Chapter 95: The Dream of Stardom
After Valentine's Day, Teng Yi became even more attentive toward Ruan Yu. The two had crossed the final boundary, and their relationship grew more intimate—but intimacy did not mean indulgence.
Ruan Yu knew her limits, and Teng Yi even more so.
His self-control was exceptional, and most of his energy was devoted to street dance.
The biennial Street Dance World Cup was approaching.
The Street Dance World Cup was an internationally renowned competition held every two years. The organizers had set up seven regional qualifiers across South Korea, Japan, the United States, Singapore, France, Germany, and China. Before the World Cup finals, each country would hold its own qualifiers, with the winning team representing their nation in the finals hosted by the designated country, competing against other national teams for the world championship. From the national qualifiers to the finals—a battle among seven nations—the entire tournament spanned two months. This year, the host country was Germany.
The World Cup was the ultimate dream for every street dancer because, on this stage, competitors represented not just themselves but their country.
Victory here meant the highest honor.
Two years ago, when the Xiyou Street Dance Crew was first established, Teng Yi had already discussed with his teammates that if things went well, they would strive to compete for a spot in the World Cup this year.
Now, they were finally taking that step.
To attract talent, the registration requirements for the domestic qualifiers were not overly strict. Any Chinese citizen with a valid legal identity, aged 12 or above (those under 18 required parental accompaniment), could participate.
Contestants had to form teams of five, and the more diverse the dance styles each team member excelled in, the greater their advantage in the competition.
The preliminary rounds followed a scoring elimination system. Among all participating teams nationwide, the top ten with the highest scores would advance to the top ten.
The next round, narrowing ten teams down to four, would be based on solo performances. Each team would send three members to showcase their individual skills—whether in hip-hop, popping, locking, or breaking—with professional judges scoring them. The cumulative scores of the three members would determine the top four teams. In case of a tie, the team captains would engage in an overtime battle—a freestyle showdown with any dance style of their choice. The winning captain’s team would secure the advancement spot.
The final four would compete in a themed group dance round. Each team would choreograph a performance based on a self-selected theme, lasting three to five minutes. Judging criteria included creativity and technique, though the dance styles had to remain within street dance categories—otherwise, judges had the authority to disqualify participants.
The preliminaries were scheduled for early March.
Though there were still two weeks left, the boys of Xiyou were already brimming with excitement. They named their team the "Xiyou Crew" and eagerly counted down the days until the competition began.
As the captain, Teng Yi not only familiarized himself with the rules and strategized but also supervised his teammates' training. After all, this wasn’t just some casual competition—the qualifiers would gather the most elite street dancers from across China. Any carelessness could mean failing to clear even the preliminary round.
Compared to Teng Yi’s cautious approach, Xiao Qing appeared far more confident."Don't worry, Captain. As long as the five of us are united, there's nothing we can't achieve. This time, we'll definitely make it to the international stage!"
Five hearts as one.
Easier said than done.
Because among them, someone had already secretly begun to harbor disloyalty.
That person was Zhou Xihe.
--?--
The first to notice something off about Zhou Xihe was Jian Xiangxiang.
"Not replying to my messages again! Zhou Xihe, you absolute jerk, aaaaaaah!" Jian Xiangxiang clutched her phone and wailed dramatically in the dorm room.
Chen Manbai and Xia Qiaofeng both turned to look at her.
Ruan Yu, who had been listening to an English broadcast with her headphones on, was also disturbed by Jian Xiangxiang's volume and reluctantly took them off.
"Did you two have a fight?" Xia Qiaofeng asked.
"I wish we had! At least then I'd know the reason. But now he's just ignoring me out of nowhere! Tell me, has this jerk found someone else?"
"How would we know? Don’t you have any idea yourself?" Chen Manbai said, painting her toenails.
"I haven’t seen him in ages! How am I supposed to know? By telepathy?"
"Didn’t you spend Valentine’s Day together?"
"Nope."
"Tsk tsk, then you can hardly call yourselves a couple." Chen Manbai pointed at Ruan Yu. "Look at Ruan Ruan—red roses, concerts, staying out all night… By the way, Ruan Ruan, be honest, did you and Teng Yi actually… that night?"
"Stop." Ruan Yu quickly made a "stop" gesture. "Manman, don’t change the subject. We’re talking about Xiangxiang’s problem right now."
"I’m just curious if you and Teng Yi have made any real progress."
"Well, have you and Lin Shan made any real progress?" Xia Qiaofeng teased from the side.
"Pfft, what can you expect from that blockhead? Whether we make any progress depends entirely on me."
Ruan Yu and Xia Qiaofeng exchanged glances and said in unison, "Ooooh, 'we.'"
Chen Manbai raised an eyebrow and smirked smugly.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Jian Xiangxiang yelled indignantly. "Have you no sympathy? I’m practically dying here, and none of you are comforting me!"
"Xiangxiang, don’t overthink it. They’re about to compete—maybe he’s just busy training," Ruan Yu quickly reassured her.
"Hmph! He’s not that diligent!" Jian Xiangxiang threw her phone onto her bed, her expression a mix of disappointment and resentment. "No, I’m going to find him tomorrow! Whether we live or die or break up, he’d better give me a straight answer!"
The next day, Jian Xiangxiang really skipped class to look for Zhou Xihe.
She had just arrived at the boys’ dorm when she saw Zhou Xihe rushing out of the main entrance.
Zhou Xihe didn’t notice Jian Xiangxiang. He was on the phone as he hurried to the back gate to hail a taxi, seemingly in a rush to get somewhere. Overcome by curiosity, Jian Xiangxiang couldn’t resist and flagged down another taxi to follow him.
And that’s how she stumbled upon something big.
Zhou Xihe went to a grand hotel called "Guomao." The place was dazzlingly luxurious, clearly far beyond the standard star ratings.
Jian Xiangxiang stared as Zhou Xihe walked into the hotel with practiced ease. She wanted to follow him inside but hesitated, feeling that such a place wasn’t somewhere an ordinary college student like her could just barge into.
After a moment of indecision, she still didn’t dare enter.
"Help me out here.""I'm at the entrance of the International Trade Grand Hotel on Hanbo Road, shivering. Who's coming to keep me company?"
Jian Xiangxiang sent two messages in the dorm group chat.
"What are you doing there?" Chen Manbai asked.
"Catching a cheater."
"In broad daylight? What kind of affair are you catching?"
"Don’t ask. If you’re my sisters, come be with me. I’m really scared."
--?--
Twenty minutes later, a taxi pulled up to the hotel entrance with the other three dormmates inside.
Jian Xiangxiang was crouched behind a flower bed, looking both furtive and slightly disheveled. The moment she saw her dorm sisters, it was as if she’d been reunited with long-lost family. She lunged forward and pulled all three into a hug.
"Thank you! I didn’t think you’d all actually come!" She was on the verge of tears.
"Aren’t you here to catch a cheater? The more people, the more imposing we’ll look," Chen Manbai said. "So what’s the situation now?"
"I saw Zhou Xihe go inside."
"Alone?"
"Yeah."
"Then what are you catching? A solo rendezvous with his right hand?"
Chen Manbai’s joke was too fast for Ruan Yu and Xia Qiaofeng to keep up.
"I suspect Zhou Xihe is being kept by a sugar mommy," Jian Xiangxiang said.
"A sugar mommy?" The girls exchanged glances.
"Otherwise, how could he afford a place this fancy?"
Zhou Xihe’s family was fairly average, but he had a strong sense of pride—his clothes, food, and lifestyle had to be top-tier, never falling behind others. As a result, he lived exhaustively, sometimes even taking secret part-time jobs to maintain his expenses.
Jian Xiangxiang hadn’t known this before they started dating. Only afterward did she realize how "poor" Zhou Xihe really was.
It wasn’t poverty of the wallet, but of the heart.
But what could she do? He was her first love.
She liked him—first drawn to his looks, then even his stubborn pride and hidden insecurities.
"So what now?" Xia Qiaofeng asked.
"We wait."
Yes, there was no other option. They couldn’t just storm the hotel, even with numbers on their side.
No one knew which room Zhou Xihe was in, who he was with, or what he was doing.
Barging in wouldn’t end well—they might even end up in legal trouble.
The four of them relocated from behind the flower bed to a bench near a trash can, taking turns keeping watch in pairs.
The International Trade Hotel was one of Liaocheng’s top-tier establishments, frequented by well-dressed elites. A place like this was worlds away from ordinary college students.
So why was Zhou Xihe here?
The answer came an hour later.
An hour after that, Zhou Xihe emerged from the hotel with a woman.
She was slender and tall, her coat swaying with each step, radiating confidence.
"Why does that woman look so familiar?" Jian Xiangxiang rubbed her eyes, feeling like she’d seen her somewhere before.
"Wang Yuling," Ruan Yu recognized her instantly.
"Wang Yuling? Why does that name sound so familiar…" Jian Xiangxiang paused for a few seconds. "The woman who gave Teng Yi her business card? The talent scout from Duoguo?"
Ruan Yu nodded.
"Why is she with Zhou Xihe?" Jian Xiangxiang cried out.
Ruan Yu wanted to know too. Just days ago, at Hou Ming’s concert, Wang Yuling had seemed very interested in Teng Yi. Had she already switched targets?
"Hey, hey, hey! They’re linking arms! They’re linking arms!" Chen Manbai nudged Jian Xiangxiang urgently.Everyone followed Chen Manbai's gaze and saw Wang Yuling intimately holding onto Zhou Xihe's arm. She leaned close to his ear, whispering something that made Zhou Xihe nod obediently.
"Disgusting! That old hag is disgusting! Zhou Xihe is disgusting too!" Jian Xiangxiang's eyes reddened, her voice trembling with tears.
"Xiangxiang..."
Before her roommates could analyze the situation, Jian Xiangxiang, fueled by anger, bolted out of her seat.
"Xiangxiang!"
Jian Xiangxiang suddenly leaped in front of Wang Yuling and Zhou Xihe.
Seeing the situation escalate, Ruan Yu and the others quickly chased after her, afraid Jian Xiangxiang might do something reckless in her fury.
Zhou Xihe froze when he saw Jian Xiangxiang's furious, reddened eyes and the group trailing behind her.
Wang Yuling, however, was sharp. The moment she spotted Jian Xiangxiang, she guessed the situation. Yet she remained composed, releasing Zhou Xihe's arm and crossing hers, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Xiangxiang, what are you doing here?" Zhou Xihe asked.
"Shouldn’t that be my question?" Jian Xiangxiang turned her glare to Wang Yuling beside him. "What are you doing with this woman in a hotel? What are you two doing here in broad daylight?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Zhou Xihe flustered, glancing at Wang Yuling. "Ling-jie, I’m sorry. She’s like this—speaks without thinking. Please don’t take it to heart."
"Girlfriend?" Wang Yuling sized up Jian Xiangxiang.
Zhou Xihe fell silent.
"Yes, girlfriend!" Jian Xiangxiang raised her voice. "I am his girlfriend!"
Wang Yuling arched a brow and patted Zhou Xihe’s shoulder.
"Young love and flings—I get it. But you should know your limits. Don’t let today’s recklessness become tomorrow’s scandal."
The words sounded familiar.
Ruan Yu recalled Wang Yuling saying the first half to Teng Yi before.
Back then, Teng Yi had taken her hand and walked away.
But Zhou Xihe’s reaction was the complete opposite.
"I understand, Ling-jie." Zhou Xihe nodded obediently.
Wang Yuling gave his shoulder a satisfied pat before turning to leave.
Jian Xiangxiang trembled with rage.
"Zhou Xihe, don’t you owe me an explanation?"
Zhou Xihe shot an impatient look at Jian Xiangxiang and the three bystanders.
"Come with me."
With that, he strode toward the hotel plaza.
Jian Xiangxiang glanced at her roommates, eyes still red, then followed.
Chen Manbai disliked Zhou Xihe’s attitude and worried Jian Xiangxiang might get bullied. She wanted to go after them but was held back by Ruan Yu and Xia Qiaofeng.
"Let them sort it out themselves," Ruan Yu said.
Chen Manbai hesitated but finally nodded.
Love was like a battlefield—once entered, it became a duel between two. Whether they fought or reconciled, outsiders had no right to interfere.
Zhou Xihe didn’t stop until they reached the empty plaza center. Jian Xiangxiang, unable to react in time, bumped into his shoulder, making her already sore nose sting even more.
She felt wronged.
But Zhou Xihe seemed even more aggrieved than her.
"Jian Xiangxiang, what the hell? You brought all these people to ambush me? Have you no shame? If you don’t, I do!"
"You have shame, yet you’re here with an old woman?""Ugh!" Zhou Xihe was thoroughly annoyed. "What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you grow up a little? Must you always be so vulgar?"
"Fine, then tell me, what are you doing at a hotel with her?"
"I don’t have time for this nonsense."
"What kind of attitude is that? Are you trying to break up with me?"
"Fine, let’s break up!" Zhou Xihe snapped without hesitation, as if the thought had been brewing for a long time, just waiting for this moment to be spoken.
Jian Xiangxiang’s tears spilled uncontrollably.
From the very beginning of their relationship, their friends had been skeptical. Some said Zhou Xihe was a careless flirt, his wandering eyes making him completely unreliable. Others warned that in relationships where the woman pursued the man, the beginning depended on her, but the future rested on him—if the man had no conscience, it would never end well… Jian Xiangxiang had never taken these words to heart. She believed that if she loved him hard enough, she would surely be rewarded.
Now, it seemed she was wrong—dead wrong.
"Zhou Xihe, did you never actually like me?"
"What’s the point of liking someone? After graduation, are we supposed to cling to each other and starve?" Zhou Xihe’s calmness was utterly chilling.
"Then what can that woman give you?"
"She can give me my dream of stardom!"
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