Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

Chapter 25 Recording

Shen Yiheng's eyes reddened.

He took a deep breath and exhaled, his lips moving several times before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "...Can you please stop using 'you're my student' as an excuse?"

"I'm stating the facts," He Xu said.

"The truth is you can't—never mind." Shen Yiheng swallowed the rest of his words, raised his hand to rub his eyes quickly, as if to cover something up.

"So," He Xu steered the conversation back on track, "you don't need to worry about this."

"in spite of?"

"I don't care," He Xu said. "Let the production team handle it according to procedure. Investigate if necessary, and punish if necessary. Don't interfere or offer any opinions."

"But--"

"No buts." He Xu's voice became even hoarser. "You've crossed the line, Yiheng."

"The production team should handle this matter as it should be. Zhao Pengfei pushed someone, and Yan Chen got into a fight; they should be warned and asked to write self-criticisms. But they should not disqualify him."

Why?

"Disqualification is too severe," He Xu said. "Zhao Pengfei acted impulsively, but not intentionally, and Yan Chen was also doing it for Class F. If you expel them both, what will happen to Class F? What about the theme song recording?"

Shen Yiheng opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"Moreover," He Xu paused, "if you really fire them, you, as the PD, will also be implicated."

"They'll say things like 'mismanagement' and 'tolerance of players,'" He Xu's voice lowered. "Do you think those people will let you off the hook?"

Shen Yiheng fell silent.

He knew He Xu was right.

He knows it all too well.

In his three years in the industry, he has seen too many colleagues being magnified, misinterpreted, and cyberbullied because of a small matter.

He thought he had gotten used to it, and that he could stop caring.

But He Xu cared.

Shen Yiheng leaned against the wall, looked up, and stared at the blindingly white light on the ceiling.

"I just—" His voice choked slightly, "I just can't bear to see you get hurt."

He Xu looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, then reached out and patted Shen Yiheng on the shoulder.

The force wasn't heavy, but it was very steady.

"Listen," he said, his voice so hoarse it was almost a whisper, "That has nothing to do with you. Don't take responsibility for things that have nothing to do with you."

"but--"

"No buts."

"Yiheng, be good." He Xu reached up and pinched the back of his neck as a way of comforting him.

It's like trying to soothe a large dog with its fur standing on end.

"...I understand," Shen Yiheng said, his voice muffled.

The production team handled the incident quickly and quietly that day.

The selection committee reviewed the surveillance footage from the corridor and practice room, took statements from the three individuals separately, and questioned each of the F-class contestants who were present at the time.

The conclusion was no surprise: Zhao Pengfei pushed someone first, Yan Chen also had a physical altercation during the dispute, and He Xu was the victim who intervened to break up the fight.

The program team's decision was communicated to each party involved that evening—Zhao Pengfei received a serious warning, his daily performance score was deducted, his eligibility to participate in the competition was retained, but his eligibility to record the theme song was revoked;

Yan Chen will receive a warning, but without deducting points, his eligibility to record the theme song will be revoked.

He Xu is not at fault, and the medical expenses will be borne by the program team.

There was no official announcement, no public criticism, and no withdrawal from the competition.

Everything was dealt with in the shadows.

Some people remain dissatisfied, but their dissatisfaction is ultimately overshadowed by more important matters.

The recording of the theme song for the second day started promptly at nine o'clock in the morning.

The stage in the studio has been set up.

The ninety positions were arranged according to the re-evaluation level, from A to F, like a white pyramid. At the very top were the nine people from Class A, with Qi Xunan standing right in the center, the C position.

Qi Xunan wore the white stage outfit provided by the production team, with a silver nameplate for the center position pinned to her collar, and her expression was as quiet as during yesterday's performance.

Yang Sheng stood to his left, while Song Yingwen and Jiang Yang were positioned further to the side.

All three of them simultaneously turned their gazes toward Class B.

Second row, right side.

He Xu stood there.

He was wearing a matching white short-sleeved shirt. To ensure a consistent recording effect, the bandages on his hands had been temporarily removed, revealing a slightly reddened arm with a rather long scar.

His complexion wasn't good—it was paler than yesterday, with faint dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were a bit dry.

But he stood very straight, as if all his discomfort had been temporarily suppressed.

Lu Yiming stood in Class C's position, tiptoeing and glancing towards Class B several times, when Li Bufan in the back row patted him on the shoulder: "Stop looking, stand properly in your spot."

"But He Xu's hands—"

"Since he's here, it means there's no problem." Li Bufan's voice was unusually serious. "You should worry about yourself instead of him. If you rush the chorus again, even the post-production editing won't be able to save you."

Lu Yiming shut his mouth and stood obediently.

Before the recording began, Shen Yiheng went on stage to give a final pep talk.

He stood in the aisle between Class A and Class B, without a microphone in his hand, and his voice was not loud, but the entire studio fell silent.

"Today's recording is your first collective appearance on this show." His gaze swept from the first row to the last row, unhurriedly. "This stage video will be posted online, and millions, tens of millions of people will see it."

"Some people will get to know you, like you, and remember your name because of this one shot."

"Some people might reject you, laugh at you, or forget you because of this one shot."

So, don't leave yourself with regrets.

"On your marks. Begin in three minutes."

The entire venue fell silent, with only the faint sounds of staff adjusting equipment and the varying breaths of the ninety people.

He Xu stood in the crowd of Class B, pulled his right hand out of his pocket, and flexed his fingers.

Without the bandages, the joints are no longer restricted in their flexibility, but when exerting force, one can feel a dull pain as the wound is pulled.

The student from Class B next to him whispered, "He Xu, is your hand alright?"

"It's alright," he said.

three minutes.

Two minutes.

One minute.

When the music started, all the noise disappeared.

Ninety people, ninety bodies, activated by the same beat in the same second.

The A class at the top row is like a sharp knife, every movement is so precise it's appalling.

The second row of Class B wasn't as neat as Class A, but their spirit was just as strong.

The camera slowly zoomed in from a low angle, its lens sweeping across every young face.

He Xu adjusted his expression, revealing a bright and cheerful smile that was impossible to fault.

Unrestrained, flamboyant, and arrogant.

It was as if the wound on his hand didn't exist.

During the chorus, a hundred people sing at the same time.

"This is my uncharted ground——"

The sounds converged into a torrent, crashing against the dome of the studio and then falling back down, hitting everyone present.

He Xu also spoke up.

It was very low and very soft; almost only he could hear it.

But his lip movements were right, his rhythm was right, and the vibration in his chest was right.

That's enough.

Recorded in one take.

When the music ended, the studio was quiet for a long time.

Then came applause, sparse at first, but gradually growing louder and more frequent, coming from the staff section.

Shen Yiheng stood to the side of the stage, arms crossed, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his lips, the first one since what happened yesterday.

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on the right side of the second row of Class B.

He Xu, expressionless, put his hands back in his pockets, turned around, and followed Class B's group off the stage.

As he passed the side of the stage, his eyes met Shen Yiheng's.

He Xu nodded slightly.

Shen Yiheng nodded as well.

The two of them didn't speak, but they said everything.

The corridor was bustling with people after the recording ended.

Some people are crying, some are laughing, and some are calling their families to share the good news.

He Xu walked against the flow of people towards the dormitory, his pace neither fast nor slow.

A person walked towards you.

It's Zhou Wei.

He walked up to He Xu and stopped.