On a chilly early winter night, dead leaves clung to the ground, making a harsh sound when blown by the biting wind. Winter had arrived, and darkness fell early, with little light remaining after 6 PM.
A rehearsal was underway inside the Galaxy Venue. Faint music could be heard from outside, and large tour buses could be seen parked inside.
Fans, bundled up like burritos, were held back by barriers. Even so, they couldn't withstand Beijing's cold after nightfall, rubbing their hands and stamping their feet as they waited.
The official performance was tomorrow, and the trainees had been brought in early this morning for rehearsal. Fans had arrived early too, some waiting since the buses first arrived.
Knowing the trainees wouldn't come out for a while, fans went to wait at a café after the trainees entered. They even had lunch on the fourth floor, hearing various rumors and running down repeatedly. Now that it was dark, they estimated rehearsal would end soon, so they started waiting outside again around 4 PM, afraid of missing the trainees.
Time ticked by slowly. It was past 7 PM, and no one had come out yet. Fans kept asking the security guards for information, wondering if the trainees had already left, but got no answers.
Around 8 PM, there was finally some movement at the back door, but not from inside. It came from behind the fans.
A taxi stopped, with someone in the back seat.
The bored fans who had been waiting for hours all turned to look. After a moment, the person in the back seat got out. It was none other than the Chief Producer who had made the trainees cry on the show.
This sudden face-to-face encounter left both sides at a loss.
Jiang Juyou glanced at the waiting fans, many of whom looked familiar – they had been following these trainees for several months. She looked inside again and saw the buses were still there, but the venue was quiet now. They would likely be out soon.
Some fans had seen Jiang Juyou many times before but had thought she was just a regular staff member. It wasn't until watching the show that they realized she was the Chief Producer. Today, one fan boldly asked, "Producer Jiang, when will the kids be coming out?"
With this question, fans who had been keeping their distance suddenly moved closer, startling Jiang Juyou into taking two steps back.
"...They should be out soon," Jiang Juyou said, then looked around and asked, "There are no minors here, right? It's so late, and dark already. You should head home."
Her words fell on deaf ears. The fans only wanted to know what they were curious about, not what Jiang Juyou was curious about.
There were even fans of Chi Qiao present, and one shouted at Jiang Juyou, "Stop scolding Chi Qiao!" After she yelled, some nearby fans laughed.
The reason was simple: after the third episode aired, Jiang Juyou's image as a "tiger mom" had become deeply ingrained. After Jiang Juyou's evaluations in the preliminary round that day, each trainee had a follow-up interview, and their combined comments painted a vivid picture of Jiang Juyou.
A staff member asked Gao Xiayu, "The producer praised your group today. How do you feel?"
Gao Xiayu hesitated, "It's the first time Producer Jiang has praised us since I joined the company... I feel a bit strange..."
The staff asked Ye Xing, "How do you think you performed today?"
"I wasn't mentioned in today's evaluation... Producer Jiang often says that not being mentioned means the stage left no impression... I'd rather be scolded a bit, at least then I'd know what the problem was."
They asked Chi Qiao, "What did the producer say when she called you over separately?"
"...She said wuwuwuwuwu--" Chi Qiao wiped away tears.
The staff asked Pei Luming, "Your solo stage was praised by the producer today. How do you feel?"
Pei Luming could barely contain his joy, grinning as he said, "Hehehehe, I'm super happy! I used to only get scolded, but this is the first time I've been praised, and it was even recorded on camera. I'm really so happy, please make sure to include that part in the edit. I want to make it a family heirloom!"
This led to fans in various forums cursing at Jiang Juyou, questioning why she treated minors this way, with some even saying they would report her. But most were just venting, cursing Jiang Juyou in their own spaces.
But to confront Jiang Juyou directly and tell her to scold less – this was a first.
Jiang Juyou herself was quite alarmed. She felt that if she didn't have a car, she might end up having rotten eggs thrown at her in the future.
She looked towards the source of the voice, about to speak, when suddenly someone shouted, "They're coming out!"
In the next second, Jiang Juyou was surrounded by screaming fans calling out their idols' names. No one paid attention to her anymore.
She made her way through the crowd, past the security office, and finally reached the inside.
The buses in the back parking lot had their lights on, and the drivers had boarded, but the trainees hadn't come out yet. As Jiang Juyou took a few more steps forward, she made eye contact with Gao Xiayu, who was just walking out.
She suddenly stopped, pointing at his hair, "What's with your hair? Coming out with wet hair in this cold weather, do you not want to perform tomorrow?"
Because it was dark, Gao Xiayu didn't recognize who it was at first. It wasn't until he heard the voice that his skin prickled with goosebumps, and he realized it was the Chief Producer.
He touched his slightly damp hair, "Ah... there were too many people using the dryers, so I'd have to wait. I just came out first, it'll dry when I get back."
Camera flashes were constantly going off beyond the barriers. Before Gao Xiayu could even glance outside to see what was happening, Jiang Juyou pushed him back in, "Go dry your hair first, there's no rush to leave."
Fans who saw Gao Xiayu being pushed back in didn't understand what had happened and sighed in disappointment, "Ah-- why did he go back!"
Following Gao Xiayu to the basement, Jiang Juyou found that the first few trainees who had finished showering were asleep on the sofas in the waiting room, while others were drying their hair, all spots taken.
"Next time, don't shower here. Go straight back, you'll have individual rooms, take as long as you want," Jiang Juyou said, then counted the people and found only about ten, "Where are the others?"
Gao Xiayu pointed behind him, "In the practice room."
Jiang Juyou checked the time after hearing this, "Alright, tell them to stop practicing and pack up to leave. You need to be here at 1 PM tomorrow for makeup and lighting. Get to bed early tonight. It's cold at night, so sleep with electric blankets on. Don't use the air conditioning, it's too dry. Use a humidifier if you have one, if not, put a basin of water in your room with a face towel draped over the edge. That should help a bit."
Gao Xiayu stood with his hands behind his back, nodding at each instruction. The camera hanging in the corridor was still recording.
When the others who had finished drying their hair came out, they saw Jiang Juyou and Gao Xiayu in the corridor. Their playful behavior instantly stopped, along with the smiles on their faces.
Seeing Sang Mo among them, Jiang Juyou said, "Go tell the team leaders to count their members and head back to rest. Don't shower here in the future, dozens of people are waiting out there."
"I'll go right now!" Sang Mo replied.
"Go on then."
Before leaving with Sang Mo and the others, Gao Xiayu said to Jiang Juyou, "Teacher, you should get some rest too."
"Mm, go on now," Jiang Juyou nodded to him, then turned wearily towards the elevator.
The fans waiting outside soon saw the trainees coming out. The sound of camera shutters drowned out the wind, and the flashes lit up the dark parking lot.
The trainees who had showered were wearing hats and masks, while those with trial makeup on waved openly to the fans. Pei Luming went even further, carrying his backpack and water bottle, running a lap by the door.
Like excited puppies, the more they were praised, the more energetic they became, their voices getting louder.
Some fans tried to give gifts and letters, but were refused. Pei Luming explained to the fans, "We're not allowed to accept these, not even letters. Don't bring them next time, it's too cold to keep holding them."
Other fans took the chance to tell Pei Luming, "Puppy, puppy, can you tell your Ye Xing brother to practice taking selfies more when you get back?"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell him," Pei Luming had just finished saying when the crowd started shouting Ye Xing's name. He turned around to see that Ye Xing had come out, so he yelled, "Ye Xing―your fans have something to say to you."
The betrayed fan: "..."
Don't you know some things are very difficult for me to say out loud?
But it was too late; Ye Xing had been called over.
He had just taken a shower, so his hair was still a bit damp. He wore a knit cap on his head, instantly maximizing his artistic aura.
When Ye Xing came over, other fans were begging Pei Luming to call the other trainees from the car. Now Pei Luming felt a bit troubled, realizing he might have caused a problem.
"What's the matter?" Ye Xing asked as he approached.
Just as Pei Luming was about to speak, Ye Xing's fans suddenly developed a strange ailment and started shouting, "Ahhh baby, post more selfies! Your selfies are so good! We love seeing your selfies!"
Other fans: "..."
Talk about doting, huh?
At this moment, Gao Xiayu came down from the car. His fans also called out loudly, wanting him to come over, but Gao Xiayu didn't approach. He just waved, bowed, and then called out to the other two, "Hurry up and get in the car, we're leaving!"
Pei Luming quickly turned back to say goodbye to the fans, "We have to go now, see you tomorrow! Don't wait next time, okay? It's really too cold!"
"Bye bye bye!"
"Puppy! Mommy will make sure you continue to have solo stages!"
"Keep it up!"
Ye Xing obediently said a few words to the fans before leaving, but Pei Luming was truly like a puppy who couldn't get enough of playing. As he returned to the car, he kept looking back every few steps.
The fans at the entrance played along; every time he looked back, they would call his name. This went on several times.
Finally satisfied, Pei Luming got into the car, only to see Gao Xiayu glaring at him with a gloomy face.
Pei Luming immediately tucked his tail between his legs, very perceptive of the mood. "I'm sorry."
His expression was very sincere, but he would likely do it again next time.
Puppy fans: Doggy! My doggy~ Huggy me, huggy me!
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