Chapter 18

Was it a destined clash, or a fated showdown?

Stay tuned for the third performance of Era Idol this Friday night!

"Hahaha, this is about Ye Zexi and Tang Jing, right?"

"Did the two of them really end up on the same team?"

"The official preview is already out, so it can't be fake."

"I just wonder whether they were forced into a team or whether the production team arranged it on purpose."

"What old lovers? Can you stop with the clickbait? Ye Zexi's pursuit got rejected, that's all. Taking Tang Tang and leaving, thanks."

"Sugar Fans, don't take it too seriously. It's just a joke."

"Wait, Ye Zexi and Tang Jing actually have CP fans?"

"I'm just a passerby, not a CP fan, but the two of them really are pretty fun to ship."

Soon after, that GIF of Ye Zexi and Tang Jing smiling at each other was posted again.

The stage lights shone brightly, reflecting in Ye Zexi's eyes like starlight as he gazed warmly at Tang Jing.

Tang Jing seemed to notice Ye Zexi's gaze. He quickly turned back, and the two exchanged smiles.

That final smile was as brief as an epiphyllum bloom, yet stunning enough to take one's breath away.

Many netizens seeing the GIF for the first time couldn't help screaming.

"Damn, these two are ridiculously good-looking!"

"I have to say, Ye Zexi's skin is seriously so pale. I'm jealous just looking at him."

"This isn't love!? If this doesn't count as love!"

"I don't know whether they love each other, but I definitely love them!"

"Still, if you imagine them as lovers turned enemies, this pairing is seriously so shippable!"

The post's popularity kept rising. Plenty of bystanders were enjoying the spectacle and hoping for things to get bigger, but for some reason, the fan war they expected between both sides never appeared.

Whenever the occasional comment trying to stir up a fight appeared, someone would quickly step in to smooth things over and tell everyone not to take it to heart.

By ten that night, the post even had a game titled, "Bet a few packs of spicy strips on who'll win."

The game quickly drew everyone's attention, with fans and bystanders alike joining in.

More and more netizens joined. Eventually, even the solo fans from both sides participated, while the CP fans were delighted.

The fight between the two fandoms that the marketing accounts had been waiting for never happened at all. The atmosphere between solo fans and CP fans was practically harmonious to an absurd degree!

By the next day, this cheerful atmosphere had only grown stronger.

Ye Zexi and Tang Jing's personal supertopics were filled with Weibo posts like these:

"Today is the fated showdown. Repost this Weibo! After the competition, eight fans will be chosen to receive 666 packs of spicy strips, redeemable for cash. Male fans, female fans, and CP fans are all welcome!"

"Tonight's battle between powerhouses: if Tang Tang wins, six loyal fans will receive 88-yuan red envelopes! Just comment to enter!"

Even the newly created Xi-Tang CP supertopic had plenty of wealthy fans happily holding giveaways.

"Chanel lipsticks and bags, three of each. Repost to enter! Repost and win! No matter who wins, the draw will be held after the competition! Solo fans are welcome too—we CP fans aren't exclusive!"

What was clearly a head-to-head showdown had been forcibly turned by the fans into an elegant repost giveaway.

That same style carried over to the light signs and banner support that night.

The CP fans had directly made a banner over ten meters long, with several huge words written on it—"XiTang or wedding candy? Tonight will reveal the answer!"

Backstage.

Tang Jing looked at all the repost giveaways in the supertopic, his expression somewhat complicated.

He had trained through the entire night yesterday. It wasn't until he received a call from his manager this morning that he learned about this.

It had to be said, Ye Zexi's manager really was impressive.

The production team had deliberately placed Tang Jing's line—"Ye Zexi, I'm going to fight you for the center position"—at the very end to create buzz.

With a single move, Gao Shu guided the discussion and effortlessly defused the tense hostility between the fans.

In just one night, not only had the buzz around Tang Jing and Ye Zexi multiplied several times over, but Tang Jing's personal Weibo had also gained more than a hundred thousand followers!

It was just that the showdown the netizens were anticipating...

Tang Jing lowered his eyes and looked at Ye Zexi beside him.

Ye Zexi was playing with his phone, head lowered. Unlike the other contestants' nervous unease, Ye Zexi looked completely relaxed. Perhaps he had seen something amusing, because a faint smile lingered at the corner of his lips, as though he did not care about the upcoming competition at all.

Then there was Yu Yan beside him, so nervous he was just short of pacing in circles on the spot.

Among the twenty-five contestants waiting to go onstage, Ye Zexi was probably the only one who looked that relaxed.

Tang Jing took a quiet breath and put away his phone.

For tonight, he had trained through two consecutive nights.

No matter what, he had to defeat Ye Zexi today.

So his efforts would not be wasted, so his fans could win their spicy strips, and so... He Jinyun could see it.

The determination in Tang Jing's eyes grew firmer.

*

The next performance was Ye Zexi's group, and the waves of cheers from the audience grew louder and louder.

Before he went onstage, Ye Zexi's phone suddenly vibrated.

When he opened WeChat, he saw a new message.

Ye Zexi tapped into it and discovered that it was a message from He Jinyun.

He: Good luck in the competition.

This was the first time Ye Zexi and He Jinyun had chatted since adding each other on WeChat.

The corner of Ye Zexi's lips lifted as he replied: Thanks.

The staff began urging the contestants waiting to go onstage.

Ye Zexi put away his phone, walked over, and appeared on camera.

He Jinyun, who was watching the livestream, watched helplessly as wave after wave of comments flooded the screen. He reached out with one finger and, without hesitation, tapped the "Turn Off Comments" button.

The screen showed a close-up of the young man's features. His skin looked fair beneath his pink hair, and his red outfit instantly seized everyone's attention.

The stage lights dimmed.

The enthusiastic cheers from the audience reached their peak at that moment. The fans began shouting and celebrating wildly, their voices directly drowning out the background music.