stage
As the melody of "Nine Stars and Moon" began to play, Zheng Ruoqian strolled over, following the lights. His movements, opening and closing, were perfectly timed, clean and crisp. The light shining on his white shirt and black pants made it seem as if he had sprouted wings out of thin air, carrying him into the starry sky, like a dream.
As the three-minute dance ended, he did not leave the stage, but turned to look at the three figures appearing on the electronic screen behind the stage. They were the images on the CD that the other three had burned at Junzhou.
The familiar song started playing again, and he watched as Zhang Yuning led the way, dancing rapidly and haphazardly, his eyes full of admiration.
Meanwhile, Ou Liyao, standing by the star wall, smiled helplessly and dragged Xu Changjia onto the stage, trying to save face for herself. They then danced again under Zheng Ruoqian's guidance.
On the stage of the small beach bar, the person in the lead was confident and flamboyant, and the people around him were also poised and generous. Xu Changjia gritted his teeth and went all out to enjoy the stage, stretching his movements to the maximum.
The final result was surprisingly harmonious, drawing thunderous applause from the audience, who cheered for an encore.
The bar owner stepped in at the right moment to smooth things over for the three children. He then showed Zheng Ruoqian the video he had just recorded, gave him a thumbs up, and praised him for having the talent to be a star, adding that his dancing was even better than before.
The three thanked him repeatedly, accepted the small gifts from him, and wished the boss a prosperous business before leaving.
They didn't part until midnight that day. Fearing that the two of them would go back too late, Zheng Ruoqian took them to a five-star hotel near his place, which was very convenient as there was a convenience store next door.
Ou Liyao glanced at the clock and saw that it was past midnight. Wanting to go to sleep early, she went to take a shower.
Xu Changjia was packing his things outside when he felt in his bag that there was only one tissue left. He also found that he had only half a bottle of water left in the hotel. He shouted towards the bathroom and went downstairs.
Unexpectedly, I saw Zheng Ruoqian sitting on the steps at the entrance of a five-star hotel, looking down and not in good spirits.
She felt in her pocket that she still had some candy she'd grabbed from the beach bar owner, silently walked over and sat down next to him, placing the colorful candy in his hand. "I've heard that this little bit of sweetness from the candy adds the courage to start afresh from a stagnant life. Try it~"
The look in his eyes held a hint of bitterness, making him seem like a completely different person from the one who stood on the stage that night, sweating profusely.
He quietly enjoyed the sea breeze, and after gently chewing a piece of candy, he finally revealed his true feelings to her, as if this were his true self.
He said that it is really painful to struggle alone in a foreign land.
Originally, his mother and the whole family lived with him, but he didn't want his mother to give up her career for him. The last time Teacher Zhang came, he had already sent his mother back to China with him.
But once his mother left the prefecture, he was plunged into endless loneliness once more. Although he had no worries about the future and had outmaneuvered many others in the past two years, leaving him the only one left among those who entered the prefecture at the same time, the long night seemed to stretch on endlessly, as if the path he had initially chosen was not like this.
"Xu Changjia, tell me, is there any point in me continuing?"
"If you get tired, you can stop and rest, and look at the people and scenery you meet along the way. But I don't want you to give up, because I firmly believe that you can stand on a bigger stage and one day you will be seen by people, and even the whole world will see your achievements."
"Zheng Ruoqian, don't forget that I was your first fan."
Her eyes were so earnest, and her smile so radiant, as if she possessed a bewitching power, that he couldn't help but pull her into his arms and burst into tears.
The hardships of being away in a foreign land for more than two years suddenly found an outlet at this moment, and Xu Changjia's shoulder was completely soaked with tears.
She understood that all he needed was company, so she silently stayed with him, gently humming the songs from the twenty-one CDs he had sent her, until his sobbing stopped.
The last tissue was handed to him. Xu Changjia smiled and used this small thing to divert his attention, "This is the last tissue. I just came down to the convenience store to buy some. Want a Coke? It's on me."
Zheng Ruoqian swore that this was the first time he had ever cried like a baby in a girl's arms, but he didn't know if he would do it again in the future.
After pretending to be expressionless as he threw the paper into the trash can, he followed behind Xu Changjia like a child who had made a mistake, answering "okay" to everything he was asked.
Seeing that she had some snacks in her hand, he took them and paid the bill first, making up for his embarrassing behavior today.
He wanted to take the person back to the five-star hotel, but the person in front stopped and said, "It's getting late, you should go back to sleep. I won't tell Yao Yao and the others about what happened tonight."
"But I haven't slept in my own bed for five days." The words slipped out and couldn't be taken back, but he didn't regret it.
The person in front of me had just finished crying, and his eyes were still a little red. Especially with his aggrieved tone and expression, he looked exactly like a puppy that had been abandoned.
She understood; he wanted her to spend more time with him. Half an hour was too short; even a moment was not enough.
She had no choice but to briefly discuss the matter in a consultative tone, put the things at the front desk, and let Ou Liyao go to sleep first. She accompanied Zheng Ruoqian to take care of some things, which finally managed to make him smile a little.
At midnight, the high-rise buildings were still brightly lit, one of which was the YL Entertainment Management Company where he worked.
This is the closest she's ever been to the entertainment industry since her rebirth; she's even infiltrated Zheng Ruoqian's company. She's quite curious about it.
But Zheng Ruoqian didn't have much interest in taking her sightseeing and went straight to the elevator on the 33rd floor.
Room 902 on the 33rd floor is his most frequently used practice room.
He pulled the girl who had come with him to lie down on the floor with him. "Xu Changjia, do you know, every time I feel like giving up, I lie quietly on the floor of this practice room and tell myself that I'll get up and keep practicing when I count to one hundred."
If once isn't enough, I practice twice; if twice isn't enough, I practice five or ten times. Whenever I've mastered the details of a dance and feel that I've danced it well, I always want to do something, leave something behind, or record something.
For no reason at all, I thought of you, of you by the piano room, of you at the Ruqi Bookstore, of you at Junzhou No.1 Middle School, which I have already left...
The light from the ceiling seemed to be blinding him, but his tearful words, "No matter what, I hope you will always be my audience and participate in my path to fame," brought tears to Xu Changjia's eyes as well.
She also opened her heart to Zheng Ruoqian, telling him all the grievances from her past life from a third-person perspective.
"Zheng Ruoqian, do you know what it feels like to die alone and no one cares?"
He glanced at her sideways, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion.
She sighed deeply and recounted her ordinariness and loneliness in her past life.
At that time, she was just a pitiful little thing hiding in a corner, ignored by everyone. She had no friends, no relatives, and even before she died, she heard and saw a healing song MV and fell madly in love with the singer, finding the power to fight against ordinariness.
"Zheng Ruoqian, didn't you say you wanted to become an idol who could make the world and other people's lives better? Why do you want to turn back halfway through?"
They looked at each other sideways, and he reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. "Jiajia, can I really do this?"
"You can do it, you can definitely become a household name and a superstar."
"But how long will that be?"
Xu Changjia didn't know how long it would take, but she hoped that she could give him a push while she was still alive, and maybe one day he would become an overnight sensation?
"Perhaps it will be tomorrow, or it may be a dream that will last for years. If we broaden our perspective, we will not feel that time is long. After all, life is too fleeting."
......
That night, the two talked from the starry night until the orange-red sun, chatting about everything under the sun, relieving their worries. Although they didn't sleep, their faces were still rosy and full of new vitality.
At 7:40 sharp, Zheng Ruoqian's phone suddenly rang. It was his dance teacher, who called after a few simple words. He jumped up and readily agreed.
"Jiajia, I can finally step onto my first official stage!"
It turned out that a senior colleague in the company needed backup dancers for a performance, but someone had fallen and broken their leg and couldn't perform. He was a diligent student, a good dancer, and, more importantly, he had practiced the dances countless times so that he was less likely to make mistakes. That's why he had the opportunity to be a temporary substitute on stage.
However, the time is 7:00 PM tonight at the Ernan Gymnasium, so he needs to get there early to familiarize himself with the venue and stage so he can rehearse with his seniors at the company.
Xu Changjia didn't want to miss this opportunity, "Then can Yao Yao and I go to Ernan Gymnasium to watch your performance?"
"I'll call and ask for you."
The company's artists often rent the Ernan Gymnasium for performances, and he made sure to write down their phone number. When he called, he learned that the company's newly debuted boy band, Twin Brothers, was performing that day, and that there were still a few tickets left in the inner field.
After quickly communicating with Ou Liyao by phone, Xu Changjia confirmed that he would definitely go to Ernan Gymnasium to see his performance, and immediately paid for the concert tickets of this twin brother whom he didn't know very well.
"Zheng Ruoqian, I'm waiting for you to shine brightly and quietly tonight, waiting for you to find the answer on stage tonight."
He nodded emphatically and made a promise, "Okay."
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