Chapter 57: The Battle of Debut Night
With the competition just around the corner, Qi Xiuxiu was already a little nervous, and now she was even more restless. Watching Yu Shuling and Jiang Wenxi's departing figures, she couldn't help but bite her lip, not even noticing when someone called her.
"Qi Xiuxiu, come and line up for your seats!"
Later, someone gently nudged her, and Qi Xiuxiu finally came to her senses. Her mind was filled with the sweet and heartwarming moments she had shared with Jiang Wenxi since they got to know each other privately. She was sensitive to the cold and uncomfortable during her period, so Jiang Wenxi had a female staff member bring her a hand warmer backstage. When she craved sweets, the nutritionist here had strict restrictions, so Jiang Wenxi also brought her milk tea, watching her sip down half a cup.
An unspoken, ambiguous tension simmered between them. Even a fleeting glance exchanged on a variety show stage could send Qi Xiuxiu's heart pounding wildly. But today, she suddenly realized that he also looked quite compatible with another girl standing next to her. Yu Shuling was tall and slender, with a bright smile—a beauty that caught the eye at first glance. Amidst the girls' playful banter, she overheard their teasing remarks about the two of them.
Qi Xiuxiu's mood turned sour.
Since giving away fruit tea to everyone, Yu Shuling's popularity on the show has skyrocketed. Even contestants or staff who didn't know her well before would greet her when they saw her.
However, Yu Shuling isn't socially awkward; her responses were very natural, and she's incredibly quick at recognizing people—she can remember them after only two tries. In just two days, she could even match the names of common staff members to her own.
She also noticed that before the final performance, some trainees watched other dance videos to relax, and a few girls gathered together to watch Lyra's debut stage. She also took a look.
Back then, the original owner hadn't been slacking off too much, but her skills were undeniable. Her fans had even argued with her teammates' fans, complaining that she had too few parts and no opportunity to practice and showcase her abilities.
These are all just excuses.
If they really wanted to practice, they would have practiced in the practice room long ago. While it's not a universal rule, many competitors with too few parts are essentially being "protected."
After all, they're in a girl group, so it's unlikely that the company would have the intention of suppressing anyone right from the start. Besides, it's a limited-time group, so isn't the purpose of launching them to make money?
Watching her own performance on stage, with a weak voice and exaggerated movements, Yu Shuling, standing behind the trainees, thought: "..."
It's a bit awkward.
Yu Shuling silently resolved to practice more when she got back, so that she wouldn't let her teammates down on the next official stage. However, she adapted to modern dance quite quickly and wasn't too worried.
When Wu Leilei turned around and saw Yu Shuling, she couldn't help but think of the basic skills Yu Shuling had displayed on the opening stage, and her face was full of admiration:
"Teacher Yu, you've improved so quickly! It really is true that one minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage!"
Just as Yu Shuling was about to speak modestly, she suddenly heard a soft laugh behind her, which contained no sarcasm. Turning around, she saw a young man in a hoodie standing not far from them, watching the screen with great interest.
The boy was quite tall, with handsome features, deep-set eyes, and thin, healthy-looking lips. He only had a light layer of face cream as a base, and even without makeup, he was still eye-catching. His appearance was the opposite of Jiang Wenxi's, which had a more aggressive look, so although they looked to be about the same age, they were easily distinguishable.
Seeing Yu Shuling turn around to look at him, the boy took the initiative to greet her, nodding politely:
"Hello, senior, I am You Jingzhou."
He's a pretty clean-cut boy.
This was Yu Shuling's first impression of him.
Since the other person was being so polite, there was no need for her to put on airs. Yu Shuling nodded to him in a friendly manner, introduced herself, and then went to look at other groups.
With an hour to go before the official start, Yu Shuling was called over by the makeup artist for a touch-up. The makeup artist gently touched up her foundation and sprayed setting spray, all the while gossiping with her colleagues about how the guest who was supposed to be there had already arrived. Yu Shuling, who had her eyes closed, suddenly remembered the young man she had seen not long ago when she heard this.
Is it that producer?
Although Yu Shuling was in the entertainment industry, she knew very little about it, except for some big names and artists in her own company, mainly because she lacked most of the original owner's memories and details. She only knew that the original owner's mother had died early, and her father had become addicted to gambling and accumulated a lot of debt, which snowballed and grew bigger and bigger, so the original owner was tasked with paying it off.
In the novel, the original owner of this body is naturally a despicable person, hated by everyone. Logically speaking, she is not legally obligated to help her father repay his debts, but she still sends money to him every month.
She didn't have many contacts on her phone, and Yu Shuling had no intention of actively expanding her social circle here. She knew nothing about this up-and-coming producer.
However, she had imagined a man to be at least in his thirties, but he turned out to be so young, probably around the same age as her own body, in his early twenties.
By the time she finished touching up her makeup, it was almost time for the recording. The stage for today's final performance was packed with audience members. Yu Shuling wore appropriate makeup, a white cardigan over a suspender jacket, and a black and red letter design that made her look trendy and cool. She paired it with shorts and boots, and finally added a black leather hat. Unlike her previous gentle and ladylike image, this time she went for a completely cool look, but she carried it off well and it didn't feel out of place.
Next to her was Jiang Wenxi, who had a fluffy hairstyle today. With her high nose bridge, three-dimensional features, and tall stature, she exuded the charisma of an adult man. As soon as she came out, there was a burst of cheers from the audience. Although the organizers tried to control the crowd, many fans still brought light boards to give Jiang Wenxi the loudest support.
However, this only applies before the official start of the show. After the show begins, the mentors' fans are no longer allowed to hold up light sticks. This is considered disrespectful to the contestants, and anyone who violates the rules will be disqualified from watching or even blacklisted. Generally, no one would take such a big risk.
Yu Shuling took her seat, followed by the mystery guest who would be appearing that evening. The stage lift slowly rose, revealing a young man who had shed his casual hoodie and was now wearing a well-tailored casual suit that perfectly accentuated his figure. He had fair skin, and his slightly wavy hair made his face look youthful and gentle, yet there was a hint of untamed wildness hidden between his brows. The two elements were perfectly balanced, creating a refined and sophisticated look. He had a completely different vibe from Jiang Wenxi, and it was impossible to say who could outshine whom.
Moreover, when they heard that he was a producer, everyone basically thought of him as an older behind-the-scenes figure, and expected to see a rigid and serious senior. You Jingzhou seemed to know the power of his face, and smiled at the audience.
A thunderous cheer erupted from the audience, slightly easing the tense atmosphere of the evening. Then it was time for the contestants to take turns performing. Tonight, they would be performing original songs, divided into a general performance and group performances. The first round was decided by 80% audience voting, with the remaining score based on the mentors' evaluations. In the subsequent rounds, all three mentors had one vote for each contestant. Previously, they could protect their favorites and eliminate them in the first round, but for the sake of fairness in the finals, this power was reduced, and a higher score was assigned instead.
The first round mainly depends on the audience, and the second round mainly depends on the mentors. The total scores of the two rounds are calculated at 70% and 30% respectively, and the top eight are ultimately selected as the debut spots.
Yu Shuling did some calculations and found that the mentors had quite a lot of power in this show, which explained why some contestants were terrified after being criticized.
After the stage curtain was raised, everything proceeded smoothly. Yu Shuling found that Wu Leilei's performance this time was much more amazing than before, which made her eyes light up. Although everyone was dressed similarly, Wu Leilei put in a lot of effort today and was able to stand out in the group dance, without any trace of her previous nervousness.
The top-ranked contestants maintained their consistent performance, speaking loudly through their microphones and dancing without affecting their popularity. In contrast, some contestants, like Qi Xiuxiu, fell behind.
It's truly a miracle that Qi Xiuxiu has made it this far. Judging by Yu Shuling's current standards, she should have been eliminated in the first three rounds. Admittedly, Qi Xiuxiu is like a warm little sun, bringing water to the other trainees and offering them comfort and encouragement. However, this doesn't diminish the fact that her skills are comparatively terrible. She can't find anyone outstanding in singing or dancing, and even after missing two beats, she stubbornly continues on her own.
One of the mentors frowned imperceptibly. Although the newcomer You Jingzhou, as the song producer, didn't know much about singing and dancing, it was obvious to everyone that Qi Xiuxiu was a notch below the other contestants.
After this round, the audience voted in real time. The contestants, their faces still glistening with sweat, couldn't help but look up at the big screen. Qi Xiuxiu, too, gripped her sleeves tightly. Seeing her vote count closing in on the bottom of the rankings, her face paled slightly.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Jiang Wenxi, recalling how Jiang Wenxi had helplessly rubbed her head and said, "I'll teach you slowly after you debut." So, it seems she should be able to debut, right?
Debuting has always been Qi Xiuxiu's dream. If she doesn't get the chance after such a long period of training, who knows when she'll get another one? You have to know that trainees, e-sports players, and models all rely on their youth, and it will become more and more difficult as time goes on.
But there was no time for the contestants to be nervous or worried. The next round was coming soon, and everyone could only regroup and put their worries behind them.
Qi Xiuxiu's performance in the second round was even worse than before. One of their female mentors, who was usually quite gentle, couldn't help but look uncomfortable.
As a mentor, Yu Shuling was quite free at this time. Like her, You Jingzhou didn't need to score but only had to say a few words of comment. However, Yu Shuling found that Jiang Wenxi, who had become more gentle before, had become sharp again this time, and started to find fault with people without leaving a trace. Moreover, this time she was picking on attitude issues and stage expression management.
Yu Shuling raised an eyebrow.
It seems he didn't dare to be too obvious. If he wanted to directly criticize someone's abilities, Qi Xiuxiu might as well step down and start over. This time, Wu Leilei performed very well, so You Jingzhou changed his target.
Later, due to the excessive practice, Yuan Zhiyao was slightly exhausted, but she still managed to perform the entire show without any mistakes or decline in performance. However, Yuan Zhiyao's appearance is not particularly stunning, and she is not as popular with the audience as the previous contestants. Her current ranking is still on the edge of the debut position, which is very dangerous.
To maintain the suspense, a video clip was played on the big screen, and the mentors began their discussion. After a short while, glancing at Jiang Wenxi's final scores for the contestants, Yu Shuling subtly curled her fingers.
This also made You Jingzhou glance in her direction.
After the long wait finally ended, it was time for the mentors to give their comments one by one. When Jiang Wenxi evaluated Qi Xiuxiu, she first criticized her mercilessly. Seeing that the girl's eyes were almost filled with emotion, Jiang Wenxi suddenly changed her tone:
"However, I really admire your attitude and the way you're working hard to improve. In the end, I was moved by contestant number 15 and decided to give number 15 and her fans a chance. The industry needs fresh blood, and good talents shouldn't be buried..."
Upon seeing the scores displayed on his screen, Yuan Zhiyao and another person named Li Yun's expressions subtly changed. Qi Xiuxiu was indeed quite popular with the audience. Although her live vote was not as good as theirs, she still had a fighting chance on the edge of the debut position due to her previous popularity.
If the mentors had given the scores normally, they would have entered the rounds for the two of them. The two were about the same level and each had their own strengths, so there was no complaint. However, Jiang Wenxi suddenly intervened, which caused the situation to change dramatically.
Jiang Wenxi had always seemed fairly impartial, and his words didn't raise any objections from the players who were only concerned about their own positions. However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a clear laugh rang out from the side. Yu Shuling looked at him with a half-smile, her voice calm but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear as she slowly asked:
"Everyone wants a chance to debut, and I haven't seen Qi Xiuxiu's attitude as better than the others. But Teacher Jiang, is this why you said you'd give her a chance?"
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