Chapter 120 Part 2: Return of the Avenging Ghost, More Outrageous Events (2)

Similarly, in the practice room where Kirimi Miyuki was located.

Whether it was Little Sakura herself, Honey Moon seeking motherly love, or the green-eyed cat plotting a comeback and erasing a bad impression, everyone was fully engaged in endless training, showing no signs of fatigue.

Clearly, reclaiming Chu Yuanqing as their common goal had elevated their unity, cohesion, and determination to unprecedented levels, making them the most united team in this season of “Dazzling Stage.”

And all of this can be traced back to a few days ago when they met in the practice room.

Little Sakura caught a glimpse of the fluffy golden dog’s slightly swollen lips, planting seeds of doubt and unease in her heart, followed by a strong sense of possessiveness.

Chu Wang Shu was embraced by Honey Qing, receiving precious motherly love and care, replenishing her lack of Honey Qing energy in one breath, dispelling the recent negative emotions. She was stacked with layers of positive energy, feeling as powerful as defeating several big dragons.

As for the green-eyed cat, it goes without saying. In front of everyone, she thoroughly enjoyed herself, with a blurred look in her eyes and weak knees. However, she missed the chance to talk to Chu Yuanqing, feeling confused the whole time, not saying a word, leading to a big failure. Now filled with regret, she only wants to redeem herself.

This team followed a joyful training method where they rest when tired until their emotions are numb. However, because each person was particularly focused and passionate, the training hours accumulated, making it very intense, like fierce beasts driven by hunger, tirelessly sharpening their skills.

This stage showdown to determine Chu Yuanqing’s belonging – can only win, cannot lose!

…

…

Apart from these two teams, the remaining teams in “Dazzling Stage” were also stirring with hidden motives.

That night, about 20 Grade B players gathered in a luxurious and spacious bathroom, away from any cameras.

By exchanging benefits, they abandoned low-rated players and quickly advanced to the B1 area, already planning the next round of fake matches.

Someone suggested:

“Almost ready to start the competition, should we initiate the plan now?”

Someone calmly responded:

“This time is different from last time. We pre-rehearsed with the audience, creating an advantage in popularity, steering public opinion towards eliminating any disadvantages for the higher-rated team.”

“However, this time we can’t just put on a show for the audience. If suspicions of match-fixing arise, everything changes. Even our previous stage PK matches in the C1 area will come under scrutiny.”

“So, are you all confident that your training is sufficient for the upcoming competition?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Even in a fake match, the two teams need to present a good performance on the stage.

For the losing side, participating in a fake match is usually more harmful than beneficial in normal situations.

Fans may not blame you for losing or being weak, but if it happens frequently, they may start to see you as lacking in skills, reducing your influence among the public and affecting your popularity.

Of course, some may intentionally pretend to be weak, lower fans’ expectations, and then show an amazing performance in the next match to create a strong contrast and script their own thrilling comeback.

However, even to succeed in this plan, the fake match must be realistic, or it’ll be like mocking the audience and could lead to backlash.

This will lead to a consequence.

That is, the time cost rises, the benefits of the fake match decrease, and the temporary alliance weakens.

The people gathered here now, instead of continuing with the fake match as planned, are all scheming on how to maximize their own interests in this situation.

In simple terms, this is like an advanced version of the reality show Werewolf Game. The first to be eliminated are those foolish enough to rely on fake matches to win.

Playing the same show over and over is enough.

Furthermore, only in the first round of promotion, everyone can still have the same benefits and demands. Not to mention, the cost of the second round’s fake game is higher, and there is a very crucial issue.

That is – who will play in the losers’ bracket?

You see, losers not only have to bear negative public opinion but also have to return to the C1 area, find another teammate, and learn new dance routines again to perform realistically.

Even with the most ideal pairing calculation, everyone can get almost perfect partners. However, being in the losers’ bracket means that if there is one mistake in the subsequent distribution chain, it’s a loss for everyone, becoming a stepping stone for the winners’ bracket.

This is another game of human nature.

Dream Weaver Rabbit indulged in the establishment of the fake game league but had already foreseen the league’s collapse.

The next day, the stage of PK battles unfolded one after another.

Backstabbing, internal struggles, deception, acting, breach of contract… various ugly yet interesting, full of plot twists, were fully displayed in the details of the stage PK battles.

Among them, there were even low-ranked players who awakened their “Heart Flow” and launched vicious revenge attacks on others willingly!

Ruan Wutong, a Grade D trainee, was deceived and betrayed by friends from the same company. Amidst insufficient preparation, she stepped onto the stage for her first PK battle and ended up being relegated to the pending area.

Now, she formed a revenge alliance with other trainees who were in similar situations. Within a day, they challenged and defeated three fake match alliances one after another in stage PK battles. With the enhancement and abilities of “Heart Flow”, they surpassed their original ranks and achieved a terrifying record of winning all battles.

This team was like a demon lingering in the B1 area. After each victory, they forcefully eliminated one teammate who did not meet their standards. By dominating the fake match alliances and tearing up the superficial agreements, they declared the power of “Heart Flow” to the players in the Sea City competition area.

Ruan Wutong’s “Heart Flow” was evidently more suitable for PK battles than Qi Yushuang’s. Her awakening ability was categorized as part of her stage presence. Even when facing the high difficulty challenges posed by the double-B team combinations, she was able to overcome and create a fearless image of continuous success.

Of course, this behavior was also due to her excessive desire for revenge. Most people would have chosen to advance directly after defeating their betrayers, rather than risking further challenges against stronger opponents.

This high-risk, high-reward approach ensured her presence in the third season of the show.

However, Ruan Wutong’s audacious methods attracted another terrifying avenger with even purer intentions for revenge. This avenger became a roadblock for Ruan Wutong and ruthlessly put an end to her path of continuous success, leading to a devastating defeat.

——Chen Yining.

The once proud and elegant young lady, in the moment of defeat, had everything she believed in denied. Her feelings of friendship, love, determination, hope, and expectations all crumbled in an instant, giving rise to a sick and selfish reality.

Therefore, Grade D players who rely on fake items to fight are naturally no match for her.

Ruan Wutong was defeated but then picked by Chen Yining to join her team.

It was not surprising to the spectators that she was picked.

In Chen Yining’s team, apart from Ruan Wutong who seeks revenge and Grade B singer Lin Baor, the most baffling member taken by her in the C1 area was their teammate Liang Xiaoxiao.

——Liang Xiaoxiao.

Although Liang Xiaoxiao’s teammate is a Grade C singer, a lower substitute for Lin Baor, and there was no real need for the choice, selecting to challenge Liang Xiaoxiao’s team with Chen Yining’s lineup is truly puzzling.

However, the answer to this question was very clear in a certain young lady’s mind.

“Liang Xiaoxiao, you are not willing to accept this, are you?”

“I saw the desires hidden in your heart, the thoughts, the malice, the resentment, the despair, the anger, and… the greed that is trying hard to appear calm, swallowing all of these.”

“I want to use these, this is the value you can give me, and as an equal return, as long as you keep in my team, you will eventually meet the person you want to see.”

Liang Xiaoxiao agreed.

Or rather, she had no reason to refuse.

Whether it was the strong team formation of 1A1B, or Chen Yining’s persuasive words that seemed to see through people’s hearts, it was a harvest beyond her expectations.

Chen Yining wanted to use her, which was good.

At least it proved that she still had value to be used.

Besides, compared to friendship and bonds, a mutually beneficial relationship is more in line with the values she has been brought up with since childhood.

With this, this revenge team, with exceptional purity casting aside Lin Baor, quickly ascended to the A1 area at the speed of the top tier, preparing for the final 4V4 plunder battle.

In this subtle atmosphere, Chu Yuanqing’s team remained focused on individual training, ignoring distractions from the outside world.

Ji Shuzhu wiped her face with a towel and turned to the two people, saying:

“You have almost mastered the new choreography for ‘ACUTE’. The basic structure matches my envisioned effect. Just make some adjustments to the details of the movements before putting on the equipment to enhance muscle memory.”

Chu Yuanqing nodded earnestly. With her two teammates being experts in dance, her progress had delayed the team by at least two days. Utilizing external help to accelerate learning efficiency was indeed a good thing.

Xie Qingxuan had no objections either.

The biggest difference in the team lies in the effectiveness of these shared devices. Without high-tech massage pods, instant energy drinks, and sleep pods to deepen sleep quality, maintaining 12 hours of intense training every day would be impossible.

Therefore, they had to make use of every available resource to keep the advantage rolling and maintain the lead for the strong ones, which was the main theme of the competition rule in ‘Dazzling Stage’.

Three hours later, the evening training session ended.

Xie Qingxuan went to the bathroom in the practice room to shower.

Chu Yuanqing took the opportunity to do a round of gentle stretching.

The girl’s back was straight, shoulders relaxed, her long legs spread apart on the ground in a proper vertical split position. She was trying hard to straighten her knees, putting her heels on a few yoga blocks to flex her arches, looking graceful and flexible.

At this moment, if the sunlight fell in, it would be enough to capture the essence of youth.

Ji Shuzhu watched this scene, lost in thought, somewhat distracted.

Chen Yining’s actions were observed by her, whether it was the unknown effect of “Heart Flow” or the peculiar criteria for choosing teammates, which made her, as a childhood friend, feel a whirlwind of thoughts.

If… Little Ning understood “Heart Flow” because of her departure, does it prove that her previous thoughts were correct, and that she had been holding the other person back?

Probably due to recent shining moments, confirming this speculation with reality brought a mix of acceptance, sighs, self-mockery, sadness, joy, blending into a lingering pain in the chest.

Ji Shuzhu blankly stared for a while, then raised her eyes slightly to glance at the pretty girl who had just finished stretching and was drinking water. She inexplicably asked:

“Chu Yuanqing, do you think it’s right or wrong to be selflessly kind to others, making important decisions for them?”

Chu Yuanqing paused for a moment, she almost immediately realized it had something to do with Chen Yining.

What really distracted the girl more than this was the subtle déjà vu feeling.

This sentence talks about the present Ji Shuzhu, but isn’t it also talking about her past self?

Even though the father-daughter relationship was strained, ninety percent was due to the curse’s erosion every three days and the intensified illusions, but ultimately it was her own choice.

Chu Yuanying, proud, self-satisfied, or perhaps hoping to distance himself from his daughter by means of estrangement, to make his inevitable passing less sorrowful.

This may seem foolish to outsiders, but often the person involved is confused and finds it difficult to see the most fundamental issue.

“It’s a mistake.”

Chu Yuanqing set down her glass of water, her eyes clear, her expression serious, and softly replied:

“Because even with close family members you’ve known for over a decade, there are still sides to each other that go unrecognized.”

“If you can’t fully understand everything about someone, making an important decision for them on your own will lead to the wrong result.”

“Ji Shuzhu, don’t make yourself regret.”

As the words fell silent, the room became quiet.

Ji Shuzhu stayed silent for a while, she didn’t answer the words, just said thank you and left.

Chu Yuanqing may have been right, but until there is confirmation that the illness can be cured, she still had to stubbornly walk down the path of no return.

…

…

Two days later, early in the morning.

When Xie Qingxuan woke up, her eyelashes blinked, and sparkling tears rolled down.

The beautiful yet hopeless dream was still playing like a theatrical epic in her mind, but even with meditation to explore her subconscious, she couldn’t grasp a trace of it after regaining consciousness.

She could only recall a chaotic scene, like trying to retrieve water from a dry well.

Xie Qingxuan brushed away the tears on her pillow with her fingertips, the rich and dense emotions in her heart evaporating with the tears.

“How strange.”

Xie Qingxuan murmured to herself, thanks to the meditation, her sleep quality was very high, with dreams that seldom disturbed her brain rest.

Suddenly, the soft and fragrant imprint left by Chu Yuanqing on her lips last night kept surging in her mind like tides.

The golden retriever licked its lips, somewhat puzzled. Through this subtle detail, she came to a not-so-surprising conclusion and whispered softly:

“Do I always dream after kissing Little Qing?”

Therefore…

If we do something more extreme, will we be able to remember the images in our dreams more clearly?