SWNOVELXO Chapter 35 - Quickly covered
Tang Yuan gently patted her head, playfully trying to mess up her hair. “Of course not. I still owe you an answer, remember? How could I easily fall for someone else?”
Tang Yuan blinked, her tone utterly sincere. “Besides, it’ll only ever be you for the rest of my life.”
Even if it’s not Jiang Zi, it wouldn’t be anyone else.
Jiang Zi understood the meaning behind Tang Yuan’s words.
[Heroine Self-destruction value: -10]
Jiang Zi stared at her and whispered, “You little liar, you better keep your word.”
Crisis averted? And she even reduced her value by 6?
Tang Yuan smiled, her eyes curving in satisfaction. “I’m not a liar.”
Not a liar? Jiang Zi still remembered her current affection level of 80.
The waiting room had live cameras, and Tang Yuan and Jiang Zi’s little interaction didn’t escape the watchful eyes of those who had been following them closely.
【These two are so sticky sweet, it’s giving me a toothache!】
【What are they whispering about? Anyone here good at lip-reading? Help translate!】
【Getting so close, they are about to kiss. Right? Right??】
【They’re being a little disrespectful to the contestants on stage. Didn’t they see everyone else is listening attentively?】
【Saying a few whispers is disrespectful? Who’s taking the test here—the contestants or the audience?】
The first group of contestants finished their performance, and the voting countdown began. After ten seconds, the results would be announced, followed by mentor feedback.
As the first group to take the stage, the pressure was immense. They missed their cues during the performance and struggled with the high notes. The audience and mentors had high expectations for this first round, leaving little room for mistakes. In the end, the voting results were announced: the panel gave them 15 votes, while the audience score was only 21%.
The results were revealed on the spot. The two girls standing on stage looked at the big screen, and tears streamed down their faces. Even though they hadn’t seen the results of the following groups, the fact that the panel hadn’t even given them half the votes meant they had failed.
With such pressure on the first group, the atmosphere for the following groups became even more tense.
“What do we do, Xuan Ke baby? I’m so scared, wuwuwu~” Zhou Lanlan wailed in the waiting room, clinging to her teammate’s arm and refusing to let go.
Xuan Ke, however, remained serious. “It’s okay. We’re going on last.”
Xuan Ke was introverted and reserved, but she couldn’t escape Zhou Lanlan’s constant chattiness. After spending seven days together, Xuan Ke had grown accustomed to Zhou Lanlan’s clingy, talkative nature.
The netizens are right—Introverts really are just playthings for the extroverts.
Zhou Lanlan sighed. “True, the big shots always go last. I mean, seriously, everyone here is… umph!”
Xuan Ke quickly covered her mouth.
Some things were better left unsaid, especially with so many eyes watching.
There were a total of eight groups in the music competition. Each group performed, and the results were announced immediately, leaving no suspense.
For newcomers dreaming of debuting, this stage was undoubtedly a grand opportunity to showcase themselves. However, the greater the anticipation, the greater the pressure and the stage was full of surprises.
The first group, thinking their elimination was a done deal, experienced a twist of fate when someone else’s score was even lower.
While it wasn’t nice to hope for others to fail, after seeing someone score lower than them, they started paying much closer attention to the competition.
“I’m so nervous, so nervous. It’s almost our turn!” Zhou Lanlan’s rambling started again as she suddenly stood up and began practicing a set of Baduanjin exercises in the waiting room.
“Zhou Lanlan, enough already! I swear you’re intentionally messing with our heads. You’re making all of us nervous!”
Their group still had another one ahead of them, performing right before Zhou Lanlan’s team as the second last.
“Nagi, don’t say that, or she’ll really lose it and come over here to freak out.”
Nagi’s teammate, Linlin, tugged on her arm, taking the opportunity to throw shade at Zhou Lanlan.
The three of them had clashed more than once during training, and viewers watching the live stream over the past seven days were well aware that whenever they were together, it always ended in an argument.
Their grudge started all the way back on the first day of mentor selection.
They had all chosen Fu Bai as their mentor, but since his team already had too many people, Nagi, who had been studying vocals for years, boasted about her skills to secure her spot. In doing so, she also took a few verbal jabs at the others.
Most people kept quiet, but Zhou Lanlan couldn’t hold her tongue, making a few snide remarks on the spot, calling her a “natural-born talent.”
And thus, the feud began.
Zhou Lanlan finished her Baduanjin routine and casually stretched, “Yeah, better watch out, or I might go nuts and bite you guys.”
She glanced at the big screen. “Oh look, it’s the natural-born talent’s turn! Good luck~”
There she went again. Nagi’s face turned green with rage.
Thankfully, they still had some time to warm up their voices and settle their nerves. No way was Nagi going to let Zhou Lanlan’s provocations throw her off.
“You’re teasing them again.” Xuan Ke watched their angry figures stomp off. Sometimes, she really worried they’d end up in a fight. After all, Zhou Lanlan was outnumbered, and if it came to that, she’d surely be pinned down by the other two. As for Xuan Ke, she definitely wasn’t going to get involved.
Zhou Lanlan didn’t care in the slightest; in fact, she even had the mood to laugh, “Look at how thin-skinned they are, hahahaha!”
“If someone called me a ‘natural-born talent’ every day, I’d be walking around with my tail up high.”
Honestly, Zhou Lanlan never intended to start a feud with them. It was just that seeing them get all riled up every time was just too entertaining.
Besides, Nagi really was a natural-born talent. This time, their group had chosen to perform Nagi’s original song, “White Dove of the World,” a song about peace. Both the lyrics and composition were flawless, and even mentor Fu Bai had praised it repeatedly.
However, with this being a group-based advancement system, while Nagi was exceptional, her teammate Linlin wasn’t quite on the same level. There was a chance she might drag their group down.
As Nagi’s group went on stage, it was Zhou Lanlan and Xuan Ke’s turn to head backstage to prepare.
Backstage, they spotted two people they hadn’t seen in seven days.
Zhou Lanlan immediately dashed over and patted Tang Yuan on the shoulder with a look of surprise. “Hey! Long time no see. What are you guys doing here?”
“Wow, Tang XiaoYuan, you’re going to steal the show with how stunning you look!”
Tang Yuan smiled confidently and responded, “Thanks, you look great too.”
Zhou Lanlan was dressed in a light green modern-style dress with delicate orchid embroidery. Her hair was elegantly braided to the side, adorned with two simple yet intricate wooden hairpins. The light makeup only emphasized the beauty of her features.
Who would’ve thought that someone so poised had just finished a set of Baduanjin exercises earlier?
“Are you guys going on stage soon?”
“Yeah, how about you? Don’t tell me you’re the first for the dance group?”
Tang Yuan bit her lip. Who knows? She always said her luck was terrible, and sure enough, she drew first for the dance group.
Even though Zhou Lanlan was about to go on herself, she still cheered her on, “Good luck!”
Nagi and Linlin’s performance wrapped up on stage.
“Alright, I’ve gotta go. Talk to you later!”
Tang Yuan nodded like a little pecking chick, watching them leave.
Xuan Ke, who had been quietly observing the interaction, finally asked, “You didn’t talk to the other girl much. Are you not close?”
Zhou Lanlan crossed her arms. “Didn’t you notice? Those two are a couple. If I talked too much to Tang XiaoYuan, the other would stare daggers at me. So terrifying!”
Xuan Ke replayed the scene in her mind. Well, now that she thought about it, that girl’s expression definitely wasn’t a happy one.