How to become an ACE of a top boy group

Luo Xi suddenly realized that Qin Feng wasn't a pitiful, uncared-for little white flower; on the contrary, it was possible that he had deliberately driven away all the people who wanted to comfort him, waiting specifically for Gu Minxing.

Seeing Qin Feng's vulnerable expression, realizing that the person who came wasn't the one he wanted, Luo Xi almost couldn't help but laugh.

But since he's already here, and Qin Feng even chose such a well-lit spot, there's a good chance it'll be included in the show.

So Luo Xi patiently and softly asked, "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Is something on your mind?"

"I...I'm fine. Is Minxing here? Could you call him over? I have something I want to say to him."

Qin Feng instantly concealed his earlier rage and reverted to his gentle and weak demeanor.

“Minsung had something to do and had to leave first. He saw that you were sad, so he asked me to come and see you… If you feel that talking about it will make you feel better, you can do that too. Just treat me as your fan and talk to your fans.”

Luo Xi made it very clear that Gu Minxing wouldn't come, and Qin Feng understood her meaning. Even if they couldn't sell the tickets, at least they could get some screen time to garner sympathy from the fans.

"I..." Qin Feng buried his face in his knees and cried again. He only managed to say one word before falling silent and continuing to sob.

"Say the lyrics, hurry up and say the lyrics!"

Luo Xi almost shook his shoulders and asked him a question.

"I'm just..." Qin Feng finally spoke after gathering his thoughts, "...I'm just having a really bad mindset. I don't know why, but I performed terribly this time. I was so upset before, I disappointed my fans. If this continues, what will I do if I can't debut..."

Qin Feng became increasingly emotional as he spoke, unconsciously incorporating personal feelings: "It's completely different here from at the company. Every week is a competition, an elimination round. I'm really worried that I'll be eliminated by accident. Why do they have to make the rules so cruel... Besides, everyone is so busy, nobody pays any attention to me. I was already one of the youngest in the company, relying on my older brothers for a lot of things, but suddenly I'm in this place where I have to fight all by myself... Waaah..."

Luo Xi couldn't help but offer some genuine comfort, "You've done very well; your ranking has always been very high."

"But it keeps dropping, and the number of fans is dropping too!" Qin Feng's tears flowed again when his sore spot was touched.

As someone who has always comforted her teammates, Luo Xi is very experienced in comforting people with this kind of mentality: "You are afraid because you want to do everything well. How can you do everything well? You said yourself that you have no experience and you are still young. So you have done your best. You have to believe in yourself and believe in your fans. Even mature idols can't do everything well. Sometimes they are just a little short, but it's okay. You are still young and can improve and grow. You won't lose anything."

"I've lost a lot of fans!"

"But you showed your true self, and that will attract fans who truly like you."

This sentence perfectly resolved Qin Feng's inner conflict.

That's true. It's okay if those fans who only care about his looks leave; those fans weren't loyal to begin with. He still has many die-hard fans.

Moreover, the popularity of CP (couple) fans is based on their strength and a loyal fanbase.

"You mean, I will continue to improve, and my true fans will always be there for me?"

"of course!"

His dazed, thoughtful look at this moment makes him seem like a 16-year-old brother.

He had cried so much that sweat was sticking to his hair. Luo Xi wiped away the tears and sweat from his face with a tissue, and he obediently didn't move.

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"How about it?"

When Luo Xi returned to the dressing room, Gu Minxing had already changed her clothes and was waiting for her in the same spot.

"I don't know, I've talked a lot about what's on my mind, I guess I feel much better now?"

As Luo Xi took her original clothes off the hook in the dressing room, she said, "Indeed, facing something uncertain and having the mindset that you have to succeed is bound to be stressful, tiring, and anxiety-inducing. I can totally understand that because I'm in the same boat."

"I guess only someone like Min-sung doesn't experience anxiety?"

"Well... I wasn't anxious about the show, but actually I've been anxious the whole time. I really want to live a stable life, taking things one step at a time according to my goals, but that's impossible. So I often worry that the future might not be what I want. For example, what if I debut but don't meet the fans' expectations, or what if I'm blocked by a bunch of unpredictable things and can't create the music I want? I sometimes wonder if it would be better if I didn't become an idol?"

After speaking from the bottom of her heart, Gu Minxing explained, "I don't mean I don't want to be an idol. This is also my dream. I'm happy to make everyone who likes me happy."

“I understand your struggle. Nobody can predict the future.” Luo Xi thought for a moment and said, “Although I always say, ‘Don’t think too much, just focus on the present,’ this anxiety is like an invisible burden that can’t be eliminated just by saying I don’t care. Every night when I close my eyes to sleep, this anxiety spreads, making me keep thinking about the tasks I didn’t finish today, and wishing I could practice more.”

"Then I tried to go to sleep because I had to get up early to practice the next day, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, which made me even more anxious and unable to sleep?"

Gu Minxing tacitly filled in the details of her insomnia, laughing as she spoke.

“Are you spying on my life? Exactly the same!” Rosie laughed too.

Two people who share this trait inexplicably become close.

"Uncertainty is so annoying!"

“Yes, if life were planned out like a checklist, and you could easily complete it by just following the steps without having to think at all,” Gu Minxing said.

"If such a thing really existed, I would buy it immediately." Luo Xi waved the clothes in her hand. "I'm going to change. Minxing, are you going back?"

"Yes." Gu Minxing lowered her eyes, seemingly with some regret. "I'll be going now."

"See you next time!"

"Okay, see you next time." Gu Minxing smiled back at Luo Xi's smile.

Luo Xi finally understood why Gu Minxing's sharp and strong features were paradoxically mixed with a cold beauty: his eyes were gentle, just like his inner self, inclusive and without any aggression.

After changing her clothes, Luo Xi returned to the dormitory, where Song Wenchen was already lying on the sofa.

He happened to be in the bye group and got 10 bonus points right away. Luo Xi joked that he was very lucky, but Song Wenchen said, "But our group's performance won't be broadcast. If no one watches, what will we do with 100 million views? That's 40 points! Sigh—it would be better to let us compete."