Chapter 38 Daily Variety Show: May you always be like this...

After the Spring Festival Gala that year, numerous program invitations poured into Zhu Qingting. At the careful suggestion of Chai Yundu, she chose to participate in the professional dance competition program "Street Dance of China" as a guest dancer, and also accepted a role in an observational variety show called "An Ordinary Day".

This program mostly invites relatively unknown celebrities, giving them a platform to showcase themselves and seek more opportunities. But for Zhu Qingting, her purpose is pure and sincere, just as Chai Yundu suggested: to let more people understand the daily lives of dancers and to bring the elegant art of dance drama into the homes of ordinary people.

Unfortunately, the filming of the first season of "An Ordinary Day" coincided with Zhu Qingting's recovery period after being attacked by Chai Yundu's extreme fans. She was unable to dance for a short time, so she had to withdraw from the filming of the show with great regret.

However, the show's producers were unwilling to give up the popularity brought by Zhu Qingting and Chai Yundu's fairytale romance, so they booked her in advance as the first signed guest for the second season.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye, and it's time for the recording of the second season of "An Ordinary Day," which is being done live this time.

Zhu Qingting chose to hold her first photoshoot at her own home. However, her current home is no longer the single-story apartment in Huafu Tiandi, but a three-story villa with a yard that Chai Yundu specially purchased after their marriage.

In the morning, Zhu Qingting was wearing comfortable light green loungewear, watering the flowers and vegetables in the yard. A Dr. Qi followed closely behind her.

Bosch is a mixed breed of dog, combining a Husky and a Pomeranian.

At the time, Chai Yundu said he wanted to raise a dog so that he could stay home with Zhu Qingting when he went out to film. Zhu Qingting then suggested that she wanted to raise a husky because she felt that Chai Yundu looked just like a husky.

Looking into the dog's silly and stupid eyes, Chai Yundu felt a mix of emotions. How am I like it?

But since his baby liked it, he could only try his best to choose a handsome dog that matched his own good looks. It was during the selection process that he discovered the Dr. Cheese breed. When he got home that night, he brought home a little Dr. Cheese with a sweet smile and bright blue eyes.

Zhu Qingting loved it. She wanted to raise a husky to amuse Chai Yundu. To be honest, she was afraid that the husky would destroy the house and that she wouldn't be able to control such a medium to large dog.

But when she saw the adorable creature, the Doctor Qi, the Diao Chan of the dog world, the puppy instantly replaced Chai Yundu in her heart, and she even named the puppy "Dudu".

"Dudu, come here, shake hands!" She squatted down, holding a blueberry she had just picked from the tree in one hand and facing Dudu upwards with the other.

Just as Dudu was about to obediently raise her front paws to exchange for the delicious fruit, she was distracted by the two "ding-dong" sounds of the doorbell.

"Woof woof woof!!!" He barked as he took a shortcut to the main gate, sat down in front of the imposing brass door and barked outwards.

Zhu Qingting knew that the production crew had arrived, so she carried the fruit basket, walked to the door, picked up Dudu, patted the dog's head reassuringly, and then opened the door.

The live stream camera was already on, and the moment Zhu Qingting opened the door, the chat exploded with comments.

The bright morning sunlight slanted down on her, giving her a gentle golden glow. Her face, free of makeup, had a natural blush, and her long hair was casually tied up, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears.

The beautiful woman is holding an adorable puppy with shiny, fluffy fur in her arms, smiling sweetly at the camera.

"My God! What an amazing scene!"

"Sister looks so beautiful even without makeup!"

"What kind of dog is this? It's so cute! I want to pet it!"

"Good morning." Zhu Qingting greeted the program crew with a smile and welcomed them into the room.

The PD and the photographer carefully entered the meticulously maintained courtyard.

"Let me show you around the yard first." Zhu Qingting put down the lively and active Dudu in her arms and then became a guide.

Dudu circled around the strangers a few times before running off to its doghouse to play with its toys.

Zhu Qingting led the crew along the winding cobblestone path, introducing the various flowers and plants growing nearby: hydrangeas, tulips, forget-me-nots, marguerites, and more, as well as the bamboo, lemon trees, blueberry bushes, and strawberry bushes in the distance. There was a vegetable garden where tomatoes, eggplants, and leafy greens—simple, easy-to-grow common vegetables—were planted.

Zhu Qingting introduced to the camera, "Yun Du took care of all of these. At first, he cherished these flowers, plants, trees and vegetables so much that he wouldn't let me touch them, for fear that I would overwater them and drown them. I was just looking at his notes, watering them with the exact milliliters of water at the exact time."

Slowly, the group walked to the small pond in the center of the courtyard, where red and golden koi swam leisurely, and a few small lotus leaves floated on the surface.

Zhu Qingting used a measuring spoon to scoop out the right amount of fish food and tossed it into the pond. "These fish were chosen by Yun Du," she said gently as she squatted by the pond. "He said that the color of each one is like the lights on a stage, and watching them swim around reminds me of how I dance on stage."

Then we walked to the flower bushes on the east side of the courtyard, where there was a pavilion, but there were no tables or chairs.

Zhu Qingting explained, "This is where we practice our skills."

The comments section became lively again at this point:

"Is Brother Du acting like an ancient emperor, building a private garden and having his most beloved concubine dance for him?"

If Zhu Qingting could see this comment, she would definitely burst out laughing. Because she is the "Queen" who likes to sit on the second-floor balcony, basking in the sun while watching Chai Yundu's morning exercises.

After touring the courtyard, the group returned indoors. Zhu Qingting led everyone on a tour of the open kitchen, the cozy dining room, the greenhouse, and finally stopped in front of a double door.

"This is our indoor practice room." She pushed open the door, and a huge space appeared before her, even larger than the dance studio she used to have in Huafu Tiandi.

The walls of the dance studio no longer only display Chai Yundu's posters, but also Zhu Qingting's dance drama posters.

Looking at the equipment on the ground, there are dance barres, yoga mats, foam rollers, as well as martial arts equipment such as sandbags, wooden stakes, and weapon racks.

The harmonious coexistence of two different styles of elements creates a wonderful balance.

“Actually, I originally planned to design them as two separate rooms,” Zhu Qingting said, stroking the barre with a smile in her eyes, “but Yun Du insisted on putting them together. He said he likes to train with me.”

The live chat was instantly flooded with sweetness:

"Brother Du is so good!"

"It's so beautiful that two people work hard together and support each other!"

"Isn't this the best form of love?"

Zhu Qingting walked to the barre and began to stretch while chatting with the camera: "Many people are curious about the daily life of dancers. In fact, our day is really ordinary. It's just the same old basic skills practice day after day."

After warming up, she played some soothing music and began her basic training in front of the mirror.

Every movement she made was precise and graceful; even simple tasks like wiping the floor or making circles were executed with a fluid, beautiful grace. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in its glow, and sweat gradually dampened her temples.

The viewers in the live stream actually watched Zhu Qingting's dance practice quietly for more than two hours. The comments section was no longer filled with talk about her love affair with Chai Yundu, but rather with praise for Zhu Qingting.

"This is a true dancer!"

"Every movement is so beautiful, like it's glowing!"

"Now I understand why she's the top student; her skills are just too solid!"

"Sister, you've worked so hard!"

After training, Zhu Qingting wiped her sweat, and as if she had thought of something, she suddenly opened the window and waved to Dudu, who was entertaining himself downstairs: "Dudu, come up here and show your older brothers and sisters your special skills."

Dudu excitedly rushed upstairs and into the practice room.

At his mother's instruction, he first obediently sat down and shook hands, and then he actually slowly spread his legs and did a split! Although the movements were a bit clumsy, his serious look was extremely cute.

“Yun Du taught him this.” Zhu Qingting couldn’t help but laugh. “He said that Dudu is the little man of the family and should also know some kung fu to protect his mother.”

Then, she spread out her yoga mat and began to relax. Dudu actually followed her and lay down next to her in a very similar manner.

When she does Downward-Facing Dog, Dudu also straightens her front legs and sticks out her butt; when she does Cat Stretch, Dudu also arches her back, mimicking her perfectly.

The comments section erupted in laughter:

"Dudu must have become a spirit!"

"Just how many skills did Brother Du teach Dudu?"

"This family is so adorable!"

"Please, Coach Shiba, release a dog training manual!"

The morning training session came to an end, and Zhu Qingting prepared a simple lunch. Netizens who had previously watched the "Traditional Arts Journey" program already knew that Zhu Qingting couldn't cook, so they watched with great interest when she said she was going to make lunch.

Zhu Qingting first prepared a meal for Dudu, adding a little bit of dog food, freeze-dried food, fruit, biscuits, cheese, and even a can of soup.

Netizens are once again envious that the dog eats better than people. If Zhu Qingting knew about these comments, she would feel guilty. Dudu has suffered a lot living alone with her. When Chai Yundu is home, he prepares fresh food for Dudu and only gives him some treats, but Dudu is still very happy with his food.

After finishing the dog food, Zhu Qingting took out vegetables and eggs from the refrigerator, and then casually took out a packet of extra spicy and stinky snail rice noodles from the hanging cabinet. With so many days of filming to go, she didn't want to have any image to maintain and decided to just expose her gluttonous nature.

After lunch was time to relax. Zhu Qingting sat on the leather sofa with Dudu in her arms, and Chai Yundu's movie was projected onto the TV screen.

Various discussions about the plot floated across the screen in the comments.

At 3 PM, Zhu Qingting changed into her costume, preparing for rehearsal. Today, she was practicing a solo dance segment from the touring dance drama "Dunhuang Dream." This was also something she wanted to promote through the performance.

When the music started, her entire aura changed. The gentle and quiet woman from that morning instantly transformed into a flying apsara from the Dunhuang murals. Her flowing sleeves fluttered, and she twirled gracefully, breathtakingly beautiful even without makeup.

The live chat was quiet for a moment, then it was flooded with comments:

"My God! Is this a dance that a human could perform?"

"I got goosebumps! It was so shocking!"

"This is the strength of a national-level chief!"

"Now I finally understand what 'one minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage' means!"

As the sun set, Zhu Qingting put a leash on Dudu and took him for a jog in the neighborhood, bathed in the glow of the evening sun. After her run, Zhu Qingting began preparing dinner. This time, she decided to challenge herself and make tomato and egg noodles.

“It might not taste as good as Yun Du’s,” she said with a smile as she chopped tomatoes, “but I want to give it a try and make it for him when he comes back, to surprise him.”

The comments section was full of good-natured teasing and encouragement:

"Go for it, sister! Brother Du will definitely be moved!"

"So even fairies have things they're not good at. I suddenly feel closer to them!"

"Such a realistic everyday life, I love it!"

"This bowl of noodles is filled with love, it's sure to taste delicious!"

After dinner, while she was playing tug-of-war with her toy, Dudu, she heard her phone on the table beep with a video call notification. She went over, picked up the phone, and her eyes lit up instantly when she saw the caller ID.

"It's Yun Du." She showed herself to the camera and answered the phone.

Although viewers couldn't hear what Chai Yundu said, they could feel the deep longing in Zhu Qingting's expression and response.

"Yeah, I ate it. I tried making tomato and egg noodles today... Oh, don't laugh, it's not as good as yours..."

"Dudu is very well-behaved. Today she even performed the splits and yoga for the viewers in the live stream!"

"You also need to get some rest, don't stay up late all the time..."

"Yes, I miss you too..."

The phone call lasted twenty minutes. After hanging up, Zhu Qingting's face still had a sweet blush. She patted Dudu's head and whispered, "I'll take you to see your father in a few days."

The chat was filled with "awsl" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome").

"This is so sweet!"

"The daily life of a long-distance couple: real and sweet!"

"Even though Du Ge is so tired from filming, he still calls me every day. That's true love!"

"I believe in love again!"

At 9 PM, the live stream was nearing its end. Zhu Qingting, holding Dudu, said her final goodbye to the camera:

"This is just an ordinary day for me. There are no earth-shattering events, just simple practice and simple life. But it is these ordinary days that make up my most authentic life."

She paused, her eyes shining with tenderness: "Dance is my life, and Yun Du and Du Du are the people who make my life complete. Thank you all for being with me today. I hope you can also find your own happiness in your ordinary days."

The moment the live stream ended, the chat was flooded with well wishes:

"I wish my sister happiness!"

"Thank you for sharing today, I learned a lot!"

"Looking forward to the dance drama's premiere, I'll definitely go and support it!"

May your love last forever!