NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18 - Openly kiss
Jiang Zi slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.
Tang Yuan precisely grabbed her left hand, tossed aside the tissue Jiang Zi had been clutching, and used tweezers to apply medicine to her wound with a cotton ball, not asking a single word.
Jiang Zi watched her quietly, the pain in her palm turning to only itching under Tang Yuan’s gentle touch.
Tang Yuan sterilized, applied the medicine, and finally wrapped it with a bandage.
“No touching water. Now lie down and sleep.”
Tang Yuan tidied up the first aid kit, placed it on the table in the room, and returned to the bedside, turning off the light as she lay down.
[How could she be so uncaring? I’ll not talk to her as punishment!]
[Her tool must still be in the bathroom. I’ll quietly get rid of it once she’s asleep.]
Jiang Zi lay on her side, unable to fall asleep. About half an hour later, she noticed the person beside her getting up from the bed, tiptoeing to the bathroom without turning on the lights. A few minutes later, she returned and lay back down.
[So it was that little knife with the lotus pattern! If I had known, I would have taken it away earlier.]
[I have thrown it away. Will sister be upset?]
Before long, the murmured thoughts beside her became inaudible as the person fell asleep.
Jiang Zi lay on her side, with Tang Yuan facing her, only her face’s outline visible in the dimly lit space.
She quietly lifted her hand, approaching Tang Yuan’s cheek, wanting to touch but not daring to do so.
“I won’t be angry. Thank you, Little Tang Yuan.”
It was a night without dreams.
At eight o’clock, the program’s loudspeaker rang on time, serving as everyone’s wake-up call.
Half an hour later, everyone gathered on the outdoor grass.
Jiang Zi and Tang Yuan only woke up when the program’s loudspeaker sounded, so they rushed over after a quick wash.
Zhou LanLan pulled her teammate over to stand next to Tang Yuan. “Tang Xiao Yuan, your skin is so good, you dare to come here without makeup.”
Tang Yuan smiled politely. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to put on makeup; she simply hadn’t had the time. With the commotion last night, she hadn’t slept well.
Not only was she struggling to get out of bed, but Jiang Zi as well. They both showed up barefaced.
Oh, Jiang Zi had worn a mask and a baseball cap.
Tang Yuan cupped her face and sighed.
“Good morning, everyone. Today’s schedule involves selecting mentors first, after which training can begin.”
“First, let’s welcome our mentor, Mr. Hou Yuan Zhan. Mr. Hou is a five-time winner of the Peach Blossom Award and a pioneer and artist of modern dance.”
[Wow, the program team must be really rich to have invited him!]
[Ahhhhh, Mr. Hou! My husband!]
[Can I really watch Mr. Hou dance without paying?]
A man, about 1.8 meters tall, entered the frame, becoming the center of attention.
He was wearing a beige, minimalist, new Chinese-style t-shirt with a green bamboo branch extending from his shoulder to his chest, adding a subtle decoration. He paired it with black, draped, straight-leg casual pants and black sneakers. His posture was like a bamboo, exuding an innate elegance amidst a relaxed and casual demeanor.
He looked at the crowd and smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth. “Hello everyone, I’m Hou Yuan Zhan.”
“Our other dance mentor is Ms. Yun You. Ms. Yun is a veteran artist of traditional Chinese dance. It’s no exaggeration to say that half of the Peach Blossom Award winners are her students.”
Yun You, a middle-aged woman, showed that time does not diminish beauty. She wore an elegant dark green qipao, her figure graceful and standing tall. The exquisite knotted buttons at the collar, like pearls, added a touch of vintage charm. A gentle smile adorned her face as she greeted everyone graciously.
“I didn’t expect to return to the stage with a group of young students. I’m very pleased to meet you all.”
[Ms. Yun hasn’t performed in a long time.]
[Her expertise in ethnic dance is profound. It’s no exaggeration to say that without her, traditional dance in our country would have regressed by twenty years.]
[So lucky, you girls, this is Ms. Yun!]
“Next, let’s welcome our mentor, Qiu Honglin, who has won the Most Popular Male Singer award for three consecutive years. He is a pop music male singer, deservedly the king of love songs.”
“Then we have mentor Fu Bai, the Best Songwriter. His music is popular all over the streets and alleys, with online streaming numbers far surpassing others.”
[Huh? Huh? Huh??]
[They’ve invited all these people? President Chu is amazing. So rich.]
“The four mentors are now present. Each mentor can take on four groups of students, but one mentor will only take three groups. Next, the students will choose their preferred mentors, but the mentors have the right to refuse. Groups that are rejected will need to wait until the end for their allocation.”
This meant that if a group was rejected, they might even end up with a mentor in a different specialty. For example, students who chose the dance track might be assigned to a mentor who teaches music.
“Please take this seriously and express yourselves. Fight for what you want.”
“Alright, everyone, we will have breakfast first. Come back in half an hour.”
Tang Yuan and Jiang Zi carried their breakfasts and found a spot to sit.
Tang Yuan sipped her soy milk and asked, “Sister, who do you have in mind?”
“I’ll listen to you.”
“Listen to me, pick me.”
A male voice rang out, and a tray was placed next to Tang Yuan, with the person naturally taking a seat.
Tang Yuan frowned slightly and shifted over, glancing at Hou Yuan Zhan.
Hou Yuan Zhan was the second male lead in the story who loved but was not accepted by the heroine. In the original plot, he became Jiang Zi’s mentor on the show and secretly fell for her. Each time he tried to get closer to Jiang Zi, he was seen by Chu Yu, who became intensely jealous and made Jiang Zi’s life miserable.
A very dog-shit plot.
Hou Yuan Zhan noticed the disdain in Tang Yuan’s eyes and immediately became unhappy.
“Little Yuan, what kind of look is that? I’ve been your teacher for three years at least.”
Tang Yuan lowered her head and took another sip of her soy milk.
Oh, right, the original Tang Yuan had enrolled in the dance class for three years in high school with this teacher.
[Wait, if so, isn’t Hou Yuan Zhan also my rival?!]
Jiang Zi furrowed her brow upon hearing Tang Yuan’s inner thoughts. Rival?
“You’re my prized student. With such an excellent teacher as me, how could you not choose…”
Tang Yuan put down her soy milk cup and interrupted him, “Are you implying that Ms. Yun You is not excellent?”
Hou Yuan Zhan widened his eyes, looking aggrieved. “When did I say that?!”
[Pass it on; Mr. Hou’s request for a student was rejected.]
[Does no one hear? Mr. Hou said Tang Yuan was his student for three years.]
[Who is this Tang Yuan? How did she get Hou Yuan Zhan to be her teacher?]
[How can people still not know Tang Yuan’s background? She’s an arrogant girl who has bullied others on the set; her reputation is ruined for life.]
[This I know. Tang Yuan is the one who, relying on her family’s wealth, always steals others’ resources, and not only that, but she also hits or scolds her co-stars during filming. Everyone in the industry knows about it. Now she’s joining a girl group? I’m puking.]
[I’m Tang Yuan’s classmate, and what the previous commenter said is true. Tang Yuan is also famous for being Chu Yu’s notorious simp.]
Various rumors and scandals quickly appeared on the bullet screen. Normally, Tang Yuan’s reputation would not have been enough to make headlines, but when paired with Hou Yuan Zhan’s name, it easily trended, and suddenly, a flood of negative information emerged.
However, Tang Yuan, who was recording the show, was completely unaware of this.
After returning to the assembly, she considered and chose Hou Yuan Zhan as her teacher.
One reason was to openly kiss Jiang Zi in front of him, thus dispelling any thoughts he might have.
Ms. Yun You’s specialty was traditional dance, but their choice this time was modern dance, which matched Hou Yuan Zhan’s expertise perfectly.