“Are you a ghost or something?!” Bai Xi was so startled she nearly vaulted over the railing to jump down. Once she calmed her racing heart, she stared at the person inside the dance studio with lingering fear.
“A clear conscience fears no ghost knocking at the door.” The person inside, Ye Ying, looked at the startled Bai Xi with a hint of disdain. She adjusted her sleeves and pushed the window open. “What are you doing here?”
Looking at the person leaning against the corridor pillar in a short-sleeved T-shirt, Ye Ying couldn’t help but feel that their paths crossed with suspicious frequency. Even practicing in such a remote corner, she managed to run into Bai Xi outside the window.
“You’re allowed to skip class, but I’m not?” Bai Xi scoffed. Last time Ye Ying skipped class, 002 nearly died of anxiety. Now that Ye Ying was dancing during school hours, why wasn’t that cat panicking?
“Ye Ying, who are you talking to?” Before Ye Ying could reply, a voice called out from inside the studio.
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow. Then, the curtains that had been drawn shut were yanked open all at once. The studio flooded with light, revealing a row of people who had been squatting in the shadows against the wall…
Bai Xi: …
“Oh, it’s Young Master Bai?” Once the curtains were open, everyone inside saw Bai Xi. The person who had called Ye Ying was their dance teacher. She looked at Bai Xi with surprise before opening the studio door to invite her in.
“I was just passing by.” Bai Xi felt utterly defeated as she looked at the innocent-looking Ye Ying standing to the side. It seemed like every time she looked foolish, Ye Ying was there to witness it with radar-like precision. She wondered if this was the standard “fated” connection between a female lead and a villainess.
“I’ve heard Young Master Bai has been proficient in the arts—poetry, books, and music—since childhood. I wonder if you have any interest in dance?” Despite Bai Xi’s cold tone, the dance teacher remained enthusiastic. Not every teacher at Nanluo could maintain a calm composure around Bai Xi, and even fewer had the chance to interact with students from International Classes One and Two.
“No interest.” Seeing through the teacher’s intent, Bai Xi refused coldly. Although she had studied various dances in her past life, and even the “Young Master Bai” she was impersonating had learned classical and ballroom dance, she had no interest in performing—and even less interest in letting others use her to social climb.
The teacher looked awkward for a moment but then turned to Ye Ying. “Actually, we are rehearsing for the Opening Ceremony. Unfortunately, Ye Ying is missing a partner. I don’t suppose Young Master Bai could recommend someone? Just as a favor?”
Opening Ceremony? Bai Xi remembered. In the original text, Ye Ying’s solo dance at this ceremony stunned the whole school. With Fu Zuo’s intentional help, Ye Ying won the “School Beauty” vote by a landslide. This was a crucial plot point.
Thinking of this, Bai Xi felt she should definitely refuse. This was the female lead’s chance to shine. If she, the “vicious supporting character,” meddled now, she was afraid 002 would scratch her to death.
Just as Bai Xi was about to decline, a girl ran over from the group in the back. Bai Xi recognized her—Zhu Feng, Ye Ying’s roommate. Zhu Feng looked at Bai Xi anxiously. “Young Master Bai, please help. Ye Ying has prepared for this performance for a long time, but she was assigned a ‘Double Dance.’ If she doesn’t find a partner, her program might be canceled.”
Canceled? Bai Xi looked at Ye Ying skeptically. Last time, the lead supposedly almost lost her enrollment spot, but it turned out to be her own scheme—one that cost the lead 800,000 yuan because of Bai Xi’s accidental interference. She remembered that grudge vividly.
Seeing Bai Xi’s expression, Zhu Feng grew more frantic. Meanwhile, the other girls in the back began to murmur. “Zhu Feng, don’t use moral kidnapping. Young Master Bai doesn’t owe you anything. Why should he help?”
“Exactly. The teacher found so many partners for Ye Ying, but she didn’t like any of them. If she loses her spot, it’s her own fault for being too picky. Why drag Young Master Bai into this now?”
The girls chirped in one after another, pinning all the blame on Ye Ying. Sweat broke out on Zhu Feng’s forehead as she tried to explain. “No, it’s because those people had terrible foundations, and some of them tried to take advantage of Ye Ying! It’s not her fault!”
While Zhu Feng was panicking, Ye Ying remained silent, her lips pressed thin as she suppressed her emotions, gently pulling at Zhu Feng’s sleeve.
Looking at this scene, Bai Xi suddenly felt uncertain. At the end of the day, Ye Ying was just a seventeen-year-old girl. Seeing Jiang Zhiya and Chen Jingmo earlier reminded her that they were all at an age of acting on impulse. Despite Ye Ying’s cleverness, being an orphan meant she was bound to feel helpless in this situation.
Feeling a rare pang of pity, Bai Xi spoke up on Ye Ying’s behalf. “If she can’t find a partner, why not change the program? Just switch Ye Ying’s double dance back to a solo.” That would fix the plot, too.
“But the program list has already been submitted and confirmed by the Student Council. It can’t be changed easily. Besides, Ye Ying submitted the program herself,” one of the girls in the back said indignantly.
“No! Ye Ying clearly submitted a solo dance!” Zhu Feng countered immediately.
Hearing the two sides start to bicker, Bai Xi rubbed her temples. Is this the ‘protagonist halo’? Does she bring a storm wherever she goes?
“Forget it. I’ll just withdraw. It’s fine; it’ll leave a spot for someone else anyway.” Ye Ying stopped the argument, her expression lonely.
Only then did Bai Xi realize the other girls in the studio weren’t Ye Ying’s teammates—they were substitutes waiting to replace her. If Ye Ying lost her chance, they would be the ones on stage.
The dance teacher looked at Bai Xi and then asked Ye Ying, “Ye Ying, think carefully. If you withdraw now, there truly won’t be another chance.”
“She’s not withdrawing. Is the performance the dance I just saw? I happen to have learned it. I’ll be her partner.” Wrapping an arm around Ye Ying’s shoulder, Bai Xi couldn’t take it anymore. From Zhu Feng’s words, it was obvious someone was intentionally sabotaging Ye Ying.
As for why she believed Zhu Feng—it was because she trusted the original character settings. In the novel, while Zhu Feng was a minor character, she was always loyal to Ye Ying and never lied.
Everyone was stunned. Even Zhu Feng couldn’t believe Bai Xi had actually agreed to help personally.
Having made her decision, Bai Xi patted Ye Ying’s shoulder. “Pack your things. I’m moving you to a different place to practice. The air in here is terrible.”
Bai Xi could tell at a glance that this dance teacher was mediocre. Although Nanluo Academy was wealthy, most of the elite dance teachers had already been scouted by International Class students. Those left over were better than average but didn’t meet Bai Xi’s standards. She didn’t want some half-baked instructor chirping in her ear while she rehearsed with Ye Ying.
Even though Bai Xi was currently “neglected” by her family, she still held the title of the Bai family’s Young Master. Old Master Bai still viewed her as his sole heir.
By the time Zhu Feng and Ye Ying finished packing, Bai Xi had already finished a call with Old Master Bai, successfully securing the use of Dance Studio No. 2 in the Art Building. As for a teacher, Bai Xi decided she didn’t need one.
Under the envious and jealous gazes of the others, Bai Xi and the girls left the room and headed toward Studio No. 2. Though both were at Nanluo, the difference in facilities was night and day.
On the way, Bai Xi finally learned the full story from the talkative Zhu Feng.
At the start of the term, the Student Council announced preparations for the Opening Ceremony. Given the talent of Nanluo students, they didn’t provide a long prep time. They gave one day for sign-ups, released the preliminary list the next day, and then gave two days to prepare for the final selection at the Student Council building.
Because Ye Ying and Zhu Feng had volunteered to help with registration, they heard the news early. They signed up immediately: Zhu Feng for a Solo Latin dance, and Ye Ying for a Solo dance titled State of Etiquette.
But when the results came out today, Zhu Feng was cut entirely. Ye Ying made the list, but her State of Etiquette had been changed to a Double Dance titled Ghost Wedding.
This afternoon, the dance teacher gathered Ye Ying and the rejected substitutes, claiming she wanted to see if Ye Ying could perform a double dance alone. In reality, she wanted to force Ye Ying to quit so the other girls could take her spot. As long as the program title remained the same, the Student Council allowed for performer substitutions.
“So, someone intentionally swapped your program?” After hearing the explanation, Bai Xi looked at Ye Ying. She felt a bit frustrated. Where did the female lead’s usual wit go? How did she fall for such a simple trap?