The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 15

Let’s add each other as friends first, so it’ll be easier to elope later.

Lin Zhixia felt that Yan Huaiqing was observing her subtly, like an illusion.

Yet Su Wangyue’s invitation felt undeniably real. Raising her eyebrows, Su called out to her, “Lin Meimei, come, let me continue teaching you.”

A sense of foreboding washed over Lin Zhixia. Hesitating, she didn’t dare stand up. “Teacher Su, aren’t you all rehearsing anymore?”

“We’re done. Ah Yan said they still have a few photos to review. Since we’re free anyway, let’s stretch a little.” Su Wangyue cleared her throat twice, brimming with enthusiasm.

It seemed there was no escape. Lin Zhixia smiled wryly.

Yan Huaiqing was walking toward Jiang Jing and paused in front of Lin, extending a hand. “Come, let me help you up.”

“Thank you, Teacher Yan.”

Lin Zhixia took her hand and stood up, immediately enveloped by the cool, woody fragrance surrounding Yan. How could a scent feel so serene? Even approaching it slowly felt like an intrusion.

She took a subtle whiff.

Noticing Lin’s lingering hesitation, Yan Huaiqing murmured softly, “Go on, don’t be afraid,” before releasing her hand.

The words “don’t be afraid” seemed wrapped in a gentle glow, as if they were allies. This left Lin Zhixia momentarily dazed.

Fortunately, Jiang Jing chimed in loudly from the side, “Go on, go on! Everyone who comes to the rehearsal hall has been ‘trained’ by Teacher Su at some point. We all still have our limbs intact and are alive and well, so don’t worry and just go!”

At the word “trained,” a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered across Yan Huaiqing’s lips.

In that atmosphere, Lin Zhixia felt like a little puppet, mechanically making her way to the center of the rehearsal hall.

Su Wangyue guided her step by step through vocalization and warm-ups, spending about twenty minutes teaching her a single aria.

Throughout, Lin Zhixia couldn’t help glancing at Yan Huaiqing, convinced that Yan was watching her too. There was no proof just a tingling sensation on the skin at the nape of her neck.

The inevitable finally arrived. Su Wangyue wrapped an arm around her waist and said, “Hmm, not bad. Now, let’s see how flexible your body is.”

“Huh? How do we check that, Teacher Su?” Lin’s sense of foreboding intensified.

“Do the splits. Let’s see how far down you can go.” Su supported her waist, gesturing for her to proceed.

“I haven’t exercised in a long time. I probably won’t get very far.” Lin Zhixia instinctively pressed her legs together.

“See? I told you no one who comes to the theater escapes this ordeal.” Jiang Jing’s voice came from behind.

Lin Zhixia turned to look and saw that Jiang had closed her laptop and was massaging her own thigh muscles while watching the scene unfold.

Yan Huaiqing, tilting her head slightly, was also watching her, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Or perhaps she was looking at her partner.

“Just go as far as you can. How will you know if you don’t try?” Su Wangyue patted her waist again.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try. But please don’t laugh at me, Teacher Su.” Steeling herself under Yan Huaiqing’s gaze, Lin Zhixia took a deep breath, spread her feet apart, and slowly began to lower into the splits.

Su Wangyue supported her, gradually lowering her further. “Good, very good. Take it slow, no rush.”

By the time she reached around 140 degrees, the muscles along Lin Zhixia’s inner thighs began to tighten, and a fine layer of sweat formed on her forehead.

Seeing how far she had managed to go, Su Wangyue nodded in satisfaction. “Hmm, not bad at all. Looks like you can go even further.”

Lin Zhixia felt the tendons on her inner thighs tightening more and more. Over time, her legs grew weak and lacked strength. She struggled to support herself with her palms pressed against the sides of her legs, nearly collapsing into a squat when a pair of hands steadied her shoulders from behind.

“Straighten your back, stabilize your hips, and engage your lower body. Don’t tremble.”

Yan Huaiqing’s voice, accompanied by a faint, cool fragrance of grass and trees, reached her ear, once again enveloping her in a serene aura.

“Teacher Yan,” Lin Zhixia looked up at her, inexplicably feeling a sense of security.

“Do as I say,” Yan Huaiqing said, holding her shoulders and gazing at her.

“You’ve finished with the photos?”

“Yes.”

“As soon as you’re done, you come to steal my student. Annoying.”

“She doesn’t have a foundation from childhood training. Don’t strain her,” Yan Huaiqing said softly, observing Lin Zhixia’s movements.

“Hah, what kind of talk is that? I’ve taught more students than you,” Su Wangyue retorted indignantly.

Yan Huaiqing ignored her and extended a hand in front of Lin Zhixia, guiding her gently, “Come, spread your arms a bit wider to maintain balance.”

For some reason, with Yan Huaiqing there, Lin Zhixia easily let down all her defenses, raising her hand to rest on Yan Huaiqing’s arm and following her instructions.

“Use the support to slowly shift your weight outward with your heels. Try it.”

“Okay.”

Watching as Lin Zhixia gradually managed to stretch further under Yan Huaiqing’s guidance, Su Wangyue felt a twinge of envy.

“You teach well, but Ah Yan, why do you always compete with me for students? That’s not fair. How about we let Lin Meimei choose for herself? Lin Meimei, if you had to pick just one teacher, would you prefer Teacher Su or Teacher Yan to teach you?”

Lin Zhixia’s inner thigh tendons were nearly at their limit, and she couldn’t spare the energy to answer. With a muffled groan, she clung more tightly to Yan Huaiqing’s arm.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk If you don’t want Teacher Su to teach you, just say so. No need to hold onto Teacher Yan so tightly. She’s my only partner don’t go stealing her away.”

Su Wangyue always enjoyed teasing, and Yan Huaiqing seemed accustomed to her jokes. Only Lin Zhixia’s mind went blank.

Who? Steal who?

Yan Huaiqing’s gaze happened to fall on Lin Zhixia’s slightly reddened ear tips. Leaning close, she whispered, “Just treat her as air.”

Lin Zhixia’s ears burned even hotter.

“Pfft, since when is air this good-looking?” Su Wangyue glanced sideways and spotted Jiang Jing sitting idly by, rubbing her legs. Raising an eyebrow, she called out, “Ah Jing, you come too. It’s been a while since you’ve stretched your legs. Let me see if you’ve improved.”

As renowned performers, they often had many students to train, and their tone always carried an undeniable air of authority.

“Ah!” Jiang Jing let out a long groan and forced a bitter smile. “Teacher Su, aren’t you teaching her? Do I really have to? Please, spare me.”

“Of course, you do. An inch longer in the tendons adds ten years to your life. Stretching more will help you live longer. Come on,” Su Wangyue insisted, determined to find a student to compete with.

Before long, Jiang Jing’s agonized cries echoed throughout the rehearsal hall as she clutched her thighs and rolled on the floor.

Lin Zhixia wasn’t faring much better. Even with Yan Huaiqing’s gradual guidance, tendons can’t be stretched in one session. She only managed to achieve a split of about 160 degrees.

“I can’t, I can’t, Teacher Yan. I really can’t go any further,” she said, her voice trembling.

“You’ve done very well. Come on, let’s get up.”

Yan Huaiqing held her by the waist and lifted her slightly, instructing softly, “Bounce on your tiptoes a couple of times it’ll help ease the pain.”

“Okay, Teacher Yan.” Lin Zhixia, her ears tinged with red, bounced twice and indeed felt some relief.

“Teacher Yan’s done teaching, so now it’s Teacher Su’s turn, right?”

Su Wangyue had long abandoned the river view. She nudged Yan Huaiqing aside with her shoulder and stretched out her mischievous hands toward Lin Zhixia again. “Come on, Sister Lin, let me see how flexible you really are.”

“Ah, do I have to do the splits again?” Lin Zhixia tensed up once more.

“No splits this time. Try arching your back. My arms are strong enough to spin your Teacher Yan ten times. With me supporting you, don’t worry.” Su Wangyue had already extended her arm in front of her.

Lin Zhixia glanced at her arm, then at Yan Huaiqing’s smiling eyes, feeling as though she’d been force-fed a mouthful of affection, leaving her helpless. Gritting her teeth, she took off her jacket, set it aside, and leaned her waist forward.

Arching her back was a bit easier than doing the splits, and after a few attempts, she succeeded.

Yan Huaiqing, worried she might fall, stayed close to assist. Once she stabilized, he quietly stepped back a couple of paces.

Su Wangyue supported her waist and spoke slowly, “Good, good. Keep your palms steady. I’ll let go gradually let’s see if you can hold it on your own.”

As the hand on her back slowly withdrew, Lin Zhixia struggled to hold the pose for over ten seconds before her body began to tremble.

Just before she collapsed, Su Wangyue swiftly reached out to support her, then held her waist approvingly. “Sister Lin truly is Sister Lin flexible and graceful. Look at this waist, so slender, not a trace of excess flesh when I pinch it.”

Lin Zhixia was genuinely embarrassed now, her entire face flushed, unsure how to respond.

Su Wangyue, however, remained unfazed and deliberately turned to face her. “Your waist is even slimmer than Teacher Yan’s. But she’s not just slim-waisted she’s also well-endowed up top. The same costume fits her tightly. Isn’t that just infuriating?”

Lin Zhixia glanced back quickly at Yan Huaiqing, only to find her gaze fixed on her as well. She immediately looked down at the floor, her face growing even redder.

“Is this the kind of talk we get to hear for free?” Jiang Jing, curled up on the floor stretching her legs, chimed in to join the fun.

Noticing Lin Zhixia’s discomfort, Yan Huaiqing stepped forward and swatted Su Wangyue’s hand away. “Stop talking nonsense you’ll scare the kid.”

“I may be playing a male role, but I’m still a woman can’t I mention breasts?” Su Wangyue tried to salvage her dignity.

“Come on, Xiaoman, ignore her.” Yan Huaiqing took Lin Zhixia’s wrist and led her toward the edge of the rehearsal hall.

Watching their linked hands, Jiang Jing pouted and punched the floor twice in mock indignation. “Oh my, I’m going to throw a fit. Teacher Yan has never held my hand.”

“There, there, don’t fuss. Teacher Su will take care of you.” Su Wangyue turned her attention away, raising an eyebrow as she reached her mischievous hands toward Jiang Jing on the floor.

Chaos erupted behind them.

But in Lin Zhixia’s world, everything grew incredibly quiet, so much so that she could feel the pulse throbbing at her wrist.

She followed closely behind Yan Huaiqing, watching their reflections in the mirror one in front, one behind, gradually drawing closer.

In the mirror, Yan Huaiqing took out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and said to the other her, “Is it convenient to add me on WeChat?”

Was Lin Zhixia a person of steady composure?

She supposed so.

She knew Yan Huaiqing was a public figure and couldn’t casually share contact information. Noticing they used the same model of phone, she chose to send the suggestion via AirDrop.

On the day she returned home, Zhao Jinchu suggested she add Yan Huaiqing on WeChat to learn more about the situation, but she quickly changed the subject.

Jiang Jing had also opened Yan Huaiqing’s chat window in front of her many times, yet she deliberately avoided even glancing at her profile picture.

Just this morning, she learned from Editor Sun that it was Troupe One of Jiang Province’s Yue Opera Theater that was arranging Several Layers of Mountains, and the head of Troupe One was none other than Yan Huaiqing. While discreetly observing her, she patiently allowed the publishing house to proceed step by step.

She had reasons, opportunities, and means to add Yan Huaiqing on WeChat, yet she held back.

Secretly, she longed for a more natural, more effortless moment when Yan Huaiqing would take the initiative to add her as a friend.

It came earlier and more smoothly than she had imagined.

So, Lin Zhixia was inwardly delighted and proud.

After her vanity was satisfied, a faint sense of disappointment lingered.

It turned out that all her subtle, cautious thoughts were, to Yan Huaiqing, nothing more than ordinary social etiquette.

“Of course, it’s convenient,” the Lin Zhixia in the mirror replied gracefully, her voice unnaturally steady.

The Lin Zhixia outside the mirror lightly tapped the screen, her mind blank. Staring at the ink-wash-style profile picture on her phone, she felt a vague, chaotic sense of satisfaction spreading through her body, so unreal it seemed to dissolve her.

To Yan Huaiqing, her response was refined and polite, her smile sweet.

“Right, let’s add each other as friends first, so it’ll be easier to elope later,” Su Wangyue suddenly leaned in, muttering between the two of them.

“Elope?” Lin Zhixia snapped back to reality.

“You’re flirting with my lady aren’t you planning to elope with her behind my back?” Su Wangyue nudged her chin teasingly.

“Teacher Su, how would I dare.”

“Then why is your face red?”

“I…”

Silence filled the rehearsal hall that day.

After the rehearsal, the four of them had dinner together a simple, homely meal in the theater’s cafeteria.

Although Jiang Jing wasn’t part of the troupe, she often worked with them and was quite familiar with everyone. Only Lin Zhixia seemed a bit reserved.

In daily life, Yan Huaiqing was considerate and attentive, subtly accommodating her preferences and stepping in to defuse awkward moments during jokes.

What made Lin Zhixia feel even more unreal was sensing that Yan Huaiqing’s gaze seemed to be observing her.

At the top of life’s ten greatest illusions is the belief that everyone is paying attention to you.

The day felt both fleeting and endless. Even after returning home and lying in bed, Lin Zhixia’s heart still floated among the clouds.