chapter 55

There was another guy being upset besides them two. He was Du Yucheng.

When the intro started, he seemed to be frozen up there. He had listened to it before. Or rather he listened to it as Qin Zhan.

Ai once said when she missed him, she would keep listening to this song. “But now, what’s her purpose to set this song as the background music?”

“It is for helping him to recall or sound something out? Or, it is for giving vent to her emotion that she never expresses?”

He made a fist and the expression on his face was fickle. “’Ai Changhuan. What I am going to do with you?”

When the dance was over, there was nothing but silence under the stage. Everybody was immersed in the atmosphere created by the melancholy music and dreamy dance.

Yang and Ai exchanged a troubled look.

At the moment, there was an applause among the crowd. Ai looked at where it came from and all she saw was Du’s face. She was startled and her eyes looked complicated.

Reminded by the resounding applause, the crowd was finally back to reality and started to clap their hands. The applause was louder than that given to any previous program.

Ai and Yang bowed and said ‘thank you.’ Then they went down off the stage.

They took off their performance costumes and changed into their delicately-prepared nightdress when they arrived at the change room.

Yang took out the spitballs in her ears and patted on her chest, “I was so nervous just then. I thought we ruined it. But they really gave us a big applause that I heard it even with spitballs in my ears. Changhuan. We made it.”

“Yes.” Ai also smiled but she was a little bit absent-minded. “The dance party was on. Go back to our seats now.”

They walked to the dancing floor and met Du on the way. No one knew if he was waiting for them there on purpose.

Du looked at Yang first and greeted. Then he turned his head to Ai, “Can I talk to you?”

It meant, he had something private to talk with her. Yang switched her sight between them and smiled, “OK. Go find me soon.”

Ai pulled Yang instinctively. Yang patted on her hand, “I will be waiting there.”

Then she left.

“What are you going to say?” Ai didn’t look at Du. She just looked down at her feet.

The music started right at the moment. Du looked toward the direction of the dancing floor. He reached out his hand to invite her, “May I have the honor to dance with me?”

Ai raised her head at once, staring at his eyes, “What are you going to do?”

Now that he was Qin Zhan, and why did he say these to let others misunderstand. Everyone knows the first dance should be left for the loved one.’

“I just wanna dance for one song.” Du looked unperturbed but he was really expecting in his heart.

Ai found Lu over Du’s shoulders. He was looking for Ai. So she refused, “I am sorry. But I want to dance with my husband.”

There were so many people looking at her. She couldn’t let Lu feel embarrassed.

She was going to walk to Lu by passing Du. But Du grasped her arm and pulled toward his side hard.

Ai couldn’t stand still and fell into his arms immediately.

Du put his arms around her waist, staring at her eyes as if he were going to see her heart. “Don’t you want to know if I am Qin Zhan or not? Dance with me and I will tell you.”

He wanted to see how much she still cared for him in her heart.

Ai was seized with terror. Before she could figure out the situation, she had already been taken to the dancing floor. She was in the crowd jostling each other.

She kept stumbling and that made a lot of people make way for her. So they squeezed into the center of the dancing floor. They were the center of focus now.

Ai didn’t dare to look at others. She didn’t want to see Lu being disappointed especially.

Ai jumped around with Du with her stiff body. She looked totally unnatural. She couldn’t bear it any more and asked Du in a low voice, “Can you tell me now?”

The music was too loud that Du didn’t hear it. He put his ear beside her mouth, “What did you say?”

Ai asked, “Are you Qin Zhan?”

She was too eager to know that she didn’t realize how ambiguous the gesture seemed to be. From others’ angle, they looked like exactly a couple exchanging tenders there.

There came sounds of gulping. But it was covered bt the louder music from stereo.

“Guess.” Du asked her in reply.

Ai thought he was teasing her. She grew upset. She pushed him aside and walked away. But Du dragged her going around in a circle and let her fall into his arms.

Ai was outraged. Her face turned red. “What are you doing?”

Du’s mouth was up. “I said I just wanted to dance with you.”

She went another circle being dragged by him. Ai got dizzy, “Tell me your answer.”

“No rush. When the music is over, I will tell you. Now, just enjoy yourself. ” Du hugged her tighter. They got so close to each other that if one put a piece of paper between them, it wouldn’t fall.

People around them showed uneasiness on their faces when watching them flirting in public. No one dared to look at Lu, who stood aside, upset.

The atmosphere grew more and more depressing and even Pei Mu couldn’t stand it. He grasped Yang’s hand and headed into the dancing floor.

Yang shouted immediately, “I don’t know how to dance.”

“It’s OK. I can teach you.” Pei Mu acted more gently than he was ever before. “You can do such a difficult peacock dance. It’s not a big deal to dance this.”

It was rare to be flattered in person. Yang got blushed. “Because Ai is a good teacher.”

“You’ve learned pretty well. I never expected that there was another side inside your body.”

Pei Mu kept complimenting her and then he said, “It looked like I don’t really know you. I should examine myself. Please excuse my stupid acts, darling. Feel free to correct me.”

Yang was pleased and she gave a light thump on his shoulder, “What are you talking about?”

They danced together and gradually moved to Lu unconsciously. And they were both chilled by his cold eyes.

Pei Mu asked, “What’s wrong with Ai? How could she dance with another man without Lu’s permission? Look at Lu. His expression now got terrible.”

“I don’t know. Du said he had something to talk to her…”

“Du Yucheng? When did he get so close to Ai?”

“I don’t know…”

They moved to Ai by jumping and dancing. Yang kept giving a hint to Ai behind Du to let her give a look at Lu.

Ai looked Lu and turned her head back quickly. That was terrifying. She thought she could walk out of the dancing floor today.

Ai ground her teeth, “You’d better tell me now or I will walk away.”

Du’s eyes revealed a bitter look, “Don’t be so impatient. You should know this is your last chance. ”

Ai looked up at him and stared at him. “What do you mean by this?”

“I should ask you what you are thinking in your mind? If I were Qin Zhan, what were you going to do?” Du’s face vanished in the dim light. She could hardly see his expression. Was it authentic or fake?

“Are…are you really?” Ai couldn’t help quivering and her body grew stiff.

“Answer my question first.” Du stared at her, “I want to know your answer.”

“I don’t…don’t know…” Ai shook her head, “I don’t know what I am going to…”

“I thought you could give me an answer quickly. I didn’t expect you couldn’t have your choice. Lu Zhanke or Qin Zhan. Which one is more important? Is it hard to make the decision?” The light in his eyes started to dim. “I really want you to say yes. But you will betray yourself within one second. And my scheme will be in vain.”

“What…what scheme?” Ai couldn’t think clearly. She couldn’t see anything. She didn’t know what he was talking about even if there were one or two words coming into her ears.

“Nothing.” Du didn’t want to explain.

“Say it…Are you Qin Zhan?” Ai asked. She didn’t know if she did it for finding herself a reason to continue or an excuse to escape.

“Be careful!” Du dragged her back from falling down. The music was coming to its closing. Du sighed heavily, “I am not.”

Then he let Ai go and stepped backward to leave. He left Ai standing alone in the center of the dancing floor, looking blankly to the direction where he left. “He said he is not…”

“He is not…”’

At this moment, Ai didn’t know what kind of feeling she had.

She came here unwillingly. Because he looked like Qin Zhan, she stayed here.

But now, he said in person, he was not…

So, was she also supposed to leave?

Another song started. Another crowd of people flooded into the dancing floor. Ai rushed out, stumbling. She felt chest congestion as if she couldn’t breathe. She suddenly wanted to drink. “If I get drunk, there is nothing to think of?”

Lu saw her rushing out, and he wanted to hug her in his arms.

His arm was pulled and there was a high-pitch voice behind him, “Commander Lu. May I dance with you?”

His first instinct was to refuse. But Vice Division Commander Ouyang came, saying to him smilingly, “This is my daughter. She is a little bit naughty. Always making trouble. Please excuse her mischief.”

That face with a heavy makeup, he finally recognized. She was the woman, Ouyang Zhenzhen.