Chapter 64 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by Cthulhu. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 64: Paper Tiger, Chu Wang Shu’s Turn (1)
“Achoo!”
Chu Yuanqing had just walked out of the dormitory when she suddenly bent down and let out a cute sneeze. Confused, she furrowed her brows, rubbed her straight nose, and instantly became aware that something was wrong.
There’s a problem!
Although her intuitive ability akin to the way of utmost sincerity in foreseeing the future was gone, she knew through accumulated rich experience that Murphy’s Law was highly effective on her.
So, this is definitely a sign that something bad is about to happen!
Chu Yuanqing looked serious and tried her best to think.
After careful consideration, first she needed to rule out any problems with relationships, then consider the possibility of a sudden surge in popularity, and finally… there was only the upcoming secondary rating, followed closely by the performance stage!
The girl suddenly felt uneasy as she wondered if she had underestimated her idols and the stage, leading to insufficient preparation and the possibility of something going wrong, which could hold back these children.
Regardless, if things didn’t work out, she would ask Charlotte to step in and seek help from the heavens!
Chu Yuanqing patted her cheeks, stopped overthinking, and quickly walked towards the practice room.
With little time left, if she wanted to perform properly on stage, she needed to at least master the breathing techniques and apply them to the song “Candy” beforehand, or else passing the basic singing and dancing level would be very challenging.
As she entered the Grade C Practice Room, the audience watching her closely was shocked:
“???”
“My detective spirit is burning out fast! Can Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot help me analyze it again?”
“It’s obvious that Little Sakura came to look for Honey Qing, and the dormitory door happened to be open. She stood there for a long time before leaving. There are two possibilities: either there is no one inside, so she’s waiting out of politeness, or there is someone inside, and they have done something that shocked her!”
“Such an encounter between rivals is both elegant and intriguing ❤️❤️❤️.”
Even though everything can be seen clearly under the public’s eyes, and all the subtle interactions can be easily spotted, the resolution and perspective of the players’ personal channels are just like surveillance footage in a security room.
Whether it’s Kirimi Miyuki’s fleeting micro-expressions, Chu Yuanqing’s peach-colored lipstick, or Xie Qingxuan’s slightly damp hair when she walks out, it’s hard to discern clearly from the constantly shifting close-up and far-off shots.
This approach can only be described as a deliberate tactic by the official team of *Dazzling Stage* to ensure high viewership for the secondary rating stage, and even to stay ahead in the quality of behind-the-scenes footage.
However, the audience still engages enthusiastically, criticizing bitterly while thoroughly enjoying the show.
Well… something is better than nothing, after all. Where else can you find live broadcasts in other talent shows? And where else can you find 168 separate channels for the viewers to enjoy such luxurious treatment?
The details provided by *Dazzling Stage* are abundant. In a normal talent show, such extensive information wouldn’t even make it online without interpretation and transcription by several insiders. Even then, the dissemination would be limited and not necessarily authentic.
As for now, even though we can’t see the whole picture yet, the good thing is it’s real and it leaves room for imagination for several CP groups.
The leaders of various CP fan groups and small chat groups are already preparing, likely leading to an influx of fan fiction stories about forbidden love, rivalries, and complex school romances.
At the same time, the second evaluation of Grade B contestants has officially begun.
Just as many viewers expected, even the Grade A contestants who stand at the peak of the trainee pyramid and have undergone the most advanced idol training techniques performed poorly overall, while the Grade B contestants one level below them fared even worse.
Dance intensity, expression management, breath control, stamina distribution, and lyrical singing style – these are the basics to keep in mind when performing on stage. Beyond these fundamentals come the details: movements, emotional conveyance through eye contact and smiles, atmosphere creation, and stage presence enhancement.
It’s worth noting that even though the Great Devil amazed the audience at the beginning of the performance, their on-stage act only covered the basics and did not progress to the next stages.
Xie Qingxuan’s ability to outperform others stems from two factors. First, in that almost unexpected virtual projection scenario, ensuring all the basics are done right is already a victory. Second, she achieved the most flawless performance by meditating to detach herself, showing a graceful beauty like flowing clouds and water.
The other Grade A players, like Ji Shuzhu who specializes in this field, can match her evenly. In other words, what determines the players’ scores is actually how well they can grasp the basics of singing and dancing on stage.
Unfortunately…
“So bad.”
“Can they really dance?”
“Even though they know the pressure is high, they shouldn’t forget to sing.”
“This really highlights the excellence of the Grade A contestants.”
“It’s inevitable. With Little Sakura shining in the front, it makes them look uncoordinated. If the Great Devil goes on stage after Little Sakura, they will also face harsh criticism.”
Because of the large fan following, there were many critical and mocking comments. But compared to that, there were more people who understood and felt sympathetic.
Everyone knows that some things cannot be changed just by working hard. Even if you know the secrets of the secondary rating ahead of time, what really matters in this stage of growth is 80% talent and 20% behind-the-scenes effort.
Chen Yining may be an exception. But this success is the result of both support from backers and hard work, combined with the right opportunities for application, making it a unique personal achievement. Furthermore, who can deny her natural talent?
There were a total of 26 Grade B players, and after 70 minutes, many highly anticipated players had disappointing results:
“Luo Chan is so unfortunate, she dropped to Grade C.”
“Oh no, my little sister fell too!”
“At this rate, how many Grade A and B contestants will be left in the end?”
“The competition is becoming increasingly intense.”
Soon, Tang Liuli also appeared as a member of Grade B.
The audience didn’t expect much from her performance, mostly expressing negative opinions. Tang Liuli used to be a talented child star who had impressed the entertainment industry in the past, but years had passed, and people wondered if her professional abilities had declined. Especially when crossing over to the field of singing and dancing, it easily drew criticism from outsiders.
Not to mention, her practice room in Grade B is live-streamed almost every day, so both casual viewers and fans have a clear understanding of her level. Even with her advantage in vocal skills, she is only considered average in Grade B.
What shocked everyone was when this seemingly gloomy and socially awkward beautiful girl stood on stage facing the indistinguishable virtual projection, she appeared completely unfazed.
She used traditional dancing as the foundation and expressed the theme of “Candy” with her emotional singing and skillful techniques, in a unique way focusing on her voice. She became the first contestant in Grade B to win the Grade A evaluation!
Tang Liuli looked down at the illusionary lights and shadows. Her talent could recognize, digest, and utilize emotions. The obstacles carefully designed by Dream Weaver Rabbit were nothing but boring illusions, unable to hinder her progress.
The girl’s emerald eyes were deep, with a teardrop mole at the corner. She turned off her earphones and whispered softly: “Lifeless beings cannot radiate any brilliance without emotions.”
End of speech.
Tang Liuli dragged her trembling legs expressionlessly, suppressing her social anxiety as she knelt on the ground, presenting what appeared to be a victorious posture as she gracefully left the stage.
Only when she entered the waiting room backstage did she suddenly rush into the restroom, dry heaving in front of the mirror, almost fainting. Trembling like a quail, she was fortunate there were no cameras inside, or the comments surely would have been filled with mockery, labeling her a paper tiger.
However, for Tang Liuli, who truly battles with mental illness, resisting the nightmares intertwined with fear, this seemingly peculiar behavior actually highlighted the persistence of her condition.
Time passed.
It took Tang Liuli half an hour to come back to her senses. She struggled to stand up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale and gloomy, but her eyes were shining brightly. She whispered to herself as if in a dream, “If I can’t overcome this, I won’t be able to help you, will I?”
“Heart Flow… It’s no longer useful the way it used to be.”
“Maybe I should find another way to use it.”
“…”
At the same time, another performance on the main stage ended.
In the live broadcast room, a name related to Chu Yuanqing was mentioned repeatedly.
“Oh, my Honey Moon, she is working so hard!”
“To be honest, I was a bit surprised, Honey Moon’s performance was not bad.”
Honey Moon – this nickname comes from Chu Wang Shu’s name. Now this contestant’s fan group calls themselves Little Moon, operating like a guerrilla team compared to all the CP fan groups. (Note: Wang Shu is the Moon Goddess in ancient Chinese mythology.)
“Honey Moon is an excellent student! As an idol, she is also an excellent student!”
On stage, the performer who had just finished singing was like waking up from a dream.
Chu Wang Shu was a bit dazed as she looked at the thousands of audience members gradually leaving. All the screams and cheers, all the surrounding lights and warmth, faded away like a receding tide.
Yet in those few minutes on stage, the artificial glamour truly made her feel like a moon.
Perhaps it was because of this, even though she was shaken by the flaws in the beginning and almost swallowed by the stage at the last evaluation, this time she held onto the false brilliance and was not devoured by the stage’s swamp-like nature. She performed with all her heart and might until the end.
