Chapter 44.3
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Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 44.3

After the second episode's second half aired, Star of Spring occupied half of the trending topics on Weibo.

Among them, two were related to Huai Xu's magic trick:

#Huai Xu the Beautiful Dealer#

#Celebs Are Just as Susceptible to Magic Tricks Like Us#

If one were to click into these topics, one would see comments such as:

"Beautiful dealer deals cards to three silly mentors."

"My dear Mimi, how can you be so silly? Learn from your two colleagues and know when to give up. Don't keep insisting on playing if you're bad at the game. Poor Director Wu has been bankrupted because of you. How do you plan on repaying your debt to the production crew? #Angry"

"Although it was a treat to watch a beauty like Huai Xu dealing cards, I can't help but pity Director Wu. #DogeHead"

"Has anyone counted how many Star Cards Huai Xu won? If not for Director Wu confiscating the poker cards at the end, she could've seriously brought down the Star Card system all by herself."

"There's a behind-the-scenes clip showing Huai Xu holding a fat stack of Star Cards! Not only did she recoup the ones she shared with the other trainees, but she also made a profit of over a dozen Star Cards!"

"Huai Xu deserves them! She's practically the Robin Hood of Star of Spring, stealing from the evil production crew to help the poor Class E trainees! I'm sorry, Little Shi, but please allow me to jump ship for a second!"

"Snow-Kissed Rose is the best! [Screenshot] See that?! Despite holding so many Star Cards, Huai Xu only has eyes for Little Shi!"

Besides the two aforementioned trending topics, the three other topics were:

#Spring Star Elimination Round#

#Spring Star's Square Dance Song#

#Director Wu Ran Away With His Mistress#

When one clicked on the "Spring Star Elimination Round" topic, the first thing one saw would be a list of eliminated trainees and a short clip of the main episode.

The clip showed all 101 trainees chatting and laughing as they "square danced" outside the White Tower. It also showed them guiding and encouraging one another.

Then, the video skipped to a scene where Xu Yi was seen offering a bottle of water to Rong Yi and saying, "Have some water, Little Teacher. You've worked hard teaching me." (Ref. Chapter 35.1)

The interaction between the two was pleasant, and Rong Yi even offered to counsel Xu Yi on future problems.

However, the next day, Xu Yi was eliminated.

The clip showed Xu Yi and the other eliminated trainees exiting the White Tower with pleasant smiles, looking like they had already come to terms with their disqualification.

However, as Xu Yi crossed the entrance, she retracted her smile, turned around, and looked up at the White Tower reluctantly.

When Xu Yi lowered her gaze, she saw Rong Yi appearing at the entrance. Smiling, she asked, "Little Teacher, are you here to see me off?"

Rong Yi pursed her lips. Then, after a short silence, she said, "Don't stop practicing. If you keep it up, I promise you won't be the worst the next time you join the show. Also..."

Rong Yi hesitated to continue speaking.

However, Xu Yi seemingly knew what Rong Yi wanted to say as she promised, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to vote for you every day."

Rong Yi: "?"

"Don't put words into my mouth!" Rong Yi rolled her eyes at Xu Yi. Then, with flushed cheeks, she closed her eyes and shouted, "Ah, whatever! Just make sure not to overthink things! And don't give up easily! Practice hard! Even if things didn't work out this time, there will be more opportunities in the future!"

As Rong Yi finished speaking, she suddenly saw Xu Yi leaning toward her.

"You..."

Before Rong Yi could react, Xu Yi had hugged her.

The hug lasted only briefly.

After letting go of Rong Yi, Xu Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Little Teacher. I won't disappoint you."

Then, Xu Yi turned her back to Rong Yi and waved goodbye.

Sometime after Rong Yi watched Xu Yi's figure disappear down the winding path, she muttered to herself, "You better remember to vote for me..."

It was only yesterday that all 101 trainees were still laughing merrily. Yet, in the blink of an eye, 17 trainees had said their goodbyes and left the show.

The clip ended with the full version of Star of Spring's theme song, sung by all 101 trainees.

From watching the trainees parting ways to performing radiantly on stage, viewers who watched the clip couldn't help but get emotional.

"I've never been one to remember the names and faces of one-round trainees, but for some reason, I have the urge to cry after watching this season's first elimination round. #Sad"

"Ren Qian's right. Their cohesion and effort make for a pleasant watching experience. None of them are pretentious. If they are given more time and opportunities, I'm sure their team spirit will be through the roof. It's a pity there won't be such a chance."

"Noooo! This clip reminded me that only seven out of all these beautiful little sisters will get to debut! QAQ"

"Don't cry, Sis. Come watch the clip of Little Shi's gang getting caught smuggling phones! #DogeHead."

The second episode of this season's Star of Spring was filled with both tears and laughter. It also contained countless talking points. As a result, the show maintained its trending status for three consecutive days, and clips of the episode were shared tens of thousands of times, attracting many passersby and marketing accounts. This, in turn, kick-started Star of Spring's rise as a phenomenon-level variety show.

June 13, White Tower, the day of the first public performance's rehearsal:

As today's rehearsal was a dress rehearsal, the trainees had to coordinate their outfits and communicate with the light technicians regarding their stage positioning.

Backstage, a stylist was in the middle of coordinating Song Yingshi's outfit.

As the dance group would go first in the rehearsal, the stylists prioritized styling for the dance group. While waiting for the vocal group's turn, Huai Xu sat next to Song Yingshi.

At this time, Wan Jiao and the others arrived backstage chatting merrily.

Upon spotting Song Yingshi, Wan Jiao's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Baby, my baby, how can you look so cool?! You've wooed my heart!"

Song Yingshi usually sported curly hair, but her curls were mostly straightened at this moment, leaving only some fluffy, natural-looking waves. There was also a pair of oversized, streamlined silver earrings peeking out of her new hairstyle.

For her outfit, Song Yingshi wore a black cropped top with sleeves of mesh and a slit below the collarbone that revealed two patches of extremely pale skin. Below her waist, she wore a black miniskirt and a pair of short boots. A pair of silver-and-black thigh rings adorned her legs between the skirt and boots, adding a hint of charm and sexiness to her outfit.

Turning three steps into two, Wan Jiao walked over and looked at Song Yingshi up and down. Then, she reached out to one of Song Yingshi's thigh rings and said, "I'm loving this. Are there more of these thigh rings? I want to put one on as well."

"Ask the stylists. There should be more," Song Yingshi answered, smiling as she let Wan Jiao inspect her thigh rings.

However, before Wan Jiao could reach her target, a voice interrupted her, "Wan Jiao."

It was a cold and distant voice with a unique magnetic tone. Even without turning around, Wan Jiao knew it belonged to Huai Xu.

"What's up?" Wan Jiao asked, turning around to face Huai Xu.

Huai Xu sat with her legs crossed, a magazine resting on her lap. When Wan Jiao turned around to face her, she signaled with her eyes to an available stylist who had just finished working on a trainee and said, "Your teammates are waiting for you to get ready for rehearsal."

Following Huai Xu's gaze, Wan Jiao quickly saw the stylist in question.

"Isn't your team supposed to go on stage before mine? Stop wasting time here," Song Yingshi added.

Faced with Huai Xu's and Song Yingshi's reminders, Wan Jiao quickly forgot what she was going to do and hurried over to the available stylist.

Meanwhile, Wen Qingzi watched the entire process from the side.

...

After Wan Jiao concluded her rehearsal, Wen Qingzi called her to a secluded corner and said, "Sis, you should be more mindful around Little Shi in the future."

"Why?" Wan Jiao asked in confusion. "We're such close friends."

Wan Jiao's question momentarily left Wen Qingzi at a loss for words.

Truthfully, Wen Qingzi didn't wish to share what she overheard on the balcony yesterday as it was pretty awkward. However, although she didn't want to gossip about other people's private affairs, she felt that she needed to put a stop to Wan Jiao's ignorant but inappropriate behavior. Otherwise, Wan Jiao might not stop at just trying to touch Little Shi's thigh in front of Huai Xu in the future.

If, one day, Wan Jiao got overly excited... Although it was unlikely Wan Jiao would go as far as to plant a kiss on Little Shi's lips, Wen Qingzi wouldn't put it past Wan Jiao to kiss Little Shi on the cheeks. And should Huai Xu be nearby to see this scene...

To prevent unnecessary bloodshed, Wen Qingzi felt she should clue Wan Jiao in on the situation.

After making up her mind, Wen Qingzi vaguely said, "Sis, Little Shi is like me, you get me? She and Huai Xu..."

"She's like you? What do you mean?" Wan Jiao failed to immediately process Wen Qingzi's words. However, her eyes bulged a moment later, and she exclaimed, "You mean?!"

Wen Qingzi nodded.

The pitch of her voice increasing, Wan Jiao asked, "And she's even with Huai Xu? Does that mean Huai Xu is also... How do you know this? You didn't tell anybody else about this, did you?"

"Do I look like a gossiper?" Wen Qingzi glared at Wan Jiao.

"My baby definitely isn't one," Wan Jiao quickly corrected herself. "But seriously, how did you find out?"

Wen Qingzi: "..."

"You won't get it. People like myself, we can sense each other with just a glance," Wen Qingzi casually explained, choosing to omit yesterday's balcony incident.

Universe's Straightest Woman Wan Jiao: Of course, I don't get it! But I also find it hard to believe you can tell people's sexual orientation with just a glance!

Harboring a frightened heart, Wan Jiao silently walked down a corridor with Wen Qingzi. Then, after digesting the fact that she was surrounded by lesbians, she suddenly thought of a new question, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"You've never tried to touch someone's thigh in front of their girlfriend before," Wen Qingzi flatly replied.

"I'm such a beast!" Wan Jiao exclaimed as she gave herself a gentle slap.

"You don't have to beat yourself over this. Just be more mindful in the future. Also, they don't seem like they intend to publicize their relationship, so we should pretend not to know about it," Wen Qingzi added.

Nodding, Wan Jiao said, "You're right, but this is far from enough."

Wen Qingzi: "?"

"To atone for my sins, I must protect Little Shi's integrity and prevent any more straight girls like myself from tarnishing her!" Wan Jiao said resolutely. "With that sultry body of hers, who wouldn't want to feel up her delicate thighs and waist? Alas, how could she become bent at such a young age? She should've at least waited until I got a feel..."

Wen Qingzi: Can you be less dramatic, Sis?

While Wan Jiao was lamenting her regrets to Wen Qingzi, the "Surrender" team had just finished their rehearsal.

Apart from a few lighting positions needing adjustments, the rehearsal went by smoothly.

Director Wu couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Tan Qianyan's performance.

It was apparent that Tan Qianyan had made significant progress over the course of the week. Although her performance still left a lot to be desired, Director Wu knew about her lacking dance foundation. Hence, instead of criticizing her, he encouraged her and emphasized that she shouldn't be too nervous in tomorrow's official performance.

As for Song Yingshi, all Director Wu had to say was, "You're made to be the center."

After discussing a few more issues, the "Surrender" team walked off the stage.

While Dan Silan and the others chose to return to either their practice room or dormitory, Song Yingshi stayed behind to watch Huai Xu's "Halfway Mountain" team. She couldn't be at ease without seeing Huai Xu's performance with her own eyes.

Song Yingshi had never been so fussy in the past, and she chalked it up to her becoming too accustomed to nurturing her little cool-type idol.

When the melody for "Halfway Up the Mountain" ended, Song Yingshi couldn't bring herself to smile. Her brows even furrowed a little.

The performance was...lacking.

From an audience's perspective, Song Yingshi didn't see Huai Xu's team making any mistakes. The only problem was that the performance failed to move her, which was a particularly fatal problem for a love song.

Sure enough, Director Wu kept the "Halfway Mountain" team on stage and began critiquing them individually.

Seeing this, Song Yingshi couldn't help but walk closer to the stage and look at Huai Xu worriedly.

Meanwhile, Huai Xu appeared calm and focused while waiting for the director's comments.

After Director Wu was done critiquing Huai Xu's teammates, he looked at Huai Xu and said, "Huai Xu, you are better than your teammates in singing and breath management. Your bass is not stifling, and your high notes are layered. Everything you do is impeccable. However, when it comes to emotional release, you are the worst among your team."

"Please give me pointers," Huai Xu said, lowering her head humbly.

Director Wu continued, "You are singing a love song, yet you've locked your emotions and prevented them from flowing out. You shouldn't do that. As for why I say that, it's because you've clearly shown yourself capable of expressing your emotions through your singing during the Initial Rating Performance. So, why can't you do the same for this song?

"I believe you can do it. Go back and think about what went wrong. Then, find the key to unlock your emotions."

What went wrong?

On the way back, Song Yingshi kept thinking about this question. However, neither she nor the other members of the "Halfway Mountain" team could come up with an answer. All they could do was cheer on Huai Xu.

Song Yingshi didn't head to the practice room. Instead, she dragged Huai Xu back to the dormitory.

As other trainees from Class A were using the shared living room, Song Yingshi pulled Huai Xu into the bedroom and locked the door behind her.

When Song Yingshi turned around, she saw Huai Xu standing by the window looking outside. After staring at Huai Xu for a few seconds, she asked, "Do you want to shower and take a nap first?"

Huai Xu should be the person most stressed from receiving a "failing grade" in the rehearsal.

Suppressing her worry, Song Yingshi smiled and said, "Take a nap. I'll wake you up when it's mealtime. Then, we'll talk about the public performance."

Huai Xu did not object to Song Yingshi's arrangements. After looking at Song Yingshi for a moment, she disappeared into the bathroom.

After a while, Rong Yi's voice came from outside the bedroom, "Ah, it's raining! The windows— Little Shi, Huai Xu, are you there? Don't forget to close your windows!"

"I got it," Song Yingshi replied through the door before walking up to the window to take a look outside.

It had started raining.

The weather in June was fickle. Not long ago, there were hardly any clouds in the sky, but now thick clouds and thunder covered the sky.

Not long after, heavy rain fell, and bean-sized raindrops smashed against the window. It was also at this time that Huai Xu exited the bathroom.

Huai Xu looked no different than usual. Yet, when Song Yingshi turned around to look at Huai Xu, she inexplicably felt that Huai Xu appeared distressed, like a cat caught in the rain standing under the eaves.

Although the cat's eyes remained bright, it also appeared lost and had nowhere to go.

After shutting the windows, Song Yingshi walked up to Huai Xu and gently said, "It's raining outside. Do you want to take a short nap?"

The dark clouds had turned the bright afternoon into a dark evening, and the dim light in the room cast a black gauze over their faces.

In the dim light, Song Yingshi seemingly saw Huai Xu's clear eyes trying to tell her something.

Amidst her daze, Song Yingshi heard Huai Xu saying, "Song Yingshi, if I know where my key is, should I retrieve it?"

Novel Notes

Other novels I translate on Hosted Novel:
Miss Cousin is Always Busy (MCAB)(Yuri/GL, Quick Transmigration)
Give Me Another Smile (GMAS)(Yuri/GL, Reincarnation)