Chapter 51
Between September and October, major events occurred both domestically and internationally.
Back home, the 11th Asian Games was grandly held in Beijing. This marked the first large-scale international multi-sport event hosted by the People's Republic of China since its founding. Asian Games enthusiasm swept across the country. To project a positive international image, tens of millions of people across the country generously donated unprecedented amounts of money to support Beijing's urban development and event preparations. Mo Daoxing and two classmates went to the Asian Games Village to serve as volunteer waiters. Over the phone, they explained that the village lacked a volunteer restaurant and provided neither packaged lunches, forcing hundreds of them to resort to guerrilla warfare for their meals. The conditions were harsh, but the experience was incredibly fulfilling. Abroad, the situation was shifting dramatically. On October 3rd, East Germany officially merged with West Germany, marking the unification of Germany after over forty years of division. Mo Daoyan sent a congratulatory letter to his German mentor and classmates, expressing his sincere wishes for their historic moment of national reunification.
However, the boiling tide of the times could not wash away personal worries. When people around her were talking about how many gold medals Deng Yaping had won, the power of the "Tomahawk" missiles in the Gulf War, or enthusiastically scratching the Asian Games Fund lottery tickets, Chen Jueyao was like a sunken reef. No matter how violent the waves of the times were, it didn't matter to her.
Instead, she herself has become one of the public topics.
In just half a month, the confusing scandal between her and Cao Cong fermented into a sensation in the city. If it was just a dispute within the troupe, Chen Huaili and his wife might be able to find someone to mediate and calm the situation, but they were powerless to deal with the overwhelming gossip magazines. Public opinion intensified, from the initial criticism of the teacher-student relationship caused by this young and famous singing and dancing actress, it gradually turned into doubts about her character. Some said that she had received "special care" from Cao Cong when she was in art school, which was why she had so many performance opportunities. What's more, some people wrote some disgusting speculations in the evening paper supplement, which involved some leaders of the Municipal Song and Dance Troupe. The Municipal Song and Dance Troupe held an emergency meeting and published a statement in the "Xicheng Daily", suspending all work of Chen Jueyao. "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier" was replaced by other actresses.
Tong Yufei had no time to fathom Mo Daoyan's sudden change of heart. He was simply indifferent to outsiders, feeling he didn't need to say a word unless absolutely necessary. At home, he was erratic with her, mostly silent, then occasionally inexplicably enthusiastic, often driven by instinct. She never knew which words had struck a chord, which had caused her to step on a minefield, constantly drawing his cold words. Since he wouldn't help, she took matters into her own hands, repeatedly returning to the Chen family's house with seasonal fruit and milk. Once she was turned away, she was met with a second, and twice, a third...
Finally, on the sixth occasion, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and I saw Chen Jueyao walking out of the room.
"Jueyao, are you feeling better?"
She placed the fresh loquats she brought on the chest of drawers at the entrance. There were some newspapers piled on the chest. Although it was messy, the bold subheadings such as "Moral Depravity" and "Corruption of Morals" were still eye-catching and could not be ignored.
Chen Jueyao was traumatized, his work stagnated, his reputation ruined. He stayed indoors all day, using alcohol to numb himself, yet he maintained his dancer's image, with delicate makeup, crimson nail polish, and a powerful voice. "I came here specifically to give you loquats, which are good for your spleen and appetite. Do you think I'll be so depressed I'll die? You want to take advantage of my misfortune and make fun of me? Do you think you're worthy? Stop bothering my parents all day like a dog-skin plaster. Get out of here."
Chen Huaili put down the electronics magazine in his hand and pushed his reading glasses down his nose. "Xiao Tong is our guest. We asked for your opinion beforehand. If you don't feel like talking properly, go back to your room and rest."
Yan Qi handed Tong Yufei a bottle of white pear soda. "There have been reporters squatting at the entrance of the alley every day these days. The day before yesterday, someone even climbed over the wall to take pictures. She's anxious. Please bear with me, Tong."
Chen's parents differ on their views of their daughter's teacher-student relationship. Chen Huaili directly points the finger at Cao Cong, who, knowing it was a high-voltage line, walked his daughter into the crossfire. Given Cao Cong's age and status, he should have taken full responsibility for the relationship and spoken out to clean up the mess, rather than pushing Chen Jueyao into the spotlight. Yan Qi emphasizes the importance of women maintaining their integrity. Society is complex, and human nature is even more complex. One cannot pin their hopes on others; having made a choice, one must bear the consequences. This is a life lesson.
Tong Yufei drank the cold soda and smiled, "Let me talk to her alone."
Chen Jueyao's room is simpler than imagined, without luxurious decorations. It looks more like a dance studio. Except for the bed, everything is dance-related. There are performance costumes in the closet, dance shoes and musical instruments piled up in the corner, and the four walls are covered with stage photos of him at different ages. Each photo is a miniature, telling the persistence and glory that Chen Jueyao has written over the past ten years.
The most eye-catching thing is the inspirational calligraphy opposite the bed: "The sword's sharpness comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold", signed by Professor Yan Qi.
Chen Jueyao sat at the head of the bed, drinking beer, and ignored her.
She stood in front of the calligraphy and said slowly, "I'm not here to laugh at you. Otherwise, I'd just read the tabloids at work. My purpose in seeking you out is simple. You need a powerful mouthpiece. I need an opportunity to become famous. That's all."
Chen Jueyao put down the beer can and said, "Are you a chameleon? Who was it that pretended to be noble and said that they didn't want false reputation? Now you're begging for food again. What's the difference between you and a bloodthirsty vulture?"
"Vultures devour people without saving them. If you want to continue to be depressed, you can naturally drive me away. If you want to make a comeback, you must face reality. You can certainly seek cooperation with other reporters, but people's hearts are hidden. Who can guarantee that they won't sell you out for the headlines? We are still connected to the Mo family. At least I won't smear you. Do you dare to take the risk together?"
"You were still finding spelling mistakes two months ago. Why would you take such a risk?"
Tong Yufei pulled out two documents pinned together with paperclips from his bag. "Here are some articles I've written before, for your reference. The other is the interview proposal. If you feel my level isn't up to par after reading it, you can refuse. Since you have a clear conscience, why not come forward and talk? Perhaps you can find a way out. In this day and age, teacher-student romance is taboo, but it's not a capital offense, and an actor's career shouldn't be sacrificed."
She and Cheng Yuan had revised the draft several times. In order to keep up with the speed of rumors flying around, they planned to produce three manuscripts within a month. The first one was about Chen Jueyao's journey to fame, focusing on her rise to fame. The second one was about her on-stage and off-stage life, showing her cross-era dialogue with Wang Zhaojun. The third one traced the source and directly addressed the emotional controversy.
"I've also lost something precious and had no excuse. A journalist's pen is a knife; it can hurt or protect." She picked up the pencil sharpener on the table, grabbed Chen Jueyao's hand, and cut a thin cut on his index finger. Blood immediately gushed out. Then she cut her own fingertip again. Then she pressed their wounds tightly together and pressed hard on the manuscript paper. The bright red fingerprint was imprinted like a blood seal, and together they signed a life and death contract. "I really don't like you, but I will use this knife well."
Chen Jueyao suddenly retracted his hand: "Your good intention is to use me as a scapegoat first?" His eyes were opened. A person's appearance is not what he thought. Such a quiet and elegant person turned out to be a lunatic. From this perspective, he was a perfect match for Mo Daoyan. Chen Jueyao took a deep breath, took out gauze from the drawer, and wrapped his finger. "What did you lose?"
"I'll tell you the answer when you're on stage again." Tong Yufei dragged a chair over and sat down, flipping through the interview book. "There's one more thing I need to tell you. Qiao Zhuoqun came to me and asked me to tell you something. He said the letter of complaint wasn't written by Qiao Zhuocheng, but by Cao Cong's colleague, the head of the Arts Management Department. If it weren't for this incident, Cao Cong would have been promoted to vice principal this month. That person is now working in the vice principal's office. To protect the school's reputation, Cao Cong took the blame and transferred to teach music at a primary school in the suburbs of Xishan County. But things haven't been going so smoothly. Some parents are worried that he's corrupting their children..."
Chen Jueyao fiddled with his fingernails, his eyelashes trembling violently. He didn't know whether he was heartbroken by Cao Cong's loss of integrity or regretted having wrongly accused Qiao Zhuocheng. After a long pause, he managed to murmur, "Mo Daoyan said it a long time ago."
"Mo Daoyan has come to see you?"
"What kind of relationship does he have with Qiao Zhuocheng that he could watch him suffer? The truth was revealed on the third day after the incident. He even used my slight sense of guilt to coerce me into accepting your interview, praising you to the skies. He's simply a charlatan. But I'm willing to meet you not just because of him, but because you're like a fly that can't be driven away."
"Have you and Qiao Zhuocheng... reconciled?"
"As before? If one day you find out that Mo Daoyan doesn't love you at all, will you still be so devoted to him?"
Tong Yufei curled the corners of his lips, his eyes as calm as a deep pool: "I knew he didn't love me."
Chen Jueyao was stunned again. Being confused was a great wisdom, but what about being sober? She couldn't imagine how she could live like this. "Is this interesting? I feel like a concubine in the cold palace in an opera."
"Miss Chen, there's no need to feel sad for me. We want different things, just like Qiao Zhuocheng. Why don't you go and ask him why he won't let go?"
"What's there to ask?" Chen Jueyao suddenly remembered what Mo Daoyan said that day. He said Qiao Zhuocheng was a fool. He was only concerned about whether her hand hurt after being slapped. These days, she was being written about in the newspapers. Qiao Zhuocheng stopped doing business and searched the newsstands all over the city, buying up all the newspapers that had the news and burning them. After she knew about it, she blamed Mo Daoyan for being too talkative. What's the point of saying all this now? Should she apologize? But what's the use of apologizing? She won't be with him. It's better for him to hate her. A short pain is better than a long pain. "Can you please stop mentioning the irrelevant people? Are you still going to report?"
----
After finishing the first day of interviewing Chen Jueyao, Tong Yufei took two buses back to the old house.
During the interview, she received a message asking her to return to the old house after work because there was a big announcement at home. When she rushed to the old house, she realized how important this event was. After six rounds of fierce competition, Mo Daoxing successfully entered a top Swiss symphony orchestra. He was about to finish his undergraduate studies early and go to Switzerland for further studies. This result not only broke the Europeans' prejudice against Asian musicians, but also made the whole family rejoice.
The Xu and Mo families had produced talents for generations: some had started businesses from scratch, some had fought in the military, some had delved into science and technology, some had cultivated virtue and talent, some had practiced medicine to help the world, some had mastered literature... but the only category where Western music was missing was a vacancy. She had thought her grandson was just dabbling in it, but after hearing Meng Ruqing describe the orchestra's international standing, Mrs. Mo clapped her knees and smiled so hard her teeth showed: "Your performance has brought honor to the Mo family."
Mo Changlin couldn't exert his fatherly authority over Mo Daoyan, but he could fully display it with Mo Daoxing, urging his youngest son, "When you go abroad, always remember that you are Chinese. Your words and actions represent the image of your country. You must strive to be a good person and win the position of principal cellist within three years. Let those foreigners see the musical strength of the Chinese people."
Meng Ruqing was sorting out Mo Daoxing's study-abroad materials. When Mo Daoxing asked her tenderly, "Aren't you afraid he won't come back if you're urging him to go abroad so urgently?" She let out a rare gentle smile, a stark contrast to her harsh attitude towards Mo Daoyan. "Western music has its roots in the West. As long as you succeed in your studies, you'll be my pride wherever you go."
Mo Daoyan stuffed a red envelope filled with euros and francs in cash to his brother, enough to cover his living expenses for a year: "If you encounter difficulties over there, feel free to write to me."
Tong Yufei stood at the edge of the celebrating crowd, a hint of lost trance flashing across his smile. If his brother had not been trapped in the prison of autism, he might have shined in the arts and crafts world and become a dazzling artist. Everyone who had seen his brother's sculptures would praise him for his talent.
Mo Daoxing was both excited and sad about going abroad: "I was just trying it out, but I didn't expect to actually get in. I originally planned to study for a master's degree in China, but I haven't made a final decision yet, whether to go or not."
Mo Daoyan glanced at his brother and said, "Don't just look at the small piece of land in front of you, you have to have a long-term vision."
Tong Yufei gently consoled her, "If you miss home, just fly back and call home more often. Our country is becoming more and more open to the outside world, and international exchanges are very convenient. Perhaps in the future you can become a representative figure and contribute to the integration of Eastern and Western music cultures."
After dinner, Mo Daoyan said he wanted to walk back, and Tong Yufei followed him.
At eight or nine o'clock in the evening, the streets are still bustling with traffic, red and green are dancing, neon lights illuminate the crowded food stalls, there is the clang of iron pots and spoons, the diners play finger-guessing games, a drunk steps on a local dog that is cooling off under the table, the man and the dog are yelling at each other, a young man with long hair holds a tape recorder and screams "I Really Love You" at the top of his lungs.
The two walked one after the other along the sidewalk, their shadows stretched out long by the street lights.
Mo Daoyan stopped in his tracks amidst the surrounding noise. When he turned around, the faint smell of tobacco drifted towards him on the wind. "Tong Yufei, come with me abroad. Let's go to Germany together."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
