Chapter 21: The Score

After finally surviving the makeup session, Lin Xiyue had no intention of admiring her look. She only wanted to finish the entire process quickly and go home.

But the makeup artist refused to let her leave until they took a picture together, so she had no choice but to agree.

“Miss Lin, you’re definitely star material,” the makeup artist said, satisfied as she checked the photo on her phone. “You might even reach the level of Miss Lin Ziyu one day. You two even share the same surname—who knows? Maybe it’s fate~”

The comment made something twist inside Lin Xiyue, but she couldn’t say anything. The makeup artist clearly meant well. To any newcomer, “reaching Lin Ziyu’s level” was the highest kind of blessing. For her, too.

After all, if she wanted to hold that ingrate accountable, they’d both need to stand on the same level first.

Once the makeup was done, Lin Xiyue headed to the evaluation room.

The so-called evaluation was far simpler than she expected: change into a uniform outfit, strike a few poses for photos, then do a facial close-up. That was it.

“All done, Miss Lin. Yanzhi Web releases the previous day’s scores at midnight. Please wait for the results.”

Still dazed, Lin Xiyue changed back into her clothes, removed her makeup, and finally reunited with Xia Jinnian.

“Pfft, laugh at me all you want—look who also got dragged in for photos,” Xia Jinnian teased. Lin Xiyue stuck out her tongue.

She had more or less guessed what happened. Secretary Li must’ve done this on her mother’s instructions. So… her mother wanted her to debut as an artist too?

Of course. Her mom still carried shadows from the past and wasn’t comfortable letting an outsider like Xia Jinnian take the last bit of precious resources at Lin Entertainment.

It wasn’t her mother’s fault. If anyone was to blame, it was that person…

But Lin Xiyue herself wasn’t thrilled about it. Standing on a stage in front of countless people and singing—wasn’t that a bit too much? She clearly signed up to be a producer, so why did this “producer” have to debut as an idol?!

The three returned to the company. Xu Wei immediately noticed something off in her daughter’s expression and eyes, but neither mother nor daughter said anything. They’d talk at home.

“Mom, can you upload last night’s group-singing video online? And… buy a little promotion for it.”

Lin Xiyue hadn’t forgotten the group-chorus recording she asked Ran Zhu to film. In fact, she agreed to the chorus specifically for this step.

For a new single, quality was important, but marketing was crucial—especially for a newcomer like Xia Jinnian.

But with Lin Entertainment’s current financial state, proper marketing was impossible. So they had to be clever.

Lin Xiyue knew online marketing was severely underestimated in this era, making it cheap. The reason was that C-nation’s advertising industry relied heavily on traditional entertainment, which tended to be conservative.

Artists who rose to fame through online marketing were labeled “internet celebrities” and treated differently from “proper idols” who relied on newspapers, posters, magazines, and TV ads. So nobody dared use online marketing—even though it was extremely cost-effective.

But Lin Xiyue wasn’t afraid. This video could be passed off as a casual class gathering. She even had Ran Zhu film from an angle far away, making it look like a spontaneous, fan-taken clip.

That way, the still-unreleased song Meteor Shower could gain exposure without making people think it was a calculated PR move. To viewers, it would just look like a simple class reunion.

And in the future, the line between “internet celebrity” and “idol” would blur more and more. The age of traffic supremacy was coming. Securing the advantage early mattered.

Xu Wei hesitated only for a moment before agreeing. She understood her daughter’s intentions perfectly—mother and daughter shared that kind of tacit understanding.

Besides, back when they argued about marketing strategies, Lin Xiyue’s father had sided firmly with online marketing. Lin Entertainment had been exploring it ever since.

Xu Wei skillfully used a small alt account to upload the video to major social platforms, then contacted staff before the workday ended to discuss paid promotion.

At the end of the day, Xia Jinnian politely declined Xu Wei’s offer to drive her home and took the bus instead. Even if Xu Wei appeared approachable now, she was still her boss—better to be cautious.

Lin Xiyue, of course, went home with her mother.

“Mom… you still don’t fully trust Jinnian, do you?”

In the car, Lin Xiyue finally asked.

Xu Wei didn’t answer. That alone was enough.

“I’m not blaming you. Even Jinnian would understand.”

“…Mm.”

Whenever Lin Ziyu was mentioned, Xu Wei’s mood inevitably sank. After raising and cultivating her for over ten years, all she gained was disaster. Anyone would be angry.

Seeing her mother like this, the words Lin Xiyue wanted to say faded. Forget it. Whether she became an idol or not could be discussed tomorrow.

Once home, after the usual routine, she lay in bed, checking a certain website.

“No point in refreshing. Scores update at midnight. I’ll check tomorrow.”

She yawned. She didn’t care much anyway. Because of her rough, boyish personality in her past life, she never cared about how others judged her appearance.

She drifted into sleep.

Time passed. Midnight arrived.

Yanzhi Web released the previous day’s evaluations.

And on the “Newcomer Ranking,” the gold-framed top name quietly changed.

Lin Xiyue
Cute: 75
Beautiful: 85
Sexy: 30
Cool: 45
Total Score: 80
Rating: S