Chapter 12
The clamor of the awards ceremony faded, the crowd retreating like a tide, leaving only the messy ground and the cold moonlight. Feng Ling stood alone under a bare landscape tree, the evening breeze ruffling her hair across her forehead, bringing a chill. While the mistake was excusable, losing was still losing. She kicked the ground unconsciously, her eyes vacantly gazing at the stage frame being dismantled in the distance. Just moments earlier, it had been ablaze with lights, bearing the weight of her shattered dream of winning the championship.
"Why are you hiding here and feeling sad all by yourself?"
A gentle voice echoed from behind him. Feng Ling turned sharply, meeting Qiqi's eyes, still gentle and bright in the night. All her forced strength crumbled the moment she saw him, and guilt washed over her like a tidal wave.
"I'm sorry..." She lowered her head, her voice nasal.
"Yeah," Qiqi deliberately used a lighthearted tone, trying to lighten the mood. "It's the first time I've been ridiculed in person by those guys from the South Wind Dance Club. It doesn't feel very good."
He originally meant to make a joke, but it was like a needle, accurately piercing Feng Ling's tense emotional defenses.
"I'm sorry! It's all my fault!" Her tears burst out instantly, her voice choked with sobs. "I ruined your undefeated record and your reputation... It's all my fault!"
Seeing her shaking with tears, Qiqi realized that the joke had gone too far and was immediately at a loss for words. The composure he had shown on stage that controlled the entire situation disappeared, leaving only the most genuine helplessness of a young man facing the tears of his beloved.
"I'm the one holding them back. I didn't deserve to be here..." Feng Ling was immersed in self-blame, and words of self-denial came out of his mouth.
"no!"
Before she could finish her words, Qiqi interrupted her eagerly. Almost instinctively, he took a step forward, his hands unconsciously gripping her frail shoulders with such force that she was forced to look up at him, her eyes misty with tears. "If you back out, you'll truly be sorry for me!" His tone was filled with an unprecedented intensity and force, his eyes burning, unquestionable.
Feng Ling looked at him, tears falling like beads from a broken string, hitting the back of his hand, burning hot. She didn't know what to do to make up for this huge mistake, feeling confused and helpless.
Seeing her like this, Qiqi felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand. The dull pain mixed with the indescribable heartache almost suffocated him. The string of reason snapped at that moment. Almost following instinct, he closed his arms and gently embraced her in his arms.
Feng Ling's body suddenly stiffened.
Then, feeling the warmth and strong heartbeat from his chest, as well as the rhythmic, soothing pats on her back, her tense nerves finally relaxed. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and cried even more miserably, but no longer with the desperate self-blame she had just felt.
"Okay, okay...it's over..." His voice rang out above her head, low and gentle. "The most important thing in life is experience. There's no point in always winning. Without even a little challenge, it's so boring, right?" He tried to ease her sadness with lighthearted words. "Besides, you tried your best, didn't you? It was just an accident. Next time, next time, you'll definitely do very well. Believe in me, and believe in yourself, okay? Feng Ling."
His embrace was warm and firm, and his words carried a strange soothing power. Feng Ling nodded vigorously in his arms. As long as he didn't blame her, as long as he was willing to believe in her, whatever he said would be fine.
After a while, sensing her emotions gradually calming down and her sobs subsiding, leaving only faint sobs, Qiqi carefully and gently released her. He looked down at her red, swollen eyes and nose, reached out, and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. "Let's go? Everyone's still waiting over there. Let's go back together." His voice had returned to its usual gentleness, but deep in his eyes, something was different.
When the show was over, Qiqi was pulled by some friends from other dance clubs to reminisce about the past. Before leaving, he looked back at Feng Ling with concern and said, "Go back and be careful, get some rest, and stop daydreaming."
Feng Ling tried her best to force a decent smile and nodded to him.
The crowd gradually dispersed. Feng Ling took a deep breath of the cool air, her eyes searching the crowd until they finally landed on the cold figure walking alone towards the exit. She quickly followed.
"Will you go back to the dance club later?" She walked to An Hesu and lowered her voice.
An Hesu paused and hesitated, as if he hadn't expected anyone to speak to him, especially her. "...Reply." His voice remained flat.
"Then wait for me at the dance club for a while." Feng Ling looked at him with determination in her eyes.
Anhesu's gaze swept across her eyes, which were still red and swollen from crying. He neither agreed nor refused, but just continued to walk forward silently.
***
When Feng Ling walked into the Xihe Dance Club, it was eerily quiet. The only sound was the small wind chime on her backpack, which echoed in the empty space with the subtle, crisp tinkling of her movements. She looked around and finally saw him in the corner of the innermost classroom.
Anhesu didn't turn on the lights. He just sat quietly on the cold floor with his knees hugged, his head buried deep in his knees, curled up into a ball, as if he wanted to hide himself completely, or like a little animal that was extremely tired and fell asleep.
Feng Ling's heart felt like it was being gently stabbed. She walked over quietly and slowly crouched beside him, her voice soft as if she was afraid to disturb a fragile dream: "An Hesu, are you awake?"
Hearing the sound, Ankhsu's body shifted imperceptibly, then he slowly raised his head. Moonlight filtered through the window, outlining his perfect profile. His eyes, usually distant and cold, were now misted with fatigue and pain, appearing particularly fragile and captivating in the dim light.
"What a handsome boy..." Feng Ling couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, and then immediately suppressed this inappropriate thought.
She hurriedly rummaged through her backpack and took out a small bottle. "This is the medicated oil I used when I was injured while dancing. It's my secret magic weapon and it works very well! You should try it." She handed the bottle to him.
An Hesu looked at her silently, then looked at the bottle of medicated oil. After a moment, he reached out and took it silently. His fingertips inevitably touched hers and were cold.
"Thank you." His voice was low and a little hoarse.
"Let me help you up?" Feng Ling suggested, seeing that his face was still not so good.
An Hesu shook his head and tried to stand up with his hands. However, he had been in the same position for too long. His waist injury and poor blood circulation caused pain as soon as he moved. He couldn't help but moan, "Ah..."
Feng Ling immediately reached out to hold his arm, and couldn't help but say with a hint of anger: "Don't be so stubborn! Apply the medicine quickly." Her touch was light, but with an unyielding persistence.
With the help of her strength, Anhesu stood up with some difficulty and walked towards the changing room with a slightly unsteady step.
Not long after the door closed, suppressed, intermittent gasps and groans could be heard from inside: "Hmm...hiss..."
Feng Ling listened outside the door, her heart tightening. She hesitated for a few seconds, thinking about how he had difficulty even standing up just now, and how difficult it would be for him to handle the position of his back. Finally, she made up her mind and knocked on the door: "Come out, I'll help you."
The person inside paused, and then heard his embarrassed refusal: "No... no need."
"Then I'll go in?" Feng Ling pretended to push the door.
The next second, the door to the dressing room was pulled open from the inside. An Hesu lowered his head, his ears flushing unnaturally, but he still honestly and slowly moved out, tacitly agreeing.
In the empty classroom, a single spotlight lit in the corner, casting a dim halo of light on the ground. Feng Ling had him stand with his back to her, poured the medicinal oil into his palms, and rubbed them vigorously until they felt warm. Then, she took a deep breath, gently lifted the corner of his shirt with one hand, and with her other warm palm, smeared with medicinal oil, pressed against the cold skin of his lower back.
Both of them trembled slightly at the same time.
Her palms were soft and strong, carrying the scorching warmth of medicated oil. They rubbed slowly and firmly against his stiff waist muscles, attempting to dissolve the pent-up pain. Ankhsu's body tensed at first, then gradually relaxed under the perfectly controlled and warm touch. He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the large mirror before him. The girl in the mirror frowned slightly, her eyes focused and serious, as if she were treating something extremely precious. An unprecedented, surging warmth flowed from the place where her palms touched, rushing fiercely into his limbs, making every drop of his blood tremble.
"Alright," Feng Ling paused after an unknown amount of time, pulled his clothes back on, and earnestly instructed him word by word, her tone as if she were teaching a disobedient child, "Remember to apply the medicine every day these few days. Rub it in like I did just now to allow the medicine to seep in. It should be almost healed in about a week. Remember?"
An Hesu looked at her serious expression in the mirror and nodded obediently, which was rare.
"Okay, I'll be leaving now. Do you want to stay a little longer?"
Ankhsu shook his head, then nodded quickly, and finally just whispered, "I'll sit for a while."
"Okay, then you be careful when you are alone. See you next week." Feng Ling smiled at him and put on her backpack.
"Bye." An Hesu's voice was very soft.
Watching her disappear through the doorway, listening to the clear sound of wind chimes fade away, Anhesu remained standing. For a long moment, he slowly clenched the bottle of medicinal oil in his hand, still carrying her body warmth and scent, as if grasping a fleeting but real ray of light. The moonlight filtered through the window, stretching his lonely figure far beyond recognition.
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