The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Stage Debut

“Chumu, take a look at the new report from CEO Jiang’s side for the Fashion Summit. It was originally planned for Nine Waves, but it seems they intend to give it to us.”

The woman with neatly trimmed hair gently pushed the newly printed, ink-scented paper forward. Lin Chumu reached out and took it, scanning it to find a few familiar names.

Following the most famous name, “Fang Qiuqi,” the name “Lu Chaoqing” was prominently displayed.

She had been busy all morning, not even having time for breakfast, diving into a full day’s work with only a vanilla latte. Only now did she remember that today was the day of the little green tea’s music show performance.

Lu Chaoqing had a simple personality where she couldn’t hide anything. She would definitely tell Lin Chumu first about anything that happened, and she had mentioned the music stage several times on WeChat, making it hard to forget. Lin Chumu scrolled down the list. After confirming there were no other names she was interested in, she pushed the paper back: “Then you can discuss the time and location with Lilies’ (Lu Chaoqing’s group name) manager next time. I’m available anytime.”

“Oh, that’s uncharacteristically careless of you?” The short-haired woman raised an eyebrow and playfully tapped her shoulder. However, Lin Chumu’s sudden rising movement caused her hand to accidentally brush a hint of exposed collarbone. Under Lin Chumu’s abruptly changing gaze, she recoiled as if burned.

Lin Chumu stood still, looking at her, her expression already showing slight displeasure: “Fu Ying.”

“I apologize.” Fu Ying lowered her voice, no longer as casual and cheerful as before. “It wasn’t intentional.”

Lin Chumu disliked being touched, a fact her long-time friends knew.

In the slightly awkward atmosphere, Fu Ying watched Lin Chumu stand up to grab her charging phone from a nearby shelf. After unplugging the charging cable, she began browsing messages. Midway through, she strode back to the computer and sat down, but instead of continuing her work, she opened a new webpage, typing in a link she found in a WeChat message.

 A new pop-up quickly appeared. The live broadcast was exactly Lilies’ performance, although the song Against the Wind seemed to be reaching its final stage. The petite girl next to Lu Chaoqing had strong rap skills. The rhythmic melody and the break in the final note successfully drew people into the cyclical mood of the song.

The final sequence belonged to Lu Chaoqing. As the lingering echo of the last note faded, the girl performed a front flip, landing on the floor of the stage. Simultaneously, feathers swirled and rained down from above. The lights slowly retracting from top to bottom illuminated the white-clad girl kneeling on one knee, highlighting her graceful and slender figure.

Lu Chaoqing slowly raised her head. The stage makeup, which was heavier than usual, gave her eyes a slightly seductive look. The slightly upturned purple-black eyeliner was adorned with two glittering sequins, one black and one white, placed at the corner and inner tip of her eye, shining brightly under the lights. In the swaying, hazy light, there seemed to be a fish swimming in her eyes, crystal clear yet carrying a touch of dreaminess as she finished her downward gaze—the attention to detail was maximized.

The strength of her aerial flip and her current soft sensuality were aspects Lin Chumu had never seen before.

She had never watched Lu Chaoqing’s stage performance when she was serious, nor did she know that Lu Chaoqing could be so captivating on stage. Regardless of lust or other complex emotions, the girl in white was indeed enough to move a person. It was the instinctive aspiration for beauty, unrelated to orientation or gender.

Fu Ying, who had leaned over to see what her friend was so engrossed in, was also stunned.

Du Yaqing, who was previously in charge of this sector, had subtly mentioned to her that Lu Chaoqing, a member of the new girl group, was Lin Chumu’s relative, which was why she had been publicly named a trainee and even filmed the MV. But her skill was genuinely good, a fact Fu Ying had largely forgotten after hearing it once.

She had always looked down on people who used connections, but she hadn’t expected Lu Chaoqing to possess such genuine ability. Lin Chumu, as someone outside the industry, might only see the aesthetic appeal of the performance, but Fu Ying could recognize the perfect timing in every movement and execution.

In other words, Lu Chaoqing had a thorough understanding of this set of choreography, able to precisely control every moment and beat. Ten minutes on stage requires ten years of effort off stage. The idol industry is far more demanding than people imagine. It’s not just about looking pretty and singing and dancing a bit. To present a perfect stage, every single movement must be perfected during practice.

Being an idol is a legitimate profession, not just a synonym for ‘star.’ Unlike a singer, an idol must also pay attention to dance timing, positioning, and alternating movements to achieve the integrity of the performance.

The start of the next performance had nothing to do with their girl group, so Fu Ying suggested that Lin Chumu rewind the video to the beginning.

After the lights came on, the first thing that came into view was Lu Chaoqing’s face, half-shrouded in the shadow of the veil.

Lu Chaoqing was the official Center, and since the group wasn’t formed through a survival show, this was not decided by public votes but purely based on the company’s subjective assessment of each person’s ability. However, such a subjective assessment could easily be influenced in certain aspects, such as the person’s relationship with the company.

In truth, the members of Lilies were roughly equal in ability. When it was decided that Lu Chaoqing would be the Center, Fu Ying, as the project lead, had heard from their mentor Mu Ning that some trainees clearly expressed dissatisfaction, even ostracizing Lu Chaoqing. At the time, she found it a bit ridiculous and only reluctantly agreed out of respect for Lin Chumu.

But compared to Lu Chaoqing in the practice room, the stage makeup and styling design increased her overall aggression, moving her away from the completely soft and cute style she usually employed. Her previously docile look was strangely able to support a powerful aura. With the added height from the heels, her condescending, top-down presence conveyed her emotional intent effectively. The stage lighting made her eyes even more compelling.

The choreography in the practice room was standardized and uniform for everyone. There wouldn’t be much difference regardless of whose part or position it was. However, the stage and the practice room differ in subtle details.

Some people get stage fright, losing their usual confidence when the lights converge, making their movements hesitant and less steady than in the practice room. Others might try too hard to showcase themselves under the stage lights or suffer from unstable performance, leading to misplaced beats, jumping the gun, or falling behind.

Based on today’s performance, Lu Chaoqing was a born stage leader.