Chapter 113: Sin
Teng Yi stood up amidst a chorus of screams, rising so abruptly that he knocked over a water bottle placed beside his chair by the organizers. The bottle rolled twice before coming to a stop at Teng Hao's feet.
Teng Hao glanced at the bottle, then at Teng Yi, his expression tinged with concern.
"Bro..." he called out, but words failed him.
"I'm going out for a smoke." Teng Yi raised a hand and pressed it reassuringly against Teng Hao's shoulder, offering him a comforting look. "If I don't come back, buy whatever you want later."
Teng Hao nodded.
Teng Yi strode away, moving against the tide of cheers from the audience. He didn't look back at that woman again, even though she had never looked more beautiful than she did tonight.
Outside the venue, the lights blazed brightly, but the atmosphere was desolate.
The long red carpet was flanked only by the litter left behind by reporters, with no one lingering around anymore.
Teng Yi pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, stepping off the red carpet. He lit a cigarette, shielding the flame from the wind.
The music and screams from inside assaulted his eardrums, the noise in his head pressing down on his nerves. He chain-smoked several cigarettes, but the nicotine did nothing to ease the suffocating weight in his chest—if anything, it only made him feel worse.
Crushing the half-empty pack in his hand, he flung it into a trash can before getting into his car.
In the end, he decided to leave. He didn’t have the courage to go back—not just to witness her being surrounded by admirers confessing their feelings, but even to simply look at her.
Six years. She had grown so much, so brilliant.
And him? He was like that half-empty pack of cigarettes he’d just thrown away—seemingly still of some worth, but in reality, utterly worthless.
He didn’t deserve her anymore. Hadn’t for a long time.
All four car windows were rolled down, the night wind rushing through, battering his body, his face, his heart. Yet he felt no cold.
Rui Shu had remarked recently that his ability to perceive things was deteriorating. Yes, he felt it too—bit by bit, he was growing numb, slipping further into apathy.
He wouldn’t get better. Never again.
Teng Yi sped all the way to Nameless Bar.
The bar was packed at this hour, with no parking spots left. He didn’t care, leaving his car haphazardly in front of the entrance before storming inside and heading straight for the second floor.
Rui Shu happened to be helping out at the bar tonight. When he saw Teng Yi, dressed in a suit, barging in without a word, he thought he was seeing things.
"Teng Yi! Weren’t you supposed to be at the gala with Teng Hao? Why are you back?"
"..."
No answer.
Rui Shu wanted to follow him, but a demanding customer intercepted him.
Once upstairs, Teng Yi walked down the hallway and pushed open the tightly shut door at the end.
Darkness swallowed him whole as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, sealing himself in the deep, terrifying black.
He wasn’t sure when it had started, but he’d realized that darkness gave him a sense of security.
Only when there was nothing to see, when silence enveloped him, when he could hear the steady thud of his own heartbeat in his chest—only then did he feel alive.
How laughable.
His heartbeat had become the sole proof of his existence.
"I’m not dancing anymore."
A voice suddenly shattered the silence.
He flinched violently, and then the words looped endlessly in his ears like a curse.
"I’m not dancing anymore."
"I’m not dancing anymore."
"I’m not dancing anymore."
"..."
It was his own voice.
Teng Yi shut his eyes in agony, his hand hanging limply at his side. Then, with a quiet snap of his fingers, he let the darkness consume him once more.The sensor lights received the command and instantly illuminated, flooding the room with brightness.
This was a practice studio—an enormous one, its space nearly comparable to half of Xiyou. Surrounded by mirrors on all sides, Teng Yi stood on the vast wooden floor like a solitary figure stranded on the desolate surface of the moon, small and helpless.
"Bro."
Teng Hao's voice echoed from afar.
Teng Yi lifted his head and saw the mirror before him suddenly transform into a moving screen, replaying the scene of the young boy violently falling off the stage over and over.
"No!"
Teng Yi clutched his cheeks with both hands, darting around like a trapped beast. Yet every mirror reflected the same harrowing image—the nightmare replaying relentlessly, ensnaring him completely.
"No! No! No!"
In a frenzy, he charged forward, smashing his fists against the glass.
The glass shattered, and within the cracks, more scenes of the boy tumbling from the stage multiplied.
The cruel reality sneered coldly at him: "It's useless. You can't escape."
"No..."
The man, his hands covered in blood, slowly collapsed to the ground like a withered poppy, its sinful yet hopeful petals crumbling into dust.
Just before he lost consciousness, another voice reverberated in his ears.
"Teng Yi, you can stop loving me! But you can't give up on street dance! You can't!"
--?--
Ruan Yu was caught off guard by Luo Sheng's "surprise attack." The waves of screams around her left her flustered, but thankfully, Wei Liao reacted quickly, pulling her into the rhythm of the music to avoid an awkward scene.
Only when Luo Sheng and the others returned to the stage did Ruan Yu finally exhale in relief. But when she turned around again, Teng Yi's seat was empty.
He had disappeared somewhere, absent throughout the final auction segment. Despite this, Teng Hao, representing DT, still contributed the highest charitable donation of the night.
After the gala, Ruan Yu returned to the dressing room.
The makeup artist and a few staff members were huddled together, eagerly discussing the moment Luo Sheng had suddenly jumped offstage and flashed a heart at Ruan Yu.
"A dance confession—so romantic!"
"Ms. Ruan is so lucky! First, there was that mysterious person sending her flowers, and now Young Master Luo declaring his love in front of everyone. She’s practically the living embodiment of a Mary Sue."
"Let’s reserve a spot on the trending list!"
As Ruan Yu stepped inside, the staff fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into teasing cheers.
"Ms. Ruan, looks like wedding bells are ringing soon?"
"Come on, don’t jump to conclusions," Ruan Yu said, sitting down and massaging her throbbing temples. She stared at her reflection—flawless makeup but eyes devoid of light.
"Ms. Ruan, Luo Sheng has money, looks, and family status. Could there possibly be a better choice than him?"
Ruan Yu stayed silent.
Just then, her assistant Xiu Xiu rushed in.
"Ms. Ruan, Mr. Teng is looking for you."
"Mr. Teng?"
"Yeah."
"Which Mr. Teng?"
"Mr. Teng Hao."
Of course—it had to be Teng Hao. What was she expecting? The other Mr. Teng?
Hah. For that man to seek her out voluntarily, the sun would have to rise in the west.
Ruan Yu stood and walked out of the dressing room.
In the hallway, Teng Hao sat in his wheelchair, his back turned as he spoke on the phone. She approached and waited for him to hang up before lightly tapping his shoulder.
"What brings you here, tonight’s Philanthropist of the Evening?"Ruan Yu's tone was lighthearted, but when Teng Hao turned around, his expression was grave.
"What's wrong?" Ruan Yu sensed something was off.
"Top Scholar, can you come home with me?" Teng Hao frowned. "My brother fainted."
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