AITFYMIBP Chapter 29.1

TL: Hua

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The official Weibo and streaming platform for Super Idol had already posted a notice about the upcoming live selection broadcast that afternoon, while the mentors and trainees were still agonizing over their choices.

As soon as the director announced there were ten minutes left to prepare, the live stream chat, which had been completely black, was instantly flooded with so many comments that the screen turned pure white.

Fans who only knew about the two-way selection but not the rules began making predictions and praying.

[I hope Mentor Han Zhe is merciful and keeps my Yao Kan on his team]

[I wish my baby all the best]

[Please, my baby, don’t choose a certain mentor this time; he’s not a good fit for you]

Ten minutes flew by.

As the chat raged on, the live stream screen lit up.

Then, Gu Siye’s tall figure appeared at the center of the stage.

The previously chaotic comments were instantly replaced with a single phrase: [AHHHH MY HUSBAND]

Gu Siye greeted the live stream audience, explained the rules again, and then the tense and exciting selection segment officially began.

The 45 trainees took their seats on stage in the same order as their first performance groups.

The production team had set up four new areas on the stage, each corresponding to one of the four mentors.

After hearing the rules and seeing the four deliberately separated zones, even the audience members who hadn’t seen the intense behind-the-scenes drama finally felt a sense of unusual tension.

Soon, Gu Siye read out the first trainee’s name.

“Playful Entertainment, Dai Junxu.”

The camera cut to Dai Junxu.

Having no psychological preparation, he was caught completely off guard. He pointed at himself in surprise and turned to the person next to him to confirm, “Did he just call my name?”

Gu Siye gave him a clear answer. “Yes, Dai Junxu.”

Completely shocked to be the first one, Dai Junxu took a deep breath before nervously walking toward the center of the stage.

The large screen immediately changed.

His profile photo appeared in the center, with other information conveniently displayed by the production team.

Grade: C

Specialty: Rap

First Performance Group: Han Zhe’s Team

Rank: 32

The show’s staff was merciless, displaying all the relevant information, from skill level to ranking.

The large text that read “Han Zhe’s Team” made the production team’s desire for drama blatantly obvious.

[Wow, that’s brutal]

[They even had to specify Han Zhe’s team]

[Imagine how awkward it would be if he chose a different mentor]

[Changing mentors isn’t the awkward part—the most awkward thing is if you choose another mentor and they don’t choose you back]

[Dai Junxu is rubbing his hands! Could he have chosen a different mentor?]

[Ahhh, stop! I’m already getting nervous]

Seeing this information, Dai Junxu on stage and his fans watching the live stream were all too nervous to speak.

The fans, in particular, were clueless, with no idea who their idol had chosen.

Soon, the images on the big screen disappeared.

The camera shifted, showing Dai Junxu’s selection.

All the viewers saw him write Han Zhe’s name on the voting card.

Dai Junxu had chosen his former mentor.

This outcome wasn’t entirely surprising to the live audience.

What was surprising, however, was that Han Zhe didn’t choose him back. Instead, Tangtang did.

Han Zhe gave a regretful gesture to the dejected trainee, whose eyes were turning red, before Tangtang cut in, communicating with Han Zhe through a quick look and words that only the mentors could understand.

“Ohh~~~ Teacher Han!”

I thought you said you wanted this person!

Han Zhe spread his hands. “Everyone is just so good. Blame the limited spots.”

After Dai Junxu was put in the “unselected” pool, Gu Siye called up a trainee from Tangtang’s team.

This trainee was also a straightforward person and chose to stay in Tangtang’s team.

But the result was unfortunately the same. When the mentor’s choices were announced, Tangtang gave him an apologetic smile.

She hadn’t chosen him back, but Han Zhe had.

This same situation happened two more times!

Everyone had expected the production team to start with a successful match to ease the tension.

But the show was so cruel. They began with four consecutive rejections, all featuring trainees who didn’t get their preferred mentor but were wanted by another.

Inside the studio, the already nervous trainees grew even more panicked.

The trainees who were determined to stick with their former mentors were now completely panicking.

They thought the mentors would be loyal and choose the trainees they had already coached, but it was clear that wasn’t the case!

[I can’t figure out what the mentors are thinking at all]

[This is so unexpected. It looks like every team is going to be completely reshuffled]

[Ugh, I feel so bad for the people who weren’t chosen…]

[I’m sad for them too]

[What if no one gets chosen from now on!]

[This is so terrifying. I hope my little one gets chosen successfully]

Fortunately, even though the production team was “so cruel,” they had a solid plan for the show’s pacing.

After four consecutive rejections, the fifth trainee, originally from Pei Luo’s team, was successfully chosen by Tangtang.

This news was a huge relief to everyone. The trainees were still nervous, but at least their expressions weren’t as despairing as before.

This successful match seemed to kick off a winning streak for the trainees. The next five trainees who came up boldly decided to leave their original teams and were all successfully chosen by mentors from other teams!

[The ones who chose their old mentors all got rejected, but the ones who left succeeded? So this really is a total reshuffle!]

[The production team really knows how to play the game]

[And so do the mentors]

[They praise you to your face but secretly choose someone else, lol. The older, the wiser, indeed.]

[What if everyone who gets chosen from now on is switching teams?]

[Ahhh, this is getting so exciting!]

[I wonder what the result of the next choice will be]

[The next one will probably be a rejection script again]

The viewers of the live stream were all seasoned reality TV watchers.

At first, they were confused, but after seeing several coincidences in a row, they realized that Gu Siye was not randomly calling out names. The production team had already planned everything.

So far, the show had presented them with two completely different scripts.

The first was the “Regret” script, where trainees and mentors were unable to “continue their journey together.”

The second was the “Rebirth” script, where trainees bravely broke away from the status quo to find a new path.

So, after two successful patterns, what would the third script be?

Seeing that five people had just successfully found a team, the audience started betting that the third round would revert to rejections.

It wasn’t just the audience who thought this; the trainees did too.

Given the nature of the production team, they will definitely not let you succeed so many times in a row.

So there was an 80% chance that the next unlucky person to take the stage would be rejected by a mentor.

When they saw Gu Siye pick up the microphone again, the tension was palpable.

“The next trainee to come up is…” Gu Siye’s gaze swept over the entire room, and he spoke slowly.

The trainees’ hearts leaped into their throats as they silently prayed.

Please, please, Teacher Gu, don’t call me, don’t call me!!!

“You all look very nervous. Do you think the next person won’t be chosen by a mentor?”

Gu Siye was truly at the top of the entertainment industry; he could see exactly what the trainees and audience were thinking.

Without waiting for a response, he suddenly turned to look at Lin Yanran.

“In that case, Yanran.”

Lin Yanran, who was suddenly called out, quickly looked up at Gu Siye with a bewildered expression.

Gu Siye saw the look on his face and smiled. “There haven’t been any trainees from your team on stage yet, so let’s choose one from your team next.”

The trainees opened their eyes in surprise: ???

The extremely nervous audience was also bewildered: ???

It was only after Gu Siye’s reminder that everyone noticed that the first nine trainees had all been from the other three teams.

Not a single trainee from Lin Yanran’s team had been called.

Lin Yanran glanced at the fifteen people in his team, all sitting perfectly still, and nodded to Gu Siye. “Okay.”

Thinking his part was over, he was about to put the microphone down.

But Gu Siye continued, “Then, please, you choose one.”

Lin Yanran gripped the microphone again and tilted his head to look at Gu Siye: ?

[My god, why doesn’t this handsome guy follow the rules!]

[Male god: You’ll never guess my moves]

[Yanran’s reaction is hilarious]

[Hahaha, Yanran’s face is like: Isn’t this your job? What does it have to do with me?]

Gu Siye and Lin Yanran’s exchange made the audience roar with laughter.

But the poor trainees on Lin Yanran’s team were trembling.

The fifteen people had varying expressions; some waved their hands frantically at Lin Yanran, while others were silently praying.

However, not everyone was reluctant to go up.

Among the crowd, Xia Xingxing excitedly raised his hand, his eyes shining with pure glee.

“Teacher Yanran, me! Pick me! Hurry up and announce my choice!”

Lin Yanran’s gaze fell on Xia Xingxing. Seeing his eagerness, he smiled and said, “Then let’s go with Xia Xingxing.”

Hearing his idol say his name, Xia Xingxing immediately scampered onto the stage, a huge grin on his face.

[Slow down, son, you’ll fall!]

[Judging by how impatient he is, I already know the answer]

[Waaah, my silly son, this is a dangerous time to go up. What if you’re not chosen…]

Once Xia Xingxing stood on stage, he immediately closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.

When he opened his eyes again, Gu Siye asked, “What were you just doing?”

Xia Xingxing replied, “Performing a little ritual.”

Gu Siye quickly reminded him, “This is a show that promotes science and positive energy.”

Xia Xingxing stuck out his tongue and quickly corrected himself, “I was silently praying in my heart, hoping my dream would come true!”

[Hahaha, he went from ‘doing a ritual’ to ‘quietly praying,’ that’s hilarious]

[Teacher Gu: These trainees are so hard to manage]

After Xia Xingxing’s speech, the big screen showed his “dream.”

The video started with him entering the voting room.

Unlike the previous trainees, who looked slightly nervous on camera, Xia Xingxing came in with a face full of confidence and anticipation.

After picking up the pen, he didn’t hesitate at all, immediately writing a name on the card.

The production team stopped the video there, following the previous procedure.

But this time, no one in the live chat even bothered to guess.

His conversation with Lin Yanran during the first selection was already famous. Everyone knew he had been a die-hard fan of Lin Yanran for six years!

Sure enough, after Xia Xingxing finished writing, he proudly showed the name he had written to the camera: Yanran.

After tossing the card into the box, Xia Xingxing hummed a tune and started to walk away.

A staff member quickly stopped him. “Everyone needs to give a reason.”

Xia Xingxing nodded. “I have to follow my idol’s lead, or I’ll get kicked out of the fandom!”

His words caused a burst of laughter both in the studio and in the live chat.

Afraid of getting kicked out of the fandom? He’s definitely a professional fanboy!

The staff member on camera, also trying to hold back a laugh, rephrased the question. “Then is there anything you’d like to say to the mentor you chose?”

The audience then saw Xia Xingxing ponder for a moment before saying with deep sincerity, “Whenever I think of you, I’m filled with the courage and confidence to persevere. I’ve realized you are my strength.”

[??????]

[Why does that line sound so familiar?]

[Dang, I copied and pasted that exact line for his fan page comments just the other day!]

[…]

As soon as Xia Xingxing finished speaking, he immediately acted like a cute puppy, shamelessly admitting his mistake to the camera. “That last part was just over-the-top fan flattery I copied. It doesn’t count. Can I try my confession again?”

Dang, he really did copy the fan’s compliments!

Just as the viewers were praising Xia Xingxing’s cheeky move, they heard him speak to the camera with complete sincerity.

“Teacher Yanran, I’ve listened to your six songs a total of 3,285 times. I still have the high-definition, uncut videos of your performances, and I watch them all the time. I’ve been using the foot spa bucket you sent me every day. And I think that the thermos you’re holding must be a great thing, too. I’m going to buy the same one after I’m eliminated. Oh, and I also have five smaller accounts that I use to post on your super topic everyday… ah, never mind.”

Xia Xingxing then praised him again with a sincere expression. “It’s just… you are truly so amazing. Even though I feel like my skills don’t live up to your team, I really hope I can stay.”

The production team, as good at causing drama as they are, cut to a solo shot of Lin Yanran.

He had been listening attentively with a smile on his face.

But when he heard Xia Xingxing say, “I’ve listened to your six songs a total of 3,285 times,” he paused in disbelief. Then he put a hand to his forehead, burying his face as he couldn’t help but laugh.

He absolutely would not admit that this was his fan!

The live chat was already losing it.

[Xia Xingxing, stop with the flattery!]

[Yanran’s classic line: Take off your fan-filtered glasses!]

[Translation of Yanran’s expression: ‘Stop! I don’t have a fan like you!’]

[Hahaha, Xia Xingxing, did an anti-fan infiltrate the group?]

[Help, what’s with the 3,285 times?]

[The point isn’t the number, it’s that he listened to those six songs so many times]

[Those were the songs his company forced him to release. They’re trash. Yanran himself probably hasn’t even listened to them all the way through once.]

[He actually listened to something that bad 3,285 times. That’s true love, hahahaha]

[He’s so brave, sisters. Isn’t he afraid that if Yanran doesn’t pick him, the other mentors won’t either?]

[He came here to chase his idol anyway. If he gets eliminated, he’ll just go home and buy his idol’s thermos. He’s probably thrilled.]

The tense atmosphere that the production team had so carefully cultivated completely fell apart because of Xia Xingxing.

After the laughter died down, everyone waited to see who the mentor would choose.

Xia Xingxing’s rank and skill level were both average. Even though everyone thought his video was touching and showed his hard work, they all assumed Lin Yanran wouldn’t pick him.

After all, every mentor had limited spots, and the other three were focused on getting trainees with high skill or popularity.

They thought the still-empty-handed Lin Yanran would do the same.

But the reality was a complete surprise to the audience.

Lin Yanran’s blind selection actually included Xia Xingxing!

When he found out his idol had chosen him, Xia Xingxing was so happy he tried to run down and hug Lin Yanran.

He had just started to move when Gu Siye immediately stopped him.

“Trainee, please return to your position.”

Xia Xingxing looked at Gu Siye pleadingly.

Just one hug!

Just for a second!

But Gu Siye was merciless in his refusal. “No.”

Xia Xingxing could only turn to look at Lin Yanran in defeat.

[I’m sorry, it’s totally inappropriate, but this scene is so funny]

[It kind of feels like a family of three]

—

After successfully choosing Xia Xingxing, everyone noticed that in the next round of selections, Lin Yanran also successfully paired up with Ji Shuai and Lu Tianlang from his original team!

Among the previous trainees, those who had chosen their original mentors had completely failed.

But on Lin Yanran’s side, the trainees from his team who chose him all successfully paired up with him.

With this “good luck buff” in effect, everyone on Lin Yanran’s team looked at Gu Siye with anticipation, hoping he would call their name next.

Sure enough, after a trainee from Han Zhe’s team chose Lin Yanran but was rejected and entered the “unselected” pool, Gu Siye’s gaze fell on Lin Yanran.

He then looked at the trainees in his group.

Below the stage, Gao Yu was a mix of nervous and excited.

He really hoped it would be his turn to continue this lucky streak.

But because of his past behavior, he was also worried that Lin Yanran wouldn’t want him.

After realizing his mistakes, Gao Yu had been trying to make up for them, but he always felt it wasn’t enough and that his mentor would never forgive him.

Gao Yu looked enviously at the now-safe Xia Xingxing and the others. He wanted to stand with them and learn from Lin Yanran for another round.

As Gao Yu was thinking this, Gu Siye called his name.

With a very nervous heart, Gao Yu stood on the stage without much confidence.

Especially after the big screen revealed his selection, he couldn’t even look Lin Yanran in the eye, his heart a tight ball of anxiety.

Lin Yanran saw Gao Yu’s shifty eyes on stage and asked, “Why do you look so nervous?”

When Lin Yanran spoke to him, Gao Yu mustered up the courage to admit his mistake again. “Before, my performance in every aspect was terrible, especially towards you…”

Understanding what Gao Yu was trying to say, Lin Yanran smiled and skillfully changed the subject, intentionally reinterpreting his words to be about his ability.

“Be more confident. Don’t try to limit yourself to being a dancer. You can be good at other things as well.”

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