Chapter 88

"Qing Bao has always been quite passive in interpersonal relationships, hasn't she? She has that motherly mentality, only intervening when she really can't stand it anymore. It's quite surprising that she would take the initiative to invite Yue Bao to play now."

"Even fake fans can't guess the reason, while real fans are already completely overwhelmed. Don't you guys think the timing of Qing Bao's appearance is too coincidental?"

"Qing Bao said she was interested in the art exhibition, but she came out directly with Yue Bao, which means she had already explored most of the exhibition beforehand. However, Yue Bao spent almost an hour looking around the exhibition, but the camera never captured Qing Bao during that time, which can only mean that she was deliberately avoiding Yue Bao and Uncle Chu."

This conjecture is quite reasonable, and if we follow the line of reasoning, all the branching possibilities are shattered glass:

"Qing Bao definitely didn't want to disturb Yue Bao and Uncle Chu's family meeting, right? She's so kind, I'm so touched."

"She's broken down. Chu Yuanqing's timely appearance means she's been secretly watching Yue Bao. She's doing it out of curiosity—curiosity. She's curious about what families with Dad are like, how they get along, whether they argue, whether they're happy when they talk, and what the atmosphere is like when they're silent..."

"Qing Bao doesn't know any of this. From the time she can remember, she has to be independent. She can only wipe away her own tears. Being sick, falling down, being bullied, feeling down, getting bad grades, feeling lonely and sad... all these trivial things that can accumulate into despair can only be digested by herself. No one will comfort her, and no one will tell her what to do."

"So, observing other people's families, other children and parents, seems to become the best role models. She can learn a lot from this, such as how to comfort someone by patting their head, how to blow-dry her hair without getting a headache, how to apply medicine after a fall, how to hold back tears when she's sad, and many, many more things."

Xu Ling sadly beat the little dinosaur doll for a while, then silently buried her head in it, wiping all her tears on it, before continuing to type away, her mind racing, encouraged by her group members crying and saying, "Give us some more knives!"

"Waaaaah, maybe it'll be the same this time!"

"Although it's pitiful that Little Moons comes from a single-parent family, even our Qing Bao is envious of her. Little Moons even gets hurt by other people's happiness while visiting an art exhibition and has to hide her feelings and compose herself."

At this moment, a skilled user calmly typed out:

"But don't you think Qing Bao doesn't seem like she's composed at all?"

"Qing Bao's behavior, rather than being a struggle to control her emotions and suppress her heartache while taking photos for Little Moons and her father, was more like a sincere and happy blessing for Little Moons, without showing any sign of distress."

"What does this mean? It means that she had long taken it for granted and understood that she would never receive such pure love in the rest of her life."

"Therefore, Qing Bao will not feel bitter, sad, or grief-stricken, because these are all realities that she has been obligated to bear and face for the past 17 years."

"But she was also so kind and gentle, so kind that she wouldn't be jealous of others' happiness, and so gentle that she would rejoice in others' happiness."

"This is... the child we've been pushing."

These words, spoken in quick succession, elevated the knife in Xu Ling's mind to another level.

Once the chat logs were forwarded, they were edited into various supertopics and Weibo, and combined with several screenshots from the live stream, they quickly broke the defenses of countless Yuan Xiao celebrating the Lantern Festival, making them wish they could eat eight spicy rabbit heads every day.

"Waaaaah, Qing Bao, my Qing Bao???"

"If even someone like that debuts as an idol, she definitely won't forget where she came from, right???"

"Chu Yuanqing is a very special child. She's not like the idols of the past who were just packaged and marketed. Everything about her seems so real and full of life. I've long been disappointed with the Chinese Entertainment Industry, but this time... I want to have hope again, I want to believe in the light in her eyes!"

Public opinion slowly fermented within the Yuan Xiao Group.

Time passed, Live Broadcast Room ended at 6:30 PM.

The sunset in the sky was a riot of colors, and dusk, like molten iron, engulfed Zhelong Town.

It is now the height of summer, and soon night will take its place, letting darkness cover the world like a veil.

Chu Yuanqing said goodbye to her Little Cotton-padded Jacket at the entrance of the base. She let out a long breath and looked at her daughter's back with some emotion.

Cafes, art exhibitions, amusement parks, and even filming locations for various movie crews.

How many more opportunities like this will I have to play, chat, and spend time with my daughter?

Considering the format of Flashdance, it wouldn't be surprising if today were the last time.

Chu Yuanqing raised her eyes, her chest filled with a mix of emotions. Whether it was a sudden inspiration or an inexplicable impulse, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of her daughter's still-present figure. After staring blankly for a while, she picked up the food she had packed from the cafeteria and turned to leave.

Hmm, I've had the Green Eyed Cat here for almost 7 hours. The homework should be almost finished by now, right?

Ten minutes later, on the second floor of the coffee shop.

Tang Liuli knelt on the ground trembling with fear. She held up the notebook filled with writing and the phone containing seven hours of video recordings of her doing homework, as if offering a sacrifice. She looked extremely timid, as if some kind of monstrous beast was standing in front of her.

"I haven't finished writing with that ballpoint pen ink yet. Give me another chance, and I'll definitely use it all up..."

Chu Yuanqing remained silent. She quietly took the notebook and, under the slightly uneasy gaze of the Green Eyed Cat that kept glancing up at her, subtly flipped through it and checked it.

Well, probably because of the effect of the threat, the child was very serious about doing his homework. His handwriting was elegant and neat, quite pleasing to the eye at first glance, but the content was only so-so.

This is less of a workbook and more of a microcosm of Tang Liuli's life. It's so lifelike that if you were to leave this to the King of Hell after you die, he wouldn't even need to bother checking the Book of Life and Death.

The stack of papers seemed to start from when the child was one year old, and then, in order to stay on topic, the cat spent the entire time analyzing the negative aspects of the family. Obviously, in order to reach a reasonable word count, the cat didn't care whether these psychological traumas and family scandals could be mentioned.

Chu Yuanqing suspected that this piece of information, being a firsthand scoop on a child prodigy, could easily fetch millions if given to a certain entertainment reporter.

The information inside is so explosive that Tang Liuli could easily make a documentary film and rake in billions at the box office using this gimmick.

--This assignment is too dangerous; it can't be left as homework.

After Chu Yuanqing finished reading, under Tang Liuli's blank gaze, he patiently tore the paper into extremely fine scraps, threw them all into the trash can, squatted down, patted her head with some pity, smiled, and praised her:

"Good child, well written."

Tang Liuli's heart, which had plummeted into an abyss, was suddenly lifted. Tears welled in her eyes, she sniffled, and with a hopeful expression, she asked innocently and expectantly:

"Really? Then... then does that mean I... can escape punishment?"

Chu Yuanqing pinched her little face, a smile playing on his lips:

"No, the pen still has ink left, doesn't it?"

"Besides, you didn't finish all the assignments I gave you."

"For example, this dangerous mate selection criteria that lists '[Height 163CM, Weight 46KG, Bust/Waist/Hips 86/51/84, White Hair, Golden Eyes, 17 Years Old, Female, Excellent Bedtime Storyteller]' is completely, completely, completely wrong, isn't it?!"

The words had faded.

Chu Yuanqing vigorously kneaded the Green Eyed Cat's face with both hands until the cat let out a mournful cry with tears in its eyes, before finally stopping.

After that, the endless cycle of homework continued until 9 pm before finally coming to a reluctant end, and someone's criteria for choosing a partner were forced to change to [a beautiful girl with unknown height, weight, measurements, super cute and sunny personality, and also maternal instincts].

On the other hand, after the free time ended and all the contestants returned to the underground base, Flash Dance finally released three individual Public Performance videos on the official website, each featuring the main Center position and two sub- Center position.

Volume 1: 96. External Feedback: The Battleground Has Been Exposed. (5K views, requesting monthly votes)

10 PM.

Xu Ling successfully overcame the grief of imagining herself stabbing herself by hitting a dinosaur-shaped pillow.

As the person in charge of "Sheng Qing Tong Yin" and "Wu Zhong Jian Qing", she belatedly realized something and immediately used her professional keen sense to repeatedly analyze the film. However, she was even more saddened to discover that Qing Bao had not met Little Sakura at all during the entire live broadcast!

Not only that, but upon closer reflection, from the live stream of the Second Evaluation to the live stream after the Public Performance, her Yayoi seems to have been in a very "loser" state, with absolutely no chance to get close to Qing Bao.

If it weren't for Qing Bao's unwavering vote for Little Sakura during the Center position competition, coupled with Little Moons's repeated successes in charming her, the Great Demon King secretly applying lipstick to Qing Bao, Tang Liuli listening to Qing Bao tell bedtime stories every day, the opposing team's achievements would probably be causing widespread anxiety in the CP group right now.

Well, without realizing it, this die-hard fan who originally only supported Kiriwake Yayoi has elevated Chu Yuanqing's status to an extremely strange position.

Xu Ling was completely unaware of her own moral decline. Melancholy, she watched the live stream replay, deeply affected by the erotic fanfiction circulating in the group. Overwhelmed with grief, she couldn't help but mutter to herself:

"Damn it, this kind of CP combination of Qing Bao, Little Moons, Little Liuli, and the Great Demon King is almost approaching the status of our official CP! Yayoi, you'd better step up your game!"

Well, thankfully there are many experienced fans of the sweet romance in the group.

Especially some expert viewers can accurately capture a single frame of a couple's gaze from dozens of hours of live stream replays, editing it to make it look alluring and affectionate, as if pink bubbles are floating in the air.

The existence of these experts in creating sweet moments ensures that the "Wu Zhong Jian Qing" couple continues to enjoy immense popularity even without any sweet moments to enjoy for the time being.

Only Xu Ling, as the leader, knew that all of this was merely a false prosperity, a bubble that would burst at the slightest touch.

Do you have experts at shipping couples here? Don't other CP fans have any?

If the second episode doesn't offer any other sweet moments, or even reveals intimate scenes between Qing Bao and other contestants, then all the pairings that try to create a romantic connection between Qing Bao will surpass it, making Hongru sit firmly on the throne in "Wu Zhong Jian Qing".

Xu Ling was very worried. She felt heartache and anxiety as she watched her daughter about to be NTR'd, along with a sense of helplessness and sorrow.

"Oh well, Yayoi so cute. Even if she's not good at stickers, Mommy still loves you."

"If all else fails, I'll just ship Qing Bao with other girls and become a despicable champion fan!"

At this moment, in the "Wu Zhong Jian Qing" CP support group, all the girls were frantically praising Chu Yuanqing and Little Sakura's direct-shot videos on the Public Performance stage, completely unaware that their leader was already preparing to raise the white flag and switch sides.

"Wow, Qing Bao's stage makeup is absolutely gorgeous!?!"

"Hehehe, Yayoi is so cute! The way she moves her whole body in this fancam is so youthful and lively. If I were there, I would definitely call her my daughter!"

"Waaaaah, wink, Qing Bao's direct shot wink! My heart has been pierced by Cupid's arrow, can I make Chu Yuanqing take responsibility for me and make her my wife???"

"Damn it, don't force everyone to slap you this late at night. Look at your title—[Did Little Sakura and Qing Bao do it today?]—have some respect for yourself when you're shipping couples?!"

"To be honest, I didn't feel anything special when watching the whole thing, but after watching three individual videos, I felt that Qing Bao and Little Sakura had something more about them than Chen Yining, or perhaps they were more eye-catching?"

"That's normal. Currently, in the domestic 'Flash Dance' competition, only Sea Capital and Qing Bao have been confirmed to have Yayoi [Flow State], and there are none in Capital. The Young Lady's stage skills are very strong, but without the [Flow State] stage buff, she will seem a little lacking."

The topic has veered off course here, and some people have started speculating about the subsequent competition format:

"If things were going at the normal pace, the next step should be group competitions. But since the goal of <Flash Dance> is to cultivate the strongest idols, and it repeatedly suggests that even the weak have a chance to win, it doesn't seem that simple."

"Sigh, no matter what, that's only the third season. Flash Dance is already hot enough. Who knows if they'll continue to do live streams to spoil the plot?"

"Damn it, the Public Performance is already over, shouldn't the second episode be edited out by now? When are they going to stop releasing <FlashDance>? I'll slap them in the face!!!"

Xu Ling silently put down her phone, stopped checking the group chat, and instead started watching the live stream videos on the Flash Dance official website.

Chu Yuanqing's direct shot is a visual feast; even a complete stranger would be captivated by it and eventually join the Qingmen Clan.

Especially in the very first few frames, you can feel the overwhelming stage presence that spreads like a tide, which is a huge plus. So much so that in the live Public Performance video, the first few breaths are completely the other person's show, which is extremely eye-catching.

However, in the eyes of longtime fans, these are certainly all wonderful advantages.

What's even more noteworthy is that Chu Yuanqing has matured a lot since his first appearance on stage!

This contrasts sharply with his previous live streams, where his dance moves appeared somewhat awkward, immature, and even childlike. As a result, Chu Yuanqing's performance on Public Performance easily evoked a collective sigh from fans who had followed him all this way:

"The nurturing system is truly amazing!"

Xu Ling couldn't help but cheer. When she was at the scene during the day, she was so shocked that she didn't realize it at first. But when she watched the fancam a second time, since she wasn't there in person and had watched it twice, she finally had the chance to realize it...

Chu Yuanqing is a complete novice with almost no singing or dancing skills, and this is the first time she has stepped onto a stage with an audience.

From being naive and inexperienced, making mistakes and falling behind the trainees, to making a stunning comeback in the Second Evaluation, dominating Public Performance stage and becoming a shining idol, it only took her a little over half a month!

For longtime fans who have watched her grow and evolve step by step, this is an almost magical kind of happiness.

Where can you find fandom like this?

Aside from the free votes and likes, they hadn't even had a chance to give anything in return, yet the children they promoted received a thousandfold or even ten thousandfold positive feedback, rightfully earning their deserved positions through their own abilities.

What is the joy of pulling a legendary gold item as a result of random character progression?

No, Golden Legendary characters need to be fed a lot of dog food to grow, but Qing Bao grows up almost without any feeding!

In conclusion, Chu Yuanqing is a unique treasure.

Xu Ling felt a strong sense of accomplishment and was extremely Proud.

After thinking about it for a while, I felt a little guilty and just felt uncomfortable.

To be fair, there aren't many successful examples in the Chinese Entertainment Industry of idols who rise to fame on their own without spending money on boosting their popularity or rankings. Qing Bao has indeed risen fast enough, but this speed gives the impression that fans are useless and that she can ascend to fame on her own.

Sigh, let's watch Yayoi.

With a truly compassionate heart, Xu Ling watched Kiriwake Yayoi's fancam. Unlike the excitement and joy she felt when watching Chu Yuanqing's fancam, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and let tears stream down her face as soon as she saw the other girl's smile on stage.

The sense of nurturing Chu Yuanqing lies primarily in the massive rewards that are disproportionate to the effort invested.

The sense of nurturing that Kiriwake Yayoi lies in the many hardships she has endured and the long and persistent pursuit of her idol and the stage. As a result, when Xu Ling watched her step by step to where she is today and saw the happy smile on her face when her dream came true, she couldn't hold back her emotions at all.

The fruits of victory, tasted after overcoming numerous hardships, are always especially sweet and precious.

Although she had already cried her heart out at the event, when watching the fancam, she couldn't even bear to see Little Sakura smile through her tears and bow earnestly to the audience before she broke down completely.

Sometimes, following celebrities is about entrusting your ideals to them. It's about having another version of yourself outside your ideal world, someone who can always love, always be persistent, never give up, and never admit defeat, taking step by step closer to a bright future.

When the other person reaches that future, you, too, share the same joy and happiness due to your continued efforts, as if you have experienced a perfectly fulfilling dream, without any regrets.

This special emotional value is hard to replace; an exceptionally high-quality idol can indeed transform some people.

It's just that there aren't many truly high-quality ones in the Chinese Entertainment Industry.

Xu Ling took a deep breath. She decided to edit individual promotional videos focusing on the growth of Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi respectively.

Chu Yuanqing's video is easy to make. It's simply a matter of contrasting his naivety during his first stage appearance and practice room training with his maturity on the Second Evaluation stage and the Public Performance stage, creating a stark contrast. Then, edit in some footage of his initial stage performance, the multimedia classroom, and even his interview remarks, and you'll have a very well-made video.

Kiriwake Yayoi's journey was truly epic. From arriving in Tokyo at the age of ten, she stumbled and struggled her way up to a cramped and dimly lit underground stage with few fans, then was forced to graduate, repeatedly rejected, participated in Flashdance, and finally stepped onto a real stage.

The story here is intricate and complex. Organizing it all in one video, weaving it into various stage scenes to form a tiered timeline, and ultimately culminating in an emotional outburst, is a truly challenging task.

But...

It doesn't matter, she'll take care of it!

Xu Ling confidently ignored the dark circles under her eyes and excitedly said: