Chapter 157

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Chapter 157: Push a Little Harder, Change the Bets, the Clash of Ideas

The stage site.

The Tutor Group below the stage was already in position.

At the junction of the waiting room, the two groups faced each other.

Xie Qingxuan walked over confidently; she looked very beautiful today. She wore a slightly reserved white shirt on top, with a dark black tank top underneath, and her lovely curves were hidden beneath her inner wear.

However, because the shirt was short, it only covered her lower chest, exposing part of the tank top. Her fair waist was fully visible, showing off its slimness, along with the graceful lines of her abdomen, which made the formal atmosphere seem polite rather than strict.

The girl used her delicate fingers to adjust the pure white tie at the collar of her shirt. This accessory greatly softened the sexy beauty of her amazing figure and added a playful touch to her formal wear. Her lower half was dressed in a leather skirt that covered only a third of her thighs, and her black leather boots completed the look.

There is no doubt that, even just in terms of appearance, this Stage Tyrant was the heart of the opposing team. Undoubtedly, she radiated an extraordinary aura that made her seem unique, with a pair of dark eyes gazing at the world like a master.

Kirimi Miyuki was not intimidated; her progress in the "Cocoon of the Heart" was on par with her opponent. Unlike last time, she did not need to actively unleash her feelings for defense. In her eyes, which resembled sparkling pink diamonds and were filled with the essence of early spring cherry blossoms, there was a kind of enchanting charm.

This extraordinary personal aura was, in an invisible way, challenging each other, causing everyone present to sense it and instinctively realize that this was their first clash before the PK.

Ji Shuzhu stayed with her two teammates, showing no intention of helping her team leader boost her presence. Her mind was filled with the feeling of yesterday’s magic in the private theater, and she couldn’t help but bite her lip.

Little Ning was unexpectedly tough.

However, she wasn’t unpleasant.

If this can help the other person feel better, then going a little too far doesn’t matter.

Also… perhaps because of the long-term changes from hyperthymesia, some dullness in her senses has become irreversible, and deep down, she actually prefers to be treated with strong intensity.

Especially when it comes to intimate moments between lovers, if there isn’t enough scale or force, it doesn’t stimulate the dulled senses at all.

Ji Shuzhu didn’t even realize this at first, until a certain young lady’s outburst recently made her feel so good, it was like a sudden awakening, leading her to develop a brand-new experience.

That’s why she deliberately pretended not to care at all, to provoke the other person into getting even angrier.

"Thank goodness, I managed to hold back yesterday; otherwise, it would have been inconvenient to go on stage and dance today."

Ji Shuzhu murmured to herself as she recalled yesterday in the private cinema when she revealed part of the truth to Little Ning, calmly commenting that Xie Qingxuan and Chu Yuanqing’s brilliance was delightful. The other person’s rationality broke down, and under her intentional indulgence, their behavior gradually intensified, leading to a rare sense of shame.

The girl’s soft, plump thigh trembled slightly, and a faint mist filled her eyes as she remembered that unfamiliar feeling of invasion. She still didn’t quite understand why saying others’ brilliance was delightful made her little partner feel so jealous, as if turning from a little rabbit into a carnivore, very aggressive.

"But it was still quite pleasant."

Ji Shuzhu ignored the subtle red marks on her body and felt strangely good about the roughness. She quietly thought to herself:

"Xie Qingxuan will definitely give her all this time. This precious brilliance must be experienced, and in the A1 area Stage Battle, spectators are allowed to watch, so the brilliance from that team can be enjoyed too. This Stage Battle is amazing, a true feast!"

"Little Ning… If she gets jealous over this, should I try to understand her feelings better? After the performance, I will talk with Little Ning about the taste of the brilliance created on stage and see how she reacts."

Fan Qiuling did not know what dark future Miss Choreographer would face next to her. She looked expectantly at Xie Qingxuan as she stepped toward the enemy, thinking, here it comes—the classic pre-match trash talk!

The girl wore a dark expression, feeling confident that her captain would say something concise yet very dominating. She decided to observe and learn.

Chu Qiushuang was bored. Honestly, after the brilliance was taken away, those dreams, innocent ideas, and her love for the stage all remained in Xie Qingxuan’s "Cocoon of the Heart."

Right now, her heart felt empty. The motivation to train was only to gain some more attention, attract more fans, and eventually earn a bit more money. Because of this, the tension was much less than before; it was far from the high pressure she felt in the B1 area, and oddly enough, she felt a bit relaxed.

As for now, performing on stage was just a job for her, so she couldn’t get excited about the scene before her.

Xie Qingxuan came over not to talk tough; she simply missed Chu Yuanqing very much. Without thinking, she ignored her teammates, the situation around her, and everyone near Chu Yuanqing, and naturally walked over.

Little Sakura held back her desire to stand in front of Chu Yuanqing. She had no reason to stop Little Qing from meeting her friends, so after a moment of hesitation, she politely stepped aside.

Tang Liuli frowned at the scene and moved behind Chu Wang Shu. Her bright green eyes blinked, and her little face looked serious as she encouraged herself. It was just a tactical retreat, nothing to be ashamed of!

Scared? What scared? I’m not scared! I just need my social energy for the stage and can’t waste it on such a bad woman, so I’m acting all cool!

Chu Wang Shu didn’t think the cat on her back was cool at all; she only felt sorry for her childhood idol, who even had social anxiety when seeing her former roommate.

The lovely daughter was different from Miyuki Liuli; she had no complaints about Xie Qingxuan and no hostility. In fact, she maybe even admired her a little.

Well, there’s no choice. Compared to being easygoing, Sister Miyuki, who occasionally shows her innocent and naïve side, and Liuli, who is so socially anxious she always likes to hide in boxes like a kitten, feel more like peers.

Xie Qingxuan, who was already quite famous before the competition, was strong, glamorous, and had naturally dazzling platinum hair. She was quiet while interacting with others, keeping a mysterious aura as a big sister, clearly holding a certain authority and presence.

Chu Yuanqing’s impression of Xie Qingxuan was completely different, almost like a mother’s perspective. Watching this child, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, walk closer, she felt that this child was cool on the outside but actually very sweet, like a good dog. She suddenly felt a mix of guilt and sadness rising in her chest for some unknown reason.

The mist in Xie Qingxuan’s eyes cleared, revealing a soft shine. Her heart was filled with joy. She wanted to say something to her long-lost love, to share her recent longing, to express her true feelings, and to share the grand and beautiful dream that felt like an epic tale.

It seems I have too much to say, but when the words are on the tip of my tongue, I don’t know where to start.

So, a brief silence spread.

Chu Yuanqing took the initiative to break the silence. In the shocked gaze of Fan Qiuling across from her, she comforted the tyrant who looked down on the stage, even gently patting the other’s head with a warm smile and softly said:

"Long time no see, have you been happy lately?"

Xie Qingxuan breathed in the familiar scent, obediently bowing her head, leaning into the embrace of the girl who was a little shorter than herself, feeling nothing but warm satisfaction.

The girl comfortably squinted her eyes, her lashes lowered. She rubbed against Chu Yuanqing and said in a serious yet calm tone, easily expressing words that sounded like a request for praise, yet also like a pout:

"Little Qing, I miss you."

"I… I prepared a stage for you. Can you please watch it carefully? There are things in it that I want to share with you."

Chu Yuanqing was deeply touched, her heart softened. She felt the golden retriever had become even more sweet and adorable, and she couldn’t help but pet the other’s head again, her clear eyes filled with laughter, her lips slightly curved, and she softly said:

"Hmm, I will watch carefully. Shall we play rock-paper-scissors first?"

"Dream Weaver Rabbit said to decide who goes first with rock-paper-scissors or another small game. How does Qingxuan want to decide?"

Without thinking, Xie Qingxuan nodded and said:

"Little Qing can choose however she likes."

Fan Qiuling: …

Chu Qiushuang: …

Wow, how can such an important decision about the order of play be left to the opponent so easily? Is this really the quiet but very imposing Stage Tyrant? It looks more like a silly puppy being fooled by a bad woman!

Chu Yuanqing also felt uncomfortable. She thought for a moment and said:

"Why don’t you discuss this with Miyuki? We can talk after the game."

Upon hearing this, Kirimi Miyuki felt justified. Her expression turned serious, and in a flash, she stepped between the two and said:

"We can talk later; we haven’t changed our clothes yet."

Xie Qingxuan thought this made sense. She stared at Chu Yuanqing, and casually said:

"Then let’s play rock-paper-scissors."

Little Sakura was extremely angry. She felt this silly dog completely disregarded her, took a deep breath, and quietly said:

"Shouldn’t you explain what you’ve done to me before that?"

Kirimi Miyuki did not mention the contract because it was too unbelievable, and there was no real evidence to bring it to light.

Xie Qingxuan thought for a moment and said:

"If you do not want to, I can cancel it."

Kirimi Miyuki’s feelings were interrupted by what she heard. In her eyes, Xie Qingxuan had always been a very forceful person, and calling someone a "stupid dog" was just a joking nickname—she never really thought this person was foolish.

But now…

Could this person really be naturally foolish?

Little Sakura felt a sense of defeat, as if hitting a fist against cotton. Suddenly, she found the nickname "Imperial Ruthless Tiger" very funny, and she said doubtfully,

"Really?"

Xie Qingxuan replied earnestly,

"Really, because someone told me to think more from the perspective of the person I like, so that I wouldn’t be easily disliked. I thought if I did that, Little Qing would dislike me, so since you don’t want it, I will stop."

After hearing this, Kirimi Miyuki felt even angrier. Although… although this meant the other person wasn’t so terrible, such a confession was no different from publicly digging her own grave in front of Chu Yuanqing!

No, I must argue with this person.

Little Sakura thought for a moment and suggested a very cruel punishment:

"Then let’s change the bet to whoever loses has to bark like a dog!"

Xie Qingxuan nodded in agreement and dispelled the "Cocoon of the Heart" contract with the other person.

She had a way to control and even take away some emotions with the contract, because they could shine brightly in a certain way, but a bet like barking like a dog couldn’t be helped, so it was simply canceled and turned into a verbal agreement.

Kirimi Miyuki felt a bit discouraged, wondering why she wasn’t getting angry about this?

However, after thinking carefully, she felt it was actually a good idea. As long as she won this performance, the Imperial Ruthless Tiger would turn into an adorable dog of the empire! Then she could tell Little Yuki about this embarrassing story and see if she still admired this silly dog!

Little Sakura asked:

"Just out of curiosity, how many people have you done something similar to?"

Xie Qingxuan answered honestly:

"61 people, I have taken away the shine of 61 people."

After hearing this scary number, Kirimi Miyuki suddenly felt a deep anger, moving from simple embarrassment. She struggled to stay calm and asked:

"What do you mean by shine?"

Xie Qingxuan softly replied:

"The love for the stage, the passion for dreams, the admiration for idols—these elements make them shine on stage, and that is the shine."

Kirimi Miyuki fell silent. She had always held the most sacred feelings for idols, for the stage, and for dreams.

That was her seven years of youth and sweat, feelings that grew after seeing her idols shine. Whenever she wanted to give up, just recalling those precious feelings from her memories would give her the courage to move forward again.

Kirimi Miyuki couldn’t imagine what she would become if those things were taken away unfairly.

That would be a broken, incomplete, faded version of Kirimi Miyuki, a weaker one, absolutely unable to accept herself.

So, upon hearing the other person’s seemingly natural answer, a burning anger like fire scorched her soul, making the waves of her restrained heart surge continuously, sweeping across the entire place like a fierce wind, causing everyone to realize the change in atmosphere.

Kirimi Miyuki looked at the still calm and beautiful face and asked word by word:

"Don’t you have even a little bit of guilt?"

The star in Xie Qingxuan’s eyes slowly gathered, and a dark light spread around it as she coldly stated:

"I do, but ‘Dazzling Stage’ is not a game. 168 trainees are here competing for an unknown number of debut spots, and in the end, at least 90% will be eliminated before entering the competition for Carry Center and debut spots. The price of being eliminated is losing the chance to be an idol for life and never being able to step on the stage again."

"So far, only 25 teams have reached the A1 area, while the remaining 68 are still struggling below. Out of these 25 teams, only half can advance. If you think failing to form a team counts as elimination, how many people do you think will be eliminated before the second performance?"

"Dream Weaver Rabbit said, right? The outcome for those who fail to form a team in the voting is obvious."

"In conclusion, every victory in the Stage Battle this month represents someone’s dreams being trampled and taken away. Kirimi Miyuki, you have no reason to be angry with me."

Xie Qingxuan was not lying; she truly believed this.

Those contestants who can shine on their own have no reason to reach the debut position in the finals, and since there is no way to debut, the only option left is elimination.

At the same time, according to the rules of the show, elimination is a physical loss of shining, so the final result is the same. Even those who are deprived of their shine early will lose related hopes, as if they have been painlessly dismantled.

As for those contestants who have been deprived of their shine, is there actually potential for them to turn the tables later?

Then, following the logic of competitors, eliminating the enemy by depriving them of their shine in advance becomes even more reasonable.

Kirimi Miyuki was silent; she admitted that Xie Qingxuan’s logic was not wrong. In the fierce competition of "Dazzling Stage," the other party’s actions were simply following the principle of "survival of the fittest."

Yes, wanting to debut is not wrong, wanting to win is not wrong, even the desire to be the last one standing is not wrong, and even the act of eliminating opponents is seen as correct in such a competition.

But… there are some parts of this that are wrong.

Idols should not be cold.

The stage should not be cruel.

This question is already very hard to tell the usual right from wrong.

Because depending on the perspective, everyone might come to different answers. This is a disagreement and controversy in their ideas about idols, which cannot be expressed in simple words.

So…

Kirimi Miyuki took a deep breath, her sparkling pink eyes shining brightly, and softly said:

"Then let the stage speak."

"An idol will never use any means necessary to win."

"Xie Qingxuan, don’t you want Little Qing to see your stage well? I give the same advice to you: pay attention to our stage, and I will use it to prove my ideas."

Xie Qingxuan nodded in agreement:

"The winner is king, and the loser is a criminal. It’s a simple and easy-to-understand lesson."

After speaking, the two of them said no more and quickly chose a fun little game to decide the order of their team’s appearance.

First turn: Xie Qingxuan.

Second turn: Kirimi Miyuki.

This was clearly an unfortunate situation.

However, due to the disagreement of ideas, Little Sakura was now full of energy. She felt a strong determination inside her, and this small disadvantage did not shake her strong heart. She took her teammates to the waiting room to get ready and change outfits.

Half an hour later,

Chu Yuanqing sat in the audience behind the mentor’s seat. In the large space that could hold a thousand people, the few people sitting below made it feel quite empty. Her small face was serious, and she was deep in thought.

Although she didn’t have much opinion about the disagreement between the two regarding their idol ideas, she still did not like that Xie Qingxuan took away others’ shining choices, and felt guilty about it.

Because…

When Xie Bao was with her, she had never done anything like this before. This child had clearly been holding back her feelings until she was forced to part ways, and then she lost control and committed the "crime" of snatching away the spotlight from 61 trainees.

"I should talk to this child again and tell her not to do such things anymore."

Others did not know, but Chu Yuanqing understood very well that Xie Qingxuan, who was a reserve magical girl, could never be eliminated, so there was no need to gain so-called advantages in such a sneaky way.

Even when it came to leveling up, the efficiency of Plunder Shine was far less than that of replenishing magic with Pure White Witch.

At the same time.

Dream Weaver Rabbit watched as Xie Qingxuan and her group took the stage, unable to contain her excitement and smiling broadly. Then, she snapped her fingers, and within 3 seconds, the live broadcast of "Dazzling Stage" opened windows on various websites across the country, attracting countless eager viewers.

At this moment, the Stage Battle that would decide their fate officially began!