Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 87.2

As the sun moved westward, more and more members of the audience arrived. The 1,000 audience members were not particularly noticeable when scattered across the resort, but when the staff members began making the final adjustments to the stage, everyone gathered under it, creating a lively atmosphere.

The air was filled with anticipation for a grand event.

Jing Xuan and Shang Yan managed to land themselves excellent seats this time, sitting at the center of the first few rows. They wore the fluorescent supporting goods distributed by the production crew while looking expectantly at the screens on either side of the stage.

"They're still not showing the situation backstage," Jing Xuan sighed disappointedly when she saw that the screens were still showing sweeping shots of the audience.

"It's been hours since I saw my favorite CP! I miss them, I miss them! I want to know what outfits they're wearing today!"

"The mentors haven't even arrived yet, so Little Shi and Huai Xu are probably still having their hair and makeup done."

A few familiar group members joined the conversation.

"Liu Ningxin will show up today, right? I'm so excited!"

"All four mentors will definitely appear. By the way, have you seen the rumors spreading online? They say that Fu Qi will be joining as a guest today."

"Fu Qi? Really?"

"If that's true, he must coming for our Huai Xu. But before the news is verified, we Willows aren't going to take it seriously. Personally, I think the likelihood of Fu Qi visiting is minuscule."

When everyone saw how cautious the Willows (Huai Xu's fans) were behaving, they tacitly changed the subject.

Star of Spring might be popular, but it had been years since Fu Qi last involved himself with any new-wave variety shows, gradually adopting the aura of a reclusive big shot. Not to mention, Fu Qi's style didn't quite match that of idol survival shows, so everyone found it hard to believe he would come. Moreover, rumors had it that the production team didn't actually invite Fu Qi. Instead, he had asked to be on the show because of a singer he was collaborating with.

Even Huai Xu's loyal fans dared not believe such news, afraid that their overconfidence might invite backlash.

Thus, when the four mentors entered, and Liu Ningxin invited Fu Qi to join them on the stage, the audience below erupted in gasps and cheers.

Fu Qi actually came!

As the cheering settled down, Fu Qi greeted the audience, "Long time no see, everyone. Tonight, I'm just here to listen to songs with all of you."

The audience's reaction was spontaneous, with Huai Xu's fans screaming the loudest, their faces flushed with excitement.

Fu Qi was here to listen to songs with them! As for which song he was here to listen to, was there even a need to ask?!

He was definitely here to show support to their idol!!!!

At some point, some people in the audience boldly shouted:

"Are you here to listen to Falling Asleep?"

"Falling Asleep! Falling Asleep!"

Fu Qi smiled but stayed silent. Then, he took a seat at the guest section prepared beside the mentors' table.

…

Prior to the mentors' entry, the trainees were already seated in the backstage recording room. When they saw Fu Qi appearing on stage, many of them were astonished. After a quick exchange of looks, they simultaneously turned their gaze toward Huai Xu.

At the same time, the large screens on stage finally showed the situation backstage, with Huai Xu positioned right in the middle.

Fu Qi waved his hand at one of the screens, to which Huai Xu responded by faintly smiling and politely bowing in acknowledgment.

Once the camera panned away, Song Yingshi moved closer to Huai Xu, their shoulders touching as she whispered teasingly, "The audience's response is good. Work hard; don't let Instructor Fu down."

Huai Xu glanced at Song Yingshi, her voice smooth like jade as she said, "We'll be performing 'Falling Asleep' together, so you have to work hard, too."

After saying so, Huai Xu turned to the side and instructed her three other teammates, "The same goes for you all. Instructor Fu is very mild-tempered, so don't be nervous, and don't be afraid to make mistakes."

Li Taoran and Kou Lengyu nodded seriously, though neither of them looked visibly nervous.

However, Chen Wan, who idolized Fu Qi, was practically the incarnation of anxiety as she said, "I-I'm not…n-nervous…"

Huai Xu: "..."

"Deep breaths," Huai Xu encouraged.

As they spoke, Liu Ningxin, the host, finished warming up the audience and began drawing lots to determine the order of the teams' performances.

(Author's Note: The third public performance's live and on-screen audience comments will be included for narrative convenience. Imagine it as a live stream. Bullet comments will be denoted by [square brackets].)

Tao Qin's Team "Tired of Romance" was the first to perform. As they got out of their seats, everyone in the recording room cheered them on.

"Go, go, go!"

Song Yingshi, seated at the very edge, clapped her hands when Tao Qin passed by, saying, "Perform well."

"I will!" Tao Qin responded confidently.

Tao Qin had shifted her mindset after her previous conversation with Song Yingshi. Although she still wanted to score well and stay on the show, she decided to learn from Song Yingshi, prioritizing enjoying the stage over chasing results. (ref. Chapter 56.1)

Holding this belief, Tao Qin performed well. Her teammates were also excellent, and together, they set a fiery start for the third public performance.

After the vote appeal phase, Liu Ningxin announced the third public performance's voting rules:

"After each team's performance, on-site audience members can vote for them. However, please note that each of you has only four votes, so you can only vote for a maximum of four teams.

"Once all eight teams finish performing, you may change up to two of your votes. In other words, you get two opportunities to reallocate your votes. Please exercise your voting rights carefully.

"Also, mentors and guests will not be participating in the voting this time."

Essentially, this meant that the audience would be the sole decider of the trainees' rankings tonight. Each audience member could vote for up to four teams, and they had two chances to change their votes at the end of the third public performance.

After the rules were announced, the venue erupted, and so did the bullet comments.

[This makes the performance order less important, right?"

"Now, please decide whether you want to vote for Team Tired of Romance. Your one-minute countdown starts now," Liu Ningxin announced.

At the same time, a one-minute timer appeared on the screens on stage, and the on-site audience members began pondering their decision.

Ultimately, Team Tired of Romance received 689 votes, and Tao Qin and her teammates returned backstage with smiles on their faces.

[Each team can only receive up to 1,000 votes, so receiving nearly 700 votes is pretty good.]

[We still have to see whether they can retain these votes.]

"So, which team is next?" Liu Ningxin asked with a smile.

Liu Ningxin firmly grasped the pace of the show as she welcomed the trainees onto the stage to perform one team after another.

Xing Huan and Dan Silan's Team "Farewell Sword" put on a dashing, eye-catching, and ancient-style performance, garnering a solid 810 votes.

Rong Yi, Wen Qingzi, and Wan Jiao's "Caspian Sea" was a humorous, theatrical-style performance. Thanks to their cute and amusing performance, they received 765 votes.

"Beyond the Mountains," "After You," "State"...

Team after team took the stage to perform, and their votes were announced in real-time.

Soon, the audience in the bullet comments noticed a problem.

[Aren't the votes decreasing with each performance? Did they run out of votes? Or are they abstaining?]

[Well, that's to be expected since the first three teams received over half the total votes. This puts the teams performing later at a huge disadvantage. This latest team only received 400 votes…]

[*Panic* What's with all these premature voters?]

[It's over, it's over! How is my CP supposed to win?]

…

Backstage, Huai Xu also noticed this problem. While looking at the growing gap in votes, she parted her lips and asked, "Are you scared?"

Huai Xu didn't name anyone specifically, but Song Yingshi still smiled and responded, "With you here, I'm not scared of anything, Team Leader."

Huai Xu had been looking straight, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but glance at Song Yingshi sideways.

At the same time, Song Yingshi gently stroked Huai Xu's head before she stood up and said, "We're next."

Song Yingshi's touch was light like a feather, but it was enough to make Huai Xu's heart sway.

As the camera was turning toward her, Huai Xu quickly composed herself and rose from her seat. Once she returned to her pre-performance state, she followed Song Yingshi toward their stage for tonight.

…

After wearing her in-ear monitor and waiting for Liu Ningxin to rile up the audience, Huai Xu took the lead and walked onto the stage. When she heard her teammates' footsteps behind her, her steps grew steadier and firmer.

"Hello everyone, we are 'Falling Asleep.'"

The moment Huai Xu and her four teammates bowed to the audience, they were met with the loudest cheers and applause of tonight.

[Audience Subtitle: Snow-Kissed Rose]

[Ahhhhhhh!!! They're finally here!!!!]

"Hello everyone, I'm Huai Xu. I like to sing 'Falling Asleep' when I have trouble sleeping," Huai Xu said concisely.

"Hello everyone, I'm Chen Wan, and I like to stargaze when I have insomnia," Chen Wan said softly.

"Good evening. I'm Li Taoran, and my solution to insomnia is supper," Li Taoran said, giving the audience a dashing wink.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Kou Lengyu, and I've never experienced insomnia," Kou Lengyu declared cheerfully.

"Hello, I'm Song Yingshi. I like to listen to 'Falling Asleep' when I have trouble sleeping," Song Yingshi said with a textbook smile.

[?! One sings while the other listens? Coincidence? I think not!]

[The two of you have trouble sleeping???]

[If you two are having trouble sleeping, why sing? Why not do something adults would do?]

Due to the subtle interaction between Huai Xu and Song Yingshi, the normally mundane self-introduction section ignited a flurry of discussion among the audience.

Of course, there were also naysayers among the audience:

[It's just a joke. Why are you CP fans taking it so seriously?]

However, the naysayers' voices were too small, drowned out by the vast army of CP fans.

But unbeknownst to these audience members, "Straight Girl" Kou Lengyu was similarly surprised when she heard Song Yingshi's line on stage.

They had decided on their self-introductions together during dinner yesterday. Although Kou Lengyu didn't quite remember what Song Yingshi's line was supposed to be, it definitely wasn't this line.

Why did Little Shi change it at the last minute?

However, Kou Lengyu didn't have time to ponder over this matter. Being on the stage, such a small detail quickly faded from her mind.

When Liu Ningxin yielded the stage, Kou Lengyu walked to her designated spot. As their steps intertwined, she and her teammates' gazes met, seeing the encouragement and confidence in each other's eyes—

Their team suffered numerous setbacks while preparing for this stage, including two choreography adjustments and their team leader falling ill. After overcoming all these hurdles, they wanted nothing more than to perform to the absolute best of their ability.

Song Yingshi stood in place and looked straight ahead. Separated by Kou Lengyu in the middle, she and Huai Xu stood facing each other.

At this time, the camera pulled back for a wide shot, allowing the audience at home to see the entire stage.

Team Falling Asleep's stage was set in a dreamy white style. Under the shimmering stage lights, it appeared incredibly beautiful.

The most eye-catching elements of this stage were the vertically-placed glass panels of uneven height. The glass panels shone like crystals under the light. However, apart from resembling piano keys, it was unclear if they had any other purpose.

The five trainees wore predominantly white outfits.

Song Yingshi wore a white skirt that ended right above her knees, and her long, curly hair was dyed silver. At a glance, she exuded a bright allure mixed with a hint of sexiness.

On the other hand, Huai Xu wore a white one-piece dress that fell just below her knees, while her black hair was left to flow loosely, as always. She looked tranquil and sacred, a stark contrast to Song Yingshi's appearance.

The other three's outfits were more or less adorned with other colors. Overall, the five's styling was excellent, perfectly matching the stage aesthetic and highlighting their beauty.

[It looks like they put a lot of effort into stage design.]

[I'm looking forward to the double-center performance of my two favorite trainees.]

[I originally thought "Falling Asleep" was going to be a fluffy performance, but this looks interesting.]

As the bullet comments flew by, Huai Xu lowered her eyelids and carefully listened past the noise made by the audience below.

When the music for "Falling Asleep" started to play, Huai Xu opened her mouth and sang the first lyric.

It was the consensus of the entire team for Huai Xu to sing the song's first part.

Whether it was her captivating voice or her beautiful face, Huai Xu was the perfect candidate to deliver a powerful first impression and captivate the audience. Then, once they had the audience's undivided attention, they would give them the feast they had prepared.

While singing, Huai Xu swayed her body with the rhythm. She paced around the stage while moving her hips, stirring up waves of air between her waist and hips.

After sufficient practice, Huai Xu no longer needed to consciously remember her dance moves. So long as the stage's warm lights were shining on her, all she needed to do was follow her heart.

"Falling Asleep" was not a song suitable for passionate dancing. It was a cold and lonely streak of moonlight that carried an ethereal quality.

However, when choreographing for this song, Song Yingshi had a different idea. She believed "Falling Asleep" possessed the power needed for a passionate dance, a power born from the heavy, but not dull, emotions the song conveyed.

Huai Xu vividly recalled the serious look Song Yingshi wore when conveying this analysis to her. She also remembered the feeling she experienced then—as if she were a book that Song Yingshi had read and understood. And when Song Yingshi's gaze fell upon her, her soul would tingle and tremble—

Just like at this moment.

Once Kou Lengyu finished her center part, she retreated toward the back. At the same time, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu turned to face each other.

After a brief exchange of gazes, Song Yingshi extended her hand toward Huai Xu, looking like she was extending a gesture of goodwill or an invitation.

Almost simultaneously, Huai Xu leaned backward with great control, making it look as though Song Yingshi had pushed her through the air and caused her to stumble. Then, just when the audience thought she was about to fall, she sprung back, pivoting from her waist and hips.

Amidst the flowing melody, Huai Xu followed her rising motion, spun herself to the back of a glass panel, and fixed her eyes on Song Yingshi's body.

At this moment, Song Yingshi appeared inviolable and difficult to approach. Yet, there was something subtle about her that made her all the more alluring to Huai Xu.

Song Yingshi met Huai Xu's gaze straight on as she walked with jazz steps toward the glass panel. Then, within an instant, the musical notes written by Huai Xu turned fervent.

Before the audience could react, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu shifted their footwork and faced their backs to each other. Then, they performed a synchronized wave through the glass panel, their figures undulating like ripples of enchanting water and wafts of mesmerizing mist.

Everyone in the audience knew that a panel of glass separated the two. They weren't showing any hints of suggestive ambiguity in their expressions either. Yet, when the audience watched them move, it seemed as though their shoulders and backs were brushing against each other, their waists and hips pressed together, and their legs were intimately intertwined.

One was richly vibrant, while the other was cool and ethereal.

They stood in two worlds separated by glass, yet they were drawn to each other, ambiguous merging into one.