Chapter 84: Cooperation
When Su Jinli and the others arrived at the venue, they immediately started continuous rehearsals. The staff also guided them to familiarize themselves with the environment to avoid getting lost and wasting time on the day of the event.
Every step had to be taken with caution; the production team didn't want any more issues.
During dinner, An Zhiyan called An Zhihan away, so Su Jinli ate with Fan Qianting and the others.
"I thought An Zhiyan would bring you along this time," Fan Qianting casually chatted with Su Jinli while eating.
"No, he won't," Su Jinli quickly changed the topic and asked, "How did your talk with Brother An go?"
"I really want to join Sejia Legend. With you there, I'd have company, and An Zhihan can speak up for me. It's better than those companies where I know nothing about them. Brother An's offer is basically satisfactory, but it's not as..."
Fan Qianting gestured but couldn't find the right words, then looked at Su Jinli.
Su Jinli looked at Fan Qianting curiously, waiting for him to continue, but Fan Qianting just kept eating.
Su Jinli felt puzzled and wanted to ask more.
At that moment, Wu Yu interrupted, changing the subject. "Are we going back to the training camp after the finals?"
"Yes, to pack our things and record some additional interviews. Don't tell me you brought all your luggage," Fan Qianting couldn't help but ask Wu Yu.
Wu Yu casually replied, "I don't have much luggage."
"Right, you came here in a hurry. Having a change of underwear is already good enough," Fan Qianting laughed.
"I actually bought everything just before coming here."
"That's tough."
The conversation moved on.
Wu Yu glanced at Su Jinli, deciding it was better not to say anything that might make him uncomfortable.
An Zhiyan's offer to Su Jinli made Fan Qianting think he would receive similar treatment if he joined Sejia Legend. Although he wasn't as popular, he thought the conditions might be slightly different. However, the difference turned out to be significant.
An Zhiyan's offer met Fan Qianting's requirements but wasn't exceptionally attractive, making him feel super excited or completely dismiss other companies.
Fan Qianting knew he wasn't as good as Su Jinli, so he didn't mention it. It would sound bitter, and he wasn't good at complaining, so he chose to stay silent.
If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. There's no point comparing himself to Su Jinli.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Wu Yu saw through it but didn't say anything, pretending not to notice and helping to smooth things over when needed.
Although Su Jinli didn't understand many things, he could read the room. Looking at the two of them, he suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
He had thought they had all become friends, but now, as the finals approached, gaps were starting to appear.
His friends had their own issues and started avoiding certain topics.
After a few more bites of food, he reminded himself not to be so sensitive. After all, he had been hiding the fact that he was a spirit and hadn't told them.
What right did he have to judge?
Even friends can't share everything.
He wasn't sure if he had made any real friends since coming to the human world.
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That evening, the production team had them change into their costumes and try on their custom-made outfits. Any adjustments needed would be made.
An Zhihan returned at this point and immediately started complaining about the ugly costumes.
Su Jinli asked him, "Have you eaten?"
"My brother made a special meal for me."
"Oh..."
"I messed up my last performance, so my brother called me over to encourage me. It was really unlucky. During my last performance, it rained the hardest, and I couldn't even open my eyes..."
Su Jinli squeezed An Zhihan's arm. "It's okay. I don't think your mistake was that big. Everyone understands."
In the last round, An Zhihan didn't mess up his dance, but he did sing the wrong lyrics.
Fortunately, An Zhihan's performance was still good, and only a few attentive viewers noticed the mistake.
"I can't make any mistakes in the next round..." An Zhihan said as he changed into his costume and looked in the mirror. "Does my head look too small? It seems a bit weird."
"You look great on camera."
"My brother's proportions are perfect, but I don't know if anyone else noticed. He has big feet, so his shoes have to be custom-made," An Zhihan accidentally revealed another of An Zhiyan's secrets.
Su Jinli smiled, pressing his lips together.
"Why didn't my brother call you today?" An Zhihan couldn't help but ask. "I even tried to pull you along, but Brother Jiang stopped me."
Su Jinli shook his head. "I don't know... Maybe he wanted to talk to you privately?"
"There's nothing private to talk about..." An Zhihan muttered and went to change his clothes again.
Su Jinli stood in front of the mirror, tilted his head in thought, then quickly recovered and went to ask Bobo about his look.
An Zhiyan was doing well.
Yes... doing well.
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A live broadcast is a real test of a production team's capabilities. This time, National Idol invited a professional team to assist and had the resources to invite famous hosts to control the stage. The setup wouldn't be as shabby as before.
An Zhiyan appeared with two hosts, a common male-female pair, plus An "Flower Vase" Zhiyan.
When the three of them took the stage and delivered the opening remarks, the audience went wild.
The long-awaited moment had finally arrived.
The Finals!
Today is the day.
There are 5,000 spectators in the audience, creating a lively atmosphere.
This event is being held in a stadium, and it's completely sold out, showing just how popular this competition is.
An Zhiyan and the two hosts had rehearsed yesterday, but today there would be guests present. Yesterday, they rehearsed in front of empty seats.
The first few rows were filled with representatives from entertainment companies, followed by celebrities.
"This guest is amazing, the youngest Best Actor in history..." An Zhiyan only got halfway through his introduction before the crowd erupted in cheers.
Shen Cheng's popularity is no joke. The Shen family army is so vast that if each member spat, it could fill another Pacific Ocean.
After the excitement died down a bit, An Zhiyan finished his introduction from memory and smiled at Shen Cheng, asking, "Do you have anything you'd like to say to the audience?"
"Yes, I hope everyone watches this competition closely and witnesses the rise of future stars," Shen Cheng politely replied after taking the microphone.
"Anything else you'd like to add?" An Zhiyan continued, maintaining a polite tone without any hint of impropriety.
He expected Shen Cheng to campaign for Su Jinli, but Shen Cheng simply smiled and said, "So bad."
Recently, this talent show had popularized a new catchphrase online: "So bad." The first person to say it was Su Jinli.
Shen Cheng didn't explicitly campaign for Su Jinli but used this viral phrase. Many in the audience knew about their brotherly relationship and started cheering.
It seemed like he wasn't campaigning, but the effect was even better, adding entertainment value.
Unexpectedly, Shen Cheng's words caused a stir, with some people even whistling and screaming.
The male host couldn't help but laugh and said, "You two have been rivals for so many years, yet your fans get along quite well."
An Zhiyan could only smile and deny it, "No, no, Shen Cheng and I have a very harmonious relationship offstage."
Looking up, he saw Shen Cheng smiling with a raised eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying it.
See, their relationship is “harmonious"!
"The next guest is also very impressive," An Zhiyan began to introduce the next guest but was stopped by the female host.
"Wait, don't rush through our Idol Shen! This is my first chance to meet him face-to-face!"
This wasn't part of the rehearsal, so An Zhiyan could only smile and watch the female host interact with Shen Cheng.
"We all know you're Su Jinli's brother, right?" the female host asked.
"Yes, that's right," Shen Cheng replied.
"There's been a lot of controversy online. People don't understand why you two brothers are so estranged that Su Jinli had to come on a reality show to find you." The female host's question was sharp, and this was a live broadcast, giving Shen Cheng little time to think.
"We were only together during our childhood. After we separated, we each grew up in different environments. He was very young at the time and didn't know much. He only vaguely remembered having a brother. He couldn't recall my name or what I looked like as we grew older," Shen Cheng calmly explained into the microphone.
"How did you find Su Jinli then? Was it because people tagged you online, asking you to find your brother? You should have remembered you had a younger brother. Didn't you think about looking for him all these years?"
Recently, many reporters had been trying to interview Shen Cheng about this matter, but he was elusive, and they couldn't get any information from him.
This appearance on National Idol was a rare opportunity. The female host wanted to create a buzz, hoping to ride the wave of attention if she asked the right questions.
"I admit I haven't been a very responsible brother. Our family went through changes, and we ended up without parents. I thought he was... gone too. So, seeing him again made me very happy. It was indeed because of this show that I found him again, and I'm very grateful for it," Shen Cheng said, his eyes suddenly reddening as if he was holding back tears.
So, it was because of family changes...
An Zhiyan watched Shen Cheng's dramatic performance, unable to disrupt it. He had to play along, saying, "That's right. I also talked to Su Jinli. He grew up without parents, raised by an elderly gentleman in a remote area. He only attended a private school and didn't understand many things. He's not pretending to be innocent or deliberately acting cute as people online say. He genuinely doesn't know a lot."
An Zhiyan and Shen Cheng's impromptu story moved the entire audience.
Playing the sympathy card, they highlighted Su Jinli's orphaned status, his adoption, and his strong upbringing.
This segment was perfect!
The female host's assist was brilliant.
She wanted to ask more, but An Zhiyan interrupted, "Every family has its own story. Let's not reopen old wounds in such a setting. Su Jinli is the first to perform later. What if he comes out crying? Also, our next guest has been signaling us, and we haven't interviewed him yet. Let's move quickly."
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Author's Note:
It's not the rivals fighting that you should fear, but their sudden cooperation. Most people can't handle it.
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