Transmigrated as the CEO's Top-Tier Stand-in - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

In the few days of free time while practicing her dance routines, Ji Yu started focusing on the unfinished Poppin dance that Meng Rendong had taught her.

The “Si Tian” of the past was unable to include this dance in her solo album, but the current Ji Yu had the opportunity—the D9 members’ joint album had already been released and achieved impressive results. If each of them could elevate their popularity further, releasing a solo album wouldn’t be too difficult.

She decided that the complete version of this dance must be seen by the world. She no longer obsessed over the parts Meng Rendong couldn’t finish teaching, but instead regarded this work as something they completed together.

Previously, Ji Yu had performed the first half of this dance during a stage battle in Chasing Dreams 100. Fans with good memories had edited that content into a video collection of her different styles and looks, titled A Hundred Ways to Fall in Love with Ji Yu.

Now, Ji Yu hoped to complete this work—and deliver a surprise to Meng Rendong on stage in a few days.

Since both of them gradually recovered their memories, Meng Rendong had rarely brought up the past, perhaps out of fear of upsetting her, or perhaps due to guilt or other feelings. Coupled with the fact that President Meng was currently juggling a thousand tasks, it was impossible for her to spend half a month with Ji Yu in the dance studio, focusing only on dancing, as they did before.

Ji Yu didn’t know if Meng Rendong still remembered the dance, or if she could still choreograph the second half.

Ji Yu unilaterally decided to give the other party a “small surprise.” The second half would be choreographed by herself, a small “surprise” for Meng Rendong on the stage. To do this, she specifically coordinated the solo stage portion with the other members and spoke with Kong Rufan. Fortunately, everything was finally coordinated with all parties.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the performance arrived.

Si Tian once again designed some interesting merchandise, sponsored by President Meng, and distributed them free of charge in limited quantities near the venue. She wore a mask, and her makeup was intentionally adjusted so that fans unfamiliar with her wouldn’t associate her appearance with Meng Rendong. Thus, the atmosphere at the venue was still harmonious and joyful.

As for those who knew her better, they had accepted her explanation and attributed the resemblance between her and Meng Rendong to coincidence, though they inevitably joked privately about her being Meng’s long-lost daughter.

After the merchandise distribution was complete, Si Tian hummed a tune and entered the venue with her friends. Her ticket was for the inner circle, a gift from Ji Yu, with excellent viewing angles, allowing a close look at the people on stage and even chances for interaction.

Si Tian settled into her seat obediently. She felt the mask was a bit stuffy and was about to take it off for air when she suddenly heard a chuckle next to her:

“Rendong, do you need to be this bundled up to come out and watch her performance now?”

Si Tian was momentarily stunned, finding the voice subtly familiar. Turning to look, she felt a sense of familiarity but couldn’t immediately place who it was. She could only deduce from the person’s fashionable, costly attire that this person was likely involved in the industry.

“Hello…” Si Tian greeted her softly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Just then, a colder voice came from the other side. “Luoshui, I’m here. You mistook her.”

Both looked over and saw Meng Rendong entering with a slightly frail-looking woman. From Meng Rendong’s slightly deferential accompanying posture, it was clear that the other woman’s status was also not simple.

Wang Luoshui was the first to recognize her: “Aunt Su.”

She rose from her seat, somewhat surprised to see Yu Su at this event. As she exchanged pleasantries, she cast a questioning glance at Meng Rendong, silently asking what was going on. Meng Rendong saw her look but didn’t respond, only shaking her head lightly, seeming unwilling to explain. She then sat down next to Wang Luoshui, deliberately taking off her coat to offer it to Yu Su, who gently declined.

Wang Luoshui looked from side to side, momentarily finding the situation quite surreal, as if she was surrounded by friends on both sides—since Chu Nanxing’s incident, Yan Xi had naturally drifted away from them, holding considerable resentment towards her. Wang Luoshui felt a little wronged but didn’t know how to explain. When she visited Chu Nanxing at the sanatorium and ran into Yan Xi, the latter rolled her eyes from afar and walked away.

If this had happened before, Wang Luoshui might have painstakingly tried to explain and explore the reasons behind it, but at that moment, for some reason, she felt a sense of disillusionment. She felt that Yan Xi was indistinguishable between right and wrong. She also felt that Chu Nanxing’s personality was too stubborn, making her fate both pitiful and deserved.

So, she immersed herself in work for a period, unwilling to bother with these fragmented friendships. Her attendance at Ji Yu’s performance this time was purely on a whim, wanting to see how they performed after debut compared to when they were on the show. Little did she know she would encounter something interesting.

Wang Luoshui tapped her fingers on her knee, looked to her right, and saw the light stick in Si Tian’s hand, guessing she was a fan of Ji Yu. She spoke first:

“Sorry, I mistook you earlier.”

Si Tian shook her head, her eyes curving slightly: “It’s okay. President Meng and I already look very alike.”

Wang Luoshui heard that her relationship with Meng Rendong was not shallow and became more curious: “Oh? But I know most of Rendong’s relatives—I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Wang Luoshui.”

Si Tian’s eyes widened slightly! She finally remembered why this person looked familiar! Ahhh, this was the director of Chasing Dreams 100! Meng Rendong’s good friend! She had forgotten after reading her profile since she rarely appeared on screen.

Si Tian felt annoyed at her poor memory for a moment before saying: “Director Wang, it’s an honor… I, my name is Si Tian. I’m not President Meng’s relative, hmm… I guess, a friend?”

Wang Luoshui smiled, feeling a sense of déjà vu, as if she was looking at a Meng Rendong with a different personality. But precisely because Si Tian’s speaking style, expressions, and posture were different from Meng Rendong’s, she could easily distinguish the two.

So she exchanged a few pleasantries with Si Tian, then turned to ask the other side: “When did you acquire an interesting new friend? Why didn’t you introduce me?”

Meng Rendong knew her friend had been busy with work lately, and their group of friends hadn’t gathered in a long time. Seeing Wang Luoshui’s interest in how she met Si Tian, she thought for a moment and replied:

“A chance encounter.”

Wang Luoshui: “???” Why is she being so cryptic?

She was about to ask more, but the host appeared on stage. The sound from the audience seats at the back was like a tidal wave, with fans frantically shouting their names. In this situation, it was impossible to hear anything unless shouted directly into the person’s ear.

Wang Luoshui gave up, settling back into her chair to watch the performance.

Dream9 opened with their debut song from the show, Go!. Even though the buzz from the variety show had faded and many TV programs were now following suit with survival shows, this song could still easily ignite the atmosphere of the venue, instantly switching to a fervent mode. Si Tian, sitting in the front row, held back repeatedly, but finally couldn’t resist. She raised a small triangular flag she held and waved it vigorously.

As the energy intensified, Dream9’s group dances became more and more captivating. When the atmosphere reached its peak, Si Tian wanted to stand up and jump along, but Wang Luoshui, Meng Rendong, Yu Su, and the others sitting next to her were all exceptionally calm. If she abruptly jumped up, it would seem far too strange.

Si Tian grew increasingly restless.

It was Wang Luoshui, who was more resistant to group dances, who finally glanced at her, noticing her flushed face and suppressed cheering. For some reason, at a climactic point in Ji Yu’s solo show, she joined the screams from the back and shouted:

“Ji Yu! Amazing!”

Si Tian seemed to have an internal switch flipped. She instantly stood up and turned into a screaming chicken: “Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!! Yuyu Mom loves you!!!”

After half a minute of enjoying the excitement with the audience, Si Tian leaned back into her seat, satisfied. Once this dance ended and the venue momentarily quieted, she let out a long breath, having forgotten who was sitting next to her. She turned, intending to share Ji Yu’s incredible performance with the person next to her—

She turned her head, only to meet the eyes of Wang Luoshui, who wore a gentle, amused smile.

All of Si Tian’s compliments were choked in her throat. For some reason, her ears started to turn red. She secretly vowed that next time it would be better to blend in with her fan friends! Never sitting in the first row again!

Sensing the other person’s inexplicable shyness, Wang Luoshui politely averted her gaze, careful not to fan Si Tian’s embarrassment. However, she couldn’t help but ponder, glancing sideways occasionally, trying to contain her curiosity.

Meng Rendong didn’t notice her friend’s unusual behavior today. Her eyes and attention were drawn to Ji Yu on the stage. When she wasn’t focusing on the stage, she was paying attention to Yu Su’s state, afraid she couldn’t adapt to the contemporary fanaticism of young people chasing idols and would be startled by the noise in the venue. Fortunately, Yu Su remained very calm.

Hearing the sounds of people frantically shouting “Ji Yu,” Yu Su’s heart was also greatly shaken. On one hand, she was captivated by Ji Yu’s stage presence. On the other, she felt a little wistful. This child, whom Nanxing endlessly envied, and whom Huaide had already forgotten, was already this excellent. Even without a family, she could garner so much love.

Yu Su couldn’t help but wonder with a touch of sadness: Is it appropriate for me to appear now?

Ji Yu didn’t know what kind of gift Meng Rendong had brought her today. She was changing clothes backstage, preparing for her upcoming solo dance. The makeup artist removed her current makeup, then suddenly asked: “Teacher Ji, I have an idea today. Should we try it?”

Ji Yu listened carefully, then nodded nonchalantly. She half-closed her eyes, waiting for the artist to finish creating on her face. She then got up and walked toward the waiting area. As she passed the teammates who had just finished their performance, Ling Lan patted her shoulder:

“You got this!”

Ji Yu smiled: “Okay.”

The rest of the teammates came over and hugged her. Knowing this was Ji Yu’s first solo performance since starting her treatment, after receiving their silent encouragement, Ji Yu walked towards the stage.

The entire venue had departed from the previous excitement and noise, as if suddenly covered by silence. Ji Yu walked against the light, unable to clearly see who was sitting in the audience.

But suddenly, a voice came from the front, very close to her:

“Ji Yu! Go for it!!”

Because the sound was particularly high and the tone was slightly strained, Ji Yu couldn’t immediately tell who it was, only that it sounded familiar. However, the atmosphere in the venue seemed to be led by this voice. Following suit, the same noise came from all directions:

“Go Ji Yu!!!”

“Charge on, Ji Yu!!!”

“Keep going!”

“We support you!!”

Countless voices, some unified, some scattered, interwove. Ji Yu instantly understood why they were cheering her on. She revealed the first smile that broke her performance state today, very slight, passing quickly. But her eye corner was adorned with a painted rose. As she smiled under the lights, the rose seemed to bloom in the daylight, coated with a layer of gold powder.

It sparkled brightly.

Wearing her headset, her voice was amplified through the speakers in the venue: “Thank you all.”

She bowed deeply to the audience and fans. When she straightened up, she said: “Today, I’m bringing you a dance. Some of you might have seen the first half of this dance before. I didn’t finish it then—”

“Today, I’ve tentatively named it Fight. I hope everyone can also gain some strength from it.”

Fight, a passionate word that, just by being spoken, seemed to give an instant urge to leap up.

Meng Rendong vaguely guessed what was coming… Her attention was completely captured by the stage.

When Ji Yu performed the first set of movements, fans with good memories recognized where this part had appeared before. Si Tian in the front row immediately exclaimed:

“Ah, this is the one she danced in Chasing Dreams 100…”

Wang Luoshui also remembered. She narrowed her eyes slightly, adjusted her sitting posture, and straightened her back, eager to see what kind of dance the current Ji Yu would create.

The first segment was Poppin. Ji Yu’s expression was emotionless as she danced, but her physical movements were intense enough. The rose painted on her eye made her eye area look perfectly serene, like an elemental spirit just born in a flower bush. Having cultivated a human form and endured many hardships, she was still clueless about the ways of the world. Thus, the storms of fate were fierce, but she remained calm.

It was also like a girl in her youth, who, despite facing storms ahead, could still happily leap on the tip of fate’s knife. At that time, she was fearless.

But after the first segment—it transitioned into Jazz.

The style suddenly softened. At this point, her dance and her expression carried a faint melancholy. Too much of this emotion would be artificial, too little would be unnoticeable. But Ji Yu’s choreography skill was superb, allowing people to calm down with her and savor something.

The stage lights dimmed. The color of the rose beneath her eye deepened.

It looked like it was blooming at night, initially brilliant, but later, having not seen light for so long, the petals were no longer delicate, but suppressed. Yet, Ji Yu gradually smiled. That smile was so captivating that it gave a frighteningly enchanting impression, like… a flower demon possessed.

Why? Was it because of this capricious fate? Have you finally been defeated by hardship?

Even those who didn’t understand the dance could feel a silent, permeating sense of suppression from the quiet in the venue. They felt this second stage of the dance was unusually long, even giving rise to a feeling of loneliness, until the background music gradually changed pitch. They slowly realized it was the altered melody of the first segment’s music.

Ji Yu transitioned back from Jazz to Poppin. The movements were slightly different from the first segment, no longer a powerful collision, but carrying a sense of tenacity. The rose was painted with special material, and now, due to the sweat from her dancing, it slowly turned gold.

Like a kind of sublimation.

She no longer smiled, but her eyes brightened, burning with a steadfast determination.

Like a fighter who, having weathered hardships and setbacks, is still determined and pushing forward step by step, even if hunched over. Until the dance ended, the lights dimmed and then fully came back up, she heard no screams.

Perhaps her performance wasn’t good enough. Or perhaps the middle part was too heavy. Ji Yu slowly calmed her breathing, her mind wandering. The sound system amplified her breathing everywhere. Then, Meng Rendong raised her hand and clapped seriously.

“Clap, clap, clap…” The sound was firm, carrying strong support.

Then, the audience in the venue woke up as if from a dream and followed suit, clapping. Someone inexplicably wiped away a tear from their eye, confused about their own reaction. The applause, belated, surged towards the center of the stage like a tide. Ji Yu’s eyes widened slightly in confusion.

The applause was deafening—someone shouted loudly at her: “Ji Yu! I will always love you!!!”

“Keep fighting! Keep singing and dancing like this!”

“You are my favorite idol!!!”

“I will learn from you! To defeat those damn bad things!”

The voices were chaotic. The content Ji Yu occasionally caught was incomplete, but she smiled. The golden rose on her eye corner flowed with dazzling brilliance. She hadn’t expected the fans to truly understand what she was dancing about. Even she thought the dance was a bit strange, like a medley.

She smiled again. Then, she bowed deeply to the audience once more.

—Thank you for your love and tolerance. —Let’s persevere together, in this world that makes you stumble over and over again, struggling, striving, and smilingly working hard to live.

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