Your Aloof Persona Has Crumbled - Chapter 7

After several more trainees from Class A performed, it was finally Lu Jingwei’s turn. By then, there were already eight people in Class A, but among those eight, not a single performance could be called perfect or flawless.

When someone is looking to find fault, they will always find something.

Wen Shike watched Lu Jingwei on stage, internally hoping that Ding Qing’s heart was at least a little broad and that she wouldn’t take her frustration out on Lu Jingwei just because they were from the same company.

The reality, however, was that Ding Qing was indeed narrow-minded. It seemed she was determined to stay on the path she had chosen.

As soon as Lu Jingwei finished her performance, Ding Qing launched a relentless “triple attack” of questioning, clearly nitpicking.

“How do you personally feel about this performance?”

“Do you think your dance level is already high enough to choreograph?”

“I didn’t quite understand what your lyrics were trying to express. Can you explain them to me?”

“I only bring performances I believe are acceptable to a survival show,” Lu Jingwei replied calmly. She wasn’t intimidated by Ding Qing’s expression or words, her face remained composed from start to finish. “As for choreography, I believe whether a person can choreograph doesn’t have much to do with their technical level. As long as one has the desire, one can do it.”

“Regarding the meaning of the lyrics…” Lu Jingwei paused for a few seconds, her expression shifting just enough to show a hint of confusion. “Teacher, could you specify which part you don’t understand? Personally, I felt my lyrics were quite easy to follow.”

“Yes, I’d also like to know which part was unclear,” Xi Mingxuan chimed in, picking up her microphone. “I think Jingwei’s performance was excellent. The arrangement, choreography, and lyrics all shared the same theme, nothing felt out of place.”

Ding Qing glanced at Lu Jingwei, then at Xi Mingxuan. She put down her microphone, looking visibly annoyed, and fell silent.

Ultimately, Lu Jingwei made it into Class A. As she walked past Wen Shike, the two locked eyes.

“You didn’t clap for me,” Lu Jingwei said softly.

“I didn’t want to steal your screen time.”

The recording for everyone’s initial stages ended at 12:30 AM. By the time Wen Shike returned to the dorm, she was dying of exhaustion.

“Sigh, last season they had five days to learn the theme song, but this year it’s only three,” Sun Yuexi sighed, collapsing into her chair.

“Xu Liuyang has already gone to practice. I guess she doesn’t plan on sleeping. I just saw her grab a handful of coffee packets and head out,” Jin Ling said, glancing at the coffee on her own desk.

“Terrifying,” Min Fei groaned, face-planted on the table. “I just want to sleep right now.”

“Who’s showering first?” Sun Yuexi scanned the other three. She was about to ask Wen Shike if she wanted to go, only to see Wen Shike’s head drop straight onto the desk with a loud thud. It gave Sun Yuexi a fright.

The other two also looked over, then looked away, suppressing the urge to laugh.

Wen Shike startled herself awake for a moment. She immediately sat bolt upright, opened her mouth to say something, but then simply closed her eyes again.

“Wen Shike, you go shower first.”

“Huh? Oh.” Wen Shike nodded. Grabbing her pajamas and towel, she stumbled unsteadily into the bathroom.

“Is she really that sleepy?” Min Fei watched her retreating back. “She won’t fall in the shower, will she?”

“Probably not…” Jin Ling said hesitantly, glancing at the bathroom door.

Sun Yuexi leaned back and yawned. “Our ‘Young Lady’ cares about her image. She held the same pose for so long back in the seating area, it’s normal she’s exhausted.”

Wen Shike showered quickly, emerging in ten minutes. She applied some moisturizer haphazardly, and with her eyes half-closed, she wobbled toward her bed. She nearly missed the step on the ladder, causing her three roommates to jump up in alarm.

However, being too tired to care, Wen Shike didn’t even notice the close call.

“What time are we getting up tomorrow?” Sun Yuexi asked.

“Six for me.”

“Six for me too,” Min Fei waved a hand. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m showering next, you guys are welcome to join.”

“Get out! Just go already,” Sun Yuexi said with mock disgust. “I’ll get up at six too. Wen Shike, do you need us to wake you?”

“No need,” Wen Shike managed to say before yawning. “I’ll sleep until I wake up naturally.”

“Alright.”

Wen Shike’s “natural wake-up” lasted until 9:00 AM the next day. Since phones had been turned in, she could only use the MP3 player provided by the crew to listen to the theme song. She washed up slowly, put on her makeup, and went for brunch. By the time she reached the practice room, it was already 10:30 AM.

“Just getting here now? My god.”

“The Young Lady is truly…” someone muttered, giving a silent thumbs up.

Because she had just eaten, Wen Shike couldn’t do intense exercise. She greeted a few acquaintances, found a corner, pulled out her lyric sheet, and began memorizing.

Her gaze drifted forward. When she had passed the Class A room earlier, she noticed Lu Jingwei seemed to have already memorized most of the choreography. Who knows what time she had arrived that morning?

Everyone was so driven. Out of over a hundred people, she was the only one who slept until nine.

About an hour later, Wen Shike could sing the song perfectly. After ensuring there were no flaws, she set the lyrics aside. Others were heading out in groups for lunch, leaving the room nearly empty. There were only a few people left she wasn’t familiar with, and the room was quiet.

Wen Shike faced the big screen and began breaking down the dance moves.

Lu Jingwei happened to pass by the Class B room. Seeing Wen Shike, she paused. “Need some help?”

“Can you?” Wen Shike could learn on her own, but having a teacher was certainly better than just watching a screen.

“Of course. Let me grab lunch, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” Wen Shike waved her off, watched her leave, and then turned back to the screen.

The dance was quite difficult. A girl nearby who was also struggling looked like she was about to burst into tears. “This hand… I can’t control it! Heavens, is it left or right first? I’m going crazy.”

“Right first,” Wen Shike couldn’t help but say.

The girl looked over, her eyes red.

Wen Shike stayed silent for two seconds, then demonstrated the move.

The girl froze, her eyes turning even redder. “You just got here and you already know it? Waaaah, why am I so stupid? I’ve been here since six AM!”

Wen Shike fell silent again. This was her first time dealing with this kind of situation. After a moment, she said, “Maybe you just haven’t ‘clicked’ with it yet. You’ll get it with more practice.”

Usually, it was others who comforted her. Her friends knew she hated whiny people who constantly complained, so they usually hid their negative energy and only shared happy things with her.

When Lu Jingwei returned, she saw Wen Shike teaching others to dance. She stood at the door for a while. Wen Shike’s movements were technically sound. “Still need me?”

“Yes!” Wen Shike’s head was spinning. She looked toward the door immediately.

She practically had the words “Save Me” engraved on her forehead. She had thought the girl just didn’t understand the moves, but it turned out she truly lacked coordination! Her limbs wouldn’t follow her brain, and she couldn’t tell left from right while dancing.

In that moment, Lu Jingwei looked like a literal star in Wen Shike’s eyes.