APCF – Chapter 86 Failure

After settling the bill and looking at the long list of drinks, Qi Xingchen felt worse than if his diamond mine had been completely robbed.

So, he turned his heartbreak into frustration and took it out on his team members. For several consecutive days, the poor boys were trained to the point of despair, practicing like nocturnal elves, as if they could achieve enlightenment at any moment.

It wasn’t until the day before the performance that he finally vented all his frustration and let the boys go back to rest.

On the day of the performance, when they saw Qi Xingchen again backstage, everyone’s eyes were bright and alert—it was clear they had slept like the dead!

Qi Xingchen didn’t do hair and makeup with the trainees, but his style matched theirs—an eye-catching red-and-black hip-hop outfit with a striking visual impact.

A red headband was tied around his forehead, and his bangs were completely blown back, revealing his sharp and defined features. His eye makeup wasn’t as heavy as the trainees’; the outer corners of his eyes were lightly swept with red eyeshadow in a way that wasn’t too obvious, resembling a fallen petal drifting onto his face.

He looked both striking and ethereal.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Teacher Qi wear stage makeup. I didn’t expect it to suit you so well. Teacher Qi, you should debut again as a singing-dancing idol! Then we can cling to your leg and you can carry us to success!”

Hearing the trainees’ teasing, Qi Xingchen chuckled back at them, “Whether I can carry you depends on your performance.”

“Hehe, then we’ll definitely work hard to win you ov—Oh! Teacher Bo is here! Good afternoon, Teacher Bo! You look super handsome today!”

The trainees flattered effortlessly. Bo Ye smiled and encouraged them a little before turning to Qi Xingchen. “Make sure to stretch properly and be careful not to strain your ligaments.”

“I’ve already stretched.”

Bo Ye nodded. “Do your best later.”

“Okay,” Qi Xingchen replied earnestly. “I’ll give it my all.”

The backstage area was packed, making it unsuitable for long conversations. Bo Ye gave him a gentle look before heading back to his own group.

Unbeknownst to them, this entire exchange was witnessed by Wei Qin.

If before, he had only suspected that Bo Ye liked Qi Xingchen…

Then, after seeing the way Bo Ye looked at him while singing, he was unwilling—yet forced—to admit that Bo Ye truly liked Qi Xingchen.

…But why? Why did Bo Ye like that guy?

In terms of skill, he was far superior to Qi Xingchen.

In terms of personality, he was more elegant and composed.

Even in terms of familiarity, he had known Bo Ye for more than two years before Qi Xingchen even appeared.

How could Bo Ye ignore him and instead fall for some spoiled rich kid?!

He refused to accept it!

The show My Era was coming to an end. The final debut night’s rankings would be determined by live judges and online votes, with no input from the mentors.

Wei Qin knew very well that today was his last chance to win Bo Ye back.

Bo Ye admired strong performers. Today, he would bring out every bit of his talent to prove to Bo Ye—

—that he was better than Qi Xingchen. That he was stronger than Qi Xingchen.

Wei Qin shot a sinister glare at Qi Xingchen. As if sensing something, Qi Xingchen turned his head toward Group Three.

From within the crowd, Wei Qin sneered at him before turning away with a look of utter disdain, as if avoiding something filthy.

Qi Xingchen felt slightly uncomfortable but understood Wei Qin’s emotions. He had experienced unrequited love for a short time himself… and it was definitely a sour, unpleasant feeling.

At that thought, he suddenly realized that Bo Ye had always been indulgent toward him.

Back when he and Bo Ye weren’t officially together yet, he would sometimes get jealous for no reason. Looking back, he had been pretty unreasonable. What right did he have to be jealous back then?

If it had been anyone else, they probably would have ignored him already.

But Bo Ye never got angry. Instead, he indulged him—sometimes even playing along with his irrational jealousy.

…He seemed to like Bo Ye even more now.

Taking out his phone, he bit his lower lip and typed:

[Take care of yourself too]

Then, gathering his courage, he added two more characters:

[Gege]

Bo Ye: “……”

If it weren’t for the crowd backstage, he would have rushed over immediately to kiss that little tease.

The mentor performance round had an audience of 1,000, randomly selected by the system to ensure fairness in voting. While there might be a slightly higher proportion of fans for certain contestants, the overall distribution was balanced.

The scoring method combined live audience votes and online voting. After each group’s performance, the audience would rate their collective performance. These scores, weighted and added to the trainees’ online votes, would determine their rankings and eliminations.

The performance order followed the song selection sequence from the blind auditions:

1st Group – Bo Ye’s team
2nd Group – Zheng Yuyang’s team
3rd Group – Wei Qin’s team
4th Group – Qi Xingchen’s team
5th Group – Chen Jiayi’s team

At 1:00 PM, the audience entered the venue. At 1:40 PM, under Chen Jiayi’s announcement, the first group took the stage.

The moment Bo Ye’s performance began, the live audience and the other trainees backstage went wild.

Qi Xingchen and his teammates stood in front of the backstage LCD screen, their eyes glued to the man surrounded by five trainees.

“Teacher Qi,” Xie Yuan craned his neck. “Is Bo Ye’s team like ours? No fixed center?”

“Hmm… Judging by the formation, that seems to be the case,” Meng Meng analyzed while observing the stage.

Hearing Meng Meng’s comment, the others backstage also had a moment of realization. Bo Ye was positioned at the back of the group, partially obscured by three people—so he couldn’t be the center.

And why did it seem like Bo Ye was being surrounded by people? Everyone would understand in a moment—simply because his presence was too strong, too dazzling. Even when standing in the back, no one could overshadow his brilliance.

As long as he was there, the audience’s eyes would automatically focus on him, making everyone else disappear from view.

This was Bo Ye.

Qi Xingchen’s gaze burned even hotter but quickly restrained himself, afraid the cameras would catch it. He sat down with his teammates and focused on watching the performance.

“Their group’s song has such a lazy, chill vibe. It’s got a great feel,” Yang Linyin commented after listening to a few lines. “Teacher Bo’s vocal runs are incredible. It’s giving me chills!”

Qi Xingchen thought: Do you even need to say that?

Lu Zenan: “Their song is already difficult to sing, and they didn’t even lower the difficulty of the choreography. Teacher Bo is ruthless—but also an amazing mentor.”

Qi Xingchen thought: Do you even need to say that?

Xie Yuan: “My roommate is a trainee in their group. He almost had a breakdown because of this song. But not a single one of them complained about Teacher Bo. They all said that these five days of training with him were the most impactful days of their careers. Teacher Bo is incredible… Of course, our little Teacher Qi is amazing too.”

Qi Xingchen: Do you even need to say that?

Jiang Yan: “Wow! Teacher Bo’s low-pitched rap in those two lines was insane!”

Qi Xingchen: Do you even ne—

Before he could finish being proud in his heart, the entire fourth group turned their heads to look at him.

Qi Xingchen figured it was his turn to compliment now that everyone else had. Without hesitation, he smoothly said:

“Ye-ge is the first breeze of spring, the first slice of watermelon in summer, the first sheaf of wheat in autumn, and the first snowflake in winter. He is the clear stream in the mountains, the little deer in the forest, the embodiment of all beauty in the world, and the divine inspiration behind humanity’s creation.”

The fourth group: “…”

“Xiao Teacher Qi,” Mengmeng pointed toward the door, “the director is looking for you.”

Qi Xingchen: “…Oh. Post-production sis, please cut that part out, thanks.”

Saying that, he got up and walked to the hallway. The director held a document and asked, “Teacher Qi, are you sure you want to perform that act later?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not adding any wires for safety?”

“No. It won’t look good with wires.”

“Okay, got it.” The director raised the document. “This is a liability waiver. If you get injured or worse during the performance, the show takes no responsibility… It’s just company policy. I personally don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

…Big corporations love to make a fuss over nothing, Qi Xingchen thought. He’d performed this act plenty of times before without issues.

After signing the waiver, he returned backstage. By then, the first group had finished their performance and was receiving audience votes.

As everyone expected, out of the 1,000 audience members, over 800 voted for them. The remaining voters likely had their own favorite trainees in other groups and didn’t want to give extra points to Group 1.

Next was Group 2. Zheng Yuyang rearranged a Korean love song and added a jazz-funk style, giving it a unique charm. They earned over 700 votes.

Then, Group 3 took the stage, featuring Wei Qin.

As expected, Wei Qin’s styling was similar to Qi Xingchen’s—leaning towards a dark rock aesthetic. He wore smoky eye makeup and eyeliner, paired with an intense gaze and mysterious sound effects, creating a powerful visual impact.

After the first verse, as the chorus approached, Wei Qin moved to the front of the formation.

Before he even started singing—

He suddenly lifted his shirt hem!

Well-trained abs and V-lines were instantly revealed to the audience. The entire room froze for a second before female fans let out ear-piercing screams of excitement!

“AHHHHHH—”

Who would have thought a mentor’s special performance would include Wei Qin flashing his abs? Jackpot! This was worth it!

Backstage, Xie Yuan’s jaw dropped. “Damn, Teacher Wei is going all out!”

“Watch your language,” Qi Xingchen glanced at the camera. “Post-production sis, please cut that out too. Xie Yuan, just focus on the show.”

“Alright…”

Qi Xingchen didn’t think Wei Qin’s move was bad at all. A mentor’s job was to help their trainees secure the best results for advancement—whatever method worked was fair game.

And Wei Qin wasn’t just relying on his physique to win over the audience. Before the song ended, he delivered an incredibly long high note that left the entire crowd shaken.

The audience went wild!

In the end, Group 3 scored 867 points—only about 40 points behind Bo Ye’s Group 1, which had 913!

At the moment the scores were announced, Bo Ye lowered his head and typed:

[No pressure. Just be yourself.]

Qi Xingchen was already in the waiting area and replied:

[Got it, gege.]

Then, he clapped his hands and addressed his group of six trainees:

“We put in so much effort, suffered so much, and pushed through so much exhaustion for today’s performance. In terms of skill and preparation, no other group is stronger than us. So go out there and give a flawless performance. Do you have confidence?”

The trainees: “…Yes.”

Qi Xingchen: “Why so quiet?”

Xie Yuan lowered his head, not speaking.

To be honest, after seeing how strong the previous groups were, it was impossible not to feel discouraged—especially since Group 3 had a similar style. Seeing such a great performance before theirs, whatever little confidence they had was now completely gone.

Qi Xingchen understood their concerns and spoke firmly:

“There are only two minutes left before we go onstage. Whether you feel confident or not, you must complete this performance. If you go up there looking defeated, you might as well not go up at all. And besides—”

He paused for a second.

“Why are you all so sure we won’t win? Just focus on doing your best, and leave the rest to me. Alright?”

His gaze was steady, and his expression was relaxed. Something about it gave the trainees an unexpected sense of reassurance.

Together, they shouted, “Alright!”

“That’s the spirit.”

Qi Xingchen placed his hand in the center of their huddle. “Group 4, let’s do this!”

One by one, the others stacked their hands on top. “Group 4—let’s do this!”

The stage lights dimmed. Qi Xingchen led his group onto the stage and got into formation.

Then, a deep cello sound filled the air, and the lights came on.

Yang Linyin turned around, holding the mic in both hands, and began singing softly with a voice full of resonance.

His voice was pure and clear, making the audience instinctively close their eyes and listen carefully.

The next second—

A bassline and heavy drumbeat suddenly kicked in!

Mengmeng smirked mischievously, broke out from the lineup, and hit two sharp high notes—instantly speeding up the tempo and pushing the song into its first verse!

I have to say, such a dramatic contrast in the opening really sets the mood. In the audience, people exchanged thoughts:

“The first two performers in this group are pretty strong.”

“Yeah, I think so too!”

The first 48-beat verse was relatively easy to sing, so everyone unanimously decided to assign it to Lu Zenan, who was weaker in vocals. The second 48-beat verse went to Qi Xingchen.

“…Huh?” A curious audience member murmured. “Aren’t the mentors supposed to sing the chorus? With this extra segment, isn’t the Starlight Observer getting a bit too much screen time?”

“Exactly, exactly! Give my Meng Meng a few more seconds of screen time, please!”

“Shhh, keep it down! Don’t let the other Starlight fans hear you.”

However, once the team finished setting up their formation, the six members quickly adjusted their positions and launched into the synchronized knife-sharp choreography for the chorus.

Seeing Qi Xingchen standing in the last row, farthest to the left, the Meng fan from earlier touched her cheek and sheepishly admitted, “I misjudged Teacher Qi. He actually didn’t choose the center position, just like Teacher Bo.”

Bo Ye didn’t need extra exposure, but Qi Xingchen was different. He had been questioned all the way through the competition, and he needed to prove himself, to be seen, to be recognized.

Yet, he didn’t take the spotlight. Instead, he chose to be part of the team rather than making the trainees his backup dancers.

“Yeah,” another Meng fan chimed in. “For a while, I thought the whole ‘leaving Class F’ thing was just scripted by the show to promote him. But now I get it—Teacher Qi really deserves to be liked.”

“Agreed! I’m officially a fan now, hahaha!”

After the perfectly synchronized dance, where even the angles of their raised hands were identical, the second verse was performed by Xie Yuan and Yang Leyin. Then came another round of knife-sharp choreography for the second chorus.

As the drumbeats grew more intense, five members formed two vertical lines, each gripping Jiang Yan’s shoulders.

Jiang Yan made a dramatic throat-cutting gesture toward the camera, sending the fangirls into a frenzy. “Jiang Yan! Jiang Yan!” they screamed.

Satisfied with the reaction, Jiang Yan lifted his chin. As soon as the first tongue roll sound hit, the stage became his domain!

For nearly fifteen seconds, Jiang Yan delivered an incredible rap performance, finishing with a triumphant smile before rejoining the team.

Before stepping back into formation, he cockily high-fived Qi Xingchen, as if to say: “The stage is yours now, bro.”

With Jiang Yan passing the baton, all eyes shifted to Qi Xingchen, eager to see how he would sustain the electrifying energy.

Would he continue rapping? Keep the hype going?

Or switch to a solo dance to showcase his exceptional skills?

Qi Xingchen nodded at Jiang Yan and stepped forward. The next moment, as the audience saw his appearance clearly, the studio fell silent for a few seconds.

The red leather jacket and black pants he had been wearing—at some point, he had removed the jacket… revealing a pure white, short crossover robe with tasseled hems underneath.

With the hint of peach red at the corner of his eyes, he looked like a mischievous little spirit who had just escaped from a peach blossom grove—bright-eyed, dazzling, yet innocent and pure.

At this moment, the drumbeats faded away, and the music slowed down. The cello from the opening returned, now accompanied by the sound of a flute.

To complement the atmosphere, two white silk ribbons gracefully descended from the ceiling of the studio, hanging on either side of Qi Xingchen.

“The silk ribbons are a nice touch. Looks like we all guessed wrong,” a female audience member whispered to her friend. “Teacher Qi doesn’t want to rap, nor does he want to dance solo—he just wants to show off his looks.”

“But hey, I love his face. He’d still look amazing even if he just stood there doing nothing. If I didn’t already have an idol, I might have become his fan, hahaha!”

The girls were chatting excitedly, assuming that Qi Xingchen was simply relying on his looks to attract fans.

But just as they had settled on that idea—

Qi Xingchen grabbed both silk ribbons, used them for leverage, and flipped upside down!

His left leg wrapped tightly around the ribbon!

Before the crowd could even react, the mechanical arm lifted the ribbons higher. And in that instant, they remembered—this stylish Teacher Qi had once been featured on the national news and in Communist Youth League videos for his acrobatics, rooted in traditional Chinese culture.

By the time that realization hit, Qi Xingchen was already nearly five meters above the ground, suspended in midair.

And they saw no wires or safety measures.

“Holy sh*t!”

“Oh my god!”

“What the hell?!”

It was like a massive boulder had been thrown into a lake—the entire studio erupted in an uproar!

But simply hanging upside down wasn’t the end of his performance. On the contrary, Qi Xingchen’s act had only just begun.

He was performing an acrobatic art called “aerial silks.” Using one or two ribbons, the performer executes intricate movements midair, enhanced by costumes and makeup, creating an ethereal, fairy-like spectacle.

With no time to waste, Qi Xingchen gripped the ribbons and used his core strength to return to an upright position.

Then, he extended his right leg forward, arched his back—and performed a perfect split in midair!

“Ahhhhh! He’s so flexible!”

“Is that even humanly possible?! Am I seeing things?”

Retracting his leg, he spun gracefully around the ribbons twice, his tasseled hem fluttering with the motion. After spinning left and right, he opened his arms and transitioned into slow, vertical rotations. The mechanical arm moved forward and backward, making him look like a celestial being descending to the mortal world.

He was so breathtakingly beautiful—almost unreal.

As the flute melody softened, Qi Xingchen suddenly hooked his feet onto the ribbon, let go with his hands, and dropped straight down!

The audience gasped, their mouths open in shock, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

Backstage, Bo Ye tensed his arms, almost stepping forward involuntarily.

Fortunately, Qi Xingchen had secured his grip well—he remained perfectly suspended, hanging in place.

After pausing midair for a second, as the final flute note faded, he wrapped his feet tightly around the ribbons, reached up with one hand, arched his body, and saluted—paying tribute to the audience, the production team, and his teammates who had trained tirelessly alongside him.

The cello played its final rest note, and at last, Qi Xingchen landed on the stage.

One person… two people… three people… the entire audience stood up, watching the figure in the center of the stage.

Applause, cheers, and shouts exploded like a tidal wave, echoing throughout the studio! Even the trainees backstage couldn’t help but stand up and clap—including Bo Ye.

Five minutes later, the scores for the fourth group were revealed—a total of 907 points, less than ten points behind the first group.

Seeing the undeniable admiration in Bo Ye’s eyes, Wei Qin knew—he had lost to Qi Xingchen.

Completely. Utterly.

A crushing defeat.

_{T/N: I think our xingxing will look something like this. Isn’t he beautiful?}