Chapter 70
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Chapter 70: Lost the Game? Winwinwin!
Stage aisle.
Liang Xiaoxiao nervously adjusted her breathing, pursed her lips, and tried to smile.
The girl’s eyes were curved, with sparkles on the edges, and her light orange eye makeup was quite eye-catching. She looked delicate and charming, youthful and vibrant.
Unfortunately, her smile lacked some confidence and therefore lost some charm.
There’s nothing we can do about it.
Although Liang Xiaoxiao was already a pretty girl in the eyes of her neighbors, friends, and classmates, she was somewhat unremarkable compared to the other contestants.
Not to mention, she didn’t look good in photos.
Liang Xiaoxiao signed with a small company for almost a year. Before starting intense training, the first thing she was taught was to see herself as ordinary.
No need for pickup artistry or deliberate suppression.
The company boss just showed her a picture of herself without makeup in the camera, which made her realize that she had no competitive edge in the entertainment industry’s beauty race.
Actually, this is quite normal. Unless blessed by the Muses, being able to show 8 points of beauty and uniqueness on the big screen is considered a stroke of luck.
But for girls filled with dreams, diving into the entertainment industry, and eager to shine, this reality can be a cruel blow.
Although Liang Xiaoxiao is not in this category, she still feels insecure after realizing this.
Lately, she has been practicing smiling in front of the mirror, just to look better in front of the camera, even better.
Even though her short-term efforts can’t keep up with the rest of the competitors.
Even though Kirimi Miyuki had a perfect smile, good manners, and a friendly demeanor, her expression management skills were beyond compare.
But…if she tried a little harder, maybe it would bring some peace of mind.
Liang Xiaoxiao tried to calm herself down and took small steps towards the stage.
The stage was really big, just walking to the center used up almost all her strength.
The girl’s heart pounded like a drum, her breathing became heavy, the dome’s bright lights were soft but felt hot, she could almost smell something burning, and the sound of rushing blood filled her ears.
The suffocating tension increased as the lighting system kept changing.
Liang Xiaoxiao felt a bit dizzy, she had imagined herself losing control, or getting a low rating, but she never thought she would be scared and trembling before even starting.
It was embarrassing, wasteful, and useless.
Liang Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel disgusted with herself, if she couldn’t overcome this difficulty, she didn’t deserve to step onto the stage.
The girl tried hard to break free from fear.
But the vast stage, the stretching rows of seats, the endless distance in the background, and the gradually rotating stage lights, all seemed like a tangible swamp pulling at her ankles, slowly engulfing her.
As the silent countdown began, the theme song’s background music started playing right on time.
Effort and sweat will not betray oneself.
Even though her mindset was not well-adjusted and her dance skills were only average among the trainees, with an average of 12 hours of training per day, her body had still developed muscle memory for the theme song.
So, at the moment the first note jumped out.
The girl successfully took a step and subconsciously adjusted her breathing, preparing her vocal state.
The lyrics to be sung a few seconds later reappeared in her mind, and the release of dopamine helped ease the tension. She felt better than expected, and her smile became more natural.
But the next moment, a virtual illusion arrived as if on cue, with grand lights and shadows filling her pupils like fireworks, screams and cheers roaring like a strong wind, crossing over mountains and seas.
"Liang Xiaoxiao, I love you!"
"Sweetheart, you are the best!"
"Xiaoxiao, don’t turn ‘Candy’ into a flying disc dance, okay?!"
These words of encouragement selected by AI from the internet feel so real, as if they have traveled through time and space.
The audience seats below are filled with a bustling crowd, deceiving the eye with people of all kinds, waving glow sticks, banners, signs, shouting unique lines that fill the immersive experience, just like true fans, putting in enthusiastic and tireless effort.
Liang Xiaoxiao is confused.
Perhaps, like most contestants, she lost her thoughts in an instant, mistaking it for reality in a daze.
This sense of reality, for those yearning for fame and glory, eager for the bright lights of the true stage, can be considered a highly pure stimulant of excitement.
However, for those who are not mentally prepared and still feel lost inside, it can be like a mountain of endless pressure, easily overwhelming them.
And the Liang Xiaoxiao happened to be the latter.
Her dance steps stiffened, her singing cracked on the first lyric, even though she relied on muscle memory, she danced quite poorly, no longer light and smooth as before, her facial expression completely out of control.
The time on stage was only three minutes.
But these 180 seconds seemed to split and stretch crazily, extending so far that she could clearly understand the cruel fact that she was messing everything up.
Intense anxiety spread.
Overwhelming fear took over.
A lot of confusion emerged.
In the girl’s confused mind, memories rushed like galloping horses, frantically retracing in an instant.
—"Idol, what do you mean to you?"
This is what the interviewer usually asks during auditions.
Liang Xiaoxiao remembered her response back then, all scripted words taught by the economic company in advance.
Even if she answered seriously, she couldn’t come up with anything impressive.
Because the words "idol" didn’t shine in her eyes, nor did it hold any special meaning.
If forced to say, she believed idols were neither sacred nor great, just a profession that made more money than other jobs.
Liang Xiaoxiao didn’t like the stage, nor did she like being an idol.
She only signed with the economic company because her parents needed money for her younger brother’s tuition, took the seven to eight thousand given by the agent, and pressured her into signing a 15-year contract, a slave contract capable of wasting her youth.
Subsequently, she was forced to drop out of school, didn’t even get her high school diploma, curled up in that small place of the economic company, trained like a spinning top according to the company’s targets, and by the age of seventeen saw through the first half of her life at a glance.
For Liang Xiaoxiao to come to Sea City and pass the audition for "Dazzling Stage" here was truly a miracle, an accident, a gift beyond fate, even the economic company behind her didn’t expect her to pass.
This luck did not come easily.
And precisely because it did not come easily, even though she knew she had no qualifications, even though she knew it was impossible, she couldn’t help but fantasize.
– If I could stay a few more rounds, would the terms of the contract get better?
– If I could blend in and make my debut, would my fate change completely?
These pragmatic, anxious thoughts, mixed with the helplessness of reality, forced her to do her best, forced her to practice until she couldn’t help but cry quietly in the middle of the night, forced her to ignore her true desires and self.
So…
Liang Xiaoxiao didn’t have the luxury of daydreaming.
She didn’t expect the moment of stepping onto the stage, nor did she ever imagine being loved and admired by so many people.
This directly led to the fact that, even though virtual reality created a grand stage just for her, it couldn’t give her any encouragement or fulfillment, instead leaving her feeling lost and confused.
"Idol, what do you mean to you?"
The interviewer’s words echoed in Liang Xiaoxiao’s ears once again.
Liang Xiaoxiao’s mind went blank, her dance steps were chaotic, her little shoes slightly slipped, her ankle twisted slightly, her body leaned, stumbling as if about to fall.
But inexplicably,
The girl, in a dazed state of losing balance in her body, found the answer.
Indeed, idols are neither sacred nor great, just a job that makes more money than other professions.
However, to become a qualified idol, one must bear the scrutiny of the public, bear the love of fans, bear the responsibility of weaving dreams, bear more public opinion and attention.
If one approaches it with a half-hearted attitude, they will end up like now, unable to overcome even false illusions and false stages.
Liang Xiaoxiao, in self-mockery, fell heavily to the ground like a butterfly, her earrings falling off as well.
Before the sharp pain spread through their nerves, strong feelings of unwillingness and growing darkness prompted them to force themselves to stand up and continue dancing.
At the same time, the live stream of the stage accident exploded with comments, with bullet comments flying all over:
"Waaah, Sister Flying Disc fell!"
"So sad, was she too nervous?"
"Another poor child tricked by the virtual reality system."
"Darn, will she still jump? Did she pick up her fallen earpiece?"
"Sister Flying Disc twisted her ankle badly at first glance, continuing to dance shows great professionalism."
On the stage.
Liang Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes, like a robot engraved with instructions in her mind, ignoring facial expressions, ignoring the lost earpiece, ignoring the swollen and painful ankle, ignoring the increasingly noisy scene below, singing in rhythm and successfully finishing the theme song.
Soon after, the virtual scenery below the stage dispersed, leaving behind a lonely and cold lingering spotlight.
Liang Xiaoxiao looked somewhat dazed at the empty stage, with a buzzing sound in her ears, a buzzing noise in her head, her temples throbbing, sweat dampening her back, and feeling a cold tingling sensation in her ankles and sides.
But at that moment, compared to the terribly awful stage, these things seemed unimportant.
If she really had fans, they must be very disappointed, right?
Liang Xiaoxiao was feeling confused and went to the medical room alone after bowing to the camera and refusing the staff’s help. After being slightly bandaged, she sat against the wall in silence, lost in thought.
Over at Tutor Group, Chen Baijiu was the first to give feedback.
Although not using harsh words, his objective comments were sharp, praising the contestants’ spirit before giving a Grade D rating.
The other mentors had different tones and perspectives in their feedback, but their opinions on the rating were quite unanimous, resulting in a consistent Grade D in the end.
Because Liang Xiaoxiao insisted on performing for the sympathy points, many people expressed regret and disappointment about it.
Especially her fans.
Well, even though she has a low rating, her looks are not outstanding, and her stage performance isn’t included in the show, because of her amazing flying disc dance that appeared at the beginning, she gained some popularity and heat among Grade D contestants.
Liang Xiaoxiao’s Weibo fans are close to two hundred thousand, excluding the influence of the management company, this level of popularity growth would be considered great in a regular talent show.
Nowadays, in the super topic named "Potato God’s Cult," there is a lot of commotion:
"Ugh, her secondary rating is Grade D, she almost has no chance for debut."
"… There’s no other way, in Xiaoxiao’s situation, it’s like being passively drained by three families, although it’s not too excessive, there will definitely be people from other families who are not pleased."
"So, why are her fans called potatoes, it feels so silly."
"Because the flying disc Xiaoxiao used that day was made of potatoes!"
"Then why not call it the Flying Disc Cult? Annoying!"
"Haha, it’s better to call it stir-fried rice cakes."
The stage of Liang Xiaoxiao did not cause much of a stir.
There is a lot of talk outside about "Dazzling Stage," with the focus still firmly on Chu Yuanqing, followed by Kirimi Miyuki, Xie Qingxuan, Ji Shuzhu, Chen Yining, and other Grade A hot contestants.
As for the ongoing live ratings, fewer and fewer people are paying attention.
The Grade C assessment lasted for three and a half hours, and aside from the first performer Chu Yuanqing, the results of the other 37 contestants were almost disappointing, causing the audience to lose patience naturally.
The Grade D rating stage was even more brutal, with Liang Xiaoxiao’s failure leading to the remaining contestants struggling with their performances, getting worse and worse, and various stage mishaps beginning to occur frequently.
By the time it was Grade F ratings, it was already evening, with 48 contestants taking the stage one by one, continuing until the early morning before finally wrapping up a whole round of secondary ratings.
During this time, including Chu Yuanqing, many popular contestants basically had returned to their dorm rooms, where there were no nano cameras, only individual cameras that players could turn off themselves.
As a result, most of the popular individual channels turned into a black screen that you couldn’t see or hear, causing a continuous decline in the number of people in the live chat, dropping from a peak of tens of millions to only millions.
Of course, even so, many people still felt very sad when the live streaming on the official website of "Dazzling Stage" announced its end, wishing they could continue watching on their personal channels even in the pitch dark.
At the same time, in an underground base, in a dormitory on the F floor.
Chu Yuanqing tiredly pushed aside the blanket, got out of bed, like a sleepy kitten, she drooped her head and looked towards the camera covered with a towel, feeling puzzled and confused.
Are all those internet trolls so persistent now? They can’t see anything clearly, yet they keep on tirelessly insulting me.
Although this proves the complete collapse of her online image, and she would probably be happily eliminated soon, she rarely has the chance to go to bed and wake up early today and really doesn’t want her sleep to be disturbed.
Especially after going through the curse of the Sea of Truth and the magical reaction, her energy bar needed extra recovery through sleep today.
"Huh? Disappeared, did the live streaming room shut down?"
Chu Yuanqing’s witch senses and crisis perception disappeared at the same time, she felt a sense of calmness washing over her whole being, as if she were in a quiet and gentle forest, and drowsiness suddenly flooded in.
The girl let out a soft yawn and glanced around with lowered eyes.
It’s now very late at night, Xie Qingxuan and Tang Liuli have both obediently come back to sleep, only Liang Xiaoxiao’s bed is empty.
Where did this child go?
Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment, but because she was too tired to think deeply, she immediately wrapped herself in a blanket and quickly fell asleep.
Before long, the door of the dormitory was opened.
Liang Xiaoxiao silently walked in, she seemed to have used the public bathroom outside, took a shower and blow-dried her hair before coming back, her body still emanating the scent of shower gel.
The young girl’s face, devoid of makeup, was fair and innocent, with slightly flushed eyes. Her expression showed a calm acceptance of reality as she quietly climbed into bed, seeming to lack a sense of security. She wrapped herself tightly in the sheets, like wrapping a spring roll, tightly and securely.
Looking from afar, she appeared like a big bug, exuding a clear cuteness and humor.
Liang Xiaoxiao began to seriously review.
The secondary rating failed, and it’s highly unlikely the performance will get a good spot.
In the next group competition, if you form teams freely or get picked by top players, chances are you might end up being picked last. Even if you manage to get into the winning team, you won’t shine much and won’t get many votes.
Oh, no matter how I think about it, there seems to be no chance of debuting.
Liang Xiaoxiao felt sadder the more she thought about it.
After coming down from that stage, her dream of staying for a few more rounds was almost shattered. The time spent on "Dazzling Stage" was just waiting for the final judgment.
Liang Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but cry. She usually has a positive outlook, convincing herself even when pressured by her parents to sign a contract, that brighter days are ahead and she will become a big star eventually.
After almost a year in that company, seeing her old classmates go to college after taking the university entrance exam while her future looked dim, even her optimistic nature couldn’t help but feel defeated and sad.
As for "Dazzling Stage"…
This show was like a cup of hopeful poison to her. It could change her fate but also narrow down her future paths to a point of despair.
Now, the sugar-coated hope has worn off, leaving behind bitterness and despair that slowly melt, painting a more hopeless future in her mind.
Liang Xiaoxiao felt sad and quietly cried. She sniffled and tried to wipe her nose, but realized her arms were wrapped too tightly around her. She couldn’t get them out, so she cried even louder.
But in the next moment,
A delicate hand held a tissue over her mouth and nose, gently wiping away her tears and runny nose.
Liang Xiaoxiao looked tearfully at the person standing on tiptoes in front of her. It was as if she was bathed in light, majestic and divine, with a delicate face full of a gentle smile, giving the impression of a compassionate god high in the sky.
It was Chu Yuanqing.
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Updated: 2024/12/03
Nullparadox
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