Chapter 3: The Debut (Part Two)

Jiang Xiao’s face drained of color.

The entire team consisted of individual trainees without agency contracts. Except for Jiang Xiao, whose training period was the longest, the others had only been practicing for a short time. She was the only one with four years of girl group experience, so it was natural for her to take on the role of team leader, guiding everyone through rehearsals.

At the beginning, the show’s producers offered three songs to choose from, and “Feeling” by Dream Girls was one of them.

Jiang Xiao was eager to perform this song, as it would showcase her strongest dancing skills.

Though she hesitated briefly, wondering if the song might be too difficult for the others, everyone loved it, and most wanted to perform it. So Jiang Xiao set aside her doubts and went along with the group’s choice.

Determined, she resolved to lead her teammates diligently, spending countless hours practicing choreography to ensure everyone earned good ratings. Yet, in focusing so much on the dance, she neglected the singing aspect.

The result was a stage performance riddled with mistakes.

She had secretly hoped that good dancing would overshadow everything else.

“Alright, hold on a moment. We’ll discuss and then announce the ratings,” the mentors said softly as they stepped aside to confer.

“I don’t think some of them have the skill,” one commented.

“In fact, her overall ability is the best in their group, but she was too nervous and made errors,” another said.

“That trainee really stood out. I don’t know why, but I could only see her on stage. I’m thinking of giving her a B,” one mentor remarked.

“Her vocal tone is lovely and steady. Just for singing, I’d give her an A.”

“But her dancing needs improvement.”

“Look at her practice time—only three months. I believe she can dance; she just hasn’t practiced long enough.”

...

After the discussion, Producer Representative Zhai Xingwen began announcing the results.

“No A grades.”

“B grade.”

He paused for a moment.

“Qiao Yiqing.”

Upon hearing her name, Qiao Yiqing was momentarily stunned before bowing in thanks.

Fu Huanhuan looked on joyfully, as if sharing in the honor.

“And then...”

Jiang Xiao clenched her fists nervously, lowering her gaze to the floor, her body trembling slightly.

“That’s all.”

Jiang Xiao released her tight grip in disappointment, her eyes clouded with confusion.

“C grade: Jiang Xiao, Fu Huanhuan.”

“D grade: Hao Qingfen, Yan Ganyu.”

—

As soon as she stepped off the stage, Jiang Xiao broke down in tears, surrounded by comforting teammates.

Fu Huanhuan had wanted to congratulate Qiao Yiqing on her B rating, but seeing Jiang Xiao’s breakdown, she awkwardly withdrew her hands from around Qiao and gave her a reassuring look.

Qiao Yiqing shook her head, indicating it was alright.

“It was just a slip-up. Your ability is definitely more than a C!”

“It’s okay, there’s still the theme evaluation later. You’ll climb up then!”

“Yeah, yeah, there’s still a chance!”

As they spoke and headed out, they came face to face with the entering trainees from Summit Entertainment.

Dressed in sleek black and white fitted uniforms that accentuated their tall figures, they strode in with commanding confidence, like dignitaries on a tour. The crowd instinctively stepped aside to give way.

—

“Your singing was very good,” Qiao Yiqing heard as she brushed past Lan Chenxi.

She turned to look back, but Lan Chenxi had already moved on.

“No way! Lan Chenxi actually spoke to you?” Fu Huanhuan exclaimed, then curled her lips into a mischievous smile, slinging her arm around Qiao’s shoulder and whispering close to her ear, “Do you think she was impressed by your performance and wants to hit on you? No way—you already have me. You can’t just ditch me for someone else.”

Qiao Yiqing was speechless, using her index finger to lightly push Fu Huanhuan away from her forehead with mild annoyance. “You’re overacting.”

—

As expected, the first A grade went to Lan Chenxi.

“They coordinated so well; it’s clear they’ve trained together often,” the mentors remarked.

“It was like watching seasoned performers on stage.”

“This is the kind of performance the audience should see. I hope everyone raises their standards and strives to match Summit Entertainment’s trainees,” one mentor said.

After watching Summit Entertainment’s trainees perform, the mentors’ previous gloom lifted, replaced by warm smiles.

The trainees on stage were stunned into silence for a while.

“Oh my god, that was amazing!”

“No wonder it’s Summit Entertainment.”

“I deeply feel the gap between us and them.”

“They should all get A’s, right?”

“Everyone was incredible, especially Lan Chenxi—she really stood out!”

...

Lan Chenxi had returned from Korea, where she had previously debuted once.

She began dancing at a very young age. At fifteen, she participated in a dance competition show. Although young, she shone brightly, gaining public recognition and her first fanbase. Because of that show, she was discovered by a Korean talent scout and invited to become a trainee there. Pursuing her dream alone, Lan Chenxi went to Korea, trained for two years, and debuted in a girl group as the main dancer.

Unfortunately, the group never became popular. Many fans with high hopes felt she was an overlooked gem—so talented yet unable to fully showcase her skills. When news broke that she would join this competition, they were ecstatic, as if celebrating the new year, finally seeing a stage where she could truly demonstrate her abilities.

In fact, Lan Chenxi was not the only trainee returning from Korea for the show, but she received the most attention because her years of experience proved her strength was unmatched by others.

Dance mentor Zhao Man raised her microphone. “Just watching this stage, you can tell Lan Chenxi’s dancing is excellent, but I want to see more. Can you do freestyle?”

“Wow, that’s impossible, right?!”

“The mentor’s test for top students is definitely different from ours!”

The trainees gasped.

Lan Chenxi did not hesitate. “Yes.”

Zhao Man was pleased with her promptness and signaled to the staff. “Alright, then let’s pick a random track… number 18.”

As the music began, Lan Chenxi, who was focused and waiting, smiled confidently and knowingly.

It was a very dynamic English song. She moved fluidly with the rhythm, every move perfectly timed, even her fingertips detailed. When the music suddenly changed tempo, Lan Chenxi’s alluring smile turned stern, matching the intense drumbeats with a powerful dance sequence.

Only when the performance ended did the trainees below snap out of their daze and start applauding.

“That’s incredible! Is that even possible?!”

“It feels like watching a completely different species! Competing with her—do I even stand a chance?!”

“This is freestyle? Better than dances I’ve practiced for ages!”

The mentors were equally satisfied. The highest A grade could finally be awarded.

Hearing the applause and praise, Qiao Yiqing’s mind flashed with a single word: overnight sensation.

Though Lan Chenxi was already well-known, this initial stage test solidified her image as a formidable talent in everyone’s heart.

The excitement from Summit Entertainment’s performance hadn’t faded when the next group of trainees was about to enter. Just as everyone eagerly awaited to see which unlucky team would follow Summit, a strange chant drew their curiosity.

“One-two-one, one-two-one, one-two-one.”

—

Following the sound, five girls lined up, swinging their hands to the rhythm, marching onto the stage in step.

“Left turn!”

Stopping at center stage, the girl at the front shouted loudly, and all trainees turned left in unison, standing at attention facing the mentors.

“Count off!”

“One! Two! Three! Four! Five!”

“Hello, everyone! We are trainees from Star Origin Entertainment!”

Producer Representative Zhai Xingwen looked curiously at dance mentor Zhao Man. “Ms. Zhao, is this a tradition at Star Origin Entertainment?”

Zhao Man rubbed her forehead in exasperation, muttering, “I’ve told them not to do this.”

The five Star Origin trainees standing below smiled brightly, showing no embarrassment.

Vocal mentor Wei Wei also smiled. “Not at all, I think it’s quite fun.”

Rap mentor Bo Wei chimed in, “I’d actually like to see Ms. Zhao perform it herself sometime.”

Ignoring the playful remarks, Zhao Man raised her microphone. “Although I’m from Star Origin too, I will judge your performance fairly and without bias.”

Though directed at Star Origin’s trainees, her words were meant for the entire group.

Fu Huanhuan excitedly shared with Qiao Yiqing, “I didn’t expect to see Summit and Star Origin face off so soon. The show must have planned this!”

The rivalry between Summit Entertainment and Star Origin Entertainment ran deep. While Star Origin, Summit, and Lefan were considered the top three idol agencies, Lefan lagged slightly behind. The real competition was between Star Origin and Summit. Neither yielded to the other, and the tension was felt from artists to fans. In the previous season of “Starlight Shines,” Summit’s trainee Zong Ming took first place, while Star Origin’s trainee only came in second, trailing behind.

Now that the second season of “Starlight Shines” had begun, Summit had quickly signed Lan Chenxi, dominating the spotlight. Star Origin was determined not to be outdone and signed trainee Wen Yali, who had also trained extensively in Korea, to compete.

Everyone thought the Summit-Star Origin showdown would happen only at the rankings, but surprisingly, it began right on the first stage.

Evidently, the producers were pleased with the buzz generated by last season’s Summit-Star Origin rivalry and planned to capitalize on it again.

Sure enough, Zhai Xingwen asked, “Having just watched Summit Entertainment’s trainees backstage, what are your thoughts?”

Star Origin’s team leader Wen Yali took the microphone. “They performed very well, but we’re no worse.”

“Do you have confidence you can beat them?”

“We will strive to earn more A grades.”

She gave no direct answer.

“Good, then we look forward to your performance!”

The music started light and cheerful. The beautiful girls turned one by one, shy smiles blooming like young girls confessing their feelings, harboring sweet secrets, anticipating a date.

Their sweet voices conveyed the bashfulness and fluttering hearts of youth. As their colorful dresses twirled, they created elegant arcs. Their lively steps led the audience into a girl’s dream.

Then the music stopped. Was it over? The crowd wondered.

Suddenly, the music resumed—it was a different song! The formerly sweet, smiling girls transformed into fierce, powerful warriors, performing a robust knife dance.

“Wow!”

The crowd gasped at the dramatic shift.

Star Origin Entertainment had fused two songs together: the first showcased classic girl group singing and dancing, the second highlighted pure dance skills.

“That reversal was captivating,” vocal mentor Wei Wei praised.

Dance mentor Zhao Man said nothing but her expression was one of satisfaction.

“I wonder what rating Star Origin will receive?”

“Wen Yali will definitely get an A.”

As the trainees speculated on the ratings, Zhai Xingwen flipped through his notes and suddenly raised the microphone. “Trainee Shao Heling, is Teacher Shao Fei your father?”