11 Jinjiang Literature City 11

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The venue exploded once again. The noise suddenly swelled, and shrieks rose one after another.

The stage manager shouted himself hoarse, but still could not quiet the crowd, so he turned to Xin Yue with a desperate look.

Xin Yue was an old hand in the hosting world. Online, she was often praised for her emotional intelligence and for taking good care of guests.

Catching the signal, she swept her gaze lightly across the audience and swiftly steered the conversation back to the show.

“That’s right. The original lyrics were indeed far too sorrowful, and they didn’t fit the uplifting, positive tone of our program. It must have taken Mentor Zhao a great deal of effort. Let us once again thank our mentors for that wonderful stage performance.”

After a round of applause, the subject was successfully put behind them. Xin Yue continued, “Now, we must also congratulate the one hundred trainees who have risen above more than four hundred companies and ten thousand contestants to stand on the stage of Time to Shine 2. Let’s give ourselves a round of applause.”

The trainees applauded in unison, pride written across their faces.

You Yun, however, found those words rather questionable. She had clearly been forced into the show.

“But the competition is cruel. Compared with the first season, we’ve added more elimination rounds. The rating for each stage will be divided into A, B, C, F, and elimination.”

A whisper ran through the contestants waiting backstage.

“Does that mean people can be eliminated during the initial stage?”

Host Xin Yue added with a smile, “That’s right. Even a poor initial performance can result in elimination.”

At the mention of elimination, worry appeared on every face. Anyone who came to the show wanted to debut in a group—anyone, that was, except You Yun.

Elimination.

Could there really be such good fortune?

She had signed a contract to participate in the show. If she left of her own accord, there was no way she could escape the enormous penalty for breach of contract. But if she were eliminated naturally, then breach of contract would no longer be an issue.

She had never expected to be eliminated so soon.

At the thought, You Yun smiled in satisfaction.

The first group to take the stage consisted of five trainees from Mango Culture. The five pretty young girls performed a sexy dance. Their movements were not particularly synchronized, and their singing was nothing to write home about, but their long, shapely legs, spilling out from the screen, still set hearts racing.

The girls stood in a row and introduced themselves.

Zhao Zhiyu had been given stage makeup and styling that day. His fine bangs had been brushed back with gel, revealing his perfectly sculpted, striking features. He looked as flawless as a computer-generated model. Even seated off to one side, he seemed to come with his own spotlight.

The girls onstage kept stealing glances at him.

One glance, one stammer.

Their introductions sounded like a skipping recording.

You Yun: “…”

He really was a menace.

Perhaps because they were the first group, the mentors did not criticize them too harshly. After discussing it among themselves, they gave them one C and four F’s—barely enough to pass.

The second group was an independent trainee. She sang a song called Undersea. Her voice was ethereal, her tone clear and luminous, and in the chorus she pushed the emotion to its climax, capturing the struggle of seeking life in the midst of despair. The performance was intensely vivid.

When the song ended, the judges led the applause.

“I’m very demanding, but your performance was nearly perfect. Your technique and emotion were both abundant. I look forward to seeing what you do next.” Qing Xi did not say much, but her judgment was incisive. The fact that even she gave the girl a high score showed just how impressive the performance had been.

Ren Xue smiled shyly. “Thank you, Mentor.”

Xiao Yi’an also wore a satisfied smile. “Would you be interested in learning rap? I think your tone would suit it very well.”

Ren Xue replied, “If I get the chance, I’d certainly like to.”

All three mentors gave her extremely high praise. When it was Zhao Zhiyu’s turn, everyone waited expectantly.

He picked up the microphone and spoke slowly.

“Your high notes were a little stiff. You could polish the ending a bit more. Other than that, there are no problems.”

The smile at the corners of Ren Xue’s lips instantly froze. She clearly had not expected the vocal mentor to criticize the high notes she was best known for.

His words not only embarrassed Ren Xue but also darkened Qing Xi’s expression. After all, she had just praised the girl’s technique and emotional depth, and he had shown her absolutely no consideration.

She did not let it show only because the cameras were rolling.

In the end, Ren Xue received an overall rating of A.

The number of contestants in the waiting room gradually dwindled. Han Sheng, carrying a camera, noticed a girl sitting rigidly in the corner, both hands clutching her skirt. Her small face was pale, and she looked nervous.

“Junior, don’t be nervous. Just do your best.” Han Sheng was the VJ assigned to the waiting room. He had just been about to go over and comfort her when You Yun turned her head toward him, her eyes startlingly bright.

This did not look like nervousness.

It looked more like… excitement.

Han Sheng said, “It’s, uh, it’s fine.”

Each contestant had seven or eight minutes for their performance, followed by fifteen minutes of commentary. You Yun waited until the afternoon before it was finally her turn.

“Next, please welcome independent trainee number seventy-seven to the stage.”

The moment she heard the announcement, You Yun stood up, straightened her skirt, and casually mussed up her hair a little. Amid the bewildered gazes of the others, she walked onto the stage.

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Xin Yue maintained her usual elegant, composed smile.

“Hello, contestant number seventy-seven.”

“Hello, Producer Representative, and hello, mentors. I’m an independent trainee. My name is Nima.”

You Yun bowed obediently. As she straightened, she happened to meet Zhao Zhiyu’s gaze across the judges’ table. He gave her a faint smile. You Yun did not dare respond and shifted her eyelashes uneasily.

Holding the microphone in both hands, she said, “My talent performance today is an instrumental piece. The song is Anhe Bridge.”

Hearing that, everyone naturally assumed she would play the guitar. They all wondered why she had not brought one onto the stage.

You Yun calmly clipped the microphone onto its stand, then pulled a suona from behind her. Under the audience’s shocked yet fascinated gazes, she began her performance.

After a bizarre opening came the suona’s piercing cry, loud enough to shake the heavens.

It shot straight into the skull. The sound was probably loud enough to wake even the cockroaches sleeping in the corners of the walls.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

The trainees in the waiting room were also buzzing with discussion.

“Oh my God, is she serious?”

“My ears are about to explode. No wonder they call it a rogue instrument.”

The piece was not long—about half a minute. When she finished, she lowered the suona and looked up. In the eyes of the well-traveled Xin Yue, she saw unmistakable shock.

You Yun pressed her lips together.

This definitely meant she was going to be eliminated.

Xin Yue’s smile was somewhat unnatural. With the cameras rolling, all she could do was force an awkward grin. Her eyes fell on the name card affixed to You Yun’s waist:

“Number seventy-seven, Starbright Entertainment—Nima.”

Even her name was bizarre.

“Well… Nima’s performance was certainly very… infectious,” Xin Yue said. “But I don’t really understand the suona.” She quickly passed the hot potato onward. “Perhaps our professional mentors could offer their comments.”

Zhao Zhiyu and Qing Xi said nothing.

Lin Shen was young and cautious with his words. “I don’t really understand this either. Brother Xiao, what do you think?”

Xiao Yi’an propped his chin on one hand and glanced at her résumé. It was practically blank, and he was curious how she had managed to get into the show.

“Your suona playing is quite good. It’s clear that you have a solid foundation, and you also have a very good image. But do you have any other talents? If instrumental performance is all you have, I’m afraid I can only give you an F. After all, the suona and the girl-group aesthetic are really… not very compatible.”

Xiao Yi’an had a feeling that this girl would be very popular with the audience. She was not a breathtaking beauty, but there was something comfortable about her appearance. Her almond-shaped eyes were round and soft, her nose small and delicate, and her features entirely nonaggressive. She had the kind of face currently associated with a first love.

The entertainment industry never lacked beautiful women or people with professional ability. Audience appeal, however, was always an elusive thing. It depended on whether fate chose to favor you, and could not be forced.

Besides, according to her résumé, she had graduated from the acting department of a film academy. She could do absolutely nothing and still attract countless fans with the four words “beautiful academic star.” That was why he wanted to give her another chance.

But to You Yun, his words meant something else entirely.

What?

A mere instrumental performance could not get her eliminated?

You Yun pulled a long face and thought for a moment.

“Then I’ll dance for everyone as well.”

“What kind of dance?”

“Um… a foreign dance.”

She was throwing caution to the wind. She might as well throw away her dignity too.

“All right. The stage is yours.”

You Yun jogged over to the sound engineer and whispered something to him. The sound engineer was greatly taken aback.

“You’re sure you want this music?”

You Yun nodded solemnly. The sound engineer had no choice but to agree.

You Yun returned to the stage. As the music began, she raised her arms, bent slightly at the waist, and started stepping from side to side. The bizarre dance, paired with explosive electronic music, gradually fell into rhythm with the pounding beat.

Xin Yue: “…”

The mentors: “…”

The production crew: “…”

One second.

Two seconds.

After the entire venue remained silent for five seconds, a burst of laughter erupted.

The Black pallbearers meme?

What girl group performed a Black pallbearers routine onstage?

You Yun had to admit that, after living all these years, this was the first time she had truly understood the precise meaning of making a fool of oneself. Her toes were nearly capable of excavating an entire television studio from sheer embarrassment.

Xin Yue coughed and struggled to suppress the crowd’s hysterical laughter. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Contestant, what exactly is your purpose in coming on this show?”

You Yun took the microphone and answered calmly, “A dream.”

Not a chance.

“What is your dream?”

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“To make money. A monthly salary of one million, just like my father.”

“Your father must be quite impressive, earning a million a month.”

“No. I mean that’s my father’s dream too.”

“…”

Another roar of laughter rose from the audience.

“This girl is hilarious.”

“‘Foreign dance’—I mean, she’s not exactly wrong, ha-ha.”

After the performance, the mentors quickly split into two camps. Qing Xi mocked You Yun for seeking attention and doing anything for popularity, insisting that she absolutely could not be allowed to advance. Xiao Yi’an, on the other hand, thought she was attractive in an unconventional way. No matter what, he felt that being able to bring people joy was a talent in itself.

The mentors were not using microphones, but You Yun’s hearing was good enough for her to make out their conversation clearly.

Xiao Yi’an commented, “She has a strong variety-show instinct. Every sentence comes with a punchline. Keeping her would bring attention to the program, although her overall ability certainly needs improvement. I’ll give her a B.”

Lin Shen added, “I agree with Brother Xiao. It would be a shame to eliminate her. She could receive either a B or a C.”

“A B? Have you all lost your minds?” Qing Xi snorted disdainfully. “This is a girl-group audition, not a comedy show. What use is a sense of humor?”

Unable to reach an agreement, Lin Shen asked, “What do you think, Mentor Zhao?”

The camera turned toward him. Zhao Zhiyu said nothing. He lowered his head and wrote his rating and scoring breakdown on his board.

The live broadcast from the recording studio was being shown in the waiting room, and the trainees were following every development.

“Oh my God, Mentor Zhao’s eyelashes are so long.”

“If I looked like that, I wouldn’t even close the bathroom door when I took a dump!”

“Judging by the strokes, it looks like three marks. I’m blindly guessing A.”

“Give me a break. Mentor Zhao is so strict. Ren Xue was that good, and he only gave her a B. So far, only three people have received an A. This girl isn’t very skilled, so how could he possibly give her an A, the highest rating? I think it’s an F. That’s also three strokes.”

“Agreed. If he gives her an A, I’ll eat shit upside down!”

The production team knew how to build suspense. They waited until Xin Yue had finished reading a long string of advertisements before revealing the last mentor’s rating.

With a series of dramatic drumroll effects, the board flipped around.

It was an A.

The waiting room instantly exploded.

“It really is an A!”

“No, but why does she get an A? He’s practically letting her off the hook!”

“I actually like this girl. The Black pallbearers routine was bizarrely catchy, but honestly, an A is too high. A C or an F would make more sense.”

“To the sister who promised to eat shit upside down, please begin your performance.”

“…”

Qing Xi’s expression immediately turned ugly.

“Mentor Zhao, if you have a problem with me, you can say so directly.”

Qing Xi and Zhao Zhiyu were not familiar with each other. Aside from the matchmaking videos made by their online couple-shippers, this was their first time working together. She could not understand why he seemed determined to oppose her. Whenever she liked a contestant, he mocked her with sarcastic remarks. Whenever she disliked someone, he deliberately gave that person a high score.

Could he be trying to attract her attention?

Or was he trying to create a scandalous pairing with her?

She could not figure him out, but either possibility irritated her immensely.

Three meters away, at the judges’ table, Zhao Zhiyu leaned back against the sofa. He wore a haze-blue shirt, his bearing cool and aloof. He met her gaze openly, paused for three seconds, then smiled faintly.

“I have no opinion whatsoever of Mentor Qing. I’m merely expressing my personal view. The definition of our program is a new girl group. Since we are not manufacturing standardized products on an assembly line, why shouldn’t a girl group perform the suona? If we judge her by the standards of suona performance, then in my personal opinion, she deserves an A.”

“Well said!” Xiao Yi’an began applauding, delighted to watch the drama unfold.

Qing Xi’s face darkened as she squeezed a bottle of Red Bull until it crumpled.

Xiao Yi’an immediately fell silent and did not dare say another word.

The final score was calculated by averaging the four mentors’ marks. Because of what had happened earlier, Qing Xi was furious. She disliked both contestant number seventy-seven and the suona, so she gave her a score of zero without hesitation.

The final overall rating came to C.

Xin Yue had weathered all kinds of storms, but she had never seen a scene quite like this. The girl had not only provoked explosive laughter from the audience but had also sparked an argument among the mentors.

This little one really had something.

Drawing on her excellent professionalism, she continued the program.

“Contestant number seventy-seven’s final rating is C.”

“…”

You Yun’s suspended hopes shattered into pieces.