Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

The corridor was far from quiet, with loud music emanating from the various practice rooms.

Shen Yiheng walked at the front, his pace quick.

Xu Shutong walked beside him, her long hair swaying gently over her shoulders, a polite smile on her lips.

He Xu walked at the very back, hands in his pockets, his steps leisurely.

He looked like a problem student who had been taken away by the head of the teaching department but still couldn't change his ways despite repeated warnings.

The three people walked through the corridor, turned a corner, and entered a small, empty conference room.

Shen Yiheng was the last to come in, closed the door, and pressed the lock.

Click.

The meeting room contained only a long table and a few chairs, with the curtains half-drawn and the lighting a warm yellow.

Finally, it's quiet.

Shen Yiheng completely lost his composure, tugged at his collar to reveal the silver chain around his neck, let out a long breath, and switched from "PD mode" to "human mode".

The professor's serious demeanor completely vanished.

"I'm exhausted—" He slumped into a chair, looking up at the ceiling. "I've been putting on an act all day, my face is stiff."

He Xu leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, and didn't say anything.

Xu Shutong stood at the door, her hands clasped in front of her, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.

She glanced at Shen Yiheng, then at He Xu, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't dare to speak.

"Sister Shutong, please sit down," Shen Yiheng said, pointing to the chair next to her.

Xu Shutong sat down carefully, her back ramrod straight, her posture obedient.

Seeing her like that, Shen Yiheng couldn't help but laugh: "What's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing," Xu Shutong's voice trembled slightly, "It's just... I'm a little nervous."

He Xu finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "What's there to be nervous about? I'm not going to eat you."

Xu Shutong shrank back in fright at his words.

Shen Yiheng almost burst out laughing.

"Teacher, don't scare her," Shen Yiheng said, suppressing a laugh. "Sister Shutong said she knows you too, but I told her you definitely don't remember her."

He Xu raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Xu Shutong.

Xu Shutong's face turned bright red instantly, a deep, intense red that burned from her neck all the way to her ears.

"Teacher He, we've met before..." she said softly, "Four years ago... no, three years ago? Or five years ago? Anyway, a long time ago, when I first became a trainee, I had a private coaching session with you."

He Xu looked at her expressionlessly, clearly trying to recall.

Seeing his expression, Xu Shutong became even more nervous, and her speech unconsciously quickened: "It was at that—that studio, in Wangjing, that day it was raining heavily, and I was late. I got yelled at half to death as soon as I walked in..."

Shen Yiheng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha—" He laughed so hard he was slumped on the table, his shoulders shaking. "Teacher, you really don't remember?"

He Xu looked at Xu Shutong's flushed face and remained silent for three seconds.

"I don't remember," he said.

Xu Shutong's expression instantly fell.

Shen Yiheng laughed even louder, tears welling up in his eyes: "What did I tell you! I told you he definitely wouldn't remember! You still insisted I bring you in to acknowledge your family!"

Xu Shutong glared at him, her cheeks puffed out, looking both aggrieved and afraid to retaliate.

He Xu didn't react much. He moved from the wall to a chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and gave a "have you finished talking?" look.

After laughing enough, Shen Yiheng wiped his eyes and finally steered the conversation back on track.

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business." He sat up straight, looked at He Xu, and the smile in his eyes slowly faded. "Teacher, what exactly did you come here for?"

He Xu leaned back in his chair, his hands crossed over his stomach, looking as relaxed as if he were in his own living room.

"Didn't I say it was boring?"

"I don't believe it." Shen Yiheng stared at him. "You may be a bit of a troublemaker, but you're not so bored as to force yourself into a talent show. If you really want to have fun, wouldn't it be more enjoyable to be a judge at a street dance competition?"

He Xu didn't say anything.

Xu Shutong cautiously added from the side, "Besides... you're already a choreographer, isn't it a case of underestimating others by coming as a contestant? Those trainees are so pitiful."

He Xu glanced at her.

"Do you think I'm here to play the saint?"

Xu Shutong immediately shook her head.

"So what are you here for?" Shen Yiheng pressed.

He Xu paused for a second, then slowly curled up the corners of his mouth—a standard, irritating, and malicious smile.

"Of course I'm here to make you suffer."

Shen Yiheng: "..."

Xu Shutong: "..."

"What's wrong?" He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you ask that?"

Shen Yiheng took a deep breath and then exhaled, as if trying to suppress some kind of physiological reaction.

"Teacher," his voice held a gentle intensity tinged with determination, "do you know how tiring it is for us to record the show every day?"

"I experienced it yesterday."

"Then why did you come here to cause us trouble?"

"Otherwise what?" He Xu said matter-of-factly, "If I came here to offer you comfort, that would be so meaningless."

Shen Yiheng's expression went through a complete process from shock to speechlessness to resignation.

"...You're just here to laugh at me," he said, his tone not a question, but a statement.

"Not entirely." He Xu crossed his legs casually. "I'm just checking out how bad your show really is."

Xu Shutong muttered softly, "So, what do you think of the water...?"

"Pretty bad." He Xu said bluntly, "What were those groups doing? Even square dancing has more class than that."

Xu Shutong shut her mouth, thinking to herself that her standards were a bit too high.

Shen Yiheng was used to it. When he was a trainee, He Xu scolded him for five years. What kind of nasty things hadn't he heard? This is nothing, not even an appetizer.

"Alright, since you're already here." Shen Yiheng took a deep breath and steered the conversation back on track. "So, what are you planning to do? Just keep pretending to be an ordinary person?"

"Um."

"When will you finish installing it?"

"It depends on my mood."

Shen Yiheng felt that his blood pressure was a little high.

"Teacher, you know this show has an elimination system, right?" He tried to reason with He Xu, "What if you get eliminated—"

"I can't be eliminated." He Xu interrupted him, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Shen Yiheng opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He was right.

With He Xu's abilities, let alone these hundred trainees, even if he himself were to compete against current idols, there wouldn't be many who could beat him.

"But your voice..." Xu Shutong finally mustered the courage to speak, her voice hesitant, "The theme song assessment includes a singing component, what are you planning to do?"

He Xu glanced at her.

Xu Shutong immediately regretted it, feeling that she shouldn't have asked that question.

"Sing if you can, dance if you can't," He Xu said. "The evaluation criteria aren't just based on vocal ability."

"But--"

"Sister Shutong." Shen Yiheng interrupted her, shaking his head slightly at her.

Xu Shutong bit her lip and swallowed the rest of her words.

She knew what Shen Yiheng meant—don't ask anymore, He Xu is the kind of person who will only talk the more you ask.

"Is there anything else?" He Xu stood up, stretched his neck, and his joints made a slight clicking sound. "No, I'm going back to dance practice."

"Wait a moment."

Shen Yiheng stood up and called out to him.

He Xu had one hand on the doorknob and glanced at him.

"Is there anything else?"

Shen Yiheng opened his mouth, his gaze unconsciously sweeping towards Xu Shutong's direction.

Xu Shutong immediately understood that look—years of survival instinct in the industry made her instantly realize that the following conversation should not have a third person present.

"Um... I'm heading back now!" She stood up abruptly, as fast as if a spring had been installed in her chair. "Someone seems to be looking for me in the practice room. I'm leaving now. Goodbye, Teacher He. Goodbye, PD!"

After finishing her string of words, she opened the door, slipped out, and moved with effortless grace.

The door closed.

Only two people remained in the meeting room.

He Xu was still standing by the door, his hand still on the doorknob, his expression showing a hint of impatience.

"What exactly happened?"

He Xu's voice was even hoarseer than before because he had talked too much earlier.

Shen Yiheng did not answer immediately.

He walked back to the table, picked up the mineral water bottle on the table, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to He Xu.

He Xu did not answer.

He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, watching him perform.

"...Teacher," Shen Yiheng finally spoke, his voice much softer than before, "Can your voice really hold up?"