Chapter 138 104: The Three Little Ones: Xiao Wanqing, You're So Dead
"Mr. Su, this way please." Wang Xiaoxiao came over and led Su Ran and his group past the communal dressing room, heading toward the largest one at the very end. Across from it was Reba's dressing room.
The other idols and their managers watched as Lin Che, ranked last, led his band toward the largest dressing room, utterly bewildered. Their confusion didn't last long. Daniel's Team then pushed through the crowd and headed for the same room. A few big shots who knew him tried to cozy up to Daniel, but were refused. Daniel had learned over the past couple of days that Su Ran was only taking the stage to help a friend, a gesture he greatly admired. So he said, "It was Mr. Su who asked me to help his friend, Lin Che. Apologies, everyone." With that, he swept past them.
Hearing this, everyone was astonished. Daniel was a godfather-level figure in the fashion world. He usually only showed up for the Grammys or the Oscars.
And this was just an online trainee show?
They'd somehow managed to turn it into an international-level event.
...
The dressing room.
Daniel's Team got Su Ran dressed and started on his makeup. It wasn't an exaggerated look, nor did it have the effeminate style of the other idols. It was a very natural makeup job, aiming for maximum impact on television.
"Mr. Su is very handsome," Daniel said, standing behind him and looking at Su Ran's reflection in the mirror. "The last time I did makeup for a Chinese person was twenty years ago, for a male star named Zun Long. You're both very handsome."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Su Ran looked at himself in the mirror and thought that he really was quite handsome. 'No wonder they're all so crazy about me.'
Half an hour later, with the makeup done, Daniel glanced at the Rolex on his wrist and said, "Mr. Su, I have a flight back to Italy at 8 PM tonight. I promised my daughter I'd have breakfast with her, so I'll be leaving now. If you ever have the chance, you're welcome to visit me in Italy."
He handed Su Ran a business card. Su Ran walked him to the door. Just then, the door to Reba's dressing room across the hall opened. Su Ran was about to call out to her, but Reba put a finger to her lips in a "shush" gesture, signaling him not to. It was a matter of fairness, to avoid having other contestants say a mentor was showing favoritism.
Su Ran nodded, taking another look at Reba in her gorgeous evening gown. She was very beautiful. SLAM. He shut the door.
Reba: ...
...
「Eight o'clock sharp.」
All the lights in the stadium suddenly went out. The mood lighting on the stage in front lit up, and the noisy fans in the audience immediately fell silent. The show was starting.
The cameraman's lens swept across the venue before finally focusing on the host on stage.
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1
"Hello everyone, and welcome to..." The host began, facing the camera and greeting all the viewers watching this episode.
The audience for this type of show was mostly women under twenty. Girls at this age still had dreams and aspirations. They hadn't been beaten down by society yet. They had idols they liked and celebrities they admired.
「Meanwhile.」
「Chongqing.」
Liu Jinyu, a Chongqing native, had just gotten home from eating hot pot. She was sitting on the sofa with a face mask on, remote in hand, watching the show. Liu Jinyu didn't like this kind of program. With her fiery Chongqing temper, she couldn't stand boys who were more effeminate than women.
Of course, she had never shown that fiery temper in front of Su Ran.
But today was different. Xiao Wanqing had sent a message in the group chat: [Watch the trainee show at eight tonight! There's a surprise! Don't ask what it is! You'll know when you see it!]
So, Liu Jinyu was watching.
[Five-man Gang Group Chat]
Liu Jinyu: [I'm about to fall asleep. The way these boys dance is flashier than me, and I'm a woman! The hip-swiveling, the smokey eye makeup... ugh...]
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
「Western Regions, Turpan.」
Aina was back in the Western Regions, naturally dressed in traditional Uighur clothing. She was sitting in the large courtyard of a sizable estate built in the characteristic style of the region.
The house was filled with jade. That's right! Aina's father was in the jade business; he owned several jade mines in the Western Regions.
Chewing on some dried yogurt bits, she replied to the message: [I'm running out of patience. What's this big surprise? Otherwise, I'm gonna go out and collect soda cans to make a living. I don't have time to waste on these sissies.]
Aina was the kind of woman who was destined to be murdered by her best friends one day. Her family clearly owned mines, yet she pretended to be poor all the time.
For example, after being rejected, a boy who had been pursuing her downstairs from her dorm called Aina a gold digger. She had to bite her tongue so hard to keep from exploding... 'My family has three mines! We're swimming in Nephrite Jade! A single piece is worth a BMW. Do I need to be a gold digger? If I'm gonna worship anything, it's gonna be jade!'
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
「Guizhou, a certain county town, an internet cafe.」
Xie Yiren was online. She had no choice; there was no signal in her village, so she had to come out to an internet cafe to see this so-called surprise.
Beside her, two burly men from the Miao Clan were playing Minesweeper. They were guarding their Saintess, waiting for her to finish so they could escort her home safely.
Xie Yiren: [I'm so jealous you guys can use your phones at home. I had to trek over ten kilometers through the mountains just to find an internet cafe (Crying face)]
Aina: [Then why don't you hurry back and give Su Ran a sweet little treat? I'm sure he can get you connected anytime, anywhere.]
Liu Jinyu: [Aina, stop with the dirty jokes, OK? @Xiao Wanqing, you idiot, just tell us what's going on!]
Xiao Wanqing: [What's the damn rush! Just watch like I told you to. Wait a little longer. You'll find out when contestant number eighteen performs.]
Liu Jinyu: [Fine! If you're tricking us, we're heading back to Shanghai tomorrow, and you're dead.]
Time ticked by, second by second. Liu Jinyu and the others were getting sleepy. They finally made it to the seventeenth contestant's performance and immediately perked up, staring intently at the TV.
「Stadium, backstage.」
At this moment, it was impossible not to be nervous. Su Ran was very nervous. After all, it was his first time on stage, and in front of tens of thousands of people. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle the crowd.