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

Jiang Zhiyu dragged his slightly heavy steps back to his seat in the pyramid-shaped seating area.

As soon as he sat down, Yao Wei immediately leaned over, his round eyes sparkling, as if he had a lot to say.

Bian Ziang grabbed Yao Wei's collar: "It's almost our turn, let's get ready."

Yao responded, but before following Bian Ziang, he couldn't help but jump back a step: "That's amazing, Brother Jiang! First A!"

After the two walked away, only Jiang Zhiyu, who had just finished his performance, remained in the corner.

He finally stopped suppressing his breathing and gasped for air.

Each breath was accompanied by a slight, dull pain in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The perfect performance of "I Destroy, I Live" shattered the psychological barrier he had built for himself during this period. A mix of suppressed emotions rushed into his mind, tearing Jiang Zhiyu's consciousness to shreds.

Jiang Zhiyu could clearly feel his heart pounding violently, so fast it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. His eardrums were filled with the deafening roar of his heartbeat, and even his fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably.

He pressed his trembling hands down hard, trying desperately to calm his rapid breathing.

He was experiencing waves of dizziness and darkness, and cold sweat soaked his back. He realized that he couldn't stay still and wait to die, and he couldn't expose his vulnerable side to others.

During the breaks between the contestants' performances, many trainees were busily moving around. Jiang Zhiyu took the opportunity to get up and return backstage.

The live stream was still going on, and the staff were busy at their respective posts. Only a few people hurriedly walked by in the backstage area.

Jiang Zhiyu stumbled to his locker in the corner almost on instinct and unzipped his backpack.

His fingertips were still trembling uncontrollably. He rummaged through his bag several times before finally pulling out his usual pills, which he swallowed down, swallowing them down along with the dry, metallic taste in his throat.

Before the medicine took effect, Jiang Zhiyu, overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of impending death, slowly slid down onto the cold floor, leaning against the locker.

He looked up at the smooth surface of the locker, where his reflection clearly showed his own image—his face was as pale as paper, his eyes were red-rimmed, and tears were streaming uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.

Even Jiang Zhiyu himself didn't realize that he was already in tears.

The nightmarish, piercing sound of the brakes began playing on a loop in his mind. He raised his hand to wipe away his tears, somewhat bewildered, but the tears kept falling.

In the end, he simply gave up and let his hands fall, letting tears stream down his cheeks and letting the sharp ringing in his ears completely engulf him.

After an unknown amount of time, the effects of the pills finally began to take hold. The suffocating sensation gradually lessened, the violently beating heart slowed down, Jiang Zhiyu's confused consciousness gradually returned, and the tinnitus slowly faded away.

There wasn't a soul around, and it was so quiet that he could only hear his own breathing gradually becoming steady. He could faintly hear the songs on stage and the cheers of the audience coming from the studio just a wall away, but the loud sounds seemed particularly dull and distant through the thick walls, as if he were in a different world.

Jiang Zhiyu coughed twice and slowly straightened up, leaning on the locker for support.

He leaned against the wall for a moment to catch his breath before staggering toward the bathroom.

He pushed open the bathroom door, finding it empty. He walked straight to the sink, turned on the tap, and icy tap water gushed out instantly.

He bent down, cupped his hands in the icy water, and splashed it hard on his face, again and again. The biting cold instantly swept over his body, completely clearing his muddled mind.

Then Jiang Zhiyu straightened up and looked up at the mirror in front of him.

The face in the mirror was pale, and the eyes were bloodshot.

His well-defined knuckles rested on the edge of the sink, his body slightly hunched, water droplets trickling down his cheeks and wetting his collar.

Jiang Zhiyu felt physically disgusted by his disheveled appearance, so he clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

Just then, a very faint footstep sound came from behind. Jiang Zhiyu turned around sharply and saw a figure standing frozen on the spot.

It is Kui Shuang.

The man's blond hair was swept back in a slightly messy manner, indicating his previous anxious state.

Kui Shuang seemed somewhat surprised as well, but quickly composed herself after slightly opening her eyes.

He frowned and looked Jiang Zhiyu up and down.

Jiang Zhiyu bit his lower lip, unusually at a loss for what to do.

To his surprise, Wei Shuang didn't say a word. She simply walked past him, placed an unopened pack of tissues next to the sink, and then went into the bathroom without looking back. Before leaving, she only said casually, "I took out an extra pack. Throw it away for me."

Watching Wei Shuang's retreating figure disappear quickly into the toilet door, seemingly fleeing in panic, Jiang Zhiyu gained a new understanding of him.

From an enemy that had to be defeated to an enemy that had to be defeated, who was not bad-natured but had a stubborn mouth.

Jiang Zhiyu did not ignore this kindness offered to him. He took out a few tissues and carefully wiped the water droplets off his face.

As the soft tissue rubbed against his skin, he didn't notice that the small mole he had deliberately covered with concealer had faded slightly due to the cold water soaking and wiping, and the light brown mole was now faintly visible.

Composing himself, he glanced at the silent restroom and then walked back to his pyramid-shaped seating area in the studio.

Yao Wei had already returned to his seat. When he saw Jiang Zhiyu, who had returned, his eyes lit up: "Brother Jiang, where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages."

"I just went to the restroom," Jiang Zhiyu said, his voice a little hoarse.

In his excitement, Yao Wei failed to notice Jiang Zhiyu's unusual behavior. He didn't press the matter, but pointed to himself, beaming with joy, "I got a B, Brother Jiang! I thought I'd only get a C at most!"

Yao Wei's energy, like a dazzling sun, dispelled the oppressive gloom in Jiang Zhiyu's heart. He sincerely said, "Amazing."

Yao Wei, feeling a little shy after being praised, quickly turned his head away and started chuckling to himself.

Jiang Zhiyu looked around. The trainees were chatting quietly, the stage lights were dazzling, and the music was playing, completely masking his brief emotional fluctuations.

He sat up straight, turned his gaze back to the stage, and continued watching the upcoming debut performance.

"The Shining Project" will be broadcast in a combination of live streaming and pre-recorded content, with the pre-recorded versions being released gradually after post-production editing.

Not long after Jiang Zhiyu sat back down, a recording camera was set up near him to film the reactions of the contestants in that area, ensuring that there would be enough effective shots in the later edited version.

The trainees nearby immediately became lively in order to get on camera.

Jiang Zhiyu paid no attention to the machine with its strong presence; the boy performing on the stage attracted most of his attention.