After dinner, Jiang Dao originally wanted to follow his work schedule at the company and take a short break before going for a run.
But the space here is not big, and there are no lights on the mountain road at night. In addition, the director team has clearly requested that students should not go down the mountain without staff accompanying them at night, so the night run plan had to be shelved.
Fortunately, Anzhe would practice dancing with Haitang every night, which was somewhat of an exercise, so Jiangdao would come over and learn from them.
Haitang did not lower her requirements for Anzhe just because of Jiang Dao's arrival, and she was very strict with the dance steps, rhythm and movements. If you fail the first time you jump, try again until it becomes muscle memory and you won't make any more mistakes.
She didn't take the time to give Jiang Dao any instructions, but just allowed him to watch and imitate.
The first time, Jiang Dao couldn't keep up with the rhythm at all. He could only observe An Zhe while repeating a few simple action combinations.
The second time, he could barely string together a few movements to the music.
The third time, his dance steps were gradually able to keep pace with the music, but his movements were still a little awkward.
The fourth time, it’s getting better.
By the fifth time, Jiang Dao was able to dance the entire dance following An Zhe.
"Okay, take a break."
After dancing five times, Haitang turned off the music, first commented on Anzhe's movements, and finally looked at Jiangdao.
"Have you ever studied dance? Who is your company's dance teacher?"
Jiang Dao raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his face: "Wu Lan."
"Yeah." Haitang nodded, "I don't know him."
Jiang Dao was shaken and was speechless.
"You have a strong ability to imitate and learn quickly, but your emotions are not in place and you are too perfunctory." Haitang said, "But you are a good candidate. I have a friend who is preparing a stage variety show recently. Are you interested in participating?"
Jiang Dao was silent for a moment, then put on a shy smile and said, "It depends on the company's arrangements."
But I was confused: Why is it another variety show invitation? How did he become a good candidate just by exercising? If this continues, even he will feel sorry for the original owner.
You know, in the original novel, Jiang Dao had a hard time getting a chance even if he tried his best.
It’s good for him. After participating in a variety show, he will receive invitations for the next one... and it’s all others who come to him actively.
Could it be that he was in the wrong book?
He just wanted to stop fighting and be a vase quietly for five years, and then terminate the contract with the company peacefully. Why is it so difficult...
After resting for a while, Haitang turned on the music again and Anzhe started practicing for the sixth time.
Jiang Dao drank a bottle of mineral water and turned away.
"Hey, Xiaodao?" Haitang was surprised, "Where are you going?"
"I...I've almost finished my aerobics." Jiang Dao replied, "I'm going to do a few sets of strength training."
Haitang was a little confused for a moment.
After a while, she asked, "Are you here to dance? Are you doing aerobics?"
Jiang Dao nodded.
Haitang sighed heavily, her face speechless, and waved to Jiangdao: "Go."
I feel tired.
Jiang Dao turned and left, and when he turned his back to Haitang, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.
He could see that the senior seemed to be irritated by his words and might have temporarily given up the idea of teaching him to dance.
When Jiang Dao returned to the yard and was looking for a place to do push-ups, he saw the Border Collie, who was originally playing with Cheng Zhiyi, run away. Cheng Zhiyi called out several times, but the Border Collie didn't even turn its head. It went into its own kennel and stayed there without coming out.
"Dad, Taotao is acting weird today." Cheng Zhiyi looked worried and shouted to Qi Peng and Chu Yinlong who were sitting and chatting by the wall, "Is he sick?"
"What's going on?" Qi Peng was puzzled.
"When we were having dinner today, it didn't come out to eat. It just hid in its nest." Cheng Zhiyi frowned. "I just played with it for a while, and it ran back to its nest."
Taotao is an old friend who has been following "Taoyuan Dreamland" since the very first season. He is six years old this year and is very smart. Not only can he understand simple words, but he also sometimes acts funny in front of the camera. He has a strong desire to perform and it is usually difficult to drive him back to his nest.
This is the first time it has returned to its nest on its own initiative while playing.
Jiang Dao walked forward and asked: "The dog just now, was it sick?"
Cheng Zhiyi took Jiang Dao to the doghouse and said, "Maybe... come and see if he is a little listless."
Jiang Dao squatted down beside the doghouse and tilted his head to look inside the door.
Taotao shrank into the corner of the doghouse again, with his tail tucked tightly between his legs and a squeak from his throat that sounded both threatening and whimpering.
"What is it afraid of?" Jiang Dao frowned.
He had seen many hunting dogs on the battlefield and had some understanding of this animal. Taotao's actions and sounds clearly expressed fear.
But there are neither mutant beasts nor war in this world, so what is this dog afraid of?
Jiang Dao was puzzled, and moved closer, stretching out his hand to comfort Taotao.
The fur on the back of Taotao's neck stood up, and his tail was pressed tightly against his belly. He bared his teeth and roared at Jiangdao fiercely: "Woof!"
Jiangdao: ...
Okay, he got it.
Taotao is afraid of him.
Jiang Dao stood up helplessly, took two steps back and hid behind Cheng Zhiyi.
Taotao's threatening whimpers immediately turned into whining sounds of grievance.
At this time, Qi Peng and Chu Yinlong also came over to check.
Taotao was raised by Qi Peng. He would follow Qi Peng home after the variety show recording, so he is very dependent on him. When he saw Qi Peng, Taotao immediately rushed out of his nest, threw himself into his arms, and buried his head in his arms.
"Ouch!" Qi Peng fell to the ground. "You're a big boy now. I can't hold you anymore!" He held Taotao's face with his hands and brought it to his eyes. "Aren't you very energetic? Why don't you play with your brother?"
Taotao was forced to show his face, but he squinted his eyes and kept glancing at where Jiangdao was. His body moved away from Jiangdao again and again, with his tail tucked between his legs and wagging gently, as if hesitating between fear and trying to please.
Chu Yinlong looked at Taotao, then at Jiangdao, and laughed: "Was the dog disgusting you?"
Jiang Dao was speechless: "Can't you say it in a nicer way?"
Chu Yinlong asked: "I remember that you wanted to have a dog?"
Looking at Taotao who was lying in Qi Peng's arms and acting like a spoiled child, Jiang Dao said with disdain: "I prefer fierce dogs."
In the world outside of books, only dogs that can fight and cats that can detect are qualified to live with humans. The pampered and unruly ones are mostly eliminated in wars.
Jiang Dao pursed his lips, turned around and left, found a flat place in the corner of the yard, and started doing strength training.
"There's nothing to do tonight, so everyone can go to bed early."
Before ending the day's filming, the director gathered the guests in the yard and announced the next day's activities: "Tomorrow morning's task is to pick goose eggs and take them to town to exchange for ingredients and prepare lunch. In the afternoon, we will go to the fields to pick watermelons, which also need to be transported to town and exchanged for ingredients by the number... The work is quite heavy, so you can discuss who will go."
Qi Peng waved his hand: "Okay, we'll discuss it tomorrow."
Anzhe stood beside Haitang, his face pale: "Picking goose eggs...ah...I don't want to go. I, I can pick watermelons!"
Cheng Zhiyi quickly explained to Chu Yinlong: "Last time he went to pick up goose eggs, he was chased and bitten by a goose. I guess he has a psychological trauma. He is not a squeamish person. He can still work well!"
Chu Yinlong was helpless and sighed.
Qi Peng patted his shoulder and said, "It seems that those videos of you scolding the actors have put a lot of pressure on young people. They don't dare to act like a spoiled child in front of you."
Chu Yinlong looked at An Zhe and said solemnly: "Don't be afraid, as long as you are not in my crew, I am not that strict with you and I won't scold you."
Anzhe...looked even more nervous.
The director team quickly packed up their equipment and left, returning to the hotel at the foot of the mountain. Only a few cameras that were shooting day and night were still diligently recording.
"You can turn off the camera in your room when you go to bed." Qi Peng reminded, "It will automatically turn on at six o'clock tomorrow morning, but you basically have to wake up before six o'clock."
Chu Yinlong was curious: "Why?"
Qi Peng: "Birds are chirping! There are so many birds here, they start chirping as soon as the sun rises. This house isn't soundproof, so they'll basically wake up. But I can catch up on my sleep at noon."
After chatting for a while, Haitang boiled some water. The guests took turns taking a bath and went back to their rooms to rest.
Jiang Dao lay on the unfamiliar hard bed and straw mat, and as expected, he suffered from insomnia again.
It is even quieter here than in the city at night. Although you can occasionally hear the cooing of owls and the chirping of insects, it is still too quiet compared to the noise of traffic outside the city window and electrical appliances inside the house.
Beside him, Chu Yinlong lay motionless, breathing deeply.
Jiang Dao stared at the camera signal light that was slowly flashing red in the dim light. He already felt sleepy, but his brain stubbornly refused to rest.
Feeling helpless, Jiang Dao quietly got up, touched the suitcase, took out the earphones stuffed inside, lay back on the bed, put on the earphones, and randomly found a TV series on his mobile phone and started playing it.
He put the screen of his mobile phone on the bedside table, listened to the human voice coming from the headphones, and gradually fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, the sound in the headphones disappeared.
Jiang Dao opened his eyes with a start, stared at the roof beams for a long time, and sighed helplessly. He opened his phone, found an online drama that he could watch in full without paying, and started playing it.
After an hour, the sound of the film suddenly stopped.
Jiang Dao woke up in shock and touched his cell phone, only to find that it was out of battery.
Jiang Dao got off the bed, looked around the room, and finally found a plug in the corner near the door. However, his mobile phone charging cable was only one meter long, and the plug was far from reaching the bed. Even with the headphone cable, it was impossible to make up for this short gap.
Helpless, Jiang Dao tiptoed out of the house, brought a rattan chair from the yard, and placed it next to the plug. Then he curled up in the rattan chair with a pillow, charging his phone while listening to a play and falling asleep.
…
The next morning.
Chu Yinlong, who was awakened by the sound of birds, kicked away the quilt with an angry look on his face and sat up with a frown.
The next second, his attention was attracted by the figure curled up in the rattan chair near the door, and his originally frowned brows slowly relaxed inadvertently.
The faint morning light came in through the window and shone on Jiangdao's profile.
The big boy curled up in a rattan chair, hugging a pillow. His neck was stretched out in a delicate curve. His skin was so white that it was almost transparent in the morning light, and the edges seemed to be coated with bright gold, so dazzling that people dared not look directly at it.
However, this brilliance seems to carry a layer of heartbreaking fragility.
Chu Yinlong lowered his eyes and reached a hand under the quilt piled up casually beside him, but felt his hand was cold.
How long has he been curled up in the rattan chair like this?
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