Ch122 - I Understand Lu Xu

Lu Xu had been recording this show since June, and until August, and like the increasingly hot weather, the show was progressively becoming more intense.

Originally, there had been 100 trainees. Now only 36 remained. Plus, they were about to have their third public performance.

Ever since Lu Xu performed ‘Can’t Learn’, many viewers had an inkling it had been a diss specifically targeted at Qu Dehui. Many people believed that Qu Dehui was a bad apple, not only did he steal songs and use drugs, he also tarnished the reputation of the program.

Fans were worried that Qu Dehui’s segments wouldn’t even be aired, but later on they discovered that his footage had been edited out during post-production. On the other hand, the vocal mentor Yu Manman was truly remarkable. Even though she was the only one, she accomplished her tasks with excellence.

Yu Manman herself was beautiful and talented, and she had an aloof but humble personality. Despite being in the industry for two years and achieving great popularity, she had no rumors surrounding her. Fans considered her a goddess, believing that no mortal could be worthy of her. Furthermore, since Yu Manman did not show any interest in the opposite sex, many couldn’t help but speculate about the type of person she would choose if she were to enter into a romantic relationship.

In the previous episode, the most discussed topics were Lu Xu and Yu Manman. Many people thought that Yu Manman’s participation in “Birth of an Idol” was to more or less support Lu Xu.

Initially, this was just speculation. However, not long after, news surfaced that Yu Manman would be appearing as a guest on “Birth of an Idol.” Some people found it hard to believe that a renowned singer like her would have this much free time, while others believed that if it were true, Yu Manman’s intention for appearing on the show must have been for Lu Xu.

Once could be considered a coincidence, but twice would certainly be intentional.

No wonder there were fans who expressed envy for Lu Xu on Weibo—

【@Manman is my favorite: To be honest, I really envy this shidi. Manman has been in the industry for so long and has never treated anyone so well. Even Su Mubai hasn’t received such treatment, my goodness.】

Fans all thought that Lu Xu was the favorite of the group. After all, it was evident that Yu Manman really cared for him.

There were even some bystanders that caught onto a hint of sweetness and started shipping them in their imaginations.

【@Sweet Orange: Am I the only one who finds Shijie and Shidi sweet? Yu Manman and Lu Xu are not far apart in age, and they are both in the same agency. The girl is so beautiful, and the guy is handsome. It feels like they could actually be in love, right?】

“An affair between fellow colleagues? Is that even possible?” Tang Yanqing had opened Weibo and was habitually searching for anything related to Yu Manman, but unexpectedly, as soon as he looked at the trending topic, he saw people discussing the chemistry between Yu Manman and Lu Xu.

Tang Yanqing instinctively wanted to object, but since this was his main account, he had to hold back for now.

“Xiunian, how far have you progressed with Lu Xu?”

Ji Xiunian didn’t expect Tang Yanqing to suddenly shift the topic to him and looked up in confusion, “What do you mean by ‘how far’?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Tang Yanqing couldn’t help but lightly bump Ji Xiunian’s arm with his elbow and raise an eyebrow. “You even having matching usernames. Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on between you two.”

“That’s not really a couple username…” Ji Xiunian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, unsure how to explain it properly.

But Tang Yanqing didn’t believe it. Before meeting Lu Xu, Ji Xiunian’s WeChat nickname was his name. For so many years, it had remained unchanged, but now it had the same “SS” prefix as Lu Xu’s. It was absolutely impossible to say that there was nothing fishy going on.

“Hey, I’m just thinking, did you change your name to something similar to Lu Xu’s just to have something in common?” Tang Yanqing couldn’t help but furrow his brow upon considering that possibility, and he looked at Ji Xiunian with suspicion.

Ji Xiunian felt even more helpless. “No..”

Although he had considered how it would look, it was indeed the correct name for their organisation.

“Alright then, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. As long as you succeed in the end, it’s okay,” Tang Yanqing sighed, feeling as though he didn’t have the right qualifications to criticise Ji Xiunian’s progress. They were out there with matching usernames, while he didn’t even have Yu Manman’s WeChat. He was in no place to say anything.

While he was doubting himself, he suddenly saw Bamei wagging its tail and strolling around. Somehow, he remembered the scene he had seen yesterday.

Yesterday, Lu Xu had brought the gift Yu Manman had given him back to the dormitory, and the camera recorded every moment of him opening the gift.

It was evident that Yu Manman had prepared the gift with sincerity. Never mind Lu Xu’s roommates, even he as the director felt envious upon seeing it.

Manman had been in the industry for two years, and Tang Yanqing had quietly liked her for those two years.

In order to get closer to the girl he liked, he created several sub accounts to help Manman top the charts, including one with a large fanbase.

It can be said that although he didn’t deliberately approach Manman, he cherished her life and her social circle like a treasure.

As netizens said, Yu Manman had never been so concerned about anyone before Lu Xu.

Even Su Mubai, who was in the same agency and had a good relationship with her, probably had not experienced this level of care.

When you liked someone, you couldn’t help but overthink.

The more Tang Yanqing thought about it, the more he felt that Yu Manman was really good to Lu Xu. So, was it possible that this kindness was because she liked him as people had speculated online?

“Ah, I feel like I’m going crazy. Can you quickly finish your business with Lu Xu? What if Manman really…”

“That’s not possible,” Ji Xiunian thought that Lu Xu, who was a workaholic, would never be moved by Yu Manman. Apart from work and achievements, Lu Xu simply didn’t care about anything else. “He has no interest in these things.”

Tang Yanqing didn’t like hearing that. “What do you mean he has no interest? Are you doubting Manman’s charm? Let me tell you, if Lu Xu really falls for Manman, you’ll cry.”

“That’s not possible.” Ji Xiunian still had confidence in this. Looking at Tang Yanqing, he felt that his friend truly loved Manman. “I’m not doubting the charm of your Manman, I just know Lu Xu well.”

“You’re really calling me out here,” Tang Yanqing covered his chest, pretending to be heartbroken, which made Ji Xiunian tease him, telling Tang Yanqing that if he wasn’t a director, he could very well become an actor.

“I need to give other actors a chance,” Tang Yanqing said and glanced at the time, then stood up and said to Ji Xiunian, “Let’s go, the other guest singers have arrived.”

Fan Zeng was hospitalised due to an illness, so Tang Yanqing had taken over temporarily. On one hand, everyone felt that Dongcheng TV Station was making heavy losses, and on the other hand, they were doubting whether the new director could successfully handle this program.

Although Tang Yanqing had produced two highly popular variety shows when he had first started out in the industry, times had changed, and the focus of these variety shows had shifted. How these shows did would only be known after they actually aired.

36 trainees were divided into six groups of six, so six guest singers were needed accordingly.

Among them were newcomers who had appeared in hit TV dramas, there were also popular girl group members, and talented singers like Yu Manman.

Tang Yanqing showed the list of guest singers to Ji Xiunian and couldn’t help but gossip a little bit with him. “Actually, Manman wasn’t supposed to be the guest singer at first, it was someone else. But after seeing Qu Dehui’s failure, her manager called and said she couldn’t participate anymore.”

It could be said that “Birth of an Idol” was indeed popular, but many contestants experienced incidents after going on shows as well.

Whether it was the master of mysticism Lai Chengshan from before, or the so-called song god Qu Dehui, they all experienced huge scandals after being on the program.

Although it was unclear what exactly had happened to them, many people said it was better to not participate in this program if they were worried.

The originally confirmed guest singer was someone who had recently gained popularity by relying on a wealthy sponsor in order to snatch someone else’s position. These were actually old stories that no one mentioned anymore after she became famous.

However, those who had doubts in their hearts were concerned about this. Rather than taking the risk of participating in the program, it would be better to completely avoid it.

“…”

Ji Xiunian didn’t know what to say. He realized that Yu Manman was indeed the savior of the production team. Every time there was an issue, she would come to the rescue. She truly was amazing.

The selected guest singers had connections with the trainees, and almost all of them, like Yu Manman, had come specifically to sing for people they knew.

In a sense, this could be considered guest singing at its essence.

The lineup of guest singers was not a secret, and the trainees probably had a good idea of who they were.

However, on the day of filming, everyone pretended to be excited so as to play along with the production team as they waited for the announcement of the guest singers.

“I’m so nervous. I didn’t expect that we would be preparing for a third performance so soon.”

“Yeah, I wonder who I’ll be paired with this time.”

“Ah, I hope we can choose a song we like!”

…

Lu Xu sat quietly among the trainees, waiting for when they would be split into groups for practice.

The host, Liang Da, appeared on stage, congratulating them on advancing and then announcing the rules for today’s competition. “Based on the popularity rankings, we have designated six team leaders. Other trainees can decide on the team they’re joining by drawing lots.”

As soon as Xu Lele heard this, he became anxious. “Oh no, I really wanted to be in the same team as Lu Xu.”

Xu Lele could be considered a dark horse. He was initially ranked as a C, but he steadily rose to A rank. He had a youthful appearance, cheerful and sunny personality, and he was talkative. He not only got along well with the trainees but also had good charisma online.

After several episodes, Xu Lele’s ranking in likes had reached third place, behind Lu Xu and Song Zhe.

If the team leaders were determined by popularity rankings, then Xu Lele definitely wouldn’t be in the same team as Lu Xu.

“Rather than being on the same team, I actually hope you can be in the centre position,” Lu Xu said honestly. After all, these boys participated in the competition not just to make friends, but also to debut.

With only three episodes left, Lu Xu still hoped that Xu Lele could have more screen time.

“You can see that the two of them have a really good relationship,” Xu Haoming muttered on the side, “Lele, be content. At least you’re in the same team as my brother Xu. Look at me. Sigh…”

If they didn’t compare themselves, then there would be no pain.

With this thought, Xu Lele instantly felt much better and didn’t say anything else.

After the announcement of the team leaders, they began to form teams.

Each team, including the team leader, consisted of six people. On Lu Xu’s side, there was one member from rank B, three members from rank A, and one member from rank C.

He hadn’t interacted much with themembers from A and B previously , but the member from C was an acquaintance.

Yao Yulong couldn’t believe it himself and smiled at Lu Xu, “Team leader, please continue to take care of me.”

Lu Xu also smiled, “Let’s take care of each other.”

Originally Yao Yulong was worried that Lu Xu would be affected by what had happened with Ji Xiunian, but now he completely let go of his worries.

One could say that Lu Xu was truly worthy of being the center, his mindset was truly an excellent one.

After the teams were split up, they began to announce the guest singers for each team.

A silhouette appeared on the big screen, accompanied by a familiar melodic voice.

“That’s right, Lu Xu, your guest singer is…” Liang Da glanced at Lu Xu, deliberately building suspense before smiling, “Yu Manman.”