Chapter 11 The Eleventh Day of Starting a Business

Xia Xi’s gaze was sincere, even comforting Wan Jun, who had been startled, “I didn’t say anything this time.”

Indeed, it wasn’t her who said it, but not only the other instructors thought so, the staff did too, and even the audience was spamming “needs more money” in the comments.

Wan Jun: He has no money!

Wan Jun waved his hand, signaling that Xia Xi’s evaluation was no longer needed. He took out a card and said, “Congratulations, Xia Xi, your Theme Song Ranking is A, and you’ve successfully entered Class A!”

Xia Xi leaped from Class C to Class A; this was no small jump. However, no one raised any objections to the A ranking. Xia Xi’s performance was indeed at Class A level; if she didn’t enter Class A, that would be unbelievable.

【That’s great, Zhao Tianqi and Xia Xi agreed to meet in Class A. This is just the Theme Song Ranking, and now she can stay in Class A with her friends.】

【What’s great about it? In Class C, Xia Xi and the two of them might still have a pure friendship, but now that they’re all in Class A, they should be competing for the Theme Song Center Position soon, right?】

【Is someone joking? Xia Xi’s performance in the Theme Song was quite good, but she doesn’t deserve to compete with Zhao Tianqi for the center position; the center position definitely belongs to Zhao Tianqi.】

【Can we discuss Xia Xi’s growth history in ‘ICK 101’? She chose a seat in Class F, her initial stage ranking was C, and now she’s directly in Class A. What kind of underdog story is this?】

【Can we stop with the drama? I just ship Summer CP; I believe there is still pure friendship. Now let’s consider that both A’s chose Class F at the time; doesn’t that make them both geniuses pretending to be losers?】

In an instant, various discussions erupted, while over there, Xia Xi had already bumped fists with Zhao Tianqi in a tacit understanding.

Xia Xi said, “I’m here.”

Zhao Tianqi replied, “I knew you could do it.”

Chu Sisi also stayed in Class A, unsure whether to interrupt the two of them, feeling inexplicably like a third wheel (?), and not a small one at that.

However, she couldn’t help but ask, “The instructors are coming out; are they going to announce the Theme Song Center Position?”

All the students had completed the Theme Song assessment, and everyone had watched all the performances and voted afterward.

The instructors took the stage to confirm the contestants’ guesses.

“What I have in my hand is the statistics for the center position candidates’ votes, and the votes are mainly concentrated on a few students…”

The camera flashed on Zhao Tianqi and several strong competitors, surprising Xia Xi to find herself among them.

Xia Xi: ? What does this have to do with her? She actually has a part in this?

Chu Sisi tugged at Xia Xi’s sleeve, her face full of excitement, “Xia Xi, you’re on the list!”

Instructor Wan Jun was amused by Xia Xi’s bewildered expression and called out to her, “What’s wrong? Don’t you believe it?”

Xia Xi replied honestly, “I think my level isn’t good enough.”

Wan Jun glanced at the statistics, blinked, and slowly revealed, “Not only are you on the list, but your vote count is also very high.”

In an instant, the contestants began to discuss among themselves, but nothing compared to the sudden uproar from not far away, “Xia Xi for center position! Center position!”

One person seemed to form the entire cheerleading squad.

Xia Xi: ?

Instructors: ?

Following the source of the voice, they saw Chen Mengjia standing up from her seat, energetically cheering.

Chen Mengjia didn’t make it into Class A, but she had made progress and was now in Class B, along with several others who had also entered Class B and Class C; they were all cheering along with Chen Mengjia.

Wan Jun suddenly suggested, “Why don’t we have Xia Xi announce the center position?” His entire demeanor radiated mischief.  

Xia Xi had no objections either. She stepped forward, took the list, and smiled when she saw the name.  

Looking up at the stage, she announced loudly, “Congratulations to Zhao Tianqi for becoming the Theme Song Center Position of *Youth Together*.”  

…  

The Theme Song Center Position was Zhao Tianqi—something that had seemed like a foregone conclusion. But when the program team specifically revealed the vote counts, what should have been a settled matter suddenly appeared surprisingly close.  

Xia Xi’s votes were shockingly high, barely trailing Zhao Tianqi’s.  

It was as if the barrage of comments when Xia Xi entered Class A had been validated—the two of them were now in a competitive dynamic. Could a pure friendship still exist under such rivalry?  

Rui Ziyue, sitting in Class B, believed it couldn’t.  

Rui Ziyue had also successfully advanced this time, moving from Class F to Class B. With a complicated expression, she glanced at Xia Xi, certain she would catch at least a flicker of jealousy or regret.  

If the gap had been wide, fine—but with it being this narrow, how could anyone not mind? How could there be no emotional reaction at all?  

And then Rui Ziyue saw Xia Xi clapping wildly.  

Xia Xi’s emotions were surging—all of them joy. She applauded so enthusiastically for her friend’s achievement that she blurred out of the camera frame at one point.  

The audience immediately screenshotted it, turning it into a meme: *Seal Clapping.jpg*.  

Rui Ziyue, “…” What had she even been expecting?  

The program team also knew how to play it up, conducting separate interviews with Xia Xi and Zhao Tianqi.  

The staff asked each of them, “Who did you vote for?”  

Zhao Tianqi: “Xia Xi.”  

Xia Xi: “Zhao Tianqi.”  

Without hesitation.  

Zhao Tianqi unrolled her slip of paper, which clearly read “Xia Xi.”  

The staff asked, “Do you think Xia Xi performed well?”  

After catching Zhao Tianqi’s dangerously sharp gaze, the staff member quickly corrected, “I mean, it seems like there were others who performed better?”  

Zhao Tianqi thought for a moment. “To me, Xia Xi is the best… If you disagree, just consider it favoritism.”  

The staff interviewing Xia Xi were already reluctant to ask anything, given that she had previously described Zhao Tianqi as “flawless and breathtaking.”  

But when Xia Xi unfolded her slip of paper, it still caught their attention—a single sheet densely covered with Zhao Tianqi’s name, written in various fonts.  

Staff: *Is this how cultured people express love?*  

When this segment aired, it instantly silenced the haters pushing narratives about discord. The friendship between these two beautiful girls was full marks—no trace of pettiness whatsoever.  

Summer CP: *Every episode is pure sugar—what’s with the seal clapping, what’s with the favoritism… At this rate, we’re gonna get diabetes!*  

But they weren’t complaining—they could keep indulging!  

…  

With the *Youth Together* Theme Song Center Position decided, the contestants proceeded to film the MV. As a Class A member, Xia Xi stood in a prominent position.  

Once the MV premiered on Weibo, the comments section was quickly flooded by fans of the show, along with many casual viewers drawn in by the theme song who then started following the program.  

Really, who could resist youthful, energetic, beautiful sisters who sang sweetly?  

Like the other 100 contestants, Xia Xi wore the same uniform, but her delicate features and impressive skills still garnered significant attention. However, none of that compared to the viral boost she got from the *Youth Together* MV parody.

The production team tried to save some face for Xia Xi in the official broadcast by editing out the overly comedic parts of her teaching session, hoping to keep the audience focused on her face. However, netizens who watched the live stream had no intention of keeping the fun to themselves.

Sharing joy is better than enjoying it alone!

Some witty netizen clipped Xia Xi’s “chopping vegetables and rubbing her old cold legs” moment from her C-class teaching session and posted it online. Everyone who saw it unanimously agreed—

They couldn’t get it out of their heads! Damn it!

Xia Xi’s voice and vivid descriptions perfectly synced with the footage, turning even the cutest dance moves into something hilariously different.

Netizens: Thank you, Teacher Xia Xi. Your lively teaching gave me the illusion that even I could learn a girl group dance.

……

In an esports club’s live stream.

“Zhezhe, are you feeling better now?”

“We’re so worried about you. Next time, don’t skip meals for our sake, okay?”

Yao Xingzhe’s first stream after being discharged from the hospital was livelier than ever. Of course, he couldn’t admit that he had fainted from low blood sugar while waiting for Xia Xi to cook. The club spun it into a narrative of his dedication to work.

Now, Yao Xingzhe was scowling as he played his game, ignoring the flood of concerned comments in the chat. He had no intention of interacting with his viewers.

Until he spotted a username: 【Xia Xi’s Little Cotton-padded Jacket】.

His gaze lingered on the first two characters.

Xia Xi…

He had angrily reached out to her while hospitalized, but his message sank like a stone. Then, he found himself blocked.

Yao Xingzhe even entertained the dark thought that she might be dead—why else wouldn’t she respond or even block him? Someone as foolish and vain as her would be an easy target for criminals.

His grim musings were interrupted when a teammate asked, “Xingzhe, do you like Xia Xi too?”

Yao Xingzhe: ?

He had accidentally muttered Xia Xi’s name aloud during his spiral. His thick brows furrowed, his expression turning stormy.

“What are you talking about?” His tone suggested he was ready to throw hands.

How could he possibly like Xia Xi? But… how did this guy even know about her?

The teammate was baffled, unsure what had set Yao Xingzhe off.

“Isn’t she the Xia Xi from *Pick 101*?”

Yao Xingzhe had never watched the show. He assumed it was just a coincidence—that woman was in the entertainment industry, studying acting. There was no way it was her.

Still, driven by suspicion, he searched for *Pick 101* and Xia Xi. Countless results popped up.

Yao Xingzhe: Is Xia Xi dead?

The answer was no. She was wearing a skirt and competing in a girl group survival show.

Yao Xingzhe: ???

……

Meanwhile, Xia Xi was preparing for the First Public Performance Stage with her new teammates.

Zhao Tianqi had wanted to collaborate with Xia Xi, but since First Public Performance team leaders were all A-class members and both she and Xia Xi were in A-class, they had to split up. Still, Xia Xi wasn’t alone.

Chen Mengjia clung to Xia Xi’s arm—if not for propriety, she might have hugged her leg instead.

She cheered, “Daddy Xia Xi, I love you! Daddy Xia Xi, carry me to victory!”

Xia Xi’s team had drawn *Imperfect Lady* as their First Public Performance song—a lively track with plenty of flashy moves. If executed well, it could be a showstopper.

In Xia Xi’s team, several members were quite strong in dance, except for Chen Mengjia. After finishing their rehearsal, while the others had already left the practice room to rest, Chen Mengjia wanted Xia Xi to give her some extra coaching.

Chen Mengjia said, “I don’t want to hold you guys back. Xia Xi, you don’t have to practice—just watch me for a bit longer, okay?”

“I *have* to get this down today. I won’t rest until I do!”

Faced with her teammate’s bold declaration, Xia Xi asked, “You want to master it all tonight?” She handed Chen Mengjia a clean towel to wipe her sweat.

Chen Mengjia nodded firmly.

Xia Xi replied, “No problem. As long as you want to keep going, I’ll stay with you.” She restarted the music and gestured to Chen Mengjia, “Come on.”

Chen Mengjia’s eyes lit up.

In *Pick 101*, no words were more touching than “I’ll practice with you.” Not only was Chen Mengjia moved to tears, but the viewers still lingering in the livestream also felt emotional—Xia Xi was truly amazing.

Chen Mengjia turned to the camera and expressed her gratitude, “I hereby declare that Coach Xia Xi is the kindest person in the world!”

Xia Xi didn’t react much, only giving a meaningful smile.

And just as she said, Xia Xi stayed with Chen Mengjia as long as she wanted to practice—relentlessly, without showing any fatigue.

Chen Mengjia: “…”

She was exhausted, out of energy, and ready to slack off.

Chen Mengjia tried to get Xia Xi to stop, but Xia Xi pointed at the camera. “It’s already recorded. You said you’d master all the moves tonight—are you really going to break your promise in front of the entire nation?”

Chen Mengjia: !!! The *entire nation*?! That serious?!

The show’s director wanted to clarify—it wasn’t *that* serious. Their ratings were decent, but not *that* high. Still, Chen Mengjia felt “threatened” and gritted her teeth, pushing through the entire routine with Xia Xi.

Later, during editing, the production team repeatedly “resurrected” this moment—Chen Mengjia wearing a pained expression while drilling the dance with Xia Xi, with the caption amplified: *”I hereby declare, Coach Xia Xi is the kindest person in the world!”*

Unexpectedly, a new ship was born.

Compared to Zhao Tianqi’s refreshing summer-like pairing, Chen Mengjia and Xia Xi’s ship name leaned toward something darker—  

*Toxic Lover.*  

And it was pretty clear who the “toxic” one referred to.  

…  

Though Chen Mengjia struggled through the process, once she actually mastered the routine, she felt invigorated—walking with confidence, practically strutting.  

“I actually learned the whole dance in *one day*?!”  

“How did I suddenly become so capable?!”  

Chen Mengjia was like Fan Jin after passing the imperial exams. Xia Xi, strolling leisurely behind her, explained why she had pushed Chen Mengjia so hard.  

“Earlier, I saw the wish wall in the lobby. Chen Mengjia wrote that she wanted to overcome her procrastination.”  

There really was a wish wall in the villa’s lobby, covered in signed notes from the trainees.  

The production staff was stunned—they hadn’t expected Xia Xi to be so attentive, even noticing something like that.  

The barrage of comments exploded with exclamation marks, and a strange request appeared:  

**[I have procrastination too. If I become Xia Xi’s fan now, can she supervise me while I study for grad school?!]**