Qin Sheng smiled and took a glance in the direction of the office. Then, his expression gradually turned serious. He smiled and said, “No more joking around. Since you’re here, let’s talk about some serious matters.”
Gu Ting looked down at his wristwatch. Wen Ke’an usually naps for thirty minutes, so there was still some time.
Since they couldn’t enter Gu Ting’s office, Qin Sheng took Gu Ting back to his own room.
“Is it about the Xia Yu Group?” Gu Ting asked as soon as they were in the office.
“Yes,” Qin Sheng replied, sitting at his desk. “The Xia Yu Group has recently been approaching some talented artists for contracts.”
“Our company has also extended offers to these artists. Currently, they are in a wait-and-see mode.”
“What do you think…” Before Qin Sheng could finish, Gu Ting said sternly, “Take all of them.”
The Xia Yu Group was facing financial issues and this was the perfect opportunity to gain an advantage.
Qin Sheng shook his head with a smile, “You’re not leaving any room for Xia Yu Group to breathe.”
Curious, Qin Sheng looked at Gu Ting and asked, “What did they do to offend you that you want to crush them completely?”
After a moment, Gu Ting chuckled coldly, and said softly, “Crushing them completely isn’t enough.”
After practicing at Gu Ting’s company for a few days, it was soon the day before the competition. Early in the morning, Wen Ke’an arrived at the competition venue, which was not far from Gu Ting’s company. After arriving, she turned to Gu Ting and said, “I’m here. Wait for me here for a bit.”
Gu Ting was dressed in a loose red and white tracksuit, looking like a young high school student. He glanced down at her and softly said, “Alright.”
Wen Ke’an let go of his hand and playfully scratched his chin, “I’ll be out quickly.”
The venue was already crowded with participants. This time, the show had invited four highly esteemed dance instructors.
Most participants were brought by their company’s cars, and a variety of vehicles were parked in the street near the entrance.
Wen Ke’an thought today would be a simple registration. Unexpectedly, she was mistaken.
As soon as she entered, she saw several black cameras.
All the contestants wore beautiful makeup and carefully selected outfits, whereas she was in a simple sports outfit and shorts, carrying a small backpack.
Most importantly, she hadn’t put on any makeup!
Last night, Gu Ting kept bothering her, so she went to bed very late and didn’t wake up early.
Seeing Gu Ting’s casual outfit in the morning, she decided to dress comfortably in sports clothes. Naturally looking young, the outfit made her look like a high school student.
Just as Wen Ke’an was thinking about how to make herself appear more mature but hadn’t come up with a specific plan, she took a few steps forward and was stopped by a nearby staff member.
The staff member looked at her for a while, “Are you here to participate in the competition?”
“Yes,” Wen Ke’an replied.
This surprised the staff member even more. “Did you graduate high school?”
Wen Ke’an knew he would ask this, and she quietly replied, “I graduated this year.”
After saying this, Wen Ke’an reached into her small backpack and took out her letter of introduction and registration form. “Would you like to see them?”
The staff member took a quick look and then returned the letter to her. “It’s getting late; you should go inside.”
“Okay, thank you!”
Hearing the staff member mention that it was getting late, Wen Ke’an quickened her pace.
As Wen Ke’an walked away, the staff member approached another staff member and whispered with some confusion, “I just saw the recommendation letter for that girl. She was recommended by Teacher Wang. She’s just a high school graduate.”
The other staff member frowned, “What is Teacher Wang thinking? Letting someone like that participate in this competition is just wasting a spot.”
Many participants in this competition were accomplished dancers, including those from top international universities. A freshly graduated high school student stood little chance of advancing.
When Wen Ke’an entered the preparation room, most of the participants had already arrived. Her outfit seemed out of place among the array of delicate dresses.
She calmly walked to her spot, and she could even hear some of the participants whispering about her.
“How old are you?” a young girl next to her finally couldn’t help but ask in a soft voice.
Wen Ke’an glanced at her. The girl was cute, with big eyes and a round face.
“Seventeen.”
“So young!”
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Xiao Xiao,” the girl whispered with a friendly smile.
“Wen Ke’an.”
“What a lovely name,” Xiao Xiao complimented.
Just as Xiao Xiao finished speaking, the door suddenly opened again.
Wen Ke’an looked up, and her gaze paused slightly when she saw who entered.
“It’s Xia Xiangwan,” Xiao Xiao whispered.
Xia Xiangwan was dressed in a sleek silver gown, meticulously groomed.
She looked just like Wen Ke’an remembered from the past life when Xia Xiangwan was always the high-and-mighty princess.
Back then, Xia Xiangwan had inexplicably targeted her from the start. At several grand events, Xia Xiangwan deliberately embarrassed her, staining her dress and causing her to fall in front of everyone.
Wen Ke’an still vividly remembered Xia Xiangwan saying that she enjoyed seeing her look so humiliated.
Because Xia Xiangwan was the company’s heiress, most people in the company sided with her, making Wen Ke’an’s life miserable, right up until the car accident.
Wen Ke’an’s gaze fell on Xia Xiangwan. She was sitting quite far back and had initially thought Xia Xiangwan wouldn’t notice her.
To her surprise, the next second, their eyes met.
Wen Ke’an was slightly taken aback.
When Xia Xiangwan reached her seat, Xiao Xiao, beside Wen Ke’an, curiously whispered, “Do you know each other?”
“No,” Wen Ke’an replied, slightly furrowing her brow. She recalled the way Xia Xiangwan had looked at her.
It was the kind of gaze one uses when seeing someone familiar.
Xia Xiangwan’s aura was exactly the same as before, so she probably wasn’t like Wen Ke’an, reborn.
After pondering for a moment, Wen Ke’an suddenly thought of a possibility.
Perhaps Xia Xiangwan knew her in the past.
This time, she was here just to prepare for tomorrow’s competition. After the instructions were given, all the contestants were allowed to leave.
When Gu Ting saw Wen Ke’an coming out, she looked deep in thought. He walked over, gently patted her head, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Wen Ke’an was silent for a moment. She looked up at him and said sullenly, “I absolutely mustn’t wear these clothes tomorrow.”
“Hmm?”
Wen Ke’an pouted, “I look like a child.”
“Today, I was asked multiple times if I was a high school student,” she said.
Gu Ting was amused by her, “Isn’t being young good?”
“Being young is nice,” Wen Ke’an admitted as she held Gu Ting’s hand and walked forward, speaking softly, “I ran into Xia Xiangwan today.”
Gu Ting didn’t respond, he just held her hand tightly.
“I think I now understand why she was so inexplicably hostile to me in the previous life,” Wen Ke’an said quietly. “The way she looked at me today was very strange; she seemed to recognize me.”
“Recognize you?” Gu Ting frowned.
“Yes, but she likely hasn’t been reborn. She might know my past self,” Wen Ke’an explained.
Wen Ke’an couldn’t figure this out because she had never seen Xia Xiangwan in her previous memories. Xia Xiangwan was beautiful, and if they had met before, she would definitely remember.
The first performance was going to start tomorrow. Wen Ke’an had prepared a dance and practiced it many times in front of Gu Ting. When she went home tonight, she even asked Gu Ting to go over the details with her.
It was already late. After her final practice, Gu Ting bent down and picked her up horizontally.
Wen Ke’an was startled and instinctively hooked her arm around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“It’s already twelve. Time to go to bed.”
“It’s still early,” Wen Ke’an quietly retorted.
When she used to practice dance at the company, she would often practice until after two o’clock. So, twelve o’clock still felt early to her.
“Hm?” Gu Ting looked down at her.
Receiving his gaze, Wen Ke’an silently changed her stance, “So sleepy, let’s go to bed.”
The first performance was only for choosing a mentor and not a real competition. Wen Ke’an chose a mentor whose style closely matched hers.
After picking the mentor, Wen Ke’an spent most of her time in the practice room. The first competition required cooperation among the contestants. Wen Ke’an worked with three other participants to complete the dance.
“How was it this time?”
As they were discussing the dance together, Wen Ke’an looked up and was surprised to see Gu Ting standing at the door of the dance studio.
It was already late, and Wen Ke’an didn’t want Gu Ting to wait too long. “My boyfriend’s here to pick me up. I’ll leave now.”
“Alright, you go ahead.”
“Having a boyfriend is great!!” someone chimed in jokingly.
When Wen Ke’an walked to Gu Ting’s side, she instinctively wanted to hold his hand. But Gu Ting was quicker, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.
Wen Ke’an paused and looked up at him. “There are still people around here.”
Gu Ting was silent for a moment. “Weren’t there people just now too?”
She knew he had seen her practice earlier. Since it was a partnered dance, there was a move where her male partner held her waist.
Wen Ke’an whispered in her defense, “It was just that one time, and the guy’s hand didn’t even touch me.”
“Are you really getting jealous over this?” Wen Ke’an realized and then pinched his cheek with a smile. “Are you a big jar of vinegar?”
Gu Ting was clearly unhappy. After a long time, Wen Ke’an heard him sigh and say, “I really regret it.”
Wen Ke’an assertively pulled his hand and smiled, “It’s too late to regret now.”
Before Gu Ting could say anything, Wen Ke’an looked up at him and whispered, “I’m so tired. Let’s go home.”
After they got home, Gu Ting made her a late-night snack.
Wen Ke’an was too tired. After finishing the snack, she fell asleep on the sofa.
Gu Ting carried her to the bed and tucked her in with a blanket. He looked at her for a long time, then took out his phone and sent a message to Xie Hongyi.
“Is it hard to dance?”
“Not really,” Xie Hongyi replied quickly.
“But why are you asking me such a question all of a sudden? Shouldn’t you ask your wife directly?”
When Xie Hongyi was younger, his parents forced him to practice dancing for a few years, but he eventually lost interest and gave it up.
While Xie Hongyi was pondering the meaning behind Gu Ting’s strange question, he received another message from Gu Ting.
“I want to learn.”
“?”
Xie Hongyi: “Are you crazy?”
The official dance competition was two days away, and Wen Ke’an practiced at home whenever she had the time. To make it convenient for her to practice, Gu Ting had even converted a room into a dance studio.
On a morning when she didn’t need to go to the competition venue, Wen Ke’an practiced at home after waking up.
She had just started practicing when she saw Gu Ting enter the room.
“What are you doing?” Wen Ke’an asked, puzzled, as she looked at Gu Ting in his strange outfit.
Gu Ting replied seriously, “I want to practice dancing with you.”
Wen Ke’an took a moment to think and asked, “Do you know how to dance?”
Gu Ting: “No.”
“…”
Since he wanted to learn, Wen Ke’an was willing to teach him.
He had never learned how to dance before, so he could start with the basics.
Wen Ke’an taught him a few basic moves, and he was learning them quite well.
Wen Ke’an asked curiously, “Can you do a split?”
“I can try.”
Gu Ting began attempting to do a split. His expression remained calm, as if he didn’t feel any pain at all.
Thinking it was about enough, Wen Ke’an quickly stopped him, “That’s enough.”
“Doesn’t it hurt at all?” Wen Ke’an asked.
Gu Ting didn’t respond.
Wen Ke’an noticed his stiff body and paused a moment, “Can’t get up?”
“Mm.”
As he fell to the ground, Wen Ke’an looked at his thigh area and slightly frowned, “Does it hurt?”
“It hurts.”
Wen Ke’an was about to explode with frustration and helplessness, “Why didn’t you say so if it hurt!”
Gu Ting had looked so calm earlier that if she hadn’t told him to stop, he probably would have kept pushing harder.
Even though Gu Ting said he was fine, Wen Ke’an was still worried.
Just then, Xie Hongyi came by, as he had been staying nearby for the past few days. Wen Ke’an sent him a message, and they took Gu Ting to the hospital.
“It’s a bit of a strain, not too serious. Just rest at home for a few days,” the doctor said.
As they left the hospital room, Xie Hongyi couldn’t hold back any longer.
Taking advantage of Wen Ke’an’s absence, Xie Hongyi quietly asked, “What the heck happened?”
Gu Ting was silent for a moment, “Not much.”
“Not much and you still strained a muscle?” Xie Hongyi thought of something and asked suspiciously, “You wouldn’t be really practicing dancing, would you?”
“…”
“Yes.”
After a while, Xie Hongyi suddenly shouted, “Ting Ge.”
Seeing Gu Ting look over at him, Xie Hongyi silently gave him a thumbs-up, “You’re still the man.”
Did I miss something… when did they start living together???