Young artists compete, and even the richest fans have to fight for their votes.

Chapter 34 Versailles Collapse

【"Floating Life Like a Dream" gave away 3 "Carnival" gifts (50000 Audio Coins) in the live stream room "Colorful Bloom"】

Yan Ying: "Thank you, Sister Shu Hua, for the medical expenses, Xiang Xiang."

Well, the punishment was a bit embarrassing, but three carnivals were still barely acceptable.

Well, Yan Ying has really fallen for it.

Hearing Yan Ying's voice of gratitude, Shu Hua stopped doubting life and quickly shifted her attention.

"Sister Yan Ying's performance is over, now it's Sister Cheng Cheng's turn. What's your talent? It can't be singing too, can it?"

There can't be that many tone-deaf people, right? Shu Hua even started to wonder if she had some kind of constitution that attracted tone-deaf people.

Chengcheng shook her head. "I would like to sing, but all my fans are fake. They want me to dance instead."

Shu Hua: ...No, why do I have this feeling of déjà vu?

[Hahaha, is that little face of Hua Zai's reminding him of that famous moment when he just fell onto the sofa?]

Other streamers are good at one thing but bad at another, but our Huazai is completely useless! He sings off-key, falls down while dancing, and is unsteady on his feet.

[The true all-rounder has to look to our drawing team, they're all the weakest link!]

I wonder who's better, Sister Chengcheng or Huazai.

[Thankfully, the punishment wasn't for drawing, otherwise I was afraid she'd have trouble making choices and would end up drawing things she's not good at.]

[Life is but a dream: It's okay, little streamer can draw lots~]

Chengcheng took a deep breath and turned on the music. It was the dance she had danced before, the one that caused the infamous moment of her moving her hands and feet in unison and was turned into a parody video by fans.

Chengcheng had made up her mind. Since she was going to be laughed at anyway, why should she create new jokes?

She'd at least danced the same dance before, so surely she could have improved a bit.

Even if there's no progress, at most it's just a repeat of the last time, so just treat it as a video with multiple perspectives.

Since she's already been laughed at, there won't be any new laughs, so she can accept it.

However, Chengcheng overestimated her ability to copy.

Although it was the same dance, she hadn't quite mastered it last time. This time, another memorable moment occurred, but it was almost entirely different from the last one.

With her first step, her left arm and left leg formed an "alliance," swinging forward in unison. Her body instantly lost its balance and swayed violently like a scarecrow blown askew by a strong wind.

She hurriedly steadied herself and tried to keep up with the rhythm, but her limbs seemed to have chosen their own masters: while her right arm stretched upward with all her might, her right leg stubbornly remained rooted to the spot.

What should have been a graceful turn turned into a tripping over one foot and a clumsy twisting of the body, like a wind-up toy with misaligned gears, almost turning itself into a pretzel.

Well, last time it was just stiffness with the same hand and foot moving in unison, but this time it's a very dynamic fight between the limbs.

"Ah." Shu Hua subconsciously covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.

Shu Hua felt a bit of pain, and couldn't help but wonder if the others felt the same way when they watched her dance.

If you didn't know this person was dancing, you would just think they were training their limbs, and a failed version at that.

On the other end of the camera, Shu Hua thought Cheng Cheng was about to fall and felt the pain for her in advance.

But Chengcheng's right arm swung wildly in a half-circle like a windmill, and her left leg kicked out diagonally backward like a spring.

He managed to steady himself just centimeters off the ground, freezing for a moment in an extremely awkward posture, similar to a sprinter's starting stance.

He bounced back up.

Holy crap! This core power???

[This is outrageous! Seeing gymnasts training on flat ground (hellish version)]

[Chengcheng: I fell, but not completely!]

[This was a tactical jump made when the ground was too hot!]

[If it were Huazai, she would have just thrown it. It seems Chengcheng is much better.]

Chengcheng seemed to regard this thrilling moment as a successful "lift," and a hint of smugness even flashed across her face, as if to say, "See, I managed to stay steady!"

However, because of this little bit of pride, he missed the music and had to scramble to catch up.

That last bit of coolness brought by core strength instantly crumbled.

Towards the end of the dance, there's a wave motion that moves from the arms to the waist and then to the legs.

Chengcheng's arm movements were relatively smooth, but they stopped at her waist and turned into stiff left and right twists. When the movement reached her legs, only her calves twitched rapidly and abruptly as if she had been electrocuted.

My whole body felt like an old, poorly receiving television screen, the picture flickering wildly between smooth and static.

The ending pose was a slightly cool freeze-frame. Chengcheng, due to her unstable center of gravity, staggered two steps to the side before barely managing to stand up. She put her hands on her hips, her chest heaving violently, and gasped for breath.

The pose was less a frozen moment and more a pause after a fierce "battle".

As soon as Chengcheng finished dancing, applause rang out in the live stream room; it was Shu Huagu.

[“Floating Life Like a Dream” sent “Carnival” (50000 Audio Coins) x3 to “Sweet Orange” in the live stream room]

Shu Hua looked on with envy, which confused Cheng Cheng. Was she envious of the show's success?

So, it turns out that my own Crown Princess wants to take the comedic route?

Shu Hua: "Sister Chengcheng, you don't have abs, do you?"

"Huh?" Chengcheng subconsciously touched her stomach, which was flat but soft. "No, I don't work out, I don't have abs."

Shu Hua was even more envious. "Your emergency self-rescue just now was amazing! Is this what they call survival skills?"

Why didn't I have one? I just fell straight into the sofa.

Yes, Shu Hua can also see that Chengcheng's limbs are uncoordinated.

But because of her self-rescue just now, Shu Hua felt that Cheng Cheng was stronger than her.

If I could save myself like that, I wouldn't be laughed at by those fans.

As Shu Hua sighed, Yan Ying burst out laughing, returning the laughter to her.

"Chengcheng, your coordination is so abstract! Is it original? It seems like you're not familiar with it at all."

"Of course it's original! Didn't you see that Sister Shuhua praised me? Compared to some people's ear-piercing voices, that voice is definitely not original." Chengcheng retorted without any politeness.

Yan Ying: "Oh dear, my singing is a train wreck, but at least I didn't twist myself into a pretzel while dancing!"

I feel sorry for your limbs, but my throat doesn't hurt at all.

Chengcheng retorted, "At least Mahua is art, but your singing is like a biological weapon."

"Even if I get hurt, it's only me who gets hurt, unlike you who hurt so many of us."

Seeing that the atmosphere had reached a certain point, Yan Ying stopped arguing, since this wasn't their territory.

"Alright, we're both in the same boat. It's time for the others to be punished. Tao Tao, you tell us."

Tao Zhiming was still reeling from the back-and-forth bickering when she was called upon. She quickly put on a fake, businesslike smile and said, "Ah, okay. Then it'll be the same. Perform a talent you're not good at."

Tao Zimo thought she was quite clever; she let Shu Hua punish her first so she could copy the punishment.

Zhu Ying hadn't expected Tao Tao to be so easy to deal with. She had originally planned to argue back if Tao Tao suggested a different punishment in order to get some attention.

She couldn't say anything about copying it like that, otherwise she would have criticized Shu Hua and the others as well.

Seeing Zhu Ying's displeased expression, Xue Nuo chose to go first.

Chengcheng: "What is Xuenuo going to perform?"

Although Xue Nuo said she would go first, she looked conflicted and innocent. "Actually... I think I'm pretty good at most common talents..."

Xue Nuo quickly waved her hand, as if she had said something wrong. "No, no, I meant that it's not to the point where I'm not good at it."

They're all alright, you can listen to them and watch them.

If I had to choose, I honestly wouldn't know what to pick.

"Or Tao Tao can choose for me?"

【What?! She's good at all these common talents?! This Versailles-style performance is giving me a back ache!】

The aroma of tea is irresistible! I can almost smell it through the screen! Keep pretending!

[Wow, that's impressive! Let her sing! She can sing "Flowing Light," the song Tao Tao sang yesterday! Let's see what true 'expertise' really means!]

[Great idea from upstairs! Let's sing "Fleeting Light," it's a difficult song to sing!]

[Nuobao means that he has a "basic understanding" of "common talents," please don't overinterpret it (just kidding)]

[Know a little? No, no, no, this is called "The Humble Versailles," the essence of which is to appear low-key while subtly putting others down!]

[Okay, now all the pressure is on Tao Tao. If helping her choose is too easy, it seems like she's covering for someone; if she chooses too difficult, it seems like she's petty.]

Wow, so this was actually a prank on Tao Tao?

This is terrifying to think about!

[This Xue Nuo sister seems so innocent, why does she have so many little schemes?]

[She's a tea master, how could she be so naive???]

Tao Zhiming was in a dilemma, thinking of refusing Xue Nuo and letting her decide for herself.

I saw the suggestions in the comments and thought they were good. Singing is the most common talent, although the light-up version is a bit difficult.

However, if it's too simple, it's not a punishment anymore; this level of simplification should be just right.

"Then Xue Nuo, you can perform a song, but I have a specific song in mind, 'Flowing Light,' is that alright?"

"Sure," Xue Nuo agreed without hesitation.

She was secretly pleased; the song was quite difficult, and if she sang it well, it could gain her more fans.

Moreover, this was Tao Tao's idea; she was passively showing off her singing skills.

Xue Nuo cleared her throat, raised her chin slightly, and gave a smile that seemed to deliberately project a sense of superiority. She also adjusted the position of the microphone in her live stream.

It's as if they're trying to project the composure of a "professional".

But since she was supposed to be punished, there was something strangely off about her performance.

As the intro began, Xue Nuo closed her eyes slightly, striking a professional pose as if she were completely absorbed in the music.

The first sentence he uttered had a clear and bright tone, and his pitch was also accurate.

But you could clearly hear her eagerness to show off her skills—the way she handled the ending notes was overly fancy.

The slightly unnatural vibrato, like deliberately shaken-off icing, actually ruined the original song's mood.

She tried to imitate the original singer's ethereal vibrato, but there was a slight slip at the transition point. She didn't stand firmly on one note and floated lightly before settling down.

Although the flaw was only momentary, it became particularly noticeable when listened to attentively.

As the song transitioned into the chorus, she seemed even more confident, swaying her body slightly to the melody and glancing at the camera with a knowing look.

However, just as the emotions were building to a climax, and everyone was preparing to unleash the first powerful note of the chorus, an unexpected incident occurred.

She seemed too eager for a perfect burst of energy, and with a sudden surge of breath, the high note that should have been full and powerful, "Ah—", was uttered.

He suddenly lost his breath the moment he charged forward, letting out a short, sharp "crack" sound!

Xue Nuo's face stiffened for a moment, a hint of panic flashing across her eyes. But she forced herself not to stop, quickly adjusted, and managed to get the pitch back up after the crack.

However, the voice was clearly tense and dry, still shaken, and had lost its proper smoothness, as if it had been sanded.

Worse still, this small mistake clearly disrupted her rhythm and confidence.

In the next few sentences, in an attempt to cover up her earlier lapse in composure, she tried even harder to "make amends," but ended up overdoing it.

At a transition point where a smooth shift is needed, the sound abruptly rises, becoming shrill and out of place, completely off-key, and sounds exceptionally harsh.

She realized it herself and hurriedly tried to cover it up with a falsetto, but only managed a few weak and breathless falsetto sounds, making her look particularly embarrassed.

The ending of the song requires a stable, sustained note to conclude the piece.

Xue Nuo took a deep breath, trying to complete it in the most "professional" manner.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to excessive exertion and unstable breathing, or perhaps due to excessive psychological pressure, although she managed to hold onto the last long note, it was accompanied by a noticeable and uncontrollable slight tremor.

The volume also gradually decreased, completely losing the stability and lingering resonance that should have been present at the end of the piece.

As the last note faded, an eerie silence fell over the live stream.

Xue Nuo's forced smile looked somewhat stiff. She blinked rapidly a few times, her chest heaving slightly, clearly not yet fully recovered from the "thrilling" performance just now.

The meticulously prepared stage for showcasing skills ultimately became a public execution of a series of mistakes.

That initial confidence now seems particularly ironic in the face of the slightly awkward silence and the off-key and cracked notes that couldn't be completely concealed.

The comments section paused briefly before starting to scroll.

【Uh……】

【Huh, that's it? I was all set to listen to celestial music, and this is what I get???】

[Help! I'm wearing headphones and the volume is at maximum, and now I'm shaking along with the last notes!]

Is this what they mean by "being good at everything"? Versailles Palace issued a statement overnight saying they don't know this runaway princess!

[They were adjusting the microphone earlier, I thought they were going to summon Shenron, but this is all???]

[That pre-show animation was long enough for me to binge-watch three episodes! And that's all there is to the actual episode?]

[Alright, so Xue Nuo was trying to create a contrast; this punishment certainly deserves it.]

If you've heard Tao Tao sing this song, you'll realize it truly is a punishment.

This song is quite difficult to sing, but Xue Nuo sang it alright; at least her pitch was accurate.

[Link: A clip of Tao Tao singing "Flowing Light," you're welcome, it's truly heavenly music.]

To be fair, if it weren't for Xue Nuo's performance before the concert, her singing was actually quite good.

+1, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.