From Trashy A to the Heiress’s Little Son-in-Law After the Idol Competition (GL, ABO) - Chapter 44

The entire venue erupted instantly though it was an eruption of disbelief.

Xiao Liangmu and Liang Zhi, who had come to watch their child debut, froze their smiles, utterly baffled by what was happening.

Their daughter hadn’t made the final lineup, what an absolute joke.

“Xiao Yanjin didn’t make it? How is that possible?”

“Her fans were supposed to be super dedicated. I heard they raised a ton of money.”

“Oh my god, and her performance was amazing too so explosive! How could she not make it?”

Fans of the “Nuoyan” CP and Xiao Yanjin’s own supporters were stunned.

They looked around in confusion, completely unprepared for this outcome.

Han Dong, the program’s executive producer, watched as the once-boisterous atmosphere turned eerily silent. With the show still live, he quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: “Good evening, everyone. The debut night has come to an end. I’m sure the excitement has worn off by now…”

Yet the silence lingered.

Watching the live broadcast, Chu Luo smirked coldly at Xiao Yanjin’s disappointed expression. Xiao Yanjin, your family’s bankrupt now. Who’s left to help you?

“Protest!”

Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the tension.

Xiao Yanjin stepped forward from the lineup of twelve contestants. “I demand an explanation!”

“What are you protesting?” Han Dong sneered. “Your votes weren’t enough, you barely made the cutoff. Are you blaming us for that?”

“As the organizers, you should disclose the full rankings of fan-funded votes. The trainees and their supporters deserve to know.” Ji Yunuo thought to herself so she’s planning to escalate this publicly.

And so, she stood up as well. If Xiao Yanjin was willing to call out this injustice, then as her girlfriend, she wouldn’t let her face it alone.

Watching this unfold, Ji Zhiye and Wei Qin exchanged glances. What’s she getting involved for?

Ji Zhiye picked up her phone.

Wei Qin glanced at her. “What are you doing?”

“Looking into the vote manipulation.”

“Ji Zhiye, don’t meddle in other people’s business,” Wei Qin said coldly.

Ji Zhiye flashed a placating smile. “Sweetheart, I know you hate unfair treatment the most. You wouldn’t want to find out after all these episodes that someone was rigged out, right?”

Wei Qin lowered her hand and cleared her throat. “Do whatever you want.”

Cheng Ling, despite her dislike for Xiao Yanjin, followed Ji Yunuo’s lead and stood up. “I protest too.”

Aside from Wei Xuanzhi, the other five contestants also stepped forward, voicing their indignation on Xiao Yanjin’s behalf.

Inside the training camp, Xiao Yanjin had no outside help to investigate the truth.

So she had to expose the potential fraud right here, live on air.

“Someone, out of sheer spite, used their family connections to rig the votes and keep me from debuting!” Xiao Yanjin gripped the microphone, enunciating every word. “Chasing Dreams, Girls!, the name itself is about dreams, about chasing them. But while we’re out here chasing ours, what about you? What does your so-called dream stand for?”

“I didn’t rely on my family. I didn’t use connections. I got here because of the people who believed in me, who voted, who crowdfunded for me. But now, someone’s using their family’s influence to push me out. If that’s the case, then everything my fans did was for nothing. So tell me, where’s the fairness in that?”

“Well said!”

The CEOs of various agencies had also come to witness the debut night. Zhang, the head of Sing & Dance Entertainment, Xiao Yanjin’s own company stood up in support.

“Every year during the talent show, the organizers would release the full crowdfunding vote rankings. Why is this year the only exception? If you’re not guilty, you should have no problem making them public!” Director Zhang protested indignantly.

“That’s right, that’s right!” The fans in the audience echoed in unison, their fervent voices even more passionate than during the voting campaigns.

At the same time, fans of other trainees also began to lend their support.

“Release the ranking list!”

Witnessing this scene, Chu Luo was utterly shocked. What she hadn’t anticipated was Xiao Yanjin’s fearless audacity, daring to escalate matters during the live broadcast of the debut night.

The power of live streaming was immense. As minutes ticked by, the entire nation became aware of the organizers’ vote manipulation. The screen was flooded with comments, all rallying behind Xiao Yanjin in outrage.

[WTF, previous talent shows always released the crowdfunding vote lists. Why not this time?]

[There must be something shady going on!]

[By the way, who was Xiao Yanjin referring to?]

[Who else could it be but Chu Luo? Her mother’s company is one of the top three entertainment giants in the industry, they have massive influence!]

[I heard Chu Luo withdrew from the competition because of Xiao Yanjin and Ji Yunuo. She must have held a grudge and pulled strings!]

[No way, wasn’t she supposed to be graceful and magnanimous? If this is true, her image is totally ruined!]

Meanwhile, Wei Yunqiu was still at the company, watching as Xiao Yanjin’s name dominated the trending searches due to the live broadcast.

The secretary approached and said, “We can’t keep covering this up any longer.”

Things had spiraled out of control.

Chairman Han, overwhelmed by the chaos, was at a loss for solutions.

Ji Yunuo said coldly, “Chairman Han, whether a trainee debuts depends on fan crowdfunding votes. I refuse to believe the data hasn’t been tallied yet otherwise, you wouldn’t have started announcing rankings. Release the full voting data for all 18 trainees and let’s see who truly earned their spot tonight.”

“That’s right, release all the data!”

“We demand fairness and justice, no more rigged rankings!” the fans shouted furiously.

Online viewers bombarded the live stream with over 100,000 comments, all demanding justice for Xiao Yanjin. Even casual viewers, swayed by the overwhelming backlash, began dissecting the situation on various platforms, causing the show’s reputation to plummet.

“Chairman Han,” an assistant hurried over, “Chairman Ji just called. As the main sponsor, he insists on transparent data or else he’ll withdraw funding.”

“What?!” Chairman Han was stunned.

The Chu family had secured favorable treatment for Chu Luo by offering sponsorships, allowing her to rig the rankings and push Xiao Yanjin out. But when it came to sponsors, the Ji family held the real power.

“Bring out all the data.”

“Yes.”

The assistant handed the updated ranking sheet to Ji Mian.

“How dare they rig votes right under my nose?” Xu Zhixia trembled with anger.

Ji Mian tried to calm her. “Don’t worry, it’ll be resolved soon.”

The assistant said, “Producer, take a look at the updated rankings.”

“Is this real? You better not be faking it again!” Xu Zhixia snatched the document and scanned it, visibly satisfied with the new order.

Ji Mian cleared his throat and returned to center stage, where the fans’ uproar showed no signs of dying down.

“Alright, everyone, please settle down!” Ji Mian called out.

“We demand fairness and justice!”

Ji Mian held up the list: “Everyone, let me show you what true fairness and justice look like. These rankings have been completely recalculated based on the data.”

Chairman Han chuckled awkwardly: “Our apologies for the earlier mistake. Some data was missing, but now it’s been properly adjusted. There won’t be any errors this time, absolutely not.”

The hashtag #DataOmission immediately trended, sparking widespread discussion online.

Netizens expressed their disbelief.

Xiao Yanjin had already returned to her original seat, listening attentively to Ji Mian’s announcement.

The top five rankings remained unchanged from before. When they reached the sixth position.

Ji Mian smiled brilliantly, “Sixth place, congratulations to Xiao Yanjin!”

Jiang Nan, who ranked seventh, cheered and hugged Xiao Yanjin: “I knew you’d make it!” Wei Xuan, standing nearby, pursed her lips, she had just been a supporting character after all.

“Xiao Yanjin! Xiao Yanjin! Xiao Yanjin!”

Wei Qin watched indifferently as she peeled an orange.

So she really made her debut after all.

Xiao Yanjin walked up to the microphone in disbelief, facing not just the live audience and her fans, but also the entire nation watching the broadcast and her parents.

Boss Zhang teared up, embracing Zeng Heshi as they both cried uncontrollably: “Xiao Yanjin, I always knew you could do it!”

Sniff.

Xiao Yanjin wiped her nose.

Shi Zhengyi remarked in surprise, “Xiao Yanjin is actually crying.”

Ji Yunuo was momentarily stunned, biting her red lips. The girl who had been so proud earlier now looked like a teary mess perhaps that earlier incident had affected her more than she let on.

Xiao Yanjin choked up: “I’m not crying because I’m upset. I’m crying because I knew my fans loved me so much, how could I not debut? I just never imagined someone like me, who was completely disgraced, would actually make it. Through this competition, I’ve truly learned the importance of responsibility, friendship, and… the ability to love. I swear, the name Xiao Yanjin will resonate across the world!”

He Rou also burst into tears: “It’s been so hard for her! Oh no, why is she collapsing.”

But Xiao Yanjin had fainted from overwhelming emotions.

Thus becoming the first contestant in history to pass out from sheer excitement.

When Xiao Yanjin woke up in the hospital bed, she saw Xiao Liangmu and Liang Zhi: “Mom, Dad, you’re—”

Liang Zhi hugged her tightly, crying: “My child, you’ve really been through so much.”

Xiao Yanjin smacked her forehead in frustration: “Why did I faint? The rankings aren’t even finished yet!”

“It’s over. Jiang Nan took seventh place,” Ji Yunuo’s voice came from the doorway. She stood tall, gazing at Xiao Yanjin.

Xiao Yanjin whimpered: “I knew it. Sister, was I cool just now?”

Right in front of Xiao Liangmu and Liang Zhi, Ji Yunuo walked straight over and embraced Xiao Yanjin, whispering comfortingly: “You did amazing. So, so cool.”

Xiao Liangmu and Liang Zhi: “……”

Xiao Liangmu: “You two!”

As Ji Yunuo wiped Xiao Yanjin’s tears away, she began: “I’m—”

Xiao Yanjin suddenly pressed a hand over hers: “Mom, Dad, it’s fine. Sister Nuoruo and I are very close.”

Xiao Liangmu thought about how they had known each other since childhood and stood up: “Then you two catch up properly.”

Xiao Yanjin: “Sister Nuoruo, you didn’t have to say it so soon.”

Ji Yunuo: “We’re family now. They should know.”

Xiao Yanjin shook her head: “Mainly because it’s not the right time yet.” The real concern was that if Xiao Liangmu and Liang Zhi found out, any slip-ups might alert Ji Zhiye and Wei Qin, that would be troublesome. They probably still wouldn’t accept her, and Ji Yunuo would undoubtedly be caught in a difficult position.

Ji Yunuo gently ruffled her hair: “I understand what you mean. Feeling better now?”

Xiao Yanjin: “I just got too excited, that’s all. Nothing serious.”

Ji Yunuo hummed in acknowledgment: “But I’m still worried.”

Xiao Yanjin flashed a flirtatious glance: “If you kissed me, I’d be fine.”

Ji Yunuo lightly brushed her fingers across Xiao’s cheek: “I’m not ready to kiss you yet.”

Xiao Yanjin suddenly pressed her lips against Ji Yunuo’s, savoring the moment with tender affection.

“Thank you, sister.”

After finishing her call, Ji Zhiye walked over and saw Wei Qin sitting helplessly on the couch. Her expression was calm, but her wife of many years could tell she was furious.

Wei Qin: “Looks like she debuted after all.”

Ji Zhiye glanced at the newspaper: “So what if she did?”

Wei Qin snapped: “This just gives Xiao Yanjin more chances to get close to her!”

Ji Zhiye soothed: “If Nuonuo likes her, then Xiao Yanjin must have something special.”

“What could she possibly have?”

“Well… for one, her looks are on par with Nuonuo’s.”

Wei Qin: “……”

The group’s name was 2the abo, a continuation of the first idol survival show’s winning group, the abo.

Though Xiao Yanjin had debuted,

her naturally polarizing presence immediately sparked another wave of backlash.

[How did Xiao Yanjin even make it into the group?!]

[What kind of brainwashing potion did she feed her fans? I’m filing a complaint!!]

[How much infamy will her existence bring to 2the abo?!]

[Ughhhh, my heart aches for my bias already.]

[At least she ranked low. If not for the CP fans, would her tiny fanbase have even gotten her in?]

Xiao Yanjin was stunned wait, so the people supporting her debut and the ones who initially trashed her weren’t even the same crowd?!?!

Support