Chapter 14: So Stupid I Wanted to Smash My Head Against Tofu

Jin Li immediately called Sui Lingfang, briefly explained Lian Baozhi's situation, and stated her decision.

Sui Lingfang fell silent for a moment, seemingly pondering something.

After a long while, she replied, "If she is only using such tactics, then I am not afraid of her, and I also lean toward you accepting."

In the entertainment industry, what hasn't happened in the scramble for fame and status?

Merely bribing staff or assistants close to a star to falsely report schedule times is just a petty trick, unworthy of the stage, and easily exposed.

Sui Lingfang was certain that someone within LP's upper management must favor Lian Baozhi; otherwise, constantly playing such low-level games would eventually get her taken down by peers.

There is no wall that wind cannot penetrate, and flies do not bite seamless eggs; if she can do it, why can't others?

Jin Li smiled and flattered, "Sister Fang sees through things clearly."

Sui Lingfang's happiness lasted only a few seconds before she sighed, "If this comeback stage weren't so excellent, I wouldn't let you interact with such a person. For no other reason than it's simply bad luck!"

Jin Li blinked. "That's good then; I happen to be very effective against such people."

"What?"

Jin Li said seriously, "A koi fish can also dispel bad luck."

This made Sui Lingfang burst into laughter. "If you can be this witty on a variety show too, I'll have less to worry about."

Since the decision to accept the engagement was made, Sui Lingfang quickly contacted Lian Baozhi's agent. Both parties were efficient, and the cooperation contract was signed that afternoon.

That evening, as Lian Baozhi emerged from the dance studio, her agent said, "It's done!"

Lian Baozhi raised her eyebrows slightly, her expression relaxing. "So easily? Did Chenxi Company give you any trouble?"

The agent shook her head. "No. This stage is a good opportunity for Jin Li; they wouldn't let it slip away easily."

She reminded, "The contract is already signed, so it's too late to say anything now, but I want to remind you again: do not underestimate Jin Li's strength."

"Although netizens call her the 'Half-Session Diva,' even if she was slacking off in the second half, her ability still surpasses that of ordinary singing-and-dancing idols."

Lian Baozhi took a sip of water, tilting her slender neck slightly upward to reveal her beautiful swan neck; even in private, she paid great attention to her image.

Hearing this, she scoffed indifferently. "Then let Jin Li try to steal my spotlight!"

"I've watched her videos; at that level, even I could do it. Her past fame was all luck, riding the wave of the 'Pink Girls' trend."

"Leaving the past aside, she has been resting for three years, her body is weak, and she spends every day live-streaming her studies."

"Judging by her posture, I know she hasn't been practicing singing or dancing. Compared to these, I may not match Ji Qinglian, but against Jin Li, I am more than sufficient!"

Having finally secured a mentor position on "PICK~Next Stop Diva," Lian Baozhi valued this opportunity immensely and would never allow anyone to ruin it.

Coincidentally, her status as a top-tier star was somewhat unstable, with netizens constantly criticizing her online for lacking representative works.

People are defined by comparison.

If someone with no representative works performed better than Jin Li on the show, what would those netizens have left to say?

The next morning.

Sui Lingfang arrived early at Jin Li's studio apartment, bringing a nutritionist with her.

"Starting today, you must start exercising; otherwise, I'm truly afraid you'll faint during the show. The nutritionist is here to regulate your body. We won't arrange a diet for weight or fat loss; she will specifically manage your muscle gain."

Sui Lingfang circled Jin Li. "With these thin arms and legs of yours, let alone high-intensity dancing, I feel you'd struggle to carry an empty box to the second floor. You must exercise properly."

Jin Li was also aware of her physical condition. If she truly intended to dance on stage, she couldn't attempt high-difficulty routines and could only perform simple hand gestures and leg movements.

But that would be too boring.

She shared her plan with Sister Fang: she did not intend to dance on the comeback stage but would sing purely.

Sui Lingfang hesitated slightly, but Jin Li added, "Unless you really want me to go there as a mere vase, just selling cuteness."

"But your singing..." She dragged out the tail of her words, very hesitant.

Jin Li said firmly, "It's still better than dancing."

Seeing her determination, Sui Lingfang said no more. "Fine, arrange it as you wish, but you must spend two hours every day exercising."

Jin Li gave her an OK sign.

The apartment had an area for exercise; being a high-end complex where everyone was busy with work, it was basically empty during the day.

If one was truly worried, one could also book the apartment's private gym, which cost money but offered decent service.

It was a bit small, but made up for it with complete equipment and a clean environment, saving the trouble of running around elsewhere.

The company attached great importance to Jin Li's comeback stage; whether they could sustain the traffic depended entirely on whether this shot would hit the mark!

Therefore, the company specially rented a nearby apartment short-term for the nutritionist to facilitate daily supervision of Jin Li.

Under such "surveillance," Jin Li's daily routine became even more regular.

Wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, exercise for one hour.

Return, take a shower, and start a live stream for studying.

Exercise for another hour in the afternoon, rest a bit, skip the study live stream to work on music instead, then continue the study live stream in the evening.

Jin Li felt that this body possessed some musical talent; becoming an idol girl group member was quite a fortunate accident.

Drawing inspiration from her memories, she began modifying songs.

To be honest, it was complicated; the copyrights for all "Pink Girls" songs were held by their former agency. When that agency dissolved, the song copyrights were purchased by someone.

Until now, they did not know who had bought them and could not contact the person.

This meant that even if they wanted to sing their group songs now, they couldn't, as they lacked the copyright.

However, some teammates had sung the full versions on shows without receiving any breach-of-contract notices. After several instances passed without issue, everyone assumed it was permissible.

Therefore, Jin Li planned to sing a group song on the show.

In this day and age, selling nostalgia is a trump card; whoever plays it knows the effect. Some stars can still sell nostalgia, while others want to but cannot.

With no professional vocal rooms nearby, Jin Li moved to the gym to practice singing.

The private gym had recently been booked by someone else, a young, tall guy with a good physique; his loose clothing vaguely outlined his solid muscle lines.

This young man was just like her, fond of mystery; he always appeared dressed entirely in black, covered from head to toe.

Usually, after he finished using it, Jin Li would take her turn. After Jin Li finished, it would be his turn again.

As they met more often, they developed a nodding acquaintance, occasionally exchanging words, but these were limited to greetings like "You're here," "Good morning," or "Good afternoon."

It wasn't until the fifth day that Jin Li got stuck for a long time while revising a song; she repeatedly failed to perfect a small section, became so immersed that she forgot about the handover time.

When that tall young man opened the door, he heard Jin Li anxiously singing that same passage over and over. After listening for a while, he simply could not bear it anymore.

"Don't you know how to practice breath control? Where is your vocal coach?"

His voice was exceptionally clear and pleasant, carrying a magnetic quality; this was the longest sentence he had ever spoken to her since they first met.

Jin Li looked up at him in a daze and suddenly realized an obvious oversight—

The company assumed that, as a former girl group member, she was proficient in both singing and dancing, capable of handling things on her own; furthermore, since she no longer danced, there was no need to hire anyone to choreograph.

Thus, they had all overlooked one thing.

That was the fact that while Jin Li had some foundation, she actually knew nothing about vocal techniques.

I'm done for, Jin Li thought.

She felt so stupid she wanted to go crash her head against a block of tofu.

Here we go, good night! Thank you everyone for your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and comments; I have read every single one!

(End of Chapter)