The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 13

The next day.

The 100 trainees returned to the main studio, taking their seats on the massive pyramid according to their initial evaluations. Yan Shi entered amidst nervous cheers and took his place behind a lectern where the re-evaluation results lay waiting.

“Trainees,” Yan Shi began, his voice amplified throughout the hall. “The results of the Theme Song re-evaluation will now be announced.”

The hall fell silent instantly. The girls held hands, some praying, others staring at the stage with bated breath. The results were announced in reverse order, starting from Class F.

Since it would be a while before her name was called, Zhong Yan listened idly, paying close attention to the rankings of the girls who were supposed to be in the “debut lineup” in the original script. Everything seemed to align perfectly.

Specifically, the protagonist Xia Meng rose from Class B to Class A. She practically sprinted up the pyramid to join the top row where Zhong Yan stood.

In the original script, Xia Meng’s “counterattack” began here. Her dancing had been weak, but she had practiced so hard she only slept ten hours in five days. Watching her, Zhong Yan marveled at her physical stamina; if it had been her past self, she would have dropped dead after three days of that schedule.

Zhong Yan also realized the motivation behind Xia Meng’s desperation. She had overheard Xia Meng talking to An Tao. Since Tian Jingyu refused to help a “rival,” An Tao had stepped up to coach Xia Meng. When An Tao told her not to break her body, Xia Meng had replied, “If I don’t work this hard, he’ll never see me.” Zhong Yan knew “he” meant Yu Junran. The idol’s indifference had ignited a fierce competitive fire in the girl.

Finally, it was time for the original Class A students. Tian Jingyu and An Tao both maintained their ‘A’ status. Tian Jingyu didn’t look happy—to her, an ‘A’ was the bare minimum. Her eyes were already fixed on the Center position.

An Tao, however, struggled to hide her joy. As a former girl group member, she knew her worth, but she hoped this ‘A’ would finally give her the screen time she needed to be noticed by the public, even if her own company wasn’t prioritizing her.

When only Zhong Yan was left, Yan Shi called her name. As she walked down to meet him, she could read the result on his face. His usually cool expression was betraying a hint of a smile.

She took the sheet. An “A.” No one was surprised. Over the last five days, the trainees had watched her practice. They had expected her to be a “vocal specialist” with weak dancing, but they were forced to admit that she was a true “Hexagon Warrior”—perfect in every category.

Then came the main event.

“Next,” Yan Shi announced, “I will reveal the selection rules for the Best Girls Theme Song Center.”

The room buzzed. Tian Jingyu’s hands clenched into fists.

“The Theme Song belongs to every trainee,” Yan Shi said. “Therefore, the Center should be someone recognized by all of you. For this season, the power to choose the Initial Center is in your hands. All 100 trainees will vote for the ‘Best Girl’ from the Class A candidates.”

The hall erupted. “Are you serious?! We get to choose? That’s amazing!”

Almost everyone was cheering. Having a vote made them feel involved and empowered. Only Tian Jingyu stood like a stone in the middle of the celebration. With this rule change, there was no room for back-room deals. It was a pure popularity contest.

She glared at Zhong Yan, suspecting that the author had known the rules in advance and used those hundreds of autographs to “buy” votes from the other girls.

Zhong Yan, sensing the hostile gaze, blinked innocently. In truth, she was as confused as Tian Jingyu. In the original script, the mentors always chose the Center. She hadn’t interfered with this part of the plot, yet it had changed. Who changed it? she wondered.

The nine Class A candidates stood on stage. Yan Shi explained that they would watch the re-evaluation videos of all nine girls, then the other 91 trainees would place a sticker on their chosen candidate.

The voting was a landslide. Even ignoring the “autograph debt,” Zhong Yan’s video was objectively superior.

“The results are in,” Yan Shi declared. “Trainee Zhong Yan has received 80 votes. She is officially the Initial Center of Best Girls.”

The other Class A girls, aside from Tian Jingyu, cheered sincerely. Even they were convinced by her skill.

Tian Jingyu looked at the single sticker on her own outfit. She had received one vote. 80 to 1. It was a public humiliation. Even her own teammates from Dingming hadn’t voted for her.

As the cameras panned across the group, Tian Jingyu was forced to fake a smile and clap. Internally, she was screaming. At this rate, her “guaranteed” final Center spot was in jeopardy.

Yan Shi handed the microphone to Zhong Yan. “Please share your thoughts.”

Zhong Yan hadn’t cared much about being the Initial C, but since it had fallen into her lap so easily, she wasn’t going to complain. She smiled at her fellow trainees. “Thank you for your trust. I will work harder to make sure our Theme Song stage is perfect. I won’t let you down.”

At this rate, Zhong Yan realized, I’m going to have a massive lead before the first episode even airs.

The Conspiracy

Outside a bar, the neon lights muffled the sounds of the night. Zhang Jing held his phone to his ear, his voice dripping with fake apology.

“Oh, Director Lu, I really had no idea Jingyu wouldn’t be chosen as the Center!”

“I changed the rules to add some freshness to the show. I thought if the girls chose her themselves, it would prove her strength even more! It would have been better for the show’s narrative!”

“Who knew these trainees would have such poor taste? I’m just as furious as you are!”

“But… the recording is done. Hundreds of eyes saw it. If I change the rules back now and re-record, someone will leak it. The audience isn’t easy to fool these days. A scandal like that would only hurt Jingyu’s reputation, don’t you think?”

“Yes, yes! Of course! I’ll give her more screen time later. We’ll build her a perfect storyline and an invincible persona. Rest easy, Director Lu. She’s beautiful and talented; she’ll be a hit regardless. Her final Center spot is still secure!”

Hanging up, Zhang Jing sneered into the darkness. He tucked his phone away and walked back into the bar.

He sat back down next to Xu You (the director of Hate the Spring Breeze), clinking his glass of whiskey against the other man’s.

“Haha!” Zhang Jing laughed, throwing an arm around Xu You’s shoulder. “I have to thank you again. You’re the one with all the wicked ideas!”