Chapter 17: The First Performance (Part Three)

Before the show aired, various platforms and forums were rife with rumors—some true, some fabricated. Some were concocted by bored gossipmongers, while others came from insiders leaking information.

One user named “Croquette” had revealed that Wen Yali would be the center position even before the theme song was released. When this user disclosed the initial groupings for the debut stage, many believed it, though some suspected it was just a lucky guess. Croquette was a mysterious figure, rarely engaging beyond sharing rumors and never refuting doubts.

Regardless, the truth would be confirmed after the first public recording. As each performance concluded one after another, by the time the ninth song was about to begin without any sign of Qiao Yiqing, Pu Jingjing found herself believing that forum rumor.

A few days earlier, on the homepage for the second season of “Starlight Shines,” there had been a lively discussion:

[356 replies | Some Connections, First Public Grouping Rumor]

Original Poster (ID: Croquette): “Lovely” Group 1: Wen Yali, Chi Xin, Shao Heling, Fu Yunmeng, Mo Hanmeng; Group 2: Lan Chenxi.

Reply 1: “Looks fake at a glance.”

Reply 2: “Look at the poster’s ID before commenting.”

Reply 3: “Whoa, this is the same person who revealed Wen Yali as the initial center.”

Reply 4: “That lends some credibility.”

Reply 5 (to 2): “How do you know it’s not just a lucky guess?”

Reply 6: “Group 1 has many popular members; Lan Chenxi might lose.”

Reply 7 (to 6): “She’s lost before, didn’t she lose the center to Wen Yali?”

Reply 8 (to 7): “The show hasn’t aired yet, how do you know?”

Reply 9 (to 8): “There are leaks.”

Reply 73: “Can Wen Yali and Lan Chenxi fans stop arguing? Don’t ruin the rumor thread.”

Reply 108: “This leak is different from the others.”

Reply 111: “Can’t imagine Lan Chenxi singing ‘Lovely.’”

Reply 124: “Poster, can you say who else is in Lan Chenxi’s group? Group 1 has so many popular members, I’m worried [crying emoji].”

Poster’s reply to 124: “Group 2 has two from Class A, names uncertain but seem to be Qiao Yiqing and Xi Rui. No need to worry about their talent.”

Reply 133: “Three from Class A in each group? This duel is going to be exciting.”

...

Pu Jingjing never expected to stumble upon her own daughter’s name amid the gossip. Usually, rumor-mongers only spill on the few well-known trainees; either because they themselves only cared about the famous ones or because no one paid attention to the unknowns. Even fake rumors rarely involved lesser-known trainees.

So when Pu Jingjing unexpectedly saw Qiao Yiqing’s name, her first thought was not to question the rumor’s truth but to marvel: My daughter is actually mentioned in the leak!

Wonderful!

Then came mixed feelings—joy that Qiao Yiqing was grouped with Lan Chenxi, likely drawing more attention to their performance; worry that all eyes might fixate on Lan Chenxi, leaving her daughter in the background.

Familiar with the show's tendencies, Pu Jingjing guessed that if the grouping was real, “Lovely” would be scheduled last.

Even prepared for the wait, Pu Jingjing nearly dozed off during the long anticipation. When the host announced the “Lovely” group’s appearance, she snapped awake, raising her banner high and cheering fervently for Qiao Yiqing.

“Qiao Yiqing! Qiao Yiqing—!”

Though her voice was drowned out by screams of “Lan Chenxi” and “Wen Yali,” Pu Jingjing refused to give up any chance her daughter might see her.

Watching the pink-skirted girl with twin braids step onto the stage, Pu Jingjing’s first thought was: Where did this fairy come from? She’s stunning—far more beautiful in person than on video!

The girl smiled naturally and greeted the audience. When her gaze swept over Pu Jingjing’s section, she seemed to notice the banner, surprised for a moment. Her large, bright eyes sparkled like a galaxy as she met Pu Jingjing’s gaze, curving her eyes into a gentle smile.

That smile left Pu Jingjing dizzy, only recovering after the first group finished.

As the second group prepared on stage, Pu Jingjing’s nerves tightened. She prayed Qiao Yiqing would have more lines and the director would give her ample screen time. She believed that with even a little spotlight, her daughter’s charm could win fans.

When Qiao Yiqing sang the first line, Pu Jingjing was stunned—how could she sing so well?

Wait, that sounded like the lead vocal part. What? My girl is the lead singer?

Before worry set in, the clear, soaring high notes struck her deeply. By the final harmonies, Pu Jingjing was completely immersed in the music.

Heavenly voice indeed.

After the stage ended, thunderous applause filled the air from all directions. Many who had cheered other names began shouting Qiao Yiqing’s. When the final ending shot showed the girl playfully winking and smiling, the screams reached their peak.

“OMG, so cute!”

“The lead singer in this group is so strong!”

“I'm hooked! I’m going to start picking her!”

“Wow, how did I miss this treasure of a girl before?!”

“Ahhh, Qiao Yiqing look over here!”

Pu Jingjing’s heart swelled, amazed by her daughter’s live performance and proud of her own intuition.

How did this happen? I got into this because of looks, but she’s got incredible talent too!

Her love blossomed endlessly, tears welling up inside: My girl is amazing! I’ll love her forever! I must help her debut!

Wan Xian had come along to watch the performance with a friend.

Her friend was a fan of Lan Chenxi and had dragged Wan Xian to apply for tickets together. They were lucky to both get in, so they came as a pair.

After some coaxing, Wan Xian took Lan Chenxi’s banner and raised it with her friend. Compared to her friend’s loud screaming, Wan Xian quietly hid behind the banner, covering the lower half of her face to avoid the cameras.

In truth, Wan Xian wasn’t a fan, hadn’t watched “Starlight Shines,” and had little interest in the show. She had come just to accompany her friend out of boredom.

At least, that’s what she thought before.

Seeing the stage light up with the radiant girl, Wan Xian gradually shook off her daze and, in that moment, seemed to understand the meaning of an idol.

She whispered the girl’s name silently: Qiao Yiqing.

She decided to catch up on the show’s material as soon as she got home.

Watching her ecstatic friend still trying to recruit her, “Lan Chenxi is amazing, right? Want to chase her with me?”

Wan Xian remained silent, apologizing silently in her heart.

Now, the two of them were rivals.

—

Both groups gathered in the results room, sitting side by side but separated. Members of the same group sat together.

Opposite them was a screen where scores would soon be revealed.

Lan Chenxi sat in the center, with Qiao Yiqing to her right. Xi Rui sat nearby. Yao Xin and Fang You’an took seats on Lan Chenxi’s left.

As the groups settled, the screen began a countdown.

Yao Xin and Fang You’an quietly counted along.

“...5, 4, 3, 2, 1!”

When the countdown ended, a blank chart appeared on the screen.

At the top was the song title “Lovely,” below which the two groups were listed.

The table had five columns: from left to right — role positioning (lead vocal, sub-lead vocals 1-4), Group 1’s names, Group 1’s votes, Group 2’s votes, and Group 2’s names.

Lan Chenxi and Shao Heling’s names bore little crown icons, marking them as their groups’ centers.

The vote columns were still empty, placed side by side for clear comparison.

Yao Xin and Fang You’an nervously held onto each other, covering their eyes but peeking through fingers.

Qiao Yiqing pressed her lips tightly, feeling her heart pounding—whether from nerves or lingering exertion. She clenched her hands on her lap. Trusted to be lead singer by her teammates, she hoped not to let them down.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand grasp her left one. Looking up, she saw Lan Chenxi smiling at her.

The hand holding hers gave a gentle squeeze. Lan Chenxi whispered, “Don’t worry, you did great.”

Just as Qiao Yiqing was about to smile back, her right hand was seized by another warm palm.

It was Xi Rui.

Slightly warmer than Lan Chenxi’s.

“It’s rare to see you nervous; you seemed so calm on stage,” Xi Rui teased with a hint of amusement. “Relax, your sisters are here.”

Then she frowned slightly. “Why are your hands so cold?”

Before Qiao Yiqing could answer, the screen flashed the first score.

“Shao Heling 48, Yao Xin 25.”

The score for Sub-lead Vocal 3 was announced first.

Yao Xin lowered her hand from her eyes, disappointed, head bowed.

Fang You’an quietly put an arm around Yao Xin’s shoulder; the others turned to comfort her.

Yao Xin shook her head, signaling she was okay.

Shao Heling exhaled in relief upon seeing her higher score, but guilt gnawed at her—she was Group 1’s center but scored so low.

“Fu Yunmeng 42, Fang You’an 21.”

Yao Xin glanced at Fang You’an, worry on her face. Fang You’an showed no disappointment, only a faint smile.

She had expected a low score.

With so many famous and strong members across both groups, votes naturally concentrated on a select few.

Fu Yunmeng also exhaled with relief, at least having beaten her counterpart.

Next, the screen showed:

“Wen Yali 124, Xi Rui 102.”

Yao Xin’s eyes widened—both had crossed triple digits.

Xi Rui raised her eyebrows in surprise before Qiao Yiqing embraced her.

Xi Rui patted Qiao Yiqing’s head, signaling she was fine.

Though Wen Yali had beaten Xi Rui in the same sub-lead vocal 1 position, her expression was tense, not joyful.

The margin was too slim; no clear lead.

Among the remaining four without scores, Lan Chenxi was undeniably most popular, and Qiao Yiqing had performed excellently. Wen Yali doubted Chi Xin and Mo Hanmeng could surpass them.

She had hoped to widen her lead but saw that hope slip away.

Silently, Wen Yali prayed the upcoming results wouldn’t close the gap too much.

The screen flickered again.

“Chi Xin 35, Lan Chenxi 172.”

Wen Yali’s eyes widened in shock.

Yao Xin and Fang You’an first puzzled over why Lan Chenxi’s score appeared early, then gasped at the high number, looking at Lan Chenxi in joyous surprise.

Qiao Yiqing also smiled, holding Lan Chenxi’s hand, which trembled slightly with excitement. Xi Rui patted Lan Chenxi’s shoulder, smiling.

Feeling the joy radiating from her right hand, Lan Chenxi returned a soft smile amid teammates’ congratulations.

Chi Xin nodded calmly, her mindset improved since the earlier criticism during practice; she neither cried nor had red eyes.

Shao Heling kept watching Chi Xin worriedly, fearing the large score gap might upset her. She felt guilty about replacing Chi Xin as center, even though the decision had been made by group vote. Chi Xin’s presence had diminished, with fewer chances to shine on stage.

Only the lead vocal scores remained unannounced.

Yao Xin had a quiet suspicion—the highest score would be among those two.

Otherwise, why would Lan Chenxi’s score appear first?

Thinking this, Yao Xin looked at Qiao Yiqing, who was intently watching the screen, silently awaiting the result.

Yao Xin withdrew her gaze, also staring at the screen, convinced that Qiao Yiqing would have the highest score.