Trainee Ch.64

Chapter 64: Halftime Break

The time after the ranking announcement was set aside for trainees to say their goodbyes.

After the second round of performances, everyone had grown a lot closer, and now they were crying one after another, even more miserably than in the first round.

“Alright, alright, don’t cry. It’s not that big of a deal, okay? Once we’re out, I’ll cheer you on, start livestreams to help pull in votes. When you all leave the show later, I’ll treat you to a meal—pick the most expensive place you want, sound good?”

Liang Zhisheng looked helplessly at the two heads pressed against him—one red, one blonde—crying on either side. He rubbed Lai Yudong’s hair, then patted Li Xu on the back. Both of them were younger than him, but taller by a head, so it felt like he was comforting a pair of oversized kids.

Clearly, he was the one being eliminated, yet he hadn’t shed a tear, while the two who were moving on were bawling their eyes out.

He could understand Lai Yudong crying—he’d seen that before—but why was Li Xu joining in?

Wasn’t this the cool rapper who never cried easily in front of others?

Liang Zhisheng couldn’t help but sigh. It wasn’t like they would never see each other again, but the way they carried on was almost enough to make him cry too.

Thankfully, Xu An didn’t come running over as well—otherwise he wouldn’t have had enough arms to hold three people at once.

“What platform do you stream on?” Lai Yudong asked in a muffled voice.

“Hm? Sweet Orange Live.”

“What’s your ID?”

“Shengyi Bowl of Rice. Why?”

“Nothing.”

Lai Yudong buried his head against Liang Zhisheng’s shoulder. He had actually stopped crying already, but since the person next to him was still sobbing, leaving the crying club now might hurt Li Xu’s pride. So he could only stick it out together.

He recalled a conversation from the very first stage: “You’re from Yucheng?”

“Yeah.” Liang Zhisheng suddenly understood. “I’ll write down my phone number for you later. What are we, huh? Do we really need to go through a platform just to keep in touch?”

Lai Yudong couldn’t explain, so he just gave a soft “mm.”

With the tear-jerking footage for the main episode secured, the second round livestream ended. As usual, the eliminated trainees had to leave Climbing to Stardom within an hour, and the dorm building was filled with a heavy, gloomy atmosphere.

Liang Zhisheng had already packed his luggage the night before, ready to wheel his suitcase out at any moment.

He patted the keyboard sitting in the corner. “I won’t be taking this back.”

Li Xu gave a soft snort. “Couldn’t even play it properly, yet you had to bring it here just to show off. Now you’re acting like it’s too much trouble to carry home.”

“I’m about to leave, and your mouth still isn’t getting any gentler?” Liang Zhisheng made a show of trying to smack Li Xu, who immediately dodged behind Lai Yudong. “Xu An taught you guys to sing—having an instrument around makes it easier. You can think of it as my ‘legacy,’ something to remember me by.”

Lai Yudong glanced at the red-haired boy clinging to his back. “In the third round you can hug the keyboard and cry.”

“…Like you didn’t cry yourself! If you’ve got the guts, let’s cry together!?”

[How did Li Xu end up as the dorm’s punching bag in 707?]

[Can’t believe the hot-tempered guy turned out to be the group’s target for b*llying. Isn’t that role usually for someone mild-tempered and well-liked?]

[So who started it, lol]

[Seems like it was Yuzu?]

[I thought Yuzu might be the one getting b*llied, but turns out…]

[Lai Lai’s temper is good, but he’s still a sharp-tongued little Yuzu.]

Lai Yudong: ?

Huh? He was the one who started it?

He didn’t remember, and by the time he realized, it had already become a habit.

In Lai Yudong’s eyes, teasing Li Xu was something strangely amusing.

Even though this guy was always fierce and spoke rudely, once you got close to him, at worst he’d just huff and puff with his beard and eyebrows raised, like an angry husky—hardly intimidating at all.

Just like now.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and soon the staff’s voice came over the loudspeakers, urging the eliminated trainees to head downstairs.

Accompanied by his roommates, Liang Zhisheng arrived at the doors on the first floor—this was the last time the 707 dorm would gather on camera as trainees.

Like a parent sending kids off to school on the very first day, Liang Zhisheng gave his final words of advice one by one:

“Xu An, be bold when you’re in front of the camera. Your fans definitely want to see more of you.

Li Xu, having personality is a good thing, but make sure you strike the right balance. Try being a little more open once in a while.

And Lai Yudong—ah, still not used to your new name yet. To be honest, you were the one I worried about the most at first. You hardly talked, didn’t like interacting, and it felt like there was always this wall between you… Was it that you couldn’t blend in? Or maybe you just weren’t used to things? Back then I never could figure out what was on your mind.

But now, you’re actually the one I worry about least. The only thing I want to remind you is to take care of your health. With the way you manage your schedule, I’m honestly afraid you’ll collapse in the practice room one day.”

[Mama Liang is so attentive QAQ]

[He really has been carefully observing everyone]

[I’ve been wanting to say this for ages! Yuzu’s schedule is terrifying! Even sleeping just one or two hours more a day would help!]

[But what can he do? Starting from zero, if he doesn’t push himself now, is he supposed to wait until he’s eliminated to push?]

[Insert “Listen to Mama” here]

“Although our time together wasn’t long, it really gave me the rare feeling of having a home.” Liang Zhisheng beamed, his smile bright and carefree. “You guys have to debut, okay? Carry my share with you.”

Behind them came the sound of suitcase wheels rolling across the floor. Liu Qichu came charging toward the doors, dragging his luggage. “Hey! Liang Zhisheng! Dinner tonight, yeah?”

Liang Zhisheng couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure.”

Dormmates Jin Xiheng and Su Junzhe chased after him.

“Liu Qichu! Slow down already! What’s the rush to get home?”

Su Junzhe grinned. “He’s in a hurry for hotpot.”

“I’m in a hurry too!”

“Hey, you’ve advanced—you shouldn’t be saying stuff that’ll get you punched.”

“I think you’re the one asking for a punch.”

Liu Qichu muttered, “I think both of you deserve a beating! I’m equally jealous of everyone who advanced!”

Lai Yudong couldn’t help but laugh. Though tears still brimmed in his eyes, the corners of his mouth curved upward.

The sorrow of parting was eased somewhat by the noisy chaos of Dorm 706. Maybe it was because they had already gone through a round of goodbyes, or maybe because the three of them were all outgoing and cheerful—not weighed down with the same heavy grief as Dorm 707.

After sending off Liang Zhisheng and Liu Qichu, Lai Yudong and the others returned to their dorm. The top bunk by the door was empty now, leaving only a few nametags stuck to the wooden board as proof that Liang Zhisheng had once lived there.

Xu An rested his fingers on the keys, letting a melody flow beneath them.

[This sounds so familiar]

[Wait, isn’t this…]

[Silent Night? Isn’t this the piece Liang Zhisheng played?]

[Why didn’t Xu An play it while he was still here]

[Because then Dorm 707 would’ve drowned in tears]

Lai Yudong stared blankly at Xu An, who was immersed in his playing. The second-round stage resurfaced in his mind. Though he hadn’t intentionally memorized the rap lyrics, he remembered them word for word. The pure, fitting melody brought a deeper impact than even that performance itself.

He turned his head to glance at the whiteboard hanging behind the door—the last rule written there was one suggested by Liang Zhisheng: Be happy every day.

Barely a minute after parting, he already missed his roommate.

…

The next morning, when Lai Yudong woke, he stared silently at the empty top bunk for a few seconds before he accepted the reality that their dorm was down one person.

Though not as steady as Xu An, who hadn’t shed a single tear, his ability to accept things was relatively strong—at least stronger than Li Xu, who had run to the bathroom to cry in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t that he had eavesdropped, but that the noise had been too loud.

Maybe because he had cried himself half-unconscious, when Li Xu returned last night he knocked over the thermos on the desk. As he bent down to pick it up, he banged his forehead against the corner of the table.

The string of noises woke Lai Yudong from his sleep. Still lying on his side, he cracked his eyes open just a slit and saw the red-haired boy crouched on the floor, clutching his forehead with one hand while softly sniffling.

Even though it was hard to see clearly in the dark, it was obvious how pitiful he looked.

Torn between getting up to comfort him and closing his eyes to play dead, Lai Yudong chose the latter. Not because he was cold or heartless, but because he was afraid Li Xu would get embarrassed and lash out, waking poor Xu An as collateral damage.

At least this way he could quietly observe Li Xu’s condition.

Li Xu squatted on the floor for a while before climbing the ladder back up to his now-lonely top bunk. The sound of sniffling never stopped.

The price he paid was waking up the next morning with red, swollen eyes.

“Matches your hair color,” Lai Yudong remarked.

“Like you didn’t cry yourself.” Li Xu stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then asked in disbelief, “Why do you look like you never cried at all?”

Calmly, Lai Yudong said, “I put a towel over them last night.”

Li Xu: “…”

Li Xu: “Hurry up and debut already. The idol industry needs you.”

[Full marks for Lai Lai’s image management]

[Little Redhead, you should really learn from your Brother Dong, hahaha]

[One didn’t cry, one iced his eyes, one left—the world where only Li Xu suffers has been achieved]

[No need to rub in that Mama Liang is gone (pain mask)]

But Li Xu’s grief didn’t last long, because he soon discovered that Liang Zhisheng was happily posting about his daily food adventures on his personal account. On the night of elimination he ate hotpot, the next day he had pickled fish, teppanyaki, and pizza.

All big meals you could never get in the dorm cafeteria, plus an endless variety of fancy afternoon teas—it made Li Xu want to climb the wall and crash the feast on the spot.

Jealous tears flowed straight out of the corner of his mouth.

And of course, Li Xu couldn’t suffer alone. He dragged the only person who knew he had a secret phone—Lai Yudong—into sharing the misery. The two of them squatted in the bathroom at midnight, scrolling through Liang Zhisheng’s Weibo. The more they looked, the more their hearts ached.

Lai Yudong thought they must be a little crazy.

Why on earth were they looking at food pics in the bathroom!?

Of course, aside from that, Liang Zhisheng was also asking for votes on his personal account—but the two of them tacitly ignored that part, scrolling past quickly to keep torturing themselves with his daily updates.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the third performance announcement arrived.

This time, the ranking announcement wasn’t immediately followed by the third-round stage. Instead, there was a two-day gap. The reason was that the center position for the songs would be chosen by the “Starseekers,” and the voting period lasted five days.

Thirty-five people gathered in the main practice room. Many familiar faces had already been cut, and the classroom that once held over a hundred now felt empty.

“Without realizing it, we’ve already reached the halfway point of the competition.” Initiator Fu Hanyu exchanged a few polite remarks before announcing the rules. “The assessment for the third performance round will be a themed evaluation.”

“This time there are a total of five songs. All of them are brand-new singles created by top producers exclusively for Climbing to Stardom. In other words, you will be the original singers of these tracks.”

“Each group is limited to seven members. The center position will be chosen by the Starseekers’ vote, while the rest will pick songs in order of their ranking.”

[This voting nearly killed me]

[Thank goodness the center position has nothing to do with my boy]

[Just wait for the next fan sign event, the fighting will be even fiercer, lol]

[They didn’t even announce the center when the voting ended, now we can only wait for the livestream. So annoying]

[Fans are more nervous than the idols.jpg]

Fu Hanyu continued: “The group with the highest total votes will receive an additional 100,000 votes per member. Furthermore, the first-place trainee within that group will gain an extra 200,000 votes.”

“After the third stage, only eighteen will advance to the finals.”

“Now, let’s reveal the themed evaluation songs.”

Lai Yudong couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. More than the center position—which felt too distant to hope for—what he cared about was the number of people advancing.

Eighteen meant the roster would be cut in half. Jin Xiheng and Zhang Mingche, who hovered around 20th place, were in real danger. Even Li Xu, who had risen in rank, wasn’t secure.

If San Shun and the others were eliminated… he didn’t dare imagine how he would feel.

Even if they couldn’t debut together, at least…

…at least let them fight hard until the very last moment.

<< _ >>