Chapter 128: Whispers in the Spotlight

Fang Meng heard this and was shocked—was it really true?

Hugging him? That seemed a bit too much. Though the young lady usually spoke gently and amiably to those around her, she always kept her distance in matters of romance.

In fact, Fang Meng had already found it strange and surprising that the young lady had changed clothes and arranged a special meeting with Lin Zheng Ran just for this arranged marriage talk.

And then the hugging…

Even if the young lady’s claim about hugging was probably a lie, didn’t that still suggest she might feel more than just casual interest in Lin Zheng Ran because of Qian Qian?

If she really liked him…

Fang Meng sighed quietly, listening to the sisters argue again, feeling like life ahead would get pretty weird.

The idea of these two fighting over a guy like this was something Fang Meng never would have imagined before.

Night grew deeper, and no matter how intense the battle, every war eventually winds down—weariness always sets in.

At most, the sisters’ standoff lasted longer than usual tonight, but it had to end eventually.

The two Rolls Royces sped off in different directions, like the feuding sisters themselves.

In Jiang Jingshi’s car, the young lady in the silver-white gown had been all tension moments ago, but once away from her sister, her face returned to its usual calm. She didn’t seem angry about what happened—instead, she found it amusing.

She realized Qian Qian was truly starting to take an interest in Lin Zheng Ran.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have argued back so stubbornly.

Though her initial meeting with him at the supermarket was sparked by curiosity about her sister, things had evolved. Now, Jiang Jingshi knew her connection to Lin Zheng Ran was no longer just about others.

It was her own heart drawing her to him.

Recalling the moment in the cat cafe when the cats pushed her over and she ended up in his arms, Jiang Jingshi didn’t feel embarrassed—just a bit of a racing heartbeat and shyness.

Gazing at the night sky outside, amid her bashfulness, she remembered an important task. She pulled out her phone and called a subordinate she absolutely trusted.

The other end picked up quickly: “Hello, Boss Jiang?”

Jiang Jingshi stared out the window:

“Look into what Jiang Cheng has been up to lately. I want a full report on his every move, everyone he’s met, and any connections to today’s New Star Music Studio—make it thorough.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Also, create a fake version of tomorrow’s music rankings. Get some fake voters from the public to make it look real, but keep it believable.”

She added: “And hurry—have it ready by tonight.”

Though the subordinate didn’t know what Jiang Jingshi was planning, their loyalty was absolute: “Understood, Boss Jiang. I’ll get my team on it right away tonight.”

“Appreciate it. Once it’s done, I’ll have finance send you and your crew some bonuses.”

After a quick chat, she hung up and dialed Lun Jie’s number.

While Shi Di was a big star, he didn’t quite match Lun Jie’s standing in the music world. Even if Shi Di could be bribed, Lun Jie had worked with Jiang Jingshi before.

So, if there was any behind-the-scenes drama today, he’d likely spot it.

The call connected.

Jiang Jingshi smiled: “Lun Jie, are you asleep yet?”

“Not yet. What can I do for you, Boss Jiang?”

“Well, I want to discuss today’s competition with you—it’s important. I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

Once she knew what Jiang Cheng was up to, Jiang Jingshi could counter with a simple strategy.

That night, Jiang Jingshi met Lun Jie in an office. After a brief talk, he handed her a list of singers he’d secretly noted.

“These are the ones I think truly deserved to advance today. I heard Shi Di pushing through a lot, and it felt like there was some fixing going on. I figured you wouldn’t be involved in that sort of thing, since it doesn’t really help in music circles—but now I see what’s up.”

Jiang Jingshi chuckled and took the real advancement list.

“Thanks for keeping an eye out. This makes things so much easier.”

Later that evening, she sent the list of recordings to Lin Zheng Ran for his confirmation.

For some reason, she trusted him more than anyone else right now.

Once Lin Zheng Ran verified there were no issues, she felt at ease.

The next morning, Lin Zheng Ran met up with Lily and headed to the competition venue.

Today’s venue had far fewer competitors than yesterday—maybe around sixty people at a glance.

That included camera crew and staff.

Lily stood beside Lin Zheng Ran and remarked: “Wow, why so few today? Did they just cut the eliminated ones?”

Lin Zheng Ran took one look at the setup and knew Jiang Jingshi was up to something.

Sure enough, the back door soon opened, and Jiang Jingshi stepped out with the two judges, just like yesterday.

As she chatted and laughed, she glanced over at Lin Zheng Ran from afar and smiled at him.

Lin Zheng Ran smiled back.

A few minutes later, the emcee announced the start of today’s competition. The judges didn’t need to do much—the fifty contestants would perform their recordings one by one.

That way, they could post on the New Star List for online voting.

Once the competition ended, Lily and Lin Zheng Ran sat in the audience area, waiting and relaxing.

Lily scrolled through her phone at the New Star List that had just been posted. It showed voting would only last a few hours, ending at 2 p.m.

Even in that short time, thousands of votes had already poured in.

Lily was surprised: “Voting’s happening so fast! But my ranking doesn’t look great. Lin Zheng Ran, check this out!” She handed him her phone anxiously.

Lin Zheng Ran saw that Lily had only a couple hundred votes, while New Star Music Studio contestants under Jiang Jingshi already had three or four hundred.

He smiled and whispered in her ear: “Don’t worry about it. This ranking’s fake, and so are the voters. I bet they’ll redo it tonight or tomorrow—the contestant list will change too.”

“Wait, why?”

Lin Zheng Ran quickly explained the inside story from his chat with Jiang Jingshi yesterday.

Lily was stunned.

“Really? So that’s who you met yesterday—it was Jiang Qian’s sister!”

Lily felt like she’d stumbled into some big drama, sitting in the audience and watching the other fifty-plus contestants nervously eyeing their vote counts.

She swallowed hard and leaned closer to Lin Zheng Ran, whispering: “So, this whole ranking today is just Jiang Jingshi’s way to flush out traitors?”

“That’s probably it. So, no need to stress about the rankings. The real ones will drop tonight or tomorrow.”

“Whoa, this is like corporate warfare! My first time seeing it—it’s thrilling!”

Lin Zheng Ran: “.”

Just as Lin Zheng Ran expected, the final rankings ended at 2 p.m.

The top thirty-five spots were all filled by Jiang Jingshi’s and New Star Music’s people.

And right as the rankings went live, the internet exploded with posts and videos accusing Jiang Jingshi of rigging.

The views and plays were huge.

Clearly, someone had prepped videos and bought traffic, timed for exactly 2 p.m.

But these posts, which should have sparked outrage, fell flat. The comments were oddly off.

Netizen: “If my mom had a chicken, she’d be my dad: What ranking? What scandal? I don’t see anything.”

Netizen: “My dog looks like me and I look like my dog: Yeah, right. To call foul, you need a ranking first, and this one’s not even online.”

Netizen: “I shot off on Sunday so today is Monday: How’s this video getting so many views? The rankings aren’t out yet—they’re supposed to drop at 2 p.m.”

Netizen: “Holy crap, Original: I just saw the rankings! They just posted, but they don’t match the scandal ones. Names are all wrong—this must be photoshopped. Rankings aren’t even official yet.”

This twist left netizens confused, but that was minor compared to Jiang Cheng, who managed Jiang Jingshi’s music team, being completely baffled backstage.

Because this wasn’t how he pictured it—people should be furious.

Yet, the netizens now seemed like a totally different crowd from before 2 p.m.

Before, they were voting actively and questioning if there was rigging, with Jiang Jingshi even responding in comments that there wasn’t.

But after 2 p.m., it was like they’d never seen the rankings.

And what did they mean by rankings going online at 2 p.m.? They ended then, didn’t they?

Plus, when did this new ranking appear? He had no idea.

Full of doubts, he tried to investigate.

That’s when Jiang Jingshi showed up with her team, blocking his way, and said with a smile:

“Manager Jiang, where are you off to? I just noticed backstage that fifteen contestants from New Star Music Studio are suddenly ours. When did you pull them under me? Even I, the boss, didn’t know.”

The man named Jiang Cheng broke out in a sweat: “Boss Jiang, this…”

Jiang Jingshi handed him some photos:

“Taking my money and teaming up with others to set me up? You’re bold. Just a heads-up—slander’s a crime, and I’ve called the police. You’re looking at three years inside, traitor.”

Jiang Jingshi’s plan was straightforward: Since Jiang Cheng wanted people to think the competition was rigged, he’d definitely get fake votes for his team after the rankings dropped.

So, she turned it around—created a fake list, hired fake voters, and had her people mislead him into thinking it was real.

As for the new list, it was the genuine one from Lun Jie, verified by Lin Zheng Ran, posted after 2 p.m.

That made it foolproof.

Of course, the competition’s follow-up had some shake-ups because of this.

The real fifty advancing contestants were brought back on the sixth for new recordings.

Finally, they made it onto the New Star List.

The voting period was extended to a full two weeks.

After two weeks of public voting, the final results would come out.

On the sixth afternoon, after recording, Lily stood next to Lin Zheng Ran, eyeing the real New Star List: “Lin Zheng Ran, look! I’m in the top twenty!”

Lin Zheng Ran had full confidence in Lily: “It’s early yet—check the rankings tonight to see where you stand.”

“Okay!”

Out of nowhere, Lin Zheng Ran’s phone buzzed with a message.

It was from Han Wenwen.

“Brother Zheng Ran? It’s already the sixth, almost evening. Is your thing with Lily over? When are you coming to see me?”

Lin Zheng Ran replied simply: “Still busy. I’ll call once I’m free.”

Han Wenwen sent a jealous fox emoji: “Alright then. I’ll keep waiting. You haven’t even called me these past few days.”

Lily noticed Lin Zheng Ran messaging and asked curiously: “Who are you texting?”

Lin Zheng Ran was straightforward: “My girlfriend.”

Lily’s face twisted with jealousy as she looked away, assuming it was Heqing: “Fine, but can’t you chat at home? I agreed to you having two, but… not right in front of me like this.”

Lin Zheng Ran put his phone away and gently touched her head: “You’ve worked hard these past couple days. Once the rankings are out, I’ll take you to the zoo.”

Lily blushed and whispered softly to Lin Zheng Ran: “The results aren’t out yet, and I might not even win.”

“You’ll win for sure. And even if you don’t, I’ll still go with you.”

Lily hesitated but quickly rallied to prove herself, clenching her fists with confidence: “What do you mean, if I don’t win you’ll still go? If I don’t take the championship, I’d be too embarrassed. Don’t worry—I will win!”

Just then, Jiang Jingshi approached with her group. Seeing Lin Zheng Ran and Lily chatting and laughing stirred an odd feeling in her: “Little brother Zheng Ran.”

Lin Zheng Ran and Lily turned to her.

Lin Zheng Ran: “Jiang Jie.”

Jiang Jingshi looked at Lin Zheng Ran: “This competition got a bit messy, but the outcome’s good. Seven of my members made it to the New Star List. We’ll see who takes the championship. Thanks for your help this time.”

“No problem, Jiang Jie. Everyone wants a fair competition, and I just did my part.”

“Right. See you when the results drop in two weeks. I have to run—bye, little brother Zheng Ran.”

“Bye, Jiang Jie.”

After saying goodbye, Jiang Jingshi turned and left, getting into her car which sped off into the distance.

Though Lily knew she was Jiang Qian’s sister, her woman’s intuition still picked up on how gently Jiang Jingshi treated Lin Zheng Ran.

In the car, Jiang Jingshi glanced at Lin Zheng Ran through the rearview mirror.

Her slender fingers tightened.

A faint blush colored her face.

“I really didn’t want to say goodbye just yet.”