After the movie ended, the trainees were herded back to the dormitory building to sleep.
Although it was already their usual bedtime, the little movie had excited everyone so much that not only could they not fall asleep, but they were even itching to sneak into other people’s dorms to chat all night.
Unfortunately, these little schemes were soon detected by the production team. The staff members, who were also working overtime to prepare for the next day’s filming and were wearing dark circles under their eyes, herded the restless ones back to their respective dorm beds like herding ducks.
Seeing their reluctant expressions, the staff said comfortingly, “Go to sleep early and get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we have to wake up early to announce the rankings. This might be your last night sleeping in this dorm building, so cherish it.”
Everyone: “…” Is that comforting?! It makes it even harder to sleep!!
Quentin slept very soundly that night. After returning to the dorm and washing up, he crawled into his bed and fell into a deep sleep before lights were even out.
After the weather cooled down, the production team provided thicker blankets, but most people hadn’t brought thick clothes.
Wen Xinyi, who was coming out of the bathroom, turned his head and saw the lump of bedding on Quentin’s bed, layered with several clothes and tucked in tightly, like an animal building a nest for hibernation.
Every time he saw this scene these past few days, he found it very strange. Someone who was so afraid of heat in the summer turned out to be this afraid of the cold once the temperature started dropping.
Before, he hadn’t dressed properly, causing the camera in Room 303 to often be blocked. Whenever people visited their dormitory, they would accidentally stumble upon a beautiful scenery.
Now that the weather was cold, Quentin was dressed more tightly than anyone from head to toe. When sleeping, he was deep under the thick covers. Standing by his bed, you could only vaguely see the hood of his hoodie sticking out from the blanket near the headboard; not even a single strand of hair was visible elsewhere.
Thinking of the video they watched tonight, Wen Xinyi guessed that maybe the reason Quentin was sensitive to both the heat and cold was due to his chronic illness and poor constitution. Thinking this, the way he looked at the mountain of blankets became even more tender.
Fang Xu, who was sitting by his bed and noticed the look in his eyes: “…”
What a cheesy expression! Was Wen Xinyi treating Quentin like his little brother or sister at home?
Whether it was because the production team’s editing skills were too good, or because the parents provided too much material, after watching the videos related to those around them, their understanding of their companions became more complete. Before, they only knew each other as fellow trainees. But through the videos, they saw the youths’ straight and upward path of growth.
Of course, a short video of a few minutes couldn’t summarize ten or twenty years, but that didn’t stop them from growing closer and becoming more intimate.
For example, Xue Mingzhu and Yan Qiao, who couldn’t stand each other. Previously, Xue Mingzhu always thought Yan Qiao was calculating and had the face of a flirt. But after watching the video, he had to admit that, aside from the kindergarten flower-giving incident, Yan Qiao had walked his path steadily and solidly since childhood.
Learning dance is not an easy or smooth road. On the contrary, it is often filled with pain, sweat, and the more ambitious the goal, the more hardships and setbacks one endures. For someone like Yan Qiao, who started dancing from a young age and signed with BKL before even finishing elementary school, he had to work twice as hard to maintain a leading position among his peers.
No matter how calculating he was, there was nowhere to use it. Besides, he just knew more because he had seen more. He was completely different from the calculating and cunning guys he had encountered before.
And after understanding Xue Mingzhu’s past, Yan Qiao also became a little more tolerant. A prodigy who was highly praised upon entering the circle, only to get kicked out of a show shortly after and forced to retire due to rumors of sleeping with fans, must have suffered considerable psychological damage. It wasn’t incomprehensible that someone like him was a bit sensitive.
If even these two could understand each other, there was even less to say about the others.
However, understanding in one’s heart is one thing; saying it openly is another. Changing from understanding to action is gradual. So what manifested now was that whenever they saw someone acting in a way that was hard to understand, they could always find a reasonable explanation based on that person’s past.
Fang Xu suddenly understood why Wen Xinyi had been so attentive to Quentin on the first day they shared a dorm. He could tell that Wen Xinyi didn’t have a problem of being shallow and judging by looks, nor was he like himself, who was won over by Quentin’s abilities.
Carefully recalling what happened on their first night sharing a dorm… he understood. Wen Xinyi was most likely trapped by the triple buff of Quentin being young, his simple and unguarded nature in front of the camera, and the occasional hint of detachment and loneliness he showed.
Perhaps in Wen Xinyi’s eyes, Quentin was simply an innocent and pure minor who hadn’t experienced much of the world. After watching the video today, this impression was probably layered with even more filters.
As for whether his view of Quentin changed… he felt Quentin was even stronger. There was no need for sympathy or pity. What was the point of thinking about that? Wouldn’t that be too abrupt?
Fang Xu silently clenched his fist as he recalled his ranking. He had to debut. He wanted to keep up with Quentin’s pace. He wanted to form a group and debut with Quentin!
—
A night of calm undercurrents quickly faded away as the bright daylight gradually took over.
The anxious system did not receive any questions from Quentin regarding that video. It watched its host practice singing, take classes, and dance in the system space as usual, completely offline, not even touching his phone. His only interactions were communicating with the NPC teachers for lessons.
Host… aren’t you even a little curious at all about where those videos came from!
The system initially thought its host would care a lot about the past shown in the video, maybe even try to contact his parents in this world. But now it seems… not really.
But the host’s emotions clearly fluctuated when watching the video! Just as intense as when he found out he was ranked first in votes. But just like then, his expression remained calm, only reacting internally.
The system could gauge its host’s emotional fluctuations based on his heartbeat and hormone levels, but it couldn’t accurately know his thoughts unless he actively told it. Otherwise, it could only use data to infer.
Maybe the host genuinely didn’t care. Based on its observations, the host was an ambitious workaholic with a strong desire to win. Ever since crossing over, he was always practicing singing and rehearsing. Even with the system space it provided, he never relaxed or entertained himself. He was practically an ascetic monk! And an ascetic monk who enjoyed it!
The system thought about the results it had probed through the video. Although it couldn’t break the rules and easily touch the privacy of the original inhabitants of this small world, it could treat itself as an ordinary hacker with some computer skills. Investigating a thing or two within the technological scope of the small world was no problem.
Besides, it was only worried about bugs in the small world, not that it was trying to help the host cheat, nor did it have any intention of interfering with the lives of the original inhabitants without authorization. It just snuck into the director’s phone to take a look, to see who sent the video to the director. It didn’t do anything else!
Then it discovered that the person who sent the video to the director seemed to have no connection to the host. At least based on the data it investigated, that was the case. Apart from the fabricated “parents,” the host had no legal guardians. So how could someone have these videos?
What confused it even more was that the person who sent the video had an alt account on the forum called [Quentin_QQsugar] – a major content creator in its host’s fandom with over 100,000 followers and excellent editing skills. No wonder they could produce such emotionally impactful videos.
And this person’s main account was called [Jin Sui], followed by a string of officially certified identities, such as founder of Wanming Media, and also serving as the major shareholder, chairman, and CEO of Wanming. If you searched online, there was a dedicated encyclopedia entry. Without needing an in-depth systematic search, you could see a screen full of impressive, glittering credentials.
But what did any of this have to do with the system? It only wanted to know what connection this person had with its host. The only link between the person with these videos and the host was that of idol and fan? Since when did major content creators have more videos than it, a personal system?!
Should it continue investigating? The system was tangled up into a mess of garbled code.
To investigate further, it would first need to report to headquarters, get approval before continuing… The key point was that the host didn’t care. Its current host was not a child, like the ones it was bound to before. The host didn’t care, so how could it, a mere system, overstep its bounds?
Just as the system was about to ask its host, its data flickered, like someone rushing to meet a deadline suddenly losing internet connection, and all unsaved files are lost… Its investigation regarding “Jin Sui” and the confusion about the video trembled for a moment, then quietly shattered.
Quentin didn’t know what the system was agonizing over. But he was no different from it. He hadn’t figured out what was going on with Jin Sui either, but his philosophy was that if he doesn’t understand something, he should just focus on what’s in front of him. That was enough.
—
The next morning, before the sun had even risen, the trainees were woken up early by the broadcast.
The last elimination before the finals was scheduled to be filmed on a beach at sunrise. Yanhai was a coastal city, and the filming base was only a half-hour drive from the beach.
To capture the beautiful scenery of the sunrise over the sea, the production team, being as inhumane as ever, woke the trainees up a bit past four in the morning and rushed them to the dressing rooms to get ready.
Their clothes were still the suit-style school uniforms from the MV filming. The makeup and styling didn’t need to be too elaborate, just a little tidying up of their hairstyles was enough.
This elimination held no suspense for most of the trainees. Everyone was only briefly shocked when the production team announced Qi Yang’s withdrawal; the rest of the rankings were generally within acceptable ranges. However, Lu Kui’s rise in ranking pushed him into the trainee debut group and also officially put him on Quentin’s radar.
Compared to the tearful sobbing of the first two eliminations, this one was filled more with regret and reluctant goodbyes. Most people were already content to have made it this far.
Looking across the three eliminations, Quentin was undoubtedly the most composed of all. Fortunately, his lasting impression on everyone was that of an emotionally stable capybara; otherwise, someone would have seized the opportunity to criticize him for being cold-blooded and unfeeling.
After the filming of this elimination ended, the official voting page was reopened, and the news of Qi Yang’s withdrawal could no longer be kept a secret.
>Topic: [Has anyone seen the voting page that just refreshed on “NS”… Is Youth TV broken? This ranking seems a bit off…]
1L: [What’s off? My bias is still number 1]
2L: [Is OP talking about Yan Qiao? I’m surprised too, I didn’t expect Yan Qiao to surge up like this. But it’s not that bad, his votes weren’t much worse than the top two the last two times]
3L: [First and second floor, how about you scroll down a little further… Someone is missing!]
4L: [Stop being cryptic. Isn’t it just that Qi Yang isn’t in the rankings? Maybe he got eliminated đŸ™‚ ]
5L: [Your bias could die and Qi Yang still wouldn’t be eliminated. Do you think the production team is stupid? Qi Yang is so popular, right behind Quentin. How could he be eliminated?]
6L: [It’s probably a system bug, Qi Yang’s ranking was directly wiped off.]
7L: [[Image.jpg] I took a screenshot right before the voting closed last time. Qi Yang’s votes were second at the time, third was Yan Qiao, fourth Wen Xinyi]
8L: [The difference between second and third wasn’t many votes. Wow, Yan Qiao really is impressive this time]
9L: [Spare me the ‘impressive’. Wait for the system to refresh, he’ll be third again. Take the second-place spot during this bug and be happy secretly. By the finals, Wen fans will start pushing again, and YQ will be back to fourth place in the blink of an eye.]
10L: [I achieved a score of 0.001 seconds in the ‘Guess the Fandom’ game. Come try it too~]
…
68L: [It’s over. OP, have you refreshed? It seems something’s really wrong this time]
69L (OP): […I thought it was just me. So everyone else still feels the same way?]
70L: [Haven’t you noticed how quiet Qi Yang’s fan support group is? His top fans haven’t said anything either. The official site can’t even vote for Qi Yang right now. If it were your bias, would you just sit back and watch?]
71L: [Wow… their family must have gotten inside information. So what exactly happened to Qi Yang?]
72L: [Speaking of which, does anyone remember the “withdrawal” rumor that was leaked last week?]
73L: [?]
74L: [Holy shit?]
75L: [Qi Yang? Withdrew???]
76L: […Amazing]
77L: [No, why him? His ranking is so stable, and his backing is strong too. Could it be that the production team forced him to withdraw???]
78L: [Is there a possibility that the production team is also innocent, and it’s the person themselves who wants to run away?]
79L: [No way. Although many people didn’t understand why he came to the survival show initially, he’s endured all the way to the finals. His ranking is this high, and the show’s popularity is this high. To withdraw just like that, what is he after?]
80L: [I don’t understand… “NS” is even more popular than the drama he was in last year. This group is obviously guaranteed to be a hit. Since he’s already here, there’s no need, right? [dazed]]
81L: [Can any Qi Yang fan come out and explain? I feel like fans aren’t even as worried as us bystanders eating melons]
82L: [Fan here. Fans are confused too, but fans respect and support all of Qi Yang’s choices]
83L: [I consider myself a Qi Yang drama fan. I think withdrawing is good. With such good acting skills, and such a handsome face, why bother with a boy group? He should take advantage of his youth and go film! An actor’s prime is important too!]
84L: [Please go and take some medicine… qwq I fell for Qi Yang because of “NS”. A face that handsome should be singing and dancing on stage! If his dancing is bad, he can practice. I’m shallow, I’ll spoil him. Qi Yang, come back [reaching out]]
85L: [So, my votes were for nothing?]
…
138L: [The official notice is out. Wow, wow, wow. He really did withdraw]
139L: [His top fans reacted fast. The official post is already under control in the comment section.]
140L: [What’s surprising about that? The company must have notified the top fans and support group in advance. Withdrawing from the competition is such a big deal, how could they not tell fans beforehand? Do they want to be criticized onto the trending searches?]
141L: [They’re still getting criticized anyway. Did Qi Yang get a phone? Did he post that message himself? The company didn’t send it for him, right?]
142L: [I’m an old fan, that’s definitely Qi Yang’s tone]
143L: [He explained it clearly. It’s all out of personal will, unrelated to the company and production team. Simply put, he himself doesn’t want to be an idol, he wants to be an actor]
144L: [Speechless… is it something he can just do because he wants to? Why did he enter the competition in the first place then? Did he want the show’s popularity but wasn’t willing to waste two years debuting in a boy group? Withdrawing right before the finals, he’s so calculating]
145L: [My understanding is, joining the competition is personal freedom, withdrawing is also personal freedom. But consuming fans is wrong. Does he know how hard his fans voted for him, how hard they worked to stabilize his ranking?]
146L: [Fan turning hater. I didn’t understand why a serious actor would go to a boy group survival show in the first place. He can’t sing, he can’t dance. Was he going to be a clown? But since he was already there, what could I, a little fan, do but support him, vote for him, buy plane tickets and book hotels to watch the performances. And now? I finally mentally prepared myself, started accepting his identity as an idol, started liking the way he looked on stage. And now he pulls this stunt… Enough is enough. He’s in his twenties. Can he be responsible for his own life?!]
147L: [Ahem, I’m not a fan. I’m more curious now that Qi Yang has withdrawn, who can fill his debut spot? I remember the rankings behind the debut group aren’t very stable, right?]
148L: [You’re all focused on Qi Yang’s withdrawal. Has anyone noticed Lu Kui’s skyrocketing ranking? Since when were his votes this high? He’s ranked fourth? Are you kidding!]
149L: [But judging from the pre-voting closing screenshot, he was already fifth at the time. The previous few times, he was around ninth or tenth. It doesn’t seem that incomprehensible?]
150L: [Logically, there should be a reason for a sudden increase in ranking.
For example, Fang Xu’s ranking rose due to the 303 CP with Quentin and Wen Xinyi in “Dorm Daily Life.”
Cui Yan’s ranking rose due to interacting with Quentin in the gym and their CP chemistry.
Needless to say, every surge in Quentin’s votes accompanies a stage performance going viral. But honestly, the reason for Lu Kui’s ranking increase… I just don’t get it]
151L: [Don’t get it +1. Thinking back, it’s also strange how he’s always been able to stay in the top ten. Compared to everyone else in the top ten, does he have any outstanding qualities?]
152L: [Emm… his curly hair is kinda cute?]
153L: [Quentin’s curly hair is cuter and more handsome~]
154L: [ls, you can’t say that. That’s not how “Tian Ji’s Horse Racing” works]
**Tian Ji’s Horse Racing is a strategy of mismatching strengths and weaknesses to gain an overall advantage. In short, it criticizes unfair comparisons where someone pits their best against another’s worst to make themselves look better, originates from a story where, Tian Ji(a general), wins a horse race by deliberately arranging his horses in three tiers: bottom vs. top (this was a sacrifice), top vs. middle (a win), middle vs. bottom (a win).
155L: [I’m saying, can the controversial but unresolved topic of the “hidden royalty” be placed here?]
156L: [Lu Kui is a hidden royalty?]
157L: [Don’t forget Lu Kui is a BKL artist. The production team and BKL are in a cold war, how could they help Lu Kui]
158L: [Has no one noticed that since the show started airing, Lu Kui’s promotional posts have always been numerous? Like curly-haired puppy, overflowing extroversion, etc.]
159L: [Not just promotional posts, I see him often on short videos too]
160L: [Obviously, BKL has started pushing. Don’t think BKL can’t promote their own artist just because they’re in a cold war with the production team. It’s normal for companies to buy promotions for their artists. What’s so royal about this? Is it that your bias doesn’t want help from their company?]
161L: [Why would BKL promote Lu Kui but not Yan Qiao? I haven’t seen any promotions for Yan Qiao]
162L: [Cold fact: My Brother Qiao has already been sent to the cold palace by the foolish Ice Cola! The reason is he voluntarily withdrew from the 7th gen group’s debut battle to come participate in a rival’s boy group survival show… No way around it. Ice Cola is just that jealous [spreads hands]]
163L: [Don’t let the topic stray. Isn’t the main point now the issue of Lu Kui’s votes? No matter how much promotion is done, it’s impossible for his votes to suddenly increase so much!]
164L: [Ahem, hello, shouldn’t our topic be Qi Yang’s withdrawal?]
165L: [People who withdrew can just stay aside. Don’t meddle in our debut group’s war :D]
166L: [This debut spot was only gained by sacrificing Qi Yang. Who allowed Lu Kui to kill his way up here? According to the rankings, this spot should have been a PK between Cui Yan and Fang Xu!]
167L: [Civil war within the same company? That’s a bit exciting]
168L: [Can’t you count? If you push Lu Kui down, there’s no civil war. When Qi Yang hadn’t withdrawn, it was a Cui vs. Fang PK. Understand?]
169L: [Haha, those two have actually been competing for a while. It’s just not as obvious as the feud between Yan vs. Cheng and Wen vs. Qi]
170L: [Tsk tsk tsk, so many rival pairs. Quentin’s side is relatively peaceful. Peace&love, amen [palms together]]
171L: [? Quentin peaceful? I’m laughing]
172L: [You QT fans see enemies everywhere. If your QT voluntarily withdraws from the competition, then they’d be world peace]
173L: [You mean world nuclear peace? Interesting]
