Chapter 47: It Blew Up (5.3K)

The first episode of "Idol Producer" exploded onto the scene!

If the teaser was merely an appetizer, then after the official airing of the first episode, "Idol Producer" soared to the top across major social media platforms, dominating in viewership ratings, online buzz, and discussions about the standout contestants.

"Idol Producer's First A-Level"
"Zhang Yixing Balance"
"Gu Jingyi: Number 5 is the lucky number"

Among the top 50 trending searches on Weibo, "Idol Producer" ranked within the top five.

The show’s first episode was initially split into two parts for preliminary ratings. During the seat selection phase, the contestants made their appearances, allowing the audience to form a basic impression of each trainee.

Under the intense spotlight, the second part of the first episode quickly arrived the following evening.

Lang City, Ji Province

Zhou Jieqiong, dressed in a silk nightgown, had just finished her day’s schedule and returned to the hotel where she was staying.

She ran her fingers through her slightly tousled long hair, which had been draped over her shoulders all day, tidying it just a bit. She then kicked off her high heels, slipping into slippers as she headed toward the bathroom.

After freshening up, Zhou Jieqiong shed her shirt and skirt ensemble, replacing them with a luxurious black silk nightdress. The garment hugged her perfectly curved hips, accentuating her silhouette.

As she moved, the fabric stretched and contracted with the gentle sway of her hips, creating an elegant and captivating visual.

She hadn’t watched the episode of "Idol Producer" where she served as a dance mentor the night before and was therefore unaware of the show’s performance.

Only during a daytime commercial shoot did the brand’s PR sister, smiling, ask if she could help get Gu Jingyi’s autograph.

Only then did Zhou Jieqiong realize just how wildly popular "Idol Producer" had become.

On the way back to the hotel, she browsed through the data on her phone from the chauffeured car. The brand PR’s reaction was a useful reference, but the market’s overall feedback was the truest indicator.

After learning about record after record being shattered, Zhou Jieqiong finally understood: "Idol Producer" had truly taken off.

"Since it’s so popular, I better watch it properly. I wonder how much screen time I actually got in the show."

She opened the Kiwi platform and started streaming "Idol Producer."

She had already sped through the first part of the episode on the way in the car the day before.

But this time, she kept the comment overlay on, gaining a rough idea of the trainees’ popularity.

She had a general sense of the top contestants—Gu Jingyi, Cai Xukun, Chen Linong, Fan Chengcheng, and Justin.

"So this is the upper echelon of 'Idol Producer.' Jieqiong, you better be nice to them on the show," her manager had said beside her earlier, to which she had only smiled ambiguously.

Back home, she picked up the suspense left by the show from the previous day.

"Tsk, Kiwi really knows how to stir emotions. But after the audience sees Gu Jingyi’s performance, they’ll probably call it a cheat."

Zhou Jieqiong smiled, lying on her bed as she continued watching.

"Cai Xukun, your rating is—"

"A!"

As soon as Cai Xukun’s rating was announced, the comment section exploded.

[Kunkun is amazing, first A!]

[What’s up with Wang Linkai? He’s standing offstage with a pout.]

[Obviously because he’s not convinced by your brother’s strength, duh!]

[Boo-hoo, no matter what Gu fans say. The Douban leaks said Gu Jingyi got the first A too—that was just a smoke screen. No champagne popping just yet.]

The comment stream grew noisy again, and Zhou Jieqiong felt a bit weary. She fast-forwarded past the next several trainees’ performances.

Before the next trainee appeared, the camera lingered on the faces of others on stage, their expressions filled with simple, blunt awe—"Wow...," "Oh my!"—accompanied by nearly fixed stares and background music.

"What’s this? Isn’t this the theme song from 'A Little Happiness'?"

Viewers watching live laughed in the chat: "That’s Gu Jingyi’s theme song, 'Is It a Dream?' No wonder Gu’s got his own soundtrack. A man with BGM."

The fans were equally thrilled. Tian Xiwei and other fan managers gathered in the guesthouse, firing off comments:

[Jing conquers the world, Yi walks alongside!]

[Our Gu bro is number one on Weibo’s trainee chart. That’s gotta have some clout!]

The trainee chart was a new leaderboard Weibo created after noticing "Idol Producer" going viral.

Gu Jingyi easily claimed first place in the initial trainee ranking.

Tian Xiwei and the first wave of Gu Jingyi’s fan managers were ecstatic, barely able to contain themselves.

Just his entrance had them nearly in tears!

Compared to his brief appearance during the recording of the variety show "Happy Camp," Gu Jingyi’s charisma on the program was even more pronounced.

With clear, handsome features and a tall, slender figure, when Gu Jingyi raised his eyes to meet the approaching crane camera, even casual viewers were captivated.

"This is the real deal, the face of the entertainment industry!"

"The director’s off-camera remark—'Just standing there doing nothing and people will vote for him'—couldn’t be more accurate. Who could resist that face? Can you really afford to ignore him?"

Then Gu Jingyi’s debut stage was shown. His features were finely chiseled, the jawline soft and smooth, his black hair soft and fragmented.

[Lyricist: Gu Jingyi.]

[Composer: Gu Jingyi.]

[Performer: Gu Jingyi.]

These three lines appeared in succession, making Tian Xiwei excited.

She shifted on the sofa and lightly tugged at her stockings, unconscious gestures she barely noticed herself.

The entire guesthouse was glued to the screen.

The melodious introduction instantly lifted their spirits.

A handsome, upright young man stood center stage, bathed in gentle, bright lights. When he closed his eyes and sang calmly and smoothly, it felt as though all troubles quietly slipped away through the fingers.

His voice was pure and clear, without any flashy techniques—just a simple, sincere delivery that gradually painted the emotions.

"The book always writes of a joyous evening, the bike rides, and the dialogue between him and her."

"The girl’s white dress, the boy loves to see her wear it."

The first half of the lyrics were dense and slow, like a gentle, endless spring rain falling on everyone’s hearts.

Gu Jingyi, like a bard, casually painted the scene. His strong lead vocals and long breath control soothed the listeners.

"I just kissed you, you liked it too, didn’t you?"

"Otherwise, why would you keep holding my hand so tightly?"

"…"

"Slowly liking you, slowly getting closer, slowly sharing myself, slowly walking with you, slowly wanting to match you, slowly giving myself to you."

"Slowly liking you, slowly remembering, slowly accompanying you, slowly growing old."

"Because slowly is a very good reason~"

Tian Xiwei watched Gu Jingyi finish singing and purse his lips into a faint smile; she felt the song struck right at her heart.

She couldn’t help but imagine daily life with Gu Jingyi.

Clutching a small teddy bear, she obsessively dragged the progress bar, replaying this segment over and over. Every expression Gu Jingyi made quickened her heartbeat.

The other fan managers didn’t interrupt either; everyone was reluctant to stop.

Tian Xiwei thought: No one could watch this performance and not be moved by Gu Jingyi. No one!

"Sweetie, turn on the comments. Let’s see if anyone’s stirring trouble. If so, mark it and rally our fan group to report."

One fan manager spoke up, and Tian Xiwei snapped back to reality.

She had turned off comments to watch attentively without distraction.

Rewinding to the start of Gu Jingyi’s stage and opening the comments, the screen briefly lagged before a flood of messages poured in, nearly covering the entire screen.

Tian Xiwei quickly adjusted the comments to display in a quarter screen, avoiding obstruction.

[This trainee is really handsome, and his singing is amazing. This is what an idol should be like, super awesome.]

[He’s standing and playing guitar, his hands look so good, his legs so long and straight! Tears are flowing from my mouth, hahaha.]

[What song is this? Never heard it before, but it sounds so good.]

[To the one above, it’s an original by Gu Jingyi. It should be released on Penguin Music alongside the show.]

The critique segment delighted Tian Xiwei. Li Ronghao lavished praise, wiping away his previous “cold mentor” image.

But Zhou Jieqiong’s awkward flirty remarks made fans restless.

[OMG, how dare she? Gu bro is the face of the show! He’s never just a pretty vase. The “big boss” Gu Jingyi mentioned by all the “Produce 202” trainees is seriously talented!]

[Please, Ms. Zhou, keep it in check and mind your status. Gu bro’s face was full of rejection, almost cursing.]

Some fiercely protective female fans even lashed out:

[Seriously, no idea what the production team was thinking. They actually invited her. Compare that to Cheng Xiao’s calmness. Ms. Zhou is straight-up harassing the trainees.]

[Take your lust somewhere else, stay away from our Jingyi!]

Fans hate any rumors linking their idols to female stars.

Gu Jingyi did nothing; Zhou Jieqiong just latched on. Being scolded was only to be expected.

Wang Jiaer interrupted Zhou Jieqiong and began defending him, highlighting Gu Jingyi’s unmatched center position in "Produce 202" and boasting about his talent.

His self-description as an “All Rounder” excited fans, who rushed to defend him:

[Gu Jingyi is the face plus the ace. He faced unfair treatment before and after withdrawing, and South Korea's side even cursed the production team.]

[A legendary level of handsomeness, a flawless hexagon warrior. “Idol Producer,” you’re lucky to have Gu Jingyi.]

Zhang Yixing then requested Gu Jingyi to showcase an extra dance segment, which he nodded to and began performing.

The faint friction of shoes against the stage echoed as Gu Jingyi’s emotions shifted with the music. Every subtle expression perfectly matched the rhythm changes. When he spun on one hand and looked up with a light smile,

Sweat dripped down his sharply contoured profile, radiating intense, aggressive charisma.

Enhanced by the stage, Gu Jingyi shone brilliantly.

[I’m swooning.]

[Gu Jingyi, stop smiling. Mom fans are seriously losing it!]

[So sexy! I just saw the abs under Jingyi’s shirt! Rewind to 30:50, he’s teasing me, he likes me!]

Zhang Yixing’s remark, “Gu Jingyi is the perfect A-level answer,” reignited the entire scene.

With just six minutes of footage in total, Gu Jingyi effortlessly topped mainstream Korean web searches.

Yet when the camera caught trainees’ reactions, a fleeting glimpse of Wang Linkai made Tian Xiwei narrow her eyes and screenshot it.

“Did you notice that Wang Linkai didn’t have a rating tag during Gu Jingyi’s debut but already had a B tag during Cai Xukun’s?” she asked the nearby fan managers.

“Right! No wonder it felt odd. Cai Xukun got an A and was interviewed backstage. Gu Jingyi also got an A, but no such process!”

“The first A has to be Gu Jingyi! How dare ‘Idol Producer’! We must expose this and defend his rights.”

“Gu Jingyi’s journey has been so difficult. Trainees are just chess pieces in a capitalist game. If it’s like this at home, imagine the hardships he faced overseas!”

Tian Xiwei nodded and began editing clips to defend him.

Within ten minutes, she shared them in the Weibo fan groups.

Fans who had been admiring his looks and praising him instantly grew furious.

One by one, they tagged “Idol Producer” on the homepage, launching their defense.

Tian Xiwei didn’t stop, compiling more of Gu Jingyi’s past highlights.

“Ahhh, Jingyi’s back. How dare Wang Ziyi challenge Gu Jingyi?”

“Sweetie, look, Jingyi’s in a ‘Battle’ now.”

A familiar fan manager tapped Tian Xiwei’s arm, alerting her.

Tian Xiwei put down her phone momentarily to watch.

On screen, Wang Ziyi was making exaggerated facial expressions, subtly mocking Gu Jingyi as a “quitter” and manipulating the battle category to “Rap,” sneering, “Looking good means nothing, stage presence is the real skill.”

All these maneuvers made Tian Xiwei burst out cursing, “What kind of nonsense is this?”

Wang Ziyi performed his classic freestyle, “Everyone’s gaze is like my stimulant…”

His one-minute freestyle with beat left Tian Xiwei speechless.

He was clearly average in skill but overly confident…

Soon it was Gu Jingyi’s turn. He stepped onto the stage.

The producers added a beat to Gu Jingyi’s performance.

The song “The Throne” was already powerful, and the beat enhanced its impact.

“Wow, pick up the weapon and kill the traitors.”

“The king is a dictator, doesn’t listen to your opposition, boy.”

He sang these lines with stable voice and strong tone.

The moment he opened his mouth, he instantly overshadowed Wang Ziyi’s act.

“I give you three seconds to kneel, or I’ll punish your rebellion, boy.”

On stage, Gu Jingyi made a kneeling gesture with his hand, coldly glancing at Wang Ziyi off to the side.

His calm voice suddenly ignited the venue.

Gu Jingyi stood there, effortlessly conquering everyone’s auditory senses.

And this was only the beginning.

“Post notices on the city walls,”

“Telling those young punks, the king has arrived.”

Gu Jingyi pointed to the throne atop a pyramid and smiled.

“I’m about to decree to the world,”

“Write down your sincere confessions.”

A sudden theatrical inflection elevated the rap to another level.

“Move your ass and you’ll get to heaven,”

“I was born the chosen one, because I’m natural.”

“Whether you have grievances or not, kneel before me!”

“You are my food, completely digested into excrement.”

“I’m like a priest, my job is to send you to heaven.”

Several explosive sounds clustered, concentrating his voice to explode with a stage-shattering effect. The flow was smooth, and the audience’s blood boiled.

“Murder you, murder you, I’m murdering your whole family.”

“A real, real, real killer.”

Gu Jingyi sped up, pushing his vocal and rhythmic limits.

“Father, hear my confession, but I can’t feel better.”

“I’m still gonna win this war, let me hear the cheers after the triumph.”

He spread his arms wide, striking a victorious crucifix pose.

The intense stage presence sparked even more comments.

[Falling in love with a rapper is fate, Gu Jingyi is too handsome.]

[Classic slap in the face, better late than never.]

[Lol, playing tricks, huh? Please do your homework. Gu Jingyi trained at YG for five years. If Yang Hyun-suk didn’t despise Chinese people so much, he’d have debuted long ago.]

Not only were the comments wild, but the trainees on stage shouted Gu Jingyi’s name like devoted worshippers.

“Gu Jingyi! King!”

“Gu Jingyi! King!”

What was supposed to be a “Battle” turned into a concert.

The cheers were thunderous, nearly lifting the venue’s roof.

“Oh oh oh, back to my throne,”

“Settling the scores of your sins,”

“Offering your sincere confessions.”

Though his expression remained composed, no one could ignore his presence. Gu Jingyi accepted the gaze of the entire audience like a true king.

Fans thought that was already thrilling, but when Gu Jingyi won the battle,

He sat on the throne amidst the chants of “Emperor Jing,” creating the ultimate moment!

The producers cut to a close-up as he sat down.

Behind him, gigantic wings spread wide in special effects. A crown appeared atop his head.

At first glance, it might seem a bit cheesy, but within the context of the story,

It was simply majestic.

The comments began to flood in rapidly as fans launched a wave of excitement.

Zhou Jieqiong turned off the comments and rewound to watch “The Throne” again.

Watching Gu Jingyi passionately rap on stage,

She closed her eyes, recalling the sounds she had overheard earlier near the emergency exit.

Imagining the relentless beat,

Unlike Cheng Xiao, she could only find brief solace through this kind of self-deceptive comfort.

The warm yellow bedside lamp glistened with moisture, the time unknown.

Beneath the covers, Zhou Jieqiong’s toes curled, sweat beaded on her forehead. Tiny droplets wet her hair, sticking to her face.

Her complexion was like a ripe peach.

She gasped for fresh air, somewhat rapidly, as if she had just finished a treadmill run followed by an intense fat-burning workout.

Her energy was drained.

The sensory impact of today seemed stronger than ever before.

Gu Jingyi’s powerful “The Throne” played on, looping from the first line to the last.

The next second, it started over again.

After a brief pause, Zhou Jieqiong joined in, singing along with the “oh oh oh.”

Not only was the show a hit… it was a phenomenon.