A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

With Xia Ling’s massive influence, Luo Luo’s votes skyrocketed in an instant, overtaking Xia Yu.

Xia Yu’s face turned white in her anger, but there was nothing she could do. It was her fault that she couldn’t find someone of Xia Ling’s standing to be her backer. Her backer was a third-rate singer that was called over at the last minute, who was hoping to gain some notice leeching off Xia Yu’s popularity. Xia Yu was bitter but knew that all was lost.

Luo Luo got the award for Best Song of the Year and went onstage to accept her award with a sweet smile on her face.

The other singers who lost out of the award maintained their composure, smiling and applauding Luo Luo, some even offering encouraging embraces and congratulating her. When it was Xia Yu’s turn, Luo Luo whispered, “Sister Xia Yu, thank you for letting me win. I wish you all the best for next year’s award… Oh wait… sorry… you won’t be here next year, right?”

Xia Yu didn’t expect to be jeered at by Luo Luo, and she struggled to maintain a neutral expression.

Luo Luo was making reference to the fact that given Xia Yu was going to turn herself in after the event today, there was a good chance that she would be in jail when next year came around! Xia Yu gritted her teeth and whispered back to her, “Don’t worry about me… what pride do you have, winning the award because of your friend’s popularity?”

Luo Luo smiled sweetly. “That’s still better than some people… who can’t even find a good friend to help her out.”

Xia Yu only now realized that the usually innocent and lovable Luo Luo could be this vicious when she was trying to be insulting. Every word Luo Luo said hit her where it hurt. She had suffered so many blows today—the price she was going to pay for wanting to return to the Xia Family, paling in comparison to Xia Ling by a mile… Luo Luo’s insults seemed to have snapped the nerve of rationality in her mind, and she couldn’t resist but give her a death glare that was full of hatred.

“Quick… go back! Capture Xia Yu’s expression and play it back!” The director excitedly exclaimed in the editing studio.

He had caught sight of Xia Yu’s glare in that split second, and the hatred that spilled out of her eyes was a huge juxtaposition to her usual sweet image. So was she this scary after experiencing failure?

“Go back, rewind!” The director was rubbing his hands together with glee. “Zoom in! We can be top of the viewership board with this scene!”

This wasn’t a charity program, and the aim was not to portray the artistes in a harmonious and good light. Nebula Music Festival generally sought to have several dramatic moments like these in their show. They wanted there to be competition, and for there to be clear winners. Of course, the expression of the people who failed to win awards were in the spotlight as well. Xia Yu’s glare was full of jealousy and indignance, a dramatic twist from her usual image. This was going to cause some buzz!

As expected, the internet blew up with discussion with the playback.

“Did you guys see that? Xia Yu glared at Luo Luo! She glared at Luo Luo!” Many people were re-sharing the screen capture. “This is just too shocking! And I thought she was weak and innocent! I was just praying that the police would show leniency to her! Who would have thought that she was actually such an evil person?!”

“Yes, yes…” Many agreed. “So much for being all remorseful and regretful… She doesn’t dare offend Xiao Ling, so she’s taking it out on her friend? Everyone else that lost out on the award is congratulating Luo Luo. Only Xia Yu is being all hateful about it! Does she think that our Luo Luo can be easily bullied? She’s horrible!”

“You really can’t tell a book by its cover!”

“Xia Yu is really a stellar actress!”

Suddenly, countless online forums of netizens turned against Xia Yu. Poor Xia Yu had almost undid all the sympathy that she had received earlier with that one glare!

“Let her go to prison!”

“Xia Yu, just go to prison already!”

“Don’t come back to the entertainment circle and be a menace to others!”

Xia Yu was informed of the change in the tide of the online forums by the assistant when she went backstage and felt even more hatred towards Luo Luo and Xia Ling. However, she couldn’t do anything about it. “Where’s Manager Li?” She threw her temper at her assistant. “Why isn’t he here yet? My jacket is still with him! I need to change and leave!” There weren’t many more scenes for her to appear in. She was keen to change and leave the broadcast station as soon as possible, to avoid more attention. Tonight was truly an embarrassing night!

Her assistant stuttered in her nervousness “Li… Manager Li called to say that he’s having diarrhea and had to leave early. Before he left, he passed me his car keys. Miss Xia Yu, I… I’ll go retrieve your jacket for you.”

“Hurry and go!” Xia Yu bristled.

Her assistant left feeling wronged. She was a fresh graduate and was excited to enter a big company like Imperial Entertainment, and to become an artiste’s assistant. However, she was now really worried about her future since she was assigned to Xia Yu, who appeared to be racking up quite a criminal record and had a horrendous temper. What would the future hold for her?

Even though she was a fresh graduate, she was still sharp enough to realize that the attitude that General Manager Chu Chen showed towards Xia Yu indicated that Xia Yu was not one of the top priority stars in the company.

Many of the other assistants that had entered the company at the same time were doing well working with other artistes.

What was she to do?

The assistant was walking dejectedly when she heard someone call out to her. “Mei Mei!”

Mei Mei turned and saw that it was the assistant of the new singer in Imperial that the company was pushing as a top priority, and her best friend Ah Rou. Ah Rou walked quickly up to her and gleefully said, “Mei Mei, what a coincidence! I was just about to look for you these few days. Brother Lie is looking for a new assistant… do you want to jump ship?”

Mei Mei’s eyes lit up. “Brother Lie is looking for an assistant? Really?” Hua Lie was Imperial’s most promising new singer, and many in the industry said that Imperial was grooming him to be the Heavenly King Zheng Chenghao’s replacement. His path ahead was bright and promising. Mei Mei’s good friend Ah Rou was an assistant under Hua Lie.

Ah Rou sheepishly said, “There was originally no additional headcount, but I was recently found to be pregnant, so it will be hard for me to follow Brother Lie all over the place. Brother Lie doesn’t want to work with someone he doesn’t know; hence, I recommended you. Mei Mei, you’re the most meticulous of our batch of new hires! If you work for Brother Lie, I’m sure he’ll be satisfied!”

Mei Mei was just getting worried about her future prospects, so this was the perfect opportunity for her.

She smiled and said without hesitation, “Okay, Sister Xia Yu doesn’t look like she’ll last much longer. If Brother Lie is happy to hire me, I can go over any time.”

Ah Rou clapped her hands and said happily, “That’s great! Now I can put aside my worries. Mei Mei, it just so happens that Brother Lie is here tonight as well. Do you want to come see him now? If Brother Lie agrees to hire you, everything will be settled.”

“But… I…” Mei Mei wanted to say that she had to help Xia Yu retrieve her jacket. However, she thought about how badly Xia Yu was treating her and decided that the meeting with Brother Lie for this new opportunity should take priority! Hence, she said, “It’s fine… where’s Brother Lie? Let’s go.”

The two young assistants chatted happily as they went off in search of Hua Lie.

Leaving Xia Yu alone, staring at her reflection in the mirror, waiting anxiously for Mei Mei to bring her jacket back.