A Taste of Fame
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A New Opportunity
Two weeks after Yan Shuxin's arrival, tension inside StarBridge was at an all-time high. Evaluations ran longer. Tears were more common. Smiles disappeared.
Yining held herself together — barely.
One morning, as she tied her shoes for morning drills, Coach Mei entered holding a clipboard. "Lin Yining. Jiang Ruoxi. Min Yuri. Report to the 4th floor conference room."
Yining froze.
"The 4th floor?" Yuri whispered. "That's where the boardrooms are."
"Let's go," Ruoxi said calmly, but even she looked curious.
When they entered the room, they found Director Duan, a tall man in his 50s with silver-rimmed glasses, speaking with Yan Shuxin.
"This is her?" Director Duan looked at Yining. "She has a fresh look."
"She lacks polish, but there's raw presence," Shuxin said, folding her arms. "I warned you. She's green."
"But promising." Director Duan smiled. "We're doing a small stage at the Hunan Youth Festival. Not televised, but streamed. I want three trainees from StarBridge. She's one."
Yining's eyes widened. "Me?"
Shuxin turned her sharp eyes on her. "Don't look so shocked. You want to debut, right? Then get on stage."
---
Preparing for the First Step
The festival was in six days.
The assigned song was a cheerful, high-tempo pop track with difficult footwork and fast harmonies. It was originally performed by a five-member girl group. Now, three girls had to make it work.
"I've never done a trio version," Yuri said, wiping sweat from her forehead on day one of practice. "This is hard."
"I'll take the center if no one else wants it," Ruoxi offered — but then added, "Unless Yining wants to try."
Yining paused. "I do."
Ruoxi nodded. "Then earn it."
That night, she stayed in the studio alone, repeating her lines again and again until her voice cracked. She recorded herself dancing on her phone, watching her shoulders slump in the turns.
It wasn't enough.
---
Sabotage and Jealousy
Two nights before the performance, someone posted an anonymous comment on a trainee gossip forum:
> "Lin Yining is just a pretty face. Wonder who she's sleeping with to get the public slot."
It spread like wildfire.
Whispers reached her ears in the cafeteria. Zhenzhen smirked every time they passed. Even some B-class girls began to act cold.
Yining held her head up.
Ruoxi found her sitting alone that night in the laundry room.
"You saw the posts?"
"Yeah."
"Ignore them. You think talent rises on its own in this world?" she scoffed. "People only believe what makes them feel better about their failure."
Yining didn't reply. She just clutched the fabric softener bottle so tightly it bent.
Ruoxi stood. "Good. Let them talk. We'll let the stage answer them."
---
The Festival Day
The backstage of the Hunan Youth Festival was nothing like the company.
Color. Noise. Stage managers barking orders. Stylists running with hot curlers.
For the first time in weeks, Yining saw people outside the StarBridge bubble.
"No turning back now," Yuri whispered as a makeup artist adjusted her earrings.
They peeked at the audience. Not huge — maybe 300 people — but it felt like 3,000.
And the stage lights were blinding.
Ruoxi grinned. "Showtime, girls."
---
On Stage
The music began.
Yining stood center, back straight, hands curled by her side.
First beat — she stepped forward.
Her voice came in smoothly, her eyes fixed just above the crowd, as Ruoxi had taught her.
By the chorus, they were in perfect sync. Ruoxi on the right, Yuri on the left — and her, the center.
She felt it. The crowd energy. The sweat on her neck. The moment when her body moved on instinct and not fear.
By the final note, she was smiling.
It was real.
They bowed, and the lights dimmed.
Applause followed — hesitant at first, then louder.
---
Backstage Words
Director Duan approached after the show. "Not bad, Lin Yining. You stood out."
Yining flushed. "Thank you, sir."
Yan Shuxin, watching from behind, said nothing — but her mouth curved ever so slightly.
Ruoxi leaned in and whispered, "See? The stage knows."
---
The Aftermath
That night, the performance clip went mildly viral on a student video-sharing site. Comments poured in.
> "Who's the center girl? She has something."
"She's not the best singer, but I couldn't look away."
"Yining... never heard of her before. New fave!"
The next day, Shuxin summoned her alone.
"You stood out. Barely."
Yining blinked.
"You have no name, no power, no label protection. The moment you slip, they'll forget you exist."
"I won't slip."
Shuxin studied her, then tapped a folder on the table. "That's good. Because I entered you in the preliminaries of "The Rising Star League"."
Yining froze.
"That's a national competition. Hundreds of trainees. Debut spots are given to top finalists. You wanted a real stage?"
Yining took a breath.
"I'm ready."
---
The Rising Star League Begins
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8 Months Later – The Nation Watches
"It's been eight months already?"
Yining sat in the practice room, stretching her legs as she stared at her notebook — now filled with song lyrics, old feedback, and worn-out hope.
The building buzzed with tension.
The Rising Star League, the most-watched national trainee competition, was about to begin. Hundreds of hopefuls from big and small companies had gathered in the capital for auditions.
And Yining was one of them.
---
The Glittering Lie
The venue was massive — an old broadcasting studio renovated into a sleek stage for the show.
Cameras, stylists, producers, idols, managers.
The glamor stunned her — but only for a moment.
"Wow," whispered Yuri, clutching her bag. "This is on another level."
Ruoxi gave Yining a firm look. "Don't get distracted. The lights blind people for a reason."
Yining nodded, but her heart was pounding.
She entered the trainee waiting lounge — a glossy room full of mirrors, whispers, and competition.
Everyone looked perfect.
Then she saw her: Luo Ziqing .
Red lips. Long lashes. A thin smile.
She walked by, heels clicking, and whispered to no one in particular, "Some people practice. Others just know how to use connections."
Yining felt her chest tighten.
---
The Trap of Director Han
Later that night, as she left the rehearsal floor, a PA stopped her.
"Director Han wants to see you. Alone. Conference Room B."
Yining's gut twisted.
She remembered Ruoxi's warning: "Not all offers are real. Some are traps dressed in invitations."
Still, she went — warily.
Inside the dim room sat Director Han, an older man with gold chains and a lazy grin.
"I saw your preliminary footage," he said, licking his lips. "You've got raw charm. Not many have that."
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"I have power over which girls get good screen time. Ever hear of 'bonus scenes'?" He leaned forward. "I could give you one. If you're... cooperative."
Yining stepped back. "No, thank you."
He chuckled. "It's just dinner."
She bowed stiffly and left without another word — her fists clenched.
Back in her room, she didn't cry. She practiced.
---
Trainees Who Take Shortcuts
The next morning, news spread that Luo Ziqing was trending after a special teaser clip released by the show featured her seductive dance in slow motion — even though the real evaluation hadn't aired.
"How'd she get in the teaser?" Yuri whispered.
Ruoxi snorted. "How do you think?"
Yining didn't comment.
But when she passed Ziqing in the hallway, the girl winked. "Still working hard, Cinderella?"
---
A Glimpse of the Male Lead
During tech rehearsals, Yining was assigned a vocal booth next to a male trainee.
He wore a black cap low over his face, earbuds in, humming a soft tune. His voice was deep, clean, and emotional.
He noticed her glance and gave a short nod — then returned to his music.
Yuri noticed. "That's Gu Feizhou (顾非洲). He's from Zenith Media. Trained overseas. He rarely speaks."
Yining blinked. "He's good."
"Some say his debut was delayed because he refused to play the industry games. Too clean for this circle."
Yining suddenly felt a strange connection — not attraction, but understanding.
She returned to her booth and sang with more heart.
---
An Unfair Reality
During dress rehearsal, the producer pulled her aside.
"Lin Yining, we need to adjust your positioning. You'll be moved to the back line."
"But I was ranked fourth in rehearsal," she protested.
"Don't argue," he said sharply. "Luo Ziqing is front center."
Yining turned — and saw Director Han watching from the shadows, smirking.
She swallowed the lump in her throat.
---
After the Storm
That night, she sat on the rooftop of the dorms.
Yuri found her, offering a drink box. "I know it's unfair."
"I didn't come here for fairness," Yining said softly. "But I thought… maybe effort meant something."
"It does. Just not right away."
They sat in silence.
Suddenly, Ruoxi arrived, tossing her a phone. "Check this."
A fan-uploaded rehearsal video had gone viral.
> "Who's the girl in the third row? Her voice stands out!"
"She was glowing even behind others."
"Justice for the girl in black and silver!"
Yining's heart skipped.
The clip was blurry, but it was her — shining in the shadows.
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