Character side story: Long Jing · The farewell stage

If you were to ask who has the most famous reputation in the world of acrobatics, different people might give different answers.

But if you were to ask who has the best skills in the world of acrobatics, one pair would definitely be mentioned:

Long Jing.

In the world of acrobatics, Long Yu and Jing Bai are practically a couple who were born to be protagonists. Long Yu's mother is the front-of-house owner of the acrobatic troupe, and Jing Bai's father is the back-of-house owner. Long Yu and Jing Bai grew up together and, having been exposed to each other since childhood, were also talented. They started trying to perform in troupes when they were 7 or 8 years old, and by the age of 12 or 13, they had already made a name for themselves in the industry. By the time they reached adulthood, almost a third of the high-difficulty acrobatic projects that were well-known in the industry were replicas of their designs.

Everyone called them a divine couple, and unanimously believed that in the current decline of acrobatics, it would be difficult for any successor to surpass them, until...

The two had a child.

This child, who inherited all the excellent genes of Long Yu and Jing Bai, showed extremely high talent from a young age. He was even highly regarded by many industry veterans, who believed that he would definitely take over the baton of acrobatics and lead acrobatics to a new path in a declining era.

Long Yu and Jing Bai's parents were overjoyed by this, but the two parents themselves were deeply worried.

They knew the child was extremely talented, but they also knew this line of work was extremely dangerous.

Times have changed. To win more applause, one must "take risks." The more "dangerous" the design, the more it can stimulate people's nerves in this era of exploding entertainment activities and constantly rising audience thresholds, drawing their attention back to traditional acrobatic performances.

However, this is no easy task.

Years of performing unconventional acrobatic stunts have taken a heavy toll on Long Yu and Jing Bai's bodies. Their fame comes from their talent and hard work, but it also comes from sacrificing their physical health.

They didn't want their child to continue in this industry, but the expectations of their parents and industry veterans put them in a dilemma.

This is no longer simply about a child's future; it's about an industry needing a "fresh" leader.

They feel sorry for the children, they feel sorry for the industry, and they feel even more sorry for the millions of people who rely on this industry for their livelihood.

When a person is under too much spotlight, they can no longer be themselves.

Responsibility is always a heavy topic.

Long Yu and Jing Bai dared not tell their child their worries, nor could they bring themselves to refuse their elders. After much deliberation, they finally decided... to take a gamble!

If they can use their current skills and fame to further boost the popularity of acrobatic performances, then perhaps children won't have to work as hard as they do.

As the cake grows bigger, fresh blood will naturally flow in, giving their children more choices.

So they worked even harder and more diligently, designing increasingly daring, adventurous, and even crazy stunts.

Until one day, exhausted, the two stood on Stage, in front of their child, and an accident announced the permanent departure of the Long Jing Duo...

Something happened to them.

The audience was in chaos. People in front of and behind the stage rushed onto the stage in a panic. There were first responders, people calling the police, people in a panic, and people screaming. Only the child's grandmother, the owner of the circus troupe, rushed to the audience with red eyes, because she knew that her grandson was sitting there watching his parents' performance.

She was a circus performer herself, so she naturally knew what the consequences of falling from such a height would be, but she didn't want her child to know, at least not now, that the pain of losing a father or mother was the greatest tragedy in the world, enough to destroy a person's spirit.

She could accept that her grandson would never pursue acrobatics again out of fear, but she couldn't accept that her child would no longer live like a child under such extreme grief.

He was so young; his life had barely begun.

Keep it from him, no matter what excuse you use, just keep it from him for now.

However, one mishap after another occurred. She rushed to the audience but couldn't find her grandson in the chaotic scene.

She was startled, thinking the child had also rushed onto the Stage, but when she turned to look at the front of the stage, she found that there was no child there.

She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps the child went to the restroom and simply didn't see what happened?

Heaven has taken pity on us; this is the best possible outcome. At least we can keep it a secret.

But then the front desk owner, who had been running the acrobatic troupe for decades and had seen all kinds of storms, suddenly collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. He desperately raised his hand towards the Stage, but had no strength left to crawl over.

That was her son, her daughter-in-law, the pillar of the acrobatic troupe, and a leader in the industry. Now that the outside world has collapsed, the sky over this family has collapsed too.

She thought her grief would eventually end, but when the chaos subsided and the entire acrobatic troupe couldn't find her grandson, this woman who had been strong her whole life finally collapsed.

The child is gone.

He saw everything and then left.

In fact, Long Jing had long known about her parents' suffering.

"Long Jing" is the name he changed for himself. It was originally the name of his parents' duo, and when the duo could no longer return to the Stage, the name "Long Jing" continued to live on in this world in this way.

When Long Jing was little, he was extremely clingy and insisted on sleeping with his parents every night. One time, before he even pushed open the door, he overheard his parents talking outside. His father said:

"Let's try again. We can't let the child go through this ordeal too. Grandpa passed away early, and Dad passed away early as well. This line of work is too grueling. He shouldn't be stuck here."

The mother smiled and agreed, but then sighed, "It's such a pity about his talent. I could tell he liked acrobatics too, sigh..."

"He's still young. Growing up in a circus troupe, he's naturally influenced by what he sees and hears. Plus, with everyone's encouragement and 'praise,' how can a child stay calm?"

He'll be better when he grows up. He'll understand when he's older and more sensible, and then he'll appreciate our good intentions.

Even if he likes acrobatics, he can stay in class and do something related to it. I don't want him to be so tired anymore. Ah Bai, I'm sorry to trouble you; you have to suffer with me for a while longer."

"Go to hell! What grievances do I have? I have a man who loves me and children who care for me. I'm not wronged at all."

I only regret that I didn't have more hands or more brains. If only we could have made a name for ourselves in acrobatics... Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are watching."

"Things will get better. I have a new idea; it might be a little risky, but I think it will work well."

"Okay, let's give it a try."

"..."

Long Jing listened outside the door for a while, then left in silence.

He genuinely loved acrobatics and took the advice of the older performers in the acrobatic troupe to heart, believing himself to be the future leader who would carry the torch for acrobatics. For this, he worked exceptionally hard.

But he never knew that his parents didn't want him to go down this path.

He knew that Acrobat suffered from many occupational diseases and was prepared to be plagued by injuries just like his parents. However, when he learned of his parents' attitude for the first time, he was caught in a dilemma.

Should I strive to become an excellent Acrobat so that my parents can be freed from the constraints of acrobatics, or should I listen to them and stay away from acrobatic performances so that they can feel more at ease when they're not performing?

The little Long Jing couldn't answer that question, until the Long Jing Duo fell off the Stage...

At that moment, Long Jing couldn't accept this reality. His mind went blank, and he "escaped" from the place his parents wanted him to stay away from.