[Dance Class]
In the harmony sheet music, each member’s part was distinct. Mo Xun and Tan Junwen’s scores were transposed to a lower register, focusing on bass; Tang Che’s part was in a higher register; Fu Fei’s sheet was full of intricate vocal transitions that required careful attention to avoid going off-key.
This arrangement resembled a “mini choir,” where every member had to perform flawlessly and coordinate with one another.
Achieving perfect group harmony would require significant time and effort to build rapport.
Seeing their strained expressions while singing, Teacher Qiao smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry—you’ve just formed your group. Building chemistry takes time.”
“Starting tomorrow, set aside half an hour every day for vocal exercises in the soundproof room. This includes vocal cord closure training, resonance practice, and expanding your vocal range. You can schedule this time flexibly.”
“Develop the habit of warming up your voice daily. On Saturdays during vocal class, I’ll conduct individual assessments and corrections.”
“For today, we’ll stop here—go grab dinner.”
The five bowed in unison. “Thank you, Teacher Qiao.”
After Qiao Anhua left, the group exchanged glances.
In addition to harmony practice, they now had to dedicate half an hour daily to vocal exercises. If they failed assessments, they’d have to put in extra hours for remedial practice.
Teacher Qiao’s expectations had clearly risen to a new level.
There was no choice but to push themselves harder!
With their debut approaching, they had no room for slacking—they had to step up their game.
Mo Xun turned to the group and asked, “There’s dance class at 7 PM tonight. Do you want to go home for dinner or eat at the company?”
Tan Junwen stretched lazily and said with half-closed eyes, “Let’s just order takeout here—walking back and forth wastes time.”
Fu Fei asked eagerly, “Mo-ge, is our living allowance covered by Old Xu? I want rice noodle rolls today!”
Tang Che added coolly, “Can I order separately? I’d like spicy hotpot.”
Knowing how impossible it was for everyone to agree on food choices, Mo Xun waved his hand decisively. “Old Xu gave me the living allowance—I’ll split it among you all. Order whatever you want but avoid eating too much sweet or spicy food; it could damage your vocal cords.”
Everyone nodded happily as they accepted their share of money and pulled out their phones to order dinner.
Since eating in the practice room or vocal studio wasn’t allowed, Mo Xun found a small meeting room on the same floor and led his teammates there.
The takeout arrived quickly, and they laid out their meals on the table—a diverse spread of food as usual.
“By the way,” Mo Xun said while eating, “our dance classes will be taught by Teacher Yan Chi from now on.”
Fu Fei looked up in surprise. “Old Xu actually managed to invite him?”
Fang Yinnian asked curiously, “Is Teacher Yan Chi famous?”
Mo Xun explained, “He’s the founder of Angle Dance Crew—a renowned group in the industry. They’ve performed as backup dancers for many singers’ concerts and are frequently seen at major TV networks’ New Year’s Eve galas.”
Fu Fei chimed in excitedly: “That’s right! Hiring them as backup dancers costs a fortune.” He paused before turning to Mo Xun. “Mo-ge, wasn’t Yan Chi your first dance teacher when you were a kid?”
Mo Xun nodded. “Yes. He happens to be in Jiangzhou for the next six months, so Old Xu invited him to teach us—and he agreed.”
“That’s amazing! A private instructor of this caliber is impossible to book no matter how much money you spend!” Fu Fei was visibly thrilled.
Fang Yinnian and Tang Che exchanged glances—the pressure suddenly felt overwhelming.
Yan Chi was Mo Xun’s first dance teacher—a legend in the dance world—and now he’d be teaching two complete beginners like them. Would he think they were hopeless cases?
—
After dinner, everyone cleaned up their takeout containers and rested for half an hour before heading to their exclusive practice room on the fifth floor.
As they entered the room, they saw a young man with dyed red hair bent over, adjusting the sound system.
The man was tall and lean, dressed in black casual clothes perfect for movement. His body was adorned with well-defined muscles, and his shoulders bore a complex tattoo. A row of diamond earrings sparkled on his ears under the light.
Hearing footsteps, the stylish man raised his head, his narrow eyes scanning the five people in front of him before finally settling on Mo Xun.
Mo Xun smiled and stepped forward to embrace him briefly. “Chi-ge, long time no see.”
Yan Chi squinted as he sized him up. “You brat! It’s been years—you’ve grown so much taller!”
He chuckled and clapped his hands before turning to the others. “Alright, let’s get acquainted. I’m Yan Chi, your dance instructor from now on.”
Apart from Mo Xun, the other four immediately bowed and greeted him politely: “Hello, Teacher Yan.”
Yan Chi took a step back and laughed. “Whoa! All bowing at once—you scared me! My dance classes don’t need to be so formal. I’m only about ten years older than you—just call me Chi-ge.”
The four quickly adjusted and called out in unison: “Chi-ge!”
“…” Yan Chi couldn’t help but laugh at their politeness. Looks like their manager has been keeping them in line. “Alright, let’s start class.”
The five lined up neatly.
Yan Chi turned to Mo Xun. “Captain, show us a solo—let’s see what you’ve got!”
He connected his phone to the studio’s sound system, and energetic music filled the room.
It was a K-POP-style song with a fast tempo and prominent drum beats—a representative track by Korea’s BNC boy band, which Fang Yinnian had studied the night before.
Mo Xun quickly found the rhythm and slid effortlessly into the center of the room with a smooth step.
His movements didn’t mimic BNC’s choreography but instead followed the beat with improvised flair.
Mo Xun’s long, powerful legs and flexible waist allowed him to move with incredible fluidity. Every arm swing timed perfectly with the beat, showcasing tension and strength. The muscle lines on his arms were strikingly defined.
His arms moved like waves, segmented into different areas as they danced—a testament to his masterful control over his body.
As the music grew more intense, Mo Xun suddenly placed both hands on the ground and began spinning his legs rapidly in mid-air.
The speed was astonishing—something most people couldn’t manage—but Mo Xun’s strong core muscles drove his legs into a whirlwind-like rotation. The entire sequence was clean and sharp without even a hint of instability.
—It was Thomas Flair, an advanced move from street dance breaking.
He followed this up by flipping upright in one swift motion and transitioned into popping. His muscles contracted and relaxed rapidly as he performed an electrifying mechanical dance that set the room ablaze with energy.
His teammates watched in awe, completely captivated.
As the music reached its final notes, Mo Xun used his waist and back to support himself on the ground while lifting his legs into an arched position. His entire body folded into a “hook” shape for a striking ending pose.
Then, with a smile, he leapt gracefully off the floor and turned to Yan Chi. “How was it? Did I do you proud?”
Yan Chi patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. “Not bad—not bad at all! You’re ready to graduate—you could start your own dance class.”
Mo Xun: “…”
Fu Fei clapped enthusiastically. “Awesome! Mo-ge is so cool!”
Tan Junwen joined in: “That was amazing—no wonder you’re our lead dancer!”
Tang Che and Fang Yinnian clapped while exchanging a silent glance—no matter how hard they tried, even if their bodies were taken apart and reassembled, they wouldn’t be able to replicate Mo Xun’s dance performance.
The captain’s incredible control over his body and the explosive tension in his muscles while dancing would put even the “lead dancers” of current boy bands to shame. Fang Yinnian personally felt that Mo Xun’s performance was even more captivating than that of BNC’s lead dancer.
Yan Chi walked to the center of the practice room and smiled. “Don’t feel too pressured. Mo Xun is the most talented student I’ve ever taught when it comes to dance. I won’t expect all of you to reach his level—that’s impossible.”
The group: “…”
Thank you, Teacher—we’re well aware of our limits.
Yan Chi turned to Tang Che and Fang Yinnian. “I heard from Xu that neither of you has learned street dance before, right?”
Both nodded simultaneously. “That’s correct.”
Yan Chi said, “Alright, let’s start with a few movements. I want to check your coordination.”
This time, he didn’t play music. Instead, he demonstrated a series of moves while counting the beats aloud: “One, two, three, four; five, six, seven, eight. One section—eight breakdown movements. Got it?”
Fang Yinnian and Tang Che nodded again. “Got it.”
Yan Chi instructed, “Alright, follow me.”
He demonstrated in front while the two followed behind.
Fang Yinnian managed to keep up with the movements, but his body was so light and flexible that his dancing seemed almost weightless. Mo Xun, watching from the side for a while, couldn’t help but feel that Fang Yinnian looked like he was about to float away on tiptoes like a swan.
Tang Che, on the other hand, had never learned dance before—not even basic posing during their photoshoot—and now he was trying to dance. His stiff movements only became more awkward as he went along.
Yan Chi sighed and stopped them. “Not to be rude, but Yinnian—you’re as light as a swan. And Tang Che—you look like… like…”
Tang Che finished for him: “Like a zombie performing a ritual?”
Everyone: “…”
What kind of description is that?!
Tan Junwen immediately burst out laughing but quickly tried to stifle it by lowering his head—his shoulders trembling as he struggled to hold it in.
Tang Che was truly something else—who else would describe themselves as a zombie performing a ritual? His self-deprecating humor was unmatched.
But… he really did look like a zombie! Hahaha!
Even Mo Xun couldn’t hold back and turned around to laugh quietly, while Fu Fei had already squatted down from laughing too hard.
Tang Che remained calm and said flatly, “Sorry—I’ve never learned dance before. These moves are a bit difficult for me.”
Mo Xun cleared his throat twice to suppress his laughter and stepped in to mediate: “Chi-ge, just treat them as complete beginners—they really don’t have much foundation.”
Yan Chi sighed again. “Alright then. You two will start with the most basic beginner movements.”
He then turned to Mo Xun. “You three—go practice on your own for now. Start by recreating BNC’s choreography and work on building your coordination as a group. Once your songs have choreography ready, all five of you will practice together.”
“Got it,” Mo Xun replied before pausing to ask, “Will you be choreographing our dances too?”
“Yes,” Yan Chi confirmed. “Xu already spoke to me about it. I’ll design the choreography based on your group’s styles and abilities. For Fang Yinnian and Tang Che as lead vocalists, the difficulty level will be appropriately reduced.”
Both Fang Yinnian and Tang Che let out a sigh of relief at this.
In any group, roles needed to be divided—it wouldn’t make sense for them to perform moves like Mo Xun’s Thomas Flair spins… It was better for them to focus on singing instead!
Yan Chi was a patient and humorous instructor, without any of the airs of a typical teacher. He treated everyone like a big brother, blending seamlessly with the group while teaching Fang Yinnian and Tang Che the basics of dance step by step.
A professional teacher like Yan Chi had a sharp eye for spotting issues and provided targeted guidance to correct them effectively.
After practicing with Yan Chi for a few hours, Fang Yinnian and Tang Che gradually started to get the hang of things.
Of course, they still needed a lot more practice.
In future group performances, even though Mo Xun would lead the dance and capture most of the audience’s attention, the two of them couldn’t afford to lag too far behind. At the very least, their movements needed to be synchronized, and their execution had to meet basic standards.
—
The evening dance class ran from 7 PM to 10 PM.
Sweaty and exhausted, the five returned to their dormitory and took turns showering.
After a quick shower, Fang Yinnian went to his bedroom and saw Mo Xun scrolling through his phone. After hesitating for a moment, he walked over and asked, “Mo Xun, could you teach me dance privately?”
Mo Xun looked up at him. Fang Yinnian’s hair was still damp from his shower, and his clear eyes were filled with sincerity.
Meeting Mo Xun’s gaze, Fang Yinnian touched his hair awkwardly before continuing, “Teacher Yan can only give us lessons in the evenings. When you don’t have school during the day, could you spare some time to help me practice?”
With such a serious request, no one could refuse.
Mo Xun smiled and agreed readily. “Of course.”
Fang Yinnian’s face lit up with a smile. “Let’s compare schedules then.”
Mo Xun opened his class schedule on his phone while Fang Yinnian did the same. The two leaned in together to check their availability.
Mo Xun said, “We’re both free Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings, and Friday afternoons. Come find me then—we’ll head to the company practice room for one-on-one sessions.”
Fang Yinnian nodded eagerly. “Got it! Thanks, Captain!”
Having Mo Xun willing to tutor him privately was ideal. Fang Yinnian resolved to work hard under his guidance and quickly improve his weak points.
