Chapter 14
Support
They were filming the audition today. Every mentor had thirty slots and Shi Xi had ten. The slots Gu Feining and the other mentors were to be given to the participants, but Shi Xi’s could be given to whomever he wished. As an onlooker and someone in the production team, Shi Xi mostly took up the role of the task-giver in this episode.
Random tasks would appear during the audition and whoever did them could obtain one of the slots Shi Xi had.
Shi Xi could judge whether to give the person his slots or not based on how well the task was completed.
Shi Xi had other events scheduled this afternoon so they needed to finish filming the parts where he gave out his slots first. When it was time to air, this part would be split into two episodes relying on the editing skills of the production team.
The production team said it would be more interesting if Shi Xi could keep a few slots to have the mentors look for him and beg for these slots.
As to whether he would give the mentors the slots or not, that was an entirely different matter.
For some reason, when Gu Feining heard that, she felt Shi Xi’s gaze on her.
She comforted herself that it was fine, there would be very few people coming to her.
Perhaps there wouldn’t even be thirty people so she would have enough slots for everyone. She definitely wouldn’t beg Shi Xi for more slots.
Looking at Shi Xi’s expression, he was clearly looking forward to seeing her beg. He had probably even set up a trap for her.
She found it hard to think about what happened last night. No matter how good her acting was, she couldn’t interact with Shi Xi right now. If it wasn’t for how they had a filming session today, she would have already run off in the morning.
Thus, to prevent herself from losing her composure in front of the camera, she adamantly decided not to ask Shi Xi for more slots.
The filming would take place in the same studio, a large area with three venues and a free space in the middle. After the contestants entered, they could choose freely where they wanted to go. It would be like the exam center for the entrance test in art schools.
The decoration in the studio was very unique. There were large photographic films surrounding the whole room. Even the mentors’ seats were decorated with those films. The object that was used to indicate that the contestant had passed was a miniature version of a photographic film. Each mentor had a clapstick1. If they felt the contestant wasn’t suitable, they could directly call out ‘cut’ and eliminate the contestant. If they felt that the contestant should pass and go onto the next round, they could give them the miniature photographic film.
They had just finished filming the short clips of the mentors yesterday and would not be airing those clips today. Therefore, the contestants would mainly choose their mentor based on what they liked and their mentor’s popularity.
Gu Feining knew very well that among the three mentors, she was the youngest, and her experience and fame were also the lowest. If she was a contestant, she would go for Teacher Gu.
Before they started filming, everyone had a short interview session about their thoughts on this show and the audition later. Gu Feining didn’t hold back and said whatever she wanted.
She didn’t have a set personality she had to adhere to in the variety show anyway so she just said whatever was on her mind.
She had been working in the entertainment industry for many years. She knew what she could say and what she could not say. It was just that Gu Feining wasn’t feeling very well today. She had used a lot of energy last night and today, she felt like even standing was tiring her out. Thankfully, no matter how tired she was, with her makeup on, she looked cheerful and energetic. It was just that whenever her gaze swept across Shi Xi, she felt uncomfortable.
Shi Xi didn’t even try to hide it. His gaze was on her the whole time. Whenever she looked over, she would meet his gaze for sure. There were so many cameras rolling around them. Was he not afraid that people would realize something was up?
Gu Feining was feeling very troubled.
When all the preparation work was done, the staff announced that the contestants could now enter the venue.
The mentors had all retreated to the back. The rules of the program stated that they needed to wait till all the contestants had finished choosing before they could enter. Gu Feining felt very nervous. She didn’t know how many people in total were participating in the audition and how many of them would choose her. She felt a little worried that when she entered later, there would be barely anyone who chose her.
Actually, she was being needlessly concerned. Yue Mei had told her before filming started that it was impossible for no one to choose her. Everyone was smart. For the other mentors, it would be hard to fight for a position. Since she had fewer people, it would be easier for them to qualify. It would be impossible for no one to choose her.
Gu Feining understood that logic. But if people chose her purely because there were fewer contestants under her, they would probably face some communication issues.
Furthermore, if people who chose her were the ones without any confidence in her, she was worried that not only would she not need to ask Shi Xi for some slots, she would even have some leftover slots for herself.
Although she was worried, she still had to proceed with the program.
When the director told them they could enter, the mentors pushed their respective doors open and entered at the same time.
As soon as she entered the room, she was shocked to see the room full of beautiful women. This was probably a variety show with one of the best-looking casts. When the girls saw the mentors appear, they started to scream.
When they saw Shi Xi, they started to scream again. The place seemed to become a fan meeting immediately. Some people said to the camera that they had entered this variety show for Shi Xi, that they had reached their goals and whether they could last till the end of the competition was now unimportant.
Gu Feining’s side had more people than she’d expected. Because the rooms were just partitioned from each other, when she looked over, she could see the number of people in the rooms of the other two mentors. There were more people there, but the difference wasn’t too obvious.
The contestants probably had their own considerations, or perhaps they didn’t believe she would be able to give a fair evaluation.
Because Gu Feining wasn’t good at variety shows, her opening speech was short. She gave a simple introduction, talked about her understanding of acting and how she was going to pick actors and actresses.
After that, she began the audition. She only had thirty slots in her hand and she estimated that the people present were around twice the number. It wasn’t hard to pick one out of two and that way, she wouldn’t need to ask Shi Xi for additional slots.
However, as soon as the audition started, Gu Feining realized the problem.
The program’s rules stated that every contestant had three minutes of performance time. In order to show their acting skills quickly, most people used a more direct method of performing. In a short half an hour, Gu Feining saw all kinds of crying scenes.
The problem was that although the acting skills of these people were not that good, they still had some parts that were not bad, making it difficult for her to choose. She felt that eliminating them right away was a pity, but there were also insufficient reasons to keep them here. She kept deliberating over several contestants and classified them as ‘undecided’.
She kept classifying many of the contestants as ‘undecided’, which caused the contestants to start discussing among themselves.
Gu Feining was strict and extra-careful. Although the results of the competition had already been determined internally, she still wanted to give those who had decent acting skills a chance to show their face. She didn’t know how the other mentors chose people and had no idea how they interacted with the contestants. She was only focused on watching the performances carefully before making a decision.
At that moment, the whole atmosphere in the studio changed. In the other rooms, they were having fun and joking around but in Gu Feining’s room, it was especially serious and intense. Even the entrance exam for art schools was probably not as strict as her audition.
Yue Mei, who was watching at the side, felt that if this continued, Gu Feining might be scolded when the show aired.
While she was feeling troubled, Shi Xi appeared with a mission.
When Shi Xi appeared, the atmosphere turned lively again with just his presence. He didn’t even need to do anything in particular. As soon as he arrived, the contestants started to interact with him. The braver ones even teased him on the spot. Although Shi Xi didn’t cooperate with their teasing, he had a high EQ and would avoid such things without showing any emotion. Although he didn’t speak a lot, every time he spoke, he managed to make people laugh.
Gu Feining smiled as she sat there looking at them. As she looked at Shi Xi, who was being surrounded by the contestants, her heart was in a mess. Although she knew Shi Xi had been sent over by the production team, she couldn’t help but think of what had happened last night.
She couldn’t control her mind. Shi Xi had invaded her mind without restraint, not giving her a chance to breathe at all. She couldn’t even lie to herself and wipe the memory of last night. This is why they say one should never sleep with their colleagues.
Shi Xi didn’t interact with the contestants for a long time and headed straight for Gu Feining. Standing in front of her, he asked, “Teacher Gu, do you have enough places on your team?”
Of course, Gu Feining could not say that there were enough. There were still many people there and even one additional slot would be good.
Because there were cameras present, Gu Feining didn’t avoid the topic and said bluntly, “Just tell me if there’s a mission.”
Shi Xi had planned on looking at the mission card originally. But when he heard what Gu Feining said, he lowered the hand that was holding the mission card. “Yes… the mission is very simple, act cute for me.”
“What?” Gu Feining couldn’t believe her ears.
The contestants around them whistled.
Yue Mei, who was watching from the side, let out a sigh of relief. There would no longer be any problems when the show was released. Their CP would probably gain popularity again.
Shi Xi raised an eyebrow, his face not even reddening. He even had an expression that seemed like he was trying to provoke her. “What you heard was correct.”
“Must I really do that?” Gu Feining felt helpless, her expression troubled. She looked at the staff that was standing by the side. Contrary to her agony, no one was against Shi Xi’s suggestion.
“Do you not want the additional slot?” Shi Xi didn’t give her a chance to refuse at all while his gaze was on Gu Feining the whole time.
Gu Feining was helpless and could only stand up from her seat. Although she was really unwilling to do so, with the cameras filming her, she could only force herself to go through with it.
She walked straight to Shi Xi and bit on her lips, lowering her head as she pulled on the bottom of Shi Xi’s shirt. She shook it slightly and asked in a sweet tone, “Handsome1… please give me an additional slot?”
After she said that, she raised her head and glanced at Shi Xi. Gu Feining was satisfied when she saw how surprised the other looked. She decided that she would just go all the way and disgust him. She then dragged her words out and said, “Can you please~ Just one is enough…”
She didn’t know whether she managed to disgust Shi Xi, but she did have goosebumps all over from saying such things.
Shi Xi held back his smile as he watched Gu Feining’s act. When she finished saying her mushy lines, he reached out to hold her hand that was tugging on his shirt and hugged her.
It was too sudden and Gu Feining was so scared that she didn’t even dare to breathe. Did Shi Xi not have any self-awareness of his position as a top celebrity? Did he have to insist on ending up in a dating scandal when it was only the first episode?
The screams and whistles from the contestants were extremely loud and the photographers’ shutters were going crazy.
Gu Feining gritted her teeth and patted Shi Xi’s back, signaling for him to let go.
Shi Xi also knew the limit and their hug only lasted for a few seconds. It was just that as he let go of her, he lifted up the mission card in his hand, “If you want the additional slot, finish the mission that the production team gave you. Cry in ten seconds.”
Gu Feining was stunned. Shi Xi tricked her?!
the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Scan Novels~
Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Scan Novels~
Translator’s Notes:
The clapstick is the black and white thing that you often see directors in dramas use to like ‘cut’ or like ‘start’ a scene. Instead of handsome, what is used here is Xiao Gege, which directly translates to ‘little big brother’. It has more of an ‘oppa’ kind of meaning, and in general, has a bunch of different meanings, tends to be more on the flirtatious side though because of the Xiao.
Chapter 14
Support
They were filming the audition today. Every mentor had thirty slots and Shi Xi had ten. The slots Gu Feining and the other mentors were to be given to the participants, but Shi Xi’s could be given to whomever he wished. As an onlooker and someone in the production team, Shi Xi mostly took up the role of the task-giver in this episode.
Random tasks would appear during the audition and whoever did them could obtain one of the slots Shi Xi had.
Shi Xi could judge whether to give the person his slots or not based on how well the task was completed.
Shi Xi had other events scheduled this afternoon so they needed to finish filming the parts where he gave out his slots first. When it was time to air, this part would be split into two episodes relying on the editing skills of the production team.
The production team said it would be more interesting if Shi Xi could keep a few slots to have the mentors look for him and beg for these slots.
As to whether he would give the mentors the slots or not, that was an entirely different matter.
For some reason, when Gu Feining heard that, she felt Shi Xi’s gaze on her.
She comforted herself that it was fine, there would be very few people coming to her.
Perhaps there wouldn’t even be thirty people so she would have enough slots for everyone. She definitely wouldn’t beg Shi Xi for more slots.
Looking at Shi Xi’s expression, he was clearly looking forward to seeing her beg. He had probably even set up a trap for her.
She found it hard to think about what happened last night. No matter how good her acting was, she couldn’t interact with Shi Xi right now. If it wasn’t for how they had a filming session today, she would have already run off in the morning.
Thus, to prevent herself from losing her composure in front of the camera, she adamantly decided not to ask Shi Xi for more slots.
The filming would take place in the same studio, a large area with three venues and a free space in the middle. After the contestants entered, they could choose freely where they wanted to go. It would be like the exam center for the entrance test in art schools.
The decoration in the studio was very unique. There were large photographic films surrounding the whole room. Even the mentors’ seats were decorated with those films. The object that was used to indicate that the contestant had passed was a miniature version of a photographic film. Each mentor had a clapstick1. If they felt the contestant wasn’t suitable, they could directly call out ‘cut’ and eliminate the contestant. If they felt that the contestant should pass and go onto the next round, they could give them the miniature photographic film.
They had just finished filming the short clips of the mentors yesterday and would not be airing those clips today. Therefore, the contestants would mainly choose their mentor based on what they liked and their mentor’s popularity.
Gu Feining knew very well that among the three mentors, she was the youngest, and her experience and fame were also the lowest. If she was a contestant, she would go for Teacher Gu.
Before they started filming, everyone had a short interview session about their thoughts on this show and the audition later. Gu Feining didn’t hold back and said whatever she wanted.
She didn’t have a set personality she had to adhere to in the variety show anyway so she just said whatever was on her mind.
She had been working in the entertainment industry for many years. She knew what she could say and what she could not say. It was just that Gu Feining wasn’t feeling very well today. She had used a lot of energy last night and today, she felt like even standing was tiring her out. Thankfully, no matter how tired she was, with her makeup on, she looked cheerful and energetic. It was just that whenever her gaze swept across Shi Xi, she felt uncomfortable.
Shi Xi didn’t even try to hide it. His gaze was on her the whole time. Whenever she looked over, she would meet his gaze for sure. There were so many cameras rolling around them. Was he not afraid that people would realize something was up?
Gu Feining was feeling very troubled.
When all the preparation work was done, the staff announced that the contestants could now enter the venue.
The mentors had all retreated to the back. The rules of the program stated that they needed to wait till all the contestants had finished choosing before they could enter. Gu Feining felt very nervous. She didn’t know how many people in total were participating in the audition and how many of them would choose her. She felt a little worried that when she entered later, there would be barely anyone who chose her.
Actually, she was being needlessly concerned. Yue Mei had told her before filming started that it was impossible for no one to choose her. Everyone was smart. For the other mentors, it would be hard to fight for a position. Since she had fewer people, it would be easier for them to qualify. It would be impossible for no one to choose her.
Gu Feining understood that logic. But if people chose her purely because there were fewer contestants under her, they would probably face some communication issues.
Furthermore, if people who chose her were the ones without any confidence in her, she was worried that not only would she not need to ask Shi Xi for some slots, she would even have some leftover slots for herself.
Although she was worried, she still had to proceed with the program.
When the director told them they could enter, the mentors pushed their respective doors open and entered at the same time.
As soon as she entered the room, she was shocked to see the room full of beautiful women. This was probably a variety show with one of the best-looking casts. When the girls saw the mentors appear, they started to scream.
When they saw Shi Xi, they started to scream again. The place seemed to become a fan meeting immediately. Some people said to the camera that they had entered this variety show for Shi Xi, that they had reached their goals and whether they could last till the end of the competition was now unimportant.
Gu Feining’s side had more people than she’d expected. Because the rooms were just partitioned from each other, when she looked over, she could see the number of people in the rooms of the other two mentors. There were more people there, but the difference wasn’t too obvious.
The contestants probably had their own considerations, or perhaps they didn’t believe she would be able to give a fair evaluation.
Because Gu Feining wasn’t good at variety shows, her opening speech was short. She gave a simple introduction, talked about her understanding of acting and how she was going to pick actors and actresses.
After that, she began the audition. She only had thirty slots in her hand and she estimated that the people present were around twice the number. It wasn’t hard to pick one out of two and that way, she wouldn’t need to ask Shi Xi for additional slots.
However, as soon as the audition started, Gu Feining realized the problem.
The program’s rules stated that every contestant had three minutes of performance time. In order to show their acting skills quickly, most people used a more direct method of performing. In a short half an hour, Gu Feining saw all kinds of crying scenes.
The problem was that although the acting skills of these people were not that good, they still had some parts that were not bad, making it difficult for her to choose. She felt that eliminating them right away was a pity, but there were also insufficient reasons to keep them here. She kept deliberating over several contestants and classified them as ‘undecided’.
She kept classifying many of the contestants as ‘undecided’, which caused the contestants to start discussing among themselves.
Gu Feining was strict and extra-careful. Although the results of the competition had already been determined internally, she still wanted to give those who had decent acting skills a chance to show their face. She didn’t know how the other mentors chose people and had no idea how they interacted with the contestants. She was only focused on watching the performances carefully before making a decision.
At that moment, the whole atmosphere in the studio changed. In the other rooms, they were having fun and joking around but in Gu Feining’s room, it was especially serious and intense. Even the entrance exam for art schools was probably not as strict as her audition.
Yue Mei, who was watching at the side, felt that if this continued, Gu Feining might be scolded when the show aired.
While she was feeling troubled, Shi Xi appeared with a mission.
When Shi Xi appeared, the atmosphere turned lively again with just his presence. He didn’t even need to do anything in particular. As soon as he arrived, the contestants started to interact with him. The braver ones even teased him on the spot. Although Shi Xi didn’t cooperate with their teasing, he had a high EQ and would avoid such things without showing any emotion. Although he didn’t speak a lot, every time he spoke, he managed to make people laugh.
Gu Feining smiled as she sat there looking at them. As she looked at Shi Xi, who was being surrounded by the contestants, her heart was in a mess. Although she knew Shi Xi had been sent over by the production team, she couldn’t help but think of what had happened last night.
She couldn’t control her mind. Shi Xi had invaded her mind without restraint, not giving her a chance to breathe at all. She couldn’t even lie to herself and wipe the memory of last night. This is why they say one should never sleep with their colleagues.
Shi Xi didn’t interact with the contestants for a long time and headed straight for Gu Feining. Standing in front of her, he asked, “Teacher Gu, do you have enough places on your team?”
Of course, Gu Feining could not say that there were enough. There were still many people there and even one additional slot would be good.
Because there were cameras present, Gu Feining didn’t avoid the topic and said bluntly, “Just tell me if there’s a mission.”
Shi Xi had planned on looking at the mission card originally. But when he heard what Gu Feining said, he lowered the hand that was holding the mission card. “Yes… the mission is very simple, act cute for me.”
“What?” Gu Feining couldn’t believe her ears.
The contestants around them whistled.
Yue Mei, who was watching from the side, let out a sigh of relief. There would no longer be any problems when the show was released. Their CP would probably gain popularity again.
Shi Xi raised an eyebrow, his face not even reddening. He even had an expression that seemed like he was trying to provoke her. “What you heard was correct.”
“Must I really do that?” Gu Feining felt helpless, her expression troubled. She looked at the staff that was standing by the side. Contrary to her agony, no one was against Shi Xi’s suggestion.
“Do you not want the additional slot?” Shi Xi didn’t give her a chance to refuse at all while his gaze was on Gu Feining the whole time.
Gu Feining was helpless and could only stand up from her seat. Although she was really unwilling to do so, with the cameras filming her, she could only force herself to go through with it.
She walked straight to Shi Xi and bit on her lips, lowering her head as she pulled on the bottom of Shi Xi’s shirt. She shook it slightly and asked in a sweet tone, “Handsome1… please give me an additional slot?”
After she said that, she raised her head and glanced at Shi Xi. Gu Feining was satisfied when she saw how surprised the other looked. She decided that she would just go all the way and disgust him. She then dragged her words out and said, “Can you please~ Just one is enough…”
She didn’t know whether she managed to disgust Shi Xi, but she did have goosebumps all over from saying such things.
Shi Xi held back his smile as he watched Gu Feining’s act. When she finished saying her mushy lines, he reached out to hold her hand that was tugging on his shirt and hugged her.
It was too sudden and Gu Feining was so scared that she didn’t even dare to breathe. Did Shi Xi not have any self-awareness of his position as a top celebrity? Did he have to insist on ending up in a dating scandal when it was only the first episode?
The screams and whistles from the contestants were extremely loud and the photographers’ shutters were going crazy.
Gu Feining gritted her teeth and patted Shi Xi’s back, signaling for him to let go.
Shi Xi also knew the limit and their hug only lasted for a few seconds. It was just that as he let go of her, he lifted up the mission card in his hand, “If you want the additional slot, finish the mission that the production team gave you. Cry in ten seconds.”
Gu Feining was stunned. Shi Xi tricked her?!
the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Scan Novels~
Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Scan Novels~
Translator’s Notes:
The clapstick is the black and white thing that you often see directors in dramas use to like ‘cut’ or like ‘start’ a scene. Instead of handsome, what is used here is Xiao Gege, which directly translates to ‘little big brother’. It has more of an ‘oppa’ kind of meaning, and in general, has a bunch of different meanings, tends to be more on the flirtatious side though because of the Xiao.