Chapter 4: A Flawless Debut

The stage buzzed with a cacophony of voices, the speakers vibrating so intensely they made the ears ring. The backstage preparation area was set far apart, each contestant enveloped by an unnamed, oppressive tension.

As the moment to step onto the stage for their debut approached, dozens of cameras were all trained on the backstage.

These cameras, coming from all directions, were like countless eyes observing every contestant from a lofty vantage point.

Gu Jingyi twisted open a bottle of mineral water, taking small sips to moisten his throat.

After choosing his seat for the debut, he would soon be cued by the mentors to perform on stage.

If the throat wasn’t thoroughly moistened, the voice couldn’t be fully relaxed.

Some newcomers often pursued the perfect vocal opening on stage and ended up breaking their voice.

“EO EO, cast off the shackles that bind your mind, Kio Kio, the whole world is here to photograph you!”

Suddenly, someone shouted behind him so loudly that Gu Jingyi nearly dropped the bottle in his hand. A few droplets slipped down his hand, and he turned around in surprise.

Fan Chengcheng faced the wall, making various hand gestures while immersed in his rap, singing passionately.

In contrast, Zhu Zhengting and Justin, who had experience in overseas talent shows, maintained a relaxed attitude. They leaned against the wall, chatting casually while observing their surroundings.

Zhu Zhengting, captain of the “Moonlight Seven,” glanced apologetically at Gu Jingyi and mouthed a quiet “sorry.”

Gu Jingyi smiled lightly, not paying it much mind.

Fan Chengcheng was also one of the popular contestants on this show, with his sister being the famous Shou Bing.

This was his first time entering the public eye, so naturally, he was a bit nervous.

Gu Jingyi wiped the water droplets off the back of his hand with a tissue, then stood before the mirror, adjusting the stray hairs on his forehead slightly. He fully revealed his brows and eyes, with some strands covering the top of his eyebrows.

Handsome and spirited, he still carried the vibrant energy unique to his nineteen years.

Just as he finished adjusting everything, a coordinator led him into a room.

The coordinator asked him to stick his name on the mirror and write a message to himself.

Without hesitation, Gu Jingyi picked up a marker and wrote:

“Never give up easily, for surprises always arrive silently.”

Thanks to his grandfather’s teachings, Gu Jingyi had excellent penmanship.

Even when writing on the mirror with a marker, his characters were strong and structured.

After finishing in one smooth motion, the photographer set up the camera for a close-up.

Gu Jingyi turned around and followed the staff’s guidance into another room.

Here, there were five standing signs on the floor, labeled from “A” to “F.”

Before going on stage, contestants needed to self-rate and attach their chosen rating tag near their nameplate.

Without any hesitation, Gu Jingyi directly placed the “A” tag to the right of his nameplate.

“Jingyi, may I ask why you chose ‘A’?” the show’s staff began to cue the topic, the camera lens nearly pressed against Gu Jingyi’s face.

“Because I am the standard answer for an ‘A,’” Gu Jingyi replied, looking straight at the lens with undeniable confidence radiating from his brows.

Each episode of the talent show had a fixed broadcast length, and the production team continuously trimmed the footage captured for the camera, ultimately including only the most sensational and controversial moments.

Though with Gu Jingyi’s popularity, his treatment was destined to be different.

But for the audience before the show, each episode featured a vast number of contestants, like a banquet of endless dishes that made one’s eyes dizzy. What Gu Jingyi was doing was quickly establishing his persona.

With his dominant strength, showing a bit of ambition suited the audience’s taste behind the cameras.

His overwhelming confidence even caught the staff’s attention.

“Alright, then please have trainee Gu Jingyi from Hua Ce Entertainment proceed to the waiting area ahead to prepare for the debut.”

Gu Jingyi smoothed the slight wrinkles on his nameplate and walked toward the waiting area to prepare for his stage appearance.

When the “Hua Ce Entertainment” logo suddenly lit up, the trainees who had already entered the venue widened their eyes and began to discuss among themselves. Some from smaller companies exaggerated their reactions to grab more camera time.

They all stood up at once, feigning curiosity as they looked toward the stage, as if they were genuinely interested in Gu Jingyi and eager to see his appearance in advance.

But their acting was somewhat clumsy, making their reactions awkward.

Gu Jingyi was unaffected by any of it. He faced the warm gazes of all the trainees, made no response, and walked straight to the center of the stage.

The giant screen behind him displayed clips from his appearance in “A Little Bit of Happiness,” then the image dissolved into light particles and vanished. When the screen lit up again, his resume photo and predicted ranking were shown.

“Is this face real? It’s overwhelmingly handsome. Totally the type of guy that even other boys would admire!”

“So handsome! As soon as Gu Jingyi appeared, I couldn’t help but focus all my attention on him.”

“Why is Gu Jingyi’s predicted rank number five? That doesn’t match his ability at all.”

“Phew, I feel like I might as well pack up and go home early.”

“Is that really Gu Jingyi? I thought he came here as a mentor.”

Gu Jingyi treated these comments as background noise and completed an almost flawless debut.

His eyes scanned the rows of transparent seats arranged before him in a stepped, numbered pattern, stretching upward like a pyramid—the higher the seat, the earlier the number, and the fewer the seats.

The number one seat at the very top had the best view and the brightest lighting, a seat that naturally drew the heart’s yearning.

[Is this the C spot? It really feels completely different from the other positions.]

Gu Jingyi looked for a few seconds then averted his gaze.

Song Shuijiao, who was sitting in seat number one to grab camera attention, quietly exhaled with relief. He was just an unknown trainee. His choice of the C spot was purely because he had overheard the production team say that Gu Jingyi’s predicted position wasn’t the C seat.

In the talent show, choosing the C spot for seating would be filmed with a five-second close-up shot, which was a huge boost for unknown trainees.

When Gu Jingyi looked over just now, Song Shuijiao almost felt compelled to give up his seat out of nervousness.

Fortunately, Gu Jingyi did not linger.

Gu Jingyi calculated the timing the staff had reminded him of and waited until all camera angles had captured him. Then he stepped forward and walked up the stairs.

[Which seat will he choose? Will he really follow the rules and take seat number five?]

[Such a strong aura. Is this what a popular young star looks like?]

[No wonder Gu Jingyi’s face is so iconic. This face can handle any close-up shot. Please, let him not sit next to me.]

Gu Jingyi did not care at all what the other trainees thought or the gazes upon him. He walked straight to seat number five without hesitation.

“Hello, Cai Xukun,” greeted a boy with light brown, slightly curly short hair, dressed in a blue velvet jacket and black mesh inner shirt, standing up to greet Gu Jingyi.