‘Explosion‘ was a dance track released in 2008 by the overseas boy group LIN. Even over a decade later, it remained a universally acknowledged classic among boy group stage performances.

Zhu Yu’s version of Explosion was sensual and full of energy. Though it didn’t quite reach the level of LIN’s original, among the many cover performances circulating within the industry, his ranked among the top.

It had been a long time since Zhu Yu had returned to Vic. After uploading a video of himself dancing, fans were caught by surprise.

【 “Congrats to Big Fish on graduating from Take It Slow, Life!”】

【 “Finally seeing Big Fish dance again! Absolutely incredible!”】

【 “Honestly, compared to Gu Yi, I think Big Fish is a better fit for Battle of the Stars. Damn that trash company for not giving him the chance!”】

Riding the popularity of the finale of Take It Slow, Life, Zhu Yu’s rendition of Explosion was instantly picked up and spread across all the marketing accounts.

Then came the teaser trailer for the next Battle of the Stars performance stage—and, of course, people noticed:

【“Gu Yi is performing Explosion tonight too?”】

【“Wait, isn’t that… a little too coincidental?”】

【“Please, Gu Yi, don’t embarrass yourself. Since the start of the show, the only decent performance he’s had was Devil’s Heart. All the spotlight’s on Ji Chi now. Of all the songs to pick, he just had to choose the same one as Big Fish.”】

Gu Yi and Zhu Yu’s complicated relationship wasn’t exactly a secret. As Gu Yi’s popularity steadily climbed on Battle of the Stars, many of Zhu Yu’s fans had come to see him as Zhu Yu’s biggest rival within Vic

Naturally, Gu Yi inviting Jiang Yue as his duet partner was also dragged out and scrutinized.

【“Seriously? Of all the people in the same company he could’ve picked, he goes with someone literally no one’s heard of—Jiang Yue.”】

【“Please no. Big Fish shines perfectly on his own. And let’s be real—if Big Fish actually joined Battle of the Stars, wouldn’t he just make a certain someone look even worse by comparison?”】

Orange Peel complained to her fellow fans, exasperated: 【“Would it kill them not to drag our little Gu down every time?”】

【“What’s with this ‘obvious comparison’ talk? 172cm tall with a completely average face—who’s he supposed to outshine? Every single time they claim Zhu Yu’s miles ahead of Gu Yi, has Gu Yi ever even responded?”】

With only two episodes of Battle of the Stars left, Orange Peel just wanted to treasure every second of Gu Yi’s remaining performances.

To her, Zhu Yu was like a lingering ghost—never quite gone, always popping back up to cling onto Gu Yi’s spotlight.

---

After the final dress rehearsal, Gu Yi and Jiang Yue each tore open a popsicle packet and collapsed onto the lounge sofa, waiting for the live broadcast to begin.

At first, Gu Yi had been nervous about choosing Explosion. But once he started working with Jiang Yue, that nervousness faded. All that was left was a deep sense of calm.

“Gu Yi.”

Gu Yi was chewing on his popsicle when he turned to look.

“Thank you… for inviting me.”

Gu Yi didn’t answer immediately. The only sound was the soft crackle of the popsicle wrapper. Then, a hand stretched out toward Jiang Yue.

“What’s with the formality?”

Jiang Yue smiled and grasped the hand in return.

Ever since Battle of the Stars began releasing contestant rankings, Gu Yi had remained in the debut lineup every single round—except for the first.

After Jiang Yue’s elimination, he heard plenty of other contestants whispering that Gu Yi was all looks and no skill, dripping with jealousy and condescension.

But Jiang Yue knew—they hadn’t seen Gu Yi when he practiced.

“Any more popsicles?”

Ji Chi walked in.

“There’s a few left,” Gu Yi pointed to the fridge.

“Nice. I’ll grab one.”

Yi Shuo and Yue Miao sat down beside Gu Yi, leisurely finishing their own popsicles.

Though they weren’t on the same team this time around, they often ended up practicing together.

“Gu Yi, here.”

Yi Shuo and Yue Miao handed him a small slip of paper.

“Huh?” Gu Yi looked up.

“Our contacts. Phone and WeChat. Give us yours too.”

“It’s not like we won’t keep in touch. What’s with the formality?”

Yi Shuo pulled a face. “Just shut up and do it. So chatty.”

Gu Yi smirked. “Admit it. You guys just like me too much.”

But he knew why they were really here.

Last round, Yue Miao had ranked 17th. Yi Shuo was 14th. Unless something changed, both of them would likely be leaving the show after tonight.

Gu Yi scribbled his number down. “Can’t we just do this tonight?”

“Too busy later. Won’t have time for you.”

Yi Shuo took the paper and punched Gu Yi’s shoulder.

“Good luck.”

Gu Yi grinned and returned the punch. “Right back at you!!”

---

Orange Peel had gone through hell and high water to snag a ticket for this week’s Battle of the Stars taping.

Going from Top 30 to Top 20 was tough enough, but Top 20 to Top 10? Practically a bloodbath. Truth be told, her ticket wasn’t even something she grabbed herself—a younger fan from the homepage couldn’t make it and passed the ticket on to her.

Orange Peel had been a long-time, hardcore Gu Yi fan. The younger girl didn’t ask for any extra money. She even threw in a lightboard, a support stick, and a canvas tote. Orange Peel was moved to tears.

Among Gu Yi’s fans, Orange Peel counted as one of the “older sisters.” She’d only ever chased performances, nothing else. But after meeting Gu Yi’s newer fans, these younger girls would fangirl over his stages while also swapping tips on mastering trivia quizzes on the Kitty Quiz app—which actually taught Orange Peel a thing or two.

Even if… she still didn’t like Kitty Quiz.

As she took her seat this time, Orange Peel realized the girl sitting next to her was the same one from the previous show.

This time, however, the girl wasn’t alone—she had brought several friends with her.

The group took selfies inside the venue, then buried their heads in their phones, furiously typing in their group chat.

The civil service exam prep group chat went silent:

“…”
“I was naive. I thought the number of traitors was increasing in an arithmetic sequence. Turns out it’s geometric.”
“Once again, I’ve lost my quiz partner. Heartbroken.”

The stage for the Top 20 to Top 10 round was even grander than the last. As fans gradually filled the seats, the venue slowly quieted down.

Orange Peel thought the livestream would begin as usual, jumping right into the show. But suddenly, the massive screen above the stage dimmed.

Then—familiar faces began to appear.

Battle of the Stars was never a sentimental show. Every episode was packed with competitions and behind-the-scenes clips. The contestants’ journeys were usually left for fans to piece together on their own.

But just then, the screen played a montage of the contestants’ growth throughout the show—

Late nights in the practice room, just to shine for a single second onstage.

Stumbling over clumsy steps and off-key singing at the beginning. But now, every time they appeared on camera, they radiated brilliance.

In the short minute-and-a-half segment focused on Gu Yi, Orange Peel saw the smile on her favourite idol’s face grow brighter and brighter—brighter than she had ever seen back when he was in Vic.

Many people didn’t understand why Orange Peel was so devoted to an idol.

But that one moment was all the answer she needed—because she had watched him rise from the bottom, growing step by step, until he stood at the very centre of the stage.

Although it was only the second-to-last competition round, half the contestants would be eliminated today.

To have made it this far—regardless of ranking—meant their talent was beyond question.

Yue Miao was the fourth performer of the night. Though well-known for his dancing, he’d chosen to perform a ballad this time.

“You’ve got to give it a shot, right? Otherwise, what was the point of coming?”

While rehearsing the song, Yue Miao kept asking Gu Yi for tips on singing love songs. Gu Yi remembered how, just days ago, Yue Miao had been moping around, convinced he couldn’t pull it off. But now—even just listening from backstage—Gu Yi could feel that Yue Miao had poured everything he had into the performance.

Yi Shuo was no different.

“That stage was amazing, absolutely amazing. If any one of them gets eliminated, I’m gonna cry.”

Gu Yi stood quietly, waiting for his own turn.

He wasn’t nervous anymore. All his friends were giving it their all. He couldn’t let the stage down either.

“Gu Yi, Jiang Yue, you’re up next.” A staff member called out.

“Gu Yi, you’ve got this!!”

Gu Yi turned around to see Yue Miao and the others shouting encouragement. He drew a deep breath and stepped forward with Jiang Yue, walking slowly to the centre of the stage.

A burst of rapid percussion hit—the music exploded both inside and outside the venue—

“My heart’s blood is erupting.”
“I sling my guitar over my back and charge into battle.”

The moment they appeared, the fans’ screams were loud enough to shatter the ceiling—

“Aaaaahhhhh Gu Yi!!”

Then—shockingly—Gu Yi and Jiang Yue broke into a full-on robotic dance.

Every stomp landed perfectly on beat. Their muscles tensed and relaxed in precise rhythm, like waves rolling across the stage. Not a single motion was wasted. Power and rhythm flowed with the music’s pulse.

They danced with complete focus.

On a stage with just two people, even the smallest mistake would be captured on camera. Yet despite their contrasting styles, Gu Yi and Jiang Yue moved like mirror images—like perfect complements.

Every move radiated with explosive energy.

It was as if their hearts had burst open. In that moment, they were the undeniable centre of everything.

“They’re insanely good! Since when did Gu Yi get this good at dancing?!”
“How have I never noticed Jiang Yue before?!”

Sweat glistened on their foreheads. They weren’t trying to be sexy—but the intensity of their presence, the precision of their movements, the way they captivated the audience—it made the performance irresistibly magnetic.

“Gu Yi! Jiang Yue! Aaaaahhh!!”

For Gu Yi’s fans, this performance of Explosion was a completely unexpected gift.

On Battle of the Stars, Gu Yi had long been seen as one of the weaker contestants. Sure, his Devil’s Heart and Northern Bagpipes stages had been stunning…

But with Explosion, fans finally saw it—what Gu Yi looked like when he let go and truly unleashed on stage.

Orange Peel couldn’t take her eyes off him. No matter how loud the music thundered, no matter how the crowd roared, in her world, there was only one light on that stage.

—And before the production team even had a chance to post the clip, fans were already putting Gu Yi and Zhu Yu’s versions of Explosion side by side online.

What did it mean to be “night and day”?

What did it mean to be utterly outclassed?

【 “So THIS is why Gu Yi invited Jiang Yue. Who wants to watch limp, soft dancing?”】
【 “Battle of the Stars hasn’t even aired yet, but the PR machine’s already released dozens of smear articles against Gu Yi. Who got slapped in the face now?”】
【 “The difference is painfully obvious…”】
【 “All those ‘I’m just a bystander, but I think Zhu Yu’s more talented’ comments from yesterday—where are you now?”】
【 “I’ve watched every single episode of Battle of the Stars. Not once has Gu Yi ever disappointed on stage.” 】

Right up until Gu Yi stepped onstage, promotional accounts were still praising Zhu Yu’s version of Explosion.

But the moment Gu Yi and Jiang Yue’s performance aired, it was as if someone hit the mute button—those voices vanished into thin air.