Chapter 18.1: Theme Song Practice (6)
Gu Shang still hadn’t figured things out when Xia Wenhao came charging back again.
Gu Shang: “?”
Xia Wenhao stared at Gu Shang with a strange look, too embarrassed to admit he had rushed out and forgotten to take the paper with him.
Gu Shang shivered slightly. Why is he back again? Could it be he thought he was egging him on and came back to beat him up for practice?
Gu Shang explained confidently, “Why are you looking at me? It’s just the truth. If you’re still hung up on it, that’s fine, but it’s really no big deal. A lot of people copy it without understanding what that symbol even means. But Shen Xiu is just too cold—he even looks at people with this icy stare—so everyone’s too scared to ask.”
“So, it’s normal if you’re scared too. Not asking is totally fine, really. It’s not embarrassing at all.”
Xia Wenhao: “?”
The more he listened, the more it felt off—why did it sound like he was scared of Shen Xiu?! Xia Wenhao was so mad his head buzzed, steam practically shooting from the top of his head. He completely forgot why he came back in the first place.
[Gu Shang, maybe just shut up. Xia Wenhao’s temper is about to explode, and the way he’s looking at you right now is anything but gentle. I’m scared you’re gonna get beat up, hahaha.]
[Gu Shang: Huh? I’m just telling the truth. Why does this kid’s gaze have murderous intent now?]
In a fit of anger, Xia Wenhao shouted, “Fine! I’ll go! You guys are cowards—I’m not! Bunch of losers!”
With that fierce line, Xia Wenhao turned and stormed off.
Gu Shang said softly, “Um, wait…”
Xia Wenhao whipped around, full of aggression: “What now?”
Gu Shang raised the paper in his hand and gave it a wave. “You forgot to take this with you when you went to ask.”
“I was afraid I’d lose mine earlier, so I copied a few extras. You can have this one, don’t be shy.”
Xia Wenhao’s whole face turned bright red as he finally remembered why he had rushed back: “…Oh. Thanks.”
Xia Wenhao, paper in hand, walked away at lightning speed. He didn’t need to check the livestream comments to know he was definitely being roasted hard by everyone watching.
—
Class A’s Practice Room.
The spacious room was nearly empty, with only Song Chengwang and Shen Xiu left inside.
Shang Yu, Xiang Yueting, Zhuang Yi, and Jiang Yanxi weren’t there—not because they were slacking off, but because they all had good tempers and had been invited by students from other classes to help out as temporary instructors.
After all, even though Shen Xiu had already broken down the choreography of Wind and Waves into detailed notes, and everyone was studying it move-by-move, they still wanted a pro beside them to correct things like posture, strength, and form in real-time.
As for why Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang were the ones left behind—well, that was simple. Song Chengwang had a fiery temper and a sharp tongue, while Shen Xiu radiated a cold, forceful aura that made him intimidating to approach. No one had the guts to ask the two of them for help.
Song Chengwang looked around at the empty practice room, clearly uncomfortable.
Why didn’t anyone invite him? Was it because he wasn’t good enough?
Instant depression!
Song Chengwang tilted his head and saw Shen Xiu staring expressionlessly at the dance video on the screen. From the moment students from other classes came over to invite people, to when those people left, Shen Xiu’s mood hadn’t fluctuated at all. It was as if none of it mattered to him, like the world around him barely registered—which made the whole thing even more boring for Song Chengwang to watch.
Sitting on the floor, Song Chengwang couldn’t help but call out to him: “No one asked for your help. Aren’t you sad?”
Maybe because they’d spent a bit more time together than with other trainees, Shen Xiu didn’t seem as stiff around someone from the same dorm.
But—even after all this time, Shen Xiu still didn’t understand how people thought!
Sad?
That feeling didn’t exist. Absolutely didn’t exist.
Shen Xiu replied simply, “No.”
What he didn’t have the heart to tell Song Chengwang was—not only was he not sad, he was actually pretty happy about it.
God knows how nervous Shen Xiu had been when that group of people came in to invite Shang Yu and the others. He didn’t even dare look up and meet anyone’s eyes, keeping his head down and pretending to focus on the multimedia screen—though in reality, his heart was pounding like it was about to leap out of his chest.
Fortunately, everyone was a bunch of good people.
They must’ve noticed he was timid, and that’s why they didn’t come over to scare him.
Hearing Shen Xiu’s cold reply, Song Chengwang grew even more unconvinced. “I don’t believe you. Don’t lie to me. It’s just the two of us here—no need to act tough.”
“Everyone else got invited except us! They asked everyone else, just not us. You’re telling me that doesn’t make you feel anything?”
“…” Shen Xiu couldn’t help it. He turned his head, giving Song Chengwang a long, frosty stare.
Catching that chill of a gaze, tinged faintly with disdain, Song Chengwang felt a fresh wave of frustration. He had to admit—it really was just him feeling upset about it.
Song Chengwang’s thoughts: Damn it, Shen Xiu’s stress resistance is insane. He genuinely doesn’t care what other people think or do!
Song Chengwang, now agitated: “But that sense of disappointment…”
He held up his hands, fingers pinched to show a tiny gap. “There has to be a little bit, right?”
Shen Xiu, helplessly: “No.”
Why wouldn’t Song Chengwang believe him? Shen Xiu was getting tired.
After staring into Shen Xiu’s utterly unaffected eyes for a few seconds, Song Chengwang finally gave up.
He was forced to admit: he really was the only one who cared.
Song Chengwang, now emotionally crushed: “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Shen Xiu: “!” Is there such a good thing?
“…kay.”
Shen Xiu gave a short response, then, right in front of Song Chengwang, put on his headphones, stepped down from the media equipment platform, turned his back to him, and began practicing a newly selected dance while watching the screen.
Song Chengwang: “???”
Shen Xiu, that heartless man! Didn’t he see that he was just being stubborn? He needs comfort too!
In Class A’s practice room, it was just Song Chengwang and Shen Xiu. No one else was fighting for the spotlight, and the audience in the Class A livestream had all their attention focused on the two of them.
Watching Song Chengwang’s frustrated and unwilling expression, and Shen Xiu’s calm and composed demeanor that hadn’t changed from start to finish, the comments on the livestream were all laughing at Song Chengwang.
[Hahaha, Song Chengwang, stop struggling. You’re the only one feeling down.]
[The stubborn boy, Song Chengwang. Check it out.]
[Song Chengwang: Damn it, why didn’t anyone invite me? Don’t let my sharp tongue fool you. Inside, I’m a softie, a crybaby who’ll go into self-pity when no one invites me!]
[Song Chengwang to Shen Xiu: You’re heartless, you’re cold.]
Song Chengwang shut himself off for a few minutes before getting up and heading over to the other multimedia station to find a dance to practice along with.
In the Class A practice room, Song Chengwang and Shen Xiu were on opposite sides, each facing away from the other, practicing without disturbing one another.
Xia Wenhao pushed open the door to Class A and saw Shen Xiu practicing with his back to him, following the MV on the screen without sparing him a glance.
Song Chengwang heard the noise and glanced toward the door. When he saw that it was Xia Wenhao, he raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.
He then turned his attention back to Shen Xiu, who still had his back to him, paused his practice briefly, and casually took a bottle of water to lean against the wall, watching the two of them with interest.
Xia Wenhao stood in Class A for a full minute, and in that long minute, Shen Xiu didn’t once turn his head to look at him.
Xia Wenhao: “…”
Even in front of the camera, Shen Xiu couldn’t be bothered to pretend. Not a single glance in his direction. That was cool—Xia Wenhao wasn’t disappointed.
Having a request, Xia Wenhao took a deep breath and walked over to Shen Xiu, saying, “Shen Xiu.”
Shen Xiu, who was startled by the sudden appearance of someone just three steps away from him, almost had his heart stop in surprise.
Wearing his headphones, Shen Xiu saw Xia Wenhao’s lips moving but didn’t hear anything, which made him feel a little tense.
Last time, Xia Wenhao had commented on him being a conspicuous bag, and now that he was here again, what was he about to say?
With a nervous heart, Shen Xiu paused his practice, took off his headphones, and asked, “What’s up?”
Xia Wenhao thought Shen Xiu was purposely ignoring him, but when he saw Shen Xiu remove his headphones, he realized he’d misunderstood.
Feeling a bit guilty, Xia Wenhao ignored Shen Xiu’s indifferent attitude and, holding the Wind and Waves assignment he’d gotten from Gu Shang, politely asked, “Hello, could you please tell me what this symbol means?”
[Hmm, I see, Xia Wenhao’s showing some improvement, but not much, hahaha.]
[Xia Wenhao: Improvement? (scratches head in confusion) What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t get it. In front of Shen Xiu, I’m a diligent and eager-to-learn little good boy.]
Hearing this, Shen Xiu felt his tense heart relax.
So he wasn’t here to pick a fight. That was a relief. He’d been so scared for a moment.
Shen Xiu followed the direction Xia Wenhao was pointing to and, after identifying the symbol on the paper, replied, “It’s meaningless.”
“…”
Xia Wenhao, being his straightforward self, couldn’t hold back. He started speaking in a rush, like spilling beans: “Shen Xiu, are you refusing to tell me?”
“Alright, I admit it, I was wrong before. I acted impulsively, but you’re really too conspicuous. Don’t you know that’s very attention-grabbing? I’ve never seen anyone so arrogant…”
Xia Wenhao’s long-winded speech made Shen Xiu’s head buzz.
He was speaking the truth, so why was Xia Wenhao upset?
To calm Xia Wenhao down, Shen Xiu forced himself to say a long string of words: “The pen accidentally fell on the paper and I scribbled it. It really doesn’t mean anything.”
Shen Xiu hadn’t expected that someone would even copy a half-circle symbol when transcribing the notes.
His voice, deep and emotionless, was like a cold bucket of water, instantly dousing the fiery anger Xia Wenhao had been feeling.
Hearing the truth, Xia Wenhao swallowed the rest of his words, his face turning red as he fell silent: “…”
The fool was him, after all!
Seeing this, Song Chengwang snapped out of his mood: “Hahaha, I get it now, hahahaha…”
Hearing Song Chengwang’s maniacal laughter, Xia Wenhao withdrew even further into himself.
[Got it, turns out self-pity can be contagious.]
[Shen Xiu’s “it doesn’t mean anything” tricked Xia Wenhao into spilling all that! Xia Wenhao’s covering his face, ah, it’s hurting!]
[Hahaha, who told Xia Wenhao to talk like a machine gun, just nonstop babbling.]
After a long silence, Xia Wenhao finally managed to get one word out: “Oh.”
Shen Xiu: “Mm.”
So… could this please be over now?
With someone who had been tougher than him standing right in front, Shen Xiu felt uncharacteristically nervous.
Xia Wenhao: “…”
Not only was Shen Xiu looking at him with a cold, frosty gaze, but he couldn’t even spare him an extra word!
Sure enough, his short temper was causing problems again.
It was his fault to begin with, so Xia Wenhao, his ears burning with embarrassment, quickly apologized: “Uh… sorry, and thanks for telling me. I’m leaving now!”
Song Chengwang: “Aren’t you staying? It’d be convenient to ask questions. After all, it’s the symbol Shen Xiu wrote himself! And importantly, there are fewer people here.”
Hearing this, Xia Wenhao thought of Shen Xiu’s cold expression and his extremely icy gaze, and his face turned red.
He turned to glare at Song Chengwang, straightforwardly saying, “Thanks, but I’m not going to steal your Class A’s spotlight.”
Xia Wenhao then turned back to Shen Xiu and added, “Even if I didn’t watch the livestream, I know you must be really popular. But I won’t steal your spotlight. I won’t take advantage of you!”
In talent shows, ability is crucial, but popularity also plays a significant role. With the upcoming first public performance, some trainees would start to be eliminated.
If trainees weren’t particularly strong but left a strong impression on the audience, when the viewers voted for their favorite trainees by lighting up little red hearts, they might end up favoring the more eye-catching ones.
So, the more camera time you got, the more likely the viewers would notice you, giving you a better chance to stay on the stage.
Naturally, Xia Wenhao wanted camera time, but he wanted to stay on the stage based on his own skills.
Looking at Xia Wenhao, who had finished his bold statement but still hadn’t left, Shen Xiu fell silent.
Usually, after saying something bold, people would just leave, so why wasn’t Xia Wenhao following the usual script?
Not only was he not leaving, but he was also staring at Shen Xiu?
Was… he waiting for a response?
Shen Xiu: He truly is someone with principles.
In order to get Xia Wenhao to leave and end this uncomfortable situation, Shen Xiu spoke up, “Well… thanks.”
Xia Wenhao: “?”
Thank him for what? For not stealing the spotlight?
Come on, we’re live! Could you at least pretend a little? I also want a little bit of face!
Song Chengwang laughed even louder: “Hahahahaha…”
[Xia Wenhao: Brother, how am I supposed to respond to that?]
[Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon!]
[Xia Wenhao: I’m so mad I could explode!]
[Song Chengwang knows how to pour gasoline on the fire, hahaha, brother, seriously, if you keep laughing like that, it’s going to be rude, hahaha.]
“Goodbye!”
Embarrassed by Song Chengwang’s laughter, Xia Wenhao’s ears turned bright red. He quickly threw that out and almost ran off, as if being chased by a dog.
Song Chengwang: “You can come visit often~”
Click!
In response to Song Chengwang’s comment, the door closed softly and politely, despite Xia Wenhao’s embarrassment.
Looking at the closed door, Song Chengwang grinned proudly: “To be honest, Xia Wenhao actually fits my temper pretty well.”
Shen Xiu: “…”
Not only is Xia Wenhao strange, but Song Chengwang is also strange.
Shen Xiu was baffled, letting out a deep sigh in his heart.
Great, once again, he was out of sync with everyone because he couldn’t understand what they were thinking.
Shen Xiu decided not to engage, so that after Xia Wenhao left, he wouldn’t have to talk to Song Chengwang either.
Communicating with others was harder than learning to sing and dance. While Song Chengwang still hadn’t gotten his fill of talking, Shen Xiu put on his headphones and returned to practicing his singing and dancing.
Song Chengwang shifted his gaze from the door to Shen Xiu. He was about to say something but saw that Shen Xiu had already put on his headphones and was facing away, continuing to practice.
Song Chengwang: “…”
Isn’t it okay to take a break and chat for a bit? It’s only the second day of theme song practice. Is it really necessary to work this hard?
Song Chengwang grumbled inwardly, but his body, being very honest, also turned away from Shen Xiu to practice on his own.
With such a hardworking person next to him, if he didn’t push himself, he would feel as uncomfortable as ants crawling all over his body!
…
Adhering to the principle that good things should be shared with brothers, Xia Wenhao left Class A and went straight to Class F to find Ke Zi’an.
Shang Yu went to Class B, Jiang Yanxi went to Class D, Xiang Yueting went to Class E, and Zhuang Yi went to Class C. Only Class F was a bit slower, with only Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang remaining in Class A, two tough figures. Class F didn’t dare to ask for them, so they had to join the guidance of other classes instead.
In the end, only a few people stayed in Class F.
As Ke Zi’an’s childhood friend, Xia Wenhao didn’t even need to think. He knew Ke Zi’an must be in Class F at that moment.
Sure enough, when he pushed open the door to Class F, Xia Wenhao immediately saw Ke Zi’an and Lin Jiashi lying on yoga mats talking.
Seeing this scene, Xia Wenhao’s face darkened.
“After the theme song comes the first performance, and after the first performance comes the first ranking release. Do you really want to be eliminated in the first round?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Ke Zi’an suddenly shivered and jumped up from the yoga mat.
When he saw Xia Wenhao by the door, his face turned awkward. “Wenhao, you, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to teach you how to dance.”
Ke Zi’an could sing well, but not because of his singing ability—it was all about his voice. However, Ke Zi’an’s dancing was really bad, to the point of being laughable.
“Oh.” Ke Zi’an ran over to Xia Wenhao’s side and said eagerly, “Let’s get started.”
After saying that, Ke Zi’an turned to Lin Jiashi. “Jiashi, let’s do it together. Wenhao is better than both of us.”
Lin Jiashi nodded with a smile. “Mm!”
Then, she looked at Xia Wenhao. “We’ll leave it to you then.”
Whether it was one person or two, Xia Wenhao didn’t refuse. “Alright.”
Xia Wenhao took out the paper he had gotten from Gu Shang and placed it in front of the two. “Have you guys seen this?”
Ke Zi’an and Lin Jiashi both shook their heads.
Xia Wenhao widened his eyes in disbelief. “Did you both sleepwalk the entire morning? This has been circulating among the trainees since this morning! I just woke up this afternoon and I’ve already memorized it. You’re telling me you haven’t seen it?!”
He was so angry!
“I’ve never seen two lazier people!” Xia Wenhao glared at Ke Zi’an, frustrated.
[Ah, Xia Wenhao is really fierce.]
[Though what he said isn’t wrong, it’s… too blunt. It stings, and Lin Jiashi’s smile is starting to fade.]
[Ke Zi’an’s temperament is really good. He’s just like his personality—soft and squishy, like a doll. He doesn’t get upset even when people push him around.]
[They must have been really familiar with each other before coming onto the show, which is why they can talk like this.]
Xia Wenhao’s words were harsh, but Ke Zi’an didn’t get angry. His face turned red from embarrassment over his laziness. “Sorry, I only sang the song.”
Xia Wenhao replied, “I know you. You’re definitely avoiding practicing dance again.”
Xia Wenhao understood. Ke Zi’an wasn’t lazy; he just liked to avoid things that were difficult for him.
Ke Zi’an didn’t dare to say anything.
“Alright, we’ll practice until 6 PM today, then we’ll go eat. Any questions?”
Ke Zi’an shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum. “No problem!”
Lin Jiashi’s gaze was firm. “I have no problem either.”
Xia Wenhao glanced at Lin Jiashi, puzzled. He didn’t really understand why Lin Jiashi wasn’t putting in more effort.
Lin Jiashi had a very refined appearance. A beautiful face combined with a hardworking persona, and after putting in the effort, he would become skilled. This was a highly positive trait in the eyes of the audience.
Although he couldn’t be like Shen Xiu, who was not only strong in ability but also uniquely handsome, exuding a cool, dazzling aura that made him a natural on stage—someone who no one could take their eyes off—Lin Jiashi had much better conditions than someone who could only rely on makeup and struggled to compete in terms of ability.
Curious as he was, Xia Wenhao didn’t pry into other people’s private matters.
He gave the two of them some time to memorize it.
After Ke Zi’an finished, he curiously asked, “Who made this? It’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Xia Wenhao answered, “Shen Xiu made it.”
Lin Jiashi froze for a second, then smiled and looked at Ke Zi’an. “See? I told you Shen Xiu has a cold face but a warm heart. He’s a really nice person, sharing such good things with us, even though we’re his competitors.”
Ke Zi’an’s eyes lit up as he nodded. “Mm!”
He hadn’t expected Shen Xiu, who appeared so cold, to be so warm-hearted.
Lin Jiashi pointed to the half-circle symbol on the paper. “What does this punctuation mean? I don’t quite understand. Wait, I’ll go ask Shen Xiu.”
Xia Wenhao slightly raised his eyelids. “No need. I already asked him. It’s nothing. It was just a line drawn when his pen slipped.”
Lin Jiashi froze for a moment. “Oh, I see.”
“Alright, let’s start. I’ll stand behind you both and practice with you. I’ll help correct your movements.”
“Lin Jiashi, what’s wrong with your hands? Haven’t you eaten? Why is your strength so weak?”
“Ke Zi’an, why are your legs shaking?!”
“No, seriously, what are you two dancing?! How does it benefit you to make my eyes burn like this?!”
During the half hour of practice, both Ke Zi’an and Lin Jiashi spent the time under Xia Wenhao’s shouting.
The viewers in the live stream were trembling.
[Even through the screen, I can feel the fear of the little ones, the conjoined twins.]
[So fierce, so fierce! Boss Xiu, hurry up @Shen Xiu.]
[Hahaha, what a devil. Do you think Boss Xiu is a beast trainer?]
After a break, Lin Jiashi, pale-faced, spoke up: “Um, Wenhao, I still have something to do, so I’ll skip the rest of the practice. You guys keep going.”
“Alright.”
Xia Wenhao didn’t really care if Lin Jiashi practiced or not; he was there to help Ke Zi’an, not Lin Jiashi.
When Lin Jiashi left Class F, he was dazed, as if his soul had been drained.
[Xia Wenhao is such a devil! Lin Jiashi’s white hair doesn’t even shine anymore. Pat, pat.]
[Lin Jiashi looks like his soul was just sucked out. jpg]
[Wait, Lin Jiashi, calm down! You’re going the wrong way! That’s where two devils are gathered! Go in there, and you’ll experience what it’s like to be tortured by the extremes of cold and heat!]
[Devils? A cold, ruthless big devil and a fiery, explosive big devil? Hahaha.]
