Chapter 121 She dances with her life

Chapter 121

Zhou Lanxiang was number two. When she heard the announcement, she tugged at her clothes, took a deep breath, and went upstairs somewhat nervously.

Before she went up, Lin Rujuan glanced at her, and Zhou Lanxiang's heart skipped a beat. In front of everyone, she bowed to Lin Rujuan and said, "Teacher, I will do my best."

Lin Rujuan frowned slightly, but since there were many people around, she couldn't say anything.

Zhou Lanxiang lifted her dress and followed them onto the stage.

With a click, the stage lights shone down from the dome of the auditorium, landing on the polished wooden floor in the center of the stage, where Zhou Lanxiang stood.

She took a deep breath, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and stood steadily in the circle of light, like a sail billowing in the wind.

The prelude to "Fisherman's Song of Honghu Lake" begins.

The accordion first evoked ripples on the lake, followed by the tinkling of the pipa, and then the jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) plucked a note, as if parting a wave on the lake's surface.

In this way, people were drawn into the wave of "Fisherman's Song of Honghu Lake".

Zhou Lanxiang followed the rhythm closely, gently spreading her arms. Her red silk sleeves fluttered in the wind, the ends of the sleeves stretching into a straight oar in the air. She took small steps on her toes, but her body maintained its inertia and leaned back.

This is the act of releasing the oars, and it's also the opening signboard of "Fisherman's Song of Honghu Lake".

The once lively scene instantly fell silent.

Lin Rujuan's furrowed brows slowly relaxed; clearly, she was very satisfied with Zhou Lanxiang's opening remarks.

Meng Yingying exchanged a glance with Yang Jie, "Zhou Lanxiang's basic skills are really solid."

Wu Yanzhou said, "Her talent is second only to Gu Xiaotang."

"However, although she is not as talented as Gu Xiaotang, her performance in matches is particularly stable, and her mentality is also very stable."

Meng Yingying nodded, "I can see that. No matter how the rhythm of the music changes, she remains unmoved and stands alone in her own right."

Han Mingbing murmured, "She's more talented than me."

Meng Yingying disagreed with this statement, saying, "You are more talented than her, but you are not as hardworking as her."

"Did you see her tiptoeing? She practices that skill for at least twelve hours a day."

Do you have one?

Han Mingbing was arguably the most hardworking person in the entire Capital Song and Dance Troupe, but she still practiced for less than twelve hours a day.

She shook her head and looked at the stage.

On stage, Zhou Lanxiang changed her movements again. She took three small, quick steps across the lake, each step landing precisely on the notes of the pipa. Her red sleeves fluttered up and down with the rhythm, as if oars were actually creating ripples on the lake.

Her movements, which were originally graceful and free, suddenly became tense as the drumbeats intensified. She reacted quickly, tilted the boat to the side, and stood firmly on one leg.

Her other leg followed suit, lifting high into the air, her body almost touching the ground, her red sleeves drawing a semicircle in the air.

Like a ship capsizing, the audience couldn't help but let out a low gasp of amazement upon seeing this.

"Her center of gravity is so stable. Even though her body was tilted like that, she didn't fall over."

"It's because she has a solid foundation, strong legs, and strong waist and abdomen. She can stay stable even when tilted at a 120-degree angle. With this skill alone, most of the students present are not as good as her."

"It's too early to say that; the important part is yet to come."

"If she could do that, it would be perfect."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Lanxiang on the stage changed her movements in rhythm. She turned her toes lightly, and her red sleeve flew out of her hand, spun twice in the air, and then landed steadily back in her palm. The key point is that the long water sleeve tail was not tied in a knot!

This is the most difficult part of "Fisherman's Song of Honghu Lake"—the oars don't get tangled in the sleeves. The judges had just finished saying that when Zhou Lanxiang perfectly executed it.

Even the original judge, Ms. Li, was taken aback. She said, "This child's basic skills are really solid."

Having witnessed the perfunctory performance of Lin Jiaojiao, the first contestant, watching Zhou Lanxiang's "Fisherman's Song of Honghu Lake" now evokes only one feeling from beginning to end.

This child must have put in a lot of effort; otherwise, with his physique and movements, he wouldn't be able to do it at all.

"We need to work hard on this score."

"Her score absolutely cannot be low."

Especially with Lin Jiaojiao, that stubborn rock, standing in front of her, Zhou Lanxiang now seems like a pearl in comparison.

I give it 9.5.

I'd give it 9.4.

“I give her 9.6 points. In my opinion, she deserves 9.6 points.”

Listening to the judges' scores, Yang Jie and Wu Yanzhou both looked at Meng Yingying and asked, "Are you under a lot of pressure?"

If we remove Lin Jiaojiao, Zhou Lanxiang is the first one to achieve such a high score.

Meng Yingying hummed in agreement, "A little, but not enough."

"Zhou Lanxiang has solid basic skills, but she is not good enough to impress everyone."

So there is pressure, but not enough to put her under excessive pressure.

Seeing her mindset, Wu Yanzhou sighed, "I am ashamed of myself."

Yang Jie smiled and said, "Yingying, this shows that you have a clear goal and are not swayed by external influences."

"Zhou Lanxiang does have good basic skills, but she hasn't yet made Yingying feel like she's facing a formidable enemy. Next, she should focus on Gu Xiaotang and Ning Lu."

"Gu Xiaotang is a greater threat than Ning Lu."

No sooner had those words been spoken than the sound came through the loudspeaker again.

—Please begin preparations, Ning Lu, contestant number three from the film studio. Her performance dance is "The Eagle of Ulanmuqi," a solo dance for female pilots.

As soon as the piece started playing, everyone in the audience sat up straight.

"Ning Lu actually dared to dance like this?"

"This is very difficult. How could she dance this? I remember that although she is talented, she is not capable of dancing 'The Eagle of Ulanmuqi', is she?"

"I reckon she's aiming for Gu Xiaotang and the championship. She's been getting second and third place for so many years, and she's not satisfied with that, so she wants to challenge Gu Xiaotang."

As for Meng Yingying, who represented the Capital Song and Dance Troupe this year, she was clearly not taken seriously by them.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Ning Lu stood up and gave Gu Xiaotang a defiant look.

Unfortunately, Gu Xiaotang didn't even glance at her. Her eyes were fixed on the stage from beginning to end, until Ning Lu went up.

Gu Xiaotang gripped Lin Rujuan's hand tightly, her eyes reddening. "Teacher, I want to dance too."

She really wants to go on stage and perform, to fully showcase her dancing skills.

It's obvious that the pill she took is now working.

Lin Rujuan naturally handed her the enamel mug she was holding, saying, "Take a sip of water and bear with it."

"Ning Lu is the one, so it's you."

Gu Xiaotang took the enamel mug. She was startled by the cold water. She hurriedly opened the mug, took a sip of the ice water, and her whole body began to tremble.

The restlessness in my heart was slowly suppressed with this can of ice water.

But Gu Xiaotang didn't know how long this can of ice water could help her suppress this restlessness.

She was worried that she wouldn't be able to control herself.

The more medicine you take, the shorter its effects will last.

"Teacher, if Ning Lu hasn't finished dancing, I'll be exhausted—" Before she could finish, Lin Rujuan glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Watch the performance on stage."

Gu Xiaotang's face darkened. She felt a burning sensation inside, and her hands and feet unconsciously wanted to move to the rhythm of the music. All she could do was drink ice water over and over again.

She held those ice cubes in her mouth; only the biting cold of the ice could give her a moment of peace.

Meng Yingying was originally in the stands when she glanced at Gu Xiaotang and saw what she was eating.

"Teacher, what do you think of Gu Xiaotang?"

Yang Jie was getting on in years and was also nearsighted, so she asked, "What's wrong?"

Meng Yingying said, "She seems to be eating something."

"They're also drinking something."

The two were four or five rows apart, so they couldn't see each other very clearly.

Wu Yanzhou also looked over and said, "Perhaps she's too nervous and is drinking water."

“I remember Mingbing also liked to drink water before each competition for two years.”

Han Mingbing said that she drank hot water, while Gu Xiaotang drank ice water.

Can they be the same?

Unfortunately, she hadn't said anything yet.

The spotlight slammed into the center of the stage with a loud thud, instantly illuminating the dark stage.

The accordion in the band below the stage was the first to burst into flame, the morning breeze on the grassland carrying the vibrato of the morin khuur, a deep bass boom echoed through the ears, and the audience fell silent instantly.

Meng Yingying and the others instantly forgot their conversation and turned their attention to the stage in unison.

Ning Lu emerged from behind the curtain, dressed in a silver-white flight suit with a belt around her waist and her boots heels snapping together. She looked straight ahead and raised her hand in salute, her fingertips moving crisply and cleanly.

The audience immediately burst into applause.

Ning Lu's look is truly stunning. She has short, ear-length hair, wears a flight cap, and her body is tightly wrapped in a silver-white flight suit, making her look incredibly dashing.

"That flight suit looks really good."

Before the audience could finish speaking, the music changed, and the drumbeats roared like propellers.

Ning Lu lightly touched the ground with her toes, spread her arms, and slowly retreated with small steps, her body leaning slightly backward, like an eagle's wings being blown by the morning breeze.

At this moment, it seems as if she is standing on the grassland, fluttering in the wind.

After she regained her footing, Ning Lu stood on one leg with the other leg bent at a 90-degree angle, and placed her hands on her eyebrows as if looking around.

Accompanied by the rapid-fire snare drumbeats, as the music tempo quickened, she began to jump repeatedly on the low wooden platform at level 3.

Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock.

Each note was louder than the last.

"A short hop before boarding."

"This is a small hop before boarding."

The judges slowly sat up straight. Before they could react, Ning Lu, after warming up with a small jump while boarding the plane, suddenly sprang up.

Go straight from a small hop at the boarding gate to a huge hop on the boarding stairs!

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

Even Gu Xiaotang forgot her anxiety and restlessness. Instead of drinking ice water from her enamel mug, she turned her attention to the stage.

Meng Yingying was not much different. She was originally quite relaxed, but after Ning Lu jumped up from the plane, she slowly stood up and looked straight ahead.

On the stage, Ning Lu leaped three steps on invisible stairs in the air. With each leap, her legs stretched to her ears, forming a straight silver line in the air. At that moment, she didn't seem to be standing on a stage, but rather climbing a ladder to the clouds.

Up and down.

Finally, as it descended from the air and landed, the heel of its boot slammed onto the ground with a loud thud, sending a shiver through the hearts of everyone in the audience.

"Boarding jump!"

"She performed the boarding jump."

"That's amazing! I don't understand how she managed to climb a ladder in mid-air with her feet. Doesn't that violate gravity?"

"I'm also curious about what kind of strength she used to support her whole body."

No one knows how Ning Lu did it.

Before anyone could react, Ning Lu changed her stance again, standing on one leg with the other leg held straight up beside her ear.

Immediately afterwards, her body began to spin rapidly, her boot heels drawing perfect circles on the ground.

On the 16th lap, she suddenly bent over, put her hands in a control stick position, and tilted her body at a 45-degree angle.

Just like an airplane actually flying sideways, even her sleeves were stretched into a straight line by centrifugal force, shimmering like propeller blades, dazzling the eye.

The judges sat up straight in shock. "The propeller is spinning!"

"She spun the propeller out."

How did she do that?

In the first row of the audience, Lin Rujuan saw Ning Lu's propeller spin, and her fingers tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white, clearly suppressing her emotions.

She regretted that she should have made a move on Ning Lu in the first place.

She never expected that Ning Lu would make such great progress in just one year.

Suddenly, he became a formidable rival to Gu Xiaotang and Zhou Lanxiang.

Meng Yingying, sitting upright in the back row, stared intently at the stage, her fingers unconsciously tapping on her knees.

After Ning Lu completed her boarding jump, she did a propeller spin.

Meng Yingying took a soft breath and turned to Yang Jie, saying, "Teacher, Ning Lu is really amazing."

She had previously thought that Zhou Lanxiang wasn't impressive enough, that she just had a solid foundation.

But when it was Ning Lu's turn, her outfit and her high-difficulty moves were truly stunning.

Yang Jie frowned slightly, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the armrest. She hummed in agreement, "Ning Lu's wrist skills are quite good, but her toes could be pointed a little more, which would make her propeller blades even straighter. However, although this part is not well done, overall it is not a big flaw."

"Ning Lu is indeed a formidable opponent." Her tone held a hint of worry as she said this, "Yingying, you—"

Meng Yingying's eyes were bright. "Teacher, I'm fine." She was even a little excited.

Lin Jiaojiao is no good.

Zhou Lanxiang wasn't quite enough either.

Ning Lu is finally someone she can look at now.

Meng Yingying not only didn't feel pressured, but also felt that this was what made her worthy of being called a genius in the capital.

That's great.

This trip was worthwhile.

In the front row, Zhou Lanxiang was initially pleased with her high score, but after seeing Ning Lu's performance, she became a little nervous.

Gu Xiaotang forgot her anxiety at this moment, and she murmured, "Ning Lu this time is much better than before."

Lin Rujuan sat down next to the two women, her face expressionless, but her eyes swept over them like knives. "Are you feeling the pressure?"

"If Ning Lu can make you feel pressure, then I can only say that you are all too useless."

It's clear that Lin Rujuan's treatment of her students has always been one of suppression and manipulation.

As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Xiaotang and Zhou Lanxiang fell silent, neither of them saying a word.

However, the silent pressure and anxiety spread around the two of them.

On stage, as Ning Lu finished her last movement, she breathed softly and bowed to the audience.

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Good!"

"Ning Lu danced so well!"

"After watching her performance, I felt that she was a real female pilot."

"I even suspect that she might have secretly worked as a female pilot behind our backs?"

"Otherwise, how could her movements be so smooth and fluid?"

The judges were also somewhat shocked. "Ning Lu's performance was truly amazing. Compared to Zhou Lanxiang's strong basic skills, what's impressive about her is her own ability to move around."

"Although there are minor flaws, they do not detract from the overall excellence."

I'd give her 9.7.

“I don’t think that’s a flaw, but a minor mistake within the normal and permissible range. Take her mid-air boarding jump for example, I wouldn’t be wrong to give her 9.9 points.”

"However, 9.9 is too high, it will make it difficult for us to score later. How about this, I'll give her 9.8."

It's clear that 9.8 points is the highest score achieved at the event.

The judges directly tallied the scores: "After removing the lowest score of 9.6 and the highest score of 9.85, Ning Lu's final score is 9.8."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lanxiang in the audience turned pale instantly. Her fists clenched tightly, because she only scored 9.72.

I thought that was the highest score, but I didn't expect that Ning Lu, who came after her, would get a high score of 9.8.

She didn't even dare to look up at her teacher, Lin Rujuan's, expression.

Zhou Lanxiang pressed her head tightly against the wall, tears streaming down her face. "Teacher, I'm sorry."

"I really tried my best, but I didn't expect Ning Lu to get such a high score."

Lin Rujuan coldly uttered two words, "Useless!"

She turned to look at Gu Xiaotang, her gaze already carrying a hint of pressure. "Xiaotang, Zhou Lanxiang has already disappointed me. You won't disappoint me either, will you?"

Gu Xiaotang was trembling all over. The medicine had taken effect, and her attention was completely focused on the stage, so she forgot to drink the ice water.

She held the enamel mug and gulped down three mouthfuls of ice water to try and stop herself from trembling. "Teacher, I can do it."

Her eyes were blank and unfocused, and she just kept repeating, "I'm a good girl, I will win the championship."

"Teacher, I won't let you down."

Hearing this, Lin Rujuan nodded in satisfaction. "Good girl." She reached out and patted her head. "Go up there. I want to see the highest score in the whole game."

Just as he finished speaking, the radio announced the start of a program.

Please welcome our fourth contestant, Gu Xiaotang from the National Ballet of China. She will be performing "The Neighing of Warhorses".

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xiaotang stood up from his seat. He stood up so suddenly that he felt a little dizzy.

However, at the crucial moment, Lin Rujuan supported her, "Little Tang?"

It was rare for him to show concern, but it wasn't for Gu Xiaotang's health; rather, it was for her inability to participate in the competition and win the championship.

Gu Xiaotang shook his head, "Teacher, I'm fine."

"I'm going up to compete now."

As Lin Rujuan watched Gu Xiaotang's retreating figure, she wondered if she should increase the dosage of her medication.

One pill is no longer effective.

I should have given her two pills.

As Meng Yingying watched Gu Xiaotang's retreating figure, she felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

At this moment, Gu Xiaotang had walked step by step behind the side curtain, her whole body trembling slightly, her spirits at their peak.

Every cell in her body was screaming; she wanted to go on stage to dance, to perform, to pour out her blood and sweat.

As the prelude to the music began outside the side curtain, the bass of the accordion started, sounding like the crackling of electricity, while distant muffled cannon fire boomed, making the floor tremble.

Hearing that familiar voice.

Gu Xiaotang felt her blood run cold. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She reached out and pulled back the vermilion side curtain. The moment she stepped out from behind the curtain, a spotlight shone on her.

She wore a gray-blue coat, black riding breeches, and high boots with iron heels. With a sudden stomp, the sound was like an iron hoof shattering a wooden plank.

The scene fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to look.

Gu Xiaotang walked to the center of the stage. She stood under the lights, taking small steps back slowly, her arms trembling slightly, like a warhorse stimulated by frontline radio waves, her muscles shaking wildly.

The lights followed her; she seemed drunk, tentatively exploring the edge of the trench with every step.

As the music suddenly pitched up, she instantly bent her other knee at a 90-degree angle, her hands forming a rein-like gesture, and her body leaning slightly forward.

Like cavalrymen looking out from the edge of artillery fire.

She exuded a calm and composed demeanor, with a hint of alertness on her face.

With a flick of the erhu, a neighing sound like a warhorse pierced the stage.

The audience's hearts skipped a beat with the sound of the string, alerting them: "Gu Xiaotang is a girl, how can she jump out and play the powerful neighing of a warhorse?"

"Especially the moment she looked out from her horse, I felt like she was really riding a warhorse."

That kind of weight and presence is something a delicate and frail woman could never achieve.

Meng Yingying murmured, "Her power is so strong."

"So strong."

When she performed the "Scattering Flowers" dance, she used sandbags on her wrists and ankles because she lacked power. Gu Xiaotang's explosive power on stage was two to three times greater than hers.

Yang Jie immediately saw the problem: "She's mortgaging her future."

"Lin Rujuan trained her like a machine."

Gu Xiaotang's dancing had absolutely no aesthetic appeal; all it possessed was extreme power and skill, with every aspect executed perfectly.

But she herself was like a puppet on a string, devoid of any soul.

Meng Yingying hadn't noticed it until she pointed it out. After observing carefully, she realized, "There is a hint of it, but her strength and skill are so great that it's hard to see."

At this point, she looked towards the judges' panel and asked, "Teacher, do you think the judges can tell?"

Yang Jie shook her head, "We don't know yet, we'll have to see how the judges react later."

On stage, Gu Xiaotang continued, and as the music reached a high point, the drumbeats became increasingly dense, like machine gun fire.

She performed three consecutive splits in mid-air, landing and sliding on her knees for more than a meter.

The sawdust and wax shavings on the floor also exploded up, and the force of that moment was like a cannonball overturning a trench.

The ultimate power and the ultimate softness, combined together, create a dazzling and stunning aesthetic.

A low gasp escaped from the audience.

"Hiss—" Someone gasped first, "That's really ruthless."

Meng Yingying gripped the armrest tightly, her knuckles turning white. She murmured, "Three splits, and she still slid more than a meter after landing... Are there iron implants in her knees?"

Yang Jie squinted and lowered her voice, "Even with iron inlays, they'll still wear out—look at her boots with iron in the heels, they're still worn out."

Han Mingbing, standing next to her, covered her mouth in shock, "My God, Gu Xiaotang isn't in pain at all?"

"She has to go through the pain." Wu Yanzhou's expression was complicated, mixed with a bit of heartache. "Being a student under Lin Rujuan, she's risking her life on stage."

In the first row of the judges' panel, Lin Rujuan remained expressionless, but her fingertips gently tapped the armrest, each tap landing on the rhythm of Gu Xiaotang's kneeling and sliding motion.

A barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes, like a teacher looking at their most perfect and outstanding work.

She stopped tapping and muttered to herself, "If it were just a little more perfect, I could hand it in."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yingying's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at the stage.

In the lamplight, Gu Xiaotang's face was almost transparently white, and beads of sweat dripped from her chin onto the floor, yet she was still smiling; she wasn't done yet.

Accompanied by the rousing drumbeats, Gu Xiaotang's dance moves became increasingly frenzied, as if she were burning herself out to finish this song of warhorse neighing.

She dances with her life on the line.

Fortunately, as the music gradually slowed down, only the long notes of the accordion remained.

Gu Xiaotang slowly relaxed her posture, her head slightly lowered, her back straight, with only a small spotlight shining on her head, like the last horse standing on the battlefield.

This warhorse had previously gone completely mad—no, she should be called a mad horse.

The judges on the panel stood up in astonishment. "Her dance was absolutely perfect."

"Her dancing was absolutely perfect." The praise was repeated twice.

"And every single one of her dance moves was flawless."

Unlike the shock and amazement on the judges' panel.

"She's a genius."

"Gu Xiaotang is a genius."

"She is a true genius."

Meng Yingying murmured, her voice hoarse, "She's really overdrawing her energy."

She said to Yang Jie, "Teacher, this dance made Gu Xiaotang squeeze out every last drop of blood from her body."

She dances with her life on the line.

Yang Jie frowned and didn't say anything, just staring at the high platform.

The last notes on stage also came to a complete halt.

Gu Xiaotang knelt on one knee, his hand forming a whip, his fingertips pointing directly at the audience, as if he were tightly reining in a warhorse.

The light focused on her face—pale, excited, yet frighteningly bright.

The next moment, applause from the audience exploded like cannonballs.

Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, "Gu Xiaotang!"

"Gu Xiaotang!"

"You're a genius!"

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Gu Xiaotang smiled slightly at Lin Rujuan below the stage and said, "Teacher, I did it."

Then, she looked in Yang Jie's direction, her smile somewhat pale and weak, "Teacher Yang, I won the championship, will you accept me as your student?"

However, she hadn't received Yang Jie's reply yet.

The next second, she collapsed onto the stage with a thud.

Their fate is unknown.

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Author's Note: This chapter involves too much professional dancing, so I wrote it so slowly, only about 1300-1400 km/h. Good heavens, that's why I'm late! Sorry, sorry!