CH 32

"I'm quite looking forward to it," Song Yan smiled at the camera.

The photographer asked again, "As a guest in this boy group talent show, surrounded by energetic young boys, does Mr. Song feel a slight sense of crisis?"

Song Yan remained silent for a moment and jokingly replied, "Apart from age, I think I still have some advantages, right?"

Several staff members in the car burst into laughter.

"Well, I heard some trainees are around the same age as you," someone said.

In fact, Song Yan was not that old. Many male actors of his age were still in the rising stage of their careers. It's just that he entered the industry early with a high starting point. The entertainment industry has always been full of talented individuals. There have been actors and actresses who won awards in their early teens. Some had a promising start but declined later, while others, like Song Yan, managed to maintain their initial success and continuously improve. Therefore, he always gave the impression of being at the pinnacle, but in terms of experience, he was far from being considered a legend.

Assistant Ah Kang sighed, "If it were my brother at eighteen, he might have debuted in the center position."

In his earlier years, Song Yan might have resented such jokes. Just like when he debuted at eighteen and did an interview with Yu Weiguang, a reporter asked Yu Weiguang why he chose Song Yan as the male lead in his youth-oriented film. Yu Weiguang honestly replied, "Beautiful, this child is so beautiful. I saw him at the school gate and instantly decided -- Yes, this is Chen Jiamu."

At that time, Song Yan was full of rejection and resistance towards the industry. At eighteen, he was rebellious, and even Yu Weiguang believed that with his stubbornness, after filming this movie, he would probably leave the industry.

Yu Weiguang felt it was a pity because this child had a natural talent for acting.

Unexpectedly, Song Yan gave up on his academic dreams and chose film and television performance as his artistic path. Slowly, he smoothed out his rough edges and gradually assimilated into this industry.

And then Song Yan became the Song Yan that the public knows today.

Suddenly, the assistant director in the car got an idea for a top-rated gimmick. He said, "How about you, Teacher Song, wear one of those trainee uniforms and try learning that dance?"

Song Yan raised an eyebrow and declined in a calm voice, "No thanks."

The assistant director felt embarrassed by the rejection and coughed on purpose, "Teacher Song, don't carry the burden of being an idol too heavily. Look at Teacher Wen, she's willing to try new things. I watched the original video of that girl group dance, and it may not suit her, but that doesn't mean she can't learn it, right?"

Song Yan softly replied, "I don't think it doesn't suit her."

The assistant director thought to himself that regardless of whether it suited her or not, if the person in front of him is willing to wear a uniform and act cute with his wife, their production team wouldn't have to lock the screenwriters in a small dark room for the sake of the show's effect.

It seemed that no one had ever equated Wen Li with a little cute girl. Firstly, she had never portrayed a girly image. She was also straightforward and down-to-earth in variety shows. Most of the roles she played in dramas also matched her appearance as a vibrant and charismatic female lead. She was straightforward by nature and didn't know how to be tactful.

But in reality, as long as she toned down her confident tone a bit, her voice became that of a sweet girl.

A few years ago, when she played the role of Little Snow Ferret, which was considered a black history in her acting carer, Wen Li used her natural voice and still managed to pull off the sweet girl character.

In Song Yan's memory, Wen Li was like that when she was in her teens.

She would often hide behind the classroom door, waiting for Bai Sen to pass by, and then suddenly jump out to scare him.

"Ha—!"

Every time she scared him, Bai Sen would quickly get startled and his hair would stand on end. He would then scold her and chase after her.

One time, she mistook Song Yan for Bai Sen and accidentally scared him. Wen Li realized she scared the wrong person, and the word "ha" got stuck between her teeth, leaving her mouth wide open and her face quickly turned red.

Song Yan observed her, his expression cold and devoid of emotion.

Feeling guilty under his gaze, Wen Li bit her lip. Although she was embarrassed, she didn't want to apologize. She forced herself to mutter, "It's your fault for being almost the same height as Bai Sen and wearing the same school uniform as him. It's not my fault."

Song Yan, who inexplicably turned into the "culprit", didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He lazily curled up the corners of his lips and said, "Haunting around like a cat, who else can you scare besides Bai Sen?"

Wen Li glared at him fiercely, intentionally mocking, "Oh, you're so impressive."

Then she flicked her ponytail and ran off, tilting her chin.

Song Yan watched as she turned her head and ran into the corner of the corridor, coincidentally colliding with Bai Sen coming from that direction. Bai Sen questioned if she was trying to scare him again and Wen Li made a funny face at him. Then Bai Sen grabbed her by the neck and knocked her head hard.

The two of them started playing around again.

Song Yan kept watching until the two of them reconciled and decided to go to the convenience store together to buy snacks, leaving together side by side.

He turned around and returned to the classroom. Looking at the empty classroom door, he thought about how long she had been hiding here like a cat. She was waiting for Bai Sen but ended up trying to scare him. Suddenly, he chuckled.

There was a traffic jam on the main road.

The traffic situation in Yancheng was just so frustrating.

The assistant director was somewhat worried, "Oh no, what if we can't make it in time for Teacher Wen's dance?"

——

Inside the recording studio, the trainees were rehearsing. Just the assessment for the theme song alone was done in groups of five, with every song lasting three and a half minutes. All the dance performances combined would take over an hour, including feedback from the mentors and various unexpected program effects. It wasn't going to be quick.

After half of the trainees had completed the assessment, the group of boys sat relaxedly on the side, chatting.

Finally, one trainee realized something.

"We've been recording for so long, why hasn't Teacher Wen Li appeared yet?"

A few other trainees with delayed reactions looked around and belatedly exclaimed, "That's right!"

"I was looking forward to dancing well in front of Teacher Wen Li today. Is she really not here?"

The discussions among the trainees grew louder, disturbing the ongoing assessment of the other trainees nearby. Icy, the mentor in charge of the rap part, couldn't hear the trainees' lyrics clearly. Frowning, he tapped the folder in his hand with a pen, "Can you guys over there be quiet? Don't affect the assessments of others."

"Sorry, Teacher Icy," the leading trainee immediately apologized, "It's just that we haven't seen Teacher Wen Li, so it feels a bit strange."

Icy's tone was indifferent as he responded, "The chief judge is still in the dressing room preparing."

"The dressing room? Did Teacher Wen Li not do her makeup before coming to record the program?"

These naive trainees.

Yan Jun smiled and said, "Not makeup, it's a costume change. Teacher Wen Li is performing today."

The trainees looked at each other. It wasn't in the script.

One trainee raised his hand and asked, "What performance is it? Director didn't tell us about it."

Yan Jun smiled but remained silent, gesturing towards Qi Sihan who was beside him, indicating for her to explain.

Understanding the gesture, Qi Sihan smiled mischievously at the trainees and playfully shook her head, "This is a benefit I secured for our program. Previously, at a charity gala, Teacher Wen Li promised me that she would learn our group's dance. Today's recording is the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise."

After saying that, she shouted at the director off-camera, "Director, you have to treat me to a meal after we finish recording!"

The director's voice resounded loudly, "Sure! No problem!"

These trainees had their phones confiscated before coming to record the program, so they couldn't surf the internet. They were like a bunch of "cave dwellers" and had no idea what Qi Sihan was talking about regarding the charity gala. Some individuals who secretly kept their phones to themselves didn't want to expose their actions and pretended to know nothing as well.

"Teacher Sihan, which dance from our group is she going to perform?"

Qi Sihan immediately demonstrated a few classic dance moves from this song on the spot, "It's this one, 'What Should I Do?'. I like you so much that I can't even breathe properly..."

She had performed these moves over a hundred times on other shows, and considering their group's original style, there was no need to feel shy in front of a group of boys.

After the performance, Qi Sihan playfully made a heart gesture.

The boys immediately cheered.

"Woo!!!"

"Wow!!! That's too cute!!!"

Some people clutched their chests on the spot, exaggeratingly acting as if Cupid had struck their hearts. Some boys who were responsible for the dance moves immediately mimicked the dance and effortlessly replicated it right there.

"I can't handle this anymore," Wang Yiyuan suddenly leaned weakly on Xu Li's shoulder, "Just imagining Teacher Wen Li dancing such an adorable dance on stage, I feel like I'm going to faint. It's too cute."

Xu Li shrugged his shoulders and looked indifferent, "Disgusting. Stay away from me."

"Xu Li, are you really not a fan of Teacher Wen Li?" Wang Yiyuan's tone suddenly became serious, "You're completely unaffected by such a great opportunity?"

"...Tch."

Xu Li belonged to the type of person who didn't appreciate Wen Li's beauty. He had seen her face since he was young, and even if she were a goddess, he had long grown tired of it.

"Director," One of the trainees raised his hand and asked cleverly, "If Wen Li dances such a cute love song in front of so many boys, won't her husband get jealous?"

As soon as this question was asked, the studio immediately erupted in laughter.

"You're causing trouble! This question is really causing trouble!"

"Hahaha, that's so wicked!"

"We strongly demand that Teacher Song Yan join our show. We can't steal someone else's love!"

The director, who knew the inside story but couldn't reveal it prematurely, shouted back at the trainees through a megaphone, "Just because you say, will Song Yan come if Wen Li dances in front of a hundred boys? We need to be able to invite him first."

"Just say that Wen Li will be dancing cute love song in front of a hundred boys, Song Yan will definitely come."

"Call Song Yan now!"

All the trainees in the studio were in an excited state. The director couldn't control these talkative and lively boys, so all he could do was use the megaphone to repeatedly shout at them to be quiet and finish recording the program first.

"Alright, alright, Song Yan is busy and can't make it," Xu Xingyue, who had been silent all along, suddenly clapped her hands and spoke with a helpless tone, "He wouldn't specifically come just to see Wen Li dance. Let's all be realistic."

In fact, the trainees also knew that Song Yan wouldn't come, but they were just teasing and creating an atmosphere. When Xu Xingyue said that, the enthusiasm immediately faded, and the studio gradually quieted down.

Icy tapped his pen and said, "Next group of trainees, get ready."

At this moment, Xu Xingyue put down the assessment form and said to the director, "I'll go check if Senior Sister is ready in the dressing room."

The director waved his hand, "Go ahead."

Xu Xingyue walked past a group of staff members, left the brightly lit recording studio, and headed towards the dressing room backstage.

Before she reached the dressing room, she coincidentally ran into Wen Li, who had already finished her makeup and was coming over.

She was surrounded by people. The makeup artist was making final adjustments to her hairstyle and outfit.

When Wen Li saw Xu Xingyue, she paused and asked, "Did the director rush me?"

"No, I just wanted to see if Senior Sister was ready since you've been preparing for so long," Xu Xingyue replied.

"Oh."

Wen Li didn't have much to say to her. She nodded and continued walking in the direction of the recording studio.

Suddenly, Xu Xingyue asked, "Senior Sister, will Song Yan be coming to the live recording today?"

"No, he won't," Wen Li frowned, her tone not too pleasant, "Do you have something to say?"

She hadn't forgotten the night when Xu Xingyue added Song Yan on WeChat. It just didn't sit well with her.

Little did she know, Xu Xingyue sighed regretfully and said, "It's not that I have something to say. It's just that the trainees hope that when Senior Sister performs this song, it would be great if Song Yan could be there too."

Wen Li's expression immediately turned constipated.

What would Song Yan come here for? To watch her being publicly executed?

"I think Song Yan must have a busy schedule. He wouldn't come just to watch Senior Sister dance," Xu Xingyue smiled at her gently, her voice soft, "It's a pity."

Wen Li looked impatient, "Just get to the point. Is he coming or not?"

Xu Xingyue shook her head, "I haven't received any notification from the production team, so I don't think he'll come."

"Oh, that's good then," Wen Li stared at Xu Xingyue, feeling that her junior sister was truly unable to speak like a normal person, always beating around the bush and almost scaring her to death, "You scared me. I thought he would come. Can you be more straightforward next time?"

After saying that, she patted her chest and took a long breath.

Xu Xingyue opened her mouth but was left speechless by Wen Li's happy expression.

Why did Wen Li seem rather happy that Song Yan wasn't coming?

In the recording studio, the director received the message that Wen Li was ready with her makeup and once again picked up the megaphone to shout at all the trainees in the studio, "Trainees, Wen Li is ready."

The trainees immediately applauded.

The camera turned towards the entrance. Wen Li, with her hair tied up in twin ponytails, wearing a pink skirt and a cute cherry blossom makeup, walked in from outside.

The first one to scream was Qi Sihan, "Teacher Wen, you're so adorable!!!"

Wen Li felt extremely embarrassed, awkwardly touched her nose, walked to the assessment platform, bit her lip, puffed her cheeks, and finally couldn't hold it back anymore. She lowered her head and covered her face.

Her awkward and helpless appearance was seen by everyone.

Qi Sihan immediately called on the trainees to cheer, "Trainees! Isn't Teacher Wen adorable today?"

"Adorable!!!"

Wen Li couldn't stand this cute style herself, but in the eyes of others, she was indeed adorable.

Dressed as a cute student, her legs nervously closed under the short skirt, standing in place like a well-behaved student. Her twin ponytails were exquisitely styled; the makeup artist put in the effort to give her a youthful makeup, an overall pink look. She deliberately drew drooping puppy eyeliner, suppressing the vibrant upturn at the end of her eyes, making her look innocent and pure. Her lipstick had a glossy feel, and when she pursed her lips, it looked like she was biting on a jelly.

She held the microphone and asked, her voice slightly trembling, "Does this look suit me? Do I have the vibe of a high school girl?"

"Yes, yes, yes!!!"

"You're the most beautiful high school girl!!!"

With this shower of flattery, Wen Li finally gained some confidence. It seemed that she was the only one who wasn't used to it.

At this moment, the sweet prelude of the girl group song started playing in the studio.

Wen Li cleared her throat, put down the microphone, and raised her arms to make a big heart gesture.

The trainees immediately started cheering for her like enthusiastic fans.

Someone suddenly noticed a group of camera crews entering through the door and nudged their companion, "Hey, are they from our show?"

"Hmm?"

The man surrounded by the camera crew walked into the noisy recording studio.

He was wearing a simple shirt and pants, tall in stature, and had a handsome face with a polite smile. He nodded to the staff on site.

The trainee who noticed him first opened his mouth wide in an "O" shape.

"Oh my god, is that Song Yan!"

Starting from this trainee, a few other trainees around him excitedly shook their shoulders upon hearing the commotion.

The man glanced in their direction and curved his lips in a smile towards the boys who had already noticed him.

"Oh my god, it's really Song Yan!"

"Oh, my mom, I'm so lucky to be on this show!"

"He actually came to watch Teacher Wen Li dance, hahaha!"

The small commotion was immediately suppressed by the staff responsible for crowd control, who gestured for the trainees to be quiet.

The trainees immediately closed their mouths smartly.

The four mentors standing next to the trainees also noticed Song Yan. Qi Sihan, Yan Jun, and Icy were slightly surprised at first, but then quickly smiled and turned their gaze towards Wen Li, who was dancing on stage.

Xu Xingyue took a while to recover and squeezed the hand hanging by her side, unwillingly tightening her grip.

Meanwhile, the dedicated Wen Li remained oblivious. With her hands clenched into fists, she held them against her face, perfectly managing her expression. She made a lovely and shy face.

"What should I do? I like you so much, to the point that every time I see you, my breath almost stops! Wowowo~"