BEST AMONG THE BEST

Outsiders would think that Duan Shuchun was too outrageous. When she actually had an option to recruit an experienced dancer outside Tiantang so that eight dancers could perform in the Imperial Palace, she chose to force all the girls in Tiantang to practice dancing instead.

Outsiders would think that she was too narrow-minded because she didn't want to change the rules at Tiantang even during this dire situation, and she instead wanted to take a risk by asking the girls outside of the dance team to practice dancing.

The decision sounded risky, but Duan Shuchun actually had her own considerations before she made the final decision, and the reason was that the girls in Tiantang had also learned the basic dance even if they didn't join the dance team.

In her eyes, it would be better for her to push the girls further so that they could dance better, and one of them would be able to join the dance team in the end. That way, she wouldn't have to train a new girl, and she wouldn't have to risk recruiting an outsider to perform at an important event in the palace either.

Duan Shuchun seemed confident in her idea, but the girls standing in front of her seemed speechless after hearing the idea. Just by looking at the girls' eyes, one would know that they doubted Duan Shuchun's decision.

"Aiyah! Why are you looking at me like that?" The boss of Tiantang House seemed to notice the strange gaze as she immediately asked in annoyance. "All of you have been a part of Tiantang for a long time, and I have trained you to be confident individuals. Now, you don't even have enough confidence when I just ask you to practice dancing?"

Duan Shuchun scowled when she saw how the girls looked at her doubtfully after she voiced her idea.

She had indeed worked hard on the girls over the years. Not only did she give the girls some lessons on how to sing, dance, and play musical instruments, but she also taught the girls how to be strong and respectable women in society.

Maybe they were just courtesans, and many people looked down on them, but Duan Shuchun always told them to lift their chins and never look down on themselves.

She believed that the girls in Tiantang had to have enough self-confidence, and they had to respect themselves before they could expect that others would appreciate them.

Perhaps that was also the reason why Duan Shuchun didn't want to rush to ask for a new girl from outside Tiantang in this dire situation. Even if she looked arrogant and full of herself, she had some kind of connection with the girls in Tiantang, and she trusted them more than the experienced dancers outside Tiantang.

Now, the girls in the hall looked guilty after hearing Duan Shuchun's question. At first glance, Duan Shuchun looked like a desperate person who even forced the girls to learn to dance when they weren't part of the dance team, but she was actually just giving the girls another chance to improve.

After hearing Duan Shuchun's question, the girls once again had confident expressions on their faces, and Duan Shuchun was finally able to smile again after she felt disappointed for a moment.

"I can see your enthusiasm again, but I need to hear your answer to my question," the boss spoke again with a fixed smile on her face. "Are you guys ready to practice dancing and perform at the Imperial Palace?"

It seemed like the boss was asking for a verbal commitment, and the girls in the hall immediately replied with a "yes" without hesitation. Duan Shuchun seemed pleased with the answer, and her smile grew wider.

"That's great," said the boss. "The seven dancers at Tiantang will train with the other girls as well, and they are guaranteed to perform at the Imperial Palace because they have been dancers at Tiantang for many years. So, it will be like a competition as only one place is left after the other seven spots have been taken by the original dancers in Tiantang."

Hearing the word 'competition,' the girls in the hall suddenly had strained expressions on their faces.

It was the first time their boss had asked them to compete against each other. During their training before today, Duan Shuchun had always said that they were all family, a team that had to work together to overcome all obstacles in the future.

However, the boss suddenly said that the performance in the Imperial Palace was a competition for them, and they couldn't help but begin to think that the people standing together with them in the hall were rivals they had to beat.

They even started glancing at each other, and Duan Shuchun could feel that the atmosphere of the competition was starting to fill the hall. Deep down, she knew that the word 'competition' would bring discomfort to the girls' hearts, but she also knew that she could only motivate them by using that word.

Knowing that only the best girl would be chosen in the end, the girls would definitely try their best during the five days of training, and Duan Shuchun assumed that the competition would be good for her to choose the best among the best.

Duan Shuchun smiled with satisfaction when she saw the determination on the girl's face. She looked at the girls one by one, but then her eyes stopped moving as they caught the figure of a girl in the back row.

The smile on her face suddenly disappeared, and she continued to stare at the figure as she made serious considerations in her heart.

After thinking for a while, Duan Shuchun spoke again as she continued to stare at the girl behind, "All the girls in Tiantang have the right to participate in the competition, but Xia Qiao can't do that. Xia Qiao doesn't have the opportunity to perform in the Imperial Palace."