Qintai Grand Theatre, Rehearsal Hall No. 1.
Beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, the ripples of Moon Lake shimmered beneath the warm winter sun. Inside the rehearsal hall, the air carried the faint scent of rosin and sweat—the most familiar smell to professional dancers.
"Tap, tap, tap—"
As the piano accompaniment came to a rapid close, a black figure traced a perfect parabola through the air.
Leaping, folding, unfolding, landing.
That difficult Purple Gold Crown jump landed as lightly as a feather, without even a heavy impact against the floor.
"Beautiful!"
"Oh my God, Qingyu, your condition has been absolutely insane lately!"
As the music stopped, heartfelt praise erupted throughout the rehearsal hall.
Lin Qingyu stood at the center of the stage, her chest rising and falling slightly, fine beads of sweat covering her forehead. Several strands of hair clung to her fair, slender neck. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, and even her eyes flashed with disbelief.
This was already their fifth full run-through that morning.
In the past, let alone five times, even after two runs, her lower back would have started aching faintly, and she might even have needed to stop for an ice pack. But now, that troublesome old lumbar injury seemed to have vanished completely. No matter how hard she pushed herself, a warm strength always seemed to support her waist.
"Everyone, take a fifteen-minute break!"
Lin Qingyu clapped her hands and announced.
"Whew—I'm exhausted!"
"Finally, I can get a drink!"
The young women instantly deflated like punctured balloons, collapsing inelegantly onto the dance flooring.
"Hey, Qingyu."
The most gossip-loving one, Xiaoya, leaned over with a bottle of electrolyte water in hand. Her gaze swept over Lin Qingyu like a searchlight. "Have you... been taking some kind of miracle pill lately?"
"What miracle