Chapter 97: Team "L"
"How's your mom doing?" Teng Yi asked.
"She just had surgery two days ago and is still under observation." Speaking of his mother, the light in Han Zuo's eyes dimmed again.
"Then why did you come back?"
"My mom told me to."
The night before the surgery, Han Zuo received a call from Tian Cheng, who mentioned Zhou Xihe's departure and the current struggles of West Crew. Han Zuo was worried about Teng Yi and the others. He wanted to return, but he couldn’t bear to leave his mother.
His mother immediately noticed Han Zuo’s dilemma.
"Go," she told him. "I know my own body—I can handle it. Besides, your father is here with me. I’ll be fine. Those kids need you more than I do right now. Go back."
Han Zuo didn’t agree right away.
The more understanding his mother was, the harder it was for him to leave.
The next day, he spent the entire surgery in nervous anticipation. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.
When his mother woke up from anesthesia, she brought up his return to Liaocheng again.
"You should probably go back to school soon to end your leave. Don’t make things difficult for your uncle. And what about the street dance competition? Haven’t you always wanted to participate? This is a great opportunity. I don’t want to hold you back."
Han Zuo nodded with a smile, then stepped outside—only to hide in a quiet corner and cry his heart out. After wiping his tears, he rushed home, packed his bags, and booked a flight back to Liaocheng.
"Your mom is so thoughtful! She probably knew we’d fall apart without you!" Cai Hong exclaimed.
"If you needed me so badly, why didn’t you call?" Han Zuo asked.
"We wanted to…" Cai Hong glanced at Teng Yi and whispered, "But the boss wouldn’t let us."
"He didn’t want to disturb you and your mom, so he told us not to mention it," Xiao Qing explained.
"Yeah."
Han Zuo understood. Teng Yi was more considerate and thoughtful than anyone.
"Alright, it’s good that you’re back," Teng Yi said, patting Han Zuo’s shoulder. "We’re counting on you for the competition."
"Don’t thank me yet. Just so you know, this is my first competition—and a world-class one at that. If I chicken out or mess up, don’t beat me up, okay?" Han Zuo laughed.
"Who says we won’t?" Xiao Qing threw an arm around Han Zuo’s shoulders, half-joking, half-threatening. "If you dare back out, we’ll knock your teeth out—believe it!"
"Exactly! What’s there to be afraid of? We’ve got your back. Just dance your heart out!" Cai Hong chimed in.
Lin Shan nodded in agreement.
Teng Yi stretched out his hand, and the other four boys immediately placed theirs on top.
Win together.
Lose together.
"West Crew, let’s go!"
Han Zuo’s return brought hope back to West Crew, proving that while some people were fickle, others remained loyal.
After crying for days in her dorm, Jian Xiangxiang finally began to recover. Though her mood improved, the heartbreak had changed her. She was no longer the gossip-loving girl she once was—instead, she became quiet and introspective. In her free time, she stopped watching cheesy romance dramas and, inspired by Ruan Yu, started studying vocabulary and reading books with her.She said to Ruan Yu, "Ruan Ruan, although Zhou Xihe is a jerk, I've thought about it and he does have a point. Love can't put food on the table. I've always been too much of a romantic, living in a sweet girlish dream, treating my boyfriend as the sky, the earth, the very air I breathe, while neglecting myself. I stayed stagnant, making no progress, while he was yearning for higher and broader horizons. It was only a matter of time before he left me behind. Love should be between equals, like you and Teng Yi."
In Jian Xiangxiang's eyes, although Ruan Yu's family background was far inferior to Teng Yi's, her spiritual world had always been on equal footing with his. She had never lost herself in love. As Teng Yi progressed, so did Ruan Yu. She never had to worry about being left behind by Teng Yi because even without love, she still had herself.
Ruan Yu was right. As a woman, one should never prioritize love above all else. At any time, one should regard one's own abilities as the most important trump card.
Jian Xiangxiang only understood this now, but fortunately, it wasn't too late.
Thinking about it this way, it was truly fortunate to have encountered a jerk. Though she stumbled in love, her path in life suddenly became clear.
The day of the domestic qualifiers for the World Cup soon arrived.
That day, Ruan Yu went to the venue with Teng Yi and the others.
The venue was particularly lively, filled with men and women dressed in hip-hop fashion. Dreadlocks, rainbow-colored hair, tattoos, flashy gold and silver chains, ripped jeans, oversized clothes... Everyone passing by seemed to have one or two distinctive features. Yet this group of "oddballs" wearing what ordinary people would call "outlandish costumes" had come here with one belief—to represent China in the world, to win, to battle!
"Hey! Bro!"
"Hey! Yi!"
Wherever Teng Yi went, people came up to greet him. Following Teng Yi, Ruan Yu felt a bit like accompanying the king on his rounds.
After greeting Teng Yi, people would glance at her and give her a friendly smile.
According to Xiao Qing, Ruan Yu was now quite famous in the street dance circle. Many were curious about her, believing that the woman who could make Teng Yi willingly bow his head must be extraordinary.
Ruan Yu didn't think she was extraordinary at all. After being stared at so much, she even felt embarrassed and tried to hide behind Teng Yi.
Noticing her discomfort, Teng Yi pulled her in front of him.
"Little Fish, you're going to be a host in the future. How can you be so shy?"
"It's different."
"How is it different?"
"Right now, in others' eyes, I'm not Ruan Yu—I'm Teng Yi's girlfriend..."
"What's the difference?"
The difference was huge.
If she were Ruan Yu, she only needed to be herself.
But as Teng Yi's girlfriend, she had to perform better, so people wouldn't think, "Why did Teng Yi settle for such an ordinary girlfriend?"
Teng Yi understood Ruan Yu's thoughts.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You're overthinking it, Little Fish. You don't need to care about others' opinions or gazes—because you're Teng Yi's girlfriend."
Since she was Teng Yi's girlfriend, she only needed to care about him.
Just as he only cared about her.
--?--
The atmosphere at the qualifiers was electric.Several teams with later numbers had already started practicing outside, drawing a crowd that formed a circle around them, like a mini competition ground.
Xiyou drew number sixty-six, a mid-to-late position.
"Double sixes for smooth sailing—what a good omen. We're set!" Cai Hong said.
"I think so too. Last night, I dreamed of setting off firecrackers with my nephew. When I looked it up this morning, the internet said dreaming of firecrackers means good things are coming," Xiao Qing chimed in, joining the superstition.
Everyone laughed.
These words held no scientific basis and couldn’t be taken seriously, but before a competition, joking about such things served as a kind of self-encouragement, steadying morale.
As the group chatted, a familiar face suddenly appeared at the venue entrance.
It was Bi Chengjie.
Bi Chengjie had come to compete this time as part of a group with other trainees from his company. Although the Street Dance World Cup wasn’t particularly high-profile outside the street dance community, it still carried the banner of "bringing glory to the nation." Red Eagle Entertainment believed that sending their artists and trainees to such events would help them build their public personas in the future.
And so, Bi Chengjie and his juniors ended up here.
Dressed in borrowed high-end seasonal outfits—wrinkle-free and spotless—with meticulously styled hair that required shielding from even the slightest breeze, their heavy idol personas clashed starkly with the free-spirited, energetic atmosphere of the venue.
"Tch, is this guy’s face made of bulletproof material?" Xiao Qing sneered.
After the Red Eagle Street Dance Competition, Bi Chengjie’s reputation in the street dance scene had been thoroughly tarnished. Who would’ve thought he’d still have the nerve to show up at another dance event?
Some around them recognized Bi Chengjie, but no one greeted him—everyone kept their distance.
Bi Chengjie couldn’t care less about their attitudes. Now a minor celebrity in his own right, he couldn’t be bothered to associate with these nobodies.
"Well, well, look who it is. Bi Chengjie." A clear male voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Everyone, including Bi Chengjie, turned to look.
Five tall young men emerged from the venue. The one at the front wore a camouflage bomber jacket and a backward snapback, his narrow eyes brimming with boldness and defiance.
Bi Chengjie seemed to recognize him. The moment he saw the young man, his previously haughty expression vanished completely.
The young man strode toward Bi Chengjie, who quickly extended a hand in greeting—only for it to be ignored.
"You here to compete too?" the young man asked.
Bi Chengjie nodded eagerly. "Yes."
"Did your company pull some strings? Did they book you the championship or just runner-up this time?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, his teammates behind him burst into laughter.
Bi Chengjie flushed with embarrassment but didn’t dare retaliate, standing stiffly in silence.
The young man smirked, as if losing interest in the conversation. He walked past Bi Chengjie and headed straight for Teng Yi.
All eyes followed him, but he paid no mind—accustomed to the attention, as if born for it.
"Hey! Teng Yi!" The young man stopped in front of Teng Yi, his gaze roaming freely over him. "Long time no see. You changed your hairstyle."
"Yeah," Teng Yi replied with a grin. "Meeting the parents during Spring Festival—had to keep it proper.""Parents? Oh right, I heard you got yourself a top student girlfriend." The boy glanced at Ruan Yu standing beside Teng Yi and extended his hand toward her. "Pleasure to meet you, top student. I'm Luo Sheng."
Luo Sheng, son of Asian Dance King Luo Han, was a rising star in the street dance scene.
Both he and his father were particularly famous in the street dance community.
Everyone present knew Luo Sheng's identity, but Ruan Yu didn't. She looked at Teng Yi, and only after seeing his slight nod did she shake Luo Sheng's hand.
"Hello, I'm Ruan Yu."
Luo Sheng smiled and quickly released her hand, then turned to offer it to Teng Yi.
"Rare to run into you. We have to battle this time. Don't let me down—don't get eliminated in the preliminaries. See you in the finals."
"Deal! Finals it is!"
Teng Yi grasped Luo Sheng's hand firmly.
Their competitive spirit was evident, yet the look they exchanged remained friendly—a mutual respect between kindred spirits.
After greeting Teng Yi, Luo Sheng and his entourage soon left.
"Is he famous?" Ruan Yu asked softly, watching Luo Sheng's departing figure surrounded by his followers.
"Yeah. He's Luo Han's son."
"Luo Han?"
"The Asian Dance King. My idol."
"Have you ever met him?"
Teng Yi shook his head.
Someone like Luo Han wasn't easily accessible to ordinary people.
"Holy shit, this competition is next-level! Luo Sheng's here, and those guys behind him—they're all top dancers under Luo Han's label, right? What kind of god-tier team is this? All masters!" Cai Hong scratched the back of his head, both nervous and excited.
"All masters makes it more thrilling," Teng Yi said.
"Exactly. Better than having people like Bi Chengjie around. Those guys just drag the competition down."
"True that."
"Get ready. It's almost our turn."
Teng Yi extended his hand, and the other four placed theirs on top of his.
Ruan Yu watched them quietly. They paused, then all turned to look at her.
"Not going to cheer us on, top student?" Teng Yi winked at her.
Realizing, Ruan Yu quickly placed her hand on top of the pile.
Everyone laughed as their hands rose and fell together.
"Xi You! Go for it!"
--?--
The national qualifiers were packed with talent.
Xi You's total score in the preliminaries wasn't particularly high, barely squeezing into the top ten. In such a fierce competition, Bi Chengjie's team didn't even qualify as cannon fodder, eliminated early. Luo Sheng's "L" team, however, soared to the top with an overwhelming lead, becoming the dark horse of the qualifiers.
After the preliminaries came the top ten to top four elimination.
Before the battle, Teng Yi and his team holed up in the practice room every day, strategizing their approach. With three out of five members competing in solo battles, it was like the fable of Tian Ji's horse racing—choosing who to send and which dance style to perform required careful consideration. One misstep could mean defeat.
Xiao Qing and Han Zuo believed that since the top ten were evenly matched, the scores would be tight, and a tie in the final tally was almost inevitable. This meant the team captains would likely have to battle it out, so Teng Yi should conserve his energy and not compete initially.
This reasoning made sense, but without Teng Yi, they would lose their advantage in breaking.Among the five, Teng Yi was the most skilled in breaking, and breaking happened to be the most technically demanding dance style, making it the easiest to pull ahead in scoring.
"I'll go," Teng Yi decided.
"But what if—"
"If there's a 'what if,' I can handle it."
Teng Yi's confidence reassured his teammates.
In the end, the individual solo round for the top ten advancing to the top four was taken on by Teng Yi, Lin Shan, and Han Zuo.
The three lived up to expectations. Teng Yi scored high in breaking, while Lin Shan and Han Zuo delivered solid performances in hip-hop. However, in a competition filled with top-tier dancers, their total scores only placed them in the middle of the pack.
As everyone had anticipated, the results ended in a tie. But no one expected that this time, a full six teams would be tied in total score.
Luo Sheng's "L" team remained far ahead, securing the first advancement spot. Next, Black City's Universe team and Phoenix City's Wingman team took second and third place, respectively, also advancing. Ping City's Apple team, with the lowest score, was directly eliminated. The remaining six teams, including Journey to the West, were deadlocked and had to compete in a captain's battle for the single remaining advancement spot.
The captain's battle would be conducted in an arena match format. The captains would draw lots to determine the order, with the first one becoming the initial champion. The champion would then battle the other captains in the drawn order. If a challenging captain won, they would become the new champion. This would continue until all captains had competed, and the one who held the arena in the end would win.
In other words, the later the drawing order, the more advantageous it was for the competition.
"Number six, number six, number six... please be number six," Cai Hong clasped her hands together, eyes closed, silently praying. "If not six, then four or five is fine too. Just don't be in the top three."
Xiao Qing and the others stayed silent, but inwardly, they were praying just like Cai Hong.
But prayers didn't help. When Teng Yi revealed his number, Cai Hong and the others nearly fainted from despair.
Number one!
He was going first!
"Oh my god, what did the boss touch last night? His luck is terrible!" Cai Hong wailed.
"..."
Everyone was unsettled, but Teng Yi on stage showed little reaction. He simply shrugged, waved the number tag, and gave a self-deprecating smile.
The arena competition began immediately, giving the captains no time to adjust or rest.
"It's over. The boss already went once. I wonder if his stamina will hold?" Cai Hong fretted.
"Whether the boss's stamina is up to it, you'd have to ask his wife," Xiao Qing suddenly said, glancing at Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu, already nervous, didn't catch Xiao Qing's words clearly and nodded instinctively.
"He can! He can do it!"
The group burst into laughter.
Realizing what she'd just agreed to, Ruan Yu turned bright red instantly.
The tense atmosphere cracked open, letting in a breath of lighthearted air.
He could do it. He definitely could.
Everyone believed it without a doubt.
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