Chapter 72 Grown-up Baby, I Miss You.
Xing Lan's business trip didn't go particularly smoothly. Something unexpected happened with the client, and the originally scheduled meeting had to be postponed.
They had planned to finalize the contract and return this weekend, but given the current situation, they can only stay in Los Angeles for a few more days until the client has resolved their urgent matters before they have time to slowly discuss cooperation and contracts with them.
The drama club's performance is next Tuesday.
Los Angeles is located in the north and is far from Ning City. Direct flights take about five to six hours, and it is even more troublesome if you have to transfer.
In addition, the weather has been bad lately, and flights are often delayed. Xing Lan estimated the time and concluded that unless Doraemon suddenly popped out of the TV and brought him a teleportation portal, he definitely wouldn't be able to make it back that day.
He missed the rehearsal, and Li Baidong was quite unhappy about it. He had personally promised Li Baidong that he would definitely come to see his official performance. But now…
He hesitated for a long time before finally telling Li Baidong that he might not be able to make it back. He wanted to give him a heads-up, but Li Baidong was so upset that he was depressed for several days.
Every time the two of them video chatted, he looked sullen and unhappy. The bright light that used to shine in his eyes was gone, leaving only a dark, melancholy fog.
The night before Tuesday, perhaps out of guilt for breaking her promise again, Xing Lan didn't video chat with Li Baidong to fall asleep as usual. She simply sent him a message telling him to rest early, not to stay up late, and not to cry. He had to go on stage tomorrow, and his eyes couldn't be swollen.
Li Baidong pursed his lips. Although he listened to Xing Lan's words and didn't hide under the covers to shed tears that night, he still couldn't help feeling very sad.
This is his first time playing the lead role in such a large-scale performance. He's already a junior in college, and this is likely to be his last performance in his entire college career, making it extremely important to him from every perspective.
Like every actor who steps onto the stage, Li Baidong naturally loves and enjoys the applause of the audience. But this time, he didn't care at all how many people were in the audience, how many people were clapping and cheering for him, or how many people were attracted to him and had their eyes glued to him.
He didn't need the approval of those random people; he just wanted Xing Lan to be in the audience, looking at him with those beautiful eyes, to smile at him with admiration and affection, and to witness his hard work and growth over the years during the long performance that lasted more than two hours.
Seven or eight years ago, the moment Xing Lan appeared in his field of vision in her school uniform, she had already become the most important person in his life.
Li Baidong was an unexpected second child in his family. He was abandoned in the countryside and grew up like a weed. During his growth, he experienced many lonely moments when no one cared about him, and there were many times when he could only rely on his fists to protect himself.
Few people saw his wounds, and even fewer understood the fear hidden deep in his heart. Although his grandparents gave him food, the elderly were too old to understand the sensitive psychological changes a child might experience.
Only Xing Lan saw him at a glance and stepped forward to help him.
When Li Baidong trembled and huddled in the corner, slowly opening his eyes, what appeared in his field of vision even before the hazy golden halo of midday was Xing Lan's quiet and deep peach blossom eyes.
Xing Lan reached out to him, and Xing Lan saved him amidst the noise.
Xing Lan didn't mind that he was dirty or that his wounds were ugly. She simply gently touched his chin and said seriously that he looked cool with the band-aid on, like a protagonist in a shonen anime.
--main character.
Before meeting Xing Lan, Li Baidong never imagined that one day he, a thin and silent child who was looked down upon by others, could stand alone on such a grand stage and become the protagonist that everyone envied.
He wished Xing Lan could see him like this.
The worn-out, dirty junior high school uniform he once wore has unknowingly transformed into a magnificent and exquisite theatrical costume. The weak, clumsy, and pitiful child who needed his protection has now grown into a reliable adult who can help him solve his problems.
From the very first day he moved into Xing Lan's house, Li Baidong deliberately hid his past identity from Xing Lan, so that Xing Lan would no longer see him as the child she remembered.
He knew very well that if Xing Lan knew he was the skinny, small middle school student from before, she might not have been so cold to him at first. Instead, she would naturally care for him more, look after him, and treat him with the same care and attention as a mature and reliable older brother.
The special care from Xing Lan might make Li Baidong feel sweet for a short time, like he had eaten candy. But candy is just candy after all; it melts completely in his mouth after a short while, disappearing without a trace like a dream that fades away in the morning.
Xing Lan will be kind to him, but she will never truly fall in love with him. Just like Xing Lan might feed sausages to stray dogs on the street, she would never marry one.
He no longer wanted to be like he was when he was a child, just following Xing Lan around every day, grimacing as he ate the unpalatable sour candies Xing Lan threw at him. What he wanted to become was someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Xing Lan, someone who could even protect him from behind, someone Xing Lan could completely trust and rely on without any psychological burden.
Li Baidong had an ambition that was rare among his peers since he was a child. Just like back then, he was unwilling for his older brother to be able to go to school in the city while he could only stay in the resource-poor countryside. So he made a big scene in front of all his relatives during the New Year, which finally got his parents to give him the opportunity to live in the city as well.
Now, he was equally unwilling to be a seemingly pampered but actually dispensable good-for-nothing, or a young, immature, and easily discarded foolish boyfriend. What he wanted was to be a truly mature man, Xing Lan's lover, and to be by her side forever and ever, openly and honestly.
This long-prepared performance is the best way for him to showcase his charm as an adult, and also the best proof that he has long since shed his childishness and is capable of protecting Xing Lan.
The child was eager to announce to the world that he had grown up, but his world was far away in the cold north.
-
Tuesday, 9 a.m., with only half an hour left before the performance officially began.
Li Baidong has already changed into his costume and put on makeup. Everything is ready, and he's just waiting to go on stage.
He's been in a particularly bad mood since this morning. Although he didn't say anything on the surface, everyone in the club could see that his eyes looked like he wanted to kill someone when he was spacing out, and his face looked terrible. He was completely different from the friendly, cheerful, and always smiling club president he usually was.
Everyone was baffled by this, assuming that he was under too much pressure due to his upcoming performance, so they all quietly prepared for their own scenes and tried their best not to disturb him.
In the final minutes, the actors about to go on stage all crowded backstage. Those who wanted to memorize their lines quietly recited them alone, while those who were a little nervous held each other's hands and encouraged each other. While everyone was panicking and their adrenaline was soaring, only Li Baidong pursed his lips, lowered his head, and was holding his phone, seemingly texting someone.
Even though he already knew Xing Lan wouldn't be coming to see his performance, he still quickly snapped a photo in the dim backstage and sent it to her, along with a short message: "[Going on stage soon, baby, I miss you (crying)]"
He soon received Xing Lan's reply.
Xing Lan sent him a short message that essentially told him to cheer up and not be nervous. Besides that, there was also a GIF of Crayon Shin-chan waving a light stick.
In regular chats, Xinglan rarely sends emojis. Due to the aftereffects of his work, he sometimes doesn't even want to type properly in Chinese, and will only calmly send a "1" to indicate that he has seen it or knows it.
The cartoon GIF cheering him on was quite cute; it was the first time Li Baidong had ever seen one. He moved his fingertips, saved the GIF to his phone, and then casually sent Xing Lan a kissing GIF.
A second later, Xing Lan replied with a kiss emoji.
Seeing this, Li Baidong felt slightly better, but not by much. It was like a few drops of water suddenly appearing in an empty cup—better than nothing.
Soon, the actors took their places, the curtain rose, and the performance officially began.
When Li Baidong stepped onto the stage, his gaze almost instinctively drifted towards the audience below. Against the backdrop of the bright stage lights, the area appeared exceptionally dark, with each audience member's face hidden in the shadows, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.
His gaze lingered on the audience for less than half a second before he seemed to snap out of his daze and immediately looked away.
The stage lighting was very complex. After Li Baidong finished his entrance, he quietly retreated to a slightly dimmed corner. There, his eyes dimmed slightly.
He didn't know what he was secretly hoping for. Xing Lan was away on a business trip and hadn't returned yet. It was absolutely impossible for her to be sitting in the audience, her eyes shining as she watched him, and clapping along with the other audience members until her beautiful hands turned red when the performance reached its exciting climax.
But the next second, when he couldn't help but turn his gaze to the audience below the stage, he immediately met Xing Lan's incredibly familiar narrow eyes.
He was startled, silently pinched his palm, and looked up in that direction again.
"..."
It's real, not his hallucination.
Xing Lan, who was supposed to be on a business trip in Luo City, was sitting quietly in the audience, watching him. The moment their eyes met, she smiled gently, her gaze tender and gentle.
Li Baidong's breathing faltered, and for a fleeting moment, his expression betrayed an uncontrollable surprise.
Fortunately, he was experienced in performing and managed to subtly adjust his demeanor before the other audience members even noticed.
However, the joy in his eyes could not be completely concealed, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up slightly.
Like a black and white painting that has suddenly been painted with bright new paint, it radiates an unprecedented brilliance.
Although Xing Lan did not go on stage or speak, but sat there quietly like all the other ordinary audience members, it was as if she was whispering countless words in his ear in the softest and most tender tone.
This kind of gaze can only be understood between lovers; it is filled with tenderness and affection, like the warmest sunshine falling into his heart.
Li Baidong's heart was pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of his chest.
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