Chapter Two: The First Stage Appearance, Part One

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“Tian Tian Entertainment—Senior Hong Xuan from last season was from this company, and they debuted as a group in seventh place.”
“Yao Yi Culture—Senior Mi Qi is quite famous; she belongs to this company.”
“Yangzi Star Models—Wow, each of them is so tall and well-shaped, truly worthy of being models.”
...
From the moment they took their seats, Fu Huanhuan’s chatter never ceased. As the next company's name appeared on the screen, she eagerly began sharing insights with Qiao Yiqing, recounting previous season performances and famous artists from those agencies—information she effortlessly recalled.

In her previous life, Qiao Yiqing had paid little attention to the entertainment industry and had never watched this show, so she was completely unfamiliar with the trainees on stage. Fu Huanhuan’s explanations gradually helped her gain some understanding of these contestants.

As more trainees entered, the seats steadily filled.

“Why haven’t any of the Big Three companies appeared yet?”

Fu Huanhuan murmured just as the name and logo of Le Fan Entertainment suddenly flashed on the screen, causing a stir throughout the venue.

“Here they come! The Big Three are definitely the grand finale!”

The trainees, initially somewhat weary, perked up and focused intently on the contestants entering next.

Three girls appeared from the aisle, dressed in simple, light black-and-white dresses. They didn’t carry the arrogance usually associated with big companies; instead, they warmly greeted the crowd.

“Xing Yuan Entertainment, Yun Ding Entertainment, and Le Fan Entertainment are recognized as the Big Three. Last season, five out of the seven debuting members came from these companies.”
“The fourth-place senior, Gu Shaozhe, was from Le Fan Entertainment.”

The next name to appear on the screen was Xing Yuan Entertainment.

Five girls in matching candy-colored outfits walked in, their smiles sweet and energy vibrant.

“Xing Yuan Entertainment’s costumes are beautiful—definitely a big company. You can tell they’re a group just by looking,” Fu Huanhuan said with a hint of envy.

The final group to enter was Yun Ding Entertainment.

Seven trainees appeared, dressed in black-and-white uniforms. They all looked tall and imposing, but especially the girl standing center stage—her neat, shoulder-length bob, striking features, and stern expression gave her a commanding presence.

The distinct styles of the Big Three companies were evident just from their attire.

“That’s Lan Chenxi!”
“So imposing!”
“I don’t even dare to look into her eyes.”

The hushed discussions around them suddenly grew louder and more animated than before.

Fu Huanhuan’s commentary came at just the right moment.

“The short-haired girl in the center is Lan Chenxi. She’s very famous and exceptionally talented, a top contender for the championship. Everyone says she’s the next Zong Ming.”

Though Yun Ding Entertainment brought seven trainees, all eyes in the audience were focused solely on Lan Chenxi. Qiao Yiqing deeply sensed the immense popularity and reputation carried by this strong favorite.

“Will Lan Chenxi go for the center position?”
“Probably.”
“She definitely wants first place!”
“But right now, Teacher Hang Jing is sitting in the center. She’s a senior veteran!”

As the Yun Ding trainees hesitated to take their seats, the other trainees began speculating and closely watching Lan Chenxi’s movements.

“Lan Chenxi, are you going to sit in the center?” one of her teammates teased with a smile.

Teacher Hang Jing, seated in the center, also watched Lan Chenxi.

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Unexpectedly, under so many gazes, Lan Chenxi shook her head. After greeting everyone, she chose to sit in one of the remaining empty seats.

Fu Huanhuan felt a bit disappointed—no dramatic showdown—but she understood Lan Chenxi’s choice. Hang Jing, occupying the center seat, was a veteran who had debuted over a decade ago. For a lesser-known trainee, fighting for the center spot meant competing for screen time. But Lan Chenxi didn’t have that problem; as the pre-show favorite, the producers would surely promote her extensively. There was no need to risk offending a senior for a symbolic position.

Once all trainees were seated, music played, smoke cleared, and the mentors appeared on stage.

Zhai Xingwen, the representative of the public producers, vocal coach Wei Wei, dance instructor Zhao Man, and rap coach Bo Wei—all were popular and recognized for their genuine skills. The trainees erupted into cheers, both surprised and delighted.

“The producers even invited Zhai Xingwen, the Best Actor?”
“Ah, it’s Wei Wei! I love her!”
“Zhao Man! Her choreography is amazing!”
“I’ve followed Bo Wei’s competitions all along!”

Simply standing there, the four mentors radiated an overwhelming aura—true artists and the aspirational goal for these trainees.

Zhai Xingwen, as the public producers’ representative, read the show rules:

“...The mentors will rate each contestant’s initial stage performance with grades from A to F—A being the highest, F the lowest. The grading begins now.”

-

“How long have you been practicing this stage?”
“Haven’t you noticed these problems until now?”
“To be honest, I can’t give a proper evaluation right now.”
“Both of you get F.”

Qiao Yiqing and her teammates, waiting backstage, heard the harsh critiques echoing outside. Their faces paled—not just from nerves but from fear.

“So scary.”
“This grading is so tough. What do we do?”

Nearby, Yun Ding trainees stood calmly. Unlike the anxious atmosphere here, Lan Chenxi focused intently on the monitor displaying the performances. Her teammates exchanged occasional comments about the stages, clearly unfazed by the mentors’ stern critiques. This was confidence born of true strength.

Qiao Yiqing’s group was up next. As they left the waiting room, Lan Chenxi and a few trainees glanced at them and nodded in acknowledgment. The others didn’t even look up.

It was understandable. Even Qiao Yiqing felt the producers had cast their group as “cannon fodder,” just like the earlier teams, to highlight the upcoming Yun Ding Entertainment’s performance.

Six groups had performed before them, but none had received an A grade. Qiao Yiqing didn’t expect her group to get one either—both because of their true abilities and because the first A grade had clearly been reserved for someone else.

The “first A” referred to the first trainee to earn an A rating on the initial stage. A brilliant performance combined with being the first to receive the highest rating was the best way to establish a strong reputation. Having several weaker performances beforehand served as a contrast to convince the audience further.

“Hello, we are the ‘Sweet Cool Girls’—smiling sweetly and performing coolly!”
“I’m individual trainee Jiang Xiao.”
“I’m individual trainee Fu Huanhuan.”
“I’m individual trainee Qiao Yiqing.”
“I’m individual trainee Hao Qingfen.”
“I’m individual trainee Yan Ganyu.”
“Nice to meet you all, please support us!”

Their voices were loud, their smiles full of vitality. They looked young and fresh—though inexperienced, not unpleasant, just youthful and earnest.

“There was already one group of individual trainees before. How did you form your team? Was it a free combination?”

“It was arranged by the production team,” Jiang Xiao replied. “We’re close in age, so they grouped us together.”

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“Oh, they’re the older sister team, and you’re the younger sister team.”

“Something like that,” Jiang Xiao said shyly at the mentor’s teasing.

“Well, we look forward to your performance. I hope you don’t lose to the older sister team!”

They took their positions and struck their poses. Jiang Xiao stood center stage in the opening spot and was responsible for the first line.

The smile she had shown during the mentors’ Q&A vanished completely; now she looked tense and tight. Qiao Yiqing gently patted her arm, signaling her to relax and follow their usual practice rhythm.

Jiang Xiao nodded, took a deep breath, though whether it calmed her, no one could tell.

Music began. The trainees who knew the song recognized it from the first notes and gasped, “It’s Dream Girls’ ‘Feeling’!”

Dream Girls, also called the Dance Crew, were known for exceptional dance skills. Their songs leaned toward intense dance beats, and “Feeling” was one of their signature pieces.

The mentors were somewhat surprised—these individual trainees had the courage to choose such a challenging song.

As Jiang Xiao started singing, the mentors subtly frowned and cut in with the beat.

Jiang Xiao quickly realized the problem and, flustered, lost some rhythm. Because the microphones were all live, her trembling voice was painfully obvious. Qiao Yiqing took over the second verse smoothly, naturally regaining the tempo.

As soon as Qiao Yiqing began, vocal coach Wei Wei raised an eyebrow—her tone was impressive.

Perhaps nerves were getting to them; the struggles didn’t end there. When Hao Qingfen sang the next line, her pitch wavered. The chain reaction caused Fu Huanhuan to rush her part as well.

Soon came the chorus, which had high notes and distinct parts that only Jiang Xiao and Qiao Yiqing could sing. In the end, the two of them handled all the chorus segments.

The entire song was fast-paced dance with no breaks to catch their breath. Especially toward the end, their stamina visibly waned. Jiang Xiao worried she had used too much energy early on; her strength was draining faster than during practice. She silently prayed not to crack any notes and forced every ounce of energy to push through. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as hoped—the high notes she barely managed in practice became prone to mistakes on an off day. At the very end, she even cracked a note.

Qiao Yiqing sighed inwardly—the feared mishap had happened. But she showed no outward sign of disappointment. She moved lightly to center stage and calmly took over the next chorus.

Her voice was bright and penetrating; her lively, effortless dance steps and soaring high notes revived the audience’s enthusiasm, lifting the energy to a climax.

The final segment featured a tight, synchronized dance break led by Jiang Xiao in the center, marking the song’s conclusion.

When the performance ended, they held their poses, panting heavily.

The camera then focused on Qiao Yiqing, who knelt on one knee, her face turned to the side of the stage, expression cold and detached. She placed her hands on either side of her head, miming a crown in the finale gesture. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed, and when she noticed the camera filming her, she raised her gaze unflinchingly.

“Wow, she’s so beautiful,” a trainee whispered.

“How does someone this pretty not have a contract with a company?”

“Right? And she seems pretty talented too.”

After the performance, the team felt downcast—they hadn’t shown their best on a stage they’d prepared for, instead making many errors due to nerves.

Dance coach Zhao Man spoke first, “It’s clear you practiced hard. Your choreography was decent, and you have strength, but your energy distribution was off. You used too much power at the start and ran out of stamina toward the end. Please pay more attention to this in the future.”

After Zhao Man finished, vocal coach Wei Wei took the microphone. “I want to ask—why did you choose this song?”

Jiang Xiao hesitated, then replied, “Because we all really like it and wanted to perform it together on our debut stage.”

“Liking a song is understandable, but liking it doesn’t mean you can perform it well. It’s obvious several of you have vocal ranges that don’t suit this song, and you’re struggling to sing it. I’m curious—didn’t you notice this during practice?”

“We thought we could overcome it with practice,” Jiang Xiao’s voice grew softer.

“But now it’s proven that was a mistake,” Wei Wei said bluntly, pointing out the team’s fundamental problem from the start. “Choosing a song isn’t about difficulty; it’s about suitability and playing to your strengths.”

“You chose the wrong song.”