Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 123: The Competition Results & The Nighttime Meeting

After the competition started, the host called out each contestant’s name in order. Once on stage, they would perform their original song.

Of course, most singers didn’t even get to finish. The two celebrity judges would hit the rejection buzzer after just a few lines, give them some brief feedback, and move on to the next contestant.

Only those with exceptional vocals and lyrics got to perform their entire song and move on to the second round.

The first round eliminated 400 of the 530 contestants, leaving only 100 for the second round. Then, the second round would cut that number in half, leaving 50 contestants to enter the Little New Star ranking.

However, if a contestant’s performance was outstanding, they could skip the second elimination round and be placed directly in the top 50.

Jiang Xueli Takes the Stage

By the time Jiang Xueli’s turn came up, it was already close to noon. She was contestant #237.

Right before her, the previous contestant had barely sung ten lines before getting rejected. That made Jiang Xueli even more nervous.

Before stepping onto the stage, she bravely brushed her hand against the back of Lin Zhengran’s—stealing a bit of his calm for herself.

"Zhengran, I’m up next."

"Mm. You got this."

The host’s voice rang out:

"Next up—contestant #237, Jiang Xueli!"

Jiang Xueli walked up with her guitar.

The two judges examined her and said, "Another pretty girl. What’s the name of your ethereal song?"

Jiang Xueli gripped the microphone. "Whale."

"Short and simple. Alright, let’s hear it."

No unnecessary words.

Jiang Xueli took a deep breath, placed her fingers on the guitar strings, and began to sing.

Her voice spread through the venue—clear, pure, and incredibly soothing.

An Unforgettable Performance

Jiang Xueli was a true talent.

She might not have been a once-in-a-century prodigy, but over the years, under Lin Zhengran’s guidance, her ceiling had been raised significantly.

The moment she began to sing—

The judges, who had been casually scanning the lyrics, froze mid-read.

They exchanged a glance.

"This one’s good."

"Not just good—her voice is amazing, and the lyrics are even better."

For the first time in a while, they stopped critiquing and simply listened.

Jiang Xueli’s ethereal voice drew everyone in.

It had a dreamlike quality, making people feel as if they were floating in a tranquil, peaceful world.

It relaxed nerves and immersed listeners into the song’s poetic imagery.

In the audience, other contestants—who had been comparing every singer to themselves—stopped.

Instead, they simply listened in awe.

Who trained this girl?

Even their talent agency boss was beaming with pride.

Jiang Xueli hadn’t been personally trained by her, but there was no denying that under Lin Zhengran’s guidance, her voice had become more mature, stable, and refined than it was in middle school.

At the front row, Jiang Jingshi, seated with a steel pen spinning in her fingers, had been focused on Jiang Xueli the moment she stepped on stage.

But when she actually heard her sing—

Her eyes widened in shock.

She turned slightly, gaze landing on Lin Zhengran.

Jiang Jingshi gripped her pen tightly.

"No way… I invested way more money into this music competition than I did into Taekwondo…"

She let out a small, self-deprecating laugh, her red lips curving.

"Zhengran… you’re really making things tough for me, huh?"

Direct Advancement!

As Jiang Xueli finished her performance, she gave a small bow.

Judge Qiang Jie and Steady immediately applauded.

Even the other contestants clapped—though their faces were full of frustration and admiration.

"Not bad, not bad! You passed!"

Judge Qiang Jie smiled. "What’s your name, little sister?"

Jiang Xueli’s face lit up. "Jiang Xueli!"

Qiang Jie pointed at her. "You don’t need to go through the second elimination round. You’re moving directly to the top 50. I can’t wait to see your ranking on the Little New Star chart."

Jiang Xueli gasped. "Really?! Thank you, judges! Thank you so much!"

As she walked off the stage, she could feel the envious stares.

Even her fellow agency members were speechless.

"Xueli, you’re insanely good. How are we supposed to compete with that?"

"Yeah, you might even win the whole thing."

"These lyrics… Did you write them yourself?"

Jiang Xueli blushed at all the praise. She sat next to Lin Zhengran. "You guys can do it too! Keep pushing forward!"

But by the end of the competition…

Her entire talent agency got eliminated.

After the Competition

The agency boss rubbed her temples in frustration.

The other girls, who had just been eliminated, sat there dejected.

Some even started doubting their entire careers.

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Jiang Xueli didn’t even know how to comfort them.

Instead, she turned to look at Lin Zhengran—only to see him staring at the rankings, deep in thought.

The final 50 contestants were displayed on screen.

Out of them, 20 were from Jiang Jingshi’s team.

Another 15 were from an unfamiliar "New Star" music studio.

The rest were a mix of independent contestants.

On stage, the host made the announcement:

"The results are in! These 50 contestants will perform their second song tomorrow, after which they will be ranked on the Little New Star leaderboard for public voting! Thank you all for participating!"

Jiang Xueli nudged Lin Zhengran. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much. I expected Jiang Jingshi’s team to do well—they have real talent. But this New Star music studio… have you heard of them?"

Jiang Xueli shook her head. "Nope. They’re a new team, apparently."

Lin Zhengran narrowed his eyes.

"Their singers are decent… but out of the 15, maybe five or six actually deserve to be in the top 50. The others…"

Jiang Xueli leaned in, whispering. "Are you saying… there’s foul play?"

Lin Zhengran sighed. "Hard to say. We’ll find out tomorrow. Just make sure you’re ready for your second song—this leaderboard might be tough."

Jiang Xueli nodded seriously. "Got it. Oh, by the way—do you have plans tonight? Let’s go out for dinner!"

Lin Zhengran blinked. "Dinner?"

Jiang Xueli blushed and looked away. "Y-yeah… I mean, I made it to the top 50! And my lyrics were great! I should at least thank you, right?"

A quiet dinner… alone…

In a romantic setting…

Wouldn’t something interesting happen?

But then—

"Maybe next time. I have something to do tonight."

Jiang Xueli: "?!"

"Something to do? What could possibly be more important?"

"A meeting. I scheduled it a while ago."

"With who?"

"I have no idea."

"Huh?!"

"Anyway, don’t worry about it. Get some rest and be ready for tomorrow. I’ll come watch your ranking with you."

That evening, they parted ways.

Just as Lin Zhengran arrived home, his phone lit up with a message.

Mystery Contact: "I’ve sent you the address. Meet me there at 7 PM. It’s close to your house."

Lin Zhengran replied: "Got it."