The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 51

The debut list was announced in reverse order, starting from eighth place.

The members ranking from eighth to fifth were exactly as Zhong Yan had anticipated, matching the original “script.” This included Ning Yunyun, the powerhouse vocalist who had shone in the second evaluation, successfully debuting in sixth place.

Then, the announcement reached fourth place. In the original plot, Jin Li was fourth and Lin Tang was third. However, the names were swapped today: Jin Li had climbed one spot to debut in third, while Lin Tang dropped one spot to fourth.

The gap between them was small—18,061,112 votes for Jin Li versus 17,979,953 for Lin Tang, a difference of less than 100,000 votes. Zhong Yan surmised that since Jin Li’s performances in the first and second evaluations matched the original script, it was likely their explosive Dolls performance in the third evaluation that had boosted her ranking.

Jin Li was ecstatic. Zhong Yan and An Tao shared her joy, and the three girls embraced in celebration. While other members wept with joy or choked on their words during their speeches, Jin Li was all smiles. She skipped down the floral runway like a happy puppy. Zhong Yan loved Jin Li’s personality; such a person likely lived every day free of worry.

As Jin Li took her seat on the pyramid, the camera cut back to the stage. Among the top nine trainees from the third ranking, only Zhong Yan, An Tao, and Xia Meng remained.

Zhong Yan held An Tao’s hand. She could feel An Tao’s palm sweating, her grip tight. An Tao was nervous. Having faced so many setbacks in the industry, An Tao didn’t dare assume her debut was guaranteed, even with a high ranking. Zhong Yan squeezed her hand back. When An Tao turned to look at her, Zhong Yan gave her a warm smile—the same smile she’d given her on the night she told her her dancing was beautiful.

Suddenly, An Tao’s nerves vanished.

“Now, let us reveal the candidates for the Center position of SHESONE. Please look at the big screen—”

Following Yan Shi’s voice, all eyes turned to the screen. The candidates for the Center were the trainees who would debut in first and second place. After a few seconds of flickering images, the screen froze on two faces: Zhong Yan and An Tao.

The venue erupted. This was the expected result, and for many, the best possible outcome. The weight on An Tao’s heart finally lifted. Her dream was finally coming true. Tears escaped her eyes as she hugged Zhong Yan tightly.

For some reason, Zhong Yan felt her own nose sting and her eyes grow hot. She was happy that An Tao could remain on stage to dance beautifully, no longer burdened by a tragic fate or stripped of her dreams. She was happy that they had shown the world that hard work and passion mattered—that girls could achieve their dreams on their own terms.

This was the first time since the show started that Zhong Yan felt like crying out of pure happiness.

The announcement of the Center was no mystery to anyone. The only shocking part was the vote count.

An Tao’s votes: 22,560,810. Zhong Yan’s votes: 101,229,869.

Over one hundred million.

Zhong Yan’s fans cheered with immense pride, while the rest of the audience gaped in shock. The livestream chat exploded:

“Over a hundred million?! That has to be a survival show record! I’ve never seen a count break nine figures!”

“The biggest gap in history. She has nearly five times the votes of second place. The other eight people in the Top 9 combined barely equal her score. Terrifying.”

“I’ve just witnessed the birth of a top-tier legend!”

An Tao gave her speech first. Despite having prepared one, the overwhelming emotion made her forget her lines. She spoke haltingly, her words lacking logic as she sobbed.

The camera briefly cut from An Tao to Zhong Yan. Zhong Yan was standing to the side, watching An Tao with a gaze full of warmth and indulgence. Even though the shot only lasted three seconds, it was enough to make the netizens lose their minds.

“That look… she loves her so much.”

“I found the real reason Zhong Yan broke off the engagement [Dog head emoji].”

“I ship it! From rival trainees to debut wives, this is a top-tier CP!”

An Tao finished her speech by turning to Zhong Yan. “Finally… thank you, Teacher Zhong.” Those six words were enough. In the moment their eyes met, Zhong Yan saw everything An Tao wanted to say.

“Now,” Yan Shi’s voice rang out, “please welcome the trainee who debuted in first place, the Center of SHESONE—Zhong Yan!”

Zhong Yan walked to the microphone, looking out at the sea of purple lights—her fandom color—that dominated the venue. She waited for the cheers to subside before speaking.

“Finally, I am standing here to meet you all.”

“You’re standing here with pride!” someone screamed from the crowd. The fans picked up the chant: “Zhong Yan is the best!”

Zhong Yan laughed. “Yes. Because of you, I can stand here with pride. Joining Best Girls has been a wonderful journey. I’ve met the best mentors, the best sisters, the best version of you, and the best version of myself.”

“You’ve shown me that girls don’t just have to be innocent; they can be ambitious. They don’t just have to be submissive; they can be rebellious. They don’t just have to be soft; they can be strong. They don’t just have to be beautiful; they can be wise.”

Her eyes shimmered. “You gave me strength, and I hope my existence can give you strength in return. As I promised, I will continue to pursue my passions through the stage, through song, and through writing.”

She bowed deeply to the purple sea, then straightened up with a smile. “To those of you who chose me, let’s walk the rest of this journey together! May we all become who we want to be, defined not by the world, but by ourselves.”

Zhong Yan walked toward the pyramid with a steady, confident gaze. She ascended the steps, hugging her teammates before reaching the very top. Turning around, the view from the summit was magnificent.

She saw Li Xing waving, Xu You cheering with her fan banner, and Lu Tingshen looking up at her like everyone else. She saw Yan Shi standing at the base of the pyramid; when their eyes met, he gave her a rare, undisguised smile. Zhong Yan sat down upon the shimmering crystal throne.

Eight members had been announced. Only one spot remained—9th place.

On the stage, Xia Meng stood alone in the front row, while the trainees ranked 10th through 18th stood behind her. Yan Shi raised the mic. “We will now reveal the two candidates for the final seat.”

The screen flickered and settled on Xia Meng and Meng Le (ranked 10th in the third round).

Zhong Yan could no longer predict the outcome. In the original script, Xia Meng was the Center and Meng Le was eliminated in 10th. But since Zhong Yan had taken the first spot, the plot had deviated completely.

The suspense built as the background music intensified. Xia Meng gripped her skirt so hard the fabric was damp with sweat. In the family section, a middle-aged couple—Xia Yuansheng and Meng Jun—watched Xia Meng with trembling hands.

Finally, the screen flashed.

“Congratulations to trainee Meng Le. With 8,134,906 votes, you are the final member of SHESONE.”

On stage, Xia Meng’s hands went limp. She lowered her head as tears fell. In the stands, the Xia couple looked devastated.

As gold streamers and cold pyrotechnics filled the studio, the dreamlike atmosphere enveloped everyone. In this dream, some laughed and some cried. The Xia couple looked at their daughter weeping in the shadows of the stage, and then they looked at the girl smiling calmly on the crystal throne at the peak of the pyramid.

They looked at each other, finding the same doubt and hesitation in their eyes.

Years ago, a blood test had revealed that Xia Meng was not their biological daughter. They had kept it a secret because they loved her so much. But the girl at the top of the pyramid… she gave them a feeling of strange familiarity.

It felt like the pull of blood.