New Assistant

That evening, when Li Jie drove Qin Ran home, she brought up the topic, seemingly casually: "You're not seriously thinking about becoming Yu Shuman's assistant, are you?"

Qin Ran paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I have no such plans."

Li Jie let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, her boss wasn't the type to impulsively disregard everything. Since Qin Ran was the boss, it was only a matter of time before her identity would be revealed. Although the owner of an entertainment company wasn't exactly a public figure, there were always paparazzi eager to dig up dirt on her.

Moreover, her name was already listed in the corporate registry. It was only a matter of time before someone discovered her true identity. No matter how well she protected her personal information, there was always a significant chance of being found out.

There's an old saying: "There are no secrets under the sun," and this holds especially true in the entertainment industry. Many things people think are well-kept secrets are, in reality, already known by others, just not exposed to the public yet. Qin Ran working at the filming base could easily be brushed off as her wanting to gain firsthand experience before officially entering the industry. But becoming an assistant to one of her own artists? That would undoubtedly put Yu Shuman in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Qin Ran's straightforward response reassured Li Jie that she was fully aware of the potential consequences of such actions, which was why she had no intention of following through with them.

Silence fell in the car. The sky had darkened, and only the streetlights on either side of the road cast patches of light, reflecting off the car windows and onto Qin Ran's face. The light glinted off her glasses, giving her a calm appearance, though it was hard to tell what she was thinking.

After a long pause, Qin Ran finally spoke. "Was it my senior sister's assistant who told you this?"

Li Jie's grip on the steering wheel tightened. Qin Ran's question signaled that she was ready to hold someone accountable. Without denying it, Li Jie simply said, "Don't be too hard on her." She had just assured the assistant that she wouldn't be replaced, but now the top boss had taken notice. It seemed her earlier promise would be difficult to keep.

As expected, Qin Ran said, "Replace her. Let her assist another artist; she can't stay with my senior sister. Find someone with a tighter lip and instruct them to only listen to my senior sister." Qin Ran was clearly displeased that the assistant had reported to Li Jie. As Yu Shuman's assistant, she should have been loyal only to Yu Shuman.

If Qin Ran's own personal assistant had done something like this, she would have made sure they couldn't continue working in the industry. However, considering it was her senior sister's assistant, for the sake of Yu Shuman's reputation, she decided to transfer her to another artist instead.

"I understand. I'll find a replacement. As for the current assistant, I'll make sure she keeps quiet."

Li Jie didn't confront the assistant the next day but waited until after the fourth performance was over. When she finally approached the assistant, it was with a bright smile. "Congratulations."

The assistant, puzzled, looked at Li Jie with confusion. But seeing her smile, she assumed it was good news. She smiled back. "Li Jie, what's going on that you'd congratulate me personally?"

Li Jie's smile remained. "You've been doing a great job lately. We've all noticed. It's really beneath you to stay as Yu Shuman's assistant, so we're moving you to a different artist. Pack your things, and tomorrow you'll report to your new assignment."

The assistant's smile faltered. She immediately suspected that Yu Shuman wanted to replace her, and Li Jie was just putting it nicely. Right now, with Yu Shuman gaining popularity, this was the perfect opportunity to advance her career. Being transferred to another artist might mean being stuck with someone less prominent.

Just as she was about to object, Li Jie mentioned the name of her new artist. The assistant's reluctance vanished instantly, replaced by a beaming smile. She quickly agreed, exchanged a few more words with Li Jie, and left in high spirits. Watching her go, Li Jie sighed.

The assistant probably didn't realize that this was a promotion in name only.

Given how much Qin Ran valued Yu Shuman, had the assistant stayed with her, the future opportunities would have been far greater. Li Jie had spoken with Yu Shuman to get more details, and Yu Shuman had assured her she wasn't planning on replacing the assistant. She just hoped that once her fame grew, she could have Qin Ran by her side, even if it was just as a helper fetching tea. She even hoped that the current assistant could help guide Qin Ran.

As she spoke, she seemed a little embarrassed, aware that she wasn't very famous yet and wasn't earning much for the company. Under such circumstances, asking for an additional assistant might seem like she was getting ahead of herself.

Li Jie didn't say much, just encouraged Yu Shuman to keep working hard. She wanted to tell Yu Shuman that Qin Ran would gladly assemble a large team for her if it weren't so excessive at this stage. That's the only reason she hadn't done so yet.

The assistant was actually quite competent; she had never caused trouble for Yu Shuman and had helped her navigate the filming base smoothly. But Qin Ran couldn't tolerate someone who secretly reported to Li Jie. Even though Li Jie was Yu Shuman's manager, Qin Ran couldn't accept that Yu Shuman's assistant wasn't fully loyal to her.

If it weren't for worrying that Yu Shuman might overthink the sudden dismissal of a seemingly good assistant, Qin Ran wouldn't have even allowed the assistant to receive a "promotion."

After the fourth performance wrapped up, the fifth episode was released on schedule. Unsurprisingly, both Yu Shuman and Ling Miaohan advanced. This was already a deviation from the original novel, where Yu Shuman had been eliminated by the third round and didn't even have a chance to participate in the final. The possibility of her debuting was out of the question.

Ling Miaohan, on the other hand, continued to follow the novel's trajectory, remaining the most popular contestant in the entire show. Despite the temporary backlash she faced, she managed to secure the top spot in the online polls due to her beauty, rare cool demeanor, impressive vocal skills, and her previously established fan base.

If nothing unexpected happened, she was likely to debut as the winner.

But now, Qin Ran felt that she wouldn't end up as the champion.

Qin Ran didn't particularly care whether Ling Miaohan won or not. As long as her senior sister enjoyed herself, that was all that mattered. Besides, being the champion didn't guarantee a smooth path forward. From Qin Ran's understanding of the entertainment industry, the one who laughed last in a show was rarely the champion.

This was just the beginning for these artists. How far they could go depended entirely on them and the company backing them.

As the show aired, Yu Shuman's new assistant was officially assigned. Li Jie had meticulously selected her and made things clear: "Your only responsibility is Yu Shuman. You only need to listen to her. I'll give you tasks as needed, but you don't report to me. Your only boss is Yu Shuman."

The selected assistant was smart and nodded in understanding.

When she met Yu Shuman, the new assistant greeted her with a genuine smile. "Manman Jie, I'm Xiao An. Looking forward to working with you!" Her gaze was full of admiration, as if Yu Shuman wasn't just her boss but a cherished treasure. Initially, Xiao An had been a bit reluctant when chosen to assist Yu Shuman. After all, Yu Shuman was just a rising star with limited fame.

Xiao An had confidence in her professional skills and felt she could handle assisting even top-tier celebrities. If not first-tier, then at least second-tier. However, when Li Jie assigned her to Yu Shuman, Xiao An had no choice but to pack up and accept the job. She thought that if she worked hard, she'd eventually be recognized by the higher-ups.

What she hadn't expected was how much Yu Shuman's assistant position paid—so much that she was completely unprepared. Xiao An had wanted to ask about it, but before she could, Li Jie had shut her down with a single sentence: "Don't ask what you shouldn't, and don't speak out of turn." Realizing it was best to just be grateful, Xiao An decided that calling Yu Shuman "Jie" (older sister) was a small price to pay.

For this salary, she would even call Yu Shuman "Mom" if it made her happy.

Xiao An was very dedicated to her work. Although the change of assistant was sudden, Yu Shuman quickly adapted after just a couple of days and even noticed that Xiao An's attitude toward her was much more positive. Even when Qin Ran visited, Xiao An greeted her warmly, with a smile.

When Li Jie asked how she found Xiao An, Yu Shuman gave her a glowing review.

Soon, the day of the final competition arrived. The final wasn't so much a contest of the contestants' abilities as it was a battle between their support teams. Costumes, makeup, and even stage design were all handled by the contestants' respective companies. The production team made it clear: there would be no bias from them—everything depended on the contestants' own efforts.

99 Entertainment might not have had many other strengths, but it did have plenty of money. Money meant access to top-tier talent. Yu Shuman's styling team was the same one she started with, and as a top producer, Li Jie went all out to bring in the stage design team of a top idol under their company.

Li Jie spent a lot of time discussing the final performance with Yu Shuman, asking how she wanted to present herself. After some hesitation, Yu Shuman showed her a clip from an anime, pointing to a character known as the "Galaxy Fairy." "Li Jie, I want something like this."

Costume and makeup weren't an issue, but the stage design team bit their tongues as they faced a futuristic anime stage. "We'll do our best." As for the song choice, it was the character's iconic track, a challenging piece. In the anime, a professional singer was brought in, and since Yu Shuman hadn't received professional training, she had to practice with a vocal coach every day.

Qin Ran wasn't aware of this until Yu Shuman pulled her into the practice room one day.

"Sit down."

Yu Shuman instructed Qin Ran to sit, and Qin Ran promptly sat cross-legged on the dance room floor where Yu Shuman usually practiced. Once Qin Ran was seated, Yu Shuman took a few steps back, almost pressing herself against the mirror before she stopped. She softly said, "Junior, you're going to love this song."

Still a bit confused, Qin Ran watched as Yu Shuman closed her eyes. The next moment, she opened her mouth, and familiar music poured out.

—It was indeed familiar, a song from one of Qin Ran's favorite anime series.