The Ling family banquet had left ripples in Jianning's upper circles. Social media buzzed quietly, and whispers passed through the academy's elite halls.
But the center of the storm wasn't Bai Meilin, the newly found Bai heiress.
It was Bai Zhi, the adopted daughter.
Her performance was replayed, re-uploaded, even dissected by professors in the academy. It wasn't just the voice, but the command, the confidence, the overwhelming sense that this girl was someone to watch.
And for Bai Meilin, that was a bitter pill to swallow.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The Spotlight was supposed to be hers while Bai Zhi had only embarrassment.
She sat in her private dressing room in the academy, a team of assistants buzzing around her. Her next project was a photoshoot for Jianning's performing arts magazine, a special feature on "The Future Star of the Bai Family."
She should have felt proud. Honored.
Instead, all she could think about was the thunderous applause that had followed Bai Zhi's aria. And the way Chen Yuxuan had looked afterward. Dazed. Confused. Captivated.
"Meilin-jie, do you want to go with the cream gown or the red one for the second set?" one assistant asked gently.
She forced a smile. "The red. It's bolder."
She would go for the spotlight.
"Yes, jie."
As the assistant walked away, Bai Meilin's smile vanished. She took out her phone and tapped on Bai Zhi's name in the school directory. Her profile was now viewed more than hers.
That couldn't be allowed to continue.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhi stood alone in the campus greenhouse, surrounded by rows of blooming orchids. She loved this space. It was quiet, pure, untouched by the claws of the social game.
She was sketching again, this time not
fashion or music, but a proposal draft for a campus innovation grant. Something she'd created once in the past life and gifted to Bai Meilin… who won a national award for it under her name.
Not this time.
Her phone buzzed.
[Unknown Number]: You were dazzling at the banquet. Can we meet? CY
Chen Yuxuan.
Bai Zhi smirked and deleted the message without replying.
A moment later, another message arrived.
[Li Jiannan]: That aria. Who taught you to make an entire room bow their heads?
She typed back quickly:
Bai Zhi: Planning to win.
His response was instant:
Li Jiannan: Good. I prefer champions.
That afternoon, Bai Meilin stood at the foot of the staircase in the Bai household, staring up as Bai Zhi walked down dressed casually in white silk and a dark vest. She looked sharp, fresh, and unreadable.
"Zhi-jie," Meilin said sweetly. "Can we talk?"
Bai Zhi stopped halfway down the stairs. "Talk? About what?"
Meilin gave her best pitiful expression. "Everyone at the banquet kept comparing us. I know it's just talk, but… I don't want this to come between us."
Bai Zhi tilted her head. "Then don't let it."
"I mean it," Meilin continued. "I admire you. You're talented, strong… it's just, this is all new to me. I've never had to compete before. Especially not with my own sister."
Bai Zhi stepped down, her face expressionless. "Then don't. I'm not interested in games. I'm interested in results."
Meilin blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness. "So… are we okay?"
Bai Zhi gave a faint smile that never reached her eyes. "We've always been okay."
But only one of them believed that.
The next day, the head of Jianning Academy's Research and Arts Committee released the talent showcase requirements. It would be divided into three rounds:
Number one: Initial performance round
Number two: Creative concept presentation
Number three: Final live performance before board members and alumni
The winner would receive a year-long mentorship, a national broadcast appearance, and a potential endorsement deal.
It has started.
Bai Zhi already had her performance prepared. A re-imagined fusion piece combining ancient Chinese instruments with contemporary poetry. Something she wrote in her past life… and never got to perform.
This time, she'd take the credit for herself.
But then came the announcement that turned things upside down:
"Bai Meilin and Bai Zhi will be performing in the same bracket for the final round."
Which meant the entire academy was now
treating it as Bai vs Bai.
And for Meilin, that was a nightmare.
In the shadows of the Chen family estate, Chen Yuxuan stood in his study, rereading Bai Zhi's performance article.
He felt… unsettled.
This was not the girl he once knew. Not the quiet, passive shadow who bent over backward to please him.
She was untouchable now. Poised. Powerful.
And worst of all, uninterested.
"She's changed," he muttered.
"Who?" asked a gentle voice behind him.
He turned to see Bai Meilin, dressed in a soft lilac coat, holding a thermos of tea. "Your mother said you'd been working late."
"Meilin. You didn't have to come."
"I wanted to. And I wanted to talk… about Zhi-jie."
He frowned. "What about her?"
"She's… very competitive lately. I think she feels threatened by me. And I know the two of you were close once."
Chen Yuxuan looked away. "We were engaged."
"I know." Meilin's voice trembled. "But I really hope that doesn't come between us. I think of you as a friend. A safe place."
He glanced back at her. She looked small, vulnerable. Nothing like the commanding Bai Zhi from the banquet.
But even as he nodded and thanked her, a part of his mind drifted elsewhere.
Bai Zhi wasn't just commanding the stage she was invading his thoughts.
That evening, Li Jiannan stood on the rooftop of the elite dormitories, overlooking the campus lights. His assistant approached him with a file.
"Master Li, this is the information you requested."
He took it without a word and opened the folder.
Inside were two profiles.
Bai Zhi. Age: 20. Adopted daughter of the Bai family.
Bai Meilin. Age: 20. Biological daughter returned to the family.
He scanned the records, particularly Bai Zhi's academic history, her old research contributions, all wiped clean when Meilin was brought back.
"Erase everything tied to Meilin's name that
was originally Bai Zhi's," he instructed coldly. "We're going to return the credit to its rightful owner."
The assistant hesitated. "Won't that expose internal family matters?"
Li Jiannan's gaze sharpened. "I'm not interested in discretion. I'm interested in justice."
"Yes, Master Li."
In her room, Bai Zhi was reading a letter from a renowned producer who had seen her banquet performance. She smirked and tucked it into her drawer.
Step by step, she was taking back everything that had been stolen.
One face slap at a time.
The energy at Jianning Academy was electric. Posters of the annual Talent Showcase were plastered across hallways, stairwells, and digital boards. Students buzzed with excitement, anticipation rising with each hour.
But nothing caused more chatter than the announcement that the Bai sisters, one adopted, one biological would compete head-to-head.
Some called it fate. Others called it drama.
But Bai Zhi? She called it opportunity.
She stood at the practice studio, her guzheng in front of her, fingers dancing gracefully across the strings. Her performance piece was complete: a haunting fusion of ancient melodies and modern rap lyrics that told a story of rising from the ashes.
In her past life, she had composed the piece and gifted it to Bai Meilin, who then claimed it as her own.
Now, she'd let the world hear it the way it was meant to be performed.
"Jie!" a voice called, cheerful and sweet.
Bai Zhi turned. Bai Meilin entered in a pastel cardigan and pleated skirt, holding a bento box with a floral ribbon.
"I made lunch!" Meilin beamed. "I thought you might be too focused to eat."
Bai Zhi arched a brow. "You're suddenly domestic?"
Meilin laughed lightly. "I've always liked cooking. I just… didn't get the chance before. Thought I'd do something nice for my sister."
Bai Zhi accepted the box, placing it on the windowsill without touching it. "Thanks."
Meilin tilted her head. "You're not eating it?"
"I will. Later."
She was not so stupid to trust her.
There was an awkward pause before Meilin
finally said, "They're all saying we're rivals now. I don't want that. We're sisters, no matter what."
"We're not rivals," Bai Zhi said coolly. "Rivals implies a competition. This isn't one."
Meilin's smile faltered. "Oh?"
"I already know the outcome."
She turned away without elaborating, leaving Meilin's expression to crumble in silence.
In the Chen family estate, Chen Yuxuan stared at his phone screen where Bai Zhi's name sat unanswered.
He still hadn't heard from her since the banquet. Not a call. Not a reply. Not even a glance in the hallway.
In the past, she would've jumped at the chance to speak to him. To explain. To smile at him like he was her whole world.
Now she treated him like air.
"You're distracted," Bai Meilin said softly as she entered the room.
Chen Yuxuan put his phone down. "I'm fine."
She smiled gently. "Do you want to hear my
piece for the showcase? I've been working really hard."
He nodded out of courtesy, and she played a pre-recorded snippet from her phone, a pop-ballad, technically sound, pleasing but predictable.
When it ended, she looked at him expectantly.
"It's nice," he said.
"Just nice?" she asked, pouting slightly. "You said I was amazing last time."
He glanced at her. "Last time, you didn't have competition."
Her pout stiffened.