Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 58.1

As dance practice had already begun, the others in the room were facing the mirror wall before them when Tao Qin asked the question. Hence, everyone promptly turned to look at Song Yingshi's reflection in the mirror.

Currently, Song Yingshi's eyes looked watery, and there was a faint blush beneath them, looking like she had something to say but couldn't.

Facing her teammates' curious glances, Song Yingshi forced herself to stay calm and said, "I'm experimenting with expression management. I wanted to see if this expression matches our song."

The others exchanged looks, none daring to say anything about their team leader's nonsense.

Only Tang Panbo, who knew little about the situation, reacted in awe, saying, "Expression management? You're already at the level where you can blush on demand? You're so amazing, Leader!"

Song Yingshi: "...Shut up and practice."

…

In the practice room across the hallway…

Wan Jiao and the others did leg warm-ups while watching Huai Xu complete her 50 push-ups.

Once Huai Xu completed her 50 squats as well, everyone rested for a few minutes before practicing earnestly.

Wan Jiao keenly noticed something different about Huai Xu today.

Huai Xu used to be aloof and indifferent, like a goddess above mortal concerns. But today, her eyes were bright and full of life. Additionally, even though she practiced diligently as always, she gave off an indescribable feeling today, as if she'd found her purpose in a foggy world. Like a traveler who found a signpost, her actions now had meaning and were more determined.

This shift was imperceptible, and likely escaped the notice of the others. However, Wan Jiao saw that, whether it was herself or the other members of the team, everyone was subconsciously driven by Huai Xu to practice with greater focus and efficiency.

…

Outside the White Tower…

Yesterday's recording session led to many passersby capturing raw photos and videos of the trainees outside the White Tower. When these new materials appeared on Star of Spring's Weibo Super Topic, many fans mourned their missed opportunity—

How could their little idols perform idol activities in N City without making any noise?!

The shared content showed the trainees singing on the roadside, taking photos with fans to make money, eating snacks, and recording group performances. The variety of content was simply dazzling.

Naturally, Song Yingshi's Orioles began searching and compiling all the newly released content about their beloved Little Shi.

Surprisingly, it was very easy to find quality materials of Song Yingshi. This was because of the sheer number of passersby who had encountered her.

"Let me tell you, I was there in person! These girls are incredibly entertaining! They also look much prettier in person! I became their fan right away!"

"They're so earnest in teaching. They're hardworking idols who are diligently spreading the tricks to beauty. [Thumbs-up.jpg]"

"@Hu Feng, My Goddess, your daughter is calling for you to testify for her at HL Plaza #heart"

"How can any beauty-lover escape the clutches of Little Shi and Huai Xu's beauty? Despite never supporting any CPs, I suddenly understand the supporters of Snow-Kissed Rose. It's such a waste for these two not to get together!"

In one of Song Yingshi's videos, she could be seen leading her team to create a lively atmosphere in HL Plaza. Things became even more lively when Huai Xu's team joined them later on. Moreover, as each of the 12 pretty girls had their own charm points, netizens had to rewatch the video multiple times to get a full picture of the situation.

When the Orioles saw how many passersby had fallen for their idol's charm, joy and pride filled them.

The photos and videos taken by most passersby were uploaded with average quality and without any edits. Even so, anyone could tell the girls in these photos and videos had unbelievably pristine skin and distinguished looks.

Among these trainees, Little Shi's beauty stood out the most—provided that they ignored Huai Xu, with whom Song Yingshi was constantly chatting and laughing.

As for Huai Xu's Willows, they shared roughly similar thoughts as Song Yingshi's Orioles.

Huai Xu performed remarkably in a video captured by a passerby. In the video, she composed a melody for a merchant on the spot. The melody was lively and catchy, perfectly meeting the merchant's requirements. This showed that she was not only talented in composing but also deeply understood market demand.

Such talent should normally allow Huai Xu to stand out among the 60 trainees, but it just so happened that the opposing team leader was even more skilled at standing out. Moreover, to the Willows' dismay, their idol had gone to help the enemy instead of trying to outshine the enemy. Most importantly, the cooperation between the two of them was very pleasant!

Due to their idols' close relationship and mutual support, the Orioles and Willows, despite their mixed feelings, could only seek consolation among themselves:

"They're close friends. This isn't the first day we have known this, so even though they're currently rivals, such interaction shouldn't come as a surprise."

"It's perfectly normal for two stunning individuals to become friends. Thinking about their future, I believe they'll be the only ones who'd dare to stand in the same photo. Anyone else would be overshadowed."

"Honestly, having two fanbases get along is pretty good…"

While the Orioles and Willows were reassuring themselves, the Snow-Kissed Rose fanbase, considered a cult by them, was cackling maniacally:

"I'm getting diabetes."

"Good heavens. Can these two stop with the fan service? I demand reimbursement for my insulin! #angry"

"What does it feel like to be in the Snow-Kissed Rose fanbase? Answer: We get fed by our lords every day."

"After seeing the raw photos, I must admit that Spring Star's fame for producing super-good-looking CPs is well deserved. #BigThumbsUp"

…

When evening arrived, Star of Spring appeared among Weibo's trending topics once again:

Hu Feng's Reply

How Are Spring Star’s Trainees So Entertaining

The reason for these trending topics was that Hu Feng, a goddess in the entertainment industry who had not appeared in the public eye for a long time and whose studio's Weibo was filled with advertisements, posted a blog for the first time in ages:

Greetings, everyone. Today, my staff showed me a video of Wanwan and her friends #TearsOfJoy. As her mother, I naturally have to reaffirm her statements. I've tossed the empty bottles, but after some digging, I found two more set boxes I was hoarding #sunglasses. Thank you all so much for liking Wanwan. Wanwan, I like your friends too. Keep up the good work on the show. [Attached Image]

This post immediately became the number one trending topic.

Amidst a sea of bots spamming advertisements in the comments, one commenter asked:

"Goddess, who's your favorite among Wanwan's friends?"

Surprisingly, Hu Feng replied to this comment: "My daughter's favorite is her team leader, but my favorite is Huai Xu #cool"

Hu Feng even attached two screenshots of her voting for Huai Xu: "Wanwan wanted me to vote for Little Shi using her phone, but I gave both our votes to Huai Xu, haha." [TL: Hu Wan doesn't have phone access in the White Tower.]

Half an hour later, these screenshots rose to the bottom of the list of trending topics.

"My mother's goddess is a fan of my goddess! Do you know how wonderful this feels? I'm in tears."

"Hu Wan: I don't care if I debut, but my chosen idol must debut!"

"Snow-Kissed Rose strangely appears in the spotlight once again, and fans are ecstatic."

One netizen asked Hu Wan's fans: "Aren't you angry that your idol is giving her vote to others?"

Hu Wan's mother fans responded calmly: "It shows that my baby is virtuous. Also, it doesn't matter even if she doesn't want to debut. She's not the one who gets to decide."

Netizen: "Respect."

…

On the afternoon of June 26, Fu Qi arrived at the White Tower for a meeting with Huai Xu.

Knowing that Huai Xu was busy preparing for tomorrow's rehearsal, Fu Qi did not interrupt her practice. Instead, he chatted with Director Wu while waiting. Only after Huai Xu had concluded her afternoon practice did he invite her for a discussion.

Their discussion took place in the quiet staff cafeteria next to the trainees' cafeteria.

During the meal, Fu Qi explained the arrangement of "Falling Asleep" to Huai Xu, "...This way, there's a sense of space between the sections. It won't sound too tight, and the emotions can build in the chorus. I've conceptualized several versions and added new elements, I think it sounds great! After you finish eating, I'll let you listen to the demo.

"I've also arranged the instrument recording, but you'll have to make a trip to the studio for the vocals. I've discussed it with Old Wu, and we agreed that the final product should ideally be completed within this month. Today is the 26th, and there's still post-production, so our time is tight."

"Has Director Wu given his consent?" Huai Xu asked.

Previously, to get Director Wu to agree to her single, Huai Xu had made him several promises. One of those promises was that the production crew could use her song without copyright fees. Of course, this proposal was also beneficial for herself, so it was a win-win situation.

However, Director Wu never gave her a definitive answer back then, and Huai Xu nearly forgot about it.

In response, Fu Qi smiled and said, "What he's most afraid of is his show lacking content. What reason would he have to refuse?"

A hint of respect flashed in Huai Xu's eyes, and she smiled and said, "Director Wu is an excellent director."

"If you say it to his face, his beard will flutter with joy," Fu Qi said.

Huai Xu smiled when she imagined the scene Fu Qi described. Jokingly, she said, "You're right; I should avoid praising Director Wu in person."

Fu Qi took a moment to look at Huai Xu when he heard her humorous response. Then, he suddenly said, "You must be living quite well here, right?"

"Why do you ask?" Huai Xu stopped moving her chopsticks. As Fu Qi was her teacher and friend in her previous life, she answered honestly, "Everyone in Spring Star is nice."

At Huai Xu's answer, Fu Qi said, "You may not have noticed, but…uh…when was the last time I saw you again? Anyway, it's very obvious you've changed since the last time we met. In a good way, of course."

After taking a sip of tea, Fu Qi chuckled and continued, "It seems Old Wu has finally nurtured a good batch of trainees. This is what a youth inspirational variety show should look like. The most obvious change is that you're smiling more often now, have you noticed?"

Fu Qi's words stunned Huai Xu, and she couldn't help but raise her hand to touch her face.

A moment later, Fu Qi asked, "Are you done eating? Let's go if you're done."

Huai Xu paused and stopped her thoughts. After setting down her bowl and chopsticks, she followed Fu Qi to listen to the demo he prepared.

…

After discussing the demo, Huai Xu grabbed her lyric book from the dormitory and showed it to Fu Qi, asking if he was interested in its content.

The lyric book contained songs Huai Xu had composed recently. However, only the lyrics were written in detail, while the melodies and scores were sketched out roughly. Therefore, she sang some of the almost-finished songs to Fu Qi.

Huai Xu would be lying if she said her inherited memories were unrelated to these new songs, but she did not outright copy them. Instead, she used them as inspiration, integrating her current ideas and concepts, which caused the songs to evolve into something completely different.

This was also why Huai Xu wasn't sure if her new creations were any good.

However, when Huai Xu saw Fu Qi revealing an expression of surprise that was even more exaggerated than in her memory, the uncertainty within her vanished.

Before Huai Xu could react, Fu Qi excitedly hugged her and exclaimed, "Huai Xu, you're a genius!"

As an arranger, Fu Qi treated everyone with musical talent with courtesy. In his line of work, such individuals were incredibly hard to come by, so every opportunity to work with one had to be cherished. However, despite his patience, he had yet to encounter anyone who could ignite a spark within him

At this moment, Fu Qi suddenly felt that all these years of waiting were worth it—at least he found the musical talent he had been searching for.

Rather than a one-off "shooting star," Huai Xu was like a gold mine waiting to be excavated, and he was lucky to witness her talent's first emergence.

Before, Fu Qi only looked at Huai Xu as if she were a junior or a little girl. Now, he looked at her like a talented friend. While gently stroking the lyrics written by Huai Xu, he tried his best to correct his tone and maintain his composure as he asked, "Will you let me handle all these songs? I promise to give my best to every one of them."

When Huai Xu shook her head, Fu Qi's heart nearly sank. But in the next moment, he heard her saying, "I trust in your dedication to the songs you arrange. Regardless if it is a song I wrote, I'm sure you will always give it your best."

Huai Xu's words momentarily stunned Fu Qi, but he quickly reacted and laughed jovially.

Meanwhile, Huai Xu looked at her lyric book as if it were her own child before saying to her music partner with certainty, "I have to prepare for my upcoming performances, so I won't be able to leave this place too frequently. Once Spring Star finishes recording, we will produce these songs together."

"Okay!"