Chapter 15: Brother
The bathroom always had a fishy smell, which An Zhihan defined as a Room 501 paranormal event, and he neurotically gathered all the members of 501 to investigate the matter.
After discussing with Fan Qianting, he immediately responded, saying that he also noticed it. Initially, he thought it was due to the poor conditions here and didn't mention it to not appear fussy.
However, later he found out that there were no places around to cook. So, how could there be a fishy smell?
Even when a fan was on, the smell wouldn't dissipate for a long time.
Despite finding it boring, Wu Yu also accompanied An Zhihan and others, climbing the stairs to the sixth floor.
Feeling guilty, Su Jinli followed them nervously, hiccupping continually.
When they all arrived at the sixth floor, everyone started peeking around, curious to see whether anyone on that floor was keeping fish.
To their surprise, they found that 601 on the sixth floor was actually a storeroom!
An Zhihan, taken aback, could hardly talk and managed to stammer, "Should we go to the rooftop to see if there's a water tank upstairs?"
"We might as well, since we're already here." As though he were braver, Fan Qianting took the lead and guided them upstairs.
The rooftop was a large terrace, on which they had hung bed sheets to dry— these were all from their dorm rooms.
They wandered around up there, but couldn't find anything, and finally went back downstairs.
Su Jinli patted his chest, tried to hold his breath, but it didn't stop the hiccups.
Wu Yu stood beside her, and quietly asked, "Do you want to drink some water?"
"Ah... don't mention water."
"Are you scared?"
"Well, without water there'd be no fish."
Wu Yu smirked, and told Su Jinli, "Don't listen to their nonsense. The water in the dormitory is clean; I've tested it."
"Tested it?"
"I've filled a bowl with water and smelled it afterwards. No fishy scent."
When did he do that?
So Wu Yu had noticed it too?
Returning to their dorm, An Zhihan applied a face mask, put his hands on his hips, and began to theorize, "I think there's something wrong with our dorm. I've visited Chang Siyin's and didn't notice any strange smells."
"Could it be a dead fish stuck in the pipes?" Fan Qianting proposed.
When Wu Yu mentioned the experiment he had conducted, everyone fell silent.
An Zhihan handed a face mask he had soaked in some water to Su Jinli, suggesting, "This mask is quite good, you should try it."
Su Jinli, still feeling guilty, declined, "No... no need."
Wu Yu figured that Su Jinli was scared by An Zihan and the others, so he requested, "Stop scaring Su Jinli. He's timid and bathes often. He'll end up too scared."
With a wave of her hand, An Zhihan reassured, "Don't worry little brother, your brother will protect you."
"Should we get some talismans?" Fan Qianting inquired.
The usually silent Su Jinli finally spoke up, "No, absolutely not."
"Why not?" they all asked.
"It may... it may affect the Feng Shui and our fortune. Sealing the Koi will make it swim in the opposite direction."
"Are you really superstitious or are you just joking?" An Zhihan asked, confused.
"I'm going to sing!" Su Jinli immediately stood up and left the room to go practice his singing in the stairwell.
The best plan in a difficult situation is often to retreat.
An Zhihan, on the other hand, went to the front door and started dancing in front of the mirror, effectively ending the conversation.
-----
It seemed like every talent show had its own theme song.
"National Idol" was no different.
Just like "Sing If You Want To" years ago, they also had their theme song. Also, all the contestants had to learn that song while preparing for the next round of competition.
There were two days left before the next round of competition. And it was at this time that they were given the song lyrics and a video to watch and learn from.
If they were to learn for a long period of time, that would be one thing. But, surprisingly, they were supposed to record the theme song the day after the end of the first round.
The assessments would take place in three days. At that time, all the contestants would be tested. Those who performed well would get more screen time.
That is to say, those who could handle learning two songs at the same time would have an advantage.
If one ends up in the group, having more screen time in the theme song music video might boost their popularity.
The worst part was, this theme song required both singing and dancing.
An Zhihan was devastated when he heard the news. Not only did he have to practice his group's dance in these few days, but he also had to find time to learn the theme song.
All the contestants were called to the largest classroom during practice time. Cang Ai was standing on the stage, teaching them the moves for the theme song.
It was like learning aerobics in school.
Su Jinli had already memorized the lyrics. When watching Cang Ai's moves on stage, he didn't follow along. He just observed, not imitating the moves like the others.
Next, Cang Ai began teaching for the second time.
This time, Su Jinli started to follow along, his movements nearly flawless.
He was putting his photographic memory to good use here.
Gu Ju, who had been watching from the side of the stage, suddenly called Su Jinli onto the stage.
Called to the stage suddenly and facing the other 59 students, Su Jinli was a little nervous and looked at Gu Ju in surprise.
Gu Ju motioned for Cang Ai and Su Jinli to face opposite directions and begin dancing.
When the music started, the other students below the stage saw Su Jinli dancing in perfect synchronization with Cang Ai, as if he had been rehearsing for a long time.
Qiao Nuo from Muzitao, who had always criticized Su Jinli and believed he only possessed looks, couldn't help but grit his teeth when he saw how quickly Su Jinli picked up the dance.
He had no idea that Su Jinli could learn so quickly and get along so well with the early leading contestants.
Everyone knows that sticking with these frontrunners can definitely earn you some extra screen time.
Han Kai had been standing at the stage, watching their performance, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Su Jinli is a fast learner."
Gu Ju nodded in agreement, "And he even gets every move right. I'll correct a few minor details later, and he should be good to go. I think he can take the center position in the music video."
"But he has no expression while dancing."
"That is indeed a problem; his stage presence is quite weak."
"Let's wait and see."
After they practiced five times together, the team dispersed.
On their way back, An Zhihan asked Su Jinli, "Have you learned this beforehand with them?"
"No, I just picked it up now."
"That's impressive, but your facial expressions aren't engaging enough. It's like your stage performance is nearly zero."
"I'm not too good at that."
An Zhihan brought Su Jinli into the practice room, took a step back, and started performing the dance routine needed for his competition, while singing the lyrics at the same time.
His facial expressions and stage presence were likely the best among the contestants.
He was wild in his daily life, and even more so on stage. It's as if he had finally broken free from his chains, completely unleashing his inner wildness.
"Because... I don't want to, do this any longer, I don't want you, there's nothing left to say, Hush hush, Hush hush. I've already spoken, our love is broken, Baby hush hush......"
An Zhihan sang lyrics that Su Jinli couldn't understand. All he could do was listen to the melody and know that the song was called "Hush Hush."
Watching An Zhihan dance in front of him, Su Jinli was overwhelmed by his presence and unconsciously stepped back several times, trying to give An Zhihan more space.
This aura was truly explosive.
The practice room suddenly became chaotic, with people who had just entered promptly leaving.
"Shen Cheng is here!" someone exclaimed.
"Is he here to be a judge?"
"No, he's just here to find Wu Yu."
Following this, more onlookers gathered, but it seemed that they had not seen Shen Cheng himself.
Su Jinli turned his head to look, but An Zhihan pulled him back and said, "Let me see you do the dance again."
"What's happening over there?"
"Oh, a minor celebrity has shown up. You won't be able to see anything as he loves being mysterious."
Sure enough, those who had left the practice room earlier were sent back.
Suspecting that it could be someone from the Boruo Pineapple Company, Su Jinli couldn't help but peek out the door, but was promptly chased back by Gu Ju: "Su Jinli, there's a problem with your stage performance."
"An Zhihan was just giving me some pointers."
"You need to try harder, I also want to help you make a more compelling case. Come here, I'll teach you."
-----
Wu Yu walked into the meeting room on the third floor, looked around, and noticed that the rundown place resembled a warehouse - just the kind of place Shen Cheng would choose for a meeting.
Upon his entry, Shen Cheng was still sitting on the chair, facing the scenic view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, ignoring him.
"Do you need something?" Wu Yu asked.
"No."
"Huh?"
"Your father asked me to convince you, but I know it would be futile. As I couldn't exactly refuse him, I had to come over to make my presence felt."
Wu Yu scoffed and asked, "What now? Need me to stay here a little longer so that you can tell your boss that you spent a while trying to convince me?"
"Sorry, but I don't have time. I will leave in 10 minutes."
Wu Yu rolled his eyes, sat on a chair, and decided not to talk anymore.
Shen Cheng swiveled his chair to face Wu Yu and suddenly remarked, "You've grown tall."
"I'm already 20 years old."
"Oh..."
"There's no need for idle conversation."
"Do you want to debut as an artist?" asked Shen Cheng, resting his chin on his hand. He suggested to Wu Yu, seemingly believing that chatting was better than sitting in awkward silence.
"You all don't want me to make public appearances. I know."
"Actually, your father, a while ago, was considering sending you to that old tycoon of a wealthy family."
Wu Yu frowned slightly, thinking, and then erupted in anger, "Does he intend to send me off as an adopted son?"
"Given that your identity cannot be disclosed, it might as well be proposed to them. Suppose the old tycoon takes a liking to you and wants to adopt you."
Wu Yu got increasingly enraged, stood up ready to smash something, but ultimately held himself back.
That old tycoon from the wealthy family had lost his only son in his prime years. He had announced late in his life his desire to adopt a son who would bear his surname and inherit his property.
For such an envied wealth, a lot of young men were scrambling. Wu Yu guessed that his father also came to think about it.
"I am curious what the old tycoon's requirements are to have made my father consider sending me," Wu Yu asked again.
"He probably sees you as a strong candidate," Shen Cheng casually responded.
Among so many people desperately wanting that title, one needs to be more than just resilient.
"Just that?"
"No, just that the old man should find the individual agreeable to be around. Also, there's the rumor that the old man dislikes artists, which is why your father doesn't want you to debut."
"Oh..." Wu Yu casually responded.
Shen Cheng rose from his seat, came around to where Wu Yu was sitting, patted his head and said, "Good luck, I must be leaving now."
-----
Wu Yu silently returned to the practice room. His spirits had hit rock bottom, but this only fueled his fighting spirit. He wanted to put in even more effort.
He was determined to debut!
Just a few steps in, Su Jinli suddenly pounced on him and asked anxiously, "Who touched your head?"
"How do you know?" Wu Yu asked in surprise.
"Who?!"
Thrown aback by Su Jinli's anxious demeanor, Wu Yu subconsciously answered, "Shen Cheng."
"Where is he now?"
"He just left."
Without any hesitation, Su Jinli rushed straight out.
-----
Author's Notes:
Su Jinli: Bro! How do I wash away the fishy smell after bathing? Waiting online, it's really urgent.
Shen Cheng: ...
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