I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 21.1

“There are eight groups left, and 21 trainees are about to take the stage. What kind of performance will they bring? We’ll wait and see,” Xie Tongyue said, smiling at the camera. “Next up, Vanguard Entertainment and Starry Sky Entertainment are on standby.”

Three girls walked out of the tunnel, smiling and waving to everyone.

In the seating area, 019, who had quietly come online, listened to Chi Meng’s heartbeat for a moment and suddenly said, “Passerby System 019 at your service. Host, your heart is beating so fast!”

Chi Meng sat with her arms crossed, calmly replying, “Because I’m very nervous.”

019 let out a mechanical, toneless “Ah,” and said, “Is the host worried about the PK?”

Chi Meng didn’t answer. While everyone was watching the performance, she scanned the eighteen people seated in Class B. No matter how she looked, she seemed to be the easiest one to “bully.”

She wasn’t the only one in Class B; several other trainees looked restless, nervously rubbing their hands or their clothes. When they met Chi Meng’s gaze, they offered an awkward smile.

Chi Meng curved her lips in return.

“Host, don’t worry, you are the best in my heart!” 019 cheered, waving a virtual light stick.

But some things couldn’t be achieved with just encouragement, such as—

“If I get chosen, what should I sing?” Chi Meng asked. “Should I pull out my secret weapon?”

The previous company’s anthem!

019 paused for a moment, then whispered, “Host, you don’t have to worry about that right now. Maybe there won’t be any B-class trainees next? Even if there are, maybe they won’t choose you!”

Chi Meng never liked situations with “maybe” or “possible.” Moreover, as a variety show, Chi Meng didn’t think the recording would end so peacefully.

She stared at the enthusiastic smiles of the girls bouncing on the stage. The three trainees from Vanguard Entertainment were two F’s and one C. The host continued to announce the trainees on standby, and at the same time, the Starry Sky Entertainment trainees took the stage.

After the three girls from Starry Sky Entertainment finished their performance, the host calmly announced the results.

“Jing Ming, Mu Qintong, F. Cui Qiang, C.”

The same rankings as the three trainees from Vanguard Entertainment.

Chi Meng did mental subtraction.

Fifteen people left.

Three more girls took the stage. The girl standing in the middle smiled and said, “Hello, teachers. We are trainees from Lionfish Entertainment. I am Chen Yunyue.”

The two girls beside her introduced themselves: “Le Jiajia.”

“Sun Ya.”

Xie Tongyue glanced at their resumes and smiled, “Chen Yunyue, two years of training. Le Jiajia and Sun Ya, one year. Alright, please show us your stage.”

The three trainees from Lionfish Entertainment stood ready with their head microphones. Chen Yunyue stood in the middle, flanked by the other two. As the graceful music started, the three moved simultaneously.

“Yo, the wind from the east is the East Wind, the wind from the south is the South Wind. I speak of the West and East, not understanding the sound of the wind. Regardless of the wind from East, West, South, or North, I am the center!” A crisp female voice sang in unison. The girl in the middle leaped forward a step, performing as the main center. In the mentor seating, mentor A-Meng was stunned. Baozi Yu bumped his arm with his fist. This was A-Meng’s song, and he quickly reacted, raising his hands and swaying to the beat.

The three Lionfish trainees wore stage outfits that incorporated elements of Chinese Tai Chi. Their dance also had a martial arts flavor, which was unique and rhythmic, as if they were three female knights venturing into the martial world. Chen Yunyue, with the longest training period, was the main center and main dancer of their team, and also the one who performed the best and most stably among the three.

Chi Meng watched, tilting her head. She felt that, except for Chen Yunyue, the movements of the other two girls were a bit weak, lacking the same power as the song.

“In history, Grandpa’s favorite hero was Huang Zhong, a late bloomer, strong-willed and brave. The red-blooded saber strikes, a goblet of wine…”

The singing part in the middle rotated to the other two girls. The three picked up fans from the ground. Ink-wash gradual change silk connected to the fans fluttered in the center of the stage. Their tiptoes were lifted high, and as they landed, the girls spun gracefully.

When the performance ended, A-Meng was the first to applaud, saying with a smile, “Very good, very good. This song has a fast rhythm, and you have to sing and dance. I can see your effort.”

The three girls on the stage smiled. Then, dance mentor Shi Xinxin said, “However, even though you danced the entire song, you didn’t leave a strong impression on me. Especially Le Jiajia and Sun Ya, your dancing seems like you just memorized the movements. There’s no power, no rhythm. You are soft, like the noodles I ate this morning.”

The smiles of the two girls who were called out became a little stiff. Chen Yunyue looked at them.

“Your resumes say you’ve been training for one year. In a year, you should have the basics down, but your performance looks like that of ordinary people who haven’t had systematic training,” Shi Xinxin said. “Don’t take my words harshly. You need to work much harder.”

“Yes, thank you, teacher,” Le Jiajia said, flushed and in a low voice.

Sun Ya lowered her head, “Thank you.”

Another dance mentor, Luan Xiu, asked, “Chen Yunyue, it says here that you choreographed this dance?”

Chen Yunyue immediately straightened her shoulders and said, “Yes.”

“Oh~ that’s pretty good. If you danced it well, the stage presence would be great,” Luan Xiu praised.

Chen Yunyue turned and glanced at her two teammates again, smiled, and didn’t say anything.

A-Meng, the song’s creator, said, “You are a rapper, and the part you performed was very good.”

After the vocal mentor asked them to sing a short a cappella section each, the mentor panel began to discuss. They occasionally looked towards the A class area, whispering something. Many A-class trainees’ hearts were raised again, making other trainees watching wonder if another A-class trainee was about to be born?

Chen Yunyue clasped her hands tightly, biting her lip.

Finally, Xie Tongyue held the final assessment paper next to her hand and said with a smile, “Now I will announce the rankings of the three of you.”

“F, Le Jiajia, Sun Ya.”

The two girls bowed and thanked them, their eyes red.

“Chen Yunyue…” Xie Tongyue paused and said, “Class B.”

Chen Yunyue’s eyes showed whether it was disappointment or joy. She bowed and said, “Thank you, teachers.”

“Therefore, among the eighteen B-class trainees, you must choose one trainee to PK. If you win, you will successfully enter Class B. If you lose, you will automatically be demoted to Class C,” Xie Tongyue said. “Please make your choice.”

In the pyramid, Chi Meng slowly blinked.

Now, among the eighteen people in Class B, there were two who were demoted from Class A—Ren Xing and Xing Huo—Qingniao Menghe’s four people, and excluding these six excellent-performing trainees, there were twelve left. This meant a one-twelfth chance—

“I choose trainee Chi Meng,” Chen Yunyue said, pointing towards Class B with a smile. “She’s sitting right on this aisle, and I saw her as soon as I looked up!”

On the edge of Class F, Song Jiaqi immediately looked back, across the dense crowd, to Chi Meng, slightly raising an eyebrow.

The girl sitting high up stood up with a smile, without any sign of reluctance.

019: “Ahhh!”

Chi Meng laughed, “I have to say, my premonition was accurate.”

019: “Ahhh, go, host! We can’t be cowards!”

She wouldn’t be a coward, but the critical question was, should she really sing the company anthem?

Just as she was about to make a move, Xie Tongyue pressed her earphone, reminding her, “Student Chi Meng, if you choose a song for the PK, please discuss the song title with us first. Try to match the style of the show!”

Chi Meng jumped down the stairs and met Xie Tongyue’s eyes. Xie Tongyue practically had the prompt “Remember our show is about selecting a girl group, right?” written on her face. Chi Meng smiled, “Okay.”

She stood on the stage, looked at Chen Yunyue, thought for a moment, and said, “I can only sing.”

Chen Yunyue smiled confidently, “Fine.”

After determining the PK content, Chi Meng walked towards the mentor panel. The seven mentors excitedly leaned in to look at her. After Chi Meng said the song title, Teng Jia’s eyes lit up and she said, “Jazz?”

“Mhm, it’s something we listened to in high school music appreciation class. The teacher would play it before every music class, but I only know a little bit of it,” Chi Meng said honestly.

Xie Tongyue smiled, “That’s okay, perform boldly, and good luck!”

Chi Meng returned to the stage. The seemingly endless pyramid appeared in her eyes again. Chi Meng picked up the handheld microphone, took a deep breath, and softly began, “I waited ’til I saw the sun①”

“I don’t know why I didn’t①”

Song Jiaqi tilted her head, looking at Chi Meng in surprise. The girl lowered her voice, singing softly and lightly. Her clean voice circled in the air. Teng Jia gently swayed her shoulders, turning to Xu Shenglin and saying, “If she sang this song ten years later, it would have more flavor.”

Xu Shenglin nodded, “Yes.”

In the pyramid, many trainees looked bewildered. Su Mengyao rubbed her hair, confused, “Have I heard this somewhere?”

Chi Meng said she knew a little, and it was indeed just a little. This song was actually the introductory music before the music class started; the song ended when the class bell rang. Chi Meng was surprised that she knew more of it than she expected. Thanks to the few music classes she attended in high school, thanks to the music teacher.

Sure enough, knowledge is used without realizing it!

She sighed with emotion, smiled, and waved to everyone, employing the technique she learned from the previous PK trainees to win favor.

“I could listen all day,” Teng Jia whispered. “I really like her voice.”

On the stage, it was Chen Yunyue’s turn. She licked her lip, looking a bit conflicted. She took a deep breath, then raised her head, her eyes becoming firm.

“The wind from the east is the East Wind, the wind from the south is the South Wind…” She was singing the same song from her previous performance.

Below the stage, Le Jiajia from Lionfish was surprised, “Hey, didn’t she sing the other song she prepared?”

“Maybe she thinks this one shows her off better,” the trainee next to her said. “It’s more stable to sing without dancing at the same time.”

Just as some trainees guessed, Chen Yunyue could rap fluently while dancing. Now, singing a cappella while standing still was smoother. She quickly got into the rhythm, even singing a part of the song that was previously given to her teammates. She finished with a turn and a leap, striking a cool pose.

Applause erupted from the pyramid. 019 came online in a fury, “The host sang better! Why is her applause louder than the host’s!”

Chi Meng immediately soothed 019, “This song is more energetic!”

Moreover, whether a song is well-sung is a subjective evaluation for everyone/system host.

019: “It’s supposed to be singing! Does rapping count as singing?”

Chi Meng: “It counts, it counts, it counts.”

This one really counts.

019: “But she also danced!”

Chi Meng continued to soothe, “She was just getting into the moment and couldn’t help but move. Don’t worry, don’t worry.”

019: “Host, why aren’t you angry or anxious? You might be demoted!”

The system’s mechanical voice was about to spark with urgency. It was the one that didn’t want Chi Meng to venture into the entertainment industry, but it was also the one anxious when Chi Meng faced a PK crisis. Chi Meng laughed, “This is a variety show, not a fair competition. If the production team hasn’t said anything, it’s fine.”

Her voice was gentle and unhurried, dissipating the last bit of 019’s anger. 019 crossed its cybernetic hands, waiting for the result.

Xie Tongyue whispered, “Countdown thirty seconds, begin.”

Chi Meng stood with her hands behind her back, calmly looking towards the pyramid. Red and blue lights were cast upon her, the light skipping in her black hair. The trainees below lowered their heads to press their buttons. At this moment, Chi Meng saw Song Jiaqi in the corner of the last row.

Song Jiaqi was also looking at her, then withdrew her gaze and placed the voting device on her lap.

The beautiful girl closed her eyes again to sleep, making Chi Meng wonder if she also had a system in her head, with a system name like “Sleep System 001,” running a different script.

“Countdown three seconds,” Xie Tongyue said. “Three, two.”

019: “Ah!!”

The furious cry of the mechanical voice made Chi Meng realize the result. She looked back, sighed softly in her heart, and smiled at the excited Chen Yunyue, “Congratulations.”

Chen Yunyue said excitedly, “Thank you, and sorry.”

The two who finished the PK walked up the stairs. Chen Yunyue entered Class B, and Chi Meng found a stool in Class C and sat down.

The trainee next to her turned to look at Chi Meng, thinking that she had just lost the PK and been demoted, so she might be in a bad mood. She hesitated to speak to Chi Meng. Chi Meng, however, saw Qi Yan and greeted her. Qi Yan pursed her lips and nodded to Chi Meng.

Chi Meng sat in the last row, far left of Class C. The seat number was 39. Diagonally three people away was Song Jiaqi, who was curled up in the corner. She wasn’t sleeping after all. She turned to look over. Their eyes met, and Chi Meng smiled at Song Jiaqi.

The girl, looked up, her black hair draped behind her. Because she was hot, she had unbuttoned the upper part of the outfit she wore during the performance. Exposed in the opening was a tight black sleeveless short T-shirt. Under the lights, her skin, not covered by the fabric, was startlingly white.

Her naturally upturned eyes still held a certain charm even when expressionless, causing the girls in the rows behind her to secretly peek at her again and again. However, she only glanced at Chi Meng, said nothing, and showed no extra expression. She quickly turned back.

Perhaps her chocolate had worked its magic; Chi Meng unilaterally accepted this brief and silent comfort.

019 sighed deeply.

“Don’t be like that. I wasn’t feeling too bad, but your sigh is making me sad too,” Chi Meng joked.

019 murmured, “This is the first time the host has lost to someone in two years.”

Chi Meng: “?”

“That’s a jinx!” Chi Meng immediately denied. “That’s a jinx!”

“I lost miserably for a long time trying to buy vegetables at the market!” Chi Meng said, reminiscing about the unbearable past, those humiliating years of being defeated by the grandmas and grandpas.

The innocent baby system 019 was led by Chi Meng’s words to recall those “difficult years.” At that time, it was actively strategizing for the host, seeking to find a breakthrough in the human wall formed by the grandmas and grandpas, but every time it found a gap, it was blocked by more people before it could even shout it out. Even if they squeezed in, the grandmas and grandpas instantly turned into thousand-armed Guanyin, cutting down little Chi Meng to pieces, leaving her only to pick through the remaining discounted vegetables.

Chi Meng sighed deeply, “Sigh!”

Hearing the host sigh, 019 immediately perked up and comforted her, “Don’t be sad! The host doesn’t have to eat discounted vegetables now and can get things for free! There are big chicken legs waiting for you in the lounge!”

Chi Meng gave a faint smile, “You’re right.”

019 finally breathed a sigh of relief, but after a while, it felt like something was wrong?

While 019 was “comforting” Chi Meng, another group of trainees finished their performance. At this point, the recording had reached the latter half of the night. Most of the trainees on stage were girls from small companies. The sequence of trainees on the show was arranged with a purpose, and there would be post-production editing later.

The PK between Chi Meng and Chen Yunyue was a small climax, after all, they were not A-group trainees or trainees from big companies, lacking a “point of explosion.” Many trainees forgot about it after voting, and some were starting to yawn at this moment.

Without phones, just sitting there, the smiles on their faces faded, their eyes glazed over, thinking about how many people were left, when it would end, and how much they wanted to sleep.

Among all the trainees, only one pair of bright eyes looked at the stage with great interest, a gentle smile always on her lips, acting like an emotionless clapping machine whenever a trainee took the stage or finished a performance.

The trainees around her, whenever they heard the applause nearby, subconsciously lifted their eyelids and followed suit. Chi Meng looked at the girls slouching over, her smile deepening.

In her eyes, these trainees were all younger than her. She smiled gently, watching them trying to keep their eyes open and lift their spirits, completely unaware of the cameras frequently scanning them and how they would be edited in post-production.

The equally exhausted mentors also noticed this situation. However, they were used to staying up late for filming, recording songs, or shows, having accumulated experience. They smiled, looked back at the trainees in the pyramid, and chuckled while covering their microphones to say something to the person next to them.

Xie Tongyue turned around and said gently, “Let’s cheer up, everyone. Only two groups of trainees are left! Shall we give today’s stage a perfect ending together?”

Many sleepy trainees were roused by their companions, and in a daze, they followed by shouting, “Yes!” Xie Tongyue chuckled and asked the trainees waiting backstage to take the stage.

“Hello, teachers, we are trainees from Lucky Entertainment, and our group name is Lucky Girl!” The four girls who took the stage shouted loudly, “Lucky Girl, keep going, keep going, keep going!”

The energetic voices instantly cleared the remaining sleepiness. Everyone applauded graciously.

The girl with pigtails in the middle said cheerfully, “Next, the song we are performing is one we wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and choreographed ourselves. We hope you like it.”

“Oh?” There had been quite a few creative trainees in the previous performances, and there were often surprises. The mentors sat up straight with interest.

Xie Tongyue nodded and said, “Please begin your performance.”

The four trainees from Lucky Entertainment were wearing cheerleading outfits and holding colorful pom-poms. Two girls in shorts stood in a line, leaving the space in the middle for the girls in skirts. However, these two girls stood a step ahead of them, creating a visual difference.

The four of them faced the back of the stage until the music started. The two girls in skirts turned around with bright smiles, facing sideways, one hand holding the pom-pom high, the other placed on their waist, one leg bent, striking a pose.

“Lucky girl~”

The two girls sang together, their tone rushed, and the final syllable intentionally pitched high. Then, they put their legs down, stretched out their hands to the stage, continued posing, and repeated, “Lucky girl.”

The playful voice was somewhat catchy, and some trainees followed by imitating it.

“im im Lucky girl~”

After changing two more actions, the three girls in front leaped and spun, settling down. They began to raise and shake the pom-poms with alternating left and right hands. Although the movements were simple, the music was lively, and the smiles on their faces were bright. Coupled with the colorful pom-poms swaying up and down brilliantly, it was very energetic.

One of the girls in the skirt sang, “I, want a house! I, want a car! I, want to be beautiful, I, want to be thin, I can have, lots and lots of wants, I can get all the wants, because I am a Lucky girl~”

In the mentor seating area, Teng Jia slightly opened her mouth and leaned her head back.

An unknown mentor chuckled, and everyone’s lips involuntarily curved up. Fearing they might affect the performance of the trainees on stage, they quickly bit their lips.

On the stage, the trainees who were energetically jumping and shaking their pom-poms sang again, “Mom said a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, you can’t be lazy. Teacher said the best plan for the day is in the morning, you can’t sneak in laziness.”

“Why can’t the things I want fall into my pocket? I really want to become a lucky girl, I want to become a super girl”

“I want to be a Lucky girl!”

The four girls shouted in unison.

“I want to be—”

“Lucky girl~”

For these three minutes, they barely stopped jumping. The entire stage was filled with the brilliant light reflected by the pom-poms. Regardless of anything else, the Lucky Girls’ Lucky Girl attracted everyone’s attention. When they stood still, gasping for breath, and struck a cheering pose, both mentors and trainees offered their applause.

“Thank you, thank you, everyone.” The four Lucky Girls belatedly blushed and bowed several times.

Xie Tongyue put down the hand covering her lips and first looked at Teng Jia and Xu Shenglin. Xu Shenglin immediately looked at Teng Jia.

“Sister, you debuted earlier, you go first,” Xu Shenglin said in a respectful tone.

On the stage, the girl in the skirt, who was the captain of the Lucky Girls and also the lyricist and composer of the song, looked at Teng Jia with anticipation.

Teng Jia: “…”

Teng Jia: “Ahem.”

She sat forward, flipped through their resumes, cleared her throat, and hissed.

“Well, I think… this song has a brisk style, simple lyrics, and is catchy,” she said solemnly. “It’s a very catchy, generic song.”

“You are still so young. You will have the opportunity to create better songs in the future. Keep up the good work, keep up the good work,” Teng Jia encouraged.

The girl in the skirt smiled, opening her mouth, and rubbed her head.

Xie Tongyue suppressed a laugh and then looked at the dance and rap mentors. The two rap mentors quickly waved their hands, yielding to Luan Xiu and Shi Xinxin. Shi Xinxin gently looked at Luan Xiu.

Luan Xiu pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and still said, “The choreography of the entire stage has no highlights, or rather, it can barely be considered a dance. Even square dancing movements are more complex than yours.”

Luan Xiu: “Of course, it’s much more complex than the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf stage before.”

On the trainees’ platform, Su Mengyao, whose hair was a little messy, was stunned, her eyes wide. A trainee next to her laughed and rubbed her head. Everyone let out a kind laugh.

The girls on the stage looked even more embarrassed and nodded. They knew this and didn’t refute it.

Shi Xinxin glanced at the resume and said, “You don’t have a dance foundation. The longest trainee has only been training for half a year, but you were able to overcome the pressure and cooperate to complete the entire stage. That’s a good thing.”

One mentor played the bad cop, and the other played the good cop, and in short, successfully gave their evaluation.

Being a mentor is not easy!

The seven mentors discussed for a moment and quickly determined the rankings for the four girls. Xie Tongyue held the card and, holding the microphone, said warmly, “Wang Jiaying, Ge Jianing, F.”

The two girls in skirts quickly bowed.

“Thank you, teachers.”

“Cheng Keqi, D.”

One of the girls in the skirt showed a brilliant smile and said, “Thank you, teachers!”

The last girl in the skirt, who was also the team leader, Du Yunfei, looked at Xie Tongyue with anticipation once again.

Xie Tongyue smiled and said, “Trainee Du Yunfei, rank—C. Congratulations.”

The other three girls immediately gathered to hug Du Yunfei, congratulating her on entering Class C.

“However—” Xie Tongyue sighed softly. The happy girls on the stage immediately showed an alert expression, listening to the host say, “But, in the previous stage, Challenge Music’s Sun Weiwei took the last ticket to Class C. So, as you can see, Class C is currently full. Therefore, trainee Du Yunfei must choose an opponent from the twenty-seven trainees who are already in the full Class C to PK. The winner enters Class C, and the loser is demoted to Class D.”

The smile on Du Yunfei’s face became tense. The Class C trainees, who were initially all fine, suddenly became like the A and B classes not long ago. They thought only the “good” classes like A and B would be fighting tooth and nail. Why would they be chosen too!

Those who watch a show are often watched by others.

This time, the A and B trainees smiled and lowered their heads, and the D and F classes laughed as they looked up. Among the D and F classes, only Class F, the class that had no competition, was the happiest.

Su Mengyao said happily, “Let them ‘fight.’ It has nothing to do with us!”

“Yeah, yeah. Being in Class F has its advantages, right?” The trainee next to her said, covering her sadness with a joke.

Su Mengyao smiled and patted her, saying, “What do you call this? Finding joy in hardship?”

“Eh, I don’t think that’s right,” she said, covering her mouth with embarrassment and giggling, which made the sad trainee next to her laugh.

In contrast, the nervous Class C trainees looked at each other. A trainee suddenly said, “It’s not easy to win.”

The people next to her immediately looked at this trainee, wondering why she was discouraging herself before the match even started.

The trainee whispered, “Their stage was very likable and created a good atmosphere. If I were to vote, I would probably choose Du Yunfei.”

“Ah… but the competition is about the subsequent stage.” The questioning trainee thought for a moment and felt it was indeed a bit uncertain. Unless Du Yunfei chose a trainee who was much better than her. If they were about the same, Du Yunfei’s stage was very likable. Honestly, apart from the obvious difference in skill, in situations where they are similar, they would choose the stage they liked more, or simply choose the person they liked regardless of skill.

But how could Du Yunfei risk being demoted by choosing a trainee who was better than her! Since the four Lucky Girls didn’t have a good dance foundation, they definitely shouldn’t choose the trainees who were stronger in dance on the stage before, right?

Some Class C trainees were sitting still, feeling secure, while others were worried.

019 whispered, “They shouldn’t choose the host, right?”

019: “We’re still sitting on the edge, so we won’t be seen!”

Chi Meng: “…Perhaps you’ve heard of a word called flag?”

Sure enough, only a baby system would believe the reason for being chosen for a PK was being easily seen because of the seating location. Chi Meng sighed helplessly, supporting her chin, and looked at the stage.

019 gasped, pulled out a string of code, crumpled it into a fortune stick cylinder, and shook it in its hand.

On the stage, the four girls stood talking. The three girls had not yet taken their seats and were strategizing for Du Yunfei, occasionally looking towards someone in Class C. The anxious Class C trainees couldn’t help but stand up, hands on their hips, looking completely fearless.

Just then, the cybernetic stick in 019’s “hand” dropped out.

On the stage, Du Yunfei looked around, and her gaze met Chi Meng’s.

019’s “hand” trembled.

Du Yunfei was stunned.

Chi Meng’s heart was calm.

“Bad omen!” 019 roared, instantly dispersing the code. What kind of superstition? It’s not accurate at all!

Under Xie Tongyue’s urging gaze, Du Yunfei raised her hand and pointed in one direction. The people around her simultaneously looked over.

“Then I choose Class C trainee Chi Meng!”

The surrounding people instantly widened their eyes, looking at Chi Meng in shock.

It’s you again!

Chi Meng slowly stood up, smiling.

It’s me again.

She walked down the stage calmly, now familiar with the routine.

019: “Ahhh!”

“Don’t shout, I’m thinking of a song,” Chi Meng said.

She strolled casually, familiar with the route, and first came to the mentor seating area. With her hands behind her back, she was like a student visiting a teacher’s office. Just standing there, she exuded a clean and clear youthful aura.

Chi Meng curved her lips at Xie Tongyue, then tilted her head, looking a little troubled.

A close-up cameraman stood on the pyramid stairs to film her.

Xie Tongyue covered her microphone and whispered, “Don’t be nervous. This is also an opportunity.”

She gently hinted, hoping Chi Meng wouldn’t feel sad about being chosen for the PK stage again. Among all the trainees today, she was considered the youngest. Chi Meng nodded obediently.

Chi Meng had also heard the discussions of the others in Class C before. Du Yunfei’s stage song and dance were very appealing and easily gained votes. She had to choose a song that could win her favor as much as possible, but her song repertoire was very poor, so…

“I’ve made up my mind,” Chi Meng said, intending to give it a try.

She told Xie Tongyue the song title, then turned to step onto the stage. Beside her, Teng Jia muttered, “She doesn’t look nervous at all.”

She smiled more calmly than anyone else, more composed than when she debuted. These kids today are really something.

Chi Meng stood on the stage. Du Yunfei came over to shake her hand, blushing a little, and said, “I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

Chi Meng immediately shook her hand up and down, saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Thank you for giving me a chance to perform on stage.”

Du Yunfei felt even more guilty when she heard her words. Chi Meng was already demoted because of a PK. She had looked around Class C and, for some strange reason, called Chi Meng’s name. Moreover, Chi Meng’s previous performance introduction stated that she had no formal training and no song accumulation. Du Yunfei felt like she was bullying her.

Chi Meng noticed her expression and simply held her hand, raising the microphone and saying, “The thing is, I know very few songs, and Yunfei-meimei’s song has a brisk style and simple, catchy lyrics. I listened and realized, hey, I memorized it!”

As soon as she finished speaking, laughter came from all directions. Du Yunfei, standing next to Chi Meng, looked at her beautiful profile, her face bright red, and covered her face with her other hand.

“So I plan to sing Yunfei-meimei’s song!” Chi Meng said with a smile.

Du Yunfei put down her hand, blushing, and said, “I’m three years older than you.”

What? Did someone speak?

Chi Meng pretended not to hear, decided to be the older sister to all the trainees present with her “advanced age” of seventeen and a half, and raised the microphone to sing a line of “lucky girl~”

The laughter below the stage grew louder.

Singing it yourself and listening to someone else sing it were truly two completely different feelings, especially singing a cappella without music!

Du Yunfei didn’t dare to look at Chi Meng and threw a “help me” look at her teammates under the stage. Her two teammates were sitting side by side in the last row of Class F, laughing so hard they were bent over. And next to her teammate…

The black-haired girl watched the stage with a calm expression, her eyes falling on the girl next to her. When she heard her singing “I, want a house! I, want a car!” in a clean voice, her deep eyes curved slightly. A trace of a smile, like a dragonfly touching the water, came silently and left quietly, with only a few ripples to prove its existence.

However, the girl was extremely sensitive to being watched. Under Du Yunfei’s surprised gaze, the trainee from Ren Xing suddenly looked at her calmly, causing Du Yunfei to instinctively withdraw her gaze, feeling a sudden shock and not daring to look again.

Chi Meng finished singing a section amidst the laughter. She put down the microphone, grabbed Du Yunfei’s hand again, and shook it up and down, sincerely saying, “The lyrics are really well written!”

Du Yunfei’s face couldn’t get any redder, and she immediately said, “No, no!”

Her thoughts were in disarray. Coupled with the slight tension from the cold gaze of that trainee earlier, she hadn’t decided on a song for the PK at all. She took a deep breath and said to Chi Meng, “Then I’ll continue singing the next section.”

Chi Meng let go of her hand and nodded with a smile.

Du Yunfei sang awkwardly by herself without her three teammates. As she sang, she couldn’t help herself anymore. She raised one arm and spread her legs, bouncing a little like a crab. This was also the “classic” movement from their performance stage. The trainees on the pyramid burst into laughter, especially her teammates, who asked in surprise if they were like that before.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Du Yunfei raised her hand and rubbed her face.

Chi Meng gave a thumbs up and said, “Very cute!”

019 secretly snorted. Another one breaking the rules! Its host didn’t dance!

Chi Meng didn’t want to dance! She pressed the indignant 019 back down.

In the mentor seating area, Xie Tongyue rubbed her face, which hurt from laughing. She picked up the microphone, took a breath, and said, “Alright, since the two trainees have finished their PK, please pick up your voting devices and decide which class trainee Chi Meng and Du Yunfei will go to.”

Du Yunfei once again cast an apologetic look at Chi Meng. Chi Meng curved her eyes.

019 rustled out, staring at the big screen for Chi Meng.

Thirty seconds passed quickly. Amidst 019’s angry and flat mechanical sounds of “why” and “on what basis,” Chi Meng looked back, a little surprised that the difference in votes between her and Du Yunfei wasn’t much.

“Sure enough, the original version is the original version!” She smiled at Du Yunfei, who walked over to shake her hand apologetically.

Du Yunfei was speechless, looking more like the one who lost.

Xie Tongyue smiled and said, “Alright, since the PK result of the two trainees has been decided, please return to your respective classes and take your seats.”

Chi Meng nodded to Du Yunfei. As she walked off the stage, she looked for a vacancy in Class D and suddenly saw a pair of excited arms. Su Mengyao was excitedly waving her hands, pointing to the spot behind her.

Here! Here!

As soon as she saw Su Mengyao, Chi Meng immediately thought of Song Jiaqi. She tilted her head and glanced at Song Jiaqi. The girl in the corner was looking down, her face completely obscured. Chi Meng then walked to sit behind Su Mengyao without further thought.

After sitting down, she said to Su Mengyao, “Hi, long time no see.”

Su Mengyao originally wanted to comfort Chi Meng. Seeing her completely cheerful and not at all sad about being demoted again, she breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled brightly, nestled in the gap between the two chairs, and spoke to Chi Meng.

“Sister—Mengmeng, have you heard of a song?” she asked enthusiastically.

Chi Meng froze when she heard the address. She reached out and touched her arm, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She smiled and said, “Call me Chi Meng-jiejie.”

Then she asked, “What song?”

Su Mengyao sang with a giggle, “A seed is planted in my heart, da la di da la…”

Chi Meng immediately looked at Su Mengyao with surprise. Although she didn’t know what this song was, she felt that Su Mengyao sang this song more naturally than the one on the stage before!

The trainee next to Su Mengyao laughed and said, “Isn’t that a children’s song?”

“Yes, my kindergarten plays it every day,” Su Mengyao said with a smile.

“Hey, your family runs a kindergarten?” The trainee next to her looked at Su Mengyao in surprise. “No wonder you’re so cute. Is it because you spend every day with the children and it’s contagious?”

Su Mengyao thought she was complimenting her. Just as she was about to smile, she felt something was wrong and immediately turned her head, “I don’t go to kindergarten!”

The trainee who spoke had already dissolved into laughter with the others. Su Mengyao turned around and saw that Chi Meng was also laughing. She snorted softly, muttering, “Then I’m not teaching you,” which made the surrounding laughter even louder.

Chi Meng couldn’t help but laugh. She took out a piece of chocolate from her pocket and gave it to her, saying, “Please teach me, Teacher Su. This is my tuition fee.”

Su Mengyao turned to glance at her. The light flowed in her clear pupils, transforming into a bright, sparkling glow. She smiled, holding Chi Meng’s chocolate in her palm, and said, “That’s more like it!”

While they were talking, the last group of trainees took the stage. As if seeing the light of freedom close at hand, all the trainees were no longer sleepy. They stared wide-eyed at the stage like owls.

As the last group of trainees, the Banana Blue Entertainment trainees felt a lot of pressure standing nervously below the stage.

The mentors did not rush the process because this was the last group of trainees to take the stage. They checked their resumes and asked two questions, just like they did for all the previous trainees. Before letting them perform, Xie Tongyue said, “You are the last three to take the stage out of 126 trainees. Now, 123 trainees are sitting in their seats. You can see that out of the 126 seats in the five classes, only three empty seats remain in Class F.”

Xie Tongyue’s words also caused the other trainees to turn around and look.

The light of the pyramid had been brilliant since they stepped into the hall, and its radiance had never diminished. From Class A to Class D, from the center position to the end, it was fully packed. Only three chairs were scattered empty among the 40 seats in Class F.

The Banana Blue Entertainment trainees gulped, listening to Xie Tongyue say, “Whether you go to F, or PK with the trainees in Class D, Class C, or even Class A or Class B, depends on your performance next.”

The three Banana Blue trainees stood up straight. One girl clenched her fist and suddenly said loudly, “I want to fight to go up!”

“Good, you should have that kind of mindset and courage. Go for it!” Rap mentor Baozi Yu shouted loudly.