Chapter 86 Gentleman
Ruan Yu suddenly wondered if she had made a mistake coming here.
"Ruan Ruan." Chen Manbai gently covered the back of her hand. "Just let these words go in one ear and out the other. If you take them seriously, you lose."
Ruan Yu nodded.
"I’m going backstage to see him," she said to Chen Manbai.
"Mm, go ahead."
Ruan Yu stood up, walked through the aisle, leaving the gossip behind as she quickly made her way backstage.
The host continued announcing on stage—the next performance was a folk dance by Qing University. Several girls in light blue dresses shivered while waiting backstage, yet they chattered excitedly about Teng Yi.
"Oh my god, he’s even hotter than the rumors say! Those dreadlocks with the Tang suit—so edgy!"
"Let’s ask for a photo after we’re done!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
From the backstage lounge, waves of laughter and chatter spilled out—all unfamiliar voices.
Ruan Yu had originally planned to text Teng Yi, call him out, and surprise him alone. But that mood had long since soured. Now, she just wanted to see him—just see him, then leave.
She pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door.
The lounge was crowded—performers who had finished and those yet to go on were all gathered inside.
Xiao Qing and the others sat by the window playing games—just the three of them. Fang Wan and Teng Yi weren’t there.
Lin Shan noticed her first. He nudged Xiao Qing with his elbow, and Xiao Qing followed his gaze.
"Hey, Ruan Yu. What are you doing here? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?"
"I’m looking for Teng Yi. Where is he?"
"He—" Xiao Qing was about to answer when Zhou Xihe elbowed him from the other side.
"He went to the restroom," Zhou Xihe said.
Ruan Yu didn’t respond.
The way they kept elbowing each other told her something was off.
"Yeah, yeah, he went to the restroom. Come sit and wait for him," Xiao Qing waved her over.
"No need. It’s nothing urgent—I just came to check in." Ruan Yu smiled at the three of them. "You guys were amazing today. I’ll head out now."
"Hey—" Xiao Qing tried to stop her, but Zhou Xihe elbowed him again.
Ruan Yu pretended not to notice and turned to leave.
She really wanted to walk away—pretend she had never come. But just as she stepped out of the auditorium, she ran into the two of them.
Fang Wan and Teng Yi.
They sat on the steps outside the auditorium, shoulder to shoulder, neither speaking—just sitting there in silence. From behind, they looked like statues.
Ruan Yu didn’t know whether to step forward or retreat.
The lively night turned into a blur of confusion in that moment.
Someone rushed out from behind, nearly bumping into her. She instinctively stepped back, hiding behind a pillar. Those few steps turned her into a voyeur. She knew she shouldn’t stay, but an inexplicable force rooted her in place.
Silence.
The applause from inside the auditorium made the quiet outside even more oppressive.
After a while, Fang Wan finally spoke.
"Is it my fault for just wanting to stay by your side?" Her voice trembled with restrained tears.
Teng Yi remained silent.
"Yi, you know how I feel. I like you—I really, really like you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have joined the West Journey Dance Crew in the first place."
Still, Teng Yi said nothing.
Fang Wan began to sob quietly.
"These past two years, I’ve been the one fighting alongside you—on stage and off. We’re the ones who belong together...""I have a girlfriend."
A single sentence shattered all wishful delusions.
And brought peace back to another restless heart.
Ruan Yu turned around almost immediately to leave.
Teng Yi's uprightness and resolve made her feel ashamed, giving her no reason to stay any longer.
Fang Wan sniffled, the cold air seeping into her lungs, a wave of emptiness rising in response.
"I know."
"If you know, then rein it in. Not just what you said earlier, but in every way. If a girl values herself, she’ll naturally keep her distance from a guy who already has a girlfriend. That’s respect—for others, and more importantly, for yourself."
Teng Yi hadn’t wanted to be so blunt initially. He had his own sense of courtesy toward women. But Fang Wan, always waving the flag of their supposed closeness, had deliberately or inadvertently created scenes of intimacy between them in front of others. Earlier, on stage, she had clung to him despite his repeated reminders to let go—crossing his bottom line.
That was why this confrontation and laying out of truths had become necessary.
He hadn’t pushed her away on stage because he wanted to spare her dignity in public. But now, if he continued to prioritize her pride over correcting her behavior, he’d only be doing her a disservice.
"Do you hate me?" Fang Wan asked.
"No."
"Then isn’t that enough?"
In Fang Wan’s eyes, as long as there was no initial dislike between a man and a woman, anything was possible. Feelings could always be nurtured. And when it came to emotional foundations, she was absolutely certain she surpassed Ruan Yu.
After all, she and Teng Yi had known each other for so long. They had rehearsed together, competed together, shared countless memories.
She was confident.
"Yi, I don’t believe you feel nothing for me." Fang Wan grabbed his arm, swaying it gently. "I can wait for you."
Teng Yi pushed her away.
"Wait for what?"
"For you to break up."
Her beautiful face seemed laced with poison.
Teng Yi abruptly stood up.
He hadn’t expected Fang Wan to calmly say such a thing to his face.
"Fang Wan, from the day you joined West Journey, to me, you’ve been the same as Xiao Qing and the others—a friend and a teammate. If you truly love street dance and stay in West Journey for that, then you’re welcome to remain. But if you’re staying for me, don’t waste your time. There’s no possibility between us."
Fang Wan lifted her chin, glaring at Teng Yi, her entire body trembling.
"Are you trying to kick me out?"
"I don’t want to waste your time, nor do I want to cause trouble for my girlfriend."
"What’s so great about her?" Fang Wan grew agitated. "Is her family rich? Is she pretty? Can she dance? Can she help you achieve your dreams? You’re just being led by hormones right now. In the long run, she’s not good enough for you."
"Fang Wan!" Teng Yi’s voice turned icy. "My girlfriend is not for you to judge."
"You’re admitting it then—that she’s inferior to me in every way I mentioned!"
"Even if she were inferior to you, in my heart, no one compares to her. And I know her—no matter how tough things get, she would never maliciously badmouth others behind their backs like you do. That’s the biggest difference between her and you."
Tears streamed down Fang Wan’s face.
Teng Yi’s words were like slaps to her face, filling her with both fury and shame.Liking someone to the point where your thoughts and conduct sink into the dust should come to an end. A distorted affection is like a tumor—it will gradually worsen, stealing away things more precious than life itself.
"Think carefully about what I just said." Teng Yi restrained his anger. As Ruan Yu's boyfriend, he should have turned and walked away immediately. But as the leader of Xi You, he still needed to preserve some final dignity between them. "If you want to dance, then focus wholeheartedly on dancing. If you don't wish to stay any longer, let's part on good terms."
--?--
In the end, Fang Wan chose to leave Xi You.
From the moment Teng Yi asked her to reconsider, she had already made her decision. Her pride couldn't bear his rejection, and she understood that this so-called "consideration" was merely Teng Yi giving her an out—he likely wanted her gone anyway. It didn't matter. She wasn't truly that passionate about street dance to begin with. Compared to spending time on tedious, grueling training, she much preferred shopping, manicures, and hairstyling. Had it not been for her love-at-first-sight crush on Teng Yi during freshman club recruitment, she would never have joined Xi You in the first place.
At the New Year's performance, the street dance team unsurprisingly took first place. Teng Yi divided the prize money equally among all members, including Fang Wan's share. After collecting her portion, Fang Wan never showed up again.
The boys of Xi You Street Dance Club weren't particularly surprised by Fang Wan's departure, though they did feel some regret. They knew her too well. As the sole female in the group, she had only two purposes for being in Xi You: Teng Yi, and the vanity of being surrounded by all the male members.
Ruan Yu's appearance completely shattered her fantasy paradise. Her leaving was only a matter of time.
Teng Yi never mentioned Fang Wan's confession to Ruan Yu—as if it wasn't even worth bringing up. Since he didn't speak of it, Ruan Yu naturally didn't ask. She knew that no matter how outsiders judged her or their relationship, she could trust him completely, in every aspect.
The new year began with this steadfast certainty.
Xi You's first-place victory at the New Year's performance made Teacher Jiang Weiguo especially happy. During the holiday break, he made a special trip to Xi You's base and treated everyone to skewers again.
Teacher Jiang said that not only him, but professors from various universities and even leaders from Liaocheng's publicity department had gained a completely new understanding of street dance through Xi You's adapted performance. Everyone hoped for more opportunities to experience and learn about street dance in the future.
These words made Teng Yi's eyes sting.
Street dance was like the unruly bad kid in society's eyes. Finally, through his efforts, this child's shining qualities were gradually being seen and accepted.
He didn't think himself remarkable—he was simply, genuinely happy.
And when Teng Yi was happy, he drank too much.
He actually had great alcohol tolerance, but caught up in the celebratory atmosphere, he became intoxicated by the mood rather than the liquor.
After Teacher Jiang left, everyone dispersed. Ruan Yu took a taxi to send the drunk Teng Yi home. The entire ride, he remained dazed, clinging to her stubbornly. The taxi driver kept glancing back with a look that clearly said, "Speak up if you need help, young lady."
Understandable.
Late night. Dreadlocks. Dead drunk. And acting like some brute forcing himself on a girl—he didn't exactly look like upstanding company.After being scrutinized countless times, Ruan Yu could only offer a bitter smile and explain, "Sir, this is my boyfriend. He's a good man, a really good man."
The taxi arrived at Huafu Community, and Ruan Yu called Teng Hao to come down and help carry someone.
Teng Hao had already showered and changed into pajamas. Switching from warm blanket mode to chilly wind mode, he immediately started shivering like a leaf.
"My god, it's freezing!" His gaze fell on Teng Yi in the backseat. "My god, how is he this drunk?!"
Together, they hauled Teng Yi upstairs.
Even as he collapsed, Teng Yi clung to Ruan Yu's hand, murmuring "Little Fish" repeatedly.
Seeing this, Teng Hao obediently said, "Sis-in-law, I'm going to bed now. Please take care of my brother."
Before leaving, he cheekily closed the door with a grin.
--?--
Seizing the moment when Teng Yi loosened his grip, Ruan Yu tucked him under the covers.
He lay completely still, only his eyebrows occasionally furrowing and relaxing.
"Are you feeling sick?" Ruan Yu propped herself on the edge of the bed with one hand while gently shaking him with the other. "Do you want some water?"
Teng Yi opened his eyes, his pupils glimmering faintly under the light. He stared at her for a while without saying anything, then suddenly pulled her down into his embrace.
With a layer of blanket between them, his embrace felt surprisingly soft.
"Stop fooling around," Ruan Yu pushed against him.
He only held her tighter.
"Little Fish." His alcohol-laced voice was hoarse, like a torn recording tape, carrying a fragmented beauty.
Ruan Yu responded.
"Little Fish, you... do you know..." His words trailed off.
Incomplete and abrupt.
But she knew.
"I know."
Teng Yi's lips curved slightly as he turned to kiss her long hair.
"What do you know?"
She lifted her face in his arms to look at him. "I know that winning first place in this performance made you happier than any competition you've ever won."
Even though it was just a friendly inter-school event—nothing remarkable, nothing that would add significant weight to his resume.
Yet, it was a turning point.
Teng Yi's smile deepened. He hadn't expected her to truly understand.
Yes, this was exactly what he had been stumbling to express.
Over the years, he had participated in countless street dance competitions and won many first-place titles. The professional recognition from the street dance community mattered to him, but overturning people's prejudices against street dance brought an extra layer of joy.
He wanted what he loved to be acknowledged, respected, and even loved by others.
Ruan Yu watched as he closed his eyes, smiling. Gradually, his breathing steadied, and he fell asleep.
"Teng Yi?"
No response.
She tried to wriggle free from his embrace, only to find him holding her even tighter than before, as if stubbornly refusing to let her go.
Afraid of waking him, after a few futile attempts, she settled quietly in his arms, no longer struggling.
She definitely wouldn’t be going back tonight.
But it didn’t matter—no need to explain.
Ever since her roommates found out she was dating Teng Yi, they had often encouraged her to stay out. During their late-night chats, she was always bombarded with embarrassing questions.
Like her first kiss.
Or her first time.
Jian Xiangxiang and Chen Manbai proudly called themselves "old hands." Aside from gossiping, they would also educate her on intimate matters, leaving Ruan Yu flushed and pretending to sleep every time.
She didn’t dare think too deeply about it—she simply couldn’t.
The night was gentle.
Silence enveloped everything.
Only the soft glow of the lamp and the rhythm of their breaths filled the room.Teng Yi slept peacefully beside her, his expression serene and content, as if everything in life was going his way.
Ruan Yu raised her hand, tracing the outline of his features with her fingertip—his forehead, the arch of his brows, the bridge of his nose… until finally, she lingered on his lips.
She leaned in and pressed a soft, secret kiss to his mouth, unafraid of awakening the beast within him that Jian Xiangxiang and Chen Manbai had warned about. She knew that no matter how wild or fierce that beast might be, Teng Yi would never allow it to harm her.
Because he was a man of such restraint, discipline, and gentlemanly grace.
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