I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 58.1

“Holy hell!”

Chi Meng’s gaze struggled to tear itself away from the screen and looked at the four girls sitting next to her. Ning Yuze’s face was a little red, so she definitely wasn’t the one who said those two words… She then looked at the three girls who were covering their faces but whose eyes were super excited.

Never mind.

Chi Meng’s eyes returned to the screen. She thought, it’s just an expression of emotion, and she’d never seen this, this kind of Song Jiaqi!

In the camera, the girl gripping the scepter had her long lashes half-closed, a slight hook to her lips. Everyone’s eyes were naturally drawn to her, unable to look away for even a second. At this moment, Chi Meng suddenly understood why Song Jiaqi chose this song. She should have known earlier: the captivating charm on this girl, who was just barely an adult, the allure born from her very bones, seemed to beckon people to fall into depravity with her with just a slight flick of her finger.

She was a natural enchantress, only depending on whether she chose to display her charm.

Chi Meng squeezed the flower branch in her hands, looking at the woman on screen, who was even more breathtakingly beautiful and impossible to look away from with her heavy makeup.

A woman whose every strand of hair was more exquisite than others.

Chi Meng’s fingertips unconsciously dug into the flower branch.

When the music started, Song Jiaqi, standing in the center, held the scepter with one hand and tossed her top hat away. The swaying of her waist caused the entire venue to erupt in cheers, and Chi Meng slowly crossed her arms, mentally crossing out her previous impression of Song Jiaqi and replacing it.

A woman whose waist was softer than anyone else’s.

“Give it to me I’m worth it, Baby I’m worth it…” (1)

The top hats on the seven trainees were merely symbolic decorations for the opening. The moment the music began, the tossing of their hats revealed their hair, which scattered around their faces. Their eyes were inviting and prickly, yet the movements of their waists carried absolute strength.

The fabric around Song Jiaqi’s waist had a cutout design, her pale skin like a shimmering fish in the ocean, faintly visible. Hidden in the waves or floating on the jewel-like surface, one could only look at it from afar, never approach.

Everything below the stage was indistinct to Song Jiaqi. She danced with a cool expression but with a captivating gaze, ensuring that everyone’s eyes were focused only on her.

In terms of performance, her meaning was clear: no one in the training camp, no one, could win against her.

Not even Su Mengyao.

“Come back and find me after eight more years.”

Song Jiaqi spun the scepter with her fingertips, swept her long hair back, and her magnificent voice spread everywhere through the earpiece.

Her mood suddenly brightened. She thought, provocatively, according to the original plot, Su Mengyao wouldn’t even be comparable to her until eight years later. So why should she lose now?

Why should she, Song Jiaqi, lose?

Why not choose herself?

Clack.

The scepter hit the floor.

A pink-and-purple petal drifted down from beneath the gemstone. Song Jiaqi used her right hand with a slight force, breaking off a piece of a Mermaid Princess flower. The camera zoomed in on the gorgeous, dazzling girl raising her hand. A dreamy flower was hidden between her pale fingertips. She raised an eyebrow at the camera, her crimson lips parting to reveal pearly white teeth, a look of wild arrogance in her eyes, and she bit down on the petal.

Backstage, Chi Meng trembled slightly, as if she could hear countless people gasp.

Qiqi… is so beautiful.

Chi Meng curved her lips, meeting the gaze of the woman on the screen.

In the manager’s lounge, the manager of the Rensing trainee stared intently at the screen, full of amazement. She couldn’t help but say to Meng Limin, “Sister, no wonder you wanted Miss Song to join the talent show. Miss Song is simply born for the camera!”

Meng Limin was also internally screaming, thinking that she knew Song Jiaqi was beautiful and suitable for the camera, but she never expected Song Jiaqi could reach this level! The envious glances of the managers around her fell upon her. She cleared her throat and gestured for them to calm down.

“Calm down, calm down, this is only the beginning.”

Ahhh, our Jiaqi is amazing! She even overshadowed Xinghuo’s An Ran! So impressive, hahaha! Meng Limin roared with laughter inwardly.

The audience below the stage watching the performance and Song Jiaqi’s fans watching the live broadcast were all collectively stunned, then tears welled up in their eyes.

Ahhh, our baby is finally making a name for herself!!!

Finally, she’s not hiding it anymore!!

Ahhh, our baby dancing—so hot, so hot, so hot! You’re only eighteen, Mommy won’t allow you to be this hot! (Inhale, exhale!)

They proudly typed these lines in the barrage and furiously clicked send.

“It’s even better than during training!” Luan Xiu clapped and showed off to the others, “I don’t know how Song Jiaqi suddenly came to her senses. First, she competed with An Ran to snatch the C-spot, then she trained incredibly seriously, practicing from morning till night. The stage effect is absolutely amazing!”

Teng Jia pointed to her face, saying, “Her stage expressions are unique. Her expressive power and demeanor are very strong, not at all like a trainee’s level.”

“Not green?” Xu Shenglin asked with a smile.

Luan Xiu replied, “Not only is she not green, she’s stronger than me. In this regard, I wouldn’t dare call myself her mentor.”

“It’s fine, acting and those things are within Tongyue’s teaching scope,” Teng Jia whispered while Xie Tongyue was busy hosting on stage. Everyone burst into laughter.

Xie Tongyue applauded as she came on stage, smiling. “A wonderfully exciting performance. Thank you to the seven trainees for bringing us this stage. The voting session is about to begin. Has everyone prepared their voting devices?”

The audience, who had been excited all night, immediately raised their voting devices. The off-site audience watching the live broadcast on the app also got ready to participate in the voting activity.

“Quickly cast your precious vote for the trainee you are most satisfied with! In the final stage of the second public performance, who will be the most brilliant person? Now—the countdown begins!”

The countdown and the headshots and numbers of the seven trainees reappeared on the big screen. On-site voting was enthusiastic. Song Jiaqi pressed the scepter with one hand, her black hair partially obscuring her fair earlobe. The crown-shaped stud earring sparkled. She casually tucked her hair behind her ear, fully exposing her face, and gave a faint smile to the audience below the stage.

The audience below wished they could mash their voting devices to pieces.

“Wow, Song Jiaqi just stands there, calm and collected, and the people below are just whoosh, whoosh voting for her!” Lin Tingxia stood, imitating Song Jiaqi’s posture. Su Mengyao distastefully pulled her back. “Doesn’t work. She’s beautiful, you’re funny!”

Lin Tingxia was furious at this and knocked Su Mengyao on the head. The Mermaid Princess flowers on both sides of Su Mengyao’s head shook as their owner playfully fought.

The voting results came out, and everyone backstage nodded in agreement and applauded.

Tonight’s highest vote count: Song Jiaqi, 2012 votes.

The first trainee whose single-person vote count exceeded two thousand.

The second place was surprisingly Hua Xiaowei. The girl in the red short skirt had three hundred and twenty votes, fifty more than An Ran. An Ran was ranked fifth in the first round of rankings. Seeing this result, she couldn’t help but be shocked. This was terrifying!

“Very strong, very strong.” An Ran immediately shook hands with Song Jiaqi, gasping slightly. “Let’s make sure we’re never in the same team in the future!”

The others nearby nodded in agreement.

How could anyone win against this?

If it was co-operative for mutual success, that would be one thing, but how could anyone win in an in-team PK?!

The trainees whose votes didn’t even amount to a fraction of the others were about to cry. It wasn’t that they didn’t work hard, but this was like forcing the stars and the sun into the same sky and comparing whose light was more dazzling. The choice of the live audience was the most convincing; they chose the person whose stage presence conquered them.

Song Jiaqi chuckled, “I can’t decide that.”

She bent down to pick up a flower, the movement of bending over being elegant and natural. After standing up, she distributed the flower to the others.

The performance was about to end, and the best trainee would soon be selected. The live broadcast would also close. The performers returned to the stage, the eighty trainees standing in thirteen teams. Chi Meng and Song Jiaqi were at opposite ends, the far left and far right. They stood at the back, looking across the distance at each other.

Chi Meng thought for a moment, then turned and raised her hands to form a heart shape.

You were amazing, you!

Song Jiaqi raised an eyebrow, lifted the scepter, and tapped it on her forehead, saluting from afar.

You weren’t bad either.

Chi Meng lowered her hands, lifted her skirt, and curtsied with a smile.

The jib camera silently lowered, the live broadcast closed, and the final countdown for this public performance began.

Beneath the stage, cheers of support occasionally sounded. Chi Meng really wanted to rush over to Song Jiaqi and ask her if she was ready for her individual stage performance.

Tonight’s Song Jiaqi was the Best Overall in her heart.

A minute flew by. Xie Tongyue stood in the center of the stage, raising her microphone. “We will now announce the top nine trainees who are the best in the hearts of the three thousand Star Makers present tonight for this public performance. The ninth place is—”

Among the eighty-one photos, the photo of a shyly smiling girl flew out, enlarged, and appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Xie Tongyue said gently, “Hua Xiaowei.”

The girl in the red short skirt from the last team showed none of the swaggering sexiness she had on stage, being cautiously and shyly pushed to the front. She was filled with disbelief, tentatively waving to the audience below the stage.

Because of her uncertainty, her waving was hesitant, a little wave, a little wave, wave, wave.

“Hua Xiaowei!!”

“Weiwei is amazing! The god of the stage!”

Hua Xiaowei’s fans shouted. Hua Xiaowei was startled, her face turned completely red, her eyes curved into smiles, and she bowed shyly.

After she stood up, Xie Tongyue smiled and continued to announce, “The eighth best-ranked trainee, please announce!”

The Center of the To Do, To Err team had delicate eyes and eyebrows. The girl in the photo was smiling at the camera.

“Me?” Yuan Sike looked up in surprise, was called to the front by Xue Weiran, pursed her lips, scratched her head, bowed, and then stood neatly with the cautious Hua Xiaowei.

I’m good enough for this? Looking at the empty stage in front of her, Yuan Sike sighed, I definitely should play a couple more rounds of games tonight!

“The seventh-ranked trainee, please announce!”

Seventh: Liu Yuexin.

“Yes!” The captain of the Crazy Beauty team let out a sigh of relief and happily clenched her fist. She didn’t manage to grab the Center spot for this performance—the main Center for her team was Zhou Siyang—but thankfully, she performed well and made it into the best ranking. She hadn’t been in the best ranking for the first public performance.

The trainees behind her quietly talked among themselves.

“This ranking is completely different from the last one!”

“Yeah, I thought the best performer in the public performance would have to be the main Center!”

“Now the best ranking is a complete overhaul. Will the second round of rankings change too?”

“I don’t know…”

Xie Tongyue seemed not to hear their discussions, announcing unhurriedly, “The sixth-ranked trainee, please announce.”

The photo spun, and when it opened, it was still that innocent, cute, slightly tilted face. Lin Tingxia cheered and pounced to hug Su Mengyao. “You’re in again!”

(1) The lyrics “Give it to me I’m worth it, Baby I’m worth it” are the chorus from the song “Worth It” by Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink.

“But I regressed!” Su Mengyao scratched her head. She had vowed to work hard, but she still slipped backward.

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