CHAPTER 9: EVERYONE LOVES JIANG SU

When Dong Jiayu finally got a call back, she barely managed to maintain her composure.

“What’s the matter?” Zhao Qiuying’s voice finally came through.

Dong Jiayu chuckled. “Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to ask how the recording is going. I know Producer Liang personally—if you need any help…”

Suddenly, Zhao Qiuying lost all interest in continuing the conversation.

Absentmindedly scrolling his phone, he replied in a low voice, “Mm, everything’s going smoothly. No help needed.”

Zhao Qiuying had always been well-mannered, so Dong Jiayu didn’t detect anything unusual in his tone.

Taking the vegetable juice from her assistant, she playfully added, “I just called your brother earlier, but he didn’t pick up. Then I called you, and you said you were busy. I almost thought I’d somehow offended you both…”

Zhao Qiuying’s scrolling paused.

He happened to stop on a gossip post:

[An overnight sensation? A suona debut? No, I don’t think so. The whole thing was scripted. Let me break it down for you—this Miss Jiang has clearly been handed the script and the production team’s favoritism…]

He didn’t even finish reading it before a wave of irritation surged within him.

He had been right there on stage with her. If there was anyone who could tell whether it was scripted or not, it was him.

“…”

The strange silence on the call made Dong Jiayu’s expression freeze for a second.

They had joked like this before, hadn’t they?

“Zhao—” She barely got a syllable out before Zhao Qiuying coldly interrupted, “You should know exactly why my brother isn’t taking your calls.”

His tone was calm, but somehow, Dong Jiayu could hear the chill in it.

“Sorry, I have something to do.” Zhao Qiuying quickly hung up the phone.

His manager, listening from the side, was confused. What’s going on here?

Zhao Qiuying then looked up and asked, “Has President Cheng returned to the country?”

The manager mumbled, “A person like President Cheng… how would I know his whereabouts?”

Zhao Qiuying didn’t press further and simply muttered, “Then he probably has.”

But Dong Jiayu wasn’t ready to give up just yet. She quickly sent another message: “I don’t know why you’re in a bad mood, but your brother specifically asked me to look after you. When you go through the second round of evaluations, I’ll be there as a guest. Get some rest.”

At first glance, the message seemed to show her exceptional patience.

After turning off her phone, however, Dong Jiayu frowned for a long while, until the housekeeper came in and said, “Sister Wang is here.”

Sister Wang—the agent Dong Jiayu relied on.

She walked in briskly, carrying an LV bag, sat down, and asked, “Did you manage to get an appointment with President Cheng?”

For a moment, a strange expression crossed Dong Jiayu’s face, but she quickly smiled as if nothing was wrong. “He’s probably busy…”

Sister Wang immediately understood—she hadn’t gotten through.

“Try calling him again?”

Dong Jiayu shook her head. “Forget it. I don’t want to disturb him. He just returned to the country a couple of days ago.”

“Then… what about Zhao Bo’ang?” Sister Wang asked.

Dong Jiayu lowered her eyes and said indifferently, “I don’t want to see him today.”

Sister Wang placed an A4 folder in front of her. “Then look at this first… You should start with Zhao Qiuying. You wasted two years; now’s the time to make a strong comeback.”

At this, a smile finally appeared on Dong Jiayu’s lips. “Mm.”

Zhao Bo’ang was Zhao Qiuying’s older brother.

Both were members of the prestigious Zhao family in Beijing. The family was powerful but kept a low profile, and very few people outside their circles knew their name.

However, Dong Jiayu had managed to get a glimpse of that wealth and influence. Years ago, she leveraged her connection with Cheng Yue to enter high society, where she became acquainted with the Zhao family.

She met Zhao Bo’ang first and later got introduced to Zhao Qiuying through him.

Between the two brothers, the one with more weight was undoubtedly Zhao Qiuying—because Zhao Bo’ang was the son of the ex-wife, while Zhao Qiuying was the child of the current Mrs. Zhao.

And so, Dong Jiayu and Sister Wang meticulously planned her comeback—how to regain her standing, secure resources, and subtly take advantage of Zhao Qiuying’s status, fame, and influence.

For Dong Jiayu, this wasn’t difficult. She had done it before.

---

Meanwhile, Yu Xinyan followed Jiang Su into the room and immediately collapsed onto the sofa, unwilling to get up.

“Ugh, the 29th floor is paradise…”

Jiang Su didn’t even turn around. She headed straight for the fridge to get some food.

Everything she had eaten yesterday had already been replenished today.

Jiang Su: “If you want this, you can have it too.”

Viewers in the behind-the-scenes livestream chat were speechless.

[Wow, talk about shameless confidence.]

Yu Xinyan pressed her lips together. “I was going to say I don’t think I can do it. But then, after hearing you say that… I suddenly feel really confident…”

[…]

[Am I the only one curious about how Jiang Su taught her?]

Yu Xinyan continued talking to herself: “You told me to ignore Wan Yue and Wu Qingqing and just focus on keeping the overall rhythm—and my own rhythm. You also told me to listen to you no matter what. You called it a stupid method, but I think it’s actually a great one…”

[?]

[Did Jiang Su already predict that Wan Yue would mess up?]

[This has to be scripted. No way this isn’t scripted.]

[I never really cared for Yu Xinyan before, but hearing her ramble like this… she’s kinda adorably dumb.]

The chat scrolled quickly with reactions.

Down on the 28th floor, the atmosphere was lively. The young women moved between rooms, sharing snacks, talking about their hometowns and schools, and quickly bonding.

The 29th floor, on the other hand, was much quieter. After a brief conversation, most of them went to practice, afraid of leaving the impression that they were both untalented and lazy.

A few, however, secretly pulled out their phones to check trending topics and forum posts—some even peeked into Jiang Su’s livestream.

“Jiang Su is really nice to Yu Xinyan,” someone suddenly commented.

That one remark seemed to open the floodgates. More people started speaking up.

“Yeah… have they known each other for a long time?”

Wan Yue, suppressing the jealousy and resentment in her heart, answered, “No, just a month.”

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

Wan Yue couldn’t understand—why Yu Xinyan?

If she had known things would turn out this way, she would have used her high school connection with Jiang Su! Wouldn’t it make more sense for Jiang Su to take care of her first?

The group quieted down, but whispers about Jiang Su continued.

Wan Yue glanced around and noticed their faces were filled with admiration, excitement, and anticipation.

That was when it hit her—

These people… Did they think that by cozying up to Jiang Su, they could gain her favor and get some tips to improve their ratings in just a month?!

Wan Yue clutched her chest, feeling a sudden tightness.

She had fought so hard for that A. Jiang Su, with her smug attitude and an innocent-looking face, had gotten one so easily.

And yet, nobody was mad about it? Nobody wanted to ostracize her?

What is wrong with you people?!

Down on the 28th floor, nobody talked about Jiang Su.

They buried their thoughts deep inside.

Most of them were skilled enough to know how the industry worked. And their first instinct was that Jiang Su must have had a script.

Sucking up to Jiang Su?

Tch.

They didn’t need to.

Yu Xinyan was still rambling, “The next round is a PK battle, and someone is definitely going to pick me…”

After the initial evaluation, the mentors did not immediately assign them to classes. Instead, they announced a new rule.

There would be a re-evaluation.

Before this evaluation, the trainees could choose which class they wanted to join—A, B, or another. Class A had only ten spots, Class B had twelve, Classes C and D had fifteen each, and Classes E and F had twenty each. This meant that after this round, nine contestants would be completely eliminated.

With limited spots available, what if someone wanted to move up?

PK battles.

If Class A had open slots, a contestant could secure a place by delivering a performance worthy of an A rating.

But if the number of A-rated trainees exceeded ten, they would have to challenge someone already in Class A to a one-on-one battle. The winner moved up, and the loser moved down.

Yu Xinyan had never experienced such a high-pressure competition format. As they discussed it, she instinctively clutched Jiang Su’s sleeve.

“Should we plan something first?” Yu Xinyan asked in a low voice.

Jiang Su pressed a finger against her lips. “Shh.”

Her expression remained cool and melancholic, but in that brief moment when she lifted her gaze and reached out, there was a commanding presence.

Yu Xinyan murmured an agreement, her cheeks flushing slightly.

[Ahhh, Jiang Su’s hands are so beautiful]

[Damn, how does she have a face like this but such an assertive aura?]

The live stream audience never got to hear the rest of their conversation.

Only at this moment did Zhao Qiuying finally close the livestream.

…Her hands were indeed beautiful.

Like an exquisite jade ornament resting on an antique display shelf—pale and gleaming with a translucent luster.

—

The trainees then underwent an intense five-day training period.

Jiang Su loved the bed on the 29th floor. Other than eating and practicing vocals, she spent most of her time there.

And the training rooms she didn’t use? She lent them all to Yu Xinyan.

Countless contestants looked on with envy, some even shedding tears.

[Say what you will, but Jiang Su is really generous]

[Wasn’t Li Mo’er best friends with Zhu Man for three years? Why didn’t she invite Zhu Man to her training room? Meanwhile, Jiang Su and Yu Xinyan have only known each other for a month…]

[…No need to guilt-trip others like this]

[Not guilt-tripping, just genuinely curious—why didn’t she?]

[Jiang Su is that confident in herself?]

[No matter how confident someone is, they wouldn’t act like this. I think she’s just following a pre-written script. Every rating she gets must be pre-determined.]

[? Li Mo’er’s fans are already trying to drag someone else down to shift the heat? If we’re talking about scripts, your girl will never debut~]

The livestream audience quickly descended into another argument.

But this time, it was no longer just trolls or random haters one-sidedly attacking Jiang Su. After trending on social media and generating so much buzz, Jiang Su was clearly on the rise. Whether others admitted it or not, she had undeniable momentum, and fans had begun to gather around her.

And then, people noticed something strange—

[Wait… Jiang Su doesn’t have a Weibo account???]

Zhao Qiuying also searched for her and came to the same realization.

What was the production team doing?

Why hadn’t they reminded her?

Jiang Su had no idea about any of this. By the time the second round of evaluations arrived, she and Yu Xinyan had made their way to the 21st floor.

As soon as they stepped through the door—

“Jiang Su!”

A question mark appeared in Jiang Su’s mind.

Who was calling her?

“Jiang Su! Over here!” Another voice called from a different direction.

Jiang Su turned her head in confusion, scanning the room.

A girl with a high ponytail ran over, stuffing something into her arms. “I went shopping yesterday and saw these—super delicious! Brought some for you! I’ve never seen anyone play the suona that well before. Can you teach me next time?”

Before Jiang Su could respond, another person approached. “I rewatched the show and remember you saying you’re from Jinghuai. I happened to find some local specialties from there—bought some to share with you.”

“Today’s recording is going to take all day. Want some cotton candy? Or chocolate? It’ll keep your blood sugar up so you don’t feel lightheaded!”

“……”

Jiang Su stood there, bewildered, her arms suddenly full of snacks—and even a stuffed toy meant to “keep her company at night.”

Jiang Su: ???

Yu Xinyan’s heart clenched.

A giant warning sign flashed in her mind: Danger!

[Hahaha what is happening? Jiang Su looks so stunned]

[First time seeing Jiang Su with a dumbfounded expression—damn, it’s kind of cute]

[Is this because they don’t have access cards to reach the 29th floor? So they’ve been holding back, waiting for today to finally shower her with gifts all at once?]

The trainees living on the 28th floor also looked bewildered.

What was going on?

Why wasn’t Jiang Su just popular with fans—she was even adored by the other contestants?

Thankfully, at that moment, someone called out, “Let’s welcome our special guest for this round! She won’t be competing in the evaluations, but she holds two extra points in her hands~”

As an energetic BGM played, a woman stepped out gracefully, dressed in a white V-neck gown, her hair styled into a sleek updo—looking as if she was walking a red carpet.

The comment section erupted in surprise—

[Wow wow wow, Dong Jiayu actually showed up?]

[Wait, she’s an actress… isn’t this kind of outside her expertise?]

[Is Film Queen Dong making a comeback?? Omg]

Every trainee turned toward her, enthusiastically calling out, “Senior!”

One voice after another, each more eager than the last.

It had been a long time since Dong Jiayu had experienced this kind of admiration. She smiled slightly—until her gaze landed on one particular girl, arms full of gifts.

At that moment, Dong Jiayu nearly twisted her ankle.

Why was it her?!

And judging from the way everyone was positioned, it was obvious that many of them had just been surrounding Jiang Su, treating her like the center of attention.