11.
The day before the performance, the entire show entered a real studio for its first dress rehearsal. The massive stage, the surrounding lights, the overhead screens, and the empty yet intensely visible auditorium all served as a reminder that the moment of testing was imminent.
The "Venom" group was scheduled for rehearsal in the afternoon. In the morning, they conducted a final practice session focused on detailing. Following the instructor's advice, they focused on adjusting the expressive levels of Mi Xi and Wu You in certain sections, allowing their strengths to better serve the team's overall performance.
After a quick lunch, the five of them headed to the dressing room for their makeup. To align with the dark and seductive theme of Venom, everyone's makeup was heavier than usual, and their outfits were primarily black, with accents of leather, cutouts, and metal chains, highlighting their dangerous yet captivating auras.
Mi Xi's look was particularly striking. His rose-pink hair was styled slightly tousled, and his eye makeup emphasized his upturned, peach-shaped eyes, highlighting the teardrop mole, adding a touch of allure. He wore a black silk shirt, slightly open at the neck, revealing his delicate collarbone and the "Venom in Her Veins" tattoo. He wore slim-fitting leather pants, which accentuated his legs' straightness and slenderness. He sat quietly in front of the mirror, allowing the makeup artist to manipulate him. He looked like a work of art being meticulously polished, exuding an air of mystery that was both inaccessible and captivating.
Wuyou wore a black work vest with matching ripped trousers. Her tearful eyes were elongated by the eyeliner, making her look less innocent and more cold and sharp, like a beautiful and tough little devil.
"Wow... Teacher Mi Xi, Teacher Wu You, your looks..." Li Mo looked at the two dressed up and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's too amazing!"
Even the makeup artist who is used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women praised her repeatedly.
At 2 p.m., the "Venom" crew arrived at the backstage waiting area. They could clearly hear the music from the group ahead and the director's instructions coming over the intercom. Tension was thick in the air.
Finally it was their turn.
"Venom team, get ready—go to the stage!"
The five of them took a deep breath, looked at each other, with a determined light in each other's eyes, and stepped onto the first big stage of their dreams.
The lights suddenly flickered on, and even if the audience was empty, the sensation of being illuminated by dozens of professional stage lights was enough to make one's heart race. The music's prelude streamed through top-tier audio equipment, far surpassing the Bluetooth speakers in the practice room.
"Start!" The director's instructions came from the headset.
Mi Xi instantly entered the stage. Standing center stage, the lights focused on him. With a single initial gesture, his languid yet dangerous aura enveloped the entire stage. His movements were smooth and powerful, each frame a meticulously choreographed scene. His gaze, penetrating the lens, seemed to capture the very souls of the audience on screen.
Wuyou danced beside him, her steps precise and aggressive. Their eye contact and interplay of body language brought the song's tension to full life. The other three members were equally impressive. After a period of adjustment, their coordination became increasingly seamless. The five of them seemed like one, radiating sweat and charm on stage.
However, rehearsal is ultimately a process of discovering problems.
After the walkthrough, the director's voice came from the audience: "The overall effect is good! But there are a few problems: Camera 1 (Mi Xi), when you turned around in the third eight-shot, the close-up of your face was a bit blurry, and the angle was 15 degrees to the left. Camera 3 was a bit slow to capture Wuyou's expression... Also, the fixed light in the final ending pose didn't follow fast enough..."
Stage performance is not just about dancing well, it also requires perfect coordination with the camera and lighting. These problems cannot be discovered in the practice room.
The five people carefully wrote down every request of the director.
"Okay, let's do it again! Pay attention to your positioning and the camera!"
The second time, the third time...
They repeatedly adjusted their movement angles, the timing of their expressions, and the timing of their interactions with the camera. Their energy was rapidly depleting, their heavy stage makeup soaked with sweat, but everyone's eyes remained focused.
When Mi Xi was completing a difficult backbend, her feet suddenly slipped because the ground was wet with sweat!
"Be careful!" Wuyou, who was closest to him, was quick-witted and quick-handed. He grabbed his waist and helped him stabilize his center of gravity.
Their bodies instantly pressed together, their breaths mingling. Mi Xi could even see the tiny beads of sweat on Wu You's eyelashes.
"...Thank you." Mi Xi whispered.
Wuyou quickly let go of her hand, her ears slightly red, and turned her face away, her tone still as arrogant: "...You're welcome, I just don't want to disrupt the formation."
This little episode did not affect the rehearsal, but instead made the subsequent cooperation more tacit.
Finally, after the fifth rehearsal, the director shouted "pass" with satisfaction!
"Very good! Keep it up! Tomorrow's the official performance, it's all up to you!"
The five of them stood on the stage, gazing at the empty auditorium, as if they could already foresee the packed house and deafening screams tomorrow. Fatigue washed over them, but even more so, an uncontrollable excitement and anticipation.
As they walked off the stage, Wuyou bumped Mixi with her shoulder and whispered, "Hey, don't hold me back tomorrow."
Mi Xi glanced sideways, seeing how he was so tired that he could barely open his eyes but still insisted on speaking stubbornly, and replied indifferently: "You too."
————
Dragging their exhausted bodies back to the dorm, the five of them barely had the energy to speak. Bobby, Xiao Fang, and Li Mo supported each other, saying goodbye and returning to their respective dormitories, the last thing they wanted was to collapse onto their beds.
At the door of dormitory 207, Wuyou weakly took out the room card and swiped it, almost rolling in, and collapsed directly on her messy bed with a little fox pattern printed on it, letting out a long, relieved groan.
"Ah—I'm so tired... I feel like my body isn't my own anymore..."
Mi Xi followed him, her movements also showing fatigue, but she still maintained a basic demeanor. He closed the door, hung up his coat, then walked to his neat bed and sat down, slowly starting to move his stiff wrists and ankles.
The only sounds in the room were the heavy breathing of the two people and the faint sound of the air conditioner.
After a long moment, Wuyou, as if recharged, slowly rolled over, lying on his side, facing Mi Xi. Under the dim light of the bedside lamp, Mi Xi's silhouette, lashes drooping as he massaged his wrist, was as quiet as a painting. His face still wore some stage makeup, and the contours of his eyes made him look even more gorgeous than usual, like a poisonous rose quietly blooming in the night.
"Hello, Xixi." Wuyou's voice was a little hoarse, breaking the silence.
Mi Xi didn't stop moving, just said "Hmm?" softly.
"Do you think...will we win tomorrow?" Wuyou's voice rarely lost its usual arrogance, revealing a subtle hint of confusion and nervousness typical of this age. Regardless of one's background or skill, facing an unknown stage and audience is a common feeling of trepidation.
Mi Xi paused in her massage and looked up at him. Wu You's naturally tearful eyes seemed even more moist in the dim light, as if covered in a layer of mist, and she looked at him with a hint of dependence.
"There's no such thing as an absolute winner or loser on stage." Mi Xi's voice was exceptionally clear and calm in the night. "As long as we practice to the best of our ability and live up to the sweat we've put in over the past ten days, that's enough."
His answer was very official and rational, yet it inexplicably had a reassuring power.
Wuyou stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly curled her lips: "...Why do you speak in such an advanced manner?" But her tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
He seemed to have remembered something, and struggled to get up, rummaging through his suitcase, mumbling, "Pei Yu secretly gave me this last time... where did I put it..."
After a while, he walked to Mi Xi's bed with a small black box with exquisite packaging and handed it to him.
"Here, for you."
Mi Xi looked down and saw that it was a box of high-end handmade chocolates.
"Replenish some energy." Wu You's tone was casual, but his eyes were a little vague, "...I saw that you didn't eat much at night." He was referring to the midnight snacks that Ji Ye brought. Mi Xi indeed only moved a little symbolically.
Mi Xi looked at the box of chocolates, then looked at Wu You, who clearly cared about her but pretended to be casual. She was silent for a moment, then reached out to take it.
"Thanks."
He opened the package, picked up a cup, and placed it in his mouth. The rich, slightly bitter dark chocolate melted on his tongue, followed by a light aftertaste of alcohol, which dispelled some of his fatigue.
Wuyou stood beside his bed, watching his slightly bulging cheeks and his drooping, thick eyelashes like butterfly wings when he ate. The anxiety in her heart caused by tomorrow's performance was strangely soothed.
"Tomorrow..." Wuyou suddenly spoke in a very soft voice, "Let's blow up the stage together."
It’s not “I want to win” or “You have to work harder”, but “We are together”.
Mi Xi paused her chewing motions, looked up, and met Wu You's extremely serious gaze. Those tearful eyes were now devoid of their usual pampering or cunning, only pure longing for the stage and determination to fight alongside her companions.
There seemed to be a faint smile in Mi Xi's eyes, like a stone thrown into the lake, creating shallow ripples.
"Okay," he replied.
After a brief conversation, the dormitory fell into silence again. The two of them cleaned up and prepared to rest, recharging their energy for tomorrow.
Moonlight streamed in from the window, falling on the two beds placed side by side. Tomorrow, they would face the first major stage of their careers together. And on this quiet night, a subtle yet strong sense of camaraderie, transcending competition, quietly took root amidst the sweet and bitter taste of chocolate and brief nighttime conversations.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
