Chapter 719: Chapter 719
All the trainees knew the name He Jinxia, and they were all very surprised to suddenly see her, with some even being her little fangirls, excitedly starting to scream.
One of the trainees said they wanted her autograph, and the others followed suit, saying they wanted one too, but with over a hundred people, she couldn’t sign them all right now. He Jinxia was thinking of a reason to refuse when suddenly, a trainee said:
"Hurry, it looks like we need to gather, we should head to the venue first, and we can chat with the great Jinxia after the program ends!"
He Jinxia’s eyes flickered as she recognized the voice of the trainee—it was Xi Jing!
At this, the other trainees panicked; a crowd ran out, some pushing and shouting, "Hurry up!"
Before long, all the trainees in the break room had left, and the room returned to its desolate state.
He Jinxia pondered for a moment, found a place to sit, and started to sign autographs earnestly with pen and paper.
She didn’t know how many trainees wanted her signature, and she hadn’t brought any gifts this time, so she could only sign as much as she could on the spot.
Regardless, she didn’t want to disappoint those fans who truly admired her, and whenever she could meet the fans’ requests, He Jinxia was always generous with her time.
While signing, a flurry of noise came from the corridor, and after a while, the door was opened.
A group of people came in talking and laughing, and when they saw He Jinxia seated inside, they were all taken aback.
A senior colleague was the first to ask in surprise, "Jinxia, you’re here? The program team really should have told us you were coming, then I could have gone to pick you up."
Yang Xingxin hurried over to He Jinxia, complaining slightly, "The program team is so tight-lipped. I asked them if this episode’s guest would be you, and they only said they were considering it but hadn’t decided.
I asked them again yesterday, and they still said it wasn’t confirmed. Today, I was wondering who the guest would be, and then I see you—it’s such a pleasant surprise."
He Jinxia replied with a shy smile, "It’s been a long time, Sister Xingxin."
Yang Xingxin sighed, "It really has been a long time. I haven’t seen you since you were a guest at my concert last year."
With another smile, she added, "But now we’ve met again, which is great. We can work together."
The other judges also came over to greet her, all favoring He Jinxia as a bright up-and-coming talent.
Although with their status in the entertainment circle, they no longer needed to be obsequious to others, they were still getting on in years, and their fan gatherings weren’t as quick to assemble as those of younger stars.
Maintaining a good relationship with talented and promising juniors was also a fallback option.
Unlike the others who chatted easily with He Jinxia, one of the judges was notably silent: Li Zimu.
Upon seeing He Jinxia, Li Zimu had frozen in place, her emotions complex.
Months had passed since JY disbanded. Originally, she had thought she could face it calmly, busying herself with work to numb her feelings, but all that effort seemed futile upon seeing He Jinxia. Chapters fırst released on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
The bits and pieces of the six-year struggle she had with the other members of JY were etched deep in her bones, unforgettable.
Her JY, the JY of the past... was completely gone.
Li Zimu watched He Jinxia intently, observing her engage effortlessly with the seniors, clenching her fists slightly, feeling a profound sense of alienation.
She didn’t want to care about the comments online, nor did she wish to delve into them, but she couldn’t help looking.
Comments from some netizens lingered in her heart for a long time, making her unable to resist thinking—
"Have you all noticed that since He Jinxia left the group, JY’s resources seem to have been on a downhill path?"
Li Zimu couldn’t help but suspect, could it be that He Jinxia disclosed some secrets to the company’s senior management, which is why they’re putting them in the freezer?
But that couldn’t be possible; if they really wanted to freeze them out, why not simply stop giving them any publicity, let them cool down completely, instead of slowly wearing down JY?
This was a question that Li Zimu couldn’t figure out.
The reason she couldn’t figure it out was simple: Sheng Yan had received a strict order from Aunt Rui to pay close attention to He Jinxia and give her a push.
Since He Jinxia debuted as a group, Sheng Yan did not know her at that time; even if he was just perfunctorily executing his own mother’s command, he would have arranged some good exposure for JY without leaving any trace.
These opportunities were not something JY could snag on their own, but everyone in JY always thought it was their good luck, having caught them just in time, and never doubted anything.
Now that Li Zimu suspected there was a problem with the engagements, she only thought about how they had reduced a lot, never considering how JY’s actual strength and standing could land them those good opportunities in the first place?
With her thoughts starting off wrong, Li Zimu couldn’t possibly find the truth.
In a daze, a crisp and pleasant voice came from beside her, and He Jinxia greeted Li Zimu with a smile:
"Zimu, long time no see."
Li Zimu’s expression was a bit stiff, "Jinxia, long time no see."
She tugged at the corners of her mouth, as if trying to pull out a smile, but the result resembled a grimace.
The others also noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two, falling silent and watching with interest.
He Jinxia had an unruffled look, while Li Zimu seemed somewhat embarrassed under everyone’s gaze.
She didn’t want to be laughed at by others!
Compared to the seniors present, she was the only second-tier star standing on the stage; she had a wealth of experience in leading girl groups. She insisted on entering the program after pleading with senior management, not willing to just leave the group behind.
Li Zimu burned with fierce ambition, wanting to select members from this show to form a new group and make a comeback in the entertainment circle!
The senior management was not unaware of the struggle between He Jinxia and JY; however, it hadn’t reached the critical point where a choice between them had to be made. Moreover, with Li Zimu being young and able to lead the team, the senior management agreeably consented.
Li Zimu’s ideas were beautiful, but after entering the program, she realized she was naïve. Many things simply couldn’t unfold according to her wishes; the overt and covert rivalry among the judges buried many of her good ideas!
Being the junior, she was the one always left out!
Yang Xingxin, who came from the same school, had never helped her.
Li Zimu harbored resentment toward them and didn’t want to lose face in front of them.
She diverted her gaze, forcibly changing the subject, "Jinxia, let’s go out for a meal sometime, have a good chat, it’s been so long since we last met."
He Jinxia’s expression paused, looking at her with a smile that was not quite a smile. Her clear eyes seemed to have seen through Li Zimu’s thoughts in an instant. She spoke unhurriedly:
"After the recording, I have another engagement to rush to; I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat together. Let’s eat another time when the opportunity arises."