Chapter 107 Part 2
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Chapter 107 Part 2: The Reason for Stepping Onto the Stage, Other Than You, Is Simply Unnecessary (2)
Damn it. Could the golden retriever’s charm actually work like this? How else could they easily defeat a well-known double-A team?
Chu Yuanqing felt a mixture of frustration and indignation. A part of her even darkly regretted telling Chen Baijiu that the kiss had been a mistake. Maybe if she hadn’t, this dreadful situation could have been avoided.
Meanwhile, Xie Qingxuan’s mindset had shifted. After the self-revelation of her Heart Flow, her rebellious and fierce nature had softened but still retained a sharp edge. Winning felt natural to her now.
Or rather, it felt unnatural for the opponents to score as high as 8-5 or even 75 in this situation.
Xie Qingxuan looked up, pointing toward the distant, cold beauty standing in the spotlight. Her lips moved as she spoke in an indifferent tone, one that crushed the opponent’s ideals beneath her feet:
“Dream Weaver Rabbit, we demand the player we want to take—Ji Shuzhu.”
Chen Yining’s heart skipped a beat. She pursed her lips, trying to suppress the growing unease in her chest. Looking toward her companion, she forced a smile and asked softly, as if seeking reassurance:
“Little Shuzhu?”
Ji Shuzhu didn’t respond. She didn’t even glance at Chen Yining. She had spoiled her companion too many times, coddling her to the point where she had faded, losing the vibrant colors of her once-bright existence.
Ji Shuzhu had given her countless chances.
The first came during the secondary rating.
The second, on stage during their performance evaluation.
The third, at the start of the second competition round.
Chen Yining had every opportunity to keep her. She could have refused this PK battle. She could have awakened her Heart Flow and won.
But she didn’t.
And with failure came punishment.
Ji Shuzhu stepped forward silently.
Chen Yining instinctively reached out, her hand trembling as it brushed against Ji Shuzhu’s cool fingertips.
The lingering warmth slipped away, dissolving like snow in the sun.
She was pushed away.
Chen Yining’s mind screamed with fear and desperation. Her heart crumbled as if a heavy poison had begun eating it away. An overwhelming emptiness surged through her body, chilling her to the core.
Her voice cracked as she asked, barely above a whisper:
“Little Shuzhu, don’t joke around. Aren’t we the best partners?
“It’s just a little setback. We can bounce back, right? Didn’t we promise each other?”
Ji Shuzhu turned back, her expression calm but heavy with sorrow and conflict. Her voice was steady yet indifferent, interrupting Chen Yining’s words:
“Little Ning, I’ve said before—if we can’t keep our promises, it’ll be embarrassing, won’t it?”
Chen Yining froze, her face paling.
Their childhood promise had always been her sacred belief, a treasure she cherished above all else. Every time she mentioned it, she glowed with happiness.
But now, Ji Shuzhu called it embarrassing.
Did it mean nothing to her? Did she not care if it was Chen Yining or someone else beside her?
Why? When did things change?
Chen Yining’s world shattered. Everything around her seemed to crumble, leaving her consumed by anger, sadness, and despair. Her voice trembled:
“So, were all those promises fake?”
Ji Shuzhu stayed silent.
She wanted to say, “You mean more to me than anyone, and our promises are treasures I hold close to my heart.”
She wanted to say, “I’m leaving to protect the feelings I have for you, to keep them from fading.”
She wanted to say, “Please don’t look so sad. It doesn’t suit someone as dazzling as you. Just smile for me.”
But she said nothing.
If she spoke her truth, Chen Yining would only feel more guilt and doubt, making it harder to awaken her Heart Flow.
Besides, Ji Shuzhu thought bitterly, someone like her—a burden destined to be consumed by super-amnesia—shouldn’t weigh Chen Yining down.
It was better to break free now.
Though the pain was unbearable, she swallowed it and finally spoke:
“Yes, it was all fake.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Chen Yining’s rosy eyes brimmed with tears. The light in them dimmed and finally went out.
She stood motionless, her delicate figure trembling slightly, as tears fell silently down her cheeks. Despite her pain, she didn’t collapse. Her pride wouldn’t allow it.
Ji Shuzhu’s heart clenched. She wanted to turn away, to leave decisively and without hesitation. But she couldn’t. Not when she saw Chen Yining like this—so fragile, so sad, as though she might disappear at any moment.
She took a shaky breath and spoke softly:
“Chen Yining, why did you step onto this stage?”
“When you find a reason other than me, come find me.”
Chen Yining blinked, the words piercing through her dazed mind. She murmured to herself:
“Come find you?”
Ji Shuzhu nodded, her tone cool and distant, hiding the agony in her heart:
“You said we’re the best partners. But the truth is, we lost.
“We’ve known each other for 15 years, yet we were defeated by a team that’s only known each other for a month—one of whom has been dancing for just as long.
“Do you still think we’re the best?”
Chen Yining’s voice wavered:
“But—”
Ji Shuzhu interrupted her:
“The result is everything. Victory or defeat on stage is everything.
“I won’t wait for you anymore. Even if it’s not you, it doesn’t matter. As long as I can stand on the highest stage, that’s enough.”
Her voice softened, but her words were no less cruel:
“If you really want me, then come and fight for me.”
With that, Ji Shuzhu turned and walked away, following Xie Qingxuan off the stage.
Chen Yining stood alone, clutching her chest as though trying to hold her broken heart together. Her lips moved, her voice a quiet whisper:
“The only reason I stepped onto this stage was because of you.
“No other reason is necessary.
“Isn’t that enough?”
Tears fell freely as the overwhelming emotions that had simmered for over a decade erupted within her.
Her deep red eyes glowed, magma-like, as she whispered with chilling determination:
“Ji Shuzhu, I will bring you back.
“And I will make you… only mine.”
