Chapter 17 Brother Fu likes him the most

When members of Group A started to return, Jian Xingsui went back to the dorm to gather everyone.

Shen Xingchen had slept for over two and a half hours. He glanced at the time and then at Jian Xingsui, "Why didn’t the alarm ring?"

"They've only just woken up. There’s still time," Jian Xingsui handed him some water, "You’ve practiced all day. Do you want to faint during the test?"

After taking a sip, Shen Xingchen remarked with a hint of surprise, "You're quite lucky, waking up just as they did."

Jian Xingsui just smiled without responding.

Shen Xingchen continued drinking, then suddenly paused, his gaze fixing on Jian Xingsui, "Did you not sleep?"

Jian Xingsui hastily replied, "I did, I did sleep."

Shen Xingchen was skeptical, "Then why is your bed still made?"

"I practiced a bit more in the training room," Jian Xingsui glanced at the wall clock, "I think it's 5 AM now. You better go practice. I'll get some sleep."

Shen Xingchen guessed some were already preparing to perform for the tutors and asked, "Aren't you going to give it a try?"

"I don’t have much dance experience. I only learned half the moves from yesterday, and even those are disjointed. Even if I don't sleep now, I can’t possibly compete with others."

There were five or six main dancers just in Class A. Including Class B, several had years of dance experience.

Jian Xingsui knew he couldn’t compete, so he didn’t want to overreach, "I tried practicing earlier, but my mind felt foggy. I couldn't even remember the lyrics. I plan to rest a bit now. Go practice, and I'll await your good news."

Only after hearing this did Shen Xingchen leave, still somewhat skeptical.

Sharing the dormitory were Ning Ze and Wen Shengge, both of whom had caught a few hours of sleep that night. They were both in Class B, and though both could sing, they also had a bit of a dancing foundation. Now awake, they were preparing to join Shen Xingchen and head back to the training room.

As Shen Xingchen walked through the corridor, he softly mused, "For some reason, after a good sleep, the lyrics seem much clearer, and even my body feels refreshed."

Wen Shengge chuckled gently, "Of course! Rest is essential. You can't go on without sleep."

Ning Ze, who was usually reserved, nodded in agreement, "Mmm, Jian Xingsui was right to persuade you."

"We wanted to tell you the same, but to no avail." Wen Shengge covered her mouth with a grin, "Only Xingsui seems to have a way with you."

Shen Xingchen smirked, "He convinced me, but while we were sleeping, he was practicing in the training room."

The group arrived at their respective training rooms. Upon entering, Shen Xingchen noticed most of the others were present. The overall atmosphere in Class A wasn't particularly harmonious. There were already cliques forming. An Ran and Li Xu'an, who had only met the day before, were already thick as thieves. They were practicing in front of the mirror and didn't acknowledge Shen Xingchen's entrance.

Shen Xingchen didn't bother to engage with them.

He practiced in front of the mirror. Earlier that morning, he felt exhausted and occasionally forgot the lyrics. But after sleeping for a couple of hours, he remembered everything. He felt energetic and refreshed. After practicing, Shen Xingchen looked at his reflection, silently grateful for the rest he'd taken.

An Ran approached him, saying, "Your dancing is impressive, Xingchen."

Shen Xingchen responded nonchalantly. Despite An Ran being quite handsome and gentle, always meticulous in his actions, and exactly Shen Xingchen's type, for some reason Jian Xingsui seemed to avoid An Ran. This had inadvertently caused Shen Xingchen to feel a slight aversion towards An Ran as well.

An Ran smiled, "Did you rest in the dormitory?"

"Yes," replied Shen Xingchen.

An Ran quirked an eyebrow, "I thought he should've gone to the dorm. Sleeping at the doorstep isn't like him. He never takes care of himself."

Shen Xingchen paused, looking at An Ran incredulously, "What did you say?"

An Ran, taken aback by Shen Xingchen's sudden intensity, hesitated, "I...I just meant Xingsui slept at the doorway. When he saw Xu'an and me, he left."

...

Shen Xingchen looked down, lost in thought.

Puzzled, An Ran asked, "What's wrong, Xingchen?"

When Shen Xingchen looked up again, his eyes were slightly red. The usually proud and aloof young man seemed a bit vulnerable at that moment. Remembering Jian Xingsui, his heart ached. He had to hold back the urge to return to the dormitory and murmured under his breath.

An Ran, still perplexed, saw Shen Xingchen heading out, "Where are you going?"

Without looking back, Shen Xingchen replied, "I'm going to see the instructor. It's time for the evaluation!"

At 5:41 a.m., just as dawn was breaking and before the sun had risen, with only a few viewers online in the 'Starlight' live room, the first student knocked on the instructor's door. Without hesitation, Shen Xingchen entered, initiating the evaluation for the theme song performance, all within less than 24 hours.

...

By 7 a.m., Jian Xingsui was roused from his sleep.

An annoyed figure sat at his bedside, "Wake up! The whole floor is empty, everyone's in the training room. And you're still sleeping?"

Groggily, Jian Xingsui opened his eyes. Seeing Shen Xingchen, he quickly became alert, asking, "Xingchen, why are you here? Did you pass... the test?"

Shen Xingchen snorted with pride, lifting his head high, "Who do you think I am? Of course, I passed!"

Jian Xingsui paused for a beat, then broke into a delighted smile, "That's wonderful! So, you're the center position now, aren't you?"

Shen Xingchen retorted, "Who else could it be if not me, dummy?"

Jian Xingsui's smile grew wider. He had watched Shen Xingchen tirelessly practicing dance and song, witnessed his soaked shirts from sweat, and seen him pushing through despite sore muscles. Now, his brother had truly secured the center position. For some reason, Jian Xingsui felt a sting in his nose, murmuring softly, "I'm so proud of you. Congratulations, Mr. Center. You look so cool..."

Cameras were active in the dormitory. Many viewers who were awake or revisiting the stream felt a wave of emotions seeing this scene:

"Oh, my precious one, my heart aches for him!"

"Xingsui and Xingchen are so genuine!"

"Twenty thousand for the Cinderella and rich young master pair; I ship them!"

"Don't force pairings, please. This is pure brotherly affection, haha."

In the dorm, seeing Jian Xingsui's expression, Shen Xingchen felt a twinge in his heart. He pulled Jian up and said, "Enough of that! Get up and let's go practice."

Jian Xingsui slowly stood up, "Alright, alright."

Back in the training room, Shen Xingchen taught him some dance moves. However, being the impatient young master he was, he lost patience after a while and went to the cafeteria. Jian Xingsui continued practicing on his own until Wensheng Ge and Ning Ze, who had some free time, joined in to help. Meanwhile, An Ran and Zhou Xun were practicing on the other side.

Amidst their session, the training room door burst open. Someone caught a glimpse of the figure standing at the entrance and excitedly exclaimed, "Fu-ge!"

Fu Jinxiao stood by the door, dressed in casual black sportswear. Less formal than usual, his aura was relaxed, yet his mere presence made the trainees nervous.

Instinctively, everyone lined up and greeted respectfully, "Hello, Coach Fu!"

Fu Jinxiao responded with a casual nod, leaning against the wall with an arched eyebrow, "How's the practice going? A day has already passed."

The trainees gave varied answers:

"Almost done practicing."

"Still not familiar with some parts."

"Some sections need more work."

Fu Jinxiao instructed, "Alright, show me."

Dancing in front of the master coach was an invaluable opportunity, a sort of pre-exam. Everyone eagerly took their positions, and as the music started, they began their routine. Leading the group was An Ran, the quickest learner and arguably the best dancer. Yet surprisingly, halfway through the dance, the name that came from Fu Jinxiao's lips was, "Jian Xingsui, what are you doing?"

Jian Xingsui, at the end of the line and out of sync, tried his best to keep up.

As the dance progressed, it was evident that Jian, with no dance background, struggled compared to the others. Fu Jinxiao's piercing gaze remained fixed on him. When the music stopped, the atmosphere turned icy due to the prominent figure's mood. However, instead of getting angry, Fu Jinxiao flashed a chilling smile, "Jian Xingsui."

Jian Xingsui timidly responded, "Yes?"

"How do you think you did?"

"I'm having trouble keeping up with the rhythm."

"No, you're not just having trouble keeping up." Fu Jinxiao's voice was graceful and gentle, but his words dripped with sarcasm, "You can't even find the rhythm."

Every eye in the room turned to Jian Xingsui, some filled with concern, others evaluating.

Just as everyone thought that the star, Fu Yingdi, would storm out in anger, he walked over to the wall behind Jian Xingsui and commanded, "Without any accompaniment, show me your moves from the beginning."

Fear weakened Jian Xingsui's legs, but he dared not defy Fu Jinxiao's order and began dancing with determination.

After watching a set, Fu Jinxiao commented, "Do you lack strength? Your movements are so limp."

Lacking a foundation in dance, Jian Xingsui's movements were grand, but lacked power, making him look peculiar. He timidly admitted, "I don’t know how to exert force, I just can’t bring it out."

Fu Jinxiao grabbed a bottle of mineral water from a nearby table. With a swift move and a loud "BANG" that echoed in the practice room, he shot Jian Xingsui a sidelong glance, "Come, flick it like this."

Jian Xingsui rushed over and mimicked the action.

Fu Jinxiao remarked, "Flicking your hand, can't you exert force like that? The strength in your dance arms feels like you're playfully tickling someone. What's next? Planning on putting on a grand opera for us?"

Flushing with embarrassment, Jian Xingsui quickly replied, "I understand. I'll try again."

When Fu Yingdi spoke, the entire practice room went silent. The other trainees didn't even dare move, all eyes on Jian Xingsui being reprimanded.

Following Fu Jinxiao's instructions, Jian Xingsui tried the set twice and managed to incorporate the needed strength.

Fu Jinxiao's expression softened, raising an eyebrow, "See? You can do it."

Jian Xingsui could dance that segment before, but it always looked odd. With just two or three run-throughs under Fu Jinxiao's guidance, in less than five minutes, Jian Xingsui's dance looked smoother and more elegant to both the onlookers and himself.

Not far away, Zhou Xun whispered to An Ran, "Look at that idiot Jian Xingsui, making a fool of himself in front of Master Fu. He'll never earn the instructor's favor now."

While Zhou Xun took pleasure in Jian's misfortune, An Ran's face darkened, gently saying, "Ah Xun, if you think that way, you're mistaken."

Zhou Xun blinked in confusion.

"If Master Fu truly disliked him, he wouldn't have pointed out his flaws and taken the time to teach him," An Ran glanced at him, "During our dance earlier, including both of us and others, everyone had varying issues. But have you noticed, from then till now, who caught Master Fu's eye and who is being taught?"

It may seem like anger, but it's the frustration of seeing potential not met. If it were any other trainee's mistake, why wouldn't Fu Jinxiao have shown the same emotion?

On the surface, it seems fierce, but it's like a parent who discovers their child ranked last in exams; they're bound to be angry but afterward will think of ways to tutor the child.

In the entire practice room, it seems like Jian Xingsui is the least favorite, but perhaps, he's the most cherished. It might look like Jian Xingsui suffered the most this time, but who the real winner is remains to be seen.