Chapter 65

Initially, when netizens first heard the claim that "Xia Xi is lip-syncing," they dismissed it, assuming it was just hired trolls bought by jealous artists to smear her reputation. They didn't take it seriously.
But as they saw how adamant the accuser was, doubts began to creep into their minds. A seed of suspicion was planted: Could there be some truth to this? Was Xia Xi really lip-syncing?
Once that seed of doubt took root in the netizens' hearts, the accuser's goal was achieved.
Of course, no matter how fierce the online storm raged, Xia Xi remained unaware. After parting ways with Da He, she followed the staff member assigned to her, strolling leisurely toward the studio. Occasionally, she glanced at the posters of the contestants plastered on the walls.
"Is this the episode where the elimination round starts?" Xia Xi suddenly remembered something and quickened her pace to walk alongside the staff member. She rubbed her nose awkwardly and asked, "To be honest, I'm still not very clear about the competition rules."
Hearing this, the staff member was taken aback, her smile nearly faltering. The rules of Cross-Border Singing Joy were extremely straightforward, and they had explained them to the contestants multiple times. Even after the last competition, the director had reiterated them. How could Xia Xi still not know?
Puzzled, she glanced sideways at Xia Xi and noticed her embarrassed expression when mentioning the topic. Understanding dawned on her, Xia Xi must not have been paying attention during the rule explanations. With this realization, the staff member regained her composure and replied with a smile, "Yes, this episode will involve eliminating contestants."
"Let me briefly explain our competition rules to you; it's generally like this." The staff member stopped walking as she spoke, perhaps thinking it would be easier to talk while standing still. After coming to a halt, she turned to face Xia Xi and explained very seriously, "Teacher Xia Xi, you were right earlier, our competition follows a two-episode elimination system. Based on the contestants' overall rankings across two episodes, the one in last place will be eliminated. In the next episode, a new contestant will join, and the competition will always maintain 12 participants. Since our show will record a total of 13 episodes, the contestant with the highest overall ranking in the first 12 episodes will advance directly to the finals. That’s why every match is crucial."
The staff member paused at this point before continuing, "And the remaining contestants who weren’t eliminated earlier, along with those revived by the audience after elimination, will compete in the twelfth episode for the final five spots in the finals."
So brutal?
Hearing this, Xia Xi’s heartbeat quickened involuntarily. She took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then asked, "But if only six contestants participate in the final episode, will your show have enough runtime?"
"The runtime is sufficient. You’ve actually hit the nail on the head," the staff member chuckled lightly and nodded. "In the final episode, we have a guest collaboration segment, so each contestant will actually perform two songs. Additionally, for the previously eliminated contestants, our production team will seek their opinions and hope they can collectively put on a group performance. Honestly, what we’re more concerned about is the final episode being too long, which might make the audience impatient."
Although the staff member’s last remark sounded a bit uncomfortable, as if deliberately provoking Xia Xi, she didn’t mind. She simply nodded to show she understood and said with a light laugh, "Your production team wants the previously eliminated contestants to perform together as a group? I have to say, the way you’ve arranged this process…is quite interesting."
Hearing this, the staff member pursed her lips, unsure whether Xia Xi’s comment was meant as praise or criticism, and wisely remained silent. After a few seconds, she said, "Well, Teacher Xia Xi, there isn’t much time left before the performance. Let’s head to the studio now and wait for their arrangements."
"Mm." Xia Xi originally had more questions for the staff member, but she wasn’t sure if she had said something wrong earlier. The young woman seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation and quickly walked ahead.
[Honestly, I think Xia Xi really has a talent for killing conversations. I could feel the awkwardness between them even through the screen.]
[Xia Xi’s personality in this show is really different from what I imagined. She seems, very genuine.]
[I think so too, and I think I’m starting to like her a bit now.]
[Don’t be fooled by Xia Xi. This is a variety show, everything she shows is a persona crafted by her company. Have you ever seen how she behaves off-camera? I think celebrities are the fakest; they always wear a mask whenever they appear.]
[The arrangements for "Cross-Border Singing Joy" are quite reasonable. I’m suddenly optimistic about this show.]
[Honestly, I’m a bit looking forward to the song Xia Xi will perform later. Do you think she’ll surprise us again?]
[Xia Xi can’t sing at all, her singing is terrible. There’s a reason she’s made it this far! Didn’t you hear the staff member say there’s a guest collaboration segment? Do you know who Xia Xi’s guest collaborator is?]
[Isn’t it Fang Zichen, the big shot?]
[Yeah, it’s Fang Zichen. Precisely because Fang Zichen is her guest collaborator, the production team is keeping Xia Xi until the final episode and sparing no effort to hype her up. Just wait and see!]
[While that may be true, we’ve all witnessed Xia Xi’s singing ability firsthand, she really sings exceptionally well.]
[Pfft, she’s only sung a few songs and you’re already calling her good? We’re barely getting started, and who knows if she’s even lip-syncing.]
[Anyway, my impression of Xia Xi keeps getting better.]
Netizens were still arguing fervently, creating quite a stir. Some criticized Xia Xi, others supported her, and there were even those who maliciously speculated that she was lip-syncing, mocking her for having low emotional intelligence and poor character.
No matter how netizens evaluated Xia Xi, none of it mattered to the TV station. What the station cared about was influence and popularity, and Xia Xi truly had a unique ability. Although she wasn’t the biggest star, she was the most talked-about. Whenever the camera cut to her, the barrage of comments would explode, dense and unending, driving the heat through the roof.
The TV station quickly noticed this trend, so they loved giving Xia Xi screen time. They didn’t care how she appeared on camera, only the benefits she brought. The more flaws she had, the more explosive moments their show might have.
Fortunately, the program was broadcast live, so the production team couldn’t edit the footage. If editing were allowed, they would likely have spliced Xia Xi’s image into a chaotic mess to create even more buzz for Cross-Border Singing Joy.
"Sister Xia Xi, you’re here!"
As soon as Xia Xi reached the entrance of the studio, she saw Yang Jingyu eagerly stepping forward to greet her, warmly extending a hand to link arms. But Xia Xi took a step back, leaving Yang Jingyu’s hand awkwardly suspended in mid-air.
The staff member accompanying Xia Xi was taken aback by her blatant rejection, which showed no regard for Yang Jingyu’s pride. She blinked in confusion, almost doubting whether they were still in the masked world of the entertainment industry or even filming a show.
Staring at the hand still hanging awkwardly in the air, she suddenly snapped back to reality. She realized that Xia Xi’s earlier straightforward critiques of the production team had actually been quite mild, at least she hadn’t directly embarrassed anyone on camera.
They were recording a show, and the reactions of all three would be broadcast to the audience. She shouldn’t have let such an awkward situation unfold, but Xia Xi’s behavior was so unexpected that she hadn’t reacted in time. By the time she gathered her wits, Yang Jingyu had already quietly withdrawn her hand, still smiling brightly at Xia Xi, appearing magnanimous and composed.
Seeing Yang Jingyu like this, Xia Xi felt nothing but disdain, and her expression naturally betrayed a hint of it. She frowned coldly at Yang Jingyu without saying a word.
Clearly, Xia Xi didn’t care about the awkward atmosphere or what others said about her having a bad personality.
"Sister Xia Xi, what’s wrong? Did I do something to make you look at me like that?" Yang Jingyu, already upset about being snubbed, raised her voice sharply upon seeing Xia Xi’s stern gaze.
"Actually, it's nothing." Xia Xi narrowed her eyes and slowly relaxed her brow. "I'm just a bit puzzled, that's all."
"What kind of puzzle?" Although Yang Jingyu had a bad feeling in her heart, she still followed Xia Xi's lead.
"My puzzle, huh." A hint of slyness flashed in Xia Xi's eyes as she said indifferently, "It's actually quite simple. I just think your acting seems pretty good, not quite like what's said online."
"Pfft."
The staff member accompanying Xia Xi hadn't intended to laugh, but she was so startled by Xia Xi's words that her body reacted instinctively, and she couldn't hold back a chuckle.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide it, and slowly lowered her head, not daring to look at Yang Jingyu's expression at all. As soon as Xia Xi started walking forward, she immediately followed behind her, hurrying toward the studio.
That was really intense.
To be honest, this staff member named Yang Mi didn't have much of an impression of Xia Xi initially and had believed the online rumors, not planning to get too close to her. She just intended to coexist peacefully for the duration of the show. But after today's events, she was genuinely impressed by Xia Xi, finding her quite an interesting person. Suddenly intrigued, she quickened her pace to walk side by side with Xia Xi and whispered very softly, "Teacher Xia Xi, you were kind of cool just now."
Kind of cool?
Hearing this, Xia Xi was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Do you dislike her too?"