Chapter 17: Theme Song (4)
As it turned out, Lai Yudong might have overthought things.
Even though he had explained in advance that he would just observe from the side, Su Junzhe still enthusiastically guided him, breaking down the dance in front of the mirrored wall. He wouldn’t move on to the next set of moves until Lai Yudong could smoothly complete one slow eight-count.
Though he couldn’t teach with the precision of a professional dance instructor, the framework he laid out was correct. The goal wasn’t to master the choreography on the spot, but to familiarize oneself with the general moves under a relaxed standard—so that during the actual class, they wouldn’t fall behind the teaching pace.
It was a very sensible approach—perfect for beginners trying to learn quickly.
“Alright, next eight-count.”
Su Junzhe picked up the tablet, eyes glued to the screen without blinking. His face was expressionless, revealing the seriousness and focus hidden beneath his cute exterior.
“First like this… then like this…” he murmured to himself. “OK, I got it. Let’s continue.”
When he looked up again, his smile melted onto his face like warm honey—completely different from just moments ago.
[Sweet Junzhe! My angel!]
[You mean Yuki’s angel, haha!]
[What a helpful little boy!]
In contrast to the radiant and polished little sweetheart who looked flawless every second, Lai Yudong appeared a bit disheveled. He was controlling his limbs and head like they had just been installed, clumsily mimicking Su Junzhe’s movements.
Su Junzhe raised his hand—he raised his hand.
Su Junzhe turned his head—he turned his head.
Su Junzhe spun—he spun too.
How to put it…
While he could more or less replicate the movements, the end result was completely different.
Something was off—he didn’t know exactly what, but it just looked… weird.
[Yuki, you…]
[Did you walk into the wrong room? Is this the rehab center livestream?]
[I can’t believe Su-su’s not laughing.]
[Is it my fan filter, or is this actually a little better than the first stage?]
[The difference between Tai Chi and military boxing.]
Whether it was the cheerful bullet comments or the sight of his own reflection in the mirror—stiff like a rusted robot—Lai Yudong couldn’t bear to look. But Su Junzhe, acting as the dance teacher, didn’t call for a break, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.
The thought that the theme song was nearly four minutes long filled him with despair.
After a few more eight-counts, a few people began trickling into the F-class practice room.
The first to enter was a black-haired boy named Wang Yiwen. The sight of the bright crimson F-class uniform startled him so much that he instinctively stepped back out to check the room number, then walked in hesitantly only after confirming it was indeed F-class.
“Are you guys learning the theme song?”
“Yeah,” Su Junzhe replied.
Wang Yiwen scratched his head sheepishly. “Can I join you?”
Su Junzhe blinked. “Of course.”
“Thank you! Thanks so much!”
Everyone who came in after reacted the same way as Wang Yiwen. Their expressions on seeing Su Junzhe were like pilgrims meeting a living Buddha. No one wanted to miss the rare opportunity to be taught by the F-class’s surprise dance instructor, and they each found an empty spot to join in.
The crimson uniform in front stood out prominently, and behind him, the number of black uniforms began to swell like drops of ink spreading in water. A few yellow and blue uniforms even mixed into the crowd.
Before they realized it, what started as a one-on-one private lesson had grown into a small class of over twenty people.
Lai Yudong hadn’t expected things to escalate like this.
From the bullet comments, he learned that someone had leaked the news—word had gotten out that a kind-hearted A-class trainee was offering support to F-class, and so, many trainees who had been comfortably lounging in bed rushed over with the mentality of elderly folks lining up for free eggs.
Lai Yudong stole a glance at the curly-haired boy reflected in the mirror. He had a strong feeling that, although the other party didn’t show it, the lesson was probably about to wrap up soon.
Su Junzhe had come to F-class seeking peace and quiet. Now, not only was the number of people here more than three times that of A-class, but he was shouldering the burden alone.
Even so, he had taught for so long without a single complaint—that was already more than generous.
As one of the partial culprits behind the situation, Lai Yudong couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about how things had turned out.
—He really had caused trouble for him after all.
“Did everyone get it? Okay, let’s put it all together and try it once.”
While counting the beats aloud, Su Junzhe danced through a full eight-count at half speed. His movements were sharp and powerful, nothing like someone who had only just received the choreography.
The rest of the trainees, however, were all over the place. The staggered sound of footsteps echoed behind him, filled with mistimed and mistaken moves. The scene was complete chaos.
[No wonder he was the first A-rank.]
[Su Junzhe focused on dancing himself, didn’t really teach the others much…]
[He was willing to help at all—what more do you want, a bike?]
[If you’re not happy, don’t crash the lesson.]
[Come on, this is a survival show—everyone’s a competitor. Su Junzhe hasn’t even fully learned it himself but still helps others. Isn’t that practically saintly?]
[Don’t fight, everyone’s just trying to learn sincerely—no one’s blaming Su-su for not teaching well.]
[Please don’t cut this part out of the final edit!]
Su Junzhe’s actions won over a lot of casual viewers. His image as a cute, refined, warm-hearted, and hardworking trainee was instantly solidified.
In the early stages of the show—especially before the first episode officially aired—being able to stand out both in terms of ability and personality without any preexisting fanbase was undoubtedly an ideal start, nearly a perfect score.
Barring any surprises, he was clearly shaping up to be a strong contender for the upper ranks.
Lai Yudong’s intuition soon proved correct.
After finishing that eight-count, Su Junzhe turned around and scratched his cheek, his naturally curved smiling eyes full of apology. “Sorry… I actually wanted to finish going through the whole dance with everyone before the full class starts, but I’m really out of time. I haven’t even had lunch yet…”
“No, no—it’s us who should be thanking you!”
“Thank you, Teacher Su!”
“Go eat! Eating’s the most important thing!”
The trainees quickly interrupted his apology.
[Baby, you’re just too sweet… TUT]
[Oh my god, I just saw an angel.]
With the only “teacher” gone, F-class’s little pop-up class dissolved instantly. The rest either returned to their own classes or headed back to their dorms. Very few remained in F-class.
Lai Yudong was no exception. He had been wondering when to go find lunch, and now this was the perfect excuse.
He was the first to follow Su Junzhe out of the practice room, walking in long strides behind him, gradually closing the distance between them.
Eventually, the two stopped in front of the elevator at the same time.
“I thought you’d stay and keep practicing,” Su Junzhe said as he pressed the down button and it lit up. Glancing at the light-blonde-haired boy who made no move to press the up button, he looked a little surprised. “You’re going to eat too?”
“Mm.” Lai Yudong pressed his lips together. “Just now…”
[Here we go again, here we go again!]
[Brave Xiaoyu, don’t be afraid! Talk to Tiantian Su!]
[Baby, are you sure you’re not a cool guy? (pounds chest)]
[I still think he’s cold and distant. You guys are just romanticizing his social anxiety.]
“……”
Is this what they call the pot calling the kettle black? You’re all projecting!
Lai Yudong stared into those black eyes that always seemed to be smiling, his mind spinning at full speed. The hesitation in his heart gave way to clarity.
Under the “overseas trainee” persona, there were many things he could simplify or avoid. He could keep quiet and tread carefully. But when it came to his principles, he refused to be constrained by appearances or strategies.
Like when he stood up for Zhao Yifeng.
And like now.
So, Lai Yudong sincerely said what he had wanted to say to Su Junzhe, no matter what:
“Thank you—and sorry for the trouble.”
He abandoned the disguise he had adopted after transmigrating—the one where he’d mumble whenever he had to speak in long sentences. Even though his voice was soft enough that the viewers only noticed his lips move, the gratitude and apology were spoken clearly, in a volume only the two of them could hear.
That was also why he hadn’t taken the stairs.
Su Junzhe let out a soft laugh. “What are you talking about? I should be the one thanking you.”
“…Me?”
“Of course.” The elevator doors opened, and Su Junzhe stepped in and pressed the button for the second floor. His sweet smile seemed genuinely pleased. “I got to connect with everyone so much faster today, didn’t I?”
Lai Yudong didn’t confirm nor deny it. “Maybe.”
Just like that provoking bullet comment had pointed out, Su Junzhe hadn’t really interacted with anyone else the whole time. Rather than a dance instructor, he had acted more like a lead in a warm-up routine. Ironically, it was only during the one-on-one session that he had earnestly corrected mistakes.
This idea of “getting closer to everyone” sounded more like the polite, surface-level explanation.
Lai Yudong didn’t want to overanalyze Su Junzhe’s true intentions, but he couldn’t help forming a rough impression of his personality.
That earlier sense of reluctance—maybe it hadn’t been his imagination after all.
As the elevator doors slowly closed, Su Junzhe withdrew his gaze from the floor indicator and looked up at Lai Yudong, who was slightly taller than him. “You really have no experience at all?”
Lai Yudong shook his head.
Su Junzhe rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But you pick up the choreography really fast. Maybe you have a natural talent for dancing?”
Lai Yudong’s face clearly said “I don’t believe that.”
“Really?”
Even if the bullet comments weren’t making fun of him, he already knew he danced like an awkward fool with uncoordinated limbs.
“You do! Every time we finish a move and link it together, you manage to get through it in one go. That kind of learning ability is a big advantage. In the beginning, dance is all about copying the movements—it’s like tossing a dry sponge into water. The faster it soaks things up, the faster you improve.”
[Su-su sounds so sincere—I believe him now.]
[To be fair, if Yuki really never danced before, his performance in the practice room was decent.]
[Is this turning into a slow-burn trainee-to-idol arc?]
Su Junzhe suddenly shifted the tone: “But having a good memory isn’t everything—musicality and dance instinct are important too. And there’s also physical fitness, flexibility, expressiveness… there are a lot of factors that matter.”
Lai Yudong: “…”
Excuse me, which of those does he possess? Physical fitness, maybe?
The elevator descended quickly, and within just a few sentences, they had arrived on the second floor.
Before Lai Yudong could figure out how to respond, the elevator doors slid open and Su Junzhe stepped out.
“Worst case, this is just a survival show, not some world-class dance competition. Hard work matters more than talent. As long as you grind your skills to proficiency, even the worst dancer won’t stay bad forever. It just depends on whether you’re willing to put in the effort.”
The curly-haired boy with chocolate-colored hair turned back and gave him a bright smile, a pair of adorable dimples appearing on his cheeks: “Jiayou! I’ll be looking forward to seeing you on the theme song stage, future main dancer.”
The mix of playful teasing and genuine encouragement made Lai Yudong chuckle: “I’ll do my best.”
Actually… with Su Junzhe’s true personality, did he even need to try to act cute?
Having already seen through the truth, that was what Lai Yudong couldn’t help but think.
**TN
Xiaoyu (Little Yu), Tiantian Su (Sweet sweet Su)
Jiayou – a common Chinese expression used to encourage or cheer someone on. It literally means “add oil,” but in context, it’s similar to saying: You got this! / Keep going! / Do your best!
‘Do it, lady!’ Haha!