Su Yunjin is trending again! (Please add to your favorites)

The rehearsal schedule was divided into two parts. The first part focused on the contestants’ reinterpretations or covers of the chosen song, while the second part was dedicated to their collaboration. However, these segments often overlapped in practice, since, whether it was Su Yunjin or Tan Linfang’s “Iron Maidens” girl group, what truly mattered was the final presentation—a unified performance, not a collection of disjointed pieces.

Rehearsals were grueling, stretching from dawn to dusk. “Mountain, Water, Wind, and Moon” was a particularly challenging song, making it even harder for the performers to find harmony. On top of that, as the C mentor, Su Yunjin had to attend meetings as well; sometimes it felt as though there just weren’t enough hours in the day.

While Su Yunjin was busy rehearsing, a set of photos mysteriously surfaced online. The images themselves were innocuous: a man and a woman, exchanging something in a hotel lobby. On the surface, there was nothing unusual about the setting or the interaction. Yet, this candid snapshot ignited an uproar.

The reason for this frenzy was simple. The woman in the photo was Su Yunjin, and the man was none other than Zhang Zhichang, the producer of the C-position girl group!

Previously, Su Yunjin’s meteoric rise to fame had been the subject of much discussion. After her debut performance, she had conquered the hearts of all present with her voice and skill. But that did not mean the public had lost interest in rumors and scandal. On the contrary, gossip was always people’s foremost concern—it had always been so, and it was even more so now.

Su Yunjin’s background had become a riddle online. The entire internet buzzed with speculation about her relationship with Zhang Zhichang, though, until now, there had been no concrete proof. This candid shot, however, seemed to confirm the whispers and sent the previously dormant rumor mill into overdrive.

“Damn, is he helping Su Yunjin carry something?”
“I knew it—there’s no way a nobody could become the C mentor without some sort of connection.”
“The evidence is solid. Are they about to make it official?”

Even those who had once been skeptical of Su Yunjin found themselves warming to her after she openly refused to take up everyone’s rest time. After all, life was hard enough as it was, and it was rare to meet someone so dedicated to their responsibilities. She was beautiful, she could sing, and she had real talent. People naturally gravitated toward beauty and were more willing to be forgiving.

Even though plenty still criticized her for allegedly using her body to climb the ranks, others were more than happy to “ship” this pairing, to send their blessings, or to await an official announcement.

The situation quickly spiraled, trending on social media in no time. Yet, the buzz died down almost as quickly as it had started, slipping out of the top thirty trending topics before fading away entirely. It seemed, on the surface, that the public simply wasn’t invested in a romance between a newcomer and a producer. But insiders knew better—this was not due to lack of interest, but rather because powerful interests had intervened and suppressed the trending topic.

Sure enough, after briefly touching the top thirty, the subject vanished completely, even the tags disappearing without a trace. No one seemed to notice the abrupt disappearance, for soon after, a sensational celebrity divorce took center stage, drawing eyes and speculation elsewhere. As the divorced couple released their statements, the Su Yunjin and Zhang Zhichang pairing was quickly forgotten, replaced by a flurry of alleged “insider scoops” from gossip accounts.

The crowd quickly realized they had been rooting for a has-been couple, deceived for half a year. The previous headline story was eclipsed by explosive news, and under its weight, not even the C-position girl group mattered anymore.

Su Yunjin was oblivious to the commotion online. While she was immersed in rehearsals and focused on her duties, elsewhere, Lu Yiqing sat in his office, face dark, lost in silence.

Opposite him, Pei Xuan fidgeted nervously, wanting to speak but not daring to break the silence.

“Tell me honestly—what is my father planning?”

Just as Pei Xuan was feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles, Lu Yiqing suddenly looked up, his eyes deep and still as a dark well, yet burning with suppressed anger.

The source of his rage was simple: the very photo that had nearly become the day’s top headline. The image showed none other than Su Yunjin and Zhang Zhichang exchanging something.

As those in the industry had guessed, the person responsible for shutting down the trending topic was Lu Yiqing himself. Of course, Pei Xuan knew that this was not Lu Yiqing’s own wish but an order from the elder Mr. Lu, which Lu Yiqing had no choice but to obey.

As for the explosive news about the “loving” celebrity couple’s divorce, it was, in truth, nothing complicated. In the entertainment world, money could solve most problems; compared to true scandals, a concealed divorce was almost benign.

So Lu Yiqing easily suppressed the trending topic. But that photo had landed squarely in his hands.

After more than two decades of friendship, Pei Xuan knew Lu Yiqing’s character well.

Of all things, Lu Yiqing hated being deceived even more than the arranged marriage that had been set up for him since childhood. Now, this photo seemed to scream that there was a conspiracy at play—a thorough, all-encompassing scheme!

“Yiqing, believe it or not, I really don’t know,” Pei Xuan protested, but was met only with a dark, menacing glare.

Time seemed to stand still. Pei Xuan’s heart pounded; he recalled the old saying that a clear conscience fears no midnight knock, but right now, his anxiety was the penalty for his earlier machinations. He had used Lu Yiqing as leverage, and now, faced with suspicion, he found it an unbearable position to be in.

But soon, he breathed a sigh of relief, for Lu Yiqing’s gaze finally shifted away from him. “So, it was my father then?”

His eyes grew even colder as he gazed out the window, as if they might blaze with fury.

Faced with such a Lu Yiqing, Pei Xuan dared not speak. The spacious office fell into a strange, oppressive silence.

Lu Yiqing rose abruptly and, with a sudden smile that made him seem almost tyrannical, said coldly, “Let’s go.”

“To where?” Pei Xuan asked, bewildered.

“The rehearsal room. At this hour, that woman Su Yunjin should be there, shouldn’t she?” Lu Yiqing replied icily.

Originally, he had not intended to have much to do with Su Yunjin. After the show ended, he simply wanted her gone, which was why he had always maintained a detached, third-party stance. The show was paramount, and he would show no mercy to anything or anyone that threatened it.

But now, his attitude had shifted. Zhang Zhichang was helping Su Yunjin, overtly and covertly, and Su Yunjin accepted it without hesitation. The C mentor position, the song “Mountain, Water, Wind, and Moon”—every step seemed meant to bring Su Yunjin before him, to stir the beauty in his heart.

But they had miscalculated. Did they really think that a song would make him submit so easily? Did they truly believe Su Yunjin could replace Dahuo?