Chapter 87: Fighting Side by Side
Ruan Yu soon fell asleep as well. When she woke up and groggily opened her eyes, she found the lights in the room had been turned off, and she, who had originally been outside the blanket, had somehow been tucked inside.
The bed was warm, the source of heat right beside her.
She turned over and fell asleep again.
This time, she slept until dawn.
Ruan Yu was awakened by the dry, slightly ticklish sensation on her face. She felt someone gently stroking her cheek—their movements were light, but to her skin, it felt magnified a hundredfold.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the open collar of a pajama top, revealing a firm, powerful chest beneath, with well-defined muscles and smooth lines that made her blush.
The blanket and his body carried the fresh scent of shower gel.
Teng Yi had apparently showered and changed clothes at some point.
Seeing her awake, he didn’t say anything, just propped his head up on one hand and lay on his side, watching her.
Ruan Yu covered her face, trying to escape from his embrace, but he hooked an arm around her and pulled her back in.
“Running away?” His voice was clear, without a trace of the grogginess from a hangover. It sounded like he had been awake for a while.
“I… I…”
Ruan Yu was completely flustered, stammering for a long time without finding the right words.
Falling asleep in his bed was one thing, but she had slept so soundly—had she snored? Grinded her teeth? Talked in her sleep? Surely not… Her roommates had never mentioned her having those bad habits.
“I’ve already seen everything there is to see,” Teng Yi suddenly said.
Hearing this, Ruan Yu immediately looked down to check her clothes.
Her clothes were perfectly intact—what did he mean by “everything”?
“I meant your face,” Teng Yi said, taking her hand. “No need to cover it. Wipe the drool first.”
Instinctively, she rubbed the corner of her mouth with her thumb, only to look up and see him laughing, his hand pressed to his forehead. She realized she’d been teased again.
“Last night…” She wanted to explain why she had stayed.
“Last night, I was the one who asked you to stay. I remember.” Teng Yi held her close, rubbing his chin against the top of her head. “But, Miss Top Scorer, falling asleep so carelessly—aren’t you underestimating me a little too much?”
When Teng Yi had woken up in the middle of the night, she had been lying right on top of him, separated only by a blanket. That position, one on top of the other, had stirred something in him.
Didn’t she know that men were wolves—especially young, vigorous ones like him?
His body’s reaction had been too honest. Afraid of startling her, he had quietly gotten up to take a cold shower.
“I was just too tired. And… I trust your character.”
“My character? What kind of character do I have?” He pretended to think, then feigned realization. “Ah, right—I’m a good person. A really good person.”
That was what Ruan Yu had told the taxi driver last night.
“You heard that?”
“Yes, Miss Top Scorer. Next time before handing out a ‘good person’ card, remember to check if the other person is willing to accept it. Like last night—I really didn’t want to be a good person.”
As he spoke, he leaned in toward her lips.
“No!” Ruan Yu dodged his kiss. “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Still no.”
She jumped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom.
Inside, the toiletries Teng Yi had prepared for her during her previous stay were still there—the toothbrush, cup, and towel seemed untouched, as if they had never been moved.She looked at these small items and suddenly felt as if this place was her home.
Teng Yi followed her in and saw her standing motionless in front of the sink, lost in thought. He reached out and ruffled her messy hair.
“What?”
“You never got rid of my toothbrush?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I always felt like you’d come back,” he answered frankly and confidently.
“Tch.”
“Hurry up and brush your teeth.” He squeezed toothpaste onto her brush for her. “After you’re done, come downstairs for breakfast.”
--?--
Breakfast had been bought by Teng Hao, who braved the cold wind on his bicycle to fetch it from the street. Poor guy—he’d finally gotten a holiday to sleep in, only to be bossed around by his older brother.
Teng Hao had left alone, but when he returned, Ren Yun Shen was sitting on the back of his bicycle.
Yun Shen was wearing a light chestnut-colored duffle coat, her hair tied into two braids. One hand clutched Teng Hao’s jacket, while the other carried a large bag of breakfast, her fingers red from the weight. Yet she was all smiles.
“I sent you to buy breakfast, and you ended up dragging Yun Shen along?” Teng Yi scolded his brother.
Hearing this, Yun Shen quickly waved her hands in denial.
“I didn’t drag her! She insisted on coming,” Teng Hao said.
When Teng Hao left, he’d heard piano music coming from Yun Shen’s house and knew she was already awake. So he texted her, asking if there was anything she wanted him to bring back for breakfast.
Who knew that as soon as he sent the message, the piano upstairs abruptly stopped? Moments later, Yun Shen ran out of her house and directly climbed onto the back of his bicycle.
She didn’t say a word, but Teng Hao knew she wanted to come along.
Yun Shen loved following Teng Hao around—so much so that even Ren Tianhai found it strange. In Tianhai’s memory, Yun Shen had always hated going out. Perhaps because she couldn’t speak, she feared the streets and avoided crowds. But ever since meeting Teng Hao, she had completely changed. Now, she wanted to go everywhere, as if with Teng Hao by her side, she’d dare to venture even into the most dangerous places.
Teng Hao rode out of the neighborhood with Yun Shen.
This young lady usually stuck to milk and toast, but the moment she saw the steaming, fragrant breakfast stalls outside, she couldn’t resist. She greedily wanted everything, and Teng Hao indulged her, buying it all—which was why the bag was so big and heavy.
Ruan Yu wanted to help Yun Shen carry the bag, but Teng Yi reached over and took it himself.
Teng Hao caught up from behind and, as he passed Ruan Yu, said meaningfully, “Sis-in-law, you must’ve had a tough night. Eat more later.”
Before Ruan Yu could react, a flick landed on the back of Teng Hao’s head.
“What nonsense are you spouting, kid?!” Teng Yi glared at his brother.
Ruan Yu glanced at Teng Yi, their eyes meeting, and her face instantly flushed red.
Teng Hao clutched his head and yelped as he scurried inside, Yun Shen giggling as she followed…
The four of them sat together at the dining table for breakfast—Ruan Yu and Teng Yi on one side, Yun Shen and Teng Hao on the other.
Ruan Yu wanted to eat a zongzi, but she couldn’t untie the string. Seeing this, Teng Yi took the zongzi, patiently peeled it, and placed it in her bowl.
Yun Shen stared at them intently, her face full of envy.
“What are you looking at?” Teng Hao asked, confused. “Do you want a zongzi too?”
Before Yun Shen could shake her head, Teng Hao had already grabbed one. Mimicking his brother, he swiftly peeled off the leaves and placed the zongzi in Yun Shen’s bowl."Eat up, it's red bean paste filling. You like sweet things, don't you?"
Ren Yun Shen lowered her head with a secret sweet smile, the very picture of someone deeply in love. Teng Yi and Ruan Yu both glanced at Teng Hao, who was stuffing his mouth with steamed buns one after another, completely oblivious.
After breakfast, Teng Yi drove Ruan Yu back to school. In the car, Ruan Yu couldn't help but bring up Yun Shen and Teng Hao again.
"Yun Shen seems to really like Teng Hao."
"Yeah."
That little crush was obvious to anyone with eyes—only Teng Hao remained clueless, lost in his own world.
"What does Teng Hao think?"
"That guy's missing a screw—he probably doesn't even notice."
Besides, Teng Hao already had someone he liked.
Wang Jingyao—he'd had his eye on her for a long time.
"What should we do then?"
"Don't worry about it. When it comes to feelings, outsiders shouldn't interfere. Let things take their natural course."
Ruan Yu nodded and fell silent.
She could only hope that both of them would be alright—even if they couldn't stay forever in this innocent little sweetness, at least they wouldn't be hurt by a bad ending.
The New Year's holiday passed quickly.
Riding the wave of the New Year's gala, the West Journey Street Dance Training Company officially opened. To coincide with the launch and deepen public understanding of street dance, Teng Yi decided to organize a "Bring Street Dance Back to the Streets" event.
The event was set by the fountain at Xiulin Plaza in Liaocheng. In addition to inviting friends from the street dance scene to perform, Teng Yi specially asked Ruan Yu to be the host.
This was Ruan Yu's first time hosting an off-campus event, and she was nervous. But she didn’t show it in front of Teng Yi—she knew that with the new company opening, he was even more anxious than she was, and she didn’t want to add to his stress.
On the day of the event, Chen Manbai woke up early to do Ruan Yu’s makeup, and then their entire dorm went together to help out.
It wasn’t until Ruan Yu arrived at the venue that she learned Teng Yi’s mentor, Sam, had also come.
Sam was a Black man dressed in full hip-hop style, with a thick silver chain around his neck. Tall and imposing, his appearance was somewhat intimidating—but when he grinned, flashing his bright white teeth, there was an oddly endearing charm to him.
Ruan Yu heard Teng Yi introduce her to Sam as his "girlfriend," and Sam immediately lit up with delight. He hugged Ruan Yu warmly and praised her as "pretty."
Sam didn’t speak much Chinese, but Ruan Yu’s diligent English practice finally paid off. She chatted happily with Sam for a while and even acted as his translator when he struggled to communicate with others. Sam was thoroughly impressed with Ruan Yu, frequently giving Teng Yi a thumbs-up as if asking where he’d found such an amazing girlfriend.
Once the DJ arrived, the event officially began.
Xiulin Plaza on a Saturday was bustling with people—couples, best friends, parents with kids—all ages were represented.
The moment the music started, it drew the attention of passersby.
After Ruan Yu gave a brief introduction on stage, Teng Yi and his friends took turns showcasing their best moves.
Lin Shan and Han Zuo teamed up for a robotic dance, Zhou Xihe demonstrated locking, while Cai Hong and another dancer from the scene took a creative approach, painting themselves as clowns and performing a clown dance.The clown dance attracted many children, with some of the bolder boys even running over to pull Cai Hong and the others into the fun.
Amid the music, the laughter of children and the amused chuckles of adults gradually blended in.
Ruan Yu took turns explaining the distinctive movements and learning techniques of each dance style according to the performance order. Of course, to avoid mistakes and misinformation, these explanations about street dance were all written and reviewed by professionals.
The infectious, captivating music, the dazzling and cool street dance moves, the young men chasing their dreams freely—it was all brimming with youthful energy.
These performances, one after another, were the kind you might not even get to see if you paid for them, yet here they were, completely free.
More and more people stopped to watch.
Children who couldn’t see from the back simply climbed onto their parents’ shoulders.
Seizing the peak of the event’s popularity, Jian Xiangxiang and the others handed out flyers and small gifts printed with Xi You’s advertisements.
Those who were already interested in learning street dance signed up on the spot, while those who were hesitant or had questions could visit the consultation booth set up nearby.
By noon, the event still hadn’t stopped.
After the boxed lunches Teng Yi had ordered arrived, everyone took turns eating.
Even while eating, Sam couldn’t resist clowning around. Holding his lunchbox, he went onstage and danced along to the music as he ate. The box seemed glued to his hands—no matter how much he moved or swayed, not a single drop of soup or grain of rice spilled. The crowd cheered and applauded.
After finishing her meal, Ruan Yu went to the restroom with Jian Xiangxiang.
When they came out, she saw Teng Yi talking to a woman in the open-air parking lot. The woman appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a nude-colored ankle-length coat, her hair tied up in a high bun, revealing a slender, pale neck that gave her the distant elegance of a proud swan.
“Who’s that? She looks so sophisticated,” Jian Xiangxiang stared at the woman.
Ruan Yu shook her head. She hadn’t seen this person before, and judging by her attire, she didn’t seem like one of the friends Teng Yi had invited to support the event.
The woman was saying something to Teng Yi, gesturing at her phone screen and occasionally showing it to him. Teng Yi, meanwhile, maintained a polite but distant expression throughout.
After a while, Teng Yi returned and, spotting Ruan Yu and Jian Xiangxiang, walked straight toward them.
“Who was that just now?” Ruan Yu asked.
“A talent scout.”
“Wow!” Jian Xiangxiang inexplicably got excited. “Did she want to recruit you for their company?”
Teng Yi nodded faintly.
His reaction made it clear he had no interest whatsoever.
Of course—between school and his startup, he had no energy left for anything else. Besides, after the Red Hawk Street Dance Competition, he had grown particularly averse to the tactics some companies used to manufacture stars. Did they expect him to become another Bi Chengjie? Not a chance.
“Which company?”
“Duo Guo.”
“Wow! The same Duo Guo that made Hou Ming famous?”
“Interested?” Teng Yi spun the business card in his hand before offering it to Jian Xiangxiang. “Here, it’s yours.”
“What would I do with it? I can’t sing or dance.” Despite saying that, Jian Xiangxiang still took the card to examine it.
The name on the card read Wang Yuling—the woman they had just seen.
“Let’s go.” Teng Yi draped an arm over Ruan Yu’s shoulder.
The three of them headed back, none of them giving the encounter another thought.The afternoon activities continued with the same electrifying energy. The dancers gave themselves over to the moment, completely forgetting their promotional duties. It felt more like they were challenging each other through the music, reveling in the dance and the joy of gathering together. This unrestrained, carefree atmosphere perfectly conveyed the allure of street dance to the audience.
Ruan Yu and the on-site staff had been bustling about all day, yet she didn't feel the slightest bit tired. Watching Teng Yi dancing freely at the center of the crowd, laughing without restraint, she felt she had truly stepped into his world.
For the first time, she sensed they were fighting side by side.
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