[Exactly, if it were Team Captain Meng who came, I wouldn't say anything. How can there be such a big difference between people who studied abroad?]
[I'm literally crying! The show's producers are not being fair. Why would they put Xie Yu in Si Fuqing's class? I don't believe it was his choice!]
[Si Fuqing, I beg you, please leave Xie Yu alone. Do you have any idea of your own limitations?]
[Don't worry, everyone. The official list hasn't been released yet. There's still a chance!]
[Si Fuqing, if you dare to ruin Xie Yu, you're done!]
Online, Xie Yu's fans had practically gone insane, while casual viewers took on a spectator's attitude.
The news had naturally spread throughout the training camp, and the trainees were buzzing with astonishment.
"Brother Yan, this is great news!" My Ye was almost ecstatic. "Xie Yu choosing Si Fuqing as his mentor will surely make a lot of his fans turn against him. How can he compete with you for the center position now?"
Xie Yu was strong in both singing and dancing, but after all, he was an amateur yet to debut, and couldn't be compared to the mentors in terms of experience.
Therefore, the choice of a mentor was crucial.
Lu Yan hadn't expected Xie Yu to choose a path that seemed like a dead end.
All the other trainees wanted to stay as far away from Si Fuqing as possible, fearing that they'd get embroiled in any scandals or attract unnecessary attention.
Yet Xie Yu had voluntarily approached her?
Was he out of his mind?
"No, something's not right," Lu Yan frowned. "Xie Yu is definitely not a thoughtless person. Why would he choose Si Fuqing?"
Was it because, in the last assessment, Si Fuqing had detected Mu Ye's vocal range?
But what did that amount to?
She still couldn't perform on stage independently, even afraid to turn on her microphone during a girl group performance.
Starry Sky Girls were indeed popular, but it was largely due to their team leader and the other three members.
Si Fuqing was just riding on their coattails.
If she had any real talent, pigs could climb trees.
Lu Yan thought for a while but couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation.
However, he remained cautious, "We can't let our guard down. We need to keep an eye on him."
Mu Ye nodded.
"By the way, I got a call from the company this morning, and they dropped a hint," Lu Yan began. "When it comes to selecting the finalists in the last episode, someone from the Grammys might come."
Mu Ye exclaimed, "The Grammys?!"
The Grammys were the pinnacle of the performing arts and singing world.
Only a select few could break into that circle, let alone be listed in the Grammy's Hall of Fame.
Those who made it to the list were considered milestones in the entertainment industry.
Even if one could only study at the Grammys for three months, their value would increase exponentially.
"So, stick closely to Teacher Lin," said Lu Yan. "If there's a chance to get into the Grammys, that's when you've truly made it."
"I will!" Mu Ye looked excited.
One of the reasons he chose Lin Qingyan was because she knew people in the Grammys.
Later in the competition, mentors would invite guests to support them, and Lin Qingyan might invite her Grammy friends.
The more Mu Ye thought about it, the more exhilarated he became. He chuckled, "I really have to thank Si Fuqing."
If it weren't for Si Fuqing taking Xie Yu away, he might not have gotten into Lin Qingyan's class.
Xie Yu was foolish for cutting off his own path to the Grammys.
**
At the epicenter of the whirlwind of gossip, Si Fuqing was sitting cross-legged in front of a mirror in the dance studio, her laptop perched on her lap.
With one hand supporting her chin and the other idly typing, she was engrossed in a conversation on her screen.
It was a text box.
A series of messages appeared one after another, it was obvious the person on the other side was very excited.
[Ji]: I'm telling you, I've had enough of these wannabe shamans from the East Mulberry. Just learning the basics, and they already act like they're masters, even scheming against me. What nerve!
[Ji]: When I was writing talismans, they were still single-cell organisms!
[NINE]: Yes, yes, Ji, you're the greatest.
Si Fuqing leaned against the mirror and took a sip of her cola.
She had met Ji in a holographic game.
Their first meeting had ended with her beating him up.
She knew he was a Master of Yin-Yang with the last name Ji;
He knew she was an elusive mystic, with mysteries whereabouts, code name NINE.
Neither had asked for the other's real name.
Si Fuqing was well aware of the Ji family's standing in the Great Xia Empire.
They were a prestigious family of Master of Yin-Yang in the East.
Ranking among the top three families in the empire, along with the Mo family in the Central Plains.
Yet, in recent years, they had kept a low profile.
Skilled in the arts of Yin and Yang, as well as the Five Elements, they were virtually untraceable if they chose to remain hidden.
The withdrawal of the Ji family served as another reason for the audacious behavior of the Masters of Yin-Yang in the Eastern Mulberry region.
[Ji]: I've sent you the talismans. I always thought you were in Freedom State, didn't know you were in Great Xia too. But I've never heard of anyone like you here.
[NINE]: Didn't I tell you? I'm a celebrity.
[Ji]: Pfft! You? If you're a celebrity, wouldn't you have blown up the entertainment industry by now? I'd believe it more if you said you were an undercover agent in the industry.
[NINE]: You're done.
Ji immediately backtracked.
[Ji]: ...I'm sorry, papa.
Not long after, another message popped up.
[Ji]: Speaking of the entertainment industry, it really is a messy and dirty place. Just recently, I forgot which celebrity it was, but they contacted one of our nominal family members. They wanted to hire a Master of Yin-Yang to bring bad luck to another star. Tsk, tsk.
Si Fuqing decided not to continue the conversation when a new message popped up on her WeChat.
It was from Yu Tang, whom she had just exchanged contact information with yesterday.
[Yu Tang]: Qinqin! Dinner tonight? My treat!
[Yu Tang]: Spinning.jpg
Si Fuqing pondered for a moment before replying.
[Let's eat, but I'll pay.]
Yu Xiheng had been quite kind to her, and she had just received her salary. It would be inappropriate to let Yu Tang, a young girl, pay for her.
[Yu Tang]: Okay! I'll come to your training base later!
Si Fuqing closed her laptop and glanced at Xu Xiyun, who was practicing his dance moves. "You've got this routine down. Take a break. We'll practice singing in a bit."
"Alright," Xu Xiyun stopped and took a sip of water.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. "Teacher Si, you're actually really talented, aren't you? But for some reason, you have to hide it?"
"Like a Super Saiyan who can destroy the world when they transform, roar!"
Si Fuqing had a question mark above his head.
She looked at him with a complicated expression. "You should read fewer novels too."
Xu Xiyun scratched his head, confused.
Did he say something wrong?
A string of footsteps sounded, and a few trainees walked into the dance studio, their faces far from happy.
"Hey, what brings you here?" Xu Xiyun, oblivious to the atmosphere, greeted them cheerfully. "Oh, you've been assigned here too? We can train together from now on."
The trainees exchanged sarcastic glances.
One even snickered, "Xu Xiyun, we may not have the talent to debut, but we'd never choose a mentor who's incompetent in singing and dancing."
Xu Xiyun's face flushed red. "What do you mean incompetent? Teacher Si is not—"
His words were cut off impatiently. "Enough, you don't have to explain."
Xu Xiyun had seemed strangely biased toward Si Fuqing these past few days.
Si Fuqing motioned for Xu Xiyun to take a break. She leaned back, her posture languid. "What do you want?"
"We're not sure why Xie Yu chose you," the trainees exchanged glances, finally speaking their minds, "but we'd rather go without a mentor than be in your class. So we'd like you to remove our names from the list."