Just over an hour had passed since the premiere began.
Chen Xiaoxi took a moment to steady her emotions, preparing to sing a few more of her original songs.
But fate seemed to have a sense of humor—or perhaps someone was pulling strings behind the scenes—because the chat once again flooded with the same message:
"Can you talk about whether you're financially supporting Zhang Yichen?"
A faint flicker of annoyance crossed Chen Xiaoxi's eyes.
But in the very next second, she flashed a dazzling, radiant smile.
"Hehe… 'Supporting' Zhang Yichen? I'd love to support him. But I'm already old and washed up—why don't you all tell me how I'm supposed to do that?"
The chat fell silent for two seconds.
Then it exploded:
"Xiaoxi, what do you mean old?! You're overflowing with pure girlish charm!"
The warm flood of comments filled her vanity to the brim.
She had originally planned to sing a few more songs, but chatting with her fans was so enjoyable that she eventually lost track of time.
She forgot to sing.
She even forgot to mention her upcoming album.
"Dinner's ready!"
A deep voice called from the kitchen, cutting through the lively interaction.
Zhang Yichen appeared in the doorway, carrying a steaming plate of food.
"Oh wow, I didn't realize how long I've been on." Xiaoxi's gaze softened as she looked at the screen.
"That's it for today's premiere. Thank you all for keeping me company. I'll continue working hard and bring you even better music."
Before she even finished speaking, the screen was already flooded with:
"Bye, Xiaoxi! Keep going!"
"Alright, goodbye!" she waved, then added playfully, "Oh—one more thing! I'm really not financially supporting Zhang Yichen."
For once, she allowed herself a little mischief.
If anything, he's the one supporting me!
Of course, she only dared to think that. Saying it out loud in front of so many viewers?
She valued her life too much.
The livestream ended, and the room fell into a moment of peaceful quiet.
Xiaoxi stretched and walked toward the dining room with Li Yue.
Zhang Yichen had already set the table and waited for them to finish the livestream.
"Having you here… really makes life easier," Xiaoxi murmured, her tone soft, languid, and tinged with reliance.
"You must be starving. Come eat."
Yichen handed her a bowl of rice, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Thank you."
Her voice carried exhaustion, but her smile radiated pure contentment.
"Wow… no one loves me, huh?"
With no one to serve her, Li Yue was left to fend for herself.
"Stop complaining. Eat first—then check today's stats," Yichen said, rolling his eyes at her.
"Yes, boss!"
She stuck out her tongue but obediently served herself.
The three quietly began eating. Only the soft clinking of bowls filled the warm little dining room.
After finishing, Yue rushed to her computer and pulled up the analytics.
"Oh my god! We gained over two million new followers! And the premiere hit over ten million views!"
Her face glowed with excitement.
"Looks like the fans really accepted your return."
A hint of relief flashed through Yichen's eyes.
"Of course. Do you even know who Xiaoxi is? Her charm hasn't faded one bit!"
Li Yue complimented her shamelessly.
Xiaoxi chuckled. "It's thanks to both of you. Without Yichen's songs and Yue running around handling everything, nothing would've gone this smoothly."
"But…"
Her smile dimmed.
"…the negativity in the chat today was still pretty upsetting."
Yichen gently took her hand.
"Don't mind those people. Someone clearly targeted us. Our war is just beginning."
Anyone with eyes could tell the hate comments were deliberately orchestrated.
The most likely culprits?
The singers who originally held the top ten spots on the new-song chart.
After all, the three of them had stolen the spotlight overnight.
Tonight's coordinated attack meant the chart battle had officially begun.
But judging by the results… the battle had ended before it even started.
Their numbers had skyrocketed—so far ahead that catching up was a fantasy.
Even with unlimited money and manpower, the gap was simply too massive.
Then there was another suspect: Xiaoxi's former company.
If anyone wanted her to fail, it was her previous bosses and colleagues.
As the saying went:
"You're not even with us anymore—why should you live better than we do?"
Human nature at its finest.
Her industry rivals were also on the suspect list:
– aspiring young divas gunning for the "Song Queen" title– peers in the same ranking tier– established divas afraid she might rise again and threaten their positions
Not a single one of them wanted her comeback to succeed.
"My god!" Li Yue suddenly shouted, nearly jumping out of her seat.
"Xiaoxi! Look—two legendary senior musicians just posted messages supporting you!"
Xiaoxi and Yichen hurried over.
Two highly respected veterans of the music industry had publicly praised their new songs.
One even applauded Yichen's composing and songwriting talent.
Master ①:
"Chen Xiaoxi's new songs showcase her growth and transformation. Her emotional expression is genuine and moving. Zhang Yichen's composition adds remarkable depth. Their future is bright."
Master ②:
"It's clear from these songs that both of them take their craft seriously. Please support their work instead of spreading baseless rumors. Don't let talent be buried."
Their support fell like timely rain, washing away much of the online doubt.
The popularity of the new songs instantly surged.
"Quick! Open the Music Rankings!"
Li Yue practically slammed the mouse.
The page loaded slowly—agonizingly slowly.
Then—
"WOW!" Li Yue shrieked.
"Xiaoxi, your songs! Both are almost at three million downloads!"
At that moment:
"A Diao" had surged ahead with 2.8 million downloads. "Courage" followed close behind with over 2.7 million.
Yichen's three songs were right on their heels, each surpassing 2.5 million.
Li Yue's weren't far off either—both had crossed the two-million mark.
As for the song that used to rank first?
Still under one million.
The gap was so wide that even strapping themselves to a rocket wouldn't help them catch up.