Chapter 61
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This chapter is edited by Cthulhu. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 61: Xie Qingxuan’s Obsession, the True Heart Flow
The virtual reality system loomed like a debt-collecting devil as the countdown reached zero. This high-tech device, which had assisted many Top A players before, now deceived both retina and senses, projecting lifelike illusions that could trigger stage mishaps.
Hundreds of audience members filled the space – some jubilant, others tearful, many clutching homemade banners or waving colored glow sticks in support, their voices rising to call out the names of those on stage. In an instant, it transformed into a world-class venue.
In another context, this moment would have been beautiful, worth remembering for a lifetime. It would have symbolized the contestants’ arrival on a global stage – a dream fulfilled, worthy of celebration. However, in the current situation, this spectacle could no longer be dismissed as mere abstraction or playful innovation.
Entertainment without proper staging is never just a game.
In Daxia Country’s trainee program, even talented dancers like Ji Shuzhu typically only performed in television dance competitions, with sparse audiences during finals – nothing approaching the popularity of current trending shows. This was meant to be just a secondary rating show for a survival reality competition!
For contestants who had never experienced a real stage, simply maintaining composure while remembering the choreography for “Candy” and managing to sing would be an achievement. Worse, a defeat here could cast psychological shadows, leading to complete collapse.
The secondary rating of “Dazzling Stage” served as a comprehensive test – only those who could weather this challenge would qualify for the next round.
Millions of viewers held their breath watching the live broadcast. In these brief seconds, though they instinctively grasped the gravity of the situation, there was no time to contemplate what extraordinary event had transpired on “Dazzling Stage.” All attention focused on the contestants’ reactions.
Xie Qingxuan missed her timing.
More precisely, when the music filled the air, the sudden surge of audience noise below, countless gazes and calls, turned the spotlight scorching hot, intensifying her nervousness until it gripped her heart with waves of suffocation.
These negative sensations instantly stiffened her body, nearly preventing her muscle memory from responding to the initial rhythm.
With no time to think, Xie Qingxuan abandoned “Earthly Fall” and its deep emotional choreography, adopting a detached posture and entering meditation directly.
Her mind sank into a slow yet lucid emptiness.
The world seemed filtered, with waves of sound and gazes, illusions of expectations and desires that weren’t real, all swallowed like a swamp… In the moment of meditation, everything transformed into dreamlike bubbles of unfamiliarity.
Her perception of the outside world dulled, replaced by near-perfect bodily control.
“Candy’s” difficulty level was already quite low, and without external interference, both movement control and singing came naturally.
Under the audience’s stunned gaze, she demonstrated an incredible reaction – slightly accelerating the rhythm with a smile, smoothly following the music’s beat, grasping precise timing, transforming the melody, and beginning to sing with her sweet voice.
Her stable performance and powerful momentum cut like a sharp blade freed from its sheath, confronting all difficulties and dangers head-on.
“Impressive! Truly deserving of being called the Great Devil. I wonder if she knew about this kind of setup in ‘Dazzling Stage’?”
“Xie Qingxuan seemed stunned at first. She probably didn’t know! She just reacted so quickly and fixed it so well that it looked almost like a rehearsal.”
“Honestly, if it were me, I’d be speechless and probably cry on stage instead of dancing.”
“If this test focuses on crisis management ability, the Great Devil must have scored full marks, right?”
The live broadcast’s comments overflowed with praise, showing no criticism of her performance.
The girl executed the song and dance with machine-like precision amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere.
As the background music faded and stage lights dimmed, Xie Qingxuan suddenly awakened, realizing the performance had ended.
Beyond the stage, those lifelike projections shattered with a bang.
The shouting and booming sounds faded to cold darkness, as if mockingly silent.
Sweat-soaked and experiencing an indescribable exhaustion, she felt transported to a different world, her thoughts abruptly scattered.
The deep abyss-like fear, intense shame, and anger forcefully pulled her from meditation, plunging her into a sea of negative emotions, experiencing a shameful fall from grace.
Xie Qingxuan lowered her eyes, concealing her expression, and silently walked alone to a dark room – a bathroom without surveillance.
Looking at her reflection, filled with disappointment and resistance, her eyes growing emptier, she softly whispered as if making a vow:
“I must find a way to immerse myself in the stage.”
Difficulty was no excuse.
She understood one thing clearly.
She had failed to express the expected emotions in her dance and song, instead finding herself forced into meditation, barely managing the sudden challenge through what felt like cheating.
Her sister wouldn’t even feel nervous on a stage like this, would she?
But what about herself?
The mere thought filled her heart and bones with anxiety, restlessness, anger, reluctance, and competitiveness, blending into a burning sensation threatening to consume her entirely.
Warm water gushed into the bathroom.
“There won’t be another chance.”
As the words fell, the bathtub overflowed.
Xie Qingxuan undressed, revealing her well-developed, smooth form. Like a fish diving into deep waters, or a patient controlling her emotions, she slowly lowered herself in, tilting her head back to let the water cover her mouth and nose.
Her platinum blonde hair spread slowly in the water like diffused light. Her lifeless pupils remained peacefully open, reflecting the orange ceiling lights through the thick medium.
Time ticked by.
She forced herself to endure the terrifying sensation of suffocation for five minutes.
As her lungs emptied of air and external sounds grew fainter, her mind replayed a carousel of images.
Xie Qingxuan used this technique to repeatedly relive the confusion, fear, helplessness, stiffness, and suffocation she’d felt on stage, surrounded by countless gazes and overwhelmed by numerous voices.
Nearly unconscious from oxygen deprivation, she resolutely entered seated meditation, using her slender arms to lift herself from the water.
“There won’t be… another time.”
She whispered again, as if savoring the lingering fear and suffocation, seemingly obsessed, punishing herself for a single failure. Without adequate rest, she submerged herself once more in the gradually cooling water…
…
…
Meanwhile, the chat room exploded with excitement.
While Xie Qingxuan’s performance deserved praise and admiration, the incredible setup of “Dazzling Stage” demanded even more attention and analysis.
Dream Weaver Rabbit, as head mentor, appeared disinclined to explain this design choice.
The Tutor Group began their evaluation of Xie Qingxuan’s performance.
Luo Siling expressed profound admiration: “Xie Qingxuan’s stage presence remains formidable. Even under the virtual reality system’s test, she persevered. Her steadiness exemplifies a true competitor’s spirit.”
After careful consideration, Zhao Dapan offered: “Ignoring external factors and focusing purely on stage performance, I’d rate Xie Qingxuan’s singing eight out of ten. Though she started breathlessly, she quickly regained composure, executing ‘Candy’s’ techniques flawlessly and professionally, albeit lacking some sweetness and immersion. Regarding dance, despite initial missteps, it was remarkably precise. While strength, posture, and hand movements were impeccable, it felt almost too perfect and formulaic, slightly diverging from her personal style. I’d give it nine out of ten.”
Chen Baijiu contemplated before adding: “I concur with Teacher Zhao. Xie Qingxuan’s performance was technically flawless but showed noticeable imperfections. Her singing and dancing abilities excel, with minimal errors throughout. She outclasses previous talent show contestants, potentially surpassing established group members. However, she failed to demonstrate personal style evolution and struggled to integrate, adapt, and master the theme song. ‘Candy’ emphasizes girlishness, cuteness, sweetness, and youthful energy. For interpretation and stage presence in dance, singing, and expressions, I can only award six points.”
The mentors quickly recognized Xie Qingxuan’s talent. Following Dream Weaver Rabbit’s stage design revelation, they had set low expectations for trainee performances. Xie Qingxuan’s opening exceeded the Tutor Group’s expectations, securing her Grade A status unsurprisingly.
The live audience, unsurprised, continued criticizing “Dazzling Stage”:
“Dream Weaver Rabbit repeats past tactics. They pulled similar stunts during Chu Yuanqing’s debut, now elevating these mind games further.”
“What exactly is this virtual reality system? The atmosphere and realism made those few minutes feel dreamlike.”
As anticipated, subsequent Top A contestants struggled. None matched Xie Qingxuan’s skillful use of meditation techniques similar to “Heart Flow” to compensate for inexperience.
Their extraordinary abilities couldn’t shine through, resulting in subpar “Candy” performances and near-emotional breakdowns on stage.
The Tutor Group, avoiding questioning the program’s setup, quietly completed their evaluations.
Four students barely maintained Grade B status through solid fundamentals. Another contestant, severely affected by pressure, delivered an abysmal performance – forgetting lyrics, singing off-key, missing beats, with stiff expressions and movements – earning a Grade D rating, plummeting from grace without redemption.
This contestant, seemingly anticipating her poor showing, left the stage red-eyed and dejected.
Despite consistently underwhelming stage performances, audiences rarely criticized contestants, instead agreeing that “Dazzling Stage’s” difficulty seemed excessive.
The consistently downgraded Grade A contestants garnered significant viewer support, leading to widespread fan outrage and one-sided public opinion.
Live stream comments overflowed with criticism:
“This setup merely hinders growth.”
“Unnecessary complexity. The first large-scale performance and subsequent group stages provide better practice. Forcing rapid growth risks total collapse.”
“What’s the rush? We want systematic development, not instant group formation.”
“Grade A struggles this much – what about lower-ranked sisters? This setup breeds stage fright and trauma. Who takes responsibility?”
“The detailed rules reveal Dream Weaver Rabbit’s injury compensation policy, including mental trauma, ranging from five to sixty million.”
Despite fermenting public opinion, secondary ratings continued.
Among the remaining eight Top A players, most faltered after intense struggles.
Ji Shuzhu impressed audiences with her stage experience and natural resilience from hypermnesia. Her seamless performance, despite weaker vocals, demonstrated years of muscle memory in dance, securing Grade A status.
More surprisingly, Yunlan Entertainment’s representative exceeded expectations. Initially viewed as moderately talented, benefiting from company connections, Chen Yining maintained Grade A status despite some mistakes.
Audiences suspected prior large-stage experience – correctly so. Chen Yining’s networking at Yunlan Entertainment had secured her backup dancer positions at superstar concerts, providing crucial exposure to crowd scrutiny and atmosphere.
Time advanced.
Grade A’s final appearance in the theme song competition secured first place, leading Kirimi Miyuki by one million votes.
The popular Chu Yuanqing-Kirimi Miyuki pairing generated excitement when the sakura girl took the stage, sparking enthusiastic discussion despite chaotic live chat reactions.
Little Sakura, center stage, embraced the emotional magnitude of the moment.
This spacious stage, frequent dream subject, now materialized after countless challenges.
Though lower-rated, though surrounded by empty seats and solitude, overwhelming joy and emotion filled her being, inspiring courage to embrace the stage’s beauty.
When the stage lights activated, when “Candy’s” prelude began, when the virtual reality system transformed the lonely darkness into a stellar galaxy, expanding the modest circular venue tenfold through projection, creating a truly massive stage, Kirimi Miyuki’s heart burst not with horror but with thunderous joy and inspiration.
How could such happiness be described?
How could such soulful elation be conveyed?
This moment guided her toward the Perfect Interpretation Method transcending limits, immersing her in endless azure, embracing vast skies, surrounded by fan adoration and surreal prosperity, stepping into…
The true “Heart Flow”!!!
