Chapter 103: In Truth, I Am a Lover of Peace!

Chapter 103: In Truth, I Am a Lover of Peace!

"Echo, your movements need to be bigger—faster, with greater range. Give off a feeling of brisk energy."

"Hepburn, you need to spin—spin—then spin again—"

Thud!

Zhang Hepburn was spun right off her feet by Tang Zhong’s endless spinning instructions and fell to the ground. She shouted, "Tang Zhong, you did that on purpose! You definitely did it on purpose! You deliberately made me fall!"

"I did not." Tang Zhong hurriedly stepped away from her. "That’s exactly how the movement is supposed to go. You fell because you didn’t do it right."

"Still trying to argue! I’ll bite you!" Zhang Hepburn jumped up and chased after Tang Zhong.

Lin Huiyin paid absolutely no attention to the commotion, walking straight to a nearby chair, opening a bottle of mineral water, and taking a drink.

Bai Su walked over carrying a plate of washed fruit. She looked at the two people chasing each other across the room and shook her head helplessly. "They’re at it again?"

Lin Huiyin didn’t answer; she found the question far too trivial.

"They’re just like children," Bai Su said, already used to Lin Huiyin’s aloofness. She placed the fruit plate in front of Lin Huiyin. "Have some fruit. There are grapes you like—"

Lin Huiyin picked up a grape with a toothpick and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Huiyin, the event starts tomorrow. How do you feel about the progress of your dance practice?" Bai Su asked.

"It’s all right," replied Lin Huiyin.

"From an outsider’s perspective, I think it’s quite good. What worries me is that Tang Zhong has no experience performing in public. I’m afraid he’ll get nervous—or forget the moves. Or worse, cause a scene." Bai Su continued, "The city government and the TV station are taking this anniversary event very seriously and have invited many celebrities. What if Tang Zhong runs into someone who used to know Tang Xin?"

Lin Huiyin frowned. She didn’t want to dwell on all these complications; she just wanted to sing. Yet things had become far more convoluted than she’d ever imagined.

"All right, all right," Bai Su waved her hand. "I’m not telling you this to trouble you as well. I’m just a little nervous and needed to voice my worries—but it’s not like there’s no solution. We’re the opening act, right? We’ll time our arrival so that we get there just before the performance. That way, we avoid interacting with other artists. As soon as you finish, I’ll take Tang Zhong away immediately. You and Hepburn can stay for the TV station’s banquet. If anyone asks, just say Tang Xin twisted her ankle during the dance and had to leave for treatment."

"All right," Lin Huiyin nodded.

"There’s nothing else we can do. We can only hope Tang Xin returns soon," Bai Su added.

Lin Huiyin looked at Bai Su, as if to ask when Tang Xin might be back.

"Don’t ask me. I don’t know. Even though we sent her away under the company’s name—" Bai Su caught herself before she said too much, quickly changing the subject and calling out, "You two, come have some fruit."

Tang Zhong quickly came over and asked Bai Su, "We’re performing tomorrow, right?"

Since returning from Jade Maiden Peak, Tang Zhong had said goodbye to Hua Ming, Liang Tao, and the others, saying he had some things to take care of, then came straight to the Violet Garden Villa.

These days, he’d been practicing the dance every day in this room with Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn. As their coordination improved, so did their animosity.

The main conflict was between Tang Zhong and Zhang Hepburn; as for Lin Huiyin, no one could manage to pick a fight with her even if they tried.

Tang Zhong and Zhang Hepburn were natural adversaries. They argued over almost every sentence; chasing, bickering, and roughhousing had become daily occurrences.

Fortunately, Zhang Hepburn was quite professional. No matter how many grievances she had with Tang Zhong, she would still listen to his direction during rehearsal. However, whenever she followed his advice and something went wrong—such as spinning herself to the floor just now—she was convinced Tang Zhong was deliberately getting back at her. Their relationship had fallen into a vicious cycle.

"Yes. Are you nervous?" Bai Su asked with a smile.

"Nothing to be nervous about—ah—" Before Tang Zhong could finish, he cried out in pain.

Zhang Hepburn had bitten his arm hard, finally satisfied, and sat down to eat fruit. As she ate, she praised Bai Su, "Aunt Bai, the fruit you washed is so delicious! It’s just amazing!"

Bai Su looked helplessly at this little rascal. "Hepburn, stop bullying Tang Zhong."

Zhang Hepburn widened her eyes, feigning deep injustice. "Aunt Bai, what do you mean I’m bullying him? He bullies me, okay? Didn’t you see him making me spin until I fell? He just wanted to see me make a fool of myself—biting him was merciful. If he dares tease me again, I’ll bite his—"

She popped a piece of watermelon in her mouth, chewing until red juice stained her lips, and said, "Little brother."

"------"

Bai Su thought to herself, from now on, Zhang Hepburn should really be kept out of serious discussions.

This girl was too unruly—just listening to her made one blush.

"You’re not even afraid of getting dirty," Tang Zhong said.

"Tch. I’m not eating it myself," Zhang Hepburn sneered. "I’ll have it washed, chopped, cooked, and then feed it to my Spider-Man."

Spider-Man was the dog Zhang Hepburn owned, and her attitude toward it was the complete opposite of how Hua Ming treated his rabbit. She’d purposely throw the frisbee far away for Spider-Man to fetch, kick her slippers into the sofa for the dog to retrieve, or toss Tang Zhong’s shoes outside for Spider-Man to chase—only for the dog to collapse after returning them, overwhelmed by the smell.

Now, she was threatening to feed Tang Zhong’s "little brother" to Spider-Man.

A woman’s heart is the most venomous.

Bang, bang—

Bai Su clapped her hands on the table. "Enough. Let’s talk about something serious."

Zhang Hepburn snorted but finally fell silent.

Bai Su looked at Tang Zhong, saying, "I was just telling Huiyin that I’m worried you have no performance experience and might get nervous on stage. If that happens and you forget your moves, don’t panic. Just dance at your own pace. Pick it up again where you’re comfortable. Since we’ve adapted the choreography, no one can say for sure you’ve made a mistake. Just don’t stop moving or look around—those are mistakes many beginners make."

"I understand," Tang Zhong nodded.

"Tomorrow is a grand occasion. I’ve seen the program list—Pearl TV has invited us to open the show, and over seventy celebrities will be appearing. Many of them are people Tang Xin used to know."

Tang Zhong’s brows knitted. "What if they come over to greet us?"

"That’s why we have to avoid that possibility," Bai Su replied. "My plan is to time our arrival precisely. The event starts at eight sharp; we’ll arrive at the TV station at seven thirty. With only half an hour, we’ll keep a low profile. Since you’re dancing the opening act, I doubt anyone will bother you."

Tang Zhong looked at Bai Su with admiration. "You’ve got everything arranged. All I have to do is dance."

"Yes. Just relax. I’ll take care of everything," Bai Su reassured him.

"I’m really not nervous," Tang Zhong said, smiling.

Bai Su shook her head. "Some people rehearse brilliantly backstage, but once they step on stage, their voices vanish—performing onstage is a whole different world. You’ll understand once you experience it."

"Exactly! The first time I performed, I couldn’t even speak. Even Huiyin forgot her lyrics. When Tang Xin forgot her lines and sang off-key, she cried afterward—so why aren’t you nervous?" Zhang Hepburn said, munching on an apple.

"-----" Tang Zhong was speechless.

Outstanding people always attract enemies on all sides. Why are you different from everyone else?

"There’s nothing shameful about it," Bai Su said. "If you get nervous, just do as I suggested. My real concern is something else—"

"What is it?" Tang Zhong asked, puzzled.

"This time... you’re not going to get into a fight, are you?" Bai Su’s tone was serious.

"-----"

The first time he represented the company at an event, he’d injured a fan. The second time at a banquet, he’d beaten up the son of a major business partner. The third time, during an advertisement shoot, he’d fought with the vice president’s son—

Bai Su was truly afraid he’d end up ruining the TV station’s anniversary gala.

"You probably won’t believe me," Tang Zhong said, "but in truth, I am a lover of peace."

"I really can’t believe that," Bai Su replied.

"Hehe, I don’t buy it either," Zhang Hepburn chimed in.

"What are you all talking about—believe or not believe?" A-Ken entered, carrying a bag, smiling broadly.

"Tang Zhong said the world will end next year. He wanted to know if we believe it," Zhang Hepburn joked.

"Oh my gosh, really? We’d better get ready then," A-Ken said, feigning panic.

"------"

"See? I told you, no matter what Tang Zhong says, A-Ken will believe him," Zhang Hepburn laughed.

"Ugh, you’re terrible," A-Ken huffed, realizing he’d been tricked. "If I’d known, I wouldn’t have ordered you such a beautiful outfit. Mean!"

"All right, all right," Bai Su stood up, taking the bag from A-Ken. "Everyone, try on your costumes and see if they fit. You’ll be wearing these for the performance tomorrow. If there are any issues, we need to send them back for urgent alterations."

For some reason, Bai Su couldn’t shake the vague sense that she was forgetting something important.