Chapter 88

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Chapter 88: After the Performance, Coughing Up Blood, a Call From Her Daughter

On the side stage,

Kirimi Miyuki also entered the Heart Flow. The dark aura swirling in her eyes, in the intense and dazzling will, extracted a few strands of cherry blossom-like light pink. Like morning mist, it spread to the depths of her pupils, enhancing both her personal charm and stage presence to another level.

With every breath, the Perfect Interpretation Method, once limited to herself, now had the ability to interfere with objective reality.

Her experiences, memories, and abilities on stage seemed to stack up out of thin air, as if the perfect version of herself in the future was displaying a quantum superposition state.

The young girl smiled with joy, gracefully took her steps in the dance, creating an atmosphere like an international superstar. Her own stage remained like a rock in the sea, not being overshadowed by Chu Yuanqing’s brilliance.

It was clear that, as Xie Qingxuan suspected, the existence of "Heart Flow" awakened unique abilities for each individual.

And this ability derived precisely from within, as if it was a reflection of the soul.

Xie Qingxuan’s "Heart Flow" came from intense emotions of wanting to crush her sister’s dreams, resulting in a corresponding ability – to steal others’ brilliance.

Tang Liuli’s "Heart Flow" stemmed from a natural talent for empathizing with others passively, leading to a corresponding ability – mimicry without discrimination and complete immersion in extreme interpretation.

Kirimi Miyuki’s "Heart Flow" originated from her dedication to idols, love for the stage, and desire for brilliance. As a result, her awakened ability was pure and well-refined, representing the transcendent Perfect Interpretation Method.

However, unlike Xie Qingxuan.

Little Sakura, upon entering the "Heart Flow," became so engrossed in the stage that she was unaware her Perfect Interpretation Method had evolved into a skill resembling a bug.

Right now, Chu Yuanqing’s sudden outburst grabbed part of her attention, delaying this discovery.

The pink color in Kirimi Miyuki’s eyes deepened, a fierce fire burning in her chest as if she had found a rare kindred spirit, releasing lots of dopamine in her brain, making her emotions more excited, and enhancing the purity of the "Heart Flow".

Yes, it should be like this.

Little Qing, this is the posture you should show on stage!

The girl’s expression was relieved and joyful. During the week of rehearsals, those who were disappointed by Chu Yuanqing’s performance were not only the main stage competitors, but also those who had great expectations and saw her as their goal.

Different from others, she firmly believed that when Chu Yuanqing stepped onto the real stage, just like the explosion during the secondary rating, she would definitely show a completely different charm from the rehearsal!

So while Ji Shuzhu and Tang Liuli were busy being thieves, Xie Qingxuan was stunned by each other’s brilliance, and Chen Yining, who stopped at the threshold of the "Heart Flow," was almost overwhelmed, she willingly embraced it, feeling excited, squeezing out more talent, and raising the atmosphere of the stage again.

In an instant, the secondary stage over here was like a giant ship on the sea, unwilling to be swallowed by the dazzling storm. Under the leadership of Carry Center, it maneuvered through layers of obstacles, forcibly grabbing back a certain degree of dominance in the situation led by Chu Yuanqing, basking in the audience’s attention and applause together.

Consequently, the pressure suddenly fell on Chen Yining. She clearly had the most stage experience among the three, and her performance in the week of rehearsals was no less than Kirimi Miyuki’s.

When they stepped onto the stage, they both entered the "Heart Flow" at the same time, instantly taking the decisive dimension to a level she couldn’t reach.

– Unwilling.

– Very unwilling.

With the background music of the theme song just starting to play, Chu Yuanqing, located on the main stage, seemed to have a grip on everyone’s hearts, capturing eighty percent of the attention and gazes, like a worshipped deity, winning the title of MVP for the whole event.

Why?

Why is it that after only practicing dance and vocal for a few weeks, she effortlessly surpassed the efforts and hard work of ten years?

Why is it that even though she has barely been on stage a few times, she can reach the unreachable "Heart Flow," and even comprehend the realms beyond it?

Chen Yining’s eyes were confused.

No understanding, no clarity, no knowledge.

At that moment, the feeling of discontent melted away from within, jealousy and envy disappeared, leaving only confusion filling the soul, and gradually being engulfed by muddy despair.

Chu Yuanqing’s presence seemed to confirm her lack of talent on the path to being an idol.

Each outburst and improvement from this outsider continued to pile up a weight called "self-doubt" in her heart, forcing her to bow her proud head, forcing her to admit her own weakness, forcing her… to give up on that increasingly distant dream.

No, she couldn’t give up yet, she couldn’t despair, it couldn’t end like this.

"I still have to fulfill the promise with Shuzhu, I still stand on a stage watched by an audience."

"Whether or not I can enter Heart Flow, whether or not I will be overwhelmed by them, I must first take on the responsibility as an idol, as the Carry Center, and perform the theme song to the end."

Even as this dark emotion felt like a rolling boulder descending from a high mountain, the pride and resilience in her heart, even her childhood promise with Ji Shuzhu, all acted as a baseline restraint, forcibly suppressing it deep down.

Chen Yining’s smile remained on her lips, managing her expressions excellently in the direct camera shots, her raspberry-tinted hair swaying in the light, the scattered beads of sweat seeming like shattered gems, her breath and steps precise, perfect, flawless like in rehearsals.

The subsequent performances were the same.

Miss’s singing was sweet, showing her usual charm as the theme song ended. Despite hiding her true emotions, she seemed just like herself as always.

Furthermore, Chu Yuanqing’s reason for embodying a goddess again was ultimately to not weigh down her team’s performers, rather than to outshine the stage’s brilliance.

This resulted in the few lingering notes Charlotte adored bringing forth a range of emotions, even multiple haunting illusions, not forming the same connection as before, but still reaching the level Chu Yuanqing desired.

It could be said that apart from initially holding back, she consciously balanced herself throughout, toning down her individual charm, diverting the audience’s attention to the whole. It was a deliberate sharing of the limelight, aiming for an even distribution of glory.

Therefore, by the mid-point, the stage became like a harmonious trio, forming a supportive balance. The stage’s charisma blended into a unified whole, bringing "Candy" back to its usual sweet song style, embodying the concept of the theme song, eliciting thunderous applause from the audience below.

Chu Yuanqing felt somewhat dazed, with one hand on her chest, the azure fading from the pendant hanging in her hand. Her strong adaptability to the stage felt like tides dissolving in the moon’s gravitational pull. Intense witch-like sensory feelings surged back, her heartbeat growing more intense.

The girl’s delicate face maintained a smile as she covered the microphone with her small hand, coughed a few times, tasting a slightly unpleasant sweetness on her tongue. She pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, looking at the scenery below the stage.

Whether glittering gold, deep blue, or cherry blossom pink, the colorful glow sticks of 167 contestants’ dreams intertwined, creating a wave-like effect in the audience, though the fans were scattered and the waves were irregular and choppy, still emanating a dazzling sea of light.

Xu Ling looked as though she had just awakened from a beautiful dream, excitement and joy filling her face. She never imagined seeing such a high-level stage on her first performance in a talent show.

The girl was in a crowd of thousands of people, waving light sticks along with the excited audience, shouting loudly:

"Encore! Encore!"

"Encore! Encore!"

Encore means asking for an extra performance.

The bullet comments on the live stream were all calling for an encore. With the atmosphere on stage, the five to six minute theme song performance was not enough to satisfy the audience, making the atmosphere even more intense.

The performers on stage felt overwhelmed by the sound waves.

Unfortunately, if it wasn’t for the program group’s rules, they had the energy and desire to perform "Candy" a few more times to meet the fans’ expectations.

Kirimi Miyuki looked dazed, she smiled broadly, and tears streamed down her face.

After seven years, she finally stood on a real stage, surrounded by the wave of fans shouting for an encore.

Even if only some of the people in the audience came for her, she felt happy seeing the scene after enduring years of despair. It was a happiness that brought tears and smiles, serving as an emotional response.

Many players on the field felt the same way.

Just thinking about their dreams and the tough competition in "Dazzling Stage," they realized how precious the cheers and supportive lights were, leading to tears of joy.

Liang Xiaoxiao didn’t cry. She couldn’t find her own support color and fans in the sea of lights, just like she couldn’t find her worth on the stage and her place in Chu Yuanqing’s heart.

Perhaps she just didn’t know.

Some things shouldn’t be understood too clearly, just like knowing everything doesn’t guarantee happiness.

Instead of digging deep, it’s better to see it as a surprise box for the future. Someday, something will jump out and create fireworks before you.

As for now? Just enjoy the charm unique to idols and the stage.

Tang Liuli felt a mix of emotions. She saw her name on many signs, with green fireflies embellishing starlight above it. Cute characters surrounded her name, each representing roles she had played before.

Among them, there was even the earliest Magical Girl Delaina, and it is obvious that the dedicated support came from long-time fans, otherwise they would not have done it so meticulously.

But…

"Why? What is there to like about a person like me, who is so terrible?"

"Isn’t it strange? I didn’t say anything at all, just selfishly withdrew from the circle, and when I came back it was the same, no explanation, no filming, but instead became an idol completely unrelated to acting. How foolish must someone be to continue liking me?"

Tang Liuli let out a sarcastic laugh. She wanted to speak these heartfelt words out loud, but instead, like before, she retreated into her shell, masked herself as a prickly hedgehog, wishing to scare away anyone trying to get close.

However, faster than the curve of her lips turning upwards, were the crystal clear, scorching tears falling from her eye sockets, and the… undeniable guilt.

——Socially anxious, irritable, self-deprecating, and stubbornly proud.

Tang Liuli didn’t like this version of herself, to the point of self-disgust and hatred.

The reason she never attempted suicide was because, rather than dying, she was unwilling to become a mother as ugly and insanely crazy as her own, hence she bravely endured her deteriorating mental state, choosing to stay in a world that, in her eyes, held no beauty, but was filled with scenes of hell.

And because of that,

Tang Liuli just couldn’t understand why there were still fans who liked and supported her.

Only people like Chu Yuanqing in this world deserve to be treated kindly by the world. People like her, with dirty and wild blood running through their veins, shouldn’t be treated this way at all.

Why aren’t you scolding me? Cyberbullying me? Or showing me more of the ugliness of humanity?

Tang Liuli couldn’t accept it. She wanted to escape, but at this moment, Chu Yuanqing seemed to create an invisible barrier with a mysterious and powerful force, making Tang Liuli’s talents ineffective for the first time.

The warm harbor closed its doors to her.

Tang Liuli had to face her inner struggle alone in the midst of pain.

Xie Qingxuan felt some regret, as her perspective on the stage was harsh.

If it weren’t for Chu Yuanqing’s "Heart Flow" protecting the other participants, the Great Devil would have undoubtedly plundered the spotlight on stage, using everyone as stepping stones and climbing to the top alone, embodying a selfish spirit on the stage.

But…

It’s okay, there will always be opportunities to figure it out.

Ji Shuzhu stood beside the two, she looked up at the princess on the side stage. The sadness in her eyes flashed and disappeared, her beautiful face, usually cold and indifferent, turned resolute and indifferent as she whispered to herself:

"Little Ning, I know you have been trying very hard."

"But now, the only one who can try to cure my illness is her."

At the front of the main stage,

Deep within Chu Yuanqing’s soul, there came the sound of glaciers cracking.

The girl’s heart felt like a sword piercing through her chest, the clanging of metal colliding, and the whispered words of flesh being cut open, all mixed together in the midst of intense pain, intertwined with the cracking and breaking sounds, creating a soft yet desperate melody.

No, hallucinations are starting to appear, I need to leave quickly and find somewhere to rest.

Chu Yuanqing’s eyes looked unfocused. She pretended to fix her hair, took a deep breath, and waited for the audience’s applause to die down slightly before speaking according to the script provided by the program group:

"Even though the performance has ended, the program group has organized an exhibition related to ‘Dazzling Stage’ outside the venue, where you can find some merchandise. For those interested, you can take a look around."

She finished speaking.

The 168 contestants politely bowed, and the three stages descended, disappearing from sight as the audience looked on with a mix of regret and satisfaction.

Comments flooded the live chat room, discussing their thoughts on the performance.

Shortly after, the live chat room was closed automatically.

With great anticipation, Xu Ling followed the staff’s guidance and arrived at the large exhibition of "Dazzling Stage." Disappointed, she left the exhibition half an hour later, feeling so frustrated that she couldn’t help but grind her teeth.

The girl sat in a shady spot using her phone to vent to her friends in the group chat, typing rapidly with frustration:

"Oh no, the merchandise at the ‘Dazzling Stage’ exhibition is terrible! There are no posters of the contestants, only merchandise of Dream Weaver Rabbit – figurines, statues, stickers, cushions, keychains, even shirts with its face on them. What a letdown!"

This sentence was sent in a group chat, causing a series of curse words, followed by a heated discussion on how to cook rabbit dishes.

However, shortly after Xu Ling complained, someone online made a similar remark and "luckily" claimed to have encountered the AI version of this mascot, hinting that Dream Weaver Rabbit accurately recognized her identity.

So this person smiled and took out a Xie Qingxuan poster, cunningly offering to sell three cushions in exchange for a poster.

Hmm, that’s just despicably unspeakable.

Xu Ling, as a rich lady, was itching with anger after learning about this gossip in the group.

She wasn’t upset that Dream Weaver Rabbit was scamming people; she was only mad at herself for not meeting the real AI version. Otherwise, she would have definitely bought thirty cushions just to throw them away and proudly kept five posters of Honey Qing and Little Sakura each.

Xu Ling, unwilling to give up, wandered around the exhibition for two hours, but ended up leaving feeling disappointed.

While on the way back home.

The girl nodded off and dreamt of the scene where Chu Yuanqing lowered her gaze to tidy her hair at the end of the stage performance. She suddenly woke up with a start, muttering to herself without much thought:

"Why would Honey Qing have a problem? I must have read too many fanfictions in the chat group."

…

…

At the same time.

Zhelong Town, a vintage coffee shop.

The magic inside Chu Yuanqing’s lantern was in disarray, causing her disguise to fail. Her snowy hair fell on her shoulders like mountain snow, her golden eyes shimmered low, and her beautiful face looked pale and fragile.

The girl was half-kneeling in front of the sink, covering her mouth with her hands, trying not to cough loudly. The sticky red liquid dripped through her fingers, falling onto the cold tiles and breaking into pieces in the gaps.

Clatter.

Her phone slipped out of her pocket, and the vibrating ringtone echoed.

On the locked screen, the note with the number of the cute daughter kept shaking. Just before it would hang up automatically, a hand covered in blood grabbed it, and pressed the answer button.

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