There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Obscure Idol X Top Girl Group Member

For a long time afterward, Mermaid remained the most unforgettable video material in all of Ruan Jiyun’s fan-recommended clips.

In the background, colored a deep blue by the stage lights, countless shimmering silver fragments were scattered. A bubble machine blew out colorful bubbles, seemingly foam rising from the deep sea. To the ethereal sound of a violin, a fairy emerged from the ocean depths.

The little mermaid, who traded her voice for legs, was reborn from the waves as a pure soul. She touched the wonder of love for the first time, captivated by this overflowing emotion, compelled to rush toward a fantasy.

The music gradually became enchanting and romantic, leading into Ruan Jiyun and Jiang Peifeng’s collaborative segment. Ruan Jiyun wore a silver, shimmering fishtail skirt, her long hair loose, her figure graceful, embodying a true mermaid.

Bending, twirling, dancing together.

Their fingertips intertwined, a sweet touch that spoke of shy reluctance; their necks close, a passionate embrace that held an enigmatic, deep love. Gradually, the two figures on stage seemed to merge into one, moving, turning, and falling silent, guided by the magnetic pull of each other’s palms. Their chemistry flowed seamlessly.

It was as deep as the ocean waves, yet it was swallowed by the tide, silent and wordless.

It was the love of initiation, a heartfelt desire that could only transform into the most beautiful dream eternally sinking to the seabed, making your eyes ache and your heart burn, yet compelling you to witness this unfulfilled longing day and night.

This duet was so moving that the girls in the audience fell silent, completely drawn into the little mermaid’s sorrowful and beautiful story, and they hadn’t fully recovered even after the music ended.

The Mermaid stage, without exception, won the highest number of votes for the entire night of Road to Stardom.

The applause was endless, following them from the stage front to the backstage area. As soon as the recording ended, Jiang Peifeng immediately stood up. Unusually, she didn’t interact much with the fans below the stage but ran straight off the stage.

The bewildered fans watched her receding figure and realized the person Jiang Peifeng was heading toward looked familiar.

“Sisters, am I seeing things? Did I just see Jiang Peifeng pick someone up?”

“…You’re not seeing things. Our CP is giving us fan service.”

“That’s Xiao Ruan… sob sob sob I just heard our daughter fell before going on stage. She sprained her ankle but insisted on performing. No wonder I saw an ambulance parked outside during the intermission…”

Over there, Jiang Peifeng ignored everyone’s objections and personally carried Ruan Jiyun to the ambulance. Due to her status, she couldn’t ride with her to the hospital; what she had just done was the limit of her intervention. She looked at the forced smile on the “little white flower’s” face and instinctively reached out to stroke her head.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said simply. “You have me.”

Only after the ambulance had driven away did the manager dare to approach, tentatively reminding her: “We still have a magazine cover shoot this afternoon…”

Although her artist was young, she had always been a quite reserved personality. In the nearly five years since her debut, this was the first time she had seen Jiang Peifeng exhibit such a wide range of intense emotions.

“Find someone to look into it…” Jiang Peifeng suddenly said. “See exactly what happened.”

“The production team should also be investigating,” the manager cautiously reminded her. “Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for us to interfere?”

Jiang Peifeng shook her head: “Go quietly. This matter will likely be covered up. But I need to know who dared to mess with my person, don’t I?”

At these words, the manager seriously doubted her own hearing.

What exactly did she mean by that? Was Jiang Peifeng interested in this young artist and planning to sign her?

Before the manager could finish processing the gossip, Jiang Peifeng had already stood up and walked toward the minivan. The competition was not over. She had to help the “little white flower” achieve her goal.

Before the third public performance officially aired, as Jiang Peifeng expected, the oil-spill incident was dropped due to missing surveillance footage. The directors of Road to Stardom somehow reached an agreement with Ruan Jiyun’s company, and the company dropped the investigation.

“I heard that Star Catcher 2 gave Huansheng a few good spots. For a small company like them, being able to latch onto Tianxing’s big ship, they naturally stepped back knowingly,” the senior manager told Jiang Peifeng the information she had gathered. “Ultimately… Xiao Ruan’s current success is practically a windfall for them.”

As she spoke, she handed Jiang Peifeng a cup of red date tea: “After all… half of Xiao Ruan’s attention comes from you.”

Jiang Peifeng was noncommittal. She was watching the latest preview clip. The scene was still full of laughter and cheers. Ruan Jiyun stood in the center of the stage, the light falling around her, making her sweaty face appear both pristine and determined.

She was just a small flower, but she was blooming with all her might.

She gently tapped her finger on the screen and suddenly asked, “Can you contact the PR department and buy some trending topics?”

Jiang Peifeng’s idea was simple: Since the “little white flower” couldn’t get fairness, helping her gain a little extra advantage couldn’t be called a violation, could it?

After the third public performance aired, Mermaid indeed became an instant hit due to its stunning stage presence, becoming a widely discussed, high-energy stage across the internet.

Among the highly praised comments, some people gently revealed the unknown details behind the scenes.

“I cried so hard! Who could imagine that behind such a beautiful stage, my daughter was performing after receiving a cortisone injection.”

“Xiao Ruan is so strong. This dance is notoriously difficult. I can’t imagine she completed it while injured.”

“That’s our daughter. She quietly hides all the bad things, only presenting her best self on stage.”

A picture of Ruan Jiyun sitting in the ambulance after the competition was also posted. She hadn’t even had time to change out of her stage costume. Sweat clung to her forehead. In the shaking, swirling crowd, the isolated, fragile beauty was amplified, captivating the heart.

At the end of the performance, Jiang Peifeng’s plea for votes was shown. She looked sincerely at the camera and said, “I am incredibly grateful to the contestants in our group. They redefined this song, Mermaid. The little mermaid, driven by longing, was willing to break herself into pieces to pursue the love and dreams in her heart. I also plead with all of you, I hope you do not let beauty disappear. Let their effort be seen.”

Her words, along with the brilliant edited clip of the performance, topped the trending topics.

Fan enthusiasm soared, especially after learning that Ruan Jiyun’s company didn’t have much money and that she had reached the public eye step by step through her own hard work. This persistence made her even more precious.

“Send our daughter to debut! Let more people see her!”

The fervent competition drew to a close. On the day the final stage was broadcast, Road to Stardom took the number one spot in the time slot’s viewing ratings.

After three months of intense competition, the girls had transformed, becoming more mature and refined. They poured their passion onto the stage, responding to the rain of colorful cheers and applause from below.

Each mentor had three final fast-pass cards, representing “ten thousand votes,” which they could allocate to their favored contestants. Meng Yao and Fu Xinxin both evenly distributed their three cards among three contestants in their group as encouragement.

This was also the optimal choice to avoid offending anyone. After all, the program was at its end, and the meaning of these 30,000 votes was more symbolic of friendship and affirmation between the mentor and the contestant.

Only Jiang Peifeng, without hesitation, cast all three fast-pass cards to Ruan Jiyun.

The screams of the “Feng Yun Ji Hui” CP fans below the stage were so loud they nearly ripped the roof off the studio.

The spotlights flashed like a bright dream. Under the scrutiny of all eyes, Jiang Peifeng smiled and picked up the microphone: “There are many excellent people, but I still want to be a little self-willed and cast my vote for the one I believe is most deserving.”

“Ruan Jiyun, you will go to even greater places in the future. Let me be the first wind to send you flying a little higher.”

Hearing this, Ruan Jiyun, who had been trying to remain composed, widened her eyes slightly. Then, tears welled up.

She ultimately became the champion of Road to Stardom Season 1 with the highest total votes, combining on-site and off-site votes, and officially debuted with five other high-voted contestants.

After the live broadcast, a grand and bustling celebration party followed. Sister Rong, the senior manager of Huansheng Entertainment, personally attended, beaming and overwhelmed with business cards.

Advertisers, producers, record companies… countless opportunities poured in, as colorful as a dream.

“Xiao Ruan, you’ve hit the big time!” Sister Rong enthusiastically put her arm around her shoulder. “Not to mention the resources provided by Tianxing, just the advertisers approaching us… we’re going to make a fortune!”

Ruan Jiyun didn’t quite hear her words. She was still looking for Jiang Peifeng. The show was over, and it felt like the connection between them would also be severed. She finally managed to grab a staff member, but the person told her that Jiang Peifeng had another engagement and had probably left already.

A sense of loss inevitably crept up. Meanwhile, Sister Rong had already pulled her into the center of a group, saying with a flushed face, “Xiao Ruan, come quickly. Let me introduce you to this person…”

The crystal lamps reflected brilliant light. Ruan Jiyun couldn’t remember how many people she had greeted or clinked glasses with. She had never encountered so many smiling faces, and by the end, she felt her face was stiff.

She walked out into the corridor for fresh air. An entire world of prosperity unfolded before her, yet she still felt like something was missing in her heart.

“The wind is chilly. Be careful not to catch a cold.” A familiar voice, tinged with a smile, reached her ears.

Ruan Jiyun turned around in surprise. Jiang Peifeng, who should have left long ago, was standing before her, smiling. As she spoke, she unfolded the suit jacket in her hand and casually draped it over Ruan Jiyun’s shoulders.

The jacket carried a familiar scent of perfume. Ruan Jiyun subconsciously grabbed the lapel and whispered, “I thought you left.”

“I have to leave,” Jiang Peifeng nodded. “The concert is next month. Work never ends… I imagine you’ll experience this feeling soon, too.”

Her phone rang just then, reminding her that it was time to depart. Jiang Peifeng pressed the reject button and said, slightly helplessly, “Well, I’m off now.”

The wind carried a gentle ripple. Ruan Jiyun lowered her eyes, feeling she had so much she wanted to say, but the imminent departure made her hesitant. She sifted through her thoughts and finally only managed one sentence: “Thank you.”

“How will you thank me?” Jiang Peifeng raised her lips playfully. “Just by saying it?”

Ruan Jiyun was caught off guard by the question, her face turning involuntarily red. She asked softly, “Then how do you want me to thank you?”

Jiang Peifeng chuckled and stroked her head.

“Let’s save it for later, shall we?” she said softly. “Next time, when we have time…”

The rest of the unspoken words seemed to be scattered by the wind. She retracted her hand and sighed: “I really have to go. My manager is about to come here with a knife.”

Ruan Jiyun stood stunned, wearing the jacket, watching her walk far away. The melancholic feeling from before seemed to be replaced by a new expectation ignited by her words. Her heart pounded, pulsing with warmth.

She did not notice that in the nearby corridor, another pair of malicious eyes had been watching her intently the entire time.

Support There’s Something Wrong With My Little White Flower