Chapter 207 I'm His Friend: "You can walk? Walk on your head?"
Lu Yuan got up to leave, but the sharp pain in his ankle made him pause.
Huo Hengzhou noticed this slight hesitation.
What happened to your foot?
Lu Yuan said impatiently, "Are we that close? Do I have to tell you everything?"
Huo Hengzhou was speechless at those words and didn't immediately follow up.
I watched helplessly as Lu Yuan limped away from the convenience store.
The young man gripped the instant noodle fork in his hand tightly, a disdainful smile playing on his lips. "Even in this state, you're still thinking about the competition?"
He probably doesn't want this foot anymore.
...
The next day.
The area outside the street dance competition venue was even more lively than in the previous days.
Huo Hengzhou's motorcycle was parked on the side of the road.
He hadn't planned to come, but last night he tossed and turned at home, unable to stop thinking about that limping figure outside the convenience store.
In the end, he grabbed the car keys and rushed over.
At the entrance of the venue, a boy from country H wearing a plaid shirt was walking inside, clutching his ticket.
He was muttering to himself, "Finally, I can watch the final!"
Huo Hengzhou stepped forward and stopped him.
He held a wad of H country banknotes between his fingers and slapped them directly into the boy's hand.
"I'll buy this ticket."
The boy paused, then looked down at the thick wad of banknotes in his hand.
He glanced up at Huo Hengzhou's flamboyant appearance again, then hesitated before saying, "These are tickets to the finals. I've been trying to get them for ages..."
“Double it again.” Huo Hengzhou raised an eyebrow.
He pulled out another wad of cash from his pocket, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
"Not enough? This money could buy you ten games. If it's still not enough, I..."
"Enough! Enough! Here's the ticket!" The boy happily handed the ticket to Huo Hengzhou.
Clutching the money, he ran off happily.
Huo Hengzhou held the ticket in his hand, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, and swaggered into the venue.
The audience seats were already mostly occupied, and Huo Hengzhou's seat was right next to the competition stage.
He had just taken out his phone and swiped it a couple of times when the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.
The entire room fell silent instantly.
The finalists are about to appear.
Suddenly, the music started playing, and the atmosphere became lively.
The host began announcing the contestants one by one.
Several foreign dancers' names were announced in succession, but Lu Yuan's name was only called halfway through.
"The next contestant is from China, Lu Yuan!"
As the host's voice rang out, Lu Yuan walked out from backstage.
He walked to the center of the stage, lowered his head slightly to adjust his breathing, and tried to shift his weight onto his right foot.
Today is the day to go all out.
The first round was a solo performance, a choreography that Lu Yuan had practiced countless times and which was ingrained in his DNA.
The moment the competition music started, Lu Yuan's body seemed to be switched on, all his restraint was replaced by explosive power.
His movements were precise and powerful, and he hit every point perfectly.
The wildness of hip-hop contrasted wonderfully with his cool demeanor, eliciting screams from the audience.
Huo Hengzhou was stunned in the audience.
He wasn't someone who had never seen street dance; he just had never seen Lu Yuan dance.
I never expected that someone with such a cold personality could dance with such energy.
If he hadn't run into Lu Yuan yesterday and learned that he had a foot injury, he, as a spectator, wouldn't have been able to tell at all that the other person was playing with an injury.
Lu Yuan's performance in the competition was perfect, and his interpretation of the piece was also superb.
There was a difficult floor move in the middle of the routine.
Lu Yuan needs to support his body with his left foot and then perform a quick sweeping leg kick.
He took a deep breath and slammed his left foot into the ground, but just as he swept his leg, Huo Hengzhou noticed that his face paled and his movements slowed down by half a beat.
The audience below the stage didn't notice and continued to cheer.
Lu Yuan did not make a mistake in this action; he did it very well.
But Huo Hengzhou clenched his fists for no apparent reason; he could imagine how much pain Lu Yuan must have felt at that moment.
What a madman...
As the music drew to a close, Lu Yuan made one last frozen motion.
He knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his right hand on the ground, and slightly raised his left foot.
The music stopped, and the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause.
Lu Yuan slowly stood up, bowed to the referee's table, and then turned and walked off the stage.
He walked steadily, but Huo Hengzhou could vaguely see the stiffness in his back, as if he was enduring pain with every step.
"Is the competition over? He jumped quite steadily, he should win." Huo Hengzhou couldn't help but ask a girl watching the competition next to him.
The girl chuckled, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the next segment.
"How could it be over! It's only halfway through! There's still the freestyle battle coming up, that's the most exciting part!"
"ah?"
"Contestants have to improvise based on the music played randomly on stage. It's all about their improvisation and sensitivity to rhythm. Last time, one contestant really ignited the whole audience with their improvised 'offbeat timing'!"
"We have to compete again?" Huo Hengzhou was dumbfounded, and the ease on his face vanished instantly.
"Of course!" The girl, oblivious to his odd behavior, excitedly continued explaining, "The presentation of works is about choreography and skill, but the battle is where the real test of skill is revealed!"
"None of the finalists are afraid of this, especially the one you just mentioned. He's a dark horse who's brought something new to every battle from the auditions to the semi-finals. You'll see!"
Huo Hengzhou didn't reply, but his heart felt heavy, as if a stone had been thrown at him.
The lights in the venue suddenly dimmed and then brightened again, and the second round of the battle finally began.
The audience erupted in cheers, which were even louder than before.
Huo Hengzhou stared intently at the backstage entrance.
He felt inexplicably worried about Lu Yuan.
If you have to endure the pain to complete the first round, what if you land unsteadily during the impromptu battle and completely ruin your foot?
Less than two minutes later, Lu Yuan returned to the stage, along with other contestants.
Huo Hengzhou immediately noticed that Lu Yuan's left trouser leg had been rolled up a bit more, revealing a faint red edge to the kinesiology tape, indicating that it had been reapplied earlier.
"First round of music, get ready!" As soon as the referee's voice fell, a random BoomBap rhythm suddenly started playing.
The Black dancer in the opposite position stepped forward first, with extremely explosive movements.
After several rapid footsteps, he finished with a pose where he supported himself with one hand on the ground, eliciting cheers from the audience.
"This new generation dancer from France is amazing! Last time he battled and left his opponent helpless! This Chinese guy is in trouble," an audience member commented.
When it was Lu Yuan's turn, he took a deep breath and gently placed his left foot on the beat.
The initial movements were relatively smooth, consisting of small, rhythmic movements.
But as the music tempo quickened, he needed to take a step back and then turn around.
As soon as he put his left foot into the air, the excruciating pain returned, but he gritted his teeth and endured it, completing the movement carefully and efficiently.
Lu Yuan subconsciously touched his knee with his right hand, then quickly put it down.
In the following rounds of battle, Lu Yuan gave it his all.
Huo Hengzhou didn't know how he watched all these rounds of the match. He only knew that he breathed a sigh of relief after all the rounds were over.
The music for the final battle ended.
The entire stadium fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on the referee's bench.
The five referees were talking amongst themselves, their voices audible in the stadium.
A few minutes later, the judge sitting in the center picked up the microphone, cleared his throat, and paused for a full three seconds before speaking: "The champion of this World Hip-hop Street Dance Competition Finals..."
"From China, Lu Yuan!"
The moment the words were spoken, cheers erupted from the entire venue, and confetti rained down from the top of the stadium, landing on the stage.
Lu Yuan paused for a moment, as if he hadn't reacted yet, and blinked while standing still.
The other dancers nearby came over, patted him on the shoulder with smiles, and gave him a warm hug.
Just then, Huo Hengzhou saw the corners of Lu Yuan's mouth curve slightly upwards.
It was a very faint smile, like spring water quietly melting beneath the ice.
The young man's eyes brightened, and his originally cold gaze held a hint of relief, even a touch of barely perceptible joy.
The sweat on his forehead slid down the curve of his smile, as if it were glowing.
Huo Hengzhou stood frozen in place, unable to hear even the cheers.
His heart skipped a beat, his ears were ringing, and even the audience's voices sounded like they were coming from behind a layer of water.
All I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.
He clutched his out-of-control chest and hurriedly lowered his head.
But the scene from just now was still stuck in my mind...
So this is what the person who always has a cold face and finds it annoying to even say an extra word looks like when they smile.
Huo Hengzhou only realized what was happening after Lu Yuan left the stage.
He hadn't forgotten that Lu Yuan still had an injured foot.
On a bench in a corner backstage.
Lu Yuan sat on it, his left leg completely immobile. It was a miracle that he was able to stand on the stage and accept the award.
He felt a sense of relief.
Thankfully, he didn't collapse on stage.
"Lu Yuan, is your foot alright?" Jules asked worriedly.
"It's okay, we'll do it when we get back..."
Before he could finish speaking, a dark figure suddenly rushed over.
The other person's arm went through Lu Yuan's knees and back, and he hoisted the man onto his shoulder.
“?!” Lu Yuan froze instantly.
Upon seeing who it was, her usually cold voice instantly turned angry, and she slapped Huo Hengzhou's back several times, "Put me down!"
Huo Hengzhou ignored him, carried the person and walked out, but subconsciously steadied his steps.
In his haste, he used the strength he had when carrying the sack, and now Lu Yuan's body is stiffening, his left foot is still slightly dangling, clearly from being pressed against something.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lu Yuan cursed, struggling to pry Huo Hengzhou's arm off.
Actually, he saw Huo Hengzhou when he received the award, but he deliberately looked away and pretended not to see him.
He didn't want to get involved with this guy who looked like a street thug.
Lu Yuan just didn't expect this person to come all the way to the backstage area.
Huo Hengzhou said gruffly, "You're the one who's crazy! Why are you dawdling here instead of going to the hospital? Are you waiting for your leg to be completely ruined?"
As he spoke, he squatted down, scooped Lu Yuan onto his back, and let him wrap his arms around his neck. He supported Lu Yuan's knees with his right hand and held his waist with his left hand, trying to keep Lu Yuan's left foot from touching the ground.
"This is more comfortable. Don't move around."
"..."
Lu Yuan's body stiffened even more.
At this moment, his back was pressed against Huo Hengzhou's spine, and he could feel the other's body temperature.
Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, "What are you doing here? Are you some kind of persistent ghost?"
"I came here to watch the competition, of course. What? You're allowed to love street dance, but I'm not allowed to love watching street dance?"
Lu Yuan was so angry he wanted to smash this guy's head.
Even though I know the other person is talking nonsense, I can't refute them.
Huo Hengzhou carried Lu Yuan forward with steady steps. "I saw you struggling from below the stage and knew you wouldn't be able to stand up after the competition. If I wasn't worried about you losing face, I would have rushed up to you after the competition."
"Mind your own business," Lu Yuan said irritably.
"I'd like to." Huo Hengzhou remained unmoved.
Jules caught up as well, looking on in bewilderment. "Lu Yuan, who is he?"
“I’m his friend, I’m taking him to the hospital to get his foot checked,” Huo Hengzhou said without turning his head, his gaze towards Jules filled with hostility.
"Who is this little foreigner?" Huo Hengzhou asked as well.
Lu Yuan was speechless. "Are you still not done?"
He took a deep breath and said to Jules, "You go back first, I... I'm going to the hospital, don't worry."
Jules didn't say anything more. "Okay, then contact me if you need anything."
Looking at Huo Hengzhou's flamboyant blue hair, he always felt that Lu Yuan's friend was not very reliable.
When Huo Hengzhou reached the uninhabited area, Lu Yuan said, "I can walk by myself, you don't need to carry me."
"You think you can walk? Walk on your head!" Huo Hengzhou sneered. "Backstage just now, you were swaying even with your arms against the wall. Did I not see that?"
"..." Lu Yuan remained silent.
Why does this kid talk even more arrogantly than Lu Cheng?
Lu Yuan was inexplicably entangled with a stranger he had only met once, and he didn't know how to react.
Fortunately, he did not sense any malice from Huo Hengzhou.
Today, due to his leg injury, he was at the mercy of others and had no choice but to let Huo Hengzhou carry him on his back.
The warmth from the young man's back seeped through his clothes, causing Lu Yuan's tense body to slowly relax a little.
Huo Hengzhou carried Lu Yuan to his motorcycle.
He carefully moved the person closer to the guardrail, letting him support his body with his right leg, while he bent down and rummaged through the motorcycle's storage compartment to find a neatly folded black jacket.
"Put something on," he said, spreading his jacket on the back of the motorcycle and reaching out to support Lu Yuan's arm. "I'll help you sit down, so your feet don't touch the ground."
Lu Yuan didn't say anything, and slowly sat down following his force.
The car didn't start immediately. Huo Hengzhou sat in the front, tapping his fingers lightly on the handlebars, as if he was carefully choosing his words.
A few seconds later, he gently turned his head, and the setting sun fell on his profile, making the outline of the young man's jawline exceptionally clear.
He didn't say those hurtful things again, and his tone was gentler than before.
"Congratulations on winning the championship! Today's competition..."
"It was really exciting," Huo Hengzhou said earnestly.
Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment.
It was as if they hadn't expected Huo Hengzhou to say these things at this moment.
"Hmm." Lu Yuan didn't know what to say, so he just gave a faint reply.
"Put on your helmets, the car is about to start," Huo Hengzhou reminded him.
Lu Yuan subconsciously gripped Huo Hengzhou's clothes as the car started moving, gazing at the back of the person in front.
Those shoulders were tall and broad.
Lu Yuan had no doubt that if the other party really started a fight, he might not have a chance of winning if he confronted the person head-on.
A street thug, surprisingly, is quite helpful...
Lu Yuan pondered this question, then raised his cool eyes and, for the first time, seriously examined the person in front of him.
————————!!————————
Lu Yuan: A good-natured bum who loves to help others. [Shrugs]
Huo Shao: I like it when he scolds me, and I love it when he laughs.
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