17.

With song selection now complete, the "Swords of War" team has assembled its final seven members. Besides the four from Class A, Mi Xi, Wu You, Ruan Xu, and Chu Qingling, the other three members are the dance lead and vocalist from Classes B and C, respectively, each a formidable talent.

Next came the dormitory assignments. The new dormitories were better, and Class A members had priority. The production team provided several four-person and two-person rooms.

When the staff showed the dormitory map, Wuyou was the first to point to Dormitory 401, a relatively quiet room at the end of the corridor with a small balcony, and announced, "The four of us will live in this room."

He said "the four of us," naturally referring to the four members of Class A in his group. His tone was matter-of-fact, with his usual, pampered directness.

Ruan Xu naturally had no objection. He would live wherever his idol lived. He immediately nodded vigorously, his big eyes full of anticipation.

Mi Xi gave a nonchalant "hmm," agreeing. To him, the dorm was just a place to sleep; what mattered was who he was in the same group with and the upcoming practice.

Everyone's eyes fell on Chu Qingling. This cold beauty hadn't spoken since the song selection, as if she was staying out of the matter.

Feeling everyone's gaze, Chu Qingling raised his distant, tearful eyes, and glanced lightly at the faces of Mi Xi, Wu You and Ruan Xu. Finally, he nodded almost imperceptibly, which was considered as tacit consent.

Thus, the strongest four-member group in Class A in history—first place Mi Xi, second place Wu You, seventh place Ruan Xu, and eighth place Chu Qingling—officially moved into dormitory 401.

When the four of them, suitcases in tow, pushed open the door to Room 401, even the worldly-wise Wu You raised an eyebrow. The dormitory was a standard four-person room, spacious and bright. The beds were high-quality solid wood with a desk underneath. It came with its own private bathroom, a small living area, and the sunny balcony Wu You had envied. The conditions were far superior to her previous two-person room.

"Tsk, finally there's a decent place." Wuyou pushed his suitcase under the bed near the balcony and took the first position he wanted.

Ruan Xu obediently chose the bed near the door for easy access.

The remaining two beds were placed side by side against the other wall. Mi Xi casually placed her luggage under the window bed. Chu Qingling silently chose the one against the wall, as if that would make her feel more secure.

After a simple tidying up, the atmosphere between the four people became a little subtle.

Wu You was clearly a chatterbox. He sat cross-legged on his bed, looking across at Mi Xi and Chu Qingling, who were quietly sorting their belongings. He couldn't help but speak up, "Hey, the four of us are all on the same page now. 'Swords of War' isn't going to be easy to come up with. What do you guys think?"

Ruan Xu immediately responded enthusiastically: "I always listen to my idol!"

Mi Xi hung the last piece of clothing in the closet, turned around, and leaned against the desk. He was wearing a loose, light gray sweatshirt today, which made his skin look even whiter and his expression lazy. He didn't directly answer Wu You's question. Instead, he cast his gaze at Chu Qingling, who had been silent the entire time, with a faint smile on his lips:

"What do you think, Qingling? LYRA should be very knowledgeable about Chinese style performances, right?"

He took the initiative to turn the topic to Chu Qingling, his tone natural, with just the right hint of asking for advice, which did not seem to be deliberately flattering, but also expressed his importance.

Chu Qingling paused as he packed his things and raised his eyes. His eyelashes were very long, casting a faint shadow under his eyelids. He looked at Mi Xi, whose peach blossom eyes were smiling at him, seemingly filled with sincerity.

"...LYRA has a special body shape class." Chu Qingling's voice was still cold, but he finally responded. "'Sword Dance' focuses on the artistic conception and rhythm of the body, not just the movements."

It's concise, but it hits the nail on the head.

Wuyou blinked, having never expected this "crystal doll" to be truly remarkable. He immediately climbed up the pole. "Artistic conception? Body rhythm? Could you elaborate?"

Chu Qingling seemed unused to being questioned and frowned slightly, but still added: "You need to understand the lyrics, imagine the scene, and move with 'spirit', rather than just completing the technique."

Mi Xi nodded thoughtfully, "That makes sense. Looks like we need to think differently this time." He looked at Chu Qingling, his smile widening, "I'll have to rely on Qingling more in the future."

His eyes were focused and his tone was gentle, as if Chu Qingling was a partner he valued very much.

Chu Qingling felt a little uncomfortable being looked at by him and turned away, her ears slightly red. She hummed softly and stopped talking.

Wu You watched Mi Xi break Chu Qingling's ice with just a few words, curled his lips, and thought to himself: This little cat, after fishing for Ji Ye, is now fishing for a new teammate? Really... superb skills.

Ruan Xu looked at her idol with admiration: "Look! My idol is so amazing! He can even handle the cold beauty from LYRA!"

The first day in dormitory 401 began amidst a seemingly harmonious atmosphere, yet with underlying undercurrents (primarily Wuyou's one-sided complaints). With four Class A champions, each with their own distinct styles and exceptional abilities, gathered in one room, the ensuing collective life and team dynamics were destined to be turbulent.

————

At dinnertime, the dormitory gradually became noisy as the other trainees headed to the cafeteria. In dormitory 401, Ruan Xu was called away by someone she knew from the next door dorm. Wu You, grumbling about starving, dragged Mi Xi downstairs with him.

In a blink of an eye, Chu Qingling was the only one left in the dormitory.

He didn't feel hungry, or perhaps he was used to this kind of solitude. His champagne-blonde hair fell down, partially covering his face. He hugged his knees and curled up in the chair in front of the desk, like an insecure, delicate and fragile cat.

The phone screen lit up, frozen in the chat window with Xie Sui. He had just sent a short message:

Chu Qingling: We've been assigned to separate dormitories. I'm living with Mi Xi, Wu You, and Ruan Xu, room 401.

Less than three seconds after the message was shown as delivered, the screen was instantly covered by the video call request interface - it was Xie Sui.

Chu Qingling seemed to have long been accustomed to this speed of answering calls in seconds. He hesitated for a moment, but still pressed the answer button.

The screen lit up, revealing a strikingly handsome yet aloof face. The man's features were deep, his lines sharp, his nose high, his lips tightly pursed. He exuded the aloofness and authority of someone who had long held a high position. It was Xie Sui, the crown prince of LYRA Entertainment.

However, when his eyes fell on Chu Qingling, who was hugging her knees and looked extremely thin on the screen, the coldness melted like ice and snow, and a very faint, almost imperceptible tenderness spread in the depths of his eyes.

"Why didn't you go to eat?" Xie Sui's voice came through the receiver, low and pleasant, with unquestionable concern.

Chu Qingling lowered her eyelashes, staring at the pattern on her pajamas, and said softly, "I'm not hungry."

"Eat even if you're not hungry." Xie Sui's tone was filled with his usual commanding tone, but the ending tone was soft. "Should someone bring you something light?"

"No need." Chu Qingling refused immediately. He didn't want to be treated specially.

Xie Sui looked at his stubborn expression and didn't force him. He changed the subject: "401? How's the environment? Did your roommates... give you any trouble?" He asked casually, but his eyes were sharper, especially when he mentioned "roommates".

"Very good. No." Chu Qingling said concisely.

"Mi Xi is the person Ji Ye is keeping an eye on, and behind Wu You is Pei Yu. Neither of them is a simple character. Be careful and don't get dragged into this." Xie Sui warned, his tone was calm and businesslike, but his words were full of protectiveness.

Chu Qingling uttered an almost inaudible "hmm".

After a brief silence, Xie Sui looked at the person on the screen, who sat in a well-behaved (in his opinion) posture and whose long, drooping, trembling eyelashes, and suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter carried through the electricity, with a strange magnetism and... teasing.

"Lingling," he changed to a more intimate name, his voice low and bewitching, "Why aren't you talking? Are you having trouble adapting to the new environment? Do you miss me?"

Chu Qingling's ears instantly turned slightly red. He suddenly raised his head and glared at the man on the screen. His cold, tearful eyes were tinged with anger due to shame and anger, making him look particularly vivid: "Xie Sui! What nonsense are you talking about!"

He called out her full name, trying to sound more impressive, but his slightly flushed cheeks and twinkling eyes were unconvincing.

Xie Sui looked at his rare angry expression, and the smile in his eyes deepened. It was as if he recalled some extremely pleasant past events. He spoke slowly and leisurely: "How could I say such nonsense? When I was a child, I don't know who it was. She was wearing a little skirt, following behind me, and softly called me 'Brother Xie Sui'..."

"Shut up!" Chu Qingling's face flushed completely red, like a ripe cherry. That was the dark history he most wanted to erase! His mother had always wanted a daughter, and out of mischief, she made him wear a skirt for a long time during kindergarten. And Xie Sui, two years his senior and already a little bully, kept calling him "sister" and "sister" for a long time, until he started elementary school and learned to resist.

"Are you shy now?" Xie Sui raised an eyebrow, his tone more teasing. "Unfortunately, I still have quite a few photos from that time. Do you want me to send you a few to reminisce about, sister?"

"Xie Sui!!!" Chu Qingling was so angry he nearly threw his phone, his chest heaving violently. He knew Xie Sui's unscrupulous praise for him was causing a lot of gossip within the company, but he also knew the man before him was no real boss! What boss would constantly flirt with their own artist and treasure photos of them dressed as women as children?!

"Okay, I won't tease you anymore." Knowing when to quit was Xie Sui's usual principle. He restrained his smile at the right time and his tone returned to a more serious tone. "Remember to eat, and don't practice too hard. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

His eyes were deep, holding a silent promise.

Chu Qingling pursed her lips, her anger still not completely subsided, and she didn't want to pay attention to him.

"Did you hear that?" Xie Sui asked, with a certain force that left no room for rejection.

"...I understand." Chu Qingling responded in a muffled voice, just wanting to quickly end this call that was causing his heart rate to fluctuate.

"Good boy." Xie Sui curled his lips in satisfaction, took one last look at the blushing, incredibly beautiful face on the screen, and then hung up the phone.

The video call ended and the dormitory returned to silence.

Chu Qingling threw the hot cell phone on the bed and buried his burning face in his knees, his heart still beating irregularly.

Xie Sui...

He silently repeated the name in his mind, with a hint of helplessness, a hint of shame, and a hint of secret dependence that he himself was not even aware of.

He and Xie Sui had been entangled since kindergarten, and their relationship had long been complicated and tangled. Xie Sui's excessive, almost blatant, favoritism and teasing made him feel at a loss.

He raised his head and looked out the window at the deepening night.

Dormitory 401, new teammates, a new stage, and Xie Sui, who never made him calm...