Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 47.1

In a split second, under the watchful eyes of the other trainees, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu exchanged a fleeting glance, their eyes passing on a message that only they understood. Then, almost simultaneously, they faced forward and put on their most professional smiles, behaving as if the appearance of Snow-Kissed Rose never happened.

On the stage, the camera's focus returned to Ren Qian.

As per the procedure, Ren Qian cued the mentors below the stage. Immediately, the three mentors stood up one after another to greet the audience, and cheers erupted in the recording studio once again.

Zheng Qiyi obviously went through careful styling to look refined and courteous. He also behaved much more reserved than in the last recording session.

This change was made at the request of his manager. His manager's only requirement for him was not to cause trouble like last time. Ideally, Zheng Qiyi would simply do whatever the other mentors did.

Of the three mentor seats below the stage, Zheng Qiyi was assigned the one in the furthest corner, practically submerging him in darkness.

Zheng Qiyi also had a strong suspicion that none of the cameras on set were pointed in his direction. However, out of fear of his company's instructions and a lack of opportunity to protest, he ultimately decided to endure this grievance.

Due to the studio's enthusiastic atmosphere, nobody paid much attention to Zheng Qiyi's corner. Everyone had their attention on the stage.

The audience's cheers grew even louder when Ren Qian had Shi Shuyao decide the first team to perform.

Seemingly infected by the studio's atmosphere, Shi Shuyao appeared radiant when the spotlight shined on her. With a spirited smile, she held up her microphone and faced the audience, "Since this will be the first performance of the night, we definitely need a team that can get the crowd pumped up and create some energy. What do you say?"

The audience: "Yeah—"

"Then, let's pick from the dance group!" Shi Shuyao said, slapping the desk before her. Then, she smiled at Duan Mi, asking, "Which team do you want to go first?"

In response, Duan Mi smirked and said, "Every team is great, but if we're talking about hyping up the crowd, I heard that Team 'Surrender' can get your blood seriously pumping!"

As if having expected this answer, Ren Qian promptly shouted, "Then— Let us welcome Team 'Surrender' onto the stage!"

Amidst the cheers, Dan Silan, Quan Yuanyuan, Song Yingshi, Lang Man, and Tan Qianyan entered the stage.

Their footsteps were firm, and their black-themed outfits made it look like a piece of the night sky had descended upon the stage.

Upon getting into position, the five girls bowed to the audience in unison, and everyone could see the fighting spirit in their eyes.

When Song Yingshi, who stood in the middle of the team, raised her head, she briefly swept her gaze across the audience below the stage while wearing an aggressive expression. Upon seeing this expression, Jing Xuan felt her heart skipping a beat.

"Ahhh!!!" Jing Xuan squealed. Then, while excitedly shaking Shang Yan, she shouted, "Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Ahhhh! Screw being a mother fan!!! Wife— My wife—!!!"

Shang Yan calmly held Jing Xuan in place, unable to stand her friend's behavior. Though, when she looked up at the stage herself, her lips curled upward uncontrollably, and her eyes glowed brightly.

While Shang Yan might be able to reign in Jing Xuan's behavior, she couldn't stop the many fans of Song Yingshi and Snow-Kissed Rose. She also couldn't stop the audience captivated by Song Yingshi's beauty.

As voices shouting "Song Yingshi" and "Little Shi" kept ringing in her ears, Shang Yan eventually got infected by the excitement, and she, too, started shouting along with the others:

"Song Yingshi! Song Yingshi! Song Yingshi!"

Meanwhile, on the stage, the members of Team "Surrender" said in unison, "Hello, everyone. We are the 'most.'"

Immediately afterward, Dan Silan, who had yet to have her true colors exposed before the audience, coldly said, "Hello, I am Dan Silan, the team leader who loves encouraging others to train."

Subsequently, Quan Yuanyuan said in an animated voice, "Hello, everyone! I am Quan Yuanyuan, the team member who's most dissatisfied with her team leader!"

Song Yingshi's turn came after Quan Yuanyuan, but she didn't hurry to speak. Instead, she took her time raising the microphone to her lips before speaking in a lower voice than her offstage voice, "I am Song Yingshi, the center you want to see the most."

After Song Yingshi finished speaking, Lang Man made a heart gesture to the audience and said, "Hello, everyone. I am Lang Man, the trainee who loves everyone the most."

Tan Qianyan placed a hand over her chest and said, "Hello, everyone. I am Tan Qianyan, the trainee who is most afraid of making mistakes and most eager to perform well."

After Team "Surrender" introduced themselves, Shi Shuyao asked them, "Well? Are you confident in exciting the crowd?"

The five members of the team exchanged glances.

Song Yingshi noticed that Dan Silan was too nervous and afraid of misspeaking, so she took the initiative to answer on behalf of the team, "Naturally. Otherwise, we wouldn't be standing here."

"I look forward to your performance!" Shi Shuyao said, sitting back down.

The lights on the stage went out momentarily. Song Yingshi and the others quickly set aside their handheld microphones and got into their starting poses.

When the lights came back on, the music for "Surrender" started playing.

Song Yingshi stood in the center, surrounded by her teammates, her face looking down and eyes closed. When the first whistle in the music sounded, the close-up camera captured the sight of her eyes snapping open, looking like a hunter of the night.

With the rhythm of the intermittent whistle, her poses were strong and precise. One moment, her hands were clasped before her; the next, they extended gracefully.

As the melody changed, her raised left arm fell and slid down along her collarbone like a wandering snake.

Song Yingshi danced against her teammates, who formed an arch beside her.

With a shift of her feet, her black skirt swirled up, exposing her slender and well-proportioned legs. Her black and silver thigh rings also glistened under the spotlight.

Then, a powerful drum beat dropped!

Song Yingshi spun with fiery energy, her movements enchanting. The wind whipped through her curls, enhancing her already striking beauty and leaving the audience breathless.

Like vines, her teammates' hands reached out from around her, trying to imprison her. However, with effortless grace, Song Yingshi leaned back and avoided them all, only to suddenly bounce back up in the next beat.

Facing the camera, she raised her eyebrows and revealed a bright smile--

It was her time now.

Song Yingshi and her teammates formed an inverted triangle, and she was the blazing glint at the edge of the blade.

She moved swiftly and agilely through the blue lights that divided the stage, twisting her waist and hips. She was like moonlight reflected on the blade of a sword, dangerously beautiful and brilliantly white.

The screams from the audience were like strong liquor. They caused her whole body to heat up, her dance to grow fiercer, her earrings to sway more rapidly, and her eyes to reveal a bewitching glow.

Song Yingshi was like a completely different person on stage. Like a seasoned puppeteer, she captivated the audience and tugged at their heartstrings with her performance, her teasing, caressing, toying, and nonchalant abandonment sending the audience into a frenzy.

Everyone screamed and roared for her. And as she said when she came on stage, she had indeed excited the crowd.

As Team "Surrender" continued their performance, Wan Jiao stood up backstage and exclaimed, "Goddammit! This woman's too cool!"

Many others agreed with Wan Jiao, but they were so excited that they couldn't even stand. All they could do was shout at the backstage TVs:

"Song Yingshi, you're amazing!"

"Little Shi is dancing better than she did in the rehearsal!"

"Oh no, my heart is beating so fast! I might get bent because of her! This is the first time I know how it feels to be attracted to a woman!"

Meanwhile, sitting beside Huai Xu, Wen Qingzi stared in awe at Song Yingshi's performance. After a while, she turned to Huai Xu and said, "I really envy you."

"How so?" Huai Xu asked, her gaze remaining on the TV.

Of course, it's because Little Shi's your girlfriend! Wen Qingzi thought bitterly. On the surface, she sullenly retorted, "I envy you for being roommates with Little Shi."

Huai Xu spent a moment pondering Wen Qingzi's words before she replied with a soft mhm.

As Huai Xu watched Song Yingshi's performance, her eyes appeared brighter than usual. At this moment, she suddenly felt as if there was a new meaning to liking Song Yingshi. She also felt that having the opportunity to like such a great person was both a curse and a blessing.

Emotions kept swirling in Huai Xu's heart until Song Yingshi and her teammates concluded their performance.

When Song Yingshi and her teammates returned backstage, many came forward to greet them:

"You guys were incredible!"

"Qianyan, you did it! You didn't blunder even once!"

"Take a break. I'll fetch you all some water."

Now that Song Yingshi was offstage, she did away with her aggressive expression, leaving only her sweat and residual hormones on her face. Putting on a gentle smile, she swept her gaze across everyone in the room and said, "We've put on a good start for you, so do your best and don't make any mistakes."

"Definitely!"

"That goes without saying!"

After a short interaction with their peers, Song Yingshi and her teammates returned to their seats.

Song Yingshi's blood had yet to cool down completely from her intense performance. As she sat down, she shook her head left and right to dispel the lingering heat, and her gaze, by chance, fell on Huai Xu.

On impulse, Song Yingshi leaned forward without warning to adjust Huai Xu's collar. Then, before Huai Xu could react, she tugged on the collar, forcing Huai Xu to meet her eyes as she mischievously smiled and said, "It's your turn now."

...

Subsequently, other teams took the stage one after another at the mentors' summons, stirring up the crowd with their performances.

After each performance, the 500 on-site audience were required to use the scoring device at their seats to give each trainee on the stage a score.

The audience could choose from 0 points (default), 1 point, and 2 points.

The mentors were also required to give a score, but their evaluations were weighted more heavily. Their options were: 0 points (default), 10 points, and 20 points.

Sometime after 9 PM, it was finally Huai Xu's turn to appear on stage.

"The next team will be from the vocal group! Everyone, let us welcome Team 'Halfway Mountain!'" Ren Qian announced.

Immediately, Huai Xu, Wen Qingzi, Xing Huan, Qiu Yiyu, Qiu Yiya, Jian Dong'er, and Lu Qiu got up from their seats.

Meanwhile, Song Yingshi, who had behaved as threatening as a wolf cub before, turned around and said lazily, "Huai Xu, sing well. Don't embarrass me."

Huai Xu said nothing in response. However, when she walked past Song Yingshi, she raised her hand and pressed it on top of Song Yingshi's head.

Song Yingshi: ?

As Huai Xu walked away, Song Yingshi glared at Huai Xu's back and wrinkled her nose defiantly.

However, when Song Yingshi turned around and saw Wen Qingzi and the others looking at her, she started cheering for them like there was no tomorrow.

In reality, Wen Qingzi dearly wanted to mimic Huai Xu's actions. After all, Little Shi's head was practically begging for a pat. However, she dared not do so; all she could do was chase after Huai Xu under Song Yingshi's cheering.

...

After arriving on the stage, Team "Halfway Mountain" bowed and greeted the audience, "Hello, everyone. We are 'medicine.'" (TL: No idea what this is supposed to mean.)

If "Surrender" was tonight's boiling point, "Halfway Up the Mountain" was the melting ice that made everyone willingly temper their emotions.

The song was akin to a gentle hum of the night breeze, reminding the audience of those moments when they dared to be sad and cry out loud.

However, the song wasn't just filled with sadness.

Out of the seven trainees on stage, Huai Xu, the team's center, sang the song in a way that nobody could pry their gazes away from her.

Huai Xu neither sang with grief nor smiled nostalgically. She also didn't pretend to be sad. Anyone who had watched Star of Spring before would know she was simply being herself.

She was the same Huai Xu who remained indifferent when her abilities were questioned during the Initial Rating Performance, who distributed Star Cards to trainees who needed them, who never left Song Yingshi's side, and who was used to being alone when Song Yingshi wasn't around.

She was aloof but not arrogant. She was often unsociable and alone. She didn't put on a show offstage and was just herself on stage.

Her voice was shrouded in loneliness and coldness, yet it sounded light and peaceful when she sang this song.

For some inexplicable reason, her voice penetrated the hearts of her listeners, compelling them to recall when they had loved deeply and ultimately had to part ways with their beloved.

As Huai Xu sang, the audience below the stage fell silent, the swaying light sticks the only remaining indicator of their presence.

Under the cover of darkness, many among the audience sniffled, their eyes turning red and shedding tears as they thought of someone they normally dared not recall.

Huai Xu's voice was also mixed with a hint of tenderness that reached up to her eyes, and those who could see her gaze could instantly tell she was recalling someone as she sang.

Although nobody knew who or what Huai Xu recalled, they imagined that whatever it was, it must be warm and beautiful. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such happiness in her singing.

At this point, many in the audience couldn't help but think Huai Xu was singing a song about confessing one's feelings rather than a sad love song.

Regardless, it was evident Huai Xu didn't regret meeting this person.

...even if it was just a fleeting encounter.

...

The backstage recording room was exceptionally quiet.

Some trainees wore professional smiles on their lips while their eyes showed themselves deep in thought.

Some trainees raised their heads, worried they might ruin their makeup with their tears.

Lu Xuewen snifled.

Tao Qin, who had just handed Yu Sheng a napkin, turned to Lu Xuewen and said hurriedly, "Silly thing, why are you crying? There, there, don't cry. Here, Big Sister will give you a hug... But who are you crying for? You don't even have an ex."

Burying herself in Tao Qin's arms, Lu Xuewen sobbed and said in a muffled voice, "I'm crying because I'm wondering when I can become as strong as Huai Xu. Her technique and emotional appeal put mine to shame, so why can't I cry?"

Tao Qin: "…"

On the other side, Lang Man was wiping her tears with a napkin, while Quan Yuanyuan, who was usually lively, wore a bitter smile. As for Dan Silan, she quietly sighed as she watched Huai Xu's performance with mixed feelings.

Dan Silan wasn't familiar with Huai Xu. She only knew that Huai Xu had joined this season's Star of Spring as an amateur with hardly any professional training.

Having received professional training for five years, Dan Silan always found it ridiculous and frustrating that some people could simply decide to join an idol survival show without prior training and successfully debut. She refused to believe there weren't some shady dealings behind the scenes.

However, after listening to Huai Xu's singing, Dan Silan changed her mind. The melancholy that was swelling within her convinced her that such scenarios might not be impossible after all.

As Dan Silan smiled in relief, her gaze inadvertently looked past the person beside her and landed on Song Yingshi.

Song Yingshi wore a dazed look as she stared at the screen, her eyes seemingly peering through space to look at Huai Xu on stage.

Suddenly, a lone tear escaped from Song Yingshi's tender eyes and rolled down her face like a shooting star.

Then, her lips gently curved into a smile.

Huai Xu, your singing is wonderful.