The Villainess Specialist Makes a Sensational Debut on a Survival Show

Due to real-life circumstances, I have lost faith in this subject matter. After reworking the female lead's character, I realized she doesn't belong in this story, so I've decided to put it on indefinite hiatus. Thank you to all my dear readers for your support and companionship. (The latest chapter reflects my impression of the female lead before I began writing this book: Shi Yuqing, who has made me cry countless times.)

Blurb:

After playing a vicious villain in a massive hit drama, Shi Yuqing was torn to shreds online.

Fake rumors about her using a memorial portrait as her profile picture were just the beginning. Finding dead rats in threads full of dirt on her was practically routine. Investors who cared only about publicity were happy to keep sending her scripts for similar "villainess" roles.

One "villainess" role after another piled up, and before long, people had dubbed Shi Yuqing the "go-to villainess." She had virtually no popularity among ordinary viewers.

A netizen's scathing comment: The moment Shi Yuqing's face appears, I know what the biggest obstacle in the leads' relationship will be.

The "villainess" image was deeply ingrained in people's minds, and a scandal was flaring up at just the wrong time. Her agent was beside herself with worry. In the end, she went so far as to shove Shi Yuqing onto a talent competition show, hoping she could win over ordinary viewers and salvage her fast-collapsing entertainment career.

*

Shi Yuqing had a very clear sense of her own abilities. No matter how hard Sister Wang tried to persuade her, she knew she was destined to be eliminated in the first round. Even if she managed to stand out among the show's many talented contestants, it would only be a fleeting moment in the spotlight.

Once the first round of voting ended, she would be able to "gracefully bow out" and go back to commuting between the theater and home, waiting with a script in hand for the slim chance of a return-to-work notice.

But she never expected that what awaited her wasn't the train ticket she'd imagined, but a night filled with swirling confetti and deafening cheers.

Under the stage lights, the girls' bright, radiant faces shone. Red-eyed, they hugged one another, then kept bowing to the audience below through their tears.

Hundreds of days and nights flashed past like scenes in a film. All the hesitation, doubt, indecision, dejection, and despair vanished beneath that night's lights, fading without a trace.

Only those ardent, vibrant feelings remained, surging through her body, making it almost impossible for Shi Yuqing to hold back the rush of tears in her eyes as she stood beneath the lights.

Is a dream you can't fulfill still a dream? Is a dream forced to end and warped beyond recognition by reality still a dream?

Shi Yuqing didn't know.

All she remembered was that the girls she'd never met before had suddenly appeared by her side, and then...

They told her, You did nothing wrong.

They told her, Singing is wonderful. Dancing is wonderful. Performing in plays is wonderful, too. If you think it's wonderful, then so do we.

They told her, Yuqing, all we want is for you to be happy doing what you want to do.

They told her, Yuqing, no matter what happens, we'll see this year through together.

On the stage, bathed in dazzling lights and watched by everyone, the fans below waved their light boards and cheered. Her teammates stood onstage, watching her take one step after another.

They looked at her with such unwavering warmth.

The unfamiliar warmth pressed against her heart. Shi Yuqing couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face. Choking on sobs, she bowed with her teammates beneath the brilliant confetti:

"Hello, everyone! We're HERSTORIA!"

Whatever the future brings, keep following your dreams with determination.

Reader's Guide:

1. An ensemble story, drawing mostly on Chinese talent competitions. At its heart, it's about idols and fans, and idols and one another, saving each other as their ideals are repeatedly crushed and rebuilt. (Emphasis added!)

2. The female lead used to be a stage actress. She won't become the ace right away, and someone else in the group holds the center position.

3. Nobody holds back. Giving it your all is the greatest respect you can show your opponents.

4. Before VIP chapters: updates every other day or according to the rankings. After VIP chapters begin: daily updates. I have over ten thousand words saved up, with chapters posted at 10:30 p.m. every night.

5. The final group lineup may change based on the comments. After all, you readers are producers, too.

6. Author's notes will periodically feature A New Episode of All Things, a spinoff of the show with dorm raids, cafeteria observations (lots of food descriptions), and other scenes I find adorable but can't fit into the main story.

7. In the blurb, the first three lines are from the fans to Yuqing, and the last one is from her teammates to Shi Yuqing~

8. If you like it, dear readers, please add it to your favorites~ {waves a handkerchief vigorously.jpg)

Theme: Everyone who pursues their dreams is remarkable