Chapter 18

This time it was Xu Chaomu’s turn to freeze. The four other mentors had already started giving their feedback.

Ji Changyin turned back to the stage. Remembering the look on Xu Chaomu’s face made her smile widen. The tips of Xu Chaomu’s ears had turned a little red.

She remembered that Xu Chaomu was easily embarrassed.

Xu Chaomu lowered her head and took a sip of water. This time she didn’t call on Ji Changyin. She gave a few brief comments, and then Ji Changyin had her turn—though she didn’t have much to say.

The third group included the girl who’d argued with Ji Changyin in the dance studio last time.

Ji Changyin had almost forgotten about her, but when the girl looked her way, the familiar expression on her face brought the name back at once: Xu Rui.

Ji Changyin’s smile faded slightly, and she shifted in her seat.

Xu Rui was standing in the center this time.

The sharpest parts of Ji Changyin’s earlier confrontation with Xu Rui had barely made it into the edit.

In the end, the Production Team had decided to blur the lines and tell the story of Xu Rui working hard to turn her life around. They might even add a comeuppance arc. The first two episodes had already been edited in that direction.

Ji Changyin still felt they’d brushed her off—and seemed to have used her in the process.

“Do I look like a really nice person? Like someone who’s easy to fool?” Ji Changyin edged closer to Xu Chaomu.

Xu Chaomu didn’t answer. She just looked at Ji Changyin.

Ji Changyin sighed.

“I still have the original video,” Xu Chaomu said.

Ji Changyin smiled. “I saved it too. I can’t believe that girl had so little respect for me. I wonder what she gave the Production Team to get them on her side. I guess she just thought I’d be easy to push around.”

Ji Changyin leaned back and took a sip of water.

Xu Rui’s performance had improved quite a bit. At least she didn’t sing off-key, and she kept to the beat without rushing or lagging.

But it was still very average. It wasn’t exactly the sort of performance that proved anyone wrong.

The performance ended.

The judges had clearly been paid off beforehand. This time, almost all of them praised Xu Rui’s improvement.

Xu Rui looked toward Ji Changyin.

Ji Changyin smiled. “You really are eager to hear what I have to say.”

“Teacher Xu, can I go first this time?”

“Go ahead.” Xu Chaomu nodded.

“I don’t know if you’ve already got a trending topic lined up. I wonder if it’ll be called ‘Xu Rui Proves Ji Changyin Wrong.’” Ji Changyin smiled. “Don’t try to use me for publicity. It seems no one took me seriously when I got angry last time. And honestly, after all those years of dance training, isn’t it normal to stay on the beat? Isn’t it normal not to sing off-key?”

“If you can’t even do those two things, what are you here for—comic relief? That’s not improvement. You’ve only just scraped over the passing line. You finally realized you had to start working hard, because people aren’t blind.”

The audience erupted.

The director silently covered their forehead with one hand.

Ji Changyin opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She shook her microphone and realized they’d muted her. Leaning toward Xu Chaomu, she said, “Why did the sound cut out? I’m done. Goodbye. Apparently I’m not good enough for this show. Director, from now on, none of the companies in the Ji Family will sponsor anything you make.”

“There are plenty of audition shows out there. Did you really think our family had to sponsor yours? I didn’t make a fuss about what happened last time because you thought I was a pushover, didn’t you?”

Ji Changyin finished speaking and walked straight off the stage.

The fans below were screaming. Xu Rui looked rattled.

She’d never imagined Ji Changyin would be this brazen—or that she really wouldn’t bother sparing the Production Team’s feelings.

She’d dared to provoke Ji Changyin because she still thought she was all bark and no bite.

Who could have guessed…

No one there except Xu Chaomu had seen it coming.

This had turned into a full-blown on-air incident.

Scowling, Ji Changyin ripped off her earpiece and the rest of her equipment, tossed them to someone nearby, and strode backstage without changing expression. As she passed the audience, the screaming broke out all over again.

People from the Production Team hurried after her. Someone went to find Xu Chaomu, hoping she could talk Ji Changyin down.

“I’m done filming,” Ji Changyin said. She took her phone from her pocket and called Zhao Xi.

“Miss, aren’t you filming the show right now?”

“The Production Team wanted to use me as a stepping stone for Xu Rui. I don’t know what they were thinking. She provoked me onstage, so I walked. I’m not filming another episode. Come over and handle the contract termination.”

The director’s face turned green.

“We can replace Xu Rui right now,” the director said.

“No need. This place makes me unhappy, so I’ll go somewhere else. Who is she, and who am I? She leaves, and I’m supposed to take her spot?” Ji Changyin gave a sharp smile. “I don’t get angry, and suddenly no one knows how to show me respect. It’s ridiculous.”

Zhao Xi paused on the other end, then had someone look into it. Sure enough, a video of Ji Changyin losing her temper and getting muted was already online.

“Bring the lawyers,” Ji Changyin said.

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. The whole world seems to think I’m an easy target. I’ve been looking for someone to make an example of, and now someone’s practically walked up and volunteered.”

“All right.” Zhao Xi didn’t try to stop her.

After Ji Changyin had lost her temper last time, Zhao Xi had expected something like this might happen. She had all the evidence ready. Given Ji Changyin’s family connections, she could afford to be a little willful—as long as she was in the right.

Besides, the show had invited her. They hadn’t been begging to join.

Ji Changyin quickly started trending. Photos of Zhao Xi arriving with a team of lawyers made the list too.

Because there was video of the incident, plenty of people guessed there had to be more to the story.

The earlier footage had also been recorded secretly. Posting it from the studio account could put them in breach of contract, but if someone uploaded it anonymously and scrubbed the metadata, who could tell where it came from?

The Production Team hadn’t expected things to move so quickly.

They’d paid Ji Changyin three million to appear, and the penalty for breaking the contract was five million. The Ji Family’s lawyers had everything ready, leaving the Production Team with nothing to argue about.

Ji Changyin paid the penalty then and there, and signed the paperwork. Zhao Xi stood beside her, watching. Ji Changyin seemed to have gained several levels of presence today. Zhao Xi felt a sudden rush of pride, as if she were watching her daughter grow up.

Filming had resumed outside, though the studio was still in an uproar. Everyone wanted to know what was happening inside.

Afterward, Ji Changyin and the lawyers left together, and the whole thing trended again.

Plenty of celebrities had made a scene on variety shows over the years, but in the end, they’d all gone back and finished filming.

Ji Changyin was the first to bring a legal team and terminate her contract on the spot.

If things hadn’t gotten so ugly in front of everyone, people might have thought it was all staged.

Xu Chaomu posted on Weibo afterward.

[Xu Chaomu V: Someone needs to be brave enough to speak up.]

Several of the show’s mentors liked the post.

The Production Team was ready to lose their minds.

The contract might have said what it said, but when it came to implying things, they could simply deny it.

Xu Chaomu’s post had more or less confirmed that the Production Team was in the wrong. She had a reputation people trusted, and several of the mentors had liked her post too.

Ji Changyin leaned against the car window. Honestly, it felt great. When she’d been a wage slave, she’d dreamed of feeling this free: seeing something she didn’t like and being able to say so without holding back or worrying what anyone else thought.

Ji Changyin felt relaxed, but Zhao Xi was anything but. Public opinion was overwhelmingly on Ji Changyin’s side, partly because they’d steered it that way, but she still had to keep an eye out in case anything else came up.

“Try to rein it in a little next time.”

“I know. Sometimes you have to let loose. That girl was so annoying. It was a good chance to show everyone I’m not the same person I used to be. If they want to mess with me, they’d better think twice.”

Zhao Xi patted her shoulder. “I never thought I’d see you grow up.”

Ji Changyin smiled and looked out the window.

That’s all this change is to her? Growth?

“I didn’t expect Xu Chaomu to speak up,” Zhao Xi said. “It made it much easier to steer public opinion our way.”

“Sounds like you and Xu Chaomu are getting along pretty well.”

“I think so,” Ji Changyin said.

Zhao Xi glanced at her again. “Be careful what you say around people. Not everyone is as thick-skinned as you.”

“…”

Ji Changyin couldn’t understand where Zhao Xi had gotten that idea. How was she thick-skinned?

Still, in this world, having people think you were stupid wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Play the fool and catch them off guard—that was the way to win.

Ji Changyin glanced at Zhao Xi and didn’t bother arguing.