Chen Jiao only snapped out of her shock after Lin Xue finished her dance.
Without a second thought for the USB drive she had dropped, she rushed over to Lin Xue, grabbed her tightly, and asked with great emotion, "What was that dance you just did? Where did you learn it?"
Lin Xue was startled and replied, "I just performed the dance Zhao Yuan taught me. I honestly don't know its name."
"Cloud Flying Immortal," Zhao Yuan chimed in.
"Cloud Flying Immortal? What a name for it! That graceful, flowing form, that elegant, ethereal aura... it truly is as beautiful and mysterious as a Yaochi Fairy..." Chen Jiao praised with heartfelt admiration. But then it hit her, and she exclaimed, "Wait, Xuexue, what did you say? This is the dance he just taught you? How is that possible!"
It was no wonder Chen Jiao found it unbelievable. She had just seen Zhao Yuan's dancing with her own eyes, and it was truly horrendous. It was a world apart from the dance Lin Xue had performed!
Lin Xue let out a small laugh. She completely understood Chen Jiao's current state of shock; she had been there herself just a moment ago.
"It really is the dance Zhao Yuan just taught. If you don't believe me, look at these moves. Aren't they very similar to what he did before?" Lin Xue said, demonstrating a few of the movements Chen Jiao had seen Zhao Yuan perform.
Chen Jiao was a dance prodigy, after all. Although the short piece Lin Xue performed was a world apart from Zhao Yuan's versionâlike heaven and earthâshe could still see many commonalities.
"I never would have thought... I really never would have thought," Chen Jiao said with a shake of her head and a sigh, after a moment of stunned silence.
For one, she was lamenting how she had misjudged so badly, mistaking a masterpiece like Cloud Flying Immortal for a terrible dance. For another, she was marveling at Zhao Yuan's ability to take such a wonderful dance and perform it so horribly. A talent like that was truly in a league of its own!
"Jiaojiao, what do you think of the Cloud Flying Immortal Dance?" Lin Xue asked.
Although she felt the dance was incredible, she wasn't sure just how incredible it was and could only ask Chen Jiao. After all, her good friend and classmate was the professional.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Jiao's expression grew solemn. She spoke slowly, "It is the pinnacle of classical dance! No, not just classical dance! Among all forms of dance, it is the highest peak! It is the Mount Everest of the dance world!"
Lin Xue sucked in a sharp breath, shocked. "Jiaojiao, you're joking, right?"
"I never joke when it comes to dance!" Chen Jiao said seriously. "To call the Cloud Flying Immortal Dance 'earth-shattering' is not an exaggeration in the slightest! I believe it will stun the entire global dance community, drive them wild, and make them worship it as the Bible of their world! Chinese-style classical dance is about to enter an era of explosive growth!"
Lin Xue's jaw dropped. She had never imagined the Cloud Flying Immortal Dance held such a lofty position in Chen Jiao's mind. Zhao Yuan, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm after hearing Chen Jiao's critique.
Because he knew the true origin of the Cloud Flying Immortal Dance.
'This was a dance created by a Fairy; even Wu Peng was captivated by it. How could its charm be anything but extraordinary?'
Her critique finished, Chen Jiao suddenly remembered something and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Lin Xue quickly asked.
"To get my teacher."
As she ran toward the studio door, Chen Jiao called back over her shoulder, "For the past few years, my teacher has been dedicated to researching and creating Chinese-style classical dances. I'm sure this Cloud Flying Immortal will make her go absolutely wild. If I don't tell her about this right away, she'll kill me when she finds out later! Xuexue, Zhao, you two wait here. Don't you dare leave before I get back with my teacher!"
"Wait!" Lin Xue called out.
Chen Jiao waved a hand dismissively. "No time to wait! Whatever it is, we can talk after I get back with my teacher!"
"No, in front of youâwatch out!" Lin Xue yelled, but it was too late. With a loud THUD, Chen Jiao ran right into the wall next to the studio door.
"I was trying to tell you that you were running off course... right into the wall..." Lin Xue said, her expression a picture of resignation.
Chen Jiao rubbed her throbbing head. Good heavens, she'd actually raised a small, bluish bump.
But she couldn't be bothered with that right now; getting her teacher was the priority. So, clutching her head, she started running again, dashing out of the dance studio in a flash.
Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue stared blankly after her departing figure for a long moment.
Zhao Yuan was the first to snap out of it. He clapped his hands together and said, "Shall we continue practicing?"
"Yes!" Lin Xue nodded emphatically.
After hearing Chen Jiao's critique of Cloud Flying Immortal, Lin Xue made a silent resolution: she had to master this dance!
'Without a doubt, as the first person to perform Cloud Flying Immortal, I'm destined to leave a significant mark on the history of dance, to be remembered for generations to come! Maybe one day, I'll even be a famous figure in textbooks! How can I not be excited? How can I not give it my absolute all?'
But at the same time, she was filled with curiosity and couldn't resist asking, "Zhao Yuan, where on earth did you get this Cloud Flying Immortal Dance?"
"I already told you, didn't I? I choreographed it myself," Zhao Yuan replied.
Lin Xue was skeptical. "But you can't even dance properly. How could you possibly choreograph something so incredible?"
"Because I'm a genius!" Zhao Yuan laughed, boasting without a shred of shame.
"Show-off!" Lin Xue scoffed. She didn't press the matter and began practicing in earnest.
More than ten minutes later, the door to the dance studio was pushed open. Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue thought Chen Jiao had returned, but when they turned to look, they saw a young person in their early twenties. They had a slender figure, flowing long hair, and a long black case slung across their back.
After entering, the person didn't speak, merely looking Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue up and down.
"Excuse me, miss, who are you looking for?" Zhao Yuan asked politely.
The person's face instantly darkened. They grumbled in displeasure, "Open your eyes and take a good look. Do I look like a 'miss'?"
"Uh..." Zhao Yuan scratched his head. "I can't exactly call you 'little miss' either, can I? I'm only a freshman. How about just 'classmate'?"
"'Little miss' my ass!" the person fumed. "I'm a dude! A hundred-percent dude!"
"Huh?" Zhao Yuan was dumbfounded.
'This person with the flowing black hair, graceful and slender figure, and high-pitched, sharp voice... was actually a dude?'
'Holy crap,' he thought. 'No wonder that saying has been going around lately: "Someone that cute must be a girl." Turns out it's actually based on real life.'
Surprised as he was, Zhao Yuan quickly apologized. "My bad, my bad, I'm just blind." Then he added, "Are you... uh... senior... here for Chen Jiao? She just stepped out."
Calling him "senior" felt incredibly awkward.