Chapter 36 Part 2
Despite the high price, as the Empress of the Empire, shouldn’t you be able to enjoy great wealth and luxury? Why bend your back for a mere twenty thousand yuan?
Ji Xing focused on helping him with his makeup, saying, “Later, point out that person to me. You shouldn’t take matters into your own hands; I’ll handle it for you.”
Coming here, makeup is just an excuse; the main purpose is to find trouble for that person.
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After practicing the group dance for so long, regardless of their popularity, no one had been absent during this rehearsal; everyone’s hard work was evident to the naked eye.
Because of a ruined Le Chengzhe, it was truly regrettable.
“Alright.” Ji Xing finished his makeup, and finally placed a row of small gems near the corner of his eye.
It might not look like much now, but when he stepped onto the stage and the lights shone, that feeling would come out.
“Go on.” Ji Xing said, “After you’re done dancing, I’ll invite you to have a meal.”
“Sure.”
The three individuals in the center position were on stage in advance, and by this time, the audience seats were already filled with people.
However, the entire stage was blocked by curtains, so whatever actions were taking place inside couldn’t be seen by the people outside.
Time was tight, and they quickly took their positions and began strapping on their wires.
Once they were lifted into the air, other trainees also took to the stage, positioning themselves according to the marked spots on the ground.
The host stood in front of the curtains and with an enthusiastic voice declared, “Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the live performance of the debut stage for ‘Youth Returns.’ Our spirited twenty trainees are all ready. Now, let’s invite them to present the group dance ‘Seeking Home’!”
Accompanied by a burst of applause, the host’s long skirt fluttered as she gracefully walked down the stage.
The central curtains were drawn apart.
As the wires descended, behind Lou Ting, silver wings crafted with 5D effects spread open, and the drifting silver feathers collided with the golden wings behind Liang Caijin, dropping to the ground.
Finally, Yu Senze’s black wings pressed down onto the two fallen feathers.
Their movements were as graceful as if they were gliding down from the sky.
With the sudden surge of the music, they landed on the ground, and their wings behind them burst open, filling the stage with falling tricolored feathers.
Seizing this moment, the three quickly detached their wires with remarkable speed.
As the feathers scattered, the wires had vanished without a trace.
‘Dong, dong, dong’
Like the muffled beats of a drum, one after another.
They moved in unison with the music, their actions synchronized flawlessly, as if each move was copied and pasted without a hint of confusion—a remarkable display of precision.
During their first positioning, all three turned to the back, moving slowly while the music continued with its lingering melody.
Just as the music was about to transition and their dance steps were poised to change, suddenly, a hand emerged from behind Lou Ting.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lou Ting glanced and without hesitation, unfurled his fan, “Swoosh—!”
A quivering sound cut through the air as he swiftly turned, delivering a horizontal strike!
The opponent evaded quickly, retracting their hand with a swift ‘whoosh,’ but Lou Ting’s speed surpassed theirs. The edge of his fan grazed the back of the opponent’s hand, not even leaving a speck of blood.
Le Chengzhe causing trouble was something Lou Ting had anticipated, but he hadn’t expected that Le Chengzhe would choose to cause a scene on stage!
Did he truly care about the stage or not?
If he cared, then why engage in actions that could damage it?
Or perhaps, what he truly cared about was solely the center position?
That also makes sense.
After a brief pause, another change in positioning followed.
With the previous incident in mind, Lou Ting was vigilant of Le Chengzhe’s mischievous actions. As expected, Le Chengzhe made his move.
However, for him, this was a childlike revenge tactic, both childish and laughable.
Lou Ting didn’t take it seriously at all and effortlessly dodged the attack, continuing his dance after evading.
Everyone was equipped with microphones, singing and dancing simultaneously. Over time, fatigue was bound to set in.
During the third positioning, Le Chengzhe seemed to keep his intentions hidden, but Lou Ting didn’t let his guard down.
As Lou Ting brushed past Ji Huan, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ankle.
In that instant, as if a thousand needles were stabbing him, the sudden surge of pain almost made Lou Ting lose his rhythm.
At this moment, a hand extended from behind. Lou Ting instinctively attempted to dodge, but he realized he was flanked on both sides!
He couldn’t dodge!
If he moved to the side at this moment, no matter who it was, they would be overwhelmed by his proximity.
They were so close that Lou Ting could hear the gradually heavy breathing of those around him.
They were already struggling to support themselves; how could they possibly bear the weight of Lou Ting?
While he was contemplating, Lou Ting’s body had already begun tilting forward uncontrollably. Just as he was considering changing his move to directly transition into ending his performance on the floor, a figure blocked his path.
At that moment, Lou Ting, facing the audience, was suddenly obstructed by the figure in front of him. While Gu Yi blocked Lou Ting, he discreetly gave him a supportive push.
Once Lou Ting steadied himself, he hurriedly returned to his position in sync with the music.
Lou Ting didn’t have time to express his gratitude. With the approach of the ending, following the rhythm, he moved closer to the audience. Finally, he and Yu Senze gradually converged toward Liang Caijin, back to back with him, executing an almost flawless concluding move.
Meanwhile, the music came to a halt.
Every person on the stage remained in their positions, unmoving.
As the curtains slowly descended, the performance finally came to an end.
Liang Caijin stood at the center, and with a slight turn, he could see Lou Ting’s clothes soaked in sweat.
Before he could even ask what happened, he saw Lou Ting suddenly sitting down on the stage.
“What’s wrong with you?” Liang Caijin didn’t notice the intricate exchanges of moves that had just occurred on stage. He assumed Lou Ting’s discomfort was due to a simple recurrence of an old injury.
Lou Ting, feeling the pain, let cold sweat drip down his forehead. He bent his legs and shook his head.
Seeing this, Liang Caijin suddenly felt that something wasn’t right and quickly shouted, “Director! Come take a look…”
Before he could finish speaking, He Yunzhou pushed aside the crowd around Lou Ting. Without a word, he lifted Lou Ting horizontally, then turned and ran off the stage.
Liang Caijin and Yu Senze exchanged glances, torn between whether to follow them.
At this moment, Fang Huandong came forward and said, “The performance is over for today. Everyone worked hard. Let’s all head back and rest.”
After saying that, Fang Huandong hurriedly went after He Yunzhou.
Le Chengzhe had initially found pleasure in seeing Lou Ting’s pained state, unable to get up. However, when he saw He Yunzhou, his heart skipped a beat.
Why was He Yunzhou here?
Could it be that He Yunzhou actually knew Lou Ting?
Regarding the previous incident with the milk tea, wasn’t it Lou Ting who had shamelessly attached himself to He Yunzhou, begging for his attention? Did they really have no further connection?!
What… What was going on?
Le Chengzhe was getting frantic. He turned to leave, but Liang Caijin and Yu Senze blocked his way.
With a cold expression, Liang Caijin said, “Lou Ting is injured. We’re very concerned. Come with us to check on him.”
“No. I’m not going!” Le Chengzhe didn’t want to see Lou Ting at all right now. He panicked and tried to leave, but Yu Senze stood in his way.
“You have to go.”
—
Lou Ting leaned against He Yunzhou’s chest. Although he found the princess carry position somewhat embarrassing, the pain in his ankle left him unable to focus on communicating with He Yunzhou. So, he found a comfortable position and focused on managing the pain for the moment.
He Yunzhou carried Lou Ting back to their dormitory. A doctor was already waiting inside. Originally, they had planned to have the doctor assess the injury after the performance, to see if it had worsened and if Lou Ting needed rest. However, encountering this situation eliminated the need to wait for the doctor.
He Yunzhou gently set Lou Ting down and immediately got up to make room for the doctor. He explained, “I sprayed some pain-relieving and anti-swelling mist on him when we returned.”
“Okay, let me take a look,” the doctor said as they examined the visibly swollen ankle. Frowning, the doctor asked, “Did you twist it again?”
He Yunzhou replied, “No.”
He had watched the entire performance, and Lou Ting hadn’t made any mistakes.
But…
“Someone raised their hand a few times in the middle,” He Yunzhou mentioned, noticing the subtle movements. However, he wasn’t sure if it was related to this incident.
The doctor nodded, “Seems like something from the Insect Clan.”
“What?”
“A type of small insect that’s invisible to the naked eye. They’re usually only interested in hematomas, as they can help drain the blood clots. However, his injury was almost healed, and there wasn’t much hematoma left. Yet, there were too many insects, so they all bit through the skin and caused the swelling.”
The doctor explained the cause and then took out a small knife, saying, “I’ll remove those insects.”
The local anesthetic sprayed earlier was starting to take effect, and Lou Ting felt less pain. He thanked the doctor, “Thank you for your help.”
Seeing this, He Yunzhou got up and moved to the bed, then lifted Lou Ting.
Lou Ting felt weak all over. By the time he regained his senses, he was already nestled in He Yunzhou’s arms. He furrowed his brows and asked, “What are you doing?”
He Yunzhou didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand to block Lou Ting’s view.
Was this… a signal not to look?
Lou Ting blinked his eyes, a little puzzled.
His long lashes brushed against He Yunzhou’s palm, creating a slight itch. He Yunzhou lowered his head and glanced at him.
Lou Ting didn’t even think about pulling the man’s hand down. He just watched quietly, obedient and gentle.
Hè Yúnzhōu said softly, “Don’t be afraid.”
“Huh?” Lou Ting looked up, utterly bewildered.
Afraid of what? It’s just cutting open a wound, what’s there to be afraid of?
Lou Tíng thought he was deliberately teasing him, but looking at his serious expression, it didn’t seem like a joke.
Hè Yúnzhōu sat on the bed, and Lou Ting sat cross-legged on the man’s abdomen, his feet dangling down. He couldn’t see the wound, and with anesthesia, it didn’t hurt much.
Hè Yúnzhōu looked at him and suddenly poked the dimple on his cheek.
Lou Ting was stunned for a moment, then poked him back.
Hè Yúnzhōu didn’t back down either. He poked the dimples on both sides with his hands, and Lou Ting simply reached out and rubbed his face. The two of them engaged in this childishly back-and-forth, playing for a while.
The doctor was busy with bloodletting and removing bugs. After a while, he even used an instrument to scan for any signs of insect life.
Once it was confirmed that there were no bugs in the wound, he started to simply suture it up with a suturing device.
Actually, this kind of minor wound didn’t really need sutures, but the doctor considered Lou Ting’s profession; he might have to continue performing with injuries later, so he went ahead and sutured it.
At the very least, it was an added layer of protection.
After finishing the sutures, he covered it with another layer of gauze and secured it with medical tape.
This wound was now properly treated.
The doctor also breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead due to nervousness, and was about to report the situation.
But what he saw was Hè Yúnzhōu with one arm around the waist of the person and the other hand resting on Lou Ting’s leg. They locked eyes while lowering their heads, both of them smiling with their eyes squinted. Lou Ting’s hand was even directly pressed against Hè Yúnzhōu’s cheek, appearing very intimate.
The doctor, who had been diligently working and was suddenly filled with dog food: “???”
What are you two doing?
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