The All-Rounder Ji Fanxing

Chapter Twenty-Three

At first, she had been thrilled when Ji Shengxue mentioned that Yiniu would be sponsoring the show and selecting two contestants as brand ambassadors. Clever as she was, she immediately guessed that this investment was for Chu Hao’s sake. As for the ambassadors, it went without saying—surely it would be Chu Hao and herself, his teammate!

But in the end? It turned out to be Ji Fanxing and Chu Hao together!

She could have accepted that, since the announcement clearly stated that the brand wanted the first and second place winners to be joint ambassadors. But how did Hailan get involved too?

Who was Hailan, anyway? She was nothing! They said it was because she was Ji Fanxing’s teammate. But wasn’t she herself Chu Hao’s teammate? Why couldn’t she go?

Song Qing didn’t dare question Chu Hao directly, so she could only stew in resentment behind his back. She was convinced that Ji Fanxing must have said something to sabotage her. Ji Fanxing had surely learned she’d tried to frame her, and was now taking revenge by ruining her chance!

Song Qing gazed out the window at the film crew, her eyes red with envy.

Thanks to Ji Fanxing’s guidance, Hailan had already grasped the basics of filming, and her solo shots were completed swiftly. After a few interior pick-ups, the shoot wrapped up perfectly.

This advertising experience made Hailan realize the importance of versatility in the entertainment industry. When the director called “Cut” at the end, she felt a rush of accomplishment—so many things weren’t as hard as she’d imagined. Her confidence soared.

After rehearsals, she would often stay behind to practice her solo dance routines, determined to give her best performance on stage.

During the days, Ji Fanxing practiced singing with Hailan. At night, she would lock herself in the studio, making use of the “King of All Singers” program’s resources and equipment to produce Li Ming’s game music.

If nothing else, the facilities provided by “King of All Singers” were truly top-notch, among the best in the industry. She even managed to recreate several instruments famed in Earth’s horror film scene, such as the waterphone, whose eerie, lonely sound is a staple in horror movies.

For several nights, all sorts of chilling sounds emanated from the studio, dropping the temperature in the surrounding area by a few degrees.

Ji Fanxing’s eccentric and reclusive behavior became the talk of the production crew, who all made a point to avoid her. Despite her recent success, her popularity with her peers had only worsened.

When the main soundtrack was finished, Chu Hao came by to record “Landscape Scroll” with her.

“It’s odd—why is it so deserted here?” Chu Hao asked as soon as he arrived. Ji Fanxing’s studio was the best-equipped on Robin Island. Its location was a bit remote, but it provided a shortcut to the cafeteria, so people usually passed by.

Ji Fanxing shook her head, indicating she had no idea.

Having worked together before, the two quickly slipped into recording mode. They’d performed “Landscape Scroll” many times, so the session went smoothly.

His recent collaboration with Song Qing had left Chu Hao frustrated; after the song, he breathed a sigh of relief, clearly in a much better mood.

The “King of All Singers” competition was well into its later stages. Half the contestants had been eliminated, and with new investments, the stage production spared no expense, even hiring a top-tier design team from Longguo.

Not only had the entire stage been upgraded, but contestants could now work directly with the team to create personalized stage designs.

“Hello, Teacher Ji!”

“Hello, Teacher Ji!”

Ji Fanxing and Hailan arrived at the venue. After greeting her, the staff scattered as if fleeing.

The chilling rumors about Ji Fanxing she’d inadvertently sparked on Robin Island had now spread throughout “King of All Singers.” Stories circulated: Ji Fanxing locking herself up in the studio for strange rituals, her music attracting ghosts… and so on.

As a result, everyone acted as if they’d seen a ghost when she appeared.

Ji Fanxing, who understood the real reason, nodded in satisfaction. The waterphone was quite effective; she was certain Li Ming’s game would make a splash in the horror community.

As the king and the show’s star contestant, she was naturally received by the stage design director and the show’s director themselves.

This time, she had chosen “Sea of Flowers,” a British-style rock ballad with ethnic undertones by Zhou, the King of Huaxia pop. The song exuded a faint floral fragrance.

For the stage, she referenced the live performances of Teacher Gong and MARiA.

Hailan’s voice was similar to MARiA’s—rich, powerful, and long-lasting. This arrangement perfectly suited Hailan.

She took out her meticulously prepared stage design sketches, explaining and displaying them clearly. She had taken every hardware detail of the “King of All Singers” stage into account, ensuring her vision was absolutely achievable.

The program’s stage design director, Zhang Li, was left speechless by Ji Fanxing’s professionalism. The simple yet bold design was so vivid she could already picture the beauty of the scene.

Most importantly, this straightforward, no-guesswork communication was a dream come true!

Ji Fanxing handed over her designs, and as she left, Zhang Li reluctantly clung to her hand.

Who said she was creepy? She was clearly an angel!

It took Ji Fanxing quite some effort to shake off the overenthusiastic stage designer and get into the car, only to find Hailan gazing at her with starry eyes.

“Fanxing, is there anything you can’t do?”

It was one thing to sing so beautifully, but she could also compose, dance, teach, and even draw stunning sketches that could pass for illustrations—yet they were only concept art!

Ji Fanxing stroked her chin and teased, “Of course. I’m all-round talented!”

Hailan’s eyes shone even brighter; she believed every word.

The driver, watching them in the rearview mirror, shook his head with an indulgent smile. Young girls these days were getting bold with their boasts.

After Ji Fanxing left, Zhang Li opened the design folder. In the middle was an illustration: petals cascading from the sky, the stage awash in a sea of flowers—breathtaking! She could already envision how beautiful it would be.

She hadn't had time to study it closely when the director arrived with more people, so she set the designs aside to entertain them.

The newcomers were Ji Shengxue and Song Qing.

This time, Ji Shengxue brought her own hired designer, who started discussing their designs with Zhang Li.

But to Zhang Li, after seeing Ji Fanxing’s masterpiece, this professional designer’s work seemed utterly pedestrian.

Song Qing sat to the side, at loose ends. No matter how beautiful Ji Shengxue’s stage design was, it had nothing to do with her. She had only come along because Chu Hao refused to accompany her.

The thought made her angry.

She’d always seen herself as a talented performer and had been treated well by the production team. After days of coldness from Chu Hao, she found herself losing face.

She glanced around aimlessly, when suddenly, a sketch on another table caught her eye.

…

“Song Qing, I’m done here. Hasn’t Chu Hao arrived yet?”

About half an hour later, Ji Shengxue finished her discussion and asked Song Qing.

“Huh?” Song Qing reluctantly tore her gaze from the sketchbook. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll wait for him.”

Ji Shengxue nodded and, glancing casually at what Song Qing held, remarked, “That design is lovely.”

Only then did Zhang Li notice what Song Qing was holding and cursed herself. To maintain competitive secrecy, contestants’ stage concepts were supposed to be kept confidential; how could she have been so careless?

In a panic, she snatched the folder from Song Qing’s hands.

“Sorry, that belongs to someone else…”

Ji Shengxue, remembering the departing figure she’d just passed, asked, “Was that Fanxing’s?”

Zhang Li mumbled, “Mm…”

“So many petals—Fanxing has been allergic to pollen since childhood. Make sure not to use real ones.”

Ji Shengxue frowned in concern, reminded them, then waved goodbye and left.

Song Qing, left empty-handed, felt a pang of embarrassment that quickly turned to anger. Were they guarding against her? Such a big reaction—were they afraid she’d steal their ideas?

Song Qing was indeed very impressed by the stage design and had already been planning how to ask the stage designer for it.

Now, being told it was Ji Fanxing’s made it even more infuriating.

She was convinced that the design was really the work of the crew’s stage designers for her benefit. After all, she knew exactly where Ji Fanxing stood in her own family—her relatives would never arrange everything for her as they did for Ji Shengxue.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she grew. Why did Ji Fanxing get such special treatment? She was Chu Hao’s partner—shouldn’t she be favored even more?

Thinking this, Song Qing blurted out, “I want petals raining down on my stage too.”

Zhang Li stared at her in disbelief. As the design director, not every contestant was qualified to make demands. If she hadn’t come in with Ji Shengxue, she wouldn’t even be allowed in the lounge.

“Who do you think you are? Just because you want something, you get it?”

Her sharp words slapped Song Qing hard. Song Qing stood up and pointed at the designer, retorting, “You’d better think carefully! I’m not just Ji Shengxue’s close assistant—I’m also Chu Hao’s teammate! My stage is Chu Hao’s stage!”

The director, who had been about to call security to “escort” this rude girl out, immediately hung up and came over to mollify Song Qing at the mention of Chu Hao’s name.

“No problem. This round’s theme is ‘flowers’—petal rain is a common effect. We’ll arrange it.”

Though she didn’t know who Chu Hao was, the designer could tell from the director’s attitude that he wasn’t to be trifled with. In this industry, only the shrewdest survive. She shot Song Qing a glance and left with the design sketches.

Song Qing, stung by that look, felt her anger burn hotter, but now that the woman was gone, she had nowhere to vent it.

Suddenly, Ji Shengxue’s departing words echoed in her mind: “Fanxing is allergic to pollen…”

She sneered, a plan forming.

So you care so much about this stage? Then let’s turn it into a disaster—let’s see both of you suffer.

Over the next few days, Song Qing didn’t mind the long journey from Robin Island to the studio. As long as there was a car, she’d come to oversee stage props.

After a few trips, people stopped paying attention to her. At last, as shooting was about to begin, she found an opportunity to slip into the props storeroom and switch the fake petals with boxes of real ones she’d specially prepared.

Ji Fanxing needed a lot of fake petals; several boxes could be swapped without being noticed.

She thought of the allergic reactions she’d read about online—red rashes, trouble breathing, itchy throat…

Gazing at the specially “enhanced” boxes, her eyes filled with malice. “Let’s see how you win first place now, Ji Fanxing.”

Villains never feel guilty for stealing from others; they only grow to hate the real owner because of their own guilty conscience.