CHAPTER 170: CHAPTER 165: UNEXPECTED

Hu Binbin and Tian Jiaxuan both gave thumbs up to the members of this group. Tian Jiaxuan even made a heart shape with her hands above her head.

Lu Xiaoman looked at that group with some disdain towards their earlier performance. The group’s Jiao Jinglan was simply a huge burden.

If your legs and feet aren’t in good condition, don’t drag down your team’s performance. Sure, you got your moment in the spotlight, but the team had to revolve around you, preventing their overall dance level from shining through.

"Xiaoman, it’s about to start." Yan Kexin gently nudged her captain. She and Liu Feiyu were in the same team, both only 19 years old this year.

Lu Xiaoman nodded slightly, and the group gathered in a circle under the dim lighting of the night. They raised their right arms to form a pyramid shape.

Then, under the intense light of a spotlight, they forcefully lowered their arms to perform a dramatic "team cheer" motion in the arena.

This combination of stillness and movement, paired with the lighting, appeared ritualistic. The audience quieted down, suddenly noticing that there was another person within their group, Liu Jiayin from Cherry Culture.

This girl was a friend of Fan Lei, and together they had created an iconic scene of mutual crying during the first episode, exposing the harsh realities behind the glamorous veneer of girl groups.

As the thrilling music featuring drums and electric guitars began, the girls quickly shifted formations and performed dance movements akin to gymnastics.

Lu Xiaoman stood out the most with her outfit—a deep black basketball jersey adorned with glittering gold stars on the back.

Liu Jiayin’s singing was decent. While her voice lacked distinctiveness, her pitch was accurate, reaching a professional singer’s level.

Next was Su Ruiqi’s performance. Also 19 years old, her singing and dancing skills were quite impressive. Her slightly husky voice held traces of a smoky tone, giving her singing a unique flavor.

However, so far, this group’s choreography was quite mediocre. Their movements were overly simplistic.

Their routine mainly consisted of hip twists and turns, reminiscent of basic aerobics. Even their slightly more challenging bending and leg-lifting moves lacked precision.

At this point, Zhang Zijing, Wang Manjun, and Yang Meizhu joined together to sing a short segment.

Zhang Zijing, originally the member with the best singing skills, didn’t get much opportunity to showcase her abilities here.

Next came a segment of synchronized dance and singing. The chorus section was performed in unison, which added energy and suited the overall performance well. However, if given to Zhang Zijing alone, it might have been even more outstanding.

During this synchronized dancing segment, the team changed formations twice—from a straight-line formation to a front-and-back dual-row formation—and danced with intense power.

You couldn’t help but admire the girls’ stamina. Despite such vigorous movements, their breathing remained relatively stable.

Yang Mei was given a solo segment next, during which they created an innovative pose.

In earlier performances, other teams would typically surround a team member during solos with floor choreography emphasizing bodily aesthetics. But this team was different.

Lu Xiaoman and Zhang Zijing knelt in front of Yang Meizhu, mimicking blooming flowers with their hands.

The remaining four members split into two groups standing slightly behind them on either side, extending their arms to form large heart shapes.

From afar, it resembled a bride walking under a wedding archway.

Then, they scattered and transitioned into a diagonal line formation, performing wave-like dance movements synced to the music.

Here, Lu Xiaoman and Liu Jiayin sang a short segment, followed by Wang Manjun, Yan Kexin, and Su Ruiqi showcasing a dance routine.

In the center, Wang Manjun executed a backwards waist twist, which came out quite well.

Yan Kexin and Su Ruiqi complemented her movements with synchronized side flips using both hands, creating an interesting effect that fit the song’s atmosphere perfectly.

Next, the three of them performed another synchronized dance routine, this time with even better coordination—hitting precise beats and executing with strict timing.

Following that, the remaining four members performed a front-and-back double-row synchronized dance. However, the difficulty level was much lower, mainly due to Lu Xiaoman and Yang Meizhu’s relatively average dance skills.

Afterward, the seven members executed a complex walking pattern; Yan Kexin, Zhang Zijing, Su Ruiqi, and Lu Xiaoman each sang short parts to complete the song’s lyrics.

The seven then converged with Lu Xiaoman as the center, forming a powerful and striking pose.

Here, the most talented singer, Zhang Zijing, didn’t get a chance to showcase her strengths. On the contrary, Liu Jiayin sang the majority of the segments.

However, her voice didn’t suit this song at all, and the song had even been modified to lower the pitch.

If they had entrusted the hardest chorus part without lowering the pitch to Zhang Zijing, she certainly could have handled it effortlessly.

Still, overall, this stage was electrifying, presenting a completely different style from that of the opposing team.

In terms of choreography completion, this group outperformed the other. Although neither group had perfect timing, this group’s formations were far more intricate.

From a professional standpoint as well as in terms of stage impact, Lu Xiaoman’s group undoubtedly surpassed the other.

"Amazing! I’m so proud of you all!" Luo Junxiang shouted loudly.

"Xiaoman, fantastic performance—super fiery!" Zhang Wei also gave a thumbs up.

"Qiang Yueting, I liked your team too." Tian Jiaxuan shouted defiantly.

"Great job, really incredible," Hu Binbin smiled and clapped.

In such an atmosphere, the competitive spirit between the two groups was at its peak.

Whether for personal pride or the team’s honor, no one wanted to lose.

However, at this moment, Qiang Yueting felt more anxious than anything. She realized her group might not win—the opposing team’s performance was just too fiery and superior.

"If that’s the case, why not leave a good impression?" She glanced discreetly at Jiao Jinglan beside her.

"Alright, may the two captains introduce themselves one last time," Long Zitao announced loudly.

Lu Xiaoman, clutching the microphone with excitement, said, "Hello everyone, I’m Lu Xiaoman, who has nothing but beauty and talent. Today, I didn’t make a single mistake in my dance!"

Sitting in the waiting room, Ye Yuwei nearly burst out laughing—this Lu Xiaoman was so hilariously full of herself.

Is dancing just about getting the moves right? The accuracy, gracefulness, and timing of the moves—did she just completely disregard all those factors?

While others could bend 90 degrees at the waist and stretch their front legs perfectly straight, even though she technically did the moves, hers were barely passable. Is that what she calls "not making any mistakes"?

Chen Yinghan was equally speechless. Her former friend was just this arrogant, and this time, she even sidelined Zhang Zijing to give the solo parts to the less remarkable Liu Jiayin.

In other groups, the chorus was usually sung solo by the lead vocalist, but here, it was sung collectively.

And during this team voting plea, instead of advocating for the team, she was shamelessly promoting herself—it was just like the selfish Zhu Riri.

The opposing captain Qiang Yueting was much better. With a smile on her face, she loudly said, "We are..."

Then, everyone turned sideways and extended one hand in a tea-offering gesture, saying, "Kung Fu Champion Tea."

This won over the audience immensely, earning them enthusiastic applause, much to Lu Xiaoman’s annoyance.

"Everyone knows we’ve faced some challenges, but none of us can be left behind." Qiang Yueting smiled warmly as she glanced at Jiao Jinglan beside her.

Jiao Jinglan was stunned for a moment, then looked at her gratefully.

Sitting in the audience, Mu Yunchu’s fondness for Qiang Yueting increased. On such a stage, she prioritized her teammates over herself.

As the one-minute countdown concluded, the large screen behind Qiang Yueting’s group lit up suddenly.

This surprise came out of nowhere.

According to our cultural traditions, people tend to favor someone like Qiang Yueting who doesn’t compete aggressively and willingly sacrifices for the group.

"Thank you, Captain." Backstage, Jiao Jinglan sincerely embraced Qiang Yueting. She realized she had misjudged her before.

She had assumed Qiang Yueting saw her as a burden, but today, here on stage, she was proven wrong.

"We’re teammates; no need for thanks. I think today’s key to our performance was you—you earned us quite a few points." Qiang Yueting smiled genuinely.

"Nonsense! It was because of you leading us so well!" Jiao Jinglan’s heart swelled with joy.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoman was covering her face, sobbing. She felt utterly defeated—both in love and in her career—by that wicked woman Lv Fangxin.

Only Su Ruiqi and Liu Jiayin comforted her, while the others understood clearly that if it weren’t for her selfish comments at the end, they might not have lost.