“Alright, that’s it for today. Go do your homework.”

After dismissing them, Teng Yi walked over to turn on the music, lowered the volume, and began warming up. The mirrors on both sides reflected his straight, tall figure. Even with simple leg kicks and waist movements, his presence was completely different from others.

Ruan Yu followed Teng Hao out of the practice room to an office at the end of the second floor.

The office was newly renovated and spacious, containing a set of sofas and two desks, each equipped with an Apple computer.

Teng Hao’s backpack was thrown on the sofa.

“Is this a dance training center?” Ruan Yu asked.

“More precisely, it’s a street dance company.”

“Company?”

“Yes, a professional street dance training company dedicated to promoting and popularizing street dance culture.”

“Whose is it?”

“My brother’s – it’s his dream. Though it’s still in preparation and won’t officially open for business until later,” Teng Hao pulled out several test papers from his backpack and handed them to Ruan Yu. “From now on, we’ll have tutoring sessions here.”

“Why?”

“Because my brother agreed to let me learn street dance here.”

Ruan Yu thought for a moment: “Is this the request he agreed to earlier?”

“You’re smart,” Teng Hao gave her an approving look. “As expected from the top scholar who helped me improve.”

“Isn’t he worried about affecting your studies?”

“That’s what you’re for, isn’t it?”

Ruan Yu suddenly felt enormous pressure on her shoulders.

“Does your mother know?” she asked.

Teng Hao quickly made a “shush” gesture: “Mom can’t know for now.”

“She wouldn’t approve?”

“I haven’t told her yet. When my brother wanted to learn street dance back then, Mom was firmly against it.”

Teng Hao remembered how the family’s peace was first broken when his brother Teng Yi proposed learning street dance. In their mother Shen Bing’s view, street dancers were all good-for-nothing troublemakers. To her, Teng Yi wanting to learn street dance meant he wanted to go bad. Mother and son had a huge argument over it.

Later, the incredibly stubborn Teng Yi surprisingly softened first. To change their mother’s mind, he specially wrote a two-page-long handwritten promise letter, expressing his love for street dance and repeatedly guaranteeing he wouldn’t go bad or let it affect his studies.

Shen Bing was moved by Teng Yi and finally relented, but she still felt dancing should only be a hobby, not a career. Teng Yi didn’t conflict with his mother on this point. He seized the opportunity, cherishing every second he could spend in the practice room, quietly working hard and practicing diligently, never complaining about any injuries.

At sixteen, Teng Yi participated in the “Dream Cup” street dance competition, the largest televised street dance competition in the country at the time. With his solid foundation and strong skills, he advanced from preliminaries to the national finals and won third place in the Breaking category. He was the youngest award winner that year.

The media rushed to report on him, praising Teng Yi as a “street dance genius.” Shen Bing was interviewed by multiple newspapers and felt very proud.

“After that, Mom never interfered with my brother’s street dancing again. When he wanted to open this street dance training company, she supported him without hesitation,” Teng Hao’s eyes sparkled. “I admire my brother – he’s my idol.”

“Then learn from your brother and try to move your mom.”

“I want to, but I lack perseverance and patience,” Teng Hao scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed. “I learned street dance from my brother before, but it was too tough and I couldn’t stick with it. Plus, my grades weren’t keeping up, so my brother wouldn’t let me dance anymore.”

“So what’s the situation now?”

“I regret it.”

After stopping practice for a while, Teng Hao realized he couldn’t let go of street dance. He wanted to return to dancing, but Teng Yi wouldn’t allow it. Knowing his brother’s nature, Teng Yi believed it was another passing interest and didn’t want him wasting time and failing at both dancing and studies. Despite Teng Hao’s desperate pleas, Teng Yi wouldn’t soften.

“Then what?” Ruan Yu asked.

“Then your incident happened. When my brother told me to apologize to you, I refused and used it to negotiate. That’s when he agreed.”

“You are… thick-skinned like a thousand-layered shoe sole.”

Teng Hao chuckled: “Sorry, sorry, I really shouldn’t have splashed water on you that time. I’ve reflected and know my mistake.”

“So, thanks to me, you can continue dancing?”

“You helped, but I also put in effort,” Teng Hao pointed at the test papers. “Honestly, when the results came out, neither the teacher nor I could believe it.”

Ruan Yu smiled.

“Then from now on, try to impress your brother.”

“Yes, definitely.”