Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

The bus continued forward, and the scenery outside the window changed from the streets to a wide seaside highway. The salty sea breeze blew in through the cracks in the windows, carrying a faint smell of sea salt.

After an unknown amount of time, the bus finally stopped in front of a white building by the sea.

This is the filming location for the music video of "Shining Project". It is built by the sea, and the blue sea is right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The scenery is as beautiful as a painting.

The trainees got off the bus one after another, and the production team was already waiting at the door, holding folders and calling out names one by one.

"Class A—" the MV director called out the names, "Your group goes to the dressing room first, the other groups will come later."

Jiang Zhiyu walked into the dressing room and was immediately greeted by a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror. The person in the mirror had a cool and aloof look, a tall and straight figure, and was dressed in a suit and uniform, looking like a young man who had stepped out of a painting.

The makeup artist came over; it was the same woman who had covered his mole before he chose his seat on the first day. She clearly felt it was a special connection as well. She smiled at Jiang Zhiyu and then gave him a light makeup look, only shaping his eyebrows, applying some lip gloss, and touching up the concealer under his eyes, preserving his original facial features while adding a touch of refinement.

"Jiang Zhiyu, your face is so photogenic." The makeup artist exclaimed while applying makeup, "If you stood in the center, you could definitely hold your own against the camera."

Jiang Zhiyu forced a smile: "Thank you."

"Actually, I think the mole under your eye is very pretty. It makes you even more unique when it's exposed." She couldn't help but ask. Out of her pursuit of beauty, she had always felt that this mole could add a different flavor to Jiang Zhiyu's beauty.

"I don't like it."

Jiang Zhiyu's eyes dimmed for a moment, but he ultimately did not explain the reason.

After saying goodbye to the makeup artist who had finished her work, he walked to the filming location, where the director had already set up the equipment.

In the center of the venue is a white sandy beach, with the azure sea in the background. The sky is clear and the clouds drift by lightly, as if they have just been washed.

After finishing their makeup, the trainees gradually gathered. To speed up the process, the director first filmed group shots divided by their levels.

"Everyone to your positions, ready to film." The director picked up the microphone, and his voice came through the loudspeaker, "First group, Class A, Jiang Zhiyu, stand in the center, everyone else stand around him."

The trainees quickly took their positions, with Jiang Zhiyu standing in the very center, slightly turned to the side, facing the camera.

The director yelled "Action!" and the music started—the accompaniment to the theme song of "Shining Project," soothing yet powerful.

Jiang Zhiyu raised his hand, making the first move.

His movements were clean and crisp, every beat was perfectly timed, and his arm swings, waist twists, and foot movements all demonstrated exceptional control.

The camera followed him closely, capturing every subtle change in his expression. His gaze was steady, without the slightest hint of panic; his cold stare seemed to penetrate the screen and reach straight to the heart.

The trainees around him cooperated with him, their movements were synchronized, forming a tight circle around him.

The hem of the suit jacket fluttered in the sea breeze, reflecting the azure sea, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Shooting group shots went smoothly, and we almost got it in one take.

Next, we filmed a close-up of Jiang Zhiyu.

The director had him stand at the highest point of the sand and rocks, facing the sea, with the sunset glow in the background.

"Jiang Zhiyu, don't try to do anything special. Just be yourself and be natural," the director said.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded and walked to the designated location.

The afterglow of the sunset bathed him, gilding him with a golden edge. He lowered his head slightly, straightened his collar, and then looked up at the camera.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

His eyes no longer held their usual coldness, but instead held a hint of gentleness, and a subtle, unwavering determination.

The sea breeze brushed against his hair, and the hem of his suit jacket fluttered gently. He slowly raised his hand, making a gesture as if embracing the sea.

The camera zoomed in, capturing his every expression. The director, watching from behind the monitor, couldn't help but nod: "Perfect, this take, let's go straight to it."

After four hours of filming, all the scenes for the music video were finally shot.

Jiang Zhiyu returned to the dressing room, removed his makeup, and took the bus back to the dormitory with the other trainees.

Everyone was exhausted from the journey and rested against the back of their chairs.

Jiang Zhiyu leaned against the window, looking at the gradually familiar streets outside, his mind still replaying the process of filming the music video.

This was a very novel experience for him, and he felt that he performed well, even better than during the theme song performance.

It was already 6 p.m. when I got back to the dormitory.

The first thing Jiang Zhiyu did upon returning to his dormitory was to go to the dormitory administrator's office.

The administrator was a middle-aged man surnamed Wang, who was always serious and rarely smiled.

Jiang Zhiyu knocked on the door and went inside.

"Brother Wang, I have a question for you," Jiang Zhiyu said. "Did any staff members go to our dormitory last night?"

Brother Wang looked up at him, a puzzled expression on his face: "No, you didn't send any staff in after your live stream last night. What's wrong?"

"Someone said they saw someone come out of our dormitory last night," Jiang Zhiyu said.

Brother Wang frowned, thought for a moment, and his expression gradually became serious: "Don't worry, I'll go and find out."

He paused, then reassured them, "It's also possible that the staff in other areas didn't coordinate well with us. Don't worry, I'll check the surveillance footage later."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Brother Wang."

After leaving the administrator's office, Jiang Zhiyu returned to his dormitory.

Lin Sen and Mi Lan were packing their things when they saw him return and gathered around him.

"How is it? What did Brother Wang say?" Lin Sen asked.

Jiang Zhiyu repeated what the administrator had said.

"Then let's wait for news." Mi Lan sighed. "Zhiyu, check if you've lost anything. Lin Sen and I just checked again, and we haven't lost anything."

Lin Sen nodded: "Yes, please check your personal belongings."

Jiang Zhiyu responded and walked over to his luggage to look through it.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head to look at the two of them, and remained silent for a moment under their gaze before speaking: "I lost the pendant my friend gave me... and my medicine too."

"Hiss—" Lin Sen gasped, raising his hand to cover his head. "This is complicated."

In their industry, the severity of a lost item is not determined by its value. Sometimes, the cheaper the item, the more serious the situation, because everyone knows that it may involve gray areas such as stalker behavior.

Mi Lan gritted her teeth: "No, I'll go find Brother Wang again."

With that, he pushed the door open and went straight out.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't speak. He sat on the edge of the bed, lowered his eyes, and anxiously dug his fingers into his palm.

He didn't care about losing the medication he took daily to suppress his condition, but he was deeply troubled by the disappearance of the pendant.

That was a twelfth birthday gift from Jing Chi.

He still vividly remembers the scene.