Chapter 9

Three months have passed since she joined the Xihe Family. Time flies by, nurtured by her sweat, and Feng Ling's progress is visible to the naked eye. She has almost never missed a training session, and her almost obsessive diligence has even amazed people like Xiaodi, who initially thought she was "out of place." Now, she is no longer the "bad student" who had to hide in the corner and desperately memorize movements. She can now steadily keep up with the team's normal teaching schedule. Qiqi's eyes follow her, admiration mixed with a subtle flicker of concern - for her stubborn determination to give it her all.

Even Ankhsu no longer seemed to regard her as a "foreign body" that needed to be completely avoided. During the forced cross-group training, he could face her like any other ordinary team member and complete the necessary interaction, although he was still silent.

Before the training camp began, Qiqi clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention. "I have something to tell you. There's an important group dance competition next month. Xihe participates every year, and this year is no exception. Our team will represent the hip-hop group of the dance club."

As soon as the words fell, the classroom exploded.

"It's the group dance competition again! Hey, you know what? With Qiqi here, we've already reserved the Hip-hop championship!" Feifei nudged Awei with her elbow, her tone full of pride.

"Of course! Qiqi's team has never lost!" Awei immediately agreed.

Tiantian also raised her chin with a hint of pride: "So everyone, practice hard and don't embarrass Qiqi."

Feng Ling listened, her heart racing with excitement and nervousness. Representing the dance club... this was the moment she'd always dreamed of. "I must do my best and not let everyone down!" She clenched her fists, a sense of mission building within her.

Learning complex competition choreography was no problem for her, but she still struggled with sections requiring extreme explosive power and sudden stop control. Years of immersion in graceful dance styles, coupled with a gentle personality, meant she always lacked that final, powerful, explosive kick. This was precisely why she yearned for street dance—a desire to break free from her "docile" shell.

During the break, she repeatedly practiced a force-exerting movement that required a momentary freeze in front of the mirror, her brows furrowed, and her dissatisfaction with herself was written on her face.

"Why are you competing with yourself?" Qiqi's voice came from behind with a smile.

Feng Ling turned around and looked up at him with some frustration, like a puppy with drooping ears: "Alas... am I too 'soft'?"

Qiqi's Adam's apple rolled subconsciously. Avoiding her overly clear and direct gaze, she nodded honestly: "Well... a little bit."

"Is that so..." She immediately wilted like an eggplant hit by frost.

"Don't stress yourself out. You're doing fine overall." He paused, his voice softening. "Will you still have energy after class? I'll give you some extra training."

"Really?!" Feng Ling looked up suddenly, his eyes lit up instantly, as if filled with stars.

"Yeah." Seeing her resurrected instantly, Qiqi's heart softened and she nodded in response.

Class was over, and everyone started packing up and leaving. Tiantian changed and came out. She paused when she saw that only Qiqi and Feng Ling were left practicing in front of the mirror.

"Qiqi, aren't you leaving?" she asked loudly.

"You guys go first, I'll help her practice for a while." Qiqi didn't even turn her head, concentrating on correcting one of Feng Ling's movements.

"...Oh." Tiantian's gaze lingered on Feng Ling's back for a moment, with a complicated look in her eyes. In the end, she said nothing more and turned away.

From the end of get out of class until now, I haven't seen An Hesu.

"Your body... is very coherent, and your movements flow smoothly with the music. That's not really a flaw," Qiqi began patiently, as if explaining a math problem to a child. "But hip-hop often requires you to control your limbs like individual parts, piece by piece. You need to precisely manipulate the parts you need to move. Therefore, basic isolation skills are crucial. For example, the positioning of the head..."

His explanation was clear and thorough, his eyes focused, and his profile was sharply defined under the classroom lights. As Feng Ling listened, she became somewhat distracted, staring blankly at his lips moving and his serious expression.

"Hey! Where have you been daydreaming?" Qiqi waved her hand in front of her with amusement.

Feng Ling came back to his senses and said slowly and reverently, "Qiqi, you are such a great teacher."

The sudden and direct compliment made Qiqi's ears slightly red, and he coughed lightly in discomfort.

"Are you also very good at studying? Your logic is so clear and your choreography is so creative." Feng Ling continued to sigh from the bottom of his heart.

These words seemed to have pressed a switch. The smile on Qiqi's face froze instantly, and her eyes dimmed and she fell silent.

Feng Ling immediately realized that she might have said something wrong and apologized hurriedly: "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I ask something I shouldn't have asked?"

"No," Qiqi shook her head, her voice lowered, "I just... stopped going to school after graduating from high school."

"Are you pursuing your dance dream wholeheartedly?" Feng Ling's eyes lit up again. "That's cool! How many people only have dreams but no courage? You've already surpassed 99.99% of people in this country!"

Qiqi smiled softly at her words.

"But..." Feng Ling changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat regretful, "It's still a bit of a pity."

"What a pity?" Qiqi looked at her.

"With your intelligence, if you continue to study, you will surely excel in other fields. It will even be helpful in prolonging your artistic career. Our former dance teacher once said that no athlete or artist who reaches the top is simple-minded and strong-limbed; they are all people with extraordinary wisdom. So, you are also one of them."

Qiqi looked at her deeply, and the lights in the dance studio seemed to converge on her, illuminating her with warmth and brilliance. Her words were like a gentle breeze, blowing away some of the dust that had been accumulating in his heart for a long time.

Feng Ling suddenly seemed to remember something, and stood up abruptly, hands on hips, glaring at him in mock anger: "So! You're not a minor at all! You really were just teasing me last time!"

Qiqi finally couldn't help herself and burst out laughing. Her smile was as bright as a big boy's, with a little pride in her success: "I'm only one year older than you. But it was you who said you would take care of me."

Feng Ling muttered in frustration: "Pretending to be young, trying to gain my sympathy!"

"However, I'm really worried that others will question my abilities because of my age," Qiqi said, putting aside her jokes and speaking more seriously. "So I'd like to ask Miss Feng Ling to keep this a secret for me, okay?"

"I know!" Feng Ling rolled her eyes at him unhappily, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise.

The two of them practiced their basic skills for a while longer, not packing up and leaving until the night grew darker. They walked side by side to the downstairs of the dance club, and as they were about to cross the street, Feng Ling's eyes inadvertently glanced at the roadside, and her steps paused slightly.

Ankhsu was standing next to a black car, talking to a sophisticated woman in a sophisticated suit. The woman's hand gently rested on Ankhsu's shoulder as she spoke to him, her expression revealing unmistakable concern and determination. Ankhsu lowered his head slightly, the streetlight casting a long shadow on him, making it difficult to discern his expression.

Feng Ling's heart was inexplicably gripped.