of over a hundred.”

“This is a live broadcast,” Wu Qingqing chimed in.

Not to mention the intense lighting overhead—so bright it could be blinding. The heat, making performers sweat and dehydrate faster. The four esteemed mentors watching their every move. The looming threat of point deductions. The immense pressure of representing Cheng Group and the Weiguang platform…

It wasn’t as easy as some keyboard warriors made it out to be.

Even Ding Xuan’s team had stumbled. So naturally…

Wu Qingqing subtly glanced at Jiang Su.

So naturally, this girl—who casually bent down to adjust her bag strap—was actually incredibly terrifying.

No one realized just how remarkable it was that she could stand there, unfazed in this environment, break through the suffocating pressure, and reclaim control of the performance with such dominance.

She looked so… fragile.

At that moment, even Yan Yucheng, sitting in the audience, found himself thinking the same thing.

The girl’s wrists were so delicate, her suona so large it nearly covered her entire face—giving off an almost frail and burdened appearance… And yet, the sound she produced was powerful enough to shake the entire studio, as if it could blow the roof off.

Yan Yucheng thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh.

How interesting.

The initial ranking assessment ended swiftly.

Final results: Two A’s—one for Jiang Su, the other for Li Mo’er.
Six B’s.
Seventeen C’s.
Twenty D’s.
Eleven E’s.
And a staggering forty-five F’s.

The sheer number of failing grades shocked the audience, catapulting Idol Trainee Girls to the top of the trending charts.

#45_F_rankings#
#Harshest_Mentor_Judging_in_History#

Related hashtags rapidly took over social media feeds.

Among the trending topics, the most out-of-place was a lone #JiangSuSuona#, initially ranked 21st on the hot search list.

Who is Jiang Su?

What does she have to do with a suona?

Wait, did someone just have a funeral?

Many internet users who didn’t follow the talent show found the hashtag utterly baffling. But precisely because it was so bizarre, they couldn’t resist clicking on it to see what it was all about.

[Went in confused, came out on my knees.]

[What kind of folk performance is this?]

[Hahaha, no, this is a talent show! A show for picking pretty girls!]

[I laughed so hard I almost threw up. The moment the suona appeared, I thought it was for a pig slaughter or a funeral. But then, as I kept watching, I suddenly started crying. How did it turn into something so mournfully beautiful?]

Gossip forums quickly picked up the discussion.

[…Jiang Su single-handedly overshadowed all her fellow company members. It’s like the mentors only remember her now. 666.]

[Honestly, this might be for the best. If the mentors only praised her, then by contrast, wouldn’t that mean they were criticizing the others? How could they still get along after that?]

[The most impressive part was how she closed the performance. She was so composed that it didn’t even feel like a stage mishap—it seemed like a perfectly planned moment.]

[Jiang Su is incredibly steady. Not only did she not get thrown off by the chaos, but she also turned the whole thing around and took the lead. She’s way too suited for the center position!]

[Her face still looked so cold and indifferent… How does she manage to be so delicate and pitiful yet cool, adorable, and strong at the same time? Has the voting for Glimmer started yet? I need to go vote now!]

…

After countless comments, some naysayers finally arrived.

[Jiang Su better get this straight—this is a talent show, not a folk music concert. Does she think she can rely on a suona all the way to debut?]

[What “conviction”? = = More like arrogance and overconfidence.]

[She should focus on herself first before trying to help Yu Xinyan. If Yu Xinyan were really capable of being helped, she wouldn’t have been floundering for so many years…]

——

When the news of Jiang Su receiving an A rating reached Sanjin Entertainment, the director let out a quiet “Ah.”

The assistant thought, Isn’t this good news? Why do you look so unexcited?

The director took a step forward, holding a cup in one hand.

“Smash!”

The cup shattered.

The sharp sound jolted him back to reality.

Wiping his face, the director muttered, “…I really underestimated her.”

The assistant: ?

Oh, so you were just too stunned to react.

Meanwhile, the other company trainees were scrolling through the endless online discussions.

They watched as Jiang Su’s hashtag climbed from 21st place to 4th in the trending list. They saw gossip forum posts piling up.

Clicking in, they read through all the praise and the occasional naysayer comments—

Then, they exchanged glances. And strangely enough, a sense of superiority welled up in them.

Ha!

Jealous nobodies!

They looked at the skeptical posts with amusement.

You guys haven’t even seen how ridiculously amazing Jiang Su really is, have you?

Ha! We saw it first!

——

Yu Xinyan smoothly moved up to the 28th floor, and then, along with Jiang Su, headed to the 29th floor as a guest.

Zhao Qiuying watched their backs before finally heading downstairs.

The moment he got into his car, he immediately pulled out his phone.

…Honestly, he hadn’t seen everything clearly on stage.

The lights had been too bright.

Or maybe he had been staring too intently, to the point that his vision blurred.

The clip should already be online by now, right?

Zhao Qiuying found the video. His hand trembled slightly as he switched it to loop playback.

His manager handed him a phone from the front seat. “It’s Film Queen Dong calling…”

Zhao Qiuying: “Later.”

The manager glanced at Zhao Qiuying plugging in his earphones and could only turn back to the other end of the line. “Apologies, he’s busy at the moment. Could you wait a little?”

That “little” wait stretched into hours.

On the other end, Dong Jiayu frowned in confusion.

What’s going on?

Zhao Qiuying has never been this impolite before.