Chapter 5: Flowers delivered to the theater. Hope you like it here.
The next day, Zhu Qingting called roadside assistance early in the morning to take her car to a 4S shop for repairs.
Upon inspection, the tires needed to be replaced, but the store we visited didn't have them in stock and we had to get them from the store next door.
Today is Saturday, and many customers have scheduled maintenance appointments, so it will take at least 6 hours to change her tire.
Zhu Qingting was in a hurry to report to work at the dance troupe, so she had no choice but to say that she would leave the car at the shop and pick it up tomorrow after it was repaired.
Then she took a taxi to the dance troupe for the final rehearsal with the members before the performance.
In the afternoon, we took a shuttle bus together to the Shanghai Grand Theatre.
"Zhu Zhu, have you received a lot of collaboration offers lately?" During a break, Qin Youyou leaned close to Zhu Qingting and asked in a low voice.
After the Spring Festival Gala aired, it sparked a heated discussion online:
Some people revealed the secrets behind the magic tricks, some complained about the awkwardness of the comedy sketches, some questioned whether the actors were lip-syncing, and some relished the host's slip of the tongue and wrong words...
Zhu Qingting also made a stunning debut with her vibrant dance "The Vermilion Bird Breaks at Dawn".
Now, fan culture has spread to the dance field, and fans who already appreciate Zhu Qingting's dancing are editing and sharing her past dance performances on short video platforms.
Thanks to the keen-nosed marketing accounts that amplified her popularity, Zhu Qingting unexpectedly became an internet sensation.
The dance troupe has recently received numerous offers to collaborate with her: some have invited her to film commercials, others to act in TV dramas, and still others to participate in dance and lifestyle variety shows…
“The group leader did mention it to me,” Zhu Qingting sighed, “but you know I’m socially awkward, tongue-tied and not good at speaking. I really don’t want to enter the entertainment industry and be judged by netizens, and what if I don’t perform well and get cyberbullied.”
“That’s true,” Qin Youyou nodded in agreement. “Everything on the internet can be amplified a thousandfold. We in the system get a fixed salary, and you’re not short of money, so there’s really no need for you to take on these kinds of jobs.”
"However, the troupe leader also conveyed the message from above, saying that this is a good opportunity to promote dance and dance drama, and they hope that I can participate. They will screen candidates first, and then let me make the final choice."
As the two were discussing quietly, Zhu Qingting's phone, which was on the dressing table, vibrated slightly.
It's a WeChat message from that cloud-shaped profile picture!
She quickly stood up, walked to a corner of the dressing room, and secretly opened the message page, not daring to let Qin Youyou know.
"I ordered a bouquet of flowers for you, but the delivery person can't get into the back office, so he's waiting for you at the front desk."
Zhu Qingting's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly left the backstage area, using the excuse that a fan had ordered a bouquet of flowers for her to place at the front of the stage.
She thought the bouquet would be placed directly on the table outside, but she was surprised by the scale of the flower delivery when she came out.
A tall young man in a black suit, with his hands covered in black gloves, was pulling a high-quality black flatbed cart.
The car contained bouquets wrapped in exquisite gift boxes, with the "Aihuashi" logo on the boxes standing out prominently.
Zhu Qingting had seen this brand while shopping in Xintiandi. She knew it was the most expensive flower shop in Shanghai, with fresh flowers flown in daily from home and abroad, and many of the imported flowers were rare.
The price is undeniably expensive...
Through the transparent protective cover, she could see the red and yellow flowers inside, but she couldn't name any of them.
After carefully confirming the information, the florist offered to help her carry the bouquet inside on a cart.
However, in order to avoid attracting too much attention from the group members, Zhu Qingting refused the deliveryman's service.
She removed the gift box with the florist logo and carried the unusually heavy bouquet backstage alone.
However, it still attracted the attention of the group members.
Because of Zhu Qingting's status, they dared not tease her or ask too many questions, and simply praised the flowers for being beautiful.
But Qin Youyou is different.
"Zhu Zhu, did your suitor give it to you?" she asked gossipy.
Why do you guess that?
"Don't fans usually send flowers to us backstage after the curtain falls, through theater staff? That way, we might even have a chance to meet them. Why would they order takeout and have it delivered so early?"
Zhu Qingting casually dealt with this gossipy pop star, then made an excuse to go to the restroom and slipped into a stall to reply to Chai Yundu.
Several new messages have appeared on the chat interface at this time:
Did you receive the flowers?
Do you like it?
"Why aren't you replying to my messages? Don't you like them?"
Zhu Qingting quickly replied:
"received."
"I was just talking to my group members."
"I really like the flowers, but they're too expensive."
The message was sent and received a reply almost instantly:
"I'm glad you like it. I was worried that delivering it in person would be inconvenient for you, so I had the seller deliver it. I'll send you the care instructions that the seller sent me."
Then came a detailed maintenance instruction sheet, including water control, root trimming angle, and the amount of preservative used, covering every little detail.
"Thank you, you're very thoughtful," Zhu Qingting replied.
Chai Yundu sent me a photo, a selfie he took in front of his full-length mirror at home.
He wore a very formal white suit today, which matched her dance costume perfectly.
"I'm getting ready to head out now because I'm worried about traffic. See you tonight."
Her heart started beating faster again without her realizing it.
——————
The performance of "Chang'an Flower" has come to a successful close.
During the curtain call, Zhu Qingting's gaze inadvertently swept across the audience, landing on a particular corner.
He was clapping enthusiastically, wearing a mask.
She only glanced at it once before quickly looking away, her ears burning slightly.
My phone vibrated as soon as I got back to the backstage area.
"The performance was fantastic!" came a message from Chai Yundu. "Will you have a celebration party after the show?"
"No, this is just our daily work. We'll be off work soon."
"Can I ask you out for a late-night snack?"
Is this really appropriate...?
Zhu Qingting was conflicted.
In Chai Yundu's eyes, weren't they completely unfamiliar with each other?
Why is it that I'm hesitant to say no this time, even though I'm usually able to decisively and directly reject invitations from men who are also well-off?
Chai Yundu probably noticed that he wasn't replying to messages, so he sent a new message.
"It's in the Japanese food street near my home, so I can go back quickly after eating. It won't take up much of your time."
"I know that dancers need to maintain their figure, and Japanese food portions are very small, so you don't have to worry about gaining weight even if you eat a little."
"Their restaurant has private rooms and often hosts celebrities, so there's a lot of privacy. You don't have to worry about being photographed by paparazzi."
"I was worried about traffic on Saturday, so I left early. It's crowded near the theater, and it's inconvenient to take off my mask to eat. I'm so hungry now! [poor face]"
Zhu Qingting held her phone, looking at the messages.
In the end, she found herself a perfect excuse.
Since you accepted such expensive flowers from him, it's only right that you reciprocate by treating him to a meal.
"Okay, but this meal is on me! Consider it a thank you for the flowers."
"I'll send you the address, you can navigate there yourself?" Chai Yundu replied immediately.
"Can I hitch a ride with you? My car is fixed but I haven't had time to pick it up. I came by company car today," Zhu Qingting asked apologetically. Why did she need to ride with him again?
"No problem, see you at the parking lot."
Chai Yundu sat in the driver's seat, glancing at the elevator from time to time until he saw that familiar figure.
Zhu Qingting didn't change her performance outfit or take off her hair bun yesterday; she just put on a down jacket and went home after get off work.
However, since she had arranged to have dinner today, she took off her performance costume and changed back into her usual work attire.
She wore a black off-the-shoulder sweater that was both relaxed and sexy, while her fitted flared trousers perfectly showcased her leg shape. The nude pointed-toe heels seemed to make her already tall 172cm appear even longer.
Because the indoor heating was sufficient, she didn't wear a down jacket, but instead draped it over the back of her right elbow.
But what's most captivating is that she's still tightly clutching the bouquet of flowers she gave her. That red and yellow patchwork bouquet, which she fell in love with at first sight when the shop sent it to her, looks just like the Vermilion Bird from the Spring Festival Gala.
Chai Yundu's lips unconsciously curled up as he got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her.
Zhu Qingting didn't get into the car immediately. Instead, she opened the back door herself, carefully placed the bouquet in the back seat, and fastened the seatbelt around it.
After settling in, I got into the passenger seat that Chai Yundu had opened.
The car smoothly drove out of the parking lot and merged into the night traffic.
"Your dance today was as beautiful as ever," Chai Yundu praised.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Qingting burst out laughing and asked the question that had been on her mind, "Do you celebrities have standard templates for social etiquette, like how to compliment someone?"
"Why do you say that?" Chai Yundu turned his head curiously and looked at her smiling face.
"It was on the day of rehearsal. Qin Youyou, oh, the girl who asked you for your WeChat, said you messaged her praising her dancing. You messaged me too that day, and just now you said the same thing again," Zhu Qingting explained. "We even discussed later whether you could tell us apart with such heavy stage makeup, haha."
"Your fellow dancer's comment was indeed a polite greeting, but my praise for your dance was genuine. You are unique on stage; how could anyone not recognize you?"
The red light came on, and the car slowly came to a stop. Chai Yundu turned his head and looked at her intently.
"Your dance has a power that makes it impossible to look away."
The carriage was so quiet that only the sound of each other breathing could be heard.
Zhu Qingting didn't know how to respond, and could only awkwardly utter two words, "Thank you..."
Next, Chai Yundu casually shared the Japanese restaurant he was about to eat at, listing the dishes he had eaten at repeatedly and found delicious and not fattening.
He mentioned which celebrities he had dined with, all of whom were male actors he had worked with.
He thought Zhu Qingting would be interested, but he didn't expect that she only remembered the names of those people in the drama, but didn't know their real names at all.
The realization that "she is his only fan" made Chai Yundu overjoyed.
Through these exchanges, Zhu Qingting discovered that Chai Yundu was no longer the quiet and solitary figure he had been in his youth; he had become optimistic and talkative.
Soon after, the car slowly came to a stop in front of a low-key Japanese restaurant.
“We’re here,” Chai Yundu said, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to look at her. “I hope you’ll like it here.”
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