Chapter 120 Part 2
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This chapter is edited by Rain. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 120 Part 2: Return of the Avenging Ghost, More Outrageous Events (2)
Similarly, in the practice room where Kirimi Miyuki was located.
Whether it was Little Sakura herself, Honey Moon seeking motherly love, or the green-eyed cat plotting a comeback and erasing a bad impression, everyone was fully engaged in endless training, showing no signs of fatigue.
Clearly, reclaiming Chu Yuanqing as their common goal had elevated their unity, cohesion, and determination to unprecedented levels, making them the most united team in this season of “Dazzling Stage.”
And all of this can be traced back to a few days ago when they met in the practice room.
Little Sakura caught a glimpse of the fluffy golden dog’s slightly swollen lips, planting seeds of doubt and unease in her heart, followed by a strong sense of possessiveness.
Chu Wang Shu was embraced by Honey Qing, basking in precious motherly love and care. In one breath, she replenished her depleted Honey Qing energy, wiping away recent negative emotions. Layered with waves of positive energy, she felt powerful enough to take down several mighty dragons.
As for the green-eyed cat, it goes without saying. In front of everyone, she thoroughly enjoyed herself, her eyes blurred, and her knees weak. However, she missed the chance to talk to Chu Yuanqing, feeling lost the entire time and staying silent, leading to a major failure. Now filled with regret, she only wants to redeem herself.
This team embraced a joyful training method, resting whenever they felt tired—until exhaustion numbed their emotions. Yet, their intense focus and passion led to relentless practice, accumulating countless hours. Like starving beasts honing their instincts, they pushed themselves to the limit, tirelessly sharpening their skills.
This stage showdown to determine Chu Yuanqing’s fate—winning is the only option, and losing is not!
…
…
Apart from these two teams, the remaining teams in Dazzling Stage were also brewing with hidden motives.
That night, about 20 Grade B players gathered in a luxurious and spacious bathroom, away from any cameras.
By exchanging benefits, they abandoned low-rated players and quickly advanced to the B1 area, already planning the next round of fake matches.
Someone suggested:
“Almost ready to start the competition, should we initiate the plan now?”
Someone calmly responded:
“This time is different from last time. We pre-rehearsed with the audience, creating an advantage in popularity, steering public opinion towards eliminating any disadvantages for the higher-rated team.”
“However, this time, we can’t just put on a show for the audience. If suspicions of match-fixing arise, everything changes. Even our previous stage PK matches in the C1 area will come under scrutiny.”
“So, are you all confident that your training is sufficient for the upcoming competition?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Even in a fake match, the two teams need to present a good performance on the stage.
For the losing side, participating in a fake match is usually more harmful than beneficial in normal situations.
Fans may not blame you for losing or being weak, but if it happens frequently, they may start to see you as lacking in skills, reducing your influence among the public and affecting your popularity.
Of course, some might deliberately act weak, lowering fans’ expectations, only to deliver a stunning performance in the next match—crafting a dramatic comeback with perfect contrast.
However, even to succeed in this plan, the fake match must be realistic, or it’ll be like mocking the audience and could lead to backlash.
This will lead to a consequence.
That is, the time cost rises, the benefits of the fake match decrease, and the temporary alliance weakens.
The people gathered here now have abandoned the planned fake match, instead plotting how to maximize their own interests in this situation.
In simple terms, this is like an advanced version of the reality show Werewolf Game. The first to be eliminated are those foolish enough to rely on fake matches to win.
Playing the same show over and over is enough.
Furthermore, only in the first round of promotion everyone can still have the same benefits and demands. Not to mention, the cost of the second round’s fake game is higher, and there is a very crucial issue.
That is – who will play in the losers’ bracket?
You see, losers not only have to bear negative public opinion but also have to return to the C1 area, find another teammate, and learn new dance routines again to perform realistically.
Even with the most ideal pairing calculations, everyone can secure near-perfect partners. However, being in the losers’ bracket means that even a single mistake in the subsequent distribution chain spells defeat for all, turning them into mere stepping stones for the winners’ bracket.
This is another game of human nature.
Dream Weaver Rabbit indulged in the establishment of the fake game league but had already foreseen the league’s collapse.
The next day, the stage of PK battles unfolded one after another.
Backstabbing, internal struggles, deception, acting, breach of contract… various ugly yet interesting, full plot twists were fully displayed in the details of the stage PK battles.
Among them, some, even low-ranked players, awakened their “Heart Flow” and launched vicious revenge attacks on others willingly!
Ruan Wutong, a Grade D trainee, was deceived and betrayed by friends from the same company. Amidst insufficient preparation, she stepped onto the stage for her first PK battle and ended up being relegated to the pending area.
Now, she formed a revenge alliance with other trainees who were in similar situations. Within a day, they challenged and defeated three fake match alliances one after another in stage PK battles. With the enhancement and abilities of “Heart Flow,” they surpassed their original ranks and achieved a terrifying record of winning all battles.
This team was like a demon haunting the B1 area. After each victory, they ruthlessly eliminated any teammate who failed to meet their standards. By seizing control of the fake match alliances and shredding superficial agreements, they asserted the dominance of “Heart Flow” to every player in the Sea City competition zone.
Ruan Wutong’s “Heart Flow” was clearly better suited for PK battles than Qi Yushuang’s. Her awakening ability was classified as part of her stage presence, allowing her to shine even against the high-difficulty challenges of double-B team combinations. With each victory, she solidified a fearless image of relentless success.
Of course, this behavior was also due to her excessive desire for revenge. Most people would have chosen to advance directly after defeating their betrayers rather than risking further challenges against stronger opponents.
This high-risk, high-reward approach ensured her presence in the third season of the show.
However, Ruan Wutong’s bold tactics caught the attention of a fearsome avenger, one with even purer intentions for revenge. This avenger became a formidable roadblock, mercilessly halting Ruan Wutong’s streak of success and delivering a crushing defeat.
——Chen Yining.
The once proud and elegant young lady, in the moment of defeat, had everything she believed in denied. Her feelings of friendship, love, determination, hope, and expectations all crumbled in an instant, giving rise to a sick and selfish reality.
Therefore, Grade D players who rely on fake items to fight are naturally no match for her.
Ruan Wutong was defeated but then picked by Chen Yining to join her team.
It was not surprising to the spectators that she was picked.
In Chen Yining’s team, apart from Ruan Wutong, who seeks revenge, and Grade B singer Lin Baor, the most baffling member taken by her in the C1 area was their teammate Liang Xiaoxiao.
——Liang Xiaoxiao.
Although Liang Xiaoxiao’s teammate is a Grade C singer, a lower substitute for Lin Baor, and there was no real need for the choice, selecting to challenge Liang Xiaoxiao’s team with Chen Yining’s lineup is truly puzzling.
However, the answer to this question was very clear in a certain young lady’s mind.
“Liang Xiaoxiao, you are not willing to accept this, are you?”
“I saw the desires hidden in your heart, the thoughts, the malice, the resentment, the despair, the anger, and… the greed that is trying hard to appear calm, swallowing all of these.”
“I want to use these. This is the value you can give me, and as an equal return, as long as you keep in my team, you will eventually meet the person you want to see.”
Liang Xiaoxiao agreed.
Or rather, she had no reason to refuse.
Whether it was the strong team formation of 1A1B, or Chen Yining’s persuasive words that seemed to see through people’s hearts, it was a harvest beyond her expectations.
Chen Yining wanted to use her, which was good.
At least it proved that she still had value to be used.
Besides, compared to friendship and bonds, a mutually beneficial relationship is more in line with the values she has been brought up with since childhood.
With this, this revenge team, with exceptional purity casting aside Lin Baor, quickly ascended to the A1 area at the speed of the top tier, preparing for the final 4V4 plunder battle.
In this subtle atmosphere, Chu Yuanqing’s team remained focused on individual training, ignoring distractions from the outside world.
Ji Shuzhu wiped her face with a towel and turned to the two people, saying:
“You have almost mastered the new choreography for ‘ACUTE.’ The basic structure matches my envisioned effect. Just make some adjustments to the details of the movements before putting on the equipment to enhance muscle memory.”
Chu Yuanqing nodded earnestly. With her two teammates being experts in dance, her progress had delayed the team by at least two days. Utilizing external help to accelerate learning efficiency was indeed a good thing.
Xie Qingxuan had no objections either.
The biggest difference in the team lies in the effectiveness of these shared devices. Without high-tech massage pods, instant energy drinks, and sleep pods to deepen sleep quality, maintaining 12 hours of intense training every day would be impossible.
Therefore, they had to make use of every available resource to keep the advantage rolling and maintain the lead for the strong ones, which was the main theme of the competition rule in the ‘Dazzling Stage.’
Three hours later, the evening training session ended.
Xie Qingxuan went to the bathroom in the practice room to shower.
Chu Yuanqing took the opportunity to do a round of gentle stretching.
The girl’s back was straight, shoulders relaxed, her long legs stretched into a perfect vertical split on the ground. She focused intently on straightening her knees, placing her heels on a few yoga blocks to flex her arches, exuding grace and flexibility.
At this moment, if the sunlight fell in, it would be enough to capture the essence of youth.
Ji Shuzhu watched this scene, lost in thought, somewhat distracted.
Chen Yining’s actions didn’t go unnoticed by her, whether it was the mysterious effect of “Heart Flow” or the strange criteria for choosing teammates. As a childhood friend, this left her with a whirlwind of thoughts.
If Little Ning understood “Heart Flow” because of her departure, did that mean her previous thoughts were right—that she had been holding the other person back all along?
Probably due to recent shining moments, confirming this speculation with reality brought a mix of acceptance, sighs, self-mockery, sadness, and joy, blending into a lingering pain in the chest.
Ji Shuzhu blankly stared for a while, then raised her eyes slightly to glance at the pretty girl who had just finished stretching and was drinking water. She inexplicably asked:
“Chu Yuanqing, do you think it’s right or wrong to be selflessly kind to others, making important decisions for them?”
Chu Yuanqing paused for a moment; she almost immediately realized it had something to do with Chen Yining.
What really distracted the girl more than this was the subtle déjà vu feeling.
This sentence talks about the present Ji Shuzhu, but isn’t it also talking about her past self?
Even though the father-daughter relationship was strained, ninety percent was due to the curse’s erosion every three days and the intensified illusions, but ultimately, it was her own choice.
Chu Yuanying is proud, self-satisfied, or perhaps even hoping to distance himself from his daughter through estrangement in an attempt to make his inevitable passing less sorrowful.
This may seem foolish to outsiders, but often, the person involved is confused and finds it difficult to see the most fundamental issue.
“It’s a mistake.”
Chu Yuanqing set down her glass of water, her eyes clear, her expression serious, and softly replied:
“Because even with close family members you’ve known for over a decade, there are still sides to each other that go unrecognized.”
“If you can’t fully understand everything about someone, making an important decision for them on your own will lead to the wrong result.”
“Ji Shuzhu, don’t make yourself regret.”
As the words fell silent, the room became quiet.
Ji Shuzhu stayed silent for a while; she didn’t answer the words, just said thank you and left.
Chu Yuanqing may have been right, but until it was confirmed that the illness could be cured, she still had to stubbornly walk down the path of no return.
…
…
Two days later, early in the morning.
When Xie Qingxuan woke up, her eyelashes blinked, and sparkling tears rolled down.
The beautiful yet hopeless dream was still playing like a theatrical epic in her mind, but even with meditation to explore her subconscious, she couldn’t grasp a trace of it after regaining consciousness.
She could only recall a chaotic scene, like trying to retrieve water from a dry well.
Xie Qingxuan brushed away the tears on her pillow with her fingertips, the rich and dense emotions in her heart evaporating with the tears.
“How strange.”
Xie Qingxuan murmured to herself, thanks to the meditation, her sleep quality was very high, with dreams that seldom disturbed her brain rest.
Suddenly, the soft and fragrant imprint left by Chu Yuanqing on her lips last night kept surging in her mind like tides.
The golden retriever licked its lips, somewhat puzzled. Through this subtle detail, she came to a not-so-surprising conclusion and whispered softly:
“Do I always dream after kissing Little Qing?”
Therefore…
If we do something more extreme, will we be able to remember the images in our dreams more clearly?
