But with one call from the station director, Li Kun was still summoned for a "tea talk."
Wen Yan waited all night but never received a call from Li Hui.
He stayed up all night, his eyes open until dawn.
Just as dawn broke, the dormitory door was knocked on.
Ge Qi rolled over and muttered irritably, "So annoying."
Wen Yan lay motionless, though his entire body was frozen, an ominous feeling settling in his heart.
The knocking continued as Ge Qi groggily got up and shuffled toward the door to open it.
About to snap at the intruder, he froze when he recognized who was standing there.
"Assistant Zhou."
Assistant Zhou glanced around the room. "Where’s Contestant Wen?"
Ge Qi’s expression turned sour. "I don’t know."
Wen Yan, his face shadowed by dark circles, walked forward and rasped, "Assistant Zhou, you’re looking for ."
Assistant Zhou gave him a long, aningful look. "Director Li wants to see you. Co with ."
Wen Yan pressed his lips together and obediently followed him out.
Behind them, Ge Qi snorted coldly and slamd the door shut with a loud bang.
~
It was nearly six o’clock. Per their usual schedule, contestants should have started their training routines by now.
In the corridor, contestants passed by in small groups. Upon spotting Assistant Zhou, they greeted him respectfully.
However, when their eyes landed on Wen Yan walking behind him, their expressions shifted, becoming eerily complicated.
The truth was out. Wen Yan had always pretended to be kind and gentle, but who would have thought he could be so insidious and malicious behind the scenes?
Thinking about their past interactions with him sent a chill down their spines.
If he targeted them silently, they might not even know how they t their end.
Terrifying.
Those gazes regarded him as though he were so kind of monstrous flood-spewing beast—a threat to be avoided at all costs.
Wen Yan’s hands at his sides clenched tightly, his teeth biting into his lower lip, his whole being shrouded in a frosty aura.
At that mont, not far ahead, a dormitory door opened, and a boy walked out with a water cup in his hand.
He nodded faintly, greeting Assistant Zhou.
Then, he casually strolled away.
From beginning to end, he did not glance at Wen Yan, treating him like an irrelevant stranger.
Such indifference made Wen Yan feel suffocated—this disregard stung worse than a direct slap across the face.
His nails dug into his palms.
Wen Yan turned, his icy gaze locking onto the boy’s retreating figure.
The boy wore a long-sleeved white hoodie paired with black athletic pants. The stark contrast of black and white accentuated his clean-cut silhouette, while the loose clothing highlighted his slender fra.
Wen Yan suddenly noticed—he seed to have grown taller.
Before he could ponder further, the boy’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Wen Yan turned his head back, his dark expression eting Assistant Zhou’s thoughtful gaze.
Wen Yan’s heartbeat skipped, and he quickly said, "Assistant Zhou, we should hurry. Let’s not keep Director Li waiting."
Du Yuning and Feng Cheng poked their heads out of their dormitory, catching sight of Wen Yan’s departing figure.
The two exchanged glances.
"Why would he think so recklessly?"
Du Yuning sneered. "We’ve all trained together—anyone would be desperate and jealous when others skyrocketed to fa while they remained unnoticed."
Feng Cheng blinked innocently. "I’m fine with clinging tightly to Aning’s coattails. Let him eat the at and share so soup with . What’s the point of being desperate or jealous? I’ll just lay low and enjoy riding the golden ticket."
He suddenly shot Du Yuning a wary glare. "Let tell you—Aning and I are the closest. You and Ge Qi shouldn’t even think about competing with . When Aning was at his lowest, none of you said a single word to defend him. You’re all fair-weather friends. Aning won’t waste his ti on you."
Du Yuning froze, choking back frustration. "You’re crazy."
Still, an inkling of unease crept into his heart.
He knew Wen Yan had so connections. It was precisely because of this that Wen Yan could act so brazenly against Rong Xianning while Du Yuning stayed on the sidelines.
Deep down, though, he harbored a self-serving thought: When two sides clash, the third party wins.
But he had underestimated Rong Xianning’s influence. Last night, his aunt had hinted over the phone that the company wasn’t going to abandon Rong Xianning.
As for Wen Yan—not even divine beings could save him this ti.
From what his aunt implied, the decision to protect Rong Xianning wasn’t even up to President Ding. Apparently, Rong Xianning had an even more powerful backer.
Du Yuning thought about Helian the lawyer and the seemingly omnipotent tech-savvy superfan, marveling at Rong Xianning’s incredible luck.
No matter the situation, Rong Xianning always seed to turn misfortune into fortune.
anwhile, Wen Yan, having failed miserably, had now beco nothing more than Rong Xianning’s stepping stone.
After Wen Yan was taken away, he never returned.
The contestants speculated that he had definitely been kicked out by the program team. While they felt gleeful relief, a residual unease lingered in the air.
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