When the third performance of the show was broadcast, Qin Ran was right on time, watching it in front of her computer screen. She watched it once with the live comments on, once without them, and then cast it onto her television to watch a third time. Since she hadn't attended the live performance, this was her only chance to catch all the details of her senior sister's performance. She had missed the rehearsals due to being abroad and couldn't be there while her senior practiced alone. So, it wasn't until now that she finally saw her senior's performance.
At the beginning, Yu Shuman stood in darkness, with only a small glimmer of light illuminating her figure. Even though the view was unclear, Qin Ran could spot her senior sister among the five performers instantly. Her outfit had a bit of a wind-up doll feel, with a touch of ballet influence, making her look stunning. It was a different look from her usual sophisticated style—indescribably beautiful.
As the lights gradually brightened, Yu Shuman began to dance.
The moment the first beat struck, Qin Ran froze, feeling as if her heart had been struck hard. Yu Shuman's movements made her look like a puppet being pulled by strings—rigid, eerie, sending a chill down the spine at just a glance. Then, she gently lifted onto her toes, moving with the grace of a ballet dancer, like a wind-up doll on a music box.
As the dance and music continued, the song title appeared on the screen—"I'm not a doll."
Qin Ran felt uncertain. Was this song in the original novel? She couldn't recall. She had read the novel twenty years ago and couldn't remember such details. It was possible that the novel never even mentioned this song, since it was written solely from Ling Miaohan's perspective, only detailing her experiences. The side characters were not deemed that important.
But this song felt overwhelmingly heavy, so heavy that Qin Ran's heart ached at first sight. She watched as Yu Shuman danced on screen, ultimately tearing away the strings that bound her, becoming someone who embraced freedom. At some point, tears began to flow from Qin Ran's eyes. She couldn't help but wipe them away.
It wasn't that she was overly sentimental, nor was it that the dance was too exceptional, but because the person dancing was Yu Shuman. It seemed less like she was dancing a routine and more like she was narrating her own manipulated life.
After this performance, there were fewer trending topics on social media. After the recent crackdown, the companies that had previously stirred up trouble were now lying low, afraid of attracting further attention from the authorities. Even the cyber armies had been reorganized, so the comment sections of the contestants were no longer as chaotic. In reality, not everyone online is aggressive—most people prefer a peaceful environment for interaction. If they can chat calmly, who would prefer arguing? Everyone could just stick to their own lanes and praise their favorites in peace.
Qin Ran liked this kind of comment section. She didn't care how much others praised Ling Miaohan, as long as no one insulted Yu Shuman.
99 Entertainment established a super-topic for Yu Shuman, and after a series of changes, her fans' gathering place was now called "Light Song and Gentle Dance." Yu Shuman also gained the nickname: "Manman Jie" (Sister Manman). Even though not all her fans were younger than Yu Shuman, her strong "big sister" aura made them happily assume the role of adoring "little sisters."
—"Manman Jie, you're my one and only sister!"
Comments like these made Qin Ran both happy and upset. She was thrilled that Yu Shuman was gaining more fans, but also annoyed that more people were vying for her senior sister's attention. Her fan group even had some wealthy fans who brought professional cameras to take high-quality candid photos at the live events. One fan captured a moment when Yu Shuman, while descending the stage with her teammates, suddenly turned her head back, looking slightly lost—like a startled deer in the forest. Her expression was pure, with a hint of innocence.
There was no denying it—Yu Shuman was breathtakingly beautiful. This photo, after being meticulously edited by the wealthy fan, quickly became a must-have for all her fans, stored in every phone, including Qin Ran's. Enthusiastic fans even re-edited and recolored the image, sharing their versions online.
To encourage this fervor, Qin Ran used her usually silent alternate account to announce in the super-topic that the highest-rated deer-themed photo edit would receive a personal reward of 50,000 yuan, with a deadline set for 8 p.m. the next day. She even hashtagged it with #YuShumanDeer, and comments flooded in immediately: "Is this for real?"
She posted the link in her fan group under her rich fan alias, urging everyone to participate. Fans quickly reassured those in doubt: "Never doubt the rich fan, just go all out for that 50,000 yuan!"
With the strong backing of fans who knew Qin Ran, more fans joined the hashtag #YuShumanDeer on Weibo.
This fan-initiated event quickly climbed the trending charts—after all, those vying for 50,000 yuan were real people. They took the photo editing seriously and shared their posts with friends and family, asking for likes.
This action also helped Yu Shuman's popularity to spread beyond her usual circle. Even people who didn't usually watch variety shows were drawn to her photo, and even elderly women, seeing Yu Shuman, would nudge their glasses and exclaim, "What a beautiful girl."
As a result, the number of active users in Yu Shuman's super-topic increased significantly. Without any interference from the now-disbanded cyber armies, this small event thrived, and Yu Shuman's super-topic gained more recommendations. To put it plainly, the photo of Yu Shuman, looking like a startled deer, had gone viral.
At 8 p.m. the next day, Qin Ran announced the winner on time, transferring the 50,000 yuan directly to the lucky recipient. The winner had indeed created Qin Ran's favorite version—a recolored, slightly adjusted image that added a grainy texture, enhancing the photo's overall quality.
The win was well-deserved, and the wealthy fan who posted the photo added a skincare set to the prize, worth about 5,000 yuan. Overwhelmed with joy, the blogger even hosted a small giveaway on their Weibo.
Qin Ran downloaded the photo onto her phone and even asked the blogger for a watermark-free version. She considered making it her phone's wallpaper, but since she saw Yu Shuman so often, she worried about how her senior might tease her if she found out.
So, the reserved Qin Ran set the image as the background for her rich fan account's chat interface instead, where she could secretly admire her senior sister's beauty. If more beautiful images surfaced later, she could rotate them throughout the week.
After the show aired, Qin Ran returned to the filming base to continue working. The production team was already preparing for the fourth performance, with the final decision to broadcast the finale live. They were on a tight schedule, planning to wrap up the show by New Year's Day, January 1st.
One afternoon, Qin Ran went to Yu Shuman's dressing room to have lunch. Yu Shuman was a bit restless while eating and kept asking Qin Ran how she had performed in the third show. She seemed a little anxious, which puzzled Qin Ran. Her senior sister was so beautiful and dazzling on stage—why would she be nervous?
Qin Ran, still chewing on a meatball, swallowed it before answering, "You were great, very beautiful." She meant it sincerely, then glanced down at her lunch box, feeling like Yu Shuman's influence was rubbing off on her.
In her previous life, Qin Ran had been taught strict table manners—no talking while eating or sleeping. Her parents were very strict, and dinner tables at home were always silent, with no other sounds but the occasional clink of utensils.
The atmosphere had been stifling.
Now, she could casually chat with Yu Shuman over lunch, something her past self would never have imagined.
Upon hearing Qin Ran's answer, Yu Shuman visibly relaxed and smiled confidently. Her smile was completely different from her earlier anxious expression: "Really? That's good to hear."
After finishing their lunch, they moved on to the fruit—a small box of grapes. Yu Shuman pushed her box over to Qin Ran, insisting she eat it all. Qin Ran wanted to refuse, saying one box was enough.
But Yu Shuman put on a stern face: "Listen, since you're going to be my assistant, you have to do as I say."
Playing the role of the bossy senior, Yu Shuman left Qin Ran no choice but to eat both boxes of grapes right in front of her. Their current assistant watched their interaction silently, opened her own box of grapes, and started eating.
Could it be…that while she was still around, Yu Shuman was already considering a replacement? That's just too much!
Feeling indignant, the assistant later confided in Li Jie, saying that Yu Shuman seemed to be considering replacing her with her junior schoolmate.
Li Jie seemed thoughtful and waved her hand, reassuring the assistant, "Don't worry, I definitely won't let her replace you."
Hearing this, the assistant noticeably relaxed.
Qin Ran: What is this?! This is a beautiful photo of Senior Sister!
She took a screenshot of the chat interface and began secretly admiring it.