Chapter 23: A Good Night’s Sleep Is More Important Than Doing Anything Else

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Gu Jingyi sat in the van, idly fiddling with his phone. He had only taken a two-day leave of absence, and today was the mandatory day for his return. Lin Ze was driving in the front, while Gu Jingyi sat in the back playing a mobile game.

"Ding, ding, ding!" Notification sounds rang out incessantly, and WeChat message pop-ups began to flood the top of his screen, one after another. Gu Jingyi, who had been dominating the virtual arena a second ago, suddenly saw his screen go black.

"Damn it, I’m done. Who on earth is this, and what could they possibly have to say to send so many messages?"

Gu Jingyi felt a surge of annoyance. He exited the game and opened WeChat. There were many unread messages, which he instinctively skipped. He scrolled directly to the bottom and tapped on the culprit who had just cost him the game.

[Voice Message - 12 seconds]

Gu Jingyi tapped it. "Wow, Jingyi~. Nice physique. I didn't realize you were so well-built."

It was from two days ago, when Zhou Jieqiong had messaged him. He had been busy spending quality time with Cheng Xiao at the hotel; how could he have possibly spared the time to pay attention to her?

[Voice Message - 17 seconds]: "Gu Jingyi, why aren't you in the classroom? I went through so much trouble to secure the opportunity to teach Class A, and yet you're not here."

Gu Jingyi glanced at the timestamp—it was sent just two minutes ago.

[Ah, how boring. I thought I’d be able to see you. I could have used the excuse of correcting your form to get hands-on and see if you’re really as fit as you look...]

This new voice message was the longest, at 32 seconds. Gu Jingyi listened to half of it before exiting; Zhou Jieqiong’s sleazy, suggestive messages made him feel physically uncomfortable.

Lin Ze, who had been silent the whole time, was struggling to hold back a laugh, his face stiffening.

"Brother Lin, just laugh if you want to..."

Gu Jingyi felt helpless. What even was all this?

The theme song assessment for "Idol Producer" was split over three days, with the first day dedicated to mentor instruction. Vocal and dance mentors would visit each class, with each session lasting about two hours. Zhou Jieqiong didn't know Gu Jingyi had taken leave, so she had started intentionally flirting with him after her class.

"Jingyi, are you sure you’re going to turn down meat delivered right to your doorstep?"

Lin Ze, his manager, couldn't help but tease, laughing heartily.

"If the meat is freshly cooked, it’s too hot to touch. Let it sit for a while and see how things go."

Gu Jingyi closed his phone and leaned back to catch up on some sleep in the van.

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These past two days of running errands had been much more exhausting than recording "Idol Producer." Getting a good night's sleep was more important than doing the deed.

It was past four in the morning when he returned to the Class A dormitory. Gu Jingyi slipped into his room quietly and collapsed into bed. When he woke up, it was already noon. After breakfast in the cafeteria, he returned to the practice room.

After the first day of instruction, the remaining two days were left for the trainees to manage their own practice. Aside from the slackers in Class F, the trainees in other classrooms were quite diligent. However, the production team didn't completely leave them to their own devices; the two dance teachers were still scheduled to visit different classes for one session each to provide guidance and get a basic grasp of their progress.

As Gu Jingyi walked past the Class D room, he caught a glimpse of Cheng Xiao.

"Fan Chengcheng, that movement is wrong. Pay attention to my slow motion—the force should come from your elbows..."

Teacher Cheng Xiao was beautiful, and Teacher Cheng Xiao was also very strict.

Today was the third day of theme song practice, and also the final day before the re-evaluation recording. The atmosphere in the Class A practice room grew increasingly heavy, the casual vibe of the first day replaced by invisible pressure.

Both the vocal and dance lessons had already taken place during the two days Gu Jingyi was away. There were no teachers on the third day; it was entirely self-directed practice.

"Brother Jingyi, you're back!"

Justin’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Gu Jingyi. "Brother, this move feels a bit weird when I do it. Save me, please; it’s really hard."

During self-practice, there were no teachers, nor were there staff members projecting the instructional video on the wall. Everyone could dance reasonably well while following the video, but once they tried it on their own... the problems were endless.

Justin was genuinely at his wit's end. Brother Zhengting had a background in modern dance, so when he danced the theme song, he incorporated elements of modern dance. As for Brother Ding Zeren, the less said, the better... That trainee, who had been exposed for saying "only sister" to his wealthy female fans, was indeed quite selective.

Gu Jingyi watched Justin perform once and quickly identified the issue. He stepped in front of Justin and broke down the movement, beat by beat.

"Extend your arm here... hold this beat a little longer. Everything else is fine. Try doing a few more steps."

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After watching his demonstration, Justin had a sudden realization. The look he gave Gu Jingyi was full of gratitude.

The camera positioned in front of them blinked, quietly recording the scene.

The trainees of Class A were making a final dash for the theme song assessment. Gu Jingyi performed the song and dance simultaneously. Cai Xukun noticed and couldn't help but stop his own practice to watch intently.

After watching, Cai Xukun had to admit that the fluidity and completeness of Gu Jingyi’s performance were far superior to his own—even ahead of the entire Class A. In some movements, Cai Xukun felt that Gu Jingyi danced even better than in the instructional video.

...

The theme song is often the most watched stage in the early stages of a talent show. It is also the only group performance for all 100 trainees. The trainees not only have to compete against each other to secure a spot in Class A but also compare themselves to the theme songs of overseas shows.

In a sense, the theme song evaluation is actually fairer than the initial stage evaluation. The initial performance is influenced by styling, part distribution, extra auditions, and mentor preferences. But for the theme song evaluation, everyone sings the same song, dances the same dance, and is measured by the exact same standard.

This is the last chance for trainees without backing to turn the tables. Gu Jingyi could feel that it wasn't just Class B and Class F that were filled with fighting spirit. Some contestants who were forced into the background during the initial stage were waiting for this opportunity to flip the script. Too many people wanted to be discovered by the audience through the theme song assessment.

The "Idol Producer" theme song re-evaluation was conducted as a live group assessment. The trainees all had to gather in the studio and complete the performance under the watchful eyes of mentors and fellow trainees. At the same time, the production team set up camera angles directly in front of the trainees as they performed. These "direct-cams" not only greatly improved efficiency but also ensured the authenticity of the material.

This was the part fans cared about most; every year, the direct-cams of the popular contestants were meticulously reviewed by fans, who would choose their "pick" and vote for them daily.

On the day of the re-evaluation, the trainees were all present in the studio before eight in the morning. Some, whether from staying up all night or waking up too early, looked like wilted eggplants. Gu Jingyi, however, sat among them looking refreshed and energetic, standing out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

Time ticked away. As the clock struck eight, footsteps echoed in the room. The theme song assessment was about to begin.