CHAPTER 4: SPECIALTIES IN EVERYTHING

The month-long training program felt long in theory but passed in the blink of an eye.

Now, all the girls who had participated in the selection process stood in a vast hall.

The director, who was supposed to announce the final list, had yet to arrive. The room was filled with hushed whispers.

“Do you think you’ll make it?”

“I… should? The vocal coach complimented me yesterday, didn’t he?”

“Well, at least you’re definitely better than Yu Xinyan!”

“Not necessarily—hasn’t she been following Jiang Su around, training with her every day?”

Wan Yue couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke up, “Do you really believe Jiang Su is so kind-hearted that she’s giving Yu Xinyan special training? Did you notice any changes when the teacher randomly checked her?”

The other person chuckled but didn’t respond.

It was only then that Wan Yue realized—they didn’t actually believe it either. They were just making snide remarks out of jealousy.

That day, Jiang Su and Yu Xinyan were indeed the last to arrive. Jiang Su walked slowly in front, and Yu Xinyan followed unhurriedly behind her, her cheeks slightly flushed. Whether it was from anger or excitement, it was unclear.

The room fell silent as everyone unconsciously stopped their discussion.

About half a minute later, the director arrived right behind them.

Flipping through the roster in his hands, the director said, “Our company has four people going to participate in Rookie Girls.” He was a straightforward person, wasting no time in suspense. He shook the roster and started reading the names. “Jiang Su.”

At the sound of that name, instead of surprise, everyone actually felt a sense of relief.

Of course, she was going.

After all, she was only taking up one slot.

“Wan Yue, Wu Qingqing, Yu Xinyan,” the director finished reading.

Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then all eyes landed on Yu Xinyan.

Why her?!

Was Yu Xinyan about to rise from the ashes?!

Yu Xinyan pressed her lips together slightly, her face devoid of expression.

Seeing her reaction, everyone felt a subtle sense of unease. She was actually staying this calm? This was completely unlike her usual self. Had she been playing weak this entire time?

A trace of wariness surfaced in everyone’s minds.

“There are only a few days left, so train well. Once you step out of this company, you’ll realize you’re still nothing,” the director warned before leaving.

Once he was gone, the others naturally dispersed as well.

It was one of their rare days off.

Jiang Su glanced at the time on her phone and headed for the cafeteria. Yu Xinyan followed right behind her, step by step… Until finally, when they had walked far enough, Yu Xinyan couldn’t hold it in anymore. She suddenly hugged Jiang Su tightly, pressing against her shoulder as she sobbed.

“Jiang Su… hic… you’re amazing…”

“You were right. I really made it.”

“Did I copy your demeanor well just now?”

“Haha, that was the first time I’ve ever seen them with that kind of expression! I actually managed to intimidate them!”

“So it’s true—if you have confidence and carry yourself properly, others won’t dare look down on you. And that’s when you gain the courage to push forward…”

Yu Xinyan mumbled, tears still clinging to her face. She looked up at Jiang Su, only to find her slightly lost in thought.

“Jiang Su, what are you thinking about?”

“I’m wondering if the cafeteria will make stir-fried winter melon with mooncakes again today,” Jiang Su replied casually, stepping into the cafeteria.

Yu Xinyan: “? Stir-fried winter melon with mooncakes?”

Jiang Su: “Mm, it’s good.”

Yu Xinyan: ???

What kind of nightmare-inducing meals had she eaten before, to think that tasted good?!

Yu Xinyan quickly said, “How about I treat you to Haidilao instead?”

Haidilao.

Jiang Su had never eaten there, only heard of it.

She agreed without hesitation. “Okay.”

Then, she gave Yu Xinyan a long look.

The girl’s eyes were beautiful, like misted water, delicate and fragile as she gazed back. Yu Xinyan’s heartbeat quickened, her face growing warm. She suddenly had the urge to cradle Jiang Su carefully in her hands, as if she were something precious that needed to be protected.

“Let’s go,” Yu Xinyan whispered.

Meanwhile, Jiang Su was thinking—

She’s a good person.

The first one who’s ever been willing to spend money to buy me a meal.

Spend money. Money.

Jiang Su’s gaze flickered.

She could help Yu Xinyan out again next time.

She finally responded, “Mm.”

—

Yan Yucheng, as usual, strolled leisurely into the cafeteria. The cafeteria auntie recognized him by now and, with a slight tremor in her hand, served him an extra helping of stir-fried winter melon with mooncakes.

Yan Yucheng’s mouth twitched.

…Who even liked this stuff?

No.

Someone did like it.

Thinking of that, Yan Yucheng paused for a moment.

Jiang Su liked it.

The only reason he ate at the cafeteria was to get a better understanding of the company from the ground level, so he wouldn’t end up blind to its inner workings due to deceitful subordinates.

It wasn’t paranoia.

The Yan family didn’t hold him in high regard—who knew how many traps his mother had set for him?

Oh, except Jiang Su.

She seemed to be the only one here genuinely enjoying the cafeteria food.

Taking a bite of a mooncake, her eyes narrowed slightly in contentment… Her delicate features becoming even more captivating.

So, she used to have it worse than me?

Yan Yucheng scoffed inwardly and sat down with his tray.

But today, he waited for a while and didn’t see that peculiar girl.

—

After eating at Haidilao, Jiang Su and Yu Xinyan returned to the dormitory.

Xu Dazhi had rearranged their accommodations, moving the four chosen participants into a shared four-person room.

Wu Qingqing had previously been in a different dormitory. Despite her soft-sounding name, her style was rather androgynous.

She had short, chin-length hair tied into a small braid, with phoenix-shaped eyes and a straight nose. The moment she saw Jiang Su and the others moving their things in, she immediately stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Su’s bag to help carry it.

Wan Yue: “…”

Her bag was clearly the heaviest one.

Xu Dazhi left them with a few words about fostering teamwork before taking his leave.

Wu Qingqing took the initiative to break the ice by asking everyone’s age and hometowns.

Yu Xinyan: “Twenty-four, from Zeyang City, Shandong Province.”

Wan Yue: “Twenty-one, a local from Beijing.”

When it was Jiang Su’s turn, she hesitated for a moment before recalling the information. “Nineteen, from Jinghuai.”

Yu Xinyan: “Fuck!”

Wu Qingqing: “Fuck!”

“You’re that young?!”

Jiang Su was the same age as the original owner of this body.

Even their birthdays were on the same day.

So the fact that she had become this “Jiang Su” didn’t seem all that surprising.

The only odd thing was Wan Yue’s comment at this moment: “Jinghuai City and its counties… I remember they’re notoriously poor.”

Jiang Su neither confirmed nor denied it, as if she couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Wu Qingqing and Yu Xinyan also remained silent.

Wan Yue, momentarily left out, could only shut her mouth awkwardly. It was only now that she realized how important those chatty roommates in her dorm actually were.

While they were working hard to establish “team spirit,” discussions about Idol Trainee Girls had already started buzzing on social media.

[Which companies are participating?]

[Sanjin, Shengyang, YIYI… quite a few.]

[Sanjin is participating again? If I were them, I’d be ashamed. Wasn’t their main trainee, Tong Rui, just caught in a tongue-kissing scandal?]

[Losing one Tong Rui doesn’t mean they don’t have other trainees to promote.]

[Haha, you must not watch many survival shows. Sanjin’s trainees are infamous for drama. They constantly fight, and not with outsiders—among themselves! After so many survival shows, Sanjin Entertainment has yet to debut a single successful idol. No fans want to support idols like that.]

[Can’t they just buy their way to victory? Sanjin used to be a powerhouse. Why aren’t they throwing money at it anymore?]

[YIYI spends even more money, okay? Plus, Sanjin’s internal conflicts are too intense. People love to ride on their drama for clout. The production team plays into it too—once they’ve squeezed out all the hype, they just kick them aside.]

[Wanna bet on how long it takes for Sanjin to start fighting again this season?]

[I’m in.]

[Me too. I bet they start tearing into each other by episode four.]

—

Yan Yucheng scrolled through the trending threads. Across from him, the director wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“This reputation is awful…”

The director laughed awkwardly.

Even he wasn’t sure when things had started going downhill like this.

Yan Yucheng put on his jacket and headed out. He didn’t seem particularly bothered, just gave a simple instruction: “Book me a VIP seat for the first recording.”

The director hesitated. “Huh…? Oh—okay?”

By the time he looked up again, Yan Yucheng was already gone.

Meanwhile, online discussions had shifted from Sanjin’s history of in-fighting to rumors about Sanjin’s new CEO—apparently, he was young, rich, and ridiculously handsome.

A little later, the topic veered toward Zhao Qiuying.

[I heard Film Queen Dong is going to be a special guest?]

[Wow, W really has connections.]

Because Zhao Qiuying’s name included the character “赢” (which means “win”), netizens loved calling him “W” as a nickname.

[If Film Queen Dong is going, will President Cheng be there too? Hehe, I’d love to see President Cheng.]

[Lmao, keep dreaming.]

—

Amidst all the online speculation, Idol Trainee Girls finally began recording.

The four trainees from Sanjin Entertainment piled into the company van and were driven to the filming location.

Xu Dazhi repeated the rules to them, while Yu Xinyan clung tightly to Jiang Su’s sleeve. “I’m so nervous… Do you think I’ll make it further this time?”

When Yu Xinyan got anxious, she couldn’t stop talking.

By the time Xu Dazhi finished speaking, she was still whispering to Jiang Su as they got out of the van. “This building is huge. No wonder it’s owned by Weiguang Network. Do you know which company owns this platform? Cheng Group! Have you heard of Cheng Group? They’re loaded. I read last year’s financial report—President Cheng’s net worth exceeded sixty billion dollars. This year, their biotech company secured multiple patents, and their stock prices skyrocketed. He’s probably even richer now… Weiguang is such a big platform, but to Cheng Group, it’s probably just a tiny ant.”

Jiang Su’s head hurt just listening.

She liked money, but she didn’t understand a thing about investments or stock prices.

Her face clearly read: Not interested.

Yu Xinyan had no choice but to switch topics. “Those are YIYI’s trainees over there. They arrived super early… And look at their outfits—head-to-toe Chanel!”

Jiang Su glanced down and tugged at her own Taobao-bought clothes, feeling perfectly content.

“And over there, that’s Shengyang’s group. Their boss is Zhao Qiuying… You remember him, right? The one who was about to jump in and save you the other day. He’s a big deal—probably the most famous young male celebrity in the country right now.”

Thanks to Yu Xinyan’s endless chatter, Jiang Su quietly memorized the faces and affiliations of all the contestants around her.

At the same time, many others had already taken note of Jiang Su.

A tough competitor.

In survival shows, being too beautiful was already half the battle won.

Just then, staff members came forward to guide them into the building.

They went straight up to the 21st floor.

The entire floor had been transformed into a filming set. The glossy glass flooring reflected shimmering lights, the crystal chandeliers overhead cast a dreamy glow, and the distant archways were draped with pink fabric. Long tables were decorated with intricate, doll-like pastries…

A staff member approached to mic them up. From this moment on, filming had officially begun.

“This show will be streamed live from start to finish.”

“Now, please draw lots.” A staff member pushed a lottery box toward them.

“This will determine the order in which you meet the mentors, and which mentor you’ll meet first. First impressions and the order of self-introductions might affect your final score.”

As soon as they heard it was a live broadcast, the contestants instinctively started checking their outfits and makeup, making sure everything looked perfect.

For a moment, no one wanted to be the first to reach for a lot.

At that moment, a slender, fair-skinned hand reached out from the side.

The pinky finger slightly curled as it hooked onto the lot-drawing container and pulled it closer…

The camera immediately zoomed in, focusing on her face.

The photographer behind the lens quietly sucked in a breath—

That face was simply too exquisite.

Jiang Su showed no trace of nervousness under the camera’s close-up. She casually drew a lot.

22,1.

She handed the slip over.

The staff member promptly read it aloud: “You are number 22. Open the first door.”

“Oh.”

The others hadn’t expected her to move so quickly. Holding their breath, they hurried to draw their own lots, then one by one pushed open their assigned doors to meet their mentors.

There were a total of four doors.

Some entered with smiles but came out with grim expressions.

Yu Xinyan whispered, “Jiang Su, you hardly say anything.”

“Mm.”

“You need to talk more! Otherwise, the cameras won’t capture you, and how will you get votes? There are 101 of us. Think about it—each episode is only so long. How much screen time can each person even get?”

“Oh.”

“…”

Yu Xinyan was speechless. She figured Jiang Su really wasn’t good at this. Well, then, I’ll just have to work harder and help her out!

She had no idea that Jiang Su was still in her observation phase.

Until she fully grasped the dynamics and controlled the pace, she wouldn’t speak unnecessarily.

This recording wasn’t even the first official episode—it was just a teaser. Sacrificing a few moments on screen didn’t matter.

“22,” the staff member called out.

Jiang Su finally stood up and walked over, pushing open the first door.

Zhao Qiuying was already feeling drained.

He had spent the previous night recording songs until midnight, then had to accompany his manager to the airport to pick up his older brother. Arriving at the filming site today, he had to reapply makeup, memorize the script, and familiarize himself with every trainee who stood before him.

If not for his past as an athlete, which had given him endurance, he probably wouldn’t have lasted this long.

He rubbed his temples, and when he heard the door open, he looked up.

The boy who usually appeared warm and approachable in front of fans now wore a cold, serious expression.

But in the next moment, his expression cracked.

“It’s you?!”

Then Zhao Qiuying quickly came back to his senses, remembering that they were filming.

He reined in his emotions. “You…”

His mind raced. If she brought up their past encounter, how should he respond?

He hadn’t expected her to be here.

But Jiang Su was even faster to speak. Her tone was calm and measured. “My name is Jiang Su.”

So your name is Jiang Su.

That thought flashed through Zhao Qiuying’s mind.

“I’m nineteen.”

So young.

No wonder she looks so delicate.

“I’m from Jinghuai City, Jiang Su Province.”

Zhao Qiuying had never even heard of that place.

“My specialty…” Jiang Su paused at this part, her brows slightly furrowing. She was skilled in so many things—how was she supposed to choose just one?

The room fell silent.

Does she not have a specialty? Zhao Qiuying thought.

That wasn’t unusual. Many girls who joined idol survival shows were just average singers and dancers. But at the very least—Zhao Qiuying’s gaze briefly landed on Jiang Su’s face before quickly shifting away—

At the very least, she was truly beautiful.

Beautiful and fragile.

Zhao Qiuying pressed his lips together, debating whether he should help her out of this awkward situation.

Then he heard Jiang Su hesitantly ask, “Does jumping over a 42-meter-wide river while riding an Augusta count as a specialty?”

Music, languages, dance… everyone could do those. Those were just ordinary skills, not real specialties, right?

Zhao Qiuying: ???