“Fan Xue, are you trying to cozy up to Ye Zhiqiu just because she married Yue Mingyuan and became General Yue’s daughter-in-law?”
Jiang Miao is the type who likes to hang out with whoever has a good family background, so she thought Fan Xue was the same kind of person.
“Yeah, Ye Zhiqiu isn’t the same as before. Only an idiot would want to offend her now.”
Fan Xue couldn’t be bothered to explain to Jiang Miao just how much she loved Ye Zhiqiu’s personality. She knew that even if she talked until she was blue in the face, Jiang Miao just wouldn’t get it.
So, since that was the case, whatever Jiang Miao thought, Fan Xue would just go along with it.
“What’s so great about her? Isn’t she just married to Yue Mingyuan? If only…”
Jiang Miao was really不服氣 (unconvinced/resentful) and almost let her true feelings slip.
But Fan Xue wasn’t about to let her off the hook. She gave a cold laugh and picked up the conversation: “If you had married Yue Mingyuan, you’d be just as great, right?”
“Jiang Miao, first of all, you didn’t marry Yue Mingyuan. And Yue Mingyuan isn’t stupid—he can tell the difference between a precious gem and a worthless glass bead.”
“Second, even if you did marry Yue Mingyuan, you still wouldn’t be as amazing as Ye Zhiqiu.”
“What makes Ye Zhiqiu great isn’t because she’s Yue Mingyuan’s wife or General Yue’s daughter-in-law. It’s because she’s Ye Zhiqiu. She’s got real skill.”
Jiang Miao completely dismissed everything Fan Xue said. In her mind, Ye Zhiqiu was just riding on Yue Mingyuan and the Yue family’s coattails. If she hadn’t married Yue Mingyuan, she’d be nothing—just a pair of worn-out shoes!
“So what if she lasted two hours in the water? Big deal. I just had a bad day today. Tomorrow, I can do it too.”
Fan Xue clapped her hands twice: “Impressive. Well then, I’ll be waiting to see that tomorrow.”
The next day, the training routine was the same, but the intensity was even higher than the day before.
“I forgot to tell you all yesterday. We say this is a ‘selection process,’ but selection and elimination are just two sides of the same coin. Being selected means you pass; not being selected means you’re eliminated.”
“The advanced training lasts a total of six months. The first two months are a basic physical conditioning period. After that, based on your scores, we will eliminate those with the lowest scores—about a quarter of you.”
As soon as Tang Xuejun finished speaking, the training room erupted.
“Professor Tang, when we signed up, they only told us this was for advanced training. No one mentioned eliminations!”
“Right! If we get sent back after being eliminated, it’ll be so embarrassing!”
Ye Zhiqiu had actually thought this might happen before she came. There were nearly two hundred people in their batch, but even including understudies, the dance drama performance only needed about fifty people.
There’s no way all two hundred could perform. So, some would inevitably be left out, and being left out obviously meant being eliminated.
Han Siyang, standing next to her, looked just as unsurprised. Either she knew in advance, or she had guessed it too.
Tang Xuejun raised her hand and pressed down, signaling them to quiet down.
“I’m telling you this so you can prepare yourselves mentally. Don’t wait until you’re eliminated and asked to leave, only to find you can’t accept it.”
“Every place has its rules. And for this training, my rules are what matter.”
“I’ll give you five minutes to think it over. If anyone can’t accept this, raise your hand now and you can voluntarily withdraw.”
The young women looked at each other. Most of them had hesitation written all over their faces.
Staying meant the risk of being eliminated, which would be humiliating. But voluntarily withdrawing would make it hard to explain to their dance troupes back home, and it could even lead to serious disciplinary action, since that would be considered desertion on the battlefield.
“Alright, five minutes are up. Does anyone want to withdraw?” Tang Xuejun scanned the room.
Two young women nervously raised their hands: “Professor, I… I want to withdraw.”
“You two can pack your things and leave now.” Tang Xuejun tilted her chin toward the training room door.
Watching the two women leave, Tang Xuejun’s eyes were full of regret.
Couldn’t they even try to persevere? Giving up so easily?
But maybe it was for the best. Giving up at the start is better than giving up after struggling for so long.
“Anyone else want to withdraw?”
Tang Xuejun asked again, and this time, no one raised their hands.
“Good. Since no one else wants to quit, from now on, you can only be eliminated. You cannot voluntarily withdraw again.”
“If someone really can’t go on and insists on quitting, I will honestly record it in your file.”
Tang Xuejun smiled: “You’ve probably read some reports about me in the newspapers or heard my name before you came.”
“I am very strict with myself when it comes to dance, and I am even stricter with the students I teach.”
“Dance requires constant improvement, striving for perfection. You must approach it with absolute sincerity and dedication. If you don’t have that awareness, it’s better to withdraw sooner rather than later.”
“Some of your troupe directors, leaders, parents, or other relatives might know me. They sent you to me hoping I would give you good guidance. But as the saying goes, ‘The master leads you to the door, but your progress depends on you.'”
“How far you can ultimately go on the path of dance depends entirely on how much passion and perseverance you have for it.”
“Here, no matter which troupe you come from, I will treat you all equally and be equally strict with all of you!”
“For the next two months, your training intensity will only be greater than yesterday, not lighter. I hope you can all stick with it.”
Tang Xuejun meant what she said. She was incredibly strict with them.
The daily training volume was so heavy that when they got back to their dorms, they didn’t want to do anything but fall straight into bed and sleep.
At first, Ye Zhiqiu only managed to get through it because of her extraordinary willpower. But after a week, she had fully adapted.
But unexpectedly, the training intensity increased again. The dorm was filled with miserable groans and complaints.
On Sunday nights, Ye Zhiqiu would make her regular phone calls to Yue Mingyuan and her family.
She always called Bud (Yaya) first, right after the evening news finished and the weather forecast started.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Wan Jiayin, Wan Jiayin would hand the phone to Bud. Bud would happily tap the receiver twice: “Ma… ma, miss Ma… ma.”
“Bud, you know how to say ‘miss mommy’?” Ye Zhiqiu was even happier hearing this than seeing that she was currently ranked number one.
The last time she called Bud, Bud could only say “mama.” She didn’t expect that just a week later, Bud could already say “miss.”
“Bud, when daddy calls next, can you tell him you miss him too, okay?”
Bud answered very directly and clearly: “Okay!”
“Oh! Bud can say ‘okay’ too! Bud has learned so many words.”
It was a pity she couldn’t be there with Bud. Ye Zhiqiu’s heart couldn’t help but ache a little.
She had expected this when she decided to come, but facing it was still really hard.
“Hehehehe.” Being praised by her mom, Bud let out a string of giggles.
Hearing that laugh made Ye Zhiqiu’s lips curl up too.
“Ma… ma, mwah~ love Ma… ma.” Bud worked hard to push out each word, one by one. That little adorable gesture almost melted Yue Guohuai and Wan Jiayin’s hearts.
