Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 25

Song Cheng looked at Liu Zimang with confusion, wondering what had caused the rift between them.

 

Liu Zimang met her gaze, then abruptly turned away, confirming that she was truly angry.

 

Why? Song Cheng scratched her head, puzzled. Was she being blamed for leaving yesterday?

 

But if she had stayed, she didn’t know what she might have done to Liu Zimang.

 

She racked her brain, trying to recall how her Junior Martial Uncle used to comfort the Little Beauty. After a long search, she came up empty. Turning to Yang Qiong, she asked, “Could you step outside for a moment?”

 

Yang Qiong tilted her head, surprised, and leaned sideways. “Why should I leave? What are you planning to do?”

 

Song Cheng’s hand instinctively moved to her waist, even though she knew her sword wasn’t there. Her expression turned serious. “Some things aren’t meant for your ears.”

 

Yang Qiong crossed her arms. “I’m your master now! Is this how you treat your master?”

 

“You’re just my teacher, not my master,” Song Cheng retorted without hesitation. “My master is someone else, and no one can ever replace him in my heart.”

 

Though her master could be unreliable at times, he had rescued her from the snowy wilderness and brought her to the Sword Sect. He had not only taught her swordsmanship but also given her a home. During her tribulation, he had even saved her life with the Soul-Returning Pearl.

 

A debt of gratitude as high as a mountain—how could she abandon her teacher and betray her ancestors?

 

Yang Qiong studied her carefully, confirming that Song Cheng wouldn’t change her mind. She stepped back. “Then I’ll always be your first teacher, forever.” With those words, she turned and left.

 

Having finally won Song Cheng over, why would she linger and risk Song Cheng changing her mind?

 

As soon as Yang Qiong left, the small music room suddenly felt vast and empty. Song Cheng walked to the doorway and gazed at Liu Zimang’s profile, sighing helplessly. “Don’t be angry. I’ll take you out to play after this is over.”

 

Liu Zimang’s tense heart eased slightly at those words, but she still didn’t turn around. “I’m not angry.”

 

Song Cheng tilted her head, pondering for a moment before saying, “Right, maybe I misunderstood.” She leaned closer, bending down to look sideways at Liu Zimang. “Date?”

 

Liu Zimang felt a flicker of excitement, though her expression remained neutral. “Where?”

 

“Where do you want to go?” Song Cheng asked instinctively. Seeing Liu Zimang purse her lips, she quickly added, “I mean, we could go to the amusement park?”

 

Before the words had even left her mouth, she slapped her hand over her lips, about to retract the suggestion, when Liu Zimang’s voice cut through the air: “Okay.”

 

“Then I’ll have Wang Dong go buy the tickets first,” she said, turning toward the table. After only two steps, she felt a warmth against her back, followed by a pair of arms wrapping tightly around her waist.

 

“Don’t move. Let me lean on you for a moment,” Liu Zimang murmured, her voice soft with a hint of bitterness.

 

Despite having played numerous lovelorn female leads in dramas and meticulously analyzing their feelings for the male leads, she had never truly understood why these characters felt such profound sorrow and despair when rejected. After all, they could have thrived perfectly well without the male leads.

 

But in this moment, she finally grasped the vulnerability and anxiety that came with liking someone. Even the slightest breeze could unsettle her restless heart.

 

She hated this version of herself—she loathed it.

 

Give up? No, she couldn’t.

 

And precisely because she couldn’t, she wanted to drag Song Cheng down with her into this abyss.

 

Song Cheng remained still, her body tense. Sensing Liu Zimang’s fragility, she lifted her hand and gently covered the back of Liu Zimang’s hand with her palm. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle everything.”

 

These words completely unleashed Liu Zimang’s pent-up resentment. She tilted her head back slightly, staring at the back of Song Cheng’s head. “You always say things like that. Do you even realize what those words mean?”

 

Song Cheng’s mind went blank, utterly confused about what had gone wrong this time.

 

Hearing no response, Liu Zimang yanked her hand away and began pounding Song Cheng’s back in frustration. “You tease me! You say these ambiguous things! You give me hope!”

 

In that moment, she unleashed all the pent-up grievances and anxieties she had been harboring.

 

Song Cheng froze, letting Liu Zimang vent her anger while reflecting on whether she had truly gone too far.

 

In her memories, all the beauties Junior Martial Uncle had teased seemed to enjoy it.

 

Where exactly did I go wrong?

 

As she pondered, Liu Zimang turned her around, forcing them to meet eye to eye. Only then did Song Cheng notice the tears welling in Liu Zimang’s eyes, her face etched with hurt.

 

She didn’t understand the poetic descriptions of “pear blossoms glistening with rain” as a symbol of beauty. All she knew was that seeing Liu Zimang like this made her heart ache, and she wanted to pull her into a comforting embrace.

 

And that’s exactly what she did, cupping Liu Zimang’s head in her hands. “I won’t tease you anymore. I won’t say anything you don’t want to hear. Please don’t be angry, okay?”

 

If her junior martial siblings were here now, their jaws would have dropped. The Eldest Senior Sister, notorious for bullying others, was actually patiently comforting someone.

 

Liu Zimang twisted out of Song Cheng’s embrace, tears clinging to her thick, curled lashes. She glared at Song Cheng. “Then who do you want to flirt with?”

 

Song Cheng fell silent.

 

Growing impatient, Liu Zimang grabbed Song Cheng’s ear. “If you dare flirt with anyone else, I—” She paused, turning her head away. “Don’t come see me again.”

 

After saying this, Liu Zimang’s heart hung suspended in mid-air. She unconsciously tapped her thumb against her palm.

 

“That won’t do,” Song Cheng blurted out instinctively.

 

“Then will you stop flirting with others? Will you keep your distance from strangers?” Liu Zimang pressed her advantage, her expression stern.

 

Song Cheng shook her head vigorously. “No flirting. I’ll keep my distance.”

 

Hearing this, Liu Zimang felt a surge of elation. She quickly suppressed the involuntary upward curve of her lips, took a few steps back to create some distance between them, and said firmly, “I contacted the director of your last drama last night. They haven’t finalized the theme song artist yet. Go try out for it.”

 

Song Cheng’s entire demeanor radiated resistance, but she feared Liu Zimang’s tears even more. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. “I’ll follow your arrangements.”

 

“Then start practicing right away. I’ll take you to meet the director afterward.” With that, Liu Zimang turned to leave, but paused at the door. Looking back, she added, “Don’t forget about the amusement park trip you promised.”

 

As she opened the door, she caught Yang Qiong’s head still turned toward the room. Realizing Yang Qiong might have overheard her earlier words, her face flushed crimson, and she hurried away.

 

Yang Qiong’s compliment died on her lips as Liu Zimang left, leaving only her retreating figure.

 

Withdrawing her gaze, Yang Qiong returned to the music room and clicked her tongue at Song Cheng, who was engrossed in her phone. “Look at you now, completely under his thumb, aren’t you?” She nodded. “Good. It’s time you tempered that stubbornness. There’s always someone better, and you can’t afford to keep butting heads.”

 

Song Cheng opened her mouth to protest.

 

“I heard about yesterday’s incident,” Yang Qiong cut in. “Emotionally, I understand, but logically, you went too far. Have you considered your family? A slight misstep in the business world could bankrupt the company your father and brother worked so hard to build.” Anticipating Song Cheng’s response, Yang Qiong raised her hand. “Don’t think losing the company means you’ll still have those two houses. What if the company’s debts are too deep? No amount of money can fill that hole.”

 

She waved her hand. “With both the Zhang and Xu families intervening, even if Huang Sheng is unwilling, he won’t dare confront them directly in the short term. Find some time to buy gifts and thank them.”

 

Song Cheng fell into deep thought. In the cultivation world, she had always acted freely during her trials. Her talent ranked among the highest in the entire cultivation world, and her diligence allowed her to dominate her peers. She never feared tough opponents; having no ties or attachments, she would simply heal her injuries and continue fighting. If she truly lacked the skill and died by an opponent’s sword, she would chalk it up to bad luck.

 

But this wasn’t the cultivation world, and she now had the family she had always longed for. If she continued acting as she had in the cultivation world, she might indeed put her family in a difficult position, as her teacher had warned.

 

Her parents, fully aware of the potential consequences of her breaking Huang Sheng’s leg, showed her no blame whatsoever, only concern for her well-being.

 

For that reason alone, she couldn’t allow them to be put in a difficult situation.

 

“Alright, class is starting,” Yang Qiong said, a rare hint of satisfaction in her voice as she saw Song Cheng had taken her words to heart.

 

In this vast world, there are countless talented individuals. Why haven’t they all reached the pinnacle? The reasons are both internal and external. She didn’t want her most promising student to have her wings clipped by external forces.

 

Song Cheng immediately focused her thoughts, leaning quietly against the table to listen to Yang Qiong’s explanation.

 

Having vaguely heard that Song Cheng had an audition that afternoon, Yang Qiong adjusted the lesson plan to focus on pronunciation techniques.

 

She had noticed minor flaws in Song Cheng’s pronunciation during previous lessons. While these didn’t significantly detract from the overall listening experience, achieving true excellence required meticulous refinement.

 

The three-hour lesson flew by. As Yang Qiong opened the door to leave, she found Liu Zimang waiting outside.

 

Recalling Song Cheng’s performance that day, she casually gave Liu Zimang a thumbs-up.

 

Faced with this praise, Liu Zimang immediately remembered her earlier threat to Song Cheng, her face flushing hot again. Fortunately, Yang Qiong didn’t tease her further.

 

After watching Yang Qiong leave, Liu Zimang noticed Song Cheng hadn’t come out yet. She turned away from the wall, about to head inside, when she spun around and collided straight into Song Cheng’s arms.

 

“Twice. You’ve already thrown yourself into my arms twice today,” Song Cheng said, lifting Liu Zimang’s chin with a hand and leaning in close, closing the distance between them. She could see the fine down on Liu Zimang’s face and smell the sweet fragrance of her lips, making her press closer still. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

 

Liu Zimang’s eyelashes fluttered, a blush creeping uncontrollably across her cheeks. She tried to look away, but Song Cheng wouldn’t let her, forcing her to meet those dark, clear eyes.

 

Those eyes, like swirling pools, drew her in, tugging at the strings of her heart.

 

A slight tilt of her head brought Song Cheng’s adorable nose into view, beneath which lay those soft, pink lips she had tasted before, lips that carried a delicate fragrance.

 

She leaned forward involuntarily, Song Cheng’s unique aura enveloping her. The scent of Song Cheng filled her nostrils, clouding her reason. She swallowed unconsciously.

 

The person she held dearest was now within arm’s reach. All pretense of composure and restraint vanished from her mind. She wanted only to claim the person before her as her own.

 

She closed her eyes and kissed Song Cheng. In the brief moment of Song Cheng’s surprise, she tentatively explored with her tongue, wanting to deepen the kiss, but Song Cheng quickly took control.

 

She could clearly feel Song Cheng’s breathing quicken. One hand intertwined with hers, while the other wrapped around her waist, pressing her against the wall. With a deft flick of her tongue, Song Cheng pried open her lips, chasing after her retreating tongue. The hand around her waist tightened, drawing their bodies into a seamless embrace.

 

Song Cheng’s forceful dominance left her no escape, like a fish out of water, gasping helplessly as she surrendered to her demands.

 

What humiliated and infuriated her most was the utter weakness of her own body. If not for Song Cheng’s support, she would have collapsed to the ground long ago.

 

Just as her inner longing began to bloom, Song Cheng released her, her voice slightly hoarse: “Dare to do that again?”

 

Disappointed yet yielding, she leaned against Song Cheng, her cheeks flushed crimson. The strange sensations coursing through her body made her afraid to move, lest Song Cheng notice something amiss.

 

That woman has no filter! If she found out and blurted it out, I’d die of embarrassment!

 

Unbeknownst to her, Song Cheng was equally afraid to move. A sudden wave of exhaustion forced her to stop, pulling her back from the brink of losing control and reminding her once again of the potency of the Beauty’s Blade.

 

Instinctively, she wrapped her arm around the Little Beauty’s shoulder, silently chanting the Heart-Clearing Mantra to purge the mental clutter from her mind.

 

Yet she had underestimated the desires simmering within her. The lewd thoughts in her mind only intensified. Gritting her teeth, she straightened the girl in her arms and turned away. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said, then fled without waiting for Liu Zimang’s reply.

 

Rushing into the restroom, she frantically splashed water on her face, but it did little to calm her. Tilting her head, she gulped down two mouthfuls from the faucet.

 

She wanted to swallow, but something felt wrong.

 

Cursing under her breath, she turned off the faucet and walked into a stall. Leaning against the door, she texted Zhu Ke: Bring two bottles of water to the restroom, quick!

 

While waiting, she chanted the Heart-Clearing Mantra and focused on her breathing. She couldn’t forget that she had serious business to attend to later.

 

If her body betrayed her and she performed poorly, that little fairy would surely cry again.

 

“Sister Song?” Zhu Ke called out as she approached. Her jaw dropped when she saw Song Cheng leaning against the stall door.

 

Song Cheng opened her eyes and snatched the water bottles from Zhu Ke’s hands. Ignoring Zhu Ke’s bewildered expression, she stormed out of the restroom and began chugging the water.

 

After downing both bottles, combined with the lingering effects of the Heart-Clearing Mantra, she finally managed to purge some of the lewd thoughts from her mind.

 

“Sister Song, I’ll bring extra water to the music room tomorrow. Or you can just ask me directly if you’re thirsty, no need to come to the restroom.” Zhu Ke trailed off, afraid of upsetting Song Cheng.

 

“Stop with your ridiculous ideas. I’m leaving now.” Before Zhu Ke could finish, Song Cheng strode toward the music room.

 

As she rounded the corner, she saw Liu Zimang approaching.

 

Liu Zimang’s cheeks still flushed from her earlier arousal, lending her a rare, delicate charm. The mole beneath her exquisite collarbone seemed to glow with renewed radiance, as if freshly nourished.

 

I want to take her home and hide her away, Song Cheng thought suddenly. I want to be the only one in her eyes.

 

The thought startled her. In the cultivation world, she had seen countless beauties more striking than Liu Zimang. Yet when dealing with such worldly figures, her interactions had been limited to amusement or appreciation, with perhaps a touch of mischievousness.

 

But Liu Zimang was different. Initially, Song Cheng had treated her like any other beauty in the cultivation world, teasing her for amusement. But somewhere along the way, things had changed. No longer was it about settling scores. Even though she remembered Liu Zimang’s threat to sue her, in the end, she had merely pinched Liu Zimang’s waist lightly on stage and let it go.

 

Even in the music room earlier, seemingly harmless words had stirred a flicker of unease in her, a fear that Liu Zimang might truly stop paying her any attention.

 

Her intuition told her that Liu Zimang was different from anyone else she knew.

 

But exactly how different, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

 

Liu Zimang approached and immediately noticed Song Cheng’s absentmindedness. She puffed out her cheeks slightly. “Song Cheng.”

 

Hearing Liu Zimang’s voice, Song Cheng quickly looked up, her pale lips now fully exposed.

 

Liu Zimang lifted her hand and gently pinched Song Cheng’s chin, then lowered her head to rummage through her bag with one hand. Sensing Song Cheng’s attempt to move, she warned, “Don’t move.”

 

Finding her lipstick, Liu Zimang carefully applied it. “What’s wrong with you? You look so weak. I’ll take you to the hospital after this.”

 

Song Cheng immediately protested, “I’m not weak.” She avoided Liu Zimang’s gaze, offering a flimsy excuse. “I probably just didn’t sleep well last night.”

 

Liu Zimang stepped back to admire her work.

 

With the lipstick, Song Cheng’s complexion instantly brightened. Her full lips, now tinted a vibrant orange-red, gained an extra touch of charm, resembling a tempting mandarin orange that made Liu Zimang want to take a bite.

 

Liu Zimang, show some restraint.

 

After mentally scolding herself several times, she finally suppressed the urge and strode out of the room first.

 

Song Cheng glanced back at Liu Zimang’s retreating figure before finally following.

 

Meanwhile, news of Song Cheng’s audition at Audio-Visual Entertainment, personally overseen by renowned Director Wang for the theme song of “Ning’an,” had set the internet ablaze.

 

Ah… this is insane! It’s really insane! I can’t deny Song Cheng’s performance on Talent Clash was decent, but even at her best, she can’t compare to professional singers.

 

Exactly! Two of my favorite established singers were rejected. I refuse to believe this scandal-ridden country bumpkin Song Cheng could possibly be chosen.

 

I agree. Director Wang is famous for his impartiality. Even if Song Cheng got her foot in the door through Liu Zimang’s connections, she’ll be kicked out eventually. I don’t understand what Liu Zimang is trying to do. Is losing face with Director Wang for some country bumpkin really worth it?

 

You guys are behind the times! The latest news is that Liu Zimang has acquired Phoenix Sky Entertainment, Song Cheng’s agency. I bet Liu Zimang is trying to rebrand herself, hence this brainless push to make Song Cheng the top trending topic. Does she really think a country bumpkin like Song Cheng deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as veteran singers? Oh, wait, I misspoke. Song Cheng does deserve one thing: the right to shine the shoes of veteran singers.

 

Hahaha, harsh but true! When Liu Zimang and Song Cheng suffer a crushing defeat, I’m buying firecrackers to celebrate.

 

Upon receiving Zhang Yux’s message, Liu Zimang immediately opened Weibo to check the trending topics. After reading through the online discussions, she calmly put her phone back in her pocket and went straight to the reception desk at Audio-Visual Entertainment, clearly stating her purpose. Guided by the receptionist, she and Song Cheng were led to the audition room.

 

“Ziman’s here!” Ba Yu, the music producer in charge of the audition, turned around and immediately stood up when he saw Liu Zimang. He approached her and extended his hand. “Welcome.”

 

Song Cheng found that suddenly outstretched hand extremely irritating.

 

Whether out of politeness or professional necessity, Liu Zimang couldn’t refuse Ba Yu’s handshake. She gave it a perfunctory squeeze and immediately withdrew her hand.

 

Even so, Song Cheng remained displeased.

 

Sensing the sudden chill emanating from Song Cheng, Liu Zimang turned to her and shot her a warning look: Don’t mess this up. If you ruin this, you’ll regret it.

 

Only then did Song Cheng reluctantly avert her gaze, refusing to look at that hand.

 

Seeing this, Liu Zimang let out a slight sigh of relief and managed a faint smile. “This is Song Cheng, whom I mentioned to Director Wang,” she said, glancing sideways at Song Cheng. “And this is Chief Producer Ba, who’s in charge of the film’s music.”

 

Ba Yu nodded at Song Cheng with a smile and extended his hand. “I’ve heard so much about you,” he said. “Everyone says your music has a distinct personal style. I’m really looking forward to working with you.”

 

Song Cheng’s lips twitched into a perfunctory smile as she shook Ba Yu’s hand, quickly withdrawing it after a brief, polite gesture, just as she had with Liu Zimang.

 

Ba Yu seemed accustomed to such brief handshakes. He retracted his hand naturally and said, “To be honest, while I’m in charge of the music, neither Director Wang nor I have the final say on personnel.” He stepped aside, revealing a middle-aged man leaning back in a chair. “He wrote the lyrics and composed the music. We need his approval.”

 

Liu Zimang turned to Song Cheng, her eyes asking for her opinion.

 

Song Cheng shrugged indifferently and was about to speak when the man, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his hazy eyes. When he caught sight of her, he immediately stood up from his chair. “You’re Song Cheng?”

 

The man hurried forward, quickly retracting his outstretched hand and wiping it repeatedly on his clothes before extending it again. “Hello, I’m Gong Lin. I really love your singing. I—” He scratched his head shyly. “I’ve never been satisfied with the melody of my song. It always felt like something was missing. Hearing you sing gave me a huge inspiration.”

 

His reaction and words left Ba Yuzheng stunned. Gong Lin had been dismissive of all the previous singers, even though several were renowned vocal powerhouses. Following the principle of maintaining good relations even if collaboration failed, Ba Yuzheng had specifically instructed Gong Lin to be polite to the singers. But how had Gong Lin responded? He completely ignored the advice, refusing even to give them a proper look. Ba Yuzheng had assumed this was just Gong Lin’s personality, but now he realized it was blatant preferential treatment.

 

In contrast to Gong Lin’s enthusiasm, Song Cheng remained aloof. She frowned slightly and asked, “Did you write both the lyrics and the music for that song?”

 

The lyrics were so fiery, yet the man before her was so unkempt. She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt.

 

Gong Lin didn’t take offense at the skepticism. He continued scratching his head and nodding. “Yeah, I wrote it all,” he said, lowering his head. “Compared to composing, I’m definitely better at writing lyrics.” He suddenly looked up. “Is it… not good?”

 

Song Cheng took a step to the side, unfolded the sheet music Liu Zimang had given her, and circled two spots with her finger. “Make these two adjustments,” she said, “and it’ll sound even more electrifying.”

 

Her words not only captivated Gong Lin but also drew Ba Yu, who had been chatting with Liu Zimang, over. Ba Yu was even more excited than Gong Lin. “How should we change it?”

 

Song Cheng immediately began humming the revised melody. The two music enthusiasts’ eyes lit up as they heard the improved tune. Gong Lin pointed at the sheet music with trembling fingers. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly the feeling I wanted! Idol, you’re amazing!”

 

Song Cheng: “……”

 

Liu Zimang: “……”

 

Ba Yu: “……”

 

Was this a voice audition or a Song Cheng fan meet-and-greet?

 

Yet Song Cheng, the person in question, showed no trace of idol consciousness. “Should we continue the audition?” she asked.

 

Ba Yu was about to speak when Gong Lin cut him off. “With Idol here, one is worth three! No need to audition—my song will be sung by Idol!”

 

Ba Yu: “……”

 

What happened to your righteous principles? Didn’t you say this song was like your own daughter? Who would give their daughter away without any assessment?

 

Liu Zimang cleared her throat and stepped forward. “Maybe we should still do a quick test, just to give everyone a sense of what to expect.”

 

Ba Yu agreed that this would be the safest approach. He was about to offer some comforting words when Gong Lin plopped back into his chair, snatched up the headphones, and muttered, “Don’t believe in my idol? Just wait till she proves you wrong!”

 

Ba Yu’s lips twitched. Confirmed: Song Cheng’s brainwashed fanboy.

 

Despite his amusement, Ba Yu didn’t forget the task at hand. After escorting Song Cheng to the audition room, he hurried back to Gong Lin, grabbed the headphones from the table, and slapped them on, afraid of missing any brilliance.

 

Liu Zimang leaned casually against the wall behind them, her nervousness tempered by unwavering faith in Song Cheng.

 

When they’d gotten out of the car, she’d asked Song Cheng if she was confident. Song Cheng had simply assured her, “Don’t worry.”

 

How could she truly not worry? It wasn’t until she heard Song Cheng’s revised melody that her anxieties completely dissolved.