Chapter 354-359

Chapter 354. Voting

At the end of the performance, thunderous applause suddenly broke out in the venue. Ding Shan heard countless people shouting " X ". The decibel of their screams was even higher than the cheers that the most popular Wen Xiu had received.

In less than a month, Mysterious X had already become so popular.

...

Ding Shan looked at the stage. Mysterious X and his teammates were standing in the middle of the stage and were being interviewed by the host.

Mysterious Person X didn't seem to want to be in the limelight. He gave the opportunity to speak to his teammates. When the host asked him, he only replied with a few words. His attitude wasn't enthusiastic, but it didn't seem perfunctory. It was more like he didn't like to talk much.

In the eyes of Yin Hui and the others watching the live broadcast, Xiang Hong's stern look was the most normal.

Xiang Hong did not speak much to outsiders and even in front of his good friends. However, Yin Hui and the others did not quite understand. Why did Xiang Hong and Ding Shan always look like they had something to talk about when they were together?

Could all of Xiang Hong's social skills have been used on Ding Shan?

After the host's interactive session ended, the vote tally for the dozen teams was almost over.

After each team's performance, the audience had two minutes to vote, so many teams' trainees would use these two minutes to ask for votes. However, some experienced trainees knew that it was useless to ask for votes. They might even cause the audience to dislike them, so it was better to say some light-hearted and humorous words to improve the audience's impression of them.

When Xiang Hong walked off the stage, a trainee on the same team said with pity, if only X had said a few more words just now. He's so popular. He might have been able to get more votes.

The other trainee laughed. "Don't force X. He's already exhausted these days to make our performance better. Do you still think that our team's votes can surpass that of Lion? "

As the overall strength of Mysterious man X's team was relatively poor, he had developed a detailed training plan for everyone these days. He even personally participated in the song adaptation. In addition to his practice, he had an average of fewer than three hours of sleep daily.

"Why can't we surpass the lion? I think we've done our best today. I didn't make any mistakes I usually make, and you all performed perfectly. Didn't you hear the applause from the audience?" Someone retorted in dissatisfaction.

"The audience's applause is for Person X, right? He's so popular on the internet right now. No matter how many votes our team gets in the end, he'll be able to advance. As for us ..." His voice gradually became softer, and the disappointment in his tone was unmistakable.

The others also fell silent.

The Festival Group arranged two voting segments. The first segment was to vote for each group's performance. The second segment was to let the audience vote for 'Your favorite trainee' after all the performances ended. The votes in the second segment would be counted as the personal votes of the trainees.

In addition to the live audience, the audience participating in the voting would also randomly select audience members online to vote to ensure the fairness of the process.

The atmosphere in the group was a little depressing. Xiang Hong looked at the few members beside him and said calmly, "I didn't finish this performance alone. The audience's applause is for the entire performance."

Was Xiang Hong trying to comfort them? The other trainees were stunned.

It was probably because Xiang Hong usually looked cold and indifferent, so although everyone acknowledged his strength and leadership ability, there had always been a barrier between them. Their relationship could not be considered close.

When they heard Xiang Hong's words, they felt flattered, and at the same time, they also felt a trace of warmth.

"Besides," Xiang Hong looked at a team not far away, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. "The team that ranks first will get additional votes from all the group members, right?"

The number of votes for the team in the first place far exceeded that in the second and third places. If Xiang Hong's team got first place, then the less popular members of the group might be able to avoid being eliminated.

However, in the first place ... Could they do it?

Chapter 355. Second Place

"Today's performance was truly wonderful. I believe that everyone had a wild night. Right now, I'm holding the voting results of all the teams tonight. A competition is a competition, after all. There is competition, and there is elimination." The emcee took out an envelope with a nervous and mysterious expression on her face, causing the tense atmosphere to reach its peak.

After that, the rankings were announced.

...

The rankings were announced from the back to the front. After the ranking of each team was announced, the individual votes of the group members would be announced.

At this time, the fan base was significant. Some teams might not have many votes, but if a group member was trendy, he would not be affected by the team ranking and could still advance.

Although some teams had high votes, there were always a few rookies that the audience was unfamiliar with. Their votes were meager. If they did not get enough additional votes in the end, they would face the danger of being eliminated.

As the host announced the rankings one by one, all the trainees on the stage revealed different expressions.

Some trainees who already knew the team ranking and their votes were happy, while others were sad.

Those who still did not know looked nervous. Some people had a hunch that their votes would not be high and looked pained and desperate.

The camera of the live broadcast slowly shifted to one of the trainees.

This trainee's reaction was different from all the other trainees. There was no expression on his face as if he was in a daze. He looked like ... He was like a listless employee at work.

This person was naturally Wang Le. At this moment, in the bullet comments of the live stream, someone speculated: "Wang Le probably thinks that he'll be eliminated, right? Anyway, he doesn't want to continue being a trainee. Just look at his expression; you can tell he's already thinking about when he can get off work."

Wang Le's 'Off work' has become a hot topic on the internet, and his photos have become a hot emoji package. Many people felt that Wang Le was the trainee version of themselves: He was unwilling to go to work, but he had to persist because of life.

When it was time to announce Wang Le's vote, the host paused for a moment, then read out, Wang Le, 17849 votes, ranked 22nd!

After the host finished speaking, Wang Le's unfocused eyes slowly regained focus. He seemed to be trying to understand the ranking. Then, he revealed an expression of disbelief, shock, and a trace of pain.

Why was he in 22nd place? Didn't this mean that he had to continue staying here? Oh my God, when can I go home?

Wang Le's expression amused the netizens, and the bullet comments were all laughing. Some people said they would vote for Wang Le until the last moment, hoping he would continue to work hard in 'Idol Creation Camp' and fight for the last chance to stand out.

After the cheerful atmosphere of teasing Wang Le ended, the host continued to announce the rankings.

After announcing the rankings of a few more teams, only the top three were left to be announced.

The remaining teams were the Lion team, Not just a song team, and I Lose Control team.

The host took a deep breath and read, "Third place, I Lose Control! Congratulations!"

The audience applauded, and the group in third place bowed in thanks. Some group members looked quite happy, probably satisfied with their ranking. Some did not show much expression, but it was apparent that they wanted to aim for a higher ranking.

Finally, it was time for the battle between first and second place. The audience was getting nervous.

Ding Shan also did not expect that 'Not just a song', which no one had been optimistic about, would reach the end!

Although this was not a miracle, it was enough to shock everyone.

The creator of this accident should be the calm-looking Mysterious Person X.

Mysterious Person X seemed to have a calmness that exceeded his age. Compared to his nervous teammates around him, he did not show any emotional fluctuations. People who did not know would think he had already known the result.

However, Ding Shan knew that this man had always been like this. He seemed to have gone through countless ups and downs and had rationality and restraint that amazed her. This was also one of his unique charms when compared to other men.

Although the emcee already knew the result, she still looked earnest under everyone's gaze.

"I at this moment announce that the second place for the first public performance is-"

Chapter 356. First Place

"Lion!"

After the host announced the rankings, he did not say anything. It would be too weak to say anything about second place in the competition.

...

There was a round of applause, but everyone knew that the applause was not for the Lion Group but for the first place of the public performance.

Even though the host had not announced it, everyone knew the final result.

'Not just a song' had defeated all the other teams and taken first place!

In the audience's applause, the Mysterious Person X Team trainees showed ecstatic expressions. At the same time, the atmosphere in the Lion team seemed a little heavy.

Wen Xiu's expression was hideous. He had never expected that 'The Lion' would lose to a song that no one was optimistic about!

Wen Xiu couldn't help but resent his teammates. He thought that if he had been chosen as the center spot back then, the votes for Lion might have been higher.

What a bunch of stupid trash!

The host continued to announce the votes for each member of the 'Lion' group according to the usual procedure. Among them, Wen Xiu was in first place with 89645 votes. He was also the trainee with the highest number of votes so far.

Previously, Wen Xiu's tactic of acting pitifully in front of the camera was effective. Initially, his popularity was not the highest among the trainees, but the number of people supporting him increased. Many people voted for him out of sympathy.

Next, the host announced first place in the public exhibition match. Although the audience already knew the result, the host still said in a hot-blooded and passionate tone, "Let's congratulate the 'not just a song' team. They're tonight's first-place winners!"

Amid the cheers, the host looked at the unreleased personal data of the trainees, and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes.

After announcing the individual votes of the other trainees in the 'Not just a song' group, the host looked at Mysterious X and announced in an excited tone, Mysterious X, 144925 votes!

Ding Shan was stunned by the number of votes, and the other four instructors were also shocked.

How could Mysterious X's votes be so high? Logically speaking, even if there was a difference in the votes between the first and second place, it shouldn't be that big!

Looking at the calm expression on Mysterious X's face, Ding Shan finally understood why he had such a high number of votes.

Mysterious X was too unique. In today's era, where idol celebrities are produced fluidly, Mysterious X's unique temperament could distinguish him from the other trainees at a glance.

Other than the fans, the trainee that the general audience had the most profound impression of was probably Mysterious X. During the voting, the other trainees might only have their fans voting for them, but the ones who voted for Mysterious X were the fans and the general audience.

This was similar to Ding Shan's fans. Although she did not have as many fans as some celebrities, she had acted in the famous 'Little City Girl' since she was young. Almost the entire country's audience knew her, and her popularity in the country was far from comparable to other celebrities.

However, the other judges could not understand why Mysterious X had several such votes. Chen Tong even suspected that the number of votes was fake. Wen Xiu had less than 100000 votes, so how could Mysterious X have 140000?

The festival team had probably guessed that many of the audience members would have the same doubts as Chen Tong, so the host continued, "As for the votes, the following segment group will upload the recording of the entire counting process on the official website. The segment group will uphold the principle of fairness and openness and accept the supervision of every audience."

The Festival Group was willing to disclose the counting process. They were not afraid of the audience verifying the authenticity of the votes.

Chen Tong stopped talking, and the audience also stopped talking.

The first public performance ended successfully, and the show's biggest dark horse suddenly became the top entertainment search.

"Mysterious X, the king who deserves his title!" This hot search was not bought by any entertainment company but was pushed to the top of the hot search list by netizens.

Overnight, photos of Mysterious X went viral all over the internet. Some said that Mysterious X was the peak of the entertainment industry's beauty, which was hard to come by in a hundred years. Others noted that Mysterious X would become the top male idol in the country and even possibly go international.

The terrifying popularity caught the Festival Group off guard. Yin Hui was even worried that if Xiang Hong became too popular, it would attract the attention of the Xiang family, so he hurriedly arranged for people to take down the hot search related to Mysterious X.

At this moment, the person who was the focus of public discussion disappeared from the public's sight.

At the quiet exit.

Xiang Hong blocked Ding Shan's path, his unruly smile carrying a trace of gentleness, fascinating and dangerous.

Chapter 357. Confession

Ding Shan's heart was beating very fast. She had been in a panic since she heard him sing that song.

After the live broadcast of the program ended, she prepared to leave through the internal passageway. Her footsteps were hurried as if she was running away from something.

...

Unfortunately, she was unable to escape. Xiang Hong seemed to have anticipated this and had been waiting at the exit. She did not know what method he used, but no staff member was around. There were only two of them.

"What are you running for?" The man's deep magnetic voice rang in her ears.

"Run? My work is over; I'm just getting off work." Wang Le probably influenced Ding Shan, and she blurted out the word 'off work'.

"Oh? You even rejected the interview?" Xiang Hong seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He still had a faint smile, and his clear, obsidian-like eyes only reflected Ding Shan's figure.

Ding Shan was speechless for a moment. She was indeed not prepared to participate in the interview.

After the show ended, Ding Shan saw Mysterious X standing below the stage. The man's eyes followed her as if he would walk towards her in the next second. At that moment, Ding Shan only wanted to run away.

Because Ding Shan didn't say anything, Xiang Hong didn't force her and changed the topic. "I adapted the song. Do you like it?"

Ding Shan was stunned. Did he mean 'Not just a song'?

If he had only asked if the song was good, Ding Shan would have said it was good.

But ... They all knew that Xiang Hong did not mean this.

Ding Shan's heartbeat became even more chaotic. She didn't know how to answer. She had never experienced such a scene in her life. No, she had never experienced it in her previous life.

Xiang Hong slowly approached Ding Shan, his eyes twinkling like stars. He looked at Ding Shan, but she kept her head down. When she felt him coming, she even took a step back.

"You're always like this. You look easy to get close to, but no one can get into your heart." As Xiang Hong spoke, he sighed, "Ding Shan, if it's possible, I hope to get to know you when you're not so guarded against this world. However, our story ended in the opposite direction."

Ding Shan's mind was blank. Although she knew what the man was saying, she couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Everything I wanted to say was in that song. I've changed the lyrics many times, but I don't know how to write it so that you can understand my feelings and give me a chance." Xiang Hong took another step forward.

"I know you're not ready yet, but I still want to ask you.

Because I'm worried that I can no longer control my heart.

Ding Shan, are you willing to let our story start from this moment?"

Xiang Hong's voice rang in Ding Shan's ears. It was gentle, but there was a hint of caution in it. It was as if he feared he would scare her away if he used such a firm tone.

Ding Shan's mind seemed filled with countless fireworks that instantly rose into the night sky, and then all of them bloomed. The brilliant light made her dizzy, and she almost forgot how to breathe.

Her vague guess had finally become clear.

He liked her and was not just playing around. He was a proud person, but he wanted her thoughtfully and carefully.

After Ding Shan's shock, she felt even more incredulous. She opened her mouth and asked, "You, What do you like about me?"

Looking at Ding Shan's dazed and terrified eyes, Xiang Hong's heart ached.

What had she experienced? Why would she reveal such a panicked and disbelieving expression when someone confessed their love to her?

Did she not think that she was worth it?

"If I have to list out reasons, I can list many. For example, you're young and beautiful or brave and calm. These are all qualities that I admire." Xiang Hong revealed a comforting smile and continued, "But I don't think that's why. There are many young and beautiful people and many brave and calm people, but I don't like them. My heart will only beat faster when you get close to me."

Which woman could stand a man like him saying such sweet words to her? Ding Shan's face turned red.

"Feelings can be analyzed if I can clearly understand why I like you. For a rational person like me, it's a controllable factor. But the truth is, I can't control my love for you. It's like a program that has been set up in my soul. It was triggered after meeting you, and I can't stop it. "

Ding Shan couldn't take it anymore; her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode.

How could he say such flirtatious words in such a calm and serious tone?

Chapter 358. Because I Miss You

A gust of cold wind blew, but Ding Shan did not feel cold. Her heart felt like it was on fire, and her body temperature was very high. Her face seemed to be burning.

She felt herself wrapped up by the man's passionate emotions, almost melting into that gentleness and deep affection.

...

After that, Ding Shan asked, "I still don't know your name."

Xiang Hong was also stunned for a moment. He then revealed a smile, "You're curious about me now?"

Ding Shan did not say anything. Xiang Hong called out his name. "Xiang Hong."

Ding Shan repeated the two words 'Xiang Hong' in her heart a few times, and it felt a little sweet.

"Xiang Hong," Ding Shan said his name and pondered for a while before saying, "I can't give you an accurate answer now. My heart is a mess. I don't want to make an irresponsible decision in this state ...."

"I think, for you, not rejecting means you don't hate me, right?" Xiang Hong suddenly grabbed Ding Shan's hand and smiled. "I'm thrilled. You have a good impression of me. I noticed that you were looking at me when I was on stage."

Ding Shan was shocked when he grabbed her hand. His sudden approach made her panic.

Upon hearing Xiang Hong's words, Ding Shan thought to herself: 'You were so dazzling on stage. Other than me, everyone else was looking at you ....'

However, Xiang Hong seemed very happy because of Ding Shan's attention to him. He held Ding Shan's hand, and when he saw that Ding Shan did not push him away, he felt more comfortable and happy than ever.

Ding Shan's hand was not big and was soft, just enough for Xiang Hong to wrap it around his palm. He greedily felt the touch of Ding Shan's skin. Even if Ding Shan wanted to pull her hand back, he would not let go.

Ding Shan was embarrassed and helpless as she looked around nervously.

Fortunately, no one nearby saw him.

..

Two hours after the first live public stage performance of Idol Creation Camp ended.

When Xiao Zhao saw Ding Shan walking over from the waiting area, she sighed in relief. "Sister Shan, why did you come out so late? Isn't it just an interview? Did those reporters and media make things difficult for you ..."

"No, I had something else to do." Ding Shan's face was still a little red. She didn't know how to tell Xiao Zhao about Xiang Hong's matter. After she finished, she fell silent as if she was still in a daze.

Xiao Zhao did not notice Ding Shan's abnormality and thought she was too tired from the recording. Xiao Zhao passed the thermos cup in her hand to Ding Shan, and the two returned to the instructor's residence.

After washing up, Ding Shan lay on the bed. Although her mood was still fluctuating, her biological clock was always very regular. She was sleepy and about to sleep when her phone screen lit up.

She turned on her phone and saw that Xiang Hong had sent her a message.

"Are you asleep?"

"Not yet," Ding Shan replied.

"I'm not sleepy because I miss you. What about you?" Xiang Hong's tone was somewhat intimate. Ding Shan was not used to the sudden closeness of their hearts. When she saw the words "Miss you ", her face immediately turned red.

She couldn't imagine what Xiang Hong was thinking of her. She felt like she was a newbie in love who hadn't entered the correct state yet, while Xiang Hong had long been prepared for love.

"I'm thinking about my future work arrangements." Ding Shan lied. She was too embarrassed to say that she had been thinking about Xiang Hong since she returned.

Xiang Hong seemed to be a little disappointed. After a dozen seconds, he replied, "It seems I won't be valued in the future. It's okay; I'll get used to it. As long as you have me in your heart."

Ding Shan's heart beat faster when she saw the last word.

Why did Xiang Hong's aggrieved tone carry a hint of coquettishness? Ding Shan couldn't handle it.

"Alright, you should sleep first. Female celebrities can't stay up late." Xiang Hong said.

Ding Shan sent an 'OK' sign. She had been working the entire day and was deeply triggered by Xiang Hong's sudden confession. At this moment, she was both physically and mentally exhausted.

However, Ding Shan felt a little sweet in her heart. She always thought that this night was completely different from the previous nights.

What was different? She couldn't explain it clearly. Perhaps the moon outside the window was gentler.

..

"Old Xiang, why are you smiling like that at your phone? It's too terrifying!" Yin Hui pushed open the door and walked in. When he saw Xiang Hong with a smile on his face, he immediately shivered.

Yin Hui had rarely seen Xiang Hong's smile other than 'sneer' and 'ridicule' in his life.

Chapter 359. I'll Make You Fall in Love With me

Xiang Hong raised his head and returned to his usual expression when facing Yin Hui. He glanced at him indifferently and said, "What's the matter? "

Yin Hui nodded and walked to Xiang Hong's side. He took a stack of printed documents and handed them to Xiang Hong. "I've checked Wang Shi's side, but I suddenly felt something was wrong."

...

Xiang Hong flipped through the document. It showed Wang Shi's call history during this period. During the incident, Wang Shi often contacted a number from country K. At the back of the document was the transfer record of Wang Shi's bank account. There was a large sum of money from country K.

Xiang Hong frowned.

Yin Hui sat on the table casually, his fingers tapping as he analyzed, "You also think something is wrong. There's something else that's not right. I went to check the account number of the money transfer and found out that it was an underground money house in country K. That money house is not an account that ordinary people can open. The threshold is an astronomical number. How do you think Wang Shi could have come into contact with such a Big Shot?"

A memory fragment flashed through Xiang Hong's mind. He remembered that Ding Shan had once mentioned a person called Madam Lin.

"You don't have to worry about this; I'll investigate." Xiang Hong's tone carried a trace of coldness.

..

After getting closer to Xiang Hong, Ding Shan would subconsciously lower her head whenever she saw him as if she was afraid that the people around her would see through their relationship.

Xiang Hong didn't even try to hide it. He called her "Teacher Ding," and he didn't mind staring at her in front of everyone.

Ding Shan was angry and helpless. She could only secretly glare at him when no one was paying attention.

The training was still going on intensely. The second public performance would be separated from singing, dancing, and Rap, giving each trainee a chance to show off their most prominent advantages.

The video of Xiang Hong playing the piano in his first public performance was widely spread on major social media platforms. The video had more than 50 million views. The original author of 'Not just a song' also posted on Weibo halfway, praising the song's great adaptation. According to this Weibo post, netizens also found out that the editor of the song was Mysterious X. For a time, Mysterious X's creative talent caused widespread discussion.

"You can even arrange songs?" Ding Shan was a little surprised when she saw the netizens' discussion. She asked about it when the two of them were taking a walk that night.

"I don't know, I just learned it."

Xiang Hong's tone had no intention of showing off, but Ding Shan was deeply shocked.

What? Did he learn it on the spot? He knew how to adapt a song in less than a week, and even the original author praised him.

Ding Shan felt a little dizzy for a moment. She gritted her teeth and looked at Xiang Hong. "Can you tell me what you can't learn?"

Xiang Hong revealed a smile, "Yes, I do. I still haven't learned how to make you fall in love with me."

Ding Shan was speechless.

With the experience of his first time adapting a song, Xiang Hong seemed to have found a path that he was good at. He signed up to participate in the creative team for the second public performance and performed an original song of his own on the stage.

The song's name was 'My planet is suitable for you to live,' and it sounded like a refreshing love song.

The melody of this song was simple, and the lyrics were sweet. After the second live broadcast on the public stage, it quickly became a hit and the background music of a popular video. Countless online singers covered this song, and it was even called 'The confession song.'

Ding Shan looked at the lyrics of the song. She suspected that Xiang Hong had written them down on the night of his confession. Many of the words in the lyrics matched the scene from that night.

Even though Ding Shan had her suspicions, she was too embarrassed to ask Xiang Hong. She was afraid that Xiang Hong would ask her again, "Do you like this song?"

That man was too good at stirring up people's hearts. Sometimes, Ding Shan even wondered if he had been in many relationships. However, Xiang Hong said that he had only had one woman in his life.

"It's that heartless woman who stole my purity that night and tried to use money to get rid of me." Xiang Hong's lips curled into a smile as he turned to look at Ding Shan.

Ding Shan was too embarrassed to show her face. Don't tell me you'll keep this up for the rest of your life.

Due to his extremely high popularity, Xiang Hong successfully advanced to the final round. By the end of the final round, there were only 25 trainees left, and the competition was getting more intense.

At the same time, Ding Shan was surprised to find that Wen Xiu had not been looking for her for a while. Instead, he had been contacting Chen Tong in private. Xiao Zhao even mentioned that she had seen them leaving the film Park together.