Chapter 16 Romantic Worries: Let's Take It One Step at a Time
Upon returning to Shanghai, Zhu Qingting immediately went to the hospital for a follow-up examination.
After a series of thorough examinations, the doctor confirmed that her recovery was progressing well, the symptoms of the concussion had largely disappeared, and she was able to resume her daily basic dance training.
However, it is still important to proceed gradually and avoid prolonged, high-intensity practice, especially for some difficult movements that require violent head shaking or pose a risk of falling.
Having obtained the doctor's pass, Zhu Qingting finally felt relieved and returned to the dance troupe to resume work the next day, full of energy.
On days when the dance troupe is not performing, the pace is relatively slow, mainly consisting of maintaining basic skills and rehearsing excerpts for the next planned dance drama.
The familiar atmosphere of the practice room, the barre, the mirror, and the wooden floor all made her feel incredibly warm and at ease.
She changed into her workout clothes, did a few simple stretches, and felt the joy of her muscles being reawakened.
During lunch break, the cafeteria was bustling with people.
Zhu Qingting and Qin Youyou had just finished getting their food and found an empty table to sit down when Qin Youyou eagerly moved closer, her eyes sparkling with barely suppressed gossip.
"Zhu Zhu! Come on, tell me the truth! You've been spending more than ten days with my idol, how does it feel? Has your relationship progressed... um? by leaps and bounds?" She lowered her voice, winked, and emphasized the last word in an especially ambiguous way.
Zhu Qingting was amused by her exaggerated expression and felt a little embarrassed. She picked up her spoon and gently stirred the rice in her bowl, pretending to be calm as she said, "What leaps and bounds... Don't overthink it. He's just working on reshoots, and he's so busy that I hardly ever see him. I spend most of my time hanging out with his female assistant."
"Ah~ that sounds a bit of a pity!" Qin Youyou sighed dramatically, then asked with great interest, "But there must have been times when we met and ate together, right? How about it? Observing my idol up close, isn't he incredibly charming and absolutely amazing?"
When this topic came up, Zhu Qingting no longer avoided it. She softly recounted what she had seen and heard from Xiaoya over the past few days.
His dedication on set and his almost demanding standards for himself contributed to this;
His approachable and considerate nature towards his staff is evident in his down-to-earth attitude.
His simple and pure nature—being single for many years, having zero scandals, and having a nearly blank romantic world—is evident in his character.
Qin Youyou's eyes lit up. "Oh my god! What an amazing man! He's handsome, highly capable, has great character, and is loyal! Zhuzhu, this is like a pie falling from the sky, no, it's like a Manchu Han Imperial Feast falling from the sky! What are you waiting for? Go for it! From idol to lover, this is something that so many fangirls would never even dare to dream of!"
Seeing her friend so excited she was practically dancing with joy, Zhu Qingting finally couldn't help but mention the fact that it was still far from being confirmed.
"Youyou, I'm sorry, I actually hid something from you just now. Our relationship...emmmm, has changed a little."
Qin Youyou didn't care about her concealment at all. She just sat down on the bench next to her, put her ear close to her mouth, and urged her impatiently, "Tell me! Tell me and I'll forgive you."
Zhu Qingting blushed slightly and slowly recounted their conversation on the stone bridge that night. Chai Yundu wanted to change how they addressed each other, took the initiative to say he wanted to know more about her, and they even held hands and briefly hugged.
"Oh my God!" Qin Youyou excitedly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her loud voice instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria.
Zhu Qingting quickly tugged at her hand, trying to pull her to sit down, and pleaded softly, "Youyou! Please keep a low profile!"
Qin Youyou then realized her lapse in composure and obediently sat down, but her excitement remained undiminished. She grinned from ear to ear and said in a low voice, "Hehe, I was just too excited! Speaking of which, you two are twenty-six and twenty-seven, not some middle school or high school students. Why are you two so into this innocent romance? I'm getting impatient with your progress, and you're still in a long-distance relationship. You should have just taken my idol right there in Hengdian!"
Zhu Qingting was stunned by her bold words, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I've never seen a fan like you. Everyone else wishes their idol could stay single forever, but you're the one who's forcing them to date?"
"I'm different from them!" Qin Youyou said confidently. "I'm a fan of the work! Besides, my idol is a person too, and it's perfectly normal for him to date and even get married!"
Dating... getting married...
Zhu Qingting dared not think that far ahead. Although she had been immersed in the sweet feelings brought by Chai Yundu for so many days, she had not forgotten the deepest worry in her heart at the beginning.
Now, as her feelings for Chai Yundu deepen, this worry keeps popping up, causing her immense pain.
She just decided to be honest with Qin Youyou about the progress of their relationship because she wanted to have someone else to help her think of solutions and offer guidance.
Qin Youyou became a fan of Chai Yundu two years ago after being dragged to watch his movies by Zhu Qingting. She didn't know much about the devastating online storms Chai Yundu experienced when he became famous in his early years.
Zhu Qingting, a long-time "fan" who has been silently following him for so many years, clearly remembers the two bloody battles that were caused by him.
One instance was after he became famous overnight with the dual male lead drama "The Strategist". He then took on a role in another period drama, playing the absolute male lead for the first time.
In the drama, he plays a young general who has a deep and moving love story with a woman who is a dancer.
However, the large and powerful "bone fans" at the time could not accept that he would fall in love with a female character, and stubbornly believed that this betrayed the brotherhood between him and Xu Ge in "The Bone Strategist" that they had endlessly interpreted as mutual respect.
The internet was instantly abuzz with attacks and insults directed at the actress.
From criticizing her looks as unworthy of Chai Yundu to questioning the professionalism and stiffness of her dance scenes in the drama, all sorts of harsh comments have been rampant.
The pressure from public opinion was so great that it even affected the normal broadcast and reputation of the series.
Ultimately, with the intervention of investors and the platform, the production team had to temporarily revise the script, changing the originally planned happy ending to a tragic one where the dancer was shot to death by enemy arrows, in order to barely quell the anger of the CP fans and ensure the broadcast of the entire series.
After that, Chai Yundu's team consciously adjusted his acting style, avoiding romantic roles, and successively filmed several police and spy films that focused on plot and action, which were well received by the market.
Two years later, his team probably thought that time had passed and the enthusiasm of the CP fans had faded, so they got him a role in a drama with a clear romantic storyline.
During the airing of the series, the female lead's team tentatively conducted some routine promotional activities for the on-screen couple, which immediately provoked an even fiercer backlash from the fans.
Not only did they verbally abuse the woman, but they also dug up her past, including alleged plastic surgery and bullying of classmates during her school days, causing her image to plummet and leaving her team in a sorry state.
Zhu Qingting observed both incidents silently as a bystander.
She is well aware of the horrors of cyberbullying and has witnessed the irrational and crazy fans who use the guise of love.
She loves dancing, cherishes her peaceful and focused life, and always keeps her distance from the entertainment industry.
She was terrified that once her relationship with Chai Yundu was exposed, the malicious comments, unfounded accusations, and even doxing and cyberbullying that had been directed at others would come crashing down on her like a tidal wave.
She was unsure if she could handle it, and worried that it would not only affect her personally, but might even impact her beloved dance and her colleagues and friends.
She should have been ruthless and kept her distance when Chai Yundu first showed interest in her.
But it's easy to think that who can easily resist the approach of someone who has been lingering in their heart for thirteen years?
That was her innocent, budding crush during her naive youth.
So, one step back leads to another, and now, they are sinking deeper and deeper.
Seeing her sisters' worried expressions, Qin Youyou couldn't quite understand. "Oh! You're overthinking it! What's so scary about fans? I think you're just worrying unnecessarily and creating unnecessary trouble for yourself. Besides, you have to believe that our idols are strong enough to protect the girls they like!"
Zhu Qingting knew that Youyou could not fully understand the fear deep in her heart, a deep unease about unknown risks accumulated over many years of observing from the sidelines.
She could only manage a forced smile and give an ambiguous answer, "Maybe... let's take it one step at a time."
After returning to the lounge after dinner, her phone vibrated. She opened WeChat and saw a message from Chai Yundu.
"How was the first day back at work? Did you feel any discomfort in your head? You should do what you can and not push yourself too hard."
The other party's genuine concern made Zhu Qingting fall for him again.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful! [Cute]"
In the days that followed, the two fell into a sweet online romance.
They shared snippets of their lives, from the mundane details of dance troupe rehearsals to their observations on the Hengdian film set, what they ate that day, and even a newly blooming flower they saw on the street.
Chai Yundu always seems to be able to find topics to talk about, making the time they spend apart feel fulfilling and warm.
Five days later, Chai Yundu sent an apologetic voice message: "Zhu Zhu, I promised you I could come back the day after tomorrow, but that person with connections has delayed things again. It will probably take another five or six days to finish filming. Then I have to fly directly from Hangzhou to Milan to attend a brand event and shoot a magazine cover, which will probably take another seven or eight days."
His voice was filled with weariness and helplessness.
Zhu Qingting immediately replied in a relaxed tone, "It's okay, Yun Du, work is important. When I start my tour the month after next, I'll be so busy I won't even see you. We need to support each other's work."
Chai Yundu breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, thank you for your understanding. I've already spoken to Brother Deng. Please don't give me any more work for the time being. I need to rest for a while so I can stay in Shanghai and keep you company."
Then he sent another message, "By the way, do you have any items you want to buy in Milan? Make a list, and your friends too, and I'll buy them for you."
"Okay, I'll ask Youyou. Thank you for being so thoughtful~" Zhu Qingting felt a warmth in her heart.
Then, time quickly came to the day Chai Yundu flew to Milan. After filming his last scene, he rushed to the airport.
The long hours of continuous work left him exhausted, and he fell asleep almost instantly upon boarding the plane.
However, while he was sleeping 10,000 meters in the air, a long-planned conspiracy against him swept across the internet with explosive speed.
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