Chapter 21: Physical Discomfort, Wu San Takes the Stage

The first rehearsal concluded smoothly.

Ji Qinglian was a permanent mentor for the program; even after the rehearsal ended, she could not leave the island.

Jin Li, however, was only a guest mentor for a single episode. Once the rehearsal was over, she had to leave the island and could not stay any longer.

The two stood by the entrance chatting for another ten minutes before Jin Li finally left the recording site under the urging of the staff.

Once outside, she met up with Sister Fang.

Sui Lingfang looked quite composed and said nothing about seeking revenge against Lian Baozhi.

Jin Li thought to herself: *We are still in the rehearsal period and everyone is very busy. Since the rehearsal was ultimately made on time, she probably just wants to minimize the conflict.*

Sui Lingfang had been furious with Lian Baozhi earlier for concealing the rehearsal schedule, but Jin Li wasn't quite as angry.

She hadn't yet viewed being a celebrity as a lifelong career, nor had she experienced the sanctity and rigor of the stage, so she didn't approach the matter with extreme seriousness.

Besides, this kind of man-made disaster wasn't something she could avoid just by being angry. Instead of wasting time being upset, Jin Li looked down at the *Five Years of Gaokao and Three Years of Mock Exams* in her hands and sighed—

Better to just do practice problems.

By the time Jin Li returned to the apartment, the lights of the city were already beginning to glow.

Sui Lingfang suggested, "How about we go out to eat?"

Jin Li shook her head. "I'll cook myself. Sister Fang, why don't you stay and eat with me?"

Although Jin Li hadn't actually sung during the rehearsal, she had expended a great deal of energy, and her face showed clear signs of fatigue.

Sui Lingfang didn't want Jin Li to divert her attention to taking care of her, so she shook her head. "No need. I have some business to attend to at the company. Get some good rest tonight. I've already inquired about the next rehearsal time; it's in two days. We'll prepare well then so we aren't as rushed as we were today."

Jin Li gave her a smile, her voice sweet and crisp. "Okay!"

In her heart, she silently gave Sui Lingfang a thumbs up.

To have inquired about the rehearsal date in just one afternoon—she had to admit, this manager was quite capable.

This meant she could bypass Lian Baozhi and come to rehearsals on her own without being controlled by her.

Jin Li suddenly thought of something. "Sister Fang, Lian Baozhi said she would yield the opening show to me. What if she goes back on her word at the last minute?"

Sui Lingfang let out a cold laugh. "Then we'll sue her for a million yuan in damages! I specifically had the legal department add that condition. If Lian Baozhi really reneges, we'll happily accept the money!"

Jin Li gave her a thumbs up. "Sister Fang, you're amazing!"

...

After her rehearsal ended, Lian Baozhi stayed on the island.

Today was the premiere of the variety show *PICK~ Next Station Diva*. All the mentors had to stay on the island and were not allowed to leave to prevent information leaks.

The mentor dormitories were naturally different from the trainee dormitories; the mentors all had luxury single rooms with amenities comparable to a five-star hotel.

Lian Baozhi's manager knocked on the door and walked in.

The moment the door opened, Lian Baozhi heard bursts of noisy screaming from outside, causing her to frown.

"What's that noise? It's so loud."

The manager replied, "The trainees are staying in the building next door. I heard the boy group 'March Sky' is doing a floor-sweeping recording tonight, and they are currently filming."

Lian Baozhi asked with interest, "Is 'March Sky' staying in this mentor building too?"

The manager shook her head. "Male and female mentors stay separately; they are in another building."

The look of disappointment on Lian Baozhi's face was obvious. Remembering what she had witnessed earlier, the manager quickly changed the subject.

"I've already contacted the staff in Rehearsal Room 5. After quite a bit of effort, I managed to get the details of Jin Li's rehearsal content."

It was only because Jin Li was merely a second-tier star that it was so easy to pry information out of them.

If it were A-list stars like Ji Qinglian or Qiu Qiwen, the staff wouldn't say a word unless they were prepared to resign.

Lian Baozhi asked urgently, "What kind of program is she preparing? Singing or dancing?"

The manager said in a low voice, "He said Jin Li's rehearsal is purely singing."

"Purely singing?" Lian Baozhi said in disbelief, suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Jin Li, oh Jin Li, you're given an opportunity and you can't even grasp it. Haha, purely singing? I'm not being mean, but with her vocal conditions, what kind of songs can she actually sing well?"

Jin Li's vocal qualities were quite good for an ordinary person—distinct and characteristic. One word: sweet.

And another: soft.

But for a professional singer, a voice that is both sweet and soft is difficult to manage.

It meant there would be great limitations in singing; she would have to pick the right songs to bring out the unique qualities of her voice.

If she chose the wrong song, it would be an absolute disaster—the kind that even pitch correction couldn't save.

And as for a girl group member...

Can a girl group member's singing even be compared to that of a professional singer?

Lian Baozhi was no longer worried about Jin Li posing a threat to her. Although Jin Li wasn't a professional singer, she believed her own singing ability was superior.

She couldn't wait to start recording the second episode!

On the other side, in the apartment.

After eating and resting for a bit, Jin Li felt a bit dizzy, showing symptoms of a cold or fever.

But she didn't dare sleep.

Who knew what her physical state would be like tomorrow if she actually fell asleep?

Recently, she had been photographed by passersby while going to burn incense, and Sister Fang had repeatedly instructed her not to go out for the next few days.

Having no choice, Jin Li could only force herself to stay alert and do practice problems.

She started a livestream.

[Ding dong, the "Jin Li Livestream" you follow has started~]

Fans, onlookers, and casual netizens all flooded into the livestream.

After the initial chaos of the first few minutes, Jin Li patted her face to force herself to stay awake and said nonchalantly to the camera, "I'm going to study. Do whatever you want."

[Ahhh, Li-bao is so cool, so chic, so sweet! Sweet and cool at the same time!]

[She's ignoring me, she's really ignoring me QAQ]

[I'm just asking: which other celebrity can stand in front of millions of fans, say nothing, and treat their fans like air? I'm. Just. Asking!]

The fans first posted comments excitedly before things calmed down.

Immediately after, an army of studious people charged in.

[wise adj. wise; bright; intelligent. handsome adj. handsome; generous; beautiful. argue vt. argue; debate...]

[The image shows a photo of a bullet passing through an apple captured by a high-speed camera. Analysis of the magnified photo shows that during the exposure time, the distance between the front and back images of the bullet is approximately 1% to 2% of the bullet's length. Given that the bullet's flight speed is approximately 500 m/s, the exposure time of this photo can be estimated to be closest to...]

Some fans and netizens were a step behind; what they saw upon entering the livestream was this scene.

Fans/Onlookers: *Emmm, I feel collateral damage.*

They were guilty. Why were they playing on their phones?

If Heaven wanted to punish them, it could have confiscated their snacks, but why did it have to make them witness this intense study competition?

Waaaah, this world is truly too cruel to them!