I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 28.2

In the audience, Lin Tingxia from Class B quietly whispered, “Wow, their dancing is so synchronized!”

“They must have practiced for a very long time.”

A trainee next to her said, “I heard one trainee in Class F is up all night, and the others don’t dare to sleep when they see her, each one more dedicated than the last.”

Lin Tingxia’s eyes widened. “That’s terrifying?”

The trainee next to her nodded. “Super terrifying! Class F calls her the Devil!”

Lin Tingxia looked down towards the Class F area, wondering who that devil was. Just then, the newly-performed Class F trainees walked off the stage and up the steps. Chi Meng was applauding and watching them go. Her turned face showed a smile full of goodwill, and her eyes met Lin Tingxia’s.

Chi Meng was a little surprised, recognizing the girl who was the first to speak to her at the initial stage. Her smile deepened, and she gave Lin Tingxia a small wave. Lin Tingxia also waved back, telling the trainee next to her, “It’s definitely not Chi Meng! She smiles like an angel!”

“…I saw that adjective in a romance magazine when I was in middle school,” her friend replied.

Lin Tingxia’s teammate, An Kui, turned around and said with a giggle, “You don’t know? Xiaxia just loves to read corny, old-fashioned romance novels. Before, when we were in company training, she was discovered reading a novel with a flashlight under the covers by our manager! Do you know how they found out?”

Lin Tingxia’s face turned bright red. She reached out and pushed An Kui’s head to make her turn around, angrily shouting, “Don’t you dare say it!”

Trainees on both sides leaned in, excitedly asking, “Tell us, tell us quickly!”

An Kui was pushed but stubbornly grabbed Lin Tingxia’s leg, finishing her sentence: “Because every time she reads a novel, her butt sticks up! I don’t know why, but she does it every time and gets caught every time, hahaha!”

Everyone burst out laughing: “Hahaha!”

Lin Tingxia glared furiously at the back of An Kui’s head. Amidst the laughter, she lowered her small face, coldly raised her hands, and covered her ears.

Hmph.

As more and more Class F members went up for assessment, everyone noticed that many Class F trainees performed very well. The classes preparing later, especially the Class D trainees, felt intense pressure. Many of them simply stopped watching, pulling out their lyrics and quietly singing them over and over.

Time ticked by. Finally, the last group from Class F was about to go on stage.

Chi Meng stood up and stretched.

019 excitedly waved a flag and shouted, “Host, go for it! Host, charge!”

In these five and a half days, it had watched its host practice bit by bit. The host was the absolute best!

Chi Meng bent down to re-tie her shoelaces, then stood up and bounced twice in place. The trainees sitting below suddenly erupted in cheers, with voices calling out, “Chi Meng, go!” and “Mengmeng, good luck!” Most of the voices came from Class F trainees, but from Class A to Class D, there were people in every class cheering for Chi Meng. The scene instantly turned into Chi Meng’s fan club.

The staff were a little surprised. In the mentors’ room, Xie Tongyue exclaimed, “Classmate Chi Meng is so popular.”

Luan Xiu smiled and said, “Chi Meng is the youngest trainee in Class F, but she is the most thoughtful. Whenever others have something they don’t understand, they go ask Chi Meng. If Chi Meng doesn’t know, she takes the trainee to find a teacher or trainees from other classes.”

Xie Tongyue immediately said, “Social butterfly!”

On the camera, the social butterfly student rested her hand on the shoulder of the girl in front of her, whispering something in her ear. The girl in front was almost the same height as her and had a very indifferent expression.

Xie Tongyue was a little surprised: Song Jiaqi?

Su Mengyao, Chi Meng, Song Jiaqi, and the last Class F trainee, Bai Ruyue from Le Hai’an, stood in the assessment area. The screen in the mentors’ room immediately showed their four faces.

Below the stage, the trainees, led by Class D, looked left and right, their eyes uncontrollably drifting to the left.

It wasn’t that they had an issue with Bai Ruyue; Bai Ruyue was also quite pretty, and all the trainees participating in the show were good-looking. But…

On the far left, Su Mengyao’s originally fluffy hair had been straightened and pulled into a high ponytail, fully revealing her fair face. The young girl’s face was full of collagen, and she smiled to show a mouthful of small white teeth.

Chi Meng in the middle and Song Jiaqi on the right were even more stunning. One had a gentle smile, and the other was cool and calm—both were generally acknowledged as beautiful during the initial stage. When these three stood together, it was impossible to look away.

“Bai Ruyue’s bad luck!” Yuan Yixin from Le Hai’an sighed on Bai Ruyue’s behalf.

Bai Ruyue was also feeling upset. She couldn’t even imagine the visual impact.

The four stood together. Before the music started, Chi Meng and Su Mengyao’s smiles deepened.

“The image is very pleasing to the eye,” Xie Tongyue said. “And when I look at those two smiles, I can’t help but smile along with them.”

Luan Xiu rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the screen. She said, “During practice, I instructed them that the theme song must make the viewers feel their happiness and vitality. The most basic expression is to show their best smile to the camera. Most Class F trainees already found it difficult just to get through the entire song and dance. Some who couldn’t keep up just forced a smile. It’s rare to see a smile as natural as theirs.”

“This is actually a kind of talent. Being good-looking doesn’t necessarily mean you’re suitable for the stage,” Luan Xiu noted.

Everyone nodded.

Then, Luan Xiu looked at Song Jiaqi, whose eyes were lowered, and raised an eyebrow, saying, “But Song Jiaqi is beautiful just standing there. She has star quality and is very suited for the camera. Do you feel it?”

Xie Tongyue agreed. Song Jiaqi stood out among all the trainees. This wasn’t just about looks but her aura. She seemed to have been a part of the entertainment industry before, her every gesture feeling out of place among the younger trainees.

“She’s suited for movies, like a decadent cheongsam beauty from the last century,” Xie Tongyue said casually, and everyone pictured the image in their minds.

Just then, the music began. Everyone dropped the topic of Song Jiaqi and immediately looked at the screen. As the trainees started performing, the mentors were all momentarily stunned, letting out a synchronized “Ehh?”

“This time I’m putting in all my effort, don’t say I’m flying into the fire, I’ve made all the preparations. Our meeting wasn’t a coincidence…” Chi Meng’s lips curved into a smile, and her clear voice echoed through the hall, overshadowing everyone else’s. Her curved arms were like unfolding butterfly wings, dropping perfectly into the notes.

“Don’t want to ask who arranges the world’s destiny, but this stage exists because of you—

Just look at me, go be an idol!”

When Chi Meng danced, her smile was as bright as starlight. The trainees watching her couldn’t help but smile too. The tingling sensation that started at their tailbones shot straight up and spread throughout their bodies. Except for Class F, only Qi Yan and Xue Weiran had seen Chi Meng’s practice performance. Trainees from the other classes never expected Chi Meng could reach this level!

“Did she really not know how to dance before?”

“There’s not a single mistake!”

In the assessment area, Chi Meng, who was completely unaffected by everyone’s gaze, danced with a smile: “Please choose me, go be an idol!”

The trainees seemed to be mesmerized, following along with “I’ll shining, shining…”

Backstage, the mentors were silent. The two dance mentors intently watched Chi Meng’s movements. They noticed things the trainees wouldn’t: Chi Meng’s every move was like a measuring ruler; every action landed exactly where it should. Although some movements showed the stiffness of a beginner, this was the performance of a trainee who had never had any basic foundation!

Their eyes were only on Chi Meng; they couldn’t see anyone else.

When Chi Meng’s performance ended, the girl smiled and bowed, saying “thank you” to everyone. The mentors backstage subconsciously applauded.

“Wow…” Xie Tongyue exclaimed, looking at Luan Xiu. “Teacher Luan, Class F, your trainee.”

Before, when they talked about Chi Meng’s effort, they didn’t really feel it. Everyone was coaching trainees, and there was no one there who wasn’t working hard. But seeing Chi Meng’s performance truly made the feeling real. Not all effort pays off, but Chi Meng’s performance after her hard work touched all their hearts.

Luan Xiu licked her lips, her emotions complex. She took a deep breath, her eyes a little red. She pulled out a tissue and crumpled it in her palm, slowly saying, “I… I suddenly remembered when I was a trainee… She really worked hard. I know all the trainees in all the classes are working hard, but no one can do what Chi Meng did.”

“She is truly one of a kind,” Luan Xiu said, pressing the ball of tissue onto the table. “That’s the only way I can describe it.”

The other mentors were speechless. After a moment, Teng Jia suddenly raised her hand and said with a smile, “Don’t let Class D go on stage yet. We only watched Chi classmate just now, and didn’t pay attention to the others. Director, play the replay!”

The once-sentimental mentors’ room was immediately replaced by cheerful laughter. The backstage production team was helpless and notified the front stage to take a five-minute break to allow the mentors to review the replay.

Walking out of the assessment area, Chi Meng was met with rows of reverent gazes. In Class F, countless people whispered, “The Devil is here. Attention, all classes, the Devil is walking towards you!”

In Class B, the stunned Lin Tingxia heard the rustling sounds of “The Devil” coming from behind her. She looked at Chi Meng’s clear and pure smile, and only two words remained in her mind:

Devil.

As Chi Meng walked toward the Class F area, she talked to everyone while receiving 019’s fervent shouts in her mind.

Brilliant fireworks were exploding bang, bang, bang, almost driving Chi Meng to a nervous breakdown.

019: “Host is so powerful!!”

019: “Host is the strongest in the world!!!”

Chi Meng chuckled and asked the “audience” on the steps, “Was my dancing okay?”

Everyone immediately nodded: More than okay!

Chi Meng felt relieved, slowly letting out a breath. She sat down in the corner of Class F, making a fist and gently tapping her calf.

It’s good that it was okay.

It was worth only sleeping three hours a day, meticulously polishing every movement. It was worth it.

[System: Congratulations to player Chi Meng for obtaining the title “The Devil.” Equipping it grants Action Power +10, Terror Points +100]

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