Chapter 51: Semi-Finals Results Announced On-Site, Top Ten Advance to Finals

Fang Zhi took fifth place, while Fang Zhixiao claimed second.

By the time the evening gala finally wrapped up, it was already very late. Chen Nian held Fang Zhi’s hand as they trailed behind her parents, the group chatting about grabbing some late-night snacks before heading back to the hotel to crash.

Fang Zhi said, “I want barbecue.”

Chen Nian hesitated. “…”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Chen Nian said. “Eating meat now isn’t great for your body…”

Fang Zhi turned to Chen Junjie. “Uncle, I want barbecue.”

Chen Junjie chuckled heartily and plopped his big hand on her head. “Eat! Eat! Whatever Zhizhi wants, we’ll get it!!!”

Chen Nian fell silent. “…”

She shot a pitiful glance at her mom. Liu Chunhua declared, “Eat! A little indulgence now and then makes life more fun!”

Fang Zhi nodded. “Uncle and Auntie are right!”

Chen Nian sighed. “…”

In a quiet whisper, Chen Nian asked Fang Zhi, “Why barbecue tonight of all nights? Didn’t we already hash things out between us?”

Fang Zhi shrugged. “I just feel like it.”

Chen Junjie flagged down a cab at the roadside, muttering to himself, “We’ll have the driver take us straight to the big mall…”

Fang Zhi interjected, “Uncle, ask the driver if there’s a Jing Family Barbecue nearby.”

Chen Junjie blinked. “Huh?”

Fang Zhi explained, “A classmate tried it and said it’s delicious.”

Chen Junjie grinned. “Alright, alright. Jing Family Barbecue it is.”

Chen Nian stared. “…”

And she claims it’s just her craving it. Who’d buy that?

The four piled into the cab. The moment Chen Junjie mentioned Jing Family Barbecue, the driver nodded eagerly. “I know the place, I know.”

The car pulled away. Chen Junjie turned to Fang Zhi with a beaming smile. “Sounds like it’s pretty popular. Must be good.”

“Mm.” Fang Zhi glanced sideways at Chen Nian. “Is it tasty?”

Chen Nian’s neck stiffened. “I’ve never had it. How should I know?”

Fang Zhi’s lips curved in a faint smile, but she let it slide.

They arrived at the restaurant and settled into a private room. While her parents busied themselves ordering, Chen Nian scooted right up next to Fang Zhi, their arms brushing and shoulders bumping.

In a low, pitiful voice, she murmured, “Zhizhi, if you’re upset, you can yell at me or even hit me. Just don’t get so mad you stuff yourself silly.”

Fang Zhi paused. “…”

Chen Nian pressed on. “Eating this stuff late at night really isn’t good for you. Remember fifth grade, when you got that fever? Wasn’t it because…”

Fang Zhi cut her off. “Are you eating a lot?”

Chen Nian blinked. “Huh?”

Fang Zhi repeated, “Did you eat a lot that day?”

Chen Nian waved her hands frantically. “Not much, not much! I barely touched anything. I don’t have much money, and I wouldn’t splurge like that anyway.”

Fang Zhi said simply, “Oh.”

Chen Nian hurried to add, “Hey, you really don’t need to worry. That day, I just ordered the cheapest things on the menu…”

Fang Zhi turned to her. “So what questions did you ask her?”

Chen Nian faltered. “…Well, you seemed interested in her, so I wanted to know why.”

Fang Zhi met her eyes steadily. “Then you should have just asked me directly.”

Under that gaze, Chen Nian felt like she was facing a kid who’d grown up overnight.

No dodging, no fooling around. Even the tiniest bit of evasion wouldn’t fly when it came to answering seriously.

Fang Zhi was frighteningly sharp. Chen Nian sometimes thought that even now, as a teen, she’d outwit her in an argument—her, with all her years of so-called wisdom.

The thought brought Fang Zhizhu to mind. Back when Fang Zhizhu had been chasing her, Chen Nian had been such a fool.

She’d believed every word anyone said, tumbling into traps headfirst or sideways, often leaving Fang Zhizhu chuckling with delight.

But a smile was always a good thing.

So Chen Nian smiled too, channeling the gentle warmth she remembered from that person. “Okay,” she said to Fang Zhi. “From now on, I’ll ask you directly.”

Fang Zhi turned away, staring at the empty bowls and plates on the table, lost in thought.

Once the food arrived, the barbecue sizzled invitingly on the grill. Chen Nian turned into a whirlwind of activity, playing little waitress—pouring tea, serving water, passing dishes, flipping meat—until the actual server had almost nothing left to do.

This meal blew the one with Fang Zhixiao out of the water, especially since parents were picking up the tab. Mr. Chen Junjie had always been generous when it came to feeding his wife and daughter.

Chen Nian kept warning everyone to eat light to avoid tummy troubles, but she didn’t hold back piling the best meats and dishes into Fang Zhi’s plate. Fang Zhi couldn’t handle it all and rapped her plate sharply. “Eat your own.”

Chen Nian blinked innocently. “Not mad anymore?”

Fang Zhi replied, “I’ll be over it after this meal.”

Chen Nian beamed. “Great, great! Let’s polish it off quick.”

Fang Zhi couldn’t hold back a laugh.

The lingering awkwardness between them finally melted away, leaving a warm, harmonious glow.

As the four dug in, their conversation naturally turned to the two girls’ studies and futures.

Chen Junjie was over the moon about Fang Zhi landing such an impressive score in her very first competition. Before long, he was hyping up his little girl like she was already destined for the big leagues.

In the end, though, he couldn’t help slipping in one last line: “Zhizhi, when you make it big as a superstar someday, don’t go forgetting your old Uncle, alright?”

Fang Zhi grinned. “No matter what path I take in life, I could never forget Uncle and Auntie. We live under the same roof every single day, after all.”

Liu Chunhua beamed at that, though she still felt compelled to chime in: “Once you’re all grown up and working, you’ll have your own place to call home.”

“No chance,” Fang Zhi shot back. “I’ll buy us a massive villa—one floor for each of us.”

Chen Nian watched Fang Zhi with a swell of pure joy in her chest.

She had never once doubted it—not even back when Fang Zhizhu had such a rocky relationship with her adoptive parents that they barely crossed paths once a year. Chen Nian never for a second believed Fang Zhizhu could be some ungrateful, disloyal soul.

Whatever tangled thoughts Fang Zhizhu kept buried in her heart, a person’s true nature always shone through. She helped out the extras who got picked on during shoots. She’d shiver in her evening gown, half-frozen, just to sign autographs for fans one by one. She never stooped to trash-talking her rivals, not even when they’d liked those vicious Weibo posts aimed at tearing her down…

She fretted over her bodyguards getting soaked in the rain. She’d offer heartfelt thanks to the crew after every wrap. She never pulled diva antics, and she’d poured her heart into countless charity efforts. Whenever the world showed her kindness, there she was: Fang Zhizhu, all warm smiles, gentle heart, and boundless goodwill.

Of course, Chen Nian had heard all the dirt on Fang Zhizhu too.

Just like those icy family ties, she was convinced there were good reasons behind every story.

Because she’d seen Fang Zhizhu for herself—from her on-screen glow to her off-camera reality, inside and out, no filters.

No one could fake the words she spoke, the way she moved, or the spark in her eyes.

“I’ve got something I want you to do,” Fang Zhi said suddenly, turning to Chen Nian.

Chen Nian lit up like a puppy eager for a treat. “Hit me! What is it? Lay it on me!”

Fang Zhi laid it out plain: “Join a club.”

Chen Nian blinked. “Huh?”

Fang Zhi pressed on. “I like it when we’ve both got our own stuff going on.”

Chen Nian protested, “But I’ve got tons already—Chinese lit, math, English…”

Fang Zhi just raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”

“Okay, fine, I’ll do it,” Chen Nian caved. “How about the Basketball Club?”

Fang Zhi nodded. “Works for me. Keeps you in shape.”

Chen Nian hesitated. “Sure, but… it’s all guys in there.”

Fang Zhi’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’ll come watch you play.”

The seriousness in her expression shut down Chen Nian’s half-hearted gripes in an instant.

“Deal,” Chen Nian said.

By the tail end of the meal, everyone was riding high.

The post-meal drowsiness had evaporated, replaced by lively chatter all around.

Chen Nian had chugged one too many sodas and was making frequent bathroom runs. Coming back from one such trip, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette and nearly jumped out of her skin.

She ducked back for a better look. Yep—Fang Zhixiao.

Swapping her performance gear for a light tracksuit and high ponytail, Fang Zhixiao looked every bit the picture of innocence.

Chen Nian pressed herself against the wall, peering as Fang Zhixiao slipped into a private booth. Clearly here for dinner too.

Chen Nian mulled it over. Was Fang Zhixiao genuinely obsessed with Jing Family Barbecue, or was something else at play?

Her feet betrayed her, carrying her a few steps closer until she hovered right outside the door.

A server bustled past with a massive tray—piles of meat and bottles of premium baijiu.

“Outta the way, little one.”

Chen Nian sidestepped. The server nudged the door open and, juggling the tray, left it ajar.

The wide-open view gave Chen Nian a full eyeful: not just Fang Zhixiao and her adoptive folks, but one of the judges who’d been front-row at today’s event.

Fang Wei popped the baijiu cork like a pro, all smiles as he poured generous rounds for the judge and himself. Flashily dressed Han Lijuan put up a token protest, but the two men—lapping up the praise—clinked glasses and dove right in.

Same old song and dance under the sun. Chen Nian turned to slip away.

But then, out of the corner of her eye, Fang Zhixiao shot to her feet, snatched the bottle, filled a glass to the brim, and beamed as she moved to toast the judge.

Chen Nian froze, brows knitting tight.

Her fists balled up, every nerve screaming to storm in and wreck the joint.

Luckily, the grown-ups in there hadn’t lost their minds that badly.

The judge waved off Fang Zhixiao’s glass in a hurry, while Han Lijuan whisked it away.

“Kids can’t drink alcohol—Uncle gets the thought, though.”

“Zhixiao’s playing grown-up, copying us! Haha!”

“She just looks up to you so much, Teacher Wan. She’s always blasting your songs at home!”

“Right.” Fang Zhixiao’s face wore that one-of-a-kind childlike innocence and excitement as she exclaimed, “I bought your album! I even want you to sign it for me!”

This praise delighted Teacher Wan immensely, and the atmosphere at the table was wonderfully lively.

The waitress stepped out, closed the private room door, and spotted Chen Nian. “Little one, which table are you at? Lost your way?”

“I found it,” Chen Nian replied.

Without another moment’s hesitation, she strode back.

She pushed open the private room door. Her dad had somehow gotten into the mood and was striking dramatic poses while belting out an opera tune, her mom clapping rhythmically on his back—clap, clap.

Fang Zhi was laughing uncontrollably, her eyes crinkled into crescent moons, her glass of juice shaking in her hand as the liquid trembled sweetly, just like her dimples.

Suddenly, Chen Nian realized that some answers weren’t important after all.