IDEI Ch27

The next morning, when Qi Yanning saw Ling Cangzhou’s messages, he merely chuckled softly and replied with a meaningless smile emoji.

Seeing that Ling Cangzhou did not reply right away, he put his phone away and ambled toward the filming site.

Today’s filming schedule was song selection for the third public performance. The trainees only needed simple, everyday makeup, which the styling assistants were more than capable of handling. There was no need for Qi Yanning to step in personally, so he had not deliberately woken up early. Still, he had not slept in either. By the time he finished breakfast and strolled into the studio, the song selection shoot had only just begun.

The third public performance featured original tracks. The trainees were finally going to have songs of their own instead of covering other artists, and their faces were brimming with excitement.

Morning Star Entertainment had been exceptionally generous, pulling five high-caliber tracks from the company’s music vault for Your Star to use.

These five songs had everything: from a sweet, adorable pop tune and a melodious ballad, to a cool, roof-raising dance track and a dark, sultry jazz number.

As each song’s demo played, gasps of astonishment echoed across the room.

“This song quality!”

“Songs that could easily be title tracks for other groups given to us… do we even deserve this?”

“It’s so good! I love that song ‘with U’ so much!”

Spurred by the tracks, the trainees could not help buzzing with discussion.

Qi Yanning stayed in a corner with the crew. Lowering his head, he immersed himself in the music, contemplating the fitting styles for each song.

Following standard survival show tropes, this song selection should have been determined by fan voting, where fans spent money to vote their idols into their preferred songs. However, Your Star, being a rather unconventional survival show, did not aggressively force pay-to-win voting.

The third stage song selection would be determined jointly by fan votes and the idols’ personal preferences.

The fan vote count for each song served as a score, acting as an idol’s stepping stone to enter a track, but the final choice still depended on the idol’s own wishes.

This mechanism did not give fans the thrill of controlling their idols like other survival shows did, but it tested the mutual understanding between idols and fans, and how well fans truly knew their idols.

There was less controlling behavior disguised as doing what was best for them and more telepathic equality. Although fans of Ou Jin mocked Your Star for offering zero stan experience, Your Star‘s fans happily embraced the system with ease.

Your Star did not milk them dry for cash, and visibly respected the trainees far more. As fans, what more could they ask for!

And now, the trainees were about to officially submit their choices.

Each was handed a slip of paper neatly printed with First Choice, Second Choice, and Third Choice, with blank lines beside them to write the song titles.

Once everyone filled them out and turned them in, the results would be revealed on an official roster.

This made these trainees, who had barely experienced normal school life, feel as if they were taking a major exam, filled with anticipation and unease.

Gong Jiayu was no exception. He sat in his seat, his face clouded with indecision.

“Hey, Xiao Yu, which ones did you pick?” Wei Mingzhe suddenly appeared beside him.

He sat down next to Gong Jiayu, his face full of concern.

“Wei-ge, which ones did you put down?” Gong Jiayu asked in return instead of answering directly.

“My first choice is ‘Hate’, then ‘Shadow’, and my last choice is ‘Dance to Death’,” Wei Mingzhe said. “I figure my fans will probably choose among these three. ‘Hate’ is safe, but if they want to see a breakthrough, they’ll probably pick the other two.”

Wei Mingzhe analyzed it logically and with utter confidence.

Hearing this, Gong Jiayu hung his head.

“I… I picked those three too,” he mumbled in a small voice.

Surprise flashed through Wei Mingzhe’s eyes. All three of those tracks leaned toward mature, edgy, and cool styles, which did not seem particularly suited to Gong Jiayu’s baby face.

“I know I didn’t perform well during the first public performance, so I wanted to try again…” Gong Jiayu’s voice was barely a whisper, having completely lost the sunny cheerfulness he had when he first arrived at Your Star.

During the first performance, Gong Jiayu had been in the group managed by Lin He. His looks and styling clashed terribly, and paired with his slightly over-the-top facial expressions, that stage had been a total disaster.

After that live broadcast, he was widely mocked across the internet, and in the subsequent elimination round, he plummeted from Class A down to thirtysomething.

Had he not been a rare powerhouse main vocal whose stellar performances in the second stage and the mentor collaboration stage reversed his decline, he would have been eliminated and sent home by now!

Still, the terrible showing in the first performance left a deep mark on him. At the start of the show, he ranked in the top three, but now, even after two consecutive dazzling performances, he had only barely climbed back to ninth place.

“Xiao Yu…” Wei Mingzhe hesitated. He knew this kid, who had just turned eighteen not long ago, wanted to redeem himself in the same style, but…

His fans probably would not think that way. They would be more focused on playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses.

For instance, heading to the ballad “Belong to Me” or the sweet song “with U”. Both tracks suited Gong Jiayu’s appearance far better.

Before Wei Mingzhe could say more, at the front of the classroom, the PD announced the final results.

On a large red poster, names were written beneath each song title. However, there were a few empty slots, leaving everyone wondering what happened.

“Most of you have already been matched with your songs,” the show’s PD, Chu Zhao, said at an unhurried pace, his meaningful gaze sweeping across everyone present.

“However…”

“Some trainees might not find their names up here. Due to various reasons, such as your choices completely conflicting with your fans’ votes, or the competition for your chosen songs being too fierce… these trainees have failed to match.”

Gong Jiayu’s mind went completely blank. He scanned the red sheet repeatedly, but could not find his name anywhere.

He had failed to match?

Beside him, Wei Mingzhe wrapped an arm around his shoulder, patting him comfortingly. Near the front of the crowd, Xiao Yingyi and Yan Zihao turned back to look at him with worry.

They had all been original Class A members, living and eating together for so long that their bond ran deep.

“However, these trainees still have one more chance,” Chu Zhao said.

“You must choose among the remaining vacancies. If the song you pick ranks first among your fans’ votes, congratulations, your placement is secured.”

“However, if your choice fails, you will miss out again and be randomly assigned to whatever vacancy remains at the very end.”

Chu Zhao wore his trademark mischievous smirk. “Understood?”

Several trainees whose faces showed regret or panic nodded.

“Then, starting from the highest-ranked unmatched trainee: Gong Jiayu.” The PD called out his name.

Gong Jiayu trembled all over, feeling as though the rest of his memories were an utter blur. He could not remember at all how he walked up or down from the front; he only remembered his trembling hands, and when he looked toward his friends, their identical silent hints:

“with U.”

***

In the “with U” practice room.

“Gong Jiayu!” their group leader shouted at him. “Your facial expressions!”

“Ours is a sweet, cute song. Facial expressions like yours don’t quite fit the style of the track.” Seeing Gong Jiayu look over, the leader softened his voice a bit.

After all, Gong Jiayu was a top-tier ranker while he was only ranked in the twenties, so he did not dare critique Gong Jiayu too harshly.

In reality, Gong Jiayu’s facial expression management was a massive problem.

It was as if he had formed a rigid mental formula: after singing a line, he would squint, pout, and gaze ambiguously, or strive to make his eyes look cold and sultry while dancing.

But this was a sweet, cute pop song!

During the second performance, Gong Jiayu sang a melancholy ballad, where such expressions could passably scrape by, only looking slightly greasy.

In the mentor collaboration stage, he was only tasked with belting out high notes at the right moments, stunning the audience with a three-octave belt.

This track, however, completely exposed his flaws.

The leader watched Gong Jiayu cautiously, terrified he might suddenly lose his temper.

What he did not expect was that Gong Jiayu simply hung his head and squeezed out a tearful apology: “I’m sorry for wasting your time. Don’t worry about me for now, I’ll be back shortly.”

He turned toward the door, and before walking out entirely, he even bowed ninety degrees to his teammates!

Any lingering frustration his teammates harbored vanished completely. Letting out a soft sigh, they resumed practicing.

Meanwhile, Gong Jiayu wandered aimlessly through the filming base.

His facial expression habits had been ingrained back at his company. Having been a trainee since childhood, his expression coach had taught them this way, solidifying into a fixed mindset over the years.

He felt as though he could never fix it.

Growing sadder the more he thought about it, he had no idea where he had wandered, until a teasing voice rang out.

“Where did this stray little kid come from?”

Gong Jiayu looked up and saw Qi Yanning’s silhouette beneath a large tree.

He held back and held back, but could not stop himself, lunging forward with a loud wail.

“Qi-ge!!!”

He had already worshiped this stylist with magical hands back when Qi Yanning crafted their stage looks. Coupled with how Qi Yanning had descended like a divine savior a couple of days ago to rescue them from that malicious stylist and given them breathtaking magazine looks, he felt even closer to him.

Thus, the current scene unfolded.

Qi Yanning pushed against Gong Jiayu’s head, his whole body radiating a frosty chill.

This face full of tears and snot disgusted Qi Yanning thoroughly.

“Don’t come near me,” Qi Yanning said ruthlessly, yet drew out a handkerchief and handed it to Gong Jiayu.

“Wipe your face and stop crying. What happened?” His voice was not gentle in the slightest, yet it brought an odd sense of reassurance.

Gong Jiayu wiped his face clean and recounted what had happened.

“Can’t fix it?” Qi Yanning scoffed softly. “There is nothing that can’t be fixed.”

“Follow me.”

Sporting eyes swollen like two peaches, Gong Jiayu entered the styling room and sat before the mirror as Qi Yanning instructed.

“Sing.”

“What?” Gong Jiayu turned to look at Qi Yanning.

“Look into the mirror and sing,” Qi Yanning said, standing to the side with arms crossed, watching the bewildered Gong Jiayu in the glass.

Gong Jiayu opened his mouth and sang his part.

“Don’t squint. Again.”

“Biting your lip? Again!”

“Squinting again? You think that looks good?”

…

Gong Jiayu started over again and again, forced to look into the mirror under Qi Yanning’s demands. He could barely recognize the person in the mirror anymore.

Finally, just as he was growing dazed, Qi Yanning stopped calling halts. Pressing a hand to the boy’s head, he said in a cool voice, “Do you feel like the reflection in the mirror is a stranger? Look closely at your facial features.”

It was rare for Gong Jiayu to study himself so closely.

A baby face, round eyes, rounded lips, looking delicate and completely harmless.

He pursed his lips, hesitating for a long time before stammering out thoughts he had never shared with anyone: “Qi-ge, do you think…”

“…that I don’t look good at all like this?”

For reasons unknown, even though Qi Yanning seemed aloof and proud, Gong Jiayu felt that he was an immensely trustworthy, good person.

Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow, finally pinpointing the crux of the problem. This kid did not like his own appearance.

Qi Yanning’s voice carried an amused lilt. “What do you consider good-looking, then?”

“At least like Wei-ge or Hai-ge, they’re so handsome! Unlike me, people only ever call me cute.” Gong Jiayu’s voice was tinged with envy.

“So your facial expression management is copying people with their bone structure, completely ignoring your own facial features?”

Qi Yanning rapped him sharply on the head. “Idiot.”

Gong Jiayu lowered his head and fell silent.

“Only capable of appreciating a single type of beauty… your aesthetic standards…”

Qi Yanning shook his head.

Exerting slight pressure, he steadied Gong Jiayu’s head, grabbed a makeup brush from nearby, and traced its handle across his face.

“Let’s look from top to bottom. First, you have an exceptionally well-shaped cranium, which gives your face a smooth, natural contour with full cheeks.” Qi Yanning’s gaze felt like a scalpel running over Gong Jiayu’s face, sending a shiver through him.

“Your eyes: textbook peach-blossom eyes, curving up at the outer corners and blooming at the inner, large and shimmering. That’s why squinting looks nowhere near as good as opening them wide.”

“Your nose: a classic boxy tip, straight and defined. Your lips are thinner on top and fuller on the bottom, naturally rosy with a defined Cupid’s bow. Refined eyebrows, translucent and fair skin…”

Qi Yanning paused, asking in an utterly incredulous tone, “With features like these, why on earth would you think you aren’t good-looking?”

Was that really true?

Gong Jiayu stared blankly at his reflection.

It felt like ages since he had heard praise about his looks. Ever since entering his agency as a trainee, all he had heard were criticisms of his face.

Whether teachers, company executives, or fellow trainees, everyone had stepped on him to elevate someone else.

“What’s the point of great skills? Looking like Gong Jiayu, girls won’t fall for him, and he won’t have a chance to debut.”

“Exactly, nowhere near our Kang-ge. A classically handsome face like that is what looks good!”

…

From the moment he entered the agency, such remarks constantly surrounded him. Even the coach teaching facial expressions had remarked regretfully, “With your looks… you really need to put extra work into your facial expressions.”

Living in that environment for so long had chipped away at his self-esteem without him realizing it. He had not looked properly in a mirror for ages, and on stage, he had unconsciously forced himself, trying to compensate for his perceived shortcomings with so-called facial management.

Seeing him still standing there like a fool, Qi Yanning continued, “Do you think… Lou Yuxing is good-looking? Is Chu Zhao good-looking?”

Gong Jiayu nodded frantically. How could those two not be good-looking? One had stunned everyone with half-face opera styling during the mentor stage, and the other was a top superstar!

“Then if I told you that in my eyes, your visual caliber is on the exact same tier as theirs, what would you think?”

Gong Jiayu’s eyes widened in utter shock.

Him, Lou Yuxing, and Chu Zhao?

No way…

“Think about it carefully.”

“And think about this: with facial expressions like yours, why have your fans stayed loyal through thick and thin? Do they have a fetish for ugliness? Or some kind of masochistic streak?”

Dropping that final remark, Qi Yanning turned and walked away cleanly.

***

After he left, Gong Jiayu stared at the mirror for a long time before finally breaking into an unreserved, radiant grin.

After Qi Yanning gave that spontaneous psychological counseling to the little stray he picked up that day, the next time he saw Gong Jiayu was in the dressing room for the third public performance dress rehearsal.

Over the past few days, Gong Jiayu seemed to have sorted things out. The restless anxiety previously clinging to him had settled, leaving behind an aura that felt clear, luminous, and refreshed.

“Qi-ge!” Gong Jiayu rushed over, his eyes glowing.

His cheeks were flushed. “After I went back that day, I asked a bunch of people, and every single one of them said I’m good-looking!”

That day, Gong Jiayu had gone around like a madman, asking everyone from trainees to floor managers, even asking the auntie running the snack counter.

“How could our Xiao Yu not be handsome?” The auntie had smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with affection. “Out of the whole show, Auntie loves your face the most!”

Her words melted away the last lingering trace of disbelief in Gong Jiayu.

He felt as though he were floating on clouds. Years of ingrained insecurity were overturned in a single day, yet far from being difficult to accept, he only felt a crushing weight lift off his chest, leaving him light as air.

“Qi-ge, let me sing my part for you! See if I’ve changed a lot!” Without waiting for Qi Yanning to respond, he began singing, even capping it off with an ending pose.

However, being far too excited, joy gave way to sorrow…

Qi Yanning let out a cold smirk. “What was that crooked smirk just now?”

He mimicked the expression Gong Jiayu had just made, looking indescribably mocking.

“Makes you look rather dim-witted,” Qi Yanning remarked ruthlessly, dropping the mimicry.

Gong Jiayu wailed in despair, casting an injured puppy-dog look at Qi Yanning as all his energy deflated.

Qi Yanning paid him no mind, proceeding to style the group.

Their group’s track was a catchy, sweet pop song that felt like a sugary first love on a school campus. Accordingly, Gong Jiayu’s wardrobe was a pair of pink overalls over a baby-blue hoodie, complete with a tiny pink hair clip nestled in his lightly curled hair.

Departing from his usual restraint, Qi Yanning dusted shimmering glitter across his face, making him sparkle from every angle like a peach candy wrapped in colorful foil.

“Whoa, so cute! Baby, come let Mama kiss you!” Seeing Gong Jiayu’s look, An Zai burst out laughing, whooping loudly from the side.

Gong Jiayu rose in mock fury, pretending to strike An Zai, but in this getup…

There was not an ounce of intimidation, looking purely like a kitten baring its tiny claws.

The surrounding trainees and stylists could not help breaking into fond smiles.

Too adorable!

***

In the blink of an eye, it was the third public performance of Your Star, and more than half the stages had concluded. Since the first performance, the show’s popularity had skyrocketed, and the live stream comments were currently scrolling by in a dense blur.

[Wei Mingzhe is too handsome!]

[His waist, heavy breathing]

[Why is Wei-ge on stage and not in my bed?! I refuse to believe this!]

[Underwear is flying everywhere in the chat, oh boy…]

[Who’s in the next group?]

[Gong Jiayu? Ummmmm]

[Wait, what’s wrong with our Xiao Yu? Did his three-octave high note burn your ears? Look at that jealous face!]

[Your Xiao Yu greased us all up, hhhhhhh, a human oil slick]

[Gong Jiayu? The one where closing your eyes is heavenly, but opening them is pure cringe?]

[High grease alert ahead, anyone on a diet evacuate immediately!!]

…

In the chat, mocking comments against Gong Jiayu surged relentlessly.

Yet it only lasted until the performance began.

Under a close-up camera shot, Gong Jiayu opened his eyes, his gaze brimming with sincere warmth. Then, he offered a gentle smile, a brilliant glint flashing in his expressive eyes before he slipped out of frame.

Leaving behind only a flash of pink that seemed to carry the sweet, crisp fragrance of fresh peaches.