After the competition ended

"...Welcome to the grand finale of the large-scale performance-based talent show 'No NG Tonight,' jointly sponsored by Twin Star Fashion and the Universal Group. First, allow me to solemnly introduce the four main casts of 'No NG Tonight.' They are..."

On the morning of November 18th, at the request of the organizer Twin Star Fashion, the finale of 'No NG Tonight' was held three hours earlier than originally scheduled, and at last, the competition content was revealed to the contestants.

The finale was divided into two sections: an individual round and a team round, with separate scoring for each. This format gave an obvious advantage to actors who worried their skills would be overshadowed in group performances. Yet, when everyone heard the details for the individual round, their mouths fell open and their faces took on an expression of utter bewilderment.

Was this a joke? Why were they being asked to perform the same scenes from the preliminary round again? After so much time, most had forgotten what they did in the preliminaries, and everyone assumed that content already performed wouldn’t be tested again, so they’d focused their preparation on other classic scenes. No one had bothered to review their earlier performances—clearly, their priorities had been misplaced!

Seated in her exclusive box, Chen Ruowen waved cheerfully at Zhang Jiang.

"Get a close-up. When you’re editing, make sure to include a few shots of their most iconic dumbfounded expressions."

Such mischievous delight... Zhang Jiang, his face darkened, nodded and passed Chen Ruowen’s instructions to the camera team.

Chen Ruowen was clearly in excellent spirits today, but Chen Liwan, sitting beside her, couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Zhao Yan had immediately informed him of Chen Ruowen’s change in schedule. Though missing a business banquet wasn’t particularly critical, Chen Ruowen’s chosen destination made Chen Liwan uneasy.

"Ruowen, what’s happened at school? Why are you so eager to return?"

Chen Ruowen casually popped a cherry into her mouth, responding unhurriedly, "I’m going to see Bai Jinyan."

Chen Liwan nearly choked.

He’d painstakingly raised his daughter for seventeen years—her wings weren’t even fully grown and she was already thinking only of Bai Jinyan! As a child, she often chased after Bai Jinyan, but at least there were limits. Ever since returning from Donghai, it was all Bai Jinyan, all the time.

Chen Liwan knew that, for people like them, finding a spouse within their own circles was inevitable. Chen Ruowen and Bai Jinyan had been close since childhood. If they truly ended up together, he wouldn’t object. But wasn’t it too soon?

Chen Liwan lounged back on the sofa, patting his chest.

He decided not to think about it anymore—for fear his heart condition might act up.

Thirty roles, seventy contestants made it to the finale. If everyone had the same 180 seconds as the preliminaries, it would take up four hours of stage time. So, the finale’s individual round was compressed to 100 seconds. Within those 100 seconds, contestants had to perform all the key moments from the preliminary scene, with noticeably improved technique and acting.

Even for contestants who’d undergone two weeks of intensive training, this was a tough ask.

In the 'Apartment' cast, only one out of nine actors delivered a satisfactory performance—and that actor wasn’t one of the three female leads, but merely the fifth female role.

Backstage, Huang Yaming shook his head and signaled accordingly. Just as they’d predicted, this cast was likely doomed.

On stage, the three judges were clearly unimpressed with these performances. Receiving the signal from the director’s team, they exhaled in relief and began their fierce critiques. One judge, famous for his sharp tongue, immediately grasped the producers’ intentions and refused to score the group, criticizing them for "showing no improvement at all," and declaring they were "not suited to be actors."

Huang Yaming nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that this was indeed a renowned professional judge: whether his taste was good or not, his mind was certainly sharp. He grinned, realizing the finale had gained yet another memorable moment.

The other three casts performed much better. Their contestant pools were larger, and those who reached this stage were no weaklings.

The 'Harem' cast was especially outstanding, perhaps because palace dramas had been popular in recent years. It was clear the actors had devoted great effort to their script interpretation. Xu Xiangwei’s performance remained impressive, though still not the best among them.

The team round in the second half was even more exciting. The program prepared several classic scenes from the books for the contestants to draw lots and perform. Each cast split into two or three groups, performing for ten minutes each, with many rival scenes and completely unique performances. The intense competitions captivated even Chen Ruowen, who rarely watched dramas; she jotted down the names of several actors in her notebook, quietly resolving to recruit them into her own team.

The competition lasted six hours in total, from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon, with a ninety-minute intermission.

At the end, based on the judges' votes, each cast except 'Apartment' received a mentor's vote and took the lead.

But the worst was yet to come for the 'Apartment' actors.

Whether by bad luck or deliberate manipulation by the producers, 'Apartment' happened to perform right after 'Harem,' according to the draw. After the audience had witnessed the exquisite acting of the previous group, the lead actors of 'Apartment' could only be described as "acting like crap" by the hundred invited guests and students from major film academies.

Before 'Apartment' had even finished their performance, critical voices echoed from the audience. Under such pressure, the actors faltered even more. When it came time for the audience vote, the 'Apartment' cast received merely three votes.

When the host announced the results at the end, the lead actors wished they could crawl under a rock.

Naturally, none advanced.

The host took the opportunity to announce a new rule.

After the broadcast concluded, all viewers would be able to vote online. Every actor who made it to the semifinals would appear on the ballot.

At that time, the top three in the nationwide ranking—regardless of their competition performance—would receive a direct pass, allowing them to participate in the cast filming.

It was at least a glimmer of hope for the 'Apartment' crew.

After the competition, the directors, contestants, and investors couldn’t leave immediately.

The cast had the customary wrap party and celebration banquet, which required full attendance.

Chen Ruowen patiently made a brief appearance at the start of the banquet, spoke a few words on behalf of Twin Star, then ignored the endless requests for photos, hurriedly leaving without even changing her clothes.