The main text is finished. Winning the championship—Qi Donghan…
Chapter 154
As soon as she finished speaking, Arkhipova stood up abruptly from beside Meng Yingying, exclaiming, "It's my turn! It's my turn!"
You could tell she was very nervous.
Meng Yingying looked up and gave it to her first, saying, "Bova, keep it up!"
Arkhipova took a deep breath. "I'm going."
Judging from their expressions, they didn't seem to be going to a competition, but rather to a distant battlefield for a decisive battle.
"Yingying, you have such a kind heart."
As soon as Arkhipova left, Ning Lu couldn't help but remark, "You two are clearly competitors, yet you were cheering her on."
This seemed unbelievable to Ning Lu.
After all, she and Gu Xiaotang had fought tooth and nail for a championship back then.
Looking at Meng Yingying, I've never seen anything like it before.
They can also chat and laugh with their competitors.
Meng Yingying looked away and smiled at Ning Lu, saying, "Bova and I are both competitors and friends."
They could be said to have a mutual respect for each other.
From rivals at the beginning to friends later.
In fact, during the years Meng Yingying spent at the Su Guo Academy, she was surrounded by strangers. The only people she knew were Bova and Jane.
However, Jane was a teacher at the Moba School and couldn't really take care of Meng Yingying. Most of the time, Meng Yingying would stay with Polona for comfort.
Her Russian, her familiarity with Moscow, and her knowledge of where to find good food, cheap places, and fun activities in the streets and alleys—all of these were taught to her by Bova.
Bova was Meng Yingying's only foreign friend.
After listening, Ning Lu sighed softly and looked at Gu Xiaotang, "Why didn't we have this awareness back then?"
It seems that she and Gu Xiaotang missed each other for many years.
Gu Xiaotang thought for a moment, "It's not too late now."
It's clear that the atmosphere between them is much better than before. And the reason for this is entirely because of Meng Yingying.
The announcement rang out again while they were chatting.
— Contestant number three, Arkhipova, brought us Swan Lake.
As the narration ended, the prelude to the music began to play softly.
The lights snapped together.
The entire stadium fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear someone breathing.
Arkhipova stepped out from the side curtain, wearing a light white ballet costume, her shoulders and back straight.
As the first note of the harp fell, she suddenly spread her arms, raised her hind legs to a ninety-degree angle, and lightly touched the ground with her toes, freezing herself in place.
Accompanied by the rhythm of the music, she is that lifelike white swan.
Yang Jie sat up abruptly in the audience, her pen nib tapping against the scoring board.
The leg opening height and leg control stability are truly outstanding.
Meng Yingying clenched her fingers, her eyes fixed on the screen.
In the second measure, the violin joins in, and Arkhipova suddenly starts playing, each note landing on the weak beat, her skirt billowing white waves, yet not a single sound is heard as she hits the ground.
The floor seemed to become the surface of water, and she was merely a swan skimming across the lake.
The scene became even quieter.
Ning Lu murmured, "She dances even better than Jin Xiulian."
I thought Kim Soo-ryun, who had been making a lot of noise, was already very impressive, but I didn't expect Arsipova to quietly launch a big attack.
This caused Kim Soo-ryun, who had previously won the highest score in the competition, to instantly turn pale.
She never expected that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Arkhipova—a competitor whom she didn't even consider worthy of her attention—was able to perform at this level.
Gu Xiaotang was similarly surprised. She whispered to Meng Yingying, "Senior sister, is Bova really that strong?"
Meng Yingying stared intently at the stage and said without turning her head, "She entered Vaganova Academy with the highest score from Moba Affiliated School, and after more than a year of training, she was almost completely transformed."
It's worth noting that when Arkhipova was admitted to the Vaganova Academy, she was already quite old; she had fought her way through a group of younger people.
To reach this point today, and to compete on the international stage.
Meng Yingying said, "Xiao Tang, don't underestimate anyone here."
"They are able to stand here, so they must have their own strengths."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaotang felt a chill run down his spine and no longer had any intention of underestimating any of the contestants.
On stage, Arkhipova changed three movements in a row, smoothly transitioning to the Black Swan section, while the brass section of the band next door suddenly joined in.
The music's tempo was instantly raised several notches.
Arkhipova spun out with a single leg, one lap, two laps, her speed increasing, but each lap landed precisely on her original footprint.
The skirt's hem resembles a swan's outstretched wings, flamboyant and eye-catching.
When she was on her 28th lap, the band suddenly played a heavy beat, and she snapped to her fifth position, straightening her back and remaining perfectly still.
But a glistening bead of sweat rolled down his face.
The first cheers erupted from the audience, and some people couldn't help but pat their chairs.
Noel, sitting on the judges' panel, also leaned forward slightly, his pen leaving the paper for the first time today—this was the first time anyone had forced him to sit up straight.
Even Kim Soo-ryun, who was previously absent, did not have this.
Noel went even further, saying, "This player not only has a solid foundation, but she is also very talented."
The other judges all nodded in agreement, saying, "It was indeed remarkable."
In the audience, Meng Yingying's heart was pounding. She knew that Alkhipova's 28 laps were 4 more than she had done in training, and the landing point was perfect!
She instinctively gripped the armrest of the seat, her knuckles turning white, and murmured, "Bova, you've really kept this a secret."
Even she didn't know that Arkhipova could jump to such an extent.
This wasn't the end. As the music ended, Arkhipova performed two more difficult moves in a row.
The audience was silent for two seconds, then erupted in applause, whistles, and stomping.
Jane, sitting in the front row, stood up excitedly, exclaiming, "Bova, you're the best!"
Beside her, Ning Lu's eyes widened, "This...this is at least 9.8 points!"
The score she gave was higher than Kim Soo-yeon's previous estimate.
Meng Yingying let out a long breath, but a brighter fire ignited in her eyes. She nodded and said, "Definitely better than Jin Xiulian."
Kim Soo-ryun, standing beside her, was as pale as a sheet; it was she who had made the bold statement earlier. But if Arkhipova's score was higher, forget about winning the championship.
It's uncertain whether she can even make it into the top three.
She clenched her hands tightly; if Arkhipova scored higher than her this time, she would be utterly humiliated.
Because she was so focused on the other person's score, she kept a close eye on the judges' panel as well.
The judges have already started scoring.
"This contestant is indeed very good; I give her 9.8 points."
"I'll give it 9.8 too."
"I'd give it 9.85."
"9.83, I guess."
Throughout the evaluation, Arkhipova's score never dropped below 9.8. This alarmed everyone present.
Everyone had only one thought: Arsipova's score was too high.
The scorekeeper had already tallied Arkhipova's score, and he began announcing the score sheet to the audience.
"After removing the highest score of 9.85 and the lowest score of 9.8, the final score is 9.84."
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the room.
"Arkhipova!"
Even many people who didn't know her and thought her name was long and complicated shouted out Arkhipova's name at this moment.
Arsipova stood on the stage, waved to everyone, and then ran down the stage.
In the audience seats.
Meng Yingying murmured, "This score is indeed very high."
She immediately set a new record for the highest score in the event, which put some pressure on her.
What about Katya?
Meng Yingying turned to look at Katya, whose expression was also somewhat heavy. She said to Jane, "Is Polona's talent really that high?"
"Then why did you make me the grand finale?"
This time, everyone put the pressure on Katya, making her their trump card. But to be honest, after Katya watched Arkhipova's match...
She also felt the pressure.
Jane sighed, "Katya, do you think your talent is inferior to Bova's?"
Katya naturally refused to admit to this.
"Isn't that it?"
In short, “Back when you were competing to go abroad, Birka didn’t even have the qualifications to compete. You beat out a bunch of competitors to be able to study abroad. You can’t deny yourself or us just because of Birka’s one exceptional performance.”
"We have our reasons for choosing you as our trump card."
“When Meng was at the Vaganova Academy, he almost swept away all the students, including Polona. Polona couldn’t even muster the courage to compete with Meng, which is why we brought you here.”
"Katya, your real opponent has never been Bova, but Meng."
At this moment, Jian, who had been so kind to Meng Yingying, seemed like a completely different person.
At least during the competition, Jane was on the side of the Soviet Union, while Meng Yingying, although he was a student he brought there, was of a different nationality.
This destined them to be in an adversarial position.
After listening, Katya paused for a moment before turning to look at Meng Yingying.
Just then, Meng Yingying was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and sparks flew in the air.
Fortunately, Arkhipova came down, which finally put an end to this spark.
"Meng, I did it."
She was very excited, not caring about other people's scores, as long as she had done it.
Meng Yingying nodded at her, "Congratulations, Bova."
Even Meng Yingying, an outsider, could offer her sincere congratulations, but when it came to Katya, Katya snorted at Arkhipova.
This made Arkhipova's face turn pale instantly. She clenched her hands and didn't say anything, but Jane pulled her over.
"Pova, don't pay attention to Katya's madness. You're just dancing too well, which is putting pressure on her."
"So, you shouldn't be sad, you should be happy. Your existence has made this trump card feel threatened."
Upon hearing this, Arkhipova's expression immediately improved.
Katya's expression turned cold. She remained silent, waiting quietly for the announcement.
It's clear that she can't wait to go on stage.
I wanted to teach Arkhipova a lesson.
Unfortunately, number four wasn't her, but Gu Xiaotang.
Now it was Gu Xiaotang's turn to go on stage under immense pressure. Before going on stage, she tightly grasped Meng Yingying's hand, saying, "Senior Sister."
Her specialty is not international ballet, but red ballet.
Meng Yingying encouraged her, "Xiao Tang, go up there. No matter how well or poorly you dance, just go up."
“Look, Ning Lu has her own score, you should have one too.”
Gu Xiaotang took a deep breath before mustering the courage to go on stage. This was Gu Xiaotang's first time on stage in five years.
She also danced Swan Lake.
It's a pity that she has long lost the wildness of her past, the neighing of warhorses, so that her entire Swan Lake performance was rather conventional.
Like Ning Lu, but fortunately she was a bit more gifted, and the judges gave her 9.5 points in the end.
A score that's neither high nor low.
Gu Xiaotang was quite satisfied with the score. She came down happily and said, "Senior sister, I did my best."
However, international ballet is not her forte, so all she can do is try her best and leave the rest to fate.
Seeing that she was in a good mood, Meng Yingying smiled and teased, "No matter what the score is, you have participated in an international ballet competition. Your life can be considered complete."
Gu Xiaotang nodded.
Yang Jie was somewhat disappointed, but she knew she couldn't be too demanding of Gu Xiaotang and Ning Lu.
After all, all their hopes this time rested on Meng Yingying.
Their eyes met.
Meng Yingying nodded slightly to Yang Jie. So far, four contestants have come on stage.
Meng Yingying remained very calm.
As the announcement began, Katya, who had been anxiously waiting, lifted her skirt and quickly ran backstage to wait.
Throughout the entire process, only her coach, who was also today's referee, glanced at her with concern. She knew Katya's personality; she was impatient and prone to impulsiveness.
They were afraid that Arkhipova's previous achievements would affect her.
Katya glanced at her coach, then walked towards the steps without looking back.
As soon as the announcer finished speaking, the backstage lights dimmed by half a degree.
"Next up is the Soviet representative, Katya Andreyeva, who will be performing a piece from Act III of The Sleeping Beauty: The Wedding."
The entire audience was still reeling from Alkhipova's high score and hadn't quite recovered.
But the moment the name Katya was heard, the silence instantly became so profound that even the sound of the air conditioner became jarring.
Meng Yingying instinctively gripped the armrest, her knuckles cracking.
"They're here."
She spoke softly, as if reminding herself.
Katya emerged from the side curtain, not wearing a white veil, but a blue ballet dress. Under the lights, she resembled a rapier just drawn from its sheath.
It was both cold and bright, with a hint of sharpness.
Before the music even started, she raised her chin, took a deep breath, and her back straightened instantly.
With just that one stance, Noel, sitting in the front row of the judges' panel, had already put down his pen and was staring intently at the stage.
Everyone knew that the main event of the day was about to begin.
bite--"
As soon as the first note of the harp fell from the band's side, Katya glided out, running lightly so that the floor didn't even creak.
When she reached the center of the stage, her skirt suddenly flapped open, and the whole audience realized that she had moved the music rhythm half a beat ahead, but she managed to keep it perfectly in sync.
"Oh my god, she's cheating on the rhythm!" Ning Lu exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. "How could she cheat on the rhythm? Isn't she afraid of making a mistake?"
Once one rhythm is disrupted, all rhythms will follow suit.
Meng Yingying didn't even blink. It took her a while to understand. She explained, "She didn't steal, she robbed—she took the music for herself."
Everyone quieted down.
"She's incredibly bold."
This is far too risky a move.
"She wants to win the championship."
Meng Yingying saw through Katya's intentions at a glance: "If she wants to win the championship, she needs to have her own highlights."
Her highlight is clearly her ability to seize the rhythm.
As the first movement ended, the violin music started again, and Katya suddenly went off in a thirty-two-turn whip spin, one turn, two turns... until the twentieth turn.
The conductor suddenly raised his hand, and the brass instruments burst in half a measure early.
Katya seemed to have been waiting for this moment. She tucked one leg in with a snap, her back remained perfectly still, but her skirt continued to sway and bloom with inertia.
Unbelievably beautiful.
Someone in the audience yelled, but was immediately covered by a nearby spectator.
"28, 29... 32, 33, 34!"
Gu Xiaotang counted frantically, her voice becoming hoarse, "She did 6 more laps than Bova! Zero error in landing point!"
Arkhipova's face turned deathly pale, and she gripped the armrests of her seat tightly with her fingers.
Jane didn't speak, but her Adam's apple bobbed as she thought to herself, "This is the real trump card."
Someone who beat Arkhipova more than a decade ago naturally has her own advantages.
They all wanted to know just how far Katya could go.
As the music changed, Katya suddenly leaped into the air, doing a 180-degree split in mid-air, her kneecaps almost grazing the table before landing silently.
Noel, the strictest judge, slammed his cup on the table with a thud, splashing tea all over himself.
Yang Jie also stood up, saying, "This player is incredibly strong."
This series of actions is truly dazzling.
Meng Yingying's fingernails were already digging into her palms.
“She…incorporated the hovering technique she learned in Italy into the Russian style.” Her voice was hoarse and dry. “This is no longer pure Vaganova.”
Ning Lu didn't say anything because she couldn't understand anything at all later on.
Gu Xiaotang is about the same.
She smiled bitterly, thinking to herself, "This is the difference."
The gap between her and Katya is also the gap between her and Meng Yingying.
The distance between us had already widened when my senior went abroad to study.
As the music came to an end, the drumbeats snapped back, and Katya deftly pulled back her weapon. Then, she abruptly looked up at Meng Yingying.
Their eyes met.
Their eyes met across the crowd.
Meng Yingying looked up and smiled, "I accept the challenge."
Katya then looked away and said to the judges, "I'm done dancing, you can give me a score now."
Very confident.
The entire venue fell silent for two seconds.
boom--
The next second, the roof inside the auditorium was almost blown off by the applause.
Faced with Katya's unreasonableness and confidence, no one criticized her for this moment, because Katya demonstrated her absolute strength.
Even the judges started to be more tolerant of her, and everyone buried themselves in scoring her.
Clearly, everyone was taking Katya's score very seriously. It was almost expected that Katya would get a very high score.
Ning Lu watched as everyone clapped, and she clapped hesitantly as well, simultaneously condemning herself for being spineless and thinking that Katya danced really well.
She didn't forget to turn back to Meng Yingying and ask, "Yingying, what score did you estimate for Katya?"
Meng Yingying was still immersed in the shock of Katya's dance. She pursed her lips and it took her a while to come back to her senses. She murmured, "Nine o'clock nine."
"If I were a judge, I would give her 9.9 points."
Arkhipova sat next to her and spoke with difficulty, "...it might break 10."
Jane immediately dismissed her words, saying, "No, international competitions have never had a score of 10 since their inception, unless she can break through that ceiling."
"However, that depends on the judges' preferences and how many points they will give Katya."
A fight is about to break out on the judges' panel.
"I give this player a 9.9 out of 10."
"I'll give it 9.9 too."
"I'd give it 9.95."
After everyone gave their scores, not a single one scored below 9.9. Even Yang Jie, whose strongest competitor Katya was, had to admit that Katya's performance was indeed excellent.
Yang Jie struggled for a while before finally saying, "I'll give it 9.9 too."
But as soon as she said that, she began to worry about Meng Yingying, because Meng Yingying would be competing after Katya.
When Katya scored such a high score on the field, it put tremendous pressure on Meng Yingying.
She glanced at Meng Yingying, but unfortunately, Meng Yingying had her head down, and no one knew what she was thinking.
The judges have already announced their results.
Noel picked up his pen for the last time, his hand trembled, and the ink smeared blue on the grade sheet. He simply wrote three numbers: "Nine point nine eight."
When the score was announced, he didn't hand the score sheet to the scorer this time. Instead, he stood up and read out the score himself: "Remove the highest score of 9.99 and the lowest score of 9.95, and the final score is 9.98."
The moment the score was announced, the entire audience erupted in uproar.
"Nine point ninety-eight, that breaks the previous record for the highest score in the competition."
"Yes, and her score is absolutely historic."
Gu Xiaotang and Ning Lu were both deathly pale. There was no joy on their faces. Instead, they subconsciously turned to look at Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying was also stunned by the score for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said, "It's very high."
She gave those three words.
"Senior sister."
Gu Xiaotang's tone revealed his undisguised concern.
Katya got this score, while Meng Yingying was competing right after her, which meant that her senior would face unprecedented pressure when she went on stage.
Meng Yingying remained silent for a long time before looking up and smiling at Gu Xiaotang. "I'm fine."
Hearing this, Gu Xiaotang didn't breathe a sigh of relief, nor did Ning Lu.
Just then, Katya came down and walked right up to Meng Yingying, chin held high, as proud as a peacock, "I'm waiting for you to surpass me."
It must be said that Katya is indeed very proud and annoying, but she also has the qualities that make people proud.
Meng Yingying gazed at her, her tone calm, "We'll see."
9.98 is Katya's limit.
But that's not her limit.
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the announcer at the same time.
—Please welcome contestant number six, Meng Yingying, to the stage. She will be performing a solo dance by Princess Aurora from Act III, "The Wedding," of "Sleeping Beauty."
As soon as the announcer finished speaking, all the lights in the theater dimmed down to just one beam, which randomly shone onto the stage.
The noise backstage instantly quieted down, leaving only the booming of a large drum from the band outside.
Meng Yingying wrapped the hem of her large skirt around her wrist, took a deep breath, and walked barefoot onto the stage.
The cold wooden floor instantly sobered her up; she knew she had no choice but to push through this ordeal.
The moment she stepped onto the stage, a beam of white light instantly followed her footsteps.
Meng Yingying was completely enveloped in white light, as if in a dream.
As the first note of the harp rolled down, she slid out in a flash, her insteps instantly becoming as thin as blades, her body almost touching the ground as she floated in an arc.
Before the audience could even see clearly, Meng Yingying had already stood on one leg in front of the stage, her hind leg snapping over her head, her toes pointing directly at the light fixture, and remained perfectly still.
This action instantly silenced the surroundings.
"The same moves, but I think Meng's jump looks much better."
It was Arkhipova who said this. She didn't know why, but when she saw Meng Yingying dancing, she felt a sense of fluidity and grace.
Upon hearing this, Katya sneered, "It's only just begun, Polona, you're giving her far too much credit."
Arkhipova was still unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but Jane stopped her.
He gently shook his head at her.
Arsipova finally managed to hold back.
Yang Jie, a judge on the next panel, couldn't help but nod when she saw Meng Yingying's opening performance. At least in terms of this opening, she and Katya were even on par.
In fact, Arkhipova wasn't wrong; Meng Yingying's dance was more graceful.
On stage, accompanied by the influx of string music, Meng Yingying squatted down and then played in rhythm. Her legs crossed quickly in mid-air, and with a muffled thud, she landed right on the weak beat.
Everyone's eyes immediately widened in surprise.
She thought it was over, but little did she know that this was just the beginning. She landed and half-squatted, without even giving herself a chance to catch her breath, and then pushed herself up, turning her left toes outward three times.
She landed on a perfect beat on every lap, causing her skirt to swing into a semi-circle.
As the fourth beat landed, she spread her wings against the wind, her head resting at three points, giving the judges a dreamy profile.
Noel's pen, which had been spinning, suddenly stopped, and he couldn't help but sit up a little straighter.
"She expressed that movement perfectly."
"Yes, I saw it too. I feel she performed much better here than Katya did before."
"Every rhythm and every movement is perfect to the point of being impeccable."
"That's not the main point. What's more important is that she transcended the essence of Sleeping Beauty."
As the judges praised her, Katya's face gradually darkened. She remained silent, staring intently at the stage.
She always thought that she had performed Sleeping Beauty to that extent, which was the most perfect performance, but she never expected that Meng Yingying would be able to do it even better.
In fact, it was improved in several ways.
This made Katya feel inexplicably panicked, as if it were getting out of her control.
But this is far from over.
As the music began to play in alternating long and short notes, she slowly started to switch feet and slide, her toes moving on the weak beats, her legs flashing below the knees, while her upper body remained completely still.
This is the real Sleeping Beauty!
The previously lively discussion abruptly ceased.
"This is Sleeping Beauty!"
"This is the real Sleeping Beauty."
“I told you that although Kim Soo-ryun and Katya’s dance moves were perfect, they overlooked the most important part, which is the key point of Sleeping Beauty.”
"But after seeing Meng Yingying dance, I suddenly understood what they were lacking."
"What they lack is a theme!"
Katya then realized what was happening, and her face instantly turned pale. Kim Soo-ryun was similar; they were both too focused on technique and movements.
So much so that they forgot the core essence of Sleeping Beauty.
Thinking about this, both of them felt a little sad.
On stage, Meng Yingying was still completely absorbed in her music. As the harp brought the music to a climax, Meng Yingying's real killer move was about to be unleashed.
She kept to the rhythm, and went straight for thirty-two whip spins, each landing inside a circle the size of a coin.
The beam of light enveloped her; she was Sleeping Beauty, and also a white swan.
An elegant neck, a slender figure, spinning and leaping to the rhythm—she's so beautiful and perfect that it's impossible to look away.
As the music changed rhythm, the harp fell, and the drumbeats suddenly exploded.
Meng Yingying first took a sliding step, followed by a side split jump, leaping into the air with her legs spread out in mid-air, her white skirt billowing out like a soaring white swan.
Immediately after landing, without even giving herself time to recover, she immediately turned around and did a whip kick, swinging her leg 180 degrees in mid-air, her skirt swirling out in a crescent shape.
The scene fell silent instantly.
After half a second of dead silence.
Someone exclaimed first, "How can she dance like that?"
"No, what shocked me even more was how high the level of completion was?"
“I’ve seen footage of Sleeping Beauty’s wedding before, and I even think she danced better than in the previous videotape.”
"Indeed, she is more perfect than the textbook on the videotape."
Noel stood up and asked the judges, "Has the video of this competition dance been recorded?"
"Once it's recorded, we'll pack a copy."
"The textbooks can be replaced."
The judges were instantly stunned by these words.
You know, they used that videotape for over a decade.
However, Meng Yingying's performance of Sleeping Beauty in this competition surpassed the original textbook version.
If Meng Yingying's performance is used as a textbook, it means that her dance will be studied by countless people.
The name Meng Yingying will soon be known internationally.
In the future, anyone who dances the Sleeping Beauty dance will inevitably have to mention Meng Yingying; she will be the teacher of all future students.
This is his posthumous name.
When Yang Jie heard Noel's suggestion, her eyelids twitched immediately. "Noel, won't this put too much pressure on the child?"
Noel shook his head. "She deserves it."
Three words sum it all up.
Meng Yingying's performance of Sleeping Beauty deserves to be included in textbooks!
This silenced Yang Jie instantly; she knew that Meng Yingying had won this match decisively.
Even if she didn't win the championship, she was still the winner.
The thought that their country's ballet, which has always been the weakest and most looked-down-upon art form, could actually have a textbook published is truly astonishing.
The thought of providing education for students from so many countries made Yang Jie instantly excited, her heart pounding as if it would jump out of her chest.
"Give it a score."
Her voice was unsteady, pulling her back from the exciting scene.
I give it a perfect 10.
Noel was the first to speak, "I give this kind of dance, which is good enough to be included in textbooks, a perfect score."
"Ten points is not Meng's limit, but it is the limit of his score in this competition."
Seeing that even the most senior and most talented Noel had been given a perfect score, I was struck by how he had received a perfect score.
Others chimed in, "I'd give it a perfect 10 too."
"Me too."
The five ratings were surprisingly consistent at this time.
Everyone gave it a perfect score!
The scene erupted in cheers at that moment.
Someone shouted first, "Meng Yingying!"
"Meng Yingying!"
Nuoer and Yang Jie walked onto the stage at the same time, waving first, and the audience immediately fell silent. "I know everyone wants to know Meng's score."
"Similarly, I'd like to know as well."
Everyone looked over.
The score should have been announced by Noel, but she handed the score sheet to Yang Jie instead, saying, "Yang, as Meng's teacher, you should announce it."
Yang Jie's hand trembled slightly as she took the evaluation sheet, which contained a number that was the highest score she had ever seen since she entered the industry.
So much so that his whole body was shaking.
After calming herself down, she gently waved her hand and said, "I am just as excited as everyone else because Meng Yingying's score has made history in the entire ballet competition."
As soon as he said that, the room fell silent, and everyone stared intently at him.
Yang Jie held up the score sheet and microphone, and officially announced, "Meng Yingying's score, remove the highest score of ten points and the lowest score of ten points."
Final score – 10 points.
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Immediately afterwards, a roar even more ferocious than when Katya appeared exploded out—
"very!"
"Meng Yingying got a perfect score!"
Ning Lu jumped up with joy, and she couldn't help but grab Meng Yingying's hand, her eyes red with tears, "It's a perfect score! Our Chinese dancers got a perfect score!"
Meng Yingying was still somewhat dazed. All she knew was that she had done her best. She considered Katya her rival, and her mission was to surpass her.
Gu Xiaotang was also excited, "Senior sister, you're amazing!"
"You have made history in ballet competitions."
"Your score is absolutely the highest ever!"
In the first row of the audience, Katya's face was pale under the lights.
She still held her chin up, but her fingertips had clenched the hem of her skirt into tight creases, within which a visible tremor was hidden.
The word "very" was like a silent slap, instantly shattering her previous arrogance.
Arkhipova was standing to her right, intending to comfort her, but before she could speak, her own eyes welled up with tears, and she could only gently hold Katya's wrist.
Katya didn't shake her off; she muttered, "How can her score be higher than mine?"
She always believed that she had the highest score in the entire game.
Alkhipova murmured, "Because—this is Meng Yingying!"
Meng Yingying always gets first place; she never gets second.
The show isn't over yet.
Meng Yingying's perfect score completely shattered the confidence of the other contestants.
Three consecutive abstentions.
This immediately brought Meng Yingying to another climax.
Holding the microphone, Yang Jie's face was flushed and her voice was high-spirited, "Please welcome our champion, Meng Yingying, to the stage to receive her award."
Meng Yingying went on stage.
Noel continued, "And please welcome our runner-up Katya and third-place winner Arkhipova to the stage to receive their awards."
They then took to the stage as well.
The white paper and lamplight enveloped them on the stage.
Yang Jie stood there, microphone in hand, tears welling in her eyes, "The champion of the 1978 International Ballet Competition was—"
Before she could finish speaking, the audience called out for her, "Meng Yingying—"
"Meng Yingying! A champion in an international ballet competition, Chinese ballet has achieved this!"
Yang Jie took the medal, walked to Meng Yingying's side, and personally pinned it on her head. "Yingying, this is your championship."
Noel then presented the trophy to Meng Yingying.
Wearing her medal and holding her trophy, Meng Yingying stood on the high platform, the center of attention, and said, "Thank you everyone."
"Thank you everyone, without you I wouldn't be where I am today."
Thunderous applause erupted from below.
In the narrow corridor leading from backstage to the audience seats, only one row of lights was on, making the light dim and intermittent.
Qi Donghan stood in the dim light, dressed in an overcoat, his expression cold and aloof. At this moment, he and Meng Yingying seemed to have lived two completely different lives.
Standing under the spotlight, Meng Yingying was the center of attention. She was born to be the focus of the stage, making it impossible for anyone to look away.
He, meanwhile, remained hidden in the shadows, quietly watching her shine on stage.
But that's not all.
Because Qi Donghan's palms were already slightly damp from the thunderous applause.
That means they've been infected.
Even someone as calm as Qi Donghan couldn't help but be affected by the atmosphere.
He looked up at Meng Yingying, who was surrounded by white light in the center of the stage, his gaze both obscure and filled with undisguised pride. "Yingying."
His Yingying stood on the stage, shining brightly in the spotlight.
Instead of being forcibly confined to the house by him, only able to revolve around the pots, pans, and stove.
Meng Yingying seemed to walk through the surging crowd, her gaze landing precisely on Qi Donghan. She smiled slightly at him before looking away, "I also have someone to thank."
As soon as he said that, the audience fell silent.
Qi Donghan's throat tightened; he seemed to know what Meng Yingying was about to say.
The next second, Meng Yingying on the stage spoke, "I want to thank my lover—Qi Donghan."
"Five years ago, you supported me and helped me achieve my goals, which is why I have been able to get to where I am today."
At this point, under the stage lights, Meng Yingying raised the gleaming trophy in her hand, saying, "Half of my championship trophy belongs to you—"
As soon as he finished speaking, the beam of light shone directly on Qi Donghan.
Qi Donghan's vision went white for a moment.
He instinctively raised his hand to cover himself, but found that his fingertips were trembling, and the tremor was impossible to hide.
For the first time in so many years, he stood in the light, not to be interrogated, not to receive a medal, but to be publicly called out by his own wife.
Qi Donghan felt as if a ball of hot cotton was stuffed in his throat, both stuffy and burning. He even forgot how to breathe.
"I……"
He spoke, his voice hoarse beyond belief, then simply pursed his lips and strode to the edge of the stage.
This action forced him to step out of the shadows and into the light.
They also stepped into the spotlight.
He walked towards Meng Yingying.
Under the stage lights, the two stood across from each other. Meng Yingying reached out to him in front of everyone, her voice gentle, "Qi Donghan, let's go home."
—End of main text.
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The author says: I feel a little melancholy. I sat in front of the computer for a long time, lost in thought. I'm a little reluctant to leave.
But Yingying's career was coming to an end. Her career had reached its peak, but Xiao Kugua had always been waiting for her behind the scenes. She was going back to Xiao Kugua to live a happy life.
There probably won't be a 6 PM update. I'll organize my thoughts on the side stories this afternoon and start updating them tomorrow.
Side story tentatively scheduled:
1. Yingying and Xiao Kugua's married life, including pregnancy, childbirth and raising children.
2. The storyline of Song Fenfang and Yingying, and the IF storyline of Song Fenfang and Meng Baichuan, which is the story of growing old together.
3. The unrequited love story between Xu Wenjun and Ye Yingtao.
4. Would you like to see Zhao Yueru and Zhou Jingsong as a couple? It's still pending.
If there's anything else you'd like to see, let me know, and I'll see if I can write it all down, haha~
I absolutely love every couple in this book!
In addition, everyone who left a comment in this chapter sent a red envelope (cash gift).
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