…

A few days later

All the programs have been basically prepared, and the second performance will soon begin recording.

Jian Xingsui's team also changed into their costumes in the dressing room and went backstage to wait for their turn. As the only creative group in this second performance, they received a lot of attention. This time, they were going to face off against Shen Xingchen's team, which was very strong.

Shen Xingchen is a very strong dancer, and his stage presence is both hot and wild, so his performance almost overwhelms the entire audience. This time, he changed his style, abandoning his usual cool and domineering black jacket and wearing a white riding outfit that makes him look like a prince. His aura has changed again, giving him a proud and noble feeling, which makes the fans in the audience scream so loudly that it's like their eardrums are going to explode.

Zhou Xun sighed, "This kid really has some talent."

Li Xu'an looked at it very carefully: "Our opponent this time is very strong."

Sitting next to her, Jian Xingsui gently covered her lips, trying to suppress her cough.

An Ran said with some concern, "Sui Sui, are you alright? You haven't been feeling well these past two days. If you're really feeling unwell, you should talk to the production team. It wouldn't be good if something unexpected happened during filming."

Zhou Xun also looked over with some concern.

To be honest, Jian Xingsui had given them a lot of surprises these past few days, especially when it came to choosing songs. At that time, everyone had different opinions and there were many disagreements. This kind of problem was the hardest to solve. However, the next day, Jian Xingsui, as the vice-captain, presented an improved version of the song to everyone and said frankly, "This is the final version. Because we didn't have enough time, this is the only way."

That version was terrible; anyone with eyes could see it was bad.

Just as everyone was expressing their negative opinions, around noon, Jian Xingsui slowly took out another version and said, "This is a slightly modified version based on the one from this morning. What do you think?"

After comparing the two versions, the version from noon, although it didn't meet everyone's requirements, was passed unanimously.

After all, it's not as outrageous as the first version.

Only Zhou Xun knew that Jian Xingsui's second version had actually been prepared long ago. Although this version involved a little trickery, it actually solved the problem. Since then, everyone has started to rehearse seriously, which led to today's outcome.

However, as the main person in charge of this stage, Jian Xingsui often stayed up all night, which successfully exhausted her body. She has had a low-grade fever since yesterday, and her condition is worrying.

Zhou Xun asked, "Did you take your fever reducer?"

“I took it this morning.” Jian Xingsui cleared her throat. “I can’t take it now. The medicine has side effects, and I’m afraid I’ll lose focus and make mistakes on stage.”

You really went all out for this stage.

This was the thought that popped into the minds of the other teammates at the same time.

For some reason, Jian Xingsui's spirit inspired others; they were determined to win.

From the front came Teacher Li's voice: "Next, please welcome the students from the creative team to the stage. Their work is 'Glimmer'!"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The audience was also very excited:

"A glimmer of light, a glimmer of light I've been waiting for so long."

"I'm quite looking forward to it."

"I don't know how it will go."

Jian Xingsui stood on the stage, bathed in countless spotlights. Below him were the enthusiastic faces of the audience. Not far away were the mentors' seats, and in the very center sat Fu Jinxiao. All eyes were on them. This was his stage, and perhaps his last. He stood on the stage of "Starlight," and it was also his last time. He performed right where Fu Jinxiao could see him.

The low-grade fever caused a dull headache, and his body felt much heavier than usual. The intense dance practice and training seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and the muscle soreness seemed to be pulling at every nerve. Standing here seemed to be his limit.

But that won't work.

This is the stage he has worked so hard for and poured his heart and soul into; this is his last hope in these days and nights.

The music slowly began to play from the speakers, and the melody of "Glimmer" poured out. The body reacted faster than the brain, and the repeated training and constant rehearsals, the countless efforts put in offstage, were all for the sake of those three minutes on stage.

"Is someone walking alone in the pitch-black night...?"

"On this lonely road, is there anyone to accompany you on your journey...?"

Li Xu'an's opening vocals drew back the curtain on the performance, and accompanied by elegant music, the hard work of everyone was gradually presented to the audience.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you." An Ran's voice was gentle and clear as she sang softly, "I am, I am the joy that shines a faint light beside you."

On stage, the lights and screens presented the audience with a slowly rotating blue starry sky, quiet and beautiful.

Jian Xingsui and An Ran switched positions and sang softly: "In the dark days, I also want to introduce myself to you. I am, I am the sigh you passed by without looking back."

The quiet melody drew everyone in without them even realizing it.

Jian Xingsui's voice was much hoarser than before, and some audience members noticed it. However, his low, hoarse tone, combined with the lyrics of "Glimmer," created a wonderfully harmonious blend that captivated the listeners.

"I am nobody, yet who am I?"

Just when everyone thought it was a ballad, Jian Xingsui changed positions, and Zhou Xun's voice, high-pitched and resonant, instantly shattered the tranquility of the song, giving everyone a jolt and sending chills down their spines.

Look up, see my burning passion.

“Look up and see the glimmer of light I offer you, having burned everything I have.”

The stage backdrop suddenly shifted from azure starry sky to a magnificent, fiery red sea of ​​stars. Dry ice vaporized and enveloped the entire stage. Li Xu'an jumped forward from behind, his part also titled "Burning Brother," his hoarse voice picking up Zhou Xun's tune, elevating everyone's emotions to another level: "Perhaps I am just a glimmer of light, but I still want to give you a brilliant glow..."

An Ran's tone suddenly shifted, a lonely yet gentle male voice pulling the sorrowful melody back: "I'd rather be hurt, I'd rather be hurt, than not want to... radiate endless light for you."

From lyrical to explosive, the ebb and flow of "Glimmer" is incredibly stunning.

Suddenly, applause and cheers erupted from the audience, and the number of comments in the live stream also surged.

"Absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing!"

"My scalp is tingling."

"The lyrics, music composition, and choreography are all divine!"

However, the surprises that "Glimmer" brought them went far beyond that. When the first half of the song ended and the song entered a turning point, a piano melody perfectly connected with the tune. As everyone's attention was unconsciously drawn to the three singers, the spotlight shone down again, landing on the piano in the back and on Jian Xingsui.

The melody was high-pitched yet melodious and graceful. Jian Xingsui's fingers flew across the piano keys like leaping sprites. His cheeks were slightly flushed from a low fever, and his back was completely soaked. Yet, the melodious and beautiful music was played flawlessly. This piano piece provided a stage for his teammates to showcase their dance moves. The intricate positioning and synchronized movements made each scene seem like a work of art, bringing the audience endless visual shock.

As the last key faded and the pitch began to drop, Jian Xingsui lowered her head and softly began to speak, her deep, husky voice carrying a magnetic quality: "In the lonely night, are you still walking alone? In the dark years, are you still suffering?"

Jian Xingsui has an irreplaceable voice. His singing has an unparalleled infectiousness. The atmosphere of the entire stage seems to be captured by his low, husky voice. At this moment, under the spotlight, he is the king of this stage.

With a swift movement, hands slammed down, and as the soaring piano melody rose again, the teammates joined in with their chorus. Their unified voices resonated throughout the stage, delivering another powerful impact.

Look up, see my burning passion.

“Look up and see the glimmer of light I offer you, having burned everything I have.”

The entire stage was once again engulfed in flamboyant red, creating a strong visual impact against the dark starry sky from just now.

The lingering melody and powerful emotional impact successfully captivated the entire audience. When the lyrics came to an end, thunderous applause and piercing screams from the audience proved the success of the performance. "Glimmer" was hailed as a masterpiece. This time, as the team leader and the songwriter, Jian Xingsui demonstrated unparalleled creative talent and exceptional musical ability to everyone.

The boy sitting at the piano had delicate features and a fair complexion. His skin was smooth and white under the dim light. He never wore heavy makeup, and it was not greasy at all. He gave off an elegant vibe.

The barrage of comments exploded once again:

"Incredible, incredibly powerful."

"This creative ability is amazing."

"I've discovered a hidden gem."

"I actually find Jian Xingsui attractive."

"Let's see who doesn't vote for the little boy today!"

When the last piece of music on stage ended, the entire performance of "Glimmer" was over.

All the contestants were supposed to stand up and bow to thank the audience, but Jian Xingsui, who was sitting by the piano, did not get up. His head was very dizzy, and he even saw double when he looked at the piano keys. He dared not stand up, afraid that he would fall to the ground if he did.

Teacher Li also noticed something was wrong and muttered softly, "What's going on?"

The stage lighting technician also noticed the problem and dared not turn on all the lights.

The audience gradually realized something was wrong:

"What happened?"

What's wrong with Jian Xingsui?

"Wow, what happened?"

The mentors on the platform also became worried. Fu Jinxiao looked at the person sitting on the piano stand, his eyes narrowed slightly. He slowly picked up the microphone and whispered, "Jian Xingsui."

The elegant and mellow sound of the cello rang out softly through the stage speakers.

When the voice reached Jian Xingsui's ears, it gave him a sudden burst of energy. His muddled mind finally cleared up a lot. He felt weak all over, as the performance had exhausted all his strength. Fu Jinxiao's voice made him realize that he was on stage.

It must not fall, it cannot fall.

This is a stage where everyone works together; if something goes wrong, everything will be ruined.

Jian Xingsui secretly pinched himself, the pain making his mind much more active again. Under everyone's gaze, he slowly stood up. His teammates seemed to realize something as well. At that moment, everyone froze on the stage of this team, regardless of any past grudges or affections.

Zhou Xun walked over first, followed by Zhang Jiajia, Li Xu'an, An Ran...

The group stood together, leaning against each other, and officially walked to the center of the stage. The group that had just finished the competition could now go back on stage. When Jian Xingsui felt a little swaying, someone supported him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Shen Xingchen's face.

Shen Xingchen silently mouthed to him, "Lean on me."

The creative team was the last group to perform, and Jian Xingsui was barely holding on with her last bit of energy. Generally, the next part of the process should have been the critique or questions from the individual contestants, but as Jian Xingsui stood there with her breath unsteady, Fu Jinxiao took the microphone and asked, "You created this song together, right?"

The other teammates nodded.

Only Zhou Xun said, "The lyrics and music for this song were written by our vice-captain, Jian Xingsui."

Fu Jinxiao turned his gaze to Jian Xingsui. He didn't ask Jian Xingsui any further questions, but simply smiled slightly, just as he had praised him in the first public performance and on the first stage, and said in a low voice, "You did very well."

Jian Xingsui had been forcing himself to stay strong, his body was exhausted, and the exhaustion was visceral. But when Fu Jinxiao's affirmation came, his heart warmed, and his soul and spirit seemed to surge with renewed strength, just like before. In those dark and difficult years, his idol gave him the perseverance to stay strong. His idol was a glimmer of light that brought brightness to his world.

Jian Xingsui had a low-grade fever, so his voice was a little hoarse and his eyes were a little red, but he still insisted on speaking: "Thank you, Teacher Fu."

On stage, the young man solemnly bowed to the mentors.

He expressed gratitude and respect to his mentor who appreciated him and gave him opportunities.

Teacher Tuya smiled slightly and said, "Okay, now the last group has finished performing. Let's select the most popular team. This vote is not only from the audience at the scene, but also from the audience who watched the live broadcast for 60 minutes. The official vote is real and valid."

The large screen behind us opened, clearly displaying the data for each team.

Jian Xingsui turned around and saw the list of creative team members. As the number of votes on the screen increased little by little, the three people with the most votes in the creative team were Li Xu'an, An Ran, and Jian Xingsui.

At first, Li Xu'an and An Ran had a high number of votes, while Jian Xingsui's was relatively low. However, after the public vote in the live broadcast room was added, his votes suddenly started to widen the gap with others. The amazing performance of "Glimmer" made more people aware of him. In the end, after the big screen ended, Jian Xingsui's pillar was far ahead of everyone else.

This is a battle where public opinion triumphs over capital.

Tuya announced with a smile, "The last creation of this round, the champion of support is—Jian Xingsui, congratulations!"

A burst of applause erupted in the arena, and spotlights shone down on the boy. He stood there, somewhat dazed, but when he saw his name and face appear on the big screen, he gave a faint smile.

There was supposed to be a speech segment here.

Fu Jinxiao's gaze remained fixed on Jian Xingsui. Sensing that the boy was on the verge of collapse, he picked up the microphone and said, "Please all the supporters stand in the middle of the stage for a group photo."

Shen Xingchen was the first to walk to Jian Xingsui's side. He took Jian Xingsui's arm and let him lean on him.

Wang Ningze, the other team's supporter, also came over and supported Jian Xingsui on the other side. The two of them were like Jian Xingsui's left and right arms, supporting their good brother.

Shen Xingchen jokingly said, "How come you're so heavy, bro?"

Jian Xingsui said helplessly, "Where is it heavy?"

"You're already heavy..."

The photographer in front shouted, "Everyone, look at the camera!"

While they were bickering, everyone turned to look at the photographer, resulting in a somewhat comical scene. Jian Xingsui was sandwiched between two friends, and before she could fully recover from her helpless mood, she was photographed in this rather funny way. Even the director of the show couldn't help but laugh when he saw it.

However, what no one expected was that years later, when the boys in this picture had all made achievements in their respective fields and gained prestige and influence in the entertainment industry, this photo became a group photo that many people would talk about with relish whenever they mentioned them.

...

At 11:00 AM, the recording of the second public performance of "Starlight" ended.

At the hospital outside the sports stadium, doctors were rushing around late at night. A boy lying on a hospital bed was on an IV drip. After carefully measuring his temperature, the doctor said, "His fever should break in two hours."

The man sitting opposite nodded slightly: "Thank you."

"It's nothing." The doctor blushed and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the man's face, but she still had to uphold her medical ethics, so she said seriously and responsibly, "The patient has a low-grade fever, but after our physical examination, we found that he is actually a little anemic and weak. His training volume is already very high. Your diet should be fine. It may be a lingering illness from before. This low-grade fever is probably caused by overwork and excessive thinking. Tell him not to put too much pressure on himself, or he will ruin his health."

Fu Jinxiao sat in the chair, glanced at the boy on the bed, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

This child usually seems carefree, but does he have so many things weighing on his mind? Turning away from her gaze, Fu Jinxiao nodded to the doctor: "I understand, thank you for your hard work."

The doctor's face flushed again.

Now I finally understand why Fu Jinxiao is so highly regarded. Unlike those arrogant celebrities, Fu Jinxiao is polite, classy, ​​and handsome!

The doctor hesitated and said, "Um, may I ask you for an autograph? Also, my colleague, she really likes you."

Fu Jinxiao looked up at her, a distant yet polite smile on his face: "Okay, but you'll have to wait a while. I'm taking my child to the doctor, and he needs to rest."

The doctor then realized what had happened, bowed apologetically, and quickly left.

The room fell silent, the smell of medicine filling the air. Jian Xingsui hadn't been asleep for long; as the medicine began to take effect, he slowly woke up, though his head was still heavy. He groggily looked up and saw Fu Jinxiao sitting in a chair not far away, and hesitantly asked, "Teacher Fu?"

Is he dreaming?

Fu Jinxiao raised her head upon hearing the noise and asked, "Awake?"

"Hmm..." Jian Xingsui noticed the IV drip in her hand: "What's wrong with me?"

Fu Jinxiao said succinctly: "You fainted as soon as you stepped off the stage, which scared the other trainees half to death. I am your mentor, and I'm bringing you to the hospital."

Jian Xingsui took a moment to process this before nodding and saying earnestly, "Thank you, teacher."

The fever had subsided a bit, and the face wasn't as red anymore, but it looked rather pale. Sick people are usually more vulnerable. Only after the doctor's reminder did Fu Jinxiao notice that the child seemed rather thin, saying that the doctor's stress had caused insufficient blood and qi. Looking at the well-behaved person on the bed, Fu Jinxiao inexplicably remembered what she had overheard in the stairwell that day.

Perhaps it was because there were only two people present at that moment, or perhaps it was because the child on the hospital bed seemed pitiful, or perhaps it was because Fu Yingdi was moved by the hard work he had put in during the training session that morning. He asked, "Why didn't you take that million?"

Jian Xingsui's body stiffened.

Fu Jinxiao opened her mouth: "That day, next to the stairwell, in the smoking room, I heard it."

Jian Xingsui had just woken up, his mind was still a mess, his low fever hadn't completely subsided, and his brain was blank. He murmured, "You know."

“Hmm.” Fu Jinxiao said, “You said you were short of money during your first stage performance, and even came to record this show for 20,000 yuan. If that’s the case, why don’t you take the million?”

Actually, the answer to this question wasn't that important to Fu Yingdi.

He had always been cold-hearted and indifferent. Over the years in the entertainment industry, he had seen everything. It was a murky place with too many unfair things. He was too lazy to care and didn't want to care. If he were really a great philanthropist, he probably would have been dead long ago. But for some reason, it seemed that he had started to care about this child. Therefore, contrary to his usual nature, he asked the question.

Jian Xingsui sat on the bed, his hands tightly gripping the blanket, as if he felt that this answer was very important, and that if he didn't tell the truth, he might never have another chance to say it and would regret it. He spoke softly: "Because when the rankings were announced in the first public performance, I promised you that I would not record shows for money again, nor would I have any disrespect for the stage because of money."

...

The room fell silent for a moment.

The deep night behind Fu Yingdi, who sat by the window, his eyes also pitch black. For once, his face was no longer masked, and he spoke with a serious expression: "Are my words that important?"

It's more important than a million.

It's more important than the money you're so desperately short of.

Even if you already know you can't debut and are more likely to offend the company.

Jian Xingsui, lying by the bedside, had watery eyes. His breathing was a little uneven, and his hands were nervously clutching the blanket. He had always felt somewhat inferior and timid after reading the novel and learning about his cannon fodder fate and ending. But at this moment, perhaps it was an uncontrollable longing and resentment from the bottom of his heart, or perhaps he really had a fever, or perhaps his mind couldn't weigh so many pros and cons. In front of Fu Jinxiao, Jian Xingsui nodded gently.

Yes

It is very important.