Wen Jiuyi: Outrageous! This is just outrageous!
Wen Jiuyi stood frozen in place, questioning his existence for a long while before finally snapping out of it:
“What… what did you say? Meal expenses?”
Gu Nanci replied without batting an eye, “Yeah, I’m a bit short on cash lately.”
As a penniless person with only two hundred and fifty to her name, she had to seize every opportunity to scrape together some money.
“You…” Wen Jiuyi mumbled, dazed and hesitant.
But before he could say more, his name was called from the stage. The large screen flashed—it was his turn for the individual showcase.
Rushing onto the stage, he suddenly remembered something and turned back abruptly. As if afraid Gu Nanci might change her mind, he grabbed her arm and said, “It’s settled then! No backing out! We’re a team!”
Gu Nanci smiled and nodded.
Online, the comment section was in an uproar.
【Holy shit! What’s going on? Does Gu Nanci know Wen Jiuyi? How did these two end up together?】
【Ahhh, I’m so pissed! Gu Nanci @&&@-#+! How dare she come between my favorite long-term CP! She deserves to die @&#&#-】
【To be honest, watching the whole thing… I wouldn’t call it coming between them. At most, it’s Wen Jiuyi cheating (just kidding).】
【Hahaha, that’s hilarious! By that logic, doesn’t Si Chang count as cheating too? Didn’t he just turn around and cozy up to Cheng Yang? (Loving the drama)】
【A new ethical dilemma has emerged (munching on melon seeds while watching the show).】
【But seriously, Wen Jiuyi and Gu Nanci sitting together is such a feast for the eyes! I could set a screenshot of them as my wallpaper for a year! (So handsome it’s mind-blowing) (Going crazy) (Banging on the wall)】
【Same! Suddenly, I’m getting hooked on the “Wen-Gu” pairing!】
【Wen-Gu? Friendly reminder: don’t ship everything, it’ll only hurt you!】
…
【Ahhhh, as expected of my Wen-ge!】
【That timing! No wonder he’s a trainee dik has kept hidden for three years—definitely Hongyu Entertainment’s strongest current dance lead!】
【So satisfying, it’s a visual treat. How lucky am I to have a handsome guy dancing for me through the internet!】
For the individual showcase round, contestants naturally performed what they excelled at. Wen Jiuyi leaned toward dance, so he performed a high-difficulty pure dance routine.
His movements were clean and sharp, hitting every beat perfectly. He had already developed his own dance style, and his large-frame movements created a visually stunning and impactful performance.
Gu Nanci raised an eyebrow subtly. This “meal expenses” guy really had something—his skills were impressive. Even in the circles she frequented in her past life, he could be considered top-tier. After all, in her previous life, Gu Nanci had been surrounded by the world’s most elite artists.
However, someone with a strong personal style like Wen Jiuyi shone brightly as a solo performer. But in a group, especially a newly formed one from a survival show with zero chemistry, the adjustment process would be a long and arduous journey.
After Wen Jiuyi’s performance, the audience erupted in cheers. The judges were full of praise, and even Yin Yue, who usually wore a cold expression, moved slightly and clapped a few times.
Wen Jiuyi was a trainee personally cultivated by dik. He had frequently appeared in dik’s family documentaries before, amassing a large fanbase even before his debut. As a skilled performer and an in-house talent of dik, with multiple buffs stacked, he was practically a shoo-in for the debut lineup.
After completing his individual showcase and being prompted to demonstrate his vocal skills, although not as stunning as his specialized dance, it was flawless with full live vocals. In today’s rare landscape of male groups excelling in both singing and dancing, his abilities stood far above the rest.
Amidst the thunderous applause, Wen Jiuyi waved at the camera with a smile, stepped off the stage, and joyfully headed toward Gu Nanci.
Suddenly, a demonic hand appeared.
Accompanied by Yin Yue’s cool voice announcing, “Next up, please welcome Cheng Yang to the stage,” Wen Jiuyi was pulled back by a mysterious force.
Cheng Yang was slightly shorter than Wen Jiuyi, with delicate, feminine features and long, narrow phoenix eyes. Smiling, he held onto Wen Jiuyi and said, “Be good, hold my jacket for me.”
As he spoke, he took off his coat and stuffed it into Wen Jiuyi’s hands.
Then, without drawing attention, he pushed Wen Jiuyi into his own seat—right next to Si Chang, whom Wen Jiuyi was desperate to avoid, even willing to pay a week’s worth of meals to escape!
Wen Jiuyi looked horrified and tried to struggle, but since it was Cheng Yang’s turn to take the stage, cameras from all directions were already focused on them.
Wen Jiuyi: …#+&#&@$@$@_Cheng Yang, you sneaky bastard!
If looks could kill, there was no doubt Cheng Yang would have been riddled with holes.
But they couldn’t.
Thus, Cheng Yang, having successfully exacted revenge, stepped onto the stage in high spirits. He casually retrieved the jacket he had used as an excuse to drag Wen Jiuyi and draped it over himself again, straightening his collar. He reveled in Wen Jiuyi’s helpless rage, stifled by the cameras and unable to voice his fury.
Gu Nanci, who witnessed the entire scene: “…”
Quietly noting in his mental notebook: Cheng Yang, beautiful, holds grudges.
Hmm, a kindred spirit.
[Hahahahahaha I’m dying, what’s going on with Cheng Yang and Wen Jiuyi!]
[Cheng Yang! You’re my hero! When the Changjiu CP gets married, you must sit at the head table!]
[He even took the jacket back! Yangyang, your CP shipper energy is way too obvious, kkkkk!]
Forced shipping, my foot! It’s just a beautiful, grudge-holding guy getting revenge after being sold out by the other!
But only those involved and Gu Nanci, who accidentally discovered the truth, knew this.
Cheng Yang’s appearance leaned toward delicate beauty, with a gentle and refined demeanor, but it was by no means effeminate. His light golden semi-long hair fell to the tips of his ears, and behind his faintly smiling eyes lay a depth of emotion that was unfathomable, like an elegant scion of an ancient noble family, exuding an elusive aura.
He bowed courteously and began performing his prepared piece.
A purely vocal performance.
Like Wen Jiuyi, Cheng Yang was also a homegrown talent nurtured by dik, specializing in vocals. He possessed a naturally powerful voice with exceptional stability, a gentle and clear tone, the type that could mesmerize listeners with love songs and reign supreme in the mid-range.
However, his weakness was a somewhat limited vocal range, which could restrict his solo song choices. But in a group, if there were teammates skilled in other vocal ranges, their combined vocal abilities would undoubtedly place them at the forefront of the industry.
Unsurprisingly, another round of thunderous applause followed.
Thus, the two most popular and skilled contestants of the Fire Debut Battle had completed their showcases.
What remained was the uneven battle of fans hyping their favorites while—settling down to enjoy the drama!
[Honestly, watching the chaos among the picky fans, when will Gu Nanci take the stage?]
[Tsk, he talked a big game in the video. Let’s see how the pretty vase performs on stage!]
“Perform? With my two years of experience as a blacklisted artist, the best I can do is either slack off or crash and burn, providing the vast netizens with some comedic material! What else could I possibly do?”
Everyone was waiting to watch the show, eager to see how Gu Nanci would embarrass herself again.
However, as time ticked by and the others finished their performances, Yin Yue on stage, her face cold and her eyes filled with unconcealed disdain, announced:
“In the pre-competition draw, Gu Nanci drew a bye and will not perform an individual showcase this round.”