Chapter 41

"...But today, Ming He's dance truly moved me. Through his dancing, I felt his emotions, his passion, even that carefree ease of going from 'heaviness' to 'letting go.' So regardless of today's final result, I want to tell Ming He that he has already won. Because he defeated himself. He broke through the restraints and shackles he placed upon himself, and that is the most precious thing."

Amid a wave of applause, Su Minghe bowed deeply to Mo Zi and said, "Thank you, Teacher Mo Zi, for recognizing me."

Mo Zi smiled faintly. When her gaze shifted to the Sugar Juice Duo beside him, the curve of her lips deepened unconsciously. Even her voice became somewhat brighter as she said, "As for the Sugar Juice Duo, they are contestants I have liked and admired from the very beginning. I have supported you ever since the auditions, and I feel that my decision was absolutely correct. Though your often wildly offbeat antics do make me angry sometimes, I have to say that you are the most talented dancers I have ever seen, with the strongest ability to learn."

Before Teacher Mo Zi could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the deafening screams from below the stage. She could only wait for a moment, then continue after the fans had calmed down somewhat. "Whether it is the contestants in this competition or many professional dancers at home and abroad, most people can only dance their own specialty well. They have little exposure to other dance styles, let alone the ability to integrate every style and perform them with ease. But the two of you can handle every dance style, blending them all together, breaking them apart, kneading them into something new. And when we watch it, it never feels mismatched or out of place. That alone is enough."

Teacher Mo Zi's extremely high praise brought forth another round of screams. She continued, "And you have a certain personal charm that makes everyone who sees you feel tolerant and fond toward you. Perhaps it is because of your looks and your age. After all, everyone yearns for beautiful, youthful things. But I must warn you: you cannot rely on that affection to do whatever you please. For example, that advertisement just now..."

Looking at Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi's embarrassed expressions, Mo Zi said sternly, "This is such a serious stage, such a serious occasion. Everyone has put all their focus on the competition, on dancing, yet you still had the leisure to think about advertising your family business. I do not know whether you feel secure because you believe you are guaranteed to win, but I must tell you that this is disrespectful to the entire stage. So even if your dance today was better than Su Minghe's, more stunning and more eye-catching, I will still give my vote to Su Minghe. This is encouragement for Su Minghe's respect for this stage, and also a punishment and warning for you."

As she spoke, Mo Zi decisively pressed the button in her hand, giving her 20 percent of the vote to Su Minghe. Su Minghe looked at her in surprise, then bowed to thank her.

The other judge, Qiao Lin, spoke up. "Actually, my opinion differs somewhat from Teacher Mo Zi's. I think the Sugar Juice Duo were in very good form today. Although they did use this stage to advertise their family business, we can see from their dancing that they did not disrespect this competition or this stage. On the contrary, I believe their reverence for this stage is the deepest among all the contestants."

"From the auditions until today, every dance by the Sugar Juice Duo has shown just how seriously and richly they prepared. Every dance contains their own innovations, their own ideas. Whether it is the dance music they composed and recorded themselves to match their performance, the diversity they worked hard to express by incorporating other dance styles, or even the small details of props and costumes, the Sugar Juice Duo ensure that every detail is filled with sincerity. The final work they present is always the most stunning, the most complete, even the most perfect. And all that behind-the-scenes preparation consumes the most time and effort."

"...No contestant would spend so much energy on a single dance in just over ten days. Teacher Mo Zi said that the Sugar Juice Duo have talent in dance, which is why they can master so many different styles. But what I want to say is... they are both only sixteen this year, the youngest contestants in all of Dance Miracle. And after school began in September, they still had to set aside four hours every evening to study their new coursework. Yet even in those circumstances, they still designed and completed Person in the Mirror, a dance of extremely high difficulty that was enough to amaze everyone... Their reverence and professionalism toward this stage are unmatched."

"Lastly, I want to remind everyone that the two members of the Sugar Juice Duo are only sixteen. Tang Shi also comes from a single-parent family. After his father passed away, he and his mother depended on each other for survival. And today, on this sacred stage, while all the contestants were anxiously awaiting the competition results, Tang Shi took the risk of being criticized and accused of seeking attention by advertising his mother's business... Some may think Tang Shi's actions were abrupt and inappropriate. But in my eyes, this is Tang Shi's sense of responsibility. While pursuing his own dreams, he did not forget his mother. Instead, he used his own strength to help her, to promote and advertise for her... What we should see is a child's filial devotion, not merely condemn him for acting against the purpose of this stage."

As Qiao Lin spoke, she directly pressed the button before her and gave her 20 percent of the vote to the Sugar Juice Duo.

Seeing Qiao Lin look even more excited than they were, Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi had nothing else to say. They could only bow again in thanks.

At host Xiao Hua's prompting, Tang Shi took the microphone and said, "...The reason I chose to advertise my mother's business on this stage is, first, because this is a live broadcast. The production team definitely would not cut this part out and make my effort pointless. Second, Dance Miracle is simply too popular. You know that the ratings for the previous round already exceeded ten percent, and I believe even more people will be watching this final battle. If even one percent, or one-thousandth, of those viewers chooses to support my mother's business, then my family will strike it rich."

At this point, Tang Shi suddenly changed tack. "I almost forgot to remind certain viewers watching at home: do not spot a business opportunity and try to make counterfeit Good Taste Dumplings to deceive people across the country. First of all, our dumpling recipe and even our outer packaging are patented. The packaging has anti-counterfeit markings, and every bag has a special numerical code. You can directly check our official website to find the dumplings' place of production, distributor, and final retailer. This guarantees that the dumplings you are about to eat are safe and from a clear source. And if we discover anyone impersonating the 'Good Taste' brand to deceive people across the country, we will also take legal action to protect our rights and the rights of consumers—"

"Advertising again? You've completely lost your minds!" Host Xiao Hua had no choice but to interrupt Tang Shi once more.

Tang Shi smiled sheepishly and finally said, "I have great confidence in Dance Miracle's ratings. And I feel that being fortunate enough to stand on this stage and make it to the end is like holding a huge gold brick in my arms. It would be such a waste not to do something with it. But I believe my actions today have absolutely nothing to do with my dance performance, nor do they mean that I lack reverence for this stage. Just as Teacher Qiao Lin said, all my respect for this stage and for dance lies within the dance itself, in the dance we just completed. Everything else I chose to do was simply pursuing the greatest possible benefit while preserving the integrity of our dance. After all, a stage and an opportunity like this do not come along whenever you want."

"Of course, I am also very grateful to Teacher Mo Zi for her reminder and warning. Because now that we stand on this stage, we represent more than just ourselves, so we must be careful in every word and action. And from now on, we may face more people and even bigger stages. But those people will not be as tolerant or protective of us as the teachers and staff of Dance Miracle. So we understand as well... Sometimes, being fearless and unrestrained really does come from relying on the fact that you like me, that you will tolerate me and forgive all my willfulness and little temper tantrums."

As Tang Shi spoke, he bowed deeply toward the audience. "Thank you."

After straightening, Lu Hengzhi calmly and outrageously delivered the final concluding remarks—

"So please support Good Taste Dumplings. Do not let our efforts go to waste. Thank you, everyone."

Seeing this, the final judge, Zhang Chujie, shrugged and said, "What a perfect example of being enthusiastic about admitting mistakes while resolutely refusing to change! But seriously, Teacher Mo Zi and Teacher Qiao Lin have some disagreement over the Sugar Juice Duo's advertising stunt just now. But in my view, none of that is a big deal. After all, if the Sugar Juice Duo ever went through a competition without causing some kind of trouble, I would probably find it strange."

Zhang Chujie's words once again made everyone laugh. Looking at the two groups of contestants onstage, he thought for a moment before saying, "All I can say is that both contestants' dances were extremely perfect today. Ming He finally broke free of the shackles in his heart, exceeded his usual standards, and finally danced out his own style and artistic mood. The Sugar Juice Duo, meanwhile, maintained their consistent perfection and brilliance. But in terms of difficulty, Su Minghe chose classical dance, the style he is best at, while the Sugar Juice Duo chose to incorporate many different dance styles together. And in terms of the overall completeness and artistry of the performance, the Sugar Juice Duo's Person in the Mirror was more complete and profound. Therefore, my vote goes to the Sugar Juice Duo."

The moment Zhang Chujie finished speaking, the screams below the stage nearly tore the roof off the stadium.

Host Xiao Hua said, "The results from our three judges are now in. Teacher Mo Zi gave her 20 percent of the vote to Su Minghe, while Teacher Qiao Lin and Teacher Zhang Chujie each gave their 20 percent to the Sugar Juice Duo. The current score is 20 percent for Su Minghe and 40 percent for the Sugar Juice Duo, putting the Sugar Juice Duo temporarily in the lead. Now, please ask the one hundred audience judges to press the buttons in your hands and cast your votes for the contestant you support."

After a wait that felt both long and brief, lasting ten seconds, the host turned toward the big screen and said, "All right, the results are now in. Of the one hundred audience judges, eighty voted for the Sugar Juice Duo, accounting for 32 percent of the total votes. Only twenty cast their votes for Su Minghe, accounting for 8 percent of the total."

"So the final result is that the Sugar Juice Duo lead by a wide margin with an excellent score of 72 percent, while Su Minghe received only 28 percent. The first round of the dance showdown has ended. The Sugar Juice Duo win and may remain onstage to continue their journey in the Battle of Kings. Unfortunately, contestant Su Minghe's challenge ends tonight. Contestant Su Minghe, please say goodbye to the judges and audience here."

Su Minghe stood quietly in place, looking at the brilliant lights, the dazzling stage, and the indistinct sea of people below, dotted like stars. After pondering for a long while, he said, "I am very happy to have come to this stage and met so many like-minded friends who love dancing. My journey ends completely here today. But the life I have chosen has only just begun. At the same time, I sincerely hope that although the competition has ended, our friendship will not."

As Su Minghe spoke, he suddenly turned and hugged Tang Shi beside him before anyone could react. He patted Tang Shi hard on the back and said, "We will always be friends."