285: Chapter 285: The Fox Masked Man 285: Chapter 285: The Fox Masked Man “I really don’t know what they were thinking, letting someone with no stage experience perform!”
A teacher frowned impatiently as he spoke, also a dance teacher and a good friend Shen Xuedong had made at the dance academy.
He had heard some of the day’s events, like the other teachers invited by Shen Xuedong, all felt indignant about Shen Xuedong’s plight.
“What’s the use of dancing well?
With no stage experience, who knows if he’ll turn into a monkey playing tricks on stage!”
“Right, this is a performance for a national audience, and with so many people watching live, letting someone with no stage experience go on is just fooling around, isn’t it?”
“This guy must be stage fright; he’s not even showing up.
Are they expecting Bai Yunxi to dance solo?”
The teachers shook their heads in succession, Ning Fan’s absence, in their view, was surely due to stage fright, and now he must be hiding in a corner too scared to come out.
Shen Xuedong, with his face still partially swollen, looked smug at that moment.
Although these teachers had come because of his master, Shen Xuedong usually got along well with them.
With their support now, Shen Xuedong’s confidence surged once again.
“With no stage experience, facing so many people, and the whole nation watching, how could he manage?”
Shen Xuedong said this sarcastically, and when Huo looked over, he wasn’t as tense as Bai Yunxi and the others.
Ning Fan’s absence must have his reasons.
As for stage fright, how could that be possible?
Now that Ning Fan was not there, his disciple Shen Xuedong was badmouthing others behind his back with a bunch of riffraffs, and that man was also his fellow disciple, Huo immediately glared in displeasure.
Upon noticing Huo’s gaze, Shen Xuedong shut his mouth, but the smug smile did not fade from his face, and the sight of his slightly swollen face with that grin was truly loathsome.
Bai Yunxi coldly glanced at Shen Xuedong and then began to worry again.
Ning Fan’s continued absence made her start to believe he might have gotten cold feet.
“Oh, where on earth is Master Ning now?!”
Zheng Wenxiu was anxiously pacing around like an ant on a hot pan.
Just then, a television station staff member walked in, informing Bai Yunxi and the others: “Prepare to go on stage in ten minutes.”
With just ten minutes left, this notice from the staff felt like an ultimatum.
If Ning Fan didn’t arrive soon, Bai Yunxi would have to perform solo.
Shen Xuedong looked smugly at Zheng Wenxiu and Bai Yunxi, cursing them inwardly for deserving their fate, for having chosen Ning Fan in the first place.
A fellow with no stage experience, no matter how well he danced, what good was it if he fell through at the crucial moment?
The other teachers shook their heads frequently at this time, murmuring something, seeming to lament over something.
“What a pity, if it had been Teacher Shen, none of this trouble would have arisen.”
One teacher seized the moment to flatter Shen Xuedong.
“Exactly, Teacher Shen is a distinguished disciple of Master Huo and has collaborated with so many celebrities.
He could never be like this Ning Fan, dropping the ball at a crucial moment!”
These words from the teachers made Shen Xuedong’s smile grow even broader, but at that moment, he humbly replied, “No, no, no, how can I compare with Master Ning!”
At this moment, his voice was particularly grating to Bai Yunxi.
But since Ning Fan was still not appearing, all they could do was fret.
“I haven’t arrived too late, have I?”
Just when he was about to get ready to go on stage, a man wearing a fox mask and dressed in a suit and shoes, tall and graceful, walked into the dressing room.
“Ning Fan?” Bai Yunxi called out, recognizing who the voice belonged to.
And with Xu Xiaoqing and the others right beside Ning Fan, who else could it be standing at the door if not Ning Fan?
Ning Fan, wearing a fox mask, walked in, and everyone was stunned, not understanding what he was trying to pull.
Zheng Wenxiu rushed out and said anxiously, “Master Ning, you’re finally back.
Hurry up and get ready to go on stage.
And what’s with the mask?”
Everyone curiously looked at the fox mask on Ning Fan’s face, while Ning Fan explained in a very casual tone, “It’s nothing, just a bit of stage fright.
With the mask on, no one can see my face, and I can perform normally.”
In fact, Ning Fan had learned from Xu Xiaoqing that the show “Dancing Qiankun” was very popular.
The finals were broadcast live nationwide, and it would be troublesome if someone recognized him on stage.
All this time that Ning Fan had been missing, he had been searching for this mask.
“Oh please, just afraid of losing face if he loses…” Shen Xuedong sneered dismissively.
“Is this guy really up for it?
Don’t be a deer in the headlights when it’s time to get off the stage!”
“Sigh, I really don’t understand why they chose this guy instead of Teacher Shen!”
At this point, Shen Xuedong and his bunch of cronies felt that Ning Fan was wearing the mask merely because he was afraid of losing face if he lost.
Ning Fan ignored them and turned to leave with Bai Yunxi.
“Shut your mouth!
Don’t embarrass yourself here!”
Old Huo blew his mustache and glared.
Shen Xuedong dared to doubt Ning Fan at this moment and even egged on his cronies, infuriating him.
Shen Xuedong, having been scolded, didn’t dare to speak again, but his gaze towards Ning Fan was still malicious.
He didn’t believe that Ning Fan could perform well on stage.
If Ning Fan really had confidence, he wouldn’t be wearing that mask.
In Shen Xuedong’s view, the mask was purely a means of deceiving oneself, afraid of losing face if he lost.
“You disappeared for so long just to find this mask?”
Walking next to Ning Fan, Bai Yunxi couldn’t help but ask, her eyes filled with concern, dressed like Snow White.
“To be honest, I’m afraid that later on I might become too popular.
If a bunch of young girls run up to me, that would be troublesome.
I guess I just have too many good qualities.
My only fault is that I’m too handsome!”
Saying this, Ning Fan shook his head and sighed.
Bai Yunxi immediately rolled her eyes at him and pouted, “Shameless!”
Zheng Wenxiu, following behind them, was filled with exasperation at Ning Fan’s words.
“Cough, Yunxi, perform well.
Master Ning, I’ll leave Yunxi to you!”
Zheng Wenxiu pinned her highest hopes on Bai Yunxi and Ning Fan.
It was a gamble replacing Shen Xuedong with Ning Fan for tonight, and whether this bold gamble could turn the tables depended on the outcome!
But, Ning Fan had his unique advantage, and Zheng Wenxiu wanted to give it a try!