AITFYMIBP Chapter 28.1

TL: Hua

---

As soon as Gu Siye announced the rules, the trainees protested.

“No way, we have to choose again?”

“Our rules change every episode?”

“Does that mean we have to re-select every time we have a performance?”

“I thought this grouping would last until the end of the competition. I was so naive…”

The trainees had been happily looking forward to hearing Gu Siye announce the songs for the second performance.

Who would have thought they would hear about a regrouping?

In the first round, they and the mentors had spent some time getting to know each other and had developed a certain level of chemistry.

Regrouping would mean everyone would have to readapt and find chemistry with their new teammates.

The process of adapting was too painful, and some trainees were unwilling to accept it.

Not only did the trainees have objections, but Tangtang, sitting on the mentor’s panel, also let out an exaggerated and cute “Wow~” after hearing the rules.

She then turned around to ask the others for information.

“Did you guys know the rules would change?”

Pei Luo was the first to answer.

“No.”

Han Zhe lowered his head to adjust his baseball cap before speaking.

“I always thought the teams would stay the same after the first round. I even wrote the lyrics for their songs for the mentor performance.”

Tangtang’s eyes widened. “Brother Han, you started preparing so early? Doesn’t that mean you’ll have to rewrite them?”

Han Zhe coolly shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll just delete it.”

For a talented rapper like him, even freestyle wasn’t a problem, let alone writing one or two more songs.

After asking the two of them, Tangtang looked at the quiet Lin Yanran.

“Yanran, how do you feel? I’m getting nervous again. I’m so scared of this feeling of uncertainty. I can’t stand having to go through it again today.”

During the last selection, they were both in a difficult situation. Although she wasn’t as bad as him, the quality of her trainees was not comparable to the other two groups.

Seeing Tangtang getting nervous again, Lin Yanran smiled and answered truthfully, “I don’t feel anything.”

Tangtang was stunned. She suddenly remembered how no one had chosen Lin Yanran last time, and she misunderstood that he was now indifferent to the selection process after experiencing that awkward situation.

So she quickly comforted him, “Your performance last time was so strong. I’m sure many people will choose you this time. Don’t worry, don’t worry!”

In fact, Lin Yanran’s words, “I don’t feel anything,” were meant literally.

He wasn’t surprised by the sudden change in the competition format.

Although he didn’t know about today’s arrangements in advance, he had already considered this issue during the first selection.

In this kind of team competition, if the trainees under each mentor’s team never changed, it would be detrimental to the excitement of future performances, the surprise they could offer the audience, and the final group formation.

The trainees from the four teams would operate in their own circles for a long time. Then, if the winners from each team were forced to come together at the end, they would face many problems with chemistry, style, and team spirit.

From the production team’s perspective, announcing a seemingly unreasonable and inhumane rule also had a simpler, more direct purpose.

It was to make the show more compelling!

Breaking up these groups and creating more drama would keep the show surprising for the audience.

Seeing that Tangtang had misunderstood him, and with the other mentors present, Lin Yanran couldn’t explain his true thoughts. He could only nod and give a faint smile.

However, Pei Luo, who was sitting across from him and secretly watching his every move, scoffed.

When he turned away, he silently mouthed two words to Lin Yanran.

“So fake.”

Everyone knew that if the mentors and trainees were to choose again, many of these short-sighted trainees would undoubtedly go and choose Lin Yanran this time.

The production team had given him a perfect opportunity to show off and redeem himself. He must be secretly ecstatic.

So why was he pretending to be so aloof and indifferent in front of everyone?

Pei Luo, who had been soundly beaten in the last round, found Lin Yanran more and more unbearable to look at.

The production team deliberately gave everyone a few minutes to discuss. The director, who was sitting directly below, picked up a megaphone with a grin.

With his squinting eyes, he clarified in a feigned innocent voice, “But we never said the teams wouldn’t change after the last mutual selection.”

After saying that, he added in a cheesy way, “Who made our show like this? It’s full of surprises~”

The trainees’ blood pressure skyrocketed at his insolent tone. Surprise my head. I want to hit someone.

Gu Siye scanned the trainees’ expressions on stage and lifted the microphone. “It seems you all have a lot to say.”

The trainees, who were ready to complain, shouted back, “Yes!”

Gu Siye slightly raised his chin, signaling for them to speak their minds.

Hearing Gu Siye cue the trainees, Song Yingming, who hadn’t eaten and was about to take a bite of his instant noodles, suddenly stopped.

Then he heard a bold trainee raise his hand and shout to him, “Director, don’t eat those instant noodles. There’s definitely no seasoning packet.”

Song Yingming unconsciously took a sip of the soup.

Damn, it really does taste a little off!???

Who was so bold as to curse his instant noodles to have no seasoning packet?

I’ll cut his screen time in the next episode!!!

Song Yingming looked up furiously.

When he saw who it was, he took another bite of his noodles.

It turned out that this was said by a trainee recommended by a large company.

Can’t cut his screen time, can’t cut his screen time.

Keep this clip. It must be in the final cut!

The trainee’s comment made everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly relaxed.

However, in the next second, a few other trainees raised their hands.

They stood up holding hands, looking like they had a great relationship.

The camera quickly focused on them. Xuan Yihan, standing in the middle, politely took the microphone and looked at Gu Siye with his innocent and naive eyes.

“What I want to say is, after spending all this time together, we’ve really bonded and found a great rhythm. We’re like brothers now. So, when you suddenly say we have to break up and regroup… it feels like we can’t bear to leave each other.”

Xuan Yihan lowered his head and paused for a few seconds, as if summoning courage. “So… even though we know it’s a bit unrealistic, if it’s possible, we hope to stay together and continue on this journey with our previous team.”

Xuan Yihan’s words to the camera were sincere and touching.

He had been much more low-key since his first performance made him a public target.

Because his parents had contacted the production team, a staff member had privately advised him to stay out of trouble and show his true, kind, and beautiful side as much as possible on camera.

His popularity had plummeted during that time, so he immediately followed the advice.

And based on the staff’s suggestion, he started focusing on the “brotherly love” storyline that was so popular in reality shows.

So, in the past few days, he had actively tried to win over many of the trainees in his group. The effect was great; everyone gradually became friendly with him again.

The clips of his deliberate “kind and beautiful” moments were edited and released, which helped him regain public favor, and his popularity stabilized.

So now, even though he knew very well that the new rule was definitely going to be implemented and that what he was saying was pointless, he still chose to seize this opportunity to show the deep brotherly love between him and his teammates on camera.

The result didn’t matter. The goal was to stir up emotions on camera and get a positive edit in the final cut.

Xuan Yihan was calculating away in his mind.

But when he finished and looked at the others beside him, he found that, except for Fang Su, the others also had red eyes, looking as if they were about to be separated by death.

Brothers, you’re overacting!

Xuan Yihan’s expression almost gave way. A thousand curses flashed through his mind.

Damn it. They’re all better actors than me in front of the camera!

Each episode was at most three hours long. After the performances and miscellaneous clips were removed, each of the 45 trainees only got about two minutes of screen time.

So, many trainees were completely different on and off camera.

Especially some of the more cunning ones, who knew exactly how to show the audience what they wanted to see.

Clearly, the trainees who stood up with Xuan Yihan were the best of the best.

They had already seen through Xuan Yihan’s intentions and could vaguely sense that, due to his connections, he was favored by the production team.

So, they were willing to stand up and perform with him, essentially hoping to get more screen time for themselves.

In the studio, everyone was just laughing at the director’s expense. The next second, Xuan Yihan and the others put on this emotional performance.

Many naive and honest trainees were completely taken aback.

Xia Xingxing looked at Xuan Yihan, who was trying to add drama to the scene, and asked Ji Shuai next to him in disbelief.

“What’s there to be so sad about? They can just choose Pei Luo together again and be in the same group, right?”

Ji Shuai really wanted to tell Xia Xingxing directly that each of these people was a drama queen.

However, since they were wearing microphones, everything they said would be recorded.

So he had to suppress his thoughts and change his words to, “I don’t really get it either.”

The camera gave the group an unmissable close-up shot during their forced emotional scene.

Xuan Yihan looked at the camera, then hopefully at Gu Siye, expecting him to offer some of the platitudes and encouragement that were so common in reality shows.

But Gu Siye only curled his lips into a shallow smile and tossed the question back at him.

“Is that so?”

Xuan Yihan, who didn’t get the answer he wanted from the stage, felt embarrassed under Gu Siye’s gaze.

His eyes were dark and sharp, and Xuan Yihan felt as if his little scheme had already been exposed.

Xuan Yihan’s fingers tightened. He suddenly regretted trying to get more screen time.

He opened his mouth to try and explain himself, but then he heard Gu Siye ask,

“If the teams remained the same as the last round, would none of you truly want to separate?”

They had just said their piece, so they couldn’t shake their heads. They all nodded.

But Gu Siye asked them again, “What is the purpose of you all coming to this competition?”

What was the purpose of the competition?

Everyone knew it very clearly: to debut!

The competition for the final debut spots was fierce. In the face of a debut spot, any talk of friendship and not wanting to separate was meaningless.

Gu Siye’s words were sharper with each passing moment, and they immediately put a stop to the other trainees who were trying to follow Xuan Yihan’s example and act like feelings came before the competition.

The entire venue instantly fell silent.

The good friends with an “unbreakable bond” who were standing next to Xuan Yihan immediately let go of each other’s hands after sensing a hint of danger.

The tears in their eyes disappeared as if they had an automatic switch, and their expressions instantly became serious.

Gu Siye didn’t say anything too harsh, but who would dare to act melodramatic in front of him!

Xuan Yihan, seeing that he had overacted, quickly tried to explain, hoping to salvage some of Gu Siye’s goodwill. “No, Teacher Gu, that’s not what we meant. The competition is definitely the most important…”

However, he found that no matter how he tried to explain himself, it sounded too fake. He eventually gave up trying to talk.

Xuan Yihan lowered his head, his eyes red with frustration and regret.

He didn’t know what was going on with him lately. Before, everything he did went smoothly, and no one questioned him even when he was acting pitiful in front of the audience.

But now, everything he tried was backfiring.

Gu Siye, seeing that he couldn’t speak, easily moved on from the topic.

“Did you not understand the rules? You can listen more carefully next time.”

Well, not only did he fail to get more screen time, but he was also branded as someone who didn’t listen to the rules…

Xia Xingxing, who had been listening on the side and feeling incredibly satisfied, wished he could immediately applaud the incredibly handsome Gu Siye.

Teacher Gu, you’re awesome!

You are the number one person on Super Idol* for putting an end to overacting!*

After Xuan Yihan fell flat on his face, no other trainee dared to act up. They obediently shut their mouths and seriously listened to Gu Siye announce the rest of the rules.

From Gu Siye’s later words, everyone understood that this round’s mutual selection was a bit different from the last.

The production team would no longer use the format where trainees knocked on the doors to choose a mentor, and the mentors would then eliminate people.

Instead, without any communication between trainees and mentors, they would each write down their desired choices.

Each trainee could only choose one mentor.

The mentors, on the other hand, had to write down their top ten choices all at once.

Once both sides were done, the production team would announce the results.

If a mentor and a trainee both chose each other, they would form a team. Otherwise, the trainee would be put into a waiting pool.

If a trainee wasn’t chosen by any mentor in the second round, they wouldn’t get a chance to participate in this public performance.

Gu Siye, dressed in a black casual suit, was tall and dashing.

He held the cue cards elegantly and casually. If you didn’t know what he was saying, you would think he was just having a leisurely chat with everyone.

“This public performance will be based on a combination of live and online votes, with each person only being able to cast one vote. The last-place team will have all of its members placed in the elimination waiting pool, and the first-place team will have all of its members move on, regardless of online fan votes.”

The trainees gasped, their hearts lodged in their throats.

The last-place team would have all of its members put in the elimination waiting pool, and they wouldn’t be able to rely on fan votes to save them???

This wasn’t just team selection; this was a matter of life and death!

If they chose the wrong team, they might not even have a chance for their fans to save them…

After reading the rules, Gu Siye looked at the trainees below and kindly offered a reminder.

“This choice will directly impact your future. So, I ask every trainee to think carefully and make your choice with caution.”

After filming this part of the group shot, the trainees and mentors were separated.

The staff led the trainees to a larger studio and immediately handed them a card with their name.

“Think about who you want to choose. Someone will take you to vote later.”

After every trainee had their card, the staff member said, “When you go in, just write the name of your desired mentor on the card and drop it into the box.”

“But remember to show your name to the camera, and don’t forget to say your reason for choosing this mentor.”

When they heard the staff member’s words, some quick-witted trainees immediately spoke up.

“We have to give a reason? Are they going to announce it during the mutual selection segment?”

The staff member smiled. “Of course~”

F*ck!

A few trainees who had been planning to switch mentors suddenly felt uneasy.

---