Volume One, Chapter 7: An Improvised Pop Quiz, Cheating by Getting the Questions in Advance

Su Nianxi’s words were so explosive that the ice-breaking session for the entire evening ended in an eerie, awkward silence. The sweet, scripted dialogue that Song Ye’s team had painstakingly brainstormed was thoroughly ruined by Su Nianxi’s few remarks, leaving the pair so infuriated that they left the stage the moment the livestream ended.

[How rude, absolutely outrageous.]
[Oh, oh, oh! So is Su Nianxi about to throw down with Ye Zhixia? This is starting to feel like a real confrontation.]
[Pfft, please. Does a slut like Su deserve to be in the same frame? How dare she be so passive-aggressive toward our Xiaxia? Does she even know what she looks like?]
[Exactly! She’s criticizing our Xiaxia, but doesn’t she realize how vicious she is herself? Buying trending searches, clinging to others for clout—it’s like being stuck to a pile of crap.]
[Seriously, after watching this afternoon’s stream, I thought she had finally changed. Turns out she’s still this disgusting.]

The live comments were visible in real-time on a small screen in the rehearsal hall. Initially, everyone was too busy leaving after the broadcast to notice, but Su Nianxi stared at the screen for a while. She then coolly held up a middle finger and said, "Sorry, everyone. While the past me was indeed detestable, the current me is even worse without limits. I suggest you try to endure it; if you can't, feel free to leave before I do. The door to the rooftop is always open for you."

...

And so, the first day of "Star Path Rehearsal Room" came to a chaotic end.

For the next two days, the production team arranged for the six contestants to attend intensive lectures from mentors. This content would not be aired live but would be edited into the VIP extended version of the main show. Two days later, the second live broadcast was scheduled, which would also serve as the trainees' second assessment.

During these two days, Su Nianxi upheld her excellent principle of "staying up late is fine, but rising early is forbidden," successfully setting a record for arriving last and leaving first. While other trainees rehearsed their assignments, she was sleeping. While they recited their scripts, she was stuffing her face. And when the others finally went to bed, Su Nianxi... Su Nianxi woke up and dropped a massive bomb on Weibo.

Since the show began, "Star Path Rehearsal Room," like other variety shows, had opened a rating channel on Weibo. Beyond rating the show itself, viewers could also rate the guests. Thus... one early morning, netizens scrolling through their feeds saw the hashtag #SorryIfYouArePerfectlySatisfied trending rapidly. Curious onlookers clicked in, only to roll around laughing.

Su Nianxi’s Weibo homepage was filled with nothing but rating records. From mentors to fellow trainees, no one escaped her "zero-star" reviews. The only entry with her own name was marked with a five-star "hate" rating. The haters were already arguing furiously under her self-review, calling her shameless. Su Nianxi, however, was unfazed, replying to every single person who came her way.

[Amy: Ugh, can't even stay quiet for a few days before popping up again? Who do you think you are?]
[Su Nianxi V: Thanks for the invite. I’m Shangguan Nanbei, and you’re Sima Dongxi.]
[Chengfeng Huxiao: Can Su Nianxi just get out of the entertainment industry? She’s acting crazy every day, like she’s sick.]
[Su Nianxi V: It’s getting cold out. Cover yourself with more dirt so you don’t catch a cold.]

[Hulu-hulu Little Cat: Su Nianxi looks back, and there’s no one there.]
[Su Nianxi V: How could there be no one? After all, I alone encompass the black sheep, the retreating drummer, the scapegoat, the slacking fish, the fence-sitting grass, and the pot-stirring stick. You could say I’m worth more than six of you combined.]
[Momo: Su Nianxi flaps her lips and almost poisons herself. Could it be that you were a venomous jellyfish in your past life?]
[Su Nianxi V: I can’t help but transform into a stubborn octopus. Forget the jellyfish; I prefer being an octopus. After all, an octopus can not only slap eight people at once, but it can also spin around and give one person eight slaps.]

...

Arguments aside, whenever they met face-to-face for the live broadcast, everyone on the show acted like timid quails, maintaining a facade of harmony. The PD, sweating profusely, trembling as he read the program flow: "Today is our impromptu mini-exam. Everyone will draw partners on the spot, and the mentors will assign topics for the assessment."

"A friendly reminder: besides trainee names, the slips also contain mentor names! Good luck drawing your ideal partner."

After finishing, the PD scurried away with the script, looking quite gleeful. The viewers in the livestream chat called out the production team for being troublemakers.

[This group can barely perform when they have time to rehearse; what's going to happen with improvisation?]
[I’m watching this show for the chaos now. I wonder who will end up with Film Emperor Shen? I want to see how much they can annoy him.]
[I suspect Film Emperor Shen will start scolding them halfway through. The production team really knows how to stir things up. Today's trending topics are already booked.]
[I still want to see Su Nianxi fail. She’s been the most perfunctory in class these past two days. I bet she got cocky after her decent performance in the first episode.]
[Hasn't she always been cocky? But it’ll be hilarious if she really crashes and burns.]

While the livestream was buzzing, the on-site drawing was complete. This time, Qiao Yunan was paired with Lin Yue. Professor Zheng gave them the premise: a confrontation between a stepmother and a daughter in a study. As for the content, the trainees were free to improvise.

Hearing the prompt, Qiao Yunan smiled confidently and sat in the center of the stage with a small notebook. Lin Yue dropped her smile, instantly getting into character as she walked toward Qiao Yunan.

"Nannan, what are you looking at? So serious."

"Medical records." Qiao Yunan waved the book, smiling meaningfully. "Auntie, do you want my dad to die that badly? Or are you just that interested in our family’s assets?"

"What are you talking about? Where did you get that? What is all this?" A flicker of panic crossed Lin Yue’s eyes, and she reached out to snatch the notebook.

Qiao Yunan stepped back, dodging her. "Auntie, what’s the rush? If you haven't done anything, you shouldn't be afraid of me checking, right?"

...

"Alright, stop." Ji Huihong called an end to their performance, looking at Qiao Yunan with a hint of a smile. "Xiao Qiao did well this time. She’s made great progress since the first attempt and has learned how to feed the scene to her partner. That’s a good thing. But you still need to work on the details. For an impromptu performance, this was acceptable."

"Thank you, Mentor." Qiao Yunan beamed at the praise, even looking over at Shen Yizhou. "Teacher Shen, do you have any advice for me?"

[Whoa, so brave, asking the Film Emperor directly.]
[That’s good; at least she has the right attitude. Qiao Yunan will be a star.]
[I wonder what the Film Emperor will say?]

The netizens couldn't guess Shen Yizhou's answer, and neither could anyone on set. Shen Yizhou picked up the microphone slowly, glanced at Qiao Yunan, and offered a half-smile. "Did you practice this a few times beforehand?"

As soon as he spoke, Qiao Yunan’s expression stiffened for a split second, but she quickly recovered. "I rehearsed it in my head a few times. I was just afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up with the scene."

Hearing this, Shen Yizhou chuckled, said nothing more, and passed the microphone back to Lin Yue. Lin Yue smoothly cued the next group, not dwelling on the question.

The next pair was Song Shian and Ling Xiyue. It was rare to see them paired together, and both looked miserable. Since both were the type who needed a strong partner to get into character, and this was an improvisation, they were both incredibly nervous.

Lin Yue gave the topic with a motherly smile: a conversation between a company CEO and a new intern. Ling Xiyue played the CEO, and Song Shian played the intern. Hearing the prompt, the two looked at each other, reading despair in one another's eyes.

As expected, they successfully turned the assessment into a comedy skit. They improvised a "he runs, he chases, he can't escape" style of CEO drama. It was so bad that all it needed was the Tom and Jerry theme song. Naturally, they were scolded and chased off the stage.

Ye Zhixia was the next trainee to step up. Just as she set foot on the stage, she saw a staff member hurrying over to Director Mu, whispering something. Director Mu’s expression turned solemn, and he stood up, interrupting the process. "Everyone, stop for a moment. An urgent situation has arisen."

Hearing this, everyone stood up, looking at Director Mu in confusion. Director Mu coughed twice and continued in a deep voice: "The staff has confirmed that since the initial grading two days ago, there has been cheating and leaking of topics. We need to identify which trainee participated in this, so the assessment must be paused."

With that, he walked out of the performance hall with several staff members and mentors. Whether intentional or not, the livestream remained on. This bombshell news immediately caused an uproar online. Countless onlookers and netizens flooded into the livestream.

[Do you think Director Mu really forgot to turn it off, or was it on purpose?]
[Of course, it was a "forgotten on purpose." With Director Mu’s personality, if he really found someone cheating, he’d expose them online immediately. He’s not the type to settle privately.]
[I love this director! I can’t stand these "208" celebrities; coming to a variety show and pulling this kind of stunt is just meaningless.]
[But seriously, who do you think the cheater is?]
[If you ask me, it’s obvious. Whoever looks the most suspicious is the one!]

While people online guessed, the trainees on site were guessing too. Watching the increasing number of eyes turned toward her, Su Nianxi took a slow sip of her soda, looking listless. Why look at her? None of her business.

"If you ask me, if you really cheated, just come out and admit it. If Director Mu finds you, how can you go on in this industry?" Qiao Yunan flipped her hair and looked at Su Nianxi with a suggestive smile. "Don't you think so?"