CHAPTER 29 (PART 1)

Before the fourth performance, there was actually another round meant for the underdogs to stage a comeback through a PK battle.

But for Jiang Su, it was nothing more than a formality.

Even Yu Xinyan and Wu Qingqing had nothing to worry about anymore.

Competition wasn’t just about skill—it was also about mindset.

Why did some people keep getting better while others kept getting worse?

Because those who performed well, once they realized their hard work was paying off, would gain even more confidence and enter a positive cycle. Meanwhile, those who struggled, once their mindset cracked even once, could easily spiral into self-destruction, entering a vicious cycle instead.

Yu Xinyan’s confidence came from Jiang Su.

She didn’t even know why, but every time she saw Jiang Su, she felt an overwhelming sense of reassurance.

She’s younger than me, yet…

Yu Xinyan mused to herself.

No wonder they say you become like the people you surround yourself with. Being around Jiang Su, I feel like my own mentality has strengthened, like I’m absorbing some kind of energy from her.

At that moment, the mentors were giving feedback.

Ding Xuan was standing on stage, having just finished her PK battle.

“I’d like to say a few words too,” a voice suddenly interjected—Dong Jiayu.

Jiang Su, who had been sitting lazily in the center position, finally lifted her gaze slightly, sparing Dong Jiayu a glance.

Dong Jiayu turned her head and asked, “I have twenty points in my hand, correct?”

“…Yes.”

Zhao Qiuying and Xuan Wen both instinctively furrowed their brows.

Dong Jiayu had signed a multi-episode contract with the show, and these twenty points could have been distributed across different rounds, even split among multiple contestants.

But now, both of them had a bad feeling about this.

Dong Jiayu paused before smiling and saying, “I’ve been silently observing your performances and noticed that no matter if you’re at a low point or a peak, you always remain consistent…”

The livestream chat:

[???]

[So… she’s saying she’s consistently bad?]

[Why do I have a bad feeling about this…]

[Wait, how do the points work again? I suddenly forgot.]

[The final votes from all four rounds get converted into points, which are then used to calculate the total score for the top ten debut slots.]

Ding Xuan’s fans were finally breathing a sigh of relief:

[Thank you, Best Actress Dong, for recognizing our girl’s talent!]

Dong Jiayu hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ve decided to give all my points to you.”

Everyone—from the mentors to the contestants to the audience—was stunned.

Even the production team was left in shock.

[Are you kidding me? Why didn’t they make a rule forcing contestants to distribute points every round? Now, at the second-to-last round, she’s dumping them all on one person? Is this the producers’ doing? Are they forcing Ding Xuan into the debut lineup?]

[I thought YIYI was the show’s golden child this year. Turns out, it’s Ding Xuan!]

[Even Lin Sifeng didn’t get this kind of treatment.]

[This show is ridiculous.]

The chat was in utter chaos.

Meanwhile, inside the studio, the atmosphere was just as awkward.

Dong Jiayu’s words had been so shocking that the production team had forgotten to play the usual “surprise” sound effect.

The panel of mentors also fell into a brief silence.

Zhao Qiuying’s expression was as cold as ice.

Xuan Wen and Yelena had seen this kind of game before, so they stayed silent. But they couldn’t help but recall their own experiences nearly getting caught in similar manipulations, making them feel deeply unsettled.

Jiang N, however, was livid.

Back in his day, things were much simpler. You released a song—if people liked it, they bought it. If the sales were high, you were a success. That was it.

Now?

What the hell was all this nonsense?

Dong Jiayu didn’t want to put herself in such an awkward situation either.

She hadn’t expected Ding Xuan to be this bad. After dropping in rankings since the first episode, it became nearly impossible for her to climb back up. No matter how much she tried to ride on the fame of her senior sister to get votes, she was still left behind.

Then yesterday, Ding Xuan handed her a photo.

In the picture, Jiang Su was walking out of Zhao Qiuying’s private dressing room.

So, Dong Jiayu fulfilled her promise—making Ding Xuan’s scores look better on the surface, making it easier for Lion King Entertainment to manipulate things behind the scenes.

Dong Jiayu pressed her lips together. Why was everyone still silent?

Ding Xuan’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly put on an even brighter smile. She bowed and thanked Dong Jiayu, smoothing over the awkward atmosphere.

In fact, for those unaware of the situation, this scene would have looked like a talent scout discovering an overlooked prodigy—everyone happy and satisfied.

From this episode onwards, things started to feel half-hearted.

[I’m about to lose it. This show used to be way more intense compared to the other two survival shows. Everyone was competing seriously… Now that Ding Xuan’s here, what’s the point of trying? If capital can control everything, why should I even bother? No wonder everyone’s slacking off.]

[Why can’t she just rely on her own abilities like Jiang Su?]

[Forget it, don’t bring up Jiang Su. If Ding Xuan’s fans see this, they’ll just start attacking her.]

Most people lost interest and quickly headed to the voting page.

Originally, voting should have ended the day before yesterday, but the production team deliberately extended it for one last chance at a comeback. After this round of battles, some contestants could still turn things around with votes.

To put it bluntly, this was an opportunity for those who lacked skill but had company backing to get one final behind-the-scenes boost.

But this time—

Who was getting boosted?

Ding Xuan alone had ignited the anger of most of the audience.

So, the voting page turned into a ridiculous scene—

People started revenge voting.

They frantically cast their votes for the contestants right behind Ding Xuan.

If capital wants to manipulate public opinion, can’t public opinion at least curse them out first?

When this episode aired, Ding Xuan finally saw the chaos online.

She couldn’t understand it. In the first episode, she had been considered a promising contestant. Why was she suddenly facing so much opposition now? Shouldn’t people be happy that she made it through? Shouldn’t they be looking forward to her success?

Ding Xuan had been spoiled by admirers these past two years, breezing through everything effortlessly. Even Dong Jiayu wasn’t worth her attention, let alone the insults from online viewers.

She clenched her teeth and scoffed, “No matter how much they fuss, they can’t change the outcome. They better hope that by the end of the fourth public performance, my total score isn’t higher than Jiang Su’s. Otherwise, if I take first place, won’t they be even more furious?”

After recording ended, Yu Xinyan hurried to catch up with Jiang Su, whispering through gritted teeth, “Ding Xuan’s company isn’t actually going to push her to first place, are they?”

Wu Qingqing shook her head. “Come on, do we all look blind? Who’s been taking first place all this time?”

“But the show’s format was deliberately designed to be weird. Look, if you move from F to A, you get 12 extra points. But Jiang Su has stayed in A the whole time, so she doesn’t get any bonus points! And for votes… every 10,000 votes only count as one point—it’s way too hard to earn.”

Yu Xinyan and Wu Qingqing anxiously discussed the situation. When they looked back at Jiang Su, her face remained as calm and indifferent as ever, showing no sign of concern.

A moment later, Li Mo’er arrived.

She lowered her voice. “Ding Xuan started botting votes.”

“Is she insane? Doing it now is just making sure everyone knows she has backing,” Yu Xinyan said irritably.

Li Mo’er chuckled. “You’re still too young.”

Yu Xinyan frowned.

What did that mean?

Jiang Su spoke flatly, “For outsiders, capital is a sensitive term. It’s seen as an unfair advantage. But within the industry…”

Li Mo’er nodded and continued, “Exactly! Within the industry, capital is valued even more than ability. How many talented stars have been buried just because they weren’t noticed by capital? Ding Xuan’s move only ensures that more people will recognize she has strong backing. When she officially debuts, no one will dare offend her. Even her fans won’t see this as a bad thing. Capital is a kind of strength too.”

Yu Xinyan was stunned.

Li Mo’er turned to Jiang Su and said in a hushed voice, “If it weren’t you standing in the center position today, if it were someone else, Ding Xuan’s tactics would have been even more direct. That person would’ve been eliminated back in episode four.”

Jiang Su raised an eyebrow slightly.

Wasn’t that the truth?

She was originally supposed to be eliminated in episode four.

“If it weren’t for Jiang Su, Ding Xuan wouldn’t have needed to take the detour of using Dong Jiayu as an ally,” Li Mo’er added, frowning. She turned to Jiang Su. “Do you really have a grudge against Dong Jiayu?”

Jiang Su replied lightly, “Mm.”

It wasn’t her personal grudge, but she would still settle the score on behalf of the original owner.

Since she had taken on this identity, she had to bear its responsibilities.

Li Mo’er clicked her tongue. “I knew it. Dong Jiayu is usually great at pretending. She wouldn’t have put herself in the spotlight unless she had something to gain from Ding Xuan and someone in this competition she wanted to deal with.”

Jiang Su tilted her head slightly, still looking unbothered. She casually remarked, “Dong Jiayu doesn’t mind the spotlight. She can just push the blame onto the production team. She stays clean while Ding Xuan gets what she wants and ends up owing her a favor.”

Yu Xinyan gasped. “That’s so scheming!”

Jiang Su didn’t respond.

But from her observations, Dong Jiayu was indeed cunning—and patient.

Back when the original owner was being kept in Cheng Yue’s villa, Dong Jiayu must have known early on. She had always coveted Cheng Yue. Naturally, anyone she saw as trying to steal her treasure… had to be removed.

Li Mo’er couldn’t help but ask, “So you’ve been completely aware of everything I said. Aren’t you anxious?”

“The tally for the third performance’s votes closes the night before the fourth performance,” Jiang Su said lazily. “Just wait.”

The originally restless Yu Xinyan and the others, seeing her demeanor, found their own nerves gradually soothed.

Jiang Su took some snacks and slowly walked upstairs. Just as she turned, she casually remarked, neither too high nor too low, neither too cold nor too warm, “Actually, people like Ding Xuan and Dong Jiayu are quite amusing.”

Amusing? How so?

Yu Xinyan was just about to ask.

Jiang Su continued, “They’re both selfish, backed by capital, arrogant, and always put their own interests first.”

Yu Xinyan thought, Yeah, exactly! Just hearing this gives me goosebumps.

If she had to face opponents like those two, there wouldn’t even be a fight—she might as well just concede and go home.