CHAPTER 24

Wu Qingqing had stunned countless viewers for a brief moment, proving that playing the drums wasn’t just something cool that only boys could do!

But after all, she hadn’t been playing the drums for long.

When the drummer of the Honey Band picked up the drumsticks and struck the first beat, even those without any musical knowledge could instantly hear the difference between good and bad.

The audience’s emotions were immediately stirred.

And then, that forty-something woman, Sister Ji, pressed down on the keyboard in front of her. With her shoulder-length short hair and a casual press of her lips, she made a statement to everyone: Rock isn’t just for young girls—middle-aged women can rock just as hard.

“Casey-joins-the-hollow-sound-of-silent-people-walking-down…”

Jiang Su’s voice carried a slight huskiness, skillfully suppressing the sweetness of youth.

She was beautiful and melancholic, but the moment she lowered her gaze, looking down upon the audience and cameras with a certain indifference, the energy of everyone on stage fused into one.

Their faces were marked with deep wrinkles, carrying the weight of time. The slow yet rhythmic melody gave off a sense of a final journey in life.

Yet their expressions remained indifferent, as if reckless arrogance had been buried deep in their bones, no longer needing to be outwardly displayed.

A king may lay down their crown, but even after years of absence, they remain a king.

[Damn, this is that familiar feeling! Ahhh, I’m crying!]

[This is insane!!]

[What’s this girl’s name again? She’s incredible! She fits the band’s style seamlessly. Damn, Wang Ji, you just lost your job! She could totally replace you as the lead singer!]

[Jiang Su can sing in English too?!]

[Isn’t rock supposed to be wild and high-energy?]

[That’s just because you don’t know enough about rock! Here, let me translate—there’ll probably be some delay.]

“The-poison-air-he’s-breathing-has-the-dirty-smell…”

[The poison in the air, breathing in the filthy scent of death, because it has never seen sunlight, it has never felt the rain…]

[? Ahhh, my empathy is too strong. I just realized tears are falling down my face.]

[I can’t help but tap my foot and drum my fingers along to the beat. Is this the magic of rock? I feel dazed.]

[It’s both melancholic and cool.]

[The energy is unreal!]

[Ahhh, I want to hug her! She carries such a strong sense of loneliness!]

[Damn, why does it feel like when Jiang Su looks up at me, I can’t handle it? I want to cover her eyes, hold her, kiss her, and lift her onto a throne…]

[LS, keep dreaming.]

Behind the screen, countless viewers were completely captivated by Jiang Su’s subtle glances and indifferent gaze.

Many long-time band fans even shed tears over this moment.

Finally, someone recognized the song.

[Isn’t this the insert song from Underworld Diner? That movie about a group of old men who could barely walk, only to reveal they were once legendary criminals? They planned a heist, but none of them succeeded. Along the way, they even saved a suicidal girl… They carried a deep love for others, yet still chose to step into a new tomorrow.]

[Melancholy mixed with rebirth?]

[So an old band paired with a new idol? This setup is actually brilliant!]

[This is rock. They sing about life with an arrogance that’s both effortless and invincible.]

As Jiang Su gripped the microphone and slowly sang:

“Casey, it’s-a-shame-to-be-alone,”

—this performance came to a close.

And just like that, she was trending again.

#JiangSu-HoneyBand
#JiangSuCoolYetMelancholicJiangSuIsNotAlone

This time, Jiang Su occupied two trending hashtags.

People are always nostalgic.

Especially as they grow older and realize that the adult world isn’t as beautiful as they once imagined—it’s full of hardships and burdens. When life weighs them down once again… even the smallest memories from the past become something to cherish.

Back in the day, rock was a symbol of rebellion.

It was at the forefront of the music industry.

Now, people not only missed the bands—they missed their younger selves, the ones who once had dreams, who were reckless and naive but brimming with joy and freedom.

A song can take on different meanings depending on the listener’s state of mind.

The translated title of this song was Casey’s Last Journey.

To many, it felt like a lighthearted tune gently burying the final, brilliant moments of their youth.

This stage performance triggered a massive wave of nostalgia.

And in their reminiscing, their attention was once again drawn back to Jiang Su.

[The dusk has not yet faded, and the dawn has already arrived.]

[Nowadays, when people talk about dreams, it sounds like a joke. Thank you, Jiang Su, for letting me see the light of dreams again. I hope you make it to the top—I’ll be voting for you forever!] [+1]

[The dreams and passion that life has worn away… I can only see them realized through her. This is why we watch these shows, isn’t it? Watching them rise from the bottom, step by step toward the peak. It feels like our own dreams finally have a place to go.]

[Jiang Su, I freaking love you! I’ll walk this journey with you forever!]

[Baby girl, don’t be sad anymore! You’re absolutely amazing!]

—

The online discussions were still burning hot as Jiang Su clutched her A-rank evaluation card and thanked the band members.

Sister Ji smiled and patted her shoulder. “Ever since I had twins, it’s been forever since I’ve done this… Life is so damn exhausting. Exhausting to the point where you don’t even have time to think about poetry or distant dreams. Honestly, when they first told me about this show, I doubted myself. But after performing with you today—damn, girl, you’re incredible! You brought my confidence back!”

Mr. Qiu circled around Jiang Su, clicking his tongue. “She’s made for rock! That look, that untouchable arrogance—way more fitting than me!”

Sister Ji smacked the back of his head. “Bullshit! You know how broke rock musicians are? A girl this beautiful—being an idol would bring out her full potential!”

The bassist chimed in casually, “I’ll be voting for you.”

“Yes, yes!”

They also had to film their own variety show, making their training schedule even tighter. Despite being seniors, they didn’t act superior. After exchanging a few jokes with Jiang Su, they bid their goodbyes.

With Jiang Su’s stellar performance setting the bar high, the acts that followed were a mess. Either the band stood out, but the lead singer’s style clashed awkwardly, making the whole performance disjointed; or the lead singer was decent, but the band fell apart on the big stage; or worse, the song choice itself was problematic—the band was making a chaotic racket, while the lead singer’s thin, sharp voice struggled to keep up… It was a series of full-blown disasters.

Yelena couldn’t help but sigh, “Jiang Su is really meticulous in choosing her songs. She aligns with the stage, her teammates, and the atmosphere—everything blends seamlessly. There’s no weird disconnect where the band is drumming like it’s a heavy metal concert while the lead singer is crooning a sweet little love song.”

Zhao Qiuying silently agreed in his heart.

Yes.

She seemed particularly adept at analyzing human nature with a cold, rational mind. She always made the best choices when it came to understanding people.

But when it came to herself, she seemed almost naïve—like she had grown up in complete isolation, methodically learning to dissect human nature without ever truly understanding her own.

Like a powerful yet obliviously innocent little monster.

The second public performance ended.

Wu Qingqing and Yu Xinyan managed to hold onto their A rankings, and Lin Sifeng and a few others remained as regulars in Class A. Apart from two people swapping places, none of them had much to do with Jiang Su.

Ding Xuan received a B. As soon as the live broadcast ended, she walked out with a sullen expression.

Her manager called, telling her not to stress too much. Many of her fans were online, comforting and encouraging her. There were still the third and fourth public performances ahead—if things were handled properly, moving back up to A wouldn’t be difficult.

Ding Xuan’s expression eased slightly after hearing that, and she told her manager to pick her up.

But the moment she stepped out of the building, she ran into Wan Yue.

Wan Yue stared at her coldly.

Ding Xuan frowned. “Shouldn’t you be leaving?”

That sentence hit Wan Yue right where it hurt—she had been eliminated.

She couldn’t hold back anymore. Through gritted teeth, she snapped, “You were the one who invited me to your team! You said you had connections—”

Ding Xuan slapped her across the face. “Yeah, I played you. Got it now? Get out of my way. And it’s not just you—I’m not afraid of Jiang Su either.”

Wan Yue was stunned. Her face burned with pain, but the shame in her heart stung even more.

She had never imagined she’d run into someone even more ruthless than herself.

Meanwhile, Jiang Su had actually taken others out for a meal.

Not to some fancy place with king crabs, but to a simple roadside skewer stall.

After a moment of surprise, everyone happily accepted it.

Grilling skewers was way more fun and relaxing than eating at some high-end restaurant!

When Jiang Su returned to the building, she saw Wan Yue sitting by the elevator, sobbing uncontrollably.

Without sparing her a glance, Jiang Su walked straight past.

Wan Yue scrambled to her feet, hesitantly following behind her. “Jiang Su… Jiang Su, please help me… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you that way before. Jiang Su…”

Yu Xinyan and Wu Qingqing exchanged a look from behind.

Ah.

So Wan Yue really did end up groveling before Jiang Su, huh…?

Jiang Su had predicted this back in the first public performance…?

She ignored Wan Yue completely.

Wan Yue’s face burned, her heart twisted in humiliation. She gritted her teeth and stood there, sniffling quietly outside.

Jiang Su closed the door behind her and finally did what Weiguang Entertainment had repeatedly reminded her to do—register for a Weibo account.

Weiguang Entertainment was investing heavily in her, pushing her multiple times to set up her presence.

Everyone was eager to see how quickly her follower count would explode.

Jiang Su entered her phone number, requested a verification code, filled it in… and suddenly, she was logged in.

Huh?

She already had a Weibo account?

Her old username was “CC and S.“

Clicking into it, she found mostly personal emotional ramblings—things she couldn’t make sense of. But she left them untouched.

These were the traces the original owner had left in this world.

She didn’t like prying into other people’s privacy.

So, she painstakingly set each post to private, then spent fifteen whole yuan to purchase a premium membership, just so she could change her username and profile picture.

After an hour of adjusting everything, she finally sent a screenshot of her new account to Weiguang’s staff.

The official show account immediately jumped into action.

@TalentShowGirls: @JiangSuSu, welcome to Weibo.

Even Weiguang Entertainment’s official account reposted it.

Then, Wu Dang Fei’s brand, the Battle Royale reality show, and even He Feng and Wang Ji followed suit. One had bought gold bars from Jiang Su, while the other had band-related ties with her.

Soon after, the other Battle Royale cast members also joined in, including Honey Band.

Sitting in his van, Zhao Qiuying finally dared to retweet the post, carefully hiding among the flood of others.

Gossip forums erupted.

[Jiang Su opened a Weibo account!!!!]

[Hahaha, everyone’s reposting it!]

[It hasn’t stopped! Even Jiang N just reposted it!]

[Breaking news! Even Xuan Wen, Yelena… the entire mentor team has reposted it! Yu Xinyan and the others too…]

[She’s the only contestant in this entire show getting this kind of treatment, right?]

[For real—a group favorite! An untouchably strong and cool group favorite! Hahaha, what’s going on? Aren’t favorites usually sweet, soft girls?]

[Nonsense! Jiang Su is sweet too!]

[She’s strong, yet countless people rush to love, protect, and support her… I love this setup! Love it!]

Someone couldn’t help but shout into the void:

[What kind of magic does she have?! She dominated the racing scene just by filming a commercial, sparking cross-platform discussions all over Weibo! She single-handedly pushed this variety show into the public eye! Then, her second public performance swept through the rock music community, leading a nationwide nostalgia wave… I can’t resist—I have to stan her! Being her fan must be amazing! You don’t even have to do anything, just log in and watch people endlessly praise her!]

…

Jiang Su sent her message and put away her phone to take a shower, completely unaware that her follower count was skyrocketing and that forums were buzzing about her once again.

Meanwhile, Dong Jiayu sat on the couch, her face dark with frustration after an unsuccessful audition. “Why does he get to say my acting isn’t authentic enough?”

“I told you already, landing a role in a major director’s film is tough. Why bother? If you lower your standards and take on TV dramas, they’d pay you fifty million…”

“Fifty million…” Dong Jiayu gritted her teeth. “You know why. To maintain my strong, independent image in front of Cheng Yue, I told him I’d pay him back when he covered my surgery costs back then. That amount would just barely be enough to repay him. Besides, if I take that kind of role, my reputation will take a hit! I’ll have an even harder time breaking into the circle of top directors. The actresses from my generation—do you know how much their fans mocked me for only winning a single award?”

Sister Wang sighed. “What’s the point of complaining now?”

She scrolled through her phone and commented, “Jiang Su is incredible… I think you should learn from her. At first, I thought she was just a delicate little girl who used her vulnerability to attract men… but look at her. She’s stronger than you. She exudes an untouchable confidence and shines in every field she steps into. That naturally draws admiration from men.

“But it’s not just admiration,” Sister Wang continued. “She also evokes a sense of protectiveness. With just one song, she stirred up public sentiment and triggered a nationwide trend. A person who can inspire both admiration and tenderness—who could possibly resist? Even I can’t.”

Dong Jiayu’s eyes widened in anger, her chest tightening in frustration.

It was one thing for Sister Wang to praise Jiang Su, but analyzing it point by point?

For a fleeting moment, Dong Jiayu even wondered if Sister Wang was a Jiang Su fan who had infiltrated her inner circle!