When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 288: Chapter 112: Top Sister of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (51)

Before they departed, Master Yuan sought her out for a private word, sternly reminding her to take the upcoming performance seriously, no matter what.

Group Three’s choreography, from its concept to its design, was on a completely different level than Group One’s. She told her that their real competition was the other troupes. As long as they performed up to their usual standard, the piece Teacher Su had created for them was good enough that Group One had a shot at making the finals.

Master Yuan also warned her not to get any funny ideas, even if they missed this opportunity. Above all, she was not to try any more of her little tricks on Xia Zhaoyun. That woman was a vixen who had honed her craft for a thousand years; a delicate-looking flower like her stood no chance.

Jie Xiaoqin understood. In the face of absolute talent, all underhanded schemes were nothing but fragile bubbles.

Xia Zhaoyun had already reached a level she could never hope to attain.

But she couldn’t accept it. They had joined the troupe at the same time and had been dancing since they were children. How could the gap between them be so vast?

But what could her bitterness change?

Unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life in a prison cell, she had no choice but to accept reality...

In truth, she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

The dancers of Group One were all top performers in the troupe. It was one thing for Xia Zhaoyun to be exceptional, but how could even the rejects from Group Three now be getting ahead of them?

Seeing the Group Three girls looking so smug, practically daydreaming with their eyes closed, one of them couldn’t resist a soft, cutting laugh. ”Well, well, Yao Yunying,” she whispered, ”I heard the factory leaders were full of praise for your routine. They said you’re a shoo-in for the finals.”

”But... I just think it’s such a shame. Your routine could easily take first place. It’s the result of all your hard work, yet in the end, the only name anyone will remember is Comrade Xia Zhaoyun’s.”

”Alas, I suppose that’s the tragedy of being a living backdrop...”

Another girl nodded in agreement. ”Exactly. As is tradition, the Central Political Department will be scouting two or three of the most talented dancers. Even though all of you are just there to make Comrade Xia Zhaoyun shine, I guess it’s still an honor just to be on the Municipal Cultural Palace stage.”

Yao Yunying scoffed. She ignored them and turned to Zhao Si’en beside her. ”You know, I finally get what they mean when they say a petty person always thinks others are as small-minded as they are.”

”Some people are just so rotten inside they can’t stand to see anyone else succeed.”

Zhao Si’en nodded with a smile. ”Mhm. And some people couldn’t even get cast as a supporting leaf on the backdrop if they tried.”

The Group One dancers fumed. It was true. The moment they saw Group Three’s final routine, they were filled with the same regret that had plagued the dancers from Group Two.

If Master Yuan and Jie Xiaoqin hadn’t interfered, Xia Zhaoyun would never have been kicked out of Group One. Then they would be the ones stealing the show today!

Xia Zhaoyun, who had been resting in the back row with her eyes closed, took off her sun hat. She raised an eyebrow and let out a soft chuckle. ”Sour grapes, anyone? Is that all you’re good for?”

”We’re all dancers. We should be competing on stage to see who’s better. What’s the point of just running your mouths?”

”Oh, by the way, I have a few more connections than you do. I happen to know it’s not just the Central Political Department scouting for dancers this time. The Municipal Cultural Palace’s resident dance company, the Military Region’s Arts Troupe, Kyoto TV Station, the Kyoto Grand Theater, the Municipal Propaganda Department... they all have their eyes on this performance.”

The moment she finished speaking, the entire bus fell deathly silent.

It was Jie Xiaoqin who broke the silence, her voice hoarse. She even used a respectful title. ”Teacher Little Xia, is what you said true?”

Xia Zhaoyun nodded languidly. ”I’m only sharing this information for old times’ sake, since we all used to work together. But keep in mind, these organizations are the best of the best in the entire country.”

”They have extremely high standards for their people. I don’t think dancers from the eliminated routines will stand a chance.”

The faces of the Group One dancers flushed red. A moment ago, they were consumed with envy and jealousy toward Xia Zhaoyun. But instead of holding a grudge, she had just shared this incredibly valuable information with them.

Jie Xiaoqin clenched her fists. It was hard to tell if she was speaking to herself or trying to rally the others. ”We will definitely make it to the final stage!”

The other Group One dancers couldn’t help but echo her in low, determined voices, ”We will make it to the final stage...”

’Group Three would take one of the twenty spots in the show, but they could still fight for the other nineteen.’

’Teacher Su had poured her heart and soul into choreographing their piece, too. It was high-quality, with a good concept. As long as they performed as usual, based on the standards of routines that had made it in previous years, they shouldn’t have too much trouble!’

Peng Shulan was confused. She leaned in to whisper in Xia Zhaoyun’s ear, ”Teacher Little Xia, shouldn’t we have kept news like that to ourselves? Why on earth did you tell them?”

”Is it fake? Are you just trying to mess with them on purpose?”

Xia Zhaoyun shook her head, her eyes downcast, and whispered back, ”The information is real. I just wanted to give them a little push so they stop focusing on us. If they dance well, they’ll have their own chance to get transferred to a city troupe.”