CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 191: STAND HIGH ENOUGH

"Now, I’m going to announce the third place. Yuwei and Fangxin, please step forward," Zitao said calmly.

Everyone instantly shifted their attention to Zixuan. No one had expected her to actually take first place.

At this moment, Meixuan’s heart felt as though it were being tossed in a storm. She couldn’t believe it—her "little princess" was really about to pull off an upset.

Although Zixuan looked composed, her whole body was trembling slightly.

"Before joining the show *Natural Idol*, what kind of results were you hoping for?" Zitao asked seriously.

Yuwei and Fangxin both remained silent.

Just then, Zitao received an instruction from Xiao Yue, asking him to first question Fangxin.

"Fangxin, why don’t you go first!"

"I didn’t really expect anything—just something about average, I guess," Fangxin replied.

Fangxin’s response left Zitao bemused. What did "about average" even mean?

He was about to ask Yuwei when Xiao Yue instructed him to continue questioning Fangxin.

Clearly, the show’s producers were keen to focus on Fangxin’s popularity.

"How could you not have expectations? You once said you were the hope of your entire village."

This instantly elicited laughter from everyone, but the laughter carried more mockery than goodwill.

"Uh... actually, actually I lied to everyone. I’m not really the hope of the village at all."

Her words shocked everyone, including Xiao Yue in the control room, who was utterly stunned.

"Is Fangxin stupid or what? This is destroying her own persona!"

"She still has untapped potential!"

"The truth is that no one in my village knows I’m doing this," Fangxin said.

"But now... now they definitely know," she added, looking visibly guilty. Her tone was hurried too.

Zitao immediately grasped her meaning. For many rural people, especially those from isolated villages, being a member of a girl group might not be considered a respectable career.

This made Zitao slightly uncomfortable, and the trainees present also felt uneasy.

To many, girl group members were often seen in the same light as nightclub hostesses—a perception full of disdain and degradation.

"Fangxin, actually, it’s nothing bad for your village to know about this. Being in a girl group is a legitimate profession," Zitao said gently.

Fangxin nodded and started to retreat.

"Now that your village knows you’re doing this, what do you plan to do?"

"I plan to work hard. I want to make them genuinely proud of me—I want my village to be proud of me too," Fangxin said.

At this moment, Xiao Yue let out a long sigh of relief; she had nearly suffered a heart attack from Fangxin earlier.

"What’s it like standing here in this position?" Zitao probed.

Everyone by now understood that Zitao was following the show’s instructions—otherwise, he wouldn’t be focusing on Fangxin so persistently.

This further demonstrated the show’s emphasis on her and her actual popularity.

"Well... Well, I used to be just an ordinary person, you know? I liked scrolling through my phone and reading light novels in my free time," Fangxin said.

Her words sparked laughter across the room. Everyone felt deeply emotional—Fangxin truly seemed to be the lucky fool who stumbled into victory.

"To be honest, I’m kind of childish. When I was younger, my grades weren’t good either. Now, suddenly being at the top makes me feel like it’s lonely at the top."

Her words were truly sincere, unlike the cliché and polished responses from others before her.

Looking at her, Zitao felt a mixture of emotions. This was probably why she had managed to stand out!

She was unique, and it was all genuinely her.

"So I’m really scared. My skills still aren’t very strong, and I don’t feel confident yet," she continued.

"But I will definitely work hard. When I’m dancing, I’ll definitely smile, like with an exaggeratedly big grin."

Zixuan felt a bit awkward, sensing that this moment had entirely turned into Fangxin’s solo speech.

She and Yuwei seemed more like props alongside Fangxin.

"So when do you think you’ll have confidence?" Zitao couldn’t help but laugh.

"...Maybe after I learn how to rap," Fangxin thought for a moment and replied.

"Alright then, Fangxin—tell me, what position do you want?"

"Third."

"Speak what’s truly in your heart."

"Third," Fangxin replied again, sounding slightly flustered.

"You have to be honest!"

"Ugh, I really mean third place! Why are you forcing me so much?" Fangxin was entirely exasperated now.

The room burst into laughter instantly; the audience found this segment incredibly amusing.