Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 7

The man’s eyes darted around as he quickly said, “I was just joking with you earlier. I’ll refund your money right now.”

Before he could finish, voices erupted from the crowd:

“That’s not what you said before!”

“Exactly! You can’t just win and never lose!”

“Right! This money belongs to us.” He glanced at Song Cheng. “I didn’t recognize your worth earlier. Consider the losses my lesson learned.”

“I agree,” another voice chimed in.

Though the fans argued among themselves, they all stood united on one principle: a bet is a bet.

Song Cheng’s last shred of patience snapped. “I seem to recall a law regarding gambling…”

Before she could finish, the man interrupted, “Fine, I’ll pay! Is that what you want?”

Without waiting for Song Cheng’s response, Zhu Ke thrust her phone’s QR code forward, leaving the man no escape.

Meanwhile, Zeng Jiong, standing on the stage, finally pieced together the full story from the snippets of conversation he’d overheard: Song Cheng had placed a bet on herself before going onstage, she’d won, and the bookmaker was trying to welch on the deal.

Liu Zimang had also figured it out. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, watching Song Cheng release the man, her lips curling into a faint smile.

This woman seems to have a thing for money.

Oblivious to being seen through, Song Cheng glanced at the number on her phone and immediately raised her clasped hands high. “Since you’ve shown some loyalty by gossiping about me behind my back, I won’t hold it against you.”

The audience stared in stunned silence.

“Alright, everyone, scatter!” Song Cheng waved her hand dismissively. Once the crowd dispersed, she handed Zhu Ke her phone. “Transfer what’s yours.”

Zhu Ke shook her head vigorously. “No, no need. I just want my initial stake back.” Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head.

Song Cheng shoved the phone into Zhu Ke’s arms. “No transfer. And don’t come looking for me again.”

She liked money, but only the money she earned herself.

She especially enjoyed taking money from men who couldn’t handle losing. Their expressions of regret and heartache brought her immense satisfaction.

Zeng Jiong, who had been watching her intently, noticed she wasn’t returning to the stage and immediately called out, “Teacher Song, it’s time for the thrilling advancement announcement. You should be on stage.”

Why is this so troublesome?

Song Cheng reluctantly turned back. She had taken only two steps when a crisp voice rang out, “Teacher Song, you just zipped past like a blur! Was that qinggong?”

Before she could answer, someone next to the girl replied for her, “Of course it was! What else could explain such speed? I saw it myself—Teacher Song barely touched the ground with her toes, and in the blink of an eye, she was right in front of that man!”

The surrounding crowd chimed in, practically deifying her.

To prevent the situation from escalating further, Song Cheng quickly raised her hand and explained, “I just ran a bit faster than usual. It’s nothing like qinggong.”

Hmph, ordinary qinggong couldn’t possibly match my speed. This is clearly the result of integrating the Sword Sect’s cultivation methods.

These matters were best left unsaid to mortals; mentioning them would only lead to endless questions.

Seizing the moment while the crowd was still stunned, she quickly turned and walked toward the stage.

As soon as she settled into place, Zeng Jiong’s voice boomed, “The scores for our ten guests are now in! Based on the overall average scores, Song Cheng remains in the lead for this round of ten-to-six, followed by Guest #3 Xu Meng, Guest #5 Meng Jie, Guest #6 Chu Mengyao, Guest #7 Song Shu, and Guest #9 Nan Shan. Congratulations to all six!”

As applause erupted, the named guests left the waiting area and gathered at the center of the stage, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Song Cheng at the center.

“To the other guests, don’t be discouraged! You can compete again next year. I believe that one day, all of you will shine brightly,” Zeng Jiong raised his voice, offering words of encouragement to the eliminated contestants.

Though ten guests were listed, only eight had actually attended today. Chu Sijie, due to her wardrobe malfunction and her promise to Song Cheng, had cited illness as her reason for absence. Kim Soona, after Song Cheng exposed her lip-syncing, had been immediately disqualified by the production team.

The two eliminated guests forced smiles, bowed deeply toward the judges’ panel, and walked off the stage.

Song Cheng wanted to leave with the others, but before she could take a step, Zeng Jiong’s voice rang out again: “According to the rules, for the upcoming top six to five round, the guests will receive assistance from the mentors once more. Each mentor can select a maximum of two guests. Of course, the selection is not binding; if a guest doesn’t wish to collaborate with the mentor who chose them, they may decline and choose another. Now, let’s invite the five mentors to begin selecting their preferred guests.”

Liu Zimang and Xu We stood up simultaneously, their gazes locking onto Song Cheng as they spoke in unison:

“Song Cheng, would you be willing to collaborate with me?”

“Song Cheng, would you be willing to collaborate with me?”

Hearing each other’s voices, they exchanged a quick glance before swiftly departing.

Liu Zimang subtly clenched her hand at her side, her gaze fixed intently on Song Cheng, awaiting her answer.

Two figures of such high status in different realms, now vying for the same person, couldn’t help but elicit gasps of astonishment from the audience and online viewers.

Blind guess: the other three mentors also want Song Cheng, but since Best Actress Liu and King of Singers Xu spoke first, they have to reluctantly give up.

Ten spicy ramen packs say the country bumpkin will choose her brother.

Twenty spicy ramen packs say Song Cheng will choose my Manna.

Twenty spicy ramen packs, I’m in.

Hey, all you guys betting with spicy ramen, time to pay up!

Faced with two mentors vying for Song Cheng, Zeng Jiong remained remarkably composed, turning his gaze to Song Cheng. “Song Cheng, both Mentor Liu and Mentor Xu have made their positions clear. Now it’s your turn to announce your choice!”

Feeling Liu Zimang’s gaze, Song Cheng smiled and declared without hesitation, “Is there even a choice? Of course, I’ll choose the beauty.”

Before the words had even fully left her lips, another wave of gasps erupted from the audience.

“How could she do that? Song Cheng, you fake fan! Rejecting my oppa!”

“How strange… I’m not surprised by this choice at all.”

“Ah… am I the only one curious whether Best Actress Liu Yinghou can tame Song Cheng, this rebellious disciple who refuses to be controlled?”

“Rebellious disciple? That’s the perfect term for her.”

“A wild, untamed treasure girl versus a human embodiment of wealth and beauty, the Best Actress who keeps everyone at arm’s length—this combination is absolutely legendary!”

Liu Zimang, unaware of the audience’s and netizens’ discussions, smiled when Song Cheng chose without hesitation, the warmth reaching her eyes. She glanced sideways at Xu We.

Expecting Xu We to be disappointed, she was surprised to see his excitement only intensify. He called out again, “Meng Jie, what about you? Will you join me in challenging Song Cheng?”

Meng Jie was the second-highest-performing guest among the six, her erhu skills exceptional.

If not for Song Cheng’s unexpected brilliance, Meng Jie’s average score would have surpassed all the advancing guests.

Meng Jie replied with a sweet smile, “It would be my honor.”

Having secured his allies, Xu We turned to Liu Zimang, his hand clutching the hem of his shirt nervously. “Sister Liu, I’ve issued the challenge. Will you accept?”

“Ah… Brother is so cool!”

“Brother is so badass!”

“Zimang, accept it!”

“Yeah, let’s dominate the stage!”

The audience’s voices rose in a crescendo, each trying to outshout the others, none willing to back down.

Liu Zimang raised an eyebrow. For a rare social anxiety sufferer to issue a challenge so boldly, refusing would be a grave insult.

Without hesitation, she declared, “I accept!”

Two heavyweight figures openly issuing challenges on stage electrified both the live audience and online viewers. Even Zeng Jiong seemed energized, his face brimming with excitement as he asked, “Teacher Chen, Teacher Yang, Teacher L, are you feeling the pressure?”

Teacher Chen Hong was the first to rise. “I’m feeling immense pressure right now,” he declared, “so I’ve decided to pass this heavy responsibility to Teacher Yang and Teacher L.” He then turned to Chu Mengyao. “Chu Mengyao, are you willing to face this pressure with me?”

Chen Hong had debuted early in his career, and his early songs had become instant classics. In recent years, he had taken a break from work to travel extensively after experiencing emotional turmoil, only returning to the screen last year after regaining his composure.

In terms of talent, Chen Hong undoubtedly surpassed the internet sensation Yang Lijun.

As for Teacher L Fe, though he had started as a singer, he had transitioned into acting just two years after his debut. However, his recent dramas had been lukewarm at best.

Comparing the three, choosing Chen Hong seemed the most logical choice.

Realizing this, Chu Mengyao nodded. “I’m willing.” She bowed deeply to Chen Hong, expressing her gratitude.

Yang Lijun and L Fe simply deferred the selection to the three guest judges.

The final teams were decided: Yang Lijun would mentor Xu Meng and Song Shu, while L Fe would guide Nan Shan.

With the teams finalized, a week of rehearsals began.

“In addition to the Six Princes’ Contest next week, our online voting will also open. We encourage everyone to participate actively! We’ll also randomly select 500 lucky viewers/fans to receive lipstick sets sponsored by Lanshan International.”

Seeing her chance to leave, Song Cheng immediately strode toward the exit. She had barely taken two steps when Liu Zimang called out to her.

Liu Zimang, her seven-centimeter heels clicking against the floor, approached her. “I’ll give you a ride. We can discuss the week’s rehearsal schedule on the way.”

How could Song Cheng refuse such an offer from a beauty like Liu Zimang?

After reaching the backstage area, Song Cheng accepted the phone Zhu Ke handed her. She glanced at the balance, confirmed Zhu Ke had transferred her share of the earnings, then pocketed the phone and said to Zhu Ke, “The beauty is driving me home.”

This was the second time Zhu Ke had heard Liu Zimang offer to drive Sister Song home. Her eyes widened in shock, quickly followed by excitement.

“Sister Hongxia asked me to return to the office. I’ll head there now!” Zhu Ke said, taking a step forward. Her occasional glances back betrayed her gossipy nature.

Song Cheng remained unconcerned, leisurely following Liu Zimang toward the underground parking garage.

After walking a short distance, Liu Zimang stopped and turned to look at her. “How much did you bet on yourself?”

“Three thousand.”

Hearing the answer, Liu Zimang’s lips twitched slightly. So she hadn’t misread the balance on Song Cheng’s phone earlier.

Song Cheng, who had once spent millions to get into the show, had vanished without a trace. The Song Cheng standing behind her now was demanding money from someone on stage for a mere thirty thousand.

“Are you short on cash?” After hesitating, she finally asked.

Song Cheng shifted slightly, moving to stand beside Liu Zimang. She nodded frankly. “Absolutely!”

Her bluntness left Liu Zimang at a loss for words. She could only purse her lips and carefully bend down to get into the car.

Once inside, Song Cheng didn’t sit next to Liu Zimang. Instead, she strode past her to the back row of three connected seats and sprawled out casually. “This is the perk of being rich!”

Her words struck a nerve with Liu Zimang, instantly transporting her back four years. Back then, she had defied her family’s plans by choosing dance academy, and they had cut off her funding.

Just as well, she hadn’t wanted to rely on the Liu Family’s money anyway, so she started working part-time while studying.

Within two months, a talent scout had spotted her striking looks and offered to bring her into the entertainment industry.

Thinking that earning money was the same no matter where she did it, and that entering the entertainment industry would also give her a chance to provoke the Liu Family, she saw it as a win-win situation and naturally accepted.

But once she entered the industry, she realized the path wasn’t as simple as she’d imagined.

To secure good roles, she had to abandon her principles, even sell her body. Unwilling to do so, she was only offered minor roles by her agent.

More than hardship, she feared being rejected.

To gain recognition, she had to stretch her time in half, dedicating even more effort and focus to honing her acting skills.

Just when she believed the director had recognized her talent and deemed her worthy of the female lead, he revealed he was only interested in her looks and attempted to coerce her into a sexual relationship. She flatly refused, and as a consequence, she was demoted from the female lead to the female lead’s maid.

Despite the female lead’s deliberate harassment, she endured it all. Fortunately, she met her veteran actor Master on that set.

Under his guidance, her acting skills improved dramatically. To help her gain wider recognition, her Master used his connections to secure her roles, starting with supporting characters, then the second female lead, and finally, the female lead.

When she won the Best Actress award, resources that had once been out of reach suddenly came knocking, eager to collaborate.

Did these people genuinely recognize her talent? No, most were only interested in the wealth she could generate for them.

So, money really did bring many advantages, just as Song Cheng had said.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Liu Zimang turned to Song Cheng, who had already closed her eyes. “You play the flute well.”

Song Cheng raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in her voice. “Of course.”

Who would have thought that she had initially been reluctant to learn the flute? If Junior Martial Uncle hadn’t suddenly decided to learn, she would never have touched the instrument.

Whether it was the frustration of only mastering one piece in three months that discouraged Junior Martial Uncle, or simply the novelty wearing off, she never saw him play the flute again.

As for her, those three months had sparked a genuine interest in the instrument. Whenever she grew tired of sword practice, she would play a tune to soothe her mind.

Perhaps it was precisely because she enjoyed playing the flute that she lingered a little longer whenever she heard music, trying to feel the composer’s joys, sorrows, anger, and delight.

Accustomed to Liu Zimang’s straightforwardness and occasional vanity, Song Cheng remained unfazed. Liu Zimang glanced at her phone to check her schedule. “Tomorrow at nine, I’ll be waiting for you at the studio.” Before Song Cheng could reply, she added, “Don’t be late. I can only spare two hours each day for practice.”