Jiang Ye’s ability to attract fans was magical.

Initially, the first batch of people who came to watch Chasing Light Girls weren't there for her.

After all, Jiang Ye at that time was a complete unknown, even her debut probability was predicted to be 0.017%, a total amateur.

But after the show aired, almost every fandom experienced fans being drawn to Jiang Ye.

The most outrageous thing was that they heard that during the performance, there were even station sisters from other fandoms who climbed the wall after watching Jiang Ye perform, and they went back and opened a station for Jiang Ye.

So, besides the title of "human enchantress", Jiang Ye was also known as the walking fan-climbing harvester.

Now, because Cheng Zhen’s parents were both actors in the entertainment industry, their connections were basically all actors, big and small.

So, the marketing strategy originally arranged for Cheng Zhen came back to Jiang Ye, attracting a batch of first-love fans who were watching the show for the first time.

And because Jiang Ye chose to perform "Listen to the Night Rain" during the second performance, it spread to the Chinese-style music circle, attracting a batch of fans from that circle.

So, in a short period of time, fans of different circles and different types all gathered together, happily chasing Jiang Ye.

A 2G-delayed surfer saw Weibo.

Gosh, the world had changed.

Why was the entire homepage going crazy for a little star named Jiang Ye?

Calling her daughter, wife, or sister was still normal, but why were there people calling her husband?!

Show fans who were following the show went to follow Jiang Ye, oh, that was still normal.

But why did the actor fans also go to follow Jiang Ye?

Wait, why did the Chinese-style music fans on the homepage also go to follow Jiang Ye?!

It’s outrageous, why did the i-anime fans on the homepage also go to follow Jiang Ye?!

Although the passersby were baffled, the fans were unwavering.

They came from different places, but they were now united for the same goal.

They were going to send Jiang Ye to debut as the C position.

•••

The weather was beautiful on the day of the third ranking announcement recording, the sky was clear, and there were no clouds.

The trainees, wearing their uniforms, were called to the rooftop to gather, each feeling a little uneasy.

Liang Yu couldn’t help but mutter, "Don't tell me they’re going to announce the rankings here? That’s too outrageous."

Jiang Ye looked at the scenery on the rooftop, and it dispelled her thoughts, which were the same as Liang Yu’s.

There was no pyramid built on the rooftop, it was impossible.

Mentor Chen Yiming entered.

"Tonight, we’re going to record the third ranking announcement."

He said, "So, before the third ranking announcement, the program team has prepared a special segment for you."

The staff members started handing out paper and pens to the trainees.

"Each trainee needs to fold a paper airplane."

"If you have anything you want to say to yourself, write it on your paper airplane and let it fly away."

"Remember to write your name on it, the program team will collect them all, and they will be returned to you after the finals."

The task was announced.

The trainees immediately gathered in groups, chatting and folding paper.

"… What kind of task is this?"

Tan Meng said reluctantly, "Are you treating us like kindergarten kids?"

Lin Zui tapped her pen on the paper, "I think this isn’t a good omen."

Jiang Ye looked at her, "What?"

Lin Zui said, "Paper airplanes always fall to the ground, doesn’t this mean that our dreams will eventually fall?"

Jiang Ye: "..."

Jiang Ye chuckled, "Don’t write then."

"No, we have to go through the process."

Lin Zui picked up her pen and started working, "When you’re under the eaves of the program, you have to bow your head."

The trainees around them had already started writing.

Only Jiang Ye looked at the white paper she had been given, not knowing what to write.

The topic was too broad.

Small things like hoping to perform well on the next stage.

Big things like hoping to be an idol forever.

She didn’t know what to write on this thin piece of paper.

When she got the paper airplane back after the finals, what would she see?

A trainee finished writing and asked, "Can we let it go?"

Chen Yiming said, "Wait until everyone is finished writing, then we'll let them go together."

Cheng Zhen had already finished writing.

She leaned against the railing and suddenly said, "I’ve also seen a similar scene."

"When I was in high school, I saw my seniors go back to school after the college entrance exams, and they threw all their books down from the fifth floor."

Lin Zui couldn’t help but comment, "That’s so dangerous, what if it hits someone?"

The others: "..."

Cheng Zhen puffed out her cheeks but continued, "I was sitting by the windowsill, watching this scene, and I thought, wow, that’s so cool."

"I remember our headmaster was so angry when he saw it, so the seniors had to go back and clean up the mess on the floor."

"But I was still envious, envious of the way they threw it down, it was so carefree."

"I thought, someday I’m going to try that."

Jiang Ye asked, "What happened after that?"

"Then I went abroad."

Cheng Zhen folded her paper airplane, saying regretfully, "Ah, a youth without throwing anything down is an incomplete youth."

"By that logic, I’m incomplete too."

Tan Meng suddenly chimed in, "I took the art exam, so I wasn’t in school when everyone else was preparing for the college entrance exam in high school."

"Even if I had to take remedial classes, it was a private tutor, let alone any high school sentiment."

The other trainees were also reminded of their pasts by Cheng Zhen and Tan Meng, and they started talking about their pasts.

Before coming to Chasing Light Girls, they all came from different places and walked different paths in life.

Some had been fighting for their dreams of becoming trainees for many years.

Some were just on a whim when they decided to participate in the show.

But no matter what, after coming here, they now all shared a common memory.

Jiang Ye didn’t participate in the conversation.

She was carefully folding a paper airplane.

Lin Zui said it wasn’t a good omen.

But actually, when she was younger, she had played a similar game with her friends when she was bored.

They invented a game similar to drawing lots.

They would write down all their wishes on paper airplanes and see which one flew the furthest, which meant that wish was the most likely to come true.

At that time, Jiang Ye didn’t have the concept of an idol.

But she already had the idea of liking to perform on stage, so she wrote on all her paper airplanes that she would be performing on all kinds of stages in the future.

However, Jiang Ye’s paper airplane folding skills were obviously not very good.

The five paper airplanes she folded with great enthusiasm all crashed within a short distance.

Of course, her friends from the orphanage laughed, then went to pick up her paper airplanes and see what her dreams were.

The first person to pick one up read it aloud, and everyone was surprised by what Jiang Ye had written.

Most children’s wishes were to be scientists or doctors.

Performing on stage, what kind of strange dream was that, it was too unrealistic.

Only one person quietly asked her, "Is your dream to be a singer?"

"Ah?"

Jiang Ye thought about it, feeling it wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t think of any other word to replace it, so she could only say, "Kind of."

She said dejectedly, "Do you think it’s too ridiculous?"

"No."

He picked up Jiang Ye’s paper airplanes one by one, unfolded them, and then folded a different shape for her.

He said, "If you fold it like this, it can fly further."

…

Jiang Ye finished folding her paper airplane.

It was the way her friend had taught her to fold it, and she remembered.

Later, her paper airplanes could indeed fly further.

Just like her now, she had also come a long way on her dream-chasing journey.

Before letting it go, she blew on the nose of the paper airplane, then threw it out with force.

The moment countless paper airplanes took off from the rooftop.

Some trainees shouted by the side of the rooftop.

"I want to stay—!"

"I want to go to the finals!!"

"I don’t want to go home!"

Jiang Ye didn’t speak.

She just thought, actually, Lin Zui was right.

Some paper airplanes will eventually fall to the ground.

But these paper airplanes carried the dreams that the girls had written on them.

No matter how far they could fly, at least at the moment they took off, they carried the hope that their dreams would take flight.

•••

This ranking announcement was the top 25 to 12.

Fewer spots, more competition.

Quite some time had passed since the last announcement, and everyone's ranking could be reshuffled.

And as the last ranking announcement before the finals, this ranking might reveal a little bit of the program team’s inclination towards the debut positions.

So, whether they were in the top ranks or on the bubble, all the trainees were very nervous.

"Hey, don’t move."

Jiang Ye was applying makeup on Cheng Zhen in the makeup room.

Cheng Zhen had just done her styling and went out for a while, and when she came back, Jiang Ye noticed that her eye makeup had smudged.

The other makeup artists were busy, so she personally helped Cheng Zhen touch it up.

The other trainees who had already finished their styling were waiting with them to leave.

And Lu Xiaowan was constantly stuffing tissues into her pocket.

She stuffed in five packs of tissues, filling up her uniform pocket.

Jiang Ye glanced at her, almost startled, "… You’re not going to go on stage like that, are you?"

Lu Xiaowan was already prone to crying.

Her ranking was very precarious during the last ranking announcement, and now she whispered, "I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back, I won’t have enough to cry with, so I need to prepare."

Liang Yu chimed in, "I still have two cans of wine, why don’t you drink some to build up your courage?"

Jiang Ye: "..."

Jiang Ye: "… You’re not afraid she’ll get drunk and go crazy on stage?"

And she remembered that last time, Lu Xiaowan cried even harder after drinking.

This girl must have been Bai Suzhen in her previous life, the water of West Lake is her tears.

"Don’t be nervous."

Jiang Ye comforted her, "Even if you really don't make it, we still have a collaboration stage coming up, be happy."

But as soon as Lu Xiaowan heard the words "not make it", her eyes instantly turned red.

Cheng Zhen suddenly said, "Hey, Xiaowan, if you really leave this round, why don’t you just stay? Why bother going back?"

Lu Xiaowan immediately stopped crying, "Hmm?"

"Also, after the collaboration stage, it’s directly the finals."

Jiang Ye knew what Cheng Zhen meant and continued, "Anyway, some trainees are going to come back for the finals."

"If you’re not in a hurry to go back to your company, stay these few days, just consider it preparing for the finals with us."

"Thinking about it that way, it’s not so sad anymore, right?"

"It seems… that’s true."

Lu Xiaowan whispered, "Okay, I’ll try my best to hold back."

Jiang Ye finished lining Cheng Zhen’s eyes, put away her pen, and extended her hand to Lu Xiaowan.

Lu Xiaowan didn’t understand, "What do you want?"

"Give me the tissues, I’ll keep them for you. If you want to cry, ask me for them."

"But I hope you can hold back, rather than asking me for them."

Jiang Ye looked at her and chuckled softly, her tone like she was teasing her, but also like she was being serious, "Otherwise, your makeup is so pretty today, it would be a pity if you cry it off."