"What a joke! You two have been here for over half an hour, and you haven't said a single word? Why is she the team leader?" The hot-tempered Shen Ningjiao was the first to object.
Zheng Wan looked at Zhang Ya with resentment. It was Zhang Ya who suggested the vote. She thought that the two of them had been lazy and unambitious since they came in, but who would have thought that they were up to no good?
Zhang Ya: "You know you've been arguing for half an hour and haven't reached a conclusion, right? I was elected as the team leader by vote, it's the will of the people, it's the trend of the times, so why do you disagree?"
Han Shixue, who had just been arguing with Shen Ningjiao until her face turned red, couldn't help but laugh out loud when she heard Zhang Ya's shameless words. What a bold choice of words! An eight-person team got two votes and dared to say that it was the will of the people and the trend of the times.
"I've changed my mind. I'm voting for Miss Zhang Ya instead." Han Shixue didn't want to compete for the captaincy, but she also didn't want Shen Ningjiao to get it. The two of them had always been mortal enemies, ever since their parents' generation.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the viewers watching the live stream started arguing, especially the fans of the six girls, who completely dominated the screen with their arguments.
After choosing Zhang Ya, Xu Yi returned to her previous meditative state, her body empty of thoughts. Even though she had absorbed all the memories of this body, she was still an ancient relic from tens of thousands of years ago and had absolutely no interest in the children's quarrels.
As a familiar figure drew closer in the corridor outside, Xu Yi's dull and lifeless eyes suddenly lit up. Her gaze fell on the doorway, and the next second, Gu Yueyue appeared there.
Holding the program's call sheet in her hand, Gu Yueyue stood at the door and raised her hand to knock heavily on the half-open door a few times, drawing the attention of the few people in the dance studio whose atmosphere was tense.
When Zheng Wan saw Gu Yueyue arrive, she immediately changed her attitude, becoming gentle and obedient. Since she was closest to the door, she should have been the first to reach Gu Yueyue's side.
But unfortunately, there's always an exception to every rule.
Xu Yi stood up the moment Gu Yueyue appeared. She walked towards Gu Yueyue when Gu Yueyue knocked on the door, and by the time everyone's eyes were on Gu Yueyue, she was already standing in front of Gu Yueyue.
"Teacher Gu, what brings you here? Is there some task assigned to you?" Xu Yi seemed to be the twin of the indifferent outsider from before; now she was warm and cheerful.
Gu Yueyue handed her the task sheet, "Have you chosen your team leader yet? All the other teams have come to pick up their tasks, but you haven't. I came to see if you've run into any trouble, and I brought this with me."
Xu Yi took it from her hand.
Zheng Wan arrived late, asking, "Teacher Gu, did you come to see us?"
"Yes. Have you chosen a team leader yet?" Gu Yueyue didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so she went along with her words, "I brought your tasks with me. Will you assign them yourselves, or wait for the teacher to arrive and assign them to you?"
Zheng Wan didn't mention that Zhang Ya had already been chosen as the team leader. She casually took the task sheet from Xu Yi's hand and said with a smile, "Teacher Gu, let's assign the tasks ourselves."
Seeing her behavior, Gu Yueyue assumed she was the team leader, so she didn't interfere with their task assignments anymore. She just gave them a few instructions, "Then you lead them to properly assign tasks. A professional teacher will come over to teach you later."
Gu Yueyue was just delivering something on her way. As the instructor for all the students, it wasn't appropriate for her to stay in one training room for an extended period.
Zheng Wan hadn't considered this aspect, or perhaps she had thought of this reason but didn't consider it for Gu Yueyue's sake. Instead, she wanted Gu Yueyue to stay a little longer so that Gu Yueyue's fans would come to their practice room's live stream, and their live stream's ranking would rise.
"Teacher Gu, could you please take a look at the task assignment results? There were some things we didn't discuss when we were electing team leaders, and I'm worried that everyone's progress will be slower when we assign tasks later."
Zheng Wan spoke in a coquettish tone, as if she had suffered a great injustice when she talked about the previous team leader selection.
"Okay. You guys distribute them first. I'll take a look for you later." Gu Yueyue didn't want to get involved in their open and covert struggles, but the company had already arranged for her and Zheng Wan to create hype before she came. If she didn't cooperate now, the company might have other tricks up its sleeve. It was better to take control of the situation herself and avoid being completely led by the nose.
The two celebrity offspring, who had just been arguing so fiercely that they almost came to blows, are now secretly meeting and whispering to each other while covering their microphones.
Shen Ningjiao: "Do you smell a familiar scent?"
Han Shixue: "What?"
Shen Ningjiao: "It tastes like green tea. It's even stronger than your tea."
Han Shixue stepped on her foot, turned on her microphone, and said in a delicate voice, "Sister Chen, you're not still angry about everyone choosing Zhang Ya as the team leader, are you?"
"Don't be angry anymore, okay? Everyone agrees that Sister Zhang Ya is the team leader, so don't hold a grudge anymore. If there's a next time, I'll definitely choose you, okay?"
With just a few words, she exposed Zheng Wan's conspiracy, helped Zhang Ya, the team leader, to clear her name in front of Gu Yueyue, and even pointed out Shen Ningjiao's unreasonable and domineering nature.
"Hehe!" Shen Ningjiao silently distanced herself from her.
Xu Yi glanced at the interaction between Shen Ningjiao and Han Shixue, then looked at Zheng Wan, who was clinging to Gu Yueyue, and suddenly realized she had learned something new.
Xu Yi arrived quietly and stood beside Gu Yueyue, her tone filled with disappointment, grievance, and resentment.
Xu Yi: "Teacher Gu, I'm worried that I won't be able to complete the task well. I'm afraid I'll hold everyone back."
Gu Yueyue raised her eyebrows slightly, surprised that Xu Yi would say such a thing. Before, no matter when or where she met Xu Yi, she was always extremely confident, as if there was nothing in the world that she couldn't do. When had she ever been in such a low mood?
"How could that be? Your sword dance was beautiful. You have a good foundation in dance, and your voice is also very clean and clear, a very distinctive voice. If you practice well with the teacher, you will definitely be able to complete the task very well."
"I believe in you, and you should try to believe in yourself too."
Gu Yueyue comforted and encouraged her, hoping the little girl would regain her confidence.
Xu Yi was dejected for a while, but finally managed to put on that tiny smile she had worked so hard to cultivate. She nodded cheerfully and solemnly, "Thank you, Teacher Gu. When everyone was nominating themselves to be the team leader, Zheng Wan told me not to choose myself. I thought I was terrible. I had no confidence at all."
She grabbed Gu Yueyue's arm and shook it gently. "Teacher Gu, you're so good to me. You gave me a gift and comforted and encouraged me. Since my grandmother passed away, no one in this world has been as good to me as you. Teacher Gu, I will definitely practice hard and never let you down."
The tea arrived, but the tea itself wasn't served. But what does it matter?
After all, while everyone was staring at Xu Yi in disbelief, Xu Yi saw heartache in Miss Gu's eyes.
Great, Xu Yi is happy and satisfied.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 15:19:54 on December 16, 2021 and 16:19:19 on December 17, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 41834251 for 10 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter Twenty
Zheng Wan was pushed aside by Xu Yi, and then quickly pushed aside by other teammates who surrounded her. She stood on the outside of the crowd, looking at Gu Yueyue with resentment.
The company clearly arranged for Gu Yueyue to create hype with her, but there's not a single hint of anything between them. It's infuriating!
Gu Yueyue also learned from Xu Yi's words that Zheng Wan may have intentionally or unintentionally ostracized Xu Yi when the team leader was being selected.
When Gu Yueyue looked at Zheng Wan, her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze. Only when Zheng Wan felt uneasy under her gaze did she leisurely look away.
Before the dance teacher arrived, Zhang Ya, as the team leader, led everyone to assign song tasks.
Everyone received feedback from the mentors during the auditions, and they were aware of their strengths and weaknesses. So when the songs were presented, everyone chose the parts they were good at.
However, a conflict arose again regarding who should take the center position.
Xu Yi stood in the crowd, her gaze fixed on Gu Yueyue. Several times, Gu Yueyue's eyes met hers unintentionally, but she felt awkward under Xu Yi's intense gaze and would look away unnaturally.
Shen Ningjiao felt that she had a great appearance and a good figure, and was well-deserving of the center position. Han Shixue smiled sarcastically and said in a sarcastic tone that her figure was not as good as Zhuang Yan, the cross-dressing blogger, her appearance was not as good as Ruan Hanmei, the beauty blogger, and even her overall strength was not as good as Miss Zheng Wan. Where did she get the nerve to think that she could be the center position?
Shen Ning was so spoiled that she reached out to scratch her face, but Zhang Ya stopped her in time.
Han Shixue retorted, "Look, you can't even match our Captain Zhang Ya's stamina."
“…Damn it!” Zhang Ya quickly covered Shen Ningjiao’s mouth, stopping her from swearing in front of the camera.
Thus began Shen Ningjiao's struggle under Zhang Ya's control, Han Shixue's sarcastic remarks from the sidelines, Zhuang Yan and Ruan Hanmei's attempts to break up the fight, and Zheng Wan, though not the captain, acting like one, criticizing and educating everyone one by one.
Miao Lele, a content creator in the "ghostly" (parody/meme) category who was an outsider to the scene, forcibly joined in the meme-making: "Don't fight in the dance studio! You won't kill anyone like that!"
Xu Yi watched the group of people fighting with great interest, but her expression remained largely unchanged; her attention was only slightly drawn to them.
But the way she looked at the noisy crowd made Gu Yueyue feel pity for her.
Imagine a girl full of dreams, excitedly participating in a competition, only to encounter such an unreliable group of teammates. How heartbroken she would be.
Gu Yueyue felt that she should stand up and stop the chaotic scene, both for public and private reasons.
Gu Yueyue was a step too late; Xu Yi had already stepped forward before her.
"Please calm down, okay?" Xu Yi's voice wasn't loud, but when it reached their ears, it had a deterrent effect on everyone, making them dare not have any more thoughts of causing trouble.
Shen Ningjiao and Han Shixue argued fiercely, and Han Shixue even had her hair pulled. Now, Han Shixue's eyes were red and she looked like she was about to cry, looking delicate and helpless, which was very endearing.
The others weren't much better off. They were originally there to watch the fight and break it up, but someone brought up the topic of choosing a team leader, and then Zhang Ya joined in the scuffle.
“Since no one is willing to give in, let’s draw lots. But I hope this can be resolved before the teacher arrives.” Xu Yi took a piece of paper and handed it to Gu Yueyue. “Teacher Gu, could you help us prepare?”
Gu Yueyue quickly prepared eight small slips of paper and wrote down the assigned tasks.
"Now everyone go and get one. Since you all think you're all-knowing and all-powerful, you should be able to handle whatever you're chosen for."
Xu Yi's words blocked everyone else's escape route. Even if they were dissatisfied later, they couldn't say anything more, since they had already started fighting.
The live stream camera is still on, so I don't know what's going on online now.
Xu Yi: "Let's draw lots according to our room numbers. Does anyone have any objections?"
They drew lots one by one according to the room number, and finally the center position fell into Zhang Ya's hands. She glanced at her task: nine lines of lyrics, two of which required high notes, and a rap section.
She looked at Xu Yi in despair. She couldn't handle the high notes. Besides, she hadn't even competed for the center position. Could she be given another one?
Gu Yueyue walked over at the right moment and smiled at everyone, saying, "Now that you've made your choices, let's all practice diligently with the professional instructors from now on."
The first round of the competition will be held in a week, at which time a group of people will be eliminated. The elimination will be based on the scores of the mentors and the audience.
After Gu Yueyue left, the dance studio fell silent.
The task Xu Yi received didn't require much singing ability, but it did have very strict requirements for dance skills.
Zhang Ya wasn't worried at all about whether Xu Yi could learn the dance; right now, she was feeling sad that she couldn't shoulder the responsibility of being in the center position.
Soon, professional vocal and dance teachers arrived, and the training for the eight people officially began.
Gu Yueyue looked around at each class, and finally, around noon, she picked up the thermos that Xiao Ye had prepared for her and planned to go to Villa No. 3 again. Perhaps it was because they had argued too fiercely in the morning that she was worried about Xu Yi, or perhaps she remembered that she still had to help Zheng Wan and cooperate with the company's publicity stunt.
So she brought some drinks with her.
When Gu Yueyue arrived, she happened to arrive just as a few people in the dance studio were taking a break. Xu Yi and Zheng Wan both had a lot of dance skills to show off, so the teacher kept them behind for special attention.
Gu Yueyue stood at the door for a while, and was quickly noticed by the dance teacher, who came over and asked, "Teacher Gu, is something the matter?"
"No, I just came to check on everyone and brought some water for the trainees."
The choreography for this song is playful and sexy, and the dance moves are alluring yet tasteful, amplifying the charm of women to the fullest.
Gu Yueyue is very familiar with this style. Back when she was in a girl group, she practiced this kind of singing and dancing the most.
Zheng Wan noticed Gu Yueyue as soon as she appeared. If she hadn't kept glancing at the door, the dance teacher wouldn't have caught her gaze and noticed Gu Yueyue.
Zheng Wan was confident that she was better than Xu Yi. She already had a background in dance, and she had also been taught by a professional dance teacher at the company. She was definitely better than Xu Yi, who was self-taught.
Moreover, Xu Yi doesn't take her practice seriously at all. She doesn't care at all. When watching videos and following the dance teacher to swing her arms, twist her hips, and bend over, she never pays attention to the details and doesn't do the movements properly. Xu Yi's dance always exudes a careless and casual feeling, and she doesn't show any charm, sexiness, or allure.
Now that Gu Yueyue has arrived, Zheng Wan's eyes darted around as she came up with a brilliant idea. It would allow her to create a romantic connection with Gu Yueyue while also putting down Xu Yi.
The dance teacher let the two of them rest and called everyone to come to Gu Yueyue to get water.
Actually, the dance studio had water on hand, but Gu Yueyue bought some on her way here and brought it with her, so the students naturally appreciated it.