The warm atmosphere that had just risen in the studio was chilled to the bone by Su Qing's final sentence.

The finale guest, Weiwei.

Jiang Cheng's grin froze halfway, his excitement instantly stalling: "What the hell? They did that on purpose, didn't they!"

Su Qing's expression was also very grim: "The production team said it's for ratings and buzz."

"This is putting our Tang Tang on the chopping block!" Jiang Cheng paced the room in a rage.

"How much money did Xinghai Entertainment pour into Qi Weiwei? She's an all-rounder in singing and dancing, with more stage experience than Tang Tang has had meals. How is this even a comparison?"

This wasn't a fair competition at all.

This was a professional army crushing a guerrilla force.

Tang Tang, who had been immersed in joy just a moment ago, gripped the hem of her clothes so hard her knuckles turned white.

Singing at a TV station, performing on a grand stage—it was something she had dreamed of.

But at the thought of sharing a stage with Weiwei, who looked as perfect as a doll in that MV, a massive fear, almost enough to swallow her whole, welled up from the bottom of her heart.

"Go."

From the sofa in the corner, Lu Zhixian finally spoke.

He adjusted the small blanket covering his legs.

"Why wouldn't you go? They've practically stuck their faces out for us to slap; it'd be a waste not to."

His voice was calm, yet it possessed a power that put everyone at ease.

"But..." Tang Tang's voice was trembling.

"No buts," Lu Zhixian interrupted her, finally sitting up and fixing his gaze on her.

"They think you're just an internet celebrity who can't handle the big stage. So, go on that stage and show them."

He paused and smiled.

"And while you're at it, show them what 'professional' really means."

...

The night of the "starlight stage" live broadcast.

Tang Tang sat alone at the dressing table in the corner, wearing the white dress provided by the production team, her hands and feet cold with nerves.

She practiced smiling in the mirror over and over, but the corners of her mouth just wouldn't stay up.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest—thump, thump, thump—as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

Just then, a commotion came from the hallway.

Qi Weiwei walked over, surrounded by a crowd of assistants and bodyguards, like a star held aloft by the moon, exuding a powerful aura.

She passed Tang Tang's dressing room, paused for a moment, and cast a disdainful glance inside.

It was just a single look, and then she left Tang Tang with nothing but a perfect view of her back as she walked away.

Boom.

Tang Tang felt like something had exploded in her head.

Is she really... not good enough?

Is she really just a joke?

Just as she was about to be overwhelmed by self-doubt, a tablet was suddenly thrust in front of her eyes.

On the screen was a top comment from the "love you" comment section, specifically zoomed in.

"Don't be afraid, Tang Tang! Even if you trip over your own feet on stage, this uncle will still cheer for you! If anyone dares to bully my daughter, I'll drive my excavator over and level their house!"

Below was a string of replies.

"The guy above is bringing an excavator, I'll bring a water truck and wash their house down eight times!"

"I'll drive my taxi and take them to the outskirts; I won't let them out until they pay up!"

"I... I'll have a meeting, and I'll secretly play 'love you' in the PPT during the meeting!"

Looking at these quirky messages, Tang Tang let out a "pfft." Before her tears could fall, she started laughing.

She looked up; Lu Zhixian was standing behind her, holding a bottle of warm water.

"Drink some water, soothe your throat."

He handed her the water, then put away the tablet and leaned forward slightly, whispering in her ear.

"Forget about her," he said softly. "You're not here to compete with her. You're here to sing for your fans—the ones who drive excavators and water trucks."

"Just like when you sang in the backstreets, making everyone who stops to listen happy is enough."

"Go on, turn the stage into your playground."

Tang Tang looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red, but the smile was back on her face.

She tightened her grip on the microphone.

Right, she wasn't here to compete.

She was here to sing.

The live broadcast began.

Qi Weiwei's opening performance was indeed stunning.

Her stage presence was terrifyingly stable, her dance moves precise to every frame, and her facial expressions were textbook perfect.

The entire performance was gorgeous, complete, and flawless.

But... that was it.

She was like an exquisite doll programmed with a script—perfect, but soulless.

On the bullet chat, fans were flooding the screen with praise, but some bystanders voiced different opinions.

"It's pretty, but it feels... a bit fake."

"It's like watching an AI dance. Boring."

Finally, it was Tang Tang's turn.

When the familiar and lighthearted intro of "love you" began, she stood on the lift, her palms drenched in sweat from nerves.

The stage lights were so bright they made her feel a bit dizzy.

She took a deep breath and took the first step; her movements were still a bit stiff.

However, when she looked up and saw the scrolling live bullet chat on the huge screen at the side of the stage, she froze.

The entire screen was filled with her name.

[Go Tang Tang! Uncle's excavator is already parked at the TV station entrance!]

[Don't be afraid, daughter! Mommy loves you!]

[Ahhh, my wife is out! Wife, look at me!]

[Go for it, sweetheart leader!]

In that instant, all the tension and fear vanished.

She wasn't alone.

She grinned, revealing that signature, heartfelt, slightly silly, sweet smile.

It was no longer an imitation of the mirror in the practice room, nor was it a deliberate attempt to please anyone.

It was just Tang Tang.

Just the girl who loved to sing.

Her dance moves might not have been as precise as Qi Weiwei's, and she even missed a beat slightly.

But every look she gave felt like an interaction with the audience on the other side of the lens.

Every finger heart she made felt like a courageous and sincere confession.

She wasn't performing "sweetness"; she was sweetness itself.

The bullet chat in the live room went crazy.

"Holy crap! She's alive! It's a real girl! Not an AI!"

"That smile! AWSL! My heart has been stolen!"

"Help, I'm a grown man, why am I smiling like a creep in front of the screen?"

"This is a real sweet girl! That kind of vitality can't be faked!"

During the song's interlude, according to the original design, she was supposed to do a wink.

But at that moment, looking at the camera, it was as if she saw those lovely "Uncle Fans," and she suddenly felt playful.

She faced the camera, first making a playful face and sticking out her tongue, and then sent out a huge heart with all her might.

This unscripted improvisation became the "legendary moment" of the night.

That moment of vividness and naive charm accurately struck the heart of every viewer through the lens.

In the backstage control room of "starlight stage," the director stared intently at the skyrocketing number of online viewers on the screen, his walkie-talkie trembling in his hand.

"Broken! The record is broken! The highest number of concurrent viewers in the platform's history!"

When the performance ended, the venue erupted in thunderous applause.

The host took the stage, face flushed with excitement.

"Tang Tang! That was amazing! Do you have anything you want to say to the friends who support you?"

Tang Tang was panting, her forehead covered in sweat. She gave a deep bow toward the stage.

"Thank you... thank you, Teacher Lu."

"And thank you to all the friends who found a little bit of sweetness in my song."

She looked up, her eyes sparkling.

"I will work even harder!"

There were no flowery words, only the most simple sincerity.

That night, the hashtag #Tang TangSweetheartLeader# washed over the Weibo trending topics with an unstoppable force, claiming the top spot.

The celebration banquet was held at a famous private restaurant in Jingzhou.

Jiang Cheng's face was flushed from drinking as he raised his glass and shouted.

"I told you! With Teacher Lu on the job, he's worth a whole army! Xinghai Entertainment, gold-medal managers—they're all paper tigers!"

Su Qing also had a bit to drink, which was rare for her. She looked at Tang Tang with sparkling eyes.

"Tang Tang, you really did it. You're a real star now."

Tang Tang's cheeks were rosy, whether from excitement or shyness.

She stood up, picked up the juice in front of her, and walked over to Lu Zhixian.

"Teacher Lu," her voice was still a bit choked up.

"I... I don't know what to say. Without you, I might still be singing in the backstreets, or I might have given up a long time ago."

She gave another deep bow.

"Thank you."

This "thank you" carried so much weight.

Lu Zhixian leaned back in his chair, smiling as he accepted her respect, then tapped on the table.

"Don't just thank me, thank yourself too."

After the revelry, back at the studio.

Su Qing held her phone, her voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Teacher Lu! Tang Tang's Weibo followers have surpassed five hundred thousand!"

Five hundred thousand.

The path to stardom for the "sweetheart leader" Tang Tang was officially laid out at this moment.

The golden road was right beneath her feet.