Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 4

Standing so close, Liu Zimang could clearly see the fine downy hairs on Song Cheng’s face. Her round cheeks were plump with collagen, and Liu Zimang knew without even touching them how wonderfully soft they would feel.

But what she couldn’t ignore was Song Cheng’s breath, warm against her skin, like a feather brushing across the tip of her heart, tickling her senses.

In an instant, reason returned. Realizing Song Cheng was teasing her, anger flashed in her fox-like eyes. “Song Cheng!”

Two crimson blushes crept up her cheeks, adding a touch of girlish shyness and allure to her features.

Song Cheng smirked, revealing her sharp little canines. “Just as I thought. My judgment never fails.” With that, she turned and strolled toward the hammock chair, ignoring the astonished stares of the crowd and Liu Zimang’s dagger-like glares.

She glanced at the hammock chair, then casually reclined sideways, propping her head with one hand. Tilting her head slightly, she met Liu Zimang’s gaze.

Her lips moved silently, forming the words: “You’re welcome.”

Reading her lips, Liu Zimang’s hands clenched involuntarily in her lap. How can this woman be so shameless?

A slight glance to the side caught the lingering gazes of the two mentors, who hadn’t yet withdrawn their scrutiny. Song Cheng scoffed inwardly. At least the shameless one was honest, unlike these two hypocrites.

Soon, the lights began to pulse in sync with the sudden burst of music. Zeng Jiong, the host, emerged from behind the curtain and strode to the center of the stage.

“First, congratulations to the ten guests who advanced yesterday! Without further ado, let’s follow the established procedure. Our advancing guests will now draw numbered tokens to determine the performance order.”

As his words faded, a staff member approached the waiting area with a cardboard box.

According to the rules, the guest with the highest score should draw first. Since Song Cheng had scored highest among the twenty guests in the previous round, the staff member bypassed the guests seated on the sofa and approached her hanging chair to offer her the first draw.

Unexpectedly, Song Cheng waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll go last!”

Her words stunned not only the staff member but also the nine nearby guests, who gaped in disbelief.

Didn’t Song Cheng realize that the audience and judges might grow weary of the performances, making later slots more likely to be eliminated?

Having made her decision, the staff member couldn’t argue. She simply held the box out to the remaining nine guests, allowing them to draw in order of proximity.

The guests who drew middle numbers were visibly thrilled, whispering excitedly, “Do you think Song Cheng is an idiot? She had a chance to pick a good number and just gave it up!”

“Don’t overestimate her virtue. She’s just trying to show off and get Mentor Xu’s attention. Maybe he’s been ignoring her, not even giving her a glance, so she’s trying to get validation from Mentor Liu instead.”

“Huh? Isn’t she afraid of getting attacked by Mentor Liu’s fans?”

“Isn’t that just the backlash she deserves?”

Before the speaker could continue, Song Cheng’s voice cut through the air, “Discussing someone right in front of them? Is that polite?”

Song Cheng didn’t lower her voice, ensuring every guest in the waiting area heard her.

The two gossiping guests flushed crimson, their hands clenching tightly on their laps as they felt the eyes of everyone in the room turn to them.

Seeming oblivious to their embarrassment, Song Cheng added, “Oh, right! I forgot. People who do things like this probably fed their manners to the dogs.”

The curly-haired woman who had been interrupted couldn’t sit still any longer. She shot to her feet, turning to glare at Song Cheng. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Then, as if struck by sudden insight, she nodded knowingly. “I get it now! You’re just angry because I exposed you. Can you honestly say you weren’t trying to show off?”

Song Cheng rolled over, lying sideways in the hammock chair with one hand propping up her chin. “It’s amazing how your stupidity has boosted your confidence.”

“You…”

“If you can’t articulate yourself properly, go back and study some more. Save yourself the embarrassment of making a fool of yourself in public.”

The commotion drew the attention not only of the mentors but also of nearby audience members, who began pulling out their phones and rising to capture the scene.

Unfortunately for them, Zeng Jiong quickly intervened, announcing, “Next, please welcome our first guest, Chu Sijie!”

Coincidentally, the curly-haired woman was indeed Guest Number One.

She swiftly composed herself, a faint smile curving her lips—a complete transformation from her earlier snarling expression.

“That’s quite the quick change,” Song Cheng remarked honestly. “Though it looks a bit stiff.”

Hearing this, Chu Sijie nearly lost her composure, but for the sake of the opportunity, she forced herself to maintain her expression and took small, measured steps toward the center of the stage.

Before she had gone far, Song Cheng’s voice rang out again: “Hey, your pants are showing.”

Chu Sijie heard her but dismissed it as a deliberate attempt to humiliate her. As a result, during her energetic dance routine, she spent most of the performance accidentally exposing herself, drawing gasps and murmurs from the audience.

Forcing herself to finish the performance, Chu Sijie didn’t wait for the mentors’ critiques before storming off to the waiting area, glaring furiously at Song Cheng.

It was clear she blamed Song Cheng for her humiliation.

Song Cheng, however, remained unfazed. Blocking out the audience’s uproar, she rested her hands on her lower abdomen and closed her eyes, drifting into a light doze.

Chu Sijie’s disrupted performance had been stiff and awkward, earning her a composite score of only 7.5. This eased some of the pressure on the remaining contestants.

The next performer, Kim Soona, chose to sing. Her ethereal voice immediately stunned the entire venue.

Xu We, a music fanatic, visibly lit up with excitement.

Even the closed-eyed Song Cheng opened her eyes.

She quickly sensed something was amiss. She swung herself off the hanging chair and strode toward the center of the stage.

Instinct told Zeng Jiong that something was wrong—Song Cheng was about to disrupt the show. He lunged forward to stop her, but Song Cheng swiftly approached Kim Soona, leaned in, and peered around her. “You’re not making any sound,” she said. “How are you singing? Ventriloquism?”

Kim Soona panicked, stumbling backward several steps, unable to utter a word.

Yet the ethereal voice continued to fill the venue.

Realizing this, the mentors in the judges’ seats rose to their feet, and the audience members surged from their seats, chanting in unison: “Lip-sync! Lip-sync!”

The synchronized chant instantly reverberated throughout the entire production crew.

“How can they even lip-sync? How is that possible?” Song Cheng asked, genuinely puzzled.

Exposed, Kim Soona tore off her earpiece in shame and fury. “Why are you making things difficult for me?” she snapped.

Song Cheng shrugged, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Just curious.”

Liu Zimang approached just in time to hear this exchange, her lips twitching slightly. This woman is just stirring up trouble for fun.

Lip-syncing was commonplace in the entertainment industry, often arranged by production crews, though some artists undoubtedly took advantage of the practice.

But being exposed so publicly, under the full glare of the audience, was rare.

One could only imagine how furious Zhang Heng must be right now.

Liu Zimang had risen from her mentor’s seat precisely to make Zhang Heng think twice before kicking Song Cheng off the show.

After all, the woman’s unrestrained, impulsive nature had instantly won her over.

Xu We, his expression equally grim, also stood up from his mentor’s seat. “I demand a reasonable explanation.”

Zeng Jiong felt like crying. Liu Zimang and Xu We were the show’s biggest draws. If they both withdrew, the entire program would be ruined.

Ding…

He calmly pulled out his phone, read the message, and immediately slipped it back into his pocket, a signature smile playing on his lips. “Everyone, please remain calm. The production team will provide a reasonable explanation shortly. To thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend today, we’ve prepared small gifts for each of you. Please follow the staff outside to line up and collect them.”

The audience remained unconvinced.

Seeing this, Liu Zimang immediately stepped forward, took the microphone from Zeng Jiong, and said calmly, “I sincerely apologize for the unpleasant experience. However,” she continued, her tone shifting, “I believe none of you have truly lost out.”

Her unspoken implication was clear: such a spectacular scene couldn’t be bought with money.

Realizing this, the audience began to move, murmuring among themselves as they filed out.

Soon, the massive studio was nearly empty, leaving only a handful of staff maintaining order and the mentors and guests on stage.

The culprit, Song Cheng, glanced around. “You’re not leaving? Then I’m out.”

Liu Zimang felt an overwhelming urge to crack open this woman’s skull and see what was inside.

Didn’t she realize that today’s incident could very well end her own career as an artist?

Song Cheng took a few steps, then stopped, came to her side, took her hand, and resumed walking. “They created this mess themselves. Let them clean it up. It has nothing to do with us.”

Zeng Jiong: “……”

Didn’t you create this mess?

Liu Zimang found some truth in his words. Her position had been made clear; the decision now rested with Zhang Heng.

She let Song Cheng pull her toward the main entrance, her gaze fixed on his resolute back. Her eyes flickered slightly.

Soon, Song Cheng stopped, glanced around, and, not seeing Zhu Ke, quickly turned to Liu Zimang. “How are you getting back?”

Before she could answer, a white Mercedes van pulled up in front of them. Her assistant, Zhao Q, jumped out, his eyes immediately fixed on their still-clasped hands.

Zhao Q clenched his fists and charged toward Song Cheng.

Zhao Q was no slouch in a fight. If that punch landed, Song Cheng would be in serious trouble.

Before Liu Zimang could shout “Stop!” she saw Song Cheng duck slightly. In a blur of motion, Zhao Q’s arm was twisted behind him, forcing him to his knees.

Zhao Q gritted her teeth, struggling to break free. Song Cheng tightened her grip. “Who sent you?”

Liu Zimang quickly interjected, “She’s my assistant. She must have misunderstood something and attacked you.”

Hearing this, Song Cheng released Zhao Q and clapped her hands. “For the sake of this beauty, I’ll spare you this time. But if you ever try to ambush me again, I’ll break your arm.”

Zhao Q, who had just straightened up, froze. She wordlessly retreated behind Liu Zimang.

“Your assistant seems to be gone. Want a ride?” Liu Zimang asked, oblivious to the complex expression on Zhao Q’s face behind her.

“How could I refuse an invitation from such a beauty?” Song Cheng replied before Liu Zimang could finish, already sliding into the car.

Her fluid, effortless movements left Liu Zimang momentarily stunned.

Noticing Liu Zimang hadn’t followed, Song Cheng leaned out the window. “Come on!”

Liu Zimang snapped out of her daze and, heels clicking, approached the car. She bent slightly to get in, unaware that her skirt hem had caught under her heel. After just two steps, she tripped over the fabric, her body lurching uncontrollably toward Song Cheng, who had already moved to the far side of the seat.