Chapter 39
Li Manqing felt as if she had been granted a pardon and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay! Lu Xiao, you come here!"
Lu Xiao stood beside Zhuo Hua, giving her a reassuring "Leave it to me" look, then took a deep breath. His breath rose and fell noticeably, his voice warm and magnetic: "Ah—"
His voice was steady and resonant, with a clarity and strength unique to young people. Although his technique was still somewhat immature, his sincere emotions and dedication to following his teacher's guidance were clearly discernible.
Most importantly, it's normal! It's "stable" within the scope of Professor Li Manqing's understanding!
Teacher Li Manqing let out a long, silent sigh of relief, feeling as if her soul had finally returned to its place. Her eyes were filled with gratitude and appreciation as she looked at Lu Xiao: "Excellent! Lu Xiao, very good! That's it! The breath is deep and supported, the voice is steady and natural!"
While praising Lu Xiao, she cautiously glanced at Zhuo Hua, who was standing quietly beside her, and added, "Zhuo Hua, you...you try to feel Lu Xiao's state again? This...um...the warm, human-like voice?"
Zhuohua's gaze fell on Lu Xiao's earnest profile. Sunlight outlined his straight nose and focused eyes; the way he sang with such effort was full of vibrant life. A faint, almost gentle light flickered in her glassy eyes. She nodded, without trying to utter another sound.
Lu Xiao's performance became Li Manqing's only lifeline. She devoted most of her energy to Lu Xiao, meticulously guiding him in breath control, vocal placement, and the use of resonance cavities. Lu Xiao studied extremely diligently, carefully memorizing every key point and practicing repeatedly, his progress becoming clearly visible.
Zhuohua stood quietly to the side, mostly lost in thought. Her gaze would occasionally drift across the clouds floating outside the window, land on the small insects slowly crawling on the leaves of the potted plant in the corner, or simply fall on Lu Xiao's Adam's apple, which bobbed slightly as he sang.
Teacher Li Manqing occasionally asked her to practice along, and the sound she made still carried that unchanging, heart-stirring "sense of truth," but Teacher Li dared not delve any deeper and could only nod vaguely: "Hmm...hmm...you've improved, try to find the feeling again."
The morning vocal lesson was spent amidst Lu Xiao's rapid progress and Zhuo Hua's continuous "truth output".
When the bell rang, Ms. Li Manqing felt as if she had fought an exceptionally difficult mental battle. Looking at Lu Xiao, her eyes were filled with satisfaction: "Lu Xiao, you have great talent and high comprehension. Keep up the good work!"
Then, turning to Zhuohua, her smile was slightly stiff, tinged with a sense of relief at surviving a close call. "Zhuohua... also has... unique characteristics. Yes, very unique. Good luck in dance class this afternoon!" With that, she practically fled the classroom.
Looking at Teacher Li's slightly flustered figure, Lu Xiao looked helplessly at Zhuohua and said, "Huahua, look, you've scared the teacher away again."
Zhuohua looked completely innocent: "I didn't use any divine power. It's just that her term 'life rhythm' was too abstract and difficult to understand."
She paused, noticing the thin layer of sweat on Lu Xiao's forehead from his focused practice, and naturally raised her hand to gently wipe it away with her fingertips. The slightly cool touch startled Lu Xiao, but a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
"You've done well." Zhuohua's voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried a sincere affirmation.
The helplessness in Lu Xiao's heart was instantly replaced by sweetness. He took her hand as she withdrew and held it in his palm: "Yes, I will try harder. This afternoon in dance class, Teacher Luo is said to pay great attention to details and feeling, so we..."
"Do your best." Zhuohua interrupted him, repeating those same four words.
In the afternoon, the smooth wooden floor of the dance studio reflected the bright overhead lights. The air was filled with the scents of sweat, pine resin, and a faint fragrance.
Dance teacher Luo Wei, around forty years old, had a tall and elegant figure, a capable demeanor, and sharp eyes like an eagle. Dressed in a well-fitting black practice uniform, she paced in front of Zhuo Hua and Lu Xiao with her hands behind her back, her scrutinizing gaze measuring their body lines and basic postures like a ruler.
"Dance is the poetry of the body, the extension of emotion." Luo Wei's voice was not loud, but it carried a strong penetrating power and an unquestionable sense of authority. "Every movement, every exertion of force, and even every breath must be infused with the emotion you want to express. Today, we will start with the most basic ballet hand positions and stances to feel the extension and control of the body."
Her gaze first fell on Lu Xiao: "Lu Xiao, you have a great physique and excellent proportions. But your shoulders are a bit tense. Relax, imagine your fingertips extending infinitely, guiding your body lines into the distance."
She stepped forward and gently tapped and adjusted Lu Xiao's shoulders and arms with precise and professional movements.
Lu Xiao immediately focused his attention, trying to relax his shoulders. Following Luo Wei's instructions, he adjusted his hand positions and posture, his eyes focused intently, learning meticulously. He possessed the coordination and strength of an athlete, coupled with a strong ability to understand. Although his movements still carried the awkwardness of a beginner, his seriousness and the speed of his progress made Luo Wei nod in approval.
Luo Wei turned her gaze to Zhuo Hua.
Zhuohua stood there quietly, her posture impeccable. Her stance possessed a strange harmony, as if it were her birthright. The angle of every joint, the tension of every muscle, perfectly conformed to the ultimate in human biomechanics, even subtly surpassing the limits of mortals. It wasn't an elegance cultivated through training, but rather a... naturally perfect posture, almost like a law.
A flicker of amazement crossed Luo Wei's eyes, but she quickly frowned. Perfect, yet cold. Without warmth, without emotion, like a jade statue sculpted with the most precise measurements.
She walked up to Zhuohua: "Zhuohua, your figure is perfect. But..." She stretched out her finger and pointed to the line of the outstretched arm towards Zhuohua, "The sense of extension is not just a simple physical extension; it needs to be infused with emotion. Imagine your fingertips touching a delicate flower with tenderness; or pointing to distant stars with longing. Your eyes should follow as well."
She demonstrated a simple arm movement, her eyes following her fingertips, conveying gentleness, longing, determination... her emotions flowed naturally.
Zhuohua watched Luo Wei's demonstration, a subtle hint of confusion flashing in her glassy eyes. Infusing emotion? Touching a flower? Pointing to a star? This kind of mortal mimicry of emotional projection… She tried raising her arm, extending it as Luo Wei had instructed.
Instantly, Luo Wei felt an invisible, cold force field of will spreading out! Zhuo Hua's gaze was calm and unwavering, as if it had pierced through the wall in front of her and landed on a point billions of light-years away.
The air seemed to grow heavy and oppressive in the direction her fingertip pointed! It wasn't a yearning for the stars; the feeling... was more like a deity coldly confirming the coordinates of a star, about to erase it from the star map in the next moment!
Teacher Luo Wei subconsciously took a small step back, feeling as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart. In her thirty years of experience, this was the first time she had felt such overwhelming pressure on her very soul while a student was performing even the most basic hand gestures!
"Stop!" Luo Wei's voice carried a hint of tension that was barely perceptible. Looking at Zhuo Hua's stunningly beautiful yet emotionless face, she felt as if her dance teaching philosophy had been subjected to a drastic blow.
“Zhuohua, emotion! I need to see emotion! Not… not this…” she struggled to find the right words, “…this look of judgment that sees everything!”
Zhuohua lowered her arm, her eyes regaining their calmness, with a hint of innocence: "I tried my best to imagine the stars."
Luo Wei: "..." She's imagining the destruction of stars!
The following practice became the biggest challenge of Luo Wei's career. She made Zhuohua feel "the lightness of a breeze brushing against her fingertips," and when Zhuohua's fingertips touched the air, the faint airflow they created seemed to be able to cut through space;
She asked Zhuohua to experience "the heaviness of the body when sad." Zhuohua's body sank slightly, and the air pressure in the entire training hall seemed to drop suddenly. Lu Xiao next to her even felt his breath catch in his throat. She asked Zhuohua to express "a joyful jump." Zhuohua only touched the floor with the very lightest touch of her toes, and her whole body instantly rose nearly a centimeter, and then landed steadily back on the ground. The speed was so fast that it only left an afterimage on the retina. Teacher Luo Wei even doubted her eyes and wondered if the floor had cracked.
Lu Xiao watched from the sidelines, his heart pounding with anxiety, yet he couldn't help but want to laugh. He diligently completed the basic combination movements assigned by Teacher Luo Wei, which were already quite challenging for him, while remaining ready to rush in and "save the day" should Zhuo Hua "misunderstanding" something and cause physical damage.
Teacher Luo Wei finally gave up on the impossible task of getting Zhuohua to "understand emotions." She turned to Lu Xiao, deciding to focus all her teaching efforts on this talented and hardworking newcomer. She began teaching a slightly more complex lyrical combination that incorporated elements of modern dance.
"Lu Xiao, pay attention! The emotions in this section are struggle, longing, and breakthrough! The movements should be powerful, but with an explosive force of breaking free from constraints! Eyes! Your eyes must follow!" Teacher Luo Wei explained while demonstrating, her movements clean, crisp, and full of tension.
Lu Xiao focused intently, diligently imitating Teacher Luo Wei's movements. He had excellent coordination and abundant strength, allowing him to learn movements quickly. However, dance is not merely about replicating movements; it also requires the infusion of emotion and precise control through muscle memory.
When he landed after a quick spin and a high jump, his center of gravity shifted slightly, causing him to land unsteadily and stumble.
"Stop!" Teacher Luo Wei immediately pointed out, "Unstable landing! Core not tightened! Let's try again!"
Lu Xiao was not discouraged. He nodded, took a deep breath, and started again. Sweat had soaked his forehead and slid down his sharply defined jawline. He repeated the error-prone movement over and over again, his eyes focused almost obsessively.
Zhuohua stood quietly in the corner of the training hall, her back against the cold mirrored wall. She no longer tried those "emotional injections" that she considered meaningless, but simply watched the figure in the center of the field, sweating profusely, falling down and getting up again and again.
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