Chapter 14 The Fourteenth Day of Starting a Business

The practice room was bright and clean, with a trainee of exquisite looks rapping with great flair. Though there was a slight hint of something else in her style, the audience didn’t pay it much mind.  

After all, every rapper has their own unique style—it’s perfectly normal.  

Some even shared Chen Mengjia’s sentiment: Is this what the world of geniuses is like? Not only did she go from stumbling over rap lyrics to flowing smoothly in such a short time, but she even developed her own distinctive style!  

Until Xia Xi dropped the line—”Listen to Clapper Talk.”  

First reaction: Oh, so that’s it.  

Second reaction: Help!  

Within seconds, all nine members of the *Imperfect Ladies* group except Xia Xi vanished from the screen. They had failed to hold back their laughter, clutching their stomachs and pounding the floor in hysterics.  

…  

[Clapper Talk: I never dreamed I’d have even the slightest connection to rap.]  

[Xia Xi, why bother with girl groups? Go do crosstalk! If the crosstalk world doesn’t have you, I won’t watch!]  

The barrage of comments was filled with “LOLs”—this was just too absurd. How could someone learn rap through Clapper Talk?  

The assistant director wiped tears from the corners of his eyes after laughing and said, “Xia Xi, this… won’t do.”  

Xia Xi had been thrilled that her method worked, only to hear the assistant director say it was no good. Her expression turned serious.  

“Why not?”  

“Didn’t you just say it was fine?”  

The comments immediately followed up.  

[Woman, never say it won’t do!]  

[Right now, Xia Xi is just like you thinking you’ve finally half-assed your thesis, only to have it ruthlessly rejected.]  

A very fitting analogy.  

Under Xia Xi’s heartbroken gaze, the assistant director felt a little guilty, but he still had to say what needed to be said.  

“It’s just not suitable. Now everyone knows you learned this from Clapper Talk—it breaks the immersion.” A Clapper Talk-flavored rap? What would people think of their show?  

Everyone?  

Xia Xi glanced around. Her teammates and the staff immediately waved their hands. “I don’t know.” “I don’t know either!”  

Assistant Director: “…” Oh, so you’re all playing blind now?  

Xia Xi had built good rapport with the group, and now all that goodwill turned into “selective blindness” to repay her.  

But the assistant director had a trick up his sleeve. He pointed at the camera. “And the live audience too.” Surely Xia Xi couldn’t bribe them, could she?  

The live audience, who had been lounging back enjoying the drama, suddenly got called out: Damn!  

Still, they were curious—what would Xia Xi do? Give up Clapper Talk rap and start from scratch?  

Prompted by the assistant director, Xia Xi’s gaze settled on the camera. He had a point—the live audience also knew about her Clapper Talk rap. So she strode straight toward the camera, stopping only when she was right in front of it.  

Today, she was still wearing the outfit assigned by the production team, but since advancing to A-rank, she had upgraded to the Pink Training Suit. For convenience during practice and to keep her hair out of the way, Xia Xi had tied it up in a neat Bun hairstyle, leaving her entire face exposed to the camera.  

She was too close—so close it was practically a face shot, where no flaw could hide. Yet the audience stared for two whole seconds… and couldn’t find a single imperfection.  

Her face was flawlessly symmetrical, her skin fair and smooth, with a healthy flush from her earlier warm-up. High nose, long lashes, big eyes, plump lips…  

Beauty Overload!

Xia Xi was undoubtedly the visual center of “Pick 101.” While everyone had different aesthetic standards, they all unanimously agreed that Xia Xi was exceptionally beautiful.  

However, Xia Xi didn’t seem to make full use of her looks. So when she suddenly leaned close to the camera, it had a dizzying effect—her beauty was almost overwhelming.  

Until the cameraman stammered, “Xia Xi, calm down a bit. The equipment is expensive and can’t take a beating.” He mistakenly thought Xia Xi was about to threaten the audience with violence.  

Audience: !!!  

Were they about to get beaten through the screen?  

Xia Xi gave the cameraman a puzzled look, then cautiously took two steps back, putting distance between herself and the lens. “Hold it steady,” she said.  

She was afraid of being framed.  

Then, as if steeling herself, Xia Xi first raised a fist in front of the camera before suddenly realizing her mistake and stiffly twisting her hand—  

*Snap!*  

Out of nowhere, she crossed two fingers into a heart shape.  

Complete with a forced promotional smile.  

Cameraman: ???  

Audience: ??? Was this an attempt to bribe them?  

They pretended not to notice how Xia Xi had instinctively started with a fist before awkwardly switching to the heart gesture.  

After spending so much time online, the audience had seen it all—every flattering tactic, every smooth move. Things like finger hearts barely fazed them anymore. But they’d never seen anyone as stiff as Xia Xi.  

It was clear she was trying her best, and… it was just a tiny bit adorable. The sheer contrast was overwhelmingly cute.  

They’d accept the little heart. And for now, they were willing to turn a blind eye—did the assistant director hear that?  

Stop giving Xia Xi a hard time. She was just a girl who could flick foreheads with the force of a *Mountain Collapse and Sea Crack*.  

……  

Truth be told, even this basic promotional gesture was something Xia Xi had copied from her roommate. Though if her roommate ever found out, she’d probably want nothing to do with this one-time mentorship.  

It was practically ruining her reputation.  

Xia Xi let out a sigh of relief. Thanks to her efforts, the assistant director finally stopped nitpicking her rap. She had genuinely done her best.  

Of course, the assistant director’s sudden leniency might also have had something to do with the fact that this was truly Xia Xi’s limit.  

The practice time for the *First Public Performance Stage* was slightly longer than for the *Theme Song*, but not by much. Soon, the day of the performance arrived.  

Since live audiences were allowed for the public performance, all 101 contestants boarded a special bus heading to the larger city stadium.  

Before the bus even came to a full stop, Xia Xi spotted a crowd holding banners outside the entrance. Chants erupted in unison.  

“Tianqi, Tianqi, *Stage King*!”  

“Only love Sisi, never part!”  

Xia Xi looked surprised. Zhao Tianqi, walking beside her, explained, “They’re fans.”  

Then she added, “You have some too.”  

The contestants had their phones confiscated again during filming, so they couldn’t see outside reactions. But based on Xia Xi’s performance, everyone knew she was a popular contestant who must have gained quite a following. Still, today was the first time they realized just how many fans had shown up for her—enough to rival even Chu Sisi and Zhao Tianqi, who already had established fanbases.  

Following Zhao Tianqi’s gesture, Xia Xi spotted a group of young boys and girls holding up signs with her name. When they noticed Xia Xi looking, their faces lit up with excitement. Following the lead of one girl counting off, they began chanting in unison.

“Xia Xi, we are Stream Water. Our love may not be as turbulent, but it’s definitely enduring!”  

Xia Xi’s fans had officially decided on their fandom name—Stream Water.  

Facing her fans suddenly, Xia Xi felt a brief moment of bewilderment. She walked toward them, and the staff initially intended to stop her. But when they met Xia Xi’s gaze, they inexplicably thought of flicking foreheads, instantly losing their authoritative edge. They could only say,  

“Make it quick.”  

Stream Water: !!!  

They were so happy—this was their first time supporting her in person, and they got to see their idol up close. She was even more beautiful in real life than in videos.  

Stream Water was actually a little nervous, unsure what their first conversation with Xia Xi would be like.  

Xia Xi spoke, “Even though you’re Stream Water, I can already feel the turbulence of the ocean in your voices.”  

Stream Water: ???  

“And also…” She glanced at the hands of a girl standing in the front row on the left, hesitated for a moment, then finally said, “The handmade item you made for Chen Mengjia is showing. Do you need me to pass it to her for you?”  

Stream Water collectively turned to look at the girl. In her hand, along with a banner bearing Xia Xi’s name, was a fan with Chen Mengjia’s face and name printed on it.  

Xia Xi wasn’t entirely familiar with these things and assumed it was a handmade craft.  

The fan caught red-handed supporting both idols: !!!  

Later, footage from the fan event circulated online, prompting reactions from netizens:  

“Xia Xi: Be confident and bold—it’s very turbulent!”  

“Stream Water: Though enduring, I also have many side favorites. (dog head)”  

“Xia Xi: Let’s make do—it’s not like we can break up, right?”