The woman was graceful and elegant, her figure shapely. She held a pipa in her hands, her every movement exuding the classical gentleness of a woman from Jiangnan.
Compared to the boisterous applause that greeted Mi Xuan’s appearance, this moment was remarkably quiet.
Yet, one could faintly hear the sound of intakes of breath in the air. After all, these were young men in their prime, and who wouldn't be captivated by such a beauty?
The instant the zither's melody began, everyone froze.
When the piece concluded, the surroundings fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop.
Song Xi’s heart skipped a beat. Had she been recognized?
But in the next second, the venue erupted in thunderous applause and shouts, her name echoing as loudly as Mi Xuan’s.
Only then did Song Xi finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Ye Tian found her incredibly familiar, yet he dared not believe it. It wasn’t until he saw the girl take a deep breath that he was instantly certain.
Sister Song Xi!
She could play the pipa! Why was she here? Had she come specifically to see him!
The thought sent Ye Tian, who had been listless moments before, into a frenzy of joyous disbelief.
He longed to rush forward and reunite with Song Xi, but he couldn't.
Tao Qingyu noticed his unusual behavior but mistook it for stress, offering words of comfort instead.
"Don't worry, with me here, you won't be eliminated," he assured. "I've already thought of it; our group can do a traditional Chinese style stage! It would pair perfectly with the pipa and create a huge impact."
"But you need to regain your confidence. You can't be so down anymore, or else..."
"Okay!" Excitement flared in Ye Tian's eyes.
...Why did she suddenly seem so alive?
Tao Qingyu blinked, "Then… I'll try to get this teacher?"
Unexpectedly, Ye Tian grabbed her hand, his voice more like a threat, "You must get her!!"
...
Aside from Tao Qingyu, other trainees also conceived of the idea for a traditional Chinese style stage. Recently, this style had gained novelty, potentially garnering favor.
And this teacher's masterful zither skills would undoubtedly add a lot of points to their performance!
Thus, except for the third group, who had already chosen Mi Xuan, other teams eagerly raised their hands, the competition appearing quite fierce.
Song Xi was a somewhat controversial artist, so the host deliberately built suspense, first having each group state their competitive declaration before revealing her identity.
Qin Feng, unwilling to miss another opportunity, snatched the microphone. After a heartfelt confession, he even ingeniously praised her fashion sense.
His words were sincere, as if he were laying his heart bare.
"Pfft—"
The entire audience let out sounds of disdain.
Qin Feng ignored them, instead being moved by his own sincerity.
When it was Tao Qingyu's group's turn, Ye Tian, who usually shied away from the spotlight, uncharactertypically stepped up to seize the opportunity.
Tao Qingyu was surprised but inwardly greatly pleased.
It seemed his earlier pep talk had worked; Ye Tian had! He'd pulled himself together!
Their eyes met, and Song Xi saw the tears welling up in Ye Tian's eyes.
She knew Ye Tian had recognized her, so she gave him various signals with her eyes.
Ye Tian suppressed his tears, finally uttering with a choked voice, "I've waited… for you for a long time!"
The trainees were stunned for a moment, and upon realizing, they joined in the cheering.
"Teacher, we've waited for you for a long time too, pick us!"
"Pick us!"
The venue descended back into a cacophony of voices, chaotic like a bustling marketplace.
The host quickly intervened to regain control: "Alright, alright! Second female guest, you can remove your mask now!"