It felt as though a massive rush of blood had instantly surged to her brain. The dizziness Ming Tang felt at this moment was far more intense than any disorientation caused by Qi Deng’s nonsensical words earlier.
The system had always issued tasks well in advance before. Why was it so incredibly sudden this time?
Listening to the absurd task, Ming Tang felt an urge to pinch her own acupressure points just to keep herself from fainting.
“She’s going to get hurt like this!” Ming Tang anxiously communicated with the system in her mind.
[Host, please complete the task on time to avoid system punishment.]
If she hadn’t been acutely aware of the countless eyes and unknown number of cameras surrounding her in the studio, Ming Tang would have been pacing frantically out of sheer anxiety.
“521, can’t you change the task? If I trip her, how is she supposed to perform on stage?”
Though Ming Tang was trying to negotiate with the system, her back teeth were clenched tight. She desperately wanted to drag this piece of trash love system out and execute it on the spot.
[A reminder to the Host. If this task fails, the punishment will double from yesterday’s 3mA electric shock to 6mA. Please consider carefully and complete the task as soon as possible.]
Ming Tang still vividly remembered the sensation of the electric current coursing through her body yesterday morning.
If it were like yesterday, where the punishment was delivered after the evaluations were over, it might still be manageable. But this task had a very tight time limit. If the punishing shock hit her while everyone was performing the theme song together, she would not only embarrass herself but also disrupt the entire production schedule.
Yesterday’s shock had made her stumble. If today’s current doubled, she would probably pass out right on the stage.
Fainting out of nowhere in the middle of a massive crowd, who knew if anyone would even notice or care?
Ming Tang was genuinely terrified. Gritting her teeth through the fear and thinking things through, she quickly stepped forward to catch up with Chi Ling, who was already heading toward the direction where a staff member was calling out through a megaphone.
Ming Tang suddenly reached out and grabbed Chi Ling’s slender wrist.
“Hmm?” Chi Ling turned her head instinctively.
Taking advantage of the brief moment Chi Ling paused, Ming Tang took a step forward, placed her foot right in front of Chi Ling, and simultaneously pulled her forward with some force.
With a small exclamation of surprise, Chi Ling was pulled by the sudden force and pitched forward.
And Ming Tang was right in front of her.
She practically crashed right into Ming Tang’s arms.
Chi Ling knit her brows slightly. There was no interrogation, no reproach; she merely looked at Ming Tang with a puzzled expression, lifting her eyes to meet the gaze that was now inches away.
“What’s wrong?”
Chi Ling’s voice sounded like shattering ice hitting a wall, clear, crisp, and pleasing to the ear.
Although her voice wasn’t loud, the commotion wasn’t small either. Such a dramatic scene caused everyone around to look over in their direction.
Holding Chi Ling’s arms to make sure that the completely bewildered girl had regained her balance, Ming Tang finally released her grip and pulled her foot back.
“I just… I just suddenly remembered…”
The task had come so abruptly that Ming Tang hadn’t even had time to conjure up a proper excuse.
Chi Ling pressed on with good humor, “Remembered what?”
[Today’s task has been completed. Host, please keep up the good work.]
The system’s completion verdict arrived incredibly fast.
Hearing the system’s confirmation, Ming Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. This action was counted as fulfilling the task requirements. If she really had to stick out her foot and genuinely trip Chi Ling to the ground, the guilt in her heart would have been completely overwhelming.
Keep up the good work…
With a sudden spark of inspiration, Ming Tang came up with a clumsy yet somewhat reasonable excuse on the fly. She said with absolute conviction, “I remembered that I hadn’t said ‘good luck’ yet! It felt a bit unusual…”
Hearing this, Chi Ling pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth curving upward into a barely perceptible smile.
“So, do you want to say it to me now?”
Meeting everyone’s gaze, Ming Tang nodded and said with utmost seriousness, “Good luck, Chi Ling.”
Chi Ling’s smile widened, spreading beautifully across her features and eyes.
“Good luck to you too,” Chi Ling paused slightly before adding, “I believe you won’t let me down.”
Ming Tang froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
The exhaustion and irritability caused by the system’s interruption vanished instantly upon hearing Chi Ling’s voice, which felt as soothing as flowing spring water.
Even though Chi Ling had never explicitly stated what kind of goal “not letting her down” entailed, Ming Tang knew it perfectly well in her heart.
Chi Ling probably wanted her to remain by her side all the way to the end.
No matter the standpoint or the reason, a tiny seedling had sprouted in Ming Tang’s heart, a desire to stand side by side with Chi Ling forever.
Even though the number of times they had actually met could be counted on both hands.
“Your hairpin is a bit crooked,” Ming Tang suddenly said, looking at Chi Ling who was about to turn around and leave again.
Chi Ling instinctively raised her hand to touch the hairpin by her temple. Her fingertips brushed against the fine satin ribbon; it felt nice, but Chi Ling couldn’t tell exactly how much or at what angle it was tilted.
“It might have been knocked crooked when I pulled you just now,” Ming Tang said with a completely straight face.
Chi Ling blinked, asking with a serious expression, “Then can you help me put it on again?”
Just as Ming Tang reached out to remove Chi Ling’s hair accessory, she heard the other girl add in a low voice, “Let’s trade. I suddenly like this pink one of yours.”
Ming Tang was slightly stunned, but her mouth agreed faster than her brain, “Okay.”
Ming Tang gently took off the light green hairpin from Chi Ling and placed it into her palm. Then, she removed the pink bow from the right side of her own braided hair, clipping it onto the original spot with an incredibly light touch so as not to mess up Chi Ling’s hairstyle.
After finishing, Ming Tang leaned back slightly, admiring Chi Ling’s current appearance with great satisfaction.
Just as Ming Tang opened her hand to ask for the hairpin in Chi Ling’s hand, Chi Ling raised her other hand and pressed her palm downward twice.
Ming Tang understood Chi Ling’s meaning instantly. She obediently bent her knees slightly, tilted her upper body forward, and turned her head to the side a bit to make it easier for Chi Ling to reach.
Chi Ling, however, let out a soft chuckle.
“Ming Tang, why are you so obedient?”
The phrase sounded somewhat familiar, and the tone made Ming Tang’s ears burn again.
What’s this? Why does she talk like she’s training a pup?
The light green hairpin was deftly clipped onto the end of her braided hair.
“Class C trainees, gather over here! The recording is on the left side-stage!” The staff member’s megaphone finally called out for Class C.
Ming Tang didn’t snap out of her daze until the staff member’s voice rang out.
Chi Ling’s soft chuckle felt like a feather brushing against her heart, sending a ticklish sensation through her.
They were led in a completely different direction from the Class A trainees.
The theme song stage for Moment of Destiny was divided into five separate stages based on the evaluation rankings.
On the elevator platform right in the middle of the main stage stood the seven trainees of Class A. The extended stage directly in front and below was assigned to Class B. The side stages on the left and right belonged to Classes C and D respectively, while the trainees of Class F were arranged directly behind Class A.
Class A was surrounded and elevated in the most dazzling position.
And Chi Ling stood right at the center of that radiant, breathtaking focus, like the moon surrounded by stars.
The heartbeat like drumbeats of the theme song began to play.
Following the rhythm of the heartbeat, from the completely dark stage, the first ring of light strips lit up, rippling out a cold white wave along the outermost edge of the stage.
Subsequently, the upper and lower rings of light lit up one by one, closing in and advancing toward the center.
Until finally, the last bright spotlight illuminated Chi Ling.
The heartbeat sound faded away, and a hundred people reached forward in unison, flipping their wrists and closing their fingers into fists.
Arms rose and fell, drawing perfectly synchronized arcs; steps advanced and retreated, their heavy thuds completely in unison.
The crisp, clear voices of the young girls echoed beautifully inside the recording hall.
A hundred desperate dreams resonated at the exact same frequency at this very moment.
With the final movement, they turned their heads sharply. Their smooth hair whipped out cleanly and swiftly with the motion, without hitting their own eyes.
Ming Tang’s chest was heaving heavily, yet her smile remained natural, uninhibited, fiery, and bright.
For her ending pose, Ming Tang tilted her head slightly toward the camera and expertly delivered a wink.
After pouring their hearts and souls into recording three full takes, the staff finally relayed the feedback from the director’s team and the mentors, calling a halt to the shoot.
“Everyone did a great job! Take a thirty-minute break. Get ready for the official profile photo shoot next.”