CH 17

“I noticed earlier that no one was around Shen Bu,” said one person.

“It’s such a shame, he’s so good-looking and talented, but why is he being targeted?” another person lamented.

“I thought he had the potential to become popular, but now it seems difficult,” added another.

….

The muffled sound of conversation could be heard from outside, and as she lifted her eyes to the nearby Shen Bu, her heart began to feel uneasy.

It’s really hard for the boss!

She gently moved, gesturing for Shen Bu to let go of her.

Shen Bu looked down at her wet eyes, blinked at him a few times, feeling tiny electric currents running through his heart, making him stiff and reluctant to let go of her.

Slowly, his hot palm moved away from her lips, but the other strong and powerful arm still tightly clamped around her waist, forcing her to be close to him without any barriers.

The restroom was already small, but thankfully it was clean, with a faint sandalwood scent permeating the air.

Wan Tong lightly tapped on Shen Bu’s arm and gestured with her lips, “Let go…”

Shen Bu lowered his head and his black pupils blinked lightly, as if he didn’t understand her lip reading, and he even tilted his head in confusion.

For a moment, Wan Tong was charmed by him. After waiting for a while until there was no sound outside, she whispered, “A’Bu, you can let go of me now.”

That slowed-down voice, that breath from her small mouth, all made Shen Bu’s blood boil.

He slowly let go of his arm.

Wan Tong took a step back and then gestured to him to come closer again.

He obediently bent over and leaned in, listening attentively.

He was wearing a silver-gray school uniform-style suit, which was the standard outfit for trainees. His youthful energy softened the gloominess brought by his deep and cold facial features.

Wan Tong whispered in his ear, “A’Bu, have you secretly watched the program too?”

“I didn’t watch it. Chen Jiexiu told me,” Shen Bu’s throat was slightly dry, and his voice was a bit hoarse.

“Your footage was all cut out. I think it’s Lin Jin’er’s doing, but don’t worry, I won’t let you continue to be wronged,” Wan Tong said seriously as she looked at him. She then gently patted his shoulder and continued, “Hard-working people will definitely be seen. A’Bu, the stage of the group battle will definitely make you shine.”

Lin Jiner was one of the program’s investors and had privileges, but Wan Tong was still a mentor and a celebrity in her own right.

She just didn’t believe that she couldn’t make A’Bu famous.

As he listened to her inspiring words, Shen Bu’s mouth twitched, but in the end, he didn’t ask that question.

Why did she care about him so much?

Seeing Shen Bu staring at her blankly, Wan Tong asked worriedly, “A’Bu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”

Now that she looked closely, his lips did seem to lack color.

She reached out and placed her hand on his forehead, feeling that it was a bit warm. “A’Bu, it seems like you have a fever. Have you seen a doctor? Have you taken any medicine?”

Feeling the coolness on his forehead, Shen Bu exhaled softly through his slightly parted lips, and then reached out to embrace the woman across from him who was nervously frowning.

He bent slightly, holding her tightly in his arms, with his head resting in the crook of her shoulder. His voice, with a matte texture, slowly came out, “I missed you.”

For a moment, Wan Tong was frozen in place, completely caught off guard by the sudden embrace from the big shot. He even rubbed his neck against her like a child.

Looking like a child who hadn’t weaned off milk.

Was it because of her maternal radiance (?) that made him see her as a mother?

“A’Bu, completing the second evaluation task should give you a few days off, and I will come to accompany you then.” She tried comforting him, but her voice trembled due to nervousness.

She didn’t know if Shen Bu was listening, he suddenly asked, “Are you in a relationship?”

Wan Tong: ???

Who said that?

“A’Bu, are you referring to the rumors about me and my brother?” asked Wan Tong.

A’Bu nodded.

“A’Bu, did you really not hide your phone secretly?” Wan Tong asked again.

“No,” A’Bu replied, then redirected the conversation, “The rumors are fake, right?”

“Of course it’s fake, he’s my brother,” said Wantong.

“No blood relation,” Shen Bu pointed out, his gaze piercing.

“Anyway, he’s my brother and there’s no other relationship between us,” Wan Tong said, almost swearing.

But then she thought again that she didn’t need to explain so much to Shen Bu.

To relieve Shen Bu’s stress, Wan Tong reached out and lightly patted his back, chattering on about recent events in her life, including Su Fang’s sentencing.

Shen Bu showed no surprise at all, as if he had known beforehand. Wan Tong began to suspect that he had been hiding a phone.

After pushing aside Shen Bu, she suddenly reached for the pocket of his sweatpants.

She grabbed the right side, which was empty.

She switched hands and reached for his left pocket, and sure enough, she felt a hard object.

It must be a phone!

Look, she caught him.

She quickly reached into his pocket, but her hand was stopped by Shen Bu’s strong palm pressing down on the pocket.

She glared up at him and threatened, “Are you going to give it to me or not?”

However, her threatening tone was weakened by her watery eyes full of excitement.

Shen Bu’s pale face suddenly flushed, and he held her hand tightly. “Stop messing around, it’s not a phone.”

Wan Tong reached in again and felt a hard object that seemed like a phone, but in addition to that, she seemed to have touched something incredible.

She suddenly realized this and her porcelain-white face flushed with flames. A blush spread from her cheeks to her ears and neck.

Embarrassed and flustered, she withdrew her hand, but Shen Bu remained calm and reached into his pocket, pulling out an mp3 player.

It was provided by the program team for each trainee.

Wan Tong realized she had made a mistake and her face turned even redder. She had thought he was hiding a phone because he seemed to know everything…

She glanced at Shen Bu, feeling a little embarrassed. Did he see her actions just now as flirting?

In the small, cramped space, their breaths almost intertwined.

Looking at the young and capable Shen Bu, Wan Tong’s guilt grew deeper.

She quickly changed the subject and whispered to him to take care of himself and get better.

Luckily, Shen Bu didn’t seem to mind what had just happened.

Wan Tong came out of the women’s restroom and wandered around the area before quickly slipping back into the dining hall after seeing Shen Bu come out.

However, Shen Bu was stopped by someone on the way.

A man with a work badge and a mask pulled him to the side and handed him a phone. “Shen Bu, this is prepared for you by someone outside.”

Shen Bu glared at the phone and took it from the man before turning and leaving.

The man watched his back with a glint in his eye before taking out his own phone and dialing a number.

After a while, a somewhat obsequious voice came through the phone.

“Yes…yes, I’ve given him the phone. He didn’t ask who it was from, probably thought it was someone from his own company. Miss Lin, rest assured that no one saw it, and if something goes wrong, he can’t blame it on anyone else…Alright, Miss Lin, goodbye~”

At the corner, Shen Bu played with the phone in his pocket, expressionless as he listened to the man’s whispered words. The corners of his mouth gradually curved into a cold and fierce arc.

As he passed a trash can, he threw the turned-off phone inside.

Back in the restaurant, he slowly returned to his seat, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on the adjacent table.

Yan Luo not only looks like an angel but also knows how to set the mood.

Wan Tong was amused to the point of covering her mouth and laughing out loud. Among the group of young boys, her laughter was even more charming and melodious.

Shen Bu pursed his lips tightly, not allowing any emotions to show.

That night, Shen Bu returned to the dormitory earlier than usual.

He retrieved a phone from under the bed and closed the curtain beside the bed to hide.

Several messages were sent to his phone.

He opened a message box, and the other party sent many informative messages mechanically, from exposing information about Li Xu’s escape to Lin Jin’er and Su Ruojing’s contact, and the latest one was Su Wantong’s scandal.

The phone was sent by someone not long ago, but Shen Bu only used it to get information from outside, unlike other people who sneaked around and played with their phones in bed every day.

At this moment, the phone vibrated again.

KK: It seems like your program team is targeting you, do you need help?

Shen Bu thought of the comforting words that Wantong had said earlier and replied with two words: no need.

He already had someone to protect him.

Thinking of the phone that the staff member had given him earlier, his eyes darkened a bit, and he sent another message.

After sending the message, he left with his phone.

He had only wanted to participate in the program, but someone was trying to mess with him. He would take this opportunity to get rid of some annoying people.

After winning the championship of “Great Singer”, Wan Tong’s schedule was packed with performances, interviews, and other events. She could sing passionately on stage and talk confidently in front of the camera.

Her early fans were particularly pleased and grateful that she could break free from Zhongheng’s cage.

They said she had been reborn and her emotional intelligence had improved, especially in her performance on “Idol Training Camp,” which won over many new fans.

On the show, Wan Tong and Zhuang Yu often interacted, so her “siblings love” affair became a thing of the past, and now she was rumored to be in a relationship with Zhuang Yu, forming the “Yu Tong” CP (couple pairing).

Regardless of which man she was with, Wan Tong’s fans seemed happy for her.

After all, they watched her grow up, and now she has become a young lady. It’s time for her to start dating.

During the second season of “Idol Training Camp,” a major incident occurred.

One of the relatively famous trainees, Yan Luo, was reported for violating the rules by using a cellphone during training and was disqualified by the program’s production team.

Yan Luo has a soft and handsome appearance, and his popularity has been skyrocketing since the end of the first season, ranking in the top eleven.

Unexpectedly, he was disqualified from the show because of this incident.

It’s really unlucky for Yan Luo. The ‘station sister’ who was waiting outside the training camp caught him making a phone call, and then fans of other trainees made it a hot topic on social media. Despite the program team’s reluctance, they had to make this decision.

After all, he openly violated the program’s strict requirements.

What’s surprising is that Yan Luo’s dark secrets were also exposed: he has obsessed fans, a hot temper in private, a tendency for violence, and even had plastic surgery…

This series of revelations was completely opposite to the angelic image he had presented, making fans disappointed and angry.

So Yan Luo didn’t even have time to defend himself before he was instantly submerged in the scandal, completely silenced.

After the Yan Luo incident, the program team conducted a formal inspection.

However, they did not find any more phones. Wan Tong heard from other trainees that their rooms were not searched thoroughly, but Shen Bu’s bed was turned over in an exaggerated manner.

So, was this another operation by the program team specifically targeting Shen Bu?

Wan Tong privately talked to Shen Bu, but he didn’t seem to be affected by it.

As for Yan Luo’s matter, Wan Tong still couldn’t accept it. The difference between these two faces was too big, and it’s a shame for such a good voice.

But she was also glad that she didn’t give her phone to Shen Bu on impulse. Who knows if he would have been the unlucky one?

Yan Luo left, and the remaining 99 trainees are now preparing for their second task: team competition.

Based on the internet popularity ranking within 24 hours after the first episode was aired, they have already formed teams and selected songs.

Shen Bu’s internet ranking was low, so he had almost no choice and ended up with all F-class teammates.

With one A-class member and five F-class teammates, what are the chances of winning?

When everyone looked at Shen Bu with sympathetic eyes, the person involved remained calm from beginning to end.

Wan Tong knew some of Shen Bu’s teammates, who were good-looking but lacked singing, dancing, and rap skills. Moreover, their final performance song was still focused on dance, competing against the strongest team: five A-class members and one C-class member.

Wan Tong had taught Shen Bu’s team before and found numerous problems that needed to be corrected.

However, this gave Wan Tong the opportunity to interact with Shen Bu openly and honestly, because she said to the camera that she wanted to improve the team’s level in the shortest time possible.

Zhuang Yu seemed to have noticed something and contacted Wan Tong privately, warning her to be careful.

This show unexpectedly became popular, and the trainees who could debut in the future might also occupy a temporary spotlight. It was right for Wan Tong to help the weaker ones, but Shen Bu was already abandoned. Helping him would be a waste of effort, and it would be better to focus on other trainees.

“Zhongheng has already given up on Shen Bu; otherwise, there would have been some action by now,” Zhuang Yu reminded her again.

Wan Tong certainly knew that and didn’t expect Zhongheng to do anything.

“I hate this kind of behind-the-scenes operation,” Wan Tong could only reply.

Zhuang Yu couldn’t do anything about it either. He hated it too, but he had already gotten used to the unwritten rules of the entertainment industry.

He never expected that Su Wantong had been in the industry for so long and still couldn’t understand this truth.

In a blink of an eye, the group battles also ended, and the third and fourth episodes were broadcasted, attracting more and more attention. The trainees gradually entered everyone’s view.

As the weakest group, Shen Bu’s team was the second to last to appear on stage.

Wan Tong still remembered the shining Shen Bu on stage. Although his group lost, the fans who attended the event were infected by his performance and asked who he was and why he was so low-key before.

She thought that if there were no shots of Shen Bu in the later episodes, the fans would start to notice something was wrong, and then it would be up to the program team to explain it away.

After all, the program team also cared about their reputation. If they were caught playing tricks, they would be scolded badly.

Who knew that the program team was so ruthless? Although Shen Bu was the team captain and the center position, the camera flashed past him, and the entire performance could only be described as terrible.

Wan Tong carefully watched Shen Bu’s segment and couldn’t help but sneer.

The barrage was full of ridicule for this group, mocking Shen Bu’s position in class A.

However, there was a surprise when the audience’s personal votes were announced at the end. Shen Bu’s personal votes were in the middle to upper range!

As a result, the barrage changed to “There’s a conspiracy! Shen Bu got his position through backstage connections! Get out of the training camp!”

Mixed in between were a few bullet comments speaking up for Shen Bu, but they were all called “bootlicking dogs.”

One could only say that post-production editing was truly crucial.

After watching this episode, Su Wantong used a fake Weibo account to contact a marketing account and sent them a video.

It was a clip of Shen Bu’s team’s public performance that she had secretly asked Xiao Yu to record.

Anyway, in her heart, Shen Bu was the most important, no matter what kind of ridicule the program group was getting.

Within an hour, Shen Bu had made it to the trending topics.

#Idol Training Camp Editing#

#Shen Bu Intentionally Suppressed#

The video was shot quite clearly. Shen Bu’s makeup was not up to date, but his strikingly handsome face and powerful aura couldn’t be concealed by his dark red hair.

Unlike the program’s editing, Shen Bu’s every dance move was smooth and powerful, and he hit every musical beat perfectly. Being in the c-position and already outstanding in ability, he became even more eye-catching.

His voice is low-pitched, but when he raps, he suddenly transforms from a clear-cut young man to a wild wolf, and one can feel his charm from the screams of the fans on-site.

No wonder his on-site votes were so high.

However, the editing by the production team clearly tuned the others’ audio, and made another trainee with better appearance the c-position, completely suppressing the outstanding performance of Shen Bu.

This sly move has made it difficult for netizens to understand.

Especially when someone leaked Shen Bu’s photo, his looks and temperament struck a chord with many people. When going back to review his performance in the previous episodes, they found that he barely had any camera time. Even when he occasionally appeared or spoke, he was either wearing a hat or looking down, not even bothering to show his face!

It’s definitely the program team targeting Shen Bu!

However, this hot search was quickly taken down.

With dark circles under her eyes, Wan Tong gritted her teeth and spent money to regain the hype.

Afterwards, she spent money to buy favorable coverage, buy water armies, and really got into it. She was determined to whitewash Shen Bu. After all, he was honest and upright, and not afraid of having his information exposed.

In a luxurious villa, Lin Jin’er was so angry that she almost smashed her phone.

Who leaked the video, what’s the deal with the trending topic that got taken down and then reappeared, and where did those press releases about Shen Bu come from?

It seems that she wasn’t cruel enough to Shen Bu, and he unexpectedly turned things around again!

She must make sure to crush him completely next time, so that he will be forever ashamed! As for his popularity, that’s something that will change over time when they spend more time together!

Inside the restroom of the training camp, Shen Bu listened to the report on his phone, with a slight smile on his lips.

The person on the other end asked, “A’Bu, you didn’t leak that video, did you? And what’s up with the trending topic that got taken down but then immediately reappeared at the top of the list? And there seems to be a lot of fake followers too. How much money did you spend on all this?”

“It’s her,” said Shen Bu in a barely audible voice.

The other person on the phone was puzzled for a moment, then exclaimed in horror, “No way, are you really being kept by a wealthy woman?”

Shen Bu didn’t reply, he just hung up after saying a word, “Bye.”

The program group issued a statement overnight, saying that they did not intentionally target anyone, and that editing always tends to focus on the highlights, which cannot satisfy everyone.

The wealthy woman Wan Tong, who stayed up all night, just replied with a “hehe”.

Netizens naturally mocked the situation, but there was nothing they could do. These so-called reality shows have their own hidden rules, and in order to pursue explosive and interesting points, they always have to suppress a few unimportant roles. It’s just that this time, the program group messed up.

However, this should not affect the program’s viewership. Despite cursing, there will always be a bunch of people chasing after it for those ninety-nine young fresh meats.

Wan Tong looked at last night’s bill and felt as if her heart was bleeding, but when she saw that Shen Bu’s fans skyrocketed, she didn’t feel as heartbroken anymore.

After finishing her morning routine, she took Xiao Cen and Xiao Yu to the television station.

However, while she was doing her makeup, she suddenly received a message from Shishi, who had been silent for a long time.

[Tongtong, Lin Jin’er and Shen Bu met each other.]

[Did she go to the training camp?] Has she become desperate?

[It was a dinner party.] Shishi’s tone seemed to be tinged with helplessness.

Another dinner party…

As she thought about the program she was about to record, even if she was anxious, she couldn’t get away from it. So she beckoned to Xiao Cen and whispered, “Xiao Cen, I have a task for you.”

She had hired bodyguards before to guard against Su Fang, but now that Su Fang had been arrested, she didn’t really need them to follow her.

However, she didn’t expect that she had made a mistake this time.