◎ Xia Xi’s Terrible Luck with People (Additional Scenes) ◎
When people say “a beauty like the wind,” they’re definitely talking about Xia Xi during her morning run.
Martial artists tend to have sharp senses. Although this wasn’t her original body, her instincts were still intact. The moment she noticed a camera aimed at her, Xia Xi immediately sensed it.
She had no idea what they were up to; she was just not used to being photographed and instinctively picked up her pace.
As a result, those trying to snap pictures of Xia Xi only ended up with a bunch of blurry shots.
“……” All they could do was hope for some good footage in the show. Everyone was silently wishing this ethereal girl would get more screen time and not just be a one-episode wonder!
Since there were no clear photos, viewers could only tell from the blurry images that the girl had a ponytail, a tall and slender figure, and two long legs. Even though the crowd on site kept insisting she was truly beautiful, it didn’t stir up much excitement. The fan forums quickly shifted their focus back to the well-known contestants.
Xia Xi was completely unaware of all this.
After finishing her run, she headed straight to the cafeteria. Exercise always gave her a huge appetite, and the one thing on her mind was whether they had her favorite—braised pork.
A full stomach meant full energy.
On the way, she even helped a round-faced girl open a bottle of drink.
The show’s director was closely monitoring the online buzz and saw the fan forum discussions. He was delighted and applauded on the spot.
“Blurry is good, blurry is perfect… I mean the pictures,” he said. Just like investors hate seeing their stocks drop, the director hated seeing blurry footage.
For the show, Xia Xi was one of the more important contestants early on. They wanted to avoid exposing her too soon and preferred to follow their carefully laid-out plan.
The cameraman explained, “Xia Xi, what the director means is that it’s actually a good thing no clear shots of you were captured.”
Xia Xi, called over, didn’t understand what he meant, but she had a perfect response ready—just nod politely and put on an obedient student face.
This trick worked like a charm, whether with her master or her teachers.
The director found himself increasingly fond of Xia Xi. How could someone be so good at dodging the camera? It made his job so much easier!
But he soon realized he had been too optimistic.
Even after setting up barriers to block easy leaks, the director sat in front of his computer reviewing footage of the contestants’ daily lives and was utterly puzzled.
“Where’s Xia Xi?” With such a big presence, how was she missing from all these clips?
The cameraman was on the verge of tears. “It’s all blurry!”
Xia Xi’s dodging skills were on another level. She didn’t just avoid other people’s cameras; she even dodged the show’s own cameras.
So, the director gave her a strict order: she was the only one among the 101 contestants who was not allowed to dodge the camera.
Xia Xi felt a little guilty. “...I’ll try to adjust.”
First, she was praised for dodging cameras, and then immediately scolded for the same thing. She could really feel how unpredictable this world was.
But what else could she do? As a working person, sometimes you just have to bow your head under the roof you’re under. For the long-term, it was the martial arts school; for the short-term, it was the braised pork.
She just had to keep going.
……
Before the recording of the show "pick101" even began, the production team had invested heavily in promotion and hype, already drawing considerable attention. With fans and viewers eagerly awaiting, the official Weibo account of the show finally revealed the names, profiles, and photos of the 101 contestants.
The comment section quickly became dominated by fans of well-known contestants.
"All-round ACE Zhao Tianqi—sweet or fierce, a natural dancer, a stage queen. Investing in her is never a loss."
"An Yi, An Yi, my heart belongs to you."
"Damn, Chu Sisi—isn’t she that popular online singer with an amazing voice? Someone mentioned she’d join the show before, but I didn’t believe it. She must be making good money as an influencer already. I don’t get why she’d even bother with a show like this..."
"Chu Sisi is a legit music academy student. Why can’t she join? Also, your grandpa lived to 103, what’s that got to do with anything? Mind your own business."
Most of the attention was focused on a few famous contestants, but some were already excitedly searching for new girls to stan.
Among them, the newcomer Xia Xi caught their eyes just from her photo.
"This girl Xia Xi is really pretty. If this isn’t over-edited, I think I might invest."
In the photos released by the production team, everyone wore the same uniform, with little difference in hairstyle. Yet Xia Xi’s bright smile stood out.
Though half of that radiant smile’s sweetness probably came from the staff offstage shouting, “Dinner’s ready!”
The comment about investing in Xia Xi quickly gained many likes, but soon negative voices appeared.
"I don’t think Xia Xi is worth it. You can’t just judge by looks—you have to look at skill. Has anyone noticed she’s only been practicing for half a month? And with that delicate, fragile appearance, she’s probably just a weak, useless pretty face."
Fans who had yet to catch the main star ended up spotting this “beauty like the wind” among the 101 contestants and felt excited—only to be hit with comments calling her a fragile, useless vase.
“...”
She thought, judging by how quickly she mastered difficult moves and her agile steps, there was no way she was fragile.
Staff who witnessed Xia Xi practicing martial arts during auditions also threw a candle of support to the confused netizens.
…
On the second day after the contestants were announced, filming officially began. "Pink101" introduced an innovative format combining live broadcasts with pre-recorded episodes.
The live stream was for viewers with time, while the edited versions suited a wider audience.
The 101 contestants had finished makeup and were ready to enter the stage for their debut performances.
Xia Xi still stood with trainees from the same company, but her outfit and style set her apart completely.
On one side were studded hot pants and ultra-modern girl group outfits; on the other was a flowing blue-and-white traditional dress, her luxurious black hair tied high with a white ribbon.
That was Xia Xi. She was tall enough to carry the wide skirt gracefully. Her delicate brows and calm expression softened the brightness, adding a youthful vigor and spirited energy.
It was normal that she looked different from Rui Ziyue and the others—after all, she was a solo act.
Xia Xi had already heard the host’s explanation backstage and learned that the seats were divided into five sections: A, B, C, D, and F. A was the highest level, and F the lowest. Before the debut stage performance, everyone chose their seats based on self-assessed rankings.
Although only a few companies had appeared so far, many seats in Class A had already been taken.
Xia Xi’s teammates were discussing, “Where should we sit?”
“Class A, of course! Even if we don’t make it to Class A in the end, at least we get to sit there!”
“Class A! I’m so jealous of those seats — they’re high up and have the best view.”
Everyone was chattering excitedly, mostly trying to rush for Class A, ready to make their move.
Rui Ziyue had the same idea — to get ahead by sitting in Class A. At the very least, it would earn her the first camera shot and leave an impression on the audience. Besides, who wouldn’t want to stay in Class A all the way to debut?
“Then you guys go ahead. I’ll take F,” Xia Xi said.
Rui Ziyue: ? Who just spoke?
It was Xia Xi.
While the others were busy voicing their ambitions of reaching the top, Xia Xi quietly assessed herself. She didn’t believe her current skills were enough to earn an A rating. She had a clear understanding of her own abilities. Still, since they had come together, she felt she should let them know.
Rui Ziyue and her group had already settled into Class A. Those with slightly less courage, seeing Xia Xi sitting alone in Class F, finally chose Class B after some consideration.
“Xia Xi’s sitting all alone over there. It looks kind of sad…”
One of Rui Ziyue’s teammates sighed and whispered, “Feels like they’re isolating Xia Xi. Isn’t that a bit too much?”
Class F didn’t have many people at all. Most of the performers who had appeared were gathered in the upper classes. Xia Xi’s seat was far back, and from above, that small area was occupied only by her.
Rui Ziyue pressed her lips together. No one had asked Xia Xi how she felt about this — it didn’t seem right. Rui Ziyue knew the usual tricks of these talent shows and understood that Xia Xi’s situation could easily be misunderstood as being unfriendly or not fitting in.
But even those who thought it was a little unfair didn’t move; none of them wanted to sit in Class F.
Just as Rui Ziyue expected, the viewers watching the live broadcast noticed this scene. Although the live footage was chaotic with many people coming and going, and not as neat and clear as the edited version, Xia Xi stood out too much to be ignored.
The comments section exploded.
[“Stop hyping her looks. So what if she’s pretty? No one from her own company sits with this Xia Xi. She must be unpopular — probably has a bad personality too.”]
Though some sensible viewers argued that seat choice was based on skill level, not popularity, the comment still set the tone.
[“Enough arguing. Look, someone’s going to see Xia Xi. Does Chu Sisi know her?”]
Rui Ziyue and her teammates watched the unfolding scene with confusion. They only knew Xia Xi as the early riser who trained hard every day. They had no idea what connection she had with Chu Sisi.
…
One trainee after another entered the studio. Chu Sisi, who had a built-in fanbase from livestreaming singing on a popular platform, brightened up the moment she saw Xia Xi. She dropped her teammates and ran happily toward her, with a hint of shyness.
“Hey, do you still remember me?”
Contrary to Rui Ziyue’s imagined loneliness, Xia Xi sitting alone over there looked perfectly at ease—she wasn’t lonely at all.
The young girl who rushed up to Xia Xi had a round, apple-shaped face, still carrying a hint of baby fat, and wore the same round glasses. Xia Xi’s memory was pretty good, especially since they had just met that morning.
She stood up with a smile. “Of course I remember.”
The contestant who couldn’t open her drink bottle cap.
Chu Sisi said, “Thanks for opening the bottle for me. You left so fast earlier, I didn’t even get a chance to say thank you… I even went looking for you in every dorm, but couldn’t find you.”
The reason Chu Sisi couldn’t find Xia Xi was probably because Xia Xi was mostly busy training. Xia Xi told Chu Sisi it was no big deal, just a small favor—she didn’t make a fuss about it.
After hesitating for a moment, as if summoning courage, Chu Sisi tentatively asked, “So… can I ask you to open bottle caps for me again?” Her apple-shaped face was slowly turning pink.
Xia Xi: ?
The cameraman: ?
Xia Xi raised an eyebrow and replied cheerfully, “Sure.”
“Anytime.”
Just what Chu Sisi wanted to hear, she dashed out excitedly and soon came back with a drink in hand, looking at Xia Xi with admiration—
To open the bottle cap.
Chu Sisi: She didn’t want to keep doing this either, but this drink was just too good, and the cap was stubbornly stuck!
Xia Xi’s hands were long, fingers fair and slender, seeming delicate and weak, but she effortlessly twisted open the bottle cap that even Chu Sisi’s teeth couldn’t crack.
The live chat viewers: Who knew why they were so engrossed in watching someone open a bottle cap?
But the cap was indeed tough to open, and Xia Xi’s grip was surprisingly strong. From their interaction, Xia Xi seemed pretty nice too?
Chu Sisi didn’t stay with Xia Xi for long. Although she wanted to stick close to this pretty new friend, her teammates were waiting.
Xia Xi didn’t mind and took the initiative to break the awkwardness. “Go find your friends.”
She appreciated Chu Sisi’s kindness but didn’t need anyone to stick around just for her.
If Chu Sisi and Xia Xi had some contact, it wouldn’t shock anyone. But when Zhao Tianqi, wearing Martin boots, brushed past her roommates and naturally sat down beside Xia Xi, all eyes and cameras at the scene inevitably focused on the two women from Class F.
After a moment of silence, a comment floated across the chat.
“The internet celebrity is chatting and acting cute with her, the top rookie with the highest popularity on the debut list is sitting next to her—if you say Xia Xi has bad connections, I don’t believe it. If she really had bad connections, does that make me invisible?”
Anyone who says she has bad connections deserves to be mocked!
…
Harsh as it sounds, it’s the truth. For example, a hundred Rui Ziyues combined wouldn’t carry the weight of a single Zhao Tianqi.
Most contestants at the scene had heard of Zhao Tianqi.
She had overseas training experience, was very strong, and was the only one among the 101 contestants to already have over a million followers on Weibo, while many others were still struggling with just a few hundred.
And Xia Xi?
She didn’t have a single Weibo follower and hadn’t even activated an account yet.
It was safe to say many viewers tuned into the live stream just for Zhao Tianqi.
Having Zhao Tianqi around meant guaranteed screen time. Anyone sitting next to her, even if they weren’t particularly outstanding themselves, could still bask in a bit of her spotlight. The catch was, Zhao Tianqi was cold and quiet—trying to strike up a forced friendship was nearly impossible.
So why had Xia Xi been singled out?
Even the director was a bit excited. “Cameraman, focus on these two!”
Zhao Tianqi turned her face toward Xia Xi, who was looking back calmly. There wasn’t a trace of the excitement you’d expect from meeting a popular contestant—actually, Xia Xi didn’t even know who was popular and who wasn’t.
The two of them exchanged words like elementary school kids.
Zhao Tianqi pointed to the name tag on her outfit, “Zhao Tianqi,” as a sort of self-introduction.
Xia Xi followed suit, tugging at her own clothes, “Xia Xi.”
Zhao Tianqi asked, “Is this seat taken? Can I sit here?”
Xia Xi replied, “No one’s here. Sure, go ahead.”
Zhao Tianqi was the epitome of cool—a single eyelid, princess cut hairstyle. For her debut stage, she wore a red-and-black leather outfit: a jacket and skirt, paired with long, straight legs clad in high-heeled combat boots.
Fans watching the live stream were stunned. They were still reeling from Zhao Tianqi’s unexpected outreach when she suddenly rummaged through her pocket, pulled out a pack of something, and asked Xia Xi,
“Want some gummy bears?”
The chat exploded.
Zhao God was actually being friendly, talking so much, even offering snacks?!
The kicker—Xia Xi refused.
Xia Xi hadn’t expected the offer at all. She blinked, a look of surprise crossing her face.
“It seems like they’ve already started recording. Eating might not be allowed?”
She glanced around at the cameramen, crew, and various cameras. Then, seeing Zhao Tianqi already munching away, she couldn’t help but discreetly warn her.
“There are cameras. Maybe you shouldn’t eat.”
Director’s voice: We see everything, and it’s live.
Dressed in blue and white traditional costume, her hair freshly tied up, Xia Xi carried an androgynous beauty. Now, as she seriously insisted on following the rules and cautiously advised Zhao Tianqi, she somehow reminded everyone of a stoic, abstinent Taoist priest.
The more she acted like that, the more irresistible it was to tempt her into breaking the rules.
[Oh my god, why is she so well-behaved!]
[Thank you, Zhao God, forever the best, for helping me discover such an adorable little sister. I didn’t get it at first, but now I’m smiling like a proud mom.]
[Just want to hug this little Taoist priest—hey, wife!]
Zhao Tianqi and the viewers in the live chat shared the same thoughts. She propped her chin on one hand, wearing a smile that was hard to read.
“It’s the ‘don’t eat’ that’s the real thrill. Didn’t you ever sneak snacks during class?”
Xia Xi actually hadn’t. So Zhao Tianqi just popped a gummy bear into her mouth.
…
One in blue and white, the other in red and black; one in traditional costume, the other in modern attire—both “secretly” sharing gummy bears under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of live viewers.
The camera captured Xia Xi’s expression perfectly—from shock, to acceptance, to narrowing her eyes in enjoyment. Afraid of being noticed, she kept her head down, her elegant, curved neck resembling a white swan, while her rapidly chewing, snow-white cheeks looked like a little hamster’s.
Xia Xi felt the gummy bear melting in her mouth, her heart racing. Zhao Tianqi was right—it was truly thrilling.
Joy!
After finishing, she tilted her head and poked Zhao Tianqi gently, whispering, “Is there more?”
The editor had already planned what caption to add later—
“Delicious.”
The “Delicious Law”: better late than never.
Zhao Tianqi hadn’t expected Xia Xi to accept it so quickly. Their relationship instantly drew closer through the shared secret of sneaking a gummy bear. She teased Xia Xi playfully,
“Didn’t you say it’s against the rules?”
Instead of the expected embarrassment, Xia Xi argued confidently, “If you’re chasing excitement, you have to see it through to the end.”
