Gao Yi reluctantly arranged a private room on the second floor for Jiang Ren’an.
The interior of Swan Cottage was a spiral structure, decorated primarily in white, exuding elegance. In the main hall, there was a luxurious stage with a graceful swan sculpture at its center.
Gao Yi, in his forties, had been working at Junyang since graduation. From a college graduate to the general manager of Junyang’s branch company, he had a knack for pleasing his superiors.
Although he couldn’t understand why this young master had returned, he knew exactly how to treat Jiang Ren.
Gao Yi had someone prepare a new breakfast for Jiang Ren.
The young master must have suffered so much outside! Hungry enough to eat bread.
He thought about calling Chairman Jiang later, who would probably be heartbroken.
Jiang Ren glanced at the breakfast on the coffee table but didn’t touch it. “Don’t bother, and don’t tell my father I’m back.”
Hearing this, Gao Yi understood that Jiang Ren still intended to return to H City.
Gao Yi didn’t want to meddle in other people’s family affairs, but he still felt obliged to say a few words. “Young Master Jiang, Chairman Jiang just has a bad temper. You’re his son. There can’t be any deep grudges. It must be tough staying away all the time.”
Jiang Ren replied coolly, “H City is quite nice.”
Gao Yi couldn’t persuade him.
However, Jiang Ren noticed something odd. Their Jiang family was in real estate and occasionally did charity work. Swan Cottage was one of their properties, but it had never been used to host dance competitions.
“Why are we hosting a competition here?”
“Junyang is the biggest sponsor for this competition.”
In the past, when Jiang Ren’s mother, Wen Man, was with the Jiang family, she would sing and play the piano, but never dance. So Chairman Jiang sponsored many music competitions but never invested money in dance competitions.
“Who authorized sponsoring this?”
Gao Yi’s expression turned awkward.
Jiang Ren’s face cooled.
Gao Yi didn’t need to say anything; Jiang Ren understood. It was Wen Rui, his mother’s so-called brother. An orphan who came back from the orphanage and was entrusted to his father, that sucker, to take care of.
Wen Rui was seven years older than Jiang Ren, having just turned twenty-five this year. Logically, Jiang Ren should call him Uncle, but Jiang Ren was born rebellious. He was like a little wild wolf, giving face to no one.
Later, Wen Rui understood and not only didn’t dare to let Jiang Ren call him Uncle but also followed others in calling him Young Master Jiang.
Jiang Ren crossed his legs. “I left, and he’s having a great time.”
Gao Yi knew the score but smiled and said, “How could that be? You’re Chairman Jiang’s heir.”
Jiang Ren let out a snort of laughter.
As they were talking, Wen Rui had just entered from outside. He was wearing a suit, with a woman on his arm. He led the woman to sit at the judges’ table. People around them started greeting him.
Wen Rui had delicate features, with an air of scholarly elegance about him.
No wonder Wen Man liked him. He was good at everything she liked, his appearance was fair, and he was popular with women.
The key was that he had money; behind him was the Jiang family.
Jiang Ren didn’t have a habit of flaunting wealth, but Wen Rui did. Jiang Ren grew up under the strict discipline of a military compound, while Wen Rui lived in high society circles.
Those who didn’t know better might think Wen Rui was Chairman Jiang’s real son.
Jiang Ren was a typical straight man, the kind who didn’t even watch romantic TV dramas. He sat with his legs crossed, his expression cool and indifferent.
Gao Yi bent down to tell him, “Young Master Jiang, that woman is a second-tier celebrity from the entertainment industry. She played the second female lead in the TV drama ‘Asking About Love.’ Her name is Zhu Yixuan. Wen Rui invested in this dance competition, supposedly to help promote the Jiang family’s real estate projects in other cities.”
That’s why he chose the elegant ballet “Swan Lake.” The champion would shoot a series of promotional videos.
Jiang Ren wasn’t interested in who Wen Rui brought along.
When he left, why didn’t he cripple Wen Rui? He wondered if Wen Rui was still able to get it up.
He interlaced his fingers, gripping them a bit tight.
Suddenly, he hoped Meng Ting wouldn’t participate in this competition.
However, she had worn a white short skirt that morning, smiling so purely and innocently. She was looking forward to this competition. Meng Ting had entered the semi-finals based on her skill alone. Although he didn’t want that bastard Wen Rui to see her, he was afraid of disappointing her.
And he had another reason he couldn’t voice.
In his rebellious youth, he was full of defiance. He dyed his hair silver in middle school; boys couldn’t beat him, and girls were afraid of him. There was supposedly a classmate who liked him, but after meeting the refined Wen Rui, her object of affection changed.
He Junming, who was in the same class as Jiang Ren at the time, found out about this and theorized, “Ren bro, could it be that he’s deliberately trying to steal what’s yours?”
Jiang Ren had squinted his eyes at the time, a cigarette between his fingers. He didn’t care; Wen Rui was such a coward, and this was the extent of his scheming.
However, those girls seemed naturally drawn to gentle, sweet-talking men.
Jiang Ren felt somewhat irritated.
The host’s lively voice announced the start of the 32nd National Youth Dance Competition.
Because Teacher Zhang was a responsible and diligent teacher, the H City team arrived earliest, so they drew relatively good numbers.
Teacher Zhang breathed a sigh of relief.
The order of the competition was crucial. The earlier, the better, but not the first. Even if the first performer danced well, due to the lack of comparison, the judges tended to be conservative in scoring, resulting in lower marks than deserved.
But it couldn’t be too late either. By then, the judges would have aesthetic fatigue, making it hard to get a good ranking.
The students knew Teacher Zhang was kind and thoughtful, so they were grateful to her.
Teacher Zhang said, “In a while, the organizer’s makeup artists will come to do your makeup. Be sweet to them.” That way, they might do a better job.
The girls chirped their agreement.
Then Teacher Zhang looked at Meng Ting.
She was adjusting the feathered headpiece in her hair.
This girl on their team was exceptionally beautiful. Standing quietly, with the white feathers in her hair gently swaying in the breeze, her long lashes and black hair contrasted sharply. Her pupils were clear and bright.
When she smiled while chatting with the other girls on the team, people from other teams couldn’t help but look over.
As a result, H City, which had never stood out in previous years, suddenly became dazzling this year.
When the makeup artist came to do Meng Ting’s makeup, Meng Ting remembered Teacher Zhang’s instructions and said sweetly, “Thank you, sorry for the trouble.”
The makeup artist smiled. This little girl was like a fairy.
Even though she had seen all sorts of beauties, she felt this one was extraordinarily lovely.
The makeup artist gave her light makeup and then asked her to press her lips together.
The translucent lip gloss melted on her lips, making them pink and pouty. The makeup artist was momentarily stunned, then said to her, “Good luck in the competition.”
Meng Ting nodded vigorously, her eyes curving into crescents.
Music started playing on the stage.
Chen Ying was a bit nervous and came to talk to Meng Ting. Meng Ting was originally stretching her body, but seeing her anxious and hands shaking, she quietly chatted with her.
“Aren’t you nervous? I heard the sponsor is here too.”
Meng Ting wasn’t nervous. To her, it didn’t matter who the audience was. However, she knew that if she said she wasn’t nervous, Chen Ying would probably feel even more pressure. She thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m quite nervous too. Everyone’s probably nervous, that’s why I’m stretching to distract myself.”
Chen Ying felt a bit better. So everyone was the same. She thought, even the prettiest girl on the team felt the same pressure. She felt less nervous and happily went to do her preparations.
Meng Ting had drawn number A8, which meant she would perform eighth.
Famous ballet performances are usually group dances or pas de deux, but for the semi-finals, each person chose a solo piece from “Swan Lake.”
While they were preparing backstage, Zhu Yixuan was acting coy in the judges’ area. “Wen, what’s so interesting about this? If you want to watch dancing, I can dance for you. I studied acting, you know. I can do other dances too.”
Wen Rui patted her hand and smiled, “Don’t make trouble. This is for the promotion of G City’s real estate project opening.”
Zhu Yixuan felt a bit better.
Most of the performers on stage were young and beautiful girls, and the dancers were particularly graceful and charming. Zhu Yixuan felt very threatened.
She had worked hard to get close to the Jiang family, this big tree. Even though Junyang wasn’t in the entertainment industry, any industry would show respect when hearing the name Junyang.
Zhu Yixuan watched for a while and gradually relaxed.
Although the girls on stage danced well, she was, after all, a celebrity. Her face and figure were leagues ahead of these girls.
No matter how hard they tried, they were just dancing for the audience below.
Zhu Yixuan felt a great sense of superiority. She was this year’s new jade-like beauty in the entertainment circle. Seeing that Wen Rui didn’t show much interest in the performers, she also smiled and watched the competition on stage.
The young girls on stage didn’t have so many thoughts. Since the teacher said the organizers would be watching, they were very serious, just wanting to win the competition.
Because no matter who the organizer was, the annual dance competition was a tradition.
Wen Rui, as the biggest sponsor, although sitting in a good position next to the judges’ seats, couldn’t score.
The scorers were all professional dance masters from previous years, relatively fair.
Zhu Yixuan’s smile remained until contestant A8 came on stage when it finally cracked.
Unlike the competition in H City, there was no dim lighting for the semi-finals. From the beginning, the stage lighting was a single tone. Against the dark background, when the girl on stage appeared, it took just one glance to attract everyone’s attention.
Because it was a selected segment, when the music of “Swan Lake” started, she quickly entered the state.
There is a kind of person born for the stage.
On tiptoe, arms graceful.
Zhu Yixuan stared blankly at the stage. She was close, the stage right in front of her, so she could see what the girl looked like.
Zhu Yixuan prided herself on being one of the top beauties in the entertainment industry, but seeing Meng Ting, who was several years younger than her, she felt dazed for the first time in her life.
How old was the girl on stage? Sixteen? Or seventeen?
There was a youthful innocence, yet also an elegant charm of a flower about to bloom. She was very focused, seemingly not nervous at all. She didn’t look like a dancer but like a real little swan.
Each turn brought freedom and abandonment.
Zhu Yixuan didn’t realize she had bitten her lip until it hurt, then understood what she was doing! She had been captivated by a woman’s dance! She quickly turned her head to look at Wen Rui.
The usually composed and elegant Wen Rui also looked somewhat dazed.
The amazement in his eyes was so obvious that Zhu Yixuan felt a chill in her heart.
When Meng Ting was on stage, she was like a dazzling starlight.
The judges were a bit better, after all, in dance, what matters is posture and movement. They were older people, so their resistance to beauty was much stronger.
Backstage, there was a live feed of the front-stage competition. Chen Ying watched Meng Ting on stage with sparkling eyes. She said to Zhang Xiaofang, “She dances so well.”
Zhang Xiaofang smiled bitterly, “Yes, she does.”
This was her third time participating in the competition, and she had never won first place.
But God favors his darlings, giving everything to those chosen few.
Beauty, talent.
The second floor had the best view.
After all, the stage was high, and many ordinary spectators were sitting on the first floor, but few people could come up to the second floor.
Gao Yi was almost middle-aged, but he couldn’t help but praise this little girl. Her dance foundation was solid.
He hadn’t seen that the young master had eaten someone else’s leftover bread this morning, and when he turned his head,
He saw that rebellious young master looking at the stage with a strange gaze. He hadn’t moved for a long time.
The young master’s pupils were pitch black, but his eyes were very bright.
If you could say that the little girl was a star in the sky, his eyes seemed to be the night sky ready to embrace the stars.
Gao Yi’s heart screamed internally.
No way!
With the personality of this lawless, tyrannical young master, if he opened his heart, would he ask him to bring the girl over later?!
Gao Yi was crying inside. They at Junyang were doing legitimate business! Wasn’t it agreed that old Chairman Jiang liked talented women, and the young master despised these things? They had agreed, how could he change his mind now?!
Gao Yi steeled himself, “Young Master Jiang, what do you think of her dance?”
No answer.
Gao Yi boldly said, “Actually, it’s just average, haha. I think there will be better ones later.” He was quite old now, but at this moment, he felt extremely awkward saying such insincere words.
Jiang Ren didn’t respond.
After a long while, when she had already left the stage,
Gao Yi finally heard the young master, who had been entranced, slowly say, “What did you just say?”
“…”
Gao Yi said, “You like that little girl, don’t you?”
At that moment, he saw the young master’s eyes filled with brilliant and gentle starlight. Jiang Ren smiled and admitted, “Mm.”
Jiang Ren was too honest, leaving Gao Yi not knowing how to respond.
“Gao Yi, do you think if I treat her very, very well, she might like me?”
Gao Yi wanted to curse and wake him up. No, think about your father’s fate. What do you father and son have besides money? Fierce and violent, and you’re even naturally strong and prone to violence. You should learn from this lesson.
“You don’t need to answer, shut up,” the young master said calmly, “She will.”
Gao Yi felt like he had aged ten years. He helped the young master deceive himself, perfunctorily saying, “That’s right, she will.”
Jiang Ren liked hearing this, “I’ll give you a raise in the future.”
“…Thank you, Young Master Jiang!” He had been busy all morning, but the young master hadn’t mentioned giving him a raise. Gao Yi was internally excited, knowing that Jiang Ren would be the boss of Junyang in the future. He almost said, why don’t I help you get her?
His moral bottom line stopped him.
Jiang Ren didn’t need it either.
As the sun rose, Jiang Ren, dressed in black athletic wear, stood among the crowd, blending in effortlessly. Before heading downstairs, he took the thermos cup Gao Yi had prepared for him, filled with milk.
Gao Yi was stunned.
His future boss, Young Master Jiang, walked through the hallway, down the stairs, and arrived at the exit where the contestants left. Holding the thermos cup, he crouched under a tree, waiting without any regard for his appearance.
A long time passed before Gao Yi, peering through the window spotted the girl who had been on stage—contestant number eight.
The girl wore a light green short-sleeve top and a white pleated skirt, youthful and full of energy. She exited through the gate, and as the sunlight filtered through the tree branches, it bathed Young Master Jiang in a soft glow. The moment he saw her, he stood up.
Under the scorching June sun, sweat dripped from his black hair.
Meng Ting ran towards him, wondering why Jiang Ren was there. Were the staff not letting him in?
She had agreed to let him watch her dance. The thought of him waiting in the heat for so long made her heartache.
“Did they not let you in?” she asked.
Jiang Ren replied with a smile, “No, I just got out here.” He grinned, “I saw you dance. You were beautiful.”
Her eyes sparkled with joy. Meng Ting had just finished dancing and felt lighthearted, genuinely happy. Softly, she said, “Thank you.”
The air felt sweet around them, with clusters of white jasmine blooming nearby.
He unscrewed the thermos and placed it in her hands.
The scent of milk filled the air.
Dazed, she held the cup with both hands. Performers occasionally emerged from the gate, heading to their team leaders to regroup, leaving the backstage area to those preparing next.
Teacher Zhang also came out.
Jiang Ren paused for a moment, recognizing her as Meng Ting’s team leader.
He still believed that she hadn’t wanted to know him before. She was different from him—obedient and especially respectful towards her teachers.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, beads of sweat forming on his face. Taking a few steps back, he leaned against a tree, making sure she stood in the shade while he stayed under the sun. Teacher Zhang walked over, not noticing Jiang Ren nearby, and gently called out, “Meng Ting, let’s go.”
Meng Ting, holding the thermos, followed Teacher Zhang for a few steps. The milk was still warm, radiating a gentle fragrance.
Suddenly, driven by an inexplicable impulse, Meng Ting turned around.
The summer sun blazed.
There he was, standing casually, his posture relaxed. When he saw her look back, he gave her a bright, open smile, free of any pretenses.
He wasn’t the type of boy who won hearts with his gentle, elegant looks. As Zhao Nuan Cheng would say, Jiang Ren had an air of rebellion, like a delinquent. He looked rough, like trouble—a bad influence.
Teacher Zhang walked ahead, unaware that Meng Ting had turned back.
Meng Ting didn’t know why, but her heart felt full.
“Teacher,” she called out.
Teacher Zhang turned around.
“You go ahead. I’ll be right there.”
The sunlight made his black clothes hot to the touch.
Jiang Ren watched her walk toward him.
A gentle breeze blew.
Her teacher wasn’t far away.
He panicked for a second, thinking, Damn, if her teacher misunderstands, she’ll be in trouble. He didn’t understand the difference between one teacher and another—they were all the same to him.
“Meng Ting.”
“Hmm?”
Looking down at her, he saw her pull a wet wipe from the small pocket of her shirt and hand it to him.
He froze.
The wind rustled the leaves, and for a brief moment, the summer’s noise and heat faded away.
Her voice was sweet, “Wipe your sweat and go home. It’s too hot outside. Drink this.” She carefully capped the thermos and placed it back in his large hands.
The cup was still warm from her touch.
Damn, is she trying to kill me?
Knowing that he liked her, she was still… still teasing him like this.
Jiang Ren glanced at her teacher, relieved that Teacher Zhang wasn’t paying attention. Clutching the cup tightly, he growled, “Meng Ting, do you know what you’re doing?”
She blinked, confused. “What?”
He said, “I’ve been lusting after you this whole time, and you still dare to look back.”
Jiang Ren didn’t wait for her to respond. He lifted her chin and leaned down.
The little swan stood before him as the blazing sun began to lose its brilliance.
Her eyes widened, and a heavy warmth pressed against her cheek.
This scoundrel… he stole a kiss while no one was looking.