Her Majesty The Empress Has Made Her Debut In The Center Position [Ancient to Modern] - Chapter 35.1

After Yu Cheng’s performance, the TV was turned off, and the room fell silent. Both Ji Zhao and Zhong Qingxiu were decisive people, and they reached an understanding without needing to spell anything out.

“I’ll do everything I can to help you,” Zhong Qingxiu said, standing up. “But right now, I need you to quickly assemble your own team and show me what you’re made of.”

Ji Zhao’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “I have my own requests too.”

Zhong Qingxiu nodded. “Go ahead.”

Ji Zhao explained, “I studied music at university, focusing on the arts. I’m not very skilled in managing a company. Could you have someone send me some books on business management so I can learn?”

Before Zhong Qingxiu could respond, Ji Lin couldn’t help but interject, “No wonder your company was on the verge of collapse!”

But Zhong Qingxiu smiled. “Agreed.”

She asked, “Anything else?”

Ji Zhao replied, “Don’t interfere with the talent show.”

Zhong Qingxiu raised an eyebrow. “You want to rely solely on your own skills?”

Ji Zhao clarified, “I want it to be fair.”

Zhong Qingxiu nodded. “No problem.”

Ji Zhao added, “I’m in the middle of the talent show, so I don’t have much time. Until the finals are over, my focus will be on the competition. I’ll handle assembling the team, but don’t rush me.”

Zhong Qingxiu said, “I’ve waited half my life. A few months more won’t make a difference.”

Ji Zhao smiled. “I’ll see you out.”

Ji Zhao escorted Zhong Qingxiu to the exit. She didn’t go any further, knowing they’d run into fans. Once Ji Zhao’s figure had disappeared through the door, Ji Lin finally burst out with her frustration. “I know I’m incompetent, but there are capable juniors around. Ji Zhaozhao is so arrogant—why did Grandmother choose her?”

“There are capable ones, but they’re all married,” Zhong Qingxiu said, standing in the soft twilight and gazing at the giant fan screen on the building opposite the stadium. She sighed. “A woman is born without a home. Once married, her interests become tied to her husband and sons. How could she ever truly help me?”

“But Grandmother, aren’t you…”

“Because I never loved your grandfather, Ji Song. Over the years, I’ve had moments of wavering, thinking that perhaps living out my life like this wasn’t so bad. I’m already happier than most women, aren’t I? At least I don’t have to worry about making a living.”

“But that’s not enough. Comparing misfortunes is a pointless game. It’s that stubborn refusal to accept things as they are that keeps us going.”

The black SUV slowly pulled up in front of them. The driver got out of the driver’s seat and came around to open the door for them. Zhong Qingxiu stepped in. “Have Ji Lin deliver some practical books from the management company to the estate.”

Ji Lin acknowledged the order.

The next day, along with the practical books, Ji Zhaozhao also received Don’t Know How to Lead a Team? Then Work Yourself to Death, a book picked up from a street vendor. Ji Zhaozhao couldn’t put it down.

That’s a story for later. Let’s move on.

Before Ji Zhao could even reach the backstage area, Yu Cheng had already come out to meet her.

A Follow PD trailed behind her like a shadow. Ji Zhao glanced at her and signaled Yu Cheng to be silent. Instead, she turned to the Follow PD. “Is your sister tired carrying this camera? Should she take a break?”

The Follow PD was flattered. “No, not at all.”

Ji Zhao took hold of the camera. “It’s fine. I’ll film some behind-the-scenes footage for a bit. Go get some rest. There’s fruit in the dressing room I was in earlier. Bring some back for everyone.”

After listening to her, Ji Zhao found her words reasonable. She urged Yu Cheng to take good care of the camera before happily going to eat fruit.

No sooner had she left than Ji Zhao pressed the power button to turn off the camera.

Yu Cheng’s expression sharpened. “Your Majesty, is there something you wish to say to me in private?”

“Did we win?” Ji Zhao asked.

“Yes,” Yu Cheng replied.

Satisfied, Ji Zhao was about to tell her about Zhong Qingxiu’s search for her. But noticing Yu Cheng’s slightly awkward expression, she couldn’t resist saying, “Such a cute stage! I’ll have to watch the live stream when I get back.”

To her surprise, Yu Cheng didn’t blush. Instead, she said, “Then I’ll have to watch Your Majesty’s live stream when I get back too.”

Ji Zhao: “……”

Yu Cheng nodded earnestly. “I’ll watch it many times.”

Ji Zhao glared at her irritably, seeing the suppressed laughter at the corners of Yu Cheng’s lips. Gritting her teeth, she said, “If you want to laugh, you’d better keep it in. No laughing aloud. Yu Cheng, you’ve gotten quite cheeky. Don’t you understand that this is disrespecting your superior?”

Yu Cheng lowered her head. “Yu Cheng is willing to accept any punishment.”

“I’ll deal with you later.” There was no time for idle chatter now—Follow PD might return at any moment. Ji Zhao quickly summarized the situation with Zhong Qingxiu. “What do you think?”

A flicker of struggle crossed Yu Cheng’s eyes. “Your Majesty, do you really think we’ll be able to return after the Seven Stars Alignment?”

Ji Zhao wasn’t certain either. “We have to try. What if it works?”

Yu Cheng asked, “Your Majesty… do you not like it here?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it here. It’s actually quite good. If I had no responsibilities, I’d be happy to stay. But I have an entire kingdom to rule and a people to care for. I can’t help but want to return.” Ji Zhao hummed in confusion. “You don’t want to go back?”

Yu Cheng shook her head. “I will always follow Your Majesty.”

She added, “It’s just… obtaining the Ji Family’s inheritance will be incredibly difficult.”

Ji Zhao sighed. “Yes, and I have no experience with this.”

Although the Late Emperor had three main palaces and six secondary residences, with thousands of beauties at his disposal, he disliked having children and only had one daughter—Ji Zhao. The ministers repeatedly urged him, “One is not enough! If something happens to her, what will become of the nation?”

The Late Emperor fumbled his way through it, saying, “Alright, alright, I’ll have a few more children first, then designate a Crown Princess later.” He kept dragging this out until Ji Zhao was seven years old, at which point the ministers finally realized they’d been tricked.

But there was nothing to be done about it. The Late Emperor’s health had always been frail, so all the pressure fell on Ji Zhao.

Ji Zhao had been trained in imperial arts since childhood, but she had inherited the throne naturally, without competition. She never needed to scheme or curry favor with anyone, and no man dared to boss her around. But in the Ji Family, she would have to face all of that.

“Don’t rush,” Ji Zhao said, turning on the camera. “Just take your time to plan. How do you use this thing anyway? Why are your videos so blurry?”

Yu Cheng, who had been dragged by the Assistant Director to do pre-race interviews earlier that day, was already familiar with the camera. She reached over and adjusted it. “Is this better?”

Ji Zhao looked at Yu Cheng on the display, finding it novel. “Much clearer.”

She directed Yu Cheng. “Smile.”

Yu Cheng smiled.

“Make a scissor hand,” Ji Zhao instructed.

Yu Cheng raised her hand.

“Hey!” Ji Zhao exclaimed. “I don’t mean rock-paper-scissors with me. Just hold it up straight.”

Yu Cheng hesitated, then slowly lifted her arm. Her scissor hand was stiff but still adorable. Ji Zhao was overjoyed. “Yes, yes, exactly like that! Let me get a spinning scissor hand shot. Follow me around.”

Ji Zhao spun around with the camera, Yu Cheng following the lens.

Around and around they went.

Ji Zhao: “I’m getting a little dizzy.”

Yu Cheng: “Let me take it—”

Before she could finish, Ji Zhao stumbled, the camera wobbling as she swayed and nearly fell. Yu Cheng lunged forward, one arm around her waist and the other supporting the camera.

“Zhaozhao? Zhaozhao? Are you okay?” Yu Cheng asked anxiously.

“Stop shouting,” Ji Zhao said, her voice slurred. She clutched Yu Cheng’s arm, not making any move to get up. Instead, she shifted into a comfortable position in Yu Cheng’s arms. “Just… hold me for a bit.”

Yu Cheng uttered a dazed “Oh,” frozen in place, afraid to move.

Later, the production team released this video as an Easter egg on Weibo. Although the angle was odd—pointed at the floor, with only a small corner showing the edges of Yu Cheng and Ji Zhaozhao’s clothes—and the filming was shaky, the content was rich enough to make it worth sharing.

The reactions on Weibo ranged from “You’re out of material, huh? Are you trying to fool your fans with this kind of footage?” to “Hm? A double shot of Yuzhao CP? Let me see!” to “!!! Production team, you’re my saviors! This is killing me!” Finally, the Yuzhao CP super topic gained over ten thousand followers.

Though the video was only five minutes long, fans obsessively analyzed every frame.

[No way! They’re just hugging for three minutes? Ugh, dizzy… hug a little longer! What kind of flirtatious line is this?! Ji Zhaozhao, I never knew you had two sides to you!]

[Pan the camera up! Let me see, let me see!]

[Yu Cheng’s girlfriend skills are overflowing… On the bed, she’d probably be hugging Zhaozhao with one arm and… well, good luck with that!]

[Could you elaborate on how you worked hard? I’m still a student and don’t really understand. I want to learn. [Gorilla Reaches Out.jpg] But are they really making Yu Cheng the lead?]

[Doubt it. Even if Ji Zhaozhao wanted to, Yu Cheng would insist, “My Young Miss only needs to relax. Oh my god, don’t overdo it!”]

[Lead? What lead? One-sided lead? Ji Zhaozhao is undoubtedly the number one, the Center Position! You Yuzhao CP fans, stop trying to twist things and make Yu Cheng the lead!]

The Yuzhao CP fans have their rockets blasting off into outer space, while the Ji Zhao fans are still stuck in their old ways…

At that moment, Yu Cheng held Ji Zhao, her mind blank. It was as if she was thinking deeply, yet also as if she wasn’t thinking at all. She only felt how fragrant Ji Zhao smelled, and then felt that such thoughts were presumptuous. She tried to suppress the thought, but it only grew wilder, like weeds.

It wasn’t just the fragrance, but also the softness.

Ji Zhao was curled up small in her arms, as if she might disappear at any moment. Yu Cheng instinctively tightened her embrace, then quickly loosened it, afraid of hurting her. Ji Zhao noticed. “What’s wrong?”

Yu Cheng replied absently, “Nothing.”

“Feeling better?” Yu Cheng asked with concern.

“I’m much better now,” Ji Zhao replied, gently pushing her away. She then remembered to check on the equipment. “Is the camera okay?”

Yu Cheng said, “Even if it’s damaged, I can afford to replace it.”

Ji Zhao thought, That’s true.

She gave Yu Cheng a meaningful look. “You’re that rich?”

Yu Cheng nodded. “Mm.”

Yu Wangmeng had put a lot of money on her card. She said, “If you need it, feel free to take it all.”

Ji Zhao shook her head. “There’s no rush. I’ll figure out how to run the company first and get the team set up. Otherwise, I’ll have trouble doing things at the estate.”

As they talked, the Follow PD finished eating the fruit and rushed back. “Did you two get any two-shot footage?” he asked. After getting a positive answer, he happily retreated to the background. “The performance is almost over. Let’s go back and watch the live stream.”

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