Wen Ke’an somehow got hold of a wheelchair. She pushed it next to Gu Ting and looked up at him with sincere eyes.
Gu Ting glanced at the wheelchair and couldn’t help but smile wryly, “I just have a bit of difficulty walking, but I can still walk.”
Wen Ke’an responded, “Get in.”
Under the watchful eyes of Xie Hongyi, Gu Ting obediently sat in the wheelchair.
Wen Ke’an lowered her gaze, looking at him, and softly reminded, “Try to move as little as possible; you’ll recover faster that way.”
Gu Ting nodded, “Mm.”
“Bwahaha.” Xie Hongyi couldn’t hold back any longer and quickly looked away.
As Wen Ke’an pushed Gu Ting out of the hospital, they happened to run into a few familiar contestants at the entrance.
Wen Ke’an hadn’t remembered everyone’s names yet but politely greeted them.
“Who’s this?” asked a girl, whose name Wen Ke’an vaguely remembered as Xiao Ya.
After speaking, Xiao Ya stole a few glances at Gu Ting.
Wen Ke’an replied, “He’s my boyfriend.”
Since they weren’t very familiar, Xiao Ya didn’t ask further questions.
After Wen Ke’an and Gu Ting had left, Xiao Ya looked back and mumbled with some confusion, “Wen Ke’an’s boyfriend looks somewhat familiar.”
“Hahaha, maybe because he’s handsome and familiar-looking,” joked a companion nearby.
“But isn’t his leg disabled? He’s in a wheelchair.”
The competition was set to start at 3 PM, and Wen Ke’an arrived early backstage to prepare her makeup and attire.
For this performance, she had to wear a floating, ethereal strap dress.
While doing her makeup, she unexpectedly ran into Teacher Wang.
“How’s the training been going?” Teacher Wang asked with a smile.
Wen Ke’an looked up at him, smiling, “The teachers are all great, and I feel I’ve made significant progress.”
There were many strong contestants, most from the Blue Flower Dance Club. Even through everyday interactions, Wen Ke’an could clearly feel her own shortcomings.
However, she wasn’t one to easily give up. Since she knew her skills didn’t yet match her teammates’, she trained fervently to avoid dragging them down.
“Anan, how’s your preparation going?” Xiao Xiao, having finished her own makeup and hair, came over to hang out with Wen Ke’an.
“Almost done,” Wen Ke’an looked back at her, smiling.
Xiao Xiao was a cute-looking girl but best known for street dance.
Wen Ke’an still vaguely remembered that Xiao Xiao later participated in some street dance programs and achieved good rankings, gaining many fans.
“Aren’t you doing street dance this time?” Wen Ke’an asked, noticing Xiao Xiao’s outfit, a cool black dress that didn’t look like street dance attire.
“Nope, my dad said he’d break my legs if I did street dance,” Xiao Xiao frowned and whispered.
“Your dad?”
Xiao Xiao sighed, “Yeah, that bald assistant director.”
“…”
Wen Ke’an’s makeup was done, and the makeup artist did a great job this time. The makeup really suited her.
“Wow, An’an, you look so beautiful!” Her teammates waiting at the door were stunned when they saw Wen Ke’an come out.
“Like a little fairy.”
Even though the clothes were similar, they looked different on each person.
Wen Ke’an exchanged pleasantries with them for a while. The competition was about to start, and they needed to get ready in the preparation room.
Wen Ke’an had not yet reached the preparation room when she unexpectedly saw Gu Ting. She glanced at her teammates who had already entered the room and decided to quietly walk over to Gu Ting, “Why are you here?”
Gu Ting glanced at her shoes. To look good for the dance, she was wearing a pair of small white high heels.
Gu Ting didn’t come empty-handed; he brought a bag. “Wear these.”
Inside the bag was a pair of white sneakers.
Wen Ke’an understood Gu Ting’s caution; he was worried about her safety.
“I got it. I already changed my shoes.” Wen Ke’an glanced down at her shoes. They weren’t provided by the costume team but were ones she brought herself.
“The heels are too high,” Gu Ting said softly.
“Alright.” After thinking for a moment, Wen Ke’an decided to change into the shoes Gu Ting had brought.
“Will you come to watch my performance?” Wen Ke’an asked expectantly after changing her shoes.
“Why else would I be here?” Gu Ting asked with a smile.
“Don’t worry, that move is no longer in the routine,” Wen Ke’an said softly, looking up. “Don’t be jealous anymore.”
Wen Ke’an chatted with Gu Ting for a while outside before heading in, only to find that other groups had already started their performances.
“Damn, An’an, you weren’t here. The first group had an incident,” Xiaoxiao came over and said.
“What?”
Wen Ke’an was taken aback. If she remembered correctly, the first group was Xia Xiangwan’s group.
“Xia Xiangwan twisted her ankle and nearly fell off the stage,” Xiaoxiao said. “Her teammates weren’t able to complete the performance perfectly.”
Instinctively, Wen Ke’an glanced at her feet and then toward the door.
Gu Ting had already left. Wen Ke’an collected her thoughts, then quietly asked Xiaoxiao, “Xiaoxiao, your father is the assistant director, right?”
Xiaoxiao nodded, “Yes.”
Wen Ke’an: “Can you help me with something?”
“Tell me.”
“…”
When Wen Ke’an got on stage, she saw Gu Ting in a wheelchair in the audience.
He was quite obedient this time.
Sitting in a wheelchair made him particularly noticeable among the audience.
Wen Ke’an spotted him instantly and smiled at him with twinkling eyes.
The stage lights were bright, and Gu Ting saw the pretty girl on stage quietly make a heart gesture toward him.
“The people in this group are all so good-looking. The girl in the middle is stunning!”
“Hopefully, there won’t be any mistakes. The last beautiful girl fell.”
“But I think this girl is prettier.”
“…”
There weren’t many people in the audience, but their comments were plentiful.
Wen Ke’an’s performance went smoothly, but she didn’t achieve a satisfactory score due to a skill gap with her teammates.
However, Wen Ke’an maintained a positive mindset. As soon as she stepped off the stage and reached the backstage, she saw Gu Ting coming to meet her.
“Didn’t get a better score.” Wen Ke’an looked up at him, her face showing a pitiful expression as if seeking comfort.
“It’s already very good.” Gu Ting reached out and patted her head, smiling as he comforted her, “Your performance was excellent.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
After Wen Ke’an changed out of her performance attire, Gu Ting took her to a restaurant for dinner.
Since the show had recorded quite late, it was already late when they got home, and Wen Ke’an was so tired that her eyes could hardly stay open.
Whenever Wen Ke’an was tired, she would instinctively lean into Gu Ting’s arms.
“Tired?” Gu Ting looked down at the girl leaning on his chest, gently smiling as he asked.
After a moment, Wen Ke’an replied softly, “Hmm.”
“I’ll carry you to bed.”
As soon as Gu Ting finished his words, Wen Ke’an opened her arms, waiting for him to carry her.
Seeing her so consciously opening her arms, Gu Ting couldn’t help but laugh, softly asking, “Do you want to change into your pajamas, little miss?”
“Yes.”
After changing clothes, Wen Ke’an lay on the bed motionless.
Gu Ting thought for a moment, then changed into his pajamas and lay down beside her. Sure enough, as soon as he lay down, the girl beside him instinctively leaned closer.
“Not asleep yet?” Gu Ting looked down at her, whispering.
“I suddenly remembered something.” Wen Ke’an squinted her eyes, speaking softly.
“What is it?”
Wen Ke’an mumbled, “The college entrance exam results are coming out soon.”
As she spoke, she reached out her hand towards him, seemingly wanting to touch his hand.
To avoid her groping around on him in the middle of the night, Gu Ting willingly offered his hand.
Once Wen Ke’an touched his hand, she was finally satisfied. She looked up at him, “Are you nervous?”
“Not really.” Gu Ting knew what she was worried about, gently arranging her bangs, speaking softly, “No matter the results, I will definitely go to your city.”
“We won’t be separated.”
—
Wen Ke’an didn’t perform well in this competition. For the next few days, she trained exceptionally hard, practicing as much as thirteen hours a day.
Worried that Gu Ting might be angry, Wen Ke’an stayed in the dormitory provided by the program crew these days.
The dormitory is very close to the practice room, allowing her to practice anytime.
However, the intense training was hard to bear, and Wen Ke’an noticeably felt discomfort in her ankle.
Coincidentally, Chu Han was staying nearby. After a moment of hesitation, Wen Ke’an sent a message to Chu Han.
“Chuchu, can you get me some ointment?”
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Chu Han called immediately, concerned.
“It’s not a big issue.”
“Does Gu Ting know you’re unwell?”
Wen Ke’an paused before replying, “I haven’t told him.”
“Why not?” Chu Han asked, puzzled.
Wen Ke’an quietly responded, “He would get angry.”
“Got it. Wait a bit; I’ll come over soon.”
It was now 8 PM. Chu Han bought the medicine and arrived at their agreed meeting place, but Wen Ke’an was nowhere to be seen.
Instead of Wen Ke’an, Chu Han unexpectedly saw Xie Huaiyan. Xie Huaiyan had been appearing unpredictably these past few days, so Chu Han was used to it.
“Have you seen An’an?” Chu Han looked up at him, holding the medicine. “I bought the liniment, but I can’t find her.”
“Gu Ting has arrived,” Xie Huaiyan said softly.
Following his statement, Chu Han walked a few steps forward and unexpectedly saw Gu Ting and Wen Ke’an under a nearby street lamp.
Wen Ke’an was sitting on a bench by the roadside, and Gu Ting was half-kneeling in front of her, seemingly checking her ankle.
Chu Han paused and silently looked away.
With Gu Ting there, her help was probably no longer needed.
Just as Chu Han was about to leave, she was surprised to see Xie Huaiyan suddenly half-kneel in front of her as well.
Startled, Chu Han took a small step back. “What are you doing?”
Xie Huaiyan didn’t say anything. He looked down and tied her shoelaces that had come undone.
“Your shoelaces were untied,” Xie Huaiyan gently explained as he straightened up and looked at her.
Chu Han was dazed for a moment. Her ears reddened, and she looked away, feeling a bit uneasy. “Thank you,” she whispered.
—-
Gu Ting massaged Wen Ke’an’s ankle for a while.
Her previous injury hadn’t fully healed, and with the extended training, her ankle naturally couldn’t take it.
“Feeling better?” Gu Ting asked, looking up at her.
“A lot better,” Wen Ke’an replied quietly, not daring to meet his gaze.
Wen Ke’an hadn’t expected Gu Ting to come over so suddenly, nor had she expected him to refrain from scolding her this time.
To be honest, his unusually kind attitude this time made her feel a bit out of place.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Gu Ting asked as he sat down beside her and placed her leg on his knee, gently massaging.
Wen Ke’an was silent for a while before saying, “You’re acting strangely today.”
“The company’s shares haven’t fallen into Gu Yu’s hands yet, and the company is thriving,” Gu Ting said suddenly.
Wen Ke’an was taken aback by the sudden shift in topic and didn’t quite understand what he meant.
Then she heard Gu Ting continue, “Not just one building, I can buy you dozens of buildings.”
“So please understand one thing,” Gu Ting said, looking at her intently, “I can take care of you.”
“My princess doesn’t need to work so hard.”
