The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 41

Upon returning to the dorms, Zhong Yan immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere.

It was already the early hours of the morning, and while everyone should have been exhausted after the performance, the energy was far too high. Several girls were loitering around Zhong Yan’s door, while others poked their heads out of their own rooms, curiously sizing her up.

To be forcefully taken from the performance site by a mysterious figure and then escorted back by the Host, Yan Shi—what on earth had happened to Zhong Yan on this strange, rainy night?

The girls were dying for a taste of the “melon” (gossip).

Zhong Yan felt helpless. Explaining the situation was impossible, so she simply wished everyone a casual goodnight and decisively shut her bedroom door. Finally, the world was quiet.

Inside the room, Xia Meng was buried under her covers, seemingly asleep. Only An Tao approached with concern, taking Zhong Yan’s arm and whispering, “Are you okay?”

Zhong Yan patted her hand reassuringly. “I’m fine. Get some rest.”

Seeing the fatigue on Zhong Yan’s face, An Tao nodded and considerately refrained from asking more. While it was impossible not to be curious, if Zhong Yan didn’t want to talk, An Tao wouldn’t pry. It was a matter of basic respect.

Zhong Yan appreciated An Tao’s tact. It wasn’t that she was intentionally keeping secrets; the situation was just too complicated and explaining it felt pointless. It would only cause An Tao unnecessary worry. She decided she would tell her when the time was right—ideally after she had scrubbed Lu Tingshen out of her life for good.

The two days following the second performance were rest days, and the “Mysterious Rainy Night Incident” naturally became the main seasoning for the girls’ gossip.

As the primary subject, Zhong Yan remained unbothered and tight-lipped. Given her “status” and “authority” within the program, no trainee dared to ask her directly. As for Xia Meng, the other person involved, people tried to ask her at first, but she was despondent and teary-eyed. Since she wouldn’t talk, everyone eventually stopped asking.

The incident remained an unsolved mystery of the Best Girls production. However, the storm of gossip was soon pushed aside by the excitement and pressure of the third public performance.

As the show moved into its later stages, the interval between recording and broadcasting shortened. Before the second round of eliminations was even announced, the tasks for the third performance began.

The third performance was the final stage before the grand finale. The rules had been upgraded: the trainees would no longer perform covers. Instead, they would perform six brand-new, original songs created by renowned music teams specifically for the show.

Furthermore, the trainees no longer chose their own songs. Instead, the “National Producers” (the audience) chose for them. Demos of the six songs had been released a week prior, and fans had voted online for the trainee they felt best suited each track.

The Day of Song Selection.

After watching the demos and choreography for all six songs in the recording hall, the trainees were called up in order of their first ranking to receive a number, which corresponded to a specific practice room. Each room held a different song.

As the Rank 1 trainee, Zhong Yan was the first to go. She looked at the small slip of paper: the number was 5.

The trainees below cheered to build the hype. “What number did Teacher Zhong get? I’m heading straight for her room!” “Please, audience gods, put me in Teacher Zhong’s group! Let me ride her coattails just one last time!”

Zhong Yan gave the lively crowd a mysterious smile and headed toward Practice Room 5. After hearing the demos, she already had a favorite: the second song, titled “Dolls.”

“Dolls” featured a dark, gothic style. It was a genre she hadn’t tried yet, the choreography was innovative, and the lyrics were highly topical. It was a goldmine for “hot search” potential.

When she reached the door of Room 5 and pushed it open, a large sign stood in the center: “Dolls.”

Zhong Yan couldn’t help but beam. Her fans really did understand her. That sense of being on the same wavelength as her supporters made her feel warm and motivated. She sat cross-legged on the floor, listening to the footsteps in the hallway to guess who her teammates would be.

The footsteps passed by one after another. When she estimated it was time for the 6th person, her ears perked up. The footsteps slowed down near her door, then stopped. Just as she felt a pang of disappointment thinking they had passed, the door creaked open.

A familiar head of chestnut curls poked inside. Zhong Yan let out a joyful shriek and jumped up. “Tao-mommy! I knew it!”

An Tao’s face lit up with surprise. The two hugged, thrilled that their wish to work together again had come true.

Before they could let go, hurried footsteps ran down the hallway. With a loud bang, the door was shoved open.

Zhong Yan shrieked again. “Baby Li! I knew you’d be here too!”

“Hahaha! I guessed ‘Dolls’ would have both of you, so I sprinted here!” Jin Li shouted, throwing herself into the group hug.

Being able to work with An Tao and Jin Li again made Zhong Yan happier than even the song selection itself. She silently thanked her fans for giving her the most synergistic teammates. She vowed to make this stage perfect to live up to their expectations.

Eventually, more trainees joined until the group reached ten members. However, these ten weren’t the final lineup; only those who survived the second elimination would actually perform.

Time flew by. Five days later, the second performance officially aired.

Although the Lute’s Lament stage had its “flaw,” the broadcast was a massive success for Zhong Yan. Her individual fancam views remained in a league of their own, and her performance was praised across all social media platforms.

“She can play the pipa too?! Yan-yan, how many more surprises do you have for us?” “Teacher Zhong unlocks a new skill point every time she hits the stage. She is the definition of talented!” “This is the ‘Ancient Style Limited Edition’ of our shapeshifting queen! Can she please act in a historical drama? She already has so many good scripts in her hands!”

On video platforms, her pipa performance trended at number one for three days. Even the “破圈” (breaking out of the circle) effect was strong, as many non-fans were drawn in by her elegant, traditional look.

The only point of contention was Xia Meng’s voice crack.

Viewers were disappointed that the perfect stage was marred by the error. Zhong Yan’s fans were particularly vocal, feeling that Xia Meng had ruined what could have been a legendary performance for their idol.

“If you don’t have the skills, don’t take the lead. Why pick this song if you can’t hit the high notes?” “The fact that they couldn’t pick their own teams for the second show is so annoying. It let some ‘dead weight’ try to ride Teacher Zhong’s coattails for a free win.” “Stop comparing Xia Meng to Teacher Zhong. It’s an insult to Zhong Yan.”

Xia Meng’s fans fought back, but their numbers were no match for Zhong Yan’s massive fan base. To avoid their “fandom being torn to shreds,” Xia Meng’s fans quickly retreated, and the friction remained small-scale.

Shortly after, the Second Official Rankings were released.

Zhong Yan remained the undisputed Rank 1. The gap between her and the second-place Lin Tang widened to nearly three times the votes. An Tao and Jin Li rose steadily to 4th and 5th place, respectively.

However, Xia Meng, who in the original script should have risen to 2nd place by now, remained stuck at 8th.

After the eliminations, the field was cut in half once more. Only 30 girls remained to compete in Best Girls.

The “Dolls” group was lucky; they had five members remaining—the exact number needed for the third performance. The final lineup was: Zhong Yan (Center/Main Vocal), An Tao (Leader/Main Dancer), Jin Li (Main Rapper), Meng Le (Lead Dancer), and Zhang Duo’er (Lead Vocal).

Both Meng Le and Zhang Duo’er were talented, cheerful, and easy to work with. The atmosphere was harmonious, and the team was hailed by the girls as a “Dream Team.”

Ten days had passed since the incident in Lu Tingshen’s car. There had been no follow-up, and it seemed the world had forgotten it. It was like a small pebble thrown into a lake—a tiny splash, then silence.

Everything appeared calm. Until three days later, during the recording of the third performance.