Chapter 207
Xu Ling couldn't resist putting on a fake account and typing away in the group Yuan Fan, blending in seamlessly with the other critics.
"Wow, this is so beautiful! I have to take screenshots like crazy. Qing Bao has released another amazing picture. The only flaw is, why isn't the white-haired girl wearing white stockings???"
"The Qing God's white hair symbolizes purity, and her golden eyes represent divine majesty. Her smile is compassion for humanity, but her gaze is a sea that can drown believers. To desire her is wrong, immoral, and an original sin that I cannot resist."
"Waaaaah, Qing Bao, the password for my pants is 6467???"
"Lust is a bone-scraping knife? Watch this ten more times! Are we Sichuan and Chongqing women just tough as nails???"
"It's so beautiful! Is this really special effects? Why don't other stages have this kind of amazing effect? The fans of the other contestants are so envious."
"Heh, how foolish! What special effects? Is this a gift from the Qing God of Beliefs???"
"Thanks be to God, bliss!"
"Praise be to the great Qing God, Qingmen???"
The next day.
When the Pure White Witch groggily woke up and sat at the dining table with a group of Little Idol, she casually opened a super topic group and was greeted by this abstract and terrifying scene.
Chu Yuanqing's sleepiness vanished. She immediately and alertly poked the lantern in her chest, signaling the little one to stop eating and to stop shaking and trembling. She poked a soft-boiled egg in the dish with her chopsticks, glanced at the clear blue sky outside the window, smiled, and whispered:
"Shall we go to St. Stephen's Cathedral first today?"
St. Stephen's Cathedral is not only a symbol of the city and the most important Gothic building in Austria, but also... the location of the Vienna Division.
Volume 1: 198. The Vow by the Campfire.
Tang Liuli sipped her coffee, looking at Chu Yuanqing's delicate face. The expression on her face was nostalgic and gentle, like the glow of sunset on a church steeple in the evening breeze. The curve of her lips seemed to carry the unknown past, revealing the charm of a mature woman.
That's strange, so very strange!
Perhaps it's because I imagined the existence of White Moonlight figure yesterday.
The Green Eyed Cat stared suspiciously at the Pure White Witch's face, something just didn't seem right.
Why would Xiao Qing want to see a church, and why is she making that expression? Something's not right!
Warning bells rang in Tang Liuli's heart; no one understood Xiao Qing better than her.
Chu Yuanqing has always preferred to follow the crowd in this regard.
Normally, she would have finished her meal as usual, in a highly efficient and elegant manner, maintaining a gentle, faint smile as she watched everyone discuss these trivial matters, like a kind and open-minded elder, only offering suggestions when others asked questions.
But... not only did she bring up her own idea, she also showed such a complex and telling expression!
Does this mean that Xiao Qing's suggestion of Vienna as the first tourist destination wasn't just a casual remark, but rather an attempt to commemorate, or even search for, that White Moonlight?
If that's the case, then Xiao Qing's suggestion to go to St. Stephen's Cathedral suggests that the place is connected to her White Moonlight interest), perhaps they even shared many profound memories there? Or maybe she simply wants to commemorate him there?
Green Eyed Cat's reasoning flowed like water; she hadn't even activated [Emotional Link] yet had already understood everything with her astonishing talent, leaving me feeling extremely bittersweet.
Damn it, the original "White Moonlight" hypothesis only had a 30% chance of being true, but now it's jumped to a terrifying 90%.
Tang Liuli felt a strong sense of crisis.
This was the oppressive force that the Sakura Girl and the golden Stupid Dog had never brought before.
Although both of them could bully her at will, at least on Xiao Qing's side, everyone's progress bar was about the same; they were both at the stage where they could only use Magic Replenishment as an excuse to kiss and engage in other intimate acts with each other.
In other words, she never really had a chance of being eliminated.
Because kissing more often, or kissing some strange places, is essentially limited to the progress of lust. At most, it can only bring psychological and physical satisfaction, but it cannot occupy more space in Chu Yuanqing's heart.
Tang Liuli was very troubled by this.
However, because the three of them got along quite harmoniously in this abstract rivalry, never fighting and even having a strangely good relationship, she was troubled but didn't actually feel much of a crisis.
But things are different now.
If Qing Mom truly has a White Moonlight in her heart, then she's practically an epic-level boss!
If the opponent is alive, their health bar would probably be incredibly high.
If the opponent dies, then there's no health bar left, making you invincible.
No, absolutely not! We have to come up with a solution. If we keep going on like this, she probably won't have another chance to change her friendship with Qing Bao!
Tang Liuli's brain processed everything in a flash. She took a sip of coffee without sugar or milk, using the bitterness that bloomed on her taste buds to suppress her emotions, like a young wife preparing to catch her husband cheating, deciding to set a trap for him.
First, she had to find out if this "White Moonlight" person really existed.
If it's about outsmarting and outmaneuvering the air, that would be the best.
If not, then we must form an alliance and use the combined strength of the three of us to defeat them!
The Green Eyed Cat's intelligence amplified wildly under the terrifying pressure. She feigned complete innocence with her acting skills, flashed a smile, and was the first to answer:
"Yes, it's less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel to St. Stephen's Cathedral. It would be nice to stroll around there in the morning, and my assistant can help me shoot some video footage."
"But... Xiao Qing, are you very interested in churches? I've seen quite a few styles when I traveled before, but I've never been to one here."
Chu Yuanqing noticed nothing amiss. She looked at the sleepy-eyed, adorable Little Cotton-padded Jacket, pinched her cheek, and smiled gently. Then she turned back and whispered:
"I'm not really that interested, I just want to take a look."
Chu Yuanqing naturally had little interest in churches.
Rather, as Savior who had refuted the Old Testament, she was allergic to almost any religion and had no reverence for gods or Buddhas who had never redeemed humanity.
While she still respects the faith of others, her only positive impression of churches is their architecture, humanistic art, and the admiration they represent for the history of civilization.
But there was nothing they could do; that was the location chosen for Flashdance's underground base.
St. Stephen's Cathedral has a long history, having undergone several reconstructions or expansions over a thousand years. The most unique expansion took place 17 years ago.
This expansion involves not only the church but also the underground renovation of the old and new city areas. In addition, there is a huge underground catacomb beneath the church. To those who do not understand, this move is somewhat blasphemous to God and the deceased, and affects the meaning of cultural relics.
But to those in the know, doing so is like casting long shadows on landmark buildings that symbolize civilization, thus preserving the essence of history and culture in another form after disaster strikes.
Chu Yuanqing understood that there was a high probability he wouldn't see Charlotte there.
The competition format for Flash Dance is largely the same, though it is occasionally adjusted based on the country.
If the other party hasn't entered the stage of performing outside, then they can only stay in the underground base and have no chance of appearing in the church on the surface. Even if they happen to be in the same competition, the other party would have to be lucky enough to perform in Vienna, otherwise they still won't meet.
That's precisely why she dared to approach St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Chu Yuanqing's feelings were complicated. On the one hand, she missed Charlotte very much, but on the other hand, she did not want to see Charlotte. In this entangled state, St. Stephen's Cathedral, a place where Charlotte had been and where there was a slight chance of running into her, naturally became the best choice.
The Green Eyed Cat secretly activated [Flow State]. The emotions she felt were extremely complex, making her head spin. She couldn't confirm such details at all and almost choked on her coffee.
Tang Liuli forced down her coffee. She roused herself and decided to observe carefully on the way. Even if there really was some "White Moonlight" (ideal love interest), it couldn't be such a coincidence that he suddenly appeared and was getting intimate with Qing Bao, Tieba?
Kiriwake Yayoi was still pondering the mysterious phenomenon of her "great improvement in drawing skills" and thinking about how to mention it to Xiao Qing, she was completely unaware of the updated version of the romantic situation.
Xie Qingxuan was the same; otherwise, if she knew what Green Eyed Cat was thinking, she probably would have referred to some strange animations where young widows were forced to do bad things in front of their husbands' tombstones, and come up with the brilliant idea of taking turns Magic Replenishment with Qing Bao in the church to "cover" it up.
Thus, the proposal was passed without any obstacles.
After dinner, the Little Idol walked down to the hotel, where the doormen provided a thoughtful weather forecast and bid them farewell as they strolled through this historic city.
In Vienna, the mornings are Lighting Up, the sky is a deep blue, and the sunlight filters softly onto the street corners.
Along the roadside, there were tourists riding in horse-drawn carriages to tour the sights, as well as artistic young people playing the violin on the street.
Along the way, the corners of walls, high-rise buildings, and shops in Yanbian are full of street art elements. You can often see graffiti that mixes various styles, and some road signs are covered with interesting stickers.
Little Sakura walked along taking pictures with her camera. She looked at the traffic lights in the distance, where two little figures were holding hands.
This is also one of Vienna's unique features: traffic lights have three different symbols.
Well, one of the markings represents neodymium copper, so if these frames were edited into the program, it's really hard to say how the audience would interpret them.
Chu Wangshu didn't notice this small detail; she said:
"The artistic atmosphere here is so strong, it feels like musical notes are floating in the air. If we go dancing in the streets, we should be able to complete the mission, right?"
Halfway through her story, Little Cotton-padded Jacket inexplicably thought of the person she had seen on screen. She had also looked up the person's information last night, and now, combined with the atmosphere in Vienna, she subconsciously imagined the person's tone of voice.
Hmm, I have a feeling that it has a light and airy quality, like floating musical notes?
Chu Yuanqing had no idea what her daughter was imagining about her mother. She said:
"Street performances also need sound equipment, let's wait a few more days."
"We need to go to the dance studio this afternoon to check out a dance piece first. If all goes well, we might as well perform the new dance on the street. This is also a way to get used to the atmosphere in advance."
Tang Liuli complained upon hearing this:
"Practicing dance always feels like having to do homework even when you're out having fun."
Kiriwake Yayoi turned around alertly and pointed out:
"Liuli, we're out here for a commercial performance, and there are Third Performance to come. Don't confuse the priorities."
Green Eyed Cat sneered inwardly, thinking that Little Sakura was too foolish. The main mission this time was no longer about commercial performances or Public Performance, but about how to defeat that White Moonlight and successfully win over Qing Mom's heart!
If you keep neglecting your duties, you'll be crying in bed sooner or later!
Xie Qingxuan keenly heard the melody of the girl group dance music. She was the first to look up and gaze at the square in the distance where the sculpture fountain stood. Many pedestrians were gathered there, and even the sightseeing carriages that had passed them earlier had stopped in their tracks.
A dark cross appeared in the depths of the girl's eyes; through it, she sensed the Heart Tide emotions within her, and whispered:
"Someone is dancing; they're a contestant from Flashdance."
This is a very simple deduction.
Even on the streets of Vienna, it wouldn't make sense for a dance troupe with members who have ventured into the realm of "Flow State" to just pop out, especially since there's a "flashdance" competition area right here.
Chu Wangshu leaned closer to take a look and said:
"What a coincidence? I was just saying that not long ago."
After listening to a few melodies, Kiriwake Yayoi walked forward and said:
"The piece sounds like <Pink Venom>?"
Upon entering, one sees four Little Idol dancing. They seem to have only recently started practicing this dance, as their movements and postures are rather raw, but their facial expressions and dance skills are commendable.
One of them possessed a "Flow State" ability, seemingly a perfect camera presence from every angle, which was very captivating and seemed to come with a built-in direct shot effect, thus keeping many viewers engaged.
Tang Liuli thought for a moment and said:
"Is Vienna the only competition zone in Austria?"
"So, unless they're as unlucky as us and get to do commercial performances abroad, judging from their hair and eye colors, they're most likely locals."
Kiriwake Yayoi suddenly remembered something and said:
"I remember now, they're all from the same region as the Doomsday Diva."
Because everyone was gossiping about Charlotte last night, they almost instantly understood what Little Sakura meant by that sentence.
Charlotte's title remains the same as in the old days: the Doomsday Diva.
The only difference is that the old era's name was taken from the City of Doomsday.
In today's context, it represents the end of an opponent's dream.
Charlotte is special. She just participated in "Flash Dance" and relied on the terrifying shock of the Initial Evaluation stage to forcefully pass through four rounds of process: Dream Weaver Rabbit, mentor group, online voting, and contestant voting, winning the privilege of ignoring the rules and going on stage alone.
Although her votes and scores were reduced each time she finished a stage performance, she still won the championship in the first Public Performance, the teammate battle, and the second Public Performance, achieving a three-peat.
The most legendary thing is that Charlotte has never danced. She is like a pure lead singer, achieving those feats with just singing. She is hailed as a T0-level contestant who is destined to have their dreams shattered if they compete with her, and they have no choice but to admit defeat.
This is a unique achievement even in the global FlashDance competition.
To date, the internet has speculated wildly about her preference for taking on everyone alone rather than forming a team, with many believing that there is a mysterious story behind it.
As for arrogance, aloofness, domineering, and hype...
These reasons simply don't hold water when applied to Charlotte.
Just as Chu Yuanqing's "Pure White Aria" allows people to see their true selves, those who have heard Charlotte's singing can also understand her true self.
It was the warmth of the sun shining on the mountains, the return of spring to the earth, a splendor surpassing rainbows and aurora borealis, and even possessing a sincerity as clear as a gemstone.
Therefore, naturally no one would think that such a person could be associated with those words.
Xie Qingxuan concealed the dark cross in her eyes. She silently recited "Doomsday Diva," a familiar phrase that evoked intense emotions. She glanced up at the gradually warming azure sky and whispered:
"Since this region is progressing at the same pace as us, Charlotte should also be doing a commercial performance somewhere on her own, just like them."