Chapter 56 Fruit Tea

Jiang Wenxi was already quite tall, and his presence was rather imposing. However, Yu Shuling didn't directly address him; instead, she looked up and smiled at him.

"Teacher Jiang is handsome. I hope he won't mind if I take a few more glances."

Jiang Wenxi, who hadn't expected her to answer like that, was speechless.

He turned and walked away, somewhat speechless, which made several staff members nearby burst into laughter.

Yu Shuling also stood up naturally and went to the cafeteria to eat, soothing her rumbling stomach. She was now in the process of managing her figure. As a member of a girl group, controlling her diet was essential to show the best performance on stage, and she also couldn't be too thin, otherwise she wouldn't have the energy to dance. Yu Shuling wasn't too worried about this, as she was very experienced in figure control and exercise.

Sitting in the bright and clean cafeteria, Yu Shuling watched as trainees occasionally came and greeted her warmly. She returned their smiles, but in her heart, she was plotting how to make the recording public.

When she first arrived, Yu Shuling immediately learned about these modern high-tech gadgets and couldn't help but sigh that it was truly wonderful to be born in the modern world. Not to mention the absence of so many rules and regulations, allowing her to do whatever she wanted, these high-tech gadgets alone were enough to dazzle her.

Jiang Zhou probably didn't expect Yu Shuling to be so cunning. He spoke to her without restraint in private, and even slipped her a room key. Yu Shuling wasn't stupid; she had already figured out what he meant.

She took a photo of the room key as evidence and then put it away. Ever since she found out what kind of person this agent was, Yu Shuling had been recording every time Jiang Zhou was alone with her to prevent the other party from denying it.

To be honest, apart from forcing her to befriend that rich second-generation on that dating reality show, Jiang Zhou hadn't done anything to actually harm Yu Shuling. But Yu Shuling always felt that the captain's mental state was inextricably linked to him, and she didn't intend to let Jiang Zhou off so easily.

These past few days, due to the recording of interviews and other events, the guests couldn't leave the production team unless there was something else to do. However, since her teammates had nothing else to do besides practice, Yu Shuling simply contacted Li Song.

The last few days of the show's recording were uneventful, mostly consisting of backstage practice and mentor guidance. The most exciting part was the upcoming performance stage, where the competition would be even fiercer, with 16 trainees being eliminated down to 8. The debut spots were about to be decided, and every trainee was on edge. Only the lively Qi Xiuxiu shone brightly, consistently taking up a significant portion of the show.

This performance stage has invited new guests. In order to maintain the mystery, even the original guests do not know who they are. Only a very blurry silhouette that cannot be seen clearly has been released, which has aroused everyone's curiosity and has generated a lot of discussion in the past two days.

However, Yu Shuling's heart was at least half on the male and female leads. She discovered that since the two started seeing each other in private, it was like opening Pandora's box—it was out of control. Perhaps it was the power of the plot, but the male lead just happened to appear near Qi Xiuxiu whenever she encountered difficulties. Everyone had been under a lot of emotional pressure these past two days, and the cruel nature of the competition would become increasingly apparent as it progressed.

With elimination looming, it's not just those at the bottom who are nervous; those in the middle are equally worried about being eliminated, while those at the top are considering whether they can stand in that dazzling center position. These past two days have been the rainy season, and everything is soaked in damp rain. The sky is already overcast, making the girls in the practice room, watching the rain pouring down outside the window, feel anxious and uneasy.

Wu Leilei, contestant number 8, almost strained her leg during warm-up today. Her ankle was a little sore, but she still insisted on going on stage. She hadn't kept Jiang Wenxi's words to heart all along, but she had been trying to adapt and treat every practice session as a formal stage performance. Even if she made a mistake in front of the mentor, she wasn't as nervous anymore and calmly reviewed and checked the problems afterward.

Everyone is working hard for their dreams.

Although Yu Shuling traveled from ancient times, she adapted to modern rules very well. In the end, she wasn't a stubborn old-fashioned person who subscribed to outdated rules. These past few days, she'd seen some girls quietly getting up at five in the morning to practice late into the night, and others singing while running to regulate their breathing. Seeing this, she felt a bit more emotional and had some new thoughts.

Two days before the final competition, everyone's tension grew increasingly high. The usual cheerful atmosphere in the practice room was almost gone. Yuan Zhiyao had participated in a previous talent show and came within a hair's breadth of a debut spot, accumulating a considerable fanbase. However, she didn't become arrogant or complacent, and her performance didn't falter. Her debut position seemed secure at the moment, but with one final round, a dark horse could emerge at any time, so she dared not let her guard down. She was also considered one of the most anxious trainees by the other participants.

The girls jumped until their bones felt like they were about to fall apart. Only when they couldn't take it anymore did they sit down on the ground without any regard for their image. They sprayed perfume in the practice room, otherwise you could smell their sweat.

Even the strictest dance teacher was amused by their desperate efforts. She glanced towards the door and encouraged the girls:

Guess who's here?

"Teacher Yan?"

"The cafeteria lady?"

"It couldn't be PD Jiang, could it?"

One of the girls casually remarked, and the others immediately gave wry smiles. They had truly experienced how much trouble Jiang Wenxi could cause these past few days. Their previous admiration for the handsome senior had turned into fear, and some of the girls even waved their hands in disapproval.

"WOW~"

With a clear and melodious voice, Yu Shuling "flashed" into the room from outside, pulling a small cart in one hand. As a mentor, Yu Shuling wasn't obligated to watch their practice sessions, so her appearance here was already surprising. Behind her was a large pile of beautifully packaged tea drinks, each one carefully tied with a bow, decorated with simple drawings in acrylic paint and stickers—dozens of cups, all unique.

"Come and get your fruit tea! It's all handmade by us, with no additives, not even sugar. It's super refreshing!" Yu Shuling introduced with a smile. "If you like it sweet, there's also a version with milk, which is almost like milk tea, but with much less sugar than the milk tea shops outside."

The girls, each with their own distinct expressions, were stunned for several seconds before bursting into gasps of surprise. Some of the more outgoing girls rushed to Yu Shuling's side, almost hugging her tightly. They were all practicing and it was unavoidable that they were still sweating. Dressed neatly, they tactfully refrained from touching her.

"What an angel Sister Lingling is!"

"I asked the captain and the others to come and help, otherwise my hands would break from shaking so many cups."

Yu Shuling did not take all the credit. The cameras continued to film most of the time, but these behind-the-scenes exercises were mostly repetitive segments. Most of the time, only the best parts were edited together and not used for the live broadcast.

The girls were all incredibly sweet-talking, and soon they had the other teammates praising them too. The fruit tea was indeed well-made; the ingredients were simply pure fruit and tea leaves, and the original aromas of both blended together to create a sweet and sour flavor that was very refreshing and thirst-quenching.

"Next year at the end of the year, when I vote for my favorite group, I will definitely vote for Lyra!"

Yuan Zhiyao took a few sips and then shouted, making the others burst into laughter and easing the tense atmosphere in the practice room. Just then, Jiang Wenxi happened to pass by outside, heard the laughter inside, stopped, and saw that they were distributing the last few drinks.

There were plenty of drinks, not only for the trainees but also for the staff and mentors. Yu Shuling saw Jiang Wenxi and generously handed him a drink. Jiang Wenxi nodded his thanks, but noticed that the person in front of him didn't leave, but instead looked at him openly.

"How is it? Do you like it?"

Since she suddenly asked that question, Jiang Wenxi had to try it on the spot. He received a cup of coconut and pineapple flavored fruit tea. The sweetness of the coconut juice and the slight tartness of the pineapple blended together, making it very refreshing and impeccable. Jiang Wenxi answered honestly, nodding:

"Good."

"This cup of yours was made by Yu Jie..."

To mark their cups, everyone added their own creative touches, and Yu Shuling could recognize which cup her teammates had. As she spoke, Jiang Wenxi nodded in agreement, and the two naturally chatted about the next round of the competition. In order not to affect the players' mood, they had to quietly walk to the other side.

The program crew's cameras also followed the two cameras.

Qi Xiuxiu was enjoying her fruit tea, but when she saw Jiang Wenxi enter, she couldn't help but look at him, as if the young man had a powerful magnet. She thought she had concealed it well, but in reality, her expressive eyes had already betrayed her. Watching Yu Shuling and Jiang Wenxi leave, Qi Xiuxiu couldn't help but bite her lip anxiously.

What are they saying?

Unfortunately, no one responded to her answer.