family
The four mentors on his left and right handed him their score sheets, and he tilted his head and smiled.
The nine trainees standing on the stage suddenly realized that something was amiss. The host's smile seemed to carry a deeper meaning; were they going to be unable to enter Class A?
My thoughts were racing, and my mental state was in a million different states, but everything settled down when I heard the voice of Mentor Zheng.
He solemnly announced that the score for Yan Huan Entertainment trainees' first public stage performance was:
Ning Haiping scored 7 points in singing, 7.4 points in dancing, and 8.5 points in stage presence, for a total score of 7.6, thus qualifying for Class B.
They had just finished reading out one person's score. They all really liked Ning Haiping's performance and thought it was top-notch. They were surprised that such a performance couldn't even get into Class A.
So what exactly are the standards for Class A, and what are the standards for a perfect score?
Zheng Ruoqian read out the scores of the nine students from Yan Huan Entertainment: two entered Class B, five entered Class C, two entered Class D, and none entered Class A.
As soon as the results were announced, the people in the back became even more silent, no longer daring to speak loudly.
Realizing his harshness, Zheng Ruoqian explained: "Let me tell you all, the stage time is only three to five minutes. In these short few minutes, you have to present your best side to the five mentors sitting in front of you. You have to show your utmost attitude and let us see your seriousness."
Also, the production team selected a few of us to guide your performances. We can't guarantee that everyone will be absolutely fair and impartial, but every point we give is worthy of your performance on stage today.
Every trainee who will be standing on this stage next, please stand up and relax beforehand. This will make your movements more fluid and better-looking when you're on stage.
The next group of trainees, while preparing backstage, also heard Manager Zheng's instructions and took the time to do several more deep breaths and stretch their limbs.
Zheng Ruoqian put one earphone back on, sat up straight, and began to watch the next stage performance.
No one made it into Class A, and the best score was only 7.3.
The atmosphere on stage immediately became gloomy. If no one from Class A appeared by the third stage, their show would definitely be criticized by netizens and trend on social media.
While getting criticized and trending on social media does generate buzz, the production team still wants to create well-received programs rather than constantly making the show a source of controversy.
In Zheng Ruoqian's microphone, the tour guide gave him instructions, telling the trainees behind him to tone it down and not criticize each one so harshly. He just smiled and ignored it, then continued watching the next group of trainees' performance.
The third group consisted of seven trainees who had two years of overseas training experience. They were arranged in a triangle, and the formation was quite good and pleasing to the eye.
Three minutes is enough to give the performers on stage a great experience, and it's also a wonderful visual feast for the audience.
Zheng Ruoqian tilted his head and smiled. After discussing with the other mentors, he gave the first high score of the day—9.1 points, and successfully entered Class A.
With the first contestant entering Class A, the pressure that had been weighing on all the staff and contestants during the recording dissipated, making those who came on stage later feel much more relaxed, and the scoring went much more smoothly.
This recording lasted until three or four in the morning. I thought that watching so many students' interview videos yesterday was the limit, but today's recording lasted even longer.
The intermission was only half an hour long, continuing until the last student finished performing and the feedback was given.
The other mentors went back to rest first, while Zheng Ruoqian, as the main mentor, took each student to visit their randomly assigned dormitories, ensuring they all settled in smoothly, and reminding each student of things to pay attention to.
She's always nagging and worrying like a mother hen.
It was only then that everyone realized that their mentors and managers had remembered the names of each and every one of them, which surprised and moved them.
At seven o'clock in the morning, Zheng Ruoqian called a car back to his apartment. He took out his phone to check something, then asked the driver to turn the steering wheel and drive on another road.
According to Xu Changjia's schedule, she should go downstairs around this time to buy some food and drinks. If she hasn't slept well, she'll take a nap. If she has slept well, she'll go back to writing and doing some work.
He walked to the breakfast shop he remembered, bought her favorite steamed buns and soy milk, and then knocked on her door.
Just as he had expected, she stayed up all night to compile a route for the nine cities she was going to visit, and then contacted several respected elders still alive in Ankang to see if they could help her and hear their stories.
I never expected to see him right after he finished recording the show.
Even if he hadn't come looking for her, Xu Changjia would have chosen to say goodbye properly before leaving. Before she could even speak, that person chased after him, demanding a promise.
"Jiajia, since I brought you breakfast, could you come to the set for the last episode of 'Galaxy Reserve' that I recorded?"
Only in front of her could Zheng Ruoqian put aside his identity as a mentor and manager, relax, and pester her like a child, making all sorts of requests, either chasing after her for affection or holding her hand and acting like a rogue who wouldn't let go.
She had just sent him a WeChat message saying she was going on a long trip, and as soon as she finished work, she couldn't wait to come see him.
She cut the meat bun in half, handed one half to him, and then leaned against him in agreement. She was also wondering if two songs would be enough for the show. If she gained anything from this trip, she could write new songs based on what she found.
"Okay, I promise you, I'll definitely come and support you."
She continued rambling on, eating meat buns and drinking soy milk, while talking about how she had gone back to Nanan University in the past two days to see her advisor. As she continued, even breathing could be heard from the side.
She tiptoed to the room to get a blanket, gently covered him with it, and then carried breakfast and the computer back to her room.
The warm glow of the setting sun fell gently on the fluffy carpet beside the bed, making it very cozy.
Her fluttering eyelashes moved, her two slender hands stretched out, and her eyes opened and closed, brimming with energy.
After resting at my girlfriend's place, I accompanied her to a popular bookstore that she had always wanted to visit. Before the bookstore closed, I cleared out all the books on her reading list.
Stealing a half-day of leisure, he had to go back to record the next episode of "Galaxy Reserve". This was the first stage performance. After discussing with the production team, he took one of the two songs written by Xu Changjia, "Let's Dance Together", as the theme song and used the original theme song as the ending song for the final performance.
For the first stage performance, all 120 trainees were required to learn the singing and dancing performance of "Let's Dance Together," and then each trainee would be scored again based on their three-minute individual videos.
Starting from the second time, the performance stage was switched to online live streaming, but before that, Xu Changjia had to go to Professor Xu's house to fulfill her promise to her mentor.
She thought that going to the professor's house was a dinner invitation or a way to introduce her to connections, but she never expected it to be such a heartwarming occasion.
There were four people at the dinner table: Professor Xu and his wife, her, and Professor Xu's son, Xu Tonghe, who was in his thirties, wore black-rimmed glasses, and was gentle and refined, looking like a successful person.
Professor Xu's wife is also a university professor. She showed great concern for her and, after learning from Professor Xu that she loved strawberries and blueberries, she asked Tonghe to specially buy imported fruits as after-dinner snacks.
Tonghe and Professor Xu cleaned up the mess after the meal in the restaurant and kitchen, while his wife Weixuan stayed in the living room talking to him.
He started by talking about how Professor Xu had taken her on as a student, and then his mouth was full of praise. He was full of admiration for every group assignment she submitted and every paper she wrote.
He was a little younger than his classmates, but his writing was surprisingly fluent and his sentences were all logical, expressing the profound truths of the nation in simple terms.
Hsu Chang-chia smiled and looked down, picking up a strawberry but unsure where to put it.
She never imagined that Professor Xu would speak so highly of her, to the point that her family even knew her name. Little did they know that they had an even bigger surprise in store for her.
Wei Xuan continued, saying that she didn't know when it started, but he went from only caring about your studies to caring about all aspects of your life, and mentioned several times that he wanted to adopt you as his goddaughter and keep you by his side.
He chose Wang Jing, the most meticulous one, to mentor you. I met that girl once; she is tactful, gentle, and familiar with your entire research institute. That's why he kept her at the school as a counselor after graduation.
Just as Professor Xu had envisioned, with Senior Wang Jing by your side, your graduate studies weren't too bad. However, for a long time afterward, he didn't mention you anymore. It wasn't until the sudden appearance of "Old Dreams of Mountains and Rivers" that I learned that what worried him was that you were wealthy and looked down on the poor and pedantic nature of scholars.
But his habits never changed. Every few days, he would have Wang Jing or he himself call you to the school, saying he wanted you to come to submit your manuscript, collect your royalties or bonuses, and even leave you a key to the research institute. Today he even invited you to his house for dinner...
She seemed to know what Aunt Wei Xuan was going to say, but when she actually heard the words, "Chang Jia, would you be willing to recognize us as your godparents and treat us as family?" her heart skipped a beat. This title was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in her heart.
Something is slowly filling in the missing part of her heart.
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