End Point Reading Group
The editor, Kong Bai, stared at an email submission-a novel about officialdom titled Wild Rush-and could not help scoffing. He really did not know what to say about this sort of self-indulgent writing...
Novels these days were far too similar. There was hardly anything original, making it difficult to find a story that truly caught the eye.
He opened the email, and six thousand words of manuscript appeared before him.
His brows knitted as he kept scrolling down with his mouse.
Yet after reading for a while, Kong Bai could not help sitting up straight. "This novel actually seems pretty interesting."
Kong Bai became interested in the book. He quickly raced through all six thousand words, itching to read the next installment. This novel about officialdom had certainly hooked him.
"A fresh premise, clear writing, and a strong opening. Not bad."
Kong Bai nodded. Most novels about officialdom followed the same tired formula these days, offering nothing new, but this book felt different. It made him want to keep reading.
After thinking it over for a few minutes, Kong Bai sent a reply:
"Hello, Yun Bai. Here's my QQ contact. Message me privately if you're interested."
Yun Xiaoran leisurely enjoyed a little hot pot in the living room. The pleasantly chewy slices of fatty beef tasted incredible, and when the heat got to him, he washed them down with a glass of iced cola.
Night fell.
The upscale Yuanzhuangyuan residential complex.
"What should we do, Qingxi? Let's arrange a time to meet Yun Xiaoran and clear things up. Otherwise, even if he doesn't expose you, what if he becomes an obsessive stalker fan? If he keeps following you, your safety could be at risk..."
Her manager, Liu Yi, was weighing their options. Dressed in a sharp, professional outfit, she wore a deep frown.
Meanwhile, Li Qingxi, who was busy working on her makeup, barely reacted. She even looked a little pleased.
She had known all along that Yun Xiaoran would do something like this. He was hopelessly in love with her. How could he possibly stop seeing her just because he had gotten out of the car that day?
"Let's get him to meet us and settle this."
Li Qingxi showed no trace of guilt, while Liu Yi pulled up the arguments between the two singers' fans.
"Li Qingxi, the queen of singing!"
"Go, Shen Muge!"
"Aren't you sick? Just drop out already, hahaha!"
"You win first place once and get this arrogant?"
Li Qingxi's and Shen Muge's fans had already started tearing into each other online. Of the seven singers, those two were the most popular. Li Qingxi was known as one of the Four Little Divas, and there was already fierce competition between them.
Li Qingxi's fans had always resented their idol being ranked below Shen Muge and seized every opportunity to smear her.
Their fans therefore fought constantly. Previously, the two singers had rarely competed directly, so their fans had mostly compared album and new single sales. Now that both were taking part in I Am a Singer, they were facing off head-on.
In the previous episode, Li Qingxi had come first, while Shen Muge had only placed fifth. Li Qingxi's fans were ecstatic and mocked Shen Muge's fans relentlessly.
Faced with those undeniable results, Shen Muge's fans had no way to fight back. They could only wait for the next episode.
Li Qingxi and Liu Yi watched on a phone as Li Qingxi's sizzling leather outfit, with a tube top and hot pants, instantly set the venue alight. Her fans flooded the scrolling comments with praise such as "goddess" and "the prettiest little diva."
Li Qingxi's singing lived up to her popularity, too. She delivered a flawless rendition of a notoriously difficult classic.
"No question, she's first again!"
"Shen Muge's under pressure now!"
"Everyone else should just fight for second!"
Li Qingxi's fans were overjoyed. Even plenty of casual viewers admitted that she had sung exceptionally well, outperforming the five singers who had appeared before her. It looked as though she had first place in the bag again.
Only Shen Jin, who had yet to appear, stood a chance of threatening her.
But Shen Muge's condition in the previous round made it hard to have much confidence in her. Even her fans began cushioning their expectations in the scrolling comments:
"Go, Shen Muge! Just focus on singing your best!"
"You'll always be the best in my heart!"
I Am a Singer kept its results tightly under wraps. Even the singers had to watch the broadcast to find out the rankings.
Judging by Shen Muge's condition in the previous episode, never mind beating Li Qingxi-even avoiding elimination would be difficult.
The moment Shen Muge appeared, her presence clearly overshadowed Li Qingxi's.
Her whole look was pure, cool, and ethereal. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, viewers began posting comments:
"Muge's styling is always god-tier."
"Give the stylist a bonus!"
Seeing the reaction to Shen Muge's look, Li Qingxi, whose own style leaned sexy and cute, sneered. "What's with the act? Dressing all pure won't stop you from coming last."
Shen Muge's singing was outstanding. In this performance, she even surpassed top-tier standards. Combined with her enormous fan appeal, that made her second-place finish in this episode a foregone conclusion.
When the judges assessed their vocal performances, Shen Muge's score was even slightly higher than Li Qingxi's.
"She may have come second, but that's only because she performed above top-tier standards this time. It's not a level she can maintain," Liu Yi analyzed carefully. Shen Muge had indeed sung well in this episode, but that did not mean she could consistently perform at that level.
There was therefore no need to make a fuss.
Shen Jin went to a bar with the studio staff, but she herself only sipped two drinks. Sister Hua, her assistant and manager, along with Xiao Yuan, the driver, and the others, were in much higher spirits.
Because her father had cheated, Shen Jin deeply disliked men, and Yun Xiaoran's behavior at noon had only reinforced that feeling.
She felt disappointed, though it would be more accurate to say her heart had turned to ashes. She had picked a man at random for a whirlwind marriage, yet in the end, she still had not escaped the fate of being cheated on.
Shen Jin had changed out of her elegant, luxurious dress into a casual gray hoodie, black Langsha stockings, and tall boots. She looked just like a college student out having fun.
Yet there was little happiness on her lovely face. Above her small, delicate pink nose, her bright eyes glistened dreamily beneath the nightclub lights as she stared up at the sky.
All she felt was the world spinning around her, heavy and helpless.
"Muge, have a drink. These are all low-alcohol beers that only give you a light buzz. They won't leave your head all groggy the next day like liquor and regular beer..."
"But you still shouldn't drink too much..." Before Sister Hua finished speaking, Shen Jin reached out with her long, slender hand, took the drink, and began gulping it down.
Watching Shen Jin drain more than half the beer in one go, Sister Hua shook her head and sighed softly. Someone had to stay sober tonight to get her home.
But from the look of things, that task could only fall to her.
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