Chapter Summaries

Qin Wei inspired the trainees to believe in themselves before the theme song evaluations began. After Class A performed strongly, Si Di encouraged Yu Ning to challenge one of its trainees, and Yu Ning bravely took the stage.

• Qin Wei asked the trainees who wanted to become idols to raise their hands, then urged them to keep striving even if they did not debut.
• Huo Xiao and Si Di were the only trainees who initially said they were certain they could become idols, but Qin Wei's encouragement led everyone to raise their hands.
• Class A completed its theme song evaluation, with nearly all its trainees performing smoothly and Huo Xiao drawing praise from Qian Er.
• Si Di encouraged the nervous Yu Ning to challenge a Class A trainee, reminding him that he could fall back to Class B if he lost.
• Yu Ning stepped onto the platform and declared that even if he lost, he would lose with honor.

Yu Ning challenged a Class A trainee, earned a B rank, and celebrated his progress with Si Di. Si Di then challenged Huo Xiao, the strongest trainee in Class A, leaving the venue stunned as their battle began.

• Yu Ning performed the theme song and challenged a Class A trainee, but the mentors reevaluated him as B after his nerves affected his singing.
• Qin Wei and Qian Er praised Yu Ning’s dancing and encouraged him, and Yu Ning happily told Si Di that he was proud to have performed onstage.
• Several Class B trainees challenged Class A, and one won a higher rank before the evaluations continued through the lower classes.
• Si Di took the stage last and chose Huo Xiao from Class A, despite knowing that Huo Xiao was an all-around ace and a formidable opponent.
• Qin Wei encouraged Si Di to show his abilities as Si Di stood confidently before the camera.

Si Di impressed Qian Er and Qin Wei with a polished singing and dancing performance, prompting Qian Er to ask whether he could pursue Si Di. Qin Wei discouraged him by claiming Si Di already had a partner, though he said he did not know who it was.

• Si Di performed the song and dance flawlessly, impressing Qian Er and Qin Wei.
• Qian Er asked Qin Wei whether Si Di was single and said he wanted to pursue him.
• Qin Wei insisted that Si Di was straight, conservative, and incompatible with Qian Er, then warned him not to pursue Si Di.
• Qian Er argued that dating him could even help Si Di and Qin Wei reconcile, but Qin Wei refused to give him a chance.
• Qin Wei told Qian Er that Si Di already had a partner, then privately wondered who had lured away the young man.

After Si Di’s polished theme song performance, the mentors debated whether he or Huo Xiao deserved the final Class A spot. Li Si challenged Si Di’s stage presence and demanded to know why he thought he could replace Huo Xiao.

• Si Di finished his performance with a finger-heart gesture and bowed to the mentors.
• Qian Er stood to applaud Si Di and declared that one of the seven debut spots belonged to him.
• Li Si challenged Qian Er, arguing that promoting Si Di would unfairly demote Huo Xiao to Class B.
• Qian Er defended Si Di’s improvement and accused Li Si of still holding a grudge over the initial evaluation.
• Li Si argued that Si Di lacked Huo Xiao’s stage presence and asked what qualified him to take Huo Xiao’s place in Class A.

Si Di lost his battle against Huo Xiao and returned to Class F, but Qin Wei tore off his F badge and wrote an A before his name to encourage him. After the theme song evaluations reshuffled the classes, Wu Biao met Si Di in a stairwell that night.

• Si Di admitted he was less skilled than Huo Xiao, then vowed to defeat him one day, and Huo Xiao accepted the challenge.
• Li Si taunted Si Di after his loss, but Qin Wei stopped him and replaced Si Di’s F badge with one marked A, telling him he was an A in his heart.
• Si Di thanked Qin Wei, while Zhao Yi and Qian Er speculated that Qin Wei had romantic feelings for him.
• The theme song evaluation ended, and the trainees’ class rosters were reshuffled.
• Wu Biao met Si Di in an empty stairwell, heard him apologize for failing to reach Class A, and slapped him.

Wu Biao gave Si Di a phone after scolding him about his performance and online romance, but Si Di could not log into WeChat without verifying his old device. He sneaked into the production team's storage rooms with Yu Ning to find the phone he had handed in, and someone suddenly grabbed his wrist inside the final room.

• Wu Biao comforted Si Di about remaining in Class F, then gave him a phone despite his failure to enter Class A.
• Si Di tried to log into WeChat, but the new device required verification from his old phone.
• Si Di asked Yu Ning where the trainees' collected phones were stored, and Yu Ning said they were in a third-floor storage room.
• Si Di and Yu Ning sneaked upstairs and searched several prop rooms for the phones.
• Si Di entered an unmarked room while Yu Ning stood guard, but someone grabbed his wrist.

Si Di accidentally entered Qin Wei’s dark room and collided with him, losing his first kiss to his sworn enemy. After discovering the mistake, they argued over why Si Di had come looking for his phone, and the chapter ended with them glaring at each other.

• Si Di stumbled backward into Qin Wei in the dark, and their lips met as the door shut.
• Si Di recognized Qin Wei, slapped him, and tried to yank his hair, but Qin Wei restrained him until the lights came on.
• Si Di cursed Qin Wei for taking his first kiss, while Qin Wei accused him of sneaking into his room at night.
• Si Di learned Qin Wei had chosen the remote temporary room so he could spend more time reading scripts.
• Qin Wei questioned why Si Di was searching for his phone, and their argument escalated into mutual threats and accusations.

Si Di and Yu Ning tried to sneak into Qin Wei’s room to use a phone, but Qin Wei caught them and Si Di accidentally fell into his arms. The trainees got their phones on their rest day, and Si Di messaged his boyfriend that he was no longer pure after losing his first kiss to Qin Wei.

• Qin Wei pinched Si Di’s chin during their argument, then Si Di fell into his arms when Qin Wei let go.
• Yu Ning interrupted them and persuaded Si Di to leave; Qin Wei questioned Yu Ning about Si Di’s urgent need to contact someone and suspected it was his boyfriend.
• Si Di led Yu Ning back to their dorm, where he put the Pineapple Phone under his pillow and went to sleep.
• The loudspeaker announced that trainees could retrieve their phones for the rest day, but had to return them by five o’clock.
• Si Di read several affectionate messages from V and told him, “Dear, I’m sorry, I’m not pure anymore.”

Si Di reassured himself that V would forgive an accidental kiss, then told Yu Ning he was dating V online despite knowing little about him. After learning V developed projects independently and could support him, Si Di was asked what he did for work.

• V told Si Di that an accidental kiss would not end their relationship, as long as Si Di brushed and rinsed his mouth.
• Yu Ning spotted Si Di's messages and confronted him about secretly dating someone.
• Si Di admitted he and V were dating online and said V lived nearby, though he knew little else about him.
• At Yu Ning's urging, Si Di asked V about his work, and V said he developed projects himself and could support them both.
• V asked Si Di what he did for work, leaving Si Di to consider how to answer.

Si Di agreed to meet his online boyfriend V in person next month after reassuring him about his unusual job and confessing his fears about meeting. Later, Si Di invited Huo Xiao to join him and Yu Ning for hot pot, while Qin Wei watched the three leave together.

• Si Di told V that his job kept him busy, and he mistakenly concluded that V worked as a haunted-house NPC.
• V asked Si Di to meet, and Si Di agreed to meet him next month after V reassured him that he already liked him regardless of his appearance.
• On their day off, Si Di and Yu Ning ran into Huo Xiao while leaving the dormitory and invited him to join them for hot pot.
• Huo Xiao handed his delivery food to a passerby and walked off with Si Di and Yu Ning, who linked arms with him.
• Qin Wei saw the three leave together and wondered what made people want to cling to Si Di.

Si Di, Yu Ning, and Huo Xiao shared hot pot, where Huo Xiao questioned Si Di about Qin Wei and learned about Si Di’s unusual handshake deal with his agency. Huo Xiao then mentioned that his company had no rule against artists dating, leaving his interest in Si Di apparent.

• Si Di and Huo Xiao exchanged WeChat contacts, and Huo Xiao described his relaxed habits and friendly nature to Si Di and Yu Ning.
• During hot pot, Huo Xiao asked Si Di about his conflict with Qin Wei, and Si Di said they had disliked each other since childhood.
• Huo Xiao suggested Si Di’s hatred for Qin Wei might come from love turning into resentment, leaving Si Di and Yu Ning bewildered.
• Huo Xiao asked whether Si Di’s agency contract forbade relationships, and Si Di explained he had only made a casual verbal agreement with Wu Biao.
• Huo Xiao said his own company had no rules forbidding artists from dating.

After Yu Ning told Si Di that Huo Xiao obviously liked him, Si Di dismissed the idea, and Yu Ning's explanation was interrupted when they walked out of the restroom and found Qin PD at the sink.

• Huo Xiao paid for the meal, and Si Di accepted his invitation to treat him next time.
• Si Di hid his backup Pineapple Phone in a toilet tank after Yu Ning warned him about a surprise inspection.
• Yu Ning told Si Di that Huo Xiao liked him and cited Huo Xiao's behavior during the evaluation and lunch as evidence.
• Si Di doubted Yu Ning's interpretation, and Yu Ning angrily insisted that Huo Xiao was close to confessing.
• Yu Ning stepped out of the stall and froze when he saw Qin PD washing his hands.

Si Di rejected Qin Wei’s interference in his private life, then learned from Yu Ning that Huo Xiao’s popularity made him a strong prospect for debut. Back at the dorm, Si Di found Huo Xiao moving into the bunk beside his and wondered whether Yu Ning’s matchmaking had been right.

• Qin Wei warned Si Di to focus on what mattered, but Si Di told him his private life was none of his business.
• Si Di mocked Qin Wei by praising Huo Xiao, and Qin Wei privately recalled overhearing Si Di and Yu Ning hide a phone in the restroom.
• Yu Ning said Huo Xiao was leading the online rankings and suggested that getting together with him could help Si Di debut; Si Di dismissed the idea as cheating.
• Si Di and Yu Ning teased each other as they returned to the dorm.
• Si Di found Huo Xiao arranging bedding in the bunk beside his, and Huo Xiao gave him a defiant smile.

After realizing Huo Xiao might like him, Si Di told him that he already had a boyfriend, V, whom he had been dating online for over three years. Huo Xiao masked his disappointment with teasing, while Qin Wei saw them chasing each other in the corridor and left with a darkened expression.

• After a dormmate crashed into Si Di, Huo Xiao caught him by the wrist and waist, and Si Di recognized the desire in Huo Xiao's gaze.
• Si Di asked Huo Xiao to step into the corridor so he could tell him something privately.
• Si Di told Huo Xiao that he had a boyfriend, V, and explained that they were in an online relationship and planned to meet after the competition.
• Huo Xiao questioned Si Di about the relationship, then ruffled his hair and joked about his upcoming meetup with V.
• Si Di chased Huo Xiao down the corridor and tried to ruffle his hair in return, while Qin Wei watched them and left with a darkened expression.

Qin Wei announced a group battle as the trainees’ first public performance, where five hundred audience members would vote and half the trainees would be eliminated based on popularity. The rankings were revealed, leaving Si Di astonished to learn he had placed second behind Huo Xiao.

• Qin Wei announced that the one hundred trainees would split into twelve groups to perform six songs, with matching-song groups competing against each other before five hundred idol producers.
• Qin Wei warned that half the trainees would be eliminated after the live performance and revealed the rankings, beginning with the danger zone from fifty-first to one hundredth.
• Yu Ning found himself ranked twenty-sixth and felt relieved, while Si Di searched the rankings and wondered why his name was missing from the displayed positions.
• The screen revealed Huo Xiao in first place and Si Di in second, and Yu Ning excitedly pointed out Si Di’s silver crown.

The trainees learned the six songs for the group battle and began considering their choices. Si Di and Huo Xiao agreed to compete with each other over the song [FOX], while Qin Wei watched Si Di with obvious jealousy as team selection began.

• Si Di noticed that Ji Yan, ranked third, looked at him and returned his smile, prompting Qin Wei to grow jealous.
• Qin Wei explained that twelve groups would compete across six songs and introduced the songs for the group battle.
• Huo Xiao sat beside Si Di and challenged him to compete over [FOX], which both of them wanted to choose.
• The cameras caught Yu Ning looking worried and Qin Wei staring darkly at Si Di, delighting the CP fans.
• Qin Wei announced that song selection and team formation would begin, then fixed his gaze on Si Di.

The trainees formed teams for the second group battle, with Huo Xiao and Si Di both choosing Fox and Ji Yan joining Si Di. The teams and opponents were finalized, and the trainees prepared for their first group performance before an audience.

• Qin Wei warned the trainees that nearly half of them would be eliminated after the performance, then began the song and team selection.
• Huo Xiao chose Fox and selected four teammates, then named Si Di as the next captain.
• Si Di also chose Fox and picked Ji Yan, who wanted to challenge others’ expectations, before selecting three more teammates.
• Si Di chose Yu Ning to select the next song, and the trainees continued forming teams.
• Qin Wei announced that all twelve teams, songs, and opponents were set, then ended his work as mentor.

Qin Wei dragged Si Di into a private lounge to ask about his relationship with Huo Xiao, while Huo Xiao questioned Yu Ning about what he had told Si Di. The chapter ended with Si Di suspecting that Huo Xiao was the “little cutie” Qin Wei had once mentioned.

• Qin Wei called Si Di over and dragged him away despite Si Di’s protests, leaving Yu Ning behind.
• Huo Xiao asked Yu Ning where Si Di had gone and questioned him about what he had told Si Di.
• Huo Xiao warned Yu Ning to stay out of what happened between him and Si Di, then left for the dorms.
• In the private lounge, Qin Wei asked whether Si Di had broken up with his boyfriend and what was going on between him and Huo Xiao.
• Si Di accused Qin Wei of being unusually concerned about Huo Xiao and asked if Huo Xiao was the little cutie Qin Wei had mentioned.

Qin Wei and Si Di traded insults and fought, but their struggle ended with them in an unexpectedly intimate position. Qin Wei then returned to his objection to Si Di being with Huo Xiao, insisting that Si Di could not be with him.

• Si Di teased Qin Wei about possibly liking him, and Qin Wei retorted by calling Si Di a case of rabies.
• Si Di punched at Qin Wei, who restrained him, then let him go when Si Di demanded another fight.
• Si Di counterattacked and knocked Qin Wei onto the sofa, landing astride his thighs as they stared at each other at close range.
• Si Di stood over Qin Wei, grabbed his collar, and argued that Qin Wei had provoked him; Qin Wei pointed out that Si Di had insulted him repeatedly.
• Qin Wei said that whether Si Di had broken up with his boyfriend or was cheating on him, he could not be with Huo Xiao.

Si Di and Qin Wei argued over Si Di’s closeness to Huo Xiao, Ji Yan, and Yu Ning, while Qin Wei insisted Si Di was fickle and would eventually accept Huo Xiao’s feelings. Qin Wei left convinced Si Di was messaging another romantic interest, then received a WeChat notification.

• Qin Wei warned Si Di that Huo Xiao could bring him trouble, but Si Di said he would take responsibility for his own life and had no romantic feelings for Huo Xiao for now.
• Qin Wei accused Si Di of being fickle because he had a boyfriend while acting intimately with Huo Xiao, Ji Yan, and Yu Ning.
• Si Di mocked Qin Wei for meddling and left the room, while Qin Wei stayed behind, frustrated that Si Di had ignored his warning.
• After filming ended, Qin Wei saw Si Di enter the second-floor restroom to retrieve the phone hidden in its water tank.
• Qin Wei assumed Si Di was going to message another romantic interest, then received a WeChat notification on his own phone.