As Ling Miaohan's performance concluded, Qin Ran noticed Sister Li stand up, along with several agents from other major companies. They moved to the side and approached a staff member holding a walkie-talkie. Though Qin Ran was too far away to hear what they were saying, she could easily guess that they were questioning the change in Ling Miaohan's performance order.
After a while, Sister Li stopped arguing with the staff and returned to her seat, sitting down heavily. Although Qin Ran couldn't see Sister Li's expression, her body language alone conveyed her frustration—she looked like an angry dumpling.
It was certain that the producers and directors would be confronted by these companies: What's going on, buddy? We all agreed to the random draw, and now you're changing the order last minute? This is blatant favoritism!
Every time Qin Ran read old-school Mary Sue novels, she felt a strange sense of disbelief at how the male leads seemed to lose all reason when it came to the female lead. Right now, she felt that same sense of disbelief. She couldn't fathom what Pei Qi was thinking—why pull such a petty trick during the first performance? Even if he was dead set on making Ling Miaohan shine, such a tactic should have been saved for a crucial moment, not wasted on the first show.
Seriously? It's just the first performance, is this necessary?
This kind of move, which barely benefited them but greatly harmed others, made Qin Ran question Pei Qi's sanity. She knew Pei Qi genuinely liked Ling Miaohan, but if she didn't, she might have suspected Pei Qi was secretly trying to sabotage her by making her enemies out of everyone.
The other contestants were well aware that Ling Miaohan's performance order had been changed at the last minute, and their anger would be even greater than that of the companies. After all, the companies could always promote someone else if a candidate didn't make it. To the companies, these contestants were expendable, not essential. But to the contestants themselves, this could be their one and only chance at success, and now they were being asked to step aside for Ling Miaohan. How could they not be furious?
With today's stunt, Ling Miaohan would only face more targeting from the other contestants in the show.
This wasn't about gender; it was a pure competition—a battle for the top spot, for more fans, and for more screen time. Ling Miaohan would be targeted simply because she stood in the way of others climbing the ladder.
From Ling Miaohan's perspective, this might seem inexplicable—she hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was being singled out.
Qin Ran knew that in a way, Ling Miaohan was innocent. But her dislike was real and undeniable, especially since Ling Miaohan's change of order had pushed her Shijie's performance back. The other audience members didn't know the backstory; they just saw that Ling Miaohan's group had performed well and that their stage presence was stronger than the previous groups. Many audience members who had held back their votes during the first two performances eagerly voted for Ling Miaohan's group, resulting in over 2,000 votes.
There were 1,000 audience members, plus some additional staff from various companies, totaling around 1,500 people. Each person had five votes, amounting to 7,500 votes in total. Ling Miaohan's group secured over 2,000 votes, essentially guaranteeing their spot. As they stood on stage and saw their vote count, one of the group members couldn't hold back tears. The host seized the moment to ask Ling Miaohan a question.
Her voice echoed through the sound system, clear and cold, but with a touch of emotion that made her even more captivating. Qin Ran estimated that this episode would likely gain her a significant number of fans once it aired.
"Thank you all for your support. Honestly, I didn't expect to receive so many votes. This is my first time participating in a talent show, and getting this many votes is something I owe to my teammates and teachers..." Her words were polished and precise, clearly rehearsed. But they were well-received, and as she left the stage, she was met with a round of applause.
Out of the fifty contestants, ten groups performed. Originally, Yu Shuman's group was set to perform fourth, but with Ling Miaohan's group pushed in, they were bumped to fifth, right in the middle. While the audience wasn't yet tired, they were also curious about the upcoming groups, so it was expected that Yu Shuman's group might not perform as well as they could have.
But Qin Ran had faith in her Shijie's ability to captivate the audience.
The room darkened gradually before the lights suddenly flared up, illuminating the five girls already in position. Unlike the ethereal stage design of Ling Miaohan's group, this team exuded a powerful, mature vibe. They had chosen to perform "Rumor," a Korean song that required a lot of practice. Yu Shuman, who didn't speak Korean, had worked tirelessly, repeatedly practicing with the original track.
When the lights hit them, everyone's eyes widened. Whether male or female, no one could tear their gaze away from the striking, fierce women on stage. Who doesn't love a beautiful, well-proportioned older sister? Even the women in the audience were enthralled! The cheers started even before the performance began.
Unlike her earlier quiet criticism of Ling Miaohan, Qin Ran found herself screaming out loud.
Her Shijie! She's too cool!
Yu Shuman's high-heeled boots accentuated her long, toned legs, which were wrapped in black stockings leading up to a form-fitting skirt. Above that, her white waist stood out, with a cropped top revealing a hint of her midriff. Around her neck was a black lace choker, and her long black hair was styled in loose waves, making her hair look full and voluminous.
Her makeup was striking, with bold eyeliner extending from her eyes, and a touch of glitter highlighting the corners. The camera zoomed in for close-ups of each of the five girls, and Qin Ran felt her soul almost leaving her body when it lingered on Yu Shuman's stunning features. The classmate beside Qin Ran hugged her, screaming so loudly it nearly burst Qin Ran's eardrums, but Qin Ran was just as overwhelmed with excitement.
As Qin Ran screamed, she noticed Yu Shuman's eyes searching the audience, seemingly looking for someone. Guessing that Yu Shuman was searching for her, Qin Ran quickly let go of her classmate and waved her light stick, shouting, "Shijie!" But the performance had already ignited the crowd, and her voice was drowned out in the uproar. Yu Shuman couldn't possibly hear her.
But perhaps Yu Shuman did see her, as her gaze seemed to settle on Qin Ran for a moment. Qin Ran wanted to see if Yu Shuman had spotted her, but the screen cut away from the close-up to a wide shot just as "Rumor" began to play.
"Rumor" was a challenging song, with constant singing and dancing that left no room for rest. The key to the performance was nailing the choreography, particularly the crucial steps that had to be perfectly synchronized, or the stage would look chaotic. Qin Ran had seen them rehearse, and while the rehearsal wasn't flawless, the performance looked much sharper now. The catwalk sequence, in particular, was executed beautifully. All five of them were elegant and poised, their long legs moving gracefully, exuding an alluring and captivating energy. For three and a half minutes, they hardly stopped, and when they struck their final pose, the camera zoomed in to catch them struggling to catch their breath.
Yu Shuman's finishing pose had her hand on her hip, the other hand raised to her cheek as if amplifying her voice. As the camera closed in, Qin Ran could see the smile on her face, along with the beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. At the same time, the audience erupted into applause.
This is what a girl group should be! This is what people came to see!
Ling Miaohan might have been beautiful, but her group's performance lacked the dynamic energy expected of a girl group. Ling Miaohan was more of a singer than a dancer, but how could that fit a girl group's image? Audiences wanted to see beautiful girls singing and dancing, enchanting everyone like magical creatures.
Yu Shuman's group received 1,800 votes, still fewer than Ling Miaohan's group, but if they had performed third, they would have undoubtedly outperformed Ling Miaohan. The audience had been more than generous to them, but since they didn't know what was coming later, they hadn't given all their votes to this group.
Through the big screen, Qin Ran saw the smile on Yu Shuman's face. She didn't seem to mind the vote count; instead, she was pleased with how many votes they had received. During the brief post-performance interview, when the microphone was handed to Yu Shuman, her smile turned a little shy. "I'm just glad I didn't hold everyone back!" Yu Shuman wasn't being modest; she genuinely meant it. Her words left the audience slightly puzzled before they suddenly burst into laughter. Yu Shuman, however, looked a bit confused, not understanding what had made them laugh.
After the interview, her group prepared to take a bow. Yu Shuman placed a hand on her chest as she bowed deeply with her teammates. Her neckline was a bit low, and now facing the camera directly, if she didn't hold it in place, she risked exposing herself.
Her graceful gesture made it seem like she was simply expressing sincerity, and few noticed the real reason.
Qin Ran, seeing this, couldn't help but smile. Shijie is quite conservative in some ways.