Just as the madam called out, a dull thud came from the second floor of the Tongfu Grand Restaurant.
"Splat..."
Something heavy had made intimate contact with the floor.
Before long, the doors of the Tongfu Grand Restaurant opened.
A man with a round belly stumbled out of the restaurant, followed by a rather lean figure.
It was the restaurant's proprietor.
The proprietor ran over, panting as he spoke. "Madam, what is it? Calling for me this late at night-could it be there's no one beside your pillow..."
Then, as he drew closer, he noticed how many people were gathered at the entrance. He froze for a moment and hastily cut himself off.
The madam looked at him with a smile. "What's the fun in crouching at a crack in the door to watch? Come stand here and watch."
The proprietor showed no embarrassment. Instead, he turned toward the waiter behind him and made a show of scolding him. "I told you not to peek, but you insisted. See? The madam caught you... How many times have I told you? Upright gentlemen like us ought to..."
The waiter curled his lip and said nothing.
"Enough!" the madam said at the sight. "Stop putting on an act. I always charged you silver to watch a dance before. Today I'm letting you watch for free, so count your blessings."
"Huh?" The proprietor immediately turned back with a broad smile. "Madam, what are you saying? If payment is due, then of course I should pay..."
Before he could finish, the madam interrupted him, holding out her hand. "Fine, then. Pay me."
The proprietor instantly changed his tune. "What's all this? We've known each other for so many years. Talking money only hurts our friendship! Heh heh."
The madam withdrew her hand and mocked him with a smile. "Who on this street doesn't know? Getting money out of your hands is as hard as seeing a ghost in broad daylight."
The proprietor was about to speak when the madam waved him quiet and continued, "All right, all right. No more bickering. We have something serious to do."
The proprietor looked puzzled.
The madam continued, "Stop acting. Young Master Lin, whom you introduced, came to ask me about dancing. Our Bingbing is standing in for me, so I called you out to see how well your recommendation dances."
The proprietor smiled as he glanced at Lin Ke, then at Bingbing. "Certainly. Since you've called me over, madam, I'll definitely stay to the end-as long as there's no charge."
Once the proprietor finished, the madam turned to Lin Ke. "Young Master Lin, you may begin."
The two had gone on and on, sounding almost as though they were flirting.
When Lin Ke heard the madam finally say he could begin, he said nothing more and merely nodded in response.
What dance should I perform?
There had been countless dance styles in the twenty-first century. Chinese dance alone encompassed ballet-based body training, flexibility training, ethnic folk dance, classical dance, contemporary dance, and more.
Folk dance, for instance, encompassed the ethnic dances of various regions.
Ethnic dance alone brought together the dances of all fifty-six ethnic groups, including Han, Tibetan, Mongolian, Dai, and many others.
Among Han dances, yangge, lantern dances, dragon dances, lion dances, and stilt dances were all familiar examples.
And dances such as lion dances and stilt dances required a certain foundation of skill to perform.
Tibetan dances included tap dances, guozhuang, and others, each with a distinctive style. Tibetan dancing combined song and movement, reflecting Tibetan life.
Mongolian dance was equally rich and varied. Because its people lived on the boundless grasslands, their dancing was renowned for its rugged, unrestrained spirit.
Modern dance's most distinctive feature was emotional expression. It placed great emphasis on conveying feelings, though control over the hardness and softness of bodily movements was also important.
Among these dances, many showcased masculine strength, softness, physical beauty, grace of form, and more.
This time, Lin Ke chose a Mongolian dance.
Mongolian dance could fully display a man's true spirit and masculine beauty.
In this era, in this world, people should be more receptive to masculine men, shouldn't they?
With that thought, Lin Ke steadied his breathing, took half a step back, and slowly spread his arms...
"Thump! Thump-thump..."
Lin Ke's feet struck the wooden boards outside the Song-Listening Entertainment House, producing a series of beats as his body began to dance.
Everyone was immediately drawn to his footwork.
"Thump-thump-thump! Thump! Thump-thump..."
Lin Ke's footfalls continued, steady and powerful.
And just as he began dancing, the shop doors along Chaoyang Street slowly opened.
The spectators were coming!
An old man emerged from Li Chungang's tofu shop, glanced toward the end of the street, and strode over with eager interest written across his face.
The Great Confucian, Li Chungang!
A woman emerged from a nearby painting studio, glanced in the same direction, then shut her door and walked over slowly, looking furtive.
The painter, Wang Lin!
The shop beside the painting studio opened too. A burly man stepped out, laughed, and called, "Time for a show!"
The butcher from the meat shop!
The butcher ran toward the end of the street without even closing his shop's door.
When they arrived, they saw Lin Ke dancing outside the entrance, every movement brimming with masculine vigor.
His movements were broad and sweeping, his outstretched arms like a wild goose spreading its wings, his steps like a wild bull stamping the earth or a herd of horses galloping.
Beautiful!
Elegant!
And it was an elegance brimming with masculine strength!
At first, everyone had wanted to laugh. But as they watched, neither the proprietor nor the madam could laugh anymore. Instead, their eyes filled with astonishment at Lin Ke's dancing!
Even the flock of pretty girls who had watched with cold mockery and disdain now stared with their mouths hanging open.
"Thump-thump-thump! Thump!"
None of them had ever seen a dance like this!
Its movements were broad and sweeping, yet each seemed utterly free and naturally formed, a deep, powerful masculinity washing over them.
Masculine, primal, agile!
Lin Ke's footfalls were not deafening, yet each seemed to land not on the floorboards, but heavily upon their hearts.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The girls of the Song-Listening Entertainment House, especially, felt as though every step landed right against their hearts.
The surrounding spectators felt much the same.
"Wonderful! Haha!" The rugged-looking man standing beside the street brightened, then burst into hearty laughter.
He was the butcher from the meat shop.
Nearby, Wang Lin had actually sat down by the street, muttering, "That damned brat dances this well, and he never thought to give me a performance? Come to think of it, I suddenly remember a dance where you strip while dancing. I wonder if this brat knows it..."
Old Master Li Chungang also looked astonished, stroking his long beard without a word for fear of disturbing Lin Ke.
Besides them, a father and son at the teahouse were also peering this way through a crack in their own door.
Every stamp of his feet, every spread of his arms, fully displayed masculine vigor.
"Thump!"
Finally, Lin Ke stepped forward and opened both arms as though embracing the sky.
It was over!
"Whew..." He let out a soft breath, steadied his breathing, and only then straightened.
When he rose and looked at the crowd, their mouths were still hanging open. They remained immersed in the dance, unable to shake themselves free...
It worked!
Lin Ke smiled faintly.
What he had chosen was a Mongolian ethnic dance called Sarwudeng!
The dance's defining feature was its lack of rigidly fixed movements. The limbs moved freely, like a wild goose spreading its wings, an eagle soaring, or cattle and horses stamping and galloping across the earth...
He looked around at their reactions. Finally, he saw that even the madam was stunned, her thick red lips slightly parted, and knew at once that his dance had indeed conquered them all.
By then, the madam had composed her expression, and the way she looked at Lin Ke no longer held her initial disdain.
The proprietor's eyes had narrowed to slits, his face covered in smiles-or rather, his smile had grown even broader.
The waiter's mouth was still wide open. He had yet to recover from the thrilling, masculine dance.
Only then did Lin Ke notice the expressions of Li Chungang and the others.
At some point, Li Chungang had taken up a spot nearby, with Wang Lin and several neighbors Lin Ke did not recognize standing a little farther apart.
"Excellent!" Suddenly, a tall, burly man shouted, laughing as he began to clap.
Then everyone began applauding.
"Excellent! One more!"
"Young fellow, you're really something!"
"Smooth! That was so smooth! Smooth, smooth, smooth!"
Before you continue