Lin Zui probably didn't expect her to choose her.

She was stunned for a second before stepping out, and when she walked to Jiang Ye's side, she looked at her with a "Are you out of your mind?" expression.

Please, she couldn't possibly not know what it meant to have two A-class trainees in one group.

Although the group battle was mainly about the competition between the A and B groups.

But within the same group, the C-position, the killing part, how would that work?

For every trainee who wanted to stand out, these were all hidden competitive resources.

Besides, this was only the first performance.

To have a strong team-up right from the start.

That was too exciting.

Even more stunned than Lin Zui was Xue Zhihan.

The group battle was based on the total number of votes from the audience.

She could still barely fight if it was just Jiang Ye.

Now this group had Jiang Ye and Lin Zui, two top-tier trainees, how could she possibly compete!

Xue Zhihan's hands were shaking as she held the microphone.

She steadied her breath slightly, and after weighing her options between choosing another popular trainee as her teammate or not.

She ultimately followed her original plan, choosing the trainees who were close to her and had made prior arrangements with her, forming a team with her.

Jiang Ye chose Lin Zui to fight back against Xue Zhihan's move.

But after choosing her, she didn't have any other thoughts.

She politely asked Lin Zui for her opinion, "Who do you think would be suitable to choose next?"

"I don't know."

Lin Zui said, "To be honest, I don't know these people very well."

She tilted her head and thought for two seconds, then finally said, "You can choose whoever you want, since you already chose me, you don't think this group can't win, even if you bring three more rookies, it's enough."

Jiang Ye: "..."

So, Jiang Ye first chose Cheng Zhen for her team.

Her vocals were stable, and there was a high note in this song, perfect for her to showcase her skills.

Then, she chose a B-class trainee whose rap she remembered being quite good from the initial evaluation.

When it came to the last spot, Jiang Ye hesitated.

When she watched the demo video, she noticed that this song was also quite challenging in terms of dance.

It would actually be quite suitable for Tan Meng.

But she glanced over at Tan Meng.

Tan Meng quickly looked away.

Jiang Ye was slightly taken aback, but she quickly understood.

Instead of competing for a part in a song that suited her and a strong opponent.

She probably wanted more freedom to showcase her skills.

Besides, Jiang Ye really didn't want to add another A-class trainee to the team.

So, she weighed her options in her heart and chose another skilled dancer, "Yu Chenchen."

•••

The recording of the performance song selection lasted about an hour, and finally, all the groups were finalized.

After the trainees dispersed.

Lin Zui went to chat with Jiang Ye alone, "What are you thinking?"

Jiang Ye pretended to be clueless, "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb."

Lin Zui said directly, "Why did you choose me?"

"I was going to have the right to choose independently after another round of drawing, but what's the meaning of this?"

Although she sounded like she was questioning, her tone was still very relaxed, without any real blame in her voice.

Jiang Ye looked innocent, "The group battle is based on the total votes from the audience, so I chose you so we could be stable."

"Besides, I think you probably like this song too, right?"

Lin Zui was still chewing on a mint candy, and she chuckled lightly when she heard this, "Don't believe you, tell the truth."

Jiang Ye: "..."

She could only confess, "Alright, I admit it, I just think it's better to create a CP with you than with her."

Xue Zhihan's company is not to be underestimated.

She didn't want to be used for a CP and then discarded after she was drained.

Besides, she strongly suspected that their company originally wanted to choose Lin Zui, but after discovering that Lin Zui obviously didn't get along with her, they replaced her with herself as a backup.

Lin Zui: "?"

Why was she just a tool?

But she still felt a little pleased, "That's obvious."

Unexpectedly, the next second, she heard Jiang Ye say, "But to be honest, I don't really want to create a CP with you either."

Lin Zui couldn't help but roll her eyes at her, "Please, I haven't even disliked you yet."

"Of course you wouldn't dislike me."

Jiang Ye objectively analyzed for her, "Do you know what kind of personas we would be in this CP?"

"What kind of persona?"

Lin Zui crushed the mint candy in her mouth, suddenly feeling something was wrong, "Why are you so knowledgeable about CPs?"

Jiang Ye looked at Lin Zui with a look of disbelief, "You're telling me this is your first year in the entertainment industry?"

"... No."

Jiang Ye: "Then why are you so hesitant about this wealth code?"

Lin Zui: "..."

She muttered under her breath, "I thought you were the kind of person who relied solely on their skills and wouldn't engage in this kind of shady business."

But it made sense, thinking about how she openly cued the bunny teeth metaphysics in the first episode, she should have known what kind of trainee she was.

Jiang Ye didn't mind.

Her ultimate goal was to debut as the C-position.

As for which path she took, it wasn't that important.

If a CP could help her take a shortcut, she would certainly be happy to choose it.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ye's estimation of her and Lin Zui's CP wasn't optimistic.

Actually, some people had already shipped them in the first episode.

It's just that they had only just appeared, their personalities hadn't been fully revealed yet, and besides the confrontation during the seat selection, they hadn't interacted much, so the CP fans' interpretation was the most cliché and general CP mode.

"You're the mature, domineering, queen."

"And I'm the white-cut-black, younger-dog, who pretends to be harmless but is actually cunning."

Jiang Ye said, "In short, we're the most popular and easiest to fall into clichés, the dog sister."

"You said our styles clash, and you're promoting this negative persona that's not good for me."

Jiang Ye shook her head repeatedly, looking very reluctant, "Wouldn't I be losing out?"

Lin Zui's pupils dilated, "…???"

Speaking of which, she wasn't some innocent girl in the entertainment industry, after all, she had a few big CPs during her time in the group.

But she had never seen Jiang Ye like this, directly breaking down the pros and cons of a CP and then drawing a conclusion.

This isn't beneficial to me.

So, I don't want to work with you.

Lin Zui was speechless, "... No, how did you even calculate that?"

Jiang Ye's tone was confident and righteous, "Everyone is here to compete, of course, I want to make sure that every step I take is beneficial to me."

"Alright."

Lin Zui paused, then looked at her, jokingly, "But aren't you worried that I'll tell everyone? Your persona will collapse."

Jiang Ye stopped walking.

She tilted her head and looked at Lin Zui, suddenly blinked, and showed a very innocent and pure expression, "Would you?"

Lin Zui was disarmed by her.

She really wouldn't.

Lin Zui thought Jiang Ye was a really strange person.

Looking at her behavior and actions, you would think she wasn't an eighteen-year-old girl at all, you wouldn't even imagine that she was actually the maknae line in this show.

But sometimes, she was very good at using her youthful side, making people feel completely helpless.

Lin Zui thought for a moment and asked, "Then who do you want to create a CP with if not me?"

Jiang Ye said solemnly, "Since ancient times, top idols have always been beautiful alone."

Lin Zui: "..."

Jiang Ye thought for a moment, then added ruthlessly, "But if you're willing to actively pursue me, that's another story."

"This way, we can change our personas, your fans will scold me less, and I might be able to suck more blood from you."

"... Get lost."

Lin Zui looked her up and down, "Tsk, then I'm even more curious. What made you come to this show?"

With her skills and her ability to analyze the situation.

Logically, she shouldn't have been sent to Chasing Light Girls by the company.

Jiang Ye: "... This is actually something I've been wanting to ask you."

After all, there was no such person as Lin Zui in her memory from her previous life.

If it wasn't for Lin Zui, her path to the C-position would have been much smoother.

Lin Zui said, "My group disbanded, you know that, right?"

Jiang Ye nodded.

"Originally, I didn't plan to participate in any shows, anyway, my contract with my original company wasn't terminated, and the company promised to help me find a few trainees to form a new group."

"But after we found the people, two of them suddenly ran away. They went to sign with a new company, I think it was called Haishang something, anyway, they left me and said they were going to participate in Shining 101, and they told me that forming a group now has no future, only talent shows can make you famous."

Lin Zui couldn't help but roll her eyes when she mentioned this, "So, of course, I was angry, so I signed up to participate in their rival show."

Jiang Ye: "..."

This was indeed something Lin Zui would do, given her temperament.

But she keenly caught a point, "... The company they signed with, it couldn't be Haishang Entertainment, right?"

Lin Zui was surprised, "How did you know?"

Jiang Ye: "..."

It has to be said, the world is small.

So, it was because she didn't go to Haishang Entertainment, and Haishang Entertainment went on to cheat other trainees, causing Lin Zui to be ruthlessly abandoned by her teammates, and then she angrily came to compete with her for a debut spot on the same show.

She couldn't help but sigh.

The butterfly effect is truly a wondrous thing.

Back in the practice room.

"Let's decide on the parts first."

"If you have a specific part you want, you can say it directly."

Jiang Ye handed out the lyric sheets she had just received to her teammates, then said directly, "I want the C-position."

Lin Zui didn't even look at the paper, and said without hesitation, "I want the C-position too."

Yu Chenchen: "..."

She actually wanted to fight for it too.

But seeing that the two big shots, Jiang Ye and Lin Zui, would definitely have a fierce battle, she immediately backed down, "... Then I'll pass. But I prefer the D part, I hope I can get the D part."

The rap girl Jiang Ye had chosen earlier, Luo Xuan, only said, "I just want the rap part."

Cheng Zhen looked at the lyric sheet and said, "I don't mind, I'm okay with anything."

Lin Zui glanced at Jiang Ye, "Then it's just the two of us, right?"

Jiang Ye also stood up, "Okay, let's go."

Seeing that the two of them were about to directly battle to decide the winner, Cheng Zhen suddenly reached out, "Wait."

She studied the lyric sheet for a long time, then suddenly said, "I feel like the style of this song is very special. I have an idea, do you think it's feasible?"

•••

Cheng Zhen's idea was indeed very creative.

And if it was successful, there would definitely be a very exciting stage performance.

But Lin Zui was a bit uncertain, "Do you think it'll work?"

Jiang Ye thought for a moment and nodded confidently, "I think it will. The basic tone of the song is already there, and it's okay to change it in this direction. Besides, the program team didn't say that we can't make appropriate changes."

So, they discussed it slightly, redivided the song sections, and quickly started practicing.

The program team didn't give them much time to prepare for the performance, only five days.

Fortunately, Jiang Ye was quite good at judging people.

The three people she chose were just the right combination of vocal, dance, and rap, each specializing in their own area.

Plus, she and Lin Zui, two aces, were in the team.

Therefore, the final combination would definitely not be bad.

While they were practicing day and night.

The forum was also full of anticipation for the first performance.

【Squatting, has the first performance group been decided?】

【It's been decided long ago. [Picture.jpg]】

【Damn, what kind of death group is 《You Can't Stop Loving Me》?】

【Group A has Xue Zhihan, Group B has Jiang Ye, Lin Zui, Yu Chenchen, no, is this song that good?】

【This song has that atmosphere, if it's rearranged well, it might go viral, we're counting on you, Chasing Light Girls, come on!】

【My god! Is there after-sales service for the CP I'm shipping so quickly? Online wish for a Lin Shen Ye Mao stage interaction!】

【Can Jiang Ye stop bundling our Lin Zui every day? Will she die if she doesn't use Lin Zui to hype herself?】

【Can we stop loaning out who's bundling who before the show even airs? Who knows how this group was formed.】

【Is it interesting to judge CPs based on nothing? Didn't you watch the dormitory footage released yesterday? They're not even close. Why don't you ship the roommate line, Qi Ye Zhen Zhen and Ru Meng Ru Zui?】

•••

The outside world was buzzing with noise.

But Jiang Ye was very calm.

The most important thing right now was the performance.

There's a saying in talent shows, "The first performance determines your fate.".

That is, most of the top-tier contestants will show their skills during the first performance.

If the first performance doesn't explode, it will be much harder to catch up later.

Therefore, this performance was crucial for every trainee.

The five days of training flew by.

The first performance was the day before the second episode aired.

Before going on stage, Jiang Ye glanced at the order.

As expected, their show was placed last.

After all, the most popular contestants were all in this group, so the program team had to use this group to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Seven o'clock in the evening.

The performance officially began.

Jiang Ye and her teammates sat very calmly in the backstage and watched the performances of the previous groups.

The first group to go on stage was Tan Meng's group.

Tan Meng chose another dance-focused song that also demanded a lot from the dancers.

She got the C-position in that group.

Jiang Ye tilted her head and watched for a while.

She had found her groove again, and she performed very well.

If her fans worked hard, she might be able to have a small explosion with her direct shot.

After a few more performances.

Lin Zui noticed that she seemed particularly focused today, "... You're watching too seriously."

She usually only paid attention to stages with an average level of skill in the middle to upper tier.

Jiang Ye smiled, "I'm searching for my hidden opponents."

If there were any good performers, she needed to pay attention.

They might break out during this performance.

Even if they didn't get much screen time, or even if they weren't the main C, they might still rise through their direct shots and threaten her position.

Lin Zui: "..."

She then looked over at Cheng Zhen and was even more curious, "You seem pretty serious too."

"I'm sitting here watching the performance."

"The people watching the performance will be watching me in the audience later."

"Isn't that interesting?"

Cheng Zhen was excited, "Besides, other people have to pay to come in, I'm making money."

Jiang Ye added, "Yeah, and I heard that the tickets for our show's performance have gone up."

Lin Zui: "..."

She really didn't know what kind of people these were.

The first five groups finished their performances.

Several hours had passed.

The audience was already exhausted, but they were still persisting in shouting the names of the trainees they were picking.

Jiang Ye stretched, still energetic, "Let's go, it's almost our turn."

•••

《You Can't Stop Loving Me》, as the song with the highest buzz and the most deathly grouping, was also the most anticipated group for all the performance viewers.

Group A, led by Xue Zhihan, went on stage first.

She was indeed different from her usual style.

In a mist of white ice, she stood in the center, slowly raised her eyes, tilted her chin slightly, and had a feeling of overlooking everything.

Jiang Ye, who was adjusting the microphone backstage, looked up at the screen, "Wow."

To avoid revealing information to their opponents, the program team prohibited the trainees from watching each other's rehearsal stages.

So, this was the first time she had seen Xue Zhihan's stage.

The style of this song was dark, so Xue Zhihan had a very different makeup look today.

Coupled with her gaze, it had a bit of a yandere vibe.

It seemed that she also realized that being confined to her original gentle, angelic style wouldn't work, and she was starting to find ways to break through.

The music started.

Xue Zhihan moved with the rhythm.

She was in a good state today, she seemed even more confident than during her two evaluations, every beat was beautiful and precise, and her cooperation with her teammates was also very good.

When it came to the killing part, she took off her black feather coat and threw it to the audience, revealing her slender neck and arms, causing countless screams from the audience.

Skilled and confident.

It was as if she had rehearsed countless times beforehand.

Finally, the music ended.

The cheers from the audience surged.

There were obviously Xue Zhihan's fans—or her company's pre-prepared fans—below, frantically shouting her name.

Backstage.

After watching Xue Zhihan's performance, Group B fell silent for a moment.

Cheng Zhen: "... She's really amazing."

After she said this, she felt that it was boosting the other's morale and lowering her own, so she quickly added, "But I think our stage will be better than hers."

"... I didn't expect Xue Zhihan to improve so quickly."

In Lin Zui's impression, she wasn't at this level the last time she saw her during the re-evaluation.

Jiang Ye also found it a bit strange.

In just five days, if it was said that she had made a huge leap forward, wasn't that a bit too fast?

Thinking back to her previous actions, it made people wonder if her company had already obtained the song selection for the first performance and had her rehearse it beforehand?

Lin Zui seemed to have noticed this too.

She asked Jiang Ye with a playful look, "Hey, do you think we can still win?"

As she spoke, the door to Group B's stage slowly opened.

A beam of light shone down.

As she stepped onto the stage, Lin Zui heard Jiang Ye chuckle.

Then she said, "Of course."

—Why wouldn't we?

We're here to win.