Chapter 96 - 96: Deal With It On Your Own

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

It was already evening.

The sun was setting.

The cool evening breeze greeted the girls.

The training camp was huge. It came with a garden and an artificial lake.

Lin Shanchu brought her groupmates to the pavilion next to the artificial lake.

She looked at the specks of lights in the distance before slowly saying, “We’ve been busy with training during this period of time. This is the first time we’ve sat down to rest peacefully.”

After a brief silence.

Groupmate A raised her head and exclaimed, “I don’t dare to rest at all! My parents took out their savings so that I could take dancing lessons. If I end up getting eliminated, I don’t know how to face them once I get back.”

Groupmate B agreed. “Me too. I just feel sorry for my parents. I’m under a lot of pressure right now…”

Groupmate C added, “When I came to participate in the show, my parents were very happy. They even told me that they would ask my relatives and friends to vote for me…”

Ning Yunxi also spoke up. “My parents look forward to me getting eliminated so that I can return home to raise pigs with them. They think it’s too hard to enter the entertainment industry. When I wanted to join the show, they were against it…”

Groupmates A, B, and C comforted her. “Your situation is quite miserable. At least our parents support us…”

“I’m different. My parents passed away when I was six years old,” Lin Shanchu said calmly.

Everyone was speechless.

Lin Shanchu was even worse off.

It couldn’t be compared.

“But you have a fiancé,” said groupmate A.

“You’ll be the wife of the CEO of the Lu Corporation,” groupmate B added. Groupmate C nodded. “That’s right. What’s there for you to be sad about?” Lin Shanchu’s tone was still very calm. “Do you think Lu Shiyuan loves me?”

The groupmates thought about the love-hate relationship between Lin Shanchu, Lu Shiyuan, and Tang Qidai.

In the years before this, Lin Shanchu, also known as Lu Shiyuan’s official fiancée, was like an outsider compared to Tang Qidai.

Her groupmates fell silent.

Lin Shanchu was really pitiful.

Her parents were dead, and her fiancé didn’t love her.

Her life seemed bright and beautiful on the outside, but in reality, she had nothing.

Lin Shanchu sighed slightly.

She looked at them with envy. “I really envy all of you. No matter what happens, your parents will always be there to protect you. They will love you unconditionally.”

Her groupmate agreed. “That’s true.”

Lin Shanchu continued, “Even if you are unfortunately eliminated in the end, your parents will be proud of your outstanding performance on the stage.”

Her groupmates looked at each other, and their expressions changed slightly.

“Since you’re already on the elimination list, why not fight with your back against the cliff without any distractions? If you’re lucky enough to advance, that means the audience recognizes your ability. If you fail, your parents will still be proud of you, right?”

Lin Shanchu laughed in a low voice. The disappointment was apparent in her laughter. “I no longer have the chance to make my parents proud.”

She sat at the edge of the pavilion, the breeze blowing her hair. A trace of melancholy was present on her fair face under the shroud of the night sky.

It was exceptionally moving.

Her groupmates were a little moved.

Ning Yunxi burst into tears. “Big Sister, don’t be sad. You still have us. Waaaa…” Lin Shanchu’s groupmates also comforted her as well.

“That’s right. Let’s go back and practice a little more. We have to perform well tomorrow even if we have to risk our lives.”

“You have to adjust your mentality and perform well tomorrow. At least you can get the audience’s approval, right?”

“Let’s work hard together…”

Lin Shanchu’s groupmates began to comfort her.

She lowered her eyes to hide the smile that shone within the depths of her pupils.

Human nature was evil.

The human heart was kind.

Most people sympathized with the weak.

When necessary, moderate pitifulness and weakness could decrease the distance between people in a very short time.

“I wanted to enlighten you, but I didn’t expect to be enlightened by you.” Lin Shanchu raised her head while looking very sincere.

She had deliberately acted pitiful just now.

But what she said was also true.

If her parents were still alive, she would also be the apple of their eyes.

There was no need for her to live under someone else’s roof. She didn’t have to go through Lu Shiyuan’s torture, and she didn’t have to go through everything that was happening to her. She really envied her groupmates.

“Let’s drop the topic. It’s time to eat.”

Lin Shanchu’s groupmates, who had been in low spirits when they first went out to the garden, were all talking and laughing when they returned.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, Lin Shanchu immediately noticed Yun Wu, who was looking around.

“Shanshan.”

Yun Wu had also seen Lin Shanchu leading her groupmates out of the building.

She guessed that they might be having a heart-to-heart talk.

However, Yun Wu was still a little worried when she did not see Lin Shanchu return after a long time.

“Let’s eat first. We’ll talk later.” Lin Shanchu said a few words to Yun Wu before heading off to eat with her groupmates.

Yun Wu saw that Lin Shanchu’s groupmates were all talking and laughing. They seemed to be in good spirits, so she was slightly relieved.

Yun Wu’s groupmates watched Lin Shanchu and the others leave before they started whispering to each other.

“Lin Shanchu’s group should be fine tomorrow, right?”

“Although there was a problem during the rehearsal, there’s a chance they could perform exceptionally well during the official performance.”

“Then again, ‘Death of the Universe’ is quite difficult…”

They knew of the relationship Yun Wu shared with Lin Shanchu, so they didn’t dare to be straightforward with their speculations.

Initially, everyone was curious about Lin Shanchu’s group.

However, they were no longer curious after the rehearsal.

The performance was even worse than they expected.

Even if Lin Shanchu was an actual god, it was impossible for her to influence her groupmates to perform better than usual in just one night.

Lin Shanchu sat down with her teammates after getting her food.

As soon as she sat down, a groupmate gave her some food.

“You should eat more.”

“This prawn looks quite fresh…”

All five of Lin Shanchu’s groupmates gave her some food each, resulting in the food of her plate resembling a small mountain. Lin Shanchu began to reflect on herself.

Was she too good at acting pitiful?

“I haven’t eaten yet, so my chopsticks are still clean.” Her groupmates thought that Lin Shanchu was concerned about hygiene.

Sometimes, it was hard for people to reject the kindness of others.

Lin Shanchu smiled and said, “Thank you…”

Under the motherly gazes of her groupmates, Lin Shanchu finished all the food they had given her.

Since she started the whole pitiful act, she had to deal with it on her own.

After dinner, Lin Shanchu brought her teammates back to the training room to practice again.

Everyone’s mentality had changed.

After their condition improved, their cooperation became more tacit. Wen Tongtong, who hadn’t spoken much, commented excitedly, “I feel better than before!”

“I danced instinctively…” Ning Yunxi was so excited that she wanted to cry again.

“Don’t cry!” Groupmates A, B, and C hollered at the same time.

Ning Yunxi immediately shut up. The moment she blinked, tears rolled down her cheeks.

“1…1 can’t control myself.”

Groupmates A, B, and C sighed. “Forget it. As long as you dance well tomorrow and don’t drag Lin Shanchu down, you can cry all you want.”

“All right!” Ning Yunxi agreed.

Wen Tongtong, who had never liked Ning Yunxi, also patted her on the shoulder. “Good luck!”

Lin Shanchu was puzzled.

Did she become the group’s favorite by acting pitiful? Lin Shanchu looked at the time. “It’s nine o’clock. Time for bed.”

“But it’s only nine o’clock!” Everyone else protested.

Lin Shanchu smiled. “You’ve all practiced very well. Keep this up and rest early. You’ll be in your best form for the showdown tomorrow..”