After Lu Xu took his seat in Class F, everyone was stunned.
The trainees in Class B couldn’t help but shout at him, “Brother, you’ve chosen the worst class.”
“What should we do, should we go down and join him?”
“Class A is the best, come on up here.”
“Ha…” Li Haichao couldn’t help but laugh, arms crossed, shaking his head at Bai Ze, “I’m not saying this just to say it, but your little artist is really too honest. Even choosing Class D would have looked better than F.”
Bai Ze wasn’t too surprised by Lu Xu’s choice. Seeing Li Haichao’s smug expression, he casually threw out a line, “The competition has just begun, no rush.”
Fan Zeng was directing the cameraman to get a close-up of Lu Xu, curious to hear how Lu Xu would explain his choice.
The host, Liang Da, was the top presenter at Dongcheng TV station and an old partner of Fan Zeng, having previously hosted a variety show that was number one in national viewership.
His popularity was excellent, and he held a high position in the hosting world. Even so, Liang Da always maintained a humble and gentle demeanor.
The moment Lu Xu walked out from behind, Liang Da’s eyes lit up.
Fan Zeng had told him that Bai Ze had brought a very talented newcomer, and seeing him today, he realized there was no exaggeration in his words.
Like everyone else, he didn’t expect Lu Xu to choose Class F.
After a brief moment of surprise, Liang Da immediately interviewed the person involved, “Lu Xu, can you tell us why you chose Class F?”
Suddenly called by his name, Lu Xu looked up, his demeanor as calm as usual: “I haven’t practiced for long, so choosing Class F matches my actual situation.”
The camera zoomed in for a close-up of Lu Xu, his sincere eyes not betraying any sense of problem with his choice. This close-up could be considered a kind of alternative microscope, yet even so, Lu Xu’s face remained incredibly handsome, his skin in excellent condition without a single flaw.
Not just the audience, even the fellow trainees felt envious.
Xu Lele, watching Lu Xu’s face on the screen, couldn’t help but say with clasped hands, “Lu Xu must have been fed on good looks, he’s too handsome, ahhh!!”
His teammate nudged him jokingly, “Wake up, bro, you’re straight.”
Xu Lele wasn’t shy, “Only the handsome recognized by straight men is truly handsome. It seems like Lu Xu has that kind of face, while I just grew up randomly.”
Someone hummed softly in the background, pondering what hadn’t been said during the recording of the program.
Liang Da had also heard that Lu Xu was a newcomer, but he hadn’t expected the boy to be this genuine.
Good-looking and with a good temperament, without the restlessness of the young people nowadays, Liang Da had a very good impression of Lu Xu. Considering his short practice time, even if his skills were lacking, he deserved encouragement: “I know you haven’t practiced for long, but I believe you can quickly graduate from Class F and move up.”
Not practiced for long?
In the backstage waiting area, someone murmured softly, “Hadn’t heard before that Yao Guai signed people, so Lu Xu must be a complete newcomer.”
Indeed!
The trainees who had considered Lu Xu a competitor relaxed instantly upon hearing this.
After all, “The Birth of an Idol” evaluated the comprehensive qualities of the trainees. Having a handsome face was naturally an advantage, but if there was only appearance without talent, one couldn’t go far on this stage.
Lu Xu’s seat selection was just a minor incident.
Liang Da chatted briefly with him, and then the seat selection continued.
Xu Lele’s group, “Era of Innocence,” was the fifth to choose their seats.
Xu Lele greeted Lu Xu as soon as he came in, his familiarity warm as if he were a fanboy of Lu Xu. He actually wanted to sit next to Lu Xu, but since they were a group, they ultimately followed the team to Area B.
Seeing that Area B was full, Liang Da held the microphone and chuckled, “Our Class A is still empty until now; I wonder who will be the first to sit there. Up next is BTT-boys, promoted by Xindu Entertainment. What will their choice be?”
Accompanied by Liang Da’s words, the five members of “BTT-boys” entered, their uniform attire and average height of 180 cm making them quite eye-catching.
Lu Xu wasn’t familiar with boy bands, but he heard the excited shouts from the trainees behind him: “Ah, it’s BTT! I absolutely love Song Zhe!”
“Yeah, yeah, their knife dance is incredible, it feels like everyone is in Class A.”
“I bet they’ll pick A!”
“There’s no suspense, obviously. BTT was clearly formed to debut.”
True to predictions, after appearing, the five members strode toward Area A.
Song Zhe, as the leader, didn’t hesitate at all and directly took the central seat in Class A.
Thus, BTT became the first group to choose Class A.
“The higher the place, the better the view.” Li Haichao couldn’t help feeling very pleased, his group being the first to sit in Area A. He could imagine the numerous discussions it would stir up once the show aired. If they all could debut, then his efforts would be worthwhile.
Seeing Bai Ze silent, Li Haichao unconsciously glanced at Lu Xu, who sat contentedly in Area F.
Others, even at their worst, would choose Class B, but only Lu Xu was unique, not seeing any issue with choosing Class F.
A mere pretty face couldn’t go far; it seemed Bai Ze had made a poor choice this time.
If there was any real talent, it shouldn’t have been hidden right from the start of the show.
Li Haichao went back and forth between excitement and doubt, eventually just shaking his head and focusing on the ongoing recording.
After BTT took their places in Class A, the rest of the choices seemed to speed up.
Soon, trainees continuously appeared. Classes A, B, C, D filled up in order, and the remaining trainees had no choice but to sit in Area F next to Lu Xu.
Everyone was eager and ready, just waiting for the stage performances to climb to the higher classes.
Lu Xu was the calmest among the group of trainees.
As the division of classes ended, Lu Xu’s lips curled up slightly, his hands crossed and placed on his knees, quietly waiting for the person of interest to make an entrance.
As expected, once the trainees had taken their seats, Liang Da leisurely walked onto the stage and began introducing the mentors with a smile: “In order to provide better opportunities for advancement, we’ve invited four top artists to serve as mentors. Let’s welcome our superstar mentors—”
It must be said, “The Birth of an Idol” really spared no expense; the mentors were all highly sought-after in the industry.
The dance mentor, Qin Ruowei, at twenty-three, had been practicing dance since she was four and had joined the largest entertainment company in the neighboring country as a trainee at fifteen. She debuted at nineteen as a member of a group and stood out among many female group members, becoming an overnight sensation across Asia.
The vocal mentor, Gu Wen’an, aged thirty-two, was touted as the musical genius poet of Hua Country in the 21st century. He could play any instrument and had started writing songs for artists at eleven, releasing his first solo album at seventeen. His debut was a peak, and he dominated the music charts for years.
The rap mentor, Shen Chengyu, twenty-six, was Qin Ruowei’s fellow apprentice at GM Entertainment and the main rapper in a famed group. Shen was an all-around artist, and with his handsome looks and cool demeanor, he had countless female fans.
Then there was the national treasure actor, Ji Xiunian, whose mere presence in the mentor lineup brought tremendous attention to the show.
Each mentor’s entrance was a delightful surprise for the trainees.
Before this, the mentors were like stars to many, targets for countless aspirations. Now, to record a show together with them was like a dream come true.
The trainees were incredibly excited, even shouting their idols’ names aloud. The entire studio resembled a massive fan confession scene, except for Lu Xu, who sat quietly, showing no change in emotion throughout.
“My goddess really has celestial beauty, love it!” The boy next to Lu Xu, who had small tiger teeth and was clearly a true fan of Qin Ruowei, was so excited he didn’t know what to do when he saw her take the stage.
He wanted to share his joy at seeing his idol with the person next to him, but didn’t know how to start with Lu Xu.
Lu Xu’s presence was indeed strong; even just sitting there simply, he naturally drew attention.
Since taking his seat, Lu Xu had remained indifferent. Just as the boy was contemplating the charisma of an artist from Yao Guai Entertainment, the person next to him suddenly made a move.
Following his gaze, he saw the national heartthrob Ji Xiunian just stepping up on stage to introduce himself. Dressed in a perfectly tailored deep blue suit, he looked even more striking. The spotlight shone on him, making it seem as if one were looking at a king from the myths.
Despite all the popular artists on stage, no one could overshadow Ji Xiunian. Whether it was Qin Ruowei or Shen Chengyu, although both were visual highlights of their teams and dazzling stars, once they stood next to Ji Xiunian, all focus shifted unconsciously to him.
For years, wherever and whenever, Ji Xiunian had always been the most dazzling presence.
Lu Xu, with keen interest, watched Ji Xiunian, his eyes sparkling, a slight smile unconsciously playing on his lips.
His reaction was not so different from his own star-chasing moments.
Realizing this, the boy with the small tiger teeth suddenly had an epiphany and pointed at Lu Xu excitedly, concluding, “Oh, so you’re a fan of Brother Nian!”
“Hmm?” Lu Xu paused, then smirked cleverly, “Indeed, I came for him.”
To participate in the competition for his idol?
The boy with the small tiger teeth gave Lu Xu a thumbs-up, “True fan!”
Lu Xu just shrugged and turned his head to continue watching Ji Xiunian, his expression one of pleasure and focus.
Ji Xiunian was naturally sensitive to gazes.
From the moment he stepped onto the stage, he distinctly felt someone’s burning gaze on him.
Following that gaze, he saw a young boy smiling intriguingly at him.
It was an overly handsome face, with light brown, slightly curly hair and dewy, peach-blossom eyes that seemed somewhat youthful at first glance.
Ji Xiunian recognized this face; he remembered him as the first trainee who walked over and sat down in Area F. At that time, Fan Zeng had mentioned to him that a new artist signed by Yao Guai Entertainment, who was a fan of his, had come. It must be Lu Xu.
Noticing that his gaze had been caught, the boy didn’t look away but instead propped his chin with one hand and wiggled his fingers, as if silently greeting him.
Ji Xiunian nodded slightly towards Lu Xu and then took his place among the mentors.
Liang Da’s resonant voice filled the air again: “Please prepare yourselves, trainees. The mentor evaluation is about to begin…”
Author’s Note:
Hehe, a destined encounter~~ Thank you to all the little angels who cast their tyrant votes or nourished me with nutrient fluids from 2020-02-11 23:36:08 to 2020-02-12 14:11:05~
Thank you very much for your support, I will keep trying my best!
Translator’s Note:
I’m sorry, I’m so stupid. I never research my projects enough, that’s why I sometimes get into someone else’s projects midway. This is already the third time.
I just realized that this novel was still an ongoing translation in Chrysanthemum Garden, just password protected so it didn’t register in NU.
I’m staring into the void right now and have to take down the scheduled ones I’m about to update. I’ll have to continue digging for a bit, anyone have any recommendations?