Chapter 20.2
The performance by the Createx Entertainment trainees ended.
It wasn't only the contestants who were won over; even the mentors on the panel appeared to be surprised, exchanging glances of approval.
After the intense dance routine, the trainees, who had to sing while dancing, were panting heavily, catching their breath.
"Wow, you really did surprise us," Luo Wenxuan said. "Out of all the performances so far, yours was the most synchronized, cohesive, and entertaining."
"Thank you, teacher!"
The seven trainees bowed together on stage.
"Yao Yuan, you debuted in Korea before, right?" Lin Yuzhe asked.
"Yes," Yao Yuan replied.
"Then why did you decide to join our program?" Lin Yuzhe asked, following up.
"I wasn't satisfied," Yao Yuan said.
This answer came as a surprise to both the mentors and contestants. Zhou Yuehe, who had been in the middle of jotting down notes, paused and looked up. Ning Yang stared at him unwaveringly, his expression shifting slightly.
Meanwhile, Xiang Qingwei, who was watching from the surveillance room, saw Yao Yuan's response and his gaze flickered slightly, his body unconsciously leaning forward.
"Could you elaborate on why you're unsatisfied?" Wei Cheng asked.
Yao Yuan's shallow, single-fold eyelids couldn't diminish the brightness of his black eyes, even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to come alive.
His thin lips lifted, revealing a hint of white beneath them. "Because I want everyone to see me. I had the chance to do this two years ago, but I failed due to some unexpected mishap. I'm not satisfied, and I want to do it again."
Xiang Qingwei stared at Yao Yuan's close-up on the screen, seemingly seeing the power that could break through anything hidden beneath those bright black eyes. At this moment, she couldn't help but admit Yao Yuan was a formidable opponent.
He was too imposing, aggressive, and attractive.
Even though she had known he would be Ning Yang's biggest rival, Xiang Qingwei had never underestimated her opponent, but she still felt the weight of his pressure.
Miss K's eyes lit up. "That can be edited into the promotional video!"
Xiang Qingwei leaned back into her chair and took a slow sip of her iced coffee. It seemed she truly had a tough battle ahead of her.
Regardless, the first round had already been decided.
Ning Yang had secured his first A.
26 is certainly a lucky number, Xiang Qingwei thought as she sipped her coffee once more.
Yao Yuan's grade was unsurprisingly an A.
Two of his teammates also received A grades, while the remaining four were all B grades. Altogether, their strength was formidable.
Xiang Qingwei guessed that Createx Entertainment might secure three of the nine available spots, but none of this mattered to her. Even if the other eight spots were taken by the team, she only needed the top one.
Furthermore, she had just realized that Ning Yang seemed to perform better under pressure, as if it were some strange ability of his.
Yesterday, she could sense the pressure weighing beneath Ning Yang's calm exterior, and she had worried that he would make a mistake onstage due to nervousness today.
Yet now, he appeared completely relaxed, his body fluid and open as he danced, even better than when she had seen him practice in the studio.
So, for Ning Yang, pressure wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Meanwhile, Yao Yuan, who had received an A grade, couldn't muster any celebration. Receiving an A was within his expectations, but someone had beaten him to the first-place spot, and it was a position that should have been his.
This revelation left a sour taste in his mouth; he simply couldn't share in the joy of his teammates.
Createx Entertainment's recording session finished, and the director finally called for a wrap.
Miss K tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash can, which was already filled with paper cups. She raised her hands over her head, stretched her waist, and yawned widely before saying, "Let's go. Time for lunch."
The first day of recording, of course, was not a simple lunch.
The mentors returned to their respective dressing rooms to rest briefly, and staff soon arrived to notify them of the group meal.
Zhou Yuehe's dressing room door was no exception; it was knocked upon as well.
"Mr. Zhou Yuehe, the director asked me to invite you to the group dinner tonight," the staff member said.
Zhou Yuehe's assistant, Xiao Zhao, swiftly responded, "My apologies, our teacher..."
Before he could finish, Zhou Yuehe interrupted him.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you."
Xiao Zhao looked at Zhou Yuehe in surprise.
The staff member who came to notify them was also taken aback for a moment before closing the door and leaving with a "Yes sir."
"Brother Yuehe, are you going to the group dinner?" Xiao Zhao asked as soon as the staff member left.
Zhou Yuehe didn't drink alcohol, so he typically avoided social gatherings as much as possible; those in the industry knew Zhou Yuehe rarely interacted with others and lived a very private life.
He was no longer that young singer who had been invited to join forced social situations three years ago.
As he recalled three years ago, he also remembered everything that happened today, and Xiang Qingwei's polite and courteous "hello."
Zhou Yuehe's gaze dimmed slightly.
"Brother Yuehe?" Xiao Zhao asked, puzzled after not receiving a response.
Zhou Yuehe undid the cuffs of his shirt. "I'm going."
Miss K reserved the largest private room in the restaurant, which could accommodate thirty people. It was practically a small hall with complete audiovisual equipment, making it perfect for large gatherings.
"Luo Wenxuan, this is Xiang Qingwei, one of my juniors. She's also Ning Yang's manager," Miss K introduced Xiang Qingwei to Luo Wenxuan.
Luo Wenxuan looked at Xiang Qingwei in surprise; upon seeing Xiang Qingwei dressed elegantly with Miss K, she had assumed she was a sponsor.
She never would have expected that she was actually Ning Yang's manager. "Wow! Xiang, you're so young and beautiful, you could debut as a celebrity yourself!"
Xiang Qingwei was here in a personal capacity today, so she hadn't dressed very professionally. Her knee-length black dress was modest but elegant, and the sleek design and details added an air of quiet beauty.
Xiang Qingwei smiled. "I'm a big fan of Luo Wenxuan's music, and I've always regretted not being able to see you in person. Thanks to Miss K, I finally get to meet you today, and you're even more radiant in person than on television."
Luo Wenxuan, known for her sweet demeanor, had a reputation as a good person within the industry. She laughed joyously. "You agents really know how to speak well. Also, please don't call me 'Teacher' anymore; it makes me feel old. You can call me Wenxuan, just like KK."
The woman was already thirty-seven but took great care of herself, making her age almost impossible to discern. Perhaps it was because she had lived a smooth life thus far and hadn't experienced much hardship, but her expressions and lively laughter still resembled that of a young maiden.
"I'll take that liberty, then," Xiang Qing said with a smile.
"I'm a big fan of Ning Yang. He's a great talent," Luo Wenxuan said.
"I hope I can relay that message to him someday," Xiang Qingwei said, still smiling.
"You're quite impressive, being able to work as an agent at such a young age at Huaying," Luo Wenxuan said, her gaze filled with admiration. She knew not just anyone could become an agent.
"Compared to you, Wenxuan-nee, who became a singing sensation at my age, I'm just a small-time manager," Xiang Qing said with a smile. "I'm only responsible for managing the daily lives of artists; I'm not 'impressive' by any means."
"Don't listen to her," Miss K said to Luo Wenxuan with a smile. "I know you're a fan of Ling Jiayi, right? He's also one of her clients."
Luo Wenxuan was shocked, but also excited. "Oh my god! Really?! I love Ling Jiayi's drama! I'm his fan!"
Of course, Xiang Qingwei knew about Luo Wenxuan's admiration for Ling Jiayi. Last year, when Ling Jiayi's drama had aired, Luo Wenxuan had written a post on Weibo about how much she loved the show and had even trended on the platform.
But now, she pretended to be oblivious, showing just the right amount of surprise.
"Oh wow!" Luo Wenxuan said, still in disbelief. "I'm obsessed with him! You're his manager?!"
Xiang Qingwei smiled. "I'm sure Jiayi would be thrilled to know Wenxuan-jie likes him so much. Perhaps we can all grab a meal together if we have the chance."
"Really?!" Luo Wenxuan's eyes widened; she covered her excited, reddened face with her hands, looking like a typical fangirl about to meet her idol. "Oh my god! I can't believe it—it's true, right?" She turned to Miss K, suspicion written all over her face. "KK, you're not pranking me here, are you?"
"I know you have a crush on Ling Jiayi, so I introduced her to you. You owe me a dinner," Miss K said.
Luo Wenxuan finally believed her and pulled Xiang Qingwei aside, excitedly asking about Ling Jiayi.
Seeing the two get along well, Miss K walked away to greet other guests.
When Zhou Yuehe stepped into the private booth, his gaze unconsciously scanned the large space, then swiftly passed by countless blurred faces until his eyes landed precisely on Xiang Qingwei's smiling profile.
She stood there speaking to Luo Wenxuan, looking quite delighted as her eyebrows lifted and lips curled into a smile.
His steps involuntarily moved toward that direction.
"Zhou Yuehe!" A person blocked Zhou Yuehe's path.
Upon hearing his name, Xiang Qingwei turned her head, seeing a young girl in a short skirt standing before Zhou Yuehe, chattering away at him. Perhaps it was a sponsor bringing his daughter to mingle with celebrities.
Zhou Yuehe also lifted his gaze at that moment.
Their eyes met.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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