Cheng Che continued singing.
The courtyard was so quiet it was as if no one was there.
Teacher Huang leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.
His fingers rested on his knees, tapping lightly, as if following a rhythm only he could hear.
Teacher He also closed his eyes, his hand holding the teacup frozen in mid-air.
The tea was hot, and the steam rose slowly, spreading out in front of him.
He didn't drink it, and he forgot to drink it.
Su Jianqiu and Liang Shihua sat opposite each other, their heads slightly tilted, their lips moving gently as they hummed along with Cheng Che's tune.
The sound was very soft, blending into Cheng Che's singing, like the wind blowing through bamboo leaves—audible yet undisturbed.
Yan Ruanning sat on the bamboo chair, her body swaying gently.
She patted her knees lightly and slowly with her palms.
She looked at the boy in the middle of the courtyard, her eyes holding something more than admiration, but less than liking, like an answer she herself hadn't yet figured out.
When Cheng Che sang the last line, his voice suddenly softened.
"In the name of love, are you still willing...?"
The last syllable was drawn out and very soft, like a leaf falling from a tree, not rushing to the ground, but swirling a few times in mid-air.
Then it fell silent.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Then Teacher He was the first to applaud.
Immediately afterwards, everyone applauded.
Teacher Huang slapped the table, Su Jianqiu stood up and clapped, and Liang Shihua's hands turned red from clapping.
Applause also erupted from the staff area, with the men holding up their cameras clapping harder than anyone else.
The comments section completely went haywire at that moment.
I cried. I really cried. I couldn't control myself.
[That last line, "Are you still willing?", who could resist that...?]
[I've listened to this song a hundred times, but never like today.]
[ Cheng Che, if you don't sing in the future, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.]
[I'm starting to be a fan of him today, and nobody can stop me.]
Teacher He waited until the applause subsided slightly before speaking. His voice was a little hoarse:
" Xiao Che, your song just now almost made me forget I was hosting a show."
"Thank you, Teacher He."
Cheng Che stood up from the bar stool and bowed slightly.
"You really haven't studied this before?"
Teacher Huang couldn't help but ask.
"No," Cheng Che shook his head, "I just like listening to music, and sometimes I hum along."
Yan Ruanning sat on the bamboo chair, watching Cheng Che walk back, and smiled to herself.
Teacher He looked at the camera:
"Alright, that's all for today's live stream. Thank you everyone for spending the evening with us, see you next time."
Everyone waved at the camera.
"Bye-Bye."
The screen went dark.
The director let out a long sigh behind the monitor, then stood up and clapped his hands.
"Successfully completed! Everyone worked hard, get some rest!"
A collective sigh of relief filled the courtyard.
The staff began packing up the equipment; some put away the lights, some put away the cables, and some took the microphones off the shelves and put them into boxes.
Several hungry production crew members slipped into the kitchen, muttering, "Does Teacher Huang have any leftover spare ribs from tonight?"
Yan Ruanning stood up from the bamboo chair and stretched.
She glanced back at Cheng Che, a hint of expectation in her eyes. "Shall we go for a walk?"
Cheng Che nodded.
The two walked out of the Mushroom House's courtyard and slowly walked along the village road they had taken during the day.
There were no cameras, no staff, and even the streetlights were spaced far apart, their dim light filtering through the shadows of the trees, illuminating the road in patches of light and shadow.
The croaking of frogs came from the rice paddies on both sides, one after another, as if they were having a competition to see who could croak the loudest.
The wind blew in from the distant mountains, carrying the scent of earth and grass.
The two walked very slowly.
Neither of them spoke first.
When they reached the small square in the village, Yan Ruanning stopped.
She pointed to the big locust tree. "I'm resting for a while, I'm tired."
There were several large, flat stones under the tree, still slightly warm from the daytime sun.
The two sat down.
Yan Ruanning stretched her beautiful body, then turned her head to look at him. "You sang really well today."
"I know," Cheng Che said matter-of-factly.
Yan Ruanning was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "You're not being modest at all."
"What's with the modesty?" Cheng Che leaned against the tree trunk, his tone casual. " Teacher He praised me, Teacher Huang praised me, and the comments section praised me too. If I said my singing was just average, wouldn't that be insulting their taste?"
Yan Ruanning laughed so hard her shoulders were shaking, "Your logic... is truly impeccable."
She laughed for a while, then fell silent and looked up at the moon in the sky.
The moon was round and white, like a piece of clean jade, hanging among the branches of the old locust tree.
"Actually, I also learned to dance," Yan Ruanning suddenly said, seemingly a little unconvinced. "I learned after I entered the entertainment industry. Back then, I had to learn everything: singing, dancing, variety show skills, how to face the camera. Your singing is about the same as mine, but your dancing is definitely not as good as mine."
Cheng Che raised an eyebrow and looked at her:
How do you know I'm not as good a dancer as you?
"Then why don't you jump?" Yan Ruanning looked at him provocatively.
Cheng Che stood up, dusted off his pants, and shrugged honestly.
"I don't know how, but if I were to learn, I'd be able to learn very quickly."
This isn't just boasting; with 70 points in Intelligence, plus [ Total Concentration ] and [ Form Moves as the Mind Wills ], his physical coordination and motor control far surpass those of ordinary people.
Yan Ruanning smiled.
She stood up from the rock, patted her skirt, and then strode over to Cheng Che.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves of the locust tree, falling on her face.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at the boy who was half a head taller than her. Her eyes lit up for a moment, then slowly curved upwards like a crescent moon.
She reached out her hand to him.
Palms facing up, fingers slightly spread.
"Well then, Cheng Che."
She mimicked the tune Cheng Che had sung during the live stream, lowering her voice and speaking slowly, "Can I teach you a dance?"
Cheng Che looked down at her hand.
The moonlight fell on her fingertips, making those fingers look as translucent as jade.
He looked at it for two seconds, then smiled and placed his hand on it.
His palms were warm, her palms were cold.
When they met, they both paused for a moment.
"I... I'll teach you how to dance a duet."
Yan Ruanning pulled her hand back with a flutter of emotion. She took out her phone and played a song.
It's a slow song with a gentle rhythm, like the wind slowly passing by at night.
"Place your right hand on my waist, and hold my hand with your left," Yan Ruanning said. "Follow my steps."
Cheng Che did as instructed.
When his hand touched her waist, they both paused for a moment.
Through a thin layer of clothing, his palm rested on her waist.
Her waist was very slim; you could feel the lines of her muscles beneath her clothes.
Her fingers rested on his shoulder, her fingertips slightly cool. But when they touched him, it felt as if they were burned by his body heat, and she unconsciously tightened her grip a little.
"Don't be nervous," Yan Ruanning said, her voice a little lower than usual.
"I wasn't nervous," Cheng Che insisted.
Your palms are sweaty.
That's your imagination.
Yan Ruanning smiled and began to lead him in walking.
one two three.
one two three.
She had assumed she would definitely get her foot stepped on.
She has taught several female friends in the industry to dance, and not one of them failed to use the step.
Some people stomped three times, some stomped five times, and some stomped from the beginning to the end.
But Cheng Che never stepped on her.
He looked down at her feet, twice, then looked up, his gaze falling on the back of her shoulders, as if drawing a roadmap in his mind.
After the third step, his steps became steady.
After the fourth step, he even began to gently lead her along.
"You've really never jumped before?" Yan Ruanning looked up at him, disbelief in her eyes.
"No."
Cheng Che looked at her honestly.
"Then why did you learn so quickly?"
Cheng Che did not answer.
He can't very well say that he has a talent called "[ Form Moves as the Mind Wills ]" that allows him to replicate something seven or eight parts of it with just a glance, can he?
The song is almost over.
Yan Ruanning slowed her pace. She let go of Cheng Che's hand, took a half step back, and looked down at her hand, as if she was a little reluctant to part with it.
"Alright, you've completed your apprenticeship."
Cheng Che looked at her.
The moonlight shone through the clouds and fell upon her.
She stood at the edge of the locust tree's shadow, half her face illuminated by the moonlight, appearing almost translucent white.
She tilted her head slightly, the wisps of hair on her forehead were blown by the wind, revealing a clean neckline.
When she lowered her eyelashes, they cast a small, faint shadow on her face, like two closed fans.
Cheng Che took a step forward.
He bent slightly, one hand behind his back, and the other outstretched towards her.
The moonlight shone on his profile, outlining his features with a clean line.
" Miss Xu."
His voice was soft, yet very clear.
May I have this dance?
Yan Ruanning looked at his outstretched hand, at his bent back, and at the moonlight that made his fingers look long and clean.
She smiled slowly.
That smile overflowed from his eyes, like water spilling from a cup, impossible to hide.
She placed her hand in his palm.
"Good."
Cheng Che took out his phone with his other hand and played the song he had just heard.
As the music started, he took her hand and placed his other hand back on her waist.
This time, he took her away.
one two three.
Under the locust tree, in the moonlight, two figures slowly turned in circles.
The shadows were stretched long by the moonlight, overlapping on the ground, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.