CHAPTER 157: CHAPTER 153: UNEXPECTED

"Next up, let’s enjoy ’Back to the Origin of Love,’" Long Zitao dutifully introduced as the host.

The moment the lights turned on, the crowd erupted with deafening cheers. Wu Zixuan’s popularity was unmatched, and today, Yuehua’s fans dominated the audience.

Xiao Du’s face showed no emotion, while Mu Yunchu looked a bit disdainful. To her, Wu Zixuan didn’t deserve such popularity; compared to her own favorite idol, Wu Zixuan simply wasn’t on the same level.

However, for someone like Li Ke, who wasn’t into idol worship, Wu Zixuan gave a good impression. He found her gentle and kind-hearted and was even willing to vote for her if he could.

Dressed in a plaid dress with a British vibe, Wu Zixuan exuded a vibrant and clean-cut sweetness today.

Their group’s opening dance was unique. The six members lined up in a vertical row, with Wu Zixuan standing at the forefront, making it instantly clear who the center was.

Some members extended their right hands, others their left, spreading open like a peacock flaunting its feathers, creating a visual similar to a Thousand-Handed Goddess from a distance. As the music pulsed, their movements flowed like silk ribbons in the air.

Then Wu Zixuan turned halfway and tilted her head slightly, revealing a sweet smile to the audience. The others followed with half a step backward and turned in sync, their skirts swirling as their hands danced in front of them.

The entire routine was sharp and precise, with the spacing between individuals as exact as if measured with a ruler.

This seemingly simple coordination belied the countless hours of training required to achieve such perfection.

The sounds of a guitar and hand drum began to play, the music leaping out with a fresh, clean rhythm, carrying a strong British rock flavor.

No one could have anticipated that the first to sing would be Wu Qian from the Magic Numbers girl group.

This was out of necessity. Among the six, only Wu Qian, Yang Suhuan, and Wu Qian could sing. Yang Suhuan was the strongest vocalist, so the most challenging parts went to her.

Given that Yang Suhuan was on her team, the opening verse naturally went to Wu Qian.

Wu Qian’s delivery was mediocre. The only edge she had over Wei Xin from Ye Yuwei’s team was that she stayed in tune.

Their group then executed a diagonal arm-lifted flower formation, which was performed to near perfection.

Next was Luo Jiangyi of the Dreamy Flyers. While her dancing was solid, her singing was unrefined. Even though her part had no difficulty, she still went off-key.

Knowledgeable audience members reacted with gasps of disappointment. Some even openly mocked her.

However, during this segment, the choreography from the other five members was stunning. Divided into two groups, they surrounded Luo Jiangyi in the center, performing several signature moves inspired by K-Pop choreography. The transitions were seamless, flowing with beauty and grace. Luo Jiangyi then moved swiftly from the spotlight to the far-right edge of the group.

The six members rearranged themselves into three groups, their bodies swaying to the rhythm. In sync, five of them slid backward into a kneeling position, raising their hands above their heads to form a blooming flower gesture.

Watching from the waiting room, Ye Yuwei couldn’t help but praise them inwardly; their performance was exceptional.

Although not as explosive as Ju Lin’s group, their choreography, precision, and complex moves surpassed the previous team.

Moreover, the dancers’ skill levels were all relatively high, delivering a smooth and elegant performance.

At this realization, Ye Yuwei let out a bitter smile. It seemed likely that apart from Zhu Riri’s group, her own team’s performance might end up being the weakest.

Next came a rapid repositioning. The members crouched as they arranged Wu Zixuan at the center, introducing the song’s first chorus.

Wu Zixuan sang decently. While her voice was unremarkable, she executed the song accurately and avoided pitch adjustments.

The accompanying dancers continued to switch up their poses, creating an overall visually pleasing performance.

Many audience members took out their glowsticks and began swaying along. Though the cheers weren’t deafening, this intimate vibe matched the song’s immersive quality.

After the chorus, the group launched into a synchronized dance with two position shifts, hitting the beats with precision. At the same time, Yang Suhuan stepped forward for her first solo.

The moment she sang, she outshone both Wu Zixuan and Wu Qian. Her voice clearly demonstrated evidence of intense training, navigating complex pitch transitions with ease. Her final high note especially was executed flawlessly.

At this point, the six members arranged themselves into a triangular formation, with Yang Suhuan at the peak. As they danced energetically to the beat, the group formation suddenly broke apart.

Next, Luo Tiantian took her turn, delivering her solo. Though her voice was raw and unpolished, she hit all the notes. The way she forced her pitch up despite vigorous dance moves revealed her impressive stamina.

Even after two minutes of intense performance, her lung capacity held strong.

The transition music played, and Luo Jiangyi and Wu Qian each sang a line. However, both fell apart vocally, especially Wu Qian, whose breathing had become erratic, causing her to completely falter on the final note.

Despite this misstep, their choreography remained precise and visually stunning, with fluid and comfortable movements.

At this moment, five members withdrew to either side, leaving Luo Tiantian standing solo in the center.

Just as everyone thought she was about to sing again, she instead showcased one of her signature skills: a one-handed backflip, followed by a flying kick mid-air.

This immediately sent the crowd into a frenzy of applause.

While Luo Tiantian wasn’t the best dancer among the Base Girls, she was the most distinctive, boasting two exclusive tricks: a single-arm backbend and a one-handed backflip.

The six regrouped, forming a straight line with their hands resting on the waist of the person in front, bending slightly and swaying their hips. The combination looked both sweet and sensual.

The moment the music ended, the audience erupted with chants of Wu Zixuan’s name. Back in the waiting room, the trainees heard the deafening cheers and were filled with envy.

Pinecone had given Wu Zixuan exceptional screen time in the first and second episodes. Coupled with her group’s stellar performance, she had gained a storm of new fans.

Meanwhile, Li Zixuan’s group continued to smile on stage, but inside, they were utterly heartbroken. They could already feel their loss coming. All their hard work and sweat seemed destined to be nothing but illusions.

Over on the other side, Zhang Wei and Luo Junxiang were beaming with joy. It seemed this round was their chance to regain some pride.

Tian Jiaxuan and Hu Binbin sent encouraging waves toward Li Zixuan’s group, signaling them not to lose heart. "Even if you lose, you’re still the best," their gestures seemed to say.

Li Zixuan, seeing this support from both mentors, was overwhelmed with emotion and struggled to hold back tears.

"Wow! Is this even more hyped than our performance?!" Hu Binbin joked to liven up the atmosphere.

Veteran Luo Junxiang burst into hearty laughter at Hu’s quip.

Tian Jiaxuan and Zhang Wei joined in, complimenting enthusiastically, "Absolutely incredible! It’s like a mini concert!"

Long Zitao, equally brimming with passion, remarked, "These four performances were absolutely exhilarating to watch!"

"Now, everyone, founders of ’Heaven-Sent Idols,’ take out your voting devices and cast your precious votes for the girl you like the most!"

Long Zitao delivered his line in one breath, instinctively shaking his head as he finished speaking.

The girls from both teams struck their best poses and waved to the audience, showcasing their charm.

Tian Jiaxuan and Hu Binbin tried rallying votes for their group: "Vote for Sugar! Vote for Sugar! Only if you vote for Sugar will you get sweets to eat!"

Naturally, Zhang Wei and Luo Junxiang weren’t willing to back down: "Aren’t we the sweetest? We have the absolute sweetest Sweetheart!"

While Wu Zixuan didn’t want to play up her "sweetheart" persona, she had no choice but to go along. She cracked a sweet smile and made heart gestures for the audience.

The crowd went wild, chanting Wu Zixuan’s name loudly enough to shake the venue.

Her groupmates beamed with confidence, believing that with Wu Zixuan on their team, victory was assured.

Backstage, many of the other trainees were too nervous to watch anymore. Some muttered under their breath, repeating the phrase: "Sugar, Sugar."

Both teams’ mentors got up and bowed to the audience, urging them to vote for their group. By this point, they were fully invested emotionally.

"Alright, voting ends in one minute. We’ve tallied the results. And the winner is!"

As Long Zitao’s words resounded, colorful lights flashed between the two stages.

Boom!

The sound of fireworks filled the air, and the crowd went silent in astonishment. The first person to react was Yang Ni, who suddenly leapt up. "We won! We won!"

"Won? Did we really win?" Li Shihan stood frozen, unable to believe her eyes, stammering in disbelief.

Ah! Ah!

The other girls let out ecstatic screams, unlike anything heard before. It felt surreal.

On the other side, Wu Zixuan, who had just raised her arm in a victory pose, was stunned. She stood there in disbelief.

Her entire team froze as well. What had just happened? Were those cheers a mere illusion?

Even their mentors, Luo Junxiang and Zhang Wei, stood dumbfounded. How could this happen? Was the show rigged?

They weren’t wrong to suspect. The production team—or rather, Pinecone—was indeed suppressing Yuehua’s team.

In their eyes, Li Shihan was the chosen one.

Immediately, Yang Ni’s fans, who had been dejected, erupted in wild cheers, thinking it had all been thanks to their idol. This misunderstanding made sense, given that the most popular contestants were Wu Zixuan and Yang Ni.

Meanwhile, Wu Zixuan’s fans were seething with rage. If not for their fan leaders’ intervention, they might have already taken to cursing the production for its bias.