I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 13

Class B!

Chi Meng’s clear eyes widened into perfect circles, brimming with the pure, high-school-girl cuteness that 019 always described. In her head, fireworks burst one after another—crackling and popping—accompanied by 019’s heated cheers, the noise so lively it felt as if she were already standing on a debut stage.

The shock of being placed so high quickly melted into amusement under 019’s over-the-top celebration. She bowed once more to the mentors, handed her microphone to the staff, and tilted her head back for a look.

The giant, glittering pyramid loomed motionless. From the stage, the upper rows had seemed hazy, but step by step up the staircase, they became clear. As she passed the second-to-last row, she glanced toward her old seat.

Seat number 100 was still watching her. The girl’s eyes caught hers precisely, and she gave a small nod. Chi Meng smiled back, raising her hand in a gesture of encouragement. Before she could complete it, the girl next to Song Jiaqi suddenly jumped up.

Su Mengyao, brimming with excitement, waved furiously.
“Jie-jie, you’re amazing! Keep it up! Charge forward—!”

So full of energy.

The girls in the rows around them burst into laughter. Chi Meng’s own smile stayed calm; she lifted a thumbs-up to Su Mengyao, then continued climbing and stepped into the center of Class B. The B-class seats were in the seventh and eighth rows from the bottom—high up when you looked down. Now the section was packed, not a single empty chair. She hesitated, scanning around.

Directly across from her, trainees from A and B both gasped in unison.

“She’s gorgeous!”

Someone whispered, “Do you think the mentors gave her B because of her looks?”

Another shot back, “No way. She sings so well. If I were a mentor, I’d give her A straight away! Add her face, and it’s S! She’s debut-ready!”

The two giggled together.

Meanwhile, astonished voices rippled through the lower-ranked seats.

“The sixth B-class.”

A girl twisted around to count and murmured, “There are still eight spots left in A, twelve in B, but there are still over ninety trainees waiting to be graded.”

“Stop, you’re making me nervous.” One of the girls who hadn’t performed yet pressed a hand to her chest and swallowed hard. Suddenly she stood up, blurting, “Take my seat! I’ll go to F!”

Her teammate gave her a shocked look and tugged at her sleeve. “Tingxia!”

It was the same group Chi Meng had greeted when first entering the hall.

Chi Meng teased, “Or we squeeze? You can sit on my lap.”

Every head around them whipped toward her. Lin Tingxia gave a flustered “Eh,” twisting her fingers together. “That’s not really… proper…”

Her words said no, but her expression read “not entirely impossible,” and the room burst into laughter. The production team, monitoring the hall, also caught the momentary disruption.

Xie Tongyue lifted her mic with a dry smile.
“Yisu Entertainment… is indeed capable of entertaining while waiting.”

The girl who had been joking with Chi Meng froze solid, like a wooden post, then was dragged off by her teammates. Once they left, four seats opened up in Class B. Soon after, other trainees who had finished performing were called away for backstage interviews.

Chi Meng sat down and lowered her eyes. Beneath her, ninety-nine trainees filled the rows. From this vantage, the view carried an intoxicating sense of superiority—enough to breed ambition. Yet beneath her thrill, unease crept in.

“I don’t know why, but I’ve got a bad feeling,” she whispered inwardly.

Still riding high from her performance, 019 nearly jumped. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s hard to explain. Sitting here feels… unsteady. Maybe my ability doesn’t really match this seat. It feels hollow. I suddenly remembered someone from my past life—a coworker who got hired through connections. Couldn’t keep up for even a few days before quitting.”

019 had skimmed her previous-life memories but had never paid attention to such trivial details. Since her rebirth, Chi Meng rarely mentioned the past anyway, always saying what’s done is done, life is about moving forward. This was the first time she’d ever brought up something so specific.

But how could a backdoor hire compare with its host? To 019, Chi Meng was already exceptional—even without hearing her sing before. Over the past days, it had seen other trainees perform, and none compared. Its host was the best.

It relayed its thoughts word-for-word. Chi Meng curved her lips.
“Thank you, Xiao Jiu.”

“You’ve always been amazing. Don’t stress about rankings. Like you said—we’re here to experience life.”

Chi Meng thought it over. “You’re right.”

She had always been the type to do everything to perfection. Maybe being placed this high had shaken her calm.

019 chirped happily, “Worst case, we can just go back to college~”

Chi Meng: “No. I’ll work hard!”

Steeling her mindset, she focused back on the stage. If she wanted to go far, she couldn’t ignore her competition.

Onstage now was Zhou Siyang, a Yisu Entertainment trainee. She had clearly trained in dance since childhood—tall, graceful, carrying an artistic aura. Her performance had two parts: a contemporary dance, then a smooth ballad. Her dancing outshone her singing, but her vocals weren’t weak enough to drag her down. In the end, she was placed in Class B.

Her face showed faint disappointment as she tore off the A-sticker from her name tag and climbed the steps. She sat down next to Chi Meng. Chi Meng offered her a friendly smile, earning only a cool nod in return.

A cold, aloof girl.

Chi Meng’s thoughts drifted to the coldest, sharpest one of all. Instinctively, she looked down—and sure enough, there was Song Jiaqi’s dark head. Her old seat now belonged to another girl, who was leaning toward Su Mengyao with such persistence it seemed her neck was permanently tilted. The sight pulled a smile from Chi Meng.

Soon after, four Yisu Entertainment trainees bounded onto the stage together. They looked nearly identical in height, build, and bright appearance—the sort of group that made you grin just by looking at them.

“Hello,” said Xie Tongyue warmly.

“Hello, mentors! We are: Yisu Entertainment trainees!” The four girls she’d greeted earlier beamed brightly and shouted in unison.

“I’m the leader and main vocalist, An Kui.”
“I’m the main dancer, Lin Tingxia.”
The twins, Luo Guo and Yun Guo, introduced themselves one after the other.

Xie Tongyue felt a year younger just looking at them. “Please begin your performance.”

Chi Meng straightened in her chair, ready to clap at any time.

On stage, the four stood with their backs to the audience. The moment the music started, An Kui spun around and winked.
“Love you~”

“Ohhh!”

The watching trainees clasped their cheeks and smiled, Chi Meng among them.

“If you suddenly sneeze, that must mean I’m thinking of you~”

Their sweet voices bounced across the playful notes. The choreography wasn’t complex, but their teamwork and sugary charm hit the mark. The mentors’ lips curved faintly, though their expressions stayed serious as ever—judging the stage with focus.

Nearby trainees looked up at them with indulgent “auntie smiles,” only to glance back at the stern mentors’ profiles and freeze. Imagining themselves under that same scrutiny quickly erased all their joy.

The song ended quickly. Mentor Luan Xiu flipped through their profiles, then called out:
“Trainee Lin Tingxia.”

“Y-yes!” Lin Tingxia squeaked.

“Your position is dancer. Do you have anything else to show us?”

“Yes…” She nodded nervously. Her teammates immediately cleared space, watching her with clasped hands.

But once the music hit, Lin Tingxia’s expression sharpened. She executed her prepared dance with seriousness and composure.

The mentors’ faces didn’t shift. Luan Xiu thanked her, and then vocal mentor Xu Shengling asked the others each to sing a short segment.

In the end: leader An Kui advanced into Class A. Lin Tingxia and twin sister Luo Guo stayed in B. Yun Guo, after a slip-up in her song, dropped to D.

“Don’t cry, Xiao Guo,” An Kui whispered.

Yun Guo wiped her eyes. “I’m not crying. It was my mistake. I accept it. I’ll catch up with you!”

She puffed her cheeks and put on a brave face as she climbed to D-class. But once seated, her lips wobbled and she secretly brushed at her tears.

“So pitiful,” Su Mengyao whispered, turning to her new friend.

Before the girl could answer, Song Jiaqi—expression cold as ever—sneered.
“Better save your pity for yourself.”

The newly seated trainee froze mid-smile, inwardly horrified. This Renxing Entertainment girl is ruthless. If they air that, she’ll get destroyed online. How dare she… these two are definitely enemies.

Help—!

Su Mengyao wasn’t cowed. Her eyes welled with tears, and she whimpered pitifully, “Ying~.”

Song Jiaqi’s face darkened. The poor trainee stuck between them twitched at the corners of her mouth, forcing her fake smile to hold.

So… fun… ha. Ha. Ha.

She prayed silently for rescue—when suddenly, a celestial voice cut through the tension from the mentors’ table.

“Individual trainee Su Mengyao, please take the stage. Renxing Entertainment, get ready.”

Support I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel