6 Theme Song Review (Part Two)

"Waiting for such a long time, finally I meet you..."

As soon as the young girl opened her mouth, her clear voice flowed into everyone's hearts like a mountain stream, as if one could feel the joy hidden within the melody. Sometimes, when it comes to singing, you can tell from the very first line whether or not someone truly knows how to sing.

In this program, ninety percent of the contestants were signed to management agencies; there were only about ten individual trainees. Among these independent trainees, very few had any formal training foundation; almost all of them were inexperienced. With no background, no outstanding strength, and having left no deep impression during the initial stage performance, these individual trainees were often overlooked by the production team—and by the other trainees as well.

Therefore, when Qiao Yiqing stepped forward, if not for her roommate Ye Banzhuang, and if one didn't look at the name tag pinned to her chest, perhaps no one would have known her name was Qiao Yiqing.

But the moment the first line of her song rang out, doubt began to stir in the hearts of many: Who is this? How is it that I have no memory of someone who sings this well?!

As the song progressed, the melody gradually climbed, the contained emotions building as if waiting for a release. When it finally reached the chorus, the audience's expectations were at their peak, waiting to see if she could pull it off.

Fa Shuxuan gripped her lyric sheet tightly. This was the part she couldn't handle; not only was the pitch high, but the lyrics were dense, leaving almost no room to breathe. She had taken a shortcut earlier, using falsetto to get through it. Her mind raced with a tangled mess of thoughts: *Stop now, this performance is already enough—do you want everyone else to just be your backdrop?* And then: *She’s just an amateur who has only practiced for three months; she’s bound to make a mistake, right?*

"...On the road to chasing my dreams, as long as I have you by my side, I won't be lonely. So pick me up!"

The crisp, high note was delivered in one breath, and it wasn't falsetto—it was pure chest voice. Her emotions shifted in harmony with the lyrics, as if she were singing her innermost heart to all the national producers: Please see me, stay with me, and grow with me. It was a perfect interpretation of the song's meaning, and the unique touch she added to the final line made the girl seem even more playful and adorable.

It wasn't until Qiao Yiqing finished that Fa Shuxuan realized she had been holding her breath the entire time. Standing in the corner, through the layers of shadows, Fa Shuxuan stared fixedly at Qiao Yiqing. From this angle, she could only see her back—so slender and fragile, yet capable of singing such an explosive high note.

After finishing, Qiao Yiqing stood quietly, waiting for the evaluation.

Wei Wei, who had been restraining her expression, finally revealed a smile after hearing that final, crisp high note and the delicate handling of the ending.

"I recall you've only been training for three months, right?"
"Yes."
"Your technique is still lacking a bit, but you sang that very well."
"If you have no issues with dancing, I think you can be promoted to A."

At these words, all sorts of gazes were cast toward Qiao Yiqing—envy, jealousy, bitterness, and unwillingness...

Suddenly, Wei Wei realized that the girl had barely looked at the lyric sheet while singing. Astonished, she asked, "You memorized all the lyrics?"

Qiao Yiqing nodded.

Seeing the girl standing there without arrogance or boastfulness, treating it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Wei Wei became even more pleased. She raised her microphone and said to all the trainees, "I hope you all memorize the lyrics as soon as possible; the lyrics to this song are not difficult. Time is truly pressing, and I hope you realize that."

"Alright, let's move on to the next one."

After bowing to express her gratitude, Qiao Yiqing returned to her spot. It wasn't a convenient time to talk, so Ye Banzhuang simply tugged at her sleeve and secretly gave her a thumbs-up. Qiao Yiqing smiled in response.

***

After the singing lesson ended, Qiao Yiqing noticed that more people were coming up to greet her.

"I didn't expect you to sing so well," Ye Banzhuang said with envy. "That's great; you don't have to worry about being eliminated."

"There's still the dance part; I'm terrible at dancing," Qiao Yiqing sighed. The upcoming dance class was the one giving her a headache. Singing relied on talent, but dancing could not be mastered overnight. In dance, the time and effort you invest are directly reflected in your results. Likewise, if you haven't put in that work, it is impossible to dance well.

"Shao Heling, Ye Banzhuang, Qiao Yiqing..."

After inspecting everyone’s dancing, the dance instructor, Zhao Man, called out eight names in one breath. Those called stood in a row in front, while the trainees whose names weren't called stood in the back for the time being.

"You should all know why I called you out, right?" Zhao Man said in a stern tone, making everyone’s hearts tighten. "The eight of you have the biggest problems right now. It is very likely that you will drop out of Class B, and some of you might even fall to Class F."

"Now, follow the dance instructor and dance through it once from the beginning."

"One—two—three—four, two—two—three—four!" Zhao Man called the rhythm very slowly, trying her best to let these "struggling students" keep up.

"Raise your arms here, pay attention to the details, keep your arms straight!"
"Here, turn, then continue forward!"
"Even if you can't keep up, keep moving; don't just stand there!"
"Honestly, I don't see any determination from you. Have you really been practicing seriously?"

...

When the dance class ended, Zhao Man looked at the panting group and said earnestly, "I don't know why you ended up in Class B, but Class B should not be at this level. Some of you might have had good luck, some might have been carried by the group's performance, and others might have relied on some other fame. But the theme song evaluation is an individual war. It depends on your individual solo cams; your true level of strength will be clear for all to see."

"So, hurry up and practice more!"

After she finished speaking, Zhao Man left the classroom.

Qiao Yiqing sighed. For someone who had been a top student since childhood, this was the first time she had been singled out and scolded like a failing student. But dancing wasn't like studying; her performance in class just now could only be described as a disaster—flailing about in a panic, still unable to keep up.

Ye Banzhuang also looked like she had lost half her life, collapsing to the side. "I thought Teacher Wei was strict, but I didn't expect Teacher Zhao to be truly terrifying. I feel like every word she said pierced right through my heart."

In a rare move, Fa Shuxuan walked over. Looking at the listless Qiao Yiqing and Ye Banzhuang, she maintained her gentle tone: "Teacher Zhao was too strict with you just now. Are you okay?"

Fa Shuxuan seemed to have been praised during the dance class earlier.

Ye Banzhuang glanced at her. She didn't want to engage, but considering the cameras, she curled her lips into a perfunctory smile. "It's fine. It's for our own good that the instructors are strict."

"What about you? Are you alright?" Fa Shuxuan stared at Qiao Yiqing, as if she wouldn't leave until she got an answer.

Qiao Yiqing found Fa Shuxuan's persistence strange. They had acted like strangers in the dormitory this morning, yet now she was eagerly running over to show concern. However, Qiao Yiqing had no interest in Fa Shuxuan’s motives and simply replied, "I'm fine."

"That's good. If you have any problems, you can come to me. I'll help you; after all, we're roommates!" Fa Shuxuan smiled as if bestowing a favor, then left arm-in-arm with Luo Yujin.

"How bizarre," Ye Banzhuang muttered.

It was now the lunch break, and the surrounding trainees had left one by one.

"I'm going to Class C to find a friend, then I'm going to eat. Do you want to come along?" Qiao Yiqing asked Ye Banzhuang.

"Yes, please!" Ye Banzhuang didn't hesitate at all. She hadn't been placed in the same group as her other two bandmates, and they hadn't arranged to wait for each other, so she didn't know where they were. Having finally become somewhat familiar with Qiao Yiqing, she was happy to have found a companion in this strange environment.

"Qing-bao! You're here! I missed you so much!" Fu Huanhuan lunged at Qiao Yiqing as soon as she saw her.

"We only haven't seen each other for one morning; what's there to miss?" Qiao Yiqing stepped back, trying to avoid the bear hug, but failed.

"It wasn't just a morning! It's been a full 12 hours since we parted!" Fu Huanhuan said righteously, hugging her even tighter.

"Fu Huanhuan, do you know what Article 6 of the dormitory regulations is?"
"I don't know!"
"Unnecessary physical contact between trainees is prohibited."
"Is that really there? You're not lying to me, are you?" Fu Huanhuan looked up suspiciously.
"It's posted on the back of the dorm door," Qiao Yiqing said with a calm expression that suggested she should go see for herself.
"Fine, then." Fu Huanhuan reluctantly let go.

Ye Banzhuang watched the two in astonishment. The Qiao Yiqing she had seen until now had always been calm and indifferent; she hadn't realized she had such a lively side.

"This is my roommate, Ye Banzhuang. This is my good friend, Fu Huanhuan," Qiao Yiqing introduced them.

"We've been best friends for over a dozen years (emphasized), having grown up together since we were little!" Fu Huanhuan corrected.

Fu Huanhuan had noticed Ye Banzhuang when she arrived with Qiao Yiqing, but had ignored her while busy talking to her friend. However, Fu Huanhuan was naturally outgoing. She smiled brightly at Ye Banzhuang and said, "It's so nice to meet you! We're friends from now on!"

Ye Banzhuang was infected by Fu Huanhuan's enthusiasm and nodded with a smile. She thought: *I like these two girls. Even though they're young, they're warm and sincere.*

Fu Huanhuan quickly grabbed both of them by the arms and hurried toward the exit, saying, "Let's go, let's go! Let's get to the cafeteria before I starve to death!"

"I know, I know! Can you stop running?"

...

The noisy sounds gradually faded into the distance.