Chapter 31: Breaking Out of the Circle

Winter days have long nights, and the tranquil darkness wove a fine, shadowy net across the sky.

The trainees, who had only just laid down to rest, were roused once again by the production staff. They had slept for less than four hours. Dazed and disoriented, they clung to their beds, desperate for a few more moments of sleep.

The staff member responsible for waking them was merciless, going so far as to shake their blankets when necessary. Even with the heating on in the dormitory, the moment the blankets were pulled away, the drastic temperature difference sent a bone-chilling cold through the trainees.

It had snowed again in the morning. Justin pulled open the window with great enthusiasm, and as the snowflakes drifted in, Gu Jingyi felt the biting chill. He checked the time; it was past seven. He quickly got up and washed, so that by the time the production staff knocked on their door, Gu Jingyi was already groomed and fresh, ready to appear on camera at any moment.

Cai Xukun was not as fortunate. He had practiced late into the night, and after returning to the dorm, he and Justin had shared a bowl of instant noodles as a late-night snack. The combination of sleep deprivation and the heavy, salty noodles left him slightly bloated. His bare, puffy face flashed briefly on camera. Realizing the production team had arrived, he hurriedly snatched up a baseball cap and pulled the wide brim low to cover his face, silently praying that this segment would not make it into the final cut of "Idol Producer."

Fortunately, the staff was only there for their routine wake-up call to head to the theme song rehearsals. Seeing that they were already up, they retreated.

Cai Xukun let out a sigh of relief. The pressure lately had been immense. Gu Jingyi set such a high bar that he had to work tirelessly just to close the gap between them, even if only by a fraction.

"Want some coffee?"

Seeing his state, Gu Jingyi couldn't help but smile. Coincidentally, there were a few bottles of black coffee on the table that he had picked up from the convenience store earlier. He pushed a bottle toward him. "Have a few sips. You're starting to look like a pufferfish."

Cai Xukun squinted and grumbled an acknowledgment, reaching out to take it. He twisted off the cap and took a few gulps.

"So bitter," he complained, though he finished it honestly.

"Black coffee isn't a soft drink, of course it's bitter. I only told you to drink it because it helps with the bloating," Gu Jingyi said with a laugh.

Today was the rehearsal and filming for the theme song music video. Shooting in the morning meant the trainees had to be careful with their diet, water intake, and sleep the night before, or they risked looking "puffy" or "greasy" on camera. Having stayed up late the previous night, the trainees were all listless. Many others besides Cai Xukun were suffering from bloating. In the early stages of "Idol Producer," time was short and the tasks were heavy; staying up late was the norm, and the trainees couldn't escape the fate of morning puffiness.

"Strange, Justin, how come you aren't bloated?"

Cai Xukun glanced at Justin, who had eaten the noodles with him the night before, and couldn't help but ask.

"Huh? Oh, Jingyi-ge and I both have a habit of drinking black coffee," Justin replied, looking a bit confused.

Cai Xukun looked at Gu Jingyi with a complex expression. This was a survival show; out of 100 trainees, only nine would debut. He and Gu Jingyi were both aiming for the center position. In other words, they were rivals. If Gu Jingyi were the one bloated, would he have given away his black coffee? As the question crossed his mind, Cai Xukun already knew the answer.

Looking at Gu Jingyi, his eyes now held not only envy but a measure of genuine admiration from one competitor to another.

While the trainees were exhausting themselves rehearsing the theme song in the studio, a storm was brewing within the "Idol Producer" fandom. A fan account named "Gu Jingyi's Donut," clearly a solo fan base with the bio "All for Gu Jingyi," posted a set of photos on Weibo.

The photos were clearly taken at night, but due to high-quality equipment—a DSLR with a telephoto lens—the images were incredibly sharp with well-composed depth.

The first photo showed Gu Jingyi looking forward through a chain-link fence. Moonlight flowed from the sky to the ground, casting a hazy, glowing edge around his silhouette, turning the scene into a story of its own. In the second, he was staring into the distance, his eyes filled with a hint of heartache. In the third, Gu Jingyi was crouching down, digging through a bag on the ground for hand warmers. In the fourth, he was passing the hand warmers through the gaps in the fence, the sharp, dense wire scratching his hand. In the fifth, a close-up showed Gu Jingyi, dressed in a wool coat, leaning forward toward a fan who was reaching out. The distance between them had vanished, and from the angle, they looked as if they were whispering words of love under the delicate moonlight.

The caption read: "In the corners no one notices, there is even more hidden love."

Within hours, the reposts and comments on the set reached over 100,000.

The "Gu Jingyi" topic on Weibo was flooded with new fans—celebrity stans, investors, those who admire strength, and those who admire beauty. Under the Weibo post, fans who had received warmth from Gu Jingyi the night before were chirping about the details.

"I was one of the fans on-site yesterday. Those of us who follow the live filming know that on the day of the 'Idol Producer' re-evaluation, it snowed at the factory. After recording the theme song re-evaluations and other filler content, we waited at the dorm building but didn't catch sight of Jingyi. A fan who follows overseas survival shows guessed he might come out, so she led us to the dorms, though none of us were hopeful. The snow had just stopped, and it was two or three in the morning—the coldest time of the day. The hand warmers and hot drinks we brought had already gone cold. Just as we were at our most miserable, a familiar figure walked out of the convenience store. Seriously, sisters who have been to the site know—a top-tier handsome guy, even if he's far away, his aura and stature stand out instantly. Some fans saw the Korean fansites aiming their cameras and shouted 'Gu Jingyi!' And then, he actually turned and walked toward us!"

This fan's account caused a stir. More fans and onlookers urged her to reveal more. Other fans who were on-site chimed in with their own reports.

"When Gu Jingyi walked over, all the longing became concrete. He is the only trainee who pays attention to his outfit even in freezing weather, always maintaining the self-awareness of an idol. [Attached: Two photos]. I can only say the sisters who picked Gu Jingyi are truly blessed; a real handsome man looks good anywhere."

The photos attached showed Gu Jingyi departing the dorm building. Among a crowd of trainees bundled in puffy, shapeless down jackets, the stylishly dressed Gu Jingyi made them all look like background extras. Another photo showed his gentle gaze as he handed out the warmers through the fence. This stark contrast sent the fans into a frenzy.

"I will love Gu Jingyi forever. It was so windy that day. Everyone knows the trainees were exhausted from the all-night recording. Jingyi didn't actually buy that many warmers, but he ran back and forth twice so that every single fan got one. [Attached: Photo]."

In the photo, two pairs of hands met over the warmer—a profound sense of destiny. This mutual dedication between fan and idol went viral once again. Even drama fans who never watched survival shows or cared about the private lives of actors began to pay closer attention to "Idol Producer."