Chapter 84: "Farewell My Concubine"
Teng Yi had watched Ruan Yu get out of the car, but by the time he finished his phone call and looked up again, she had already disappeared. He glanced outside, about to step out to look for her, when suddenly the passenger door was pulled open.
Ruan Yu stumbled in, one hand holding a roasted sweet potato and the other shielding something.
"Hurry, hurry!"
As she moved her hand, Teng Yi saw a birthday candle stuck right into the sweet potato.
"Quick, blow out the candle and make a wish!" Ruan Yu urged, her expression utterly sincere.
Teng Yi burst out laughing at her unexpected move.
"Top Scholar, I'm impressed!"
"Come on!" Ruan Yu pointed at the mostly burned-down candle. "If you don't blow it out now, it'll be too late!"
"Alright, alright."
Teng Yi played along, making a wish and blowing out the candle. This long-forgotten ritual suddenly felt incredibly amusing to him.
"Done? Three wishes," she said, like a teacher checking homework.
He nodded.
"Good, now eat the sweet potato." She pulled out the candle, broke the sweet potato in half, handed one piece to him, and kept the other for herself.
The warm, caramelized aroma filled the car.
Teng Yi took his half and asked, "Where did you get the candle?"
"Borrowed it."
"Borrowed?" He was surprised.
On this chilly autumn night, where could she have borrowed a birthday candle?
"I found a child who shares your birthday and borrowed it from her." Ruan Yu pointed at the sweet potato stall nearby. "That little girl over there."
At the stall, the mother and daughter were sharing a small cake.
Their happy, content smiles seemed like a triumphant flag raised against the bleakness of life.
Ruan Yu remembered how, when she had approached the girl to wish her a happy birthday, she noticed the child had a cleft lip. Though shy and hesitant, the girl had been very kind. When Ruan Yu asked if she could borrow a candle for a brother who was also celebrating his birthday today, the little girl had agreed with a smile.
That smile was like it had been kissed by an angel.
The sweet potato was exceptionally sweet.
After finishing his half, Teng Yi pushed the door open and got out.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ruan Yu asked.
"You borrowed something—of course we have to return it."
With that, he strode toward the mother and daughter at the sweet potato stall. They had just finished their cake and were cleaning up when they saw Teng Yi, with his dreadlocks, approaching. Their expressions turned wary at first.
But when Teng Yi explained his purpose, they immediately smiled.
He extended his hand to the little girl—for the serendipity of sharing a birthday, and for the candle that had filled a gap of many years.
Sitting in the car, Ruan Yu quietly watched the tall young man, observing both his stature and his kindness.
Perhaps both he and that little girl had come into this world blessed by angels.
A short while later, Teng Yi returned, carrying a full bag of roasted sweet potatoes.
Behind him, the mother and daughter were happily packing up their stall.
"Did you buy all of them?" Ruan Yu asked.
"Yeah."
"Can we even finish all these?"
"They'll have to, whether they can or not."
"They?"
As soon as Ruan Yu spoke, a slightly delayed group message popped up on her phone.
It turned out Teng Yi had already notified the group earlier.
A chorus of groans followed.
They had already stuffed themselves with buffet food at the karaoke place, and now they were expected to swallow a roasted sweet potato too? This was torture.
But no one dared to refuse—after all, Teng Yi was the birthday boy.
--?--The day after Teng Yi's birthday, he went to see Professor Jiang Weiguo, hoping he would give Xi You another chance to review their newly rehearsed performance. But Jiang Weiguo outright refused him.
Jiang Weiguo made it clear that he had already finalized the competition entries, and even if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have chosen street dance.
This directly infuriated Teng Yi. Even his good upbringing couldn’t suppress the anger boiling inside him, and he ended up arguing with Jiang Weiguo in the office.
Throughout the argument, Jiang Weiguo stubbornly clung to the point that street dance was a foreign cultural import. No matter how Teng Yi tried to explain, the professor remained obstinate and unreceptive.
"Professor Jiang, I don’t understand why you look down on street dance so much. If it’s simply because it’s a foreign cultural element, then forgive me for saying this, but your perspective is far too narrow. Introducing outstanding foreign cultures doesn’t mean trampling on our own traditions. Do we really lack that much national confidence?"
With those words, Teng Yi turned and left Jiang Weiguo’s office.
The argument ended without resolution or a clear winner—both were left seething with anger.
Ruan Yu only found out about the incident in the afternoon.
She messaged Teng Yi, asking where he was. He replied: The rooftop.
After finishing her broadcast at the radio station, Ruan Yu hurried to the rooftop.
The space was open and empty. Teng Yi lay alone on a concrete ledge, his arm draped over his forehead, shielding half his face from the sun. He looked like he had been there for a long time.
Ruan Yu walked over and sat beside him.
Hearing the sound, Teng Yi opened his eyes. Seeing it was her, he didn’t speak—just reached out, pulled her closer, and rested the back of his head on her lap.
Ruan Yu raised a hand and gently rubbed his cheek.
"Are you okay?"
He shook his head.
"Do you want me to talk with you?"
Again, he shook his head and closed his eyes.
Ruan Yu understood. She didn’t say anything more.
Words of comfort or indignation—he had probably heard them all morning until they lost meaning. Right now, he just needed someone to be there with him.
The two sat in silent closeness.
The autumn day was quiet, the only sound the rustling of falling leaves. The breeze carried the faint fragrance of her, and slowly, his agitation subsided.
After about half an hour, he opened his eyes.
"I told you not to talk, and you really didn’t say a word?" He gave her a faint smile.
Even in a bad mood, he was still smiling at her.
It made Ruan Yu’s heart ache even more.
"What are you going to do about Professor Jiang?"
He exhaled deeply. "What else can I do? Keep shamelessly pestering him, I guess."
"But don’t push it too far," Ruan Yu said. "Convincing him would be the best outcome. A head-on clash won’t do you any good."
Teng Yi nodded.
"Was the argument really bad?" Campus gossip was already spreading like wildfire, claiming Teng Yi had physically fought with Jiang Weiguo in his office.
"Not as exaggerated as what you’ve heard."
Though he had been furious at the time, he had still kept himself in check, leaving room in his words so things wouldn’t become irreparable.
"That’s good." Her fingers played with his dreadlocks. "I think I finally understand why you named the street dance club ‘Xi You.’"
"Why?"
"In Journey to the West , the four pilgrims traveled to the Western Heaven to retrieve the scriptures, enduring eighty-one trials. For you guys, bringing foreign street dance culture to China is like that journey—you have to overcome countless hardships."Teng Yi raised his hand and pressed down on Ruan Yu’s neck from behind, pulling her downward.
Ruan Yu was forced to bend over, her lips meeting his.
“Mmph! What are you doing?” She quickly pulled away.
Teng Yi chuckled and kissed the back of her hand instead.
“Little Fish, you really are my soulmate.”
No one had ever truly guessed the meaning behind the name “Xi You”—she was the first.
Though frustrated, Teng Yi didn’t give up.
He thought, if he couldn’t persuade Jiang Weiguo with words, he’d take action instead.
Three days later, with Tian Cheng’s help, he pinpointed Jiang Weiguo’s usual time off work. Gathering Xiao Qing, Zhou Xihe, and the others, he intercepted Jiang Weiguo at the propaganda office, where the five of them performed their newly choreographed street dance right in the lobby.
It was set to Jiang Weiguo’s favorite Peking opera. The moment the prelude played, his irritation melted away, even moved by Teng Yi’s thoughtfulness.
Before arriving, Teng Yi had instructed them to treat the propaganda office lobby as their most important stage yet. The boys and Fang Wan took it seriously, dancing with more focus than ever.
Jiang Weiguo was captivated from the very beginning.
Teng Yi completely reshaped his understanding—who knew Peking opera, pop music, and street dance could blend so seamlessly with the right arrangement?
When the performance ended, Jiang Weiguo naturally began to applaud.
His clapping eased the tension, though Teng Yi still felt awkward facing him after their argument.
Luckily, Tian Cheng stepped in just in time.
“Teacher Jiang, didn’t I tell you Teng Yi would surprise you?” Tian Cheng hooked one arm around Jiang Weiguo’s and slung the other over Teng Yi’s shoulder, pulling them closer. Then, nodding approvingly, he shot an encouraging look at Xiao Qing and the others.
“It was good, but I’ve already chosen the performance piece,” Jiang Weiguo said.
“What is it?” Zhou Xihe asked.
“Guqin.”
“Come on, Teacher Jiang. Every year it’s either guqin or erhu—don’t the leaders and judges at the cultural festival deserve something fresh?” Xiao Qing blurted out.
“Xiao Qing!” Teng Yi shot him a warning look.
Xiao Qing obediently shut his mouth.
“Teacher Jiang, we meant no harm. I’m also sorry for arguing with you earlier, but I hope that after seeing our performance, you’ll give us—and street dance—a chance,” Teng Yi said earnestly. “Though street dance originated abroad, you just witnessed how we can infuse tradition into it and create something uniquely Chinese.”
Jiang Weiguo still seemed hesitant.
Tian Cheng waved a hand. “Come on, let’s take Teacher Jiang to your base.”
“Base? What base?” Jiang Weiguo had no idea about Teng Yi’s off-campus studio.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
The group moved in a lively procession from the school to Teng Yi’s street dance training company. Jiang Weiguo and Tian Cheng rode in Teng Yi’s car, with Tian Cheng enthusiastically explaining the ins and outs of street dance and its future prospects—playing the perfect advocate. As Teng Yi drove, the words sounded increasingly familiar. They were all things he had once told Tian Cheng, who had polished and delivered them convincingly.
Jiang Weiguo didn’t fully grasp everything, but it was clear—his prejudice against street dance was slowly fading.When they arrived at the West Journey Street Dance Training Company, Teng Yi led the two teachers on a tour of the facility, briefly explaining the company's current preparations and future development plans.
As they reached the second floor, the sound of music drifted from the practice room.
Teng Yi pushed open the slightly ajar door, and both Jiang Weiguo and Tian Cheng peered inside.
Inside, a young man was practicing street dance to the music.
In the late autumn, nearing winter, some people outside were already wearing down jackets, but this young man was clad only in a T-shirt, his back visibly damp with sweat.
Jiang Weiguo was immediately struck with a sense of respect.
He hadn’t expected that the street dance he considered unrefined and the rebellious kids he dismissed were quietly painting their dreams with diligence and dedication.
--?--
"Han Zuo?" Tian Cheng suddenly recognized the dancing young man.
Hearing his name, the young man turned around.
"Brother Tian, Teacher Jiang." Han Zuo jogged over to them.
Jiang Weiguo recognized him too—he was Cai Zhi’s nephew. They had met and chatted during a barbecue at Cai Zhi’s place before. He remembered him as a determined and resilient young man.
"You rascal, already tagging along with Teng Yi so soon!" Tian Cheng patted Han Zuo’s shoulder. "You’ve got me to thank for that, right? Otherwise, how would you have found your crew so fast?"
"Yeah, yeah, thanks a lot, Brother Tian." Han Zuo grinned.
"Aren’t you a student at Hongshang University?" Jiang Weiguo asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Teacher Jiang, dance knows no borders, let alone university boundaries."
"Right, right! Well said!" Jiang Weiguo nodded repeatedly, impressed.
"Since we’re talking about Hongshang University, why don’t we ask Han Zuo—what’s your school planning for the New Year’s gala performance?" Tian Cheng seized the chance to gather intel.
"Not sure," Han Zuo shrugged. "Heard it might be a guzheng performance."
Jiang Weiguo: "…"
Teng Yi led them further inside. In the adjacent practice room, Cai Hong was also drenched in sweat. He was even more extreme than Han Zuo, wearing just a sleeveless shirt that revealed the elaborate tattoo sleeve on his left arm, flaunting it boldly.
Jiang Weiguo frowned the moment he saw Cai Hong’s tattoo.
Teng Yi shot Cai Hong a look, and the latter hurriedly pulled on a tracksuit, zipping it all the way up with a sharp "zip," covering both his tattooed arm and the silver chain around his neck.
Jiang Weiguo stared at Cai Hong, about to say something, when laughter erupted from downstairs.
It was Xiao Qing and the others. They had taken a taxi and arrived a few minutes late.
"Teacher Jiang, finished the tour?" Zhou Xihe asked.
"Pretty much."
"Then come grab some skewers with us?"
"No, no, I should get going," Jiang Weiguo declined.
"Come on, Teacher Jiang," Teng Yi gestured toward the skewer joint across the street. "It’s right over there, not far."
Jiang Weiguo hesitated. What would it look like, sitting down for skewers with these kids?
"Let’s go, Teacher Jiang," Tian Cheng, who had come along, egged him on. "You’re already here—might as well make Teng here treat us!"
Teng Yi smiled and nodded. "Teacher Jiang, no need to stand on ceremony. Look at Teacher Tian—he never holds back with me."
"Ha ha ha ha…"
Xiao Qing and the others swarmed around, half-dragging the reluctant Jiang Weiguo to the skewer place across the street.
The owner gave them the largest table. Jiang Weiguo sat beside Teng Yi. At first, he felt a bit out of place, but gradually, he loosened up."Professor Jiang, have a drink," Tian Cheng suggested.
"No, no, I don't drink."
Eating skewers was one thing, but drinking too? That would be even more inappropriate!
"Stop pretending. Aren't you known as the 'Drinking Immortal of Yangshan'?" Tian Cheng was determined to pull Jiang Weiguo into their group. "Come on, come on, bring Professor Jiang some liquor. He likes Erguotou."
Teng Yi immediately made arrangements.
Jiang Weiguo had already boarded the "pirate ship," and once alcohol was involved, there was no way out.
Teng Yi kept refilling his glass, and he kept downing them one after another. His face quickly turned red, and his words grew increasingly loose.
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