CHAPTER 27 (PART 1)

Over the next few days, Han Jin experienced something he never had before in his life—constant rejection and relentless criticism.

Not strong enough.

Those four words were like a bolt from the blue for any man, a subtle jab at his competence.

So Han Jin pushed himself harder.

But drumming wasn’t something one could master overnight. Without proper technique and control, no matter how much effort he put in, the sound just wouldn’t come out right.

And no matter how much strength he used, that slightly yellowed drum skin felt like a bottomless pit, swallowing up every ounce of effort.

What the hell am I even doing here?

For a brief moment, Han Jin doubted himself.

He had always been used to compliments and admiration. This was the first time he felt truly crushed. Frustrated, he almost threw the drumsticks aside.

But the moment he turned, he met Jiang Su’s exceptionally beautiful face.

Her expression practically said: That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?

Han Jin’s chest tightened. He had no choice but to pick up the drumsticks again.

Others couldn’t help but wonder—what was the point of making Han Jin drum so much?

Days passed in the blink of an eye. The performance was about to begin.

Han Jin never once complained to his teammates that the drumming practice had haunted him even in his sleep, the thump, thump, thump echoing in his ears. He wouldn’t even admit that his arms felt like they were about to fall off—worse than any track-and-field training he had ever endured.

The cameras were set up, and the live broadcast started.

After finishing her makeup, Jiang Su strolled over at a leisurely pace.

Han Jin’s teammates all felt slightly self-conscious, unconsciously taking half a step back.

After all, Jiang Su was truly too beautiful. People had an instinctive reaction to beauty—blushing, rapid heartbeats, a natural response.

Jiang Su asked, “Are you ready?”

Han Jin looked at her face, feeling both love and hate at the same time. His arms twitched out of reflex.

But he held back and even managed to squeeze out a smile. “Yeah, we’re ready.”

Jiang Su nodded. “Alright.”

Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.

His teammates whispered to Han Jin, “Jiang Su is amazing. I heard that in the second round, her votes were more than double everyone else’s. And she’s so beautiful.”

The kind of beauty that almost all men would like.

“Partnering with her must be quite enjoyable, right?”

Han Jin’s face twitched slightly.

Enjoyable?

Han Jin forced himself to say, “…Yeah.”

At the very least, he had to admit that his collaboration with Jiang Su in the third public performance had almost monopolized the highest traffic of the entire show.

After debuting last year, Han Jin and his group had an incredibly packed schedule for over six months.

But as time passed, their popularity slowly declined. With a new season of idol competitions beginning, some of Han Jin’s fans started drifting away. He couldn’t help but feel a little unwilling.

The feeling of being adored by female fans was still quite nice…

They said Jiang Su was great at song selection.

Maybe after the third public performance, he could make a big comeback too?

Suppressing the thoughts in his mind, Han Jin immediately followed the announcement of his name and stepped forward to prepare for the stage.

At that moment, the livestream chat was going wild:

[Why do they always try to force male and female idol groups to interact? So annoying.]

[No need to be so against it. Can’t they just be normal friends? Honestly, I’m kind of looking forward to it.]

[+1, finally, I get to see my idol back on the stage!]

[I’m just curious—who is partnering with Jiang Su?]

[Oh oh oh, here it comes! They’re announcing it…]

[Wait, why is a giant drum coming up first?]

Not only was there a giant drum, but Jiang Su was also walking up slowly.

Her long black hair was tied up high, with two wisps left loose by her temples. A small red mark was dotted between her brows. Her makeup was slightly bold, her eyeliner extending at the corners, making her look both cold and striking—exuding an air of untamed defiance.

She wore large black earrings, each inscribed with golden characters—”Jianghu” on the left and “Drunken” on the right. The earrings were quite big, hanging down and making her pale face appear even more delicate and small.

She was dressed in a flowing white robe with wide sleeves, cinched at the waist with a jade-green sash and matching accessories. A soft, similarly colored choker adorned her neck.

Standing there, she resembled a legendary martial artist, once hidden in the mountains, now finally descending into the mortal world—a devilish heroine from an outlawed sect.

Exquisitely beautiful, yet carrying a hint of wild arrogance.

[She looks absolutely stunning today!]

[So powerful, so powerful—I’ve already said this too many times.]

Looking closer, she was also holding an erhu.

[LOL, this is insane—Chinese folk music trio in action. If she picks up a suona next, it’ll be perfect!]

[She doesn’t have enough hands to hold a suona, LOL. But wait—so Jiang Su is playing the erhu? Does that mean Han Jin is going to play the drum?]

Han Jin’s fans were seeing this setup for the first time and were immediately confused.

Making their idol play the drum?

Wasn’t this supposed to be an idol competition stage? Why was there a drum?

Soon, Han Jin also stepped onto the stage.

Dressed in black wide-sleeved robes, he did look quite striking.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so many fans in the first place.

Naturally, his fans flooded the chat with compliments.

A random viewer couldn’t help but comment:

[Actually, they look kinda good together…]

But this person was immediately torn apart in the chat.

Han Jin’s fans were clearly displeased.

[Jiang Su’s fans pretending to be neutral viewers again? Want to ship CPs? Why not pair her with Zhao Qiuying instead? Why target our idol?]

That instantly ignited another war between the two fandoms.

In just a few moments, they had already fought hundreds of rounds.

Gradually, though, Han Jin’s fans fell silent.

Because they realized—Jiang Su’s fandom wasn’t as weak as the ones they used to pick on… In fact, they were even more aggressive…

At this point, refusing to back down would just be plain stupid.

Some fans even privately messaged in their group chats: “Honestly, if Jiang Su were our idol’s girlfriend, I wouldn’t even mind. At least she’s really badass. Last year, that Yu Xinyan was actually disgusting…”

While the fans bickered behind the scenes, Jiang Su was already adjusting her instrument.

She leaned into the microphone, lightly pulling the erhu strings as she sang:

“Earth-born wood brews water-bound fire, golden liquor in a jade cup—a world within a cup…”

Just then, the drumbeat abruptly kicked in.

Han Jin barely managed to keep up.

[Weren’t the erhu and suona supposed to be instruments for funerals?! This is not what I expected!]

[Traditional folk music deserves more recognition!]

“Fleeting clouds, changing tides, a rotting chessboard in the mud…”

Han Jin’s rhythm was already slipping. His arms, growing weak, began to tremble.

[The drumbeat is off.]

[? You don’t know anything.]

[Excuse me, I actually play drums! I’m in a professional folk music ensemble!]

[Anyone can claim anything on the internet. Just listen quietly, will you?]

Han Jin’s fans were furious.

But just as they were defending their idol, the drumming noticeably weakened. Even with the microphone amplifying it, the sound wasn’t strong enough.

[…Crap, is he going to mess this up?]

[No way, my girl has been flawless in every performance except for her debut, which was sabotaged by her own company!]

[Wasn’t Han Jin a former athlete? How is he already out of strength from drumming?]

Sweat formed on Han Jin’s forehead as he struggled on stage.

He was running out of strength but didn’t want to admit defeat. Yet, the weaker the sound got, the harder it was for him to maintain the rhythm.

[Why is he only playing the drum? Why doesn’t he have any singing lines?]

Han Jin’s fans once again raised complaints.

[? Who else is supposed to play the drum if not him? Jiang Su? Does he not have even this much responsibility?]

[I’m so pissed! Didn’t they already release the rehearsal footage? Han Jin volunteered himself! Jiang Su even asked multiple times who had the most strength—he was the one who acted all confident!]

[Damn it, he’s ruining Jiang Su’s performance!]

The chat exploded into another heated argument.

Han Jin, standing on stage, could already imagine what people were saying about him in the livestream comments.

Disappointment? Ridicule?

Jiang Su’s fans would be furious?

What should he do?

As sweat formed on Han Jin’s forehead, Zhao Qiuying frowned from the audience.

Pathetic.

At that moment, Jiang Su turned around and walked a few steps away from the large drum.

She was singing, “The Sage of Poetry sings as he rides the waves…”

With a swift turn, her leg lifted high and came crashing down onto the drumhead. Her skirt flared as the impact sent a powerful “BOOM” resounding through the venue—so strong that it sent the drumsticks flying out of Han Jin’s hands.

He stood there, stunned. The entire venue erupted.

[Holy shit!!!]

[My girl, why are you so freaking cool?!]

“The great urn tilts, pouring into the rivers and seas!”

Jiang Su retracted her leg and lightly stepped onto a smoke machine by the stage. Borrowing its momentum, she leaped effortlessly onto the drum.

The drum was already enormous, and with her standing atop it, she appeared even more slender and ethereal.

[Damn, I’m losing it! This reminds me of the legendary ‘Flying Swallow on the Drum’!]

Jiang Su danced while holding her erhu.

Her movements were powerful yet elegant, sharp yet mesmerizing. She stepped across the drum’s surface, her rhythm matching the deep, resounding beats. As the performance built to its climax, the drumbeats rolled like crashing waves and rumbling thunder.

Both the audience present and those watching the live broadcast were left utterly speechless, overwhelmed by her stunning performance. Their heartbeats pounded in sync with the drums—thump, thump, thump-thump-thump.

Adrenaline surged to its peak, sending shivers down their spines.

It felt as if their very souls had been struck.

Han Jin clenched his jaw, his back drenched in sweat.

His drumsticks had fallen off the stage… Should he retrieve them? Or not?

It seemed like such a minor decision, but in the moment, it became an excruciating dilemma.

Yet, while he was still frozen in indecision, time did not wait for him.

“Unaware that dawn has already broken in the East.” Jiang Su sang the final line.

Standing on the drum, she cradled her erhu, arched backward, and tilted her head to the side.

Her flowing sleeves and skirt danced in the air before gently cascading down.

Both breathtaking and formidable.

Thunderous applause erupted, yanking Han Jin out of his spiral of hesitation.

[Oh my god, how is her waist that flexible?!]

[I’m losing it. That was the most incredible drum dance ever! There are so many things to praise, I don’t even know where to start!]

[Every time I watch Jiang Su perform, I can’t help but be awestruck.]

[I’m heading to Weibo to follow her right now!]

…

Meanwhile, the neighboring boy group sat there in shock, speechless.

The amazement in their eyes hadn’t faded, yet an underlying sense of pity crept in.

…Han Jin had completely embarrassed himself today.

Everyone had assumed that partnering with Jiang Su would be like what happened with Wu Qingqing and Yu Xinyan—an instant boost in popularity and a surge in attention.

No one had considered another possibility—that one could end up like Han Jin, completely overshadowed, crushed by her presence, and left in utter humiliation.

Down in the audience, Zhao Qiuying couldn’t help but let a satisfied smirk curl his lips as he clapped.

Just as he thought he might be overreacting, he turned his head—only to see Jiang N slamming the table in excitement.

…Well, fair enough.

Compared to that, his reaction was downright restrained.

People began glancing toward the judges’ panel.