Page 33

Of course, Su Minghe had not come away empty-handed either. As a classical dancer, Su Minghe had drawn street dance for this round, with Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia as his partners. Whether to repay Su Minghe for his guidance or to help his good friends advance smoothly, Tang Shi had also helped design the choreography for their group.

The extra decade-plus of memories in Tang Shi's mind gave him an unusually forward-thinking and keen instinct for choreography. Some of the street dance moves he created, which were not yet popular or had not even appeared yet, also benefited Lin Zhaoran and the others immensely.

All in all, everyone exchanged what they had and gained something in return.

After a week of intense rehearsals, Dance Miracle's national top thirty to top twenty competition finally aired on schedule on the third Saturday night of August.

After the host rattled off a long list of title sponsors and sponsors without seeming to take a breath, the powerful lights at the center of the stage suddenly went dark. Then, specks of light flickered like stars. Several beams of white light descended from above, accompanied by a graceful guzheng melody. A crescent moon slowly rose on the huge screen behind the stage. A woman in a pink palace gown stood upon the crescent platform, her long hair hanging loose, her slender waist and delicate arms framed by flowing water sleeves. Her movements were enchanting, and her dance was light and graceful.

The woman had initially faced away from the audience. When the side lights struck her, they not only outlined her lovely figure but also enhanced the cold, ethereal atmosphere of the Moon Palace. She slowly turned around, and the water sleeves concealing her face gradually moved aside, revealing a charmingly beautiful face. It was Qiao Lin, one of the three judges.

That single entrance was stunning enough to draw immediate applause from the audience. Qiao Lin's fans screamed wildly as well.

As the crescent platform slowly descended, eight contestants suspended by wires dropped from above. They danced elegantly in the air to the music, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. The eight contestants spun and soared clockwise through the air, eventually forming a circle around the crescent platform where Qiao Lin stood. It not only symbolized everyone gathering around one, but also created the visual effect of celestial music drifting through the air and immortals dancing gracefully.

At the same time, four decorated platforms at the center of the stage slowly moved into place. Sixteen contestants stood upon them, dancing gently to the music. Some performed street dance, some classical dance, and some modern dance. Though their styles varied, they all portrayed ordinary people looking up from high places and gazing at the bright moon. The five dancers on the ground moved along with them, creating a perfect spatial effect with the platforms at varying heights, the contestants hanging in the air, and Qiao Lin atop the crescent moon.

It perfectly conveyed the scene of a moon newly lifted into the sky, with countless households below raising their heads to admire it.

Though it was not yet the Mid-Autumn Festival, the audience in the venue and in front of their televisions unexpectedly felt as if they were enjoying the moon on that very holiday. The perfect, elegant atmosphere once again drew applause from the crowd.

In the end, the contestants on wires and those on the platforms all descended to the ground. The music abruptly shifted, becoming fiery and intense, while the stage lights brightened. Surrounded by all the contestants, the three judges walked to the center of the stage and led everyone in a group dance. By then, the accompaniment had changed into a highly rhythmic street dance track. Everyone danced freely at center stage, their faces bright with joy and their movements crisp and sharp. It felt as though they had suddenly returned to the dance battle at the Southern Division's top ten competition. That sense of resonance made the audience applaud even more fiercely.

The entire opening dance ended happily along with the music. The contestants filed off the stage and returned backstage. The three judges walked hand in hand to the judges' table, while the host returned to the stage, smiling as he said a few linking remarks before announcing the official start of the competition.

Lu Xiaoke was a second-year student at a high school in Apple City. Since she would be entering her final year after summer vacation, her usual coursework was very demanding. Even during summer break, her parents had enrolled her in several tutoring classes, filling every day from eight in the morning until six in the evening. After getting home, she still had to do her summer homework. It practically felt more stressful than attending school during term time. Normally, watching television or going online was simply impossible.

But ever since Lu Xiaoke had accidentally watched an episode of Dance Miracle, she had been deeply drawn in by the show. More than a decade ago, when television entertainment programs were not yet very developed, Dance Miracle felt fresh to everyone. Its slogan, "choosing idols from ordinary people," also made viewers feel especially close to it and able to immerse themselves in it.

Among all the contestants, the ones Lu Xiaoke remembered most clearly and liked best were Sugar Juice Duo. Aside from being the most handsome contestants in the competition, the two of them were only sixteen this year, two years younger than her, yet they had participated in such a professional program and achieved excellent rankings. Their ability thrilled Lu Xiaoke. Watching Sugar Juice Duo advance step by step felt like watching her own friends move forward step by step. It was incredibly satisfying and immersive.

Today was the first match of Dance Miracle's national competition, and Lu Xiaoke swore that no matter what, she had to watch the live broadcast. So, after pestering her parents for several days and signing countless unequal treaties, she finally won control of the remote.

After watching the opening dance, she screamed excitedly. She had clearly seen Sugar Juice Duo's style in the performance. Lu Xiaoke's parents beside her also glanced at the television. The two of them were usually busy with work and had no time to watch TV. They had occasionally heard people at work mention the competition and thought it was something for young people, nothing they would care about. But now that they had time to watch the live broadcast, they suddenly found it rather interesting.

Lu Xiaoke eagerly introduced everything to her parents, constantly promoting her idols and cheering them on.

Unable to deal with Lu Xiaoke's fussing anymore, Lu Xiaoke's mother simply went to the kitchen to wash some fruit and bring out sunflower seeds, then returned to watch and eat at the same time.

After all that, it was soon time for Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group to take the stage. Following a slow, gentle Peking Opera clapper rhythm, Lu Hengzhi sang with deep feeling, "Tell Zhang Sheng to hide beneath the chessboard, and with every step I take, he must crawl a step..."

Onstage, Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group walked out in long robes with wide sleeves, swaying every three steps. Full of classical charm, they began a classical dance—

After several graceful, expansive poses, the music suddenly became lively. Flute notes mixed with electronic music filled the stage. As Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group's movements grew increasingly practiced and fluid, the accompaniment sang briskly, "The Matchmaker, last night beneath the moon, I drank upon the roof and watched Chang'e dance her rainbow robes in the moonlight. The ground was white as frost. Whose years had forgotten West Chamber? Oh~ Whose young lady was tender beneath the bridal curtains? Yeah~ The books say the top scholar loved a beauty beside him, he and the young lady were a match made in heaven~ You wished to make a match, guiding people toward the flowers, worrying for the young lady~ Yeah~ Yeah~~~"

The two boys of Sugar Juice Duo were dressed as scholars, while the three girls were dressed as maids and a young lady. They were not only youthful, handsome, lively, and pretty, but every gesture carried a rare sense of charm. The five teenagers danced and interacted onstage, their overflowing youthful energy making everyone scream again and again. Even some older viewers in front of their televisions could not help recalling their memories of listening to and watching opera in their younger days. Without realizing it, they smiled knowingly. Their gazes at the television grew increasingly absorbed, and some even felt the urge to listen to the song again.

It had to be said that Sugar Juice Duo's plan had succeeded once more. This time, the accompaniment had indeed stolen the spotlight from the dance. But Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group did not mind. As long as they could advance smoothly, that was enough.

Of course, some contestants were jealous of Sugar Juice Duo, feeling that they were simply too lucky.

After the opening section of the ancient-style song blended with pop elements, the song reached its first small climax—

"Tell Zhang Sheng to hide beneath the chessboard, and with every step I take, he must crawl a step. Be bold, swallow your anger, and do not be afraid. This matter leaves my heart in utter turmoil. It can be counted as a romantic tale. Follow the command, and do not alarm her, do not alarm her—"

Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group followed the music with synchronized movements, performing an excerpt from the Peking Opera The Matchmaker. The classical dance blended with Peking Opera gestures, creating visual impact while enriching the completeness of the story. Combined with this unprecedented musical form of expression, it immediately made everyone's eyes light up, and applause rang out without end.

At the judges' table, all three judges wore looks of surprise and delight. Qiao Lin in particular could not help praising them after hearing the first section of The Matchmaker. "The melody is beautiful, and the lyrics are gorgeous. This song has the potential to become a classic."

After saying that, she looked at Sugar Juice Duo onstage with shining eyes, her expression both amazed and regretful. She was amazed by Sugar Juice Duo's creative talent in songwriting, yet regretful that she had no way to bring such an excellent song under her own label. She knew Sugar Juice Duo would eventually debut, and barring any surprises, they would definitely join Emperor Entertainment. With a major company like Emperor backing them, how could Sugar Juice Duo possibly sell such a superb song to her?

Elsewhere, Mo Zi and Zhang Chujie watched the emotional Qiao Lin and could not help smiling as they shook their heads. Yet their opinion of Sugar Juice Duo rose again and again. They both felt that Sugar Juice Duo had simply been born for this line of work. They were natural idols, destined to be watched by countless people.

While the judges and audience were still surprised and delighted, Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group's dance had already reached its second section.

"...The Matchmaker, do you know that love must be slowly guessed? Do you understand how feelings should end? When in love, rumors spread far and wide. I do not know how to pretend. Yeah, will the ending truly be as I imagine? Oh~ The books say a beautiful young lady loves a dashing scholar, she and the gentleman are a match made in heaven~ I do not know whether reality is the same. The Matchmaker, tell me~"

The accompaniment was lively, with a deeply ancient flavor while also incorporating obvious pop elements. There was even a rap section later on, making it truly eye-catching and ear-catching. Under Su Minghe and Teacher Mo Zi's careful guidance, Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group's dancing was still not as technically polished as that of professional contestants. However, it carried both grace and spirit, full of classical elegance.

Especially during the sections where they danced with fans, Sugar Juice Duo's crisp, handsome movements drew scream after scream from the audience. Paired with the audiovisual enjoyment of the lyrics, it truly took an unconventional path and stood apart from the ordinary.

The short three-minute dance soon ended. As expected, Sugar Juice Duo and Three Girls Group's performance received thunderous applause from the audience and unanimous praise from the judges. Teacher Qiao Lin's comments, overflowing with praise and envy, excited all the viewers even more.

After receiving the good news that they had advanced, the host smiled and asked Sugar Juice Duo to share their thoughts. Everyone assumed they would give some clichéd speech thanking this person and that person, but to their surprise, after Tang Shi took the microphone, the first thing he said was, "Hello, everyone. I'm Tang Shi. Just now, Teacher Qiao Lin gave our new song very high praise and said she liked it very much. As Teacher Qiao Lin's devoted fan, I want to give this song to Teacher Qiao Lin. I hope she will like it."

Before he had even finished speaking, everyone present froze. Then an uproar broke out, while Qiao Lin at the judges' table screamed excitedly and repeatedly asked, "Really? Really? You really want to give this song to me?"

Chapter 34

Seeing how exceptionally excited Qiao Lin was, Tang Shi felt a strong sense of pride that the fruit of his hard work had been recognized by someone else. His impression of Qiao Lin also improved further. He immediately nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I hope Teacher Qiao Lin will like this song."

"Of course I like it!" Qiao Lin's voice was so excited that it even carried a faintly shrill crack. Still, she confirmed with Sugar Juice Duo, "Tang Shi, do you understand? This song of yours is exceptionally well-written. I don't just mean the song's quality itself. What I mean is that before this song, there had been no song of this style in the country. In other words, if this song can truly be released, then with even a little promotion, its influence will be enormous. It would not be an exaggeration to say that you could create an entire genre with this song... You have already got one foot in the entertainment industry. I believe that with your talent, after the competition ends, signing with an agency and debuting will be absolutely no problem. So, do you really not intend to keep this song and sing it yourselves after you debut? I believe that with this song alone, you would have absolutely no problem establishing yourselves in the industry after debuting."