“Teng Yi! Teng Yi! Teng Yi!”
Though there were five performers on stage, the audience unanimously chanted just one name. Ruan Yu guessed that Teng Yi must be the one with dreadlocks standing in the center. Since ancient times, the most popular always took the center position—an unwritten rule.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, the five performers scrambled their positions, with Teng Yi moving from center to the back. Yet even from the rear position, his presence remained impossible to ignore.
“Ruan Ruan, look, on the far right—that’s Zhou Xihe, the one I mentioned in the dorm yesterday afternoon,” Jian Xiangxiang pointed to the rightmost performer.
“I wasn’t in the dorm yesterday afternoon.”
“Huh?” Jian Xiangxiang froze for a moment.
Realizing she’d created an awkward moment, Ruan Yu quickly changed the subject: “They’re all dressed the same and wearing masks. How can you tell who’s who?”
“Oh, that? Look at their clothes.” Jian Xiangxiang tugged at Ruan Yu’s clothes, gesturing toward the hem. “See that spot on the hem? It’s embroidered with their name initials. Teng Yi is T, Xiao Qing is X, Zhou Xihe is Z, Lin Shan is L, and Cai Hong is C.”
Ruan Yu looked closer—there were indeed letters on the hems of their hoodies, but the distance and their rapid movements made them impossible to read clearly.
“You know all of them?” she asked.
“You don’t?”
“How would I?”
“They’re the five legends from the Journey West Dance Crew. Everyone on campus knows them.”
Ruan Yu pressed her lips together, wondering when she’d been excluded from this “everyone.”
“Actually…” Jian Xiangxiang leaned close to Ruan Yu’s ear, her face flushed, “I know a bit more than others because Zhou Xihe is my boyfriend.”
“When did you—”
“Shh, keep it low-key,” Jian Xiangxiang interrupted with a sweet smile. “Let’s watch the performance first. I’ll tell you the details later.”
Ruan Yu nodded and returned her attention to the stage.
The dance was reaching its peak. The music’s rhythm alternated between sudden downpours and gentle breezes, while the dancers moved with perfect control. Their precise timing and synchronized movements created a powerful visual impact rooted in youth and vitality.
During the latter half of the performance, Teng Yi stepped forward for a breaking sequence. His rapid ground movements and various freeze poses left the audience dizzy with amazement.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
The auditorium erupted in screams and excitement.
Breaking was typically a street dance style emphasizing individual technique, but Teng Yi executed it perfectly, his movements complementing the overall dance style without showing off.
Perhaps due to his intense movements, the elastic on Teng Yi’s mask suddenly snapped. During a one-handed handstand freeze, the mask flew off into the distance.
Under the stage lights, the young man’s handsome face and gleaming sweat created a captivating image.
The auditorium fell silent for a second before erupting into even more passionate cheers and screams.
“Teng Yi! Teng Yi! Teng Yi!”
Seizing the moment, Teng Yi flashed a playful wink at the school leaders in the front row.
How rakishly mischievous.
That smile dazzled Ruan Yu, making her breath catch for a moment.