Chapter 25: PICK the Next Diva" Officially Begins Recording

Chapter 25: "PICK~ Next Station: Diva" Officially Begins Recording

Jin Li thought to herself that young people truly were full of vitality.

As a carp spirit who had lived for an unknown number of years, she found everything in the mortal realm quite refreshing.

Gu Cheng replied, "Senior Li, our rehearsals went very smoothly. What about you? Did your rehearsal go well?"

Jin Li nodded and answered with equal seriousness, "It went quite well. The production team's efficiency in making props is much faster than I imagined."

Gu Cheng hesitated for a moment before asking, "I heard that your stage is pure singing?"

Jin Li raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone meaningful. "It's true what they say—good news travels slowly, but bad news travels fast. Even though Bao Zhi only mentioned it in the hallway, how did everyone end up knowing?"

Gu Cheng blinked, choosing to ignore the sarcasm in her words. He asked, "Senior, are you confident?"

Jin Li reached out, intending to pat Gu Cheng on the shoulder, but suddenly realized the distance was a bit too far to reach.

Just as she was about to step closer, Gu Cheng cooperatively leaned down, tilting his shoulder toward her.

With eyes curving into crescents, Jin Li gave his shoulder a light pat.

"Gu Cheng," she said, pronouncing his name fully for the first time, her voice calm. "I never fight a battle without preparation."

Gu Cheng: "But earlier in the gym, your breath control—"

Jin Li suddenly squeezed his shoulder firmly, interrupting him with a smile. "That was just a tiny little mistake on my part. I've already made up for it now."

"Alright," she said, ending the topic ahead of time. "Don't just talk about me; talk about yourselves. Don't worry, I may look young, but I've experienced much more than you all. This little thing is nothing."

After chatting for only a few minutes, Jin Li was called away by a staff member to the accommodation arranged by the production team.

Recording was set to officially begin tomorrow, and the production team refused to let any personnel leave, including someone like Jin Li who was only recording for one episode. Everyone was staying in the same place to ensure maximum secrecy.

However, this secrecy was only strictly enforced externally; internally, it wasn't quite as rigorous.

She ran into Sui Lingfang.

Due to Jin Li's physical condition, Sui Lingfang had negotiated with the production team several times before they finally agreed to let her in.

The photos of Jin Li coughing up blood were truly quite frightening; in such a large-scale recording setting, no one wanted anything to go wrong.

Jin Li communicated with Sui Lingfang regarding the news that had leaked. Sui Lingfang let out a cold laugh. "I knew Bao Zhi wouldn't be that kind-hearted. She pointed it out in the hallway on purpose!"

She was actually somewhat worried about Jin Li's stage, but at this point, what use was worrying? It was better to give the artist confidence.

"She specifically chose a singing and dancing routine because she wants netizens to compare your performance to hers, using you as a stepping stone. Little does she know that's exactly what we're planning too. It's not yet decided who will be using whom as a blade!"

Sui Lingfang's dormitory was next to Jin Li's. Fearing that Jin Li might suffer from stage fright, she went over to accompany her at night.

When she had previously managed He Yixuan, He Yixuan had indeed suffered from stage anxiety.

But upon entering Jin Li's room, she realized she had overthought it.

Jin Li wasn't anxious at all. Or rather, if obsessively grinding through practice problems could be considered a sign of anxiety, then she was likely very anxious right now.

One hour passed.

Two hours passed.

Three hours passed... Sui Lingfang couldn't help but ask, "Jin Li, are you going to keep doing these problems?"

Jin Li put down her pen, rotated her neck and wrists, and checked the time. "It's only ten at night, it's still early. I just finished a physics paper; I'll do one more hour of math before going to sleep."

She added thoughtfully, "Sister Fang, if you're tired, you can go back and rest first. You don't have to stay with me."

Sui Lingfang's mouth twitched. She thought to herself: *If I don't watch you, I'll worry you'll grind through these problems until you go mad.*

A hardworking "study beast" was truly a terrifying thing.

She shook her head. "It's fine. I still have some work to handle, and it's not my bedtime yet."

In reality, celebrities rarely have regular schedules; staying up late is the norm. However, because of Jin Li's special physical condition, it was best for her not to stay up late, so she had been sleeping early and waking up early lately.

Since she couldn't ask Mazu for divine strength today, she could only rely on grinding through problems to sustain her stage tomorrow.

If it were just recording a stage performance, Jin Li wouldn't be this worried.

But she had heard that in addition to the stage, she would also have to sit in the mentor's seat, where she might be prompted to share her insights.

Given the recording duration of a single variety show episode, even normal mentors found it difficult to endure, let alone someone in her position.

If it weren't for her body's inability to handle late nights, Jin Li would have wanted to grind through problems until dawn!

Time flew by, and the next day arrived.

When Sui Lingfang met up with Jin Li, she noticed Jin Li was wearing a jade pendant around her neck with a pattern that looked like Mazu. She was speechless.

*It's over. What if my artist becomes addicted to relying on deities?*

Sui Lingfang said tactfully, "Maybe don't wear this pendant? It doesn't really match your outfit."

Jin Li immediately shook her head and said cautiously, "It brings me good luck."

The official recording time was 9:00 AM.

There were over a hundred trainees divided into 12 programs. Combined with the time taken for theme dances, watching every single trainee's stage would inevitably be exhausting for the audience.

Therefore, the production team's approach was to have mentors perform intermittently to ignite the atmosphere and blow up the stage.

According to the arrangement, a mentor and a partner would form one stage, and the mentor would also perform a separate solo stage.

Jin Li was lucky to be placed as the first to perform, a slot meant to kick off the show with a bang.

It wasn't until Sui Lingfang arrived at the scene that she learned of the arrangement, and her heart sank.

She didn't think of anything else except that being the first to perform would involve immense pressure. Jin Li's song wasn't an upbeat track, so she feared it wouldn't be able to stir up the atmosphere.

If Jin Li were to break down due to excessive pressure... Sui Lingfang glanced at Jin Li, and her anxious mood suddenly calmed down.

While waiting backstage, Jin Li wasn't warming up her body; instead, she was desperately grinding through practice problems, incredibly composed.

Sui Lingfang suddenly felt her previous thoughts were quite ridiculous.

High pressure at the opening?

Jin Li had survived while working and studying simultaneously; what was she afraid of?

Could this pressure be more terrifying than doing a set of Huanggang Secret Papers?

A few minutes later, Jin Li's earpiece signaled a prompt. She put away her test papers and walked steadily toward the elevator on the other side.

...

"Next, let us welcome the mentor-partner—Jin Li!"

"Ahhh!"

"Jin Li! Jin Li! Jin Li!"

"Ahhh, Jin Li, I love you!"

Jin Li walked out with a smile, waving to everyone, her cute dimples appearing on both sides of her cheeks.

The female trainees shouted in unison, "I want to drown in your dimples!"

Jin Li wasn't wearing a youthful, lively pleated skirt; instead, she wore a fresh and elegant pure white dress. Her hair was braided into a fishtail braid and gathered at the back, adorned with a lily of the valley.

Her makeup was light, with only a layer of pale pink blush, which immediately created a distinction from the youthful, bright "girl group" makeup of the trainees, making her appear gentle and sophisticated.

Yet, her essence as a "sweet girl" remained unchanged.

With just a light smile, every frame and every second of her expression was perfectly placed within a comfortable range, making anyone who saw her unable to help but smile along with her.

She sat before the piano, her fingers casually plucking a few notes. As a smooth glissando rang out, Jin Li nodded slightly to the side.

The accompaniment immediately kicked in, followed closely by the melodious sound of the piano.

(End of Chapter)