Chapter 60

Dinner was boxed lunches provided by the program team. After dinner, a new task was assigned. The four of them would go to learn classical dance from a master in the next week and would also have to hand in homework after the class.

Lu Yan and Eric had no classical dance skills, so they went back to their rooms and lay down. Eric could be heard speaking in foreign-style Chinese from afar: "If I use the Krump method to dance classically, will I be kicked out?"

The yard became deserted. There were no filming tasks, and most of the people from the program crew had left and returned to the logistics department in the town to rest. Only the security personnel were still guarding nearby.

The moonlight was cold. Xiao Ziyu saw Wen Ci sitting on a stool in a daze and took the initiative to suggest, "Does it still count if we discuss dancing skills before?"

Wen Ci's eyes lit up and he looked up: "Sure, as long as you don't mind my unfamiliar movements."

He stood up from the stool and stretched his arms and legs. The usually calm man was a little shy: "I haven't danced for a long time."

Xiao Ziyu took the initiative to make some distance, and saw Wen Ci take two light steps, his movements went from awkward to smooth. Bathed in the moonlight, he hummed softly to accompany himself. His elegant and lively appearance was completely different from that in the daytime.

He was not in good physical condition, so he stopped after dancing a few rounds, breathing heavily: "I'm sorry to embarrass you."

"The fifth paragraph of "Song of Everlasting Sorrow," Xiao Ziyu clapped his hands softly, "You have a very good foundation."

"Then it's your turn." Wen Ci said with a smile.

Xiao Ziyu tied her ponytail tightly, touched the ground with her toes, and leaped up more than a meter lightly and silently. Then she curled up and crawled, whetting the appetite of the spectators with her big movements.

Wen Ci majored in classical dance and had danced most of the pieces, but had never seen this one. Sometimes her lotus steps move lightly, like a newly blossoming plum blossom with a faint fragrance in the air; sometimes she stands tall and vigorous, like a new bamboo standing against the wind, preferring to break rather than bend. Although there is no melody, it seems as if her footsteps have produced drum beats, and her long hair moves in the wind.

The flashy dance steps gradually turn into a retreat, like the rivers, lakes and seas with thousands of ships passing by. Wen Ci subconsciously held his breath. Although he didn't understand this dance, he could feel the joy of the martial arts world and a sense of self-satisfaction from her every frown and every sleeve. Xiao Ziyu stopped and clenched his palms lightly, as if he had caught the gentle moonlight, echoing the cool moonlight in the distance.

Wen Ci could barely find his voice. He asked, "What song is this? I've never heard it before."

"This dance is based on the Southern Song Dynasty ci tune Shuang Tian Xiao Jiao, also known as Chang Qiao Yue," Xiao Ziyu raised his chin slightly and looked at the light above his head, "I adapted it myself, and I'm giving it to an old friend."

The next morning, the staff arrived one after another and the program started on time.

The camera wasn't even on yet, and the director saw Xiao Ziyu and waved, "Ziyu, come here."

Xiao Ziyu turned around and saw the director was followed by the director of the business department. It was he who persuaded him to go on stage yesterday. He couldn't help but feel a little cautious.

He walked closer and greeted the director first: "Director Wang."

The business director had a smile on his face, completely different from the bossy look he had yesterday. He patted Xiao Ziyu on the shoulder and said, "Ziyu, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. Boss Wu made a last-minute request, and I couldn't refuse, so I wanted you to come on stage and handle it."

The show had to continue recording, and Xiao Ziyu had no intention of breaking up with him, so he stepped down and said, "I understand what you mean. I will do my best to complete everything mentioned in the contract."

"That's right, we should still follow the contract," the director reminded him again, "This situation will not happen again, and we in logistics will also pay attention. I hope Ziyu will not forget what happened yesterday."

After they left, Luo Li jumped out from behind the crowd and asked, "How's it going, Brother Xiao? Did they apologize in a good manner?"

Xiao Ziyu felt puzzled. Since he knew that this approach was inappropriate, why did he have to follow Wu Xianyong's wishes yesterday?

Luo Li saw his confusion and took the initiative to say, "The company contacted the program team yesterday, and President Yuan even called the program's chief planner in person to ask them what was going on."

Luo Li has a strong sense of company honor: "Our Yuantai Culture is one of the best entertainment companies in the industry, and Mr. Yuan has a lot of connections. They are afraid of getting into trouble, so they are scared."

"Will the company handle this situation in the same way?" Xiao Ziyu was a little surprised.

"How could that be possible?" Luo Li said happily, "Most of the time we just keep quiet. Otherwise, with so many artists in the company, Mr. Yuan would be very busy. It must be because you, Brother Xiao, have a lot of face."

Xiao Ziyu said "oh" and looked away thoughtfully. His heart felt like someone was holding it, and he felt a little fluttery, but more of a sense of security.

After breakfast, they walked to their dance master's home. The village is surrounded by a clear stream, and there is a natural lake upstream. We walked along the shallow stream for more than ten minutes, and suddenly a private road branched off from the main road.

There are three big words engraved on the brass sign on the roadside: Qinglan Garden.

Lu Yan is well-informed: "Many wealthy people would choose this kind of water town with a suitable climate to escape from the world. It seems that the master that the program team found for us is quite famous."

Eric asked curiously, "Most of the classical dancers are girls. Do you think our teacher is a man or a woman?"

"According to the usual routine, it's more likely that he's an old man," Lu Yan analyzed, "People with unique skills usually have weird tempers. We may have to pretend to be his grandson."

The two men were full of imagination and were particularly curious about the master they had never met. They joked and joked until they reached the end of the private road, where a large garden appeared before them.

"Is this Master's home?" Eric said willingly, "There are so many rich people in China."

"Normally rich people wouldn't build such a big garden," Lu Yan said, "This must be a mansion."

The garden is full of artificial landscapes, with lush tree shadows, well-arranged rockery and flowing water, and pavilions and towers in the distance, as if in a painting.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Ziyu wondered, accustomed to the scene before him.

Before the war, the Pear Garden where they lived had this kind of structure. The main house was where the master lived, and the east and west sides were rooms for the children. There were double corridors with pillars, and flowing water. Even in winter, there was running water flowing around the house.

While the two brothers were in a daze, he took the lead and rang the doorbell. The wooden gate opened, and a man who looked like a housekeeper came out. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, wearing a long gown with a double-breasted front. As soon as he spoke, he spoke with a scholarly air: "Everyone, please follow me."

"I feel like I've traveled through time," Lu Yan whispered, "When I see my master later, I might just kneel down because my legs are weak."

Several people crowded at the door, and Xiao Ziyu stepped in first, calm and composed, with a leisurely gait. Everyone hurried to catch up. If it weren't for the actors' dignity, they might have been mistaken for some young master's followers.

Xiao Ziyu walked in front and looked at the bluestone road in front of him, and he felt a sense of familiarity.

Walking around the two screens at the entrance, the full view of the garden begins to emerge, with small bridges and flowing water shaded by grass and trees, and towering ancient trees, it feels like stepping into long-lasting memories. Even without the butler's introduction, he could tell you which moon gate connected to the backyard and where in the corridor you could see koi carp tumbling.

Maybe most of the ancient courtyards in Jiangnan look like this, Xiao Ziyu comforted himself. With the passage of generations, the Pear Garden was destroyed in the war. Seeing a garden made him feel like it was like this. He was probably just daydreaming.

Before he could calm down, the main house suddenly appeared in his sight. It was a two-story structure with white walls, green tiles, and raised corners and eaves, and it was warm and glowing under the shade of the trees.

"Please wait a moment, I will go and invite the gentleman in." The old butler said slowly.

It was impolite to stare at them openly, but everyone couldn't help their curiosity. Lu Yan looked around and said, "There seems to be words hanging in the main room."

It is not surprising that the words hung in the main house are mostly about expressing family traditions and ancestral teachings. At that time, there was also a hanging in the opera. Xiao Ziyu thought casually, what was hanging was...

"The sky is full of wind and rain as we go down to the west building?" Lu Yan read out each word. Xiao Ziyu turned around suddenly and was completely stunned.

If the layout of the outer gardens is similar, it can be explained. But the words hung in the central hall are a family tradition, so how can they be similar?

"Zi Yu, what's wrong with you?" Wen Ci touched him, "You look so pale."

"I... am fine," Xiao Ziyu said in a weak voice. He looked at the scroll hanging in the room. It had a white background with huge black characters, which read "The sky is full of wind and rain as the west tower descends" written in running script.

"Is there any explanation for this?" Eric was puzzled.

"This line comes from a farewell poem," Xiao Ziyu murmured, "When the sun sets and the drunkenness is sobering up, and the sky is filled with wind and rain, it probably means that the owner of the house is open-minded and sober, and there is no need to worry about the coming and going."

"Those who can have this kind of enlightenment are probably elderly," Lu Yan said. "Look at this deep and secluded courtyard. One can even meditate on Zen."

While they were whispering, the sound of footsteps came closer and closer, and a figure appeared faintly behind the moon gate. He was tall and slender, with a steady gait, and wore a moon-white robe. He was definitely not an old man. Before Lu Yan could take back his words, he held his breath and the camera lenses turned around.

"This temperament is similar to Ziyu," Wen Ci sighed softly. Everyone turned their heads and found that Xiao Ziyu was standing there in a daze, staring at the approaching figure, and was shaking uncontrollably.

Xiao Ziyu knew that he had lost his composure, but he was unable to control himself. He forgot all about the depth of the courtyard and the size of the main hall. He heard the sound of something collapsing and shattering. He must be dreaming, he thought in a daze, otherwise how could he see his senior brother from his previous life, Xiao Jinchuan, his fellow disciple who was lost in the war.

But in a flash, the man in white came to them, his eyes swept calmly over the four people in front of him and the camera not far away, and bowed and said: "My name is Xiao Jinchuan, and I am also your classical dance teacher for the time being. I will spend the next few days with you all."

Several people hurriedly returned the greeting, but except for Xiao Ziyu, the other three were just imitating each other, and their behavior was sparse and unruly.

Eric gave Lu Yan a look, as if to say: Where is the old man you were talking about?

Lu Yan elbowed back: How should I know? Let's wait and see.

They were as quiet as a chicken, but the reaction in the live broadcast room was extremely intense:

"Two conspicuous bags! Do you have to be so obvious with your little movements?"

"This dance teacher is so young, unexpectedly..."

"Xiao Jinchuan and Xiao Ziyu have similar temperaments, and both of them have the surname Xiao. I'd venture to guess that they are relatives?"

"It's so pleasing to the eyes to see the big beauty and the little beauty together!"

Several people followed Xiao Jinchuan into the main room, and the camera switched. The house was tall, and the floor and furniture were all made of natural teak. There was a small incense burner on the table at the door, emitting light smoke.

"Are you thirsty after walking all morning?" Xiao Jinchuan asked them to sit down and asked the old housekeeper to make a pot of Junshan Silver Needle tea for everyone.

Several people sat down one after another, and the scent of sandalwood made even their cuffs take on a Zen feel.

Xiao Jinchuan is their dance teacher, but he is in no hurry to teach. After tasting tea, he first explains the ancient and modern context of classical dance. His tone was gentle, without any airs of a teacher, but he sat in a dignified and graceful manner, his moon-white robe was not at all messy, and there was a simple crane silhouette drawn on his collar, which made people dare not easily disrespect him.

Xiao Ziyu listened, but was distracted, recalling the past in the faint sandalwood scent.

Xiao Jinchuan is the eldest brother and the best in Kung Fu. Every morning before dinner, he would give everyone a morning lesson like this.

Each person had a small cushion, and Xiao Jinchuan sat cross-legged in the middle. He seemed to know everything and could talk about old history, humanities, and strange stories. Xiao Ziyu was favored and always managed to get the front seat. He would often pester his senior brothers to ask questions after class.

But when it came to learning skills, the eldest brother became the strictest one. He was very precise in stretching the muscles and legs, and almost all of his junior fellow students had been pushed to tears by him. When Xiao Jinchuan was supervising, they did not dare to be lazy at all.

Xiao Jinchuan has always been dignified and serious. The only time he lost his composure was when the King of Shu recruited them into the palace. The tall and reliable man who was as tall as a tree bent his back, first begged for mercy, and then fought to the death. He failed to escape and was beaten to death. He broke a leg and almost didn't survive.

Maybe it was the incense that burned him, but tears welled up in Xiao Ziyu's eyes. Before he could try with his hands, Xiao Jinchuan, who was sitting in the main seat, changed the subject, as if catching a student who had been absent from class: "Xiao Ziyu, please summarize the several movements I just introduced to everyone."

This is a very simple question, and you will never forget it once you have heard it, but Xiao Ziyu looked around in confusion, his mind in a mess. There are so many movements in classical dance, whether it is turning the waist in the clouds, extending the claws of the green dragon, leaning against the clouds, or flying swallows through the forest. He has learned the skills so well that he doesn't know what to do.

The live broadcast room burst into laughter:

"Yu Yu is absent from duty, hahaha"

"In my lifetime series, why do I feel like the big beauty has a natural buff on the little beauty?"

“It’s just like me when my name is suddenly called in class.”

"Teacher Xiao, I know how to do this question! Hit me! Hit me!"

"? Should I spank you or reward you??"

Xiao Jinchuan's eyes moved slowly around Xiao Ziyu, and in the gloating eyes of Eric and Lu Yan, he said lightly: "If you can't answer, I'll trouble Mr. Xiao to come with me alone later."

Buy it and leave it: Did Xiao Jinchuan lose his memory?