CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 199: PROFESSIONAL FANG XIANG

The next day

An oblivious Jiaqi returned to the company dormitory to grab some belongings.

The general election was approaching, and this period was incredibly busy.

The dormitory was unusually quiet, as many people had likely gone to the small theater for practice.

He walked into his room and was about to throw down his backpack when a voice suddenly called out, "Is that you, Jiaqi?"

It was Yu Qingjia’s voice.

Jiaqi looked up and saw the latter walking out of the bathroom in her pajamas.

Her damp hair was wrapped in a towel, and she still carried the faint scent of milk, likely having just finished a bath.

"Qingjia, you’ve wrapped up your filming?" An overjoyed Jiaqi immediately hugged her, though a hint of melancholy flickered through his eyes moments later.

"Yes, it’s done!" Yu Qingjia smiled warmly. She had already noticed that trace of sadness in Jiaqi’s expression.

"Jiaqi, don’t be too discouraged. There will be opportunities for the next project."

"I’m fine! Whether someone becomes popular or gets opportunities is ultimately decided by fate."

Though Jiaqi said this, his heart still ached.

When Director Xiao Wu got into trouble, Little Juzi and Lan Yening’s scenes were pulled, and naturally, so were his parts.

"Yeah, opportunities are so unpredictable. The show that Big Sis participated in absolutely blew up," Yu Qingjia remarked with mixed feelings, though she did feel pity for Lu Bingbing not catching her break.

"That program really exploded. Just browsing the web, I see news about them everywhere." Jiaqi’s tone carried a sense of envy.

Yu Qingjia didn’t say more, as the company merely wanted them to support Lu Bingbing, and everyone already knew about the complicated relationship between Jiaqi and Ye Yuwei.

"Qingjia, come over to my place tonight. Let’s have a proper chat." Jiaqi encircled her waist, his eyes locking directly onto hers.

"Hehe! Sure, I’ve missed you too."

At the base

The fifth episode of the show was currently being filmed.

The trainees entered their respective classes, only to find neatly aligned booklets on the ground, which looked strikingly like scales at first glance.

Everyone was startled. Were they about to inspect their physical conditions?

"Attention everyone, what’s in front of you are course preference forms."

"The vocal mentors are Tian Jiaxuan and Zhang Wei."

"The songwriting mentor is Hu Binbin."

"The dance mentors are Luo Junxiang and Wang Junhe."

"Please note that mentors will prioritize students who list them as their first choice in assigning their classes."

"The difficulty level of the selected songs will also be based on your first choice."

"Moreover, the song selection will determine the corresponding number of trainees required for each group."

"This time, there will be 12 teams competing against each other."

The most enigmatic voice at the base reappeared, simultaneously announcing the second mission for the public performance: "Professional Direction Evaluation."

In truth, this mission was preparation for future group formations. Within a girl group, there’s often an all-rounder, a vocal lead, and a dance lead, as well as those capable of self-composition.

"Oh my god! This is so difficult!"

"What should we do? Are we sitting for college entrance exams?"

"This is probably harder than college admissions!"

"Ugh, this is really tough to choose!"

Many trainees let out such lamentations.

The difficulty lay in not knowing which songs they would ultimately perform.

Choosing the vocal group might backfire if the songs exceeded their limits, resulting in self-sabotage.

Yet many were also unwilling to pick the dance group. Judging from the results of the first public performance, only songs that integrated singing and dancing received the most votes.

"I think we should stick to what we’re good at," Fu Xiaoyu murmured thoughtfully while holding the preference form.

"I think we should aim for breakthroughs and learn more. Otherwise, we’ll only ever give the audience the same old thing," Meng Meixuan said with a serious expression.

"I want a breakthrough too, but singing is just too hard for me," Lv Xiaoxue said, shaking her head.

"Dancing is too difficult for me. I feel like I won’t be able to master it in such a short time," Duan Yuxin also said anxiously, gazing at the preference form.

"Shouldn’t we also consider others, not just ourselves?" Ye Yuwei, who rarely spoke, suddenly said.

All of Class A turned to look at her.

"Don’t forget, we’ll end up competing as teams," Ye Yuwei said with a smile.

Everyone instantly understood her point. Picking the wrong teammates and ending up with weaker performers could spell disaster.

The girls from Class A, each brimming with extraordinary confidence in their own abilities, nodded thoughtfully.

"I bet half of Class C will choose the dance group," Qiang Yueting speculated.

"Why?" Lv Fangxin asked, puzzled.

"Because the majority of them come from dance backgrounds," Qiang Yueting explained.

After some thought, the others unanimously agreed.

"Yuwei, which one will you choose?" Wu Zixuan asked with a smile.

"Probably dance!" Ye Yuwei responded after a moment’s deliberation.

"Don’t you want a breakthrough?" Wu Zixuan asked, seemingly without an ulterior motive.

"Given the limited time, I don’t think I can achieve any significant breakthroughs. My strength lies in dance, so I want to leave a stronger impression on the audience in this area," Ye Yuwei replied.

"Yuwei-sis, what do you think I should choose?" Lv Fangxin hesitated as she came over to ask.

Meng Meixuan and Wu Zixuan’s eyes lit up simultaneously. They sensed a subtle connection between Lv Fangxin and Ye Yuwei.

The best evidence lay in the fact that, although the two hadn’t spoken since entering the base, Lv Fangxin had now approached Ye Yuwei with such an important question.

"No one can decide your destiny for you. It’s something you have to take control of," Ye Yuwei said with unwavering seriousness.

Lv Fangxin stared at her solemn face, unconsciously nodding, though her heart sank with a great sense of disappointment.

It seemed she had to rely entirely on herself, though she remained curious about what Chen Yinghan would choose.

Zhang Zijing filled out her form meticulously.

She chose the vocal group—she didn’t want to take risks or lose.

In her view, the first priority was to "survive." Only then could she aim for higher achievements.

She wasn’t alone in this thought; Lai Ruoxuan and Jiang Mengqi shared the same approach.

Each girl faced a tough choice.

They all knew this was a decision that could determine their destinies.

Some rewrote their choices on three separate forms, tearing each one up afterward.

Others were so nervous they nearly broke into tears.

Such is the spectrum of human emotion.

From Class A, Liu Feiyu was the first to submit her form.

Her top choice was songwriting, which aligned with her expertise.

In another class, Chen Yinghan, Ge Xiaohui, and Lu Xiaoman also chose songwriting. Like Liu Feiyu, they could play instruments and compose music.

Among these girls, quite a few were skilled musicians and composers.

Lu Bingbing also chose songwriting.

Since she felt she wasn’t outstanding at singing or dancing, she decided to bet on songwriting.

However, what surprised Lu Bingbing was that Ye Yuwei, whom she thought would pick the dance team, unexpectedly switched to songwriting at the last moment.

Songwriting Group: Wang Na, Yang Ni, Ge Xiaohui, Lu Bingbing, Wei Xin, Meimei, Lu Peiqin, Lv Fangxin, Liu Feiyu, Chen Yinghan, Lu Xiaoman, Ye Yuwei.

Vocal Group: Lai Ruoxuan, Gao Ziyi, Duan Yuxin, Liu Niannian, Xu Qianhua, Gou Xueying, Natasha, Qiang Yueting, Luo Fengwu, Liu Lixian, Zhang Zijing, Qi Ziyue, Fu Xiaoyu, Luo Qijia, Chen Yanran, Liu Dexi, Li Zimeng, Wu Meixiang, Guo Xia.

Dance Group: Wu Qian, Luo Tiantian, Jiang Mengqi, Su Ruiqi, Xiang Sixing, Jiang Meixing, Du Jiayu, Meng Meixuan, Simona, Yang Han, Liu Danmeng, Zhao Juke, Yang Han, Luo Jiangyi, Wang Tingting, Zhu Riri, Ju Lin, Wu Zixuan, Jiang Mei’er, Zhang Xiaohan, Wang Qingyu, Lv Xiaoxue, Fan Lei, Wang Miaomiao, Gao Yingxi, Yin Xiren, Wu Meiying, Ma Xingyu, Li Shihan, Yu Xiaohong, Zhang Xi.

That evening, the fourth episode of the program, "Rank Unveiling: Against the Current Rescues," aired.

The stir caused by the third public performance’s broadcast had barely subsided before the fourth episode unleashed an even greater storm.