USF Chapter 7: Put On Some Lip Balm

The camera paused in front of Lin Ye’s face. Jiang Lian let go of him, casually placing a hand on his shoulder like they were good buddies.

The trainee craned his neck expectantly from behind the camera crew, asking, “Did you find anything?”

Lin Ye pretended not to hear, lowering his head to put on his shoes while discreetly glancing at Jiang Lian. The latter met his gaze without a change in expression, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his lips. Yet his eyes remained cold.

Squatting down to tie his shoelaces, Lin Ye quietly calculated the scores from both last night’s incident and the one just now. Without changing his expression, he lifted his chin defiantly towards Jiang Lian, baring a faint, unyielding smile, out of the camera’s sight.

Jiang Lian’s face froze briefly, but he raised his eyebrows, not showing much surprise. He even took the initiative to hold Lin Ye’s hand, pulling him up from the ground.

As he stood up, Lin Ye suddenly changed his mind.

He turned to face the camera, spreading his empty palms. “I didn’t find anything.”

The trainees who had been watching the commotion let out disappointed sighs, turning their attention to Ming Rang’s side. However, Ming Rang’s bed also yielded no electronic devices, and the trainees started clamoring to search the luggage.

The staff dismissed the crowd, citing that luggage was personal property. After finishing the basic filming procedure, the crew left with the cameras.

Lin Ye and Xia Dongchan didn’t linger either, leaving without a word.

That afternoon, the dance instructor came to assess the trainees’ progress. Everyone obediently stayed in the practice room. The instructor for Class D was Shen PD, who evaluated each trainee’s dance performance, calling Lin Ye out alone before leaving.

Without saying the destination, Shen PD walked ahead. Lin Ye didn’t ask about it either, only following in silence, passing the Class C and Class B practice rooms until they finally stopped outside the Class A room.

Inside, the instructor was evaluating Class A’s dance. None of the trainees noticed them outside. After a while, Shen PD asked, “What do you think of Class A’s dance skills?”

Lin Ye fixed his gaze on Jiang Lian, who stood at the center.

Although he had already witnessed Jiang Lian’s skills during the initial evaluation, seeing him dance for the second time still stirred a sense of shock within him.

Everyone was wearing the same clothes, performing the same moves, stepping on the same beats. Yet, only Jiang Lian made him feel that every beat of his heart within his chest carried an unprecedented force.

It was as if his heart, at this very moment, was also keeping in time with the music in the classroom, beating in sync with Jiang Lian.

There were many senior dancers in the industry who could leave people in awe, and some were undeniably stronger than Jiang Lian. Yet, the sense of impact Jiang Lian brought him was different from that of anyone else.

As for what made it different, Lin Ye couldn’t quite put it into words.

Suppressing the odd feeling, rather than saying it was very good, he replied “Remarkably good.”

Shen PD nodded and walked toward the open-air balcony at the end of the corridor.

Just a step behind, Lin Ye followed and saw Shen PD turning to face him under the sunlight, her smile reminiscent of their first evaluation. “Lin Ye, I have a very deep impression of you. Your skills shouldn’t be in Class D.You can reach even greater heights. “

Shen PD said, “Your foundation and basics aren’t inferior to those of Class A, but your attitude toward the stage is worlds apart. No matter how strong your skills are, it can’t make up for that.”

She beckoned him over. “Come here.”

Lin Ye slowly walked into the sunlight.

“Doesn’t it feel good to bask in the sun? To us, the stage is like sunlight,” Shen PD said solemnly. “Lin Ye, you only have two choices, either shine brightly on stage or leave. If you can’t ignite your own passion on stage, there’s no need to wait until you get eliminated, you might as well go now.”

She continued, “There’s no point wasting your time here. You could be doing many other things instead. Besides, to those who are still waiting for their chance, you are squandering and trampling on what they long for.”

Lin Ye left the balcony only when his forehead was heated by the sun. As he pushed open the balcony door, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Lian leaning against the wall, head lowered. Lin Ye froze, then cleared his throat as if regaining his voice after a long time. “When did you get here?”

Jiang Lian lifted his eyes and spoke calmly, “This is the camera’s blind spot.”

Lin Ye’s eyes fell on the object in Jiang Lian’s hand, squinting slightly as he confidently stated, “You’re hiding a phone.”

Jiang Lian didn’t deny it. “So what if Im hiding a phone?”

“Don’t you know the consequences?” Lin Ye raised a brow. “Last time a trainee got caught with a second phone, they lost credits. If credit deductions reach ten points, you’ll be dismissed. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?”

Jiang Lian replied nonchalantly, “Go ahead if you want.”

Lin Ye fell silent.

After a while, he seemed to release a long breath, his shoulders slumping slightly. In a low voice, he said, “Lend me your phone, and I won’t report you.”

Jiang Lian didn’t immediately agree or refuse. “Who are you calling?”

Lin Ye hesitated. “My family.”

Jiang Lian said, “I heard someone did not participate in the recording on the night the production team arranged for trainees to call their families.”

Lin Ye frowned at him.

“If it’s your company you’re contacting, there’s no need,” Jiang Lian said, toying with the phone. “Shen PD was right. By staying here half-heartedly, you’re wasting what others dream of.”

Lin Ye tapped his toes on the ground, his tone calm but laced with a stubborn edge. “Getting this chance also meant giving up something else.”

“Is it really that difficult to calculate gains and losses?” Jiang Lian’s expression remained indifferent, his voice carrying a hint of coldness. “Originally, you had both your left hand and right hand. Now that you’ve lost your left hand, why don’t you hold on to your right hand properly? Are you going to wait until both hands are gone before regretting it?”

Stunned, Lin Ye raised his head and saw Jiang Lian frowning at him, asking, “How old are you?”

Jiang Lian frowned. “If we’re not counting birthdays, nineteen.”

Jiang Lian put away his phone and walked off. “Think it over.”

Lin Ye remained rooted, conflicted, before rushing forward to grab Jiang Lian’s arm. “Help me with the dance details.”

Jiang Lian paused, turning back. “What did you say?”

Lin Ye met his gaze, arching a brow. “Help me with the details, or I’ll report—”

Before he could finish.

Jiang Lian pressed a finger to his lips.

Lin Ye’s words came to an abrupt halt.

Jiang Lian moved closer, his voice low and deep: “The surveillance can pick up sound.”

Lin Ye snapped back to his senses and nodded silently.

The finger pressed against his mouth lifted slightly, only to rest against his jaw the next second. Jiang Lian raised his chin, his gaze sweeping past his lips.

Then, he let go and concisely stated, “You should put on some lip balm.”

Lin Ye’s expression stiffened.

It wasn’t until Jiang Lian’s figure disappeared from sight that he belatedly raised a fingertip to rub his dry, chapped lower lip.