Chapter 24: Theme Song Evaluation (Part 1)

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Zhang Yixing was the first to enter, greeting all the trainees with a warmth like a spring breeze, “Hi, long time no see.”
“Hello, Producer Zhang!”
One hundred trainees stood up and returned Zhang Yixing’s greeting.
After Zhang Yixing took his seat, the other mentors followed and settled back into their familiar positions at the mentor’s table. Familiar information cards lay before them, although their seats had shifted from in front of the contestants to across from them.
The one hundred trainees sat by class on the opposite side of the studio.
A large rectangular space was left empty in the center—reserved for the trainees to perform the theme dance later.
The floor was marked every two meters with large capital letters: A, B, C, D, and F.
Following the production team’s arrangements, the trainees sat in their designated areas according to their ranks.
Gu Jingyi casually took a seat in the A class area, but when the other A class members noticed where he sat, several of the trainees behind shifted slightly to keep their distance.
No one wanted to sit next to Gu Jingyi; after all, who wanted to be the background for someone who overshadowed everyone with his looks?
So, Gu Jingyi ended up sitting in the front row of A class, with the camera panning over. Every crew member quietly thought of him as the “leader of A class.”
As a top-tier talent show, “Idol Trainee” knew exactly what the audience wanted to see.
A breakout theme song usually came from one of two situations: either an impressively flawless dance or a spectacularly poor one.
The trainees’ theme song evaluation would be done in groups. Each class from A to F would send one representative to stand at a designated spot for review.
This avoided the audience having to make side-by-side comparison videos later, presenting the results directly and plainly.
What was most ruthless was that every group would include an A class trainee.
Even if an A class trainee couldn’t perfectly sing and dance, they would certainly excel in expression management, dance, or singing in at least one aspect.
“Idol Trainee” paired A class with F class from the start, quietly stirring up trouble.
The trainees in the audience were not fools; they naturally sensed the production team’s intention.
Whispers filled the room, each face clouded with concern.
Only Gu Jingyi remained indifferent, leisurely sitting at the edge of the stage, calmly observing the worried expressions on the other trainees’ faces, as if he were on vacation.
At the mentor’s table, Cheng Xiao gave him a sharp look, silently signaling him to stop.
Sensing her gaze, Gu Jingyi shifted his eyes toward her.
Today, Cheng Xiao wore a light-colored long-sleeve sweatshirt—an obviously loose garment that still shaped a striking curve on her figure, catching the eye.
The sweatshirt’s hem was long, covering her shapely hips, embodying this year’s trend of “bottomless” styling, appearing both casual and alluring.

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The finishing touch was the black thigh band on Cheng Xiao’s legs, which, pressed against the fleshiness of her thigh, created a slight constriction, adding a subtle sensual flaw that only enhanced her overall appeal.
Gu Jingyi’s gaze lingered a bit too long, images flashing through his mind one after another.
“Bang.”
Perhaps out of slight embarrassment, Cheng Xiao, still seated at the mentor’s table, accidentally knocked her leg against the corner of the desk.
“Are you okay?”
Zhou Jieqiong, sitting beside her, noticed the sound and turned with concern.
A sudden flush bloomed at Cheng Xiao’s ear, her cheeks warming.
She remained silent, quickly brushing her hair back to hide her ear in the raven-black strands, a faint flicker of emotion crossing her eyes.
“I’m fine, just a bit distracted,” she said ambiguously, avoiding Gu Jingyi’s gaze.
Zhang Yixing glanced at the trainees below. After reciting the competition format, Wang Jiaer immediately began the proceedings, “Jeffey, you’re first!”
“Huh?”
Jeffey, called out, was somewhat stunned, hesitating as he stood.
The other B class trainees quietly lowered their raised hands.
The royal family was indeed impressive; only an uncle was truly reliable.
Everyone knew A class had only nine members—dancing with them guaranteed more screen time, at least a few seconds in the main footage.
And the opening group always received the most camera coverage.
B class, being the class closest in skill to A, had many trainees eager to challenge A through the theme song.
They could only blame their uncle for not being more famous—not a household name superstar.
Other classes had chosen their representatives, leaving only A class unaccounted for.
All A class trainees looked toward Gu Jingyi; without his decision, no one dared step forward.
Gu Jingyi sat upright and calmly said, “I just finished breakfast.”
“Well, that’s true—you shouldn’t exercise right after eating.”
“Alright then, Jingyi, you sit back and rest. We’ll discuss among ourselves and warm up the stage first.”
With his statement, A class quickly sent someone forward.
Zhu Zhenting stepped out and stood in the designated area marked A.

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The five trainees lined up from left to right by class order.
They were all warming up, preparing for the opening.
Once they finished warming up, the staff off-camera responsible for playing the accompaniment pressed the play button.
The next moment, the prelude of “EiEi” began.
“Hey, the next second I’m coming closer to you,
The dream is ready…”
The trainees opened their arms, pointing to the sky.
Even trainees with poor basics wouldn’t miss the opening preparatory move.
But Jeffey, perhaps nervous, was a beat slow; he opened his arms only after everyone else had moved.
His initial slow preparation affected his subsequent moves. Having received little formal trainee training, he struggled to adjust on the spot.
Compared to the poised Zhu Zhenting beside him, Jeffey looked particularly awkward.
There were no retakes in the theme song evaluation; even if he messed up, he had to push through.
What seemed like a simple theme song assessment was as much a test of mental fortitude as skill.
At the mentor’s table, Zhang Yixing shook his head with some disappointment.
Opportunities often vanished in an instant; Jeffey couldn’t seize this one even when it was handed to him.
After Zhu Zhenting finished, A class cheered and applauded his smooth performance.
He said nothing, just smiled with pursed lips. To others, it seemed modest and humble, but to Gu Jingyi, who had experienced overseas auditions with him, it was a familiar quiet satisfaction.
For the second round, A class’s Justin stepped up enthusiastically.
But for some reason, a minor mistake occurred.
His error cast a shadow of tension and pressure over A class; the following performances were underwhelming.
Time passed bit by bit, and by the end, only Gu Jingyi and Cai Xukun from A class had yet to perform.
Once the other classes had taken their places, Gu Jingyi and Cai Xukun exchanged a glance, silently negotiating who would go first.