Chapter 8: Two-Thirds Forum Style
[Goose Group Gossip | “Starlight” Finally Released the Official Formulas — Come Check Them Out Quickly]
[Original Post] The official “Starlight” account posted the images in several batches, and I’ve compiled them all here.
Anyone already picking favorites?
Reminder: This thread is strictly for discussing the show and contestants. No off-topic posts, no extreme insults directed at individual contestants, and no mentioning other groups.
Violations will be dealt with—at minimum, posts will be deleted; at worst, users will be banned.
[1F] So many restrictions (:з」∠)
[2F] It’s obvious who people are rooting for.
[3F] Yue Zhaolin has basically become iA’s sworn enemy, but honestly, stepping up to clash with someone above your level is a shortcut to becoming a rising star.
I’d bet 99% of iA members now remember Yue Zhaolin’s name. And the opposing side of iA definitely remembers him clearly too.
Besides, hatred lasts longer than love — iA probably won’t forget him for a lifetime.
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[5F] OP: Reiterating again — do not mention unrelated people.
[7F] The official “Starlight” account is finally getting active. For the first two weeks, besides announcing the PD and mentors, it was dead silent.
[7F] That’s probably because filming hadn’t started yet. There wasn’t much to post. But next week, the first stage will be recorded, so the hype is beginning.
[8F] Just glanced through — I’m definitely following this season because it has fewer ugly guys.
[9F] Forget everything else, just for Yue Zhaolin’s face alone, even if you’re not a Xiufen, you have to check out episode one of “Starlight” to see what it’s like.
[16F] Someone already made photo cards of Yue Zhaolin’s official photos — absolutely stunning. I can’t even imagine how good his debut cards will look.
[17F] I went through all the official photos and found a few trainees who stood out too.
I picked four to start with —
First, of course, is Emperor Yue — an undisputed god-tier visual;
Second, Fu Xunying, also from Xingqiong. He danced alongside Emperor Yue during the showcase. No one really paid attention, but his face is solid — strong features, very striking;
Third, Tan Shen from S.K — classic cold and aloof pretty boy look;
And lastly, Cen Chi from Lingying Entertainment — blonde hair, super obvious dimples when he smiles, like a cheerful golden retriever.
[25F] My list is similar to #11’s, but Tan Shen has that mixed-race look — not my cup of tea.
Aside from those, I also picked an individual trainee named Meng Yu. Gentle and handsome — totally my type.
[37F] Looking through the thread, I see everyone’s picks — and objectively, they all look good. No mango-shaped faces, no triangle eyes, and no one under 180 cm. This Xiufen is genuinely moved. I’m seriously about to cry… After all these years, we’re finally getting quality.
[42F] I get it. It’s surreal — like I’ve rediscovered the excitement I felt the first time I followed a survival show. Back then, even when no one looked good, they still had to force a few ugly guys into a group.
[51F] Insider scoop — Because Emperor Yue’s visuals are too dominant, other companies were scared of getting completely outshined. So they did a last-minute selection to send in their best trainees.
[55F] ? Sounds ridiculous, but I believe it.
[57F] Emperor Yue, without you, how is Xiufen supposed to survive?!
Someone once said he’s “the Bodhisattva who saved Xiufen from suffering” — and honestly, that nickname couldn’t be more accurate!
[58F] The trainees joining Starlight were finalized a long time ago — registration forms were submitted way in advance. There’s no way anyone was swapped in last-minute.
That fake “insider info” above… are you trying to start a sabotage game with Yue Zhaolin?
Yes, it’s true that Yue Zhaolin is getting a lot of attention, but he’s not a god — he can’t singlehandedly control the show’s direction.
We’re all veteran Xiufens here — you should know better. If someone screenshots that post and shares it on Weibo, it’s Yue Zhaolin who’ll get mocked.
Some of y’all need to keep your little schemes under wraps. OP, are you here? Can we delete Reply 51st floor?
[66F] Alas. 63rd floor is definitely a longtime Xiufen. Wait — does Emperor Yue have a proper fan army now?
[68F] Yue Zhaolin really does have that kind of magic. Whether you’re a first-time fangirl shaking with excitement or a seasoned Xiufen, one fancam and you’re hooked.
[73F] Emperor Yue feels… alive.
You’ve all seen that “God Descends Tonight” photo set from last week, right? The one where he’s clearly annoyed by sasaengs chasing his car? Yue Zhaolin.JPG.
[78F] His face was cold, brows furrowed, the muscles at the corners of his lips tensed — it was obvious he was mad.
So cold, and yet so beautiful.
Didn’t someone spill this before? Emperor Yue doesn’t hide his emotions — if he’s upset, it shows. He’s genuinely authentic.
[80F] Now I’m starting to suspect those trainees he was “b*llying” probably just ticked him off. But even so — that face is still perfection.
[81F] So “God Descends Tonight” is out here having a meltdown, ranting about how Yue Zhaolin supposedly hates her — yet she’s got that very post pinned at the top of her feed. She loves it.
[83F] Funny thing is, the Yue Zhaolin fan supertopic is full of people calling her out. I wasn’t expecting that.
[86F] First of all, no one likes sasaengs.
Second, Yue Zhaolin definitely doesn’t lack for fan site masters.
Ever since the recording schedule was finalized, a group chat with over a hundred people planning to film Yue Zhaolin going to and from the studio has been created.
Also, that site master who uploaded the high-res vertical fancam — completely outshining “God Descends Tonight” — already said in the fan chat that she’s attending the shoot.
[87F] He hasn’t even debuted yet and already has so many fan site masters — being a Yue Zhaolin fan must be bliss.
[89F] Reply to 86th floor: What’s the ID of that site master? I remember it was a really long string — didn’t catch the full thing.
[91F] Reply to 89th floor: It used to be a random handle, but recently she changed it to “Moonrise Stirs the Swans”!
[99F] Honestly, “God Descends Tonight”’s behavior really reminds me of a sasaeng who used to stalk my previous fave. The vibe is just… too similar.
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[103F] Feel like I just cracked a code. 99th floor, was your old bias Tanuki?
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[106F] Let’s stay on topic, folks. Anyway — has anyone already “bought stock” early?
[109F] Obviously. Just take a stroll through Emperor Yue’s supertopic — besides casual fans, there’s already a swarm of influencer fans and early “stock buyers” jumping on board.
Oh, and don’t forget the CP fans.
[118F] Wait, what?? There’s already a CP? With who?!
[121F] Yue Zhaolin × Fu Xunying, of course. Their CP name, tentatively, is “Zhao Xun”. It didn’t come out of nowhere — the sparks were already flying back at the music festival. After Yue Zhaolin got hit, it was Fu Xunying who pulled him away.
Grabbed him by the wrist — one firm pull.
The vibes? Immaculate. Plus, they’re trainees from the same company. That kind of side-by-side closeness? Even more immaculate.
[122F] The Douyin fans were shipping them ages ago. There are several CP edits with over 50,000 likes already.
[128F] They’re even on international TikTok now — and the likes are higher than the domestic ones.
[129F] Seriously?!
[131F] Yeah, the hype’s real — but it still can’t top Yue Zhaolin’s legendary 3-second clip. I checked international TikTok last night — it had already passed 2.9 million likes. Should hit 3 million today, and probably keep going up.
[145F] Foreign fans are eating it up. This is going global…
[146F] Can we stop overhyping? Those videos were just reposted, with zero source credit. Most foreign viewers probably don’t even know he’s Chinese. And the ones liking it are likely all Southeast Asian — Westerners don’t really vibe with Chinese visuals.
This whole “foreigners love him” thing? More like fake-exported hype being sold back to us.
[152F] 145th floor may have exaggerated a bit, but I don’t like the way 146th floor put it.
First of all, even if most of the likes are from Southeast Asia, so what? That’s nothing to be ashamed of.
And second — people from Southeast Asia are foreigners too, aren’t they?
Or are you trying to say that aside from us Chinese and the West, the rest of the world doesn’t count?
If that’s really how you think, well… you sure aim high.
[157F] This thread’s totally off-topic now — no one’s talking about the official profile photos anymore.
[159F] True, our thread has fully evolved into a Yue Zhaolin fan zone. But hey — loving it.
[158F] Just wait till next week. There’ll definitely be leaks, and tons of fansite masters will be there to shoot!
[161F] (rubs hands) Ready to feast on content!
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As anticipation built across the fanbase, Thursday of the following week finally arrived: the day of the initial evaluations.
The production team behind Starlight didn’t go out of their way to keep things secret — after all, the show still had a month until airing, and needed every bit of exposure to maintain hype.
Media, fansite masters, and unofficial photographers were allowed to show up; the staff didn’t drive anyone away. But they did put up a firm barricade — impossible to cross — keeping everyone at a set distance from where the trainees’ cars would drop them off.
There was enough space between the barricade and the vehicles to prevent any chaos.
He Jie had arrived early. It was still late February, and the weather hadn’t warmed yet. The morning was especially cold — you could see people’s breath in the air.
The trainees hadn’t arrived yet, so the crowd passed the time with idle chatter.
“Who’s your pick?”
“Yue Zhaolin, of course.”
“Really? You too?”
“Nah, not me. I’ve got this weird thing for underdogs — the more popular someone is, the less I want to support them. Same with dramas and movies.”
He Jie: “…?”
Suddenly, someone in the crowd raised their voice excitedly, “A car’s coming! I see a black van — start filming!”
Before the words had even finished, camera lenses as big as cannons shot up all around, a dense wave of them swinging toward the building’s entrance.
The black vehicle slowly pulled up to the revolving doors of the studio. As it came to a stop, the door on the side nearest the entrance opened, and a figure stepped out.
“Did you get the shot?”
“There was another car in the way — I only caught a bit… huh? Is that a blondie? Wearing a black mask, can’t see the face clearly.”
“Blond? Is he tall? Could be Cen Chi from Lingying Entertainment. I saw one of his dance clips on Douyin the other day — super handsome!”
“Lingying? Never heard of it.”
“You’re not alone — it’s a tiny, no-name company.”
—
Zhou Ling turned around and saw his nephew still glued to his phone. His face darkened as he lowered his voice, “Cen Chi! Why are you zoning out? Go through security!”
This building wasn’t just where Starlight was filming its initial evaluations — it had been used for previous survival shows too.
Security at the entrance used to be just a formality, but after an incident two years ago, things had tightened up significantly.
Cen Chi finished typing the last word, hit send, and quickly wheeled his two suitcases toward the checkpoint.
“Coming!”
Zhou Ling had been holding back the entire trip. Now, while the staff was busy checking items, he finally pulled his nephew aside and whispered, “You’re not dating someone, are you?”
Though it sounded like a question, Zhou Ling was already fairly certain of the answer.
His nephew had been buried in his phone the whole ride over, his messages non-stop — way too obsessed. It was the exact same look Zhou Ling had when he was chasing after his now-wife.
“What’s going on with you? You’re trying to become an idol, and you’re still…”
Cen Chi cut off his uncle’s wild speculation. “Uncle, I’m chatting with Yue Zhaolin. And if I want to become an idol, I won’t be dating anyone.”
Zhou Ling was momentarily speechless.
He knew who Yue Zhaolin was. Last time, his nephew had mentioned helping the guy out, and that very evening, someone from Xingqiong had reached out asking for Cen Chi’s contact info.
That’s how they’d ended up adding each other as friends.
But Zhou Ling hadn’t realized the two were actually keeping in touch. After all, Xingqiong was a major company — far out of their league, and not worth chasing after either.
Cen Chi mumbled, “Yue Zhaolin said he’s not feeling well… sounds like he might be sick.”
Zhou Ling frowned. “What’s that got to do with you? Xingqiong’s a huge company — you think they can’t afford a doctor for their trainees? Now go get through security!”
Strictly speaking, Zhou Ling wasn’t wrong. But this time, things were different.
Xingqiong was investing heavily in Yue Zhaolin. Still, with the initial evaluations coming up, even if he wasn’t feeling well, the company couldn’t afford to delay the recording schedule.
A while later, Xingqiong’s black van finally pulled up in front of the building.
Yue Zhaolin had fallen asleep in the car. Faintly, through the haze of sleep, he heard a voice calling him: “Lin… Yue Zhaolin, we’re here. Wake up.”
He opened his eyes, and in the dim interior of the vehicle, could barely make out the speaker’s face.
Fu Xunying saw his dazed look and instinctively reached out to help — but then seemed to reconsider. Instead, he pressed a warm water bottle to Yue Zhaolin’s face.
The heat pack had already gone tepid, not warm but not cold either.
Yue Zhaolin blinked, then gently pushed it aside. “I heard you,” he rasped — his voice unexpectedly hoarse. “You go ahead.”
In just that one sentence, there were two words he couldn’t even vocalize properly.
**TN
“Xiufen” – a nickname for hardcore fans of idol survival shows, especially fans who watch these shows religiously, vote daily, and are very invested in the contestants’ rankings and appearances.
Buying stock – slang for becoming an early fan/supporter before someone blows up
Moonrise Stirs the Swans – poetic, implies elegance and awe at his appearance.
The character for Yue (Yue Zhaolin) means Moon.
I was about to ask about “Xiufens”! I got the general idea from context, but I appreciate the clearer definition in your TL notes. ♥️