Chapter 58 Not Alone
Just like the previous round of performances, in order to facilitate the upcoming rehearsals and performances, the contestants will still stay in a hotel near the performance venue.
But before going to the hotel to put their luggage, they had to go to the scene for rehearsal.
The first program of the group formation night was the theme song performance of the 20 qualified contestants, followed by the performances of the two groups, and then a group chorus.
At the same time, the eliminated contestants were also invited by the program team to come to the scene to witness the final outcome of the competition.
After listening to the staff's explanation of the next steps, the contestants either closed their eyes to catch up on sleep or cleared their minds and looked at the scenery outside the window.
Because it was the final performance, the fans' support was even more grand than usual. Promotional posters for each contestant were laid out from the main entrance of the performance venue all the way to the end of the street across the street.
In addition to flower walls, roll-up banners, food trucks, coffee carts, and free support items, Jiang Mo Nan's biggest fans even generously booked the outdoor advertising screens of a large shopping mall near the performance venue. From two days before the group's debut night until the actual night itself, they ran Jiang Mo Nan's support ads non-stop for 72 hours.
The bus slowly drove through the busy lanes, and the sharp-eyed Zhao Xi suddenly exclaimed—
"Brother Mo Nan, look!"
Mo Bei opened his eyes and looked in the direction the other person pointed. He saw a huge advertising screen on the outer wall of the large shopping mall across the street, showing his photo. With the text:
Jiang Mo Nan, happy group formation!
Although the group debut night hadn't started yet, Jiang Mo'nan's debut as a contestant who had consistently held the top ranking since the show began was already a foregone conclusion, so it seemed perfectly normal for fans to celebrate in advance. The same was true for fans of the other top four contestants.
However, unlike others, Jiang Mo Nan is the first contestant to have a large-screen advertising support.
As a boy group idol who has not yet officially debuted, his fan base includes not only minors and students, but also a large number of adults, including middle-aged people who have achieved financial freedom.
Moreover, they are really willing to spend money to vote instead of just being casual fans who praise the product with their mouths.
Even some artists who have been in the industry for many years may not be able to achieve such a fan base.
This shows how powerful Jiang Mo Nan's fans are.
For a moment, the accompanying staff couldn't help but sigh: "Given time, Jiang Mo Nan's popularity will surely reach new heights." Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the founder of Zaoxing Entertainment signed him so early. This is definitely a cash cow that hasn't even grown yet!
Unlike the staff's pure admiration, the other contestants couldn't help but reveal envious looks at this moment.
"That's great. I wish we could have this kind of support someday."
"There will be."
Facing Mo Bei's sincere and frank gaze, Zheng Xingye was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Yes, there will definitely be one."
Arriving at the performance venue, fans from various teams had already gathered outside to set up their support. To avoid congestion and a stampede, the contestants once again entered through the back door.
Because the final round of group night performances only has two sets of stages plus a chorus and theme song performance, the rehearsal time is much more ample than before.
The "Shaonianyou" group was the last to perform among the two groups.
In order to match the theme of this event, the production team prepared stage costumes with a traditional Chinese style, which was also the request of the team members after unanimous discussion.
Because traditional Hanfu is not very convenient for the contestants to dance, they were given modified versions.
As for the color of the costumes, Mo Bei discussed with the members and finally decided on white.
For a high-spirited young knight, isn't white the most suitable clothing?
A color that is not tainted by the world.
Justice, sunshine, eyes full of hope and vitality, just like these contestants who have dreams of performing on stage.
Although they are all in the same white color scheme, the style and pattern details of each person's clothes are different.
For example, Xu Tingchuan, who has sharp eyes and a cold temperament, is wearing a round-necked robe with arrow sleeves and a wide shoulder and waist. The overall cut is neat and the patterns on the clothes are relatively low-key.
Bai Li's clothes are much more flowing. As if to match the setting of "the fairy-like little fairy boy", his clothes are made of relatively thin and transparent gauze and chiffon with good drape.
Mo Bei received a white cross-collared Taoist robe, made of white satin with dark patterns, and a cluster of inky bamboo leaves embroidered on the lapel. Over the robe was a layer of light moon-white gauze.
Mo Bei was tall and slender, and wearing this slightly puffy outfit not only did not make him look fat, but instead he looked like a handsome young man as beautiful as jade, or an immortal as cold as the moon, who was about to fly away on the wind.
However, a rapper like Zheng Xingye, who is tall and strong and has a wild style, is not suitable for such an outfit.
To make him stand out among the troops, the costume designer designed a warrior-like outfit for him. White sleeves, dark armor on the chest and waist, and black boots made him look like a general at first glance.
The Zhao brothers were dressed like knights, Yi Chuheng and Lin Jiongyi looked like scholars, while Tao Xiaotie and Zhong Gaoyi looked more like the sons of wealthy families.
The contestants were all surprised by the new traditional costumes they wore, and they all looked left and right in the mirror.
Stylist Su Xi looked at her work and nodded in satisfaction. This was her first time doing this kind of ancient-style styling, and she hadn't expected it to turn out so well.
"Sister Su Xi, are the contestants ready? The 'all of mine' group has already gone on stage, and it's almost the turn of the 'youth travel' group to rehearse."
As soon as Lu Xiaoyin pushed the door open, she saw a group of handsome young men in white clothes and was stunned for a moment.
Even though they had been together for nearly three months, she almost didn't recognize the contestants at that moment. After all, their current attire was completely different from their usual style.
Zhao Xi swaggered over and swung in front of her. "How is it, Sister Xiaoyin, does it look good?"
Looking at the boy in front of her with a look of "Praise me quickly", Lu Xiaoyin nodded and said, "It looks good."
Before Zhao Xi could feel happy for a moment, she heard the person in front of her add, "As expected of Sister Su Xi, her cooking skills are excellent."
Zhao Xi: ???
Su Xi couldn't help but see that the other party was teasing Zhao Xi, so he nodded in agreement: "I think so too. I'm really amazing."
At this time, Zhao Xi also turned around, and began to praise Su Xi crazily with honey on her lips——
"Of course not! Sister Su Xi is the most amazing stylist I've ever met! This styling is so good!"
Such flattery made Su Xi extremely happy.
Seeing this, Zhao Chen shook his head helplessly and picked up his brother: "Alright, stop joking. It's time to get ready for rehearsal."
On the other side, Lei Lie, Sheng Yanyu and their group, who had just finished rehearsal, were surprised when they saw the costumes of the "Youth Travel" group.
"Hey guys, are you guys going to act in a costume drama?"
Although the program team has modified the costumes to make it easier for the contestants to dance, at first glance this group's makeup still looks full of ancient charm.
Even Xu Tingchuan, who pursues a cool and dark style, lifted his bangs this time, put his hair up in a high ponytail, and revealed his beautiful eyebrows and eyes.
Mo Bei even wore a moon-white headband with a blue gem hanging on it. With this outfit and his own cool temperament, he looked like an immortal who walked out of an ancient painting.
Of course, Lei Lie knew that the immortal-like Jiang Mo Nan in front of him was actually a zombie. But even so, seeing him dressed like this, he couldn't help but be amazed.
In comparison, the "allofmine" group is just a common fashion. Although the overall color tone is fresh and the clothing combination is also very beautiful, it lacks some characteristics compared to the "Shaonianyou" group with their traditional Chinese style makeup.
But every loss has its own merits. Although the "Young Travel" group's costumes are beautiful, they are bound to be constrained when dancing and are not as relaxed as those who wear modern casual clothes.
For a moment, the players who were originally envious of the good-looking clothes of the opposing team gradually calmed down.
Because he was busy with rehearsals, Mo Bei didn't have time to chat with Lei Lie and the others for a while before he was called onto the stage by the staff on the scene.
The "allofmine" group had finished rehearsing and had nothing to do for the time being, so they wanted to stay and see the other team's results.
In order to match the style of the music, the stage layout was designed to be as classical as possible.
The scenery alone, with its verdant mountains and clear waters, stone bridges, weeping willows, and white horses, is already highly anticipated. Coupled with the contestants' makeup, it only makes one more curious about what kind of performance they will ultimately present.
Then a distant and ethereal sound of a bamboo flute was heard, the stage lights came on, and the contestants' figures appeared one after another behind several scenery scenes, such as the stone bridge, weeping willows, and white horses.
Faced with such a unique opening, the contestants of the "allofmine" group watching in the audience instantly became focused.
Mo Bei, wearing a white Taoist robe and a moon-white gauze cape, stood on the stone bridge with his hands behind his back. He turned sideways and raised his head, bringing the audience into the context of the song.
As his eyes moved, the exiled immortal on the stone bridge opened his thin lips, and his voice as light as a stream slowly flowed out a moving melody.
Seeing this scene, the contestants in the audience were shocked.
"Wow, Brother Mo Nan, this is so fitting! He's the chosen ancient!"
"Is there any song he can't sing?"
Even the director team and mentors were stunned at this moment.
It must be said that Jiang Mo Nan's ability to digest music is truly formidable. No matter what style of song it is, he has a way to adapt to it and even transform it into his own style.
After the introduction at the beginning, the song suddenly becomes lively and uplifting from its initial slow pace.
Just like the tender buds emerging from the branches in early spring and the magpies chirping in the trees, the contestants who were originally posing in various places on the stage suddenly walked to the center of the stage.
There was a "swish" sound, and everyone opened their folding fans in unison.
The boy's boldness and high spirits bloomed instantly at this moment like spring flowers on a branch!
…
The group rehearsal ended quickly.
Afterward, the mentors offered specific suggestions for improvement based on the contestants' performances. The contestants then changed clothes and rehearsed the chorus and theme song performance. This marked the completion of the rehearsal.
After the rehearsal, until the next day's group night, the contestants can arrange their own activities. However, if they need to go out, they must be accompanied by a staff member.
After taking the bus back to the hotel, many fans who had been waiting there instantly became excited.
"Ahhhh! Jiang Mo Nan!"
"Tietie, look here!"
"Husband Lei Lie!"
"Sheng Yanyu!"
“…”
Perhaps it was because these fans were more polite, or perhaps it was because there were a lot of staff accompanying the contestants, so most people just shouted a few words to the contestants and did not follow them upstairs.
Through the slowly closing elevator door, Lu Xiaoyin looked at the fans who were obediently waiting for the contestants in the hotel lobby, and sighed in her heart: I don’t know how long this orderly situation can last.
Many celebrities have relatively harmonious fan circles before they become famous, but once they become famous, all kinds of weirdos and monsters appear.
Especially the popular idols, compared to actors, they have the most private fans.
Stalking, peeping, secretly photographing, harassing, they are like a swarm of flies, infiltrating every nook and cranny. And such a situation is difficult to eradicate.
However, with Jiang Monan's calm personality and his miraculous physique that always turns danger into safety, if he really encounters a stalker in the future, he will not necessarily suffer as much as others.
I don’t know why, but Lu Xiaoyin just feels this way.
All 20 contestants live on the same floor, two to a room. The production team does not interfere with who lives with them, and it is entirely up to the contestants to choose their own rooms.
So, Mo Bei lived with Lei Lie, and the remaining Bai Li and Tao Xiaotie naturally lived in the same room as well.
As for the remaining people, Yi Chuheng and Xu Tingchuan shared a room, brothers Zhao Chen and Zhao Xi shared a room, Zheng Xingye and Cui Junxi shared a room, Sheng Yanyu and Chang Jun shared a room, Lin Jiongyi and Zhou Quan shared a room, Su Yi and Zhong Gaoyi shared a room, Lu Ping and Song Wenkai shared a room, and Zhang Shicheng and Ye Xing shared a room.
Oddly enough, among the 20 players who advanced, Mo Bei had no previous connection with Lu Ping, Song Wenkai, Zhang Shicheng, and Ye Xing.
Because these four people were all from Class B, Mo Bei had completely missed any opportunities to interact with them, both before and after the upgrade. From the subsequent performances to the group's formation night, they had never teamed up together.
However, because he had visited Lei Lie and his friends' practice room during practice, Mo Bei was no stranger to these four people. However, they were only acquaintances.
Because they have been busy since early morning, many contestants choose to catch up on sleep as soon as they return to their rooms.
Unlike others, Lei Lie started rummaging through his bag as soon as he entered the room.
Seeing him quickly change his clothes, comb his hair straight, and put on a hat and a mask, Mo Bei couldn't help but be stunned: "Are you going out?"
Lei Lie nodded and said, "My parents are here, I have to go out and meet them."
Hearing this, Mo Bei was a little surprised, "How did you know? Did the staff of the program tell you?"
After all, the contestants’ cell phones had been handed in, so even if Lei Lie’s parents wanted to see their son, they couldn’t contact him and could only go through the program crew.
But Lei Lie shook his head. "We werewolves all have our own way of communicating. You can think of it as telepathy. Just before entering the hotel, I sensed that Dad and the others were in the nearby mall."
Mo Bei nodded and asked, "So you plan to go alone?"
Upon hearing this, Lei Lie couldn't help but pause.
Only then did he remember the rule that contestants must be accompanied by at least one staff member when going out, and he felt a little annoyed for a moment.
Mo Bei understood Lei Lie's concerns. Although it was just to meet his family, due to the special circumstances of his family, rashly bringing staff with him might cause unnecessary trouble.
After thinking for a moment, Mo Bei said, "If it's really inconvenient for you, it's okay not to report. The mall is near the hotel anyway, and there's no need for staff to follow you all the time at such a close distance. At worst, you can just go and come back quickly."
Lei Lie nodded when he heard this: "That makes sense."
With the packed bag on his back, he suddenly looked at Mo Bei: "Brother Mo Nan, do you want to come with us?"
"I'm going too?" Mo Bei was a little surprised. "Aren't you going to meet your parents? It's not appropriate for me to go."
Lei Lie grinned, revealing a row of white canine teeth. "What's inappropriate about that? We're good brothers! It's boring for you to stay in the hotel alone anyway, so why don't you come together?"
“…Alright then.”
Seeing Lei Lie say this, Mo Bei no longer refused and immediately stood up to change his clothes.
However, when the two changed their clothes and were ready to go out, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Suspecting it was a staff member, Lei Lie took off his hat and mask and looked in front of the cat's eyes.
Unexpectedly, Tao Xiaotie and Bai Li were standing outside the door.
Tao Xiaotie was seen knocking on the door persistently, holding a huge bag of potato chips and a box of playing cards that he got from somewhere.
Worried about being discovered by others, Lei Lie opened the door and let the two in.
Seeing their attire, Bai Li raised an eyebrow, "Are you two going out?"
Lei Lie nodded, "Why are you here?"
Bai Li pursed his lips at Tao Xiaotie beside him and said, "This guy was bored and suddenly wanted to play cards."
"Aren't there other people?" Lei Lie paused. "Zheng Xingye, Zhao Xi, and the others aren't catching up on their sleep."
But Tao Xiaotie shook his head and sighed, "Their card skills are terrible."
Bai Li didn't care about whether they played cards or not. He just looked at the two of them and said, "So where are you going?"
"Lei Lie's parents are here, and he wants to go out and see them."
Bai Li immediately understood what he said. Before he could speak, Tao Xiaotie raised his hand and said, "I want to go too."
Unable to resist Tao Xiaotie's innocent and expectant eyes, Lei Lie finally had to give in.
"Change your clothes."
After hearing this, Tao Xiaotie went back to change his clothes without saying a word.
After a while, looking at Bai Li who had also changed his clothes, Lei Lie couldn't help but twitched his face, "Are you going too?"
"What else? It would be so boring for me to stay in the hotel alone."
“…”
Aren’t the other contestants human?
Although he really wanted to retort like this, but when he thought about it carefully, White Fox never liked to interact with other players, so there was nothing wrong with what he said.
Thus, the action of one person instantly became that of four people.
In order to avoid being discovered by fans and program staff, Lei Lie decided to leave the hotel parking lot with Mo Bei first, and Bai Li and Tao Xiaotie would come out later, and the four of them would meet outside.
However, when he spoke his thoughts, he heard Bai Li say——
"No need to go to so much trouble."
He raised his hand and waved it over the two of them, saying, "Alright, even if you walk out of the hotel's main entrance now, no one will notice you."
Seeing this, Lei Lie immediately understood that Bai Li had cast a spell on them. For a moment, he couldn't help but mutter, "Why didn't you tell me about this good idea earlier?"
Bai Li gave him a sidelong glance and said, "If you keep saying that, I'll take it back."
“…”
Mo Bei looked down at the appearance which had not changed at all, and was skeptical: "Does it really work?"
Bai Li smiled contentedly: "Just give it a try and you'll know."
So, the group took the elevator downstairs.
At this point, only a few of the fans who had been waiting in the hall were left, and they were either looking down at their phones or chatting.
Mo Bei lowered the brim of his hat and quickly passed by them. At this moment, one of the girls suddenly raised her head.
When their eyes met, Mo Bei suddenly paused.
The girl yawned slightly and then lowered her head to continue playing games.
At the same time, two staff members happened to walk in from outside the hotel. They walked past the four people, chatting and laughing, as if they didn't see them at all.
Seeing this, Lei Lie couldn't help but exclaim: "Amazing."
Bai Li narrowed his eyes in enjoyment, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.
"Alright. Let's go. Maintaining the spell all the time is tiring."
So, the four of them walked out of the hotel in broad daylight in full view of everyone.
Without hiding or quickening their pace, the four of them walked along as leisurely as if they were taking a walk downstairs, and no passers-by paid them any attention.
For a moment, Mo Bei, who had been holding his breath, was completely relieved.
Because he didn't have a mobile phone, Lei Lie couldn't contact his parents and could only rely on what he called "telepathy."
They followed him around the corners and soon arrived at the large shopping mall.
It was 5 p.m., and the mall was starting to fill up. Long lines had already formed outside some of the internet-famous restaurants.
Smelling the fragrance wafting in the air from time to time, Tao Xiaotie could hardly walk, his big round eyes filled with desire for food.
However, this time Lei Lie ruthlessly rejected Tao Xiaotie and pushed him directly towards the elevator.
"This restaurant is just so-so. My parents are at the tea restaurant on the third floor right now. The food there is much better. We can still eat there."
Upon hearing this, Tao Xiaotie, who had been looking back every few steps, suddenly became alert and followed the main force obediently.
In short, despite being shoulder to shoulder with the crowds of people in the mall, none of the four people were recognized.
It is impossible to say that the contestants are not well-known at the moment so passers-by cannot recognize them. After all, there is a Jiang Mo Nan support advertisement hanging on the screen on the outer wall of the shopping mall. On the way here, I even saw several waves of fans running to check in offline.
Now that I appeared in the mall, no one noticed me. This only proves that Bai Li's trick is still working.
Walking among the crowd without being disturbed is a unique and novel experience for Mo Bei.
As a former top star and now a hot talent show contestant, Mo Bei has never been unknown since his debut. No matter where he goes, he is always recognized.
Although it was exciting and novel at first, it would eventually tire me. The last time I walked around the streets carefree like this was before my debut in my previous life.
Although it was a long time ago, those were the happiest and freest days of his life.
As he debuted and entered the entertainment industry, his friends dwindled, and in the end, he no longer had the opportunity to hang out with anyone he pleased.
Although he was used to being alone at that time, sometimes he couldn't help feeling a little envious when he saw the groups of students on the roadside.
If I had not chosen this path, would everything be different?
Mo Bei had thought about this hypothesis many times before but never came up with an answer. It was still the same now.
The difference is that he no longer envies others.
Walking in the crowd, Mo Bei's mood gradually became more relaxed.
He hadn't felt this way in a long time.
After returning to the world as a zombie, he was very cautious, fearing that his identity would be exposed. For this reason, he did not dare to get too close to people.
Even though he needed to stand under the spotlight on the stage and listen to the screams and shouts of the audience in order to suppress the corpse poison in his body, there was always a trace of uneasiness deep in his heart.
He was afraid of exposing his true inhumanity.
It was not until he discovered that his three roommates were not human that the uneasiness that had been lingering in his heart gradually faded away.
It turns out he's not the only one harboring a dark secret.
Now, when four non-humans walked in the bustling crowd without being noticed by anyone, this experience gave him a special feeling.
Is it excitement? Is it novelty? Or is it happiness?
Mo Bei couldn't say for sure.
But he knew that he was finally not alone now.
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