"What?" Ethan Ji froze, staring at Jason Cross in disbelief. "Madam's… hot search?"
Jason's expression darkened. "Is there a problem?"
Ethan swallowed. A big one.
Jason Cross hated seeing Lily Yu's name more than anyone—absolutely despised it. Why on earth was he suddenly asking to remove her trending topic?
He had just casually checked Weibo out of curiosity, and Madam Lily's hot search was a disaster. The comment section was like a nuclear meltdown.
But… was President Cross actually protecting her?
Ethan blinked. He must be sleep-deprived. Or hallucinating.
"What's the matter? Are you deaf?" Jason narrowed his eyes. "Should the company pay for a hearing aid for you?"
"N-no, President Cross!" Ethan straightened up instantly. "I'll get on it right away!"
He ran out of the office like a man fleeing for his life.
Jason's expression turned icier.
He absolutely could not let Lily Yu drag the Cross family name through the mud.
Money talked. Money solved problems. And Jason Cross had enough money to silence the entire internet if he wanted.
At least… so he thought.
Ethan Ji immediately began throwing cash at the problem, generously paying the platform to push Lily's hot search down. And it worked—for approximately three minutes.
Then it shot back up again.
Ethan nearly cried.
Who the hell was fighting him over this woman's hot search at six in the morning?
Gritting his teeth, he spent more.
Then more.
Then more.
By the time dawn broke, Ethan had spent enough money to buy a luxury car—or three.
Finally, around seven, the hot search stabilized and stopped shooting upward like a cockroach with rocket boosters.
He slumped into a chair outside Jason's office, dark circles under his eyes so dramatic they looked drawn on with a marker.
The office door opened.
Jason stepped out, took one look at him, and frowned with open disgust.
"What's wrong with your face?"
Ethan wanted to cry. "President Cross… someone is obviously manipulating Madam's hot search. Every time I pushed it down, it popped up again! I've spent—too much…"
Jason's brows furrowed.
"Did Lily's studio buy it?"
Ethan vigorously shook his head. "Definitely not."
Jason stared at him, skeptical.
Ethan coughed, lowered his voice, and admitted, "President Cross… I'm a fan. A long-time fan. Lily Yu's had a terrible reputation for years, but she's… never bought her own hot search."
Jason's expression twitched.
He didn't like that new information.
"Then who?" he asked.
"Not sure," Ethan sighed. "If you want to know, someone will have to investigate."
"No need."
Jason waved a hand, tone cold and final. He was already regretting interfering.
Why had he even bothered?
That woman clearly wanted attention—craved it—and he shouldn't have wasted the slightest effort on her.
He turned and went back into his office, expression blank but his thoughts annoyingly tangled.
Why did he react so strongly?
Why did Lily Yu—of all people—affect him at all?
He had left the divorce papers unsigned.
He still hadn't ripped off the bandage.
And that bothered him more than he expected.
In a lavish suite overseas, a furious shout echoed through the rooms.
"What the hell? Are they crazy?" Nicholas Ning slammed his laptop shut, veins bulging on his forehead. "This could've been solved with one million! But because of this lunatic, I spent ten million! Ten million!"
He paced angrily. "If I find out who it is, I'll curse their ancestors for eighteen generations!"
A melodic voice drifted from the bathroom.
"Tired already?" Molly Yu stepped out, fresh from the shower, her robe loosely tied, her long hair damp and trailing over her shoulders. Her beauty was stunning—soft yet sharp, like a rose with venomous thorns.
Nicholas immediately calmed down a little.
"Molly…" His voice softened, almost unconsciously. "Do you think Lily's studio manipulated the hot search?"
Molly Yu paused, thoughtful.
Then she shook her head.
"She doesn't care about things like that."
Nicholas frowned. "Whoever did it, they made things difficult on purpose. We need to make Lily pay back. She talked about you in front of the media last time."
Molly's lips curled—not angrily, but lazily, seductively, a calm confidence radiating from her.
"I've already received the script for The Empress Dowager's Legend. The production team is top-tier, the cast is all seasoned actors, and the theme is popular. It'll definitely be a hit. Are you interested?"
Nicholas blinked.
"The historical drama from last time?" He hesitated. "But… Director Zhao invited you for his new art film. If you take his project, you'll likely win another award."
Director Zhao was a legend in the industry.
His films swept award shows.
Being chosen as the female lead was a career-defining opportunity.
And he chose her.
Molly Yu didn't even need to think. She wanted the film.
Nicholas pulled his brows together. "The schedules conflict. If you choose Zhao's film, you'll have to give up the TV drama."
Molly smiled faintly. "Then I'll take the movie. It's the smarter path."
Nicholas exhaled. "Alright. I'll handle the arrangements."
Generation 2025 officially began.
Backstage, Lily Yu met the other mentors for the first time.
Four mentors total:
Two men, two women.
Veteran singer Victor Zhao
Music producer Daniel Wang
Foreign-trained dancer Ruby Sun
And… Lily Yu, the underestimated actress
Victor Zhao, cheerful and experienced, immediately took charge of the atmosphere.
"I'm honored to record with two gorgeous ladies—Lily Yu and Ruby Sun!" he laughed.
Daniel Wang chimed in, "Yes, two very different kinds of beauties."
Lily smiled politely. "Both male mentors are handsome as well."
Ruby Sun: …
Not a word. Not even a fake smile.
Lily blinked.
Hey… why does this woman look like she wants to strangle me?
The recording continued smoothly. Victor Zhao guided the conversation and tossed Lily a gentle question.
"What do you hope to see from the contestants?"
Lily hesitated, then answered honestly. "Someone who can impress me."
Victor passed the mic to Ruby Sun.
Ruby glanced sideways, expression cold.
"Same."
Lily: You couldn't think of even one original sentence? Really?
Something was off.
During break, Chloe Lin approached her with documents. "Good job just now. After the contestants' evaluations, the four mentors will perform on stage. Just don't mess up."
"…Thanks for the reassurance?" Lily muttered.
Then she leaned closer and whispered, "Chloe, did I offend Ruby Sun before?"
Chloe blinked.
"Of course not. Why?"
"Because she looks like she wants to murder me."
Chloe snorted. "Ruby's team sees this show as a stepping stone. Your joining lowered the program's grade in their eyes. It would be strange if she greeted you warmly."
The First Contestants Take the Stage
The four mentors took their seats. Victor Zhao in the center as host, Daniel Wang on his left, Ruby Sun on his right, and Lily Yu beside Ruby.
The cameras started rolling.
The first performance was a group of five trainees from Ruby Sun's company.
They introduced themselves and performed—a solid but unremarkable song-and-dance routine.
Victor smiled. "Not bad. Ruby, they're from your company, right? What do you think?"
The camera zoomed toward her.
Ruby's face turned slightly colder.
Her red lips parted.
"Nothing special."
Lily barely held back a laugh.
So serious? Girl, they're your juniors! At least lie a little!