Yang Siyu resigned, and many people left various departments of the company. Among those who joined the company early on, only Liu Jiajia and Cheng Yuan remained. With such significant changes, people in the industry were speculating whether Random Entertainment had been acquired.
However, none of these messy rumors spread outside, and the internet was still eagerly anticipating the finale of "21 Heartbeats of Youth" Season 2.
In Jiang Juyou's eyes, it was a mess, but to the audience, it was the most exciting talent show in recent years.
Every performance had two or three stages that went viral, and the trainees were no longer embarrassingly over-promoted – they at least had either looks or talent to show for.
Plus, since the show was produced by Random Entertainment and wasn't creating a limited-time group, there was no need to worry about subsequent management – viewers could just wait to be fed content.
Amid all this excitement, there were dedicated Timetrain fans carefully analyzing where the comeback spoilers might be hidden in the game.
The outside chaos didn't concern them; they just wanted to know how the next comeback concept would relate to this game.
"Group name: Widows Meeting in a Strange Country"
"This BGM must be it, but I really can't figure out how their concept could relate to this European-style small country."
"Gentleman (just kidding)"
"Wait... wasn't there a train at the beginning? Could it be?"
"All five Timetrain members carrying me into the station (sorry)"
"So it's a slow song?"
"Even though we haven't heard the song yet, I'm calling it – this BGM is going to be legendary."
"If it really is this game's BGM, then we're coming for song of the year! (Unless we don't get it)"
"This guitar part really has a melancholic, tipsy feeling. I've been buying a can of beer every night lately, walking to the seaside alone, sitting on the beach drinking while waiting for sunset. Look, I took this photo – yesterday's sunset was pink-purple."
"We're going crazy from waiting – how can there really be no news at all?"
"Random Entertainment guards the school gates every day, not letting fan photographers take pictures."
"As they should. Those people don't deserve to be called fan photographers. It's bad enough that they block the company entrance, but how could they follow them to school?"
"I miss my baby so much..."
Due to Random Entertainment's strict control, there weren't even daily photos of them going to and from school. If caught by Random Entertainment staff, photographers would be blacklisted from all activities. Except for a few obsessed fans, most didn't dare to try anymore.
Pei Luming finished his high school entrance exam last week and was recently spotted entering and leaving the company, likely preparing for the new album. The others were still at school preparing for their final exams, and even the male trainees' monthly evaluation performance was canceled.
It felt like Random Entertainment was planning something big, but no one could figure out what.
Jiang Liuxing had tried to probe several times; she was really curious about how the game would connect to Timetrain's concept.
In the living room, the three sisters were rarely gathered together. Jiang Liuxing held her phone, teaching her older sister how to play the game while trying to extract information from her second sister.
"How many songs will there be this time? Their popularity can support a tour now, so they need to release at least ten songs or so to go on tour, right?" Jiang Liuxing sat on the carpet with her eldest sister, multitasking between playing and talking, like a gossipy neighborhood auntie with intense curiosity.
Jiang Juyou, lounging on the sofa, took a sip of warm tea and said, "Aren't you tired of investigating from yesterday until now?"
Jiang Liuxing put down her phone. "...Then just tell me one thing: when will they release the song, or at least tell me when they'll release the teaser."
Jiang Juyou sat up straight, placed her cup on the low coffee table in front, and smiled, "Weren't you a Sang Mo fan?"
"..." Jiang Liuxing panicked for a moment, averting her gaze and blinking.
She stubbornly replied, "No, I'm not a fan of anyone now, I'm busy making money." But she still couldn't meet Jiang Juyou's eyes.
Beside her, Jiang Tang kept her eyes down, trying to inch away from this tense situation.
Jiang Juyou leaned back and crossed her arms, "Come on, I know all about your little schemes."
Hearing this, Jiang Liuxing immediately looked at her eldest sister, "Ah! Didn't we agree not to tell?"
"...Please, that's Jiang Juyou we're talking about," was all Jiang Tang could say in response to her protest.
Among the three sisters, Jiang Juyou was the one with real authority, and it had always been that way since childhood.
Jiang Tang was easily swayed, like a reed bending in the wind, unreliable. Jiang Liuxing was like a hydrogen-filled balloon, flying away as soon as you let go, so all important family matters generally followed Jiang Juyou's lead.
In the days after the boy group's final performance, Jiang Liuxing had cried until her eyes were swollen, and a look at their studio's account showed she had made quite a few videos for Sang Mo.
There was no need for Jiang Tang to leak information; she had already exposed herself.
Sitting there, Jiang Juyou said, "I can give you other news, but it's not allowed to be leaked yet."
"What is it?" Jiang Liuxing looked at her sister, who said with a smile, "Sang Mo is already a reserve member for the new boy group. Starting next month, he probably won't participate in public evaluation performances anymore."
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting in screams.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Jiang Juyou and Jiang Tang, who were prepared, covered their ears as they watched her bounce around the living room like an excited gorilla.
But after processing the information, Jiang Liuxing suddenly stopped. "Wait... doesn't that mean I won't see him again until he debuts?"
-
What Jiang Liuxing didn't know was that Sang Mo himself had only learned about joining the new boy group's debut reserve team today.
Several students from their S class and A class were added to a group chat, where a staff member informed them they had entered the company's new boy group reserve team. After final exams, they would begin formal training and testing.
Chen Wu was also among those who made it into the reserve team.
Besides this information, nothing else was revealed.
"Group name: Can We Skip Weight Training Today"
"Sang Mo: [image]"
"Sang Mo: Chen Wu and I made it into the reserve team."
"Pei Luming: Ahhhhhhh finally! I knew it!"
"Gao Xiayu: Congratulations! When are you coming to Beijing?"
"Sang Mo: After exams, I guess. My exams are the week after next."
"Gao Xiayu: That's about the same as us."
"Pei Luming: Bros! Treat us! You two separately! One for lunch and one for dinner!"
"Yao Shuo: Congratulations!"
"Chen Wu: My phone's vibrating like crazy..."
"Yao Shuo: Finally have an excuse to play with my phone!"
"Chi Qiao: @Sang Mo @Chen Wu, congratulations! Did they say what type of group it would be?"
"Chen Wu: They didn't say, probably won't announce until after final exams."
"Sang Mo: But... I think I have an idea."
"Yao Shuo: [ears]"
"Chi Qiao: [ears]"
"Pei Luming: Butt."
"Sang Mo: After winter break, they had us choose between guitar and bass to learn, and it seems everyone selected this time plays pretty well."
"Pei Luming: Cool! I want to learn too! When are your classes? Can I sit in?"
"Gao Xiayu: If that's the case, they probably won't need many people. What do you two play, are there duplicates, is anyone better than you?"
"Pei Luming: Xiao Gao is still such a worrier!"
"Yao Shuo: @Pei Luming, you're really taking advantage of the fact that Xiayu ge can't come to the company lately!"
"Chi Qiao: @Pei Luming, good luck, little Pei."
"Sang Mo: I play bass, Chen Wu plays guitar... we're okay, only been learning for a few months, everyone's about the same level."
"Chen Wu: How come we don't see Ye Xing?"
"Yao Shuo: Poor Ye Xing has school six and a half days a week."
"Chi Qiao: He can't use his phone until 10:30 PM."
"Pei Luming: Poor little Ye!"
At the company, Pei Luming was sitting in the makeup room. He had to try on makeup today, so he came early, freeloading from breakfast to lunch, and had just finished dinner too.
As he was patting his round belly and about to put his feet up, his assistant walked in carrying a paper bag.
"Coffee?" He noticed it was a coffee brand paper bag and was about to lean in to see if there was anything he wanted to drink when he saw the assistant pull out a scale and place it on the floor.
The assistant dusted off his hands and looked at Pei Luming, "Come on, get on the scale."
"..."
Pei Luming felt like a pig at the slaughterhouse, waiting to meet his fate once he stepped on the scale.
He took a few steps back, about to ask for a few more days, when the makeup room door was pushed open. It was their makeup artists for this session, and behind them was — Jiang Juyou.
After entering, Jiang Juyou noticed the scale at Pei Luming's feet and raised an eyebrow, asking, "How much?"
"Haven't weighed yet," the assistant replied, glancing at Pei Luming.
Now Pei Luming couldn't escape. Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, and even the makeup artists setting up their supplies slowed down, watching his reaction through the mirror.
Jiang Juyou gestured with his head, "Go ahead."
Pei Luming swallowed hard, then took off his shoes, lifted his clothes slightly, and stepped onto the scale.
The screen lit up, and the numbers started changing.
When the numbers finally stopped, the assistant announced: "Gained seven pounds."
"Oh boy!"
"Pei Luming, you can't keep eating like that anymore!"
"But it's not too bad, you can barely tell. He's grown taller too."
While the makeup artists were trying to defend Pei Luming, Jiang Juyou sat down on a high stool in the back and instructed Pei Luming: "Lose the fat, 19, got it?"
"Got it," Pei Luming nodded quickly.
Jiang Juyou then told Pei Luming's assistant: "Keep an eye on him. The shoot is in three weeks. If he can't lose the weight, find an excuse to let him skip this season. He won't join this comeback."
Jiang Juyou was teasing him.
Pei Luming hurriedly swore, "I'll definitely lose weight!"
Little Deer Peppa: Oink oink.
-
