Chapter 18 The first day's performance...
The first day of performances came to an abrupt end.
The people backstage hung their heads. The first day had the largest number of attendees, yet they had to return their ticket money. No one would feel happy about that.
Ji Qingyu's mind was also in turmoil. His fingers gripped the cup tightly, his knuckles turning white. He forced a smile and reassured everyone, "It's okay, we still have two days left. Today is just the beginning."
One of the students, a chubby boy, sighed and said, "Teacher, could you look at your own expression before you say that?"
Ji Qingyu looked up and saw his face in the mirror was gloomy and pale, filled with deep disappointment.
That pent-up frustration seeped into his bones, almost engulfing his body.
Lin Feng was actually Luo Sheng. Ji Qingyu couldn't accept such a coincidence; it felt like a huge joke played on him by fate.
He felt an uncontrollable sense of panic.
Luo Sheng knew his secret; he knew about Lin Ying. If he told Fu Han, he would never be able to leave for the rest of his life.
Luo Sheng didn't dare to look at Fu Han's face. Like someone who had done something wrong, she silently lowered her head. Fu Han's face remained expressionless. He simply said to Ji Qingyu, "How much did you lose today?"
“You don’t need to pay for it,” Ji Qingyu said. “We’ll earn it back.”
"I'm sorry," Luo Sheng said. "I didn't expect things to turn out this way."
"It's okay." Ji Qingyu thought to herself that if she were in Luo Sheng's position, she would probably run even faster than him.
Luo Sheng's voice was still very low, almost helpless and uneasy: "I'm sorry, Xiao Han. You know, I didn't mean to hide from you... I was just afraid of being found out by Fu Yunbai."
Fu Han turned his head slightly, still wearing the mouth gag, and his gaze fell on Luo Sheng's neck. He didn't respond to Luo Sheng's words, but asked himself, "How is your body now?"
Ji Qingyu felt that the relationship between the father and son was somewhat pathetic; after many years, their first meeting consisted only of apologies and awkward small talk.
“I’m much better now,” Luo Sheng said. “I had gland surgery a long time ago, and now I just need to take pheromones regularly.”
"Come with me to the hospital for a checkup." Fu Han seemed to know what Luo Sheng was thinking, his eyes indifferent. "Don't worry, I won't let him know. I won't interfere with whatever kind of life you want to live."
Luo Sheng remained seated, the wooden chair wobbling precariously. He leaned over to look at Fu Han: "Xiao Han, it's not that I haven't tried to visit you all these years. I have, but there are surveillance cameras and bodyguards outside, so I can't get in."
Fu Han didn't speak, his eyes lowered, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and Ji Qingyu dared not speak, trying to minimize her presence.
"Xiao Han, I've been thinking about you..." Luo Sheng seemed to have used up all her strength to say this, making her look even more pitiful. After so many years apart, all she could say in the end was, "I'm sorry..."
Ji Qingyu could only see Luo Sheng's back and the glaring, grotesque scar on his neck; it seemed to throb with pain. Fu Han remained expressionless, neither accepting nor rejecting.
His gaze fell on Ji Qingyu once more: "Would you like to perform in a better theater in the future?"
“But…but if that happens, Fu Yunbai might find out,” Ji Qingyu retorted hesitantly.
“Are you mistaken about something?” Fu Han’s gaze was cold. “I am your alpha. All you need to do is trust me and stay under my protection, instead of worrying about other unimportant people.”
Fu Han lowered his head and grasped Luo Sheng's still trembling hand, still with that indifferent and nonchalant demeanor: "Mom, you need to know that things are not like they were ten years ago. I've grown up."
Fu Han took Luo Sheng to the hospital.
Ji Qingyu stayed behind to put the children in the car, still feeling somewhat helpless. He couldn't understand why such a coincidence had befallen him. These causes and effects were like tangled knots, repeating endlessly, and no one could truly escape them; they were all just creating their own traps.
Ji Ran's fans, who were watching the spectacle, posted online, gloating and celebrating that the performance had been ruined.
"I haven't seen this kind of comedy in a long time. An actor jumps off halfway through a performance and wants to run away. Did they not get paid enough?"
“I went to the scene too, and Fu Han was there too. I don’t know what happened, but Fu Han went to pull people away.”
What kind of melodramatic soap opera is this?
Soon after, Ji Ran himself received the news. He called and said, "Congratulations! The performance was a great success. There's a banquet in a couple of days, and I'll congratulate you in person then."
Many of the audience members came just to watch the spectacle, and thankfully there were no photos taken, which prevented the situation from escalating.
The next two days went smoothly. Ji Qingyu thought Luo Sheng wouldn't come again, but unexpectedly, Luo Sheng still performed the whole show with them.
Not only that, Fu Han was also there.
Ji Qingyu thought about it and realized it was normal. After all, Fu Han had just reunited with Luo Sheng and would definitely want to see his mother perform a few more times. As for him, Fu Han still seemed angry with him, which was completely inexplicable. Ji Qingyu still didn't know what he had done wrong.
He was certain that Fu Han was still angry, otherwise why would Fu Han not look at him every time Ji Qingyu looked down at the audience, and why would he get up and leave without saying a word as soon as the music stopped?
Ji Qingyu watched Fu Han's retreating figure but didn't chase after him. He first gathered with the children and then took a photo with some enthusiastic spectators.
He had originally wanted to call Fu Han over to take the photos together, but then realized that Fu Han wouldn't care about such small things, so he gave up on the idea. In the end, Ji Qingyu just kept one extra group photo, planning to give it to Fu Han when he was in a better mood.
After everything was successfully completed, Ji Qingyu and Luo Sheng sat on the edge of the stage with their cups in their hands. They had thought it wouldn't be worth the ticket price, but they were surprised to find that there was some left over. Ji Qingyu then wrapped the cups into red envelopes and distributed them to the children.
Nannan rushed up to hug them, her face flushed and a smile shining in her eyes. Ji Qingyu laughed along with her.
The light gradually dimmed, and finally, only the two of them remained on the stage. Luo Sheng took a sip of warm water, and her voice returned to its usual calm, "I've talked to Xiao Han. I don't want to go back to live there, nor do I want to announce anything about myself to the outside world. Just let me remain 'missing'."
Ji Qingyu listened silently, feeling a little sad, yet also feeling that she should be happy for him.
Although he has paid a heavy price, he can finally be himself now, instead of being someone else's omega.
“You should have seen my scar by now. I cut myself because I was young and impulsive back then,” Luo Sheng said, brushing back the stray hairs from the back of her neck, finally revealing the full picture of the scar. “Qingyu, although we haven’t known each other for long, I treat you like my own child. Your wounds haven’t healed yet, and if you’re marked again, it will be hard to turn back. Taking medication long-term is harder than you can imagine. It will accelerate your aging process, just like it did for me, and you’ll also develop complications.”
“I don’t know the details of what happened between Xiaohan and you. He won’t tell me when I ask him. You know I always feel indebted to him, and I can’t say anything to him from the perspective of an elder,” Luo Sheng sighed. “I won’t tell him about your mother’s situation. You are the person involved, and you have your own choices. Fu Yunbai used the mark and the child to tie me down back then. This is a pain that will stay with me for life. We are very similar, but you are stronger than me. I don’t want you to repeat the same mistake.”
"It's a pity I can't drink anymore, and I'll have to go to the hospital frequently," Luo Sheng said with a hint of helplessness. "They also want me to quit smoking, but how am I supposed to do that..."
“Come find me whenever you miss me,” Luo Sheng said. “I’ve been away from the stage for more than ten years. These past few days have felt like a dream.”
Ji Qingyu felt a pang of sadness, and a longing arose within him: if only Luo Sheng were his father.
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a perfect match in this world; even the right person may not necessarily have a good destiny.
He made a promise to Luo Sheng that he would visit him often in the future, and then said goodbye in a hurry.
Ji Qingyu walked outside. A cool breeze blew his hair up, making him squint. He followed the winding path down and saw Fu Han by the car in the parking lot.
Fu Han's cigarette was still burning, and he had taken off the bite stopper. The silhouette of the setting sun made him seem like a cold illusion. Wrapped in a trench coat, his tall figure appeared distant and gloomy. His profile was a work of art left by God in the world.
"Could you please stop smoking? Smoking is bad for your health." Ji Qingyu silently protested in his heart, but he didn't dare say it aloud, afraid that Fu Han would get angry again.
He felt that the Fu family seemed to have a smoking gene, and Luo Sheng also loved smoking menthol capsule cigarettes; even their smoking actions were similar.
Fu Han seems to have developed a heavy smoking habit lately, and Ji Qingyu racked her brains trying to figure out how to persuade him to quit. Just then, Fu Han seemed to have a strange sixth sense; he suddenly turned around and fixed his gaze on Ji Qingyu.
Ji Qingyu maintained her posture as she walked towards him, forcing a slightly awkward smile. Fu Han ignored her, and both remained silent. The white smoke slowly burned, and he was like a shadow in a painting, too beautiful to look away from Ji Qingyu.
The thought of not being able to see that handsome face up close after leaving made Ji Qingyu feel a little sad. He comforted himself, saying that food and sex are human nature.
Ji Qingyu thought that if Fu Han were an actor, he would be praised for acting with his eyes. Such a cold person actually had a pair of eyes that could be described as gentle.
At a distance that was neither too close nor too far, Ji Qingyu felt his muscles stiffen. Fu Han was watching him, and it was that kind of gaze again. They should be the closest people in the world, yet there were so many things they couldn't say openly.
Ji Qingyu opened her mouth, trying to break the tense silence, but Fu Han walked over and got closer to her, putting out his cigarette first.
"What's wrong?" Ji Qingyu asked slowly. Fu Han pursed his lips slightly, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
The trench coat fabric rustled as Ji Qingyu was grabbed by the arm and thrown into the passenger seat by Fu Han. The car door slammed shut, leaving the car in complete silence.
Ji Qingyu hadn't reacted yet.
A few seconds later, the car swayed slightly, and Fu Han got on from the other side.
A note from the author:
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