Chapter 10 Performance Mistake A muffled "bang" echoed on stage...
Sun Ao was drawn as the third player to play this time, which is a particularly advantageous position.
However, he was probably too young at only nineteen years old, had little experience in competitions, and the pressure of the finals led to a major mistake.
As the performance reached its climax, Zhu Qingting, following the choreography, fell backward without hesitation. However, Sun Ao's hand slipped, and he failed to catch her completely.
With a muffled thud, accompanied by short gasps from the audience, Zhu Qingting's head slammed heavily onto the stage floor!
In that instant, Zhu Qingting felt a darkness before her eyes, a buzzing in her ears, and intense pain spreading from the point of impact.
Chai Yundu, who was in the waiting area, suddenly stood up. His face changed drastically, and his eyes showed undisguised panic and worry. He instinctively wanted to rush onto the stage.
Gasps rose from the judges' panel; everyone held their breath.
Sun Ao on stage was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he froze on the spot, his mind going blank.
However, to everyone's surprise, after a brief period of dizziness and pain, Zhu Qingting, who had fallen to the ground, relied on her amazing willpower and professionalism honed over many years as a dancer to endure the discomfort, support herself with her elbows, quickly adjust her breathing and expression, and, in time with the next beat of the music, connect with a smooth ground movement!
It was as if that thrilling scene was just one part of the dance design!
Her gaze remained firm, her dance moves remained fluid, and there was almost no sign of anything amiss.
Inspired by her strong professionalism, Sun Ao also came to his senses, suppressed his panic and guilt, and quickly caught up with the rhythm to complete the rest of the performance.
The performance finally ended amidst applause.
As she bowed to take her bow, Zhu Qingting felt a throbbing pain in the back of her head, accompanied by increasingly severe dizziness. She forced a smile and quickly walked off the stage.
Upon arriving backstage, the accompanying doctor, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward to examine her.
After removing the hairstyle and parting the hair strands, a noticeable red and swollen bump was revealed.
The doctor gently pressed down, and Zhu Qingting couldn't help but gasp.
"Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Do you feel like vomiting?" the doctor asked repeatedly.
"I feel a little dizzy...buzzing..." Zhu Qingting answered honestly, her voice somewhat weak.
"The initial assessment is that it may be a concussion, and you need to go to the hospital immediately for a detailed examination!" the doctor advised with a serious expression.
Zhu Qingting knew the process; only the final awards ceremony remained. Since her performance was complete, she agreed to go to the hospital first.
The production team immediately arranged for staff and vehicles to accompany them.
Seeing the redness and swelling on the back of Zhu Qingting's head and her dazed state, Chai Yundu's heart clenched. His tone was more anxious than ever before, "How are you? Does it hurt a lot? I'll go to the hospital with you!"
"No need, Teacher Chai." Zhu Qingting endured her discomfort and tried to keep her voice steady. "The program isn't completely over yet, and we need you to be there for the awards ceremony. Your sudden departure would cause unnecessary trouble and speculation. I'm just going to get checked out first; the production crew will be with me, so it'll be fine."
Looking into his worried eyes, she felt a warmth in her heart and added, "Don't worry, I'll tell you as soon as the test results come out."
Chai Yundu frowned, clearly very worried, but under her persistent gaze and rational analysis, he finally compromised.
He looked at her intently, his voice low and deep, "Keep in touch, and tell me immediately if you feel unwell."
The staff waiting on the side watched the two exchange meaningful glances, wondering about their relationship, but no one dared to say anything.
After a series of examinations, including a CT scan, at the hospital, the doctor diagnosed the patient with a mild concussion, requiring two weeks of rest and strongly recommended hospitalization for 48 hours of observation to prevent delayed symptoms.
The production crew immediately covered all the expenses and requested a private hospital room for three days.
Zhu Qingting sighed helplessly, then settled into the hospital room with peace of mind.
The live broadcast of the finals concluded successfully. Chai Yundu declined the celebratory banquet hosted by the production team and rushed to the hospital immediately.
He appeared discreetly at the ward door, wearing a mask and hat.
Seeing him, Zhu Qingting felt a warmth she couldn't quite explain. "Is the recording all over? What place did Sun Ao get?"
"Fourth place." Chai Yundu walked to the bedside, his gaze falling on her pale face, his eyes filled with heartache and lingering fear. "How are you? Are you still dizzy? Are you still in pain?"
"Much better, but there's still some bloating and pain." Zhu Qingting smiled, trying to reassure him.
Chai Yundu sat down on the chair by the bed, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly spoke, his voice serious, "In the future... be careful when dancing, and don't get injured like this again."
He paused, looking intently at her, and added, word by word, "It will break my heart."
A storm raged within Zhu Qingting, and for a moment she was at a loss for words. The air in the ward seemed to thicken and become ambiguous.
At this tense moment, the ward door was pushed open with a bang, accompanied by an anxious female voice, "Zhu Zhu! How are you!"
It's Qin Youyou.
When she finished training and got her phone, she saw a trending topic about Zhu Qingting getting injured and falling on her head during a performance. Without looking at it closely, she quickly asked Zhu Qingting for the hospital and room number via WeChat and rushed over in a hurry.
When Qin Youyou saw Chai Yundu sitting by the hospital bed, she was instantly stunned.
She knew they were on the same show and had a stage where they worked together, but she didn't expect their relationship to be so close that... he would appear in her hospital room at this time?
She remembered that the trending topic was that Zhu Qingting was injured because her dance partner failed to catch her, and suddenly realized that it was Chai Yundu, her dance partner, who was responsible!
A surge of anger, driven by a desire to protect his friend, immediately welled up within him.
Ignoring the fact that the other person was her crush, Qin Youyou put her hands on her hips and began to "lecture" him fiercely:
"Hey! You're the one who got my Zhuzhu injured! If you can't dance, don't participate in dance programs! Look at her, she's even fallen and ended up in the hospital!"
Then, noticing Chai Yundu's empty hands, she became even angrier. "You came here to apologize but didn't prepare anything! What time is it? Don't you know how to get something to eat for Zhuzhu? All you do is sit here! Is this what you're supposed to do?"
Zhu Qingting, who was listening from the side, was stunned and wanted to interrupt to explain, "Youyou, no, you misunderstood..."
“Okay, I’ll go prepare dinner.” Chai Yundu calmly interrupted Zhu Qingting, stood up, and showed no anger at Qin Youyou’s accusation. Instead, he said to Zhu Qingting in a gentle manner, “Teacher Zhu, you should get some rest.”
After saying that, he nodded slightly to Qin Youyou before turning and leaving the ward.
His reaction left Qin Youyou speechless with anger, frozen in place.
As soon as Chai Yundu left, Zhu Qingting quickly pulled Qin Youyou aside to explain, "You misunderstood! It wasn't him! It was Sun Ao, another contestant. He didn't catch me. Teacher Chai just came to see me."
"Huh???" Qin Youyou realized she had insulted the wrong person and was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. "I... I just panicked when I heard you were injured... I'll apologize to him when he gets back."
After the initial awkwardness, Qin Youyou's gossip-loving spirit immediately ignited. She sidled up to Zhu Qingting's bedside, her eyes gleaming mischievously, "Tell me quickly! What happened? Why did your crush come to the hospital to see you personally? When did you two become so close?"
Zhu Qingting could only briefly recount how they met at the theater, how she got a ride after her car had a flat tire, how they had dinner together, and how they collaborated at the event.
Qin Youyou's eyes widened as she listened, and finally she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "He wouldn't happen to like you, would he?!"
Zhu Qingting's heart skipped a beat, but she denied it, "Don't talk nonsense... Maybe we just get along well?"
"Get along well?" Qin Youyou gave her a "you're kidding me" look. "He's an actor, how can he get along with a dancer like you? He even participated in a show for you? He even came to the hospital to visit you? If I didn't like you, I'd twist my head off and give it to you as a stool!"
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of wariness, "But... Zhu Zhu, you have to be careful. I've heard that the entertainment industry is quite chaotic. His advances are a bit too aggressive. Could it be that he thinks you're naive and easy to fool, and wants to play around? Good acting skills don't necessarily mean good character! You can't just agree to date him because he's handsome and your idol. You have to investigate him carefully!"
Zhu Qingting was confused by what she said, and coupled with the aftereffects of the concussion, her head began to feel dizzy and swollen again.
"Okay, okay, I know... My head is spinning, I want to sleep for a while..."
Seeing that her complexion was getting worse, Qin Youyou quickly suppressed her gossipy nature, helped her adjust the hospital bed, and tucked the blankets in. "Okay, okay, you sleep, I'll stay with you."
Not long after Zhu Qingting fell asleep, Chai Yundu returned, carrying an elegant insulated bag he had bought from a high-end health-focused porridge shop. Inside were light white porridge and side dishes. He had originally intended to cook it himself at home, but worried that it would take too long and she would go hungry.
When he came in, Zhu Qingting was still fast asleep.
Qin Youyou lowered her voice somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Um... Teacher Chai, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you just now..."
Chai Yundu shook his head, indicating that he didn't mind. His gaze fell on Zhu Qingting's peaceful sleeping face, and he asked softly, "How is she?"
"Just fell asleep." Qin Youyou looked at the undisguised concern in his eyes and became less and less convinced of her friend's explanation.
She took the insulated bag. "I'll leave the porridge here for her to eat when she wakes up. Teacher Chai, it's getting late, you should go back now. I'll stay here with her tonight."
Chai Yundu looked at the sleeping Zhu Qingting. Although he was worried, he knew it wasn't appropriate for him to stay. So he said to Qin Youyou, "Then... thank you for your help. If anything happens, please contact me anytime." He took out his phone. "Let's add each other on WeChat so we can communicate more easily."
Qin Youyou: "..."
She felt like she had been hit with a thousand blows.
My dream guy!!!
We've met backstage at the Spring Festival Gala!
I even asked you for your WeChat!
I also posted so many selfies on WeChat Moments!!!
How could you not recognize me as that brave little fan?!
Her emotions were indescribable, and she said, on the verge of tears, "I have your WeChat; we added each other as friends during the Spring Festival Gala..."
Chai Yundu awkwardly apologized, glanced at Zhu Qingting again, then turned and left, gently closing the door behind him.
The ward fell silent again, with only Zhu Qingting's steady breathing and Qin Youyou's complex expression, a mixture of grief and indignation, along with boundless gossip and excitement.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com