Chapter 360-365

Chapter 360. Exposure

Ding Shan didn't expect that in this life, after Wen Xiu failed to deceive her, he would turn around and deceive Chen Tong.

Wen Xiu did not know that Chen Tong was also a female celebrity who needed to rely on the capital behind her back. Although Chen Tong looked very popular, her entertainment industry foundation was unstable. The help that she could bring to Wen Xiu was minimal. Moreover, Chen Tong experienced a few blows from public opinion. She was now at the bottom of her career, and her future development path would only become more and more difficult.

...

Although Wen Xiu had the intelligence to speculate, he did not see far.

Ding Shan could almost guess how Wen Xiu had managed to hook up with Chen Tong.

Chen Tong's state of mind was terrible during this period. She had previously failed to frame Ding Shan, so her boss must have blamed her. Chen Tong's heart was weakest, and she needed someone to comfort and accompany her. At this time, Wen Xiu's fake gentleness quickly moved Chen Tong.

As for the matter between Chen Tong and Wen Xiu, Ding Shan had no intention of interfering. Even if she wanted to interfere, she couldn't. Chen Tong hated her so much. Even if she reminded Chen Tong, she would not believe her.

However, Ding Shan did not expect that just a week before the third public performance, Chen Tong and Wen Xiu's secret relationship was exposed.

Not only were they exposed, but the matter was also blown up. Many Weibo marketing accounts posted news of the two dating at the same time.

Ding Shan felt something was wrong as if someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Just as she was feeling suspicious, Yang Lu gave her a call. After Ding Shan picked up the call, the first thing Yang Lu said was, "How is it? Are you satisfied?"

"You're the one behind Chen Tong's incident?" Ding Shan was stunned for two seconds before asking.

It was indeed Yang Lu's doing. She often went to the hotel where Wen Xiu and Chen Tong stayed. That day, she saw the two of them when she went downstairs. Although both of them wore hats and masks tightly wrapped, Yang Lu could still recognize them.

Yang Lu asked her assistant, Nancy, to secretly pay attention to the movements of the two. Initially, Yang Lu thought the two were having an affair while recording a variety show. For privacy and safety, they should at least change hotels every time for their dates. However, she didn't expect that they would go to the same hotel four times in a row.

This made it easier for Yang Lu to get evidence. She got the paparazzi to take photos and sent them to several marketing accounts, which caused the sensation when Wen Xiu and Chen Zhao's relationship was announced.

Yang Lu had been fighting with her lousy company for so many years. She had some connections in the entertainment industry and often dealt with many marketing accounts. She was quite skilled in doing this kind of sneak attack.

"Do you have a grudge against Chen Tong? Such a ruthless move?" Ding Shan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I told you to prepare for the exam. What have you been doing all day? "

"I don't have any enmity with her, but didn't she offend you before? I'm guessing a little fairy like you wouldn't want to deal with someone like her, so let me do this kind of dirty work. It's always right to please the future boss in advance, right?" Yang Lu said proudly.

"How's your exam preparation going? How confident are you?" Ding Shan smiled helplessly and changed the topic.

"It's alright. At first, I couldn't remember anything and was so anxious that my hair fell out all day. Later, I found some tricks, and it became much easier. I can't say that I'm 100% sure, but looking at the simulation test results, I still have a good chance if I work hard." Yang Lu answered honestly, then sighed, "You're amazing. You thought of this method to get me out of the company."

When Ding Shan negotiated with Yang Lu last time, she said she had a way to help Yang Lu get out of the trashy company. The solution she thought of for Yang Lu was to take the civil service examination.

Exams had nothing to do with celebrities in the entertainment industry, so many didn't even know there was such a way.

Few people knew about a loophole in the celebrity civil service examination. According to the relevant regulations, after a celebrity passes the examination to become a civil servant or a career editor, they could terminate their contract unconditionally. This was because the country's special laws protected the rights and interests of civil servants. If Yang Lu could pass the examination to become a civil servant, her current predicament would be completely solved.

When Yang Lu heard about Ding Shan's plan, she was shocked too. Ding Shan's plan allowed Yang Lu to see a ray of hope. It just so happened that a role in a new movie she was going to film was snatched away. She had no other work arrangements, so Yang Lu canceled all her schedules and focused on preparing for her exams.

Chapter 361. The Night of The Finals

Ding Shan was relieved to hear Yang Lu's words. After Yang Lu becomes a civil servant, she can work in her studio. In Ding Shan's opinion, Yang Lu had potential. She was ready to give some of the resources in the studio to Yang Lu. She believed that Yang Lu would not disappoint her.

On the night before the finals, Chen Tong and Wen Xiu's scandal had a significant impact on the two of them.

...

There was no need to talk about Chen Tong. She had relied on the support of her sugar daddy to get to where she was in the entertainment industry. Now that she dared to go behind her sugar daddy's back and date a pretty boy, she naturally had to pay a heavy price.

On the other hand, Wen Xiu was also in a miserable state. To put it nicely, he was an idol, but to put it bluntly, he was a trainee who had not debuted yet. In China, it was tough for fans to accept the relationship between an idol and a trainee.

Idols and trainees weren't capable stars, and it wasn't easy to get good resources when they weren't popular. They didn't have a solid foundation in the entertainment industry, and if they wanted to survive, they could only rely on fans' support.

In the eyes of fans, they spent money to see their idol work hard to develop his career, not to see their idol use their money to fall in love or have a woman!

Not to mention the fans who fantasized about their idols as their virtual boyfriends. It was even more difficult for them to accept their idols in love.

This time, Wen Xiu was walking at a dead end. He had lost many fans, and his popularity had plummeted. He had dropped from second place to eighth place on the voting list.

Soon, it was time for the third public performance. This was the last program of the Festival Group, also known as the 'Final night.' On this night, the audience would vote for nine members to form a male idol group.

Among the nine outstanding members, the team with the highest ranking would become the strongest team in this year's Idol Creation Camp after the votes of the trainees from the same team were added up. The instructor would also be awarded the title of 'The strongest instructor.'

Three days before the competition, Ding Shan had barely seen Xiang Hong. She guessed he was busy preparing for the program on the night of the final.

Although they could not see each other, Xiang Hong would still chat with her on the phone daily. 'Good morning' and 'Good night' were never absent.

Only now did ding Shan finally feel the reality of being in love.

Every day when she woke up, she would receive a Good morning, and someone would always be by her side. Morning to night, from the present to the future.

Ding Shan was looking forward to seeing Xiang Hong again after the finals. She had already thought of her answer and wanted to tell him herself.

The night of the finals finally arrived. Today, the usually lively online world seemed to be even more vibrant. The news about the finals of Idol Creation Camp spread to various social media platforms. The fans of the trainees made many posters and promotional videos to campaign for votes for their idols. Some ordinary audience members had also finished their other things early and were waiting for the live broadcast to start.

As the live stream's countdown went from ten seconds to zero, the night of the final officially began.

The stage for the final night was located on the open-air beach. The Festival Group had spent considerable money on building a stage space. Three giant circular screens showed the trainees' performance in all directions, and the excellent lighting made the night as bright as day.

With the vast night sky above them, the open-air atmosphere made the audience feel even more excited. Everyone was loudly shouting the countdown numbers. When the countdown reached zero on the screen, all the lights came on, and the special effect fireworks around the stage suddenly shot into the sky. The entire venue was in a wave of carnival.

There was a wide space in the audience stand, and the five instructors sat in their seats.

Ding Shan appeared grandly today, wearing a limited edition dress sponsored by Kaipuu. The bright red dress set off her noble Princess-like temperament, and her hair was tied up high with a mini crown. She was lively and cute but also had a low-profile luxury like a noble.

Even without the luxurious dress, Ding Shan's beauty was enough to make her the event's focus. She wore the exclusive Kaipuu limited edition dress that only international superstars could wear.

After she got together with Xiang Hong, Ding Shan discovered that Kaipuu had come to work with her because of Xiang Hong. At that time, she felt like she was living off a man.

However, Xiang Hong told her that Kaipuu was already preparing to make her the spokesperson for the next half of the year. He did not interfere with Kaipuu's decision. If Kaipuu were not satisfied with Ding Shan, they would not work with her a second time, even if they did so initially for Xiang Hong's sake.

Ding Shan had proven her popularity and value, and that was why Kaipuu continued to choose her.

Chapter 362. I'm Still me

"I helped you back then because I liked you. I didn't want you to suffer because of the lack of resources, but I knew that even without me, you would one day reach the position that belonged to you." Xiang Hong said.

Ding Shan knew that Xiang Hong was taking care of her self-esteem. She felt warm in her heart. She wasn't stubborn and pretentious, so after listening to Xiang Hong's explanation, her heart was already very calm.

...

However, Ding Shan did not think that she would not have to struggle after being with Xiang Hong. Instead, she felt that she had to become stronger and more outstanding to stand in front of him more confidently.

'You see, I'm not attached to you. Although I like you, I'm still me, an independent and powerful individual.'

Compared to Ding Shan, who exuded a confident aura, Chen Tong seemed in a terrible state. Her eyes were dull, and she couldn't even squeeze a smile on her face.

Due to the scandal, Chen Tong had not recently had a good night's sleep. Several variety shows she was scheduled to participate in had contacted her to terminate her contract. The boss who supported her had also frozen all the bank cards he had given her. When she returned to the company after the variety shows ended, what awaited Chen Tong would be an even more terrifying crisis.

How could Chen Tong laugh at this moment?

With the host's announcement, the night of the finals officially began.

Tonight's live broadcast would be three hours long. Not only would the trainees present stunning performances, but the Festival Group had also invited many famous bands and singers as guests, instantly bringing the program to a new level.

So far, Idol Creation Camp has set many new records for online variety shows and has become the veritable ceiling of talent shows. Under the strong influence of Idol Creation Camp, the popularity of another talent show broadcast in the same period was very bleak, with almost no hot topics.

After a few groups of guests finished their performances, the atmosphere became lively. Next, the trainees who had reached the final round began to perform.

Ding Shan's team's Mysterious X, Wen Xiu, and Wang Le had all reached the finals. Wang Le's ability to reach the finals was something no one had expected. He also caused a lot of controversies. Many fans of the other trainees felt that not only did Wang Le not have a professional attitude, but his performance on stage was also very poor, and he was utterly unworthy of entering the finals.

The officials didn't respond to these disputes directly. They only posted the daily voting data on Weibo to prove that the Festival Group wouldn't interfere with the voting results.

Which trainee could enter the finals was entirely up to the audience's choice.

Before the competition, Wang Le's mood was naturally very nervous. He usually stood at the back of the team when he sang and danced. This time, he suddenly had to prepare a stage performance alone. He was terrified and uneasy as if he was about to lose face in front of the entire country.

Ding Shan had no other choice. After all, Wang Le was still a trainee on her team. If Wang Le lost face, it would be the same as losing face for her. She could only ask Xiang Hong to help Wang Le more before the finals so that he would not perform too badly on stage and be laughed at by the audience.

Tonight, Wang Le was preparing to perform a song from his hometown, which was a continuation of his performance style on the first stage. Although there were no surprises, the overall level was much better than the first stage. The song was not out of tune, and some simple dance moves looked like a complete performance.

Ding Shan heaved a sigh of relief. As expected, Xiang Hong had his way of training people. Wang Le had undergone such a massive transformation in just a few days.

Because Wang Le did not want to step out of the spotlight, he usually did not dress up meticulously when he went on stage. This time, Xiang Hong gave him a styling set and had someone cut a slanted fringe covering half of his eyes. Wang Le instantly had a trace of cold and charming temperament and looked quite decent.

Xiang Hong did not want to care about Wang Le. He agreed to Ding Shan's request because Wang Le's votes would also be counted in the instructor battle team. To let Ding Shan sit firmly on the 'Strongest instructor' chair, Xiang Hong was willing to help Wang Le complete the stage performance.

When it was Wen Xiu's turn, the smile on Ding Shan's face faded.

When Wen Xiu went on stage, although there were still audience members shouting his name, his voice, and aura were not as good as the other trainees who were not very popular. After his relationship with Chen Tong was announced, many fans decided to give up on him.

After the live tickets for the night of the finals were sold online, the price was speculated to be over 10000 Yuan. To witness the most critical moment of their idol, fans would desperately spend money to find channels to buy live tickets. However, on the eve of the finals, Wen Xiu's fans were selling live tickets at a crazy low price on the internet.

Chapter 363. The Song I Wrote For You

Wen Xiu's fans angrily expressed that they would no longer like Wen Xiu and did not want to see him again. Wen Xiu was not worthy of their sincerity.

As a result, very few fans came to cheer for Wen Xiu in the audience.

...

On the stage, Wen Xiu's performance was still at a high level, but his dance moves were soulless, like a puppet. His voice was also dry. In short, nothing could be remembered from the entire performance.

"What a pity," Li Yang sighed. "He was a good seedling. Why did he have to date the teacher?"

Hearing Li Yang's words, Ding Shan felt a little guilty.

Wen Xiu was not the only trainee in a relationship with the instructor. There was also Xiang Hong. However, unlike Wen Xiu, Xiang Hong's purpose in participating in this program was not to become famous, but to ... Ding Shan blushed at this thought.

The match continued, and soon, it was Mysterious X's turn.

Mysterious Person X had yet to appear, but the shouts below were getting louder and louder.

The lights instantly focused on a person.

Ding Shan looked at the stage and saw Xiang Hong in a white suit, sitting beside a white piano. He looked like a prince from heaven, exuding a charm that was more dazzling than any light.

The screams at the scene almost shot into the night sky, and countless people shouted "X" crazily.

The big screen showed a close-up of Xiang Hong's hand. He slowly raised his hand, placed his long and beautiful fingers on the piano, and started to sound the notes.

Soft music started playing, and the beautiful and romantic melody was transmitted to all directions of the venue through the top sound system.

This song was called "A song I wrote for you." Just from the name, one could tell that it was a love song.

Standing beside Ding Shan, Li Yang sighed, "Is this Mysterious Person X planning to create love songs? The songs on the three stages were all love songs. No young girl can stand him singing a love song with that face of his. No wonder he has so many female fans now. Many people say they want to marry him on the internet."

Hearing Li Yang's words, Ding Shan's emotions were a little complicated.

Indeed, Xiang Hong sang three love songs on the show, and Ding Shan was the one who couldn't stand it.

The first two love songs were related to her; if there were no accidents, this song should also have been written for her ... As Ding Shan listened to the lyrics, she became more and more confident in her guess.

"Forgive my fingers for shaking. I treated the black key as your hand. When did I start to lose control? I started to be less than myself.. did the impossible for you, played the piano, and wrote lyrics for you ...." On the big screen, Xiang Hong, who was singing, suddenly turned his head as if he was looking at someone.

Xiang Hong's gaze was intense and ambiguous, causing the entire place to erupt with crazy screams.

Some of the audience could not take the shock, and Ding Shan saw that a young lady nearby was so excited that she was about to faint.

Xiang Hong didn't need to search for her at all. He could locate Ding Shan's position in the crowd with just a glance. There was no doubt that ding Shan's beauty tonight was impossible to ignore. She was the most eye-catching existence in the night sky.

Their gazes met for a moment, and a smile appeared on Xiang Hong's face. It was as if he had confirmed that someone was still looking at him, and there was a trace of satisfaction in his smile.

Even Ding Shan was about to faint from Xiang Hong's smile, let alone the screaming fans in the audience.

"F*ck, is this guy showing off his peacock tail?" Lu Chen, who was in the best seat in the audience, was shocked. He rubbed his arms in fear, "I'm getting goosebumps. Is this a man in love? I couldn't tell that Xiang Hong was so obsessed with love!"

Yin Hui nodded in agreement. "I didn't notice it either, but I think it's pretty good for him to be like this. It's better than looking at everyone like they're all idiots."

Lin Si, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest, glanced at Yin Hui with a smile. "Don't have any wishful thinking. He will only look at Ding Shan like this. He will still look at you like he's looking at an idiot."

Lin Si's words triggered Yin Hui's self-esteem. He glared at Lin Si angrily, "No one will think you're mute if you don't speak!"

On the stage, Xiang Hong slowly played the last note. After a sentimental flute performance, the song ended.

Thunderous applause rang out in the venue.

Xiang Hong stood up and bowed to the audience in a gentlemanly manner. His movements were elegant and carried a kind of noble temperament.

After all the trainees had finished their performances, the live audience and the audience in the live broadcast room would vote. The voting time was three minutes. These three minutes were very short but seemed very long for some people.

Chapter 364. The Result

The bullet comments in the live broadcast room increased crazily in these three minutes. Many trainees' fans directly asked for votes for their idols in the live broadcast room, and ordinary viewers began to play guessing games, guessing which trainees would be the last to debut.

Many people mentioned Mysterious X's name in the speculation about the champion. An audience member said in the bullet screen, "I suddenly remember that we still don't know the true identity of this Mysterious Person X."

...

The bullet comments in the live broadcast room rolled out on the small screen next to the big screen. Ding Shan also saw the bullet comments discussing Mysterious X's identity.

She thought, "When the final results of the competition are out, will Xiang Hong reveal his identity? If the audience knew that the Mysterious X was the president of the Xiang Group, would they feel that it was magical? Then, they may think, 'Even the president is a trainee now. It seems that the competition in the entertainment industry is fierce.'

While Ding Shan's thoughts ran wild, the voting ended. The host held nine envelopes that the program team had sent up. In the close-up shot, the letters were sealed with wax seals. The letters were numbers 1 to 9 in ancient Chinese. These numbers represented the trainees' ranking.

The host seemed to be very nervous as well. She took a deep breath and opened the envelope with a '9' in anticipation and curiosity.

Standing on the stage, Wen Xiu clenched his fists nervously when he saw the emcee open the envelope.

In the past, Wen Xiu did not care about any other ranking besides first place. However, his popularity had plummeted. He knew very well that the scandal with Chen Tong had caused a significant loss of his fans. In the early stages of the finals, his vote ranking had dropped by several places. In today's live voting, his situation was also hazardous.

It's possible that he may not even enter the top nine ... Wen Xiu gritted his teeth and looked at Chen Tong with some resentment.

At first, he had hoped to get some benefits from Chen Tong, but after he got into her good books, he discovered that she had no resources in the entertainment industry. She was just a puppet controlled by the company! It was all this woman's fault.

Wen Xiu began to regret his decision. He shifted his gaze to Ding Shan, who stood beside Chen Tong.

If he had continued to attack Ding Shan, would the situation have been different? Would Ding Shan eventually be moved and fall in love with him?

When Wen Xiu saw Ding Shan's attitude towards him was icy, he gave up on Ding Shan out of helplessness and anger. However, Chen Tong and Ding Shan could not be compared.

He heard that Ding Shan had even set up her studio and would be her boss in the future. Just this point alone was much better than Chen Tong's.

At this moment, Wen Xiu's expression was constantly changing. He was usually very sunny and handsome, but at this moment, he revealed a bit of fierceness and gloominess. When the camera swept across his face, he seemed in a terrible mood.

The host announced the trainees from the sixth to the ninth place, but Wen Xiu was not among them.

Wen Xiu's heart grew increasingly colder.

He knew that he couldn't rise in the ranking with his current popularity. If he were not in the sixth to ninth place, then it would be more impossible for him to get into the top spots... All the confidence and hope in Wen Xiu's heart gradually collapsed. His ears began to ring, and he almost couldn't hear what the host said.

The host continued to announce the rankings.

4th, 3rd, 2nd.

When she heard that Wen Xiu was not in second to ninth place, Ding Shan did not feel excited or overjoyed. She was very calm.

She wouldn't be angry even if Wen Xiu left his Daoist (characteristic) path today.

Because Ding Shan suddenly understood that God had let her be reborn not to let her cling to the past but to let her get something more precious.

From now on, Wen Xiu was just a stranger to her.

Wen Xiu did not manage to deceive her in this lifetime and had even made the wrong choice. Today, he had lost the chance to escape the entertainment industry. From now on, his future in the entertainment industry will only get more demanding and challenging. There was no need for Ding Shan to continue taking revenge on him. He was not a healthy person, to begin with. After this incident, she was afraid that his mental state would collapse.

After announcing the second place, the host's voice became increasingly excited. She began to announce the first place voted by the trainees on the night of the final.

Even though many of the people present had predicted the final result, everyone still slowed their breathing and waited for the dust to settle.

"Mysterious X, first place!" The host announced loudly.

The crowd erupted in wild cheers and applause. The entire stage's lights shone and focused on Mysterious X. Golden flashes floated down from the sky. At this moment, everyone's attention was on him, as if the whole world was crowning this man.

Chapter 365. Not The Ultimate Goal

Ding Shan's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiang Hong, clapping her hands.

He did it.

...

"Ding Shan, congratulations, all three of your team members have stepped out of their daze. It's a pity that Wen Xiu didn't step out. Otherwise, it would have been four." Li Yang said to Ding Shan while clapping.

"Yeah, there's no doubt about the title of the strongest team this time." Chen Xi, who was beside them, also chimed in. I just asked the staff, and they told me that Mysterious X's votes exceeded the second place by more than 700000 votes. It's incredible."

Therefore, if there were no surprises, the total votes of Ding Shan's team members would be first.

Ding Shan wasn't too attached to the title of the strongest team. She had already achieved her goal of coming to this show. Now she was extremely popular on the internet and had a good reputation; she had also successfully changed her style in the show, letting the audience see her growth and massive potential for future development.

From now on, Ding Shan's path in the entertainment industry might not be smooth sailing, but at least it was guaranteed to be an uphill road.

After announcing the results, the emcee passed the microphone to Mysterious X, asking him to share his thoughts on winning first place.

"I haven't decided yet; let them go first." Mysterious Person X did not take the microphone.

The host was stunned for a moment, but she quickly changed the order of the interview at the last minute and let the ninth-ranked person start with his thoughts.

"I didn't expect to be able to step out of the sect. I've never been confident, but after joining Teacher Ding Shan's team, she talked to me many times. She's really like my sister. She saw the strengths of every member of our team and encouraged us to pursue our dreams, not to forget our original intentions, and not to lose ourselves. Even if I failed today, I learned much from Teacher Ding Shan's team. I'm very grateful to her. Teacher ding Shan, I love you!"

The trainee in ninth place was highly excited. Tears fell as he spoke, and his voice cracked when he shouted the last sentence.

Ding Shan was also a little surprised. She didn't expect her team's trainee to always talk about her. She stood up, took the microphone, and said, "Your achievements today result from your hard work. I believe that you will go even further in the future. All the best!" After she finished speaking, Ding Shan blinked her eyes playfully. "Also, everyone, please don't misunderstand the last sentence of this trainee."

The trainee in ninth place finally remembered what he had said. He blushed and quickly returned the microphone to the trainee in eighth place. He lowered his head and was too embarrassed to speak.

Ding Shan heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Xiang Hong.

Xiang Hong raised his eyebrows and looked back at Ding Shan.

When the trainee suddenly confessed to Ding Shan, Xiang Hong was surprised. When he heard the last sentence, he almost couldn't hold it in.

Ding Shan probably noticed the change in his eyes, so she added the last sentence to prevent the audience from misunderstanding.

However, Xiang Hong would never admit to this. Would he be afraid of a love rival? What a joke.

The other trainees gave their comments individually, and it was finally Mysterious X's turn.

The host looked at Mysterious X expectantly and was about to ask a few questions. The host knew Mysterious X was a man of few words, but it was okay if he didn't usually talk much. Today was the night of the finals, and he was in the first place. How could he not say a few more words?

However, to the host's surprise, Mysterious X took the microphone and nodded politely at the host, indicating that he would like to speak alone.

The emcee was elated to see that Mysterious Person X had something to say. This saved her the trouble of finding a topic in her mind. The emcee quickly stepped aside.

Xiang Hong was holding the microphone. The stage lights shone on him, making him look dazzling. He slightly squinted his eyes, and his expression was relaxed with a hint of sloppiness. His gaze did not hesitate to lock onto a person in the sea of people as if this person was the center of his entire world.

"First of all, I would like to explain something. I came to this show to get first place, and now that I've done it, I'm very grateful to the audience for their support. However, my ultimate goal isn't to leave the way. I'm here for a person."

Mysterious Person X's words stunned everyone present. Even the netizens in the live broadcast room were shocked. Rows of question marks flashed across the bullet screen.