Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

At 7:30 in the morning, Xu Qingya's bedroom curtains were drawn tightly shut, with only a thin sliver of light letting in.

When Jiang Fan woke up, Xu Qingya was still asleep.

Last night's clothes were scattered on the floor—

His shirt was at the foot of the bed, Xu Qingya's bra was hanging on the doorknob, and two high heels were in the entryway and the bedroom door, separated by the entire hallway.

The battle lines have been stretched long enough.

Jiang Fan picked up the shirt and put it on. As he was buttoning it up, his phone vibrated.

Li Cheng: Your flight is at 2:40 PM. Are you coming directly to the company, or should we pick you up?

Jiang Fan glanced at the time and replied, "I'll go straight to the company."

He bent down and touched Xu Qingya's forehead. The person snorted, turned over, and continued to sleep.

Jiang Fan took a shower and then took a taxi back to his apartment.

My apartment was cold and deserted. On the coffee table sat a half-empty glass of water from a few days ago, now covered in dust.

Jiang Fan dragged his suitcase out of the closet and threw in a few changes of clothes and a charger.

I zipped up my jacket and went out.

-

2:15 PM, Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2.

Zhou Yutong walked ahead, dragging her suitcase, while Jiang Fan and Shen Nian followed behind, wearing masks and baseball caps.

As the plane taxied, Shen Nian put her earphones in and played the accompaniment to "Invisible Wings".

Jiang Fan glanced at her sideways.

Last time in Flying Star City, she sat in her seat fidgeting with her fingers, her shoulders tense.

This time, I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and gently nodded to the beat, feeling very relaxed.

Jiang Fan leaned against the window, looking at the clouds below the wing.

The second episode is the challenge.

He had studied the competition format—two of the singers eliminated in the previous season would return as challengers.

The challenger chooses their own opponent, and the jury votes to decide the winner.

The challenger won, and the contestant who ranked last in both rounds was eliminated.

Shen Nian won first place in the first episode, so it's impossible for her to be at the bottom of the overall rankings after two episodes. The risk of being eliminated is almost zero.

The challenge tournament is just an appetizer; the ranking tournament is the main course.

-

Star City, the same hotel as last time.

At 8 p.m., the three of them checked in.

In the elevator, Zhou Yutong asked, "Brother Fan, what time is rehearsal tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning. Two rehearsals are enough. Don't sing more than that; protect your voice."

Shen Nian hummed in agreement.

The elevator arrived, and the three of them got out.

Two people were talking at the end of the corridor.

A middle-aged man in a suit and a young girl with her hair in a ponytail.

Zhang Yihan and her agent.

Upon seeing Jiang Fan and the other two, Zhang Yihan's gaze swept over them, lingering on Shen Nian's face for a second before shifting to Jiang Fan.

"Teacher Jiang, what a coincidence."

"Mm." Jiang Fan nodded without stopping.

The three walked over, and behind them came the low voice of Zhang Yihan's manager, but they couldn't hear what she was saying.

Once inside the room, Zhou Yutong pushed her suitcase to the corner and moved closer.

"Brother Fan, I think Zhang Yihan's smile is a bit off."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Zhou Yutong gestured, "It's just... kind of like mockery."

"You're overthinking it." Shen Nian took off her hat, her hair falling loose over her shoulders. "They were just being polite."

"Sister Nian, you're just too kind."

Jiang Fan leaned against the door frame and didn't participate in the conversation.

Get some rest. See you tomorrow.

Goodnight, Brother Fan.

"Goodnight." Shen Nian's voice drifted from inside the room, tinged with sleepiness.

-

At the same time.

Xingcheng, a private club on the banks of the Xiangjiang River.

The private room is on the top floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the Xiangjiang River at night.

A table laden with exquisite Hunan dishes was laid out, the steam from the steaming fish head with chopped chili peppers still rising, the aroma of chili peppers mingling with the fragrance of tea.

The man sitting in the main seat was in his early fifties, his hair was neatly combed, and a Rolex watch chain was visible through the cuff of his suit sleeve.

Qin Wanhao.

Chairman of Universal Entertainment.

Tang Yingxue was sitting opposite me.

She wore a dark green silk shirt today, her hair was up, and she had a pair of Bulgari earrings on her ears.

"Yingxue, try this, it's their signature dish." Qin Wanhao placed a piece of fish on her plate.

Tang Yingxue smiled, took it, and put it in the bowl.

"President Qin invited me to dinner today, so please just say what you need to say."

"Yes, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

When Zhang Yihan returned from Changsha last time, she spent more than two hours in his office, and all she talked about was one thing—she wanted to be number one.

Tang Yingxue didn't say anything, but picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"Yihan has been signed with us for three years, and we've given her a lot of resources, but she's always been missing a breakout moment." Qin Wanhao tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"The Voice of China is a good opportunity. She got third place in the first episode, which isn't bad, but she's still a bit behind Shen Nian and Chen Hao."

"Does President Qin want her to get first place?"

"I don't expect her to be first every time." Qin Wanhao leaned back in his chair. "But this time, I hope she's first."

Tang Yingxue put down her teacup.

"Shen Nian received 504 votes in the first round, while Yi Han received 423 votes. That's a difference of eighty votes, which is not small."

"So I made some preparations."

Qin Wanhao took out his phone from the inside pocket of his suit, swiped twice, and turned the screen around.

"Of the thousand-person hearing panel, I've already bribed three hundred of them."

Tang Yingxue glanced at the list on the screen but didn't reply.

"Of these three hundred people, no matter who sings the best, the votes will all go to Yihan." Qin Wanhao put his phone away.

"Of the remaining 700 people, as long as Yihan performs normally, getting another 300 votes shouldn't be a problem."

Tang Yingxue remained silent for a few seconds.

A cruise ship sailed past the window, its lights casting a long reflection on the river.

"Mr. Qin, buying tickets is a risky business."

"Don't worry, it's all old ties. I also have people on the production team." Qin Wanhao picked up his glass and swirled it. "Yingxue, Universal is practically your second home. I've never treated you unfairly for getting to where you are today in this industry."

That's a polite way of putting it, but the meaning is very clear.

Tang Yingxue debuted with Universal Music, and her first album was funded by Universal.

The first Golden Melody Award nomination was also a resource funded by Universal Music.

"What do you want me to do?"

"When you're giving feedback, say a few good words for Yihan. As for Shen Nian—" Qin Wanhao paused, "You did a great job last time."

Tang Yingxue's finger circled the rim of the cup.

She did indeed suppress some votes when she questioned Shen Nian's "story bonus" during the last live stream.

"I'll be more careful this time," Tang Yingxue said. "But whatever the outcome, this has nothing to do with me. If anything goes wrong, Universal Pictures will take responsibility."

Qin Wanhao smiled, his teeth shining white under the light.

"Yingxue, when have you ever seen me not do things properly?"

He raised his glass.

"Come on, have a drink."

The two cups clinked together with a crisp sound.

Tang Yingxue took a sip of wine and looked out the window at the river.

Shen Nian.

The girl I met once a year ago at her private party.

Hua Xingyu brought her there and introduced her as his colleague, but his eyes were full of possessiveness.

Everyone knows what happened next.

But Hua Xingyu was someone she brought into the circle.

Add to that the pressure from Qin Wanhao—

Tang Yingxue drank the rest of the wine in her cup in one gulp.

"Mr. Qin, what song is Zhang Yihan going to sing this episode?"

"It's a new song, written by a top-notch producer, and a lot of money was invested in it."

Tang Yingxue nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Three hundred guaranteed tickets, a new song with a hefty budget, plus her cooperation as a mentor—

Shen Nian wanted to take first place again.

difficult.