Chapter 60

After breakfast, neither group returned to work. Instead, they went out separately to find a space to rehearse; the performance was in the afternoon. Phoebe and the other three rehearsed the puppet show and watched others rehearse their acts. When they saw a problem, they would ask for a correction. The other group rehearsed their shows. Everyone had their programs. Some villagers sent them vegetables as a reward for their hard work, which they could not waste.

Phoebe made six dishes and a soup for lunch. It looked sumptuous, fragrant, and delicious. Maddox and the other two sat down happily and ate contentedly, as usual. The other group did not have time to cook because Sienna had to perform two programs. At noon, they had no choice but to cook four plates of spaghetti. Smelling the fragrance of the other group’s food, the four ate without much interest, planning to have a good meal after returning to Solara City.

At two in the afternoon, the production team set up a stage in a space at the village entrance and placed chairs. Charles used a loudspeaker to announce the performances a few times in the village. Almost all the villagers came to watch the celebrities’ performance.

Sebastian let the two groups draw lots; whoever drew the longer lot would go first. Phoebe’s team let James do it, while the other group sent Reece. Reece got the long lot. He asked, “Our turn. Which one of you will go first?” Sienna looked at them and raised her hand. “Why don’t I go first?” Reece and the other two did not object.

Hence, Sienna wore the ancient costume the production team had specially prepared. She walked onto the stage and danced a classical dance. She had practiced dancing since she was young and had not stopped practicing all these years. Coupled with the fact that she was well-prepared, her dancing was indeed quite good. After the dance ended, the villagers applauded excitedly. Seeing everyone clapping, Sienna was satisfied with her performance.

Then, it was Phoebe’s team’s turn. James asked, “Who wants to go first?” Maddox smiled and said, “Why don’t I bring the children first? Dance to dance.” Phoebe and the other two agreed. “Alright, you go first.” The second show was Maddox bringing a few children from the village to dance a robot dance in costumes the production team had prepared. Maddox danced very well, and the children were not bad either. The robot dance was quite interesting. Most importantly, the dancers were all children from the village. Since there were many of them, the stage effect was even better. Therefore, the audience applauded and cheered, and the atmosphere immediately soared. After they finished dancing, the applause became even more enthusiastic.

Sienna pursed her lips as she listened to the cheers and applause, which were even more enthusiastic than when she was performing. However, because the dancer was Maddox, the man she was interested in, she wasn’t too unhappy.

Then came Jamar’s street dance. He was not bad at dancing; after all, he sang and danced when he first debuted. Unfortunately, he was alone, and the villagers did not appreciate the street dance that much. So, the applause was not enthusiastic. Because their group had more programs prepared, it was Erika’s turn to sing after Jamar’s dance. She was singing a popular song that was currently very popular. However, most of the audience were elders and children; they couldn’t appreciate it that much. The atmosphere and reaction were only so-so.

After she left the stage, Lexie brought the children onstage. They sang a series of songs, which was Phoebe’s idea. First, it was old and classic songs. Then, it was some nursery rhymes. They discussed and changed the order and rhythm of each song. Therefore, the connection of each song was smooth. Not only was it not awkward, but it also had a sense of age and joy. Some elders and children sitting below the stage could not help but hum along. Everyone was still immersed in it when Lexie and the others finished singing.

Although the four people from the other group were smiling, they were not feeling good. They had overlooked a problem previously: most people in the village were elders or children. Phoebe’s team had taken advantage of this loophole to increase the atmosphere. Jamar’s team had miscalculated.

After Lexie’s performance, Reece went onstage. He sang the theme song of a television drama, the more lyrical kind. Many people in the village had seen his play, and they applauded enthusiastically after he sang it. Then, James brought the children onstage to perform a charcoal drawing of a bergamot melon. When the painting was done, the parents below were all happy. All of them felt that their children’s drawings were amazing. The words written beside the painting were not bad either. Other villagers saw this and also said the painting was good.

Under such an atmosphere, Sienna went onstage and played the cello piece “Concerto in E Minor.” She played it well, but the villagers didn’t understand. As for the audience in the live-stream, they all said her foundation in playing was not bad. However, she didn’t bring out the emotion in the song. If Phoebe hadn’t played a lute song, “Praise of Love,” Sienna’s “Concerto in E Minor” would have been quite outstanding. However, after the comparison, even those who did not know music felt her playing was less charming and emotional than Phoebe’s.

The villagers were still clapping, but their emotions were not as high as when listening to songs and looking at paintings. It was not as intense and lively as Sienna had imagined. She felt wronged and regretful. If she had known earlier, she would have prepared a song or program suitable for both young and old. Fortunately, Phoebe hadn’t participated in those outstanding performances just now; she did not steal Sienna’s limelight.

At this moment, Sienna still did not know that the song she played was still at a disadvantage when people compared it to Phoebe’s in the comments section. Otherwise, she would be angered. The last program was a puppet show performed by Phoebe, her team members, and the old man. The puppet shows were mostly performed after dark at night. However, the production team would leave with everyone in the afternoon, so they could only do it during the day. However, it was also possible to perform under the sun; it was a different feeling.

The four of them went onstage. Maddox and the other three manipulated the puppets. The old man and Phoebe provided the soundtrack. Sienna and the others watched as Phoebe changed instruments and composed the soundtrack for the puppet show. They were all stunned; they did not expect her to be able to do these things. Sienna saw Phoebe skillfully changing the musical instruments. It was obvious that Phoebe was not a beginner. The smile on her face could no longer be maintained. “This woman learned so many things behind our backs?” Sienna wondered. Then, she thought that perhaps Phoebe could do it long ago but had never displayed it to them. “Who was she guarding against?” Sienna thought furiously. Jamar had similar thoughts. Phoebe had never said or displayed so many things in front of them. “Did she not trust us, or was she guarding against us?” While he felt uncomfortable, Jamar also felt a little wronged and sad.

The villagers present were all very happy as they watched the puppet show. Everyone, young and old, liked it. After the performance ended, the production team distributed a small red flower to every villager, letting them vote for their favorite performance. At last, the puppet show overtook the other programs and stood out to win the most little red flowers. The second was Lexie’s song, the third was Maddox’s dance, and the fourth was James’s painting. The fifth was Reece’s song, the sixth was Sienna’s classical dance, and the seventh was Erika’s song. The eighth was Sienna’s cello playing, and Jamar was the ninth, which was the last.

Seeing this result, the smiles of the four members of Sienna’s team froze. All their performances were inferior to those of other groups, which was a little difficult for them to accept, especially Sienna. She originally wanted to work hard and get the most little red flowers. Who knew that it would end up like this? She was furious. If it weren’t a live broadcast, she would have lost control and asked her brothers for comfort with reddened eyes…