7. Evaluation of the Theme Song (Part III)

The cafeteria served buffet-style meals. While the dishes were simple home-cooked fare, the variety was quite rich, and fruits were even provided to ensure nutritional balance.

"Wow, the production team is actually spending some money," Fu Huanhuan said with satisfaction. "This is much better than the last season."

Since the three of them had arrived late, most of the trainees had already finished eating and left. With plenty of empty seats available, they chose a four-person table in the corner.

"Look, it's Jiang Xiao."

Hearing Fu Huanhuan’s voice, Qiao Yiqing looked up.

Fu Huanhuan pointed toward a spot not far away. Jiang Xiao and two other trainees had just stood up, presumably finished with their meal and preparing to leave. Usually, Fu Huanhuan would have waved or called out a greeting, but this time, she just turned her head back in silence and continued eating.

Jiang Xiao happened to glance their way, but she quickly looked away and walked out of the cafeteria with her companions.

Qiao Yiqing wasn't sure if Jiang Xiao had genuinely failed to see them or if she had simply pretended not to, but seeing Fu Huanhuan sullenly poking at the rice on her tray, she was certain that something had happened between the two.

"What’s going on with you two?" Qiao Yiqing asked with concern.

"I don't know what her deal is. She’s been acting strange since yesterday." Fu Huanhuan put down her chopsticks and began to vent to Qiao Yiqing. "I asked her questions several times during practice this morning, but she was incredibly cold. She just stuck to practicing with the new trainees she met. So, eventually, I just stopped asking."

"It’s not that there’s anything wrong with her making new friends, but we’ve been practicing together for so long—why does it feel like we’re strangers now?" Fu Huanhuan sighed. "I think she probably feels like I’m dragging her down, but she’s too embarrassed to say it."

Qiao Yiqing comforted her, "She cried yesterday because of the grading, so maybe she just wants to focus on her practice to improve and didn't realize she was neglecting you."

"When we were on the same team, her teaching us helped the group's performance. But now that it’s an individual competition, teaching me is just a waste of her time," Fu Huanhuan reasoned. "I guess I’ll just have to work hard and practice on my own."

Not wanting to dwell on these worries, Fu Huanhuan asked, "What about you guys? How was your practice this morning?"

Qiao Yiqing and Ye Ban-shuang exchanged bitter smiles. Qiao Yiqing replied, "It was a disaster."

"Ah, misery loves company," Fu Huanhuan said, looking sympathetic. "But I think I’ve received a bit of comfort." Seeing that others were just as unlucky as she was seemed to make her feel a little better. Qiao Yiqing playfully rapped her on the head.

-

The afternoon was set aside for self-directed practice.

Qiao Yiqing’s goal for the day was to memorize all the dance moves. The song was quite long, and the choreography was complex; for someone without any dance experience, trying to master it in such a short time was an immense challenge.

Around them, other trainees were practicing in small groups, some huddled together watching dance videos to learn the steps, while others practiced alone. The practice room was noisy, with a cacophony of music, singing, chatter, and the rhythmic thud of feet on the floor, all of which was quite distracting.

Qiao Yiqing stood in a corner of the room, practicing by herself. She watched the dance video, trying to mimic the movements. Since she didn’t know the techniques, she focused on memorizing the choreography first.

She had already mastered the lyrics and melody. She tried to coordinate her movements with the song, whispering the lyrics as she danced. Although singing while dancing made her even more flustered, some moves corresponded to specific lyrics, which helped, making it slightly more effective than simple rote memorization.

Once, twice, three times... Qiao Yiqing was lost in her own world, oblivious to the changing environment. She had committed the first section to memory and moved on to the second and third...

"Yiqing, are you going to eat?"

When Ye Ban-shuang called out to her, Qiao Yiqing was shocked to realize the practice room was empty. A chill swept across her collar as she realized her practice clothes were soaked with sweat, and a wave of exhaustion and soreness washed over her.

"You’ve been practicing all afternoon without a break. I saw how focused you were, so I didn't interrupt." Seeing Qiao Yiqing’s furrowed brow, Ye Ban-shuang asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Qiao Yiqing smiled to show she was okay.

Seeing that Qiao Yiqing and Ye Ban-shuang hadn't come over yet, Fu Huanhuan had come to the B-class practice room to find them. Seeing the scene, she said worriedly, "Qing-bao, you have to eat! Even if you're practicing, you can't skip meals!"

Qiao Yiqing realized her friends had been waiting for her, so she apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice the time. Let's go now."

However, even while eating, Qiao Yiqing’s mind was still full of dance moves.

"Qing-bao? Qing-bao!"

"Hm? What were you saying?" Hearing Fu Huanhuan’s voice, Qiao Yiqing looked up, bewildered.

"Qing-bao, do you know what you look like right now?" Fu Huanhuan looked at her helplessly and said, gritting her teeth, "Obsessed! You've lost your mind!"

Qiao Yiqing felt slightly embarrassed and gave a light cough to hide it. "Got it, let's just eat."

The program’s scheduled practice time was from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Unless there was a special filming schedule, trainees were free to do as they pleased outside of those hours. However, the end of the official practice time didn't mean the end of practice itself. Trainees who wanted to keep working could still use the practice rooms or find other spaces.

It was already 8:00 PM when Qiao Yiqing and the others finished dinner. When they returned to the practice room, there were still plenty of trainees inside. Given the tight schedule, most had chosen to put in extra hours.

As time passed, the trainees gradually finished their practice and headed back to the dorms. Ye Ban-shuang and Fu Huanhuan left one after another, and the once-crowded room grew quiet.

Qiao Yiqing remained. Before leaving, Fu Huanhuan had worriedly urged her not to practice too late and to make sure she got some rest.

"Don't worry, I know my limits," Qiao Yiqing said gently.

But once she dove back into practice, she lost track of time. When she finally stopped to rest and take a sip of water, the clock on the wall had quietly ticked to 3:00 AM. The practice room was completely empty.

Qiao Yiqing took off her headphones. The silence around her was broken only by the chirping of cicadas outside the window. She walked to the window and looked out. The recording site was in a remote suburb, far from the skyscrapers and neon lights of the city. In the distance, everything was pitch black. The night sky was heavy, with no stars or moon to be seen; the only light came from the practice room she stood in.

She wasn't in the mood to appreciate the view. She was lost in thought: she had memorized the whole dance, but she wasn't fluent yet. She still forgot steps or reacted a beat too late. She would practice a few more times to solidify her memory, and then she could move on to the next stage of practice tomorrow...

A breeze blew in, washing away some of her fatigue. She felt much more alert. After closing the window, she returned to her spot and pulled out her tablet to play the video again.

"You should kick with your right foot twice here."

A cold voice came from the doorway. Qiao Yiqing looked up to see someone standing there.

Pink practice gear, black shoulder-length hair, sharp eyes, and a cold expression.

It was Lan Chenxi.

Qiao Yiqing practiced the corrected move again and then looked at Lan Chenxi. "Thank you."

Lan Chenxi didn't react much, but she stepped into the room. Their only previous interaction had been during the initial performance, but Qiao Yiqing wasn't sure if the other girl remembered her. Should she ask, "Do you remember when you praised my singing?"

Qiao Yiqing shook her head. That felt too narcissistic.

"Why are you at the B-class room?" Qiao Yiqing chose a more normal opening.

"I saw the lights were still on in the B-class practice room and was curious, so I came to see," Lan Chenxi replied casually.

Qiao Yiqing hadn't stepped outside to check, so she asked, "Have all the others left?"

Lan Chenxi nodded. "I think we're the only two people left in this building now."

Her tone was low, and Qiao Yiqing felt a strange sense of being teased, but seeing Lan Chenxi’s serious expression, she dismissed the suspicion. However, seeing that Lan Chenxi didn't seem to be leaving, she felt awkward continuing to dance while ignoring her. A flash of inspiration struck, and she gathered her courage: "Do you have time now? Could you teach me how to dance?"

Qiao Yiqing rarely bothered others, especially someone she had only met once. But with an A-class expert standing right there, she knew she would regret it if she let the opportunity slip. She quickly added, "Just a quick look is fine."

Lan Chenxi was surprisingly easygoing. "Go ahead and dance through it once; let me see what the problems are."

Qiao Yiqing was glad she had already memorized the song and dance, so she wouldn't waste too much of the other girl's time. After dancing through the routine with her best effort, she waited, slightly breathless, for feedback.

"Not bad. You've managed to get through the whole thing."

Qiao Yiqing felt a bit bashful. The A-class progress was surely much faster; her level was far from "not bad." She had expected Lan Chenxi to offer only simple pointers, but to her surprise, she began to explain it section by section.

"Here, your shoulders should tilt slightly. Yes, show off the lines of your shoulders."

"When you extend your hand and pull it back here, there should be a sense of 'release and gather.' Try it again."

"These two movements are connected; there’s momentum to the force. You felt awkward before because your point of force was wrong. Try to carry the energy through."

...

Qiao Yiqing had been struggling with these exact details, and once Lan Chenxi pointed them out, she quickly grasped them.

By the time they smoothed out the entire dance, nearly two hours had passed. The practice room and the dorms were in different buildings, with a stretch of space between them. As Qiao Yiqing and Lan Chenxi walked back to the dorms, it was truly pitch black—even the lights in the practice room had been turned off.

As they walked, Qiao Yiqing felt Lan Chenxi inching closer and closer. Suddenly, the sound of a cat’s meow came from the bushes along the path, startling Lan Chenxi into grabbing Qiao Yiqing’s arm tightly.

After realizing it was just a cat, Lan Chenxi let out a breath and stubbornly explained, "Don't you think it's a bit cold?"

But her hand remained gripped tightly on Qiao Yiqing’s arm. It was midsummer; even in the early hours of the morning, it wasn't cold at all. Qiao Yiqing smiled to herself, deciding not to expose her.

"Yeah," she agreed, "it is a little chilly."