Chapter 12 The Twelfth Day of Starting a Business

Just the sight of Chen Mengjia, under Xia Xi’s supervision, efficiently learning from scratch was enough to make the audience in front of their screens eager to try.  

Xia Xi’s precision in time management was once again highlighted.  

If Chen Mengjia could master the First Public Performance Dance with Xia Xi’s help, then wouldn’t anyone who had Xia Xi also be able to overcome procrastination?  

Once the Graduate Entrance Examination Theory was brought up, other netizens quickly joined the discussion.  

“I want Teacher Xia Xi to supervise my civil service exam prep!” “Please, heavens, bless me with a Xia Xi—I just need someone to push me to finish my thesis, and I’ll stan Xia Xi for life!” “True fans don’t just talk—I’m voting for Xia Xi!” “I’m rallying my whole family and friends to vote for Xia Xi!”  

And so, it gradually escalated into a competition.  

Comments like these flooded the official account of *Pick 101*, leaving the staff managing the page utterly confused.  

What in the world?  

The strange expansion of idol duties continued.  

Although Xia Xi’s manager, Chao Ge, couldn’t follow her into the show, he kept a close eye on her progress from the outside. He found this development quite satisfying and even came up with a new idea.  

“After Xia Xi finishes the show, she might land an endorsement for a tutoring program or something.”  

……  

Xia Xi had no idea that Chao Ge had added “tutoring program spokesperson” to her career path. She was still busy rehearsing with her First Public Performance team.  

After several days of practice, the group had gradually developed a strong synergy. Even in the practice room version, the essence of a stage performance was already taking shape.  

Each member’s vocal qualities were different, but when combined, they created an unexpectedly harmonious blend. The formations were smooth, the movements fluid, and it all culminated in Xia Xi leaping over her teammates from behind, dashing to the front of the group, and striking a cool pose with one hand on the ground.

The dance instructor applauded as soon as they finished.  

“That was really good.”  

“Among all the teams, yours is one of the highest quality.”  

Especially since Xia Xi, the center of the group, had little formal training. That she could lead her teammates to such a level even surprised the director.  

Pumped up by the praise, the girls immediately high-fived each other. “Time to grab some food!”  

Xia Xi was a firm believer in the philosophy that “if you’re not enthusiastic about eating, something’s wrong with your brain.” Her steps noticeably lightened as they headed to the cafeteria, the nine of them chatting and laughing in a lively group.  

But just as Xia Xi was mentally listing off dishes, a teammate tugged at her sleeve.  

Lowering her voice conspiratorially, the girl whispered, “Xia Xi, the assistant coach has been staring at you!”  

Xia Xi glanced in the direction her teammate indicated.  

Surrounded by several female contestants, the tall young man had striking blond hair and wore an array of gleaming silver necklaces. His pretty-boy looks clashed oddly with his identity as a rock band’s lead singer, creating a jarring disconnect.  

(Not Xia Xi’s words—her teammate’s assessment.)  

Jing Shuo, lead vocalist of a popular domestic band and the show’s newly added assistant coach, had just arrived that day. With fresh faces being rare in the program, Xia Xi’s teammates had spent the day buzzing about him, forcing her to absorb the entire rundown.  

Rumor had it he had a legion of devoted fans and a mysterious background—some said he came from a wealthy family.  

Xia Xi met his gaze, and he didn’t look away, flashing her a bright smile.  

“……”  

So it wasn’t just her intuition—others had noticed the assistant coach’s attention too?

Throughout the day, whenever Xia Xi encountered this teaching assistant, she could sense his subtle yet probing gaze, though she didn’t know him at all.  

The other team members thought, “Maybe it’s because Xia Xi is pretty?” and didn’t give it much more thought.  

But Xia Xi felt there was more to it—though it didn’t matter much. She needed to hurry; if she was late to the cafeteria, the braised pork would be gone!  

……  

If the original host were here, she would have told Xia Xi that Jing Shuo was Fish No. 2, marked with a five-star rating.  

Jing Shuo never expected to see Xia Xi on *Pick 101*. In fact, when he first spotted her, he wasn’t even sure it was her.  

The face was the same, but her entire demeanor radiated an upright, righteous aura. Her gaze was clear when she looked at him—as if he were a complete stranger.  

But soon, Jing Shuo confirmed it was indeed the same Xia Xi, the notorious “sea queen.” The details matched perfectly.  

*What is she doing here?*  

Jing Shuo waited for Xia Xi to greet him first, but she never did. So he decided to take the initiative and ask her directly. Yet Xia Xi was either in the practice room or surrounded by people—there wasn’t a single opportunity to approach her in the entire show.  

Jing Shuo, “……”  

In the end, he decided to share the news with the others first.  

Yao Xingzhe and Lu Chen were added to a group chat by Jing Shuo.  

That’s right—these three “fish” from the original host’s harem all knew each other. Jing Shuo was even related to Yao Xingzhe as his cousin. In fact, it was Jing Shuo who had introduced Yao Xingzhe to Xia Xi in the first place, treating her as nothing more than a passing amusement.  

In the group chat, Yao Xingzhe sent a question mark, confused by the sudden move. Jing Shuo got straight to the point.  

“President Lu, don’t leave the group yet.”  

“Do you know who I just saw? Xia Xi. She’s actually on *Pick 101* now.”  

The moment the name appeared, the chat fell silent for a moment. Yao Xingzhe was the first to respond.  

Yao Xingzhe: Oh, I already knew.  

Lu Chen, who had just finished a meeting, furrowed his thick brows. *So… I’m the only one who didn’t know?*  

Yao Xingzhe seized the chance to mock him. “President Lu, do you not surf the internet?”  

Yao Xingzhe was in esports, and Jing Shuo was in music—both considered unreliable by older-generation businessmen. Meanwhile, Lu Chen, who had already taken control of most of his family’s company, was the golden child everyone compared them to. Yao Xingzhe had been scolded countless times because of Lu Chen and naturally held a grudge.  

Lu Chen: I have a meeting with Chairman Yao this afternoon. Seems like we should discuss the Yao family’s parenting methods.  

A blatant threat. Yao Xingzhe threw his phone across the room and cursed.  

*How shameless can you be? You’re a grown man, and you’re still tattling to parents?*  

Jing Shuo rubbed his temples, watching the conversation spiral further off-topic. He quickly interjected, “President Lu, my cousin is young—don’t take it to heart… Have either of you been in touch with Xia Xi recently?”  

“I just realized she blocked me.”  

Silence spoke louder than words. From the others’ lack of response, Jing Shuo could already tell he wasn’t the only one who had been cut off.  

Lu Chen admitted, “It’s been about a month for me.”  

The other two confirmed the same timeline.  

Jing Shuo, “But today, Xia Xi actually spoke to me first.”  

Almost simultaneously, Lu Chen and Yao Xingzhe asked: *What did she say?*  

Even if they didn’t want to admit it, they both felt a strange pang of jealousy.  

Jing Shuo hesitated before sharing it. What Xia Xi had said was—  

“Excuse me, could you move?”

Jing Shuo kept hovering in front of Xia Xi, blocking her path.

…

After the three fish completed their brief exchange, the group chat instantly went cold.

In the high-rise CEO office, Lu Chen sat in his tailored suit. As if struck by a thought, he told his assistant, “Women—they really do enjoy playing hard to get.”

The assistant looked puzzled, but Lu Chen had no intention of explaining. He shifted into a more comfortable position.

“Isn’t our beverage brand sponsoring ‘Pick 101’?”  

The assistant confirmed it.  

Lu Chen toyed with his phone, staring at the WeChat account that had blocked him, and declared in a dramatic tone, “So this is your new tactic to grab my attention?”  

“Bravo. It worked.”  

First distancing herself, then blocking him, and now appearing on a show he invested in… Lu Chen thought Xia Xi had grown clever.  

Jing Shuo pocketed his phone, watching Xia Xi’s retreating figure with amusement. Could it be she joined the show because she knew I’d be a mentor?  

Yao Xingzhe, “…”  

He hadn’t invested in the show or signed on as a mentor, but after binge-watching the episodes, he felt he’d uncovered the truth.  

Xia Xi gets along so well with that rapper—is it because he also plays the same game as me?  

Three men of different ages and appearances, in different places, wore identical confident smirks.  

…  

Jing Shuo quickly bonded with the contestants on the show.  

The age gap wasn’t large, and while the trainees maintained a respectful distance from the main mentors, they felt more at ease around the assistant coaches. Jing Shuo, in particular, had positioned himself as approachable, encouraging everyone to treat him like a friend. Naturally, many contestants grew fond of him.  

He even organized gaming sessions.  

“Training non-stop isn’t healthy. Let’s balance work and play—how about a game to unwind?”  

Several contestants perked up. “What kind of game?”  

Jing Shuo pretended to think. “How about randomly learning a dance segment?”  

“Fair warning—there’s a penalty. The winner gets to flick the loser’s forehead. I hit hard, so it’ll sting.”  

“You’re all professionals here, and I’m just an amateur. Don’t tell me you’re scared?”  

His taunt worked instantly.  

“Coach Jing, I’ll take you on!”  

A female contestant lost. Without mercy, Jing Shuo exhaled on his fingers and delivered a sharp flick to her forehead—the loud snap drew gasps.  

Several others followed.  

The practice room was live-streamed, and viewers quickly voiced their discomfort.  

[Damn, that looks painful. Did Jing Shuo really need to go that hard? I can see tears in some of the girls’ eyes.]  

[Maybe it’s just me, but… isn’t this kind of physical interaction between a male mentor and female contestants inappropriate? Wan Jun always avoids contact…]  

The backlash was swift. Jing Shuo’s fans flooded the chat with outrage.  

[Wake up—are we in the feudal era? How backward can you be? Poor Jing Shuo, just trying to lighten the mood, and you’re making it weird.]  

[Orphan alert! He warned them upfront that he hits hard. If anything, it shows he sees them as equals, not objects.]  

[He’s always so passionate! Love his competitive spirit—adorable!]

Some onlookers still thought it was excessive, but they couldn’t defeat those with overwhelming combat abilities, so they gradually fell silent.  

Jing Shuo wore the sunny smile of a boy next door, his grin growing even brighter as he watched the female contestant endure the pain with gritted teeth.  

From time to time, he glanced toward Xia Xi standing in the corner: Wasn’t she coming over?  

Xia Xi’s body stiffened.  

It happened again!  

**[Player Skill Triggered: Love’s Touch]**  

**[Love’s Touch: A skilled player always strikes at the right moment, engaging in subtle physical contact with the target to boost affection.]**  

**[This skill is exclusively attached to the book *The Mermaid’s Daughter*, designed to enhance the host’s survival ability, living conditions, and restart life without stress. The “Compensation Department for the Unlucky” will guide you every step of the way.]**  

**[Mission: The host must use this skill within 24 hours.]**  

A new skill.  

Having experienced this once before, Xia Xi took it relatively well this time, without too much panic—she just needed to figure out how to use it.  

With that thought in mind, Xia Xi first noticed the female contestant secretly wiping away tears after being flicked by Jing Shuo, which made her expression tighten. Then, her eyes met Jing Shuo’s.  

Jing Shuo beckoned to Xia Xi, “Want to give it a try, Xia Xi?”  

Chu Sisi, “Assistant, Xia Xi doesn’t—” She wanted to refuse on Xia Xi’s behalf—Xia Xi wasn’t one to join in on the fun—but before she could finish, Xia Xi spoke.  

“Sure.”  

Chu Sisi: Huh?  

Xia Xi had already walked toward Jing Shuo, who watched her with amusement and emphasized again,  

“I don’t hold back.”  

Xia Xi nodded, “Neither do I.”  

?  

Jing Shuo glanced dismissively at Xia Xi’s slender arms and wrists, unimpressed.  

The dance segment was still chosen by the staff, and Jing Shuo never expected that he would actually lose.  

This was his first loss.  

Jing Shuo had played a bit of wordplay—before becoming a band’s lead singer, he had spent a few years in a boy band. But the group was too obscure, so he still had some skills to fall back on.  

Xia Xi stood quietly in front of Jing Shuo, waiting for him to offer his forehead. Jing Shuo masked his surprise and leaned his handsome face toward her with feigned magnanimity.  

“Didn’t expect Xia to be so skilled.”  

“Go ahead, don’t hold back just because I’m the assistant.”  

Jing Shuo’s expression was flawless—he didn’t think Xia Xi would put much force into it. If she was willing to play this game with him, wasn’t it because she couldn’t keep up the act anymore?  

Xia Xi, “…” This guy talks too much.  

Unlike Jing Shuo, she didn’t blow on her fingers for dramatic effect. She simply aimed at him directly, which made Jing Shuo relax even further—even if she wanted to use force, she probably couldn’t.  

And then—  

**Thwack!**  

Two fingers curled and then snapped straight, landing on Jing Shuo’s forehead with a loud crack. The force was so strong that his head jerked backward uncontrollably.  

Jing Shuo was stunned. He stared at Xia Xi’s hand in disbelief, forcing a smile through gritted teeth.  

“Again.” His competitive spirit flared.  

Xia Xi was puzzled as to why the skill hadn’t registered as completed yet, but hearing Jing Shuo’s challenge, her eyes lit up, and she happily agreed.  

Thus—**Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!**  

Three consecutive losses, three consecutive skull-flicks that left Jing Shuo questioning his life, all unfolding in the small practice room.  

When Xia Xi finally heard the skill completion notification, she sighed in relief—mystery solved! The skill required a certain number of uses!  

She had been worried for a moment, afraid she might be using it wrong.  

Knowing when to stop, Xia Xi withdrew, leaving Jing Shuo—his forehead covered in bumps and flushed red—to question his life alone.