Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, starting with the strategy of 95 flowers to counterattack

Chapter 213 Cosmic Girls' Domestic Trio

After the final episode of Idol Producer ended, Cheng Xiao removed her makeup, changed into a simple T-shirt and jeans, wore a baseball cap and a mask, and quietly left the venue with her mother Liang Aiqun and 14-year-old sister Cheng Chen.

Her mother and younger sister came all the way from Guangdong Province today.

Inside the restaurant's private room, warm yellow light shone on the three of them.

Cheng Chen sat opposite Cheng Xiao, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her and whispered, "Sis, you were amazing on stage today!"

"And you can even dance with Gu Yang, are you two very close?"

"Could you get me an autograph?"

Cheng Xiao hummed in response, ignoring her, and looked down at the menu, saying in a nonchalant tone, "Order whatever you want."

Looking at her eldest daughter, Liang Aiqun sighed with heartache: "Xiao Xiao, you haven't even been home once in the months since you returned to China. You've been so busy every day, aren't you tired? Can your body handle it?"

Cheng Xiao paused, feeling inexplicably sad.

My days as a trainee in South Korea flashed through my mind.

At 14, she went to a foreign country alone. She couldn't speak the language and practiced dancing until the early hours of the morning every day. Bruised knees were a common occurrence, and she could only grit her teeth and endure it even when she had a fever.

Of course, it's been very tiring and tough over the years.

Despite being a mentor on "Idol Producer," she is actually younger than many of the trainees, only 19 years old.

But we made it through, and now we're back in China!

She replied casually, "It's alright, I'm used to it."

Liang Aiqun hesitated for a moment, then stopped asking and brought up another matter: "By the way, Chenchen is about to take the high school entrance exam. I'm thinking of sending her to Pengcheng Art School for high school, so she can follow in your footsteps and sign with Yuehua Entertainment as a trainee..."

Cheng Xiao frowned, her tone somewhat impatient: "Let's talk about it later. She's still young, there's no need to make a decision so early."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chen's excitement immediately faded, and he muttered softly, "I'm not young anymore..."

Cheng Xiao glanced at her but didn't reply.

She didn't like her younger sister much when she was little.

Cheng Chen is innocent and loves to act cute. She always speaks and acts with a childish air, which is completely different from Cheng Xiao's independent and precocious nature.

When Cheng Xiao was a child, his parents were busy, so he was forced to take care of his younger sister. However, the two of them could hardly play together, and over time, Cheng Xiao simply treated her like air.

Noticing the coldness between the two sisters, Liang Aiqun sighed, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Xiao Xiao, actually, there's something else I want to tell you this time..."

Cheng Xiao looked up at her: "What is it?"

Liang Aiqun took a deep breath: "Your father and I... are divorced."

Cheng Xiao's fingers tightened slightly, gripping the edge of the menu.

Has this day finally arrived?
Her parents began living separately when she was 10 years old. The house was always cold, like an icebox. Her father rarely came home, and her mother raised two children alone, and her resentment grew deeper and deeper.

Her father was very cold towards them.

After she returned to China, she invited him to dinner, but her father refused, saying that he "doesn't eat with people he doesn't know well."

The breakdown of her family of origin also made her a highly sensitive and introspective person, who became less talkative and less good at expressing herself and praising others.

In terms of relationships, she is rather indifferent, preferring to stay at home alone rather than go out and hang out with the boys.

She felt it was a waste of time; no man was reliable!
Over the years, she thought she had become numb.

But when the word "divorce" actually came out of her mother's mouth, she still felt a pang of sadness.

"Oh," she finally replied calmly, "You can decide for yourselves."

Liang Aiqun's eyes reddened slightly: "Xiao Xiao, Mom knows you've always been sensible, but this matter..."

"Mom," Cheng Xiao interrupted her, her tone indifferent, "I'm hungry, let's order first."

Cheng Chen stood to the side with her head down, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

The private room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

……

Wearing a mask and a baseball cap, Cheng Xiao watched her mother and sister walk into the hotel elevator.

She only let out a soft breath and her shoulders slumped slightly after the elevator doors closed.

She stood at the hotel entrance, the night wind ruffling her bangs, but unable to dispel the gloom in her heart.

He took out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Zhou Jieqiong's slightly apologetic voice came from the other end: "Xiao Xiao? What's wrong?"

Cheng Xiao kicked a pebble at his feet and said in a muffled tone, "I'm in a bad mood and wanted to have a drink with you."

Zhou Jieqiong sighed: "Ah... I really can't leave right now. PRISTIN is forming a sub-unit, and I have to fly to South Korea at dawn to shoot a music video."

Cheng Xiao paused for a moment, then forced a smile: "Alright, then you get back to work."

Zhou Jieqiong sensed that something was wrong with her mood and quickly added, "But I can recommend a place to you! 'Migas Mercado'. It's a private place, frequented by people in the industry, and there are few paparazzi."

"Xiao Xiao, are you alright?"

"fine!"

"If you really want to go, don't go alone!"

Cheng Xiao hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

She hesitated for a moment, then opened another group chat!
The group name is Cosmic Girls China Sub-team.

Cheng Xiao: "What are you doing?"

Meng Meiqi posted a practice room video, saying, "What else can I do? Practice dancing! Du Ma said we're about to record 'Produce 101,' so if I don't dance well, I'll practice until the early hours of the morning!"

Wu Xuanyi sent a breathless voice message: "Brother Shanzhi, slow down... My instructor just said my wave wasn't strong enough, I've already done it twenty times." Cheng Xiao looked at her phone and chuckled. The teasing from her two lively best friends cheered her up a bit.

She typed quickly: "Hilarious! You two seniors who debuted in Korea three years ago are now being evaluated alongside trainees?"

Meng Meiqi sent an eye-rolling emoji: "Don't even mention it! Yesterday, Aunt Du said we 'have weak fundamentals,' and I almost crushed a water bottle!"

Wu Xuanyi: "The most outrageous thing is that Xiao Xiao, you're already a mentor, and we still have to pretend to be newbies!"

"No fair! No fair!"

"I'm so sad..."

Cheng Xiao felt she should comfort her friends, so she bit her lip and typed: "What was Aunt Du thinking, making you guys participate in the talent show again..."

Meng Meiqi: "Isn't it because your gymnastics routine at the Idol Star Athletics Championships went viral? Du Ma said, 'Cheng Xiao's popularity in South Korea is enough to be a mentor, and you two...'"

"Not even close!"

Wu Xuanyi: "Meiqi, watch your words in the group chat!"

Meng Meiqi: "What are you afraid of? There are only three of us in the group!"

The group chat suddenly went silent for a few seconds.

Cheng Xiao stared at her phone screen, recalling the gymnastics performance that made her an internet sensation at last year's "Idol Star Athletics Championships".

At the time, she didn't expect that this performance would become the key to Du Ma's decision to let her return to China as a mentor.

She typed slowly: "Want to go out for drinks?"

"Bad mood……"

Shortly after the message was sent, two voice messages popped up simultaneously.

Meng Meiqi: "Send me your location, I need to vent too!"

Wu Xuanyi: "Then find a safe bar and we'll sneak out right away."

……

Located on the rooftop terrace, the semi-open space is surrounded by low glass railings, offering views of the nightscape of Yanjing.

The industrial-style black steel frame contrasts with the warm-toned wooden decorations, while green plants and art installations adorn the corners, creating a modern yet slightly lazy style.

The lighting was dim, with only a small brass lamp on each table. The music was a mix of deep jazz and electronic music, just loud enough to drown out whispers without being too loud.

Cheng Xiao's assigned spot was in an inner corner, partially obscured by a decorative wine cabinet, providing both privacy and a view of the entrance.

She changed into a black suit jacket over a simple white T-shirt, her long hair was loosely tied in a low ponytail, and she wore only light makeup, making her look exceptionally clean and natural in the dim light.

When Wu Xuanyi pushed open the door, her bucket hat was pulled low, and she was wearing a loose gray sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and white sneakers, giving off a casual vibe.

She skillfully navigated through the crowd, plopped down next to Cheng Xiao, and casually took off her hat and tossed it onto the sofa.

“This place is nice,” she said, looking around. “It’s much quieter than the one we went to last time.”

Cheng Xiao twitched the corner of his mouth: "If Aunt Du finds out we sneaked out to drink, she'll scold us again tomorrow."

"You even know that?" Wu Xuanyi rolled her eyes at her. "Anyway, I'm going to risk my life to accompany you. If we get caught, we'll just say it was Brother Shanzhi's suggestion!"

"Anyway, she's shameless!"

Chen Xiao chuckled, amused by her.

Just then, Meng Meiqi arrived.

She wore a high-necked black knit sweater, paired with slim-fit jeans, and a long trench coat over it, making her look neat and stylish.

She took off her mask, revealing her delicate, small face, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light.

“I almost got recognized on the street,” she said in a low voice, glancing warily around. “There was a paparazzi staking out downstairs!”

Are you sure they're filming you?

"What do you mean? Are our three beauties from WJSN really that unimpressive?"

The group exchanged a few jokes and then moved further into the corner to make sure they wouldn't be easily photographed.

The waiter brought over the drinks menu, and Cheng Xiao immediately ordered a bottle of whiskey and a few snacks.

"So powerful?" Wu Xuanyi raised an eyebrow.

Cheng Xiao didn't speak, but simply played with the glass in his hand. The ice cubes clinked gently inside the glass, making a crisp sound.

Meng Meiqi and Wu Xuanyi exchanged a glance.

“Speak,” Meng Meiqi said bluntly, “What happened?”

Cheng Xiao stared at the amber liquid swirling in the glass for a long time before finally speaking: "My mom and dad finally got divorced."

The air froze for a moment.

Wu Xuanyi quietly placed her hand on Cheng Xiao's hand and found that her fingertips were icy cold.

"Actually," Cheng Xiao forced a smile, "I should have gotten used to it long ago; they've been separated for so many years. But today my mom suddenly told me that I still..."

Her voice choked, and she didn't continue.

Meng Meiqi silently poured a glass of wine and pushed it in front of her: "Drink up, we'll keep you company tonight."

Cheng Xiao looked up and saw the concerned looks in her two friends' eyes, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She grabbed the wine glass: "Who wants your pity? Drink up!"

The three cups collided in mid-air, making a crisp sound.

(End of this chapter)