KMYB | Chapter 59

Xi Buyao was never going to reprimand Xi Shui in front of Zhou Zeqi. He gave him a few instructions, hesitated again and again, then pointed at Xi Shui’s clothes and said, “Put your clothes on properly.”

The bite mark on his collarbone was glaringly obvious.

Xi Shui hurriedly fumbled to button his shirt, all the way up to the top. No one slept with their buttons done up that tightly, it was stifling.

His face reddened slightly. Xi Buyao looked at Zhou Zeqi. “What do you think about Xi Shui studying abroad?”

Zhou Zeqi sat very straight. “I’ll wait for him to come back.”

Xi Buyao leaned back against the sofa, and his tone was, for once, not quite so stiff. “One year is the exchange period decided for now, but if he performs well over there, he can apply to keep studying for a few more years.”

Before Zhou Zeqi could answer, Xi Shui looked up in surprise. “Then I just won’t apply.”

“It’s only studying, not staying in the troupe. Isn’t it good to learn for a few more years? The fact is, domestic standards still can’t compare with those top ballet companies. Didn’t you always say you wanted to win glory for Chinese ballet?” Xi Buyao slowed his tone. “You’re both still young. Youth is exactly the time to strive.”

Zhou Zeqi found it inconvenient to interrupt.

Xi Shui thought for a moment, then glanced at Zhou Zeqi and lowered his eyes. “I can do it myself too.”

“Up to you.”

Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi escorted Xi Buyao downstairs together. After standing in the lobby for a while, Xi Shui looked up at Zhou Zeqi. “What he said wasn’t originally part of my life plan. One year is already enough for me. I’m smart, I don’t need to stay that long.”

Zhou Zeqi looked at Xi Shui for a while, then suddenly reached out and hugged him. “Mm, you are smart.”

Xi Shui grabbed the fabric at Zhou Zeqi’s waist and had a sudden idea. “Teach me how to cook a few dishes. Otherwise I’ll end up like my sister and keep making instant noodles.”

“Sure.”

–

[Old Zhou, calling Old Zhou, calling Old Zhou!]

[Calling Old Zhou!]

[Zhou Zeqi: What the hell are you shouting for?]

[Wu Fengyi: Can we go watch Xi Shui’s show? I’ve never been to the Grand Theater before.]

[Zhang Kan: Count me in.]

[Teammate 1: For shows like this, there are usually family tickets. You can ask.]

The group went quiet for a while.

[Zhou Zeqi: Family tickets? Whose family are you?]

[Meng Kewen: I asked Lin Xiaojin. He had one family ticket and gave it to me. Old Zhou, let’s go together. Why care about them? If they want to go, they can buy their own online.]

[Teammate 1: I checked the ticket prices, they’re not expensive.]

[Wu Fengyi: Then I’ll go buy one.]

[Zhang Kan: I’m going too.]

[Teammate 1: They’re already sold out.]

At four in the afternoon, the Grand Theater’s ticket gates would only just start checking tickets. The audience began entering one after another, while staff and the dance company and students participating in the performance arrived backstage several hours early.

Xi Shui let Li Weiwei dab and smear makeup across his face as she pleased. She had spent several days studying the makeup for the different roles, and rather than let a makeup artist do it, she might as well do it herself.

“Run through it one more time later,” Li Weiwei said, leaning in very close and squatting in front of Xi Shui.

Xi Shui had his eyes closed. Distracted, he answered with an absent-minded “Mm.”

Lin Xiaojin swung over holding a gorgeous crown, his face full of disgust. “I’m such a fine young man, and I have to play an old dead man!”

Xi Shui said, “But you’re the king.”

Lin Xiaojin sat down beside Xi Shui and put the wig on his head, making a face as he did so. “I just saw the principal dancer. She’s dancing folk dance, right? She has so much presence.”

Xu Wei came in through the back door on the right. “Is everything ready? We’ll run through it one last time. The audience is about to come in.”

*The Dancer* ran for more than 120 minutes in total, four acts divided into six scenes, with a setting in India. The leads were the female protagonist Nikiya and the male protagonist Solor.

For this Grand Theater performance, the main work was Jing Dance’s *The Dancer*. Because the ballet itself was extremely difficult, Xu Wei and Jiang Die simplified part of the choreography, and even specially invited the resident symphony orchestra of the Beijing Ballet Company to provide live accompaniment.

After the rehearsal, Xi Shui went to the changing room to put on his costume. His role was a warrior, so Li Weiwei deepened his facial contours with shadowing, making him look more gallant and sharp.

He put on his hair ornament, then picked up the prop sword for the warrior from the table and weighed it in his hand. It was pretty heavy.

When the announcer’s bilingual broadcast came over the speakers, Xi Shui was backstage peeling peanuts to eat.

He was a little nervous. This was the first time he was performing a complete ballet stage production in front of Zhou Zeqi. He had performed before, of course, but back then he hadn’t even known Zhou Zeqi was in the audience.

The set for the first scene was already finished, and the curtain slowly rose.

This scene mainly featured the high priest, the dancer, and the warrior. The warrior fell in love at first sight with the dancer, but the high priest secretly witnessed it. In India, a dancer was an offering to the gods, and Nikiya’s actions were a kind of blasphemy against them.

Xi Shui stood at the side, and when it was his turn to go onstage, he stepped out, his bearing instantly becoming proud and upright.

This scene mainly showcased the warriors’ bravery and handsomeness. The accompaniment and the choreography flowed together seamlessly.

The bright yellow costume was gorgeous and solemn, and blended Indian elements into the design in keeping with the story.

Meng Kewen’s family ticket was next to Zhou Zeqi. On Zhou Zeqi’s right sat Meng Kewen, and on his left was Wu Fengyi.

“You actually came?!” Meng Kewen said in disbelief. “And you even got a third-row ticket?”

Wu Fengyi crossed one leg over the other and adjusted his seat to a comfortable angle. “I’ve got money. What can’t I get?”

“But you don’t understand any of it. Did you understand it?” Meng Kewen had listened to Lin Xiaojin’s explanation from start to finish several times. As for Old Zhou, there was no need to say more. He didn’t even need Xi Shui to explain, he went home and did his own homework.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wu Fengyi said.

A few seconds later, Wu Fengyi leaned toward Zhou Zeqi’s shoulder. “Which one is Xi Shui?”

“…”

“Which one is Lin Xiaojin?”

Zhou Zeqi clicked his tongue and bumped Meng Kewen. “Switch seats.”

Meng Kewen: “…”

Meng Kewen reluctantly switched seats with Zhou Zeqi. He shoved the program booklet in his hand onto Wu Fengyi’s lap. “Read it yourself. The roles are all explained.”

At the end of the first scene was a pas de deux between Xi Shui and Hai Tinghua. It was the first time the two had been dance partners for each other, but after two years as classmates, they still had basic chemistry. Added to that, Xi Shui’s fundamentals were more solid than theirs, so whenever Hai Tinghua slipped up, Xi Shui would carry her through it and it was impossible to tell.

The second scene was where the king took a liking to the warrior and wanted to betroth the princess to him. After a brief and painful struggle, the warrior agreed to the king’s request. At the same time, the high priest revealed the warrior’s secret affair with the dancer to the king.

Not only was Xi Shui’s technical foundation solid, his emotions were also rich and delicate. He was able to grasp the psychology of the role very well, and the warrior’s hesitation and wavering between lover and future prospects, reputation, and glory was expressed by him to the fullest.

Wu Fengyi leaned over Meng Kewen and said to Zhou Zeqi, “Didn’t expect the little swan to be playing a scumbag this time too.”

“…”

Zhou Zeqi’s gaze followed only Xi Shui. He didn’t understand ballet either. After all, there were no lines, so he could only rely on the choreography, their expressions, the overall changes in the set, and the changes in their costumes to feel what was happening.

From the first scene to the last, Xi Shui changed costumes four times, and the set changed three times.

Onstage, Xi Shui looked as if he had become someone else entirely. His professionalism was flawless, his whole body seemed to shine. He was Jing Dance’s little swan, and he was also Zhou Zeqi’s little swan.

At the end of the dance, the warrior Solor fell into an illusion and saw his dead lover. Solor and Nikiya performed their final duet.

The curtain slowly closed, and thunderous applause erupted below.

Xu Wei looked at the expressions of the invited guests in the first two rows, then turned to Jiang Die and said, “At least this has laid a good foundation for their future employment.”

They believed that once the video of this performance was released, the outside world would see the professionalism of Jing Dance’s ballet company, see how outstanding these kids were. In short, there was no need to worry too much about their future.

And as for Xi Shui, the lead, there was even less need to say anything. Domestic dance companies could practically be chosen at will.

–

Xi Shui removed his makeup, changed his clothes, and slung that Jing Dance canvas bag over his shoulder. While Hai Tinghua was crudely scrubbing her face with makeup remover, she said, “We originally said we’d all have a meal together after the show, but since it’s summer break, a lot of them have already booked plane tickets, so we can’t do it.”

“When you come back from abroad, we’ll throw you a welcome party,” Li Weiwei said, turning her head and looking at Xi Shui reluctantly. “I’m going home soon too. Take good care of yourself while you’re abroad, okay?”

Xi Shui nodded. “You too.”

Lin Xiaojin had also changed and come out. Xi Shui tugged at him. “Then I’m heading off first, bye.”

Xi Shui had already told Xu Wei that he would leave right after the performance, and Xu Wei said he understood.

Zhou Zeqi and the others were waiting for Xi Shui and Lin Xiaojin in the square outside the theater.

A large flock of white pigeons was scattered around the square, wandering here and there, pecking endlessly at the ground.

The sky was getting dark. Xi Shui spotted Zhou Zeqi, crouched on the steps, at a glance. The other man looked nothing at all like a rich second generation, holding a two-yuan bottle of mineral water in his hand, wearing a black T-shirt from the athletics department, five for each person, and black basketball shorts below, casual and relaxed.

Only when he saw Xi Shui did he stand up.

Zhou Zeqi didn’t even have time to speak before Wu Fengyi and Meng Kewen shouted together, “Awesome, awesome, really awesome! Handsome, handsome, really handsome!”

The two of them were so loud together that even the pigeons in the square were startled into flight. Xi Shui felt a little embarrassed. He walked over to Zhou Zeqi, and Zhou Zeqi adjusted his hair. “You were amazing.”

“Thank you.” Xi Shui’s tone was sincere.

“Let’s go, I’ll treat you to dinner,” Zhou Zeqi said, wrapping an arm around Xi Shui and speaking to the two noisy people nearby. Lin Xiaojin was dragged aside by Meng Kewen so he wouldn’t act as a third wheel.

“We’re not going. What are we going there for? We’ll just go to the food court and eat some rice bowls or something,” Lin Xiaojin quickly reacted and said. “That rice bowl place is insanely good. I can eat two bowls!”

Wu Fengyi also belatedly realized. “I can eat three bowls.”

Meng Kewen said, “Four bowls!”

Zhou Zeqi looked at the three of them. Rarely did they have such self-awareness, so he didn’t stand on ceremony. “Then I’ll treat you next time.”

Meng Kewen pulled out his phone, opened the voice recorder, and shoved it in front of Zhou Zeqi. “Say that again.”

“…Get lost.”

The three of them laughed themselves into a heap and were chased off. Xi Shui looked at Zhou Zeqi. “They don’t want to be third wheels.”

Zhou Zeqi said, “What do you want to eat?”

“Steak!”

“What else?”

Xi Shui took Zhou Zeqi’s hand. In a low voice, he said, “I want to eat the food you make. Let’s go home.”

“Then we need to buy groceries.” Zhou Zeqi changed direction, and as he did so, he casually pulled a gold medal out of his pants pocket and bent down to stuff it into Xi Shui’s other hand. The medal was still warm from being held against Zhou Zeqi’s body.

“A gold medal?” Xi Shui lowered his head and looked at the medal in his hand.

Zhou Zeqi said, “This is the first gold medal in my life. I was originally thinking that since you’re going abroad, I should give you something. After thinking about it, this felt like the most suitable thing.”

It was one of a kind, and it represented Zhou Zeqi’s most unrestrained and dazzling youth.

Xi Shui carefully put Zhou Zeqi’s gold medal into his bag. “Then I’ll give you one too. I have one as well.”

“Aren’t yours trophies?”

“Most of them are trophies, but I went abroad to compete before, and that competition gave me a medal made of crystal, with my name on it.”

“Expensive?”

Xi Shui shook his head. “It’s for you. It’s not expensive.”

Zhou Zeqi looked at Xi Shui’s bright, sincere eyes, and he wanted to kiss Xi Shui to death.

The two of them went to the supermarket to buy groceries.

There were quite a lot of people in the supermarket at night. Xi Shui was holding a large tub of ice cream and accompanied Zhou Zeqi while he waited in line to pay. Although there was a self-checkout area, Zhou Zeqi still had to buy some other things at the cashier.

But Zhou Zeqi was pushing the cart, which made it a bit inconvenient. As they were almost there, Zhou Zeqi pinched Xi Shui and lowered his head by his ear. “Go get two boxes, get the biggest size.”

Usually Zhou Zeqi bought those. Xi Shui had never looked, and never asked, completely unaware of them.

So Xi Shui froze for a second. After he reacted, his ears turned red and he stammered, “Biggest size… You’re really big!”