Wen Shike stared into Lu Jingwei’s eyes, wondering if there was something wrong with her own hearing or Lu Jingwei’s.
“You didn’t mishear,” Lu Jingwei repeated.
Wen Shike glanced at her, curious how this person could guess what she was thinking every single time. It felt a bit strange.
“I intentionally made some noise to interrupt their conversation, but I didn’t go over to argue. I was afraid a quarrel would draw a crowd, there are too many insiders around, and someone might maliciously spread false rumors,” Lu Jingwei said, looking at Wen Shike.
“Who was it?” Wen Shike straightened up slightly.
“Yang Simiao lost something, apparently a necklace. The person claiming you stole it was Wei Rongrong. Her tone was very certain, and she kept egging Yang Simiao on to go to the director,” Lu Jingwei watched her, trying to find a hint of tension or panic on the heiress’s face.
“Huh?” Wen Shike’s lip twitched. The place where she kept her necklaces at home could practically be turned into an exhibition hall. “Why on earth would they think it’s me?”
Wen Shike truly couldn’t understand it. The last time she felt this speechless… well, there was no last time.
“Wei Rongrong said that some wealthy people have strange habits…” Lu Jingwei found it a bit difficult to say. “Basically, like kleptomania or something.”
Seeing that Wen Shike remained calm, Lu Jingwei felt a sense of relief. After a moment of silence, she spoke again: “Yang Simiao is in second place…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but Wen Shike understood. If something happened to her, Yang Simiao would be the primary beneficiary.
“But this kind of frame-up is too stupid; it’s easily debunked. She wouldn’t do something like this.” Wen Shike and Yang Simiao were both in Class A. Though they weren’t close, they had interacted, and Yang Simiao seemed like a very thorough person.
Yang Simiao had debuted before and had been in the entertainment industry for three or four years, she couldn’t be that reckless. Talking about such things in the restroom felt unbelievable to Wen Shike. Even if she wanted to cause trouble, she wouldn’t do it so directly.
Wen Shike rubbed her neck. “The public performance is tomorrow. We’ll deal with this after it’s over.”
“Mm.” Lu Jingwei nodded with a frown, not understanding why so much drama always surrounded Wen Shike.
However, on second thought, it made sense. Wen Shike was born to be under the spotlight, she was the center of attention. Moreover, so far, she had been too perfect, beautiful, high-achieving, talented, wealthy, and hardworking without any “princess syndrome.” Naturally, many people wanted to find a crack in her armor to prove she wasn’t as perfect as she seemed.
Can someone really be this perfect?
Lu Jingwei glanced at Wen Shike again. The latter was shaking her water bottle, seemingly unaffected by the mess.
The Second Public Performance
For the second public performance, Wen Shike’s group was once again scheduled last. While waiting, she almost fell asleep, holding on purely by willpower.
“The recording sessions are getting later and later.” Wen Shike rubbed her temples and took out a small mirror to check her face. “I feel like my skin condition has worsened because of all the late nights recently.”
“Really? I think it looks fine.” Lu Jingwei stared at Wen Shike’s profile. Even after looking for a while, she couldn’t see a problem. Her skin was naturally fair, poreless, and smooth without any breakouts. If you ranked all the trainees, Wen Shike’s skin would be in the top three.
Wen Shike pursed her lips and glanced at Lu Jingwei. “Your dark circles are a bit heavy.”
“Can’t be helped,” Lu Jingwei said, letting out a timely yawn.
Sun Wei, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but comment, “I thought you two were about to insert a commercial break here.”
Wen Shike: “…”
“The skincare brand sponsoring our show didn’t sign me. They signed Yang Simiao and Sheng Ling,” Wen Shike recalled.
“Would you sign if they asked?” Sun Wei asked casually.
“No,” Wen Shike shook her head.
Sun Wei: “…”
Lu Jingwei chuckled, not surprised at all. She had been to Wen Shike’s dorm; her cheapest skincare product was in the four digit range.
“I don’t have many endorsements. I’ve only filmed ads for milk and toothpaste,” Wen Shike laughed. “Maybe my image isn’t suitable for certain products.”
“True, because you look… very expensive. Seeing you endorse something makes it feel like I definitely can’t afford it,” Sun Wei said, her lips thinning.
Wen Shike: “???”
“Is it that ridiculous?” Wen Shike frowned. And what kind of description was that, anyway?
Sun Wei nodded earnestly.
“It’s basically that aura of ‘overpowering nobility,'” said a girl sitting behind them.
Wen Shike glanced back at her. The girl gave an awkward smile, her expression holding a hint of a peace offering.
“I’m not a gangster,” Wen Shike felt she hadn’t done anything, so why were they all so afraid of her?
“Sorry,” the girl lowered her head slightly.
“Mm,” Wen Shike nodded with poise. “Just be more mindful of the setting next time.”
“We won’t do it again!” the two girls said hurriedly.
Since there would be another round of eliminations after the second performance, they were afraid of being cut before getting a chance to apologize to Wen Shike, fearing they might leave on bad terms. Now that it was settled, they felt relieved and even slightly grateful.
On Stage
The song for Wen Shike’s second performance was another showstopper. She stood a meter to the left and half a step behind Lu Jingwei. Before the start, she used the dim light to glance at Lu Jingwei.
Their outfits this time exposed their waists. Catching a glimpse of Lu Jingwei’s waist dimples, Wen Shike immediately looked away.
She felt it wasn’t right to keep staring.
Wen Shike looked toward the audience and counted her light boards. There seemed to be more than last time. She checked Lu Jingwei’s boards, those had increased too.
Truly a double blessing.
The voting rules for the second performance differed from the first. Among the thousand audience members, after each performance, they had to vote for their favorite performer in that specific show, or they could abstain. The final ranking was based on the group’s total votes, with a group bonus and no individual bonus items.
Wen Shike took a deep breath. The moment the lights hit, she entered her peak state. Because she had practiced so many times, even if her mind went blank, her body instinctively performed the standard movements and sang the corresponding lyrics.
Everyone gave their best. When it ended, the screams from the audience were deafening.
Wen Shike looked toward the direction where her name was being shouted the loudest, gave a dignified smile, and made a small finger heart.
Wen Shike: This isn’t too much, right? It shouldn’t break my persona! It’s normal for even a cold person to give a finger heart to fans! Yes!
After the performance, they went backstage to wait for the results. Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei sat side by side. The few girls in front of them were holding hands. They wanted to hold Wen Shike’s hand, but they kept looking at each other, and no one dared to reach out.
Wen Shike glanced at the joined hands in the front row and quietly took Lu Jingwei’s hand.
Lu Jingwei turned her head to look at her.
“Can’t be the odd one out.”
Lu Jingwei: ?
Even so, she didn’t think Wen Shike was usually that “social” anyway.
The Results
The results came out after a while. Their group had six members. The sixth place had 67 votes, fifth had 73, Sun Wei was fourth with 116, third had 123, and second was Lu Jingwei with 289. The total group votes and Wen Shike’s first place votes were not yet visible.
Although she tried to restrain it, when Wen Shike saw Lu Jingwei’s vote count, a smile inevitably spilled over.
The trainees were either comforting or congratulating each other. The girl who only got 67 votes couldn’t hold it in and began to sob quietly.
“You did great,” Wen Shike said softly. “Maybe you’ll make it into the debut lineup this time.”
“Not necessarily.”
They were the last group. After the audience cleared and they had a moment to rest, they headed back to the large hall to wait for the final tally.
Since some of the votes were already known, those with low scores looked visibly downcast when the cameras weren’t on them. Many were holding back tears after all, fixing makeup was a hassle.
Ming Wangxue was also first in her group this time. She walked over to Wen Shike, beaming. “This is the first time in my life I’ve taken first place.”
“The dance was good this time.”
“The moves were simple,” Ming Wangxue chuckled sheepishly, waving her hand. “Can’t compare to you guys.” There was a hint of pride in her voice, as the mentors had said she improved a lot.
“I wonder what the songs for the third performance will be.”
“Apparently, the fans vote for us. I don’t really understand the specific rules,” Ming Wangxue sighed. “Regardless, I hope I don’t get a song with dance moves that are too difficult.”
Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei both smiled.
“I want to try a style… I haven’t tried before,” Wen Shike looked at Lu Jingwei. “I feel like our styles in the first and second performances were quite similar.”
“True,” Lu Jingwei thought for a moment. “Something aesthetic and soft? Or maybe something sweet?”
Wen Shike: “…”
“Ooh, something sweet!” Ming Wangxue winked at Wen Shike.
“Whatever is fine. We can’t stick to one style forever. I don’t want to be boxed in.”
The three of them went to the hall and lined up as arranged by the staff. Wen Shike stood behind Lu Jingwei.
“Do you want to stand first?” Sun Wei turned to look at Wen Shike.
Wen Shike shook her head. “The leader stands first.”
There were eight teams in total, and results were announced in performance order. It was another suspenseful segment. The first group was Yang Simiao’s. Unsurprisingly, Yang Simiao was first in her group.
Wen Shike glanced at her. Yang Simiao was the Center, and their group had a “sweet” style. Wen Shike felt Yang Simiao hadn’t chosen her song well because she didn’t suit the sweet style, she was a gentle beauty with a “Jiangnan” vibe. When she danced, her smile often looked a bit forced.
Still, it was fine to experiment. Whether one could debut depended on the final vote for now, as long as she could make it to the end, it was fine.
Yang Simiao received 259 individual votes, and her group’s total was 876.
“Is the total a bit low? Did that many people abstain?”
Wen Shike lowered her voice and looked at Yang Simiao. The latter wore a proper smile, but no matter how proper it was, Wen Shike felt it was a bit strained.
“True,” Lu Jingwei nodded. “They didn’t get high-popularity teammates during the random selection.”
Someone in Yang Simiao’s group only got 23 votes. Wen Shike scanned the names except for Yang Simiao herself, everyone else had been ranked quite low in the first ranking.
Wen Shike thought to herself: Yang Simiao’s luck… she’d probably hit the pity timer on every gacha pull.
Ming Wangxue got 301 votes. She was in a group with Sheng Ling, who got 276. The two of them pulled the whole group up, putting them in first place for the moment with 939 votes.
In Zhou Yueran and An Ya’s group, Zhou Yueran was second with 179 votes, while An Ya had 229. Their total was 903.
Wen Shike couldn’t help but let out a small “tsk.” She peeked at Zhou Yueran through the gaps in the crowd, but could only see the back of her head, not her expression.
She was genuinely curious about what An Ya had done. Wen Shike decided to search for An Ya on Weibo when she got back.
Lu Jingwei glanced at Wen Shike, then looked away.
Sun Yuexi also did well this time, ranking third in her group with 129 votes. Her group’s votes were quite balanced, none were exceptionally high, but they added up to 936.
Wen Shike took a deep breath. She hadn’t been that nervous, but after the mentors dragged out the suspense over and over, she felt her heart rate speeding up.
Finally, it was the last group’s turn. Excluding Wen Shike, their total was 668 votes.
“Probably around 300 votes,” Lu Jingwei said. There were currently three people in the 300s, though they were all in the low 300s.
Wen Shike looked at Lu Jingwei, then glanced at the screen showing her own large face. She pretended to be calm, frowning slightly as she stared at her name.
“Wen Shike, 313 votes,” Xu Jianglan announced. “The total score is 981.”
“Ahhhh!” Ming Wangxue screamed from the side.
“Ming Wangxue, you’re not even in their group, why are you so excited?”
“Oh, right, not our group… I’m just happy for the heiress.” Ming Wangxue wanted to rush over to hug Wen Shike, but someone beat her to it.
Lu Jingwei gave Wen Shike a hug, though it didn’t look particularly enthusiastic.
“Socializing,” Lu Jingwei said under her breath.
Wen Shike: “…”
Everyone was waiting for Wen Shike’s reaction. However, she didn’t have a particularly intense one, only showing a bit more of a smile when she saw her group jump from last to first.
“I’m going to cry again.” A girl from Wen Shike’s team looked up, trying to keep her tears from ruining her makeup.
Wen Shike patted Lu Jingwei’s back and accidentally caught sight of Yang Simiao again. The other girl was clapping, her smile looking much more sincere than it had on stage. Yang Simiao probably noticed Wen Shike’s gaze and gave a small nod.
Wen Shike: Tsk, truly strange.
“You can let go now,” Lu Jingwei said.
Wen Shike: “…”
How awkward.
For the speech, Wen Shike was once again very brief.
“I’m very happy. I didn’t expect to be first again,” Wen Shike said. “I hope I am next time, too.”
“Whoo!” “Hahahaha!” “Go heiress!” “As expected of the heiress, hahaha!”
Lu Jingwei exhaled and smiled. Honestly, she could sometimes understand why people envied Wen Shike. After all, who wouldn’t envy an heiress who dared to say and do anything without worries? When envy turns sour, it becomes jealousy.
She glanced at Wen Shike. That calm expression was a little bit punchable. Wen Shike didn’t say much, but a lot of what she said could go straight into a “Yearly Quotes for Flexing” list.
The Fan Interaction
Walking back from the hall, Wen Shike’s steps were a bit lighter.
When a fansite master called out to her, Wen Shike’s smile looked brighter than before.
“Heiress, why are you so happy today? Is the ranking good?”
“I can’t spoil it.”
“There will be insider leaks in a few hours anyway.” The fansite master snapped a few photos through the fence.
“It can’t leak from my end. Go back early; it’s 1:30 AM.”
“I switched to an RV, no rush. It’s right over there; we’ll sleep in the van later.” The fan pointed to a vehicle nearby. “It’s quite remote here, but there’s a spot for RVs nearby.”
Wen Shike: “???”
“I’m very rich, really,” the fan said very earnestly.
“Are you still in school?” Wen Shike looked at her. She looked young.
“University graduate. I have shares and get dividends every year. It’s not tens of millions, but a few million a year is there.”
“I’ve graduated too. I’m a professional fansite master. Oh, and I’m filming you of my own accord.”
Wen Shike: “…”
“Then get some rest too. I’ll probably start ‘work’ at 9:30 AM tomorrow.” Wen Shike waved and turned to leave.
By the time Wen Shike finished her shower, it was 2:30 AM. But perhaps because she was past the point of exhaustion, she wasn’t very sleepy. She wanted to play on her phone for a bit, but remembering the 8:30 AM appointment, she forced herself to close her eyes. Sleep soon washed over her.
As the second elimination approached, Wen Shike felt the atmosphere in the dormitory building grow tense.
“I don’t think I’ll make it through this round,” Jin Ling sighed, her eyes red. “I only got about fifty votes this time… I don’t want to leave yet.”
Wen Shike sat back in her chair with a facial mask on, remaining silent. Speaking in such a moment was tricky; anything she said might come off as “the wealthy standing and talking while those below are hurting.”
“I only got sixty-some votes,” Min Fei said with a small smile. “It’s fine. I just came here to show my face and get some exposure. Don’t be too sad.”
Wen Shike tilted her head to look at the two of them. “Go back and hone your acting skills. If your acting passes muster, I can recommend you for auditions in the future.”
Jin Ling froze, staring at Wen Shike.
“It’s just a recommendation. Don’t be overly grateful.”
“Wuuu, just having a chance to audition is enough! I won’t ask for more,” Jin Ling took a deep breath and wiped her tears.
Wen Shike’s lips twitched slightly. She didn’t mind helping with such a simple favor. Over the past two months, she had been quite happy in the dorm; there was no drama, and everyone was very easygoing.
“Don’t tell anyone. This is a dormitory perk.”
“Got it, got it! Don’t worry, I understand,” Jin Ling said, letting out a chuckle.
“Thank you,” Min Fei added.
“Suddenly, I’m not afraid of being eliminated anymore,” Sun Yuexi stretched and laughed.
“Acting must pass muster,” Wen Shike emphasized again.
Jin Ling frowned and took a deep breath. “I’m going to attend my classes properly when I go back.”
“Oh right, you’re from the film academy,” Min Fei noted. “I haven’t even taken the Gaokao (college entrance exam) yet…”
Wen Shike looked at Min Fei.
“If I had known the Heiress was here, I would have brought my exam prep books.”
Wen Shike: “???”
The somber mood in the dorm was quickly dispelled. They happily discussed their schools and lives. Since Wen Shike was the only one without her phone, she couldn’t log into social media, so the other three sent friend requests to her WeChat in advance.
“You must approve them when you get back.”
“Don’t worry,” Wen Shike nodded.
The Elimination and the Ranking
The second elimination cut twenty people, leaving thirty-some.
Unsurprisingly, Jin Ling and Min Fei were eliminated. Although they had been comforted in the dorm, they still broke down in tears when the results were announced. After all, until the final result is seen, everyone harbors a shred of hope, only when that hope is extinguished does the true sadness hit.
Wen Shike was first, Yang Simiao was second. The top two remained unchanged, but the rankings below them fluctuated wildly.
Sheng Ling rose to third, and Zhou Yueran jumped to fourth. Ming Wangxue was fifth, followed closely by An Ya in sixth.
When Wen Shike saw this ranking, she reaffirmed her resolve to investigate An Ya once she got out.
Lu Jingwei was eleventh. Wen Shike let out a sigh of relief when she heard it, standing up to clap with sincere joy and congratulations in her eyes.
Lu Jingwei gave Wen Shike a hug before stepping down from the seats.
“Why didn’t you hug me?” Ming Wangxue asked, but Lu Jingwei seemingly didn’t hear her, walking down without blinking or looking aside.
“Probably afraid you’d wipe your snot on her again,” Sheng Ling said.
Ming Wangxue: “???”
“I didn’t have snot last time, just tears!” Ming Wangxue made a face of disgust.
Sheng Ling nodded, not bothering to argue.
“Ha!” Ming Wangxue rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and gave a heavy huff.
Sheng Ling: “…”
This time, Lu Jingwei’s speech was a bit longer, specifically the part thanking Wen Shike, which spanned three whole sentences.
“I still need to thank Wen Shike here.”
“She brought our second public performance team together, creating a healthy competitive environment that cleared away our misunderstandings and brought us closer.”
“I also thank her for the comfort she gave me when I was in a bad mood.”
Wen Shike was stunned for a moment, then smiled. She thought she had been subtle, but it turned out Lu Jingwei had noticed.
The two shared a look across the room.
Wen Shike wasn’t “considerate” in the traditional sense, nor was she easy to get along with; after all, she grew up being pampered. However, in this environment, she chose to restrain herself, a required course for any proper elite family member. She wasn’t someone who walked with her nose in the air. In modern society, everyone is equal. She was just more free-spirited, if she liked someone, she was happy to show kindness. If someone offended her slightly, she was willing to give them a second chance. Usually, she only struck back when someone directly stepped on her toes.
Lu Jingwei was someone she liked, and she happened to be from her family’s company under the same manager. Taking care of her was only natural.
The Necklace Incident
After the rankings were announced, the eliminated trainees went back to pack. Before leaving, Jin Ling left her power strip for Wen Shike and gifted her a massive pile of snacks.
Wen Shike was shocked by the snacks covering the entire table.
“This much…?” She knew Jin Ling had brought snacks, but she never imagined it was this many. No wonder she still had baby fat.
Min Fei wrote letters for the three of them, which looked quite thick. She hadn’t brought much to the show, and she left with even less.
Wen Shike thought about it and tried to give them each a bottle of unopened perfume. However, once they saw the brand, they winced and ran off with their suitcases.
“Let’s eat together next time! No need for the perfume!”
Wen Shike: “…”
Sun Yuexi stood to the side, laughing. “It’s too expensive,” she said.
Wen Shike frowned, looking at the perfume in her hand. “I can’t even give these away?”
“Likely.”
Wen Shike took a deep breath. If she had known, she would have prepared something else. She stuffed the perfume into her drawer and headed out.
As soon as she stepped out, she ran into Yang Simiao and Wei Rongrong, who were coming back from seeing off their own roommates. Yang Simiao gave a friendly greeting, and Wei Rongrong wore a bright, familiar smile.
One couldn’t tell at all that these two had been discussing her “stealing” in the restroom earlier.
A necklace, huh…
Wen Shike thought about her own drawer full of necklaces. The three passed each other.
The Live Stream Confrontation
“It’s your turn to live stream today,” Lu Jingwei walked over. “Are you still going to explain exam questions?”
“We’ll see,” Wen Shike frowned. She couldn’t let the sessions run too long.
The live stream started at 8:00 PM. Wen Shike chose to stream from the dorm, keeping the camera away from the empty beds. Seeing the comments flying across the screen, she rested her chin on her hand. This time, there were a million viewers, significantly more than before.
“Are you all here for the exam questions? Or do you want to see something else today?” Wen Shike asked.
[Comment: I want to see what you brought to the dorm!!! I want to know the life of a rich girl!]
“What I brought… skincare products, mostly.”
Wen Shike positioned the camera. She didn’t know how to introduce them without sounding like she was flaunting her wealth. “My heavy winter coats are temporarily in the storage room since I can’t wear them now, so I won’t take you there.”
“As for other things… I brought books, textbooks.” Wen Shike flipped through her Philosophy major textbooks and other philosophy-related reads.
[Comment: I’m also a philosophy major, I have the same books.] [Comment: Look at all those bookmarks… I don’t know whether to be shocked by the tens of thousands of dollars worth of skincare on the table or the books that have clearly been read many times.]
“And… I brought some jewelry.” Wen Shike took out several small boxes. “These are the earrings and necklaces I wore for the first public performance. These are for the second. These haven’t been worn yet.”
As she opened a box, a necklace nearly jumped out.
Wen Shike: “…” There was always an awkward moment like this every day.
[Comment: Hahahaha, she really doesn’t care. Are those real diamonds?]
“This is my favorite one…” Wen Shike picked up an unopened box, her movements visibly more careful. Mid-sentence, someone burst in holding their own live stream camera.
It wasn’t just Wen Shike streaming today, but it wasn’t supposed to be Wei Rongrong. Yet, there she was, holding the equipment.
“Wen Shike, I have a question for you,” Wei Rongrong shouted.
“Go ahead,” Wen Shike looked at her.
No way. It can’t be as stupid as I think it is, right?
“Why did you steal Simiao’s necklace?” Wei Rongrong said boldly. “She said it’s fine, but this can’t just be ignored. She loves that necklace, and I hope you return it to her.”
Wen Shike smiled. In that instant, the traffic in both live streams exploded.
“Don’t think you can walk all over everyone just because you have money and power. You bullied An Ya before, this isn’t your personal kingdom.”
“What ‘bullying An Ya’? What nonsense are you talking about?” Ming Wangxue came rushing in, hearing the last sentence. “Did she tell you that? When did anyone bully her? We were training together the whole time, how come I didn’t know? Is being strict considered bullying now? My god.”
Ming Wangxue looked like a cute, delicate girl, but right now she was like a machine gun, speaking at high speed, her eyes red with anger.
“Calm down, let’s solve this one thing at a time.”
Wen Shike looked at Wei Rongrong with a hint of pity. She felt strongly that this person was being used as a pawn. “What does the necklace look like? Where is the evidence? Why do you think it’s me? I don’t interact with Yang Simiao much, and I’ve never been to her dorm.”
Her speech was measured and calm, but full of pressure. She didn’t even stand up; she leaned back comfortably, her arm on the desk, tapping the surface rhythmically.
“I saw you have the same necklace as her, that pink one! You have it stuffed at the very back of your drawer!” Wei Rongrong shouted righteously. “If you didn’t have a guilty conscience, why did you snap the box shut and hide it at the bottom when you saw me last time?”
Wen Shike looked at her viewer count, it had surpassed ten million. “You should know that if this is false, I can sue you. There are ten million people in my stream right now. I will have the numbers verified, and a lawyer’s letter will be sent to your company.”
“Also, are you talking about my pink diamond necklace?” Wen Shike opened the box she was holding. “This was my eighteenth birthday present. My parents bought it for me at an auction for 130 million yuan. After I got it, I had my name engraved on the back. It trended on social media a long time ago because of the price. Even though the buyer wasn’t named then, you can search for it.”
“Is it this one?” Wen Shike looked at her and asked again. “You can come over and verify. It was at the back only because it is the most expensive, nothing more.”
Wei Rongrong’s eyes widened. “But it looks exactly the same…”
“Oh, that necklace? I remember it. When it trended, many people said it was pretty, so a lot of manufacturers made knock-offs. You can find them on Taobao or Pinduoduo,” Sun Wei said, walking over to watch the drama and letting out a laugh.
Wei Rongrong took a step back. This wasn’t how she imagined it. She was supposed to be a hero exposing Wen Shike’s hypocritical mask, not having her claims brushed away so easily. She thought she was being righteous, but now she was a slanderer…
“Then what about bullying An Ya?” Wei Rongrong’s voice trembled. She was starting to panic. She was only seventeen, a high school junior if she was sued, she couldn’t imagine the consequences.
“There was no bullying… the Heiress is just very strict.” An Ya stood at the door, frowning, then looked at Wen Shike. “I’m sorry, maybe I was just too tired at the time and looked weak, so they misunderstood.”
“How could she bully me? There are cameras everywhere, and everyone has been very friendly and helpful.” An Ya looked at Wei Rongrong with a frown. “I hope you don’t misinterpret my meaning.”
Wen Shike looked at Wei Rongrong and smiled. “I have never bullied anyone. I find such things beneath me. You are an adult. I hope you can take responsibility for your words.”
“Apologize,” Lu Jingwei frowned. “You should know the impact of talking nonsense here. With two live streams running, no matter how we explain later, some people will believe your lies and use them to throw dirt on her.”
Other trainees began whispering: “The Heiress is great… she helped me fix my moves and was very patient. Without her, I wouldn’t have finished the choreography.” “Exactly, if you weren’t sure, couldn’t you have asked privately? Why make a scene on a live stream?” “She must be desperate for fame.” “I’m fed up. Why can’t people verify things? Would it kill them?”
The crowd grew, but no one entered the dorm, they all watched from the doorway. Wei Rongrong stood there, her eyes wide and helpless, looking at Wen Shike.
“I’m sorry… I…” Wei Rongrong stammered.
“Explain it to the lawyers,” Wen Shike looked at her, feeling annoyed. Whether Wei Rongrong was a pawn or not, she had caused a series of negative impacts. And Wen Shike could only target Wei Rongrong while Yang Simiao or An Ya were clearly problematic, there was no direct proof against them.
She could have her blacklisted… but Wen Shike thought for a second and decided it wasn’t necessary. She wanted to see what else these two could pull. She narrowed her eyes slightly.
She had been waiting for Yang Simiao to appear, but the girl never showed up, acting as if she knew nothing of the situation.
“Please do not interrupt my stream, thank you.”
Wei Rongrong’s eyes turned red. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Yang Simiao said that necklace was very important to her, she kept talking about it, she sounded so pitiful… then I saw your necklace was identical… and then I heard you bullied An Ya, that’s why I misunderstood. I’m sorry, I thought they were just afraid of your power, I…”
She was incoherent and gesturing wildly, looking extremely confused.
“If you keep talking, someone will eventually plead for you and try to morally kidnap Wen Shike,” Lu Jingwei interrupted. “In this situation, following legal procedures is perfectly valid. Please stop making things difficult and causing secondary harm to Wen Shike.”
Wen Shike glanced at Lu Jingwei. The other girl seemed unusually agitated and very angry on her behalf.
“Leave. I need to continue my normal stream. I only have this one hour,” Wen Shike took a deep breath.
“Let’s go.” Zhou Yueran stepped forward, dragged Wei Rongrong out, and shut the door.
Wen Shike: Wow, Sister Zhou is a real one.
Backstage, the staff had been debating whether to cut the stream. They contacted Wen Shike’s manager, who told them not to. As for Wei Rongrong…
By offending Wen Shike, she had clearly become an outcast, an outcast of the show and an outcast of the company.
Any veteran in the industry or anyone with half a brain could see the fishiness of the situation. They could only sigh at Wei Rongrong’s recklessness.
Two previously eliminated teammates from the second performance were watching the stream. They both shouted “Holy crap!” in their rooms and immediately messaged each other.
[Lu 1: We were too naive. Society is terrifying.] [Ren 2: Lu Jingwei warned us back then…] [Lu 1: I’m going back to school the day after tomorrow. I’ll think about everything else after I finish my studies. I’m scared.]
The room fell quiet again. Lu Jingwei didn’t leave; she sat in a blind spot for the camera. The two shared a look, but neither spoke.
Currently, there were over twenty million people in the live stream. The comments were flooding in: some were shocked by the price of the necklace, but most were scolding Wei Rongrong. Wen Shike’s fans were cursing her, as were the fans of Yang Simiao and An Ya. There were also those who agreed with Wei Rongrong’s words, those attempting to “morally kidnap” Wen Shike, and those attacking Wen Shike directly though, naturally, there were also those offering comfort.
[Too Late to Meet]: I was going to be sympathetic, but then I remembered I’m still worrying about my own livelihood while she can comfortably earn heaps of money, and it just makes me angry.
[No More Coding Today]: Wuuu, daughter, don’t be sad! This isn’t your fault!
“Everyone, please stop the name calling, or you might get your accounts banned,” Wen Shike said. She also noticed several unusual comments popping up.
[Ya Ya Ya Ya]: Ya Ya is beautiful and kind-hearted, there’s no way she’s a ‘green tea’ [manipulative]. That’s just her personality. Do you know how much money she donates to mountain regions every year? She even went to a remote area to teach for half a year last year!
[Passing Through the Mortal World]: Tsk, so much money spent on a useless necklace. Why not donate it? Learn from others’ examples.