CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 142 - 139 Disappointment and Loss

Time flew by quickly, and by 3 a.m., the dance practice room was left with only Lin Jiayi’s lonely silhouette.

She quietly sat on the floor, two tears rolling down her cheeks, which she wiped away swiftly. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry; to her, crying was a sign of weakness.

True strength is forged in sweat and perseverance.

Zhu Riri hadn’t returned at all. Fan Lei had tried to persuade her to leave, but she said she still believed Zhu Riri would prioritize the team. And yet...

"Was I really wrong? Perhaps, in Zhu Riri’s mind, she’ll get eliminated in the next round anyway, so no matter how hard she works, it won’t matter." Lin Jiayi let out a desolate smile, closed her eyes, and lay on the floor.

She didn’t want to return to the dorm and stare at that tear-streaked face which occasionally revealed a chilling gaze that unnerved her.

If she had a choice, she might have joined Lu Bingbing’s group instead, because those people were genuinely devoted, and the former was an exceptionally responsible leader.

To help everyone rest well, Lu Bingbing even bought foot soak remedies for them, so they could relax and have the energy to tackle the next day’s practice.

What Lin Jiayi didn’t know was that someone else wasn’t sleeping either: Ye Yuwei was in the public restroom, reading the letter Mu Yunchu had given her.

The handwriting was elegant and beautiful, detailing the events of recent days meticulously.

Ye Yuwei hadn’t anticipated the wave of attacks against her would be so ferocious, especially coming from Lan Yening’s fans.

Her impression of Lan Yening was merely that he was quiet, cool, lacking the sunny vitality of his peers.

She hadn’t expected him to become an idol.

She didn’t think Lan Yening’s company had orchestrated these attacks; the two didn’t have any competing interests. It was likely just some "brain-dead fans" acting on their own.

These people probably decided to harass her because their beloved "brother" and his female dance partner had normal physical contact once.

Actions that normal people might find baffling were commonplace in the fan circles, especially among younger fans.

This letter gave Ye Yuwei a surge of confidence.

Her initial plan was to use the show to attract fans, accumulating as much popularity as possible before being overshadowed. She hadn’t thought she could outperform Lu Bingbing in competition.

But now, she felt she had a chance, because she had a strong base of active fans. If she guided them well, maybe they could vote for her to win.

Still, everything was unpredictable.

Without an agency, she only had her fledgling, barely-formed fan club to rely on.

Whether they could fight for her until the end, or would crumble under pressure, or even quit halfway remained uncertain.

A person’s success depended not just on talent and effort but also on fate.

She felt fortunate already; thankfully, she hadn’t given up and had made thorough preparations in the beginning, which led to impressive performances in the first two episodes.

These performances had attracted so many fans, giving her the confidence to keep moving forward.

Ye Yuwei read the letter several times, and after much deliberation, decided to act after the first public performance.

She held onto a trump card, but whether it would work depended on the results of the first performance.

She wouldn’t naively believe that fan votes alone could secure her debut—unless she broke out in an overwhelming way that left the production team unable to ignore her.

The sunlight soon pierced through the horizon—another new day had begun.

On her way to the practice room, Lu Bingbing still didn’t spot her fans.

By now, she understood clearly that this was the show suppressing her.

Because one after another, other people’s fans had started to show up.

The most popular among them was Yang Ni, who received gifts until her hands were full.

Next in popularity were Wu Zixuan, Meng Meixuan, and Ye Yuwei.

Even the petite and adorable Lai Ruoxuan surprisingly had many fans.

The village beauty, known for her looks and tears alone, seemed to also have a remarkable buzz.

However, Lv Fangxin always insisted those fans were hired by the production because she believed someone like that—not particularly skilled—couldn’t possibly have real supporters.

"Mu Yunchu, thank you for the gift you gave me last time and for the encouraging letters you wrote." Ye Yuwei seized a moment when the staff wasn’t looking and grabbed his hand.

Mu Yunchu was stunned by his idol’s gesture, which bordered on "fan-pandering" and "special attention"—a kind of favoritism that could provoke jealousy and backlash among other fans.

Sure enough, fans of other participants immediately turned their gaze toward them, some looking envious, while others seemed incredulous.

The staff promptly intervened, separating them and warning Ye Yuwei that her actions violated the show’s rules.

Fans weren’t allowed close contact with contestants, nor could contestants discuss anything related to the show.

Lu Bingbing, watching from afar, witnessed everything.

Next to her, Wang Qingyu sneered, "Looks like Ye Yuwei has gotten arrogant."

"No. If anyone in Galaxy is untouchable, she’d probably rank in the top three," Lu Bingbing replied. She didn’t believe Ye Yuwei would act carelessly.

Elsewhere, Jiang Mengqi and Luo Tiantian looked enviously at Ye Yuwei.

"Tiantian, when will we have fans of our own?"

"Only when the company hires some for us, I suppose."

Luo Tiantian’s response left Jiang Mengqi chuckling awkwardly, "Can’t you show some faith in yourself?"

"We hardly have any screen time—what’s there to believe in?"

This time, Jiang Mengqi fell silent too. At this point, they could already tell from the production’s attitude which contestants had momentum and which didn’t.

From initially equal attention to the current selective focus.

In this base, only about five or six contestants enjoyed the privilege of special camera coverage and were featured in mid-broadcast advertisements—it was always those few.

"Jiang Mengqi, here’s some Rainbow Skittles for you."

Suddenly, a chubby girl ran over and handed her a box of beautifully packaged candy.

"Ah! Thank you! Are you my fan?" Xu Mengjie exclaimed with delight, overwhelmed by the unexpected happiness.

"Yes! I like your smile. Seeing you makes me feel better. Also, Rainbow Skittles is my favorite candy, and your name is Rainbow." The girl’s eyes glowed with a trace of sadness.

"Thank you—I love Rainbow Skittles too," Mengqi replied.

"Really?" The girl covered her face, overwhelmed, and began crying.

"Really. I also love collecting jars of candy. I fold stars and place them inside, then make birthday wishes to them," Jiang Mengqi said earnestly.

"...Rainbow, can you make a wish for me too? Wish for the people around me to treat me better."

"I’ll fold stars for you and put them in this jar. Come pick them up when you’re ready."

Jiang Mengqi had an inkling of what might be going on, but she couldn’t ask further; the show wouldn’t allow anything too negative to be shown.

"I will always love you. There are many girls like me who adore you. Don’t give up—we’ll vote for you!"

Jiang Mengqi was deeply moved, tears brimming in her eyes. She had no defenses against fans’ love for her and always responded with sincerity.

Luo Tiantian gazed at her friend enviously but felt an ache in her heart.

She adopted a more neutral style, aiming to attract female fans.

But first came Yang Ni, followed by Guo Xia and Meng Meixuan—these three overshadowed all other gender-neutral idols in the base.

"This is my friend Luo Tiantian. When you vote for me, please also vote for her. Okay?"

Luo Tiantian froze momentarily, then grasped Jiang Mengqi’s hand tightly, deeply touched. Mengqi was sharing her votes—a precious commodity in this stage of the competition.

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