CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 166: PAINFUL STRUGGLE

"Mentors from both teams, please proceed with selecting members," said Long Zitao.

At this point, there were only two groups left to choose from. Luo Junxiang decisively chose Lu Bingbing’s group.

Tian Jiaxuan, on the other hand, directly selected Jiang Xijie’s group.

In the waiting room, Lu Bingbing trembled uncontrollably upon hearing her name.

Despite her experience in hundreds of performances, she felt nervous at this moment. Her first thought was, can I win this round? How will I compare to Yuwei?

"Bingbing, let’s go. We need to head to the stage quickly," said Wang Qingyu, gently pulling her arm.

"Got it!" Lu Bingbing snapped out of her daze and hurriedly followed her team out.

"Fangxin, you’ve got this," Chen Yinghan encouraged her friend, holding her hand tightly.

"Fangxin, don’t be afraid; it’s nothing to worry about," Yang Han added, cheering for her roommate.

"Just focus on singing and dancing. Don’t overthink," Chen Yuyan also encouraged her.

Ye Yuwei took in all the kind looks and encouraging words from the others.

She was grateful for the help of these people. When her eyes met Ye Yuwei’s, the latter smiled softly and nodded in acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, Meng Meixuan noticed the interaction and felt something unusual. Her sixth sense told her that something was going on between these two.

It wasn’t just her; Wu Zixuan and Lai Ruoxuan also seemed to pick up on something.

In the passage to the stage, Jiang Xijie was brimming with confidence. She believed her group could win this.

Although the girls in her group were all from D and F classes, she didn’t let that discourage her.

As a leader, she believed growing through adversity was not just about herself but also about uniting her team into a true collective.

Following behind Jiang Xijie, Lv Fangxin felt her emotions surge.

She had never performed in front of any audience before, and this was her first time—on such a grand stage.

As a joke, she thought to herself, this is quite the high starting point for her life.

Her eyes brimmed with gratitude and admiration as she gazed at Jiang Xijie’s upright silhouette ahead.

When she feared singing poorly and dragging the team down, Jiang Xijie told her she must sing because she was part of this team.

Sitting on the practice room floor at the time, she nearly broke into tears. This leader didn’t abandon her but treated her as a true member.

It was remarkable, given that many people fought tooth and nail just to sing one extra lyric, while Jiang Xijie insisted she sing even though Fangxin had offered to give it up.

This statement continued to motivate her—with others not giving up on her, how could she not take responsibility for her own life?

"Fighting against the odds doesn’t mean I’m left out. I, Lv Fangxin, must be bold," she resolved.

Behind her, Lu Peiqin’s thoughts were highly conflicted.

As the lead vocalist of the Bright Moon Girl Group, receiving an F rating here had devastated her confidence.

She even questioned her ability to sing altogether. Her shy personality, coupled with being the quiet one in her former group, made it harder for her to share her struggles.

But Jiang Xijie was indeed a wonderful elder sister and leader who comforted her and helped her regain confidence.

Back when Bright Moon Girl Group held auditions for trainees, she had emerged among hundreds of candidates. Now, this was simply returning to where she started, so what was there to fear?

As these individuals wrestled with their feelings, they were suddenly overwhelmed by roaring cheers like heat waves and dazzling lights reminiscent of the stars.

"Village Flower! Village Flower!"

"The hope of the whole village! Ah, the hope of the whole village!"

"Lv Fangxin, I love you! Lv Fangxin, I love you!"

"Village Flower is so beautiful! Village Flower is so beautiful!"

Even Li Ke, seated in the audience, was shocked by the frenzy around him.

He initially thought fans cheering for other contestants were already quite wild, but the moment Lv Fangxin stepped on stage, the venue boiled over like a pot.

If the security guards hadn’t been holding the front row back, someone would have already rushed to the stage.

Li Ke felt like he was entering a realm he had never experienced before, as if stepping into a surreal world.

His brain was no longer under his own control as he joined in with the cries of "Village Flower," waving his fan banner frantically.

Both teams on stage were stunned by the fans’ overwhelming enthusiasm. Lv Fangxin’s popularity easily eclipsed even the top contestants from earlier rounds.

Long Zitao and the four mentors exchanged bewildered expressions, completely clueless about why Lv Fangxin was so loved.

Standing in the broadcasting room, Yang Xiaoyue nearly suspected Lv Fangxin’s company had secretly paid for fans, given that she knew Fangxin’s agency couldn’t afford to hire fans.

Back in the waiting room, Wu Zixuan and Meng Meixuan stared wide-eyed.

Was Lv Fangxin truly a "Natural Idol"? How could someone who supposedly lacked talent in both singing and dancing attract this much adoration?

Lv Fangxin herself was shocked: "No way, this isn’t real. Boss Shou must have hired fans to boost my support."

On the other side, Lu Bingbing’s expression darkened. At the venue, she could only spot a few sparse banners for her, while Lv Fangxin even had fan-made A4 paper hand banners displayed—unbelievable.

"Why? Why didn’t the River fans show up? Don’t they love me anymore?"

"No, this must be the company’s doing. They don’t want me to win this competition or debut. They just want to exploit those poor River fans and milk them further."

Furious and resentful, Lu Bingbing thought of how she had served the "River" for years, only to be further drained by them.

"No, I will no longer let them control me. I must escape this stagnant pool."

While Lu Bingbing was mired in endless thoughts, the other side began their introductions.

"Hello everyone, we’re..."

"Team One!"

As Jiang Xijie spoke, the other five girls exclaimed proudly.

"It doesn’t matter what team you belong to," Jiang Xijie continued.

"Because we are Team One," the other five chimed in boldly.

The audience erupted with thunderous applause—this camaraderie-filled moment resonated deeply with many.

Lu Bingbing’s group, however, scorned the display, thinking it was pure theatrics.

Team One? They would still end up competing ruthlessly anyway.

Lu Bingbing’s group’s opening act lacked the same charisma and even opted for the name "Cut, Wash, Blow." They seemed to be embracing mediocrity intentionally.

Their first song was "Messy Hairstyle," a famous track by one of Xiangjiang’s top-tier singers known for its difficulty, though the vocal coach had adjusted it to a lower pitch.

The song’s rhythmic elements made it a hit for both male and female idol groups to cover.

Lu Bingbing’s team started in a straight-line formation, facing backward. With powerful drum beats marking the rhythm, they performed a synchronized 180-degree leap, turning to face the audience.

Then, as the central figure, Lu Bingbing performed a half-squat body twist to the left, completing a semi-circular arc motion. The five girls behind her mirrored her movements.

Each dancer appeared slightly higher than the last, creating the effect of a fan unfolding instantaneously—visually dynamic.

Following this, they shifted formations, their bodies pulsating to the music’s rhythm, and opened with a group chant that distinguished them from other teams.

However, to the audience’s astonishment, no one could understand what they were singing.

Lu Bingbing realized the audio equipment on their side was malfunctioning—they had their mics on, but no sound came out.

Still, their voices could be recovered for post-production broadcasting.

The first two rows of the audience could barely make out that they were singing in Cantonese.

Some spectators were puzzled—had they traveled here from Xiangjiang?

In truth, none of the six girls spoke Cantonese. Lu Bingbing had tried requesting to switch to Mandarin, but the program team rejected her, insisting on preserving the song’s original flair. This had substantially increased the challenge of their practice.

Typically, recorded performances allow for a redo if there are technical issues, but the production team showed no intention of halting them.

"Could it be intentional sabotage from the show?"

Lu Bingbing felt a chill, yet she persisted in singing and dancing.

If the program team had any agenda, stopping their performance could result in accusations of unprofessionalism and immediate disqualification.

According to stage protocols, participants must continue performing unless explicitly instructed to stop—except in cases involving major stars.

Her teammates felt despair but had no choice but to follow her lead and keep performing.

The audience was now essentially watching them dance to a backing track.

"Xiaoyue, won’t you let them pause?" Sun Miao asked, puzzled.

"Which team do you want to win?" Yang Xiaoyue replied with a smile.

"Village Flower!" Sun Miao answered without hesitation.