Chapter 53 The Talent Show Stage

It's true that she performed a dance for Chen Qiyang on a whim last time, but girl group dances aren't Yu Shuling's forte. Besides, girl group auditions attract trainees from all over the country, so you can't look down on them just because they haven't officially debuted yet. There are even several hidden dance champions and top street dancers. She can't guarantee that she can completely hold her own.

Yu Shuling has never been a well-behaved person since she was a child; otherwise, she wouldn't have schemed to kill the emperor, who was practically her husband, in her previous life. She's good at wielding swords and sticks, but dancing isn't really her forte.

However, given that young ladies from respectable families in the past were expected to learn some skills in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing, so as not to be out of place, she certainly knew a few things, but she wasn't exactly an expert.

No teacher is kind to struggling students, and the dance teacher was no exception. She was clearly having a headache dealing with Yu Shuling, the worst student in Lyer, and said rather irritably:

"Theoretically speaking, it's possible. What, you want to do the 'Dance of the Startled Swan'?"

Yu Shuling's words were like a sudden awakening:

"Oh, the Dance of the Startled Swan, that's right, I had forgotten about it for a moment."

Dance teacher: "???"

Is she crazy, or is her student crazy?

Yu Shuling is a very decisive person. Once she made a decision, the dance teacher couldn't persuade her to change her mind. Anyway, she figured she might as well try anything, and if the company questioned her later, they wouldn't blame her.

The next two weeks were their practice time, with basically no new schedules, just some scattered live streams or occasional commercial appearances. Li Song, who had moved out of the dormitory, returned. She was a slender and beautiful girl, but there was a faint melancholy between her brows, and her skin was an unhealthy pale, but her features were very delicate, like a graceful weeping willow in Jiangnan.

She spoke softly and gently, first greeting her teammates and then sharing the snacks she had brought from her hometown. Yu Shuling only knew that Li Song was recuperating due to mental health issues. She had previously brought Li Song a gift on the show, which she hadn't opened yet, so she took it out as a return gift. It was a very cute handmade doll, made by a local artisan.

Yu Shuling brought different gifts for each of her teammates. Being very outgoing, she took the initiative to approach Li Song and said that this gift was unique and specially made for her. Although the girl's reaction was not very strong, her eyes were filled with undisguised excitement.

"Song, you're not leaving again this time, are you?" Lin Yujie, the rapper, was closest to Li Song and immediately clung to her, raising her voice a little. "There are only six months left. Let's hang in there together. If it really doesn't work out, we'll quit when the contract expires and give it all to those idiots..."

"I'm all better now, I'm fine."

Li Song stopped Lin Yujie from saying anything further and took her to his room to see the turtle he had kept before.

Group practice is usually quite tedious, with repetitive song and dance drills, but it was novel for Yu Shuling, who had never done it before. She had inherited some of the original owner's memories in this area, so she at least knew the lyrics, melody, and dance moves, but whether she could keep up was another matter.

The girl group dance blends modern jazz, popping, and hip-hop. Lyer's choreography is quite complex, with intricate movements. They're preparing a new song for their graduation concert, and each member also has a solo performance, making it quite challenging. Yu Shuling initially struggled to keep up with her teammates' pace, but they were used to it. Li Song, worried the others might be upset, comforted her several times.

Kawana, who usually doesn't like to talk to people and seems detached from the team, took the initiative to say, panting:

“I will teach her.”

Kawana is the main dancer. Although the Lyer group isn't very popular, Kawana's stage performances have gone viral several times. She's one of those mixed-race dancers who has a particularly good mix of features, and she has a strong Chinese look, just with a touch of Yatai's depth. She's a striking and exquisite beauty, and her dancing is powerful and full of presence. She actually has a very promising future.

She personally taught Yu Shuling, showing her how to find the points of leverage, and taught her several methods. In less than a week, Yu Shuling had mastered the transition between modern and ancient dance, as there were some commonalities. These days, she also spent every night in the practice room. Later, she no longer needed Chuan Nai to teach her; she practiced the rhythm and timing to music on her own, and her progress was rapid every day. Even Zhong Xinfan, who was the quietest and least fond of the original owner, praised her a few times.

Of course, she didn't give up practicing the Dance of the Flying Swan. She had learned this dance before, and after picking up her dance skills again, she was able to practice it with ease.

Two days before the premiere of "Starlight," the costume and props team had already prepared everything. Yu Shuling was practicing in front of the mirror in the practice room, wearing a long dress with flowing sleeves. Suddenly, she caught the sound of hurried footsteps that didn't belong in the background music. She stopped the music, brushed her sweat-dampened hair aside, and her displeasure at being interrupted made her look even more stern.

Jiang Zhou walked to the door and saw the girl's slender and graceful profile. The light shone on her unadorned face, and the thin layer of sweat on her nose did not detract from her beauty, but rather highlighted her youthful vitality.

"Xiao Yu," he said, having no time to appreciate Yu Shuling's appearance, he was initially surprised but then forced a smile, "Still studying so late?"

Yu Shuling glanced at him, simply hummed in response, and refused to say another word. Jiang Zhou was furious at her superior attitude in front of him. He didn't know what was wrong with Yu Shuling. After he scolded her a few times on the dating show, she suddenly became rebellious. Or maybe she had always been like this, just that it came out later.

Jiang Zhou cursed her inwardly, but didn't forget his mission. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Yu Shuling, and only when he saw she was clearly getting impatient did he get straight to the point. Then, a cool card was shoved into Yu Shuling's hand. Before she could even pick it up, she heard Jiang Zhou say, with a suggestive tone:

“Singing and dancing is tiring. Actually, Mr. Zhang has high hopes for you. If you renew your contract, you should focus on developing your career in variety shows. There are so many girls in our company, and it’s the same in the industry. You’re a girl, so making money will always be quick and easy for you.”

Jiang Zhou had intended to pat Yu Shuling on the shoulder, but then suddenly remembered something and withdrew, opting instead for verbal encouragement. After saying a few words, he felt that Yu Shuling had understood the hint, and hurriedly left.

After Jiang Zhou left, Yu Shuling held the cold room key in her hand, toying with it, recalling the man's words, and scoffed coldly.

She reached into her pocket and subtly turned off the recorder before resuming her practice.

**

Yu Shuling's appearance on "Super Idol" was quite controversial. Some haters mocked her for resorting to any means to attract attention and only taking the route of a pretty face on variety shows. They said she was probably planning to make a last bit of money before the group disbanded and she retired from the entertainment industry. Jiang Wenxi's fans were also on high alert, fearing that Yu Shuling would start a conflict with their group again.

However, this is a talent show, which is Jiang Wenxi's home turf. Putting aside everything else, Jiang Wenxi's looks and professional skills have always been top-notch, so there's no way she could be outdone by Yu Shuling, who's only half-baked.

Thinking of this, the fans encouraged each other, gained more confidence, and were ready to praise Jiang Wenxi in the comments section to control the narrative.

The talent show adopted a live and pre-recorded format, with fixed live broadcast times every day, plus a lot of interviews and vlogs. The show that Yu Shuling attended happened to be the competition where the top 32 contestants were narrowed down to 16. Some of the contestants who were originally favored by most people were on the verge of elimination, while some dark horses emerged. The competition was fierce, and no one was willing to give way.

Interspersed among the comments were some trolls mocking Yu Shuling, who felt she was forced into the role. Although this episode wasn't the most important one leading up to the finals, the ratings didn't drop because of Lin Yao's departure; in fact, they rose slightly before the stage performance.

The opening stage was kept secret, and many people thought Yu Shuling would dance to Lyer's music. Quite a few were waiting to see her make a fool of herself, while some enthusiastic audience members were simply curious. More than forty young and beautiful girls were sitting in the empty seats on both sides of the stage, chattering away until the lights went out.

"I didn't expect it to be Lyer... I thought it would be Sweetie or Nine Points Girl."

"There aren't many girl groups left in the Chinese entertainment industry, so they can only invite senior artists. They didn't invite many senior artists this time."

"I thought that even if Lyer could come, it would be Kawana or Li Song who would come."

Shh, it's starting!

Qi Xiuxiu wore the same uniform outfit worn by everyone in the audience. The last rays of the stage lights illuminated her orange-red eye makeup, with a large area of ​​blended color framing her eyes, resembling a koi fish swimming in the distance—both charming and lively. She has a cute appearance, and because her skills are average, her popularity is only above average. However, this time she wasn't at risk of falling behind, so she was able to focus on appreciating the stage.

The stage opening featured a paper umbrella falling from the center of a large ink-wash screen with water droplets spreading out behind the stage. As the screen opened and spun, a fully painted magnolia blossomed in realistic rain. Then, the woman enveloping the umbrella raised her wrist, and the two rows of dancers behind her, holding flower umbrellas, quickly changed positions. Yu Shuling, dressed in a long, flowing dress with flowing sleeves, walked out from the center, like that vibrant magnolia in full bloom.

The original essence of the "Dance of the Startled Swan" lies in its lightness and graceful movements, with meticulous yet seemingly casual steps. Yu Shuling transformed it into an umbrella dance, which deviates somewhat from the original, yet still manages to be refreshing. Having grown accustomed to solo street and modern dance performances, this dance lacks the powerful dynamism of jazz, nor is it overly soft. The combination of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments with modern instruments complements each other perfectly. At the very end of the dance, Yu Shuling executes a flawless backbend, closing the open umbrella and using the momentum to rise again. The entire movement is executed beautifully and flawlessly.

When the lights came on again and focused on the girl in the center, Yu Shuling smiled gently, and then the quiet audience erupted in thunderous applause.

Jiang Wenxi also clapped, then stopped and looked at Yu Shuling strangely.