Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 502 Soaring Social Status
On the 29th, Xiao Xiao, having eaten her fill, left first.

Filming for "Chinese Restaurant 4" will begin tomorrow in Hubei.

On the 30th, Xiao Ye, who had eaten two full meals, followed closely behind.

Filming for "The Sword and the Snow" will begin tomorrow in Xiangshan.

July arrived just like that.

Xiao Hu finally saw Sister Tian off and had some time to himself.

The online graduation ceremony of Beijing Film Academy was also held as scheduled, and Shen Juan, as a 20 graduate of the Department of Performance, attended as usual.

Just this morning, the Beijing Film Academy announced that our outstanding graduate, Shen Juan, has successfully graduated! We welcome everyone to apply to the Beijing Film Academy next year!
In the afternoon, the attention was immediately stolen by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Hong Kong Island University, which came together and dominated the top of the trending searches.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University: [#NanyangConsulting# Today, our university is honored to confer an honorary doctorate in sociology on Shen Juan, an outstanding young artist in my country! As a landmark figure in the music industry, Shen Juan has established outstanding benchmarks in music, cultural dissemination, and public welfare with his global influence and artistic achievements. With his extraordinary creative strength and groundbreaking innovative spirit, he continuously injects cutting-edge vitality into the industry and promotes the charm of Chinese pop culture to the world stage. This collaboration is not only a high recognition of his cross-disciplinary influence but will also inject new momentum into expanding our university's social influence and international vision, inspiring countless students to scale new heights with a pioneering spirit. We look forward to working alongside Shen Juan in the future to create more legends through the integration of art and scholarship!]

The accompanying picture is a youthful photo of Shen Juan taken when he passed by the gate of Jiaotong University as a child, capturing a sense of nostalgia.

The official Weibo account of Island University of Hong Kong posted: "Today, Island University solemnly conferred an honorary doctorate in sociology upon Shen Juan, a leading contemporary global pop superstar, in recognition of his pioneering contributions and profound influence in the field of international popular culture. As a musical ambassador transcending racial and linguistic boundaries, Shen Juan, with his unique artistic vision and subversive creations, has not only reshaped the aesthetic dimensions of the global music scene but also used his works as a bridge to promote dialogue and integration among diverse cultures."

The accompanying picture shows Shen Juan holding up the Grammy Award trophy.

? ? ? ? ? ?
Graduated at 22 and immediately became a PhD?
Moreover, these are Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Hong Kong Island University, two of the world's top universities that countless students consider their dream schools!

Shenjin Bar! Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?
The incident immediately sparked heated discussions online, with both praise and criticism.

Some believe that Shen Juan absolutely deserves this honor.

After all, his achievements in the entertainment industry are unprecedented. No one in the history of China has reached such a pinnacle in the field of popular culture. Jackie Chan is indeed great, but he has accumulated his influence to such a height through decades of work.

But Shen Juan is different.

His rise to power was quite direct and brutal!

His business achievements are overwhelming compared to his peers at the same time, and his stature is undoubtedly number one!

Some people think that these two universities have acted recklessly.

Graduating with a bachelor's degree in the morning and being promoted to an honorary doctorate in the afternoon—such behavior is far too frivolous and too hasty.

But anyway,

It goes without saying how sought-after Shen Juan is.

The fact that two top universities risked public scrutiny by vying to award Shen Juan an honorary doctorate speaks volumes.

(In fact, more than ten universities across the country and even in neighboring countries and regions contacted Shen Juan some time ago, all wanting to award him honorary doctorates. However, considering that announcing too many at once would greatly devalue the honor of these honorary titles, Shen Juan only chose the two with the highest overall strength.)

But Shen Juan's heat after entering the height of summer in July has not yet subsided, and his dominance over the top search topics on various platforms continues.

On July 2nd, the Malaysian government made an unexpected announcement: In recognition of the outstanding contributions made by Chinese pop singer, GenZ leader, philanthropy pioneer, and outstanding multinational entrepreneur Alex Shen to the Malaysian public welfare and social sectors over the past two years, he was awarded the title of Dato'.

And the public's reaction was: Huh?
Isn't this a noble title in Malaysia? Even Lee Chong Wei, the perennial runner-up in badminton, is called Datuk, isn't he?
Is Shen Juan this invincible in Malaysia as well?
Those who were just watching the drama unfold before couldn't sit still any longer and jumped in to add even more heat to the story.

[I'm speechless. What's wrong with this world? Someone who barely passed the first-tier university entrance exam and only has a bachelor's degree has received honorary doctorates from two top universities and even been awarded the title of Datuk in Malaysia, all thanks to fame that has nothing to do with academia. It's clear that academia, like the fan culture, prioritizes online traffic above all else.]

As a fan of Zhai Tianlin, I have to say something in defense of him. You can't be so hypocritical! He's just cultivating a "scholar" persona; he's not doing this for you guys. Why are you digging into his past? Why have you been attacking him for so many years? Why have you ruined his career? And even if we concede, has my Zhai Tianlin been as outrageous as your Juanzi? I won't even mention the Datuk, but to become a PhD right after graduating with a bachelor's degree, and from two different universities at that? Is that even possible?!

[No, the overwhelming amount of comment control and whitewashing from fans in the comments section is a bit excessive. So this is what our society is like! As long as you have fame and money, all honors are easily attainable. Supporting these two PhDs is essentially supporting the idea that this viewpoint is reasonable, which is the ultimate insult to all test-takers and severely dampens their enthusiasm. Of course, we can't control who universities award these prizes to, since we can't create any tangible benefits for them, can we?]

[Damn you, Shen Juan! You piece of trash, deliberately became a Jiaotong University PhD to humiliate my Taylor Swift, didn't you! You're dead! All Taylor Swift fans in China, let's storm Jiaotong University's official Weibo account! This name is just to disgust people! In the sweltering 40-degree heat, I've never seen such a shameless university!]

[I'm so awesome! I'm invincible! I single-handedly lowered the prestige of PhDs from the University of Hong Kong and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.]

It's quite abstract.
Many opponents didn't even understand the concept of honorary doctorates before blindly following the crowd and questioning the actions of these two universities.

They attempted to push Shen Juan to the opposite side of the people, just as Lao Mei had done by using Hei Minggui to defame Shen Juan.

But Shen Juan was, after all, one of their own.

He is not an outsider in China.

He naturally has many supporters who trust him.

Therefore, the supporters immediately retaliated.

[Why do I feel like this is a recruitment ad? I see that SCTU and HKU students on Douyin and TikTok really like it!]

[Indeed, many people are posting on Douyin and social media saying that Shen Juan has become their classmate. Surely no one really thinks these high-achieving students don't go online, don't follow celebrities, and don't surf the internet? No way!]

I think a significant portion of the trolls criticizing Shen Juan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University right now are Fudan alumni. Fudan, please don't hate them so much!

First, anyone who thinks an honorary doctorate is superior to a regular doctorate on an academic level is completely brain-dead! To put it bluntly, this thing is just an honor awarded to social celebrities and public figures to enhance the school's influence and their own influence, achieving a win-win situation (the honorary attribute is greater than the academic degree).

Secondly, as some people have mentioned, it is indeed more difficult, if not far more difficult, to get a reputable university to award you an honorary doctorate than to complete a doctoral degree in the same field at that university.

Third, given Shen Juan's achievements and talent, he no longer needs academic qualifications to prove anything. More precisely, this is a win-win situation where Shen Juan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Hong Kong all benefit from each other's achievements! As for the Dato' medal awarded to Shen Juan by Malaysia? That's already a matter of international influence.

[To put it simply, "Datuk" is a title awarded by Malaysia to individuals who have made significant contributions to the country and society. It is a symbol of honor and does not carry any real power. For example, after the Beijing Olympics, the Malaysian royal family conferred the title of Datuk upon Lee Chong Wei, and after the Rio Olympics, it was conferred the title of Datuk Wira. Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh also received this honor more than a decade ago.]

I'm so happy for him. This must be one of the most special honors Shen Juan has received in his illustrious career!
Since entering the entertainment industry, he has witnessed all the madness of this bizarre world. Early fame is both a blessing and a curse. Although he has made many mistakes and had many unpleasant memories, he still stands at the top of the music scene and has won praise and honor with his indisputable achievements.

These two degrees are not just two pieces of paper; they are an important honor, different from Grammy and AMA awards!
Finally, I am truly proud of him; he has indeed kept his promise and soared into this era.

Seriously, can some people please keep up with the times? Mocking Shen Juan's achievements is really outdated and shameful; it makes you look ridiculously unsophisticated!
In the past two years, Shen Juan has gained fans all over the world. His name has been mentioned by mainstream news media and national leaders more than once. Last year, during his tour in Lebanon, government officials from many Southeast Asian countries even engaged in online verbal battles and mocking each other in order to invite him to hold a concert in their countries!
How much face do you have? How much face do he have?
Based solely on Lee Siew Seng's influence, he is qualified to become an honorary doctorate holder of both universities and a Datuk in Malaysia!
At this moment, he was only 22 years old.

His golden age of legend has only just begun.

Tell me, is it strange that this resume warrants an honorary doctorate? What exactly is unworthy of him? Do you think he's never seen anything like this before? Do you think he pulled strings behind the scenes to get the honorary doctorate? Do you think Shi Yi's influence is only good for fan wars?
You believe he is unworthy of honorary doctorates from these two universities. Do the students at these two universities agree with you?

But at the same time, I'm also quite fortunate.

He's only 22 years old, yet he's reached such heights, witnessed such scenery, and experienced almost everything that comes with life. But even today, some people question Shen Juan's achievements, arguing that simply receiving an honorary degree that many famous people have earned is enough to infuriate people, and that his critical comments are getting so many likes.
What does this prove?
This proves you're ashes now, while your beloved Master Juan is still on the path to eternal glory. Just wait and see your Master Juan slay for the rest of his life!

On the 3rd, Shen Juan took leave from the film crew for the first time since filming began to handle other work.

First, they used their daytime hours to complete the cover shoot for the August issue of Harper's Bazaar.

Then, in the evening, they completed the recording of the Cantonese collaboration single "World's One," which was planned to be released on Cheng Xiao's birthday.

Following that on the 4th, Shen Juan came to Shenzhen to attend the finale of "Produce Camp 2020" as a special guest.

Just like the Youth With You 2 finale I attended before.

There's nothing to prepare.

Shen Juan's only task tonight is to sit in the audience and use his looks to attract viewers. At most, he will say a few polite words to encourage the contestants when he is called on by the host. So after arriving at the final venue, he can leisurely eat and browse the news while sitting in front of the mirror and having his makeup done by the makeup artist.

Sun Zhenni, who had finished her hair and makeup early, sat on the chair next to Shen Juan and carefully fed him cherries.

"Speaking of which, is this honorary doctorate really unrelated? I've seen a lot of people online saying that the senior student is a privileged individual with connections."

A week before the finals, the final lineup was almost finalized, so management was relatively relaxed. The trainees who made it to the finals had a lot of personal time and could openly use their phones to go online and get information. This is why Lana was able to come to Shanghai for a live broadcast on Dragon Boat Festival.

"Ignore these comments. Let them say what they want. I'll continue doing my work as usual. It won't affect me at all."

"But they have no idea how much you have silently contributed to this country and this society!"

Those people who use "Datuk" and "Dr. Shen" to mock their senior are absolutely disgusting! How can they be so bored?!

"Do they really not know?" Shen Juan smiled. "I think some people selectively ignore these things. They just want to find an opportunity to vent their dissatisfaction. After all, real life is already so unsatisfactory. If they have to act like cowards online, they might develop mental illness."

"If you were to publicly disclose all the public welfare and charity work you've done someday, I think they would have nothing to say."

"Let nature take its course. Charity is a complicated matter. Although speaking out would help my public image and set an example to encourage fans and the general public to participate, my current situation is very sensitive, and it is easy for it to be distorted under the influence of public opinion."

When celebrities do charity work, they are inevitably accused of putting on a show.

With Michael Jackson as a shining example, all of Shen Juan's charitable and public welfare activities will be seen by the outside world as a poor imitation of MJ.

Although he has a clear conscience and has mentioned in public on more than one occasion that MJ is his idol and his ultimate goal is to approach the legend and achieve greatness, considering that the current online harassment against him by the North American public is too fierce and too violent, Shen Juan feels that it is better not to over-market him.

After all, just like Louis Koo's collaboration with the government to build primary schools, his so-called low-key charitable acts will eventually be discovered. More importantly, his public deeds, such as initiating global charity performances and environmental protection, are enough to help him establish a philanthropic image.

So why rush to lay all your cards on the table, erase old controversies, and then let new ones emerge?
"And isn't there a saying that goes like this? When you feel happy because of other people's praise, you will also be bothered by their criticism. The real anchor is always your own heart. At the very least, you have to understand that you feel happy because you are helping others, not because of their gratitude afterward."

Sun Zhenni looked at Shen Juan with eyes full of longing, admiration and respect: "Your thinking and mindset are amazing!"

Shen Juan shrugged noncommittally, "I was just saying that; I'm still a long way from that level."

Sun Zhenni shook her head seriously and said firmly, "But I think that the fact that you can say that means you're not far from that level. Many people don't even understand the most basic concepts of helping others. These are the people who are really far from that level."

Shen Juan raised an eyebrow and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly couldn't help but laugh. Sincere praise from others always makes people feel happy.

“Sun Zhenni, classmate.”

"exist!"

"Your words are a big plus for me."

Shy Myanmar Da Ni was clearly unable to resist Shen Juan's sudden gentleness, and even her voice became much softer.

"Okay, senior."

"Ok?"

"I'm sorry, I can't give you extra points."

"why?"

Sun Zhenni blinked adorably and smiled sweetly, "Because you've always been a perfect score in my eyes!"

eight pm.

The live broadcast of the final of "Produce Camp 2020" has officially begun.

First, all the trainees of Produce Camp, Rocket Girls' center Meng Meiqi, and the famous Chinese boy group R1SE, who had all fallen from grace, strung together all the theme songs from the three seasons of Produce Camp, allowing the audience to relive the experience. The cheers and screams from the audience were endless.

Everyone was shouting the name of their favorite player.

At this moment, Shen Juan walked to the VIP audience seats and sat with a group of special guests and representatives of the agency.

On the left is Viya, the top live-streaming e-commerce influencer who hasn't had any scandals yet. I met her in April when she did a charity live stream on the show "Longing for Life".

On the right is Long Danni, CEO of Wajijiwa Entertainment, who also forced Shen Juan to debut as a rapper.

no way.

He signed Yuehua first.

At a time like this, if someone were to participate in "The Coming One," a show that's essentially funding Wajijiwa Entertainment, it would be highly unlikely they wouldn't be set up.

The medley of theme songs concluded successfully, and the final hosts He Jiong, Song Qian, and special guest Qin Hailu took the stage to begin hosting.

The following process was not much different from the final of Youth With You 2. The trainees' stage, the mentors' stage, and the guests' stage were staged in turn. In between, some VCRs revealing the behind-the-scenes stories of the contestants were also inserted to evoke emotions and make fans want to spend money.

If there's any difference, it's probably the graduation ceremony segment that brings all the contestants back to the finals stage.

The four coaches each delivered a heartfelt message.

Around the venue, giant posters featuring photos of each trainee were hung on the walls one by one. Each person, with tears in their eyes, faced the live broadcast camera and shouted their name one last time on the Produce Camp stage. They gathered together to hug and say goodbye, and once again shed tears of genuine emotion as they recalled the past few months.

Mao Buyi, who was still on stage, then sang "Into the Sea" as a tribute to the graduating trainees of the Creative Camp.

It garnered a flood of tears from contestants, audiences, and mentors.

Anyway, it made Shen Juan feel a bit awkward.

He felt that everyone else was crying, and it wouldn't be right for him not to cry. As a lone wolf, he also had to learn to read the room.

Fortunately, the director was understanding and didn't give him any screen time; otherwise, if viewers had seen that he didn't cry, it would probably have sparked new controversy.

Sigh. There's nothing we can do about it.

His every move is likely to be interpreted from various angles by the outside world, becoming fodder for public gossip. Life is indeed that dull and monotonous.

After the tearful graduation ceremony, the most important moment of the past few months has finally arrived.

The sixth place was announced first.

Jiang Zhenyu of Starlink.

This time, his neck wasn't injured, and with the support of Starlink's traffic and the extra help from the production team, it's the real shady deal that he didn't debut.

The fifth place also comes from Starlink, Liu Xiening.

Of course, her actual ranking would only be higher.

They were set up by Tencent.

But there's not much to say.

After all, two of the seven members are from Starlink.

It's easier to control two contestants who debuted in lower ranks.

Tencent was scared by Lehua's actions two years ago, so naturally they didn't want all the contestants from the same company to get high rankings.

Fourth place goes to Chen Zhuoxuan from Tianhao Shengshi.

He didn't succeed as a singer, so he was forced to switch to acting, but ended up debuting as an idol and even made a famous quote.

That's an impressive acting career.
The third place goes to Wang Yijin of Jiaxing Media.

She's alright looking; apparently, she's a fat person who lost weight.

However, her subsequent mockery of Liu Xiening's eating habits on a variety show greatly damaged her public image.

The second place went to Zhao Yue from SNH48.

Like Xu Jiaqi, who debuted next door, they both come from 7SENSES and are both products of Siba's foray into the Chinese entertainment industry.

The first place is five characters, Xilinna Yigao.

Despite lacking in looks, he possesses exceptional vocal talent, making him one of the few outstanding singers among the new generation of Chinese pop music.

Finally, the seventh place, which was the last spot in the final group, went to Zhang Yifan from TF Entertainment, which was quite an upset.

Most viewers didn't expect her to debut.

So Xu Yiyang's fans couldn't sit still anymore.

They felt that their idols had been manipulated by capital.

How could someone with such high popularity votes suddenly be overshadowed by Zhang Yifan after entering the finals, when the rankings were announced in the previous rounds?
Tencent has completely abandoned all shame in its efforts to promote its "royal family" (a term used to describe a group of celebrities who are considered
Why can't our country learn from our neighbors and arrest directors who rig ticketing and sentence them to ten or eight years in prison?

Huang Zitao, you too!
Look at Shen Juan, he directly promoted two people to debut!

How can you be so incompetent?
Why don't you just sell Xu Yiyang to Shen Juan? I think Xu Yiyang will have a better future in Shen Juan's company!
She cannot find happiness with you!

The fans have a clear idea: since their idol is going to be taken by men anyway, why not choose Shen Juan, who has better qualities?

It's important to understand that the principle of "a woman's status depends on her husband" also applies to the fan community.

Even if you don't do well in your own cooking business, finding a good partner is still something your fans can brag about.

But no matter how heated the argument gets, the matter is settled.

So let's focus on our future development after the finals; that's the most important thing in each player's life.

The live stream officially ended close to midnight.

Shen Juan left the venue directly by car.

On the way back to the hotel, Yangyang Jin and Shen Juan discussed the future plans of the five trainees after they came out of Produce Camp.

“We don’t need to worry about Jiang Zhenyu and Liu Xiening who have already debuted for the time being. Their contracts for the next two years are with Tencent. We only need to help them with business fashion and variety show resources. So what we need to focus on now is the other three, Sun Zhenni, Shen Xiaoting and Lana.”

"First of all, Sun Zhenni already has a place to go. The company's TV series project, 'The Imperial Coroner,' is about to start filming. Then, Lana will also be transferred to the MCN department in a while and go to Shanghai to join Angelina and Dassa Taran. So, are they now certain that they will only pursue acting and internet celebrity careers in the future?"

“Sun Zhenni is definitely going to pursue an acting career. Anyway, she only participated in the talent show to build up her fanbase. As for Lana, there’s no rush to define her. Let her hang out with Dasha and the others for now! Nobody can predict what will happen in the future. Besides, there are more and more variety shows on various platforms now, and the line between internet celebrities and stars is becoming increasingly blurred. Like in the previous season of 'Back to Field,' it’s not a bad thing to let them occasionally get some exposure.”

Don't say anything else.

Shen Juan plans to collaborate with Tencent next year to produce "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Village" (he has already contacted the platform in advance).

Then we could also make a group variety show or company variety show with all Starlink artists participating, preferably one that could have a sequel.

These are all large-scale, multi-person reality shows.

So at that time, we can also use these programs to boost the popularity and traffic of the company's newcomers and artists who are not so well developed.

"So now that's Shen Xiaoting left, what are your thoughts? Are you still planning to send her to the South Korean branch?"

Shen Juan nodded. "This is also her own wish. I talked to her on WeChat, and she said she doesn't like acting. She only wants to be an idol, so the K-pop environment is indeed more suitable for her development. There are stages all over there, and the living environment is better."

Yangyang Jin gave Shen Juan a strange look. "You really only talked to her about work on WeChat? You didn't talk about anything else?"

"Should I show you my chat history with her?" Shen Juan's eye-rolling skills were getting better and better.

"I think it's okay."

"How dare you think that!"

"Since you've asked me that, of course I dare to think that way!"

Shen Juan rolled his eyes again, too lazy to reply.

Yangyang Jin tried hard to suppress her laughter and steered the conversation back to work: "The debut lineup for the girl group that Min Hee-jin is fully in charge of has been finalized. It's three Koreans and two mixed-race members. The initial plan is to debut in about six months, which is early 2021. So you're planning to directly promote her to the second girl group?"

In Shen Juan's vision, the second seven-member girl group would include members from Japan and South Korea, and suitable candidates had already been selected.

"Unless there are special circumstances, let's arrange it this way."

"Well, I see."

"By the way, I just met a fan a couple of days ago. We can pack them up together and send them to South Korea."

"Have you met any new fans? Have you made any fried noodles yet?"

Shen Juan stared at Yangyang Jin expressionlessly, "If we keep talking like this, I think you won't be able to hear me speak today."

"It's okay. We've already talked about most of what we needed to talk about today. It doesn't matter whether we talk about the rest or not."

"You're invincible."

"You're the invincible one."

After adjusting her mindset, Yangyang Jin now enjoys chatting with Shen Juan more and more, and she enjoys teasing Shen Juan more and more.

Topics that were previously too embarrassing to discuss and things that were too awkward to say can now be spoken with ease.

Through this period of experimentation and repeated exploration and correction, she has found the most effective way to communicate and get along with Shen Juan.

Shen Juan was clearly aware of this problem as well.

Therefore, he also had to make corresponding changes to adapt to the sudden rise of Yangyang Gold.

(Shen Xiaoting debuted in late 21 after participating in a K-pop talent show)

After returning to the hotel, I took a shower and rested for a while.

Around 2 a.m., Shen Juan met Liu Xiening, who had shed many tears that night and whose eyes were now red and swollen.

"You've worked hard these past few days." Shen Juan gently took her wrist and welcomed the slightly reserved girl inside.

"It's worth it if there's a reward." Liu Xiening was led into the house and sat on the sofa in silence for a while. Then she suddenly looked up into Shen Juan's eyes and said with utmost sincerity, "I'm really, really grateful to you, boss, for supporting my second debut in China! You've saved my idol career!"

"I initially chose to return to China because I felt my idol career was over. I never expected to meet you, boss, and I never expected to have such a great opportunity a second time. So I made up my mind that this time I must make sure I have no regrets!"

"Opportunities are earned. You have the talent and the conditions. I just helped you eliminate some external factors. I even think you would likely debut even if you changed companies. Since we chose you, it means you are indeed very outstanding. You should have confidence in yourself."

"But I can't think about so many things, and I don't like to speculate about things that happen in parallel universes. I can only see what's happening now. I only know that it was you, boss, who helped me realize my ideals and helped me find my value as an idol. I can't possibly take all of this for granted!"

Shen Juan had no intention of using this to manipulate people.

After all, he is a super celebrity whose fame is watched by the whole world, so even if he is promiscuous, he should still take a relatively upright path. He can't be too eager to get ahead and do anything. He should also avoid trying many crooked and evil ways that are easy to backfire, so as not to trigger a chain reaction and affect the stability of the fish pond.

But Liu Xiening looked like a little fox who had willingly fallen in love and was actively begging to be manipulated by him to repay a debt of gratitude.

Since that's the case, Shen Juan had no reason to hesitate.

After all, she's taken such a proactive step; if he were to still pretend to be a gentleman and tell her to go back and calm down, it would be too fake.

So, under Liu Xiening's tense yet expectant and excited gaze, Shen Juan smiled and reached out to rub her head.

“I remember we talked about our experiences a few times before. We both left our hometowns to go to South Korea to become trainees when we were very young. The difference is that you succeeded and I failed. But if you take a longer timeline and look at it from a more macro perspective, you will find that we are actually the same.”

“In a sense, we are the same kind of people. We both had a less-than-successful idol experience, and when we felt we could no longer continue, we both chose to return to China. So I can empathize with many of your feelings and emotions. We are naturally closer than others.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiening lowered her head slightly, her fingertips unconsciously digging into the sofa, her voice so soft it was as if she was worried about disturbing something.

"But... I feel that you've already reached a very high level, and those past experiences have long become your badges of honor, while I'm still regretting the opportunities I didn't seize back then. Sometimes when I look at you online, I feel that the distance between us is very, very far, so far that those similar experiences seem to have become blurred."

"Are we very far apart?"

"Yes, it's so far that I always check your schedule online beforehand to make sure I'm available to chat with you, just in case I disturb your work."

"So that's how it is." Shen Juan dragged out the last syllable, and the air in the room seemed to slow down a beat to match his rhythm.

"Am I being too humble?" Liu Xiening asked softly.

Shen Juan did not answer the question. Instead, he suddenly leaned forward and got to within ten centimeters of Liu Xiening, smiling and looking at his reflection in her reddened eyes.

"And now? Is now far off?"

Liu Xiening's breath hitched, the familiar face in her pupils magnified infinitely, and her heart pounded wildly.

I was attracted to him because of his stunning good looks and his comfortable way of speaking. I started to like him because he would patiently give me advice no matter what problems I had. I was slowly drawn to him when we had an honest conversation late at night about our time as trainees in South Korea.

He understands so many things about me.

It always perfectly matches my wishes.

Even he said he didn't expect me to show up so suddenly.

So, fate, so elusive and captivating, is sometimes truly magical; it might never happen if there's even the slightest mishap.

But once it happens, you have to seize the opportunity!

So after a moment of silence, she stepped forward to meet them.

I bumped right into the person I like.

The moment their lips touched was very light.

But Liu Xiening felt
His lips are really soft.

Just like her heart at this very moment.

Already softened to the point of utter ecstasy by the love she received.

I think I've fallen for a really, really good person!
Feeling Shen Juan's warmth, she thought happily.

(End of this chapter)