At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

“Okay, Sister Ari, I’ll call him in a bit…”

UU obediently accepted the suggestion and adjusted her witch's hat, pulling the brim down even lower.

"The qualifiers are just around the corner. I wonder how 'Seven Colors' is doing with their preparations."

Suddenly, Ari's light words startled the three women present, who reacted in different ways.

Like a fox, Jiang Nai immediately hid her tail, changing her casual expression to a serious one, pretending that she had nothing to do with the team.

Yi Xiang was very interested because she knew there was a talented guitarist in the group who was very popular with the opposite sex. They had even met up close at the amusement park and brushed past each other at the hospital. Fate was truly amazing.

As for UU, she immediately panicked and exposed her information to the goddess's gaze—

"They'll definitely get through! He's strong! No problem!"

Ari immediately understood and withdrew his gaze, a smile playing on his lips, and said nothing more.

Musicians who frequently play in bands know that there is a lot of competition and rivalry within bands.

This kind of competition is multifaceted. It's not that I must be better than my teammates, but that I must never be weaker than them.

Because anyone ranked last risks being eliminated, much like the "last-place elimination system" used in companies for downsizing and restructuring, which is extremely dangerous.

But in this "Hana-Hyou" team where everyone's skills are exceptional, the things people compare themselves to have changed.

It's not about technology at all, it's about emotions.

[Having a significant advantage in looks compared to my teammates is just the beginning; more importantly, I need to be happy in life and live a better life than others, several levels above them.]

So how can we improve our quality of life?

For Ari, first and foremost, he needs a "sasaeng fan" he can call out anytime for a private meeting, someone with whom he can do things that his teammates would envy.

In this way, the first step of satisfying one's inner needs—eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty—has been achieved.

The problem now is that the chosen sasaeng fan has already been selected, and their looks have been confirmed as acceptable. Even if you grabbed them now and kissed them for 20 seconds, they wouldn't feel any aversion.

But he's involved in far too many relationships—

Nana's childhood friend, UU's daily fortune-telling fan, Miya's caretaker, and Hare's live-in boyfriend.

And the team's core member and spiritual leader, whose attention is focused on the entire team next door.

Successfully navigating so many challenges is no easy feat.

Even if I possess all the advantages that they lack, I will still inevitably face numerous obstacles and must proceed with caution.

Most importantly, if Ms. Su chooses to disobey,

So what about the future...?

【well. 】

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Mommy Hayasaka walked in.

She carried a laptop, a briefcase slung over her right shoulder, and glanced at the women present.

He asked, "Where's Miya?"

"I've taken leave."

"What's the reason?"

"Bad mood."

"Oh?"

Hayasaka, slightly concerned upon hearing this, asked, "Why are you in a bad mood?"

She looked at Jiang Nai.

Jiang Nai relayed the message: "This morning, she told me she wasn't coming, and that her cat owner had gone on a long trip, so she was unhappy and had zero motivation to practice the piano. I don't really understand either."

I actually understand completely—

Xiao Che went out to eat wild grass.

Such a simple matter was something Jiang Nai could analyze in an instant.

“Miya is usually the first one to arrive, but she’s not here today. There’s nothing we can do about it; our meeting will still go ahead.”

Mommy straightened her pencil skirt, sat down in the main seat of the black leather sofa, and waved her hand.

A large group of staff members filed in behind her, recording her upcoming presentation.

Seeing this, the other women couldn't help but turn their heads, waiting for her to speak.

"Let's get down to business first, about Mosse."

Mommy said, "Our team is different from the regular competition teams. 'Hana-rei' was specifically recommended by Ms. Su, so we have the right to skip the auditions. We're essentially a direct invitation to the championship team; we don't need to compete in the elimination rounds. We just need to appear on stage in the final round and perform a complete, pre-recorded stage show. Do you understand what I mean?"

“I understand. There are no preliminary rounds, semi-finals, or finals. We’ll be competing directly against the champion team,” Yi Xiang said, understanding the situation.

"Yes, that's right, but there's still one problem."

Mommy said, "Because you are directly invited to the championship, your performance will directly represent Ms. Su's reputation."

You have absolutely no room for error, and you can't afford to mess up in a live broadcast environment. Even your facial expressions and stage presence have to be meticulously crafted beforehand. Do you understand that?

"Uh-huh."

"As for the post-match rewards, they will be paid within 3 months, as stated in the contract."

Oh right, don't exchange reward details privately. Everyone's contract is different, and anyone who violates the confidentiality agreement will be kicked out of the team. Remember that!

"Ok."

The women all nodded, indicating that they understood.

Mommy then mentioned a few more points to note, including the schedule for the music video recording and the arrangements for the secret rehearsals before the competition.

"Any other questions? If not, I'm going to catch Miya. Time is so tight, and this kid dares to slack off. She's really grown too big for her britches."

Mommy sighed and said she was about to go and take the driver to catch the child.

Ari called out to her and gestured for her to speak privately.

Mom understood and followed her into the secret room.

In the absolutely quiet room, Ari closed the door and brought up the issue of the "reward".

"Ms. Hayasaka, things might be..."

"What could it be?"

"It's possible that I won't be able to complete the marriage with Ms. Su's son."

She stated frankly, "I have someone I like."

"what?"

These words almost completely baffled Hayasaka.

He didn't understand:

"No, Ari, are you crazy? Don't you know what marrying Ms. Su's son means?"

"I know……"

"I can tell you, you have absolutely no idea."

Hayasaka chuckled and paced back and forth in front of her, his steps quick.

She extended her right index finger and began to lay out the facts for her, one by one:

"First of all, Ms. Su's net worth is many classes higher than yours, I hope you can understand that. I know you usually earn a lot of money from painting, but compared to the Su family's assets, a few hundred thousand is really quite trivial."

"Ah."

"Secondly, once you marry Young Master Su, you won't have to worry about anything else, not even your current band or your teammates."

You will soar to great heights; all you need to do is give him a son, and you'll achieve a state where you have endless resources while lying in bed. Do you understand?

"Um…"

"Thirdly. Ms. Su was incredibly beautiful when she was young, and Mr. Su inherited her genes, so his looks and physique are bound to be quite good. If you're worried, I can ask Ms. Su for a picture of her son and send it to you sometime, so you can see for yourself. If that doesn't work, you two can meet in private first, which is also OK."

Hayasaka emphasized again:

"Ms. Su said 'I'll introduce you,' not 'we have to sleep together the first night after the introduction.' You should be able to tell the difference, right?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Ari was also somewhat shaken.

"I...I still think the current candidates are quite good. As for the future, even if I don't advance further, I can support myself."

"what?"

Hayasaka laughed in exasperation, “Ari, sometimes, living in this society doesn’t mean you’ll stay at your current level if you don’t strive to move forward.”

Have you ever considered that your rebelliousness might cause your career, at least your singing career, to completely collapse?

"..."

"Lingyun will blacklist you, other venues won't dare to hire you, you'll have no stage to showcase your talents, and you can only make a living by painting. So let me ask you, is it possible that Ms. Su also has connections in the Tianhai painting circle? Even able to contact the person in charge of the platform where you accept commissions, huh?"

"what…"

Now, Ari was completely panicked, her face turning pale. "Her energy..."

"Alright, I'll stop here. Ari, I'm helping you, not harming you. You'd better listen to me and meet with Young Master Su before making a decision, otherwise it will be too late to regret it later."

Hayasaka sighed, muttering, "These kids are all such a handful," before turning and leaving the room.

Ari stood there, pondering her mother's suggestion, her expression complicated.

-

……

11:30.

Su Che received a phone call while he was in the parking lot.

Surprisingly, it was my mom calling.

Her tired voice came through the Bluetooth connection, asking her son how he was doing lately.