After saying goodbye to Teng Hao, Ruan Yu went upstairs. The second floor was spacious, and the first thing Ruan Yu saw was a giant fish tank embedded in the hallway wall, just like the one from the old dance club. This meant the house’s owner had planned to keep fish even before moving in, during initial renovations.
Through the glass, that blue world was full of swaying water plants, vibrant with life. In the enormous tank, there was only one white fish, its body crystalline and particularly beautiful. Ruan Yu didn’t know much about fish and couldn’t identify the species. But more than the species, she wondered why Teng Yi kept fish at all. Various thoughts flashed through her mind, each quickly dismissed – she no longer dared to make assumptions about this man.
“Teng Yi?” Ruan Yu called out.
Unsure which room was his, she had to knock on each door. Finally, in the third room, the door opened.
Teng Yi had just showered, his bathrobe half-open, hair damp and disheveled, somehow rather sensual.
“You called me?”
“Yes, um, are you free?” Ruan Yu asked.
“What is it?”
“The director says before the formal recording, they’d like to film an interview segment with you. Just a few questions about Teng Hao, to be edited into the final cut.”
He remained silent, seeming to consider.
“It won’t take long,” Ruan Yu hurriedly added, fearing he would refuse.
“What does Teng Hao think?” Teng Yi asked.
“He said OK, as long as you don’t reveal any embarrassing stories.”
Teng Yi nodded, apparently agreeing.
Ruan Yu sighed in relief: “Then I’ll go down first, come down when you’re ready.”
She turned to leave.
“Wait,” Teng Yi called her back.
“Hmm?”
Ruan Yu turned to see Teng Yi studying her outfit.
Ruan Yu had just changed downstairs – a plaid blazer with skinny ankle-length jeans pointed high heels, hair in a low ponytail, bangs, and temple hair deliberately curled. The look was fresh and fashionable, neither too professionally formal nor inappropriate for an interview show.
“How should I dress?” Teng Yi asked.
The question surprised Ruan Yu, but thinking about it, it made sense – this was for television, after all, and appearance couldn’t be too casual.
“I’ll have the stylist come up…”
“No need, you can pick for me.”
Teng Yi stepped aside at the doorway, an invitation for Ruan Yu to enter.
Ruan Yu thought for a moment, then nodded and went in.
Teng Yi’s room was still the same as years ago – black, white, and gray, classic and neat. But the simple street dance sketches were gone from the headboard, and the familiar jasmine was missing from the windowsill… Without these two items, it wasn’t the room Ruan Yu had known.
The walk-in closet was particularly spacious, its colors copying the outside – just black, white, and gray. All the clothes on the hangers were conventional, not a single oversized piece or hint of hip-hop style to be found.
His life, and his clothing, had completely separated from the past, separated from street dance.
Ruan Yu’s hand moved through the neat hangers, finally stopping at a black casual suit jacket.
The night of Teacher Tian’s wedding, he had worn this jacket when she saw him.
“That night, it was you, wasn’t it?”
“Mm.”
Her question was vague, but he answered with perfect understanding as if he’d known she would ask as if he’d prepared the answer long ago.
How ridiculous.
After so many years, neither things nor people were the same, yet their tacit understanding seemed to have never been cut.
Realizing this, Ruan Yu’s nose began to sting again.
She wanted to question, accuse, reproach – but what right did she have? Back then, she had agreed to the breakup proposal. Now meeting again, he had no obligation to seek her out, no obligation to greet her when he saw her, no obligation to be warm toward her.
They were just each other’s exes, both free.
Many words stuck in her throat, but in the end, she only said: “What a coincidence, meeting like that.”
“Yes, quite a coincidence.”
They stood awkwardly, not knowing how to continue the conversation, the atmosphere in the closet instantly dropping to freezing.
“This one,” Ruan Yu’s finger skipped past the black suit jacket, randomly grabbing a knit sweater, “No need to be too formal, you’re not the main character anyway.”
“…”
He silently nodded.
“That’s settled then. I’ll go down first, you change and come down right away.”
–_–
Ruan Yu quickly left Teng Yi’s room. Those few minutes alone together had left her mouth dry and head spinning – she nearly went the wrong way out, unable even to find the stairs.
The director and others were waiting downstairs and hurried to meet her when she came down.
“How did it go? Did he agree?”
“He agreed.”
“OK!” The director turned to shout at the staff, “Prepare another microphone, and find a bright, open room to record the interview video.”
“Got it!” The staff bustled about again.
Soon after, Teng Yi came down from upstairs. He wore the Louis Vuitton knit sweater Ruan Yu had randomly chosen, paired with smoke-gray trousers and suede boat shoes. The strong British style balanced his cold aura, making him naturally stand out in the crowd.
“Wow wow wow.” Assistant Xiu Xiu elbowed Ruan Yu. “Sister Ruan, that’s Neil’s brother?”
Ruan Yu nodded.
“My goodness, I thought Neil was handsome enough, but his brother is even more perfect. What kind of divine siblings are they, how can they both be so good-looking?”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Not at all! I bet after this episode airs, these brothers will become famous! One giving off sickly prince vibes and one giving off abstinent vibes – they’ve got the two styles modern women love most covered. They’ll trend!”
The show’s producer overheard Xiu Xiu’s words and laughed.
“Xiao Ruan, your assistant is something else. We haven’t even started recording, and she’s already thought about how to promote it. Those selling points sound good.”
Ruan Yu smiled without speaking, her gaze following Teng Yi in the living room.
After coming downstairs, the director and others gathered around to greet him, each shaking his hand and introducing themselves. Throughout the process, Teng Yi maintained his expressionless face, but no one minded – as if in everyone’s eyes, handsome men were naturally supposed to be cold and unsmiling.
Suddenly, Teng Yi looked over at Ruan Yu too.
Ruan Yu didn’t have time to look away, so she simply met his gaze directly and walked over to him.
It was perfect timing – she needed to give him the outline of questions to familiarize himself with beforehand, so the interview would go more smoothly.
Standing close, Ruan Yu realized that Teng Yi’s black and white diamond pattern knit sweater somehow matched perfectly with her plaid blazer.
“Sister Ruan, why do you and Mr. Teng look like you’re wearing couple outfits?” Assistant Xiu Xiu had sharp eyes.
Hearing this, all the staff looked their way.
“It does!” The director and others laughed. “Looks like our Xiao Ruan and Mr. Teng are quite in sync. The interview should go very smoothly.”
Ruan Yu stayed silent, and so did Teng Yi.
He didn’t mention that Ruan Yu had picked his clothes, and fortunately so – otherwise, the whole production team might have thought Ruan Yu was using her position to flirt with the handsome man.
“Mr. Teng!” The makeup artist suddenly came over, staring at Teng Yi’s hair. “Your hair still seems wet?”
Teng Yi raised his hand to touch the damp ends at the back of his head.
“No time to dry it.”
After all, he wasn’t today’s main character and didn’t want to keep people waiting, especially since a certain host had insisted he come down immediately after changing.
Emphasis on immediately.
“Let’s dry it. Though it looks stylish this way, you might catch a cold if it’s not dried,” the makeup artist said considerately.
Teng Yi glanced at Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu: “…”
Why look at her! Did she seem like someone so autocratic that she wouldn’t even let people dry their hair?
–_–
In the end, the makeup artist styled Teng Yi’s hair into a flashy side-swept style. Not many men could pull off such a hairstyle, but it suited Teng Yi perfectly.
Ruan Yu watched him sit across from her, thinking the man before her was just a pair of gold-rimmed glasses away from looking like a refined scoundrel, and her heart began to flutter uncontrollably again.
Ah, these cursed good looks!
“Have you looked over the questions?” Ruan Yu straightened her posture, adopting a proper host’s demeanor. “If you have no questions, we can begin.”
“Fine.”
Ruan Yu turned to give the cameraman an “OK” gesture, but he waved her off.
“Xiao Ruan, wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Check Mr. Teng’s microphone, seems there’s a connection problem,” the cameraman pointed at Teng Yi. “I can’t hear his voice here.”
Ruan Yu quickly stood and walked to Teng Yi, who also stood up.
His microphone had been attached by a new young woman from the production crew who had been so nervous approaching Teng Yi that her hands trembled – no wonder it wasn’t secured properly.
“Check his front microphone first,” the cameraman said.
“Alright.” Ruan Yu reached up to adjust the microphone clipped to Teng Yi’s collar.
The posture resembled a wife fixing her husband’s tie.
Teng Yi watched her and suddenly became completely still.
They were very close – any closer would have been intimate.
“Turn around,” Ruan Yu said.
He turned, presenting his broad back to her.
“Don’t move, I need to check your transmitter.” Ruan Yu lifted his hem, half-squatting to examine the transmitter clipped at his lower back.
Teng Yi felt a coolness at his back and instinctively reached behind him, accidentally grabbing Ruan Yu’s hand in the process.
They both froze.
There were many people present, but no one noticed this ambiguous moment between them.
For some reason, Teng Yi didn’t immediately let go.
Ruan Yu quickly pulled her hand back.
“Sorry,” Teng Yi turned to look at her.
“It’s fine.”
Ruan Yu continued working with his transmitter, trying to act unconcerned, but the cool sensation on the back of her hand couldn’t be erased.
Why were his hands so cold?
Did becoming cold in personality make one’s body temperature drop too?
“Done,” Ruan Yu straightened up. “Say something to test it.”
“What should I say?” Teng Yi asked.
“That’s good enough,” Ruan Yu looked at the cameraman. “Is it working?”
“OK, it’s good!”
The cameraman gestured for them to sit down.
Ruan Yu and Teng Yi returned to their positions and formally began recording.
The interview went smoothly from the start because Teng Yi had reviewed all the questions and prepared his answers. Whatever Ruan Yu asked, he answered naturally.
Halfway through the questions, Teng Hao quietly came in.
Perhaps he was still worried his brother might say something bad about him, so he came to keep watch personally.
“Was Mr. Neil always a top student?”
“He was never a top student.”
Ruan Yu smiled.
Teng Yi continued: “His studies were poor from an early age. To help improve his grades, our family hired many tutors.”
“Many tutors?” Ruan Yu knew the situation, of course, but to help viewers understand better, she had to follow up.
“Yes, he was quite mischievous – he drove away every tutor one after another.”
The staff all laughed and looked at Teng Hao, none having imagined that such a gentle and elegant person had been so difficult before.
Teng Hao touched his nose bridge, somewhat embarrassed.
The atmosphere was very relaxed.
“Did anyone finally manage to handle him?”
“Yes.”
“That tutor must have been quite capable?” A purely personal question.
“Yes, he respected her, and liked her very much.” Teng Yi looked at Ruan Yu and added, “Our whole family liked her and was grateful for her dedication to Teng Hao.”
Ruan Yu pressed her lips together, concealing her emotions, and continued to the next question.
“As his brother, how did you usually encourage him when his grades were poor or he faced other setbacks?”
This was a common question, included in the outline, but Teng Yi suddenly fell silent.
Seeing this, Ruan Yu quickly prompted: “For example, praising his strengths and good points, helping build his confidence – anything like that?”
“About that… I’m quite ashamed.”
“Why is that?”
“Before, I always thought he was too frivolous and needed someone to keep him in check, so from childhood, I always took a critical approach. When he did poorly, I criticized him, and when he did well, I never praised him… I never said a single word of praise to him.” Teng Yi slightly furrowed his brows, showing rare emotion. “I deeply regret this and am very sorry. Many times, he did very well.”
Like later, with dancing.
Teng Hao sat in his wheelchair, watching his brother from afar. Hearing this, he maintained a faint smile, understanding and accepting.
“Are you proud of Mr. Neil’s current achievements as his brother?”
“Many people are used to measuring how well someone is doing by their achievements, but for my brother, I’ve never cared how far or high he flies. I just hope he can be truly happy. Of course, he has always been my pride.”
Ruan Yu was moved.
Although Teng Yi’s personality had changed dramatically since their reunion, she could feel that his feelings for Teng Hao had never changed. This brotherly love had even grown more mature and deeper than before.
“Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to your brother?”
Teng Yi turned to look at Teng Hao in the crowd.
Since the recording began, although Teng Yi knew his brother was beside him, he hadn’t turned to look once, only expressing his feelings to the camera. But now, he looked at him.
Ruan Yu also glanced at Teng Hao.
Teng Hao, who had maintained an elegant, faint smile throughout, had already reddened eyes – she wasn’t sure from which of Teng Yi’s words it had started.
The brothers gazed at each other, their eyes full of indescribable pain and tenderness.
“I want him to know that no matter what happens, I will always be by his side, always.”