Chapter 2
“I know you, Choreographer Lu. I’ve seen your work, and I really like it.”
“Like you, I also happen to need someone to marry.”
Standing under the eaves of the hospital, Lu Xuefeng still pondered these words and the considerable shock the man had given him.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it all felt like a series of unexpected coincidences.
This self-proclaimed Song Muqing’s origins were unknown, but his appearance was superior to both of his previous blind dates, by far.
Lu Xuefeng recalled his introduction. Song Muqing worked at Z University, didn’t smoke or drink excessively, and had no bad habits or relationship issues. His family was harmonious.
From his perspective, there seemed to be nothing to criticize.
Lu Xuefeng had also seen the gentle, unfeigned smile in his eyes. When he spoke, he looked directly into the other person’s eyes, giving a sense of sincerity.
But he wasn’t naive enough to easily believe the words of someone he had only met once. This person who had approached him so abruptly might have ulterior motives.
Marriage shouldn’t be taken lightly.
At the time, Lu Xuefeng had only said he would consider it, a clear conversational tactic to end the interaction.
“I’ll wait for your answer,” the man had said.
Lu Xuefeng remained silent for a moment before gently shaking the rain off his umbrella, flicking away the droplets, then closing it.
Glancing down at his chest and shoulders, he noticed that because the wind hadn’t stopped, some rain had blown onto his clothes, slightly dampening his collar. Lu Xuefeng didn’t pay much attention, smoothing his clothes casually before walking towards the hospital elevators.
His grandmother always liked flowers, so he had bought a bouquet on his way, hoping to brighten the ward and lift her spirits.
Pushing open the ward door, Sister Xu was massaging his grandmother. Hearing the movement, she turned her head and said cheerfully, “Mr. Lu, you’re finished.”
Lu Xuefeng nodded, placing his umbrella aside. Seeing his grandmother’s eyes closed, he assumed she was asleep and didn’t make a sound to disturb her.
He first changed the water in the vase, gently arranging the fresh flowers.
Grandmother Deng Yuzhen wasn’t asleep. She had woken up when Xu Li spoke to Lu Xuefeng, and couldn’t help but turn her head to look at her grandson.
“Xuefeng.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Lu Xuefeng immediately turned around.
He sat beside his grandmother’s bed, holding her thin, slightly age-spotted hand. The usually indifferent expression on his face melted away, and he replied softly, “Grandma, did I disturb your rest?”
“No,” Grandma smiled, her wrinkles deepening. She looked more energetic than she had in the past two days, not as weak. “I rested this afternoon.”
It was rare for Grandma to be awake today. Usually, when Lu Xuefeng visited, she was mostly asleep.
With an IV drip in her other hand, Grandma couldn’t move easily. She wanted to sit up a bit to talk to her grandson. Lu Xuefeng and Sister Xu helped adjust the pillows and helped her sit up.
“Why did you buy flowers again?”
“Doesn’t Grandma like them?” Lu Xuefeng glanced at the bouquet. “Aren’t they pretty?”
“They’re pretty, very pretty,” Grandma quickly replied, then lowered her voice, clutching Lu Xuefeng’s hand tightly. “Let me look at you.”
After saying this, Grandma’s gaze remained fixed on Lu Xuefeng.
She knew that the time she had to quietly spend with her grandson wasn’t much, so she cherished every moment.
“My dear grandson is the most handsome.” she praised.
Lu Xuefeng smiled faintly, accustomed to such praise. He said to Sister Xu, “Let me do it.”
He took over the task of massaging her legs.
Sister Xu stepped aside, folding clothes and tidying the ward, finding things to occupy herself.
Having worked as a nurse in the hospital for so many years, she had seen all kinds of patients and their families. Lu Xuefeng appeared aloof, but he came almost every day, no matter how busy he was. He changed the flowers every five days and stayed until evening before going home.
She rarely saw such attentive family members, so she had a particularly good impression of Mr. Lu.
“Is it raining?”
Grandma noticed that Lu Xuefeng’s clothes were slightly damp and turned to look out the window. The rain was light, but it seemed to still be falling.
“Your clothes are wet,” she said.
“It’s just a drizzle, it’s fine.”
Lu Xuefeng replied, thinking that the dampness would soon dry and it wasn’t worth worrying about.
Xu Li went to close the window.
“After this rain, the temperature will probably drop again.”
It was an autumn rain, and if the temperature dropped further, it would be late autumn. Winter would soon arrive.
“Yes,” Grandma agreed. “You should wear more clothes so you don’t catch a cold.”
She looked at Lu Xuefeng, her heart filled with sadness. Remembering what Lu Xuefeng had said last time, she was still concerned and asked gently, “You said last time that you have someone you’re seriously dating, is that true?”
She always felt that Xuefeng had said that just to reassure her. Her grandson was emotionally reserved, rarely expressing his own feelings, and she didn’t even know if he had ever been in love.
Deng Yuzhen’s only wish was that after she was gone, Xuefeng would have someone to care for him, so he wouldn’t be alone.
He had grown up by her side, but in reality, he had been lonely for a long, long time.
She didn’t even know if he had ever truly been happy all these years.
Deng Yuzhen couldn’t bear it.
Lu Xuefeng lowered his eyes, avoiding his grandmother’s gaze. He replied, “It’s true.”
“Then… when will you bring him to meet me?”
“When the time is right, I’ll bring him,” Lu Xuefeng evaded, patting his grandmother’s hand reassuringly. “Before that, Grandma needs to get better first, so she can meet him.”
Deng Yuzhen smiled, her eyes gentle, going along with his words. “Then I must try my best.”
She understood her own condition. These words were just a wish. But today she was feeling well and wanted to know more about Xuefeng’s life, so she forced herself to stay alert and asked, “What kind of person is he?”
Lu Xuefeng didn’t hide things from his grandmother. Long ago, when his grandmother had misunderstood his relationship with a female friend, he had taken the initiative to confess his sexual orientation to her.
Grandma only had this one grandson. Even if it didn’t align with her beliefs, she was willing to try to understand and not be demanding.
Now, older and unwell, she had gradually come to terms with it. Whether male or female, as long as it was true love, having a companion by his side to care for each other was ultimately a good thing.
Hearing Grandma’s question, Lu Xuefeng was momentarily speechless, not sure how to describe him. But Song Muqing’s face suddenly flashed in his mind, along with his humble demeanor.
“A mature and reliable adult,” Lu Xuefeng summarized briefly, without revealing much information. “Grandma, don’t ask. You’ll be satisfied.”
“Alright, alright.”
Seeing that he didn’t want to talk about it, Grandma didn’t press further. Her grandson’s happiness was the most important thing.
Lu Xuefeng lowered his eyes and chatted with his grandmother for a while longer.
Before leaving, he went to consult with the attending physician about his grandmother’s current condition and what to look out for.
After leaving the doctor’s office, he relayed the information to Sister Xu.
Sister Xu was in her early forties, not talkative, and meticulous in her work. She would even write down things she couldn’t remember or didn’t quite understand in a small notebook. She was a simple, down-to-earth, and kind woman.
Lu Xuefeng felt at ease leaving his grandmother in her care.
While waiting for the elevator, he recalled the doctor’s words, still feeling uneasy.
His grandmother was in her early seventies. When Lu Xuefeng settled in Wu City after graduating, he had intended to bring her to live with him, but she had refused, unwilling to leave. She had finally agreed earlier in the year, and after just a few months of enjoying a better life, she had fallen ill at home. A check-up revealed a heart problem.
Only then did Lu Xuefeng learn that his grandmother had been unwell for several years, hiding it from him to avoid being a burden.
Fearing he would worry, Grandma always appeared optimistic, but Lu Xuefeng only felt guilty, which is why he wanted to fulfill her wish.
Alone in the descending elevator, Lu Xuefeng felt a few candies in his pocket.
He had received them when leaving, encountering a child from the next ward who was handing out snacks from a large bag. He had offered some to Lu Xuefeng, saying his mother wouldn’t let him eat them anymore because he was getting cavities.
The candies were hard.
Lu Xuefeng fiddled with them, suddenly remembering something else in his pocket.
It was the note Song Muqing had written, folded and tucked away.
The contact information hastily left at the coffee shop.
Lu Xuefeng unfolded it. The handwriting was strong and stylish, writing the three characters of Song Muqing’s name and his phone number.
There was also a small line of text –
“Looking forward to your call.”
It wasn’t particularly formal, but the meaning contained in these simple words made Lu Xuefeng feel that if he did call, it would be a very significant act.
It was special because someone was anticipating it.
Lu Xuefeng looked at it quietly, the corners of his lips subtly curving upwards.
Lu Xuefeng’s performance was scheduled for this evening.
Backstage at the Tingnan Theater, the performers were still nervously preparing, changing costumes and applying makeup, each busy with their own tasks.
Lu Xuefeng was among them, offering a few words of encouragement to the principal dancers.
They had devoted themselves to creation and rehearsal for days, all for this moment on stage, to present their most perfect selves.
Shortly before the performance began, he called his grandmother.
Unable to attend, she congratulated him, expressing her pride and joy.
There was a message from his friend Yin Xiaoyu in his phone, sent ten minutes ago, also wishing him a successful performance.
Lu Xuefeng casually replied with an emoji.
The other party immediately replied: “By the way, how did your blind date go?”
Yin Xiaoyu also studied dance and had known him since college. He was currently performing with a dance troupe out of town and wouldn’t be back for a while.
“Not well.”
Lu Xuefeng typed and sent the message.
Yin Xiaoyu sent several question marks in response: “Seems like you can’t do without me. Wait for me to come back and give you some advice.”
“We’ll see.”
Yin Xiaoyu was talkative, but Lu Xuefeng didn’t want to chat much at the moment. He mentioned that the performance was about to start.
Yin Xiaoyu told him to go ahead and get busy, and they ended the conversation.
A few hours later, the final scene finally concluded.
The performance was a resounding success.
The stage lights, bright as day, followed the dancers as they returned for their curtain call, bowing in gratitude.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Lu Xuefeng appeared last, bathed in the spotlight, creating a dreamlike scene. He stood at the center of the stage, his posture tall and straight, becoming the focal point for all the performers and audience members, giving the final curtain call for the production.
Afterwards, the dancers left the stage to change costumes and remove their makeup, and the audience gradually dispersed, leaving the vast theater stage empty.
Today’s performance had been a great success, but they were still holding a brief meeting in front of the audience seats to summarize and review.
Most of the talking was done by a few choreographers and Tuanzhang Jin Hong. Lu Xuefeng only added a few brief comments, encouraging everyone to maintain this state as they had another performance tomorrow afternoon and couldn’t afford to relax.
After the meeting, everyone was to go home and rest early.
Lu Xuefeng exited through the side door and saw a few seasoned fans holding flowers and cards, waiting there after the performance to congratulate him.
Lu Xuefeng accepted them, politely thanking them and signing autographs. He asked his assistant, Lan Xin, to take the flowers to the car.
These were familiar faces he had met before.
Lu Xuefeng’s social media accounts were verified, with a moderate number of followers. He rarely posted, but he read all the comments, and there were traces of their interactions under his posts.
Lu Xuefeng chatted with them for a while, answering their questions and briefly mentioning his upcoming work schedule and commercial performance dates.
The fans didn’t overstay their welcome, saying they looked forward to his next performance before leaving contentedly.
Lu Xuefeng answered a call from Jin Hong, who asked if he had left, saying a friend wanted to meet him.
Jin Hong had left earlier, and the restaurant where he was currently dining was some distance away.
Lu Xuefeng looked down, kicking at the small pebbles under his feet. After listening to him, he shifted his feet and started to say, “I…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
“What?” Jin Hong asked on the other end, “Are you coming or not?”
Looking at Song Muqing standing before him, Lu Xuefeng blinked slowly, maintaining his calm tone as he declined, “No, I want to go home and rest early.”
“Alright then.”
If he didn’t want to go, Jin Hong wouldn’t force him. Rest was more important, and there would be other opportunities to meet.
“Okay, I’ll hang up now.”
Lu Xuefeng ended the call and met Song Muqing’s gaze.
“Am I late?”
Song Muqing was holding a bouquet of flowers, standing before him.
The night breeze rustled his clothes and the strands of black hair that fell across his forehead.
“Congratulations on a successful performance.”
Song Muqing presented the flowers as a congratulatory gift.
The bouquet contained a variety of flowers, a type suitable for a theater performance, and was quite beautifully arranged.
Lu Xuefeng didn’t doubt that Song Muqing had chosen them himself.
He didn’t refuse. This was related to the performance, not anything else, and since Song Muqing had come specifically, there was even less reason to decline.
Lu Xuefeng reached out to accept them: “Thank you.”
He faced Song Muqing, surprised to see him here again.
“How… how did you get here?”
Song Muqing’s eyes crinkled with a smile, taking in Lu Xuefeng’s puzzled expression. Looking into his beautiful, aloof eyes, he countered, “Perhaps I’m also a fan of Director Lu?”
Lu Xuefeng clearly didn’t believe him and didn’t respond, continuing to look at the man in front of him.
Song Muqing finally admitted, “Actually, it’s because I didn’t receive a call, so I had to come see you myself.”
Just wanted to see him, that’s all.
