Yu Shuman's performance was a success. She captivated everyone's attention. The previous contestant had stirred up the crowd, but the moment Yu Shuman appeared on stage, silence fell over the audience.
She was like the moon goddess, descending quietly upon the world.
Her stage was meticulously designed, with the anime's creators having sold them the rights to replicate the original scene. Beneath her dress was not a typical floor but a series of screens, creating the illusion of flowing water under the lights.
As the music began, the lights focused on Yu Shuman, making the diamonds on her dress and the glitter on her skin shimmer as if she were radiating light. AR special effects added floating stardust around her. The stage crew had truly gone all out for this performance.
The a cappella version in the practice room had enchanted Qin Ran alone, but now the stage version held everyone spellbound. Under the lights, Yu Shuman was a goddess bathed in moonlight. Her performance on stage surpassed even her practice sessions, likely due to the added energy of performing live.
When the final note faded, the audience remained silent. Then, someone started clapping, and soon the applause grew into a wave. Qin Ran joined the crowd, shouting Yu Shuman's name alongside the other fans. She screamed so loudly that by the time the host came back on stage and the audience quieted down, her throat felt sore.
The host asked Yu Shuman why she chose this song, hinting at her "otaku" tendencies.
Yu Shuman smiled slightly. "I'm not actually into anime, but someone very important to me loves this song, so I chose it. And I don't mind admitting that I only just learned Japanese—I didn't know it before."
The host chuckled and asked, "And what is this person's relationship to you?"
The question had been pre-approved by Li Jie, who confirmed it was okay to ask, so the host now dared to touch on such a sensitive topic.
"She's my junior."
Hearing Yu Shuman's answer, Qin Ran felt her heart race. The host continued, "Is she here today?"
"Yes. If the third performance hadn't been scheduled on a weekday, she wouldn't have missed a single one of my shows." Yu Shuman's gaze shifted to her fans, where the support banners waved, her name shining brightly among them.
"Junior, thank you!" She couldn't help but say, quickly adding, "And thank you to my fans for coming out to cheer me on!"
After the brief interview, the host concluded, "Thank you, Yu Shuman, for your performance. Please take a rest now; we'll see you again later." Yu Shuman nodded, lifted her dress, and left the stage.
Backstage, the first thing she did was check her dress for any damage. Even though Li Jie had repeatedly told her not to worry about the dress, it was worth over a million yuan—no way could she ever pay it back if it were damaged!
Once she confirmed the dress was intact, she quickly called for her assistant, Xiao An, to check the flower crown. Yu Shuman had personally inspected each jewel beforehand, and now, as she counted them again, her racing heart finally calmed.
—Dress, check! Jewels, check!
Great, her salary was safe.
When Li Jie arrived, she found Yu Shuman visibly relieved. But she didn't bring good news: "Just as expected, even though you performed excellently, the audience wasn't very receptive. Everyone knows this is a girl group competition, and your performance didn't align with that. Online voting results are mediocre, so it's unlikely you'll win."
Yu Shuman wasn't discouraged by Li Jie's update. Instead, she smiled. "As long as my dress and crown are intact, I'm good." Li Jie playfully punched her shoulder. Look at this penny-pincher! It's just a dress worth over a million yuan!
Of course, Li Jie only dared to say that because the dress wasn't on her. If it were, she'd probably be even more nervous than Yu Shuman.
Thankfully, the dress was returned without a scratch or stain. Li Jie called Xiao An to help Yu Shuman change clothes since she had to go back on stage later. Xiao An nodded, carefully carrying the gown's long train as she led a stiff Yu Shuman back to the dressing room.
After changing out of the gown, Yu Shuman finally relaxed. With Xiao An's help, she switched into a black cocktail dress. Although this dress wasn't as expensive as the one she'd worn for the performance, it still cost over 100,000 yuan. But this time, Li Jie didn't mention the price, sparing Yu Shuman any anxiety.
Once she was dressed, the stylist team came in to touch up her makeup. Her look was quickly transformed from the pure, beautiful goddess to an enchanting fairy.
With her makeup done, Yu Shuman headed backstage, where she joined the other contestants who had already performed, watching the remaining performances on a TV screen. When all the performances were over, Yu Shuman and the other finalists were called back on stage.
The twenty finalists stood on stage, awaiting the final results. Yu Shuman knew she wouldn't be the champion, but when the host announced that she had placed third, a mix of emotions flickered across her face. Perhaps it was because Li Jie and the entire team had worked so hard for her, yet they didn't achieve the top spot; perhaps it was because she felt she had let Qin Ran down despite all her support. Whatever the reason, when her third-place finish was announced, her expression was complex.
There was surprise, confusion, joy, and a hint of disappointment.
But she quickly composed herself, flashing a beautiful smile at the camera. Then came the announcement of the second-place winner. Although it hadn't been revealed yet, Yu Shuman was certain that Ling Miaohan would take the crown. Yu Shuman wasn't naive—she could guess how deep Ling Miaohan's background was.
Ling Miaohan had also delivered an outstanding performance tonight, dancing a challenging girl group routine that was a departure from her usual style, earning her many votes. Naturally, Yu Shuman assumed Ling Miaohan would be the winner.
But to everyone's surprise, Ling Miaohan placed second.
When the host announced Ling Miaohan as the runner-up, all the contestants were momentarily stunned. But soon, applause broke out. Ling Miaohan's expression faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered—no matter what happened, she couldn't lose her composure on stage.
The championship title went to a powerful idol from an underground girl group, someone Yu Shuman had once collaborated with. The winner herself seemed surprised, her face lighting up with joy before she broke into tears.
Yu Shuman thought her reaction was genuine—her acting skills couldn't be that good. Standing off to the side, Yu Shuman applauded, feeling a twinge of envy and slight dissatisfaction. At that moment, the top five contestants from "Debut, Girls!" were officially declared, forming a new girl group.
Yu Shuman doubted the group would work well. Setting herself aside, although the champion was talented, she had a difficult personality and had shown diva-like tendencies, treating her assistant poorly. And as for Ling Miaohan, Yu Shuman had no personal issues with her, but Qin Ran seemed to dislike her.
Since her junior disliked her, Yu Shuman wouldn't get too close to Ling Miaohan either. She knew exactly where her loyalties lay.
Standing on stage, Yu Shuman looked out at the audience, knowing that Qin Ran was there, genuinely happy for her successful debut. Knowing this, a smile naturally spread across Yu Shuman's face. As fireworks shot up from both sides of the stage, exploding into colorful bursts in the sky, Yu Shuman's smile shone brightly.
The fireworks marked the end of "Debut, Girls!" After a brief moment, the five newly debuted artists left the stage. When Yu Shuman reached backstage, Li Jie and Xiao An greeted her with smiles and congratulations. Still a bit dazed, as if she hadn't fully woken up from a dream, Yu Shuman thanked them for their congratulations.
Other teams also approached with warm smiles, filling the room with congratulations.
But amidst the celebrations were those who hadn't made the cut. Some didn't care about winning, while others knew this was their last chance to be in the spotlight.
Amidst the cheers, stifled sobs stood out. Yu Shuman glanced in that direction, recognizing the contestant—she had been in the same group during the second performance, a traditional dance major. She had dedicated her life to dance, delivering an outstanding performance in the second round. Yet, despite making it to the final, she fell short of debuting.
Yu Shuman didn't know how to comfort her, nor should she. As a victor, offering comfort to someone who had lost would only make them angrier. But Yu Shuman couldn't help but feel that if she hadn't switched companies, her fate might have been the same.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Xiao An handed her a bouquet of flowers and led her out. She heard Li Jie say, "Tonight, we're having a victory dinner. Don't worry, the boss is paying—eat as much as you want!"
The staff of 99 Entertainment cheered and headed out of the filming base with Yu Shuman. With the show over, it was time for the contestants to leave the base. Xiao An had already packed Yu Shuman's things, sparing her the need to go back to the dorm.
She may have placed third, but she was still a winner. Today, she had only one task: to celebrate her victory and look forward to her future.
Nothing else was worth her attention.