ATIS Chapter 24

Toeisup sat cross-legged, fully concentrated on watching Qin Lu dance in front of him.

At seventeen, the young man was at a stage where his physical fitness and appearance were nearly at their peak. The sleeves of the A-class training uniform were rolled up to his elbows, the bright colors contrasting against the exposed slim forearms, making them appear even fairer. His clean and refreshing black hair, damp with sweat, fell across his forehead and lightly lifted with each dance move.

The faint sound of sneakers rubbing against the wooden floor echoed, and Qin Lu’s emotions continuously shifted with the music. If the mirror ahead were the audience’s perspective, every subtle expression he made was perfectly in sync with the rhythm changes of the music. When he raised his head with a slight smile during the killing part, sweat dripped down his handsome profile, exuding a strong, aggressive hormonal aura all over his body

Under the bright lights of the practice room, Qin Lu’s already outstanding appearance seemed to glow even more brilliantly, enhanced by his performance as he finished his dance.

The cameraman recorded the entire demonstration process and showed a hint of admiration. He had filmed quite a few talent shows, but performers with such strong expressiveness as Qin Lu were truly rare.

Toeisup was stunned as he watched, and when the other lowered his head and looked over with a smile, he couldn’t help but show a longing look in his bright eyes: “P Lu, you’re amazing!”

The black-haired trainee who was only one year older than him tugged at his somewhat sweaty training uniform and his smile returned to the calm, pleasant demeanor that made people feel very comfortable: “Did you notice anything?”

The soft-featured mixed-race trainee nodded vigorously.

From the moment Qin Lu began performing, Toeisup had a vague realization of where the root of the problem lay. He had previously thought that stage performance merely required executing each move correctly, but that was only the foundation for completing a performance.

To make a performance that leaves a deep impression on the audience, or one that quicken their pulses and stir their emotions, one must not only integrate with the music but also display an expressiveness that resonates with the music’s emotions.

Every look, expression, and the transition of each movement's intensity directly affect whether the audience will feel moved or impacted.

Toeisup, who only knew to practice movements rigidly, was now just an empty imitator of actions without a soul, not a creator who brings the stage to life.

Clutching the plastic bottle in his hand, Toeisup watched the black-haired trainee who had sat down to rest again, firmly engraving the feeling that Qin Lu’s demonstration gave him in his mind. The same moves executed by different people can yield vastly different results. If Toeisup were just a regular audience member, he might immediately focus on Qin Lu during the final performance.

It’s not that Fan Xi or Jin Yooeun from class A lacked personal charisma, but Toeisup, still too inexperienced to describe the specific reasons, felt that from a purely audience perspective, Qin Lu stood out the most among his equally excellent teammates. Currently, only Liao Junchen, whose professional skills were unparalleled, could match Qin Lu’s brilliance.

Toeisup's eyes couldn't help but show a hint of longing and aspiration. If he also worked hard to practice, will one day he be able to shine his with own light on stage like P Lu?

The young trainee smiled foolishly as he fantasized, his delicate features revealing a touch of innocent silliness.

When a sudden knock sounded at the door, the trainees who were resting all looked up towards the door in unison—

In the middle of summer, the "cool" mentor Yin Suli, wearing a black leather jacket, lazily leaned against the door frame. Today, she wore a makeup look that was very unordinary but very fitting for a female celebrity. Unlike most female stars who tried hard to have the fake plain face of a little white flower (1), Yin Suli exuded the standout qualities of a female rapper: laoniang (2) has been popular for twenty years, still at the top, aren’t I impressive?

Being down-to-earth was never an option in this life; laoniang was a star.

But now, Yin Suli frowned beautifully, visibly agitated.

"Why are you all sitting around? You only have seven days before you need to go on stage, and I'm getting anxious for you. Get up quickly and show me the routine you've practiced so far. Perform as if you're about to go on stage right now. Even if you haven’t practiced well, sing and dance at the same time. You have one minute."

Fan Xi groaned in despair, quickly sitting up from his sprawled position: "Teacher, you misunderstand, we weren't slacking off. We've been practicing all day and just sat down less than five minutes ago..."

Yin Suli was unmoved and sneered: "Well, I wouldn't know about that. Even if I believe you, what about the audience? The post-editing won't just pick the moments when you're diligently practicing. There are cameras on you for over twenty hours a day, but the final edited version of each episode is less than two hours long."

"And those less than two hours have to be divided among ninety-nine contestants."

Yin Suli raised her brows expressionlessly and added, "And the program team also needs to allocate time for the fans of the four mentors, which means even fewer shots for you."

She looked around at the row of trainees. "Do you think the audience will listen to your explanations? Even if you practice for more than fifteen hours a day, if the post-editing doesn't include those moments and only shows a clip of you lounging around, what will the audience think?"

Nan Xiao, who had previously participated in a few reality shows, slightly pursed his lips upon hearing this and unconsciously clenched his hands behind his back.

"Don't think the program team is so friendly, and don't assume that just because you work hard, you'll be seen. The audience isn't stupid, but you have to consider if they are willing to waste their time thinking about whether you might be different from how you appear in the show. Sometimes the audience doesn't want to figure out the truth because you’re not important enough for them to scrutinize. So, even some obvious manipulations in editing can guide the majority of viewers’ opinions."

"I can do whatever I want now because I'm popular," Yin Suli said shamelessly. "I get criticism because I'm in the spotlight; otherwise, the haters wouldn't even bother. But you guys can't afford that. You’re a bunch of trainees who don't even have fans yet, so you can't afford any mistakes in any frame."

Qin Lu listened quietly, lowering his eyes without speaking. He understood well that being a star wasn't as simple and glamorous as it seemed. Wherever you go, there are cameras, and except for those few hours of sleep you must squeeze in, you are endlessly exposed to the camera from the moment you open your eyes.

There is no freedom. Any action that might be thoughtless could lead to a public outcry. But that was the price of fame; there are gains and losses. For trainees who haven’t debuted yet, being caught in a moment of weakness could mean they would never get to experience those same troubles.

The program team wasn’t obligated to highlight any trainee’s shining moments. If they wanted to be seen by the audience, it was up to the trainees themselves.

Fan Xi had never considered these things before and after a moment of confusion, was lost in thought.

Everyone present quickly realized that Mentor Yin Suli was taking this opportunity to teach them a lesson. Yin Suli didn't have to say these things, but by pointing out these hidden and overlooked but crucial rules, she was sincerely helping the trainees.

The black-haired trainee met Yin Suli’s gaze and said seriously, "Thank you."

Yin Suli looked at Qin Lu's calm and beautiful eyes, and her expression softened slightly. She cleared her throat, her usual demeanor returning: "Alright, let’s start."

They hadn't rehearsed their positions in the past few days. From what Yin Suli just said, it meant they had to perform to stage standards no matter how well they had practiced, which meant relying on memory to attempt the positioning for the first time while singing and dancing simultaneously.

Qin Lu stood in the starting center position as the C-position. Before starting, he said a few simple words to his teammates who looked nervous as if facing some formidable enemy.

Soon, his teammates relaxed a bit and quickly found their positions while silently repeating something to themselves.

Yin Suli folded her arms with a stern face, not expecting much from the trainees' performance.

However, when the music started and the black-haired trainee lifted his eyes, Yin Suli straightened slightly.

The cameraman silently focused the camera on Qin Lu.

"DIA" is a highly rhythmic and aggressive song, and the bass mixed with the lively drum beats in the prelude was particularly catchy. Originally, Yin Suli thought this song didn't match Qin Lu's usual temperament and wouldn't suit him.

But Qin Lu broke her preconceptions, proving that a person's style could naturally and brilliantly transform with the music.

Qin Lu's features were already three-dimensional, but his gaze was usually gentle so he wasn’t the same type of good-looking as Han Suyan, with a sharpness difficult to approach.

Now, the affinity that made people unconsciously want to get close to the black-haired trainee had faded. His dance moves were clean and swift yet seemed effortless and relaxed. The smile he showed at the 0.5-second pause was even a bit aggressive. His casually messy black hair lifted lightly with his movements, and a simple upward glance was captivating.

The opening was very catchy, and Mentor Yin Suli’s eyes began to show a hint of a smile.

The other trainees started by standing still behind, heads down. When the prelude reached the first lyric, Qin Lu naturally smiled at the camera and pulled out a coin from his pocket, tossing it backward without looking—

Han Suyan, who had been standing quietly behind Qin Lu, raised his hand and easily caught the coin.

The C-position switched seamlessly, fitting perfectly with the lyrics.

To ensure this opening was flawless, Qin Lu had practiced this with Han Suyan during breaks over the past few days. Sometimes, he would suddenly toss the coin when Han Suyan was unprepared, and Han Suyan would quickly catch it, looking at the smiling black-haired trainee before placing the coin back in his palm.

In the center position, Han Suyan’s good looks sparkled even in the simple lighting of the practice room. His slightly indifferent eyebrows and eyes matched the song’s vibe, and his tall stature was even more pronounced when the other trainees bent slightly to accommodate him.

Liao Junchen was right; the low bass notes in the opening suited Han Suyan. His deep voice was steady and pleasant, making one forget he was just wearing a simple training uniform and instead enveloped in his unique charm.

Singing and dancing simultaneously was still challenging for the trainees. In the past few days, they mainly focused on dance practice, and some even forgot the lyrics.

The positioning was initially chaotic, but after some discreet reminders from Qin Lu, it improved. Yin Suli saw through their seemingly hidden little interactions very clearly.

Liao Junchen was, as usual, outstanding, with barely any noticeable flaws.

The performance lasted only about three minutes, and Yin Suli had already identified their current issues.

"Very good," Yin Suli said, and before the trainees could be happy, she continued, "…but also very bad."

Liao Junchen pursed his lips, listening attentivelt to Yin Suli’s evaluation.

"The good point is that each of you has a distinct personal style, memorable and commendable, with unique highlights that don’t overlap." Yin Suli paused. "But the problem is also that your personal styles are too strong, making this group look mismatched. Most of you could be the Ace in other teams, making them look more harmonious. But now, you’re all in the same team, and I can't see you as a cohesive unit."

"Being too prominent individually or too insignificant aren't attributes of a complete team performance."

"What you need to do now isn't just perfecting the synchronized dance. There’s something even more important, which is maintaining your individuality while bringing it together to form a truly harmonious group performance without dimming your own original light."

Su Qinglan glanced at his teammates with vastly different styles. Uh, cultivating tacit understanding?

His gaze fell on the black-haired trainee who was deep in thought.

The curly-haired trainee scratched his head in confusion. He seemed to understand what Mentor Yin Suli meant but wasn’t sure how to achieve it. Besides, he felt he was already quite in sync with Qin Lu.

Translation Notes

(1)   Little white flower: someone (usually women) who looks innocent and fresh. Suli’s like, fuck that, femme fatale

(2)   Laoniang: if you’ve read Chinese novels before, you’d know what Laozi means, which is a very arrogant way of referring to oneself (she’s basically saying, I, your mother). Girl boss.

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