CHAPTER 10: THE SPARK THAT SETS THE FIELD ABLAZE

Dong Jiayu’s gaze lingered on Jiang Su for a few unnatural seconds.

There were cameras all around, countless people watching.

This thought flashed through Dong Jiayu’s mind before she forcibly withdrew her gaze. She couldn’t let anyone notice anything unusual about her.

Adjusting the mic on her chest, she smiled and said, “Hello, everyone, I’m Dong Jiayu. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn one of these. Feels a little unfamiliar.”

She thought she had covered it up seamlessly.

But Jiang Su was extremely sensitive to others’ gazes.

As a killer, if you didn’t even realize when you’d been locked onto in a crowd, weren’t you just waiting to die?

Jiang Su lifted her eyes, turned her head, and swept a glance over her.

Just one look was enough for her to imprint the woman’s features in her memory.

Wasn’t this that award-winning actress, Dong something…?

The original owner of this body had jumped into the river because she discovered she was merely a stand-in for this woman.

Jiang Su tilted her head slightly.

Was she really that impressive? She didn’t see it. They didn’t even look alike.

At this moment, Dong Jiayu slowly approached the mentors’ seats, lifting the hem of her dress as she spoke. “Many of you might not recognize me anymore…”

Upon hearing this, the others quickly responded—

“Of course we do!”

“I watched the entire awards ceremony when you won Best Actress!”

“I grew up watching your films…”

At that last sentence, Dong Jiayu’s expression subtly stiffened for a moment. But she recovered so quickly that almost no one noticed.

Grew up watching her films?

Was she old?

Dong Jiayu memorized the young girl’s face. At this moment, mentor Jiang Sheng laughed heartily. “Are you going to tell me next that you grew up listening to my songs?”

Back when he was hailed as a music prodigy, Dong Jiayu wasn’t even a name in the industry.

Hearing this, Dong Jiayu had no choice but to smile along.

The girl quickly realized that while her words added entertainment value, they might also offend someone. She laughed, made a few jokes, and smoothly moved past the topic.

Dong Jiayu didn’t want to dwell on it either, so she turned to Zhao Qiuying. But before she could speak, Zhao Qiuying simply nodded slightly and said warmly, “Alright, trainees, please take your seats according to your ratings.”

Dong Jiayu had no choice but to swallow her words and take a seat at the guest area.

The next second, she nearly lost control of her expression.

Jiang Su, holding a pile of items, walked in at an unhurried pace. Others instinctively made way for her—not that they had a choice.

Dong Jiayu could only watch as she walked all the way up and finally sat in the A-ranked seat, overlooking the entire room with ease.

Dong Jiayu: “……”

What had she missed?

Why was this girl participating in a variety show? And not only participating—she even got an A?!

And what was with this production team? Were they out of their minds?

Why were the trainees’ seats designed so high, while the mentors and guest seats were below?

Were they deliberately making her look up at them?

Meanwhile, the livestream chat wasn’t exactly sympathetic to Dong Jiayu.

The new fans of Jiang Su were too excited to hold back—

[AAAAHHH! She looks perfect sitting on that crystal throne! Just add a crown, and she’d be a princess!]

[I’m voting for her! She must stay in the A seat forever! Never step down!]

Naturally, Li Mo’er’s fans were also hyping her up.

The chat was on the verge of another heated debate.

After all, who didn’t love someone with real talent?

When you had the ability to stand on this stage and boldly claim an A rank, it only attracted more career-focused fans.

A fan’s idol, getting straight A’s from the first stage to the last—

That was bragging rights!

Supporting this kind of idol was a lifetime of peace of mind!

“Now, please write down the class you want to join,” Zhao Qiuying announced in the studio.

Staff members quickly handed out slips of paper and pens.

After filling them out, they would start from the F rank and work their way up in battles.

Without the constraints of a company’s pre-planned path, this was another chance for those with real talent to fight for a better ranking.

Wu Qingqing quickly returned to C rank.

Her points went from +4 for filling in C, -8 for dropping to D, and now +1 for moving back up to C, landing at a final score of 7.

Wan Yue also chose C, but so did too many others. She lost her battle and had to stay in F rank.

[This system is brutal! Who came up with this?! Wan Yue lost her PK battle, so she has to go back to F! She can’t even go to E!]

[Probably to prevent people from randomly filling in a rank just to take a spot without putting in effort.]

[Makes sense. Keeps people from slacking off. The other show I watched had so much dead weight I almost quit.]

[Anyone who dares to put A is seriously bold…]

Then it was time for C rank battles.

[Wait, Yu Xinyan is crazy?! She chose A?!]

[Confused but intrigued. Who saw Jiang Su’s behind-the-scenes livestream yesterday?]

[…Mixed feelings. Yesterday, Yu Xinyan was saying how great it was to be on the 29th floor, and Jiang Su told her, ‘You will have it too.’]

[? So Jiang Su made her choose A? I take back what I said before. Jiang Su isn’t really looking out for her—she’s sabotaging her.]

[+1. Forcing someone up is a recipe for disaster.]

[Yu Xinyan’s fans must be in shambles right now.]

[I was wrong. Li Mo’er treats her friends well. Jiang Su is just setting people up. So many people are trying to rise today—there’s no way she’ll win a PK battle.]

[And since so many people picked C, there might not be enough spots left. She could get kicked out entirely.]

The chat exploded with debates, full of concern.

Jiang Su’s new fans were still uncertain, so they couldn’t stand up for her.

Even the mentors were a little surprised, though they were thinking much further ahead.

Under this competition system, for Yu Xinyan to break away from her usual style on variety shows and perform with confidence was, in itself, a form of progress.

Xuan Wen spoke up, “Please begin your performance.”

[…I can’t bear to watch this.]

[If Yu Xinyan gets sent back to F today, how heartbreaking would that be? Damn, I can’t help but feel a little sympathy for her…]

Yu Xinyan took a deep breath. She couldn’t see the heated discussions online, but all she had to do was look up to see Jiang Su sitting at the highest point.

Jiang Su’s black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she wore the uniform white dress issued by the company. She remained silent, yet still shone brilliantly—like the brightest morning star in the sky.

Yu Xinyan was instantly filled with boundless courage.

I can’t embarrass Jiang Su.

She bowed, then stood up straight, tying her hair back as she held the microphone steady:

“I-know-that-I’m-running-out-of-time…”

[She’s singing an English song?]

[Huh? And her pronunciation is actually pretty smooth… though this song isn’t exactly sweet.]

[0-0 I don’t understand the lyrics.]

Yu Xinyan gripped the mic stand tightly, and as the melody built, she started moving, shaking her head to the beat.

It wasn’t a typical girl-group dance—it was more like tap dancing.

She was completely relaxed, exuding an energy that made the stage feel like it belonged to her.

The mentors exchanged glances, surprise flashing across their faces.

Dong Jiayu’s English wasn’t great. Back then, she had even lost a Hollywood movie role because of her poor spoken English, so she couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of the lyrics.

But as Yu Xinyan continued singing, getting more and more into it, anyone could tell that her voice carried an increasing amount of passion.

“Just-like-fire, burning-out-the-way!” Yu Xinyan’s voice cracked slightly as her chest rose and fell.

“Come-on, come-on-with-me.” She turned her gaze slightly, her expression carrying an unexpected hint of allure and disdain.

“Oh, what you gonna do?” Her voice shifted in tone, carrying a touch of arrogance and pride.

At that moment, the chat finally caught on.

[Holy shit! She’s singing the theme song from Alice Through the Looking Glass! I recognized it as soon as the chorus hit!]

[Let me manually load the lyrics for everyone!]

[Jiang Sheng’s eyes just lit up! W and Yelena’s expressions changed too! Yelena looks really moved!]

[I just looked up the lyrics, and QAQ… Yu Xinyan, go for it! All your years of effort won’t be in vain!]

[She’s totally nailing the vibe. Why didn’t Sanjin let her take this route earlier?]

[Wait, wait, wait… I haven’t even processed this yet. How did she suddenly get so much praise?]

…

Yu Xinyan took a breath, stopping her movements as she brought the song to a perfect close.

The room erupted into applause.

Jiang Su was the first to clap.

Yelena immediately pulled the microphone closer to her lips:

“I know that I’m surrounded by clowns and hypocrites, waiting for me to make a fool of myself…”

The live chat froze.

Some of the audience members did too.

[Uh, what? What’s up with Yelena? Why is she saying this so boldly?]

[Sis! That’s a lyric from the song Yu Xinyan just sang!]

[If people love to mock you, it’s just to cover up their own fate of being mocked. So why not just be ourselves? That’s also a lyric!!!]

Xuan Wen followed up, “Come on, let me prove it to you again. I did it, so what can you do? Other than stomp your feet in frustration, what else can you do?”

[That’s a lyric too! Yu Xinyan sang that part with so much arrogance and defiance! Damn!]

[Crying. Xuan Wen must’ve been mocked by a lot of people back then too, right? But now, hasn’t she successfully transformed her career?]

[Same with Yelena! These lyrics hit way too hard—it’s like they were written just for Yelena, Xuan Wen, and even Yu Xinyan herself… I’m convinced! I’m convinced! Did Jiang Su pick this song for her?]

Jiang Sheng finally spoke up, “Your English pronunciation is very standard. What school did you graduate from?”

Yu Xinyan gave a name.

[Wait, isn’t that just a vocational college?]

Following Jiang Su’s advice, Yu Xinyan openly shared a past she had never told anyone about before:

“I used to be really dumb—actually dumb. I was always getting laughed at. I couldn’t even pass the English Level 3 exam. So I gritted my teeth and forced myself to memorize things every day, practicing spoken English with radio broadcasts… Later, I started watching a lot of American TV shows too…”

[Yu Xinyan really worked hard. Why couldn’t she debut before?]

[Because she didn’t have anything that stood out =口=]

Jiang Sheng continued his critique, “Your emotional delivery was strong, and your fundamental techniques were well-executed. Your breath control was relatively stable, which compensated for any other shortcomings. You also demonstrated a solid stage presence and good facial expressions. The simple dance moves you incorporated fit well into the performance…”

He exchanged a glance with Zhao Qiuying.

Zhao Qiuying spoke calmly, “You will announce yourself to the world in a way that is uniquely yours. You will rise, like an inextinguishable flame, flying ever higher…”

His eyes were on Yu Xinyan, but in reality, his gaze lightly skimmed past her and landed on Jiang Su, sitting high above.

This girl was incredible…

Even though she hardly spoke on this show, her influence was everywhere.

You will announce yourself to the world in a way that is uniquely yours.

Like a spark, igniting a wildfire.

Zhao Qiuying said it in his heart—to Jiang Su.

Then, aloud:

“Yu Xinyan, I’m giving you an A.”

The entire room erupted.

[AHHHHHH WHAT IS WITH THIS SEASON’S MENTORS, WHY ARE THEY ALL SO SENTIMENTAL! I’M LOSING IT, W IS TOO GENTLE!!!]

[Wuwuwu, they all understood the meaning behind it!]

[Give her an A! Give it to her! I’m sold! I’m truly convinced!]

[So… did Jiang Su pick this song or not? If she did, then what kind of mastermind is hiding beneath her seemingly delicate exterior?! She saw through Yu Xinyan in an instant—she knew exactly what kind of path suited her! She understood all of Yu Xinyan’s thoughts, all of her struggles and frustrations!]

Yu Xinyan took a deep breath, almost losing her balance.

She forced back her tears, put on a composed smile, and took the rating card that belonged to her.

The other trainees were still in shock, unable to resist turning their heads to look at Jiang Su.

Wan Yue was nearly driven mad with jealousy.

Impossible! There was no way it was because of Jiang Su! It was already unbelievable that Jiang Su got an A herself, but now, she could just decide who got a C or an A at will? That was absolutely impossible!

Dong Jiayu was just as confused.

Why was everyone looking at the girl? Wasn’t it the person on stage who had received the A rating? Why were they looking at Jiang Su instead?

Meanwhile, in the audience, Yan Yucheng couldn’t help himself—he lightly pounded his fist against the armrest, a low, suppressed chuckle escaping his throat.

Hahahahaha.

How could she be this impressive?

Who said she wasn’t sociable and had no friends? If she wanted to, with just a slight nod, countless people would rush forward, eager to befriend her!