Her Majesty The Empress Has Made Her Debut In The Center Position [Ancient to Modern] - Chapter 26.3

The surrounding trainees couldn’t stand it anymore. “Hey! Get off the stage already! We still have to compete! The director will definitely cut their group to the end, or we’ll look like amateurs!”

The assistant director chuckled awkwardly. “Right, right, right!”

Compared to the excitement of the “The Puppet Show” group, their opponents were practically in a daze. He Yumeng and the others felt their pain and almost wanted to join them in covering their heads and wailing. “We’ve all suffered under Yu Cheng, Ji Zhaozhao, and the others!”

Qiao Yue, however, started worrying ahead of time. “The next performance is the position assessment, and we’ll be forming teams to compete. What if we end up with them?”

“Don’t worry,” Song Jiangjiang said, gently covering Qiao Yue’s ears. “We’re all good girls. We wouldn’t—”

Before she could finish, a forceful voice interrupted. “Are you the one who called Ji Zhaozhao?”

Song Jiangjiang: “……”

She silently tugged Qiao Yue aside and looked up, reassuring her. “Relax. Yu Cheng’s here.”

Sure enough, Yu Cheng stepped forward immediately. “What is it?”

Ji Zhao patted her arm, signaling it was alright, and leaned past her to look behind. Chen Jiao was hiding there, trying desperately to shrink herself, but her height made her impossible to miss.

Realizing she couldn’t hide, Chen Jiao let out a frustrated “Aiya!” and stamped her foot. “I was the one looking for you!”

“Yang Zhi, move aside,” Chen Jiao said, pulling her teammate aside and stepping forward bravely. “I just want to be friends! Zhaozhao, I absolutely love your performances! I never expected you to know who I am! Waaah, so I’m immediately extending an olive branch of friendship!”

Her starry eyes gazed at Ji Zhao, her ponytail swaying behind her head, the glitter at the corners of her eyes sparkling. “Let’s be friends, Zhaozhao!”

Yu Cheng frowned slightly.

Chen Jiao glanced between Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng, her expression turning complicated. “You… you’re not letting her make friends?”

Yu Cheng frowned even more deeply. “How could I dare?”

“But,” she paused, “Zhaozhao remembers you because she has an excellent memory.”

A photographic memory, a prodigy.

Chen Jiao’s heart shattered for a moment. “Huh? Really?”

Ji Zhao held out her hand. “Sure.”

This answered Chen Jiao’s earlier question.

Chen Jiao’s shattered heart was swiftly patched up. She grabbed Ji Zhao’s hand and swung it. “Then once we get our phones, we’ll add each other as friends! I want to be in the same group as you for the next performance!”

Yu Cheng lowered her gaze.

Watching Ji Zhao’s hand being swung back and forth by Chen Jiao, her eyes began to ache.

She scoffed inwardly.

How shameless!

After the “Name Tag Tug” game came the tug-of-war.

This time, the Assistant Director was more careful, randomly dividing the teams to separate Ji Zhaozhao and Yu Cheng. While this successfully added drama, it earned the ire of several trainees:

“Wicked Eunuch!”

The Assistant Director: “……”

Who let you start shipping trainee pairings? You’re here to compete, remember?!

 In the end, Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng split into two teams for a brief period.

Then, they led their respective teams to victory, demonstrating in action what it means to “burn brightly together and shine individually apart.” The Assistant Director, momentarily dazed, seemed to forget to argue how exactly they were supposed to “shine individually apart.”

After the tug-of-war, the Assistant Director announced the end of filming. The winning team boarded a bus to a hot pot restaurant, while the losing team took another bus back to the estate.

Emotions ran high in the arena, providing ample material for the photographers.

Meanwhile, the “The Puppet Show” team remained a cheerful family. When Ji Zhao heard they could go for hot pot, she happily bounced on her toes and cleared her throat politely. “Let’s go,” she said.

“Yu Cheng, wait!” the Assistant Director called out. “You can’t go for hot pot.”

“Why not?” Song Jiangjiang stepped forward to argue. “Even though Yu Cheng is incredibly skilled—seemingly a cheat code with her divine abilities—even I, her opponent, feel a little jealous. But that’s no reason to take away her reward!”

 The teammates: “……”

Is that a compliment or an insult?!

The assistant director was speechless for a moment before pulling out his phone and handing it to Yu Cheng. “Your mother wants to talk to you.”

Song Jiangjiang: “Your mother?”

Ji Zhao said: “Yu Cheng’s mother.”

Ji Zhao had heard about Yu Cheng’s mother before. Her name was Su Jing, and she was a renowned pianist with high prestige in the industry.

Rumor had it that Yu Wangmeng’s infidelity wasn’t just a simple affair, but prostitution. After learning about it, Su Jing immediately called Yu Wangmeng to discuss divorce and property division. Whenever she had to meet with him to discuss custody, she would fully arm herself, as if meeting the plague.

Yu Wangmeng had once snapped at her, demanding to know what she was doing. She leaned back, her eyes filled with disgust. “I’m afraid I’ll catch a disease talking to you, Yu Wangmeng. You’re truly filthy.”

Then she slapped a bank card at him. “I asked Chengcheng, and she said being with me would harm my career, so custody goes to you. This card is in Chengcheng’s name. Transfer three million yuan into it every month.”

Yu Wangmeng jumped up. “I got custody, so you’re supposed to pay child support, right? And what’s wrong with me going to prostitutes? What else could I do if you won’t let me touch you? I just made the same mistake every man makes!”

“Then my advice is for all men to go die,” Su Jing said coldly. “Yu Wangmeng, do you even know what prostitution is? It’s illegal. I have all the evidence. Sending you to jail would take me a minute. And even if you only serve a short sentence, what career will you have left when you get out?”

After securing Yu Cheng’s complete freedom and a bank card with a monthly allowance of three million yuan, Su Jing happily regained her single status and casually left the country.

If she was following her planned itinerary, she should be in Seattle by now.

Why did she suddenly return?

While Ji Zhao was still pondering this, Yu Cheng had already answered the phone. She hummed in acknowledgment, then said, “No,” paused, and finally added, “Okay.” She handed the phone back to the assistant director.

Turning to Ji Zhao, she said, “Will you come home with me?”

The assistant director: “……?”

The teammates: “!!!”

Isn’t this moving a bit too fast? Some people hadn’t even found a partner yet, and here someone was already taking someone home!

Ji Zhao nodded.

She asked the assistant director for her phone and contacted Timely Entertainment’s finance department to arrange for a presidential suite. She told He Yumeng and the others that a car would pick them up after the hot pot dinner, then turned to Yu Cheng and asked, “How are we getting there?”

Yu Cheng replied, “Su Jing sent someone to pick us up.”

Although Su Jing spent most of her time abroad, she still owned property in the country. Having made her decision to return home at the last minute, she had immediately commandeered Yu Wangmeng’s driver and assistant. The driver was waiting at the stadium entrance with an eight-seater SUV.

As Yu Cheng and Ji Zhao got into the car, the driver automatically raised the partition between the front and back seats.

Yu Cheng tapped on the partition and pressed her ear against it. “The soundproofing is excellent,” she remarked.

Ji Zhao curiously touched the partition before remembering their purpose. “Did Su Jing discover something by suddenly returning from abroad to see you?” she asked seriously. “Her daughter certainly doesn’t have the Lightness Skill.”

Yu Cheng’s expression grew solemn. “I was too careless.”

 “How could I blame you?” Ji Zhao said. “Our goal is to win the competition, so as long as we don’t break the rules, anything goes. Do you remember Yu Cheng’s original personality?”

Yu Cheng’s expression shifted slightly.

Ji Zhao asked, “Don’t you remember?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Just hand it over when the time comes—”

“No, I do remember,” Yu Cheng said. “I just didn’t want to scare Your Majesty.”

Ji Zhao chuckled. “Right, I remember now.”

She reached out and poked Yu Cheng’s shoulder. “There was that trainee who got hired through backdoor connections—she acted like she owned the place. That’s the kind of personality she had, right?”

Yu Cheng blushed. “…That was her!”

Ji Zhao nodded half-heartedly.

She glanced out the window. The rain hadn’t stopped and was showing signs of intensifying, leaving a misty film on the car glass. The neon lights along the road blurred into dreamlike scenes.

“I actually quite like it here,” Ji Zhao said suddenly. “Night is as bright as day, and there’s light everywhere you go. It’s nothing like back when we had curfews.”

“Your Majesty is so playful,” Yu Cheng murmured.

She received a sideways glance.

Yu Cheng pursed her lips. “This subject knows her mistake.”

Though she claimed to know her mistake, her tone held no remorse. Every word clearly implied, “That’s just how it was. I’m not accusing Your Majesty of anything.” Ji Zhao couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been discovered.”

Ji Zhao ascended the throne at a young age, still the playful age. She often slipped out to play after curfew when the Grand Tutor and Chancellor weren’t paying attention, but she always returned to the palace on time, never causing any trouble.

Until Yu Cheng returned to the capital for her break. Unable to sit still, she joined the Imperial Guard on their midnight patrol and caught Ji Zhao red-handed.

Quick-witted as always, Ji Zhao immediately transformed from a mischievous commoner caught wandering into an Emperor in disguise, inspecting the area. “Very good,” she declared. “You are all vigilant. We are pleased.”

Let’s not mention how, fearing Yu Cheng would tattle, Ji Zhao summoned her to the palace the next day and kept her under watch for twenty-four hours.

As they spoke, the car gradually slowed to a stop.

Su Jing’s apartment was in an old neighborhood left behind by Yu Cheng’s grandparents. The area was set to be demolished in the next two years, and most residents had already moved out. The property management had stopped maintaining the place, and the moment they entered the neighborhood, a sense of desolation washed over them.

Inside the apartment, however, the decor was impeccable—French vintage style. From the furnishings and layout alone, it was clear the owner had impeccable taste.

 The tripod piano stood near the balcony in the living room, which was filled with lush plants. Su Jing, dressed in a simple black dress, sat beside it. The balcony window was slightly ajar, letting in a cool breeze amidst the torrential rain outside.

“I’m here,” Su Jing called out, turning slightly and lifting her pale wrist. Her voice was gentle. “What would you like to hear?”

As the saying goes, “The mountains and rivers meet the true friend.” Ji Zhao may not have played the piano much, but Ji Zhaozhao had studied it. Seeing this scene, she naturally felt a kinship with the pianist.

Just as she was about to speak, Yu Cheng casually called out, “Hey,” and flopped onto the soft sofa, closing her eyes. Her tone was impatient. “Did you cancel your performance halfway across the world just to play piano for me?”

She sat up again. “Oh, right, let me introduce you to Ji Zhaozhao.”

The moment their eyes met, Yu Cheng quickly blinked and slumped back down. “My teammate. She’s an amazing pianist too—she also plays guzheng, guqin, konghou, and suona.”

Ji Zhao: “?”

Is she… putting on an act?

 Su Jing seemed accustomed to her daughter’s carefree attitude, even relieved. “I didn’t come back to play the piano for you,” she said. “I’m here to see your Lightness Skill.”

She stood up and smiled at Ji Zhao. “Zhaozhao, right? Our Chengcheng can be quite stubborn and has caused you a lot of trouble.”

Ji Zhao forced a stiff smile. “Indeed… quite a handful.”

Yu Cheng’s eyes widened slightly.

“No,” Ji Zhao quickly denied, giving Yu Cheng a reassuring look. “Yu Cheng is great. We won the first performance thanks to her.”

Su Jing clicked her tongue. “Back then, you said you’d enter the entertainment industry to find a girlfriend. Who knew you’d actually build a career there?”

Ji Zhao: “……?”

Find what? Did she mishear?

Yu Cheng suddenly burst into violent coughs, her face flushing crimson. She had intended to act out the original owner’s reaction, but the thought of her painstakingly concealed reason for entering the entertainment industry—now exposed before Her Majesty—sent a chill down her spine.

This Yu Cheng… not only did she prefer women, but she was also incredibly picky. With nothing better to do, she’d decided to plunge into the entertainment industry—the place with the most beautiful women—to find her lifelong love.

 Yu Cheng sat up. “Mom!”

She forced herself to sound impatient. “What do you want? You can’t just call me for no reason.”

“Can’t I just miss you and want to see you?” Su Jing countered, her gaze softening as she looked at her daughter. “I just… I wanted to see your Lightness Skill…”

Her voice trailed off.

She had learned about her daughter’s Lightness Skill during a post-performance interview two days earlier. A reporter had shoved a microphone in her face and asked when Yu Cheng had started learning martial arts. She froze for a second, then the video played right in front of her.

The reporter had paid for the footage, which hadn’t yet spread online. After watching the video, she’d immediately booked a flight back home as soon as the interview was over.

The entire transoceanic journey had been driven purely by curiosity.

Yu Cheng asked, “You want to see my Lightness Skill?”

Su Jing nodded. “Yeah, yeah.”

Yu Cheng said, “I’m hungry.”

Su Jing: “……”

Half an hour later, the hot pot delivery arrived on time.

The delivery person from the hot pot restaurant hummed cheerfully as they set up, plugging in the induction cooker, arranging the dishes, and preparing the dual-sided pot with one side for spicy numbing heat and the other for tomato broth. The red oil bubbled enticingly, and the aroma of tomatoes filled the air.

The delivery person ladled out a bowl of tomato soup for each of them, garnished with beef and chopped celery. “Enjoy your meal,” they said before leaving.

Ji Zhao’s eyes lit up at the sight of the steaming hot pot and the table laden with dishes.

Back in the palace, hot pot had been complicated and even a little dangerous. The Imperial Kitchen, catering to her delicate stomach, used mild broths with just a hint of spice. It was frustrating to eat bland food and then be nagged about it.

Ji Zhao swallowed hard. This was what hot pot was supposed to be!

Su Jing, having lived abroad for so long, hadn’t had hot pot in ages. She hadn’t even wanted it at first, but the moment it hit the table, she was hooked. She pulled out a bottle of wine she’d been saving for years and poured it into two glasses. “Cheers.”

“Is this red wine?” Ji Zhao swirled the wine in her glass, took a small sip, and savored it. “It tastes a little like grapes.”

The deep purple liquid was tart with a hint of sweetness, and the sweetness carried a subtle bitterness. A hundred flavors spread across her tongue as she tilted her head back and gulped it down. “Delicious,” she said.

“Really?” Yu Cheng picked up her own glass. “I’ll try some too.”

Su Jing’s expression changed. “Wait—”

But it was too late. Yu Cheng had already drained her glass. She hummed in confusion. “What is it?”

“…You drank the whole thing, you silly girl,” Su Jing said.

Yu Cheng: “?”

The next moment, she was slumped face-first on the table.

Ji Zhao: “……?”

Is this red wine… or Nine Fragrances Soul-Stealer?!

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