Chu Qianze sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, eagerly awaiting the song that the other person had just mentioned. Seeing no immediate response, he used his eyes to signal the other to hurry up.
“You…” Rong Jinghe began to speak but immediately realized that his voice was too loud.
Concerned about waking up their roommate, he promptly closed his mouth, flipped a page in his notebook, and lowered his head to write. After writing the character “you,” he promptly smeared it out.
Chu Qianze blinked but did not interrupt. Instead, he patiently waited for the continuation. Soon, the notebook was presented before him, revealing a page of lyrics, complete with edits and annotations.
Taking the notebook, he carefully began to read.
After Rong Jinghe handed over the things, he crossed his arms and focused his gaze on the bed curtain in front, as if studying the patterns on it.
For some reason, there was a peculiar sense of sweet embarrassment when showing the lyrics he had written to this person. It felt as if he had been laid bare, and some private thoughts had been exposed. It made him quite embarrassed.
Catching a glimpse of the other person turning the pages, and after a while, feeling that he must have finished reading, Rong Jinghe gestured towards the notebook, indicating for him to write his thoughts on it.
Chu Qianze nodded in acknowledgment and returned the items.
“Oh, I thought you needed this notebook,” he remarked.
Rong Jinghe took the notebook, picked up a pen, and wrote on it. Then, he unfolded it and presented it to Chu Qianze. [What do you think? Is there anything that needs modification?]
Chu Qianze read the lines and recalled the content he had just seen. He then added his thoughts on the notebook. [I think it’s great; it paints a vivid picture.]
[Really well done with your writing.]
Rong Jinghe smiled and took back the notebook, responding, [Actually, I think this particular line could use some tweaking. I’m still debating which word to use.]
Handing the notebook over, he pointed to a particular sentence. This section had been reviewed, with several phrases listed.
Applying each one to the entire sentence, Chu Qianze contemplated for a moment and then wrote down two characters. [What do you think of this? It rhymes with the previous sentence, and the emotion is more intense.]
Upon seeing it, Rong Jinghe silently repeated the words in his mind and realized that it did make a difference, feeling pleasantly surprised.
Can’t believe you’re skilled at writing lyrics?
[You’re quite talented. How about trying your hand at original compositions?]
Chu Qianze smiled and replied, [No way. Practicing every day is already tiring enough. When I get back to the dorm, all I want to do is lie down.]
He considered himself more suited for a laid-back lifestyle.
Rong Jinghe nodded, feeling a bit regretful, but acknowledging the reality of it. He, too, only found the time and inclination to write on a night like this, as the usual days were too busy to spare any thoughts.
But Chu Qianze is truly talented—excellent in singing and dancing, with powerful and infectious stage presence. Now he even excels in lyric writing.
[What do you think of this?]
Rong Jinghe pointed to a specific part, seeking input.
Following the given content, Chu Qianze contemplated and then wrote down his thoughts, adding, [However, I’m just expressing my opinion; it doesn’t mean much. The decision is still yours.]
Rong Jinghe expressed understanding, mentioning that he had actually written these lyrics quite some time ago. He had been stuck for a while, never quite satisfied and feeling like something was missing. Now, with this opportunity, he hoped to resolve it, even if just a bit.
The two of them took turns writing lines, reminiscent of the feeling of passing notes during childhood classes. In this collaborative spirit, they managed to complete the lyrics of a song.
Looking at the finished product, Rong Jinghe sighed silently, feeling impressed. Indeed, exchanging ideas and experiencing the collision of thoughts was essential for creating better work.
As they read through it again, everything seemed satisfactory.
Catching a glimpse of Chu Qianze rubbing his eyes, it became apparent that he looked a bit tired.
Rong Jinghe asked, [Feeling sleepy?]
[Not too bad.] Chu Qianze handed over the notebook, letting out a yawn.
[Get some rest, you have to wake up early tomorrow.] Rong Jinghe replied.
[And you?] Chu Qianze inquired.
[I’m getting ready to sleep now too.] Rong Jinghe said.
Although he was still excited and not very sleepy at the moment, the late hour was a concern, and continuing to stay up would affect his state of mind the next day.
Alright then.
Chu Qianze said, [Then I’ll head off.]
Rong Jinghe, upon seeing the words, replied, [Sure, go ahead.]
Chu Qianze closed his eyes, yawned, waved to Rong Jinghe, and silently said, “Goodnight.”
With that, he let the bed curtain fall.
Rong Jinghe glanced at the curtain now lowered on the opposite side, then lowered his head to look at the notebook in his hand. Leaning against the wall, he fell into contemplation.
He entered a kind of daze, his mind empty, not thinking about anything at all.
When he snapped out of it, a line of text appeared on the notebook, written in a small corner of the page.
[Across the bed, he bathed in the faint lamplight.]
Without preamble or follow-up, just this seemingly random sentence, but Rong Jinghe found himself somewhat stunned. He considered crossing it out but ultimately hesitated, leaving it untouched.
In the end, he simply folded the corner of the page up, conveniently covering that particular line.
He placed the notebook under his pillow, pulled down the curtains, and turned off the small night light.
As for Chu Qianze, the moment his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep, deeply and peacefully.
When Chu Qianze arrived at the public practice room in the morning, many people were already present, and there was a palpable sense of tension on everyone’s faces.
“It feels like waiting for the results of final exams.”
“The instructor hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m already so nervous.”
“Me too. Look, my hands are shaking.”
“My last ranking was exactly 60. I wonder how it’ll be this time.”
“Rank 76 reporting in. Sigh, I even prepared my ticket home.”
“Number 80 here, but I want to stay. I don’t want to leave.”
When Yu Xiaoyang entered the practice room, he immediately sensed the distinctive atmosphere. “Did everyone rest well last night?”
He organized the materials in his hands, smiling warmly.
“Good,” the trainees responded.
“Not so good…”
“Not so good?”
Yu Xiaoyang repeated the statement, asking the trainees who had just spoken, “Why didn’t you sleep well last night? I thought you guys would have fallen asleep right away. Just finished the performance, you’d think there’s one less thing on your mind, making you feel a bit more relaxed.”
“Worrying about today’s rankings.”
The trainee replied with a smile, but their expression seemed somewhat tense.
It looked like the nervousness was still quite present.
“Nervous about today’s rankings… Is that the reason why nobody could sleep?” Yu Xiaoyang asked.
“We were too excited after the performance.”
“That’s part of it.”
“I naturally sleep late, and the circadian rhythm is there; it’s too early to fall asleep.”
After listening to some responses, Yu Xiaoyang continued, “With the daily training, everyone is tired. Make sure to rest well. Eat a bit more when you have the chance and try to maintain a balanced diet. Keeping a healthy body and routine is essential to better face challenges.” He prepared the documents in his hands, adjusted his expression, concluding the casual chat, and steering the conversation back.
“I believe you all know what we’re going to do today. That’s right—announce the rankings for the second round.” As soon as these words were spoken, the students, who had relaxed a bit due to the casual talk, immediately tensed up again.
“Let’s start by revealing the list of trainees ranked 40th to 50th.” Yu Xiaoyang smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression. “As for the trainees ranked 50th to 60th, we’ll save that for the end.”
The trainees who were in the relevant positions groaned upon hearing this.
They just wanted to hear the results sooner. Give them a break, PD Yu.
“Oh my, this is too much,” Hong sighed.
Everyone stared eagerly, hoping to find out if they would make it. The suspense was killing them, especially for the most unstable positions, which, unexpectedly, would be announced last, adding an unbearable level of suspense.
“The 49th place goes to—” Yu Xiaoyang raised his voice, and suddenly, the surroundings fell silent once again.
He elongated his tone, “Who could it be?”
“Leng Jing, congratulations!”
Leng Jing stood up, a smile forming on his lips as he walked to a position beside Yu Xiaoyang.
“Thank you all for your support, which allowed me to stay and achieve this result. From now on, I’ll work even harder. Thank you, everyone.” After saying this, he bowed.
Observing his demeanor, Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow. This person seemed more reserved than before. Unexpectedly, he appeared quite calm.
Chu Qianze sat on the B-tier steps, adjusting his sitting position. There might be some waiting later; announcing the results was quite a physical activity.
“The 48th trainee is—” Yu Xiaoyang continued.
In the forties, thirties, they quickly approached the introduction of the top twenty contestants. Yu Xiaoyang paused, cleared his throat gently, and said, “I can see everyone is so eager. How about we adjust the process a bit? Let’s start from the 59th place. The trainee ranked 60th barely made it through, so we’ll save that for the grand finale.”
Is he serious?
Several students who were originally around the 20th position were waiting for the mentor to announce their names. Suddenly, he shifted the rankings back, meaning they had to wait for another round.
Unbelievable.
Hong sighed deeply, feeling quite frustrated. He was tempted to run up on stage, pull out the mentor’s cue cards, and see how everyone was ranked.
“Give us a break, please.”
“Brother Chu, you seem quite calm. Aren’t you anxious at all?”
“I am actually quite anxious; I just don’t show it.” Chu Qianze casually replied.
After revealing the remaining nine contestants, Yu Xiaoyang announced, “The 20th trainee, his name is—Dou Xi, congratulations!”
“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. Ah, I’m so nervous.” Ye Lunguo muttered softly, his gaze fixed on the host, Yu Xiaoyang. When would he mention his name?
As time passed, they reached the top ten.
Chu Qianze secured the fifth position, returning to Class A.
“Congratulations, Chu Qianze. Is there anything you’d like to say to everyone?” Yu Xiaoyang asked.
Taking the microphone, Chu Qianze said, “Firstly, I want to thank my fans for their support. It’s because of you that I’ve reached this height. Thanks to the mentor and my friends. Thank you all.”
“Alright, next is the reveal of the fourth place. Rong Jinghe, congratulations.”
What?
Chu Qianze was stunned. Rong Jinghe didn’t directly make it into the top three?
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