Chapter 56: Unlocking a New Ability (Please keep reading!)

It must be said, the world of the "grind culture" addicts is far too silent.

Chen Lin lowered his head, picked up his PSP, played for a few minutes, and then suddenly put it down again.

He couldn't play; he couldn't play at all!

No, he had to study—no, he had to work!

Chen Lin was scratching his head in frustration. He couldn't write lyrics, he couldn't compose music, and he had absolutely no interest in high school knowledge. So, what was he supposed to do?

Was he supposed to just sit there silently transcribing dance moves?

Suddenly, Chen Lin spotted an electronic keyboard in the corner, and his eyes lit up.

He walked over, unplugged the cables, and began to play in silence.

At least he could practice sheet music!

As time passed minute by minute, the editors found several frames that were difficult to process and decided to call Jin Li over for pick-up shots.

"Teacher Jin Li said she's waiting in the public lounge. Help me call her over. There are about three or four shots to re-record; it should only take about ten minutes."

"Got it!"

The employee sent to fetch her pushed open the door to the lounge, but upon seeing the scene inside, his footsteps suddenly faltered, and he retreated back out.

He looked up at the sign on the door—it was definitely the public lounge, so why did it feel like he had stepped into the month of March?

Noticing him outside the door, Chen Lin waved him in.

The employee walked inside.

As he drew closer, he realized Teacher Jin Li was also in there, though she was sitting quite far away, intently working through practice problems.

Beside her, Gu Cheng was also looking down, working through problems.

The others also had their heads bowed, scribbling on paper without sparing him a single glance.

The employee was instantly struck by a sense of solemnity.

The Pink Girl Group and the March Boy Band—they truly were the two most popular groups in the industry!

Look at their attitude toward studying; they don't even relax during breaks.

They were grinding—truly, incredibly grinding!

The employee walked up to Jin Li and said respectfully, "Teacher Jin Li, we need to re-record a few shots."

Jin Li nodded and took off her headphones. "Alright, I'll go."

Gu Cheng reached out, and Jin Li handed him her headphones.

These were Gu Cheng's headphones; she had been worried that playing music out loud on her phone would be too noisy, so Gu Cheng had given her a pair. It worked out perfectly—one for each of them to listen to lectures together.

As soon as Jin Li left, Chen Lin was the first to let out a long, relieved breath.

"This atmosphere is suffocating! When was I ever this quiet? My god, I've been practicing sheet music for a full hour!"

Yan Xingdong put down his score and said with great interest, "If I had known Teacher Jin Li could fix you, I would have thrown you to her earlier. I spent so much effort trying to get you to practice the piano before."

Staring at the lyrics in his hand, Luo Yi said thoughtfully, "Don't you feel like our concentration was incredibly high just now? I suddenly felt a surge of inspiration and managed to write down a small segment of our new song."

Yan Xingdong walked over. "Let me see."

Chen Lin:...

No way. They had only been on break for a moment, and they were already starting to grind again?

After thinking for a moment, Chen Lin moved to sit beside Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng wasn't doing problems; he took a sip of water and pulled out his phone to look for something.

Chen Lin caught a glimpse of his screen, and his mouth twitched.

"You're serious? You're buying study materials again? No way, are you really planning to pursue an Economics Master's degree in China?"

Gu Cheng lifted his eyelids to glance at him and said lazily, "No, I want to study a different major in China."

Chen Lin asked, "What do you want to study?"

Gu Cheng: "I haven't decided yet."

Chen Lin: "The degrees from your school are recognized by Chinese universities. Can't you just apply directly?"

Gu Cheng looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

He said slowly, "Your vision is too short-sighted. Instead of applying without any sense of achievement, it's better to earn your way in through the entrance exams."

Chen Lin muttered, "You make it sound so noble, but I think you just want to accompany Teacher Jin Li through the Gaokao."

Gu Cheng lowered his head and went back to his phone, saying nonchalantly, "Studying is quite interesting. Mastering knowledge and skills step-by-step gives you a sense of leveling up."

Chen Lin grumbled inwardly: *Only a freak like you would find pleasure in 'leveling up.' Everyone else is just a weary traveler in a boundless sea of learning.*

Jin Li arrived at the classroom.

All the trainees were there. They seemed to have stayed there the whole time, waiting for the pick-up shots without going to rest.

She scanned the room, her eyes flickering slightly as she noticed that the short-haired trainee, Pang Jiali, was no longer there.

Jin Li shook her head slightly.

They were simply too young. Trying to snatch screen time in a pre-recorded program like this is futile; it all depends on whether the production team decides to give it to you.

Even if one wanted to fight for it, they should at least choose a live broadcast.

They said it was just a few shots, and it really was just a few shots.

Jin Li posed for a few different angles and said a few lines, and the recording was finished.

The whole process took only 15 minutes; in fact, adjusting the camera angles took more time than the actual recording.

Once the pick-ups were done, the trainees wanted to exchange pleasantries with Jin Li, but she merely nodded to them and walked away quickly.

The trainees couldn't leave yet; they had to stay and wait for any further pick-up shots.

One trainee whispered, "Teacher Jin Li doesn't seem as easygoing as the March Boy Band. They even came over to encourage us earlier."

Hearing this, Gong Jiajia immediately retorted, "Maybe she just has important things to do?"

"Forget it. Since Teacher Jin Li thinks highly of you, you're bound to think she's great. Pang Jiali lost her chance because of you. Are you satisfied now?"

Gong Jiajia opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

How was she to know that a single complaint to the producer would result in Pang Jiali losing all her screen time!

If she had known it would turn out like this, she wouldn't have gone to the producer.

Jin Li returned to the lounge in a hurry.

She was unaware of the trainees' underlying friction, and even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared.

The "life-or-death" matters in the eyes of trainees were nothing to her. Once they truly entered the entertainment industry, they would realize that snatching opportunities from others—or having them snatched—was incredibly common.

Upon returning, she greeted the others.

She had promised her netizens that she would try to host a study livestream every day. Since she was in a good state, Jin Li wanted to start a stream and asked for everyone's opinion.

"It's fine, go ahead. I'm on the other side; the camera won't catch me," the March Boy Band members said without objection.

Jin Li looked at Gu Cheng, who said, "If I'm doing problems right next to you, will it affect your stream?"

Jin Li thought about it and shook her head. "No. The phone camera's field of view is very narrow, so it probably won't catch you. But I'd rather be safe than sorry; I'm worried you might accidentally end up in the frame."

Her intention was to ask Gu Cheng to sit further away.

To her surprise, Gu Cheng said, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I'm in the frame or not."

Jin Li paused. "You don't care?"

Gu Cheng smiled, and his cold expression was softened by his gentle eyes, diluting the aloofness he usually carried when not smiling.

"What is there to care about? We're both studying. If you can study, why can't I? Are you worried that if I appear in the frame, I'll demand appearance fees from you?"

Jin Li actually thought about it seriously. "As long as the price is right, it's not impossible."

Gu Cheng quickly shook his head. "You might dare to hire me, but I might not dare to accept. Just get back to studying, Sister."

Jin Li actually wanted to discuss it further—hiring the March Boy Band to guest on her stream wasn't out of the question—but seeing that Gu Cheng wasn't taking it seriously, she didn't press the matter.

Jin Li adjusted her phone camera and started the livestream.

[Jin Li's livestream, which you follow, is now live!]

Since it was a weekday, the afternoon was also a time for studying and working.

When Jin Li started, her idle fans hadn't arrived yet, but the stay-at-home civil service exam candidates arrived quickly.

[I heard that studying in this study-streamer's room helps with concentration, so I came to check it out.]

[I heard the streamer is a celebrity. Are celebrities grinding this hard too?]

[This study-streamer is so beautiful~ Studying with her makes me feel like my mood is brightening up too!]

Jin Li glanced at the bullet comments but ignored them, splitting her screen to watch an instructional video.

With Gu Cheng, her focus was on solving problems; with the livestream, her focus was on watching videos.

She distributed her time this way mainly because if she were watching videos, the netizens who wanted to learn could learn along with her.

However, it was difficult to lead a group through problem-solving via a livestream.

Before long, more fans arrived and found that Jin Li's livestream background had changed.

[Is she studying while working?]

[Didn't Jin Li join the third season of "PICK~ Next Generation Diva"? Is she livestreaming from inside the show?]

Fans flooded the comments, but no one could give a definitive answer. Gradually, they stopped commenting and silently followed the host to watch the video.

On the other side, the pick-up shots finally concluded.

After the trainees dispersed, the staff began cleaning up props, arranging tables and chairs, and picking up trash. Suddenly, someone asked about Jin Li.

"I heard Teacher Jin Li wants to go to university and has been livestreaming to study. Where does she stream, and what's the name of her channel?"

"I know that. She's on Maozhua. The channel name is just her name."

The person asking immediately pulled out his phone to download Maozhua; he had previously been using Wangwang Live.

Seeing him searching, others asked curiously, "What, are you interested in livestreaming?"

"No, I'm interested in Teacher Jin Li. No, wait, not *that* kind of interest—it's admiration," the man replied. "You wouldn't believe the scene when I went to call her for the pick-ups. Everyone was studying."

"In the past, when I called the March Boy Band for pick-ups, they would take a break. But once Teacher Jin Li arrived, the March Boy Band started grinding too. It just so happens I need to learn something recently, so I'll enter Teacher Jin Li's room to see if I can settle my mind. It's one thing for ordinary people to slack off, but seeing celebrities work this hard... I can't slack off anymore."

By evening, before ending her livestream, Jin Li shared her study notes from the day.

Following her previous promise, she randomly selected three sets of notes from the comment section.

The first two sets of notes were quite mediocre, with messy handwriting and illogical points. However, the final set of notes featured neat, beautiful handwriting that was a sight to behold.

[This one is beautiful!]

[Looks like we have some experts among us!]

[This is comparable to the notes of a top student from my high school days; I even made copies of those notes!]

Jin Li asked the three users to private message her their addresses, and she would mail them a stack of scratch-off lottery tickets.

After the livestream ended.

Looking at that final set of notes, she suddenly turned to look at Gu Cheng, who was tidying up his exercise books.

Jin Li picked up the notebook he had left on the table and flipped it open. Sure enough, it was his writing.

"I was wondering why this handwriting looked so familiar. You're quite bold, not being afraid of netizens recognizing you at all."

Gu Cheng said calmly, "I'm using my alt account!" He added, "You don't need to mail that stack of scratch-offs to me. Just bring them to me next time we meet."

"Fine. I'm actually out of stock anyway; I'll have to ask the company to procure more."

Jin Li did the math. "I think I owe you several stacks. You've taught me twice already, and including this time, that's three stacks."

Gu Cheng: "Take your time. I'm in no rush."

Jin Li gave him an "OK" sign.

Back at the hotel.

Jin Li first went to the nearby Mazu Temple to pray as usual, feeling a long, continuous infusion of divine power, and then went to rest feeling refreshed.

But "rest" wasn't quite the right word.

When she had free time, she didn't know what to do, and after much thought, she realized she still had to solve problems.

Her foundation was simply too poor!

If high school knowledge didn't overlap much with middle school knowledge, Jin Li felt she would have to re-read middle school textbooks all over again.

However, following her current progress, while learning in-depth knowledge, it wasn't impossible to brush up on superficial middle school knowledge at the same time.

Whether for the sake of university or her own body, she couldn't neglect the practice problems.

She also livestreamed while solving problems.

[The grind is real.]

[The grind-addicts are silently shedding tears. Teacher Jin Li, why do you look so relaxed? Can you please stop grinding?]

[For the scratch-offs, I'll give it my all!]

[Person above, don't enter the lottery while solving problems; the lottery is for listening to lectures!]

[That hurts.]

This study session lasted for two hours before a series of "ding-dong" notifications from her phone interrupted her flow.

Seeing that it wasn't late, Jin Li decided to end the livestream. When she checked, she found a message in the Pink Girl Group group chat.

Lotus: [Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. You guys would never guess what Lian Baozhi is willing to do just to secure a powerful manager!]

Pearl: [Details, please!]

Koi: [+1]

Lotus: [I just heard some news. Apparently, during the meeting this afternoon, she faced the executives in the conference room, crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself—it was like a scene from a palace intrigue drama!]

Koi: [So, did she get what she wanted?]

Lotus: [Shrugs. A-list celebrities aren't exactly common. LP has 35 A-listers in total, with 20 being female. Since even Lian Baozhi lowered herself to beg like that, the company will naturally help.]

Lotus: [Many celebrities become quite arrogant once they reach A-list status and treat the company more like a partner. But Lian Baozhi is different. She begs the company. Just for the chance to raise an A-list puppet who listens to them, the company will try their best to satisfy her.]

Koi: [Is her new manager that good?]

Lotus: [Extremely good. He has five superstars and one Best Actress under him, and he frequently gets access to big productions. However...]

NANA: [I smell gossip, but what's the 'however'?]

Lotus: [However, I always feel like the artists under this manager are overrated. Aside from being good-looking, their acting and ability are quite mediocre for the A-list. You can only say this manager's resources are incredible; any other manager wouldn't be able to turn an average A-lister into a top-tier one.]

Dreamy: [I know who you're talking about. Liu Xuan, right? The resources for his artists are indeed excellent, but it always feels a bit strange.]

There were tiers even within the A-list.

For someone like Lian Baozhi, who had no signature works and relied purely on hype, she could only be a regular on variety shows.

She didn't have much actual talent!

But top-tier A-listers basically all possessed extraordinary abilities.

Extremely high popularity was matched by extremely high ability.

After all, fans aren't stupid; there's no reason to follow a mediocre person, right?

After finishing the gossip, Jin Li saw that Sui Lingfang hadn't returned yet, so she sent a message saying she was going to rest first.

She had a good night's sleep.

When she woke up the next day, Jin Li felt that her body truly felt different—there was a sense of heaviness.

This heaviness was a grounded, solid feeling, unlike before when her body was too weak and she felt light as a feather when walking.

Following her routine, she went for a morning run, prayed at the Mazu Temple, and brought breakfast back to the hotel, where she ran into Sui Lingfang, who had also just arrived.

Just as Jin Li was about to say hello, she froze. Why was there... on Sister Fang's face?

"Did you put blush on your forehead?" she asked.

Sui Lingfang touched her forehead and then her face. "No, I was in a rush. I didn't even put on foundation, how could I have blush? Am I running a fever? But I feel quite fine."

Jin Li stared at her a few more times, and having confirmed something, she shook her head. "No, I must have misseen it."

As she chatted with Sister Fang, she observed her complexion and looked at the faces of the passing service staff, reaching a conclusion

She hadn't misseen it; it was just that this red mark could only be seen by her.

Sister Fang's "Red Phoenix Star" (the star of romance) was moving!

She had possessed the ability to read facial features since she was a carp spirit; in fact, every deity possessed it.

It was just that when a deity looks, they can see much more information, whereas now she could only see a rough outline, so she hadn't reacted immediately.

Jin Li then connected this to the surge of energy she felt when waking up this morning. Perhaps, her body had improved even further?

Heaven is truly merciful; her sacrifices had finally moved the heavens.

It really hadn't been easy!

Since her own manager's romance star was moving, Jin Li didn't pry. Although Sister Fang looked tired, she seemed spirited, perhaps even enjoying it.

Jin Li continued her disciplined life for a few more days.

She would wake up, go for a run and pray, then head to the production team to study with the idle Gu Cheng.

Although Gu Cheng couldn't be called a master teacher, he called himself a "beneficial friend" who could progress alongside her, and Jin Li was happy to have such a companion.

At night, she would return to the hotel, pray to Mazu, start her study livestream, and then sleep.

Time flew by, and Saturday arrived.

The second half of the second episode of "PICK~ Next Generation Diva" was airing, and Jin Li was also scheduled to participate in the recording for the third episode today.

Starting from the second episode, the elimination rounds had begun.

Jin Li was not involved in that part of the recording, so she didn't know how many trainees would be eliminated.

But based on recording experience, to ensure the rankings were accurate and immediate, the production team would not let trainees leave until the very last moment of the broadcast.

In other words, after the second episode finished airing and five days had passed, only after the ranking deadline would they know which trainee was eliminated.

Therefore, the recording for the third episode today required all trainees to participate; they all had their stages.

But if they were eliminated later, all their footage would be cut from the third episode.

It had to be said, it was a bit heartbreaking.

Effort doesn't always guarantee a reward.

But without effort, there is certainly no reward.

The third episode recording began in the afternoon.

Jin Li went to get her hair and makeup done in the morning, maintaining her fresh and elegant look.

She wasn't a mentor, so she didn't need to perform on stage; she only needed to sit to the side and could remain silent the entire time.

However, the production team had sent word that if a trainee had an emotional breakdown on stage, they wanted her to say a few words to help ease the tension.

That was a bit troublesome.

Jin Li truly had no experience in comforting people.

When her health was poor before, she was always the one being comforted.

So, after her makeup was done, she crouched in the public lounge, searching for some inspirational quotes to prepare at the last minute.

After lunch.

Jin Li was still clutching her phone, while Sui Lingfang accompanied her, silently opening a tablet to watch the second half of the second episode.

Midway through, seeing that Jin Li had finally put down her phone, Sui Lingfang handed her the tablet. "It just reached the part where you encouraged Gong Jiajia to fight for the Center position. Take a look."

Jin Li fast-forwarded a bit and watched Gong Jiajia's stage.

The production team's editing was good; in this stage, Gong Jiajia's strength was still the most prominent, creating a gap between her and the other members.

Jin Li said, "I have the same thought now. She has the strength."

Sui Lingfang asked, "So you hope she debuts in the group?"

Jin Li thought for a moment. "Gong Jiajia's popularity is quite low, isn't it?"

"It is lower, but that's just the popularity vote. The production team hasn't announced the elimination rules yet. Maybe with your encouragement, she might make a comeback."

Jin Li shook her head and said honestly, "But she isn't suited for a girl group."

"Hmm?" Sui Lingfang was surprised. "I thought you were very optimistic about her."

Jin Li: "I am optimistic about her, but not about her being in a girl group. Her ability is too prominent for a girl group; she can AOE (Area of Effect) the entire stage by herself. What would the other members do? A team needs complementarity, not a one-person stage."

Sui Lingfang didn't quite understand.

Chenxi Entertainment had never launched a girl group and lacked experience in this area.

"You mean, being too capable in a team is also a problem?"

Jin Li smiled, a very sweet smile with a hint of pride in her eyes.

"Of course not. Look at the March Boy Band; every one of them is highly capable. Even the youngest, Chen Lin, is excellent at both singing and dancing, yet their group is very complementary.

It's not that Gong Jiajia can't be in a girl group, but compared to a team that requires mutual coordination, her personality and ability are better suited for a solo career."

She pivoted her words. "But if she truly goes solo, her ability is still a bit lacking. Between singing and dancing, she must have one that is clearly superior. Given the current market, it would be better for Gong Jiajia to debut as an independent singer."

Sui Lingfang took these words to heart.

Jin Li continued looking at "chicken soup for the soul" on her phone, while Sui Lingfang watched Gong Jiajia's stage again.

To be honest, she also wasn't optimistic about Gong Jiajia debuting. Her looks were fine compared to ordinary people, but her sharp aura wasn't suited for the soft and cute girl group style.

At 2:00 PM.

The mentors took their seats. This time, Jin Li had a single seat, located to the left of the March Boy Band.

To the right of the March Boy Band were Ji Qinglian and Lian Baozhi, the two female celebrities sitting next to each other.

The recording was still a few minutes away, so the teachers exchanged pleasantries.

Jin Li glanced at Lian Baozhi.

After so many days of rehearsals, this was her first time seeing Lian Baozhi, and she wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or something else.

Noticing her gaze, Lian Baozhi turned her head slightly toward her and said with a smile, "Teacher Jin Li, long time no see."

Jin Li froze for a moment, seeing a faint trace of black energy between Lian Baozhi's brows.

Oh ho, interesting.

Jin Li's voice was sweet and clear, her face full of smiles. "Teacher Lian Baozhi, long time no see. How is your manager, Lyu Shanjie, doing?"

Lian Baozhi's smile faded slightly. "Teacher Jin Li remembered incorrectly. Lyu Shanjie hasn't been my manager for a long time. My manager is Liu Xuan."

When she mentioned Liu Xuan, her tone was somewhat proud.

Jin Li let out a soft laugh.

"I heard your new manager is quite impressive. That's wonderful," she said with admiration. "I just wonder how much of a share Teacher Lian Baozhi can get from the many artists under him."