The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: I'll Tell You Who's the Boss

As the tension between the two escalated, Xie Yihang hurriedly pulled the enraged Shi Yanshen to sit down, explaining to Nie Jia, "Nie Fei, it's not that we didn't want to change. Actually, we had intended to use 'War Song' during the finals."

Nie Jia scoffed, "Eliminated once and still trying to hold back? Focus on the semifinals first before thinking about the finals."

Xie Yihang nodded in silence, looking somewhat embarrassed. [Note 7]

Shi Yanshen sent the photographer out and switched off the rehearsal room's cameras. Returning, still furious, he confronted Nie Jia, "Was this intentional? You knew Xiao Hang can't perform this song live, and all our efforts these days were for the semifinals. You decide to change now?"

"I've said it before. Tomorrow, I'll take the center stage, and I want to make some modifications to this song. Fang Fang, bring me my laptop," Nie Jia called out.

Fang Fang promptly fished out a convertible laptop from his backpack and handed it to him.

Chen Tian's eyes almost smoked with anger. "You're starting to edit now?"

"Don't worry, it'll be quick," Nie Jia replied absentmindedly.

"We don't have time to rehearse positioning!" Chen Tian retorted.

"Isn't tonight a time slot?" Nie Jia replied casually.

"Practice positions all night and go on stage hoarse tomorrow?" Shi Yanshen mocked.

Xiao Liu stood behind Nie Jia and protested softly, "Brother Fei stayed up last night writing lyrics until this morning, barely slept for half an hour..." Implicitly suggesting that even with an injury, Brother Fei managed to pull an all-nighter, so why couldn't the rest?

Chen Tian glared at Xiao Liu but didn't say anything further.

"Just switch positions with Xiao Hang. I'm fine, and Xiao Hang will be okay after practicing this afternoon. No need to stay up late," Nie Jia lightly tapped the keyboard without lifting his head.

"We've hardly performed this song live... We need rehearsal time..." Chen Tian's face reddened.

It was D Group's anthem, yet here they were, members needing a refresher to perform their own team's flagship song.

Nie Jia lowered his eyes, lips curling into a nonchalant smile. "Being too particular."

Chen Tian was on the verge of grinding his teeth but found himself speechless, forced to remain silent.

Shi Yanshen knew that bringing out D Group's anthem guaranteed a sure shot into the finals; it was almost an understatement. Now, with Nie Fei's willingness to make changes, it was like giving them a reassurance pill.

Considering this, he ceased his opposition and patted Xiao Hang's head, saying, "It's lunchtime. Let's go eat."

Xiao Hang obediently nodded, and the three, sweating profusely, left the rehearsal room, leaving Nie Jia and his team of assistants behind. The room fell silent, only the scratching sound of Nie Jia's pen on paper.

Suddenly, Nie Jia remembered something, flashing a radiant smile as he turned to Xiao Liu. "Tonight, help me order a bouquet of roses—nineteen of them."

The assistant team was utterly bewildered, and Xiao Liu nodded in clueless agreement.

Glances were exchanged among the assistants before they discreetly whipped out their phones, engaging in a fervent, silent discussion within their WeChat group.

"Roses?! The boss is giving someone roses?! Nineteen of them?!"

"Does the boss have someone special? Who? Liu Ge was the only one with the boss last night. What on earth happened?!" Fang Fang finished typing and lunged at Xiao Liu's neck.

Weakly typing away, Xiao Liu pleaded, "Please help me... I truly don't know..."

"Fang Fang, just choke this useless fellow out! He spent one night and lost track of the boss. What good are you?!"

Nie Jia's eyes held a hint of tender affection as a satisfied smile graced his lips, completely unaware of the assistant team bickering behind his back. Xiao Liu was nearly facing instant justice from the others.

---

By three or four in the afternoon, the program's team swiftly released behind-the-scenes footage on both the television station's official website and the program's official blog. They promptly edited and released footage from Nie Fei's sudden arrival earlier in the day, generating buzz for the upcoming episode.

The program team was cunning, airing footage from Nie Jia's arrival at the television station's gate, his verbal sparring with Shi Yanshen, nothing spared.

His statement, "The honors I've earned, I'll defend on my own," immediately sparked discussions and caused Nie Fei's name to trend again.

This statement undoubtedly pricked at the fans of the other camp. Wasn't this a direct slap at their idol? If Nie Fei wasn't part of D Group, could he have parachuted straight into the semi-finals?!

Nie's fans were naturally proud and excited, their combativeness rivaled the combined forces of the other three camps.

"Ni Ni is so domineering! His boyfriend vibe is off the charts!"

"The other three couldn't hold a candle. We had to rely on our Ni Ni to step up. Smirking face."

"At 3 minutes and 19 seconds, Ni Ni's eyes were stunning! Screenshots galore! Ni Ni's angelic gaze can feed us for a lifetime!"

"Ni Ni is legitimately talented! He has the right to be arrogant. What's with the other camp? Without Ni Ni, they'd have been eliminated midway. Blaming Ni Ni for their selective blindness?"

"What's wrong with what Ni Ni said? Does D Group's awards have anything to do with those three? Aren't they earned by Ni Ni? Ni Ni, who never participates in variety shows, joined recordings during their injuries caused by the elimination of those three. We're too worried about him, while the other camp keeps on hurling insults. Is it Ni Ni's fault for their elimination? Does your Xie Yihang know that staying up late the night before a match, resulting in a cold and hoarse throat, is Ni Ni's fault?"

"Being eliminated after the PK with BOX, do you know how much negative impact this brought to D Group? My Ni Ni stepped up, and they're still playing the victim? Haha, presenting to the other camp, a Ni Ni three-move combo: Overly dramatic, only you're overly dramatic, the most overly dramatic award goes to you guys!"

The assistant team, witnessing the deplorable remarks from the opposing camp, was ready to engage incognito. However, to their surprise, Nie's fans were so formidable, single-handedly tearing apart the opposing camp's arguments. The scent of blood practically oozed through the screen, leaving them out of the fray.

Assistant Team Three-Step: Serving tea to the big shots, massaging the big shots' legs, and cheering wildly for the big shots!

After the program team released the behind-the-scenes footage, the war between Nie's fans and the opposing camp's fans almost engulfed the entire internet. It was hard to tell if this was all due to the show's buzz or D Group's overwhelming popularity.

The entire afternoon, Nie Jia barely touched his meal, busy refining his script in the rehearsal room. Meanwhile, the other three diligently rehearsed the choreography for their battle song. Xie Yihang was visibly anxious; he was originally in the spotlight for this song's dance routine, but with the sudden change, he kept making mistakes in his movements. With the official recording scheduled for tomorrow, Xie Yihang hadn't yet grasped his new positioning, his eyes reddened from sheer anxiety.

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