Chapter 94: The Delicate Film Queen
Lin Tingting lifted her dress as she stepped onto the stage, took the microphone, and looked at Lin Yu. Her voice became even more coquettish.
“Teacher Lin Yu, please teach me well, okay?”
Lin Yu: …
Damn it, he was covered in goosebumps, yet still had to feign a happy expression and agree to this superstar’s request.
Up close, he finally noticed how fair this diva’s skin was. Such a pity her eyes were so small; the online rumors about her resembling a little yellow duck were… well, shockingly accurate.
“All right, thank you for singing along, Miss Lin,” Lin Yu said, instructing her earnestly as they sang a gentle, slower section of the song: “On this journey of dreams, I leave my hometown behind…”
His powerful, striking voice resonated with raw emotion, each note ringing true. Lin Tingting tried to follow, but her syrupy, affected tone lacked any real feeling and even strayed off-key.
When they sang together, Lin Yu did his best to match her, lowering his voice so that her mosquito-like singing could be heard. The pairing was odd, but the fans of this film queen in the audience went wild with cheers.
Lin Tingting returned to the judges’ table, still holding her dress. Before she could sit, her eyes sparkled as she looked toward Lin Yu.
“Teacher Lin, do your best! You’re amazing! Congratulations, you’ve advanced!”
The two hosts exchanged glances, but it was too late to stop her. The audience votes were supposed to be revealed later, the total count only disclosed after the staff tallied them for the judges’ confirmation. No one expected Lin Tingting to announce the result in advance.
With no choice, the hosts quickly released the external voting results. To everyone’s surprise, Lin Yu beat Si Shaozhe by a single vote, securing the victory.
As soon as the outcome was announced, Xiao Lin immediately messaged Ji Ya with the good news: the newcomer singer had surpassed a top star—news that would make Lin Yu famous overnight.
Si Shaozhe was fuming, but forced a smile for the cameras.
The live audience, made up mostly of fans of the guests, didn’t care much about the result. Whoever won, the celebration was the same.
In the livestream chat, Si Shaozhe’s fans were losing it, launching furious tirades.
“What kind of trash are these judges? My idol was obviously better!”
“Everyone, let’s boycott all of Lin Tingting’s shows!”
“Flood Lin Tingting’s production team’s social media! Go, my friends!”
“Let’s start by reporting the show—who’s with me?”
“This is ridiculous. If your idol loses, you attack everyone. Does no one else deserve to win but your guy? Total lunacy!”
“So annoying—can you all stop whining? It’s exhausting seeing this many idiots in one place.”
“I was a casual fan, but seeing these crazy stans, I’m turning into an anti.”
“Fans’ behavior reflects on the idol—they deserve the backlash.”
…
Having advanced, Lin Yu was taken aside by Xiao Lin, who used his injuries as an excuse to let him leave and rest at the hotel.
This was Ji Ya’s idea. With Lin Yu still hurt, she didn’t want him sitting or standing for long, in case something happened.
Lin Yu was shocked when he heard of Ji Ya’s concern. Why did it feel like his boss was getting more and more attentive toward him?
“A Yu, good news,” Xiao Lin said, knocking and entering with the latest streaming and revenue data for “Decency” from OO Music.
“Your new song has already hit ten million plays, and it’s climbing by over a hundred thousand a day. The sales and streams have generated high earnings for you.”
“A portion of the money has already been paid to the company’s account. If you need it, you can apply to the boss for a payout anytime.”
What?
He needed to apply for his own salary? Why did it feel like his boss was turning into his girlfriend? Or his wife, controlling the money?
Well, he still had three hundred thousand in pocket money, so Lin Yu decided not to dwell on it. Xiao Lin invited him out to pick custom outfits for the next round of competition.
He couldn’t just keep wearing casual clothes. Now that he’d advanced, he needed to dress up for the next round. Clothes make the man, and as an artist, he needed a good image. Even with Ji Fei’s support behind the scenes, outsiders wouldn’t know; they’d just assume Ji Fei was all talk if she didn’t invest.
If she was unwilling to spend money on developing a new artist, how stingy could Ji Fei be?
As for the sponsor-provided outfits, they were always reserved for the big names. Newcomers like Lin Yu rarely had stage costumes prepared by the show.
“As a company employee, you’re representing the company’s image on this show—of course we need to care about your appearance.”
Inside the luxury boutique, Xiao Lin expertly picked out several eye-catching outfits—flashy, but perfect for the stage.
Lin Yu sneaked a look at the price tags in the fitting room. His eyes went wide, and his hands shook so much he almost dropped the clothes.
“Mother, grandmother, my jacket, my coat, my aunt and grandaunt—I’m so shocked I’m limping!”
“My dad, my grandpa, my socks, my shoes, my uncle, my pants are half wet!”
“Heavens, my ancestor, my seventh great-uncle, my third grandaunt—”
“My child, my darling, my plum-blossom screwdriver, my dad, my mom, my uncle who sells brown sugar, my heart, my liver, my candied radish, my precious pearl, a rare treasure fallen from the sky!”
From outside, Xiao Lin knocked on the door. “Are you practicing rap in there?”
Lin Yu: …
He was just frightened by the six-digit, seven-digit price tags!
No wonder people always said an artist’s debut was a huge investment—a single outfit cost over a million, and there were four or five costume changes in a concert.
Unimaginable. Simply unimaginable.
When Lin Yu stepped out in his new clothes, Xiao Lin was very satisfied and paid with the company card. Since Lin Yu’s performance in the first round was so outstanding, under Ji Ya’s orders, she’d arranged all the outfits for the upcoming competitions.
After they got in the car, and Xiao Lin learned the story behind his “rap” in the fitting room, she couldn’t help but laugh at his innocence.
“At concerts, singers usually get clothes provided by brands or rented by their agency. There’s no need to spend this much. But the boss said, what you wear can’t be secondhand.”
“Spending thirty million like this doesn’t hurt?”
“It’s just thirty million. For the boss, it’s less than the price of a custom handbag. The best people deserve the best packaging. That’s how Ji Fei built a top agency.”
“Spend money to make money.”
Lin Yu: …
He didn’t resent the wealthy, but at that moment, he truly hated rich people!
No wonder people always said the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
When you have capital, you dare to invest—and to invest big. Of course, you also need a boss with Ji Ya’s long-term vision, or you’ll lose it all in no time.
…