Chapter 26 Performance Week
"I..." Qu Mingyuan was also thinking of an excuse. The flashlight beam swept around him and finally settled on his slightly hunched back and strange posture.
The village party secretary said "Oh," his tone carrying a hint of understanding and good-natured teasing: "Sir, are you... relieving yourself? My bad, my bad, sorry to bother you, I'll be right back!"
Need to relieve myself?!
Qu Mingyuan felt a wave of heat rush to his head, and even his ears were burning. He had never been in such an embarrassing situation before.
The words of explanation swirled on his tongue, but he couldn't squeeze them out. In the end, he could only tighten his jaw and force out a few words between his teeth: "...It's alright. It'll be ready soon."
Even he himself found those words utterly offensive.
Almost simultaneously, Ling Wei, who was pressed against his chest, also heard the conversation. He clearly felt the body in his arms stiffen at first, and then begin to tremble slightly—she was laughing!
The laughter was silent, yet it made her shoulders sway gently. Her warm breath, seeping through the thin fabric of his shirt, brushed against his chest, bringing an indescribable tingling and itching sensation that almost seeped into his heart.
This feeling is absolutely awful.
Qu Mingyuan, with a hint of helplessness, gently patted her on the head. The movement was very light, carrying a warning meaning, yet also concealing an unspeakable indulgence.
"Then you go ahead and do your thing! We'll go find our things first!" The village secretary probably felt embarrassed that the leaders were being disturbed while they were "doing business," and his footsteps quickly faded into the distance.
Only when silence returned to the surroundings did Qu Mingyuan let out a silent sigh of relief, feeling a thin layer of sweat on his back.
The movement in her arms stopped, and Ling Wei gently moved, signaling him to let go.
Qu Mingyuan seemed to have been burned, and quickly released his arms. Ling Wei emerged from under his hoodie, her face still bearing the lingering smile, and her eyelashes even glistening with tears from her earlier laughter under the moonlight.
She raised her hand to tidy her slightly messy hair, her eyes glancing at his ears, which were still suspiciously flushed, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.
Qu Mingyuan avoided her teasing gaze, cleared his throat, and tried to restore his usual calm voice, but instead asked a somewhat abrupt question:
Do you have your phone with you?
Ling Wei paused for a moment, then subconsciously reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone: "I brought it."
Qu Mingyuan naturally stretched out his hand, palm up, fingers long and neat.
Ling Wei looked at his outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, and then slid her phone open and handed it to him.
Qu Mingyuan took the phone and tapped rapidly on the screen. The dim screen light illuminated his well-defined profile and a slightly uneasy expression.
After he finished typing, he handed the phone back to Ling Wei, his tone no longer as gentle as usual, but more serious than before:
“This is my private number.” He looked at her calmly. “If anything happens in the future, you can contact me directly.”
Ling Wei looked down at the newly added number in her contacts, then looked up to meet his gaze. The playful smile on her face faded slightly, and she responded softly, "Oh."
...
The variety show week came to an end in a flash amidst the busyness.
Even before the recording was finished, Ling Wei and her team carefully reviewed the clues they had collected. The requirements for the first competition were clear: the performance theme had to be highly consistent with the atmosphere of the venue, and the participants could only choose from a few designated landmarks in the provincial capital.
The clues planted by the program team ultimately point to four distinctive stages: the streamlined Provincial Science and Technology Museum, exuding a futuristic feel; the Qinghe Grand Theatre, with its perfect acoustic structure, showcasing professionalism; the Century Square, with its expansive view, possessing an imposing presence; and the Heritage Park, which retains industrial imprints and is filled with stories of bygone eras.
Group A came in second in terms of popularity votes. When it was their turn to choose, the ideal location with the highest foot traffic, Century Square, had already been chosen by Group B, which had the highest popularity. After discussion, Group A finally decided on the Science and Technology Museum.
As soon as the recording ended on Friday, all the teams moved into the closed training base. For the next week, they will prepare for the competition program under the guidance of professional teachers.
The production team provided a copyrighted music library and allowed original compositions. Ling Wei had several of her own songs, but none of them were quite suitable for the technology theme, so in the end, they decided to choose songs from the music library to adapt.
The team's division of labor was already clear: Ling Wei was in charge of the arrangement and structure, Sha Jing was responsible for the lyrics, and Zhao Xiaohe was in charge of all the rap sections.
The soul and framework of the entire performance are now tied to the notes flowing from Ling Wei's fingertips.
At 2 a.m. in the training base, a faint light still shone from the temporary workroom at the end of the corridor. Ling Wei, facing the screen full of audio tracks, brushed the stray hairs from her forehead behind her head. She was on the verge of her breaking point.
She knew all too well that as a team with prior debut experience, the audience naturally had higher expectations, or even more demanding scrutiny.
That is why the first performance is far more important than the final competition. It is not a gradual warm-up, but a decisive debut.
According to the show's format, popularity equates to choice, and every bit of popularity directly translates into a tangible advantage.
Among the four teams, Group A, with the second-highest overall popularity, prioritized the performance date on Saturday, which has a 30% higher natural audience base than Sunday.
Regarding the specific order of appearance, since their popularity was slightly lower than Bai Wanqing's team, they had to let the other team choose the order of appearance first. Every seemingly small choice was like a domino effect, affecting the whole situation.
Falling behind even once can lead to a series of setbacks, creating an insurmountable gap in resources and attention.
They are not suited for the "rags-to-riches" storyline; they must shine brightly in their first performance, captivating all eyes and expectations with impeccable stage presence.
Still without a clue, Ling Wei leaned back in her chair and sighed.
At that moment, the door to the workroom was gently pushed open.
"I knew you'd sneak off again." Ye Zhen walked in carrying a cup of hot milk, followed by Lu Xiaoxiao and the others, who were rubbing their eyes.
"Captain, you stayed up all night without calling us." Lu Xiaoxiao draped the blanket she brought over Ling Wei's shoulders.
Zhao Xiaohe tore open the bag of potato chips and said indistinctly, "Don't try to handle this alone, let's think of something together."
Ling Wei rubbed her throbbing temples and turned the tablet towards everyone with a wry smile: "The theme of the science museum just feels like it's missing something that will really catch your eye."
"When you think about the future, what comes to mind first?"
After a moment's thought, Sha Jing spoke first: "Artificial intelligence. Precise and efficient, but lacking in warmth."
Ye Zhen followed her train of thought: "You mean, the T800 Terminator?"
Zhao Xiaohe: "Star Wars?"
At this moment, Lu Xiaoxiao whispered, "The end of the world..."
The other three all turned to look at her, and Zhao Xiaohe almost choked on her potato chips: "Xiaoxiao, isn't your future a bit too... far ahead?"
Are you fast-forwarding straight to the finale?!
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