Chapter 57 Part 2

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 57: Don’t Stop Here, Join Carry Center and Become a Star! (2)

"Oh my! How come Honey Qing seems to have a good chemistry with everyone? Whether it’s with Small Hope, Great Devil, Liuli, Little Sakura, or Xiaoxiao, with Honey Qing as the material, any combination works well."

The trend of mixing various ‘ships’ didn’t trigger any backlash from the main fans.

The reason is very simple.

"Dazzling Stage" is a survival talent show featuring 168 contestants. If the screen time is evenly distributed, each person would only get less than 45 seconds in one episode.

It was okay when only 101 contestants appeared in the first episode. However, as the remaining 67 contestants join, the screen time will become even more chaotic.

Even for popular contestants like Xie Qingxuan, it is very difficult for them to stand out in this aspect.

In this situation, the smartest way is to form small groups, preferably with good chemistry, to make the audience enjoy watching their interactions.

As long as you succeed, more people will pay attention to you, and you will get more screen time in the show, making you popular on screen.

When Chu Yuanqing’s dormitory life is shown in the program, it proves that this method is effective.

In this situation, who would be unhappy with Chu Yuanqing?

She is not only the link connecting everyone but also the driving force behind creating interesting interactions.

When the host benefits without being exploited, it is a true win-win situation, creating a friendly atmosphere for discussion.

In such a motivating environment, even before the show ends, some people can’t wait to go to Weibo and create new fan pages.

The scene of Chu Yuanqing helping Xie Qingxuan style her hair looks very loving, hitting the sweet spot for many people. The fan page for this pair is the first to emerge, named "City of Love – City of Romance."

Following them is Tang Liuli, and their fan page is called "Poetry of Love and Music – Clear Verse, Beautiful Melody."

Though they were a bit late to the game, due to some hints in a previous live broadcast, their fan page was stuffed with fan fiction from the small group chats within minutes of being created.

Hmm, the story is about a shy and moody character with social anxiety who gets comforted by a mature, stable, and gentle mother figure, leading to some mature content.

I heard that his wife is a well-known figure in the community, and her writing style is comforting yet cutting, with intimate scenes that are not too explicit but exciting. It’s a rare artistic work in the fan fiction community.

As for Liang Xiaoxiao, despite some fans creating fan sites for her due to her popularity and looks, her fame and popularity cannot compare to the first two, let alone the highly acclaimed "Meet You in the Mist."

Even so, she still gained some benefits. Without her Grade D rating, in the first episode, she would only have some attention for her flying disc dancing, and later would not have any screen time at all.

Now, with extra screen time sharing a dorm with Chu Yuanqing and the love from her fans, at least her Weibo account will gain tens of thousands more followers.

As CP fans are eagerly following the show, some people finally saw the end of the first episode.

The latter half of this episode progressed to the current date, showing the trainees’ status on the last day before the secondary ratings.

Twenty-five percent of the screen time was given to the Top A players, showcasing a brilliant training video and a personal interview.

Also, to advertise and put pressure on the Top A players.

These training or interview clips all emphasize the powerful role of virtual reality systems and other high-tech devices.

As for the remaining three-quarters of the shots, they are used to illustrate the status of each trainee.

Grade F, Grade D, and Grade C do not have independent practice rooms.

Therefore, the recording method involves the assistant randomly selecting a time point using software, entering the training room of each level at that time with a camera, recording a segment of less than five minutes of material, and conducting a simple interview with the people present.

This is clearly encouraging for hardworking players.

In fact, the low-rated players who have been recorded and broadcasted train on average for up to 12 hours a day, truly embodying the spirit of hard work.

Some of these girls are teary-eyed, some have determined gazes, some choke up as they express their desire to step onto the stage, while others adjust their mindset, acknowledging that hard work may not always bring rewards, but they will not regret it.

The background music stirs emotions, combined with the harsh elimination process, making it hard for the audience not to feel a mix of emotions.

This contrasting technique of the two-tier reversal portrays the high-rated players as dragons living in a treasure trove, while the low-rated players are naturally seen as brave heroes on the path to a comeback.

Suddenly, many passersby chose to support the latter.

And in such an atmosphere,

The scene shifted again, with the same assistant sister from before, arriving at Grade C Practice Room to invite Chu Yuanqing for an interview.

Among all the contestants in the first episode, Chu Yuanqing’s popularity was not just one of the best, but also in the top ten.

Especially after watching interviews of the Top A contestants, the anticipation naturally increased for what kind of information this interviewee could reveal.

Starting with the first question about her bare face, Chu Yuanqing’s answer completely shocked the audience:

"？？？"

"No way, it’s a lie, right? She’s really makeup-free the entire time?"

"Seriously, I always thought Chu Yuanqing was wearing some high-end natural makeup that was completely undetectable."

"Jealous and hateful, Nuwa was really good at pinching people." (Translator: In myths and legends, Nuwa was the goddess who created humans.)

"No, doesn’t anyone feel like she’s pretending with that statement? Saying ‘too expensive, can’t afford it’ is pretty funny. A set of cheaper cosmetics is only five hundred. Isn’t it a bit awkward to rely on attention and looks?"

This statement was quite provocative to the passersby, setting a certain tone for the moment.

But for Chu Yuanqing’s fans, it was a different story. They understood the reasons and were in a defensive mode, unable to tolerate such words at the moment.

So, a large group of people gathered like an army; some explaining, some retaliating. The screen was filled with comments, until Chen Xiaoxiao quickly asked some light-hearted questions to ease the tension.

In the show, Chu Yuanqing was sharing her thoughts on her roommates.

Viewers were leaving bullet comments one after another:

"I unexpectedly saw the brilliance of maternal love condensed into a ring on the underage Honey Qing!"

"Let’s be honest, this tone and attitude are too condescending. It feels like detached from the concept of contestants, viewing them as parents. Somehow, it’s cute in a way that makes you want to root for them."

"Oh no, how can someone talk so much about others in their own interview? Sincerity is the key, I’ve been tricked."

Afterwards, the assistant continued asking a few more questions, boosting the audience’s excitement even higher.

The last question revealed made the audience who had watched the behind-the-scenes footage burst into laughter, filling the comment section with cheerful laughter.

Why did you choose to compete?

This was a customary final question. Many contestants in previous interviews talked about their dreams and childhood stories, some were reserved and moving, some were sincere, some were full of beliefs, and some were full of humor.

For Chu Yuanqing, the audience who watched the behind-the-scenes footage expected her to continue joking around as seriously as she did on stage, creating a funny contrast.

But in the video,

Chu Yuanqing fell silent for a moment. The light in her eyes dimmed, her young and cool face pursed her lips, curved into a smile, and she said seriously:

"Sorry, I lied to the mentor before."

"I joined the competition because the pay in the program group is very high, that’s the only reason."

The girl paused, her tone softened, her eyes looking down, as if she had found peace. Her lips curved slightly upwards.

"The stage and idols are not what I pursue."

Her voice sounded as light as dandelion seeds drifting in the wind, carrying a hint of the morning mist of sorrow, embracing every viewer in front of the screen, bringing a long silence and a lingering chill in their chests.

As the words faded, the interview scene ended.

The first episode ended with such a meaningful and thought-provoking conclusion, officially finished airing.

All bullet comments on the video stopped scrolling, the screen paused in a hopeless darkness, reflecting Xu Ling’s speechless face like an abyss.

*Click*

Tears fell on the dinosaur plushie in her arms.

Soon after, the pearl fell like a snapped string.

Xu Ling seemed to be consumed by the sorrow shown in the frame, as if for the first time glimpsing her vulnerable side like a child, thus seeing the complete and lively Chu Yuanqing.

The burst of love, guilt, and heartfelt sadness in that moment overwhelmed reason, causing tears to uncontrollably flow.

Xu Ling suddenly realized that from that moment on, her love for Chu Yuanqing was no longer just an accessory due to Kirimi Miyuki, but had become independently meaningful, a separate idol worth loving, completely different from before.

Often, being a fan is like this.

Those seemingly passionate and inexplicable fans, who call older celebrity idols "baby" and themselves "mom," see not only the present appearance of their idols but a whole life’s journey.

In these vividly depicted youth stories, one can always catch a glimpse of emotions that transcend time and are precious.

In the fleeting moments of resonance with these emotions, the joy and love felt by fans can ignore age restrictions, causing them to shout words that others cannot understand.

It may seem foolish, but there are indeed people who rely on and resonate with these emotions to get through a dark period in life, to become better and excel, and to shine in their remaining youth.

She was the same.

In that moment, Xu Ling understood the bitterness Chu Yuanqing faced in reality, her childhood lacking love and loneliness, her early years of having to walk alone under an umbrella, her courage to reach for her dreams but ultimately giving up due to reality.

Xu Ling whispered:

"You shouldn’t have stopped here."

She said, clutching her phone tightly like a swordsman gripping a sword.

At the same time, countless people, under the charismatic personality of the savior BUG, succumbed to their terrifying imaginations, breaking down, repressing, and falling silent, eventually erupting like suddenly rolling magma, causing public opinion to expand and boil even more.

In this moment,

The situation was spiraling towards a direction that would make Chu Yuanqing feel like everything was turning black before her eyes, never to return.

The hot search for "Chu Yuanqing character collapse," which not long ago was a lighthearted and abstract meme, was now trending.

After it reached the terrifying top spot, its meaning changed over and over, becoming a key terror keyword for bullying fans.

In this post now, it’s a colorful collection of Chu Yuanqing’s past stories, giving new fans a rollercoaster experience from great joy to great sorrow.

"Yes, when Honey Qing was explaining to the interviewer, she was truly nervous and tense, she really cared about being able to compete."

"Honey Qing is almost an adult, once she doesn’t have government subsidies, she will have to bear more expenses, like tuition, rent, living costs, just thinking about it makes her suffocate, how young she is."

"Sob, for many contestants, the pay for ‘Dazzling Stage’ is just for show, but for Honey Qing, it’s really important, right?"

"She has let her guard down, Honey Qing undoubtedly loves the stage, it’s just from her perspective, before getting the bread, it’s impossible to hope for more."

"Dreams are a luxury slogan for children without parents."

"Is this the first time in her life she has touched the stars?"

Fans become sadder, more broken, angrier, and more spirited as they chat more.

After much thinking, the collective will was like a blazing fire, turning into endless sword blades, all pointing towards the same goal.

Let Chu Yuanqing Carry Center debut!!!