121 Steps And Stairs (1/2)

”1, 2, 3, 4...”

At the first beat of the music, Hui Yin raised her head and slid sideways as the other girls did the same, going to their designated spot in the formation.

Yu Qiang took up the center position with Hui Yin standing on her right, and Bao Bai to her left. They each struck their poses, Hui Yin shyly blowing a kiss at the camera.

As the intro of the song ended, all of them turned around and stood in a line, with Yu Qiang at the very back.

'We both fell in love

And then we fell apart

Failing to let go

And not moving on—'

Each of them alternatively stepped on either the left or right, creating a V-formation with Yu Qiang at the very center. She was lip-syncing to the lyrics, while the seven of them danced in unison.

Hui Yin heaved a secret sigh of relief when she saw that she was following the pace of Bao Bai just fine. Because the two of them were on either side of Yu Qiang, they could easily be spotted among the crowd of girls.

The seven of them were all wearing pink tennis skirts, and matching white shoes. Only their sweaters differed, as Yu Qiang wore a pink one while the rest of them were in white.

'Going back and forth

I try to walk slowly

So if you want to

You could run after me'

The song they were dancing to was called 'Stairs and Steps', written exclusively for the show. It was composed by a songwriter Director Peng knew, and would serve as the 'debut song' of their C-pop girl group. Hui Yin knew nothing of music, but she thought that despite the sad lyrics, the tune was upbeat and catchy.

Yu Qiang switched places with Bao Bai, since it was her turn to sing the song. Their voices were already pre-recorded and edited, so all they had to do was to move their lips silently in synchronisation with the words.

'Climbing these stairs

Walking these steps

Ey, I'm stumbling

But I'm slowly moving on—'

After Bao Bai finished singing her piece, Hui Yin moved in front of her. She swished her hips, letting her skirt flare around her legs. Hui Yin did a dance shuffle in place, sliding back and forth as her white shoes glided smoothly on the wooden floor.

When she reached the last word of the chorus that she needed to sing, Hui Yin tilted her head and winked at the camera.