After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 12

The day after the performance was the first announcement of the voting rankings. Some contestants would be eliminated, narrowing the field from 99 to 60.

Previously, class divisions were based on initial evaluations and theme song performances essentially, without any fan involvement.

However, starting today, the fate and rankings of the contestants would be determined solely by the votes cast by fans through the voting channels.

This was even more brutal, as popularity, something intangible and often elusive, frequently didn’t align with actual talent.

When Jiang Tian entered the room, all eyes turned toward her.

Someone asked, “Jiang Tian, what happened to your chin?”

Though Jiang Tian appeared aloof and effortlessly cool, with a personality that wasn’t particularly warm, those who had interacted with her a few times knew she was actually quite kind and didn’t put on airs.

Especially when she smiled her dimples would appear, making her unexpectedly sweet.

Unfortunately, she was extremely stingy with her smiles, only revealing them on rare occasions.

“Got scratched,” Jiang Tian replied, her lips curving slightly as she recalled the way the woman had leaned in to bite her the night before.

The others were startled, Jiang Tian had actually smiled. Did getting scratched make her happy?

Jiang Tian took her place in the lineup and instinctively raised her hand to touch the bandage on her chin.

Qi Puzhi hadn’t bitten her hard, and by the time she woke up that morning, the tooth marks had already, regrettably, faded away.

Still, she had stuck on the bandage, as if trying to preserve something.

“Jiang Tian, where do you think you’ll rank?” Xu Qinye, standing beside her, asked quietly.

“No idea,” Jiang Tian answered succinctly.

Noticing the two whispering, a girl behind them kept glancing their way before tugging at her friend’s sleeve and whispering, “Look.”

“Tsk, these two lovebirds, first thing in the morning.”

Xu Qinye glanced at the young woman beside her. She was always terrifyingly composed, as if nothing could unsettle her.

Though Xu Qinye was three years older, she knew she was far from reaching that level of calm.

Soon, the top idol entered, holding a card, everyone knew their rankings were written on it, and the tension in the room immediately spiked.

“I’m sure you all know that the card in my hand will decide your fate today, whether you’ll leave with regret or step onto the top seven thrones.”

As the rankings were announced, the top idol employed the usual variety show tactics:

Misdirection, prolonged silence, sudden surprises.

It kept everyone’s hearts racing, sometimes narrowly dodging disaster, other times caught completely off guard.

“Now, announcing the top seven,” the idol said, glancing at the list.

Only the top seven and the 60th spot remained unannounced, one side securing debut positions, the other clinging to the last chance for a comeback.

And this was what everyone was most curious about.

In the drawn-out silence, the air grew thick and heavy, pressing down on the remaining contestants until they could barely breathe.

“In seventh place is.”

The idol slowly announced the rankings from third to seventh.

Among the popular contestants, only Xu Qinye and Jiang Tian were left without announced placements.

“Xu Qinye, Jiang Tian,” the idol called them forward. “You two are this round’s top two. Say a few words first.”

The production team was clearly aiming for drama here, whether to stir conflict or showcase “sisterly affection.” Either way, with two top contenders, any interaction would generate buzz.

Xu Qinye glanced at the young woman, raised the microphone, and said, “I think we’re both outstanding, so no matter who comes in first, I can accept it.”

After speaking, she smiled at Jiang Tian and asked, “What do you think?”

Jiang Tian nodded politely at her. “I agree.”

Seeing the two of them exchange such harmonious remarks, the top idol couldn’t help but smile. “You two seem to get along well.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed a small commotion among the girls.

Having risen to fame through a talent show himself, the idol knew exactly what this meant. He simply gave an ambiguous smile and continued hosting.

“Now, please hold hands as I announce the final rankings.”

Announcing the rankings required holding hands, though similar gestures had happened in past shows, they were usually initiated by the contestants themselves. The fact that it was explicitly requested this time made it clear the production team was deliberately orchestrating it.

When Xu Qinye reached out, Jiang Tian didn’t clasp back. Their hands merely rested loosely against each other.

Xu Qinye’s palm was slightly damp with sweat, so she hesitated to grip tightly, only letting their hands brush lightly.

Yet she could feel Jiang Tian’s palm dry, warm, soft, and steady, truly without a trace of nervousness.

Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly heard the top idol announce, “First place Jiang Tian!”

The applause and cheers from the audience roared in her ears. For a fleeting moment, the unavoidable disappointment threatened to surface, but she dared not let it show on her face. Instead, her hand instinctively tightened.

Then, in a daze, she bowed alongside Jiang Tian.

During her acceptance speech, Jiang Tian finally had the chance to withdraw her right hand.

“Thank you all for your support.” she said in a measured, humble, and composed manner.

Only at the end did she pause briefly, her left fingertips seemingly brushing unconsciously against the band-aid on her chin, her eyes glimmering with a faint smile.

“And thank you to my cat.”

[Thread Topic: Serious Discussion, Are the Top Two Contestants from That Talent Show Dating?]

[OP: Allow me to analyze this under a microscope

The iconic “wedding scene” performance of “Trouble Maker” has been dissected in detail by many experts, so I won’t rehash it here. Today, let’s focus on the ranking announcement.

1.

The hand-holding moment: Although Jiang didn’t react at all, her gaze seemed slightly uneasy, likely suppressing her feelings. Later, after the announcement, Xu tightened her grip on Jiang’s hand, instinctively seeking comfort from her “wife” in her disappointment.

2.

Jiang had a band-aid on her chin earlier. When asked about it, she said it was from a scratch. During her speech, she thanked “my cat.” As everyone knows, Xu’s persona is often associated with a “cat-like smile.” Moreover, the filming location for “Stellar Journey” had strict security, no way an actual cat could be there. The scratch had to be from someone close.

3.

Once again, pay close attention to Jiang’s expression when she said, “Thank you to my cat.” That tender, overflowing smile! Anyone familiar with Jiang knows she rarely smiles, usually exuding a cool, aloof vibe. If that smile wasn’t love-struck, I don’t know what is.

In conclusion, 1 and 2 are probably together.]

[2L: OP, you took the words right out of my mouth. That band-aid and the cat reference, couldn’t be more obvious.]

[3L: Aaaah, I’m dying from the sweetness!]

Today was the day Episode 5 aired.

By the time Qi Puzhi returned to the hotel after wrapping up filming, it was already past 11 p.m. She lazily soaked in the bathtub, surrounded by steam that flushed her cheeks pink and left her skin glowing.

She reached for her phone and saw that it was Saturday. Remembering something, she opened Weibo to check the trending topics.

Usually, by this time on a Saturday, the top two spots would be dominated by Jiang Tian-related hashtags. Today was no exception, but with a slight difference.

The second trending topic wasn’t about Jiang Tian alone.

Looking at the hashtag [Jiang Tian Xu Qinye], Qi Puzhi casually clicked into it and saw the top trending post:

“Has anyone not seen Jiang Tian and Xu Qinye’s wedding scene yet?”

Below it was a video with over a million views.

Her gaze froze. After a brief pause, Qi Puzhi clicked on it.

This was the performance stage for the center position in the theme song competition, which should have been tense and competitive.

But with the show’s deliberate camera techniques and atmospheric filters, the two young and beautiful women, one alluring and sensual, the other cool and elegant, though never making much physical contact, were constantly on the verge of touching, pushing and pulling, entangled in a way that was full of tension.

Jiang Tian didn’t perform with the same overt seductiveness as the original choreography but instead made it her own.

Rather than being the one tempted and pulled in yet never quite reaching, she moved through the scene like someone passing through a sea of flowers, seemingly interested yet detached, restrained yet mesmerizing.

But to the eyes of commentators, it became: “Falling for her yet holding back, yearning yet suppressing in short, she’s totally in love!”

With her unique and captivating style, Jiang Tian secured the center position.

At the end of the video, there was even a fan-edited image that forcibly brought the two closer, making it look like they were embracing.

Qi Puzhi closed the video expressionlessly. She scrolled a bit more and came across an analysis post titled “Are the top two contestants secretly dating?”

Finally, she clicked into the Stellar Journey work group chat, where everyone was discussing how the “TianYe CP” had gained significant popularity and how they could further push their sweet interactions to make it a major highlight of the show.

She stared at the screen for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh. After some thought, she typed a few words and sent them.

Late at night, the production team leader of Stellar Journey woke up and habitually checked her phone, only to see a brief message from the big boss in the work group chat

[Qi the Buddha: Sweet?]

The team leader frowned, carefully reading the two words and punctuation several times, unable to decipher the meaning.

When assigning tasks, Qi Puzhi was never like those difficult bosses who gave you a single look and expected you to understand, that they wanted you to fetch tea, pick up their kids, push the project forward two phases, and then arrange a dinner with Director Li and Director Wang.

In a way, bosses like that were hopelessly illiterate.

Qi Puzhi, on the other hand, always gave clear, concise instructions without ambiguity or emotional undertones, just straight to the point. She was the kind of boss employees appreciated.

Moreover, she rarely spoke in the group chat, preferring to discuss matters in meetings.

This was the first time she had ever sent such an ambiguous message in the work group, one that seemed vaguely dissatisfied.

Was she implying it wasn’t sweet enough? That the ship wasn’t convincing?

Since Qi Puzhi never skimped on salaries, the team leader was proactive. Early the next morning, she called a meeting with a few members to discuss how to make the TianYe CP even more shippable.

“Team leader, isn’t it already convincing enough?” a team member asked in confusion. “The hashtag is still trending.”

The team leader frowned. She couldn’t exactly say that the big boss upstairs wasn’t satisfied with the ship, could she?

So she stroked her chin meaningfully and echoed Qi Puzhi’s words: “Sweet?”

The team member was stunned.

The team leader felt a pang of guilt in that moment, yet also experienced the twisted pleasure of hierarchical pressure.

Qi Puzhi had no scenes to film in the morning and slept in until the afternoon. When she woke, she was still slightly groggy.

Staring at the ceiling for a while, she rolled over, grabbed her phone, and opened the work group chat. There, she saw someone had replied to her message:

[Team Leader: Understood, President Qi. It’ll be sweeter.]