Her Majesty The Empress Has Made Her Debut In The Center Position [Ancient to Modern] - Chapter 28.2

During a rehearsal run-through before filming, Cheng Feiwan asked the Assistant Director why they hadn’t questioned Yu Cheng about her Lightness Skill. Both online viewers and Cheng Feiwan herself were curious.

The Director explained that the first ranking announcement would come after the public performance broadcast, by which time the audience would already know about the Lightness Skill. They planned to ask Yu Cheng about it during the Confessional segment instead. To make her explanation more palatable to viewers, the production team had even provided Yu Cheng with the phrasing for her response.

Yu Cheng only claimed to have studied the Lightness Skill for a short time, just enough to show off a few tricks on stage. Any more impressive feats you see were actually achieved with hidden wires by the production team.

Whether the audience believed it or not, at least the explanation was plausible. Yu Cheng’s Lightness Skill was simply too extraordinary; drawing any more attention could lead to the show being shut down, which would be a huge loss for everyone involved.

Suppressing her own curiosity, Cheng Feiwan continued with the formalities.

“Trainees, please look behind me.” She turned, and the makeshift stage lit up. The acrylic chairs glistened like glass in the spotlight. Her voice grew solemn. “There are seventy-five chairs here. That means only seventy-five trainees will remain today.”

“Now, I announce the official start of the first ranking reveal for Debut! Girl!”

“The voting period lasted seven days, and by the deadline, we had a total of 12,567,892 votes. This time, we’re cutting straight to the chase and starting the reveal with the seventy-fifth place.”

The trainees erupted in an uproar.

“Help! Does this mean anyone ranked outside the top 80 for the past 24 hours is automatically eliminated?”

“I still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking I might pull through in the final seconds.”

“The production team is really playing it big this time.”

“Welcome back! This is the live broadcast of the first ranking announcement for Debut! Girl Season 4.” Cheng Feiwan finished reading the script and finally got to the main point. “Trainee number seventy-five. In a previous interview, she said that this talent show is just a life experience for her—a place to gain some ‘experience points’ before returning to her normal life. She’s already prepared for the first round of voting.”

“Who’s that? Who’s that?”

“Does our show even have someone like that?”

Ji Zhao, however, immediately recognized the trainee Cheng Feiwan was describing.

Five or six seats away, Zheng Dongqing sat ramrod straight. Her allergic rash had mostly cleared up, giving her a refreshed look, completely free of her previous dejection. Her lips were pressed together, her expression seemingly emotionless, but the hand resting on the bench gripped it tightly, trembling slightly.

“That’s her!” Cheng Feiwan’s gaze turned toward Zheng Dongqing, her smile warm. “Zheng Dongqing, congratulations on advancing!”

The tension in Zheng Dongqing’s hand eased, her entire body visibly relieved. She tried to appear composed, but her eyes reddened before she could. Amidst the applause, she walked to Cheng Feiwan’s side.

“Please share your thoughts,” Cheng Feiwan said.

Zheng Dongqing gripped the microphone tightly, taking a long moment to steady her voice. “Thank you… thank you all.” She smiled, wiping her eyes. “Honestly, I never thought I’d advance. I even considered going home after just one round. But just now, I got nervous. I wanted to stay. I wanted another chance at the stage.”

“In short, thank you all! I’ll keep working hard!”

With that, she bowed deeply and turned to return to her seat.

The ranking announcement continued.

The 75th rank, due to its special significance, was announced separately, just like the top seven Debut Spots. However, the subsequent rankings were announced in groups of seven. After the 75th rank came the 74th to 68th, followed by the 68th to 61st.

Each announcement, and even each individual rank, filled the air with tension. The atmosphere grew increasingly anxious, even for Pei Jia, who usually seemed indifferent. Her heart raced, and she could only calm down by clinging to Ji Zhao’s arm.

Qiao Yue ultimately advanced at rank 54. Sobbing, she was comforted by Cheng Feiwan before hurrying to her seat. Many trainees watched enviously, wondering if they should copy her if they advanced.

Come on, that’s Cheng Feiwan we’re talking about!

Ding Yan secured rank 50. Immediately following his announcement was Shao Ke at rank 49. Standing together, Shao Ke swung their clasped hands, grinning brightly. “Looks like the teacher’s sticking around to torment me a little longer.”

In “The Puppet Show” Group B, all five members advanced, except Jian Li.

Shao Ke ranked 49th, Zhong Ruohan 46th, and Wan Qi 40th.

He Yumeng had the best ranking among them, at 21st place.

Seated in the row ahead of Pei Jia, who was ranked 26th, He Yumeng whispered mockingly, “See? Our group isn’t so bad, right? Now look at Boss Ji’s group—tsk, tsk, tsk—only a few have even advanced so far!”

In “The Puppet Show” Group A, only two members had advanced so far: Qiao Yue and Zheng Dongqing, and their rankings weren’t particularly high.

Pei Jia glanced at her. “I really don’t know what you’re so smug about.”

He Yumeng, puzzled, replied, “Huh?”

Pei Jia leaned back and asked, “Do you really think they won’t advance?”

He Yumeng pondered this.

She didn’t think that would happen, especially since the remaining contestants yet to advance were all quite popular. Even if their vote counts weren’t high, winning a public performance would grant them bonus votes, surely surpassing Zheng Dongqing’s tally.

If they were guaranteed to advance, then—

Pei Jia looked at her sympathetically. “It means not only will they all advance, but they’ll all rank high.” She sighed. “Next time, think before you mock. Don’t let the presidential suite rot your brain.”

He Yumeng: “……”

It felt like an arrow had pierced my heart. No wonder she worked for Ji Zhaozhao’s company—her silver tongue was truly formidable.

Pei Jia let out a low snort.

My heart bled. Not only had I missed out on hot pot, but this was a presidential suite we’re talking about! With a monthly salary of just 2,000 yuan, how long would it take me to afford something like this? QAQ Boss Ji is so biased!

Just as Pei Jia had predicted, another name from Group A of “The Puppet Show” was announced, and the rankings had already reached the top twenty.

Shen Xin, with her particularly bitter and resentful Weibo posts that resonated with overworked employees, had gained countless followers—mostly casual viewers who hadn’t watched the talent show before. However, since they weren’t familiar with the voting system, they hadn’t voted enough to secure her a debut spot.

She barely hung on at eleventh place.

As time passed, the number of debut spots dwindled, and the competition intensified. Many trainees had already glimpsed their fate. After the initial wave of anxiety, they found themselves strangely calm, even relaxed enough to enjoy the spectacle.

What a VIP spectator seat!

Though they would all technically be from the same show, popularity would determine their future status. Some might never cross paths again. Before announcing the final debut spots, the assistant director announced a half-hour break. Many trainees who had already resigned themselves to elimination began networking.

She walked from one end of the room to the other, chatting with everyone she met—both those she knew and those she didn’t, whether they’d spoken before or not. Most of them were there to see Ji Zhao.

Most of them came to see Ji Zhao for face massages. As she worked, she gently recommended herself: “If Boss Ji’s company needs entertainers, you can contact me.”

Ji Zhao pursed her lips, carefully noting each trainee’s request. Her memory was sharp; she remembered each trainee’s strengths, weaknesses, and personality. For those who truly seemed suited for the entertainment industry, she replied earnestly: “Don’t worry, I’ll have someone contact you.”

Before the break ended, she had already verbally secured three trainees for Timely Entertainment.

If the assistant director hadn’t come out to organize the trainees and Cheng Feiwan hadn’t promptly returned to the lawn to resume hosting, Ji Zhao could have secured three more.

By then, it was nearly midnight. After nearly four grueling hours of filming, all the trainees were exhausted and drowsy.

It was said that during the broadcast of this episode, clips of the trainees playing games would be interspersed, and any unremarkable or unexciting remarks would be edited out to keep the audience engaged.

Viewers could skip straight to the highlights, but the trainees couldn’t skip the tedious practice process. The sequential release of rankings, though nerve-wracking, ultimately just felt numbing once it started.

Fortunately, the real excitement was finally about to begin.

All the trainees perked up, preparing for the announcement of the debut spot rankings!

Although the seven trainees selected this time might not be the final seven, they represented the seven most popular trainees on Debut! Girl at the moment, with a very high chance of actually debuting. How could anyone not be excited?

“Seventh place is actually Chen Xingzi,” He Yumeng remarked, glancing at her former teammates below. She turned to Pei Jia for discussion. “Since you share a dorm with Boss Ji, Shen Yican’s ranking probably won’t be low either, right? Is the Luck King carrying the whole dorm?”

Pei Jia replied proudly, “So don’t even think about making fun of our Boss Ji. You’d better spend your time praying instead.”

He Yumeng nodded in agreement.

Number six was Qian Xingxing, a slightly chubby Japanese-style girl with a surprisingly bold personality. Speaking rapid-fire in her native Shaanxi dialect, she had earned fame among the trainees by imitating Proprietress Tong from A Hero Never Dies.

“Zhou Yuting, keep the oil warm!” He Yumeng clutched her pounding heart. “My dream sister.”

Number five was Zhou Yuting, the chosen vocalist. A little socially awkward, she had bluntly revealed her Myers-Briggs type as INFP to help others understand her. The trainees, well-versed in Myers-Briggs, had dubbed her “a sentimental little butterfly.”

This little butterfly was a natural flirt. With the slightest flutter of her wings, she left her teammates utterly flustered.

And Shen Yican ultimately ranked fourth.

Finally, only the top three remained.

“Mother of God, why am I so nervous?” Pei Jia clasped her hands together. “Heaven, even though I never expected to survive the first round, and I’d imagined Boss Ji would be forced to withdraw before the rankings were announced, now that we’ve reached this point… please let her stand firmly in the Center Position!”

Chen Xingzi leaned forward, murmuring, “Zhaozhao won’t break the Initial Center Curse, will she? She’ll be Center again in the first round, right?”

Qiao Yue gripped the back of the seat in front of her.

Shen Xin pressed her lips together.

Shen Yican’s gaze grew heavy.

He Yumeng muttered, “Who am I even competing against here?”

As expected, Song Jiangjiang secured third place. Overwhelmed with emotion, she clutched the microphone, unable to speak. Finally, she crouched down and started hopping like a frog, whistling between jumps, promising to perform it for everyone again if they liked it.

The trainees stared in silence.

Shao Ke’s lips twitched. “I feel like being her fan would be a little embarrassing.”

A few seats away, Qiao Yue smiled indulgently. “I think it’s adorable.”

“Now, I’ll announce the first and second places from the first ranking release. Please come join me on stage.” Cheng Feiwan flipped a page in her script, ignoring the trainees’ impatience as she continued unhurriedly. “They are from—”

Cheng Feiwan suddenly paused.

The trainees fell silent.

Then they collectively lost their minds.

“Aaaaaah, Teacher Cheng, stop gasping like that!”

“This isn’t even my problem, so why is my heart pounding so hard I feel like I’m going to die?”

“Just tell us already—will we live or die?!”

“Now, please welcome our two new members! Please welcome!”

Cheng Feiwan lowered her head and smiled. Just as the trainees thought she was going to keep them in suspense, she suddenly announced, “Please welcome Yu Cheng from Firefly Agency and Ji Zhaozhao from Timely Entertainment!”

Yu Cheng instinctively glanced at Ji Zhao.

Ji Zhao was already standing, her dimpled smile sweet and radiant. She quietly thanked the trainees around her, hesitated for a moment as she approached Cheng Feiwan, and looked up.

At that exact moment, the estate’s bell tower chimed twelve times—the stroke of midnight.

Yu Cheng’s eyes lit up.

She pushed through the crowd and stood before Ji Zhao.

Midnight had passed.

The silence spell was broken. There were so many things she wanted to say to Ji Zhao, but when she opened her mouth, all she managed was, “Zhaozhao.”

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