The highest praise Pei Lu got was Yu Xia's "very confident," barely earning a B, and he slinked off the stage a bit dejectedly.
The bullet screen was full of ridicule.
[F! Give him an F! I'm so pissed, how dare he mention Cheng's name]
[He really got our elegant female star mad, her eyes rolled so obviously]
[So awkward I could curl my toes into a three-bedroom apartment]
[Even though my English singing is about the same, I wouldn't come out and embarrass myself]
[If he performed well, it would be like having a traffic package, but unfortunately, his singing and dancing aren't even as attentive as his eyeliner]
[So funny, no one can interrupt my meal time]
[What did Wei Yaoyao say? His audition song was "Summer Wind"? Luckily he didn't have to audition, otherwise my fondness for that song would have plummeted]
Without even thinking, you know there are a lot of people online bashing Pei Lu now.
But nobody really cares, it's dinner time next, and no one wants to talk about upsetting things while eating.
After dinner, the final few groups continued.
Now everyone's full and satisfied, it's time for the nightlife, everyone's spirits are high, just waiting for the next few show-stoppers to come out.
The first master was Ning Yunchao, a second-generation star, with one parent an actor and the other a singer; he inherited his parents' good looks and is very charming.
And he's still young, only eighteen, received A's in both vocals and dance, and he's talented, writing all his own lyrics and music.
The second star was the final performer, Song Xi, the ace the production team promoted, with silver-framed glasses, looking like a refined scoundrel.
His singing and dancing style leans towards Korean entertainment, and he knows best how to engage the audience, making even Shu Ran cover her heart and scream.
Both of them were undoubtedly A's.
Once all one hundred trainees finished their evaluations, the mentors' careful efforts resulted in exactly nine A positions, neither more nor less.
And so, the initial stage assessment ended, most cameras were withdrawn, and Yu Xia stood up to chat and shake hands with Shu Ran and the others.
The trainees gradually descended from their sloped seats, some intentionally or unintentionally drifting toward them, saying hello and lingering for a few more words.
Like Pei Lu, who, after talking to Shu Ran, seemed to hit a wall and then came to chat with Yu Xia.
"Yu Xia, I never thought the production team could invite you here, I'm your fan, I've seen all your dramas! I especially loved that period drama before!"
Yu Xia politely replied, "It's my honor."
He continued, "I really like you—I mean your character, especially the romance with the third male lead in a previous life, it was beautiful."
She smiled deeper, "Then you must have watched the fan-edited version because in the actual drama, I had no romantic scenes with the third male lead."
Pei Lu's gentle expression froze.
A laugh came from beside them.
A few trainees passed by, Wei Yaoyao was talking to Chi Qiao, laughing so hard he was bending over, and it was unclear who exactly he was laughing at.
Following Chi Qiao, Xie Qingci, who stood out with his height, gave her a nonchalant glance.
The corners of his mouth tightened into a thin line.
The others called to her uniformly.
"Yu Xia."
"See you tomorrow, Yu Xia."
"Bye-bye, Yu Xia."
Yu Xia raised a perfect smile, waving to them, "Bye-bye, see you all tomorrow."
Then, not waiting for Pei Lu to speak again, she hurried away.
Xie Qingci, without turning his head, his gaze followed her figure all the way to the studio door.
"Xie Qingci? What are you looking at?"
He retracts his gaze and looks up at the person speaking, "Nothing, what's up?"
Ning Yunchao smiled sweetly, full of youthful spirit, "We're picking rooms tomorrow, you seem like a quiet and good roommate, how about we room together?"
Xie Qingci casually replied, "Sure."
A head of woolly curls squeezed between them, a soft and cute-looking Wei Yaoyao, opening his mouth with a macho flair:
"Can I join too? I'm not here to break you up, I'm here to join the family."
Ning Yunchao looked at him speechlessly, and he quickly listed his advantages:
"I don't snore, don't talk in my sleep, and won't sleepwalk, plus I'm clean, I wash my socks every day! Change my underwear daily! How about that?"
Ning Yunchao found it hard to refuse and looked at Xie Qingci.
Xie Qingci, like the head of a family, without even raising an eyelid, nodded and said, "Sure."
Wei Yaoyao let out a victorious cheer.
On the other side, a group centered around Song Xi and Chi Qiao looked up at them.
Song Xi, wearing glasses, made it hard to see his expression, but there was a flawless smile on his lips.
"Wei Yaoyao is a natural at mingling. It's normal for them to get familiar so quickly, they seem to get along well."
Chi Qiao said, "They'll probably choose a triple room? Aren't we picking rooms based on popularity tomorrow? Ning Yunchao and Xie Qingci are definitely high in popularity, so the remaining spot might be saved for Wei Yaoyao."
Song Xi shook his head, "Who knows."
There are a hundred people here, and based on the initial stage, you can preliminarily predict people's popularity, those not standing out tend to form groups.
Few are camera-friendly and surely popular, like Song Xi, Ning Yunchao, Xie Qingci, and Chi Qiao.
Even without considering singing, dancing, and looks, people like Wei Yaoyao and Pei Lu probably wouldn't have low popularity either.
Now with Xie Qingci, Ning Yunchao, and Wei Yaoyao together, it's definitely a win-win-win situation.
Everyone had different thoughts.
But Xie Qingci was inattentive.
He was wondering how Yu Xia would return, what clothes she'd wear, and what hairstyle she'd have tomorrow.
Maybe her makeup would change, but it should still be heavy makeup.
Because she used to always say variety show cameras eat makeup, turning even the Shiji into a fresh forest style.
Recalling her expression when she said this, his mouth instinctively started to smile, but halfway he forcibly stopped, then pressed his lips together, his face turning somber.
Yu Xia is just a heartbreaker.
——
The heartbreaker Yu Xia got into a car to the hotel outside the base.
The production people all stayed there because they had to shoot again tomorrow, and it was too late to go home, so all four mentors planned to stay there overnight.
From the moment she left the camera, Yu Xia was thinking about why Xie Qingci participated in the talent show, he was a highly promising top student, why the thought of entering the entertainment industry?
Did something happen at home? Was it because of her influence? Or did he finally realize how handsome he was?
Seeing her, doesn't he feel awkward? An ex becomes a mentor, isn't it as embarrassing as running into an ex in an HR interview?
Absorbed in these random thoughts, she got out of the car and entered the hotel, where her assistant opened the door for her.
As soon as Yu Xia went in, she received a call from He Ci.
"I heard once the cameras were off, you were having a delightful chat with Pei Lu?"
"..." Yu Xia glared, "Who spread this unfounded gossip?!"
And isn't this a bit too fast? It's been just half an hour!
He Ci said grumpily, "Never mind who said it, just tell me if it's true."
"No! Please, he's a knockoff, I'd have to be crazy to let him leech off my popularity... How are they spreading it?"
"They say you smiled predatorily at the shy trainee!"
Yu Xia: "...Fuck."