Yi Xing, who was playing games yesterday afternoon, successfully adjusted his jet lag.
After enduring a sleepy afternoon and managing to stay awake until night, his sleep schedule returned to normal.
According to the program team's arrangements, the morning of the 31st also required a full run-through.
They needed to try on the provided costumes to ensure they fit and check if there were any issues with the equipment needed for the performances.
Since the divas hit the road's performance was in the middle, they didn't need to wake up very early; around 8 AM was fine.
After Yi Xing finished getting ready, he took his phone and room card, went outside, and waited for the surrounding doors to open.
Time quietly reached nine o'clock, and a group of seven people took the elevator to the hotel entrance, got into the commercial van that had been waiting for a long time, and headed towards the venue.
The car was incredibly noisy, mainly due to Zhang Han and Li Feier's voices, as the two of them chatted back and forth.
“I told you not to put on makeup; there are professional stylists at the venue.
Now look, we're probably going to be late.”
“It's just a habit, you know? I have to put on makeup before I go out, otherwise, I wouldn't dare leave the house.
Besides, who was it that was complaining about a stomach ache and needing to use the restroom before we left?”
Li Feier smiled sheepishly.
She knew everyone was waiting for her, which was why they had to delay their departure; otherwise, they would have already arrived at the venue by now.
“That's a call of nature, okay? A stomach ache isn't something I can control.”
“Xiao Xing, you be the judge.
Whose fault is it?”
“Yes, you judge.”
Yi Xing, who was just a bystander, was inexplicably called upon.
He pointed to himself, meaning, “Are you asking me to judge?”
He just wanted to watch the drama unfold; he didn't want to get involved in their argument.
But since he was asked, of course, he had to pretend not to hear.
Helping either side would be wrong; playing dumb was the best option.
“Oh, Pei Ma, I think a bug just flew into my ear.
Can you check for me?”
He quickly moved from his seat to the back.
Getting away from their battlefield was key.
In the future, he'd have to be more careful and not watch drama from such close proximity.
“Okay, I'll help you look.”
Zheng Peipei smiled, cooperating with his actions.
After his interruption, the atmosphere in the car returned to being light and pleasant.
Amidst laughter and cheerful chatter, everyone arrived at the New Year's Eve concert venue, walked directly backstage, and entered the dressing room prepared by the program team for the divas hit the road.
The stylists inside immediately greeted them warmly and began styling each person.
Yi Xing sat on a stool, watching the person in the mirror style his hair.
“Teacher Yi Xing, do you have any ideas yourself?”
“No, you can just do what you think is best.”
In the field of styling, Yi Xing was completely clueless.
He didn't know what suited him best, and professional matters should be handled by professionals.
Moreover, he had complete trust in the stylists provided by Mango TV.
They had worked together so many times recently, and their styles were basically always to his liking.
So, he confidently closed his eyes, hoping to see a different version of himself when he opened them.
About an hour later, he felt someone tap his shoulder, and then he opened his eyes.
The person in the mirror was indeed different; he even had highlights, with many strands of hair turned red, which brought a look of surprise to his eyes.
“Wow, that's pretty cool!”
“Right?
I felt this hairstyle might suit you, so I specifically did it for you.
As long as you like it.”
“This works, this works.”
Yi Xing nodded, very satisfied.
He had actually wanted to try dyeing his hair for a long time, but his family always forbade it.
This time, he had a legitimate reason, saying it was for the show, and he couldn't do anything about it.
“I should be done, right?”
“You're done.”
“Alright then.”
He stood up and left the dressing room, stopping a nearby staff member to ask where the restroom was.
He had wanted to use the restroom for half an hour, and if he hadn't been afraid of disturbing the stylist's focus, he would have gone already.
Following the directions given by the staff member, he reached the backstage restroom.
After taking care of his urgent need, he washed his hands and walked out.
As he was about to return to the dressing room the way he came, he ran into Ju Jingyi, who was wearing a down jacket and was bundled up tightly.
Judging by her route, she seemed to be heading to the restroom as well.
“Xiao Ju, the restroom is over here.
Where are you going?”
When other artists were present, he would only call her Xiao Ju.
The name Jingyi was better reserved for private use.
“Huh?”
Ju Jingyi first looked around to see who was calling her, and when she realized it was Yi Xing, she quickly walked over and said, “How did you know I was going to the restroom?”
“Of course.
There are no more dressing rooms ahead, so besides the restroom, there's nowhere else you could be going.”
Hearing him say that, she nodded slightly, acknowledging his point.
She then looked at the person in front of her.
Under the lights, his red hair looked particularly dazzling, and combined with his handsome face, it made her eyes light up.
“Wow, your new look is really handsome!
It suits you so well!”
“I think so too.
Want to take a photo together?”
“Let's talk after I use the restroom.”
With that, Ju Jingyi hurried into the women's restroom nearby, and Yi Xing waited outside the door for her to come out, looking very much like a boyfriend waiting for his girlfriend.
Not long after, the person inside the restroom came out, pulling her down jacket tightly around her.
“You look like you're really cold.”
“Let me show you what I'm wearing underneath.”
Ju Jingyi unzipped her down jacket, revealing the clothes inside.
It was a thin performance outfit.
Although it looked exquisite, it seemed out of place in this weather, which was only a few degrees.
“Do you need hand warmers?
Should I go ask the program team for some?”
“I already have them on.
It won't be cold when I go on stage to dance.”
The first step to becoming an artist is to learn to endure the cold.
How to perform on stage in a short-sleeved shirt and a short skirt in temperatures of a few degrees or even below zero, acting as if nothing is wrong, is a mandatory lesson.
“Zip it up quickly, don't get cold.
Should we use your phone or my phone to take the picture?”
Yi Xing said with some concern.
He had seen the costume he was supposed to change into for the stage; it was at least a long-sleesleeved shirt and long pants, slightly warmer.
“Use mine.”
Ju Jingyi said as she took out her phone from her pocket and handed it to him.
Last time they took a photo, she took it.
This time, she wanted to see his skill.
If he was decent, she'd let him take all the photos from now on.
Finding a suitable angle for her height took a lot of effort, so saving some trouble would be great.
Yi Xing took the phone, opened the camera, and immediately found a suitable angle.
During his travels abroad, he had taken countless photos, developing some skill.
The two people in the frame flashed brilliant smiles, each raising a hand to make a V-sign, their bodies pressed close together.
Just as he was about to press the shutter button, Ju Jingyi suddenly spoke.
“Wait a moment, lower it a little more.
If you take it like this, I'll look very short.”
“Oh, okay.”
He followed her instructions, found a new angle, and asked, “How about this one?”
“That works, let's do this.”
After a “click,” another group photo of the two was added to her phone.
After taking the photo, they each returned to their respective dressing rooms, preparing for the final rehearsal.
Unlike before, this time they would only sing a short segment; there was no time to perform from beginning to end.
The main purpose was still to check the costumes and equipment; the performance itself had already been reviewed yesterday.
(The New Year's Eve concert will conclude tomorrow.)
