Chapter 137: The Toad

Because the stage was small and quite low, Su Yuxi and Xu Qinning could see Cheng Xiaoyu, who was standing against the wall not far away. While still in the middle of her movements, Xu Qinning playfully waved at Cheng Xiaoyu and winked, completely unconcerned by the many burning gazes from the audience and the four judges below.

Cheng Xiaoyu shrank his head back, pretending that Xu Qinning wasn't looking at him. He watched the performance of Su Yuxi’s group with a serious and critical eye.

When the six girls bowed to the audience, the applause was exaggeratedly loud. Even the four judges set aside their pens, a rare gesture, to applaud the girls. Cheng Xiaoyu, however, sighed inwardly.

The judge sitting in the center paused, then spoke: "The overall coordination is good. The singing style is very popular and correct. You used many musical styles in combination, and the technique was very well-applied and stable. Judging from last month’s lyrical song performance, the emotions you girls conveyed while singing were also very spot-on. You are already proficient in combining various techniques—such as short notes, trailing notes, breathy transitions, and vibrato—all within a single phrase. Although only Xiao Xi can currently achieve such superb vocal mastery, Xiujing also performed quite well. You were able to maintain a stable tone while dancing and felt the rhythm well without losing pitch, which is not easy for a singer. I hope you all continue to work hard. You are debuting in a month, so keep it up!"

Most other trainees received feedback from at most one judge, but this time, several judges offered earnest praise. Cheng Xiaoyu didn't know how much of their heartfelt praise stemmed from the status of Su Yuxi and Xu Qinning, but from their tone, he could tell that the four judges, with their backs to him, must have been beaming at the girls.

Yet, Cheng Xiaoyu didn't think there was anything worth such high praise for a group that was at best equivalent to a South Korean girl group from the early 2000s (this counts as dating oneself). Perhaps in this era, such a performance was considered above average. In terms of expressiveness, they were indeed much stronger than the previous trainees, but wasn't that to be expected given the massive resources the company had poured into them?

Hearing the praise, the other members were quite happy, save for Su Yuxi, and they left the stage with joy on their faces.

Cheng Xiaoyu was still debating whether to go to the restroom; he was a bit afraid that Xu Qinning would attract more hostility toward him. As it turned out, he couldn't escape her torment. The moment he turned to leave, Xu Qinning grabbed him.

Having just finished singing, Xu Qinning dragged Su Yuxi along toward Cheng Xiaoyu. Wherever they passed, the crowd parted like the sea, leaving a wide trail that only slowly closed back up behind them.

Cheng Xiaoyu turned around with a bitter smile. The young man currently singing on the small theater stage had probably suffered ten thousand points of damage, as no one was watching him; everyone was looking at the little chubby guy being dragged by Xu Qinning.

When Xu Qinning extended her delicate hand to hook her arm through Cheng Xiaoyu’s and teasingly asked, "Hey, little Yu, what did you think of our performance?" the entire small theater fell into an incredibly bizarre atmosphere.

This was especially true for Cheng Xiaoyu’s fellow trainees; some began to regret if they had missed something. Luo Ping'an and Qin Senmei widened their eyes, their expressions full of unconcealed surprise, while Ma Guoli’s face was twisted in resentful jealousy.

The others were busy speculating about Cheng Xiaoyu’s background and envying it. However, they also felt that no matter how powerful his background was, it was impossible for him to become a star. The entertainment industry at this time was a world that valued looks; even the powerhouses had striking appearances. Someone with an ordinary face like the "God of Songs" Zhang Xueyu was a one-in-a-million exception.

The small theater wasn't large. Amidst the hostile gazes, Cheng Xiaoyu was led by Xu Qinning to a position very close to the stage, just a line away from the judges. Su Yuxi walked quietly by his side. She usually didn't walk side-by-side with boys, but Cheng Xiaoyu was the exception—who else but her brother?

When they reached the front, the other four girls in the group also turned to see Cheng Xiaoyu, their faces full of disbelief. Although they didn't usually hang out with Su and Xu, they knew they weren't people they could sideline or offend, and they had maintained a harmonious relationship.

But today, they were shocked that the usually aloof Miss Xu would actually be arm-in-arm with a man, and a chubby one at that! It was hard for them to accept, especially with the ice-cold Su Yuxi standing nearby, an almost imperceptible smile on her face—it made them feel as if it were the end of the world.

Having spent over a year together, they thought they understood these two girls, but this scene was truly beyond their comprehension.

Ignoring the shocked and suspicious looks from the four girls, Cheng Xiaoyu said seriously to Xu Qinning, "Do you want me to tell you the truth or a lie?"

Hearing the earnestness in his tone, and thinking about how her singing definitely paled in comparison to that Xia Shamo, Xu Qinning pouted and said, "Alright, I know, only your Guilty Crown is amazing, everyone else is trash." Although she felt a bit inexplicably annoyed, she had to admit that Guilty Crown was far superior in music, lyrics, and performance. But she felt that they were an idol group, while Guilty Crown was a band, so they shouldn't be compared.

Watching Xu Qinning’s charming and naïve expression, Cheng Xiaoyu shook his head and said softly, "I’m not comparing you to Guilty Crown. It’s just that, in my eyes, your idol group doesn't even get a passing grade."

As soon as these words were spoken, Su Yuxi’s expression remained calm and thoughtful, while Xu Qinning looked unconvinced, thinking they surely couldn't be failing. The other four girls first glanced at Cheng Xiaoyu, then let their annoyance show on their faces, and finally, their eyes filled with the disgust one feels when suddenly encountering a lunatic.

Even the judges sitting in front turned to glance at Cheng Xiaoyu upon hearing his words.

Among the four girls, the one with a red hairband, a pointed chin, and very distinct facial features couldn't help but speak up: "Sister Ning, who is this? He’s got some nerve."

Cheng Xiaoyu looked at the girl. She didn't fit the traditional Chinese standard of beauty, but the more he looked, the more character she had. Her features weren't particularly striking individually, but put together, they held an infinitely alluring charm.

Xu Qinning rolled her eyes at Cheng Xiaoyu and said huffily to the girl, "Xiujing, ask Xixi. They’re closer."

The girl named Xiujing didn't ask Su Yuxi; she just snorted, turned her head away, and muttered, "That’s a toad yawning—what a huge mouth."

Watching Cheng Xiaoyu’s innocent expression, Xu Qinning laughed until she doubled over, tossing aside any lingering annoyance. She knew Cheng Xiaoyu wouldn't speak without reason; in her eyes, his musical proficiency was likely no worse than the judges sitting in the audience, perhaps even better. Gasping for air, she said to Cheng Xiaoyu, "The one who called you a toad is Cheng Xiujing. She’s quite blunt, don't mind her!"

Cheng Xiaoyu looked at Xu Qinning, who was laughing with her hand over her mouth, and whispered, "Oh, so you mean she thinks I’m a toad, and that’s her most honest reaction? Your explanation is heartbreaking. Knowing a teammate who sabotages me like this, I feel like I’m unlucky, and she’s blind!" Cheng Xiaoyu said, wearing a melancholic expression.

Xu Qinning laughed even harder, but since someone was still singing on stage, she had to suppress it, reaching out to pinch Cheng Xiaoyu’s arm. Cheng Xiaoyu winced in pain.

Su Yuxi turned to look at the playful Xu Qinning and said softly, "Ningning, stop messing around. Let my brother explain why he thinks our performance didn't pass."