CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol
Chapter 96 - 93: 3 Battles Duel

Chapter 96: Chapter 93: 3 Battles Duel

The card Meng Meixuan drew was the dreamlike and vibrant Meimei.

Sitting there nervously, Meimei was startled to hear she was the first to face off in the competition.

She was genuinely afraid of this match because her weaknesses were glaringly obvious—she could dance fairly well, but her singing was truly subpar.

Now facing the Milky Way Girl’s number one, Meng Meixuan, she felt her confidence crumble. The worst part was, she’d never experienced a direct face-to-face competition like this before.

Within the team, while there had been an elimination system, it was always decided by the company. It was never a direct one-on-one confrontation like now.

Sure enough, as the music played, Meng Meixuan’s dance was bursting with energy and impact. Her expression management was impeccable, while Meimei, consumed by nervousness, made several mistakes.

She failed to catch the opening rhythm, missed several key steps in the dance, and when the music stopped, she nearly broke down in tears on stage. Her teammates were equally anxious, but the competition was merciless.

She was downgraded to B class.

Amidst the audience’s anticipation and speculation, Wu Zixuan drew Yang Ni.

The whole venue instantly erupted; these two were among the most popular contestants here.

Ye Yuwei was bewildered—did the program team genuinely intend for the matches to be fair? Whoever you drew would be your opponent.

If this were true, then why did both Meng Meixuan and Wu Zixuan show hints of unease in their expressions during the card draw?

Yang Xiaoyue was also watching the recording nervously. Seeing everything proceed smoothly, she breathed a sigh of relief; she was worried some of the young idols might get reckless and do something stupid.

Evidently, no one was willing to gamble their future.

"Let’s start with singing," Long Zitao announced.

Wu Zixuan froze; honestly, she wanted to compete in singing and dancing rather than solely one skill.

She could tell that although Yang Ni sang decently, combining singing with dancing was not her forte. Yang Ni’s dance moves weren’t very polished—she must have picked up the skill after becoming a trainee.

Yet, since Long Zitao had spoken, Wu Zixuan had no choice but to comply.

Then, both of them sang a song.

The moment Wu Zixuan started singing, Ye Yuwei realized she was doomed to lose. The song didn’t suit her vocal range at all, and as expected, she couldn’t hit the high notes, completely faltering.

Inside, Wu Zixuan cursed her company, who, in the name of saving money, forced her to sing this old song they already owned the rights to.

Hearing her rival stumble, Yang Ni’s nervous heart immediately calmed down.

So far, the show had been fair, avoiding the kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation everyone feared. As long as she performed well, she could knock out this "sweetheart" with ease.

Her rendition of "White Horse Western Wind" was met with enthusiastic applause from both the mentors and the trainees.

In comparison, Yang Ni’s singing completely dominated her opponent.

Defeated, Wu Zixuan couldn’t help but glance at the contestants’ area. Her six other teammates looked indifferent, not one showing a shred of concern.

In contrast, Yang Ni’s group didn’t celebrate jubilantly, but each member’s face showed undeniable joy and pride.

Wu Zixuan felt a pang of desolation—this was the reality of Korean-style teams. If you win, you earn respect; if you lose, not only is there no sympathy, but sometimes ridicule and scorn follow.

The definition of victory, as seen in the "sportsmanship" of those half-island athletes, explains it all.

Wu Zixuan lifted her head, her delicate face now stripped of its sweetness, replaced instead by an unyielding determination. Her gaze was locked firmly onto Yang Ni.

At this moment, she revealed her true self—the her forged through years of tireless practice, blending shame and suffering in the grueling world of Korean trainees, all for the singular goal of one day standing out.

"Yang Ni, your singing is truly stunning. I hope I’ll have a chance to learn from you again," Wu Zixuan said with subtle intent.

Yang Ni responded with a soft smile, meeting Wu Zixuan’s gaze with an equally fierce determination.

She had abandoned her studies and traveled far from home to struggle in this foreign land for years, all for the dream of becoming a star.

For this dream, she feared nothing and dared to forge ahead against all odds.

The music began, and Wu Zixuan danced with fiery vengeance. Every move seemed an outlet for years of rejection, unfairness, and even anger.

At this moment, she was the queen of the stage, demanding the submission of all who watched.

Yang Ni observed from the side, sensing that this round might be her loss.

Wu Zixuan’s performance wasn’t objectively perfect, but she poured her emotions entirely into the dance, delivering an overwhelming sense of passion.

When the dance ended, the applause thundered throughout the venue. Everyone was moved by the sheer emotional impact of Wu Zixuan’s performance.

Even Meng Meixuan joined in the applause, her gaze toward Wu Zixuan darkened with growing hostility.

Lv Fangxin was utterly stunned, practically drooling over the scene.

"Wow, this sister is so gorgeous and badass!"

"How on earth does she twist her waist like that? And her arms, her hands—how do they even move like that?"

"When will I be able to dance on stage like them, too?"

Just as everyone thought Yang Ni’s defeat was inevitable, she chose the same track Wu Zixuan had danced to.

Everyone was struck dumb with confusion—Yang Ni’s dance skills were well known to be mediocre!

When the music started playing, Yang Ni began imitating Wu Zixuan’s moves. Though her movements weren’t precise, she astonishingly managed to mimic them about seventy to eighty percent accurately.

The trainees with dance backgrounds were taken aback by Yang Ni’s extraordinary ability to memorize Wu Zixuan’s choreography after seeing it just once.

Yang Ni didn’t merely copy; her interpretation added a playful twist, creating a contrasting effect that softened the "tragic determination" Wu Zixuan had conveyed earlier.

As a result, Yang Ni secured her A rating.

Next came Qiang Yueting facing off against Guo Xia.

Based on Ye Yuwei’s judgment, Qiang Yueting was likely to win this round.

While Qiang Yueting’s dancing skills weren’t far superior to Guo Xia’s, her singing technique outshone Guo Xia’s by a long stretch.

Guo Xia, the team’s designated rapper, barely understood vocal techniques and could only manage basic chords without going off-key.

Qiang Yueting, although her vocal range wasn’t broad, had impeccable pitch accuracy between a-f2, achieving a semi-professional level spanning two octaves.

Her voice had clear resonance, demonstrating solid classical singing foundations likely honed since childhood.

Lai Ruoxuan’s technique was similar, though her voice had higher distinctiveness; technically, she still fell short of Qiang Yueting, unable to exceed C5.

What Ye Yuwei didn’t anticipate was the program making them compete in rap.

Was this a joke?

It was like having a mathematician and a college student compete in math, both given an elementary-level test—how could this measure true ability?

Qiang Yueting also found this matchup ridiculous and realized the show intended to suppress her, but she was powerless to change it.

Predictably, she lost to Guo Xia.

Guo Xia, aware her victory wasn’t honorable, approached Qiang Yueting and gave her a big hug, earning the respect of everyone present.

They understood Guo Xia couldn’t openly expose the program’s dirty tricks. Sometimes even the apparent winner was just another pawn in a broader game, yet she subtly conveyed her unwillingness to condone it.

"Thank you, Qiang Yueting, for giving me this opportunity," Guo Xia said apologetically.

"I’m thankful too—this gives me the space to return to Class A again," Qiang Yueting replied gracefully, the remark subtly directed at the program team.

She was the type to appear warm and agreeable outwardly, yet carry a rebellious and unbeaten spirit deep within. Little did she know how this personality might ultimately harm her.

Just as everyone assumed the matches were over, Long Zitao stepped forward again.

"This time, we’ve invited 105 trainees, which means some will have to leave this stage."

His words immediately suspended the relief many had just started to feel, their hearts now in their throats.

Some couldn’t help but curse inwardly: "Are you kidding? Why invite more people than you can seat?"

Actually, the program team couldn’t be blamed—it was impossible to guarantee they’d have exactly 101 contestants, so backup participants were necessary in case of sudden dropouts.

"If someone challenges a member of the F group and beats them, the F group member will be eliminated directly," Long Zitao explained.

His words sent shockwaves through the F group contestants, many feeling as if their hearts would leap out of their chests.

"If someone challenges other groups and succeeds, the challenged member will just be downgraded by one class, not eliminated."

"But, if the challenger fails, regardless of which group they targeted, the challenger will be eliminated directly."

"You don’t need to be overly anxious—they’re trainees just like you, with no prior experience," Long Zitao attempted to reassure them, but Ye Yuwei found his words suspicious.

What if all challengers failed? Then the show would lose its appeal. Surely there must be hidden talents among the newcomers.

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