Chapter 6 Enjoyable Late Night Snack "Received, Teacher Zhu's guidance is correct. [...]
The Japanese restaurant recommended by Chai Yundu truly lived up to its reputation.
The shop is hidden in a quiet corner of Gubei, with an unassuming facade. If you don't look for it specifically, you might miss the signboard with the shop name carved from a piece of dark wood.
However, pushing open the wooden door reveals a completely different world inside, as if stepping into a Japanese garden. Sand is used as water, stones as mountains, natural wood latticework, simple lanterns, warm yellow soft lighting, and a faint, elegant sandalwood scent in the air.
The waitress, dressed in a plain-colored kimono, walked lightly and bowed to lead the way.
The private rooms feature a traditional Japanese design, requiring guests to remove their shoes before entering. Soft tatami mats and a sunken seat in the center eliminate the discomfort of sitting cross-legged.
With the bamboo curtain half-rolled up, a small, meticulously crafted scene can be seen through the floor-to-ceiling window.
The tension in Zhu Qingting's heart, which had been slightly tense due to their first dinner date, eased a bit because of the atmosphere.
She quietly added the restaurant to her food list, thinking that she would definitely bring her dance troupe members to experience it someday.
Zhu Qingting sipped her warm tea, listening to Chai Yundu and the waitress talking in hushed tones. She began to worry that the two of them would end up in an awkward silence during the meal.
She quickly reviewed all the movies and TV series Chai Yundu had acted in in her mind, just in case.
However, she did not expect that after a few pleasantries about the restaurant environment and dishes, Chai Yundu would naturally steer the conversation toward her professional field.
To her surprise, Chai Yundu was very familiar with several of her popular dance dramas in recent years, as well as the competitions and awards she had participated in.
"You actually watched my dance video?" Zhu Qingting picked up a piece of finely textured salmon belly, so surprised that she forgot to dip it in the special soy sauce.
"Hmm." Chai Yundu naturally picked up the small white porcelain teapot and filled the teacup in front of her with warm genmaicha. His tone was flat. "I've read it many times."
Many times?
Zhu Qingting's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her head and took a sip of the freshly poured tea to hide her embarrassment, then couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
“Do some research,” he said casually, but his gaze fell on her slightly reddened earlobes. “After all, you’re going to have dinner with a dancer, so you can’t be completely clueless.”
The implication in those words was too obvious, and Zhu Qingting felt her cheeks start to burn again. She quickly changed the subject and started talking about his crime film that was a critical and commercial success during the Lunar New Year season.
To Chai Yundu's surprise, she could not only accurately describe the performance details of several highlight moments in the play, but also had a unique understanding of the psychological motivations of the character he played.
"I didn't expect Professor Zhu to be a film critic." He said half-jokingly, but his eyes showed genuine appreciation.
"I just... watched all your plays carefully," she said softly, then realized that her words seemed too blunt, and quickly added to cover it up, "Almost everyone in our troupe has watched them, and they've been discussed a lot."
Chai Yundu smiled, not exposing her somewhat clumsy attempt at concealment.
Perhaps it was because the two had a pleasant conversation about each other's works that brought them closer, and Chai Yundu was her only connection in the entertainment industry, so Zhu Qingting hesitated for a moment before speaking with a hint of distress about her recent dilemma.
"After the Spring Festival Gala, the troupe suddenly received a lot of invitations for commercial collaborations and program recordings, and many of them specifically requested my participation." Zhu Qingting put down her chopsticks, her face full of confusion. "To be honest, I didn't know how to choose, and I'm not used to performing in front of the camera. But the troupe's idea is that I can take this opportunity to promote the dance drama."
"Oh? What kinds of projects are there?" Chai Yundu showed interest. "Tell me about them, maybe I can offer some advice."
Zhu Qingting then started counting on her fingers, “There are invitations to make guest appearances in TV dramas, with few scenes; there are lifestyle variety shows, and there are judges or guests for dance competitions…” She roughly described the nature of several programs and their recording requirements.
Chai Yundu listened attentively, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, “My advice is to prioritize your strengths and be yourself.” He analyzed, “For example, ‘Street Dance of China.’ I heard that although their main focus is street dance, the competition format requires guest performers skilled in different dance styles to help contestants perform cross-style fusion dances. This is entirely within your area of expertise. You don’t need to deliberately perform anything; you just need to focus on the dance you know best, use your professional knowledge and stage presence to conquer the audience, and showcase your strength.”
He paused, then continued, "The other observational variety show, 'An Ordinary Day,' has a relatively short recording period and mainly focuses on showcasing your daily life. Your fans, or viewers curious about your identity as a dancer, probably want to see your most authentic self. For example, what your daily training routine is like, what's special about your diet, and what you do when you're not practicing. Just be natural and be your true self; that's what's most touching and what brings dance drama closer to the general audience."
His analysis was clear and logical, with a clear distinction between advantages and disadvantages. It took into account her personal qualities and career development, as well as the expectations of the dance troupe and the psychology of the audience.
Zhu Qingting nodded repeatedly as she listened, the fog in her heart gently lifted.
"Thank you, Teacher Chai," she said sincerely, her eyes regaining their sparkle. "Your analysis has made things much clearer for me. I will go back and discuss it thoroughly with the troupe leader, and we will focus on these two programs."
Dinner ended in a pleasant atmosphere. Chai Yundu escorted Zhu Qingting to the bottom of Huafu Tiandi building.
"Thank you for dinner and your valuable advice, Professor Chai. I had a really great time tonight," Zhu Qingting said as she got out of the car, carrying the still-vibrant bouquet of flowers, and bowed to thank him again through the car window.
"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help you. I'm happy too. Get some rest." Chai Yundu watched her walk into the building entrance until her slender figure carrying flowers disappeared from sight before slowly driving away.
Back at his home in Panlong No. 1, Chai Yundu didn't immediately settle in and rest. He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the large apartment, gazing at the scattered lights of Huafu Tiandi not far away, and took out his phone to call his agent, Deng Jie.
The call was answered quickly. "A-Du? Something's up so late?"
Chai Yundu got straight to the point, "Brother Deng, help me contact the 'Street Dance of China' program team."
Deng Jie on the other end of the phone was clearly very surprised, "Street Dance of China? Adu, what do you want to do? You don't want to participate, do you? This is a dance program, you're not a professional dancer."
In an instant, Chai Yundu recalled the performance of "Dance Rhythm and Martial Spirit" that he participated in when he was fourteen years old. His martial arts movements were cleverly integrated into the dance, combining strength and gentleness.
“Dance and martial arts are essentially interconnected,” he said calmly, yet with an undeniable certainty. “I told the production team that I could participate in the fusion stage as a special guest performer. Also, please hire a professional dance teacher for me; I need special training.”
Deng Jie remained silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, seemingly processing the sudden news.
As a top star, Chai Yundu has always cherished his reputation and is extremely selective about his appearances, preferring to rest rather than accept indiscriminate work. Why would he actually request to participate in a program that isn't his forte, and even spend time training specifically for it?
However, top agent Deng Jie quickly realized that this was indeed a good attempt. It could both explore more possibilities for him as a martial arts actor, bringing freshness to fans and the market, and make full use of the downtime to maintain exposure.
“Okay, I’ll contact them tomorrow morning!” Deng Jie immediately agreed. “If the production team knew you’d volunteered to join, they’d be ecstatic. They won’t have to worry about ratings or generating buzz!”
Sure enough, Deng Jie reported back the next day that the program's production team was extremely welcoming and attached great importance to Chai Yundu's intention to participate. They believed that the fusion of "martial arts + dance" would be a major highlight, and even took the initiative to recommend several teachers who were good at street dance and modern dance choreography to give him special training.
So, Chai Yundu, who had originally planned to enjoy a short vacation, began intensive and high-intensity dance training.
On the other hand, Zhu Qingting went to the troupe leader's office the next day and made it clear that she was willing to accept the invitations from the two programs, "Street Dance of China" and "An Ordinary Day".
The team leader was very pleased. "Great, I'll go coordinate the secondment process and related formalities right away. Keep up your form during this time and don't neglect your practice." He paused and added, "Don't worry, the company will give you bonuses and commissions for these external activities according to regulations. We won't let you work for nothing."
Stepping out of the regimental commander's office, Zhu Qingting felt the pressure on her shoulders lighten considerably, and a faint sense of anticipation for the future began to emerge.
This anticipation contains both trepidation about the unknown and a vague, unspoken hope that it might lead to a connection with someone in the entertainment industry.
Chai Yundu's dance training is proceeding smoothly. He begins his daily hours of intense, sweat-drenched workouts in a highly private professional dance studio.
He has a solid foundation in martial arts, and his control, coordination, and core strength far surpass those of ordinary people. He can actually learn dance moves much faster than the average person.
But he has extremely high standards for himself. He practices even a simple movement repeatedly until he reaches his ideal of perfection.
He looked in the mirror, recalling the key points that the girl had told him years ago in the training room of the sports school: "Power comes from the core, and movements should have a sense of breathing."
Sweat dripped down his jawline onto the floor, but he was completely unaware, immersed in the new experience of opening his body.
Occasionally, during training breaks, he would share his daily dance practice with Zhu Qingting on WeChat.
"I learned a ground roll today, and it felt even more tiring than filming action scenes while suspended by wires. [Exhausted]" Attached was a photo of a sweat-soaked t-shirt.
Zhu Qingting quickly replied, "Dance looks graceful, but it's actually very physically demanding. What kind of play requires special dance training?"
Chai Yundu looked at his phone screen, a smile playing on his lips, and replied, "There's a role in my next project that requires some dancing skills, so I'm preparing in advance to get a feel for it." He chose to temporarily conceal the fact that he was going to participate in the same program as her, wanting to give her a surprise.
"If you're doing dance moves that require power, try using your core muscles instead of just relying on your arms or legs," Zhu Qingting enthusiastically offered her professional advice.
"Received, Teacher Zhu's guidance is correct. [clasped hands]"
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