When the Curtains Rise, So Do the Shadows
1 year and 3 months since Yining left her family.
---
Even though Ace Luo didn't directly address the sabotage rumor, the message was clear: he didn't believe it.
That alone was enough to shake the trainee circle.
But rumors were like roots — once planted, they crawled silently under every conversation.
Bai Zhiqi played her role perfectly.
She wiped a tear on-camera during a candid interview. "I just want everyone to get along. Yining is… trying very hard, I know. I just hope things become fair again."
The fans? Ate it up.
> #PoorZhiqi #StayStrongZhiqi #YiningScandal trended quietly on local entertainment feeds.
Even though no proof came forward, Yining was quietly being isolated again.
---
Solo Challenge
Yining was summoned early one morning to the rooftop practice room.
Ace stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, arms crossed.
"You want to debut?" he asked without preamble.
"Yes."
"Then stand alone."
He turned to the assistant beside him. "Release her from team projects. She'll perform solo next week. Full routine. No assistance."
The assistant gawked. "But Mentor Ace, the group round—"
"She'll do both," he said coldly. "Let's see who breaks first — her body or her mind."
Yining didn't flinch.
Ace stared into her eyes.
"You have potential. That's dangerous. It makes people hate you."
"I'm used to that."
He nodded slightly. "Good. Use it."
---
Behind the scenes, Bai Zhiqi wasn't resting.
She knew Yining would perform solo next week. And she also knew who would be attending:
Investors from Vermillion Group,
Talent scouts from Nova Global Entertainment,
And Shen Yuyan, one of the youngest, most powerful CEOs in China — and the man the industry still whispered about.
> "He's engaged, right?"
"To whom? It's still a mystery."
"His girlfriend is Bai Zhiqi, isn't she?"
Bai Zhiqi had made sure the rumors pointed that way. Always close, always affectionate in public.
Never confirmed. But never denied.
> "Let Yining perform well," Zhiqi whispered to herself, "and I'll make sure she's erased right after."
---
Gu Feizhou had been watching.
Quiet. Observant. He didn't speak much, and he didn't join rumors.
But during one late-night rehearsal, he found Yining still dancing under dim lights, her knees bruised, her shirt soaked with sweat.
"You're going to collapse," he muttered, leaning in the doorway.
She paused, breathing hard. "Then I'll collapse standing."
Feizhou tossed her a bottle of energy drink. "Not everyone here is your enemy. Just most."
Yining looked at him. "Which are you?"
Feizhou smirked slightly. "Ask me again if we both survive next week."
---
Shen Yuyan, CEO of Vermillion Group, stood behind tinted glass at the VIP viewing lounge.
From the shadows, he watched the rehearsal footage of Yining on a secure tablet — his assistant sending him private clips every week.
She didn't know it.
But every time she stepped on stage, his eyes followed her.
> She's changed. Leaner. Sharper. Stronger.
But she's still her. My responsibility… and maybe something more.
A man knocked at the door.
"Sir, Bai Zhiqi sent you a gift basket."
Yuyan didn't look up. "Return it. And tell her I don't eat sugar-coated poison."
---
1 year and 4 months into Yining's journey
The Day of Judgment
The performance hall was different today.
It wasn't just the usual cameras and mentors — the room was filled with investors, company presidents, agents, and even foreign representatives.
Global's elite executive board had taken the front row.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Yining sat backstage alone, her fingers trembling on her knees. Her name would be called soon. She'd be singing and dancing solo in front of hundreds of critics and people she could only dream of impressing.
Ace Luo's voice echoed in her head:
> "If you want it, take it. If you're afraid, then step down."
She stood.
---
Bai Zhiqi, dressed in a pearl-pink outfit that sparkled under the light, looked stunning as ever. She wasn't performing today, but she was strategically seated next to one of the foreign guests: Liam Hayes, a globally famous pop star and brand ambassador from the US.
She leaned closer to him, smiling. "The girl about to perform—Yining—has been in a few scandals. I hope the show doesn't suffer."
Liam gave her a polite look but didn't respond.
Then, he turned his attention fully to the stage as Yining's name was called.
---
A deep hush fell.
Yining walked out in a minimalistic black outfit, no glitter, no embellishments. Just her — raw and focused.
> The music began. A blend of classical strings with modern beats.
Her voice? Crystal sharp, hauntingly deep.
Every movement, every turn, every high note — clean, meaningful.
No extra frills.
Just truth.
By the time she hit the bridge of the song, even the producers had stopped whispering. The song's message — about resilience, sacrifice, and isolation — cut deep.
Even Shen Yuyan, who had kept his arms crossed through every other act, leaned forward slightly.
When the music ended, there was a beat of silence.
Then:
Applause.
Not thunderous — but real.
---
Unexpectedly, Liam Hayes stood up in front of everyone.
"I'd like to meet her," he said to the organizer.
Everyone turned.
Bai Zhiqi's face froze.
Liam stepped backstage minutes later, offering his hand to Yining, who was still panting in a quiet hallway.
"That was raw. You reminded me why I started in this industry."
Yining blinked. "You're…"
"Liam Hayes. You're Lin Yining, right? Don't let them kill what's real in you."
She stared at him.
He smiled and added, "If you ever want to try the global scene… Nova LA is always watching."
---
That night, Yining's solo clip went viral on trainee forums and insider blogs.
People who once whispered "scandal" started murmuring "talent."
Meanwhile, Ace Luo only offered one sentence during the mentor review:
> "That's how a debut should begin."
At a private rooftop bar that same night, Bai Zhiqi stood with a glass of wine, her smile gone.
Shen Yuyan joined her silently.
"I suppose I should congratulate her," she said coldly.
Yuyan replied without looking at her.
"You've always been talented, Zhiqi. At making things pretty… but empty."
She froze.
"You can keep playing white lotus. But don't think I'll protect you when you fall."
---
Back at the dorm, Yining found a bottle of sports vitamins on her desk with a sticky note:
> "For bruised knees and broken pride. – G.F."
She smiled slightly.
She still didn't know who was truly on her side… but she was starting to learn:
Not everyone in the shadows wanted to harm her.
💃♥️Charactr
Liam Hayes: Guest,Global pop icon from the West