The others, Shen Jianxi and her group, had already disembarked and were heading back to their dorms in a van. Xu Da had been unusually quiet all the way. Upon reaching the dorms, instead of leaving as usual, he got out with them.
After placing their suitcases in their respective rooms, the four of them came down and sat on the sofa, waiting for Xu Da to speak.
Xu Da handed each of them a document.
"That variety show ended too abruptly. The next group activity I arranged for you is a long way off, not until after that variety show concludes."
He paused, watching them all intently examine the documents on their phones, and continued, "The two resources I'm sending you now are a dating reality show and a singing competition. However, each program only has spots for two people. This means you'll have to split up. I'll give you five minutes to think about how to allocate yourselves."
With that, Xu Da sat down on a single-seater sofa, no longer looking at them. Learning to make choices was a compulsory skill for an artist. He could help them secure opportunities, but their judgment needed to be cultivated by themselves.
Shen Jianxi looked at the two offers and didn't need to deliberate. Just moments ago, 77 had informed her that Ji Zhaoyun would be participating in the dating reality show.
Meanwhile, Lu Gaozhuo glanced around, hesitantly raising his hand. "I want to participate in the singing competition. How about you guys?" To him, there was no choice to be made; the answers were clear. For a newly debuted boy group, joining a dating reality show was clearly disadvantageous. Even if they gained CP fans, it was easy to lose them. Participating in a singing competition to learn from seniors, improve, and showcase themselves was the wiser choice.
He Yi didn't make a decision first but looked up at Jing Luan. "A Luan, what about you? Which one do you want to join?" The logic that Lu Gaozhuo understood, He Yi, as the eldest among the four, naturally grasped as well. However, as the big brother of the group, he naturally had to look out for his younger members.
Jing Luan pursed his lips. His peripheral vision caught Shen Jianxi, who clearly had her mind made up and wasn't struggling. He asked, "Have you decided, A Jian?"
Shen Jianxi's eyes twitched. That moniker felt… strange. But she didn't say anything and honestly replied, "I've decided. I'm joining the dating reality show."
Her statement caused even Xu Da to look up in surprise. He then recalled her identity and understood, lowering his head to continue scrolling on his phone.
"Then I'll join the dating reality show too," Jing Luan said. He was simply indecisive, and with his popularity and skill, it truly didn't matter which he chose. It was just that Jing Luan figured since the other two members didn't particularly like Shen Jian, it was better for him and Shen Jian to be on the same program and look out for each other.
With Jing Luan having made his choice, the participants for the singing competition were implicitly decided. Lu Gaozhuo let out a subtle sigh of relief. Although he would have yielded if both He Yi and Jing Luan wanted to participate in the singing competition, it was best for him to be able to participate now.
Since the spots were settled, Xu Da didn't linger. He still had to contact both production teams separately. As he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to the group. "Both of these programs start in three days, so prepare yourselves well. Especially He Yi and Lu Gaozhuo, there will be many seniors on this program. Learn from them and don't offend anyone. It's better to be less skilled than to have bad character."
He Yi and Lu Gaozhuo replied earnestly, "We've noted it, Brother Xu." Xu Da then left with peace of mind.
With the matter resolved, everyone grabbed their suitcases and headed back to their rooms to pack. Only Jing Luan took something from his room and mysteriously went upstairs. He arrived at Shen Jianxi's doorway and, seeing the person inside packing clothes, knocked.
Shen Jianxi got up and looked over. "What is it, Brother Luan?" Jing Luan glanced around to make sure no one was watching before entering. Seeing him acting like a thief, Shen Jianxi's mouth twitched. If someone didn't know, they'd think the two of them were up to something.
Jing Luan leaned closer to her and, from behind his back, produced a completely black plastic bag. He whispered, "Take these and keep them safe." Shen Jianxi frowned as she took it. It felt quite heavy, and she couldn't tell what was inside as it was too dark to see. "What is this?"
Jing Luan seemed a bit embarrassed and glanced towards the door again, lowering his voice further. "That time when I sleepwalked, no, I interrupted you. I'm worried it might have caused you some harm, so I specifically got something to help you recover."
Shen Jianxi immediately understood. Her face flushed crimson, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. She had never imagined that Jing Luan still thought she had been watching adult material that night, and moreover, that he…
Jing Luan looked at the shy expression on her face, her fair cheeks tinged with a light blush. He suddenly froze, only coming back to his senses when the door closed in front of him. Picking up the plastic bag Shen Jianxi had placed by her feet, Jing Luan felt a bit wronged. He had clearly meant well, so why didn't Shen Jian younger brother appreciate it? He suddenly remembered Shen Jian's appearance earlier, and that jasmine scent, and Jing Luan's face inexplicably began to heat up.
77: "Beep! Favorability +6. Jing Luan's current favorability is 16." He lowered his head and sniffed his clothes again, then disdainedfully took off his shirt. It reeked; the smell in the confined space of the airplane was truly unpleasant. His潔癖 (jié pí – germophobia) suddenly acted up, and Jing Luan left the plastic bag by Shen Jianxi's door before rushing downstairs to shower.