Superstar Ch.38

Chapter 38: The First Ranking Announcement

The top twenty rankings had taken on an entirely new structure. Almost no one remained in their original position.

The person announcing the rankings had been replaced by Lan Yezhou.

He had a naturally unhurried personality—no matter how shocking the rankings were, his tone carried a detached beauty, as if the end of the world had nothing to do with him.

Xie Xizhao almost laughed out loud.

He had become quite familiar with Lan Yezhou recently.

After the first public performance ended, the latter hadn’t flown off immediately.

Xie Xizhao had run into him a few times when he went to the composition room—it almost felt like Lan Yezhou was deliberately waiting for him.

He hadn’t hidden it either. He had simply said, “The song you wrote for your debut stage was very interesting.”

It wasn’t just about emotional expression—it was interesting in terms of melody and songwriting techniques.

After exchanging some creative insights, the way Lan Yezhou looked at him changed instantly.

Xie Xizhao had actually chosen his debut stage song with a clear purpose.

Or rather, he rarely did anything without reason—especially in a survival show like this. He knew the rules of the industry well. Given his existing label and popularity, his debut stage wasn’t just his first opportunity—it was his last.

He couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

Among the four mentors, three came from idol backgrounds and were well-versed in these rules.

Only Lan Yezhou was different.

Xie Xizhao knew that Lan Yezhou wasn’t bound by the show’s rules. If he could impress him, then Lan Yezhou would definitely give him enough opportunities to showcase his talent and engage in meaningful exchanges. He also wouldn’t hesitate to offer praise.

At that time, the production team hadn’t yet been wary enough to cut out all the comments about him.

If they had known his every move was calculated, they would have realized that everything they did would ultimately be in vain. Xie Xizhao possessed more than just the ability to stand in the center position.

If he wanted to, he could even manipulate the direction of the entire show.

Unfortunately, mind reading didn’t exist in this world.

—No matter what, Xie Xizhao still felt grateful when he saw Lan Yezhou.

There was no way the latter didn’t know that Xie Xizhao had deliberately tried to catch his attention during his debut stage—and had done his homework on him beforehand. But Lan Yezhou was truly a straightforward person. He had said seriously, “In this industry, using methods that don’t harm others but benefit yourself is a sign of intelligence.”

Xie Xizhao replied, “I do genuinely like your songs.”

Lan Yezhou froze for a moment, and then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, the tips of his ears turned red.

He cleared his throat in a poor attempt to cover up his reaction. His socially anxious nature took over again, leaving him speechless. In the end, he could only mumble awkwardly, “…Oh.”

From that moment on, they became friends.

—

Even now, Xie Xizhao still thought about Lan Yezhou’s words.

He knew that Lan Yezhou was right.

Kindness, humility, and selflessness were undoubtedly noble virtues. But in an industry built on glamour and spectacle, passion, dreams, and a bright future could only be secured through proactive effort.

This ranking proved that.

When he heard Zou Yi’s placement, he distinctly caught the sound of someone behind him sucking in a sharp breath.

Beside him, Ai Qingyuan frowned. “He dropped again.”

The two of them had discussed Zou Yi after the first public performance. Zou Yi had been their group’s center, but the team’s composition was a mess. As the only decent vocalist, he had given away a large portion of his lines to others.

The result? A boring and unimpressive stage.

“The whole team dropped,” Xie Xizhao remarked.

One of the perks of sitting next to Ai Qingyuan was that the production team had long since learned their lesson—they never gave him any reaction shots. If they ever released even a fraction of his sharp-tongued remarks, the entire fan community would be thrown into absolute chaos.

So the cameras didn’t even glance in their direction.

“He shouldn’t have dropped, right?” Ai Qingyuan still didn’t understand. “Wasn’t he ranked around eleven or twelve before? Now he’s down to nineteen. If he drops any further, he’ll be out.”

Xie Xizhao said calmly, “It’s normal.”

Ai Qingyuan, seeing how unsurprised he was, knew that Xie Xizhao had predicted it again.

By now, he was no longer shocked by Xie Xizhao’s prophet-like analysis. He lowered his voice.

“What’s your take on it?”

“Paid content,” Xie Xizhao replied.

Ai Qingyuan: “…”

“Bring me a bottle of water when we head back to the dorm during the break,” Xie Xizhao said with a smile. “I’ll explain then.”

—

As the rankings continued to be announced, aside from Zou Yi’s drop, there were also some notable rises.

Yun Pan’s last stage had left a strong impression on Xie Xizhao, and his ranking had skyrocketed this time, landing at eleven.

Today, he was wearing light blue overalls, making him look even smaller. When he heard his name, he lifted his head nervously, stunned for a moment. It wasn’t until Xia Ruiyan, who was sitting beside him, said something with a smile that Yun Pan finally reacted.

His first instinct, however, was to turn toward Xie Xizhao.

Xie Xizhao happened to be looking at him at the same time. Their eyes met. Yun Pan froze briefly before Xie Xizhao smiled and said, “Congratulations.”

Yun Pan blinked, then his eyes lit up.

His fingers, which had been unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, finally relaxed.

Just then, he heard Xia Ruiyan’s lazy voice beside him.

“You’ve been getting pretty close to Xizhao lately, huh?”

Yun Pan’s fingers clenched suddenly.

A moment later, he whispered, “…No.”

But Xia Ruiyan acted as if he hadn’t heard him.

He sighed, tapping his fingers against the side of his chair, then shook his head with a smile. “Our little Panpan has grown up. Found himself a new big brother out there.”

Yun Pan pressed his lips tightly together.

After a brief pause, he repeated, “No.”

Xia Ruiyan’s fingers paused for two seconds. He glanced at Yun Pan, then withdrew his gaze, deep in thought.

The eleventh-place ranking had been announced.

By now, the recording was nearly halfway through.

With the most crucial rankings coming up, the production team announced a short intermission.

Xia Ruiyan stood up. “Let’s go. We’ve been sitting here forever—might as well head back to the dorms and take a nap.”

A few trainees from the same company responded in agreement.

Yun Pan hesitated for a moment before standing up as well.

His gaze was lowered, and the light in his eyes from earlier had completely faded. He simply followed behind Xia Ruiyan in silence, his fingers still clutching the hem of his shirt, never loosening.

—

On the other side, Ji Yan glanced over curiously. “Panpan left?”

“I was hoping he’d come over and hang out.”

A couple of days ago, he had found out that Yun Pan and Xie Xizhao were in the same team, and he had been relentlessly pestering Xie Xizhao with questions about him. Xie Xizhao’s response had been simple: “Just a well-behaved little brother.”

“I feel like he really likes you,” Ji Yan mused. “He doesn’t usually talk to people much.”

Xie Xizhao didn’t comment.

The seat beside him was empty—Ai Qingyuan and Guan Heng had gone to grab some water. Before leaving, Ai Qingyuan had even reminded Xie Xizhao not to forget his promise.

Now that Ji Yan had brought it up again, he sighed. “Brother Heng and Young Master Ai really get along.”

He paused. “Xia Ruiyan and Yun Pan too. It’s rare. Normally speaking…”

He didn’t finish his sentence.

Xie Xizhao looked up at him. “It’s not even the second round yet.”

Today, Ji Yan had been chatting with him with the same energy as a late-night dorm gossip session before graduation—trying to spill every last unspeakable secret in one go.

Ji Yan scratched his head. “Just speaking from the heart, you know?”

“What do you think, brother?” he asked.

At that moment, they were still in the venue. Most of the others had either gone back to rest or were standing around chatting in the back.

Since everyone was usually together, it wasn’t easy to have certain conversations out in the open. Especially since Ji Yan and Xie Xizhao weren’t even in the same dorm—it was the perfect opportunity.

Ji Yan asked, “Brother, do you think Brother Heng and Yun Pan can debut?”

Ai Qingyuan and Guan Heng. Xia Ruiyan and Yun Pan.

The main and secondary picks of their respective companies.

It was a rivalry far more direct and obvious than anything in the entire competition.

Xie Xizhao didn’t respond right away.

After a moment, he said, “Hard to say.”

Ji Yan hesitated before lowering his voice. “Honestly, I don’t like Xia Ruiyan.”

Xie Xizhao chuckled. “There’s actually someone you don’t like?”

Ji Yan had a great personality, and most people liked hanging out with him. On top of that, his obvious path toward acting had earned him an unmatched level of goodwill. He was always smiling, too.

Xie Xizhao hadn’t expected him to be so observant.

At the very least, he saw things clearly.

Ji Yan said, “Of course there is.”

He paused. “I think he’s too calculating.”

“Calculating” was a negative word.

Most trainees who joined survival shows had ambition, but there was still a big difference between ambition and being purely opportunistic.

Xie Xizhao didn’t respond directly.

He simply said, “Just keep these thoughts between us.”

“Of course,” Ji Yan said.

With that, their conversation came to an end.

—

Before long, Ai Qingyuan and Guan Heng returned.

Ai Qingyuan had been thinking about Xie Xizhao’s teasing remark about “paid content” the whole way back, so he had spoken less than usual. As he handed Xie Xizhao a bottle of water, he immediately asked, “Can you tell me now?”

Guan Heng was in the middle of drinking his water. Hearing this, he paused and asked curiously, “Tell you what?”

Xie Xizhao remained silent for a moment before replying, “Zou Yi’s ranking.”

Guan Heng let out a simple “Oh.”

His lack of reaction successfully shifted Ai Qingyuan’s focus. “Brother, aren’t you curious?”

“Not really,” Guan Heng said. “It was obvious he’d drop. It’s not just about giving away his parts. There’s also his company, his personality, and the way the production team operates—it’s a mix of factors.”

Since someone else was explaining, Xie Xizhao was happy to sit back and relax.

He took small sips of water, finally feeling some relief for his throat, which had been burning from dryness.

Ai Qingyuan frowned. “…The production team doesn’t want him?”

“It’s more than that.” Guan Heng paused for two seconds before continuing.

“Setting aside external factors, almost everyone whose ranking went up this time had strong stage performances. Zou Yi’s group wasn’t impressive, but they weren’t disastrously bad enough to go viral either. That made them easy to overlook.”

He hesitated before adding, “The entire group’s performance was forgettable. He gave away his best moments to others—how was he supposed to stand out?”

That was the real problem.

Even in a poorly executed performance, Xia Ruiyan had taken almost all of the group’s highlight moments. So while people criticized the stage for being bad, they still acknowledged that Xia Ruiyan had carried it single-handedly, which meant his popularity remained unaffected.

This was one of the reasons why Ji Yan had said Xia Ruiyan was overly opportunistic.

But Zou Yi was different.

His popularity wasn’t in the top ten, which meant his hardcore fans weren’t strong enough to carry him.

On stage, Zou Yi’s parts were either flat introductions or background vocals during the chorus. If the production team didn’t give him enough screen time, it was easy for him to be overlooked.

After all, most viewers weren’t professionals—they only noticed what was obviously outstanding.

That was why high notes and flashy techniques were so fiercely contested.

Ai Qingyuan looked a little dazed.

He really didn’t understand all these twists and turns.

To him, if someone was strong, they would be liked. If they weren’t, they would be eliminated.

It was that simple.

Guan Heng saw his confused expression and sighed helplessly before changing the topic. “By the way, Xizhao, I think congratulations are in order this time.”

As soon as he said that, the other two immediately forgot whatever else they had been thinking about.

Ji Yan seemed to realize something and suddenly looked up. “Holy sh*t!”

Xie Xizhao was so startled that he almost choked on his water.

“Ji Yan,” he coughed, recovering, “…can you calm down?”

Ji Yan did not want to calm down.

He looked at Xie Xizhao as if he were looking at some kind of monster. “Brother, you made the top ten???”

Yes.

Xie Xizhao had made it into the top ten.

It was something most people had accidentally overlooked.

Some had been curious about the rankings, but people’s memories were short. If something wasn’t put right in front of them, they’d forget about it soon enough.

For example, “Xie Xizhao wasn’t in the 11-20 range” equaled “Xie Xizhao made the top ten.”

But somehow, many people hadn’t made that connection.

Still, no matter how slow their reaction was, they would eventually catch on.

When the break ended and recording resumed, the atmosphere suddenly became tense and strange.

Dou Yu stepped onto the stage and began announcing the final top ten.

“Tenth place,” he said. Then, after a two-second pause, he smiled. “He is the rap lead of his group.”

Xie Xizhao already had a rough idea.

He remembered that Fu Wenze’s first public performance had been impressive.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Dou Yu announced Fu Wenze’s name.

The young man, dressed entirely in black, stood up coolly, walked coolly toward the stage, and then—halfway there—coolly stopped.

Xie Xizhao looked up at him.

Fu Wenze said, “I’ll be waiting for you up there.”

Xie Xizhao: “……”

The words were supposed to be warm and encouraging.

But coming from Fu Wenze, they carried an eerie sense of foreboding.

It didn’t sound like an invitation to stand together among the top ten.

It sounded like a call to walk hand-in-hand into the underworld.

After saying his piece, Fu Wenze turned and continued up the stage.

*

Ninth place: Liu Xuning.

He was one of the most consistently ranked contestants.

Over the past few weeks, his placements had been 6th, 10th, 8th, and 9th. His image was that of the gentle and reliable boyfriend type—not outstanding in any particular area, but without any major weaknesses either.

Liu Xuning stepped onto the stage with a warm smile and took his place beside Fu Wenze.

Eighth place: Lu Xing.

The moment his name was announced, the room erupted into murmurs.

Lu Xing’s smile faltered.

He walked up to the stage in silence, and Dou Yu gave him a brief, comforting look.

“Lu Xing is eighth?” Ji Yan muttered. “Damn, that first public performance really did a number on him.”

Lu Xing was one of the few contestants in the show who fit the “cute” aesthetic.

Unlike Yun Pan’s doll-like delicacy, his appeal was more fresh and boy-next-door. He was also a vocalist and had previously participated in another survival show—he had almost debuted then.

At the beginning of this competition, he and Xia Ruiyan had been considered strong rivals to Ai Qingyuan for the center position.

Lu Xing had already dropped from fourth to fifth after the fan meeting last week.

But no one had expected him to fall straight out of the debut lineup.

Everyone was shocked.

Everyone, except Xie Xizhao.

Xie Xizhao simply asked Ji Yan, “Was his stage performance aired in the first episode or the second?”

Ji Yan thought for a moment. “Second.”

Xie Xizhao just chuckled, took a sip of water, and said nothing more.

It wasn’t over yet.

Failure wasn’t always a bad thing.

And sometimes, smooth sailing wasn’t necessarily a good thing either.

Ji Yan was still processing his words when, on the other side, Lu Xing finished his speech.

He had always been a bright and sunny presence. Even now, though he tried to keep his emotions in check, his eyes inevitably reddened. The atmosphere in the room was deeply affected by him.

In the heavy silence, Dou Yu spoke again.

“Well then,” he said. “Let’s move on to announcing the seventh-place contestant.”

As soon as his words fell, all eyes turned to a specific spot.

This had happened multiple times already.

Ever since the 10th place announcement, with each new name called, people had been sneaking glances at Xie Xizhao, trying to gauge where he would land.

He was the biggest phenomenon of this season’s survival show.

From being utterly unknown at the start, to ranking 56th, then shooting up to 20th, and then last week’s 15th place—

All of this had happened in less than two months.

It was already a miracle.

But everything about him made people wonder—

Was this really where it stopped?

Seventh place.

Not him.

Sixth place.

Not him.

Dou Yu looked down at the trainees.

“We will now announce the name of the trainee in fifth place.”

There was an almost imperceptible note of emotion in his voice, but he remained steady as he continued,

“This trainee has been setting records for himself—and for this show—since the very beginning.”

First center position, re-evaluation, first public vote.

And—

“Fifth place, Xie Xizhao,” Dou Yu announced softly.

“Congratulations on becoming the first trainee in this ranking announcement to enter the debut lineup.”

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