To avoid a face-plant, Sheng Ning swiftly twirled on the spot and joined the dance in a classic stage performance pose.
She was quick to react and secretly gave herself a mental thumbs-up while cursing Lu Dabao under her breath.
The more familiar they became, the more unrestrained they got.
Sheng Ning’s sudden inclusion threw Hai Lan off rhythm, and Qin Cuifen even made a huge mistake in timing.
Both of them despised Sheng Ning fiercely, exchanging glances to corner her to the side.
But Sheng Ning’s performance exceeded their expectations—everyone’s expectations, actually.
She had danced these steps countless times on stage and rehearsed them in her mind over and over. She had even dreamed of performing on Broadway.
So no matter how the pair tried to mess with her, they couldn’t distract her. She could perform each movement flawlessly with her eyes closed and spin gracefully hundreds of times without a hint of confusion.
The superiority and inferiority among the three on stage were immediately clear.
"She dances so well!" In that era, most people were sincere, and anyone with eyes could see how good Sheng Ning was.
"Unbelievable!" Lu Xiaoshuang crossed her arms and said with a serious face to her companion, "She’s actually that good!"
"I think she’s much better than those from the Dance College!"
"Exactly! You don’t realize it until you compare, and then it’s quite a shock."
"I’d rather have Sheng Ning lead than give someone else the advantage."
While the Song and Dance Troupe had its internal struggles, they united when it mattered. Hai Lan’s sudden arrival, coupled with her high-profile attitude, had upset quite a few people.
They would rather Sheng Ning lead than let an outsider benefit.
Hai Lan smiled, but only heaven knew how furious she was—comparable to a volcanic eruption. Just as she was about to stop, a beautiful piano melody poured out. Suddenly, the rehearsal room was filled with a strong artistic atmosphere that set everyone’s hearts on edge.
Yang Xiaoman’s pleasant voice followed, then various instruments...
The crowd watching began to join in spontaneously. Everyone showcased what they practiced most frequently: dance, complex music, songs, and dramatic poetry... An impromptu song and dance show thus unfolded before them.
This was their first performance since rehearsals began. Though spontaneous, everyone felt that impassioned desire to perform.
They naturally centered around Sheng Ning, with Liu Yilan’s piano as the backdrop and Yang Xiaoman’s singing as the soul, to create a breathtaking performance.
If paired with an audience and stage lighting, the impact would have been even more staggering.
The corridor outside the rehearsal room filled up with people, blocking it completely.
Yang Wenying and Qiu Bai stood outside the window, nodding to each other in mutual reassurance that their hard work hadn’t been in vain.
Behind them followed reporters from the Factory Newspaper, arranged by Su Hai to hype up Blood Rose. They were supposed to come in the afternoon, but turned up in the morning.
Su Hai wouldn’t meet them personally. After arriving, the first task was to find Yang Wenying, who wasn’t in her office and was led here by her assistant.
The two reporters from the Factory Newspaper, one male and one female, both young and dressed in sharp new clothes, watched the performance inside, utterly captivated.
So much so that they even forgot to greet Yang Wenying.