Who Could Outdo You at Snatching Someone Away?

When Fu Zhenzhen suddenly clutched her leg and collapsed onto the floor, the already silent audience fell even quieter.

"Seriously, officer? You're copying this too?"

"Tong Chuhe just did that, and now Fu Zhenzhen's doing it again? Is this some secret move we don't know about?"

Everyone whispered among themselves, seemingly mocking Fu Zhenzhen's clumsy imitation.

It was bad enough that she couldn't dance as well as Tong Chuhe, but even her imitation was painfully inept.

Fu Zhenzhen's face twisted in pain. She clutched her leg and wailed for quite a while, but nobody around her reacted much, assuming it was part of the performance.

Only when Fu Zhenzhen couldn't take it anymore and yanked off her shoe, revealing her blood-covered foot, did everyone realize what had happened.

"Holy shit, she's actually hurt? I thought she was acting!"

"Wasn't she dancing just fine a second ago? Why is she suddenly bleeding so much?"

The crowd erupted, and the host and judges hurried forward to check on Fu Zhenzhen.

"Are you all right?"

Fu Zhenzhen looked aggrieved. "Someone put glass shards in my shoe!"

The teacher serving as a judge grew solemn. If this was true, it was a serious case of deliberate assault.

"Let me see."

The teacher examined Fu Zhenzhen's shoe but found no trace of glass.

"Huh? There's nothing here."

He checked for ages without finding the alleged glass shards, then inspected Fu Zhenzhen's foot, but found no sharp objects there either.

After a moment of silence, he asked Fu Zhenzhen, "Are you sure glass cut you? I don't see anything that could have caused this."

When nothing turned up, Fu Zhenzhen began to panic a little.

She had clearly been cut by glass just now. How could it have disappeared?

Had something gone wrong when she used the exchange on Tong Chuhe? Had the system reclaimed the glass shards?

Seeing the teacher's suspicious gaze, she forced a smile. "Maybe I was mistaken. I must have accidentally scraped my foot against something."

The judge reluctantly accepted her explanation. "Either way, you'd better go to the infirmary first. That's a pretty nasty injury."

With that, he assigned several students to take Fu Zhenzhen to the infirmary.

Fu Zhenzhen looked at the audience filling the venue and nodded reluctantly.

She had been so close, but now she couldn't keep dancing.

As others helped Fu Zhenzhen off the stage, she spotted Jiang Nian and Tong Chuhe standing nearby. She turned her head away bitterly, unwilling to look at either of them.

Jiang Nian, meanwhile, watched Fu Zhenzhen's defeated retreat with satisfaction.

[Nicely done, 88.]

88 remained unruffled by the praise.

[You flatter me.]

After watching Fu Zhenzhen's performance, Tong Chuhe lowered her head in disappointment.

That was it?

She would have lost to a dance like that?

Tong Chuhe couldn't understand it, but she was utterly stunned.

Was she really that out of touch with current trends?

Tong Chuhe frowned in confusion, the shock in her heart far outweighing the pain in her foot.

Only after watching Fu Zhenzhen leave did Jiang Nian turn to the contemplative Tong Chuhe and say helplessly, "You've seen her dance now. Satisfied? Can we go to the infirmary?"

Tong Chuhe nodded, and Jiang Nian helped her backstage to collect her bag.

As soon as they entered, they saw Tan Zhuishi sitting in a chair, holding a first-aid kit.

Seeing that the person he'd been waiting so long for had finally arrived, Tan Zhuishi sprang to his feet.

He hurried over to Tong Chuhe, seemingly wanting to support her, only to timidly withdraw his hand and mumble:

"How's your foot?"

Jiang Nian stared speechlessly at the timid Tan Zhuishi and grumbled inwardly.

[Coward. If you're a man, step up! It's because you're so hesitant that Tong Chuhe won't find out how you feel until after you're dead.]

[Every last one of you acts like you don't have a mouth. You're driving me crazy. If my character didn't forbid it, I'd have shoved Tong Chuhe into your arms already.]

Tan Zhuishi stiffened, the tips of his ears flushing. After hesitating for ages, he finally spoke.

"Chu He, can I take a look at your foot? Or should I take you straight to the infirmary?"

Tong Chuhe glanced at his hopeful eyes and said slowly, "Sir, my foot isn't seriously hurt."

The light faded from Tan Zhuishi's eyes, and he said dejectedly, "Is that so..."

"But could I trouble you to take me to the infirmary? Jiang Nian's competing soon, and I'm afraid she won't have enough time."

Tan Zhuishi visibly brightened again. "Yes, of course!"

The moment he finished speaking, he shoved Jiang Nian aside and claimed her spot as though it were his by right.

Completely ignoring Jiang Nian's bewildered expression, Tan Zhuishi supported Tong Chuhe and prepared to take her to the infirmary.

Jiang Nian stared speechlessly at Tan Zhuishi, who had pushed her out of the way, finding the smile on his face positively blinding.

[Go ahead and snatch her away. Who could possibly outdo you?]

[Look at that hopeless grin. Anyone who didn't know better would think she'd accepted your confession.]

Tan Zhuishi turned around and gave Jiang Nian a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Jiang Nian, do you have any objections?"

You're the hopeless one.

Your whole family's hopeless.

He wouldn't stoop to arguing with someone who had never been in love.

Jiang Nian: ^_^

Serves you right that you can't win your future wife over.

Tong Chuhe watched their silent battle with a numb expression, then raised a hand to interrupt it.

"Nian Nian, he can take me to the infirmary. Your turn's coming up, so focus on getting ready. I'll try to come back early to watch you compete."

Jiang Nian pursed her lips. "You don't have to come back to watch me. Your foot's still hurt, so don't keep running back and forth. I'll tell you my results afterward. Just go."

Tong Chuhe nodded without saying whether she would return, then left the backstage preparation room with Tan Zhuishi supporting her.

Jiang Nian sat quietly in her seat to rest, going over the details of her performance.

After hesitating for a while, 88 finally asked her:

[Do you want to use the buff auras we stripped from Fu Zhenzhen just now?]

Startled by 88's sudden voice, Jiang Nian froze for a moment, then answered casually after hearing the question:

[No.]

She had confidence in herself.

Even without those buff auras, she could make the cut.

With a hint of amusement, 88 said slowly:

[Then shall we keep them?]

Jiang Nian nodded.

[Let's save them for when we need them.]

Though she doubted that time would ever come.

By the time Jiang Nian's turn arrived, more than an hour had passed.

The host was still diligently announcing the performances:

"Next, please welcome contestant number twenty, Jiang Nian, to the stage. She'll be performing to-Fallin' Out."

In the audience, Tong Chuhe patted her chest, relieved that she'd made it in time for Jiang Nian's performance.

Under everyone's gaze, Jiang Nian slowly walked to the center of the stage.

She had chosen a laid-back, melancholy slow jam, so her outfit had a relaxed, gentle feel as well.

She wore a white halter camisole beneath a loose cropped T-shirt, revealing her slender waist, paired with dusty pink cargo pants. The hair on one side was half tied into a fishtail braid, bringing out her gentle charm.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Tan Xuguang and the others stared excitedly at Jiang Nian, who seemed to glow with pure white light onstage, waiting for her performance.

Beautiful music began to play. With the soft, unhurried intro, she swept her arms out freely, swayed her supple waist, and flashed a radiant smile, gradually drawing the atmosphere into a dreamy haze.

"Been sitting thinking about you and I am"

"As I sit quietly, I can't help thinking of you."

"Wondering why we're not getting along"

"Wondering why we can't get along anymore."

Nothing about her was affected; every movement was natural and fluid.

With every smile and subtle change of expression, the silver bangles on her wrists trembled too, dancing beneath the soft lights, lively and graceful.

"You gotta show me that you want me to stay"

"You have to let me know you want me to stay."

"Don't turn and walk away"

"Don't turn around and leave."

She raised both hands, rose onto her toes, and spun as though pleading for someone to stay.

She was like a swan wheeling through the air, or a peacock dancing gracefully across the ground, blending perfectly with the music and conveying sorrow beyond words.

"I'm tired of giving my all"

"I tried to give you everything I had."

"How did we end up here this way"

"Why did things end this way for us?"