Netizens seemed to transform into professional commentators, conducting a comprehensive “cloud assessment” of each guest’s physical fitness and personality.
Of course, many fans also stepped in to defend their idols.
“Our Xiaotong is a Princess of the Capital, with an unyielding spirit in her bones; don’t underestimate her!”
“Those talking about Bai Lu are too presumptuous; she is very dedicated to her acting and will definitely be able to persevere.”
“Regardless, it’s too early to draw conclusions now; let’s wait until the show airs.”
The online commotion quickly reached the ears of those involved.
In the hotel room, Assistant Xiao Lu rushed to Gu Lina Zha, holding her phone, her face full of excitement.
“Naza-jie, look!”
“After the official announcement, your Weibo followers increased by over ten thousand in half an hour!”
“And this, in the ‘first to withdraw’ poll, your vote count is one of the lowest.”
“Everyone thinks you can stick with it!”
Xiao Lu’s voice was filled with excitement.
“The show hasn’t even started filming yet, and the buzz is already so high.”
“After it airs, your popularity will definitely reach another level!”
Gu Lina Zha looked up from her script, took the phone, and scrolled through it a few times.
Looking at the enthusiastic discussions and expectations for her online, she not only didn’t feel happy, but her brows furrowed slightly.
She knew very well that the higher the netizens’ expectations, the more severe the public backlash would be if she didn’t perform well.
Special forces training was no joke.
She had already learned about the general training intensity during a meeting with the production team earlier.
Just hearing about the exercises made her scalp tingle.
“No, I can’t just sit here and wait.”
Gu Lina Zha put down her phone, her expression becoming serious.
“Starting tomorrow, I need to start exercising and get used to it beforehand.”
Xiao Lu’s smile froze upon hearing this.
Then she took out another phone, opened the schedule, and looked troubled.
“Naza-jie, but… your schedule is very full.”
“Tomorrow morning, you have a magazine cover shoot.”
“In the afternoon, there’s a brand live stream.”
“And in the evening, there’s a gala to attend; there’s no free time at all.”
The assistant showed her the packed schedule.
Gu Lina Zha looked at the dense arrangements, and a sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.
She knew Xiao Lu was telling the truth.
As a popular artist, her time had long been planned by the company and team down to the hour.
“What should I do then?”
Gu Lina Zha frustratingly ran her fingers through her hair.
“Can’t I even squeeze out a little time?”
Xiao Lu cautiously suggested:
“Unless… you sleep one or two hours less each day and use the early morning or late night hours to exercise.”
Sleep one or two hours less?
Gu Lina Zha instinctively wanted to refuse.
For artists, sleep is crucial for maintaining good condition and skin, its importance goes without saying.
But thinking of the upcoming high-intensity training and the buzzing discussions online, she hesitated again.
She didn’t want to be the first to be eliminated, and even less did she want to be ridiculed by the entire internet for poor performance.
Was there a more efficient training method?
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Lu Mingyu.
Her military boyfriend, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, who trained in the army.
His physique, his walking posture, his sharp, eagle-like eyes.
All indicated that he was a top-tier strong person.
Asking him would surely yield the most professional and effective advice.
Once this thought appeared, it could no longer be suppressed.
Gu Lina Zha felt her heart rate quicken a bit.
She was both a little nervous and a little expectant.
She didn’t know if he would pay attention to her sudden desire to train herself.
After all, in the eyes of soldiers, artists like them, who appeared glamorous on the surface, might be no different from flowers in a greenhouse.
But she still wanted to try.
Gu Lina Zha took a deep breath.
From her contacts, she found the number she had long memorized.
She bit her lip, repeatedly editing the message on her phone screen.
After several deletions and revisions, she finally settled on the wording.
“Mingyu, are you free and have time?”
“I’m going to participate in an event that will involve a lot of physical training.”
“I’m worried my physical fitness won’t keep up, so I want to prepare beforehand.”
“I wanted to ask if you have any relatively efficient training methods?”
“Please!”
After sending the message, Gu Lina Zha clutched her phone tightly, anxiously awaiting a reply.
Time passed minute by minute.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
The phone remained silent.
A wave of disappointment washed over her.
Maybe he was busy again.
Or perhaps he was training.
Just as she was about to give up and consider just running on the treadmill, her phone suddenly chimed.
The screen lit up, and a new message popped out.
The sender was none other than Lu Mingyu.
Gu Lina Zha’s heart instantly leaped to her throat, and she quickly opened the message.
The reply was very concise, perfectly matching his decisive style.
“Weighted training is most suitable.”
“Get a ten-kilogram weighted vest and run eight kilometers wearing it every day.”
“Start with a slow jog, gradually increasing speed and endurance.”
A few brief sentences, direct and to the point, providing the core training plan.
Gu Lina Zha looked at this message as if she had found a lifeline.
Just as she was about to reply, the other party sent another message.
“If you don’t have the equipment, I can express mail you a set of weighted gear suitable for beginners.”
Lu Mingyu’s message completely relaxed Gu Lina Zha’s taut nerves.
She looked at the line on the screen, “I can express mail you a set of weighted gear suitable for beginners.”
A warm current surged through her heart.
This man, even his way of expressing concern was so unique.
No platitudes, no sweet words.
Yet, he solved her biggest immediate problem in the most direct and effective way.
This was Lu Mingyu.
A man who hid all his tenderness in his actions.
Gu Lina Zha couldn’t help but curve her lips upward, her earlier disappointment and anxiety vanished.
She could even imagine the softness that might appear on Lu Mingyu’s perpetually icy face when he sent that message.
She pressed the phone to her chest, feeling her heartbeat become steady and strong.
“This is great! The problem is solved!”
Gu Lina Zha excitedly shook her phone at Xiao Lu, who was nearby.
Xiao Lu leaned over to look and also breathed a sigh of relief.
“Soldiers are truly professional; one sentence gets right to the point.”
She exclaimed sincerely.
“Right, right!”
Gu Lina Zha, like a little girl who had received candy, happily rolled around on the sofa.
“He said he’d send me a set of equipment, so now I can start training early.”
“When I join the show, I definitely won’t be the worst performer!”
Seeing her artist’s fighting spirit rekindled, Xiao Lu was also very happy for her.
But amidst her happiness, she remembered something very important, yet potentially very discouraging.
Xiao Lu hesitated, but still felt she had to tell Gu Lina Zha beforehand to prepare her mentally.
“Naza-jie…”