Chapter 8: Crying on important occasions, being petty

Cen Shi felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by the woman on stage. The only reason he gave her this opportunity was because he admired people who fought for themselves. Plus, he had to admit, what he overheard backstage earlier had left a good impression on him.

But this girl was truly shameless. She had practically stared at him for as long as she had been demonstrating her basic skills.

Even though Cen Shi was an outsider, he could still tell her fundamental skills were solid. So she dared to zone out in the middle of her performance?

And for some reason, Cen Shi felt like her gaze even carried a hint of pity and contempt toward him?! He really didn’t get it.

He shut his eyes again—out of sight, out of mind.

But later, for whatever reason, he couldn’t help but crack his eyes open again, just in time to meet a pair of timid, deer-like eyes on stage.

Jiang Qingrou’s pale face didn’t show the usual respectful distance others held toward him. When she looked at him, it was openly and without reservation. She even—Cen Shi wasn’t sure if he saw it right—but it seemed like there was a trace of appreciation in her eyes. Romantic appreciation.

Unbelievable.

Was she not afraid of the consequences if he took offense?

Cen Shi’s ears flushed red, and he quickly shut his eyes again.

The performance ended. There was no question about the score now—even Chen Li couldn’t find a single fault. Though, of course, that didn’t mean she gave a high score.

Still, averaging all the judges’ scores, the final number wasn’t low. The host read it out:

“95.5 points!”

That low? Jiang Qingrou raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. But she still sweetly thanked the judges before stepping offstage, her slim figure flitting away like a little swallow.

Yu Siming stared at her retreating figure in a daze, feeling like this Jiang Qingrou was not quite the same as the one Jiang Fei had described. But overall, he still trusted Jiang Fei—after all, they had known each other for years. He knew her character well; she never spoke ill of others unless she was really being mistreated.

Thinking this, Yu Siming felt a twinge of guilt—he had practically given Jiang Qingrou the highest score just now.

The live broadcast meant the backstage waiting room heard the announcement too. The moment the score was read out, the room exploded.

“Jiang Qingrou, 95.5 points?!”

Qin Lulu shouted in disbelief. Bai Zhenzhu was also surprised but still whispered a warning, “Quiet.”

Despite the reminder, murmured discussions spread through the room.

“How could Jiang Qingrou get such a high score? Is there something wrong with the grading system? Can looks actually add points now?” one girl asked meekly.

Another girl replied, “Maybe. But good looks are just one factor in selection. It’s true Jiang Qingrou is pretty, but the teachers said the most important thing is basic skills.”

This girl had previously comforted Jiang Qingrou, and after what had just happened, her opinion of Jiang Qingrou had changed significantly.

“Jiang Fei, what do you think?” someone asked with a hint of mischief.

Jiang Fei had also been shocked. She was sure Jiang Qingrou wasn’t capable of much, and with her friend Yu Siming on the judging panel, how did Jiang Qingrou end up with such a guaranteed qualifying score?

She even wondered if Jiang Qingrou’s older brother had pulled some strings with the judges.

But when everyone looked to her, she put on her usual innocent expression, bit her lip, and said softly, “I don’t know… I heard Qingrou’s been going to bed early and getting up early to practice lately. Maybe she rested well, so she performed well.”

Someone immediately retorted, “Going to bed early? Ever since we found out about the audition, which of us has gone to bed early? We all practice till past midnight!”

“There’s no way Jiang Qingrou improved this much on her own. That score had to be from connections!”

Even after that earlier confrontation, many still didn’t believe Jiang Qingrou could have improved that easily. Everyone had seen how she behaved before.

Jiang Fei pursed her lips and mumbled, “That’s not what I meant…”

Her eyes flashed with a bit of cunning, but she quickly returned to thinking about Jiang Qingrou, jealousy bubbling up in her chest.

She was now convinced Jiang Qingrou’s brother had used his influence—because based on Jiang Qingrou’s real ability, passing would’ve been a miracle.

Jiang Fei was both bitter and envious.

Why her?

Bai Zhenzhu had caught every word and expression of Jiang Qingrou just now. She had never thought much about her words before, but now… even though they sounded harmless, they clearly left people thinking. And Jiang Fei surely knew that.

It really was a case of someone pretending not to say much, while planting all the right seeds.

Next up was Jiang Fei.

Her heart sank. The earlier incident had thrown her mood off, and now, going up with a bare face, she already felt like she was starting off at a disadvantage—especially compared to Jiang Qingrou.

She had seen Jiang Qingrou’s makeup earlier—undeniably beautiful.

Jiang Fei also remembered what the other girls had said: looks now mattered in scoring too. That made her feel even less confident.

She nearly tripped on her way to the stage.

Yu Siming watched her pale face and distracted expression and couldn’t help but wonder—had Jiang Qingrou bullied her again?

But after Jiang Qingrou’s shining performance, the fragile and plain-faced Jiang Fei didn’t quite have the same impact on the younger officers in the back row anymore.

He had originally intended to turn back and say something to the commander, but unexpectedly, the commander had once again closed his eyes to rest at some point. He yawned too and settled down to watch.

As Yu Siming watched, he began to frown. This isn’t Jiang Fei’s usual level.

Jiang Fei became increasingly flustered as she danced. Folk dance was supposed to be her strong suit, but ever since her first mistake, she made two more in a row. By the end of the routine, her eyes were red, and she gritted her teeth as silent tears streamed down her face. Anyone watching would have felt at least a bit of sympathy.

Chen Li sighed. “Despite the small mistakes, she’s still a promising talent.” Then she gave a high score of 98.

The other judges couldn’t help but feel conflicted: That last promising dancer got a low score, and now this one makes mistakes and gets a high score instead? Still, they gave a fair and objective score.

Yu Siming had planned to give a reasonable score as well, but when he caught sight of Jiang Fei’s tear-streaked face full of guilt and self-blame, his heart softened. He gave her a 95.

The young officer also saw Jiang Fei’s tears. While Jiang Fei wasn’t as beautiful as the previous dancer Jiang Qingrou, her pitiful appearance still stirred protective instincts. “I think it was generally fine,” he said. “Didn’t deserve a low score, really.”

After watching so many performances, he could confidently say Jiang Fei’s dancing was still among the top.

At some point, Cen Shi had opened his eyes. His voice was cold and detached:
“In an important performance, crying and sniveling? How petty and small-minded.”