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"I heard from Xiao Yang that Miss Shen is a dancer in the Xinfeng Dance Troupe?" After the waiter left, the middle-aged man asked Shen Anxia.
Shen Anxia didn't expect that Uncle Zhang would steer the conversation toward her, but she still answered generously, "Uncle Zhang, you can call me 'Anxia' or 'Xiao Shen'. I joined the group last June and became a full member in November."
The middle-aged man nodded and praised, "Good, Anxia, I heard from Xiao Yang that you graduated from a teachers' college?"
"Yes, I graduated from Xinfeng Normal School." Shen Anxia didn't know Uncle Zhang's purpose, so she answered whatever he asked.
The middle-aged man picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Good tea." Then he looked up at Shen Anxia and said, "Xinfeng Normal School is a 211 university! You're quite something, young lady. As a teacher trainee, it must be very difficult to compete with art school students for a spot. I heard from Xiao Yang that there's only one spot left in the troupe?"
Shen Anxia watched as Yang Zheng poured tea for the two people opposite him, and nodded, saying, "Yes, I am very fortunate."
"Do you want to work as a dancer forever?" the middle-aged man continued to ask.
Shen Anxia thought for a moment and replied seriously: "My idol is still active on stage at the age of 59. I am also obsessed with dancing and will continue to dance as long as I can. However, as I get older, my flexibility and endurance will decline. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will switch to an administrative position or a choreography position. But I will use self-discipline to make my dancing career as long as possible."
The middle-aged man nodded and then asked, "How many dancers does the Xinfeng Dance Troupe have now?"
Shen Anxia said, "There are 18 men and 34 women."
"For a city-level dance troupe at this stage, it's considered large in scale." After saying this, the middle-aged man glanced at the man next to him.
The man next to her received the signal and looked at Shen Anxia as well: "Anxia, I'm a few years older than you, so I'll call you that too!"
Shen Anxia smiled and said, "Okay, Brother Wang."
This "Brother Wang" asked, "What do you think of the cultural and recreational activities in Yi'an at this stage?"
Based on the questions these two people asked today, Shen Anxia figured they might be important figures in Yi'an, specifically there for the development of the cultural and entertainment industry. She thought for a moment and said, "Yi'an's cultural and entertainment industry is currently at its best, like a rising sun, full of vigor and promising for the future. And it's not just the cultural and entertainment industry; I see all sectors in Yi'an flourishing like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. I think it won't be long before Yi'an becomes a leading civilized city."
"Well said!" These words seemed to resonate with the middle-aged man, who couldn't help but applaud.
Meanwhile, Brother Wang praised, "As expected of the talent recommended by Lixing, Xiao Yang, you have a keen eye!"
Yang Zheng, who hadn't interrupted their conversation until now, finally spoke up with a smile: "Uncle Zhang and Brother Wang, please excuse my poor eyesight. You two are the ones with the best judgment. You've discovered that I'm good at picking people."
"Hahahaha," the middle-aged man said to the man next to him, pointing at Yang Zheng, "Look at him, he praised four people with just one sentence. No wonder everyone says he's capable!"
The man next to him chimed in, "Indeed, Xiao Yang is outstanding in every way."
"Hey, Uncle Zhang, Brother Wang, you two really know what I'm talking about. I'm not only good at picking people, but I'm also good at picking places. When it comes to seafood, you won't find another place like it in Yi'an. Shall we enjoy some seafood while we chat?"
"good!"
Yang Zheng pressed the call button next to him and said, "Waiter, bring the food." Then he suggested to the group, "Shall we move to the restaurant?"
"good!"
"This way." Yang Zheng stood up and gestured for Shen Anxia to get up as well.
The middle-aged man put his hands behind his back and said to Yang Zheng, who was standing to his side, "Young Yang, how's the planning going on that piece of land in Chuanxiang?"
Seeing this, Yang Zheng quickly took two steps and followed the middle-aged man. At the same time, Brother Wang also changed his position and walked to Shen Anxia's side.
“Uncle Zhang,” Yang Zheng said, “that piece of land has just received approval, and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year. Needless to say, within five years, the entire Chuanxiang will be transformed, and the trend of a city within a city is already obvious…”
"Anxia, do you have many opportunities to perform with the Xinfeng Dance Troupe now?" Brother Wang's voice came from beside her, and Shen Anxia didn't hear what Yang Zheng said afterward.
"There are quite a few. The dance troupe not only participates in public performances, but also takes on commercial performances. Moreover, the senior members are willing to give us newcomers opportunities."
Brother Wang expressed his understanding: "This is a good thing. Allowing dancers to participate in commercial performances not only allows them to get more experience, but also improves their treatment. It's something we should learn from."
As they were talking, the middle-aged man and Brother Wang had already sat down, and Shen Anxia also sat down next to Yang Zheng.
During the meal, the two men didn't press Shen Anxia further. Instead, they chatted with Yang Zheng about the taste and preparation of seafood. Just as he had said, Yang Zheng was extremely skilled in cooking seafood. In the end, the middle-aged man praised him highly, saying that he would definitely find an opportunity to have Yang Zheng personally try cooking it. Yang Zheng said that he was more than happy to have him come and support him.
After the meal, Yang Zheng and Shen Anxia escorted the two guests to the hotel entrance, where a black minivan was already waiting.
Watching the car drive away, Yang Zheng looked at Shen Anxia and asked, "Are you tired?"
In the past six months, Shen Anxia has met many leaders from the political and business worlds with the dance troupe, and has learned a lot about interpersonal skills: "It's alright, who exactly are they?"
"Uncle Zhang's real name is Zhang Quanyi, and he is the Minister of Culture of Yi'an. Brother Wang's real name is Wang Chaofan, and he is the head of the Public Culture Section. Now that the Ministry of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism is going to merge, he will be the head of the Culture and Tourism Bureau in the future."
"Huh?" Shen Anxia didn't understand why Yang Zheng wanted her to meet these people. "Why did you bring me to meet these two important figures?"
“I think we should try any opportunity that comes our way. There are many opportunities for contact between Yi’an Cultural Tourism and Xinfeng Cultural Tourism, and maybe we will have a chance in the future,” Yang Zheng explained.
Shen Anxia began to understand.
Yang Zheng hoped that things would go smoothly for him in Xinfeng.
She wanted to say thank you, but felt that would be too formal.
"You were really outstanding today. I didn't expect you to handle things so well." Yang Zheng praised you sincerely, but then added, "You must have had a very tough six months."
"It's alright, I'm doing something I enjoy, at least I'm happy," Shen Anxia smiled. "But you didn't tell me beforehand, what if I had messed up this meeting?"
“It’s just a normal meeting between elders and juniors. They’ve been wanting to meet you for a while, and it just so happens that you’re back in Yi’an. It’s better to be casual. If we emphasize it to you beforehand, it will make you feel constrained,” Yang Zheng rubbed her head again. “I’ve booked the club for the whole day. Do you want to go somewhere else or go upstairs to rest?”
"Not going home? Going home to rest is fine too." Shen Anxia pondered, "Isn't there a saying that you should always choose C?"
"You wish! I've already arranged with Uncle Shen to take you home at 10 p.m.," Yang Zheng said, almost laughing in exasperation.
"What's the point of you agreeing with my dad? Shouldn't you be discussing it with me?" Shen Anxia was speechless.
"Okay, Miss Anxia, may I take you home at 10 PM?"
“Yes, Mr. Yang Zheng,” Shen Anxia said seriously. “Shall we go upstairs and rest for a bit?”
"good."
Back at the club, Shen Anxia and Yang Zheng each ordered a cup of coffee.
Shen Anxia suddenly realized something: "Didn't we say I'd treat you today? Now it's your treat?"
“You can treat me tonight.” Yang Zheng leaned back on the sofa, relaxing.
"What would you like to eat?"
Yang Zheng didn't stand on ceremony: "I didn't eat much at noon, shall we have barbecue for dinner?"
"Barbecue?" Shen Anxia thought he was doing it on purpose. "Isn't your barbecue restaurant the most famous in the whole of Yi'an?"
"Yes, Yanhuo Shangshi is the most famous."
Shen Anxia glared at him. This was definitely not the kind of situation where she was supposed to treat him.
To Yang Zheng, that glance was already considered coquettish. He was in an extremely good mood, and he smiled silently as he curved his lips into a smile.
Shen Anxia was also in a good mood. She asked cautiously, "So, are we friends now?"
Yang Zheng shook his head: "No."
"Huh?" Shen Anxia was completely surprised that Yang Zheng refused so decisively; he had never spoken like this before.
"I don't want to be just friends." Yang Zheng tried to express himself in a way that Shen Anxia could accept. "You are the girl I like."
"..." Shen Anxia's cheeks flushed instantly. What was with this sudden confession? Yang Zheng had never said anything about his feelings for her before, so why was he suddenly saying it now?
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Shen Anxia, who had just been confessed to, became embarrassed.
Yang Zheng sighed, "If I had known about your situation over the past six months earlier, I would have said this much sooner. I was always worried that being too proactive would backfire on our relationship. After all, I only have one chance to be with you in this life, and I would always think of the worst-case scenario: what if you fell for someone else? Would you think I was being too clingy? It wasn't until the seventh day of the new year that I realized how wrong I was to be so cautious. You actually like me too. These past two days, I've been regretting not contacting you for the past six months. How much have I missed?"
"I don't like you at all," Shen Anxia retorted softly.
Yang Zheng laughed even more excessively after hearing Shen Anxia's words: "Okay, I don't like you. After all, I haven't given you the future I promised you before, so you are free. Even if we have a foreseeable future, how you choose is still your freedom."
"..." Shen Anxia didn't know what to say. A warm feeling welled up in her heart. She even felt that Yang Zheng's words were more touching than any confession she had ever heard. In that instant, she remembered a sentence she had seen somewhere—
I love you, and you are free.
Until this moment, she felt that Yang Zheng truly liked her. It was good for the two of them to maintain this ambiguous relationship before they could give each other a stable future.
"Then, what can I do for the future you promised?" Shen Anxia asked.
Yang Zheng leaned back on the sofa in an extremely comfortable position, his voice as gentle as ever: "Just live freely and passionately as you are now."
Shen Anxia: "..."
She felt that every second Yang Zheng spent by her side, her heart was irresistibly drawn to him, even to the point of almost frantic desire. She steadied herself, trying her best not to let Yang Zheng discover her secret. She was always conservative and rational, until she was absolutely certain of a result.
"Besides barbecue, don't you want to eat something else?" Shen Anxia brought up the topic of dinner again. She had to treat him to a meal in return, didn't she?
“We have a new set meal that we’d like to take you to try,” Yang Zheng said. “Let’s go to the branch near your house so my parents can’t see you.”
"It's not that I'm worried about these things, I just want to invite you to dinner."
"After that, I'll go to Xinfeng to find you, and then you can invite me. Now that you're going back to Yi'an, of course I'll make the arrangements."
"But when you went to Xinfeng before, you didn't ask me to treat you."
"You can treat me from now on." Yang Zheng found it amusing. This girl didn't seem to understand that material support should be provided by the man, right?
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