On the day of the performance, the queue outside the program building was so long that it almost stretched from the lobby door to the crossroads.
Many of them had not managed to get tickets and were there just to catch a glimpse of their favorite star in a fleeting moment.
Dozens of flower walls and poster walls were erected, and fans with bouquets and dolls shuttled through the crowd, creating an atmosphere as festive and vibrant as the Roman Carnival.
The joint poster wall of the four mentors was placed in the center by the company, flanked by individual confession walls for each of the four mentors.
The two in red and white suits, Pei Ruye and Huo Ren, had their collars and chests stamped with lipstick and peach hearts, and there was an overly excited male fan holding a standee of Feng Jin, crying his eyes out.
The moment Huo Ren stepped out of the stretch Lincoln, the air at the venue seemed to explode.
“Ren Ren—Ahhh, it’s really Ren Ren!!!”
“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you—”
“Bright blade polishing the light! Cold blade unparalleled!”
“Husband—look at me!!!”
Before the frenzy subsided, Pei Ruye also stepped out from the other side of the car, walking alongside Huo Ren with a light laugh, whispering something in his ear.
Almost everyone paused for a second, then whether they were hardcore career fans, mom fans of trainees, or anyone else, they started to scream like groundhogs as if under a spell.
Too bold! How dare they be so obvious!
What exactly happened between you two back then, when are you getting married, explain now!!!
When Huo Ren looked at Pei Ruye, his smile was both cute and handsome, and he appeared incredibly relaxed.
He heard the deafening screams, paused, turned around, and waved at everyone with Pei Ruye.
“Ahhhhh—”
“I’m dead, I’m dead, he’s looking at me!”
Mei Heng and Feng Jin were walking in front, and they also turned back for a glance.
“Youth is wonderful, isn’t it.”
Feng Jin clicked her tongue, unwilling to reminisce about anything.
Today was the semi-final of the top 30 to 10, and almost all the trainees had been feeling the tension of an upcoming major exam for the last three or four days, with very few managing to sleep properly, everyone anxious to the point of restricting their eating and drinking, fearing diarrhea or any discomfort.
Only Bo Huan and Han Yang slept peacefully and relaxed, like two simple-minded kids.
The stage of mentors and trainees indeed surpassed the audience’s expectations in terms of completion and amazement.
Although the previous episodes had been exciting enough, today’s performance was truly significant, featuring veterans of many battles.
—Mei Heng, Feng Jin, Huo Ren, all winners of the OSC Crown Awards, each had held concerts in double digits.
And Pei Ruye himself was a top-tier choreography director who had created numerous domestic concerts, having won a Grand Slam at an international street dance event in his youth.
The first two performances were by Mei Heng and Feng Jin, starting off so loudly and splendidly that each of the four-minute frames could keep revolving in one’s mind.
The once timid and cautious Ma Lu had transformed into a confident and bright young man, dancing behind Mei Heng with a smile showing his small white teeth, refreshingly cute and completely unlike his former self.
Han Yang surprisingly partnered with Feng Jin as the Cheshire Cat and the Red Queen, dancing gracefully with a voice so smooth and flawless, even live.
When the intermission ended and the two newly promoted groups from friendly companies bowed and left the stage, Pei Ruye finally led the trainees onto the stage.
The girls in the first five rows waving strange light signs like ‘Little Snow Leopard Incredibly Cute’ and ‘The Only Beloved of Jiannian’ almost jumped up to make their idol notice them.
All eight were dressed in American MA-1 bomber jackets, with a collective style that was uniform yet each had their distinctive highlights.
Zhu Xizhi always wore flashy polka-dotted coats, but today he switched to air force camouflage, exuding the vigorous aura of a decorated general.
Jiannian’s jacket was adorned with trendy brand designs of half-moon and stars on a dark blue background, which, matched with his pale, glowing skin, complemented his beautiful, clear gray-blue eyes perfectly.
Surrounded by the trainees in the center, Pei Ruye wore a simple and understated American ALPHA silver-gray jacket.
The young men were bright and lively, the man calm and handsome.
No matter how you look at it, they were breathtaking on stage, standing there for just five minutes would probably have a crowd scrambling for tickets.
Huo Ren acted as the temporary host, smiling as he gestured for the kids to introduce themselves.
“Hello, I’m awooo awooo Zhu Xizhi—”
“Long time no see, I’m Shi Jiannian.”
Amid the intermittent cheers, the microphone was passed to Pei Ruye.
He glanced sideways at Huo Ren, his eyes and eyebrows smiling: “Do I look good in this?”
Huo Ren usually couldn’t handle Pei Ruye’s expressions like this, especially not in a work setting where he suddenly felt teased, and coughed forcefully.
The audience below exploded.
Praise him now!! The dominant one rarely gets vain!! Ren Ren, this is your chance, how can you catch him if you don’t compliment him!!!
Pei Ruye, be a person!! You’re recording a show, are you afraid others can’t tell!!!
Zhu Xizhi twisted about behind, his face eager as if he was about to write ‘Teacher Huo, if you don’t praise him, I will praise him in ten thousand words’.
Shi Jiannian coolly and calmly pushed him back: “We’re live, stand properly.”
The young girls witnessing the trainees’ antics gasped.
Zhu Xizhi, do you know how wild this makes you look!!!
Shi Jiannian, why does everything about you feel so mysterious, what’s going on!!!
“Looks good,” Huo Ren nodded, thinking this was a live broadcast, he had to give face: “Teacher, buy me a set of this too.”
The Night Fire Like Blade fans were nearly insane.
What is this about buying clothes!! Rounded up, it’s basically a couple’s outfit!!!
Has the Taobao same-style come out yet, can we still order it after the show!!!
The venue dimmed, and the moment the stage was set, a deep, magnetic recitation began.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off—”
Mysterious lights radiated from four directions, and the rotating stage was divided like a sliced pancake.
Eight trainees were positioned in compartments of colors like blueberry and black cherry, resembling pilots lounging in bars, or boys swinging on hammocks among courtyard trees.
Pei Ruye casually sat at the highest point in the center, resting his chin on his hand, watching them take turns dancing.
“S’their eyes with your name in their mouth and,”
“Boun’ around, boun’ around, boun’—”
Shi Jiannian flipped over a barrier with one hand, soaring and hovering like a night hawk amidst the changing stage lights and colors, his blue eyes glinting like jewels.
The eight seemed merely to revel in a party-like frenzy, the dance stripping away any ostentatious skill to simply follow the rhythm, expressing emotions and body lines purely.
Even though the environment and props created an illusion of divided space, all spectators subconsciously watched every one of them.
Dance and individuals simultaneously conveyed narratives and atmospheres, raw, pure, and utterly perfect.
Shi Jiannian stood out among his peers, leaping to the edge of a narrow platform with a provocative gesture.
Pei Ruye slowly stood up, and at the same second the chorus exploded, every bone, tendon, and muscle came to life.
It was as if he had suddenly transformed from a gentleman into a fierce beast.
The moment of the solo battle between the two Cs, the spotlight fell like a blizzard, rapidly accelerating the tempo to push all physical movements faster, as if trying to accumulate all difficulty points in one go.
In that instant, the hormones of the two were like simultaneously ignited spirits, overwhelming the entire venue!
Swift, dazzling to the extreme.
Another beam of silver light spiraled around the two, with the electronic music accelerating again, continuously shaking up and down.
The man lightly clapped a hand, and the youth made a gesture, stepping back two steps before flipping back from a high point into the embrace of his companions. Turning his head, he flashed a toothy grin at the crowd, his expression both innocent and dangerously predatory.
The stage ceased rotating, and a segment of electronic drumbeats thudded dully. All the dancers simultaneously paused, their swift dance moves seamlessly transitioning to slow motion as if rewound.
Pei Ruye remained in his original position, his dance as youthful as any of the others, every contraction and release casual yet precise.
Even if he weren’t performing, he still seemed like a character in a play.
The music alternately sped up and slowed down, as if by accident, abruptly halting and commanding the youths to freeze in their tracks.
The man propped himself up with one hand on the ground, his gaze sharp as a blade as he surveyed everyone.
The audience was initially stunned, then burst into loud cheers as if awakening from a dream, waving their light signs and posters while shouting—
“That was amazing, give us another one!!!”
“Pei is a god, so cool, so absolute, I can’t even!!!”
“Jiannian looks so cool—”
While this dance segment was not yet finished, several online forums hosting live streams had already turned into scream factories.
[Don’t ask why the career-focused Ren Ren would chase after Boss Pei, if it were me, I’d chase him too!!!]
[This character is super self-assured, sitting back controlling the big picture while playing with the kids, Boss Pei is definitely a silent type hhhh]
[Ah!!!! Ah!!!! Ah!!!!!!!!]
[The screaming from the audience almost drowns out the music… honestly, Shi Jiannian is perfect for the role of C, he’s just like the epitome of a modern beautiful seme TUT]
Huo Ren had already gone to change outfits and prepare for the stage, with Feng Jin taking over as the host.
The pop diva, reminiscing with a smile as she watched her old friend dance, first praised several trainees who had shown marked improvement, then turned to interview Pei Ruye about his feelings at that moment.
“Not bad,” said Pei Ruye, who had barely sweated, as if he had just warmed up, his voice steady: “Everyone has a great attitude, I hope they continue to practice and solidify their skills.”
The kids, suddenly reminded of the fear dominated by rigorous training, shivered and loudly exclaimed: “Thank! You! Teacher!!!”
The stage dimmed again, and crew members hurriedly changed the scenery and moved props.
After a while, in the silence, a beam of fragmented light fell.
Two youths, one holding a steel-boned fan and the other a golden-threaded fan, stood shoulder to shoulder; one gentle as jade, the other stern as a sharp blade.
Author’s note:
Opening arrangement with a double fan dance confirmed. √