Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

He Xu only appeared in front of the contestants on the day the tasks for the third public performance were announced.

The production team is keeping a tight grip on the situation; they've done an impeccable job of maintaining secrecy.

The official announcement on Weibo was only posted on external channels; it wasn't mentioned at all in the base's internal bulletin board, in the selection management's notices, or even on the scrolling screen of the cafeteria TV.

So in the days following the end of the second round, the contestants continued to rehearse, eat, and complain to the selection staff about urging them to hand over their phones.

No one knew what kind of surprise was about to unfold before them.

Or rather, frightened.

He Xu wasn't intentionally avoiding them.

He just felt that there was no need to say this in advance.

What's the point of telling him? All those students will do is chase him like dogs from east to west, as if they're afraid he'll disappear again.

Too much trouble.

So he chose the simplest way—to appear directly on the recording set.

Forty contestants stood in the center of the studio, lined up according to their class.

After the elimination round of the second performance, the remaining forty people were selected from one hundred people, resulting in a more sparser seating arrangement. Class A had seven people left, while Class F was almost entirely empty.

The contestants were whispering among themselves, "Are they going to announce the third performance today?" "I heard someone's coming today." "The production team is up to something again."

Then someone came out of the passageway on the side of the studio.

Shen Yiheng walked at the front, followed by Xu Shutong, Zhou Wei, Zheng Zaiyuan, and Jin Xian.

The contestants bowed and greeted each other as per procedure.

But then, another series of footsteps came from the passageway.

His pace was slow and leisurely, with an air of indifference towards everyone.

The contestants straightened up and looked towards the entrance of the passage.

Then they were all stunned.

He Xu was wearing an ordinary white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, one button undone at the collar, black trousers, white sneakers, and his work ID hanging in front of his chest, swaying back and forth.

In my left ear, there was a tiny, barely noticeable earplug.

The studio was silent for three seconds, then instantly erupted in cheers.

"Holy crap—"

"He Xu?! What happened to him—?!"

"Didn't he withdraw from the competition? Why is he back?!"

"Wait, what's that badge on his chest?"

Sounds came from all directions. Some people took two steps forward, some had their mouths open and forgot to close them, and some turned to look at their teammates next to them, wanting to make sure they weren't seeing things.

Yang Sheng stood in the first row of Class A, as if he were nailed to the spot.

His gaze was fixed on He Xu's face, and his fingers involuntarily curled up.

He Xu noticed his gaze, turned his head, met Yang Sheng's eyes for a moment, smiled, and then looked away.

Shen Yiheng stood in the center of the stage and waited for the commotion to subside slightly before picking up the microphone.

"Quiet." His voice was steady. "I know you all have many questions, but please let me finish."

The murmurs in the contestants' stands gradually subsided, but everyone's eyes remained focused on He Xu.

"He Xu is back this time as a special guest dance instructor." Shen Yiheng turned to the side and gestured in He Xu's direction. "Everyone should have seen the name tag on his chest. Starting today, he will be involved in the choreography and stage management for all subsequent performances."

He Xu took two steps forward and stood at the edge of the stage.

He glanced at the forty faces below the stage, his gaze sweeping over Li Bufan, Wang Yijun, Lu Yiming, Jiang Yang, and Song Yingwen in turn.

Yan Chen wasn't there—he was eliminated in the second round.

It is only natural.

That's how this industry is; hard work isn't the same as ability.

He Xu withdrew his gaze.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, his tone still hoarse and familiarly flat. "I'm back to work, not to reminisce. Rehearse when you need to, dance when you need to, don't expect me to go easy on you."

Someone in the audience chuckled, but quickly suppressed it.

After He Xu finished speaking, he took a step back and stood to the side of the mentors' seat.

Shen Yiheng continued, "Next, we will announce the rules for the third performance."

The giant screen behind him lit up, displaying a line of large characters—"Third Public: Mentor Collaboration Stage."

"The third performance is a collaboration stage between the mentors." Shen Yiheng's voice echoed throughout the studio through the speakers. "The four mentors—Xu Shutong, Zhou Wei, Zheng Zaiyuan, and myself—will each lead two groups for a stage collaboration."

Four tracks appeared on the giant screen, each corresponding to a mentor.

"Each mentor leads two groups, and each group consists of five trainees and one mentor, for a total of six people."

"Four mentors, eight groups, and the stage theme for each group is determined by the mentors themselves."

"On the third stage, each mentor's ten contestants will be ranked according to fan votes. The top five will stay, and the remaining five will be eliminated."

In other words, out of forty people, only twenty will ultimately remain.

The air in the stands suddenly tensed up.

"The grouping is based on the questionnaires everyone filled out a couple of days ago." Shen Yiheng opened the folder in his hand. "In the questionnaires, everyone filled in their favorite mentor to work with, their best stage style, and their role in the team—the production team has combined this information to complete the grouping."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire players' bench.

"Now, the group results will be announced."

The images on the giant screen switched, displaying the names of the eight groups.

Shen Yiheng stood beside the giant screen, picked up the microphone, and began to read.

"Instructor Shen Yiheng, Group A – Yang Sheng…"

Yang Sheng stood in the first row of Class A, and his expression did not change when he heard his name called.

"...Li Bufan, Shen Yiheng's mentor, Group B."

Li Bufan suddenly raised his head, flicked his dirty orange hair, and gave Yang Sheng a complicated look.

"Xu Shutong's Group A - Jiang Yang..."

Jiang Yang stood in the line and relaxed his shoulders when he heard his name called.

He turned his head to look in He Xu's direction, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

"Group B under Mentor Xu Shutong – Song Yingwen, Wang Yijun…"

"Zhou Wei's Group B - Lu Yiming..."

"Team B under Mentor Zheng Zaiyuan – Qi Xunan..."

When Qi Xunan heard his name called, he nodded slightly.

Eight groups, forty people, all settled in.

After reading the last person's name, Shen Yiheng closed the folder.

"The group assignments have been finalized. The practice room will be open this afternoon, and each group's instructor will lead you in rehearsals."

He paused, his gaze lingering on He Xu for a moment.

"In addition, Mr. He Xu will serve as the dance instructor, providing technical guidance to each group—you can contact him if you have any questions about choreography."

There was a moment of silence in the audience.

Then Li Bufan was the first to shout, "Brother He Xu! Our group really welcomes you!"

He Xu stood to the side of the mentor's seat and glanced at him.

"I don't really welcome you," he said.

The whole place erupted in laughter.

Li Bufan choked for a moment, swallowing back what he was about to say.

Shen Yiheng's lips curved slightly, then quickly flattened.

"The recording of the three sessions will be in two weeks. Please make full use of this time," he said. "Meeting adjourned."