Chapter 28

Zhu Jianxin shook his head with a sigh, stepped forward, and clapped his hands to smooth things over. "All right, all right! That's enough for today. Hurry back now—practice if you need to practice, rest if you need to rest, and prepare yourselves properly for the upcoming show. Believe in yourselves. As long as you have the ability, the company will see it."

Since one of the company's old guard had spoken, there was nothing they could do no matter how unconvinced they were. Besides, after witnessing Cheng Yu's imposing presence just now, this group of boys with an average age under twenty did not really dare to confront him head-on. They could only leave one by one, taking Zhu Jianxin's words as an excuse. Of course, whether they were holding their breath and intending to prove themselves was another matter.

Once all the trainees had left the practice room, Cheng Yu gestured to Ling Yi. "Put on some music. Let's get in sync."

Ling Yi nodded and turned on the music he had been using for dance practice. Looking at Cheng Yu, he explained, "I dance hip-hop."

Cheng Yu smiled and extended a hand in invitation.

Ling Yi was especially nervous when facing people. But once the music started and he found the beat, he seemed to transform completely, bursting forth with an overwhelming presence. Cheng Yu watched appreciatively as Ling Yi delivered a smooth, perfectly on-beat freestyle from start to finish. When Ling Yi finished, Cheng Yu pointed at Qing Chen.

Qing Chen stepped forward to the beat, performing a hip-hop freestyle as well. However, he added plenty of popping and breaking elements afterward, clearly wanting to show off his skills in front of Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. He had not expected Qing Chen, who looked so mild and unhurried, to explode with such intensity once he started dancing. Though he was not as good as Ling Yi overall, he was still at a professional level.

After the two had finished, Zhu Jianxin had intended to turn off the music and say a few polite words. But just as he moved, Cheng Yu slipped off his backpack and tossed it onto the floor. After loosening his shoulders, limbs, and ankles, he stepped into the electronic beat and launched himself into the air in a bizarre posture that seemed almost impossible for a human being. He remained suspended for at least three seconds before landing on one foot and arching his entire body dramatically backward, as though he were floating in weightless outer space.

Cheng Yu was dancing popping as well. But unlike Qing Chen, Cheng Yu's popping incorporated more popular elements from the past decade. As the rapid contractions and extensions of his muscles created intensely powerful vibrations, he added more waving and swag, making the dance smoother while still satisfying the mechanical precision of the beat. Movement and stillness, tension and release—it was as if Earth had lost its gravity. Every shift between motion and stillness struck the viewers with even greater sensory stimulation and visual impact.

Everyone present, including Cheng Tianguang and Zhu Jianxin, who had signed Cheng Yu, had no idea that Cheng Yu could dance, much less dance this well. They were all stunned, staring blankly at him, unable to look away.

Chapter 28

When the song ended, Cheng Yu could not even be bothered to strike a pose. He simply switched straight back into power-saving mode.

Yet the others were still immersed in the lingering aftermath of Cheng Yu's fully unleashed aura, conquered by the visual shock and absolute dominance he had displayed while dancing.

Ling Yi stared at Cheng Yu with sparkling eyes, so excited that he could barely speak properly. "Y-you're incredible. You're world-class."

Cheng Yu nodded as though it were only natural.

Ling Yi was already practically wagging his tail as he stuck close to him, looking up at Cheng Yu eagerly. "How did you do that move just now? The one where you stayed in the air, then leaned back while supporting yourself on one foot. It was amazing. Can you teach me?"

Cheng Yu glanced at Ling Yi's slender ankles and said seriously, "Then you need to practice Tai Chi first."

Ling Yi: "?"

Rarely patient, Cheng Yu explained, "That move is too fragile. You need to develop Tai Chi techniques first—learn to switch instantly between hardness and softness, let your force move lightly and nimbly, coordinate your balance around your waist as the axis, and use the subtle strength of spiraling silk-reeling force before you can pull it off. Otherwise, it's easy to get hurt."

Leaving everything else aside, just that one move of hanging in the air, landing, and leaning backward could grind your ankle into a comminuted fracture if you did it wrong.

Ling Yi stared at Cheng Yu with a bewildered expression. Even with his wild imagination, it was hard for him to connect popping moves with Tai Chi. As for terms like "instant shifts between hardness and softness," "light and nimble force," and "spiraling silk-reeling force," Ling Yi, who could barely speak Mandarin fluently, felt as though he were listening to a completely different foreign language.

Then again, if Cheng Yu had not looked so deadly serious, Ling Yi would have suspected that he was messing with him.

The other four did not understand much either. But that was not the point. Zhu Jianxin looked at Cheng Yu with delighted surprise. "You can dance too? Why didn't you say so before?"

Cheng Yu looked utterly uninterested. "You didn't ask."

He looked at Ling Yi and Qing Chen's garish hairstyles, then changed the subject. "Does the company have an established styling team?"

Cheng Yu switched topics so quickly that Zhu Jianxin failed to react. "Huh?"

"I want to change their styling." Cheng Yu pointed at Ling Yi and Qing Chen with a look of utter disgust. As the leader of an international luxury brand who had always stood at the forefront of fashion and believed his aesthetic standards surpassed those of most people on Earth, Cheng Yu simply could not tolerate his teammates' tacky, emo-inspired looks. His eyes were practically going blind.

Zhu Jianxin and the two President Chengs looked at one another. Ten minutes later, Zhu Jianxin led Cheng Yu and the others to the makeup room.

Several members of Tianguang Entertainment's chief styling team had gathered in the makeup room, awaiting Cheng Yu's instructions.

"...Cut the bangs shorter. Don't let them cover his eyes... Make the styling fresher... Give him wet hair. Do you know what wet hair is... I didn't tell you to pour water over his head..."

Cheng Yu took a deep breath. Looking at the helpless stylist he had reduced to a flustered mess, he finally lost patience and waved a hand. "My mistake. I'll draw you a concept sketch first."

As he spoke, Cheng Yu asked Zhu Jianxin for a sketchbook and pencil, then rapidly drew a full page of styling designs—the same look Ling Yi would later wear for his first commercial shoot after becoming the spokesperson for C&C Jewelry.

Cheng Yu could not be bothered to spend too much thought on it, so he copied it directly.

Cheng Yu had studied meticulous brush painting with his grandfather since childhood. While studying in France, he had also learned visual communication design and jewelry design. His hand-drawn jewelry designs were considered world-class, so using those skills to draw character styling concepts was simply overkill.