Although the training period was tedious, it passed relatively peacefully. The day of the theme song singing and dancing assessment did not seem much different from any other day.
The girls put on identical uniforms and carefully applied makeup. For the first time, they saw the stage they would eventually perform on with their own eyes.
The stage itself was not actually very big. At least, it could not compare to the stages the big stars performed on that they had seen on television. Even so, looking up at the height of the stage from below and climbing the stairs one step at a time still required courage.
The teachers would not appear in front of the trainees. Instead, they observed the trainees’ condition from behind the cameras, then evaluated and scored them.
As the host, Huo Ziyan explained the assessment process.
“It’s very simple. For this assessment, each person will sing and dance to the theme song alone at the center of the stage. Since the groups haven’t been divided yet…” At this point, her gaze swept over everyone. “Anyone who is ready can come up.”
The rule was announced very suddenly, and most of the girls hesitated at first.
Gu Tang exchanged a glance with Xu Piaopiao. They could both see the challenge in the other’s eyes, but someone had already gotten ahead of them.
Lin Yueyue raised her hand. “Sister Ziyan, I’m ready!”
Whispers spread through the previously quiet crowd.
Most people had never expected that the first person to raise her hand would be Lin Yueyue, who usually looked so timid and nervous.
At this moment, Lin Yueyue’s expression was determined. From the corner of her eye, she looked toward Gu Tang and saw the surprise in her eyes.
Lin Yueyue had a very clear purpose for participating in the competition. She needed to become a celebrity capable of making money. Only four people would be able to become members of the girl group, so she could not afford to give up a single opportunity.
Now that Gu Tang had seen her other side, Lin Yueyue decided to change her approach. She would no longer show only her fragile side. She wanted to break through her own limits.
She absolutely would not allow herself to be trampled under Gu Tang’s feet!
However, Lin Yueyue was overthinking things. Gu Tang had never considered competing with her in the first place.
At this moment, Gu Tang’s true thoughts were:
Oh no! The female protagonist changed her character! She went from a delicate, shy, cute girl to an independent, strong-minded woman!
Another person who was just as bewildered as her was Xu Piaopiao.
Gu Tang whispered, “Wouldn’t her usual routine be to accidentally trip and fall onstage, then start crying, everyone rushes over to help her up, and at that moment the background music starts playing ‘Tomorrow Will Be Better’… something like that?”
Xu Piaopiao turned her face toward her. “Stop. I can already picture the whole thing.”
In the observation room where the teachers were seated:
“The first person is actually Lin Yueyue,” Chen Xing said, somewhat surprised. “During training, she couldn’t keep up with a lot of the dance moves.”
“I heard from the director that she works extremely hard. She practices until one or two in the morning every night.” Liu Weiwei’s eyes were filled with approval. He had always been optimistic about Lin Yueyue. “She’s hardworking and bold. A girl like that is very suited to this path.”
“Mm.” Yang Ya gave a sound of agreement. “And she’s very smart. If she doesn’t go onstage first now, then Lu Yijing and Xu Piaopiao, who are both stronger than her, and Gu Tang, who stands out in terms of appearance, will all have better chances than her. Although no one will be eliminated this time, the rankings will determine how much screen time they receive in the future.”
And screen time was the fastest and most effective way for these girls to present themselves to the audience.
Of the three teachers, Chen Xing and Liu Weiwei were primarily focused on teaching. Yang Ya was the only one paying close attention to the girls’ actions.
A girl who looked fierce might actually be timid and cowardly. Someone who looked gentle might actually be strong and sharp. Every person had a unique self hidden within them.
The two people Yang Ya was most interested in were Gu Tang, whose appearance she was satisfied with, and Lin Yueyue, whom she believed had a strong inner self.
However, Gu Tang’s inner aura could not quite support her alluring appearance, while Lin Yueyue’s desires were too obvious. It was truly difficult to say what paths the two of them would eventually take.
Yang Ya’s interest grew stronger. She curled her red lips into a faint smile.
For some reason, Chen Xing, who was sitting beside Yang Ya, suddenly felt a chill run down his back.
Amid everyone’s expectations, Lin Yueyue walked to the very center of the stage and gave everyone a gentle yet determined smile.
Then… she stumbled and fell flat on the floor.
Gu Tang: …
Xu Piaopiao: …
Yang Ya: …
Watching Lin Yueyue pat her legs and get back to her feet, Gu Tang suddenly felt guilty.
So Lin Yueyue really did have poor balance. She wasn’t pretending after all. Gu Tang had misunderstood her all this time.
Thinking about how she had just changed into that aloof and noble female-lead persona, it gave Gu Tang the feeling of someone putting on a ferocious display that looked impressive, only to end up dealing 0.5 damage.
Perhaps Gu Tang’s regretful expression had been too obvious, because Lin Yueyue glared at her from the stage.
Gu Tang suddenly felt a little wronged.
Once the music started, Lin Yueyue no longer had the mind to look at Gu Tang.
Lin Yueyue’s hard training had clearly paid off. At this moment, it was almost impossible to see the stiffness she had shown while learning the moves. Her singing was also steady. It was a performance without any glaring flaws.
Once everyone realized they could get their performance numbers from Huo Ziyan, the tense atmosphere from the beginning also eased.
Gu Tang was the third person to perform. She was not nervous at all. After all, if she failed to become a member of the girl group, her fallback plan was to go home and inherit a billion-yuan fortune.
Xu Piaopiao, who was fourth in line, was actually a little nervous.
“My mom is definitely going to watch this show.” Xu Piaopiao covered her face. “I don’t want my mom to see me like this!”
Gu Tang thought about it for a moment, but ultimately could not resist saying, “Compared to how you normally look, you look much better this time.”
Xu Piaopiao shook her head, looking even more miserable. “I look too girly now.”
Gu Tang once again confirmed that she could not judge Xu Piaopiao according to her own way of thinking.
“Is being a little girly really that bad?”
“I am, at least, a rebellious girl whose views are different from my mom’s!” Xu Piaopiao pointed at the skull necklace around her neck. “And now I’m wearing a colorful little skirt and dancing to sweet, girly choreography here. Isn’t that weird?”
“It’s okay.” Gu Tang patted her on the shoulder. “When Heaven is about to entrust a great responsibility to someone, it must first make them suffer humiliation.”
“Please don’t arbitrarily alter classical Chinese, okay? Apologize to classical Chinese.” The rebellious girl had immense respect for culture.
“I’m sorry!”
After Gu Tang’s interruption, Xu Piaopiao no longer had the energy to be nervous.
Gu Tang turned her attention back to the stage. Lu Yijing’s dance was nearing its end.
If Lin Yueyue’s performance could be considered passing, then Lu Yijing’s was at an excellent level.
This also put invisible pressure on those performing afterward. Usually, everyone joked and laughed together, and it was only at a moment like this that they could truly see the difference between them. Some people had even begun wondering whether they might forget their moves because of nervousness.
Lu Yijing’s dance had been exceptionally good, putting the next performer at a disadvantage and making it easy for them to become a comparison point.
“Gu Tang.” Huo Ziyan called out the name of the next performer.
“Here!” Gu Tang raised her hand.
She followed the stairs onto the stage and walked to the very center.
Facing the crowd under the stage, with the lights shining down on her, the brightness was even a little glaring, making her blink.
Standing at a higher vantage point and clearly seeing everyone’s eyes gathered on her was a very peculiar feeling.
The music began. Constant practice had given her body a kind of muscle memory. Her limbs reacted even faster than her brain. Her arm bent and extended, curving into an elegant arc as she entered the state of dancing.
Gu Tang’s acting teacher had once taught them that onstage, they had to lose themselves in the performance. They could not allow the audience to distract them. Only by keeping their minds calm could they perform at their best.
But what Yin Fan had told her was, if you want to become a member of a girl group, you have to catch everyone’s eye. You cannot let a single person slip past you.
As the first syllable formed between her lips and teeth, Gu Tang flashed the people below the stage a brilliant smile, her eyes filled with boundless radiance.
Xu Piaopiao whistled.
Gu Tang’s attention immediately shifted toward her, and she gave her a wink.
“She’s copying me!” Yang Ya clapped her hands and laughed.
The way Gu Tang curled her red lips and slightly raised her head was exactly the same as Yang Ya’s habitual mannerisms.
“Her timing with the music is excellent, and her movements are crisp and stylish.” Chen Xing paused. “And she’s enjoying the stage.”
That was the rarest quality of all. Neither of the first two performers had shown it. Even Liu Weiwei had to admit that Yang Ya was right. Gu Tang was someone who could capture attention onstage.
Even though her singing skills still needed improvement, and even though her dance foundation was only average, she simply possessed that kind of captivating charm.
“She knows how to make use of her strengths.” Yang Ya looked at Chen Xing. “Did you tell her privately how she should perform onstage?”
“How could I?” Chen Xing immediately waved his hands. “I’m fair. I tell everyone the same thing.”
“Then how does this girl have such a strong stage presence the first time she performs?” Yang Ya rested her chin on her hand. “She really does have a good mentality, and her ability to understand things is this strong too?”
Gu Tang finished the final movements of her routine. When the music ended, she looked down at everyone below the stage, breathing slightly heavily.
This performance had indeed taken more out of Gu Tang than her usual practices. It was her first opportunity to try what Yin Fan had told her, to “catch everyone’s eyes.”
And she discovered that she really enjoyed the feeling. Having people below the stage clap or smile because of her gave her a kind of direct feedback that she had never experienced while studying acting.
After she came offstage, Xu Piaopiao gave her a big hug.
“You were amazing!”
“Forget about me. It’s your turn to go onstage!” Gu Tang urged her.
“It’s all thanks to you.” Xu Piaopiao patted her shoulder. “I’m not nervous at all now. I’m even a little hyped.”
“Girl, don’t sing the wrong lyrics,” Gu Tang suddenly began to worry.
The two of them exchanged a few brief words before Xu Piaopiao hurried onto the stage.
Gu Tang noticed someone watching her. She turned her head and met Lin Yueyue’s expressionless gaze.
Even after Gu Tang noticed her, Lin Yueyue did not look away.
The girl standing beside Gu Tang did not notice the subtle exchange between the two. She smiled and praised Gu Tang instead.
“Your performance just now was so exciting! I never thought a sweet song could be this captivating! You’re definitely a contender for today’s best performance!”
Gu Tang missed the look in Lin Yueyue’s eyes and smiled at the girl beside her.
“Thanks for saying that. Let’s work hard together.”
Xu Piaopiao’s performance was particularly interesting because her own personal vibe was the complete opposite of the dance. Her stage style was also more in line with what the acting teachers had taught them, not allowing herself to be distracted by anything around her.
She did not care what other people thought. She immersed herself completely in herself and turned the stage into her own territory.
“She has a very strong personal style,” Yang Ya concluded. “The advantage is that, like Gu Tang, she naturally attracts attention. But she could also end up being restricted by her own style.”
“But judging from this performance alone…” Chen Xing gave a positive assessment. “Her style didn’t detract from the beauty of the performance.”
Liu Weiwei continued to focus on ability. “There’s nothing to criticize about her singing. She could become the lead vocalist.”
The group rankings would be announced that evening. The afternoon was free time, and after staying here for three consecutive days, the girls finally had a chance to go home.
“All I want to do now is go home and sleep.” Xu Piaopiao yawned. “What about you, Gu Tang?”
“Let’s go home.” Gu Tang did not particularly want to do anything either. “I still have a game I just bought waiting for me at home.”
“What game did you buy this time? Another horror game?” Xu Piaopiao’s lips twitched. “You have the courage of a sparrow, yet you love horror games. You might as well become a Bilibili UP creator. At least you could make some money from the tips.”
“I’d like to,” Gu Tang said, rubbing her forehead. “But I’d probably just scream once and scare all the viewers away.”
As Gu Tang entered the nearest subway station, she began wondering why someone as rich as her did not have a private driver. It was time to ask her dad to arrange one for her.
She took out her phone and casually scrolled through her messages, then spotted Yin Fan’s name.
Her performance today had been partly thanks to him. She should probably praise him a little.
She pressed the call button and called him.
The call was answered very quickly, within a few seconds.
“Hello?”
…That did not sound like Yin Fan.
“Sorry, I called the wrong number.” Gu Tang was about to hang up.
“Wait, Gu… Gu Tang, little friend!” The voice on the other end sounded even more anxious than she was, as though he were afraid she would run away.
Gu Tang opened her mouth slightly. This was the first time anyone had called her “little friend.”
“It’s me.”
“I’m Yin Fan’s manager, Su Zhan. Where are you right now?” His voice became even more urgent.
“Huh?” Gu Tang looked around the subway station. “…I’m at Exit C of Quzhai Subway Station.”
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll come pick you up right now!” Manager Su Zhan declared confidently before immediately ending the call.
Gu Tang stood amid the flow of people for more than ten seconds before eventually making her way to Exit C.
Could Su Zhan be this anxious because he was afraid his financial backer would be unable to find Yin Fan and get angry? The more Gu Tang thought about it, the more she felt that Su Zhan had probably misunderstood something.
Su Zhan drove quickly. It was a light-gray sedan that blended inconspicuously into the traffic.
The black car window rolled down, revealing a masked face. The man’s face was somewhat thin, with prominent cheekbones, and he looked steady and reliable.
“Get in.”
Gu Tang obediently got into the car.
“Um…” Gu Tang thought she should clarify her relationship with Yin Fan right from the beginning. “Actually, the thing between Yin Fan and me isn’t quite what you think…”
“I know everything about you two!” Su Zhan waved his hand grandly, indicating that everything was under control.
“Oh, is that so?” Gu Tang’s face lit up. “Then everything will be much easier to explain.”
“We’re going straight to Yin Fan’s apartment.” The steady and reliable Su Zhan pulled down his mask, revealing a fierce expression. “You’re going to fuck that man to death!”
Gu Tang suddenly choked.
“Tell him that reality is just this cruel!” Su Zhan was still furious.
Gu Tang ground her teeth, her expression turning fierce as well. “Why do I have to be the one used to punish him?! Fuck, am I literally cruelty itself or something?!”
Author’s Note: Mini Theater:
Su Zhan saw the phone in the car and was about to drive off to find Yin Fan when the phone rang. He looked at the contact name that lit up on the screen: “Gu Tang, Little Friend.”
Is this a child from one of Yin Fan’s relatives’ families? Su Zhan hesitated for two seconds before suddenly realizing whose name it was.
Great! This was the name that represented “cruelty in the human world” to Yin Fan. If he used her to deal with Yin Fan, he would definitely win!
=-
When Yin Fan was asked why he had saved her contact as “Little Friend,” he pointed toward Gu Tang.
“Why did you call her ‘Little Friend’? Take a look at her. Does this person look like an adult to you? Are the things she does really things an adult would do?!”
Gu Tang, with a dead-fish-eyed expression: “…You really have a problem with me, huh.”
Xu Piaopiao: “Gu Tang really is… sigh, childish.”
Gu Tang: “You’re the last person I want hearing that from.”