Chapter 43: Six Days Left

It was the afternoon, six days before Su Nian’s debut performance.

Eight hundred people, a theater.

The Starry Little Theater.

At three in the afternoon, the 800-person venue was empty.

Only four work lights were on above the stage—two hanging from the ceiling, two on the sides.

The cold white LED light poured down from above, carving four blurry-edged bright areas on the stage: one in the center, one on the left near the speaker stack, and two overlapping, making the center even brighter.

Su Nian stood in the center of the stage.

She had changed into her performance outfit—not the formal one, but a similar style to get her used to it early.

A white short skirt, cinched at the waist, the hem just covering the middle of her thighs.

The fabric wasn’t thick; under the lights, the outline of her knees was visible.

Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, the hair tie pink, wrapped three times, the last loop pulled tight, making the ponytail tilt upward.

Again, she had found her old partner—someone like Silver Fish—to make it.

The color scheme was similar to the Gemstone Princess’s—white base with pink edges—but the cut was different.

The skirt wasn’t fluffy; it was straight-cut and fitted, with the neckline an inch higher than Alice’s.

It looked more like a knight’s casual wear.

She stood there, hands at her sides.

Her fingertips pointed toward the outside of her thighs, not moving.

No looking around, no shifting her feet, just standing.

Much better than the first time.

The lighting technician sat at the console, fingers resting on the panel, not moving.

The sound engineer wore headphones and said something into the microphone.

The stage supervisor stood in the wings, walkie-talkie in hand, watching the stage.

She waited.

Waited for the music to start.

The intro came out.

—It was “The Brave.”

She raised her hand.

First verse.

Light falls on whom

Road leads to which direction

I stand here, can’t see the distance

But I hear my heartbeat ringing

She walked very slowly.

Each step landing on the drumbeat.

From the left side of the stage to the right.

When she reached the very edge, she stopped and gave a slight nod toward that section of the audience—even though it was empty.

This part was a bit like Alice, but she didn’t hesitate, so the feeling was completely different.

Then she walked back.

Continued singing—

Not someone’s shadow

Not someone’s second line

I’m just the one

Still jumping

Chorus:

Fall down, get back up—she jumped, landing with a slight bend in her knee, quickly steadying herself.

Pain but no tears, tears but no fear—turned, her ponytail swinging, drawing a beautiful arc in the air.

Even if half a beat slow, even if different—raised her hand, fingertips exactly pointing at the camera position in front.

I am my own echo—held her pose, standing in the exact center of the stage.

Panting.

But she didn’t stop.

***

Offstage.

Shen Wei sat in the third row of the audience, her two legs swinging back and forth, chin resting on her hand.

She watched for a minute.

Two minutes.

Then she spoke.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but in the empty venue, it carried.

Xiao Xi stood beside her—standing, not crouching—and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“The first time I saw her dance, it was like she was herding sheep.”

“…Yeah.”

“Now it’s not like that.”

“…Yeah.”

Shen Wei turned to look at Xiao Xi.

“Why do you only say ‘yeah’?”

Xiao Xi was startled.

“…Yeah? Well, whatever Sister Shen Wei says is right…”

Shen Wei fell silent.

She turned back to watch the stage.

Chuxue stood in the third row, leaning against the wall.

She wasn’t holding black tea—she hadn’t brought any in today.

She just stood there, watching the person on stage.

Watching her raise her hand.

Her turn.

Her final pose.

Watching her ponytail swing up and fall, watching her skirt sway under the lights.

She watched for a minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Then—

She blinked.

***

Onstage.

Su Nian jumped into the second chorus:

Can’t run, just walk slowly

Can’t walk, just stand still

Wait for dawn, wait for the wind

Wait for that moment of courage to shout

She stood in the center of the stage, facing the empty audience.

Took a deep breath.

Then—

“You ask if I can—!”

Her voice was loud.

It hit the empty venue and echoed, hit and echoed, hit and echoed.

“I say—!”

Pause.

“You listen—!”

She finished, panting.

Her chest rose and fell.

Sweat dripped from her forehead onto the stage, like water dripping from a leaf.

***

Offstage.

Shen Wei was silent.

Xiao Xi was silent too.

Chuxue was still standing there, leaning against the wall, not moving.

Silence for three seconds.

Then Shen Wei spoke.

“…She really has improved a lot.”

Xiao Xi nodded.

Nodded firmly.

“Yes!”

This time it wasn’t “yeah.”

Shen Wei didn’t say anything.

She kept watching the person on stage.

Watching that person standing in the center of the stage, panting, sweat streaming down her face.

She watched for a long time.

Then said quietly.

“But it’s still not enough.”

***

Onstage.

Su Nian finished dancing.

She stood there, panting, waiting for the people offstage to speak.

Shen Wei stood up.

She propped her hands on the back of her chair and looked at the stage.

“Su Nian—!”

Su Nian looked at her.

“Huh?”

“You danced way better than last time—!”

Su Nian blinked.

The corners of her mouth started to lift.

“But—!”

The corners stopped.

“In the second chorus, those lines—’Can’t run, just walk slowly’—when you sang that, your movement was half a beat slow!”

Su Nian was stunned.

“See,” Shen Wei gestured from offstage, “here—at ‘can’t run,’ your hand went up late, so by ‘walk slowly,’ you were rushing to catch the beat, and your whole body was lunging forward—”

She stopped.

“Didn’t you feel it yourself?”

Su Nian stood in place.

Thought for a long time.

Then shook her head.

“…I didn’t feel it.”

Shen Wei sighed.

“I knew it.”

She sat back down.

Her two legs started swinging again.

Su Nian turned to Chuxue.

Chuxue was still standing there, leaning against the wall.

When she saw Su Nian looking at her, she shook her head gently.

Didn’t speak.

But that shake of the head, Su Nian understood.

Not enough.