Chapter 9 Does dancing require a pair of legs?
Luo Qingyan ignored Huo Bowen following behind her, pretending not to know, and continued walking forward on her own.
When they reached the slightly more spacious corridor, Huo Bowen suddenly quickened his pace.
"Luo Qingyan." Huo Bowen's voice rang out from behind.
When her name was called, Luo Qingyan had no choice but to stop. She turned around with a puzzled look on her face: "Huh?"
"I heard you're going to stay in G City for a while." Huo Bowen stared into Luo Qingyan's eyes. "Are you planning to stay in G City?"
"I will be staying for a while, but the arrangements afterward are uncertain." Luo Qingyan said expressionlessly. She vaguely sensed that the other person's condition was not quite right, so she was unwilling to say more.
Do you have a boyfriend now?
"ah?"
"Do you remember when I told you I liked you? It's true, I wasn't joking."
"oh."
"After meeting you, I found that my heart still flutters. I really like you, and this feeling hasn't disappeared no matter how much time has passed. No one else can replace you, no matter what."
"oh……"
"And you? I remember you... you said high school students don't think about these things, but what about now? We're not high school students anymore, we're mature adults. We're both single, right?"
Luo Qingyan frowned slightly. Could this behavior be called mature? In her eyes, the two were just classmates. Perhaps they had some contact because of their past performance collaborations at school, but it was just that—contact between classmates. But his current behavior made it seem like they had feelings for each other but missed their chance, and then had a long-awaited reunion.
She was inwardly upset, but outwardly she tried to remain polite: "Thank you for your kind words, but I have no romantic feelings for you whatsoever."
"Are you still bothered by what Fang Tang said and did back then?"
"I didn't like her behavior at the time, but that's a completely different matter from how I feel about you. I have no feelings for you whether she is there or not, so please don't flatter yourself."
"Really..." Huo Bowen's face showed a strange look of disappointment, then he forced a smile, "Then can you give me a chance? I want to pursue you."
"I have someone I like." Luo Qingyan decisively used another man to block him, even though she didn't like it, but this tactic was very effective on men. She was a little speechless. In her memory, Huo Bowen was a man who didn't talk much. She didn't know what he had gone through over the years, and now he had become so strange and pretentious, like he was acting in a TV drama.
"So you still mind after all..."
Luo Qingyan almost rolled her eyes. So Huo Bowen was such a narcissistic person. She was about to say something unpleasant when suddenly someone arrived.
"Qingyan!" Fan Shuxin skipped over to Luo Qingyan, waved to Huo Bowen, and then looked at Luo Qingyan. "Qingyan, I'm getting married next month, and I'd like to invite you!" She then opened her crossbody bag, took out an invitation, and handed it to Luo Qingyan.
"Congratulations!" Luo Qingyan accepted the invitation. "I heard from Yi Miao that you and your partner are a match made in heaven, the envy of everyone!"
"Oh dear, Yi Miao, you're exaggerating." Fan Shuxin said a little embarrassedly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You absolutely have to come!"
"Okay, I will go."
"You guys chat, I'll go to the private room."
"I'm going back too. I just came out for some fresh air." Luo Qingyan didn't look at Huo Bowen, and turned to walk back with Fan Shuxin.
"Oh, okay." Fan Shuxin smiled and took Luo Qingyan's hand.
Huo Bowen didn't say anything or stop them, and silently followed behind.
-
Luo Qingyan didn't want to have anything to do with Huo Bowen, but their return to the private room together inevitably attracted attention. Even with Fan Shuxin present, it couldn't stop some people's curiosity.
"Why did you all come back together?" Someone asked loudly as a song was coming to an end in the private room.
"We bumped into each other in the hallway and came over together," Fan Shuxin said first. She walked towards the center of the private room, trying to attract everyone's attention. "I'm late, do you want me to sing a song as punishment?"
"Of course!" Liu Yimiao handed the microphone to Fan Shuxin and then prepared to walk towards the karaoke machine.
Suddenly, the next song started playing.
Everyone froze when they heard the familiar intro.
This is a pop song adapted from classical music, and the original song is the one that Luo Qingyan and Huo Bowen collaborated on during the high school cultural festival.
Fan Shuxin nudged Liu Yimiao with her elbow, and Liu Yimiao immediately reacted, striding over to the karaoke machine and pressing pause.
"Fan Shuxin is punishing herself with a song, everyone please let her have it!" Liu Yimiao said loudly with a smile, not wanting the atmosphere to be awkward. "Fan Shuxin, what do you want to sing? Do you want me to sing with you?"
“Okay, let’s go together!” Fan Shuxin smiled and walked towards the karaoke machine.
"That song just now sounded so familiar, wasn't it the one Qingyan and Bowen collaborated on back in the day?" Fang Tang suddenly spoke up, her voice full of laughter, "It felt like it instantly transported everyone back to our high school days!"
Fang Tang's words were meant to ease the tension, so someone chimed in, "It feels like a lifetime ago! High school was over ten years ago, I really miss it."
"You don't really feel it until you mention it, but it turns out it's been over ten years!" someone else chimed in. "Haha, maybe it's because some classmates haven't changed much, so we all feel young!"
"Some people have become even more beautiful, like Qingyan. She captivated countless young men with her ballet performance at the cultural festival!" Fang Tang's voice chuckled, tinged with a mix of joking and envy. "Hey, Qingyan, are you still dancing?"
Luo Qingyan didn't see the compliment as a compliment; she only felt offended. In her opinion, the other person was deliberately trying to steer the conversation towards her and embarrass her, which she disliked completely. She slightly raised her chin, showing no fear, and replied in a joking tone, "My back is injured, so I'm not dancing. Looks like I've also captivated that young man from back then. Hey, did you request that song just now?"
Fang Tang's smile froze instantly, but the room was dimly lit, so it wouldn't be noticeable unless you looked closely. Her voice still held a hint of amusement: "I was also captivated by you, after all, you're so beautiful! I didn't choose that song."
"Really?" Luo Qingyan tilted her head slightly. "What a pity, I still miss it a bit, I'd like to hear it!"
“Then sing it,” Huo Bowen suddenly interjected.
"What, you want to sing?" a boy immediately chimed in, with a hint of teasing.
"I can't sing it, but I know the tune." Huo Bowen looked at the others. "Who requested it? The person who requested it must know how to sing, right?"
No one answered.
You can anonymously request songs on your phone. This song was requested anonymously using a phone, and it might even have been temporarily pushed to the top of the list.
"I'll sing, I can!" Liu Yimiao quickly tried to lighten the mood when she saw the atmosphere was getting awkward. "Everyone, listen up, the karaoke queen is about to go live!"
"Didn't Huo Bowen say he wanted to sing?" Fang Tang's expression turned sour, her voice deep. "He'll sing even if he can't. It seems he's the one who misses that performance the most. Sigh! Qingyan, what's your opinion of him?"
"No opinion." Luo Qingyan replied quite readily.
Fang Tang was a little surprised, but she felt that Luo Qingyan was just putting on a brave face at this moment, so she said, "What if he wants to pursue you? After all, we are all in G City now, anything is possible."
"Don't make wild assumptions, I have someone I like."
"Really?" Fang Tang didn't believe this common excuse and scoffed, "A beautiful woman likes a handsome man, right?"
"Yes, I'm a sucker for good looks, I only like handsome guys." Luo Qingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "He's exceptionally handsome, practically at the pinnacle of my aesthetic standards, so he's extremely difficult to pursue. I'm trying!"
"Your description is way too exaggerated! I'm really curious, do you have any photos?"
"Photos?" Luo Qingyan's lips suddenly broke into a smile, which spread to his eyebrows and eyes, his face gentle. "That's right, I haven't taken any photos of him."
"This..." A sly glint flashed in Fang Tang's eyes. "You didn't just make up a fictional person, did you? A beautiful woman like you is being pursued by too many men, it's annoying, so you can only find some excuse to protect yourself?"
"I have quite a few suitors, but they are generally sensible people. They won't bother me again once I refuse." Luo Qingyan said this to Huo Bowen, hoping that he would take it to heart.
"Oh...then bring your handsome guy to Fan Shuxin's wedding next month. The handsome guy you praised so highly must be very intriguing."
As Fang Tang was speaking, Luo Qingyan's phone rang. While listening to the other person, she took out her phone and said, "I haven't won him over yet. Besides, that handsome guy has a unique personality; I can't invite him. Oh! What a coincidence, the handsome guy is calling. I'll take this call first; you guys continue." Luo Qingyan said as she walked out of the private room.
The caller wasn't the handsome guy Luo Qingyan was pursuing, but a deliveryman. However, this conveniently gave her an excuse to leave—not just for a short while, but to leave the entire party.
Some people are two-faced, and she doesn't want to waste her time on such people.
Afterwards, Luo Qingyan said goodbye to her classmates and left the gathering, explaining that the handsome guy needed her help with something important, and she was there to lend a hand in an emergency.
She couldn't care less what others thought. Fang Tang's hostility was practically overflowing. Anyone with eyes could see that her departure was perfectly reasonable, and they could even consider her as someone who valued romance over friendship.
-
After leaving the KTV, it was still early, so Luo Qingyan decided to go to the restaurant to pack some delicious food for Xiao Nanyu to take back.
There was a particularly delicious Peking duck dish at lunchtime today. While eating it, she realized she had completely forgotten about this dish that can conquer the taste buds of people from all over the world. She thought her little merman would probably like it too, and she was determined to let him try it. And now that she had some free time, she decided to go and get some to take home right away.
However, upon arriving at the restaurant, we discovered that Peking duck is only available during specific time periods; it tastes best when roasted and eaten fresh. It was already past lunchtime and not yet dinnertime, so we couldn't buy any. Other restaurants might not offer such delicious duck.
Ultimately, she decided to go home first and have the delivery person bring the Peking duck to her home later when it was time to serve it.
-
Luo Qingyan took a taxi home and saw the package placed at the door as soon as she got out of the car.
The neighbors all know each other, and people often leave inexpensive packages at their doorsteps, so things usually don't get stolen. This time, however, Luo Qingyan bought quite a lot of things, and it took her a lot of effort to carry them all into her house.
"Xiao Mei, I'm back!" The first thing she did upon entering the house was, of course, to greet the little male fish. Luo Qingyan picked up Chestnut, who was fluttering around her legs in welcome, and headed towards the bathroom.
"Did you buy something heavy?" the little merman asked as he placed the tablet on the stool next to the bathtub.
"Yes! These are all very useful things, and they're related to you." After confirming with her own eyes that the little male merman was safe and sound, Luo Qingyan put down the chestnut. "Then I'll go open them now, wait for me a moment."
"good."
-
It took Luo Qingyan some time to unpack all the things she bought. After unpacking, she washed her hands and then pushed the things to the bathroom.
"Ta-da!" She cheerfully pushed a wheeled chair into the bathroom. "This chair can slide, which will make it much easier to move you later. But don't go to the pond in the yard unless absolutely necessary. Even if you're covered with a sheet when you go outside, it's still not safe enough. It would be troublesome if the neighbors saw you."
"Hmm, I can stay in the bathtub without any problem." The little merman stared at the people and things in front of him with great interest.
“And this!” Luo Qingyan picked up the small table on the chair and walked towards the bathtub. “This is a special small table for the bathtub. You can use it as soon as you put it on, and it can even slide! This will make it more convenient for you to eat and use your iPad in the future.”
The little merman watched obediently as Luo Qingyan placed the small table on the bathtub and slid it down for him to see. He exclaimed with delight, "That's great, so convenient! Humans have always been incredibly skilled at tinkering with gadgets!"
“There’s another little gadget.” Luo Qingyan said, turning around and picking up a five-pointed star-shaped lamp from the chair, placing it on the counter at one end of the bathtub. “It’s a small night light; you can turn it on with a press. The light is rather dim, suitable for use at night. That way, there’s light in the bathroom, but people outside won’t notice.”
Luo Qingyan placed the order for these items yesterday morning. G City is a relatively prosperous city, so next-day delivery shouldn't be a problem. She hadn't anticipated the power outage when she bought the light; she simply thought a nightlight wouldn't use much electricity, so she bought one on the spot.
Turn on the nightlight, and the warm light shines through, making the stars look beautiful even in the daytime.
"It's pretty, isn't it?" Luo Qingyan stared at the fairy lights, her eyes flickering slightly.
"Hmm, it's beautiful." The little merman looked at the fairy lights first, then at Luo Qingyan, tilting his head slightly. "You don't seem very happy."
Luo Qingyan's eyes flickered. Without looking at the little male merman, she tilted her head back and exhaled, "I suddenly want to dance!"
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