Chapter 32: The Competition Begins!
Ji Jingxian looked at Liu Ruotong, who was covered in dust and dirt from head to toe. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Heavens, Tongtong, where have you been rolling around? How did you end up so filthy?”
Liu Ruotong replied with an air of mystery, “A goddess-level beauty just moved into the building behind ours!”
“Oh, Mom, you should have seen her! That face—absolutely stunning!”
“I used to think Aunt Lan was the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“But after seeing this new neighbor, I owe Aunt Lan an apology!”
“From now on, Aunt Lan is no longer the most beautiful woman in my heart!”
Hearing this string of disjointed remarks, Ji Jingxian was left speechless.
“What are you even talking about? Still, is there really someone more beautiful than your Aunt Lan?”
Ji Jingxian had always been confident in her own looks, but only when faced with Yu Lan did she set aside her pride. Now, hearing her daughter claim that someone surpassed Yu Lan in beauty, curiosity was inevitably piqued.
“But what happened to you? How did you get so dirty?”
Liu Ruotong stuck out her tongue. “That new neighbor was moving in, so I went to help out. Hehe!”
Ji Jingxian was even more at a loss. “What’s all this about? Do you even know her? You just went over to help?”
“How do you know if the new neighbor is a good person or not?”
“What if she turns out to be a criminal? What would you do?”
Liu Ruotong waved her hand dismissively. “Impossible. Next time I’ll bring Sister Ke over to play, and you’ll see for yourself!”
“We didn’t know each other before, but now we’re friends!”
“Alright, enough about this, Mom—I’m off to shower!”
After Zhou Yang and Liu Ruotong helped Su Bai and her friend tidy up, they each returned home. Yang Mengke sighed, “Liu Ruotong is such a good kid. If it weren’t for her, who knows how long it would have taken to get this room in order!”
Su Bai could only marvel at life’s coincidences. Just a few days ago, she’d signed a fan’s autograph—and now, here they were, crossing paths again!
Two days passed in a flash.
The venue for the talent competition, which also doubled as a press conference, was packed early with a sea of media.
Yet two prime spots remained conspicuously unclaimed by any outlet. Industry insiders knew well enough: those spaces were reserved for Central News and Magic City Entertainment.
Central News needed no introduction. As for Magic City Entertainment, the local heavyweight, visiting media naturally left them due courtesy.
Beyond the media cordon, countless fans had gathered of their own accord.
Most were fans of Xu Mingkun. They waved banners that read, “Xu Mingkun, I love you!” and “Kun Kun, you’re the best!” and “Go Kun Kun!” and so on.
As for Su Bai’s fans, they were mostly still online. After all, Su Bai had only just become famous—just a few days, really. Her fan base couldn’t match Xu Mingkun’s fervor.
Meanwhile, countless entertainment reporters began livestreaming the event online.
“Hello, friends in the Douyin live room! You can all see how lively the scene is.”
“As expected of Xu Mingkun, a top-tier celebrity—his fan base is truly astonishing.”
“If you look closely, you’ll see almost all the fans here are Xu Mingkun’s!”
“I’ll be reporting back with updates as things unfold!”
“First, let’s do some random interviews with the fans waiting outside!”
“A little appetizer for everyone!”
With that, the entertainment reporter motioned to the cameraman to follow and approached a group of bright young women nearby.
“Hello, ladies! We’re reporters from Rising Star Entertainment!”
“Who do you think will win today’s PK battle?”
Without hesitation, one of the girls replied, “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Didn’t you see the two big ‘Kun’ characters on my chest?”
“Of course I’m rooting for our Kun Kun!”
“Kun Kun is the most handsome—Kun Kun, my love, I adore you!”
The cameraman felt awkward filming her chest, and the reporter gave an embarrassed laugh.
Turning to the camera, he said, “It seems Xu Mingkun, the superstar, is still the crowd favorite!”
The comment section immediately exploded.
“What the heck, is this reporter for real? You interview one person and declare a winner?”
“And she’s clearly wearing a badge showing her support—why even ask? Are you here for the show or what?”
“Who’s the airhead here, you or us?”
Though the chat was full of complaints, viewers gradually sensed something odd.
After browsing several live interviews from entertainment reporters at the scene, everyone noticed the pattern: the same question—who do you support?
And the answers were uncannily consistent: Xu Mingkun, every time!
Did none of Su Bai’s fans come to the scene? Or did they come, but by chance none were interviewed? Or was this a coordinated, orchestrated effort?
The next moment, nearly every entertainment reporter surged forward.
The Central News van pulled up outside the hotel.
All cameras swung to focus on the vehicle emblazoned with the Central News logo.
Everyone was eager to know—which host had come to support the event in person?
The car door opened, revealing first a dazzling pair of crimson high heels.
Then a pair of slender, alabaster legs.
Next, a flawless, exquisite face came into view!
The crowd gasped, hands flying to their mouths in shock.
“Heavens, it’s Yu Lan! Yu Lan has come in person!”
Instantly, a barrage of flashes exploded in her direction.
Yu Lan, accustomed to such scenes, smiled and greeted everyone graciously.
“Goddess Yu Lan—she retired from the spotlight years ago to take a management position.”
“This talent competition has summoned the legendary Yu Lan herself!”
“She’s still as gorgeous as ever!”
“In her forties, yet she looks like she’s in her twenties!”
“Whenever I see her, phrases like ‘fish diving, birds falling, flowers blushing, the moon hiding’ come to mind—no other words do her beauty justice.”
“This is the unique, intellectual beauty of our Dashan people—unmatched anywhere in the world.”
After greeting everyone, Yu Lan entered the hotel.
Soon after, Su Bai and Xu Mingkun arrived.
Though Xu Mingkun’s fans shouted non-stop—“Kun Kun! Kun Kun! I love you!”—the scene, after Yu Lan’s dazzling appearance, seemed far less impressive.
As for Su Bai, the cameras hardly lingered on her at all.
Watching all this unfold on her phone, Liu Siyan’s expression turned icy.
“What was supposed to be a perfect publicity event was completely upended by Yu Lan’s arrival!”
“The impact is barely sixty percent of what I’d hoped for.”
“Is such an unofficial event really worth Yu Lan appearing in person?”