Chapter 81: Those Who Dislike Street Dance
After that day, Teng Hao became even more diligent in his studies and dance practice. Opportunities regained are often cherished all the more. It also seemed that from that day onward, a little shadow began following Teng Hao everywhere—Ren Yun Shen.
Every day after finishing her piano practice, Yun Shen would come to Teng Hao's house. At first, she always brought homemade desserts, using the excuse of letting everyone taste them. But as they grew closer, she no longer needed a reason to visit and would arrive empty-handed, simply appearing punctually each day to quietly watch them study or practice her calligraphy in the corner.
During breaks, Teng Hao would sometimes practice dancing in the study. The first time Yun Shen saw him perform breaking, she showed intense curiosity and great interest in street dance. Whenever Teng Hao executed a high-skill move, she never hid the admiration in her eyes. Her enthusiastic reactions flattered Teng Hao—he loved seeing her little mouth drop open in awe and the way she clapped vigorously. In those moments, he felt like an incredible hero.
The two of them, similar in age but one lively and the other serene, quickly became good friends.
Yun Shen, who was naturally wary of others due to her disability, trusted Teng Hao completely. Meanwhile, the usually carefree and childish Teng Hao displayed a protectiveness beyond his years when it came to her. He took great care of her, attentive and gentle in ways that surprised even himself.
Gradually, Ruan Yu also grew close to Yun Shen. They exchanged WeChat contacts, deepening their understanding of each other through messages.
The quiet, gentle girl, though unable to speak, had eyes that seemed to perceive everything with startling clarity.
One day, she suddenly asked Ruan Yu, "Sister Ruan, are you and Teng Yi together?"
Ruan Yu was startled—she had never shown any intimacy with Teng Yi in front of Yun Shen.
"Why do you ask?"
"I could tell." The girl's slender fingers danced swiftly across her phone screen. "When you look at each other, there are hearts in the air."
A string of pink heart emojis followed the message.
Ruan Yu laughed before openly admitting that she and Teng Yi were indeed dating.
Yun Shen's face filled with envy. "You two are so perfect together."
As she typed the words "perfect together," her gaze, soft and wistful like mist, lingered on the boy hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously.
The young girl's feelings were laid bare.
Teng Hao, as if sensing something, looked up.
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked.
Clueless and oblivious, his usual sharpness replaced by a dopey innocence.
Yun Shen shook her head with a smile and continued texting Ruan Yu as if nothing had happened.
A month later, Shen Bing resolved her project issues in the country and left abroad again. Without her watchful eye, Teng Hao became as free as a bird released from its cage. He no longer went home after school, heading straight to Xi You instead.
To keep up with Teng Hao, Yun Shen had Ren Tianhai's assistant find her a music studio on Dongyun Road. Though she had studied piano for years and surpassed most instructors in skill, she didn’t mind—she just wanted to walk home with Teng Hao after school.
The black Rolls-Royce parked outside Xi You, and the ethereally beautiful girl in its backseat, became a sight many remembered.
Yet she always remained hidden behind the tinted windows, never stepping out.The more mysterious something is, the more it piques curiosity.
Xiao Qing and the others often gossiped, referring to Ren Yun Shen as "Teng Hao's little fairy." Every time this happened, Teng Hao would always deny it.
"She's just a good friend of mine, giving me a ride because it's on her way. That's all."
That's all.
It was the girl's excuse, and the clueless boy believed it without question.
--?--
"Yun Shen seems to like Teng Hao."
Ruan Yu mentioned this to Teng Yi once. It wasn’t because she was gossipy or meddlesome—she was just a little worried about Yun Shen and Teng Hao. This worry was inexplicable yet deeply intense. She felt that as long as one remained silent and the other oblivious, things would be fine for now. But if even the slightest change occurred, breaking that fragile barrier, both of them might end up hurt.
Teng Yi didn’t offer an opinion. He had his own troubles lately and had no energy to spare on the antics of these two kids.
The Liaocheng New Year's Gala was approaching, and the organizing committee had requested all major universities in the city to submit a positive, uplifting performance. Teacher Tian Cheng was eager for Xi You to showcase street dance culture on stage, but another faculty member from the publicity office, Teacher Jiang Weiguo, adamantly opposed the idea.
Teacher Jiang Weiguo believed that Chinese culture and performing arts were profound and diverse—any one of them could easily grace the stage. The school shouldn’t prioritize foreign trends over their own heritage. Moreover, even abroad, street dance culture was considered underground and unsightly.
"Teacher Jiang, you’re biased against street dance," Tian Cheng said bluntly.
"So what if I am? Look at the chaos they caused during the school anniversary—it was pure sensationalism. Such an unrefined, non-traditional dance style shouldn’t represent our school. If you want to submit a dance performance, fine. Classical, modern, folk—we have plenty of mainstream options. Why take unnecessary risks?"
"Teacher Jiang, street dance is actually a very vibrant, free, and positive art form. The students’ reactions during the anniversary proved how popular it is," Tian Cheng argued. "It’s a dance style that anyone, regardless of age or gender, can learn and participate in—it’s truly inclusive. Although street dance hasn’t yet gained widespread acceptance in China, I believe that, given time, it will be embraced and loved. If our school takes the lead in this trend, wouldn’t that be amazing?"
"Amazing, amazing—stop judging everything by how 'amazing' it is. Xiao Tian, I know you’re close to that kid Teng Yi, and it’s understandable that you’d side with him. But as someone with more experience, let me remind you: the nail that sticks out gets hammered. Being unconventional isn’t necessarily wrong, but playing it safe is never wrong. This matter is settled. I’ll handle the selection process—you stay out of it."
With that, Teacher Jiang Weiguo delivered the final verdict, sealing the fate of Xi You and street dance.
This argument happened to be overheard by Zhou Xihe, and soon, Teacher Jiang’s words quietly spread among the members of Xi You Street Dance Club. They tried to keep it from Teng Yi, fearing he’d be upset, but in the end, the truth couldn’t be hidden.
Teng Yi was bothered, but not as heartbroken as one might expect.
Street dance was indeed born underground and had always lingered on the fringes. Over the years, he’d heard all kinds of rumors—harsher, uglier words than Teacher Jiang’s."What 'cheap art, bubble culture,' what 'trash like KFC and McDonald's,' what 'monkey shows,' what 'grassroots, decadent, villainous' and so on and so forth."
For those who dislike street dance, there are a thousand ways to express their disdain.
Of course, for those who love street dance, there are also a thousand ways to show their passion.
He believed that those silent convictions, those steadfast beliefs amidst criticism, would one day break through the soil and bloom into flowers that would astonish the world.
Teng Yi hoped to change Teacher Jiang Weiguo's opinion, but Cai Hong couldn't care less.
"They call us underground culture? Yeah, we are underground! That’s what makes us unique. We dance our own street dance—let him be unhappy if he wants. If someone doesn’t like it, are we supposed to force them to? What’s that saying again? A thousand people..." He patted Lin Shan on the shoulder.
"A thousand people see a thousand Hamlets," Lin Shan finished.
"Right, that’s the one." Cai Hong blinked. "Anyway, it’s just a variety show, not some professional competition. Maybe the old man just wants to see a bunch of colorful girls floating around on stage. Why should we bother?"
Teng Yi stayed silent, but everyone could tell he wanted to participate in this variety show. And for him, it seemed to be more than just a simple performance.
Ruan Yu noticed it too. After everyone else had left the practice room, she approached him.
"Why are you so set on participating?" she asked.
"Take a guess, top scorer," he replied with a vague smile under the lights.
"Don’t give me that. I still haven’t solved the last riddle you gave me, and this one’s clearly even harder—no way I’ll get it." She looped her arm through his. "I don’t want to be the top scorer today. I want you to just tell me the answer."
Teng Yi paused for a moment, as if searching for a way to explain it in terms she’d understand.
"Street dance has always been seen as underground culture, not just because of its origins, but also because of the values many dancers carry. A lot of them, like Cai Hong, think being underground is what makes them unique, that 'underground' is the purest form of street dance, so they reject mainstream stages. But... if we keep street dance hidden underground, how is that any different from isolationism or refusing to evolve?"
"You want to use this opportunity to bring street dance into the mainstream?"
"Bringing street dance from the underground to the mainstream isn’t something that can be done in one or two performances. It’s a long-term effort. Besides the charm of street dance itself and the dedication of its dancers, media exposure is just as crucial. I think this is the perfect opportunity to promote it."
Liaocheng’s New Year’s variety show would gather students from all the major universities in the city, as well as government officials and media outlets. If they could take that stage and leave a strong impression, it would open up more opportunities and gain greater social support for developing street dance culture in Liaocheng.
Listening to Teng Yi, Ruan Yu finally understood. What he cared about wasn’t some trivial short-term gain. He was playing a much bigger game—one that extended far beyond strategy and planning, with goals that reached even further."Teng Yi, what exactly are your ambitions for street dance?" Ruan Yu asked curiously.
Teng Yi laughed at her sudden seriousness.
"I wouldn't call it ambition, more like a dream."
"Then what is your dream?"
"When it comes to street dance, one of my dreams is to keep dancing myself. But more than that, I hope to break the prejudices people have and truly bring world street dance culture into China. I want more children to have the chance to learn street dance from a young age. At the same time, I want Chinese street dancers to step onto the global stage and show the world that foreigners aren’t the only ones who can dance well—Chinese dancers can bring just as much energy and style."
--?--
In the days that followed, Teng Yi’s words kept flashing through Ruan Yu’s mind.
She finally understood the purpose behind his founding of the West Journey Street Dance Training Company—everything was to fuel that ultimate dream of his. She was proud of him, but at the same time, she deeply felt the gap between them.
Ruan Yu considered herself a person with goals, but compared to Teng Yi, her aspirations seemed too small and insignificant.
Every day on her way to the broadcasting station, she passed by Teacher Jiang Weiguo’s office. Several times, she wanted to rush in and share her perspective as an outsider on street dance, as well as the vision and passion she saw in Teng Yi. But she feared being too impulsive might backfire.
In the end, that hesitant impulse never materialized. However, because of this deliberate attention, she discovered one of Teacher Jiang’s hobbies.
Teacher Jiang loved listening to Peking opera—especially Mei Lanfang’s performances.
Every noon when Ruan Yu walked by, she could hear the lilting melodies drifting from an old tape recorder. At first, she didn’t pay much attention, but gradually, a bold idea formed in her mind.
Since Xiao Qing, Cai Hong, and the others always claimed that street dance was a form of dance that could move to any kind of music, could they dance to Peking opera? If possible, this might be the perfect way to sway Teacher Jiang and change his views on street dance.
Ruan Yu shared this idea with Teng Yi.
The moment she mentioned it, Teng Yi had an epiphany.
"Top Scholar, you're brilliant!" He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Once this is settled, I’ll reward you!"
As usual, before she could ask what the reward was, he had already grabbed his laptop and disappeared into the practice room.
That evening, after tutoring Teng Hao, Teng Yi still hadn’t emerged. The practice room door remained tightly shut, and there was hardly any sound from inside.
Not wanting to disturb him, she left without saying goodbye and rode back to school with Ren Yunshen.
The next day, Teng Yi was still holed up in the practice room. By evening, Xiao Qing, Zhou Xihe, and the others had joined him—even Fang Wan showed up.
Ruan Yu didn’t know what kind of routine they were choreographing, but she could hear bursts of laughter from time to time.
That laughter carried a unique camaraderie, one that only street dancers could share—something outsiders couldn’t easily be part of.
Ruan Yu hesitated at the door for a long time, unsure whether she should enter.
Just then, the door suddenly swung open, and Fang Wan stepped out.
It was late autumn, and the temperature had dropped sharply, yet she was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Her long hair was tied up messily, but the disarray had its own kind of beauty.
Ruan Yu froze for a moment.Fang Wan glanced at her, then averted her gaze, humming a tune as she walked toward the restroom.
Ever since Teng Yi publicly announced his relationship with Ruan Yu in the group chat, Fang Wan had stopped popping up to speak and never showed up at Xiyou again. Her silence seemed like a form of silent protest.
This time, when Teng Yi was choreographing a dance and Cai Hong couldn’t participate, he needed another female dance partner. He specifically tagged Fang Wan in the group chat in front of everyone, asking if she was interested in joining.
Fang Wan took about two hours before she replied with deliberate nonchalance.
She said, "Yi, since you invited me, of course I’m willing."
And so, this moment of confrontation arrived, along with her haughty glare.
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