Chapter 163
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Chapter 163: The Joy of CP Fans, a Happiness That Will Eventually Fade
On the stage.
Dream Weaver Rabbit snapped his fingers, and the team member list on the virtual projection changed. A huge WIN appeared on Kirimi Miyuki’s side, symbolizing success in advancing.
Xie Qingxuan blinked her eyes. She stepped out of her meditation, and the dark star shape in her eyes slowly faded away, leaving only a soft, shiny glow that looked like a little puppy. She seemed not to greet her old friend and instead took long steps, happily jogging over to Chu Yuanqing.
After that, the golden-haired dog ignored Little Sakura’s threatening look and the green-eyed cat’s feisty appearance. It went straight into Chu Yuanqing’s arms, burying its head in her soft curves and creating gentle wrinkles in the fabric. It murmured:
"Little Qing, I miss you so much."
The person on stage, looking like a tyrant or a sorceress, with a beautiful presence as deep as the ocean, showed a soft and gentle side, completely unbothered by the live broadcast as she cuddled and spoiled Chu Yuanqing.
—So cute!
Chu Yuanqing was suddenly hit by a wave of cuteness. Her pretty face softened, showing a hint of maternal love. She couldn’t help but pet the girl’s platinum hair and gently pat her thin but soft back, smiling as she said:
"Okay, everyone is still watching. I miss you too! Soon, we can live in the same dorm. I’ll cook today, so if you have any favorite foods, just let me know, Qingxuan."
Xie Qingxuan ignored the growing frustration of Little Sakura and the socially anxious cat who doubted if she would win. She blinked her long, curly eyelashes and said in a serious but calm tone:
"As long as it’s made by you, I want to eat it."
The green-eyed cat became more and more anxious. What does it mean to let a wolf into your home? This is what it means to let a wolf into your home!
Angry! Truly furious!
How dare that awful woman not be more careful? She is actually pressing against Mother Qing’s chest and hugging her waist in front of so many people! If they are living together, what kind of things might she do in private? It’s frightening to think about!
Kirimi Miyuki pressed her lips together and remained silent, her sense of danger buzzing continuously.
Danger! Very dangerous!
In the past, the only competitor was a timid little cat, easy to defeat in no time.
She skillfully used this to ensure that every lunchtime in the private cinema, Little Qing would definitely express a "need," but once that silly dog joined in, it would be different!
You should know that Little Qing had once kissed her forcefully, creating a questionable and careless supply-demand relationship.
If she didn’t win that Stage Battle in the B1 area, she could only imagine how far Little Qing would go with her. The level of carelessness could rise even more, leading to all sorts of things happening in the living room, bathroom, bed, balcony, and many other places!
Looking back at that battle, it was more like a contest of love than a stage performance. Losing meant no chance for a comeback.
Yes, it was just like failing an exam and having to separate from your beloved to go to college, while watching others succeed sadly.
Little Sakura became even angrier thinking about this. She had clearly won again this time! Why can’t she shake off this clingy, foolish dog? It’s not fair!
But still, it must be said that Xie Qingxuan’s performance this time was truly dazzling.
If Little Shu and Little Qing hadn’t entered the[Heart Flow]zone one after another and forced a tie, it would have been impossible to win that extraordinary stage by herself.
From Xie Qingxuan’s perspective, this Stage Battle was not her fault at all; it was simply a loss due to not having strong enough teammates.
After all, aside from the choreographer, the other two wouldn’t hold anyone back but they also didn’t contribute much.
So, if you set aside the debuff from rivals, she would welcome another strong teammate like that, and even look forward to working together on the same stage.
Sadly, there is no "if" in this situation.
Little Sakura felt very sour as her gaze swept over Xie Qingxuan’s slender waist and the well-developed curves on both sides, thinking that such a body, like a branch heavy with fruit, was simply outrageous.
Why does this person have such a beautifully cold face, with a presence as deep and domineering as an abyss, and a figure that looks like this?
Oh no, could it be that Little Qing couldn’t help but kiss this person because of that?
Kirimi Miyuki felt a little worried.
Although this type, like a branch heavy with fruit, is more popular with men and doesn’t quite match the tastes of some lesbians, what if? What if Little Qing actually likes this type?
No, Little Qing must really like her; otherwise, why would she take the initiative to kiss her?
The more Kirimi Miyuki thought, the more serious she became, as if facing a great danger. She felt that her plan to attract attention was met with an epic, terrifying rival, making her think about how to weaken the opponent’s advantages.
Chu Wang Shu was very naive; she thought another reliable and capable older sister had joined the team, someone who also liked Little Qing. She was filled with confidence for the second performance, believing that this show would surely give her dad a delightful surprise from the girl group!
On the other side, the losing group was a gathering of various characters.
Ji Shuzhu has begun to think about what attitude she should use to join Little Ning’s team.
If she just kneels down, Little Ning will surely feel sorry for her, and that won’t work.
Oh right, she should show an indifferent attitude like, "I don’t like you, but this is the only team I can choose, so I have no choice but to join," to provoke Little Ning’s anger.
After that, she can pretend to feel guilty and soft, making it seem like she can be controlled, willingly giving away her weaknesses and tempting Little Ning to say things like, "You don’t want to miss the chance to perform, do you?", "If you want to advance, you must obey", and, "You will make choreography for me forever."
Fan Qiuling felt very sad; she didn’t know what the choreographer beside her was thinking, only looking at Xie Qingxuan gloomily like a little dog jumping into the enemy’s arms. It was like a dynasty falling apart, watching the once tyrannical queen submit to the enemy leader, feeling a sense of humiliation.
The more the girl thought about it, the sadder she became. After being stripped of her brilliance, her dark side was forced to grow, developing a strange XP, almost weaving a cocoon of disaster aura. She firmly believed that Xie Qingxuan was a worthy leader to follow and was in a state of being manipulated.
However, once she regained her brilliance on stage—though it was still in a limited way—the dark side continued to crumble. She followed Xie Qingxuan’s style, suddenly changing from a loyal advisor following the Demon King amidst chaos to a devoted knight following a king worth dying for.
So, seeing Xie Qingxuan being taken away while she herself looked very happy, her feelings were extremely complicated. In an instant, she felt the sorrow of Jiang Wei, with a sense of pain like, "We are ready to fight to the death, why does Your Majesty surrender first?", and a distorted wave of emotions filled her chest.
Chu Qiushuang was not as complicated as the two beside her; she was simply feeling anxious.
The reason is simple: there are only a few days left until the end of January. If they fall back to B1, they have to win two battles to succeed. No matter how they think about it, their hope seems very slim.
Although the talented choreographer nearby is very powerful, the effects of their "Heart Flow" can allow them to easily take a few beginners and advance with incredible speed in just a few days.
But the problem is this: does the one who has already entered the "Heart Flow" really need to risk it and play two more Stage Battles?
Ji Shuzhu is not close enough to them; they are not even considered ordinary teammates, having not exchanged even three words in the past few days.
Therefore, this person’s switch is now inevitable. They will surely fall from heaven to hell, directly dropping back to C1, making elimination almost certain.
People’s joys and sorrows do not connect. Even the thoughts of the eight players on stage cannot meet, let alone in a live broadcast with millions of viewers.
Clearly, for the CP fans who can create sweetness frame by frame even without candy, Xie Qingxuan’s behavior of following her heart has kept hundreds of thousands of CP fans alive, igniting another massive battle in the live chat.
Tragically, because Ji Shuzhu, who is the most popular in the loser group, has been confirmed to master "Heart Flow," the veteran army known as "Day and Moon Book" has started to imagine the reunion story.
This has drowned out the concerns from Chu Qiushuang and Fan Qiuling’s fans in a sea of bullet comments, making little impact and creating a stark contrast in popularity, which is quite pitiful.
On the other side,
Dream Weaver Rabbit watched the end of this Stage Battle and casually ended the live stream, feeling a mix of emotions.
Two teams, eight trainees.
Amazingly, seven of them had entered the realm of Heart Flow, while the remaining one had just begun to understand, using disaster aura to weave the first shape of a cocoon within her soul.
This is an impressive achievement; before the Stage Battle began, no one could have imagined they would evolve so much in such a short time.
Of course, Fan Qiuling and Chu Qiushuang did not awaken naturally. They visited the Heart Flow development room, where they were deemed unable to enter Heart Flow without disaster aura. Then, with the gift from Xie Qingxuan and the boost of her abilities, they had a fortunate advantage.
In terms of value, they are far below candidates like Ruan Wutong and Qi Yushuang, who made it through the Nightmare Corridor on their own, relying solely on their willpower to form their cocoons.
After all, setting aside what abilities one might awaken, weaving a cocoon with Xie Qingxuan’s brilliance means they will never again have the chance to compete with her.
Because as long as this Stage Tyrant wishes, she can take away their control over the cocoon at any time. From this perspective, their status has shifted from teammates and competitors to a position similar to that of servant knights.
Even so, stepping into the realm of [Heart Flow] is still something to be celebrated.
If one cannot reach this level, they do not even qualify to become [fuel].
At this stage, only 11 people from Sea City’s 《Dazzling Stage》 qualify as [fuel], and today, 7 people have entered the reserve list for [witch].
Dream Weaver Rabbit whispered in her heart:
"The Sea City competition is becoming more and more lively."
In contrast, Kyoto seems to be out of luck, having only one trainee so far with a chance to become a [witch].
However, considering the actual situation, among the many competition areas in the Donghong Federation, it is rare to see even one reserve [witch] appear before the second performance, so the data from the Kyoto area is already quite impressive.
According to the initial plan, before each competition area finishes the finals, defines the Carry Center, and forms a formal idol group, being able to nurture 3 reserve [witch] is considered excellent, 1 is the average, and it is very normal to have none at all.
This standard has now been doubled in the Sea City competition area, which seems quite unusual.
"Is it because of Chu Yuanqing? Almost all the reserve witches have a close relationship with her."
Dream Weaver Rabbit wrote this uncertain rule in the database, shook its head, and disappeared.
Below the stage, the mentor has left.
On the stage, the losing group and the winning group walked away in two different directions.
The winning group has already received their tickets for the second performance. Since they do not need to change dorms, they just need to bring in a certain golden retriever dog, so they plan to help each other move their things and then go straight to the practice room to check the songs for the second performance and create a practice plan.
The losing group fell apart quickly, and within minutes, the three of them scattered in different directions.
Ji Shuzhu immediately said she was ready to change teams.
Fan Qiuling quickly followed, saying she had joined Heart Flow and made the same choice.
Chu Qiushuang was left behind by both, tumbling back to the uncertain area below C1. For a moment, her mind went blank until she finished packing her dorm items and returned to the starting point, realizing what had happened, and cried in the corner of her single dorm room.
This is the norm for "Dazzling Stage," as well as for talent shows, and it is common in the entertainment industry and many other fields. If you want to move up, there are always many people fighting for the same path.
Chu Qiushuang had failed once before, but compared to the others eliminated from the talent show, she was able to manage her online presence and become a little famous, so it cannot be said that she was just unlucky.
This time is no different.
The girl pushed away her weak feelings of blaming fate. She wiped her tears, used makeup to hide her face, took a deep breath, and walked towards the "Heart Flow" development room.
—There is still hope.
Climbing up from the uncertain area to C1, B1, A1, and winning three Stage Battles in a row is an impossible task, but the shining interest given back by Xie Qingxuan offered her a chance to take another path.
As long as she enters the "Heart Flow" field, she can cross all barriers, complete her promotion in one go, and step onto the stage for the second performance!
At the same time, the trainees below the A1 area all started to have similar thoughts. They saw "Heart Flow" as their last escape, even a lifeline. In a state of extreme pressure and desire, they held onto their dreams and walked into the development room filled with a sense of disaster.
Dream Weaver Rabbit sat in the center, looking down at the various situations through the monitors. It seemed to have anticipated this situation long ago. It smiled and whispered softly:
"Humans are creatures filled with laziness."
"Even the hardest workers can feel scared and lazy when facing a vague and uncertain path."
"This is normal; compared to seeing little result, it does not tire the Heart Flow development room. Spending time in the practice room, sweating, feels much safer and more real."
"But when it becomes the only hope, the situation is different."
"I really look forward to seeing how many cocoons filled with disaster aura can be nurtured this time."
"Let’s work hard, everyone. Humans truly need shining witches, but they also need support for the witches to fuel that shine."
…
…
Evening.
Area A1, a stand-alone dormitory.
Chu Yuanqing celebrated the arrival of a new puppy by tying her hair into a pretty braid, making a delicious pot of stew, and preparing a feast of dishes that were known to be forbidden for idols. However, considering that all present were magical girl recruits, these high-calorie foods didn’t seem to matter at all.
Tang Liuli ate her meal cautiously, taking small bites of the vegetables. She looked warily at Xie Qingxuan, as if she saw other little animals appear in her house, like a slightly stressed but adorable cat.
Chu Wang Shu chewed on the crispy skin of a fried bullfrog, instinctively counting the calories in her head. She happily ate while feeling a bit conflicted, taking her time and appearing quite graceful.
Kirimi Miyuki had just put her guitar down. Her long, delicate fingers rested on her chopsticks, her attention focused entirely on Xie Qingxuan nearby and Chu Yuanqing sitting diagonally across from her. She tried hard to appear calm, keeping her jealousy at bay.
Xie Qingxuan behaved very well, showing no signs of provocation. She toned down her presence, ate in silence, and occasionally glanced hopefully at Chu Yuanqing, making her unable to resist adding a few bites of food to Xie Qingxuan’s bowl, like a quiet dog wagging its tail.
Chu Yuanqing sat at the edge of the table, looking at the lively scene filled with people, feeling nostalgic. A wave of joy washed over her, mixed with a hint of bittersweet sadness. She lowered her gaze, her eyes shimmering like gold, ignoring the pain of a broken soul, and showed a gentle smile.
If…
If only this could last forever.
