Chapter 54 Covering Up
The Yu Shuling he remembered was not like this.
If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand before, he would have thought that the segment between Yu Shuling and Chen Qiyang might have been scripted by the production team or edited in post-production. But now, the stage performances are all real, live, and there's no way there could be any embellishment. Jiang Wenxi finally gained a completely new understanding of Yu Shuling's abilities.
It would be difficult to do those moves without at least several years of dance training, and Yu Shuling did them so smoothly and naturally, which gave him a huge shock.
Of course... Jiang Wenxi was used to seeing all sorts of amazing dance teachers, some of whom could switch between multiple dance styles at will. What he cared about wasn't Yu Shuling's dance skills themselves, but rather that there was a significant discrepancy between what he knew of her and what he thought. Ever since he had a strange dream one day, he found that many details matched up with that dream. Jiang Wenxi had thought he would never have any interaction with the girl group Lyer, and he had never observed them before, but thinking about what happened in his dream made him feel uneasy and wary of Yu Shuling.
Before the applause ended, Jiang Wenxi turned his gaze to Qi Xiuxiu. He noticed that Qi Xiuxiu was also intently watching the stage, her round, bright eyes like those of a bewildered little deer, very adorable. He couldn't help but smile, then turned his gaze to the audience, where his fans were screaming wildly at his smile.
"Wenxi is looking at us!"
"Ahhh, what a fan-loving maniac! Once you become a fan of Jiang Wenxi, your life is set!"
After taking her seat on the stage amidst cheers, Yu Shuling could feel that everyone's trust in her had increased significantly. In places she couldn't see, the comments on the screen were indeed much gentler.
The organizers had seen the rehearsals beforehand, so they seemed much calmer than the others regarding the current reversal. After a round of commercial praise, they got straight to the point, since the contestants were still in charge. Jiang Wenxi also appropriately withdrew her gaze and sat up straight.
As the male lead, Jiang Wenxi's professional skills are naturally quite qualified, and there are quite a few female contestants who have a crush on him. Some of them even came simply because of Jiang Wenxi. However, as a mentor, Jiang Wenxi is extremely strict and can be described as impartial and unyielding.
Yu Shuling had heard of his feat of making a little girl cry, and today, having witnessed it firsthand, she was certain that the atmosphere would suddenly become tense when Jiang Wenxi began his critique after a group's performance. The girls looked like warriors heading to their execution, their expressions seemingly calm, but their hands were clenched tightly as they stared intently at Jiang Wenxi.
One of the dancers was quite good, but due to nervousness during the qualifying round, she was a half-beat late in transitioning to a part of the group's collaborative song, and there were also some minor issues with the control of details. Overall, it wasn't a major mistake. Generally, mentors are quite tolerant of contestants who haven't debuted yet, but Jiang Wenxi frowned, her gaze fixed on the girl's face.
"Contestant number 8, if this is how you react on the spot, how do you plan to perform on the actual stage?"
"Contestant number 11, were you and contestant number 17 performing a duet when you turned around?"
Numbers 8, 11, and 17 were among the lower-ranked members of the group. Number 8, in particular, had decent skills; his main issue was his mentality. The other mentors thought it was nothing serious and could be resolved with more practice. However, after Jiang Wenxi's comment, numbers 8, 11, and 17 all looked displeased and lowered their heads.
Jiang Wenxi launched into another tirade, pointing out numerous flaws in everything from stage positioning to singing style. Even with the young man's handsome face, no girl was likely to have any romantic feelings for him at this point. Number 8 was the one he criticized the harshest, tears welling up in her eyes. Jiang Wenxi glanced at her, as if he wanted to say something, but then held back for fear of going too far, and simply let out a short sigh.
"well……"
His sigh was subtle, the atmosphere slightly tense, and Number 8 seemed to be playing the victim. In reality, although Number 8 had an adorable baby face and a sweet voice, he was by no means soft-hearted, and after that sigh, he actually tried hard to control his tears.
Many of the audience members in the front row were Jiang Wenxi's fans, and they started discussing it. Yu Shuling gave him a half-smile.
The celebrity judges only have the right to vote, not to comment, which saves them a lot of trouble. However, the next match is Qi Xiuxiu's team, and Yu Shuling quickly discovered Jiang Wenxi's double standards.
She initially thought that Qi Xiuxiu, as the female lead, wouldn't be too bad in terms of skill. However, right at the start of the performance, Qi Xiuxiu, who was in a prominent position next to the center, made a mistake in her dance moves, doing the opposite of the others. This alone drew criticism, and later, due to the mistimed movements, the positioning became chaotic. In a moment of panic, Qi Xiuxiu simply continued with the mistake, causing her teammates to panic as well, almost turning it into a stage disaster.
The other mentors frowned frequently. According to Jiang Wenxi's previous scoring criteria, this group should have been criticized mercilessly. However, as soon as it ended, Qi Xiuxiu realized her mistake and took the initiative to apologize. Her attitude was very sincere, and she blinked her big eyes, looking as innocent as could be.
Jiang Wenxi looked somewhat speechless. He paused for a moment, then looked at Qi Xiuxiu with an expression as if she were an idiot. He first recounted the shortcomings of the others' performances, though he was more restrained than before, as if he realized his earlier tone had been a bit harsh. Finally, it was Qi Xiuxiu's turn. The young girl stood up straight and spoke in a clear, bright voice:
"PD Jiang, I will definitely remember the positioning better next time and won't make such a... uh, original-level mistake again!"
Jiang Wenxi made a helpless gesture at her, and the performance passed by in a lukewarm fashion. After several performances, it was time for intermission. After the critiques of the previous group, the live chat was already in an uproar, mainly because the critiques of the two performances differed significantly. Jiang Wenxi's fans were quite assertive in the comments:
If I'm too harsh, you can't handle it; if I'm too lenient, you accuse me of favoring those who are just going through the motions. You're so hard to please!
This female contestant is simply beyond words, isn't she?
[Our Xiuxiu's stage skills are indeed just average, but her personality is really cute. Investing in her is definitely worth it. I went from being a hater to a fan. And her attitude is always very sincere. Xiuxiu fans apologize to all the other fandoms that have been affected.]
Qi Xiuxiu has a fairly good public image. Although her professional skills aren't particularly outstanding, her lively and adorable personality has won her a large following. During the 20-minute break, the live stream was interrupted. Yu Shuling politely declined a male mentor who wanted to get to know her, asked a staff member for directions to the restroom, and quietly walked towards it.
As I approached the bathroom door, I heard crying, just as I expected.
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