abcnovels
Chapter 75 - Team Formation
Chapter 75 - Team Formation
Chapter 75 - Team Formation
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
7AM, Crosson Base canteen.
Zoe picked up a knife and fork along with his plate, then grabbed a pair of chopsticks for Wen Lin and sat down at one end of the table. He seemed fresh and energetic.
The two of them were old partners from two consecutive seasons of the Crosson Show. One year ago, Zoe had even had to write short notes, ‘You should hit me on the shoulder here once’, ‘Give A-Lin the microphone here, and wait for the audience’s cries before turning back’. One year later, he was already familiar with the process.
At the other end of the table.
Unsurprisingly, Caesar was late. Wu Jin’s eyes were blank, and he seemed to have received some sort of blow. He was currently mechanically stuffing corn into his mouth, and Wen Lin was watching Wu Jin with interest.
Zoe coughed lightly and knocked on the table.
Wu Jin subconsciously wound up further, his actions accelerating.
Zoe immediately tried to soothe him, “Eat slowly. Although our program group is poor, corn kernels are still something they have a lot of.”
He then said sentimentally, “This time last year... Your brother Zoe was also nervous. A serious survival show contestant going up for team activities––what team activities?! But, Little Witch, don’t worry. You’ll get used to this kind of thing after going through it once. It’s just forming a CP, and it’s not like that Contestant Wei has any inappropriate thoughts about you. It’s fine, it won’t hurt your relationship!”
Wu Jin choked and exhaled a breath of corn-flavored air. He obviously hadn’t slept well last night. The youth’s eyes were slightly misted, his curls a mess, and his ears perked up and alert.
At this time, as long as there was even the slightest change in the depths of his mind, Wu Jin wouldn’t hesitate to hold up a small whip and shout out a warning.
Don’t think about it!
You misbehaving brain!
Zoe continued to offer reassurance, “Even if he has inappropriate thoughts towards Little Witch, aren’t there the three of us looking out for you from the side?!”
Wu Jin hung his head, finished eating, and followed his teammates into the Crosson broadcast hall.
The voting for the team activity partners ended at 8AM. By the time the contestants went backstage for makeup, the voting channel had already closed.
Caesar was stuck at the door, kicking up a fuss as he went over to Wu Jin’s side and sat down, but was caught by surprise at the glare Thin Fire sent his way.
Caesar was very impolite as he stared back, “Did this coquettish man take the wrong medicine today?”
The White Moonlight team’s expressions were complicated, “......”
Caesar slapped his thigh, “Little Witch, your big brother hasn’t even had his debut, and my first, precious CP spot will be given to you. You need to remember your big brother in the future, hey. Heheh, teaming up with Little Witch, I was just thinking when I left this morning that my brain can take a rest today––”
Zoe’s expression was loveless, and Wu Jin wanted to speak but hesitated.
The two instructors arrived at the directors studio before the program producer. After they’d entered autumn, Ying Xiangxiang had changed into a forest green long dress, with warm brown and misty, milky tones for her makeup. She soon attracted the attention of the entire group of straight men.
Wu Jin’s eyes were wide and round. A long time later, he was finally relieved.
Instructor Ying was very good looking... He could appreciate a beautiful woman, which meant that he was still normal! He must have been too tired yesterday and to have had such a messy dream!!
They were debugging the magnesium lamps on the stage. Ying Xiangxiang casually flicked back her long hair and gave the contestants tips regarding their stage presence.
“Relax, don’t flinch. The audience won’t eat you, okay? Little Thin, your eyeliner is too heavy. We’ll be adding filters during post production, so use a makeup removal wipe to take it off. Ming Yao, don’t be nervous. And Little Witch.” Ying Xiangxiang chuckled, “Your state when you danced the theme song was very good. Don’t be scared, it’s just a variety of small games.”
“It’s just forming a CP in order to satisfy the needs of the audience. Besides, we’re a regular show, unlike those speed dating couples that change every week.”
Ying Xiangxiang was very experienced with these things and was quite skilled at using the program next door in order to scare them, “Those people need to live together in a lover’s cottage for a month, hey, and they even have to cook together, raise a pet together, give each other goodnight kisses at a set time, and write cloyingly sweet love diaries.”
The crowd of contestants were instantly horrified.
Blood Pigeon suddenly thought of something, “Last time, maybe four or five years ago, there was a one week speed dating series that collaborated with a certain survival program to do a variety show, and I remember that two of the contestants finally ended up fighting in the lover’s cottage. They had eaten instant noodles for several days and hadn’t touched any of the vegetable knives, cutting boards, the microwave, and so on, but on the last day, they made use of it all. The two contestants showed off their close-combat abilities using very standard kitchen equipment in front of the camera...”
“......” Ying Xiangxiang thought, what kind of garbage variety shows do straight men watch?!
Beneath the stage, Zoe felt goosebumps break out on his skin, “If Caesar and his partner are shut in together, won’t they have to remove even the door panels?”
Caesar: “??? What are you talking about?”
Wen Lin smiled like a fox as he nodded. Wu Jin’s thoughts began to drift as he thought about cooking together, raising a rabbit together... a goodnight kiss...
Wu Jin suddenly pressed down on his fluffy small curls.
Just then, five or six assistant directors gathered around the program producer who’d just come in through the door. “Line up in front of me. Come over to form teams when I call out your name. Zuo Botang, Ming Yao, go to the left to get your numbers. I’m not worried about your group; it’s reliable.”
“Wu Jin, Wei Shi.”
Caesar froze, then exploded on the spot, “What? Little Witch isn’t with me? Who is this guy? That’s not right, then who am I with––”
Thin Fire was particularly free and easy as he stirred up chaos, “Brother ahhhhh, can’t we get rid of him? My first on-screen CP, who did I provoke? I––”
Thin Water was apathetic, “Pup, you have no human rights until your debut. Be good.”
On the stage.
Wu Jin walked up the steps beneath the lights. Wei Shi, who’d been in the crowd, walked forward like Moses dividing the sea, then nodded slightly to him before standing side by side with him.
The light beams caught the floating dust that was landing on the broad shoulders of the man like fine snow. Wu Jin tried to restrain himself from acting familiar with him, but there was a little devil in his heart, and his entire person was slightly stiff.
No, it must be because he’d been in too much of a hurry to level up as a little follower! And his brain had overloaded––
Wei Shi suddenly turned sideways and lowered his head, “Didn’t sleep well? Headache?”
The man’s voice was deep and a little hoarse, and his facial features were clearly outlined in the light and dust. He appeared majestic and cold.
When he leaned over with his brows drawn together, his broad shoulders and arms blocked out the stage lights and cast Wu Jin in shadow. The straight lines of his back were like sharp knives, bright and dazzling.
––So handsome he was suffocating.
Wu Jin: “!!!” Brain shut down, brain shut down ahhhh!!
That’s not right, big brother had always been good looking! He couldn’t start suppressing his appreciation for beauty just because of some messy dreams! He also couldn’t think about wanting to lean over and rub against him just because he was attractive! You’re a little follower, maintain some dignity!!
Wu Jin’s mind was full of confusion. The program producer’s shouting off-stage, and Caesar, Thin Fire, and even Red’s protests seemed to be covered up in the mess.
At this time, almost all the contestants had come to watch the commotion. Even Jingyi’s double c had their necks stretched out on stage, and only their corner of the stage was quiet and silent.
In the quietness, Wei Shi raised his hand, his knuckles brushing against Wu Jin’s forehead before threading through the soft, choppy curls. The thick pads of his gun calluses pressed and rubbed lightly against the youth’s temple.
<Falling In Love With A Popular Idol>, Floating City Entertainment Press best selling edition 3017––“Chapter 3: Use tender caresses and affectionate gazes to flirt with him!”
The man’s pupils were deep and reflected the light. He wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, and his eyes were currently intimidatingly filled with brewing emotions.
Wu Jin’s breathing stalled for a moment, and then he instantly became a quivering quail.
Beneath the big boss’s aura, the pressure Wu Jin felt increased sharply. He forced himself to explain, “Last night, the rabbit...”
Wei Shi spoke coldly, “Buy a cage.”
Wu Jin hurriedly pleaded for mercy for Brother Rabbit, “The rabbit is very good! He usually doesn’t move when he sleeps and at most will just rub against my pillow––”
Wei Shi’s expression shifted slightly, and he spoke slowly, “You sleep with it?”
The pressure in the air increased sharply.
Wu Jin was shocked and quickly added, “I don’t take up space when I sleep! I’m really well behaved too!”
The fingers that were rubbing against his temples lightly paused.
Wu Jin quickly moved his hands and feet to demonstrate. “It’s like this, the pillow is this––big. I sleep on the left side without moving or turning, and I don’t press down on the rabbit! The rabbit will bounce around until he finds a comfortable place to lie down...”
Wei Shi: “Without moving or turning?”
Wu Jin nodded repeatedly.
“I’ll go and check next time.” Wei Shi spoke lightly.
Wu Jin was shocked again.
Check... how would he check? Wait a minute, Brother Rabbit was only a tiny little part of the reason why he hadn’t slept well. The other reasons were...
The man raised his eyebrows. His fingertips and breath were both scalding, causing Wu Jin to fumble out a retreat. Wei Shi retrieved his right hand that was threaded through the small curls and spoke in a low voice, “Unwilling, hm?”
The pheromones were spreading everywhere.
Wu Jin’s brain made a clicking sound and crashed directly.
Beneath the stage. Caesar and Thin Fire were currently flaming each other while laying down the law, “You’re not allowed to touch me”, “Who would f*cking want to touch you?”, “Weren’t you the one who bought votes?”, “I would vote for me and the program producer before I voted for you....”
Red had also started to howl, “Why?! Didn’t the two fools CP have two million votes? Why am I partnered with the human-shaped weapon?? Didn’t Scarf have 1.2 million votes? I was only eliminated by Wei Yan in the last match––”
The director explained impatiently, “Caesar x Thin Fire has the highest number of votes. You can’t form a 3P with them, can you? And also, which Scarf are you referring to...”
Wei Shi pressed down lightly on the small curls.
Wu Jin: “... Ah.”
Wei Shi: “Restart.”
The crowd was happily watching the show. When they looked back again, Wei Shi stood there, dignified, and Wu Jin seemed to be in a trance.
The program producer was already a little dizzy from the arguments. He pointed his laser pen at the stage and was about to give the two people some instructions, but after looking at them for a while, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, “Little Witch’s team is pretty good too. The atmosphere is there. Pass!”
A contestant from Dolma, who was watching from the sidelines, immediately looked towards these role models, but after studying them for a long time, he was still unable to figure out anything. He turned to Qin Jinbao and asked, “Captain, what kind of atmosphere is it? The two of them are just standing there without talking or looking at each other.”
Qin Jinbao shook his head, “What do you know! Your observational skills are clearly inadequate!”
Within half an hour, twenty contestants were bound together and taken backstage for the team activity makeup.
Ten teams of partners were split into groups of two. Before going in, Thin Fire put on a face mask. He’d argued and raged with Caesar incessantly earlier, and he swept the essence from the mask down to his neck, using a hand massage to draw patterns on his skin. Jingyi’s double c looked comfortable and relaxed, apparently not concerned about tacit understanding at all. Wei Yan’s gaze, on the other hand, had never once moved towards the partner the audience had given him: Red––
Wei Yan’s gaze was instead constantly directed toward Wei Shi.
Beneath the stage, the stage managers were all watching the show and gossiping amongst themselves.
“Is this the Scarf enmity? I’m suddenly excited... there’s a lot of melons to eat this time!”
“That’s up to Little Witch. He seems to be looking at Contestant Wei a lot? Do they know each other from before?”
“They shouldn’t... They’ve probably never even seen each other before. The program producer always blames us for things, so we used the facial recognition AI to check through the camera footage. This Contestant Wei doesn’t have a high sense of existence. It was simply like he was invisible! In other words, the first time the two of them met was when they fought against each other! This human-shaped weapon must be really angry that Little Witch was stolen away by someone else! Sigh, he wanted to have a little fun in his life, but then ended up with green on his head!”
“Enough, enough. Who cares if they know each other or not? The audience loves to watch this kind of thing. Tidy up and prepare the cameras...”
Ten hours later.
In the Crosson Show broadcast studio, the price of the tickets to the team activity live show that had already gone up several times was still unable to dampen the fans’ enthusiasm. The audience stands were noisy like a tide, and countless support cards shone among the audience.
In the middle of the stage, the lights shone bright.
Extremely loud cheers erupted at the scene, and the circular virtual screen shook slightly before flaring up – a shotgun, the World card, and the sacrificial fires flashing through the screen. Thin Fire and Caesar appeared inside a beam of light.
Then came Jingyi’s double c, Wei Yan and Red, as well as Wu Jin––
In the darkness, Wei Shi raised his brows.
The two of them stepped onto the lift that would take them up together for the first time.
The lift platform was so narrow that their elbows almost had to touch. The noise from outside passed through the heavy stage, resounding with a dull roar in their ears, but the sound closest to them was the heartbeat of the other party.
Wei Shi: “Go?”
Wu Jin’s eyebrows curved. He suppressed the secret exultation in his heart and nodded, “Together.”
The mechanism rose up, and the curtains suddenly pulled open.
The two walked out side by side.
Juurensha: Yesss the foe-yay team of Caesar/Thin Fire is happening, hahahaha. And Little Witch, keep fighting!
xiin: Wu Jin: what to do?! all this restarting of my brain isn’t working ahhhhhh
gorgeous fanart from Licht on Discord~
also, i promised extra chapters :3 expect some double releases in the next week or so~ (i have to build up more backlog first heh heh... orz)