Huayu: I really am a genuine top star.

Chapter 84 "Don't get distracted. Tighten your core."

"Sister Chu Yao, I received the materials. Senior Lan Xiu's photo is amazing," Shen Li replied. "I'll have Jing Yang contact her to take a few more casual photos. These are too formal, like resume photos."

Chu Yao replied, "Okay. You arrange it. By the way, my cousin said that her starting bid for broadcasting instruction can't be less than two hundred."

Two hundred? Shen Li's eyes darted around. With Lan Xiu's professional background, looks, and demeanor, two hundred really wasn't a high number.

"No problem. The starting bid is two hundred, and the final price will definitely go up. With Senior Lanxiu's conditions, the starting price is three hundred, with no upper limit."

Chu Yao replied with an "OK" emoji, then added, "Shen Li, have you already discussed that bidding feature with Ling Yingying?"

"Yes, yes, Sister Yingying is very proactive and keeps urging us on," Shen Li said truthfully, but deliberately made her tone sound casual and nonchalant.

Chu Yao was silent for a few seconds before replying, "She seems to care quite a bit."

Shen Li detected a hint of sourness, a probing tone, and even a touch of... hostility in those words. Ling Yingying and Chu Yao were indeed at odds.

"Don't worry, Sister Chu Yao," Shen Li quickly reassured her. "No matter who's more proactive, the top spot in 'Lili Run' will always be reserved for you. You and Senior Lan Xiu are both the top performers on our platform."

Chu Yao replied with an "Mm" and didn't say anything more.

Shen Li breathed a sigh of relief. These bewitching girls at the Beijing Film Academy are all incredibly difficult to please.

Ling Yingying cares about face, Chu Yao cares about prestige, Lan Xiu cares about status, Song Qian cares about having fun, Yun Yiyi... that sister doesn't want anything, but the more she doesn't want anything, the harder she is to figure out.

As he was thinking, his phone vibrated again. This time it was Xiao Zhao.

"Shen Li, in tomorrow's dance class, Teacher Du said we'll continue practicing partner dances in groups. Have you found a partner yet? [Cute]"

Shen Li stared at the message, her head throbbing. This peach-butt lady is fucking persistent!

Last time, I used "I've already made an appointment with Jiang Li" as a shield and kept quiet for a few days.

In acting class today, he chose Jiang Li in front of the whole class, thinking it would discourage her. But she wasn't discouraged at all and came back again.

What the hell is this spirit? It's the spirit of "never giving up despite repeated failures"! It's the spirit of "as long as you swing the hoe well, there's no corner you can't dig down!"

Shen Li's eyes darted around, and an idea came to her.

"Xiao Zhao, I'm sorry, Jiang Li helped me practice my posture tonight, and we've already agreed to continue tomorrow. However, I heard that Yun Yiyi hasn't found a partner yet. She's quite professional; do you want to try asking her?"

Xiao Zhao replied after a while: "Yun Yiyi? She's too aloof. I'm afraid I'll get cold if I go with her. [Smirking]"

Shen Li detected a hint of disdain in that "smirk." It seemed Xiao Zhao and Yun Yiyi didn't get along either.

The girls in the performing arts department appear to be friendly on the surface, but secretly they form cliques and scheme against each other, making their relationship more dramatic than a palace drama.

"How about this," Shen Li continued, offering a bad suggestion, "Why don't you ask Chu Yao? She played that rich lady in her acting class today, and she did a pretty good job. If you two team up, you're sure to have great chemistry."

Xiao Zhao replied with a "..." and then said, "Never mind, I'll find it myself. You and Jiang Li practice hard tomorrow. [Cute]"

Looking at that "cute" expression, Shen Li always felt like there was a knife hidden behind it. This woman, while saying "practice hard," was probably plotting something else entirely.

But Shen Li didn't care. He'd deal with whatever came his way. Xiao Zhao wanted to raise fish, but Shen Li was like a slippery eel—unmanageable.

Shen Li turned off her phone and returned to her dormitory with her mind a jumble of thoughts.

We need to keep a close eye on the development progress of the "Grain Runner" project, and find ways to motivate the celebrity deliverymen. We also need to urge Jingyang to take the promotional photos for Lanxiu.

Guo Xiaoxiao's monthly queuing service needs to be noted down in my notes: hot pot this Saturday, barbecue this Sunday. Also, the three jobs at Tang Tian's dorm—faucet repair, router installation, and lock cylinder replacement—should be done by tomorrow afternoon.

In addition, we still need to keep an eye on the film studio, and there's Fang Ying's grueling morning exercises... tomorrow at 5:30...

"Go to sleep, go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another day of being tortured like a dog, being chased by demons, and having my brain drained by this money-making scheme..."

"Just you wait and see. You fairies, bring it on! I'll deal with whatever comes my way, handle things from all sides, and there's plenty of time!"

The next morning, at 5:30.

Shen Li opened her eyes, feeling like every muscle in her body was cursing. The heroic spirit she had felt last night, nestled in the comfort of her bed, had been completely extinguished by reality.

He struggled to sit up, his legs felt like they were filled with cement, his arms felt like they had been stripped of their heavy loads, and his abdominal muscles ached so much that he didn't even dare to yawn... for fear that he would cramp up if he exerted any force.

Jingyang rolled over on the top bunk, muttered "Lier, be gentle...", and started snoring again.

Yang Yi was sleeping like a log, wrapped up in the blankets. Dai Xiao's bed curtains were drawn, revealing a faint light from the computer screen...

Shen Li gritted her teeth, put on a sports T-shirt and shorts, slipped on her shoes, and went out the door.

On the playground, the group of brutes from the martial arts major had all arrived.

Xiong Rui, shirtless, had a muscular physique that gleamed bronze in the morning light. His chest, abs, and biceps were clearly defined, making him look like a lifelike ancient Greek sculpture. He was leading a few of his junior brothers in leg stretches, their movements as graceful as a cheetah stretching.

Fang Ying stood to the side, wearing her awful black sports bra and purple yoga pants. The bra was made of very little fabric, tightly wrapping around her full, firm breasts, which were elastic and perky.

Her abs were clearly defined, as if carved by a knife; her waist was so slender it could be grasped in one hand. Her yoga pants accentuated her round, firm buttocks; her hair was tied in a high ponytail; she wore no makeup; and her skin looked so flawless it seemed like it could be pinched to release moisture.

Seeing Shen Li, Fang Ying's lips curled slightly: "You're here? We're increasing the intensity today. Eight kilometers, three core sets, and double the flexibility."

Shen Li's legs went weak.

"Sister Fang Ying, could we... take it step by step?"

"cannot."

Morning exercises begin. An 8-kilometer warm-up run.

Shen Li followed at the back of the group, her legs feeling like they were made of lead, each step a desperate struggle against gravity.

By the fifth lap, the running had turned into bouncing, then into shuffling, and finally into crawling.

Fang Ying walked past him, her steps light as if she were stepping on springs. The full curves of her body, encased in her sports bra, rose and fell gently with each step, and sweat slid down into the deep, unfathomable cleavage.

"Don't stop. If you stop, you'll be even less able to run."

Shen Li gritted her teeth, forcibly pulling her attention away from Fang Ying's breathtaking body curves, staring at the track ahead, and moving forward step by step.

After finishing the eight-kilometer run, Shen Li collapsed on the grass, panting heavily like a fish pulled ashore. Her T-shirt was soaked with sweat.

Fang Ying personally led the core strength training.

Plank, sit-ups, push-ups, Russian twists... After completing a set, Shen Li felt her abdominal muscles were sending out an SOS distress signal.

Fang Ying squatted down beside her, the neckline of her sports bra hanging down naturally, exposing the magnificent sight to Shen Li without reservation.

"Don't get distracted. Keep your core focused."