CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol
Chapter 59 - 57 Mutually Beneficial

Chapter 59: Chapter 57 Mutually Beneficial

The lights shimmered, and the crowd was in fervent agitation.

Li Jiaqi, who was on the verge of fainting, felt someone grasp her hands. Those hands were so gentle, radiating a trace of warmth, and reignited the strength she needed to face the world.

Raising her head amidst the chaos, she saw the pair of eyes that had given her the courage to live that night.

"Jiaqi, say something to your supporters! Today will be a day in Hanoi that you’ll never forget." Lu Bingbing’s gaze seemed to pierce directly into Li Jiaqi’s soul.

Yu Qingjia stood nearby, feeling as if her heart was being fried in oil. Her captain had once used that very gaze to tie her firmly to her side.

But now... no, the captain must merely be playing along. I can still help her out of this increasingly murky river.

While her thoughts swirled, Li Jiaqi began to speak, her voice striving to convey emotion:

"Thank you all for being here today. I know that many of you may not have come for me, but I hope that after tonight, I’ll hold a place in your hearts."

Sitting in the audience, many of the fans were moved by Li Jiaqi’s honesty, feeling they’d truly overlooked a great "oshi."

"Let the past drift away with the wind! We cannot live perpetually in pain. Idols are meant to bring you joy and passion, not worries or hurt. Let’s charge forward together! Ahead will be an even more beautiful landscape."

Li Jiaqi had completely adjusted her mood, raising her hand energetically to cheer on the fans below.

"Jiaqi-chan! Jiaqi-chan! Jiaqi-chan!"

Hearing this thunderous cheer, Li Jiaqi realized her image had firmly taken root in the hearts of these people.

In the years to come, they would follow her through the battles, paving the way for her to claim the ultimate throne.

"Here, I also want to thank my captain and the little partners who’ve come to support me. We’ll never leave or forsake one another." Li Jiaqi seamlessly passed the spotlight to Lu Bingbing.

"Jiaqi, you’re too kind. As the captain of Team N, celebrating the birthdays of team members is my responsibility. My care for everyone in the team is the same."

In formal occasions, Lu Bingbing seemed like a master of diplomacy, making it impossible for anyone to find fault.

"Jiaqi is like a pearl hidden within a pouch. When someone unveils that layer of fabric, its brilliance will illuminate the world—and you all are the ones unveiling it."

Immediately, a wave of cheers erupted from the fans below! Their emotions were utterly commanded by the girls on stage.

"Qingjia, this is technically your first performance since recuperating. Borrowing Jiaqi’s stage, why not say a few words to the fans?" Lu Bingbing handed the microphone to Yu Qingjia.

As Yu Qingjia stepped forward, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Her suicide attempt had garnered immense sympathy from most Hanoi fans, but it had also alienated many others who no longer wanted to support her.

Deep down, fans preferred idols who could bring them joy.

This mindset wasn’t cruel—it was simply that they’d spent their money and wanted to experience tears and emotions that touched them. Yu Qingjia, however, conveyed "gloom."

Yet Yu Qingjia hadn’t realized this. She was brimming with hope for this year’s general election.

"Thank you all for caring about me. I’m currently relying on medication to fight this loneliness-inducing mood. I think I’ll recover." Yu Qingjia’s voice, tinged with tears and soft melancholia, carried traces of sorrow.

"Keep going! Keep going!"

The fans below cheered for her, though this was merely out of basic human kindness.

Yu Qingjia didn’t catch on; she thought these cheers were out of genuine compassion for her.

"Let’s keep going together! I believe light can break through the darkness. And remember, time reveals true characters. In this river, no one can be a double-faced idol forever; the shadow side will eventually be exposed." Yu Qingjia couldn’t hold back and subtly mocked Ye Yuwei.

The fans immediately burst into applause, but Lu Bingbing’s face darkened.

Yu Qingjia was usually highly emotionally intelligent, so why make such a mistake at such a critical moment?

No matter Ye Yuwei’s faults, only fans and the company had the right to critique her.

On a public stage, a teammate dissing another teammate would inevitably become ammunition for attacks.

"Jiaqi, I want to see you blow out the candles and make a wish." Lu Bingbing smiled warmly, swiftly diverting the conversation.

Li Jiaqi nodded with a smile, as Zhang Yu and Xu Mengchen hurried backstage to wheel out the prepared cake cart. Team N’s little partners began delivering blessings one by one.

As the candles lit up, everyone present sang the birthday song together, wishing Li Jiaqi a happy birthday!

Moved to tears, Li Jiaqi stood before the two-tiered cake and made her wish—"I hope to achieve great results in the general election and take fewer breaks this year."

At last, everyone sang the song "Rainbow" collectively and passionately. Through the song, they conveyed that all hardships would eventually pass; after the storm comes a colorful life. Do not be defeated by the thorns along the path forward.

After the birthday party, following Hanoi’s tradition, Li Jiaqi energetically high-fived each fan who attended her celebration, sincerely thanking them for their support.

When the bustling night ended, everything returned to calm.

Exhausted, Li Jiaqi quietly left the backstage and headed to her reserved hotel room.

She didn’t want to return to the center—it was too noisy there. All she wanted was peace.

On the way, she saw Ye Yuwei’s birthday message to her.

She suppressed the urge to video-call her and simply replied with a simple "thank you."

She knew that everything from the birthday party had already been posted online by fans.

Ye Yuwei would undoubtedly feel incredibly hurt at this moment, but how could she console her?

Upon arriving at the hotel, Li Jiaqi locked herself in the bathroom and kept rinsing herself under cold water.

As if doing so could lessen her feelings of guilt and remorse.

When she came out, she noticed the alert light blinking on her phone.

"I’m at the door." Lu Bingbing had sent her those four words via WeChat.

Li Jiaqi hesitated fiercely in her heart, clutching her phone tightly, as images of Ye Yuwei and Lu Bingbing’s faces alternated in her mind.

Ultimately, she walked over and opened the door.

"Did you know? If you’d been a minute later, I would’ve left." Lu Bingbing gently embraced her.

"Captain, we shouldn’t be like this." Li Jiaqi spoke with a face full of pain and struggle.

"Then why did you open the door? You want Ye Yuwei to have one less burden? To give her peace as she leaves the river?" Lu Bingbing gripped her shoulders, her deep gaze penetrating straight into her heart.

"Indeed, you see through everything." Li Jiaqi let out a forlorn laugh. "What have we fought so hard for all these years? The fans think we’re clean, yet if we truly were as they imagined, would we create CPs or say those MC lines on stage?"

Lu Bingbing released her and walked to the room’s wine cabinet. She retrieved a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took a deep swig.

Her already pale face became even more pallid.

"Yes! If a good opportunity arises, we’d give anything to seize it."

Lu Bingbing forced a bitter smile, taking another deep gulp. "Do you know how Xiao Shi died? We all know—her depression was exploited by that despicable director."

"And as for us, who call each other sisters on the surface, who among us dares to reveal her inner-circle contacts to another?" Lu Bingbing continued drinking incessantly.

"Yes! We all know that the path to fame is essentially a dead-end road, yet we can’t let go—we can’t extinguish the fire within our hearts." Li Jiaqi walked over, grabbing a bottle of wine herself.

"Jiaqi, let’s partner up! Only by controlling Hanoi’s resources first can we have a chance to break free. Otherwise, all that’s waiting for us is abandonment after graduation."

"Why did you choose me?"

"Because I believe you’ll make it out someday. You’re my final bet."

Lu Bingbing looked at Li Jiaqi with utmost seriousness.

After a moment of silence, Li Jiaqi extended her hand. "Captain, between us, it’s strictly business."

Lu Bingbing laughed, clasping her hand, stepping closer so their breaths were audible.

"You can think of me as Ye Yuwei—I don’t mind..."

Outside, the night grew deeper, the dew heavier, as the city lights dimmed.