Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 61.2

As "Unavoidable" encompassed coolness and sweetness, the stage was primarily decorated with black and pink.

As the dry ice sprays were activated, Song Yingshi and her teammates stood in a staggered formation. They entered their opening poses, their backs facing an electronic screen displaying abstract black and pink animations.

Song Yingshi understood what acting was, but she never really understood the meaning of the stage.

Song Yingshi had seen many people working hard for the stage in her previous life and in the Star of Spring of this life. Everyone was shedding tears and sweat to get on the stage.

Song Yingshi interpreted the stage as an opportunity to be fought for, much like the acting interviews she had attended before she became famous, each backed by many days and nights of script study and tedious practice in front of the mirror.

Song Yingshi knew how important such opportunities were, so even if she lacked a sense of attachment to the stage, she still cherished every practice and performance session. Respecting the stage and respecting the camera were habits she had long since integrated into her bones.

However, when Song Yingshi saw the difference between Huai Xu on stage and off stage, her missing piece of understanding was suddenly filled in—

Huai Xu's love for the stage had become her elixir. Only those who loved the stage would be most suited to be on stage and in the spotlight.

Compared to Huai Xu, what Song Yingshi lacked wasn't skill but passion and yearning for the stage.

The true way to show respect to the stage was to let its spotlight ignite oneself.

As the bright and lively music sounded—

Song Yingshi struck the ground with her Martin boots and turned to face the stage.

With her back facing the audience, Song Yingshi swayed her hips and stretched her figure, faintly exposing the waistline beneath her short T-shirt.

Despite wearing a cute double ponytail hairstyle, Song Yingshi appeared cool and unconcerned. When she turned back to face the audience, her appearance instantly elicited a round of screams.

Song Yingshi curved her lips into a smile, looking very excited. Yet, her gaze remained lofty, her eyes paying attention to no one.

When Song Yingshi sang the sweet verses, her hands bloomed like a flower on both sides of her cheekbones, slowly pulling back toward the back of her head and revealing her eyes—

The eyes that were seemingly unattainable just now transformed into shimmering waves of water, moistening the audience's hearts with sweetness.

As Song Yingshi turned her wrist and revealed her palms, a faint lip print was visible on her right palm, warming with her body temperature and exuding a captivating allure.

[Am I watching a face-changing act?]

[The contrast is so cute!!!]

[Ahh! A lip print! Little Shi's so naughty!]

During a variation, Song Yingshi switched up her footwork, raised her arms, pushed her hips to the right, and turned her hand while thrusting her hips to the rhythm, her movements full of power.

Song Yingshi wore a smile throughout her performance, sometimes even putting on a cute, troubled expression of "Why is love so troublesome?" However, even during these times, her movements and demeanor remained cool, provocative, and arrogant.

In addition to being a bright and beautiful young woman, Song Yingshi was a proud and aloof "cool sister." She perfected the sweet and cool style to a tee, turning the audience's hearts into a mess.

After all, who could possibly resist such a fickle little enchantress?!

Teasing them and then giving them a "don't bother me" expression… Woman, take responsibility!

Of course, Song Yingshi clearly had no intention of taking responsibility for her actions. She was immersed in the stage, experiencing its joy and charm for the first time.

Song Yingshi's breaths gradually turned scorching, and every inch of her muscles was warming up from exertion. She was warm all over as she enjoyed the stage to her heart's content.

This time, Song Yingshi was no longer acting on stage.

As the last drum beat sounded, Song Yingshi stepped back with her left foot and faced the stage sideways. Then, in one swift motion, she thrust her chest, leaned her back, tucked her abdomen, and lowered her hips to a seated position.

After doing all that, Song Yingshi lifted her arms, creating a sense of distance, and with her right hand—

Fired a "shot" into the audience.

Bang—

[Ah! My heart got shot!!!]

[With her coolness as the gun and pledge of love as an 8x scope, Big Sister struck my heart!]

[I'm big sister's target from today onward, so fire away! Also, if Big Sister can step on me with your Martin boots…]

Amidst the audience's screams, Team "Unavoidable" put on their ending poses and concluded their performance. After Song Yingshi and her teammates bowed to the audience, Shi Shuyao and Team "Lights On" entered the stage.

With Shi Shuyao as the dividing line, the two teams lined up on either side of the stage.

As team leaders, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu stood right beside Shi Shuyao.

Logically, Shi Shuyao should be the one to host the vote appeal session. However, another round of screaming erupted below the stage before she could say anything.

Jing Xuan was among those screaming, "Ahhh!!! My CP is finally standing in the same frame on stage!!!"

"Snow-Kissed Rose! Snow-Kissed Rose! Snow-Kissed Rose!"

Listening to the chanting of "Snow-Kissed Rose," Shi Shuyao hurriedly made a stop gesture.

Fortunately, the audience was very obedient, as the noise quickly subsided.

After the audience calmed down, Shi Shuyao said, "Okay, each team has 60 seconds to appeal for votes. Since Group A was the first to perform, Group A will go first."

After saying so, Shi Shuyao passed the microphone to Huai Xu.

Huai Xu and her teammates had previously agreed that they would let Wan Jiao set the vibe of the vote appeal. However, just as Huai Xu handed the microphone to Wan Jiao, a male fan in the audience shouted, "Huai Xu, I'll give you my vote if you hug Song Yingshi once!"

The male fan's voice was powerful and sonorous, instantly interrupting the proceedings on stage.

With the microphone in hand, Wan Jiao subconsciously replied, "That's it?"

Everyone: ???

What do you mean that's it? How can you treat a hug so lightly? Or are you suggesting that you normally get to see even more exciting scenes?!

Dan Silan thought she could help elaborate on Wan Jiao's response, so she leaned into the microphone and said, "What Wan Jiao means is that you only have one vote. With just that, how can you hope to see your CP hug?"

Everyone: ???

Does that mean we can see it happen if we give you more votes?!

The Snow-Kissed Rose fans below the stage instantly grew excited:

"I'll add in my vote!"

"My three roommates and I will give our votes to whoever initiates the hug!"

"So long as you show us a hug, you can have however many votes you want!"

When Qiu Zhixin saw the audience's reaction, her eyes lit up in excitement. Turning at Huai Xu, she said, "Leader, maybe you could…"

Team "Unavoidable: !?

The members of Team "Unavoidable" couldn't stand watching this situation. As the team's leader and victim of this situation, Song Yingshi stepped forward, snatched the microphone out of Wan Jiao's hand, and asked the audience, "Why are you only making offers to Group A? Are you playing favorites?"

The fans who had just been called out promptly started behaving, saying, "No, no, we love you, Big Sis. Muah."

Song Yingshi nodded in satisfaction. After giving Huai Xu a provocative glance, she again faced the audience and said, "Give me your votes, and I'll hug Huai Xu right away."

Huai Xu smirked at these words.

Meanwhile, Wan Jiao panicked at this development. She never expected competition in this situation.

With some quick thinking, Wan Jiao snatched the microphone back from Song Yingshi and said, "Our leader's hug will last longer! You'll get more bang for your buck, so vote for our team!"

Unwilling to be outdone, Tao Qin ran up to the microphone and shouted, "Our leader has strong arms! She can hold Huai Xu in a princess hug! If our team wins, you'll get to see Little Shi holding Huai Xu like a princess! Isn't that better than just a regular hug?!"

Growing anxious, Qiu Zhixin said, "Our leader can not only hug but also kiss! We'll give you the full course if we win!"

Hu Wan joined the battle, spreading her arms and declaring, "That's nothing! If we win, our leader will do things to Huai Xu that can't be shown on TV—uuuu—"

Song Yingshi reacted quickly to Hu Wan's troublemaking. While covering Hu Wan's mouth, she awkwardly but politely apologized to the audience, "My teammate was speaking nonsense. Don't take her seriously."

However, the Snow-Kissed Rose fans below the stage were already losing their minds.

This was the first time they had seen a CP internally competing to spread diabetes!

They never knew that internal competition[1] could be such a wonderful thing!

"I have it on video! No going back on your promise!"

"I might need an ambulance soon."

"I'm bursting with sweetness, ahhhh!!!"

…

Below the stage, the audience was thoroughly excited. Even non-Snow-Kissed-Rose fans laughed hard at this scene.

On the stage, Song Yingshi's expression turned cold, especially when she looked at Hu Wan's large, innocent eyes.

In contrast, Huai Xu wore a faint smile as she watched this scene. After a slight pause, she turned to Shi Shuyao, who was also enjoying the show, and asked, "Instructor Shi, what should we do now?"

As no instructions came from Director Wu, Shi Shuyao said sagaciously, "You guys handle it."

This response made it clear to Huai Xu that Shi Shuyao was enjoying this situation. Moreover, the other three mentors were similarly enjoying the situation, their laughter no less than that of the audience.

Somewhere along the line, Liu Ningxin even commented, "When I watched the show before coming here, I already thought these two girls make for an interesting CP. After today, my thoughts have been reaffirmed."

Since it was apparent that the mentors wouldn't be of any help, Huai Xu turned to look at Song Yingshi.

At this moment, even without Huai Xu saying anything, Song Yingshi could tell what she was trying to convey with her gaze.

Song Yingshi felt put on the spot. However, she also realized that there was no reason to feel awkward. After all, she had bravely marched forward when Huai Xu asked for a kiss before, so what would she need to be afraid of a simple hug?

The only difference was the presence of an audience.

Just as Song Yingshi thought she needed more courage, the system suddenly announced, "Special Mission: Hug Huai Xu on stage for five seconds while ensuring the scene is captured on camera.

Special Reward: Upon mission completion, 24 hours of Life Points will be automatically added to your Permanent Life Exchange Gauge daily. This daily bonus cannot be withdrawn."

Song Yingshi: ?

For the first time, Song Yingshi felt that the system was incredibly considerate. This mission instantly propelled her courage to unprecedented heights.

Wasn't it just a hug in public? With such a lucrative reward, she wouldn't even mind publicly forcing a kiss onto Huai Xu!

Without hesitation, Song Yingshi approached Huai Xu and embraced a hug. As they shared body warmth and fragrance, excited screams sounded on and below the stage.

Amidst the bright lights, Song Yingshi earnestly maintained the embrace.

However, Huai Xu never reciprocated the hug. She simply lowered her gaze to look at Song Yingshi, her long eyelashes casting fine shadows over her face.

Nonetheless, the Snow-Kissed Rose fans below the stage were already screaming their lungs out.

After Song Yingshi concluded her embrace, everyone resumed their positions. Without needing any verbal communication, Huai Xu held up the microphone and said, "Friendship first, competition second. Please vote for the performance you like."

"Vote for whoever you think did the best. You can vote for whoever you want; just follow your heart," Song Yingshi added. Then, after sneaking a quick glance at Huai Xu, she continued, "Our two teams will compete with each other fair and square!"

TL Notes:
[1]internal competition(内卷): It's a popular term in China to describe competition among peers. It can be used in all sorts of scenarios, from school to work. It's also used in both positive and negative contexts. But besides those in leadership positions, nobody really likes internal competition since it typically leads to constantly intensifying competition without any improvement in benefits, hence the line: "They never knew that internal competition could be such a wonderful thing!"