Jin He originally thought he was going to be eliminated, but because Fang Xiaoke's group received a boost in votes, he miraculously managed to temporarily rank 59th with a slight advantage in votes, which was something he didn't expect.
He thought he was just going to be eliminated in the first round. Although he had thought about being eliminated quickly so he could have some rest, today, seeing old friends he hadn't seen in a long time made him change his mind.
Now that he's got what he wanted, being able to stay on the show for a while longer seems pretty good.
However, with thirty people suddenly eliminated, Jin He still felt that there were some empty spaces around her, such as Zhang Huahua, who shared a dormitory with them, being eliminated.
Fang Xiaoke hadn't even had time to recover from her joy when she was faced with the tragedy of her friend's imminent departure. Standing in the dormitory room watching Zhang Huahua pack her luggage, she was momentarily speechless.
As Zhang Huahua tidied up, tears streamed down his face. Seeing Fang Xiaoke squatting beside him and watching him, he couldn't help but reach out and rub his head.
"Go back and train hard, you'll still have a chance to debut in the future." Ji Feng helped Zhang Huahua fold her clothes, his eyes also red-rimmed.
"No, thank you," Zhang Huahua said. "I'm already 22 this year, it's time for me to go back and support my family."
Being an idol is a short-lived career, not to mention what kind of family wealth can support a young man in his twenties to work hard in a big city without earning a penny?
“I’ll go back to my hometown and open a dance class. I can support myself.” Zhang Huahua saw their long faces and reached out to push them. “What are you doing? It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”
Jin He walked in carrying a thermos, but seeing the three children still crying together, she silently went back out. There was nothing she could do; that's just how this industry is. Audience appeal is a mysterious thing. Zhang Huahua's skills weren't particularly bad, but strangely, hardly anyone noticed him.
"I'm leaving." Zhang Huahua left her snacks behind, waved to her friends behind her, looking carefree yet wistful. "The dream is over."
After the people left, the base remained the same, and everything proceeded as usual. It was as if those thirty children had never come. Jin He got half a day to catch her breath, and the next morning she was notified that they would be going for a group physical examination.
"The cafeteria won't be open this morning, so remember to eat on an empty stomach," the staff informed them. "Remember to eat on an empty stomach, absolutely no food allowed."
Jin He: "..."
"It's pretty good." Fang Xiaoke whispered to Ji Feng, "After all, our line of work seems to have pretty high requirements for physical fitness. It's a good opportunity to check everyone's health and see if there are any problems so we can prevent them early. And look at how weak Brother Xiaohe looks, he's definitely not healthy."
Jin He: "..."
"I heard you."
Fang Xiaoke coughed lightly and quickly separated from Ji Feng, looking at the ceiling and the floor but refusing to look at Jin He.
Jin He was also in a dilemma. What if the physical examination revealed this? He might have to withdraw from the competition. The director would probably have to send this ticking time bomb home as soon as possible.
"We need to meet at the playground in a bit." Fang Xiaoke picked up her coat. "Let's go, it's just a physical exam anyway, it'd be best if nothing's wrong."
Jin He was still there, his eyes darting around, trying to figure out how to respond, when he saw that Fang Xiaoke and Ji Feng had already walked ahead. He suddenly stopped and said, "You two go first."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm going to... use the restroom." Jin He closed the restroom door. "I suddenly have an upset stomach. You guys go first. If there are no seats left, I'll take another bus. You don't need to save a seat for me."
"Oh, okay." Fang Xiaoke and Ji Feng didn't think much of it, but they still reminded him, "Then hurry up, Teacher An Yi requires us to leave at nine o'clock sharp."
Anyway, there are sixty trainees, so no one would care if he was one less. He'll just hide here and wait until everyone leaves before he's safe.
Jin He ran to the bathroom, locked the door from the inside, and then sat on the toilet to wait for time to pass.
It was almost nine o'clock. An Yi, who was sitting in the front row of the bus, suddenly got up and walked around the bus. After finding that the person he was looking for was not there, he got up and went to another bus to walk around.
"Where is Jin He?" he asked.
"Brother Xiaohe said he suddenly had an upset stomach and went to the toilet."
Sudden stomach upset? An Yi frowned. Why did he have to get a stomach upset at this time of day? What mischief is Jin He up to now?
Jin He was sitting on the toilet, still clinging to a sliver of hope that he wouldn't be discovered. Just as he was about to let his guard down, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
An Yi stood at the door, arms crossed: "I know you're in there, Jin He. Why aren't you getting a medical check-up?"
Jin He: "..."
He planned to pretend he hadn't heard anything and let the matter slide, as if no one was in the bathroom.
"Don't pretend no one's there. The lock on your bathroom door can't withstand my kick."
The bathroom door clicked open, and Jin He poked her head out: "What are you doing...?"
"You're going for a medical check-up. Everyone's waiting for you." An Yi grabbed Jin He's hand as soon as he came up. "Hurry up, don't stay out too late."
"Hey! Hey!" Jin He tried to break free from An Yi's grasp, but An Yi was stronger than an ox, and Jin He couldn't break free at all. So she clung tightly to the door frame, "I, I, I need to ask for leave today. I'm not recording the show."
"Okay, I approve your vacation. Now it's a private trip. Go to the medical center with your ex-boyfriend for a check-up."
"What's the difference between this and recording a TV show?"
"The difference is that if you obediently go for the physical examination with the production team, I, as your mentor, can't do anything to you. But if you insist on taking leave, I can force you to go as an ex-boyfriend."
What kind of twisted logic is this?!
Even if you're my ex-boyfriend, you can't force me to go, you know that!
"Don't you have any self-awareness as an ex-boyfriend? Is this the distance an ex should maintain?" Jin He's hands gripped the door frame tightly. An Yi didn't dare to pull hard, as she had thin arms and legs, and he didn't want to hurt her. Seeing that Jin He was unmoved, An Yi suddenly let go, bent down, and picked her up.
Normally, even if An Yi touched Jin He a couple of times, he would be beaten up. But now, Jin He couldn't stand it. He immediately got angry, grabbed An Yi's nape with one hand, and pulled his hair hard with the other.
"Hey!" Jin He twisted violently. "What are you doing! Why are you touching me like that! You!"
"Behave yourself." An Yi's steps were as steady as a mountain. "What part of you haven't I touched before? What are you being shy about now?"
"You're my ex-boyfriend! My ex-boyfriend!"
"Oh, so when you said you wanted to break up, did I agree?"
Jin He choked up suddenly, it seemed...it really was...he was the one who...unilaterally announced the breakup.
I didn't agree.
An Yi was somewhat sensible. He walked to the door, put Jin He down, and trapped him in the corner, blocking him with his body so that he couldn't escape. Jin He could only face An Yi in a narrow space.
"I don't believe you're tired of me, Jin He. I'm going to find out what's wrong with you."
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