39.dance

The screen in front of her was still showing the video, but Xiao Wan's thoughts had already wandered far away, back to the day of the competition.

It was the end of November. Xiao Wan and Katherine had already led the "Dream Sunshine Team" through three rounds of competition, all of which they successfully advanced from. If they could make it through this district-level competition, they would be able to compete in the N City finals.

Of course, as the competition progressed, the strength of their opponents grew stronger. There were a total of 16 teams in this district-level competition, each with their own unique skills and styles. To advance, they had to place in the top three.

Xiao Wan had confidence that they could advance, but the other girls in the team, seeing how the competition was getting fiercer, were starting to feel uneasy. She understood why her mindset was different from the others: she was here just for fun, while these girls, coming from poor families, had put everything into winning the prize money. Some needed it to pay for their college tuition, while others hoped to improve their families' living conditions.

At that time, Xiao Wan had already dated several rich second-generation boyfriends and received a considerable amount of hush money from one of them, so money wasn't an issue for her. When she learned about the girls' situation, she wanted to share her money with them, thinking it would be better left with those who truly needed it, since she had already decided to die early.

However, the kind-hearted girls rejected her offer, not because they looked down on her money or its source, but because they were determined to earn the money through their own efforts.

Xiao Wan had no choice but to focus even more on helping them with choreography, hoping she could help them achieve their dream.

Little did she expect that even at the district-level competition, formidable teams kept emerging. Their team had been drawn to perform last. The eight girls sat backstage, nervously watching each team take the stage. With each new performance, their anxiety grew. By the time the second-to-last team, the "Roller Coaster Team," finished, several of the girls were disheartened. They whispered, "Oh my God, Lance's team is so good. They're definitely taking first place."

"Yeah, I think so too. The third and seventh teams were also impressive. Do you think they'll sweep the top three?"

"Our luck is terrible today, being drawn to perform last. The judges are probably exhausted after watching so many performances. They'll probably just score us randomly and send us off."

As the girls became more and more discouraged, even their leader, Katherine, began to lose focus. Seeing this, Xiao Wan stood up, unable to hold back her frustration, and said, "Hey! Get a grip! Are you really going to let such a small challenge defeat you? Think about how much effort we've all put into this competition. How many shoes have we worn out? There's an old Chinese saying, 'With enough effort, an iron rod can be ground into a needle.' We've all worked so hard, how can we not believe in ourselves? Besides, our dance is amazing. We've advanced to the next round with first place in all three previous competitions!"

"I know it's late for our turn, but have you ever seen a superstar walk the red carpet at Hollywood without being the last to enter? The last one on stage is the most important! The audience is waiting for us, so get your spirits up!"

Her words lifted the mood of the girls. Just then, the "Roller Coaster Team" finished their performance. Lance Meyer, with his charming smile, was chatting excitedly with his teammates, as if victory was already guaranteed.

Xiao Wan narrowed her eyes and walked over to block his path.

Lance turned around and, seeing Xiao Wan in front of him, took a step back. After recognizing her face, he paused for a moment before saying, "Can I help you?"

"Yes." Xiao Wan pointed to herself and the seven girls behind her, saying, "We're the 'Dream Sunshine Team' that will be performing right after your team."

Lance smiled politely, "Oh, I wish you good luck then."

Xiao Wan shook her finger and moved closer to him, looking him straight in the eyes. "It's not just about luck. Our team will definitely score higher than yours and win first place. So don't get too excited just yet."

Lance and his teammates chuckled softly. He looked at her with confidence and said, "Well then, I'll see how you plan to beat us."

At that moment, a staff member came over to inform Xiao Wan that it was time for them to take the stage. Xiao Wan gave Lance a snort and turned to the girls behind her, "Let's go, and show these little boys what we're made of!"

The girls, inspired by Xiao Wan's words, straightened their backs proudly and walked past the group of big boys.

They lined up on stage, and the music quickly began, the classic sexy song "Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls.

As the boys backstage heard the song, they shrugged and said, "This is such an old song. The dance must have been performed a hundred times already. What's the point?"

"Yeah, I thought that girl was so confident, but it turns out she's just redoing an old song? How did they even make it this far?"

"Still, that girl is really pretty. I could barely breathe just looking at her."

"I agree, she's got an amazing figure too." One of the team members slapped Lance on the back and asked, "Lance, what do you think?"

He gave a light laugh and replied nonchalantly, "Nothing special. I've seen girls much prettier than her."

"Right, sure." The teammate laughed, but when he glanced at the stage, he immediately stopped smiling. His mouth fell open in shock. "What are they doing? This isn't the Pussycat Dolls' dance at all!"

The others immediately looked over and realized that although Xiao Wan and the girls were dancing to an old song, their choreography was completely original. Unlike the sexy style of Pussycat Dolls, this new dance was playful and cute, with movements that showcased the girls' bravery and strength, perfectly aligned with current trends.

Xiao Wan, in a bright red tight-fitting dress and ten-centimeter high heels, moved freely with the rhythm of the dance, like a fish swimming in the sea. She quickly became the center of attention.

When Lance's team performed earlier, the audience couldn't help but cheer, but now the audience was eerily quiet. It wasn't because they weren't interested in the performance—quite the opposite. Everyone was so focused, afraid of missing a single graceful or playful move.

The song lasted less than four minutes, and when the girls finished their last move and stood on stage, the audience let out a collective sigh, feeling that the performance was simply too short.

In the sudden silence, someone shouted, "Encore!"

Immediately, everyone seemed to wake up at once and started shouting in unison: "Encore! Encore! One more time!"

The girls on stage couldn't help but show their excited expressions, repeatedly waving and thanking the audience.

However, it was not the audience who would determine their fate, but the judges.

Once the cheers from the audience quieted down, the judges discussed among themselves for a moment. Finally, the female judge spoke: "I truly didn't expect this. I thought the competition was nearing its end, and there wouldn't be any more highlights. But your last performance brought me such a huge surprise! However, there's a small issue. Your performance and the Roller Coaster Team's were both incredible, and now I don't know who to award the championship to."

Catherine, upon hearing this, was about to suggest that second place would be fine as long as they could advance, but before she could speak, Xiaowan stepped forward and said loudly: "Of course, the championship should go to our team, respected Ms. Jola."

The judge raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly and said: "Your performance just now was excellent, and you brought the whole team to life. Can you tell me your name?"

Xiaowan confidently smiled and said: "My name is Lin Xiaowan."

The judge nodded. "What a beautiful name. Now, could you tell me why I should give you the first place instead of the Roller Coaster Team?"

"Respected madam, I don't want to play the sympathy card on this stage. But I want to tell you that every girl in our team has a pure and positive heart. They've been working tirelessly for their dreams. Perhaps you'll say that other teams have also worked hard, but I can assure you, they are definitely the hardest-working of them all. To perfect this dance, each of them has worn out several pairs of shoes, and some of them even have bandages on their ankles. The reason we deserve to win first place is that I'm stepping forward now to claim it because we have absolute confidence in ourselves. Not only in today's competition, but we will continue to participate in the city-wide and national competitions, and each time, we will definitely be first."

The girls behind Xiaowan heard what she said and exchanged looks. Then, they mustered their courage to step forward and line up with Xiaowan, saying loudly: "The championship belongs to us."

The female judges smiled gently at them and finally nodded. "You truly deserve to win first place. Congratulations."

The girls immediately screamed in excitement and hugged each other on stage, with Xiaowan being lifted in the middle. She was raised into the air by the girls, spinning around the stage, and she couldn't help but show a joyful smile. As she turned her head, she suddenly saw Lance standing behind the curtains, watching her.

Xiaowan immediately raised her chin proudly and mouthed to him: "Told you not to get too excited."

Lance looked at her indifferently for a moment before turning and walking backstage. However, once he turned away, the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up into a faint smile.

Although the competition was fierce, once the results were decided, Catherine's and Lance's teams advanced to the next round with first and second place, and the atmosphere between everyone calmed down a bit.

That evening, after changing their clothes, Xiaowan and the others were about to leave when one of the big boys from the Roller Coaster Team ran over with a slight blush and said: "Hey, are you all free tonight? How about we go for a meal together?"

These big boys were all young and handsome, around the same age as the girls. Several of the single girls were immediately interested and looked eagerly at their team leader Catherine. The latter smiled helplessly and said: "Okay, let's go together."

"Yay, you're the best, Captain!"

The girls cheered, and the boy who had invited them didn't leave immediately. He blushed even more and turned to Xiaowan, who was sitting in the corner, playing with her phone, and asked softly: "Umm… Xiaowan, would you like to join us?"

"I'm not going." Xiaowan said without looking up.

The boy immediately drooped his shoulders in disappointment. "Well… okay, I'll go tell the others."

After he left, the other girls quickly surrounded Xiaowan, pulling her and asking: "Kitty, why aren't you going?"

"I'm not interested." Xiaowan shrugged. "You guys go have fun."

The girls said: "If you're not there, those boys will definitely be disappointed. Please, come with us!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm really interested in one of them. What if he doesn't come because you're not going? My chance at love will be gone!"

Xiaowan laughed and raised her head to ask: "If a guy was initially interested in me, but then he gave up and started pursuing you instead, would you accept him happily? Don't you think he's insulting you?"

The girl responded seriously: "No way, please, you're a goddess in the eyes of men! If he couldn't get you and came after me, it would mean I'm his second choice after the goddess! I'd feel so proud!"

"What kind of logic is that?" Xiaowan shook her head helplessly, but seeing the other girls' eager expressions, she couldn't bring herself to refuse them and nodded: "Alright, alright, I'll go with you."

The girls were so happy that they hugged her and immediately started fixing themselves up for the upcoming dinner. Xiao Wan thought for a moment, took out a bright red lipstick, and applied it to her lips, making them dazzlingly bright. She also did a seductive cat-eye makeup, embodying the look of a woman who would immediately be thought of as "inappropriate and provocative" just by walking down the street.

Then she, along with the other girls, headed to the dinner venue—a reasonably priced buffet restaurant.

The few big boys had already arrived early and were standing at the restaurant entrance waiting. When they saw Xiao Wan and the others, they immediately waved enthusiastically at them, saying, "Over here! Over here!"

The girls, either shy or outgoing, greeted the boys and entered the restaurant, chatting while selecting food. However, the one they admired the most was Captain Lance, as he was the most handsome one in the team. He also had an elegant and aloof aura that made people admire and adore him uncontrollably.

But Lance showed no reaction to the girls' active approaches. No matter what they said or did, he would just smile lightly, giving the impression that he wasn't really interested. After a while, the girls gave up and started talking to other boys.

Xiao Wan's situation was similar to Lance's. Even though she had tried to dress up like a "bitc," several boys from the team still came over to chat with her. Eventually, she became annoyed and casually said to one of the boys who was flirting with her: "Do you know what this is?"

The boy looked at the necklace she was pointing to on her chest, confused, and said, "It's… a necklace?"

"It's a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a limited edition, over 40,000 USD." Xiao Wan then lifted her wrist and continued, "This is a Jaeger-LeCoultre ladies' watch, 600,000 USD; the shoes I'm wearing are Christian Louboutin red-bottom heels, over 20,000 USD. To put it plainly, I'm a gold digger, I only date wealthy men. These were all gifts from my previous sugar daddy. And I have plenty more valuable items on me. I could go on, but I think you get my point, right?"

The boy, who looked like he came from an ordinary family, blushed with embarrassment, nodded, and quickly turned to leave.

Xiao Wan's voice hadn't been low, so everyone else in the vicinity heard her. As expected, those boys no longer approached her.

She finally sighed in relief, grabbed a few crab legs and scallops from the buffet, and sat down to eat.

Katherine, sitting next to her, couldn't help but whisper, "Xiao Wan, do you think what you just did was a little… too much?"

"I just don't want to give them false hope," Xiao Wan shrugged, took a bite of crab leg meat, and continued, "We're not from the same world. They should be looking for someone better than me, so why waste their time on someone like me? If they ever meet another girl like me, they'll remember the awkwardness I gave them today, and they won't fall for a gold digger again."

Katherine didn't expect Xiao Wan to be thinking this way when she acted so coldly toward the boy. She said, "You shouldn't say that about yourself. I know you're not like those gold diggers."

"What's the difference? I'm someone who got a 1 million USD hush money from my last sugar daddy," Xiao Wan said, spitting out the crab leg in her mouth. "Ugh, what kind of crab leg is this? It's been sitting around for days! It's spoiled! Sigh, I knew this cheap buffet wouldn't have any good food."

As she spoke, someone suddenly handed her a plate from behind. A voice said softly, "The seafood may be bad, but the steak is not bad."

Xiao Wan looked at the sizzling steak on the plate and turned to see the person standing behind her—Lance. He smiled faintly at her, then walked around and sat down across from her, beginning to eat the fries he had brought. The others also sat down, and everyone ate while chatting happily, creating a joyful atmosphere at the table.

Even though the girls' advances toward Lance hadn't been effective earlier, now that this handsome man was sitting in front of them, they couldn't help but feel their hearts flutter. They eagerly offered him their food, asking, "Lance, would you like to try some fruit? The blueberries are fresh."

"No, thank you."

"How about some fried chicken? Want some?"

"No, thank you."

"What about a donut? Mousse cake? Salad?"

No matter what the girls offered, Lance would always decline with a cold, "No, thank you." Xiao Wan, sitting next to him, couldn't stand his pretentious aloofness anymore. She couldn't help but comment, "Are you kidding me? You need to use a knife and fork to cut your ketchup-soaked fries into little pieces? Do you think you're some kind of aristocrat?"

The other boys immediately laughed, "Yeah, Lance is so peculiar! Xiao Wan, you don't know, last time we went to Burger King, he asked the cashier for a napkin to put on his lap."

"Haha, and the last time we went for drinks after a competition, he insisted on buying a cup to drink from instead of drinking straight from the bottle."

In response to their good-natured teasing, Lance just smiled faintly and said, "I'm used to it."

Xiao Wan watched his elegant and orderly eating posture, and she had a feeling she might know why he acted like that.

After dinner, when everyone started to disperse, Xiao Wan quietly followed Lance in her car. After several turns on the street, he finally arrived at a parking lot. He took out his keys and opened the door of a McLaren. Xiao Wan immediately shouted, "Ha!" She got out of the car and yelled, "Stop!"

Lance turned to look at her, seemingly not at all surprised that she was following him. He gazed at her and said, "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter? You're so casual about this." Xiao Wan walked up to him and pointed at his sports car. "Is it fun pretending to be a poor commoner, rich kid?"

Lance calmly replied, "I didn't purposely disguise myself. It's just that ordinary people don't have your sharp eyes like a gold digger, so they didn't notice."

Xiao Wan narrowed her eyes dangerously, stepped forward, and said, "I don't care who you are, but let me tell you this. Katherine and the others entered this competition to win the prize money and save their poor lives! And you, someone who doesn't even need money, why are you here joining the fun and taking the small prize money?"

"Miss Lin, not everyone is like you, who sees only money," Lance said. "For me, entering this competition is just to prove my ability."

"Stop with your hypocritical nonsense!" Xiao Wan shouted angrily. "For people like you, money is your strength. What do you need to prove? How do I know you didn't bribe the judges?"

"I didn't. If I had, you wouldn't have won first place today," Lance took a step closer. Their breaths were close enough to be felt. "Miss Lin, don't you think you're very conflicted? You flaunt the luxury items bought for you by rich men, but at the same time, you look down on them."

"I just despise you guys, so what? I can even beat you up—ah!"

Before she could finish speaking, the man in front of her suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, spun her around, and pressed her onto the hood of the sports car. He then leaned down and kissed her lips.

Xiao Wan froze for two seconds, then pushed him away abruptly, covering her lips in shock and yelling, "What the hell are you doing?"

Lance's expression showed some panic, but he quickly hid it and smiled sarcastically, "It seems now the only one with conflicted feelings isn't just you."

"You're crazy!" Xiao Wan kicked him, then quickly walked back to her car, pointing at him and saying, "If you ever do that again, I'll break your third leg!"

Lance looked confused, "I only have two legs."

"Has high society made you an idiot? You fool who eats fries with a fork!" Xiao Wan scolded him, then quickly jumped into her car and drove off, not forgetting to flip him off.

Lance stood there watching her drive away, and when he couldn't see her car anymore, he raised his hand to wipe his lips. He looked at the red lipstick on his finger and couldn't help but smile lightly, then pressed his lips together firmly.

…

"Xiao Wan? Xiao Wan?"

Katherine's voice brought Xiao Wan back to reality. She looked up at Katherine and said, "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just saw that you didn't look well." Katherine moved Xiao Wan's laptop aside and sighed, asking, "Did the video of the old competition remind you of Lance? I'm sorry, I should have hidden it better."

"You don't need to apologize." Xiao Wan smiled faintly with a pale face. "I just suddenly remembered something."

"What is it?"

Xiao Wan pinched her nose, looked out the window with red eyes, and said softly, "That day in the hospital, Lance asked me to say 'I love you' to him, but I didn't say anything. Now my boyfriend wants me to say that, and I still haven't said it. Katherine, why does the world have this terrible thing called love?"