Chapter 58
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 58: Bewitched, Narrowed Legs, Will Surely Drop a Level Tomorrow!
Underground base, 8 o’clock in the evening.
Dream Weaver Rabbit sits at the center, like a hub of countless data, calculating variables generated every moment and arranging them into a probability table.
This is a ranking list covering over three hundred domestic players, considering factors such as popularity, stage presence, personal image, singing and dancing skills, public opinion trends, and various aspects, constantly changing the ranking of winning odds every minute.
Chu Yuanqing unexpectedly ranks at the bottom.
With behind-the-scenes footage and two hours after the first episode aired, it seemed as if a multitude of blazing fires were supporting her, causing her ranking to skyrocket at a terrifying speed, reaching the top tier of the most likely to debut as a group.
Even though due to AI algorithm favoring hard skills over soft skills, her ranking gradually fell back to the middle position after the craziest phase wore off, continuing to fluctuate at this spot.
But you have to know, the show has only been on for two hours, the excitement and public opinion are still growing. Her ranking will be pushed to a healthier position sooner or later, completely shaking off her previous lower status.
This is very unbelievable.
Even though the rankings of the other contestants have also changed drastically as a result, the feedback is so strong, like a volcano erupting crazily, she is still in first place!
The bright red eyes of Dream Weaver Rabbit showed a joyful and excited smile. It is the one who placed Chu Yuanqing’s highlights at the beginning of the show’s warm-up, and the culprit who put the interview video at the end of the show.
These hidden privileges are meant to ensure that this gem doesn’t get overshadowed by the weak singing and dancing skills in the early stages of the competition.
Based on the feedback from the data, even if Chu Yuanqing doesn’t do anything extra, she won’t be eliminated because of a few losses on the show.
Rather, her losses on the show might actually lead to strange phenomena like attracting more devoted fans, refining, crystallizing, and educating, keeping the excitement and public opinion alive.
If it were a normal talent show, with such dreadful popularity and fan base, she would almost certainly secure a spot to debut.
Dream Weaver Rabbit is becoming increasingly eager, counting quietly:
“Heart Flow made their debut on stage for the first time, with their top-notch appearance, pure life journey, incredible charismatic atmosphere, and emotional influence that transcends communication media.”
“Chu Yuanqing, you truly are a natural idol, a treasure needed for the Fire Seed Project.”
The super AI muttered to itself, then after going through tens of thousands of authentication layers and applying for a certain permission at the top level, it suddenly looked at the surveillance screen. There, Chu Yuanqing, who was training to sing and dance while running on a treadmill, revealed a strange smile:
“Next, we will see what surprises you will bring me at your first performance.”
“Chu Yuanqing, what your ‘Mystery Prize’ will be, will be decided here.”
…
…
Grade C Practice Room.
Listening to the thundering of her heart, Chu Yuanqing felt a deep fatigue hidden in every cell of her body. With each breath, it swept through her consciousness, congested her brain, and disrupted the normal operation of her thoughts.
She entered the “Heart Flow” while exercising.
Tomorrow is the secondary evaluation, and she doesn’t have much time left for herself.
Since she couldn’t overcome the mental barriers, she decided to use the treadmill at the eighth speed to replace the breathing interference during dancing and find the most suitable breathing technique for singing and dancing through the “Heart Flow.”
Even though it sounds far-fetched, with music theory and basic breath control, it was impossible to achieve such a ridiculous thing in a short time.
Despite having such weak physical stamina, the only way to sing the entire song “Candy” without going off key while dancing was to do it steadily.
Breathing technique is the cornerstone of winning against weakness!
Her consciousness emptied infinitely, gradually becoming pure, as if flipping through the history of years, slowly filtering out impurities from the past 17 years, gently dispersing the thick fog, and continuing to trace, explore, and embrace forward, erasing the parts invaded by curses.
Those enlightened states were powerful enough to defy gods.
Those who used death as a sharpening stone, devouring despair and anger, evolved to unbelievable skills.
Since draining all energy from the cells, the ordinary person’s power swelled and multiplied until it split open like breaking through a sea of clouds with each breath.
Things that are eroded, constrained, devoured, abandoned, or deprived, even if shattered into pieces, can still faintly draw bits of nourishment and reference value from deeply buried memories, instinct at the edges, and unnoticed accomplishments.
Yes, in order to finish work.
Chu Yuanqing had to start from scratch to create a unique breathing technique specific to her body, allowing her to overcome temporary physical limitations and reach a state of perfect control over her breath!
Well, even though it sounds weirdly inspiring and sensational.
But the reason she did this was solely because she spent a whole seven days just to barely avoid making mistakes in performing “candy” at a level above the others, despite entering the singing and dancing phase that the rest of the contestants had already mastered just a few hours ago.
In other words, without trying really hard, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the progress of the performance!
Half an hour later,
Chu Yuanqing slowly detached from the Heart Flow, having engraved a new rhythm within herself. Breathing became light and elongated, seeming to control every limb and bone, where breath was obedient to her will and had also quickly learned certain vocal techniques.
However, the cost was that she quickly felt tired, her head was overheated, and her mind was unclear.
Chu Yuanqing felt a bit dizzy, stumbled down from the treadmill, felt both happy and achy all over. Especially her lower legs were very sore. She crouched down, massaged her muscles, and mumbled to herself in a daze.
If she could master the breathing techniques to control muscle movements, influence blood flow, and even control cell rhythms, she could easily remember all the dance moves at a glance and become the unbeatable queen of procrastination.
But unfortunately, she was already at her limit.
As she kept thinking, her head became even dizzier, and her vision was blurry.
“Great job, Little Qing, you are improving so fast, your breathing is very steady!”
Kirimi Miyuki stood beside her, she had been there during Chu Yuanqing’s training session, witnessing her constant progress until the end of the training, before she couldn’t help but praise her with excitement.
Just as she finished speaking,
Kirimi Miyuki noticed that something was off with her.
Chu Yuanqing’s usually clear eyes, now looked hazy and mesmerizing, her serious expression softened into a daze, her youthful innocence magnified suddenly, a sense of allure that seemed uncontrollable.
Kirimi Miyuki’s heart started beating faster unconsciously, unable to resist stealing more glances at the present Chu Yuanqing.
The girl’s long eyelashes, perfectly shaped nose, rosy and thin lips, almost translucent fair skin with hardly visible pores, her face that was usually restrained but now breathing rapidly, tinted with coral pink, as if a simple beauty infected by climbing desires.
All of this, seemed to flow down her white neck, settling on her collarbone, extending to where the fabric covered, falling into a crystalline unknown territory, filled with alluring romantic fantasies.
Kirimi Miyuki’s heart suddenly throbbed, her expression dazed, suddenly a thought crossed her mind.
——If only… I could get a little closer to her.
However, Little Sakura quickly calmed down her thoughts, feeling that she was too lonely.
In a foreign land, where few were willing to help, Chu Yuanqing resembled her past self, it was only natural to want to be closer to someone like that.
But that’s all it was.
Kirimi Miyuki pushed aside her strange thoughts and gently wiped the other person’s face with a warm towel.
Meanwhile, Chu Yuanqing was still under the debuff of mental overload, lost in a dizzying haze.
She was conscious, but because she had a good impression of Kirimi Miyuki, she remained silent and did not resist, allowing the wet touch to slowly spread across her cheeks like a well-behaved child, making her face more rosy and clean.
Kirimi Miyuki felt a little worried.
“Little Qing? Are you very tired? Should I take you back to your dormitory? Or should we go to the medical room?”
Chu Yuanqing snapped back to reality, she suppressed the pain in her head, shook her head silently, and was about to say she wanted to go back to her dormitory when a familiar voice came from behind.
“I will take her back, you can go ahead.”
Tang Liuli’s emerald eyes darkened, the tear mole at the corner of her eye adding a touch of fierceness, she scrutinized the Top A sakura girl, looking wary and unhappy, like an angry cat with her hand holding the food bag tightly clenched, gritting her teeth inwardly.
The cunning sakura girl!
Qing Qing and I have been living, eating, and sleeping together for so long, but I have never seen her so well-behaved and cute!
Kirimi Miyuki was very good at sensing the atmosphere, almost instantly picking up on the hostility. She looked puzzled at the newcomer, searching her mind for relevant information.
Even though she rarely socialized, Kirimi Miyuki’s roommates often gossiped about the popular contestants from “Dazzling Stage,” including the current Grade B contestant and former child star, Tang Liuli, who was now a lead singer.
I remember… she and Little Qing were roommates, right?
A strange feeling suddenly arose in Kirimi Miyuki as she thought this, her chest tight with unfamiliar emotions. She lowered her gaze, looking confused.
Before she could ponder further, Chu Yuanqing stood up. She seemed to act on impulse rather than thought, walking over to Tang Liuli and saying to Kirimi Miyuki:
“Miyuki, tomorrow is evaluation day. You should head back for training.”
“I won’t trouble you anymore. Just have Liuli take me back.”
Kirimi Miyuki hesitated but didn’t argue, nodding in agreement.
Tang Liuli felt dizzy, her mind filled with thoughts of Qing Qing choosing her happiness among two options.
I have already won too many times!
The young girl no longer saw the presence of the Sakura Girl in her eyes, as her feelings of inferiority, shyness, and sharp jealousy were overcome by an unstoppable sincerity.
Kirimi Miyuki watched as the two of them gradually walked away together, standing still in her place.
A strange emotion seemed to be bursting deep in her chest, unfamiliar feelings expanding like nourishment, giving rise to intense restlessness and boredom.
What is this feeling?
Why do I feel so strange just watching Little Qing and the others leave together?
Kirimi Miyuki clenched the fabric in front of her chest, her thoughts drifting, suddenly realizing something.
Is it because… she never had any friends?
From primary school to junior high school, from signing a contract to debuting.
In the past decade, she has always been seen as a lonely and strange child by outsiders.
Bullied in elementary school because of her hobbies.
She debuted in junior high school, and had to rush to practice after every class, nobody wanted to be close to her.
Senior or fellow members in the girl group didn’t like her because of her serious attitude towards training and dancing, and even played some excessive pranks on her.
Therefore, she never had close friends, relying on the support of her parents, fueling her dream, with the scarce number of fans as her driving force, she managed to live up to now.
Chu Yuanqing was her first true friend.
Kirimi Miyuki looked at the towel in her hand, gradually realizing.
So, I was jealous, or rather, hating the thought of losing a friend?
No, more precisely, it should be possessiveness, like marbles tightly held in a child’s hand, like treasures not wanting to be shared with others.
But if it’s possessiveness, why doesn’t Xiaowangshu find her annoying?
When Chu Yuanqing interacts with the other person, she only feels warmth, harmony, and naturalness, but when Tang Liuli appears, those negative emotions suddenly breed like a snake gnawing at the heart.
It’s like instinctively realizing that Chu Wang Shu is harmless like a pet, not interfering with her and Little Qing’s interactions.
Tang Liuli, on the other hand, is different. She is a threatening opportunist, a pest that interferes with their friendship, a fierce beast that needs to be driven away or killed.
Kirimi Miyuki couldn’t understand.
Because these are all answers sniffed out by instinct.
But she completely understood one thing, murmuring softly:
“If… in Little Qing’s eyes, there was only me.”
The girl’s confused emotions were supported by the chilling atmosphere. She casually stuffed the towel into her bag, and her focus slowly solidified, as if dark energy lingered. Before she even realized it herself, she whispered very softly:
“Others are so bothersome.”
…
…
Dormitory.
Xie Qingxuan and Liang Xiaoxiao were still not indoors, clearly eager to make the most of their training time.
Chu Yuanqing brushed her teeth and changed clothes, leisurely blow-drying her hair halfway.
She sat alone on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, with a hint of gold shimmering in her lowered eyes. Her black, soft hair cascading down her back seemed to hide a few strands of pure white. Clearly exhausted, even her magical disguise was faltering.
This was just how things were.
For Chu Yuanqing, focus and energy are like limited blue strips. They are squeezed out of the curse of the Sea of Truth. Once they are all used up, it will cause very troublesome consequences.
The girl’s expression was unusually lazy, she drooped her eyelids, looking into the void, creating a peaceful atmosphere like autumn leaves.
Tang Liuli felt like going crazy, but thought it was too weird, so she held back.
The little girl’s gaze quietly wandered to Chu Yuanqing’s legs.
Her height was not outstanding, but the proportion of her long legs was extremely harmonious, almost adhering perfectly to the golden ratio, resulting in a fantastic overall visual effect.
Upon closer observation, this was indeed an eye-catching creation.
The thighs were plump and round, with natural inward lines, while the calves were slender and fair, with outward curved lines, forming perfectly balanced curves. Even the lines at the knees were very smooth, without appearing abrupt.
Even when casually placed on the bed, the ideal fair complexion made it extraordinarily eye-catching.
—— Want to pinch.
This thought suddenly came to mind.
Tang Liuli impulsively asked:
“Do you want me to help massage your legs?”
Just as these words left her mouth, she felt like slapping herself.
Oh no, isn’t this symptom even stranger than the bizarre thought just now?!
Without much thought, Chu Yuanqing started to carefully consider.
Even though she had stretched before running, her leg muscles felt really sore now. She knew she had to massage them before sleeping to avoid suffering from discomfort in her secondary rating tomorrow. Also… she was really sleepy at the moment.
The girl blinked, hesitantly saying:
“If you don’t mind the trouble, I don’t mind.”
Tang Liuli replied right away:
“I don’t mind at all!”
It’s quite strange when you think about it.
Initially, Tang Liuli thought that after touching the thigh, she might experience the following psychological activities while expressing herself in internet literature.
—— Haha, I won’t wash my hands for the rest of my life!
But in reality, after touching it, the filth in her mind seemed to be cleansed.
Tang Liuli saw the blue sky reflected in Walden Lake, heard the sound of the church bells in her ears, and felt the medium through which the gods descended with the code of law in her hands.
Solemn, sacred, magnificent, pure.
With great determination, Tang Liuli suppressed the instinct to clasp her hands together, with no distractions in her mind.
She felt like a servant girl from a wealthy family, diligently massaging for half an hour. During that time, Chu Yuanqing felt embarrassed several times, wanting to stop the other person from continuing to knead her legs, but was blocked by that devout gaze.
So that evening, as a return favor.
Chu Yuanqing, feeling tired, read “Autumn Leaves” to the sleepless child for a while.
After a while, she watched Tang Liuli, who fell into a deep sleep with a slightly troubled expression, gently smoothing out the furrowed brow with her slender fingers.
These children, whether awake or asleep, always seemed under a lot of pressure.
However, my lovely daughter is more resilient to stress, disciplined yet lively, loves to smile, very cheerful and sunny!
Chu Yuanqing, as she thought about it, inexplicably felt a bit proud.
She silently lay back on the bed, feeling the fatigue all over her body, only feeling relaxed and happy, eagerly looking forward.
Tomorrow is the secondary rating, considering the time, the first episode should also be broadcasted.
In other words, the news of her collapsed reputation has surely spread all over the internet, and many fans are disgusted by her hypocrisy. They are turning their backs on her, making her infamous and facing backlash from the online community!
Chu Yuanqing got lost in a beautiful daydream, but then she realized she shouldn’t be so optimistic.
Maybe that interview segment will be cut, and she needs to focus on improving her secondary ratings.
If she fails to move up a level, according to the competition format of “Dazzling Stage”, she definitely won’t be able to climb back up!
But she doesn’t seem to have anything to worry about.
You see, even Xie Qingxuan hasn’t returned yet.
Xie Qingxuan is a top player, and if even she’s struggling, the other players will only work harder. In this competitive environment, it’s impossible for someone to perform worse than herself.
Chu Yuanqing is not foolish; she has already assessed the theme song skills of the other Grade C trainees, including Miyuki, Little Shu, Tang Liuli, and Liang Xiaoxiao, to determine her true abilities.
So, she is completely confident that she will drop to a lower level tomorrow!
Translator: Book 5 has been translated and published on Amazon (https://amzn.to/4fRzP9Q);
