Immortal Koi Is Going To Debut - Chapter 23

 

Chapter 23: Congratulations

Su Jinli's biggest issue has been overcome by himself.

His performance this time was excellent, flirtatious but adorable, youthful and full of vitality.

After watching their videos several times, Cang Ai expressed her opinion, "I think Wu Yu is more deserving. He has always been the top pick, and his performance this time was stable."

Gu Ju, however, had a different opinion, "Our choice for the 'center' position is solely based on this particular performance. If we consider the overall results, it would be unfair to the other contestants. Previous scores are wiped clean after the first two rounds, and what they're evaluated on now is their performance in the theme song."

Han Kai asks after some consideration, "So, Cang Ai favors Wu Yu, and Gu Ju favors Su Jinli?"

Gu Ju nods, "I believe Su Jinli's image is more youthful and radiant, which aligns with the image and definition of this song. Wuyu is a bit too restrained and lacks the vitality of youth."

Xiao Yuhe provides a rational analysis, "If Su Jinli suddenly becomes the 'center', it might stir controversy which can be a setback for him. People could start speculating about Su Jinli having connections backstage or something."

Gu Ju, who originally wanted to further defend Su Jinli, refrains from saying anything more on the matter.

An Zhiyan turns to Han Kai, "What is your opinion, Professor Han?"

"I personally prefer Su Jinli, as he has improved significantly. In the previous round, he sang a love song, and since he has never been in a relationship, he didn't have an advantage, and his performance couldn't reach its full potential. However, this song is upbeat and positive, and he sang it very well."

An Zhiyan stared at the screen for a moment before addressing the staff, "Turn off the video, and only play the audio of their individual parts for the two of them. Let's listen to who sings better in that section."

The staff made the necessary arrangements, and the screen in the meeting room dimmed, playing only the voices of Su Jinli and Wuyu.

After comparing the singing of both contestants, it seemed everyone had reached an answer.

"Su Jinli's voice really sounds great," Cang Ai surprisingly changed her stance.

"Based on just the singing, Su Jinli indeed interprets this song better," Han Kai shared his opinion.

"We have already watched their dancing many times. Both of their dances and performance skills are on par, so let's compare their singing alone. Now that Su Jinli's singing has an advantage, who do you think should be the 'center'?" An Zhiyan tapped his finger on the table, asking the others.

Gu Ju nodded in agreement, as he has been advocating for Su Jinli throughout the discussion.

Cang Ai scratched her head, and after some deliberation, responded, "Su Jinli."

Han Kai, with a smile on his face, followed up by saying, "Su Jinli."

Xiao Yuhe glanced at everyone else and said, "Seems like my vote isn't very important at this point."

In the end, it was determined that Su Jinli would be the 'center'.

________________________

After dinner, the contestants went back to the practice room for more training.

An Zhihan was dragged along by Su Jinli, who said, "Even if you made a mistake this time, you can't completely give up. You need to perform better in the future, don't you agree?"

"Actually, when I practice, I always remember everything well. But then I make a mistake when it's time to record," An Zhihan said, trying to find an excuse for himself.

"That just means you're not completely proficient. If you were, you would react to the music subconsciously and do it correctly."

An Zhihan wanted to argue but didn't manage to say anything, following Su Jinli to the training room with a dejected look on his face.

Upon entering, he saw Wu Yu glanced back at him, snorted coldly, and then continued practicing.

"Why does he seem so annoyed?" An Zhihan asked Su Jinli.

"There's a camera around..."

"Even if there is, why should it bother him?" responded An Zhihan.

Upon entering the practice room, it wasn't long before the athletes from Team A started practicing spontaneously.

Halfway through their practice, An Zhiyan suddenly appeared in the classroom doorway, so many greeted him.

An Zhiyan nodded in response, and then summoned his sister An Zhihan with a beckoning finger, "Come out."

Upon hearing this, An Zhihan felt a sense of trepidation and wished to hide. However, knowing it was futile to escape, he braced himself and followed An Zhiyan out of the classroom.

An Zhiyan led An Zhihan to a secluded area in the corridor and gave him a small shove on the shoulder, "If you can't take the hardship, you can get lost!"

An Zhihan knew his brother was genuinely angry this time, hastily defended himself, "I have been practicing... but I just forgot that one time..."

"Gu Ju went to the classroom yesterday morning, Su Jinli and Wu Yu were still practicing. Where were you then? Having a wild time, right?" An Zhiyan continued to question, his brows furrowed, exuding an overpowering aura of intimidation.

"I was just tired yesterday," he replied.

"Aren't others tired too? Why can they continue to practice? Are you trying to make excuses? I know very well how you used to be. Every time I supervised your training, you behaved properly, but as soon as I walked away, you'd laze around like a lord."

An Zhihan lowered her head, offering no further response.

"Do you think you're exceptionally smart? During the initial training, Su Jinli remembered the instructions after a few times. He's far smarter than you, but he still practises. What about you? Do you think our family can buy you a first prize to play with?"

"No..."

"No? I think that's exactly what you're thinking!"

An Zhihan was already in a bad mood, and being scolded like this by his brother in front of the camera made it even worse. He felt humiliated and wronged.

He made a mistake, and no one consoled him. Now he was even being scolded. Overcome with emotion, he started to cry.

"Why are you crying? You have the nerve to cry, aren't you feeling wronged?" An Zhiyan had no intention of letting up on An Zhihan.

"Can't I try harder in the future?" After crying, An Zhihan's spirit picked up, and he answered confidently.

"If you're tired, go home now. Don't take up space meant for people who genuinely dream. Everyone is trying hard, but here you are acting superior. That just makes you stand out for being remarkably lax."

"Since coming here... I... I've already improved a lot..." An Zhihan wiped his tears, his sobs making it difficult to speak clearly.

"You clearly could do very well, yet you haven't. Do you know what this means?"

"I don't know."

"Every time I act, any tiny imperfection will lead people to say that I got the role because of my family, right? I don't want people to say that about me, so I always strive to do my best. If you continue to participate in competitions with this attitude, you'll be scolded even more. Because you are An Zhihan!"

They are both sons of a legendary family head; if they don't work hard and make even the slightest mistake, they will be attacked by others.

People are generally tolerant towards the weak.

However, they have extremely high expectations for the children of the wealthy and famous, such as 'rich kids' and 'celebrity kids.'

The most common criticism is: "If you didn't have XX, you'd be nothing."

They can only silence their detractors by working harder than others.

"Over there, the camera is recording..." An Zhihan felt both shy and annoyed. He cared about his image, and didn't like being scolded like this. He turned away to secretly wipe away his tears but realized that the cameraman had followed him.

"You realize it's embarrassing now, huh? Why didn't you think it was embarrassing when you forgot your lines?"

"Are you done yet?"

"Do you have a problem?" An Zhiyan moved his wrist a bit, and An Zhihan immediately closed his mouth.

Su Jinli peeked into the corridor and saw that An Zhihan had been crying miserably, so he quietly said, "From now on, I'll practice with him."

He spoke so nervously that his voice was slightly trembling. It was as if he hadn't eaten for many meals, his voice was so faint, it was slightly horrifying.

Who knew just how fearsome An Zhiyan could be when he was angry?

An Zhiyan turned to look at Su Jinli and asked, "Can you manage him?"

"I'll try my best."

"And if he doesn't listen? "An Zhiyan continued to ask.

"Then... I'll pinch him!"

An Zhiyan saw Su Jinli clenching his fists and trying his best to speak bravely. Finally, he smiled and walked over to Su Jinli, patting him on the shoulder, "Then, I'll leave it to you."

Having physical contact with An Zhiyan made Su Jinli feel a bit overwhelmed, so he weakly nodded.

An Zhiyan quickly added, "Work hard for the center position."

"Huh?"

"It's yours now," he said before leaving.

After An Zhiyan left, Wu Yu and Fan Qianting also came out and went to An Zhihan's side.

An Zhihan thought they were there to comfort him, but then he saw Wu Yu take out his phone and snap a photo of him.

"I find that you look better crying than smiling," Wu Yu said as he looked at the photo.

After crying, An Zhihan's usual sharpness faded away, giving him a somewhat gentle and soft look. His damp eyes, in particular, made him seem somewhat pitiful and adorable.

Fan Qianting excitedly looked at his phone, declaring, "Send me a picture, come on, I'll set it as my screensaver."

"Why do you all act so low?" An Zhihan said in exasperation, momentarily forgetting to cry.

"How can you have the cheek to talk about others?"

Defiant, An Zhihan hmphed a few times, wiping away his tears before asking Su Jinli, "What did my brother tell you just now?"

"He told me that I am the center." Su Jinli replied, somewhat taken aback.

"Oh, that's good," An Zhihan said calmly.

There was an odd expression flickering across Wu Yu's face, but he quickly regained composure, congratulating Su Jinli, "Congrats."

"I always thought it would be you since you ranked first."

"If the center is yours, I respect that. If it’s An Zhihan's, I wouldn't be pleased.”

“Hey! What do you mean by that?” An Zhihan pushed Wu Yu's chest with his shoulder, feeling indignant.

"Why didn't you act so tough when talking to your brother just now?" Wu Yu dodged slightly backward.

"That's my brother! Plus, what he said was right."

Wu Yu snorted and turned away, walking off.

An Zhihan chased after Wu Yu, keep nagging behind him, asking if he didn't accept it.

________________________

That night, the show staff collected everyone's phones, as the first episode was about to air and it was time to start promoting and gathering votes.

During this period, they couldn't have any contact with the outside world and wouldn't know their results.

Before having their phones taken away, An Zhihan specifically invited Su Jinli, Wu Yu, Fan Qianting, and Chang Siyin to take a group photo. They all made funny faces with various expressions.

After taking the photo, they went to leave messages for their families, so they wouldn't think they had gone missing.

Su Jinli picked up his phone and searched for Shen Cheng's name again. The latest news was: "Shen Cheng Holds Major Stake in Boruo Pineapple, no longer an artist but now one of the shareholders."

He didn't fully understand the implications, but he skimmed through the news article regardless.

On the other hand, An Zhihan was still arguing with the staff, "I've edited the photos!"

An Zhihan edited three photos in one go and posted them on her own Weibo.

An Zhihan: About to have our phones confiscated for closed training, don’t miss me too much, everyone. We are striving for tomorrow together. [Pictures]

At this moment, An Zhihan wouldn't know that these photos would be the most frequently used group shots by the media after their debut, their breakout fame, and even ten years later when they became veterans in the industry.

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