Chapter Summaries

Lai Yudong woke in the backstage lounge of the survival show Ascend to Stardom after a system transported him to a parallel world and assigned him the goal of debuting. He realized he had no singing or dancing training and was facing an impossible challenge.

• The system announced that its loading was complete, and Lai Yudong opened his eyes in unfamiliar surroundings.
• Lai Yudong recognized the backstage lounge as the site of Ascend to Stardom’s initial evaluations.
• Lai Yudong recalled that the show would train 101 contestants before viewers chose seven to debut.
• Lai Yudong realized the system had brought him to the show despite his lack of singing and dancing skills, and he stared at his unfamiliar idol outfit in despair.

Lai Yudong was forced by a system to enter the live idol survival show "Ascend to Stardom" as the Japanese trainee Miura Yuki, despite being unable to speak Japanese. He reached the stage under the scrutiny of trainees and mentors, overwhelmed by nerves as his evaluation began.

• Lai Yudong learned that completing his task could free him from the system, but failure would trigger another task.
• The system announced him as Miura Yuki from LYD Entertainment, and Lai Yudong realized he was expected to pose as an overseas contestant despite not speaking Japanese.
• Lai Yudong learned that the show broadcast continuously live and activated green mode to filter out abusive bullet comments.
• Lai Yudong walked into the studio and stopped onstage, facing the trainees and mentors as stage fright overwhelmed him.

Lai Yudong faced the mentors at Ascend to Stardom’s initial evaluation, where his nervous broadcaster-style Mandarin and cool appearance drew attention. The system started a dance tutorial, but he struggled to follow the moves and kept missing the rhythm.

• Lai Yudong introduced himself with polished Mandarin, surprising the audience and prompting guesses about his persona and talent.
• Fu Hanyu asked whether Lai Yudong had trained his speaking style, and Lai Yudong admitted that he had.
• Wu Xihe encouraged Lai Yudong to give a good performance, leaving him anxious about what talent to show.
• The system activated a dance tutorial and projected a 3D instructor with a dance-machine interface only Lai Yudong could see.
• Lai Yudong tried to imitate the instructor, but he danced out of sync and received repeated “Miss” and “Bad” judgments.

Lai Yudong endured ridicule after struggling through a dance performance, then faced an unexpected vocal evaluation. He sang Xu An’s unfamiliar English song badly, leaving his initial evaluation in further embarrassment.

• Lai Yudong finished his dance to scattered applause as viewers mocked his performance.
• Fu Hanyu and the mentors evaluated Lai Yudong, and Li Ke bluntly criticized his dancing.
• Fu Hanyu gave Lai Yudong an additional performance, triggering the system’s vocal mode.
• Lai Yudong learned that a random draw had assigned him Xu An’s unfamiliar song, “Lose Heart.”
• Lai Yudong sang the song haltingly while the viewers continued to laugh.

After Lai Yudong received an F for his performance, he learned that his embarrassing stage name, Miura Yuki, had been entered by mistake from an old online ID. Xu An, a celebrated singer, then began his performance by cracking on the first line, leaving the trainees and viewers stunned.

• Lai Yudong received the mentors’ unanimous F rating and sat in the Class F area, relieved to have finished performing.
• Fu Hanyu announced Xu An, whose arrival reminded Lai Yudong that he had sung Xu An’s song badly in front of its original singer.
• Lai Yudong asked the system about the name Miura Yuki, and it explained that a data-import error had mistaken his old Tieba screen name for his real name.
• Xu An began singing nervously, cracked on the first line, and drew shocked reactions from the trainees and online viewers.

Xu An recovered from a shaky start to deliver an emotionally powerful song, earning enthusiastic applause and another chance to prove himself for Class A. Meanwhile, Lai Yudong learned how the system had given him a place in the show and felt the weight of replacing an injured trainee.

• Xu An shut his eyes after his opening mistake and finished his song with a vivid, heartfelt performance.
• Lai Yudong led the trainees in applauding Xu An, whose expression relaxed at the positive response.
• The mentors discussed giving Xu An another test to assess his chances of entering Class A.
• Lai Yudong questioned the system about his identity, abilities, and possible upgrades, but learned that his background depended on his own experience.
• The system explained that the production team had recruited Lai Yudong at KFC to replace a trainee whose waist injury required surgery.
• Lai Yudong realized that the trainee he had replaced had a real story and felt uneasy about taking his place.

Xu An impressed the mentors with his singing but revealed that he had joined the show only to reassure listeners he had not given up on music, fearing another disappointment if he hoped to debut. After receiving Class A, he stopped beside Class F and met Lai Yudong’s eyes.

• Lai Yudong learned from the system that the trainee with the worsening back injury had used it as an excuse to withdraw and had gone to another world to complete a mission.
• Xu An performed a difficult song to enthusiastic applause, and the mentors praised his vocals while Zhu Xiuming advised him to look up at the camera.
• Fu Hanyu asked Xu An why he had joined the talent show, and Xu An explained that he wanted to show his listeners he was still singing and had not given up on music.
• Xu An admitted he feared having his hopes dashed again, and the mentors gave him a Class A ranking.
• Xu An stopped beside the Class F section instead of heading to Class A, and he and Lai Yudong unexpectedly made eye contact.

Lai Yudong struggled to speak with Xu An while maintaining his mistaken foreign-contestant persona, but Xu An thanked him for singing “Lose Heart” and explained that the song’s vocal range did not suit him. The chapter ended with the two still talking as the trainee evaluations continued.

• Xu An approached Lai Yudong and nervously asked if he could call him You Shu, leaving Lai Yudong confused and anxious about how to respond as a foreigner.
• Lai Yudong and Xu An exchanged awkward greetings while Liu Qichu began his evaluation performance.
• Xu An thanked Lai Yudong for choosing “Lose Heart,” saying that the performance made him happy because more people had heard his song.
• Lai Yudong considered how to encourage Xu An without breaking character, but Xu An told him that the song’s vocal range did not suit him.

Lai Yudong’s awkward first evaluation left him in Class F, where he struggled to respond to the energetic Liu Qichu while hiding his limited Chinese. As Liu kept chatting and the audience mistook Lai’s silence for an aloof persona, Lai realized it would be difficult to show his real personality.

• Xu An explained that Lai Yudong had sung at the wrong time and slightly off pitch, then offered to help him with singing.
• Liu Qichu received a Class F rating and sat beside Lai Yudong, introducing himself and praising confidence despite his own weak performance.
• Liu chatted continuously with Lai about the trainees’ performances, while Lai gave short, nervous replies.
• The bullet comments debated whether Lai Yudong understood Liu and described him as an aloof pretty face.
• Lai Yudong wondered how he could reveal his real personality.

Lai Yudong reflected on how his striking appearance made viewers mistake him for a cold, aloof person, then met Liu Qichu and learned that Jiang Yangfan was performing onstage. The chapter left Lai watching Jiang Yangfan’s group and wondering about the popular contestant.

• Lai Yudong considered how his looks and nervous demeanor had made the audience label him cold and aloof, though he was friendly in real life.
• Liu Qichu accidentally startled Lai Yudong, knocking him off his seat, and Liang Zhisheng checked that he was not hurt.
• Lai Yudong asked Liu Qichu what he had been excited to say.
• Liu Qichu told Lai Yudong that Jiang Yangfan, a popular contestant he had watched in 'Soft Words,' was onstage.
• Lai Yudong looked at Jiang Yangfan and the two other members of his group.

Jiang Yangfan, Zhang Mingche, and Yu Yizhen performed as a polished trio, leaving Lai Yudong worried about competing with skilled trainees for a debut spot. The mentors began individual follow-up tests, with Yu Yizhen still to perform as the chapter ended.

• Lai Yudong recognized Jiang Yangfan from his mother's favorite drama and wondered if he could get a signed photo to take home.
• Jiang Yangfan, Zhang Mingche, and Yu Yizhen impressed the audience with a synchronized hip-hop performance, and Liu Qichu loudly cheered for Jiang.
• Jiang Yangfan volunteered for the first solo dance test and showed off his skill.
• Zhang Mingche struggled through his solo dance test, missed the beat, and was not given another attempt.
• Liu Qichu asked whether Yu Yizhen would take a dance test, and Liang Zhisheng predicted that he would probably perform vocals instead.

Lai Yudong watched Yu Yizhen deliver an original rap performance that electrified the studio and won over the contestants. Liu Qichu declared that Yu Yizhen deserved a place in the debut lineup.

• Liu Qichu told Lai Yudong that dancing did not come easily to him, though he stayed optimistic about improving in Class F.
• Yu Yizhen introduced his original rap, "Dream," while viewers debated his ability and the difficulty of impressing mentor Li Ke.
• Yu Yizhen performed with a distinctive voice, fluid delivery, and commanding stage presence, earning Li Ke's attention and thunderous applause.
• Lai Yudong felt swept up by the performance and understood the appeal of debuting in a group, but remembered how far his own performance had fallen short.
• Liu Qichu excitedly insisted that Yu Yizhen had to earn a spot in the debut lineup.

Yu Yizhen earned Class A after his trap performance, while Jiang Yangfan and Zhang Mingche were placed in Class B. As the evaluations continued, Lai Yudong accidentally said the performance order was scripted on camera, and Liu Qichu warned him not to say such things aloud.

• Li Ke praised Yu Yizhen's trap performance and beat production, despite noting that the lyrics were weak.
• Fu Hanyu assigned Jiang Yangfan and Zhang Mingche to Class B and Yu Yizhen to Class A.
• Jiang Yangfan and Zhang Mingche encouraged Yu Yizhen as he left them to join Class A.
• Lai Yudong watched the remaining performances and privately reassured himself that he was not the worst trainee.
• Lai Yudong told Liu Qichu and Liang Zhisheng that the performance order was scripted, drawing the reaction cameras' attention.
• Liu Qichu quietly warned Lai Yudong that he should not say things like that on the show.

Lai Yudong watched Liang Zhisheng give a competent but halfhearted performance and receive Class C, then wondered whether Liang shared his own sense of being forced to perform. As the final group took the stage, their striking looks and sudden difference in height caught everyone’s attention.

• Liu Qichu urged Lai Yudong to encourage Liang Zhisheng before Liang went backstage to prepare.
• Liang Zhisheng performed with solid dancing and weaker singing, but his lack of effort led the mentors to place him in Class C.
• Liang Zhisheng stopped by Lai Yudong and Liu Qichu on his way to Class C, and Lai Yudong silently compared Liang’s perfunctory performance to his own.
• Lai Yudong asked the system whether he was the only tasker, and the system suggested it could adjust the number based on his feedback.
• The final five-member group appeared with strong idol presence, and their heights made an unexpectedly striking impression.

Mo Li returned to a survival show three years after debuting in Fir-Nine, hoping to reclaim his chance to perform and give himself and his fans a better ending. His group’s initial evaluations placed Mo Li, Lin Xiao, and Qu Junwei in class A, Yin Zizhen in class B, and Song Yanxi in class C.

• Liu Qichu named the five contestants in the final group, and Lai Yudong corrected his misuse of “penultimate act.”
• Mo Li recalled debuting in Fir-Nine, whose poor management left the group inactive until it disbanded.
• After the group split up, Mo Li continued training and later joined Sijia Entertainment to compete on Ascend to Stardom.
• Mo Li told the cameras he had returned because he could not accept his earlier career ending as it had.
• The production team announced the group’s evaluations: Mo Li, Lin Xiao, and Qu Junwei entered class A, Yin Zizhen entered class B, and Song Yanxi entered class C.

During the Class A Battle, Lin Xiao singled out Xu An for a main-vocalist challenge, leaving him uncomfortable and unable to refuse. Zhao Yifeng stepped in to take Xu An’s microphone and offered himself as a challenger instead, drawing the audience’s attention and criticism.

• Fu Hanyu announced that the Class A trainees would battle to decide who was qualified to stay, and Lin Xiao asked the main vocalists to raise their hands.
• Lin Xiao called on Xu An, who hesitated as the microphone was passed to him and the tense room focused on his response.
• Zhao Yifeng took the microphone from Xu An and asked Lin Xiao to consider challenging him instead.
• Zhao Yifeng argued that choosing Xu An would make for an uninteresting battle, and the bullet comments debated his motives and reputation.
• Liu Qichu wondered whether Zhao Yifeng would battle Lin Xiao, while Lai Yudong watched the hostile comments about Zhao Yifeng with surprise.

During the initial evaluations, Zhao Yifeng stepped in when Lin Xiao was about to challenge Xu An, then defeated Lin Xiao and kept his Class A place. After the remaining battles finalized the seven Class A trainees, Lai Yudong was pulled into a post-performance interview and called his own performance too awful to watch.

• Zhao Yifeng offered himself as Lin Xiao’s opponent, sparing Xu An from being forced into the challenge.
• Zhao Yifeng outperformed Lin Xiao in their vocal battle, remained in Class A, and sent Lin Xiao down to Class B.
• Mo Li defeated Qin Xu, and Qu Junwei defeated Cheng Jinghao, with both winners rising to Class A.
• The initial evaluations ended, finalizing Class A as Su Junzhe, Xu An, Yu Yizhen, Zhao Yifeng, Jin Xiheng, Mo Li, and Qu Junwei.
• Lai Yudong was taken for a post-performance interview and described his initial-stage performance as too awful to watch.

Lai Yudong struggled through his interview, giving short answers and underestimating his chances in the first-round ranking. After leaving the room, he encountered Liang Zhisheng, who asked whether the interview had included any tricky questions.

• Lai Yudong named Mo Li as the best initial-stage performer and described several trainees as impressive.
• Lai Yudong answered questions about his preferences and predicted he would rank eightieth, believing he was too confident.
• Viewers reacted to Lai Yudong’s prediction with far more confidence in his popularity than he had himself.
• Lai Yudong left the interview room, spotted Liang Zhisheng, and nodded when Liang asked if the interview had included tricky questions.

After the interviews, the trainees left the recording venue and returned to their dorms while fans and photographers waited outside to film them. Lai Yudong’s striking appearance caught the attention of a fan filming the crowd.

• Liang Zhisheng advised Lai Yudong to socialize more so he could get screen time, and Lai thanked him before they headed back to the studio.
• After all 101 trainees finished their interviews, the livestream cameras were turned off and the trainees prepared to take a bus back to their dorms.
• Fans, photographers, and onlookers waited outside the venue and called out to trainees as they emerged in groups.
• A fan filming her own idol spotted the pale blond-haired Lai Yudong and turned her camera toward him, captivated by his looks.

After filming paused, Lai Yudong worried that his unreliable agency and the survival show’s hidden power plays made debuting unlikely. When fans called for Miura Yuki, he finally noticed them and smiled, drawing cheers and a jealous remark from an unidentified trainee.

• Fans discussed Miura Yuki’s growing popularity and called out to him as the trainees left the building.
• Lai Yudong shivered in the cold and reflected on how little control talent alone gave trainees over their chances of debuting.
• Liang Zhisheng nudged Lai Yudong and told him that people were calling for him.
• Lai Yudong turned toward the fans and smiled, prompting cheers and a flurry of camera flashes.
• An unidentified trainee muttered that being good-looking was impressive, and Lai Yudong privately took the remark as a compliment.