Zhou Wu suddenly seemed to remember something and said, “If you’re not too busy lately, I’ll send a coach to train you.”
“Once the training is mostly done, you’ll have to head to the training camp.”
Li Xu: “Singing and dancing?”
“Like a singing-and-dancing idol?”
Zhou Wu: “Exactly.”
“When you’re doing solo streams, you can do whatever you want, just keep your popularity up—you don’t need to dance.”
“But if it’s a group stream, with about twenty people in total, there will be a round of competitive selection, dividing everyone into A-tier, B-tier, and C-tier groups.”
“The A-tier group only keeps six members.”
“But the treatment and resources are the best.”
Li Xu: “How does the competition work?”
Zhou Wu: “Every day there’s a popularity voting system, similar to those talent shows, but ours is purely online streaming.”
Li Xu: “Isn’t that a bit third-rate?”
After all, online talent shows don’t draw much attention, and there are countless boy groups streaming these days. It’s easy to get replaced.
Hearing this, Zhou Wu smiled and said, “Don’t worry, we’re different from other group streams. Our boss is a big shot in Haishi.”
“He’s invested a lot of money in this venture. The heat and hype set up for you will be no less than those formal talent shows.”
“So just follow my instructions and work hard. Aim for at least B-tier, fight for A-tier.”
“From what I see now, you have no problem making A.”
At this, Li Xu roughly understood.
She had no objections to Zhou Wu’s plan.
“Alright.”
“How’s my brother’s training going?”
Zhou Wu: “I have recordings of your brother’s training. I’ll copy them and send them to you later.”
“He’s got talent, from the perspective of our industry, he’s got the right conditions, but his mentality is really poor… so there are some regrets…”
Li Xu knew Li Fan’s personality. Their childhood experiences made both of them mature early, but deep down they always carried some nameless fear and inferiority about this world.
She didn’t know where Li Fan had gone, but she knew if she replaced him in this boy group stream, no matter how far away he was, he would definitely see her.
“My brother is like that, but it’s not his fault.”
Li Xu stood up, her voice a little cold.
She seemed not to like others speaking ill of her brother. Zhou Wu sighed, feeling a bit helpless. He knew this girl’s bond with her brother ran deep.
Li Xu recalled how the older kids in the welfare home bullied him, and how Li Fan’s thin back always blocked her from them, and her nose tingled.
Her brother…
“Oh right, I made the food.”
“You wash the dishes.”
She shot Zhou Wu a sidelong glance. Zhou Wu gave a wry smile: “Alright, alright, I’ll wash them, Gu Nai Nai.”
“By the way, will I still get some next time you cook?”
Li Xu: “Depends on my mood. Once things are settled, let me know. I’ll send you my class schedule and you help arrange training during my free time.”
Zhou Wu thought Li Xu was tough on the outside but soft inside. He always pulled Zhou in during the livestreams too.
“I’m heading to school now.”
Zhou Wu: “Hey, how are you going? Need me to send you?”
Li Xu: “No need, I’m biking.”
Zhou Wu: “A bike?”
Li Xu: “Forgot to tell you, I bought a secondhand bike. It takes fifteen minutes to get to school.”
She raised her brow slightly, clearly in a good mood talking about the bike.
As Zhou Wu went downstairs, he saw from afar Li Xu unlocking a somewhat weathered bike, then slowly riding away. Her black hair fluttered in the air, making her look fresh and carefree.
***
At noon, Zhou Wu stared wide-eyed at the class schedule Li Xu sent him.
Zhou Wu: 【Why so many classes?】
Li Xu: 【If our class doesn’t do experiments on weekends, it’s like burning incense to the gods.】
Zhou Wu: 【Is that right? Why do experiments on weekends?】
Li Xu: 【Just google Haidaziban.】
Zhou Wu searched on AI and was even more stunned by the introduction.
Zhou Wu: 【You really are a prodigy.】
He thought attending Hai Da alone was impressive, but Li Xu was part of Z班, the top-tier genius cultivation class. Many from there went straight to the national team.
Li Xu didn’t reply.
Just as she parked her bike under the teaching building, someone called from behind.
“Class Monitor!!”
Li Xu turned to see a male classmate from Z班.
She locked her bike and waved at him, a casual greeting.
In the blink of an eye, the boy had run over.
Li Xu matched the face to a name in her mind.
“Zhao Wenhao?”
Zhao Wenhao’s round face lit up with joy hearing Li Xu say his name. “Class Monitor, you remember my name!”
Li Xu nodded. “Of course.”
But her next words made Zhao Wenhao’s expression falter: “You’re the first one I’m picking on.”
At that moment, a tall, fair-skinned young man appeared behind Zhao Wenhao. He carried a backpack and wore a clean white T-shirt and athletic pants, sporting square black-rimmed glasses.
“You walk so fast?” he said to Zhao Wenhao in mild reproach before turning to Li Xu and asking, “Are you in Z班 too? Hello, I’m Zhou Ze.”
Li Xu straightened up just as he reached out a hand.
She glanced at Zhou Ze and shook it lightly.
“Hello, Li Xu.”
Due to family matters, Zhou Ze had missed military training, but he had seen the messages in the group chat.
Li Xu was very popular, and everyone seemed to like her.
When he came to the dorm yesterday, his three roommates talked about Li Xu too.
They said she lost weight quickly and was insanely good at competitions, smart and although she kept a cold face, she was very likable.
She was the Honorary Class Monitor of Z班.
“Zhou Ze grew up in Gangcheng, so he’s more into etiquette and such, a bit different from us here,” Zhao Wenhao quickly explained, worried Li Xu might find Zhou Ze a little strange.
“He shook hands with our dorm mates yesterday.”
Li Xu: “Mm-hmm, got it.”
Looking at Zhou Ze’s simple yet quality outfit, Li Xu immediately guessed he came from a well-off family.
His glasses were custom-made too.
The three of them went upstairs together. As Li Xu entered the classroom, her classmates greeted her one after another.
“Xu Jie!”
“Class Monitor, good morning.”
“Hey, how come you all came together?”
“We ran into each other on the way.”
“Is this a new student?”
“Yes, hello, I’m Zhou Ze.”
Zhou Ze shook hands with several classmates, making them feel quite honored.
He walked around the class once, his refined, shy, fair face becoming familiar to everyone.
If Li Xu was the type who attracted others’ attention just by sitting there, making people want to befriend her, then Zhou Ze was the kind who actively sought to make friends—smooth but never unpleasant.
Ten minutes before class, Li Xu held the roster and called attendance one by one.
For each name she called, she marked a check on the list.
“Everyone’s here.”
Just then, the teacher walked in.
This class was basic advanced mathematics. Li Xu stood, handed the roster to the teacher.
“Teacher Zhou, hello. Everyone’s here; I just took attendance. Please check.”
The short, elderly man’s sharp gaze appraised Li Xu.
Li Xu: “I’m the Class Monitor. My name is Li Xu.”
Hearing her name, the old man pushed his glasses up his nose and suddenly his expression changed.
“You’re Li Xu?”
Li Xu nodded: “Yes.”
Her name had long circulated in the math department, but at the time of enrollment, Li Xu refused to apply for the math department, insisting on physics…
It was Zhou Kai, the little old man before her, who had called her at that time.
He quietly said, “You’re the one who published the paper on the multi-level Chuanma conjecture solution, right?”
Li Xu: “Mm-hmm, Professor Xie Yunling from Q University supervised me.”
Hearing this, Zhou Kai’s expression shifted.
“Why are you the Class Monitor of Z班 then? You should be in the math department! I was the one who called you for enrollment.”
Li Xu was momentarily stunned.
But she replied, “I’m already here; no difference.”
Her tone was calm, while Zhou Kai was much more agitated.
“No difference?”
Li Xu said, “They’re both studies.”
Her calmness made Zhou Kai fume; such a promising student, why end up in physics?
Zhou Kai stomped his foot. “But you know… sigh…”
Just then, the class bell rang.
“All right, no need to say more. You may sit. Give me the roster.”
“Okay, Teacher.”
The students in the front row overheard the exchange, especially Zhou Ze, who kept secretly watching Li Xu. When she glanced at him, Zhou Ze smiled shyly and brightly.
After two morning classes ended, Li Xu received a message from Xie Tingting, asking if she wanted to eat lunch together.
Li Xu replied: 【Sure】
Xie Tingting added: 【I just ran into Jiang Minglang and his friend. Heard you’re here too; he asked if you want to join.】
Li Xu: 【Okay】
Li Xu: 【If you want, come along.】
Just as Li Xu was about to leave, Zhou Ze stood up and smiled at her, showing a perfect set of white teeth.
“Class Monitor, where are you eating? Mind if I join?”
His Mandarin wasn’t very standard, even had a slight Hong Kong accent, but he pronounced his words clearly. Combined with his harmless, fair-skinned face, it made people easily let down their guard.
Zhao Wenhao also said, “Yeah, yeah, shall we all go together?”
Li Xu: “Going to the first canteen. My old roommates are waiting, plus some business school classmates. You’re welcome to join.”
Hearing this, two girls nearby looked over.
Both were girls Li Xu had personally helped up. One wore black-rimmed glasses, with a round face, named Mingliang Lou, who asked, “Xu Jie, can we come too?”
The other had a low ponytail and phoenix eyes, named Fang Lanxin, said, “Yeah, yeah, let’s go together. Then we’ll head to the library—afternoon classes after.”
Zhou Ze originally just wanted to get close to Li Xu to prepare for the upcoming team competition and chat a bit on the way, but as soon as he spoke, everyone started filling in, wanting to eat together.
He sighed inwardly but kept smiling.
Li Xu glanced at the four of them, thought for a moment, and said, “Sure, I’ll ask my friends.”
Li Xu: 【A few more classmates are coming.】
Xie Tingting: 【From Z班?】
Li Xu: 【Mm-hmm.】
Xie Tingting: 【No problem, then let’s go together.】
Just as she locked her screen, Li Xu headed to the exit with the group and ran into another group of boys from the dorm.
“Xu Jie, where are you eating? Can we join?”
Li Xu: “?”
Just like that, the original five became nine.
A few loners had already left early, otherwise Z班 would have appeared at the canteen in full force.
While Xie Tingting, Jiang Minglang, and his friend Xu Fufeng waited at a fork near the canteen, chatting about business school projects, heavy footsteps echoed nearby.
Xu Zhi looked over, stunned. Her awe of Jiang Minglang and Xu Fufeng’s looks faded when she saw the large, dark crowd approaching.
“Is that Xu Xu?”
At that, the others all looked toward where Xu Zhi was pointing.
A tall, slender Li Xu in a white T-shirt walked at the front, flanked by a row of boys and girls.
On her left was the tall, handsome, fair-skinned glasses-wearing Zhou Ze.
On her right was a slender girl in a classic black dress, hands casually in her pockets, listening with a raised brow and a faint smile, like a manga villain boss surrounded by minions.
The crowd gathered around her, and it almost looked like smoke was billowing behind them.
Xie Tingting said, “So… that’s all Z班?”
She mentioned a few classmates coming, but didn’t say the whole class was there.
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