Chapter 36 (Second Update)

The recording of the program officially began, and Lu Xuan drew number 6.

According to the recording rules, after each student performs in one round, a mentor will select them to be grouped, and they will spend the remaining month learning in their mentor's group.

The show has been running for several seasons and has gained a certain reputation among viewers. With regular sponsorship from large corporations, the producers only put some effort into creating buzz by inviting contestants. Otherwise, they never engage in any behind-the-scenes manipulation. The results have always been open and transparent, with the best contestant of each episode selected through live audience voting and online voting.

The mentors here are all very capable individuals; no one would dare to have any objections, and they are quite outspoken.

When it was Lu Xuan's turn, the production team first played his personal profile on the big screen. The expressions of the mentors after seeing Lu Xuan's name were quite interesting.

There were five mentors in total, and four of them knew Lu Xuan. It wasn't because they had read Lu Xuan's works, but because they had met him at various social gatherings or banquets in the past. Their only impression of him was that he had a very low alcohol tolerance, little intelligence, and was a playboy who used money to commit crimes.

In short, avoid provoking others if possible.

The remaining one is a Hong Kong movie star, so he doesn't know much about things in mainland China.

What's wrong with this young master? He actually came to this kind of variety show without receiving any script from the production team.

So what should we do? Should we scold them or not?

The mentors all looked at the director in unison.

The director said to them through the earpiece, "Just do it the way you normally would. He came in through the proper channels."

This is even more terrifying!

If someone gets really angry and criticizes you, it could cause a program mishap. Even though it's a pre-recorded show, there are still people in the audience.

The director hesitated for a moment, then said, "He seems to be in a good mood today."

Qin Tianrui, who was standing nearby, sneered when he heard this.

Indeed, Lu Xuan's attitude today is very strange.

Throughout his life, Qin Tianrui had never seen Lu Xuan stand up and greet anyone on his own initiative.

This person must be possessed.

He wanted to see how long Lu Xuan could keep up the act.

The mentors on the judging panel were trembling with fear, but Lu Xuan, who stepped onto the stage, was as relaxed as if he had come to his own backyard.

Why is he nervous? As the son of the Lu family, there are always all sorts of paparazzi trying to pry into his private life in the wealthy family. Besides, he has seen a lot of big scenes before, so this kind of small scene is nothing.

As soon as he walked out, the audience erupted in an uproar.

Whether they knew him or not, everyone was amazed by this man's good looks.

"That's impossible! How could I not know such a person in the entertainment industry?"

"They might be a newcomer who has just debuted."

"Ah, don't you know Lu Xuan? He's the third young master of the Lu family, an heir to a wealthy family. He's just dabbling in the entertainment industry, and his acting skills are nothing to write home about."

"With looks like that, what's the point of acting skills!"

"The main problem is that he's a bad person. He acts like a big shot because he's rich. I heard he won't accept any role unless it's the lead. I doubt the mentors would choose such a big shot to join their group."

"Won't he be left without any mentors wanting him from the start?"

"Who knows?"

The audience was buzzing with discussion, but the judges' panel remained as quiet as a chicken.

The director was so anxious that he urgently instructed them backstage: "Say something!"

Hong Kong star Jiang Qi glanced around, puzzled as to why his companions were all so calm, and then spoke up: "Lu Xuan? Your introductory video was completely unprofessional, it was all just your photos. You're here to act, not to compete in a beauty pageant."

Lu Xuan: "...?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

After Jiang Qi finished speaking, he noticed that the other mentors all turned their heads like sunflowers, their eyes filled with respect, and some even waved to him from under the table.

Um?

Not ruthless enough?

Jiang Qi thought for a moment and continued, "You've been in the industry for a year and a half but haven't had any works. In fact, your acting skills are utterly mediocre, not even at the beginner level. The popularity of the web dramas you've filmed is negligible."

The mentors were practically holding him down.

Jiang Qi: "?"

Seriously? Does it have to be this harsh? It's someone's debut stage.

“I think it’s about time,” he said softly.

The tutor sitting next to him couldn't stand it anymore: "You're talking too much."

"..."

Then why are you all raising your hands at me?

He quickly tried to clarify: "When you chose to stand on this stage, what was your self-positioning?"

Lu Xuan said in a cold voice, "Haven't you already told me everything about my position?"

Jiang Qi frowned: "Is he provoking me?"

The mentors nodded in agreement. Yes, that's right.

One of the mentors couldn't stand it anymore and secretly wrote a note and handed it to Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi looked down and saw that it read: "Rich, powerful, bad-tempered, and uncontrollable."

This made Jiang Qi laugh in exasperation. The reason he came to this show was because it didn't involve connections or backing. Now it was too late to talk about these things with him.

"You seem quite unconvinced?" Jiang Qi said.

like?

It's like... damn it!

Try saying this to yourself!

Qin Tianrui's eyes lit up, and he took out his phone to start recording.

Let's fight! Let's fight!

Lu Xuan was about to speak on stage, but Jiang Qi didn't want to give him a chance to lash out. He said coldly, "Then you have to show your strength to prove it. We, the audience, and your friends and family who came with you will all be looking forward to your performance."

Lu Xuan's anger instantly subsided: "..."

The last person to dare criticize his acting skills was Qiao Wu.

Speak politely.

You son of a bitch, speak properly.

No one told him back then that the difficulties he was facing were of this kind!

He took a deep breath and gave a forced smile: "I see myself as just a pretty face right now."

Everyone: "???"

Qin Tianrui: "That's it?"

Where's your temper?! Is he out of his mind with anger?

Lu Xuan wasn't talking nonsense. He takes acting classes at the company every day, but no matter how talented he is, acting skills can't be mastered in a day or two. So before coming to the show, his acting teacher told him to find his own niche.

He's not someone who can convincingly portray any role, but once he finds his niche, even a 3 out of 10 acting skills can rise to a 5.

Lu Xuan raised her eyebrows: "Teacher, what do you think of the appeal of my face?"

This attitude really piqued Jiang Qi's interest. If he were to criticize Lu Xuan's acting skills, he could say he could come up with something different every day for half an hour, but when it came to his face, there was nothing to criticize.

Besides, Lu Xuan isn't like what the note said.

He nodded: "That's right."

“That’s it,” Lu Xuan said. “My performance today was just for show.”

This piqued Jiang Qi's curiosity, and he raised his hand to indicate that he could begin.

At the same time, the program also showed footage of the observation room where the relatives and friends were.

Then everyone noticed that Lu Xuan, who had been relaxed, had become somewhat tense.

Although Lu Xuan knew that Qiao Wu would see it, he did not know that the production team would broadcast the footage, making it seem as if he were performing in front of Qiao Wu.

What if she says again that her acting is too bad to watch this time?

Will they just leave?

Every trainee goes through this process once, and the mentors and audience members just glance at the screen as usual before their eyes are immediately fixed on it.

Wait a minute, why is there a vase here? Did the camera cut to the wrong spot?

But the next instant, all the lights in the studio except for the stage were turned off, including the woman who had just been glimpsed.

The props behind him were already set up. As Lu Xuan turned around and walked over, the image of Qiao Wu's face that had just flashed on the screen kept replaying in his mind.

He suddenly became a little nervous.

Hearing the countdown, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the sofa.

As the countdown ended, he slowly picked up the glasses on the table next to him and put them on. Then he picked up a book and started reading and talking, as if someone were standing in front of him.

His eyelashes drooped down, and his gaze seemed to be fixed on the book, so the camera couldn't capture it.

All that could be heard was his mocking tone: "Who do you think you are, daring to yell at me? Do you know who's above me? I can buy your life, and even your whole family's life."

On the judging panel, several mentors gasped in shock.

Does he even need to act? Isn't that him?!

The scene Lu Xuan prepared this time was about a villain from the Republican era. After delivering all his lines, all he had to do was stand up, hold a gun to someone's head, and that was it.

So in the end, he put down the book, and the hand that had just turned the page casually picked up the gun next to him. He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, turned his head slightly, and casually cocked the gun, pointing it at the "person" in front of him with a superior posture.

Then he asked, "Want to try it?"

With a gunshot ringing out later, his performance ended, and all the lights came on.

Lu Xuan put down his gun, took off his glasses, and immediately looked at the large screen on the side.

On the screen, those eyes seemed to be watching him the whole time. The second he looked over, she raised her hand and clapped lightly. Although he couldn't hear the sound, he could see her clapping.

She didn't leave halfway through.

Lu Xuan's lips curled up involuntarily.

Applause gradually erupted from the judges' panel and the audience.

Jiang Qi threw away the note that the other mentors had written to him and picked up the microphone without being reminded: "You have indeed changed my opinion of you. It proves that you have a very accurate understanding of your role. Although your acting skills are indeed lacking, you have made up for it with great skill."

He wasn't looking at the camera, so his eye contact while delivering his lines was also overlooked.

When he looked at the camera, his face and villainous persona enhanced his performance, making him truly captivating. Perhaps because he had been so thoroughly criticized earlier, Lu Xuan felt a strange sense of accomplishment upon hearing the positive feedback.

"Thanks."

Another mentor couldn't help but ask, "Your acting skills are clearly improved compared to the introductory video, so why are you still using old clips?"

While others use their most striking features to make short films, he does whatever doesn't work, except for his face.

"Oh," Lu Xuan said lazily, "that's another technique, so I can appear to have improved."

This was the method Yu Xiu told him: he had to find a way to downplay his acting shortcomings. In addition to what his teacher had mentioned about using suitable roles and physical advantages, there was also this kind of conflict between the beginning and the end.

The training camp itself is a learning process, and only when he makes progress can the mentors see his potential.

The other mentors were all surprised.

Lu Xuan is not the kind of person who would put on an act for the sake of popularity; otherwise, he would have become famous long ago in the past year and a half.

But his performance today was truly impressive. If he weren't Lu Xuan, they would definitely consider him for their team.

But he is Lu Xuan... The mentors were all hesitant.

Just then, Jiang Qi picked up the microphone: "There are plenty of people on the show who are better at acting than you, but I think it's also important to have a clear self-positioning. It shows that you have indeed spent time on yourself and have a clear purpose, so I am very willing to invite you to my team."

Seeing Jiang Qi's decisiveness, the other mentors were taken aback, but before they could even hesitate, Lu Xuan on the stage readily agreed: "Okay."

Lu Xuan's idea was simple: as long as someone was chosen, that would be fine.

This gives him the opportunity to continue and prove himself.

At this point, the host brought up the program again, asking Qiao Wu, who was sitting in the observation room, "Let's see what your family and friends think of your performance, Lu Xuan?"

Here it comes!

That stunningly beautiful woman who suddenly appeared!

All eyes were on the big screen, and Lu Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

A few seconds later, the person on the screen chuckled softly: "Lu Xuan, you're glowing."

Lu Xuan suppressed his lip and snorted, "Am I a firefly that I glow?"

“Yes,” Qiao Wu said, “you look really handsome today.”

She doesn't have much to say about acting skills. It's normal for Lu Xuan's acting to improve, as the mentor has already said.

But what Qiao Wu saw was that he started to change himself, that he could greet people, and that he could tolerate other people's bad comments about him, and that was already great.

Lu Xuan finally couldn't suppress his smile.

He thought that after this was over, he wanted 200,000 yuan for his allowance next month!

Unfreeze the bank card? He didn't know when that happened.

The people on stage are interacting, while the next contestant is preparing.

Liao Liao gazed at the two people interacting on the monitor and gently pursed her lips.

"Liao Liao." The staff member walked up to her. "There's something I need to tell you."

Liao Liao: "Hmm?"

“You’re a special case among the contestants, so there won’t be a segment for you to interact with your family and friends when you go on stage later. This is actually an opportunity for you,” the staff member said sincerely. “But now there’s an additional situation. Someone said she wants to watch your performance as a family or friend, so the choice is now in your hands.”

Liao Liao was taken aback.

Relatives and friends?

"who?"

"Qiao Wu".

Liao Liao suddenly looked up at the monitor, where the person talking to Lu Xuan was smiling sweetly, his eyes filled with thoughts of him.

Since adding Qiao Wu's contact information, the two have not been in contact again, so she originally thought that he had long forgotten about her.

But she… “How did she know I have no relatives or friends?”

"I went to the studio over there to hand out numbers. She didn't hear your name, so she asked, but she also said it was up to you."

As the only trainee without any relatives or friends, Liao Liao is likely to receive a lot of sympathy from the audience later on. This special status is somewhat beneficial to her, as such exposure is hard-won for a newcomer. Therefore, the staff is sincerely giving her advice.

Liao Liao also understands this principle.

She did see this as a stepping stone, but now that she heard Qiao Wu offer to be her friend and relative, she wavered.

Qiao Wu is paying attention to her.

If she had a choice, why would she use this as a stepping stone? Sympathy can earn her attention, but it can't earn her recognition.

Don't apply survivorship bias to yourself; anything gained by luck will only bring uncertainty.

This is the lesson Qiao Wu taught her.

For a long time, she had hoped to have a place in Qiao Wu's sight, and she also hoped that someone could recognize her and witness her journey forward.

Without hesitation, she said, "I want her."

The staff were puzzled.

Qiao Wu is indeed beautiful, but does she have that much charm? How come Liao Liao and Lu Xuan both seem to be head over heels for her?

"Okay, I'll go tell them. You can get ready to go on stage."

Liao Liao rubbed her face, even more nervous than before.

But the thought that there was someone watching her from behind the screen made her more nervous than anxious.

She is a newcomer who has just debuted and doesn't have many works yet, but as a student majoring in acting, the scenes she performed were carefully selected and she put in a lot of effort.

After the performance, she listened carefully to the mentors' mixed reviews and finally looked at the screen expectantly.

When that face reappeared on the screen, the audience erupted in cheers.

I thought it was a mistake by the production team when I saw it flash by, but it doesn't seem like a mistake at all.

The mentors couldn't help but ask, "Isn't there some mistake? Isn't this lady a relative or friend of Lu Xuan?"

Before Qiao Wu could answer, Liao Liao quickly said, "It's mine too!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan, who had just returned to the studio, immediately stood up again.

"Hey, hey, Teacher Lu!" The other students were startled. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean 'her'?!" Lu Xuan had been holding back all night, but now he finally couldn't take it anymore. He wished he could rush onto the stage and grab that bird off the stage!

"How can it be hers! It's mine! Mine!" he said angrily, staring at the person on the screen. "I spent all my savings to coax her here for four days!"

Isn't 50,000 yuan a lot of money?

Meanwhile, those on stage had no idea what chaos was going on backstage. Liao Liao stared at Qiao Wu with shining eyes.

Qiao Wu also confirmed that he had watched Liao Liao's performance carefully and was convinced that she was a very talented actress.

"You are even more outstanding than I imagined," Qiao Wu said gently. "You are also very brave, hardworking, and sincere."

Liao Liao's eyes gleamed slightly: "Sister Qiao, thank you for watching my performance and witnessing my journey. I have always hoped that you could see my progress and see me become stronger."

Qiao Wu looked at her earnestly: "I believe you will become the person you want to be."

Liao Liao clenched her fists tightly with excitement and bowed in Qiao Wu's direction: "Thank you, Sister Qiao! I will try my best. Can I treat you to a meal after I'm done?"

Qiao Wu chuckled: "I'll treat you."

Off-screen, Lu Xuan also clenched his fists tightly.

"Teacher Lu, are you alright?"

Lu Xuan gritted his teeth, his shoulders trembling slightly: "She has never said so many words of praise to me."

We also need to treat that bird to a meal.

It's very likely that he used his 50,000 yuan.

Qiao Wu had never treated him to a meal.

Lu Xuan became angrier the more he thought about it.

The others were completely bewildered; what was there to argue about?

Aren't you already a glowing firefly enough?

No, you're so angry your eyes are red, bro.

The director was startled by Lu Xuan's sudden outburst: "Quick, quick, see what's going on, don't let them fight!"

Qin Tianrui waited for most of the day until Lu Xuan finally exploded. He grabbed his phone and was about to go to the scene to watch the live broadcast: "I'll hire an online army to smear him to death!"

He had only taken two steps when a hand grabbed him and snatched his phone away.

"Who's blind..." He turned his head angrily, but his expression softened when he saw who it was. "Brother?! What are you doing here?"

Qin Lian confiscated his phone: "Did you forget the confidentiality agreement? Who gave you permission to bring a phone?"

Everyone on the production team dared not speak.

"I didn't cause any trouble, I was just watching!" Qin Tianrui retorted.

"Try messing with me."

Qin Lian received the news just after finishing a meeting, so he came over on his way. Fortunately, nothing bad has happened yet.

He looked at the monitor and realized: so this was the job Lu Xuan was talking about.

That's why Butler Qiao came over.

The Lu family's butler is quite capable; he even manages this.

But based on his impression of Lu Xuan, Lu Xuan could never be suppressed by a butler, otherwise the old butler would have managed them well long ago.

Putting everything else aside, he saw it clearly at last night's banquet: wherever Qiao Wu was, Lu Xuan and Lu Yingchi were also there.

When did the Lu brothers appear in the same frame so harmoniously?

They always appeared around Qiao Wu.

Qin Lian had some experience in the entertainment industry. Although he hadn't attended the last charity gala, he had heard that Lu Xuan had drunk too much that night and had a pretty but powerful assistant by his side who not only kept Lu Xuan under her thumb but also scared away people who usually had ill intentions.

He had also heard that Lu Yingchi had fallen out with several good-for-nothing rich kids on the Zero Ring Road and had been taken away by a woman. Lu Yingchi had been behaving himself lately.

Qin Lian looked at Qiao Wu and the irritable Lu Xuan on the monitor and suddenly became curious.

He was blocked by Lu Jinzhi, but Qin Tianrui was not.

So Qin Lian picked up her younger brother's phone and dialed Lu Jinzhi's number.

He preemptively struck before the other party could speak.

"I am Qin Lian." He asked sincerely, "I'm curious, where did you find your butler?"

Lu Jinzhi: "What?"

Qin Lian: "I want one too."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, followed by two clean words: "Don't even think about it."

The call was disconnected.

Qin Lian: ...

Did I step on the princess's tail again?!