novelraw Chapter 271 - 264: Dark Dawn
Chapter 271 - 264: Dark Dawn
The academy within the base was caught completely off guard by the sudden search.
Everyone’s phones were confiscated.
Now, they were completely cut off from the outside world.
This left them in a state of intense anxiety, as tonight was the airing of the 6th episode of the show, featuring the second concert they recorded 12 days ago.
"Forget it. The production crew will tell us the results when the time comes anyway," Meng Meixuan said, trying to comfort Lu Xiaoman.
"The show already maliciously edited me in Episode 5. Who knows how they’ll edit me this time!" Lu Xiaoman’s anger and helplessness toward the editing in Episode 5 had not faded.
"Our company will handle the PR for us," Meng Meixuan said, although deep down, she felt that Lu Xiaoman might not do well in the next ranking. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing this girl, so stealthy and graceful, almost like a "snake."
In another dormitory, Jiang Mengqi was quietly packing her belongings.
"What are you doing? The results aren’t out yet!" Luo Tiantian snatched away the items from Jiang Mengqi’s hands.
"You know what my ranking is. I’m really not going to make it this time. But I have no regrets, though—at least we created a stage I’ve always dreamed of," Jiang Mengqi said.
The sunshine-and-Rainbow-like smile that usually graced Jiang Mengqi’s face had vanished, replaced by a shadowy sorrow, as ethereal as moonlight.
Luo Tiantian’s eyes couldn’t help but grow wet as well. She pulled Jiang Mengqi into a hug, the faint sadness emanating from Mengqi’s body seeping into her own, making her shudder involuntarily.
"Rainbow... No, you won’t leave. Our performance was amazing; the audience will see that," Luo Tiantian choked out.
"We were indeed great, but what determines our fate lies outside the stage," Jiang Mengqi replied.
She knew her company, no matter how hard they worked, would ultimately only push one girl to the forefront.
The cafeteria
Gao Ziyi was chowing down on her midnight snack.
Her stomach had been in excellent condition lately; she knew she had made it big.
The internet was flooded with her reaction gifs, and everyone was praising how cute she was.
Even Yang Xiaoyue told her that she was the "lucky charm" of the show when they crossed paths.
This had completely inflated her ego. Already unable to restrain herself around food, she indulged even more recklessly.
Many of the fans praising her said they loved her chubby appearance, calling it adorable.
As for what she thought of Jiang Mengqi, Ziyi didn’t even bother to look at her anymore. In Ziyi’s eyes, Mengqi was destined to be stuck in small-time performances as a "theater slave" for the rest of her life.
After devouring an egg, Ziyi grabbed a cream-filled pastry and swallowed it in one bite, downing nearly half a bottle of soda in an instant afterward.
In the Magical Numbers girl group, Fan Lei was particularly cheerful today.
Because as she left work, a fan actually gave her a gift.
It was the first time since joining the program that a fan had noticed her.
The fan’s heartfelt words kept echoing in her mind: "Fan Lei, your heart-shaped braid is so unique! Seeing it instantly reminded us of you."
Fan Lei walked over to the mirror and stared at her little heart-shaped braid as if mesmerized.
In another dormitory, Li Shihan was huddled fearfully in the corner of her bed.
"Shihan, what’s wrong?" Wu Zixuan walked over to her.
"I’m scared! I’m so terrified!" Li Shihan cried, her tears streaming down like a broken string of pearls.
"Scared? Scared of what?" Wu Zixuan asked.
"I’m afraid those people will ridicule me, call me uncultured, say I’m ugly," Li Shihan sobbed.
"They won’t. Shihan, you did wonderfully in that performance," Wu Zixuan reassured her.
Wu Zixuan could truly understand how Shihan felt. Being subjected to such severe online bullying would undoubtedly leave wounds on anyone’s heart.
"Shihan, don’t let their words frighten you. Didn’t you say you wanted to be a brave little bean?"
Li Shihan slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting Zixuan’s encouraging eyes.
She genuinely envied Wu Zixuan’s poise and charm. Zixuan was always graceful and sweet in public, earning her the nickname "Officer Zixuan."
"Shihan, though there are many people who are unkind to you, there are plenty of people who support you too. Show them your strength and optimism—that’s what we, as idols, should embody," Wu Zixuan said, extending her hand.
Li Shihan stifled her sobs, her tear-streaked face showing the faintest hint of a smile. She extended her hand tentatively, taking Zixuan’s.
Fu Xiaoyu was still hard at work in the practice room, her sweat pouring down like rain.
She was determined to push herself so hard that she wouldn’t have time to fret over tonight’s episode.
Xiaoyu firmly believed that all she could do here was strive to be her absolute best.
Everything else was beyond her control.
Even glancing at comments—whether they were supportive or critical—would sway her mindset.
"Xiaoyu, you’re still practicing this late?"
"Yue Ting, I’m not in the mood to rest," Fu Xiaoyu replied, turning abruptly, her long hair swinging behind her.
Qiang Yueting’s face didn’t look good. The recent "airport photo" controversy had nearly broken her spirit.
"I don’t want to rest either. Only by constantly practicing can I forget my troubles," Qiang Yueting said with a forced smile, her eyes brimming with loneliness.
"Yue Ting..."
Fu Xiaoyu wanted to say something comforting, but the words stuck in her throat.
After all, the two were competitors now. Their company had already made it clear that they needed to focus solely on the competition.
Their relationship had once been very close when they were trainees at the same company, even sharing a bunk bed.
When Qiang Yueting had booked gigs, Fu Xiaoyu had even been her backup dancer.
"Xiaoyu, let’s practice together, just like we always have," Qiang Yueting suggested.
"...Alright. Let’s give it our all!"
The two exchanged smiles, and in that moment, all their turmoil seemed to vanish.
Lv Xiaoyu and Liu Feiyu were in another practice room, working tirelessly as well.
Having grown up studying acrobatics, Lv Xiaoyu deeply understood the saying: "Ten years of effort offstage for one minute on stage."
However, with her naturally off-key singing voice, mastering singing was entirely out of the question, so she focused on learning dance from Liu Feiyu.
Both were actors, so most of their conversations revolved around acting.
"Xiaoxue, when we get out of here, let’s star in a drama together," Liu Feiyu proposed.
"That’d be great! Honestly, I’ve often thought—if someone turned our story here into a show, wouldn’t that be amazing?" Lv Xiaoyu replied.
"It’d have to be a musical. Then, we could play ourselves," Liu Feiyu said, fully agreeing with Xiaoyu’s idea.
"I wonder how people in the future will view us when they watch this program," Xiaoyu mused, her eyes full of hope.
"Haha! They’ll say that, in a certain year and month, a group of dream-chasing girls ignited the blazing summer," Feiyu said proudly.
Being part of such a popular show was truly a rare opportunity.
"Feiyu, wouldn’t it be amazing if we all debuted together?"
"...Yes, it’d be wonderful. Honestly, I feel like being part of a girl group is amazing—working hard and struggling together," Liu Feiyu said.
Liu Feiyu understood Xiaoyu’s sentiment clearly. Although Xiaoyu hadn’t explicitly said it, the rumors online were that Xiaoyu’s company merely sent her here to gain exposure.
Xiaoyu was ultimately destined to pursue acting, but Feiyu, who desperately wanted to debut, had pleaded with her company multiple times, only to be told to focus on competing.
In the program, Xiaoyu presented herself as cultured, elegant, mature, and composed beyond her years—an image of serenity akin to chrysanthemums.
But deep down, she wished to transform into a blazing flame that could light up the stars.