Content Warning: This story is set in an alternate world, do not map it to reality. The world-building is extensive and unique to the author.
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Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ERROR
The rankings were announced quickly, and Ding Ling talked about the rules again, but this time everyone was listening absent-mindedly. They were in a complicated mood and couldn't calm down quickly.
"Over the past four years, many people have gotten to know you, and you have acquired many labels."
"In the first two quadrants of the assessment, the trainees reintroduced themselves and reaffirmed their dreams. But, did you let the audience get to know you better?"
"In the third quadrant assessment, young people will break free from labels, reinvent themselves, and emerge from their cocoons as butterflies."
"This assessment is a two-person cooperative mode."
"The trainees are free to form teams, choose their own songs, and bring a brand new side to the audience on stage."
"This time, the groups are voluntary. You have three days to decide. After three days, submit your groupings and song selections. Got it?"
"knew."
There were scattered responses, and today's recording came to an end.
The departure of the staff is not the end, the trainees' schedule has just begun.
Everyone started a discussion around the rules just mentioned.
Cang Zizhen and Yin Hongxue sat together and started chatting directly.
Cang Zizhen spoke first: "What do you say?"
Yin Hongxue glanced at Li Qiang, who was photographing Qiu Yuge, and tilted her head towards Cang Zizhen: "Very confused."
Cangzi really couldn't help laughing.
Who says it isn’t?
Every time you hear these concepts, are they related to the final presentation?
"Then let's form a team of two?" He pointed at himself and Yin Hongxue.
Yin Hongxue nodded indifferently: "Okay."
The team was formed very efficiently here, and on the other side, Qiu Yuge looked at Bai You.
"Both of us?"
In terms of strength, Bai You's singing and dancing skills are quite good in the fifth generation, and Qiu Yuge has the advantage in overall expressiveness. When the two of them form a team, they can guarantee the final performance effect no matter what form of stage it is.
In terms of relationship, the two have been very close since childhood, and have collaborated on many stages over the years. They have a great understanding of each other, and communication is much more efficient.
As soon as this rule came out, Qiu Yuge's first thought was to find Bai You to form a team.
As a result, when Qiu Yuge made the invitation, Bai You subconsciously looked at Lu Yao.
Qiu Yuge also looked over.
It seems a little unexpected, but not so unexpected.
Bai You has always been good at taking care of others.
Especially those within his area of responsibility.
Qiu Yuge curled up the corner of his mouth and was about to speak when Wang Mingzhi suddenly came out from behind him.
"Xiao Qiuqiu, how about we team up?" Wang Mingzhi hugged Qiu Yuge, "We haven't worked together alone in all these years."
He clung to Qiu Yuge's body and rocked, looking very eager.
Qiu Yuge glanced at Bai You again, and the other party had already walked to Lu Yao's side.
Qiu Yuge smiled and nodded, "Then we must have a fight."
"Is it a deal?"
“It’s a must!”
Bai You turned around and saw Qiu Yuge and Wang Mingzhi talking together. It seemed that they had successfully formed a team, and he immediately felt relieved.
He looked at Lu Yao who was still sitting on the chair: "Can we be a team?"
Lu Yao nodded: "Okay."
In short, within an hour after the rules were announced, the trainees formed teams one after another, focusing on efficiency.
Li Qiang recalled the scene he had just taken and exchanged a silent look with Xu Bin.
Fortunately, there were no special recordings of groups, otherwise the show would have no effect at all.
Over the next day, the trainees received the latest class schedule and began attending classes one by one.
Dance and vocal music are both programs to be performed at the next concert.
In addition to this, they also have to think about the selection of songs for the collaborative stage.
When Bai You returned to the dormitory after class in the evening, he didn't rush to wash up. He found Lu Yao and started discussing the song selection.
Playing chess with Lu Yao every day, Bai You has developed the habit of sitting in the living room on the third floor. Now the two of them sit around the coffee table, one on each side, directly on the floor. There is no need to turn on the air conditioner. The summer night breeze blows in through the window, bringing a cool and comfortable feeling.
"Do you have any ideas?" Bai You had no time to communicate during the day, so now he had time to ask Lu Yao.
Lu Yao didn't have any idea, "I don't have any, what about you?"
Bai You had a lot of ideas. He took out his cell phone and opened the memo, which was filled with ideas he had written down.
"Because the theme this time is to tear off labels and emerge from the cocoon as a butterfly," Bai You began to explain, "so I'll first summarize the labels I have."
Bai You has many labels, both good and bad, and he has accumulated quite a few of them over the past four years.
"The King of Curls, super masculine, fat, impatient, self-satisfied, and lacking empathy..."
But humans are very strange animals. They are always more sensitive to the bad parts than the good parts.
Bai You stopped reciting. Even though he had written these words in his memo, when he actually read them out loud, they still seemed to cause some hurt to him.
He took a breath, as if to encourage himself, or as if to escape, and read the rest of the content at a very fast speed: "...I can't hear other people's opinions."
“These are the labels on me.”
Lu Yao nodded, "Yes."
He had indeed seen these descriptions online.
"It seems that none of them are good words." Bai You smiled, "But so what?"
After reading out these 'labels' just now, Bai You became more certain of his ideas.
“That’s just who I am.”
“I want to become better and better, so I have to work harder.”
“I only see the goal in front of me and keep working towards it, so I don’t see other people around me.”
"I know."
"But my energy is limited. Why should I waste time on irrelevant things?"
Lu Yao didn't say anything, and Bai You didn't seem to need his answer.
"Why should I be defined as good or bad by others?"
Bai You flipped down the memo, and the song title he had chosen was written there.
"What is right and what is wrong? Who can tell?"
"ERROR"
“I want to choose this song.”
"What do you think?"
Bai You looked at Lu Yao, waiting for his answer.
Lu Yao didn't have any idea because he had never heard of this song.
"I'm fine with either."
Bai You: "You can think about it again in the next two days and see if you have any ideas. If you find a suitable one, we can discuss it later."
"OK."
In addition to song selection, Bai You also has many other ideas today.
He exited the memo, opened the music software, and started playing the song "ERROR".
"This afternoon I briefly thought about what kind of concept our stage could have if we chose this song."
The music played and Bai You began to express his thoughts one by one.
Yes, he is such a creative person. In one day, he not only took a full class, but also selected the songs and even came up with the stage concept.
Bai You was talking and Lu Yao was listening. When Qiu Yuge and Wang Mingzhi went upstairs, they saw the two of them sitting next to each other in the living room and talking.
The music wasn't loud, but Bai You's voice was even quieter.
Wang Mingzhi tilted his head, trying to hear the music clearly, but he couldn't figure out what song it was.
But it doesn't matter.
He can ask.
Wang Mingzhi walked over and squatted beside Bai You, looking at the phone on the table. "Is this the song you two chose?"
"Tentatively, it's not finalized yet. I'll have to think about it over the next two days."
As they got closer, the music became clearer. Wang Mingzhi swayed to the music. "It's quite nice. What song is this?"
"ERROR"
"ERROR"
Two voices sounded at the same time. Wang Mingzhi looked back and found Qiu Yuge standing at the stairs and also answered the question.
Qiu Yuge's gaze fell upon him, as if he were looking at Bai You. The dim light cast a shadow beneath his three-dimensional brow, obscuring his expression. Only the faint smile at the corner of his mouth could be seen. "This song suits you very well. If you perform it on stage, it will have a great effect."
Bai You nodded in agreement: "I think so too."
Then he asked, "What song did you choose?"
"We haven't discussed it yet." Wang Mingzhi said, "I'll discuss it with Xiao Qiuqiu later. It won't be too late anyway. If we hand it over to the teacher sooner, we can also come up with the stage plan sooner."
Bai You agreed: "You are right."
"If you guys don't want to go wash up, I'll go first." Qiu Yuge walked a little closer and changed the subject. The three people at the coffee table had no objection, and no one challenged him for it. Qiu Yuge went back to his room, changed into pajamas, grabbed his things, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Wang Mingzhi didn't squat there for too long. He left after listening to the song. After he left, Bai You began to introduce his concept again.
After the song was played three times, Bai You finished expressing his thoughts in a fluent manner.
"Very good, let's choose this song." Lu Yao said.
Bai You's eyes lit up. "Really? Is it okay to choose this song?"
If "ERROR" could be chosen, he would of course be very happy, but Lu Yao didn't say anything about his own thoughts, and it was decided like this, which seemed not very good.
Lu Yao: "I don't have any ideas. I think your idea is pretty good."
"Really?" Bai You couldn't help laughing, "Hehe."
"Then I'll go talk to the teacher tomorrow?"
"Can."
"In that case, these ideas need to be sorted out again." Bai You looked at the fragmented words in his memo. It would definitely not be appropriate to give them to the teacher to do stage planning. Thinking of this, he got up and ran back to the room, then ran out again with the computer.
It’s time to test high school students’ PPT production skills.
How about it?
So, amid the noise of playing on the first and second floors, and the sound of washing on the third floor, Bai You and Lu Yao in the living room were concentrating on making a PPT in front of the computer.
After doing this, he was so ruthless that he forgot about love and even his life. When the alarm clock rang the next day, Bai You felt his body hollowed out for the first time in a long time.
The last time I felt this way was last time.
Actually, it was during the final exam.
Studying always makes people exhausted.
But when Bai You turned around and saw Lu Yao, he deeply felt the gap between people.
Even though he went to bed in the early morning, Lu Yao could still wake up at five and still feel refreshed.
What is this? Is this what you call youth?
For the first time, Bai You felt like he was getting old.