Translator’s note:
Hi everyone! This is my first time translating (MTL), so please be easy on me! There’s no fixed schedule for this novel; I picked it up because I saw that no one else was, and I love this novel to bits. I had MTL read the whole thing, and thought it was such a shame that such great novel might never get translated. Ta da!
Some clarifications: I alone am translating, editing, and proofreading. I am also picking it up after ch 7, where the previous translator left off.
Please note that while I strive to provide an accurate translation, some nuances and cultural references may be challenging to convey precisely. I may be rearranging sentences and phrases for ease of reading, but I assure you, the meaning will remain the same.
This novel is not visibly bl and there is no pairing. However, the bromance and homoeroticism of the whole thing are very real. You can interpret their relationships however you like—I myself find it…very bl.
Once again, no fixed schedule! I’m quite busy but I will try my best.
Happy reading!
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Around a few minutes after eating the chocolate, the boy's complexion improved slightly.
Generally speaking, for programs like talent shows that did not involve dangerous events, the directing team would only arrange one or two medical staff to handle emergency situations. So, after confirming that the boy was fine after supplementing his sugar levels, the other party simply reminded him of a few things to pay attention to normally.
"You definitely can't change the amount of exercise you usually do according to your own ideas. If you don't want this to happen often, you can take a few pieces of candy with you. If you feel a little dizzy, eat two pieces. Although hypoglycemia isn’t easy to completely cure, it's not a serious problem. You’re young, just pay more attention in the future."
The boy nodded calmly, and said very simply, "I will, sorry for the trouble."
After the doctor accompanying the group left with the female staff member from earlier, Qin Lu saw that the other party was fine, so he smiled and said greeted him, planning to return to the studio.
"...Wait." The boy was silent for a while. He didn’t seem very good at talking to unfamiliar people, and his face didn’t show any obvious emotion.
Qin Lu looked at him patiently, and, seeing that the boy was speechless for a long time, was not angry.
"I've been out for a while, and my friend may be worried. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it later." He looked at the name tag on the hem of the boy's clothes, tilted his head, smiled, and said, “Can we be considered to have finally met just now, Liao Junchen?"
"En."
Liao Junchen's gaze lingered on Qin Lu's nameplate for a while, and finally concisely said, "Thank you."
Qin Lu had met all kinds of people in his previous life, and he could clearly discern between sincere attitudes and shallow facades. The Liao Junchen in front of him looked indifferent, but probably just lacked experience in getting along with people.
There was no need to ask a taciturn person to talk more. Qin Lu nodded and pointed at the wall dust that had rubbed onto Liao Junchen’s black costume. "Before you go back, you'd better go to the bathroom to deal with it. This place should be a temporary building that was requisitioned without cleaning up the dust. The staff will only fix up the space in front of the camera when setting up the stage, so this kind of backstage cannot be expected to be cleaned completely.”
Liao Junchen was taken aback and frowned slightly at his previously clean and tidy costume. If Qin Lu hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have noticed.
He was helped twice by Qin Lu in a short period of time. Liao Junchen never owed others casually, but when he looked up again, he saw that Qin Lu had already left.
Liao Junchen, who had already noted Qin Lu's name, did not stop him anymore. It was his turn to be judged soon, and he needed to solve the problem of his costume as soon as possible.
Qin Lu, who returned to the studio, was greeted with a strange question from Su Qinglan. While giving Qin Lu a quick make-up lesson about the ratings of the people who had just performed, he asked him if it took him so long because he had a stomachache.
"The backstage rest lounge should have hot water—"
"I'm not feeling sick." Qin Lu couldn't help but say with a smile. Seeing that the little curly-haired boy was still looking at him worriedly, he winked and added, "I happened to meet someone backstage who needed help, so I came back late."
He didn't directly say that he just ran into Liao Junchen's hypoglycemia. First of all, the two should not know each other, and he was not sure if Liao Junchen wanted others to know his situation. Qin Lu never talked about other people's private affairs behind their backs.
The little curly-haired Su Qinglan was simple, so he quickly put the matter behind him and instead approached Qin Lu mysteriously, taking a sneaky look at the blond boy exuding cold air.
"Do you know him? I tried to have a chat with him just now when you were out, but he just ignored me."
Su Qinglan, who thought he had lowered his voice, was actually heard by the person concerned without any obstruction, but the other party was still unmoved and did not respond.
Qin Lu shook his head: "You are the first person I met here."
Su Qinglan was very happy, his eyes lighting up when he heard this. "Hey! Me too. My goal is to make as many friends as possible here, and then write an original R&B song for them."
The blond trainee who had been as still as a mountain knitted his brow when he heard this and let out a mocking sneer with an indifferent expression.
Su Qinglan was stunned and turned to ask him, "What are you laughing at?"
The other party ignored him again.
Su Qinglan: "...”
The little curly-haired boy was so angry that he wanted to punch the air in a set of combination boxing (1).
Qin Lu couldn't help but want to laugh. He reached out and patted the little curly-haired boy’s head twice, pointed to the trainee who was introducing himself on the stage, and said, "How about we watch the judging first? If you miss it, you can only watch it after you leave the show."
Su Qinglan was pure and innocent so his attention could also shift quickly. Hearing this, he felt it made sense, so he concentrated on watching the stage.
Qin Lu turned his head to look at him and felt that Su Qinglan probably didn't come to participate in the talent show at all. He didn’t seem to realize that this was actually a survival competition variety show, and that everyone present here might be his future competitor. One person staying meant someone else being eliminated. Someday, not far from now, about a third of the people here will be forced to leave, round after round, until only the final nine remain.
The little curly-haired boy seemed more like someone here to make friends. However, he was almost the youngest among these trainees, and there was nothing wrong with being straightforward.
The next few stages were slightly boring, not exceptionally bad but lacking highlights. It was estimated that the editing (of the broadcast) would make the audience feel bored.
Most of these people's fates would be cut out; after all, variety shows wanted ratings. Whether it was an eye-catching stage or an embarrassing hip-thrusting performance that drove people to laugh like crazy, they were at least all things worth watching to varying degrees.
Compared to trainees who were well-behaved, made no mistakes, and had average abilities, the trainees who danced with two left feet or sang offkey might receive more shots during the broadcast.
Either the stage was particularly beautiful or ugly, or the trainees themselves had special characteristics. Even if the stage was not outstanding, as long as the individual could attract the gaze of the audience it could be regarded as a certain degree of success in the first episode of the talent show.
Regardless of whether the breakthrough was good or bad, powerful or embarrassing, the most important thing was to be able to be memorable.
If one wasn’t strong enough, they could work hard to improve later on. But if they had no charisma, a dry personality, and a flat and boring character, they would quickly be forgotten even after they receive camera time during the broadcast.
For talent shows, mediocrity was the original sin.
"Charisma" was a timeless and highly sought-after word in the entertainment industry, regarded as the standard by countless directors for good reason. Compared to a stiff and wooden trainee, a trainee with a distinct personal style and memorable qualities would of course be more favored by post-production editing and the audience.
The entertainment industry was ruthless, requiring both good looks and a unique and distinct personality. Every year, tens of thousands of people swarmed into this circle, hoping to make a name for themselves and achieve fame and fortune in one step. But wasn’t that easy. Most of them, after struggling and fighting until they bleed, disappear without even making a splash.
Those who could become an evergreen tree, standing firmly and unshakable, have deep understanding and knowledge.
The recording process was too long; to the point where even the director's team was getting tired, the trainees are yawning one after another.
But the trainees could at least still drink water and chat. The camera wasn’t always focused on them, at most occasionally capturing a wide shot that didn’t reveal whether they had been slacking off.
The mentors were different. They needed to maintain their best condition at all times in front of the camera. After seven or eight hours, even the strongest of individuals would become exhausted. Moreover, the recording continued into the evening. With half a cup of iced Americano, watching several performances without any highlights or even noticeable awkward moments really made one unable to resist feeling sleepy.
"Let's have a more explosive stage. So far, we haven't seen a performance with zero mistakes and strong overall abilities. Are all the trainees selected by the directing team at this level?" Yin Suli spoke the most straightforwardly, without intending to save face for these trainees. If they couldn’t do it, they simply couldn’t.
If things continued like this, she felt like the program shouldn't even go on. They were all so mediocre one after the other, and they were still selecting a boy group from them. None of them were worthy of the title.
At this level, they expected the audience to vote? Even young girls who focused on faces weren’t fools, right? Picking a camel from a bunch of mules, who were you fooling?
Even the usually good-tempered mentor, Lai Yuhan, didn't look too good. Over the past seven to eight hours, he went from being full of expectations to being completely disappointed. Before coming onto this show, he had prepared himself mentally, telling himself that they were selecting idols, not professional singers, and that the standards shouldn't be too harsh. But the level of performance was truly too inconsistent, exaggerated to the point that even Lai Yuhan began to doubt if the threshold for entering the entertainment industry had become so low.
With a professional attitude, the Producer Cui Zhihao didn't say anything, simply picking up the microphone and saying, “Next.”
Perhaps the production team was well-versed in editing techniques as they followed the pattern of building anticipation before delivering something impressive. After subjecting the mentors to prolonged mental torture, they finally came to an eye-catching trainee.
Yin Suli, who had already started feeling restless in her heart, raised an brow with a hint of interest upon seeing the trainee take the stage.
Different. Different from every other trainee who had come up before.
Famous celebrities often stood out from the crowd, not solely because of their appearance, but also due to the aura they had developed from living in front of the camera for an extended period.
What people initially noticed was not their face, but their temperament.
The young man who stepped forward from the shadows beneath the stage clearly benefited from years of dance training. Even simple movements like walking appeared exceptionally graceful and eye-catching on him. His proportions were excellent, with tall and slender limbs and muscle lines that were smooth and beautiful but not overly exaggerated. His back was straight, but it didn’t seem forced; it was simply a relaxed and natural state for him.
Many famous stars have airport videos that fans edit and obsessively lick (2). Most of the editing focused on their striking and prominent aura within the crowd. Every move they made seemed effortless yet pleasing to the eye. Even a simple walk could be accompanied by background music, aura reaching a height of 2.8 meters. Even with a mask and sunglasses obscuring their face, fans would still burst into tears, exclaiming, 'Damn, he looks incredibly handsome.'"
Liao Junchen, who had caught people's attention with just a few simple steps onto the stage, belonged to the category of super handsome men that could be recognized even without looking at his face (3).
He possessed a unique aura that unconsciously captured everyone's gaze.
With a crisp and neat bow, he introduced himself, “Hello, teachers. I am Liao Junchen from Tianmeng Entertainment. I am 21 years old this year.”
Tianmeng Entertainment? The trainees were stirred up by this revelation. There were numerous domestic entertainment companies, but most of them were not well known. The trainees who had just performed on stage didn't have any notable company background; in fact, they were actually from small workshops.
However, Tianmeng Entertainment was different. Even an ordinary person who had no connection to the entertainment industry would have heard of it. It is one of the top-ranking companies in China. To be more specific, entertainment companies could be categorized into film and television companies, record companies, and companies specializing in cultivating idols and groups. Although all three categories belonged to the entertainment industry, they possessed completely different resources and future development directions. The fan bases they cultivated had almost no overlap.
Most of the entertainment companies in the first two categories were well-established in the industry, while it was only in recent years that the entertainment companies in the last category emerged. Everyone wanted to get a share of the pie, so there were many small fish in this pool, but only a few had become successful pioneers.
Tianmeng Entertainment was the most powerful of the top three domestic companies in the third category of talent management. The chart-topping boy group 4SEVEN, which had become popular over the last year, was also a product of Tianmeng Entertainment's nurturing.
"...It's the company that 4SEVEN belongs to!"
"God, it's the first time I've seen a trainee from a major company. 4SEVEN have been legends since their debut. I've listened to all their songs! I can't even get tickets to their concerts. Do you think Liao Junchen often runs into them at the company?"
"I've decided I want to be friends with him! Maybe he can help me get an autograph in the future... I really like Lu Xi.”
“Have you thought yourself stupid? You still want to become friends with him. Someone who comes from Tianmeng must have incredible talent. How can they play around with you?"
"...You're so annoying!”
The mentors exchanged a glance and glimpsed a hint of long-lost anticipation. It wasn't solely because of the company's reputation; it was just that after spending so many years in this industry, their eyes were quite sharp.
He possessed a unique temperament, which was often referred to as, broadly, 'star quality'.
At first glance, Liao Junchen might seem aloof in appearance, with thin eyelids and a barely noticeable mole on the left side of his eye. Although Nan Xiao also had a poker face, it was caused by injections, making him appear stiff. Since stepping on stage, Liao Junchen's expressions had rarely shown significant fluctuations, indicating that it was his natural personality.
"What is your expected position within the group?" Mentor Yao Chen, who was also from the same company as Liao Junchen's seniors, 4SEVEN, was an 'old friend' or rather an 'old rival’ of 4SEVEN. He debuted earlier than 4SEVEN, but his popularity had gradually been surpassed by these newcomers. A while ago, when his new song hit the stage, the voting results were dominated by 4SEVEN's fans in music shows.
Everyone thought that Liao Junchen would take the initiative to mention his direct seniors, 4SEVEN, as it was common for artists from the same company to support each other. Moreover, 4SEVEN's popularity was unmatched in the domestic entertainment industry, with a massive fan base. If he mentioned them, even if there was a possibility of extreme fan backlash, it would undoubtedly generate significant discussion and attention. It might even attract some senior fans to vote for him.
As long as he mentioned it briefly, the editing team could work wonders. It would not only help secure media coverage and promotion but also propel his and 4SEVEN's name to the top trending topics, bringing a high degree of popularity.
However, Liao Junchen didn't mention a single word. His expression remained calm yet focused, answering concisely, “Personally, I hope to be a dance-focused performer because it is what I excel at."
He thought about it and added a simple sentence, “And I like it very much.”
Yao Chen looked at him for a while and couldn't help but smile faintly. He glanced down at Liao Junchen's profile and asked, “It says in your resume that you've been studying dance since the age of six, so it's been fifteen years now, right? The amount of time you’ve been dancing is longer than from my time as a trainee to now.” Yao Chen's eyes were very bright.
“To persist in something for so many years without giving up, even if you didn't mention it, I can tell you genuinely like it.”
Liao Junchen paused for a moment, his expression unchanged, but his furrowed brow seemed to relax slightly.
“I see here that you have learned almost all dance styles, including hip-hop, popping, locking, and even niche ones like house and krump. Which style did you start with, and which one do you primarily dance now?"
When it came to dance, Liao Junchen's words were a bit more extensive than before. He replied earnestly, "I started with hip-hop, and it has been my primary style since then. However, because our group tends to dance more urban, and my personal style was originally more distinctive, I have recently been mainly composing choreography.”
Mentor Yao Chen nodded. As he was someone who had been trained as a trainee for a male idol group from the beginning, his training system was completely different, focusing on teamwork and standard choreography. His dance style should be quite different from Liao Junchen's.
Yao Chen originally planned to ask Liao Junchen a few more questions, but he was eager to see Liao Junchen's performance. So, filled with anticipation, he asked him to directly begin the performance.
Liao Junchen chose a challenging song with a catchy chorus for his performance, and surprisingly, it was not a dance track from his seniors, 4SEVEN, who belonged in the same company.
At this point, even the slowest person could tell that he didn't want to rely on someone else's popularity to bolster himself.
The easiest path to exposure was right in front of him but was deliberately ignored.
Liao Junchen did not take shortcuts.
The trainees sitting on the pyramid-shaped seats couldn't help but imagine themselves in his shoes. If they were in the same position, would they make the same choice?
They were afraid it would be difficult.
This gave them a peculiar feeling, unable to articulate whether it was emotion or something else. In any case, in their eyes, Liao Junchen appeared to be stubborn, but this stubbornness unintentionally earned him more goodwill and respect.
The moment the intro played, there was a noticeable change in the impression Liao Junchen gave.
Lai Yuhan listened carefully to the clear voice in his in-ear monitor, and his eyes became brighter and brighter. Liao Junchen's breath control was excellent, perhaps due to his years of dancing giving him good physical strength and lung capacity. Even with the intense synchronization of singing and dancing, his voice remained stable--very stable.
There was no audible gasping or breathlessness commonly found in singing and dancing performances, nor the situation of being unable to keep up and missing notes or lyrics. Not only was his voice steady, but his singing skills were also remarkable.
Even though high notes might not be within his comfortable vocal range, he smoothly and easily sang them while performing high-intensity dance moves, timing precise and fast. This level of skill and effort couldn't have been achieved in just a year or two of hard work.
Compared to the lack of facial expression changes during the Q&A with Yao Chen, his face now perfectly matched the changes in the song lyrics during his singing and dancing performance. Despite the high difficulty of combining singing and dancing, the facial expressions captured on camera remained flawless. Even if a screenshot was taken at random during a dance move, his expression didn't collapse.
Not only did his appearance remain intact, but the intense hormones that accompanied his dance moves broke through the screen with his seemingly casual changes in expression.
It was an indescribable stage charm, where every fluctuation in the trailing notes, every look that happened to look directly into the camera, and every precise and powerful turn made it seem like he was constantly shining.
The huge gap in dance skills among the trainees became most apparent in during real performances. Some could execute choreography on beat and dance with standard movements, seemingly displaying decent skill. But when that same dance was performed by Liao Junchen, it brought an entirely different visual effect.
With the same movements, Liao Junchen's execution was not only crisp and explosive, filled with momentary bursts of power, but also appeared casual and relaxed. Despite exuding immense strength, it flowed effortlessly in the eyes of the audience, giving an impression of ease.
It was as if a difficult move that would make people watching an ordinary trainee perform it think, "Ah, that move is indeed challenging, and they executed it quite well." But when Liao Junchen performed the same move, it would make one's eyes sparkle with excitement, thinking to themselves that the move looked so beautiful, so effortless.
It even gave people the illusion that these dance moves were beautiful and simple to the point they could do it too. However, if they were to try it themselves, they would realize that it would be hard for them to complete such a difficult movement in their entire lives.
It could create an illusion in the viewers' minds that the dance moves were both visually pleasing and simple, making them think they could possibly do it too.
This was the gap between them.
When Liao Junchen finished his performance, the mentors felt an unprecedented sense of dissatisfaction at this ending.
It was fantastic! After witnessing countless debut stages, this was the first one that truly met the standards of a boy group. Yao Chen himself frankly admitted that Liao Junchen's overall abilities were enough to directly debut.
He was so charismatic! Throughout the entire performance, Liao Junchen seemed to transport everyone to another place. Everyone’s eyes could only be fixed on him, and every move he made quickened their heartbeats.
His singing, dancing, and rapping were flawless. The mentors could even assert that this would be the most outstanding and god-level stage in the show "Infinite Youth."
With this level of strength, it was no wonder he didn't need or bother to rely on the fame of his seniors. With Liao Junchen's strength and appearnce, he would undoubtedly gain tremendous popularity and receive an overwhelming number of votes after the broadcast.
It was only after the performance when Liao Junchen started to pant. It wasn't because he didn't feel tired from the intensity, but rather because he had strictly controlled his expressions and breath throughout the entire performance, ensuring that no potential factors would disrupt the integrity of his stage.
Qin Lu watched Liao Junchen's performance attentively, slightly dazed. He used to be unfamiliar with idol culture and boy groups, and the previous performances he had seen didn't leave a deep impression on him. However, just now, he experienced the so-called stage charisma in Liao Junchen's performance and began to understand the meaning of the stage Mentor Yao Chen had mentioned before.
It was something that could make people's blood boil, give up everything, and burn everything in pursuit of it.
Ten years of practice and silently going through countless tedious and difficult days was all for those short three minutes on the stage.
No matter how much exhaustion and sacrifice one has put in, it was no longer important at the moment when standing on the stage.
Qin Lu looked at Liao Junchen and didn't say a word about the fact that Liao Junchen’s current physical condition wasn't very good.
He didn't say it, and no one could tell. It was all due to Liao Junchen's incredible willpower, seemingly making every moment on stage worth his all.
Qin Lu used to not fully understand the meaning of the stage. To him, it seemed like just singing a song and dancing at the same time.
But now, he wanted to try and feel the bright and resolute power in Liao Junchen's eyes.
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Translation notes
(1) Combination boxing or the combination fist refers to a martial art.
(2) if you've read other ent. novels, this phrasing should be familiar. Think of it the way someone might say "i want to lick ur abs"
(3) as in the a guy so handsome that even when covered up, you can tell he's handsome just by looking at the rest of him
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translator's corner
Qin Lu is too cute. almost worth the 6 hours i put into this
