Lulin Ancient Town covered a considerable area, with streets extending in all directions connecting to various scenic spots.
Even with the help of a map, by the time Wei Man and her friends found the stage for the random dance challenge, it was already past seven o’clock.
Mi Tong ran at the front, panting. Before she could even see the shadow of the stage, the host’s voice livening up the atmosphere and the bustling cheers from the crowd came with the wind. The familiar prelude of a song made people unconsciously go with the beat in their hearts.
“It’s ECHO’s song? Or the title track from their album a couple of years ago.” She looked at the increasingly close crowd, thinking to herself, “ECHO… what a shame, they haven’t been active for a long time.”
ECHO was one of the 5th generation groups launched by BKL. It had been nearly nine years since their debut. The group’s visual center was Mi Tong’s former bias. In high school, she had been crazy about that visual who could always handle all kinds of outrageous styling.
This group had once been explosively popular for a while, but later ECHO was implicated by members’ scandals within the group and was also arranged by the company to follow a “black and red” (popularity-through-notoriety) path.
Although their popularity rose quickly, various statistics were like castles in the air, flashy but not substantial. The subsequent lackluster sales figures disappointed both the company and fans.
However, one thing had to be said: this boy group’s actual skills, when placed among all the boy groups that had debuted in recent years, could definitely rank in the top three.
Their ace and main dancer were especially outstanding, and were highly praised by professionals. Whether it was songs or dances, the difficulty was a cut above the average level of idol groups.
The only drawback that held them back, and also the core attacked by many haters, was that ECHO’s average looks were indeed lacking. They were the epitome of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
The album title track currently playing was exceptionally difficult, a rare jazz dance piece.
By the time the three girls finally arrived at the random dance challenge site, there were already seven or eight people in the central random dance zone dancing in sync with the music, and the surrounding rest area was packed with people.
Regardless of how exquisite or elaborate their Halloween costumes were, everyone sat on the ground, swaying and humming along to the music, applauding and cheering.
In the front row of the rest area, there were five or six burly men carrying cameras, with work passes hanging around their necks, obviously official staff of the event.
The stage surrounded by the rest area was very spacious, more than enough for a hundred people to dance together.
But limited by the difficulty of this ECHO song, half of the tourists who participated in the previous dance segment left the stage, drinking water and resting while intently watching the performance of those still on stage.
Wei Man and her friends arrived late and couldn’t squeeze into the front row for the time being. They wove through the crowd standing and watching at the back, standing on tiptoe and trying to see the scene in the random dance zone clearly.
“Is that red fox really here? Maybe he hasn’t come yet, or maybe he left early.”
Wei Man muttered to herself. She was short, so her field of vision was blocked by the people standing in front. No matter how she looked around, she couldn’t find her target.
The music at the scene was too loud, and the three-dimensional sound system made the explosive electronic music surge from all directions.
The dim sky was illuminated by colorful lights as bright as day. Occasionally, blue-purple laser lights swept across the sky. The scene wasn’t much different from clubbing at a nightclub.
Wei Man’s attention wandered for just a moment, and she got separated in the crowd.
“Mi Tong, Mo Fan, don’t run around! Have you found the red fox?!”
She was so anxious she started calling her friends by their full names when an unfamiliar voice, also raised to be heard, suddenly came from beside her.
“Hey, classmate, are you looking for the red fox?”
Wei Man turned and saw a short-haired girl wearing an ordinary T-shirt, with no makeup on, still carrying a backpack, looking like a college student from the neighborhood.
“Is it this red fox? He’s not over here. You need to go further inside to see him, right where the crowd is biggest and most crowded.”
The girl shook her phone at Wei Man. The lit-up screen showed a blurry photo. The fox-eared young man in red Hanfu was quite conspicuous in the crowd.
She smiled and said, “I was in the front row over there at first. I’m planning to head back now. Do you want to come with me?”
Wei Man followed the direction she pointed. Every spot in the rest area had a lot of people, but there was indeed one corner where people were packed very tightly.
The cheers there were also particularly noisy. The scene of crowding heads was exceptionally lively, almost comparable to the scenic area’s official event.
“Okay, thank you for your trouble.” Wei Man agreed happily and lowered her head to send a message to her roommates in the group chat. “Are there still spots in the front row there? Even mid or back row is fine. I have two more friends coming.”
The short-haired girl shook her head: “When I left, there weren’t any. For the front row, you have to get lucky.”
Just as Wei Man was about to say something, her phone suddenly vibrated.
[Mo Fan]: Hurry over, we’re both here. We saved you a spot, come to the front row.
The photo was of none other than a close-up, full-body shot of the red fox, the frame frozen in a moment where he raised his hand, turned sideways, and thrust his hip.
He had his arms raised upwards, with his forearms crossing above his head. The posture, with his left leg forward and body pulled upwards, gave off a natural grace.
The wide sleeves and black draped silk flew backward, flowing like water, and the dynamic movement of the Hanfu hem made the entire picture full of motion.
The large tail at his lower back remained in a curved, upturned shape. Slender, straight calves emerged from beneath the robe, with black boots lightly touching the ground, as if he would soar into the air the next second.
This scene didn’t look like a casual snapshot by a viewer, but more like a painting of a fox spirit meticulously made by an artist.
Moreover, the orange-red braid was so anime-like. This was a real-life man who had stepped out of a manga.
[Wei Man]: Ahhhh you’re already there and you didn’t call me!!!
[Wei Man]: You’ve even taken photos, and I’m still here all alone without even seeing a shadow [crying loudly]
[Mi Tong]: We just squeezed in too. Stop chatting and hurry up! This red fox is definitely Quentin. His dance moves are exactly the same!
[Mi Tong]: It’s a pity I didn’t record a video. Among the people covering this ECHO song, his performance was definitely the best!! So handsome!!!
Just through these exclamation points, Wei Man could feel her friend’s excitement. Although she still found it a bit hard to believe that “red fox = Quentin,” her anticipation kept rising.
The short-haired girl walking beside her also chattered incessantly: “Did you see the red fox on the forum? Actually, all three of those foxes dance really well. You came late, you missed them dancing to a girl group song.”
“When they got on stage, the first song they encountered was a girl group song. Logically, girl group dances suit girls better, but they danced it without any incongruity, and it was so cute!”
She sighed from the bottom of her heart: “They’re wearing masks, you can’t even see their faces. I don’t know how they’re so good at acting cute. They brought out the essence of the song. It was like three furry foxes really were shaking their heads and wagging their tails.”
“Oh right, have you heard this song playing now before? This dance is really hard, it’s an ECHO song. Look, a lot of people on stage have backed out. I wonder how they’re dancing… Hey, we’re here, we’re here!”
Led by the short-haired girl, Wei Man took a shortcut and weaved into the front row.
Before she could even find her roommates’ spot, her attention was all drawn away by that red-haired boy standing not far away, at the very front of the random dance zone and closest to the rest area audience.
At this moment, ECHO’s jazz dance piece had entered its climax.
In the public impression, more girls learn jazz dance than boys, and contemporary jazz had gradually become synonymous with sexiness.
And this song by ECHO had rushed to the top of the light music app’s daily chart upon release. It was the best-performing song on the entire album. Its practice room version had over 100 million views on forums. This song also made more casual listeners who didn’t understand dance realize that boys dancing jazz also had an unusual charm.
Due to physiological differences, females dancing jazz emphasized a sense of line and extension, pursuing the flexibility of the body and delicate emotional expression. Visual aesthetic appeal was especially important.
Male dancers placed more emphasis on a sense of power and explosive force. Movements required being clean and neat, controlled and released freely, with an obvious sense of speed. Body language was expansive and unrestrained, more aggressive on stage.
However, whether for male or female dancers, jazz dance had very high requirements for isolation. To dance jazz well, one must control the independent movement of body parts.
Wei Man had seen the practice room version of this song. Although it was a long time ago, when she saw Quentin’s movements, it was like a scene replay. Her memory revived, and she instantly associated Quentin with ECHO boy group’s ace position.
His movements were clean and neat, and his core was extremely strong. The layered Hanfu didn’t hinder his performance at all. Instead, he utilized it, occasionally lifting the hem, flicking the black gauze, shaking the wide sleeves… He was handsome in a wild and unrestrained way.
Compared to the original choreography in the practice room version, Quentin wasn’t limited by formation. He could go wherever he wanted.
He even stepped on the white painted line on the ground marking the random dance zone, just two steps away from the rest area audience.
He would crouch and beckon with his finger, wave to the back rows, and pretend to lower his head letting the audience touch his ears, only to deliberately dodge away at the last moment, tilting his head and shaking his finger, as if saying, “You can’t.”
These improvised interactions not only didn’t affect his dancing but also constantly drew screams from the watching tourists.
He was so inhibited, so skilled, so energetic, and too good at it!
Without even showing his face, just sporting a pair of fox ears and lazily wagging his tail as he walked, he effortlessly caused countless hearts to race.
Wei Man watched with a blank stare.
Was this Quentin? Was there some mistake?! Was this seductive fox spirit that freely teased the audience, the same domineering Quentin who controlled the stage with commanding presence during the two public performances?!
Don’t tell her that the face behind that mask still maintained a calm, indifferent expression… No, it was actually possible. The more expressionless his face, the greater the contrast with his body movements.
This air of wanting to refuse yet welcome, playing hard to get, was so alluring.
In fact, Wei Man wasn’t the only one stunned.
Xue Mingzhu and the others, who had finally finished dancing minutes ago and were wearing work passes giving out free candy in front of the rest area, were also stunned.
“Quentin… when he was learning these dances, he wasn’t like this, right?”
Wen Xinyi’s tone was hesitant. He turned to look at Xue Mingzhu: “Xiao Xue, weren’t you practicing with him before? Does he dance like this privately too?”
Xue Mingzhu came back to his senses and shook his head: “Of course not. At most, when dancing those few internet hit songs, he had a bit of this feeling. Besides, he dances more standardly in private. Live performances tend more towards improvisation.”
“It should be to match this outfit, so… comparatively exposing his true nature?”
He chuckled a few times, grinning: “Putting on a mask is equivalent to taking off the mask, releasing his true colors. This guy, sure enough, is the shy-but-flirtatious type.”
Xue Mingzhu had genuinely thought earlier that Yan Qiao might influence Quentin. Later, he came to believe Yan Qiao didn’t have that ability; it would be good if he wasn’t influenced by Quentin instead.
Look at these two, the black and red foxes, dancing so enthusiastically. Not only the young girls watching, but even a lot of guys were a bit shy from their teasing.
These two even dragged their teammate down with them. The white fox, who was originally reserved and focused on dancing, was also pulled in by them. The three joined forces to make the atmosphere in this area increasingly heated.
Actually, they didn’t do much. It’s just that some people, after putting on the fox skin, emitted a certain aura in their every movement… so enchanting, even a demon mask couldn’t suppress it.
Yan Qiao had disliked the fox tail all day, but once he started dancing, he wagged it more happily than anyone, single-handedly proving that foxes are canines.
He even deliberately reached behind him, grabbed the base of the tail, stroked down along the fur, and used the tip to interact with the tourists. When someone reached out to touch his tail, he generously let them.
People who knew him well knew that behind that mask, his unserious face was probably grinning mischievously.
Logically speaking, dancers participating in the random dance should focus on the dance itself. Being so playful and interacting with the audience seemed a bit like putting the secondary before the main. But who asked them to wear demon masks?
With Xue Mingzhu and the others as precedent, the tourists all assumed these young people in Hanfu and masks were official staff of the random dance challenge.
Leading the dance, interacting, and driving the atmosphere were exactly the staff’s duties. The other dancers on stage naturally didn’t think they were stealing the spotlight.
Besides, the stage was big. How much space could three people take up? Attracting so many viewers was also their own achievement.
When Wei Man sat down next to Mi Tong, she saw her friend holding up her phone, recording a video focused on Quentin.
Before she could ask, Mi Tong proactively explained: “I plan to record a focus cam of every dance Quentin does and post it on the forum. I won’t say it’s Quentin first, just say it’s a really good-dancing NPC I saw in the scenic area.”
“Every tourist season, there are always handsome guys and pretty girls working in different scenic areas who become popular online. They can, so why can’t the red fox?”
She spoke confidently: “During the day, Quentin and his friends became popular on the forum just through photos. Later, isn’t dancing even more appealing than photos?”
Wei Man gave a thumbs up: “Not bad, have you turned from a looks fan into a career-focused fan?”
“Looks fan and career-focused fan aren’t separate categories. They’re both fans of only one member. They both want Quentin to get more popular. What’s the difference?” Mi Tong kept the camera steady as she spoke. “Look at those cameramen in front. They’re definitely from the ‘NS’ production team. They’re also recording focus cams. I just don’t know when they’ll release them…”
She thought for a moment and said: “Maybe the official account of Lulin Ancient Town will release them. It counts as cooperation with the scenic area. If I were the scenic area person in charge, I’d be very happy to accept this wave of buzz.”
“Besides, ECHO’s dance is really hard to dance. The three of them dance it so well. ECHO’s fans are just laid-back, not dead yet. I’m still in several big ECHO fan groups. Later, I’ll share the video over there and see if I can attract a bunch of ECHO fans.”
Wei Man hesitated: “Is that really okay…”
Mi Tong shook her head and sighed: “You don’t understand. ECHO has been abandoned by their dog company. The company won’t let them terminate their contracts, and won’t give them resources. Now their buzz gets lower every year. They can only live off their past achievements. If Quentin’s video becomes popular, ECHO’s fans will definitely be happy too. A win-win situation, right?”
They hadn’t chatted for long when this song ended, and the prelude of the next song made them both freeze.
“…Am I hallucinating?”
Wei Man’s eyes widened: “‘Lust’? Cupid’s ‘Lust’?!”
What do you call a double joy for fans of both? What a godly collaboration! She wasn’t dreaming, was she!
As the pre-release single from Cupid’s first album, ‘Lust’ had extremely high popularity. It could be said to be the most explosively popular song among new releases in 2025. As long as no other hit or superstar suddenly comes along later, this song would definitely rush into the top 3 songs of the year.
Wei Man took a deep breath: “Tongtong, you have to film this dance well. ‘Lust’ is very popular on short video platforms!”
Mi Tong certainly knew that. Without a word, she focused even more intently on filming, capturing Quentin’s whole body in the phone screen, to be zoomed in for close-ups during later editing.
She thought to herself: “‘Lust’… this song is very sexy.”
And at this moment, Quentin, who was standing in the front row of the random dance zone, was so tired his neck was sweaty, his chest heaving violently.
But it wasn’t time for him to leave the stage yet, and he didn’t want to leave either. He could only use the time during the prelude to steady his breathing.
Yan Qiao, who had continuously danced two high-difficulty, fast-paced dance pieces, was also starting to pant. He stood beside Quentin, stretching, his voice carrying a smile: “How’s it going? Can you keep going?”
Quentin adjusted his mask: “Of course. Let’s see who lasts longer.”
Yan Qiao heard the pleasure in his voice and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He was really into it.
Indeed, in such a heated atmosphere, freely using music and dance to move the audience, making whomever he wanted cheer, making whomever he wanted scream…
The audience’s gaze was like a stimulant, making one’s whole body tremble, yet also immersing one in it.
Inexperienced rookie trainees could easily be bewitched by it.
At the same time that they exhaust themselves attracting the audience, they gradually can’t do without the audience’s affection. The psychology of worrying about gains and losses would make them increasingly want to become the so-called “most dazzling center.”
The stage is truly something one can’t get enough of, something unforgettable for a lifetime.
