The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 44

“Xiaxia, wait at the right wing.”

Just before the final curtain call, Yan Huaiqing suddenly whispered close to her ear.

Warm breath brushed against her earlobe, causing Lin Zhixia to shiver. Before she could respond, Yan Huaiqing had already turned gracefully, lifting her water sleeves as she moved back toward the center stage.

The right wing? Why?

She had deliberately come to the left wing to wait for her to exit the stage.

But since Yan Huaiqing said the right wing, she found herself drawn there like a little puppet, moving against the flow of the crowd.

The right wing was typically where props were handled. Now, with the performance over but the actors not yet offstage and the audience still lingering, the area had temporarily fallen quiet. Only scattered props and a few crew members waiting to wrap up remained in the distance.

Lin Zhixia stood behind the curtain, her ears burning.

From this angle, she could still see Yan Huaiqing’s back her spine straight, chin slightly tucked, waist held by Su Wangyue as she mingled gracefully with the lead actors, bumping shoulders in a display of camaraderie.

The stage was a scene of splendor and joy.

The front of the stage was crowded, with applause and cheers lingering endlessly. No matter how many times the actors bowed or waved, the waves of sound only grew louder. Even after the main curtain fell, they bent down one last time to bid their final farewells.

Actors filed offstage from the left wing, making the right wing seem particularly desolate.

From afar, Lin Zhixia saw Su Wangyue hugging each actor one by one and kissing their cheeks.

Everyone burst into laughter, some playfully dodging, others squealing as they wiped off lipstick marks.

What a lively group.

Yan Huaiqing was hugged too, but she avoided the kiss. Her waist was so flexible that she managed to lean back just enough to escape.

As her gaze drifted, Lin Zhixia noticed another solitary figure standing at the left wing, just like her.

That person stood as still as a sculpture, silently watching from the sidelines as the actors passed by, laughing and leaving.

It wasn’t until Su Wangyue spotted her, hooked an arm around her neck, planted a firm kiss on her cheek, and then walked off arm in arm with her toward the dressing room.

No need to guess it had to be He Zhe.

People often say: afraid that the moonlight will not shine on me alone, yet also afraid that it will not shine on me at all.

This sentiment fit He Zhe perfectly.

She was a pitiable soul.

Beyond the curtain, the audience gradually dispersed, but the air still vibrated with the passion and energy left behind by the applause.

Lin Zhixia remained where she was, feeling, observing, and waiting.

She suddenly found herself eagerly anticipating Yan Huaiqing’s intentions. Would she come find her? What would she say?

Perhaps just a glance? Or a simple greeting.

Or maybe she simply hoped she could avoid Su Wangyue’s enthusiastic kiss.

At this thought, Lin Zhixia unconsciously lowered her head with a soft laugh. When she looked up again, that familiar figure was already walking toward her.

She moved with composure and grace, as if stepping to the lingering rhythm of the performance. Yet the smile in her eyes was both restrained and bold, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Lin Zhixia’s own.

Lin Zhixia could sense the emotions swirling within her intense, surging, elevated, and slow to fade.

After experiencing a minor upheaval, such a stage, such applause, such cheers and screams anyone would feel their passion reignited.

Lin Zhixia was happy for her.

However, as the person drew closer, Lin Zhixia’s heart began to race uncontrollably, and she instinctively clenched her fists.

Yan Huaiqing suddenly broke into a smile, then opened her arms and walked toward her,

She was signaling for a hug.

Lin Zhixia was both surprised and delighted. Without hesitation, she stepped into her embrace, eager to feel the passion and glory coursing through that body at this very moment.

Her cheek pressed against the silk fabric of Yan Huaiqing’s stage costume, which still seemed to carry the lingering warmth of the stage lights. Unfortunately, it lacked the faint, fresh scent of grass and trees that usually clung to her.

Yet Lin Zhixia could still feel the surging emotions radiating from her embrace.

“Congratulations, Troupe Leader Yan,” Lin Zhixia murmured into her shoulder.

Yan Huaiqing wrapped her arms around her back, holding her tightly and not letting go for a long time.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly near her cheek. “That applause belongs partly to you, too.”

Huh?

Just as Lin Zhixia was about to lift her head to ask, she felt a sudden tightening around her waist, and the next moment, her feet left the ground as the world spun around her.

Yan Huaiqing was holding her, spinning her around three times in place.

The wide sleeves of her stage costume fluttered like butterflies.

Instinctively, Lin Zhixia wrapped her arms around Yan Huaiqing’s shoulders, resting her face against her shoulder and closing her eyes.

Their bodies pressed together, cheeks touching, chests rising and falling, hearts swelling with emotion.

When her feet finally touched the ground again, she opened her eyes dizzily and looked up, meeting Yan Huaiqing’s smiling gaze.

Her smile was gentle as she leaned in slowly and planted a kiss on Lin Zhixia’s cheek.

Warm, soft, fleeting, and carrying a faint hint of rouge.

A kiss on the cheek.

What did it mean?

Lin Zhixia froze in place, her fingers unconsciously gripping the stage costume beside her, her mind completely blank.

“A curtain call kiss,” Yan Huaiqing explained with a smile in her ear, then stepped back slightly, loosening her hold but still supporting her arm to steady her.

Lin Zhixia was indeed still unsteady. No matter how hard she tried to appear composed, her flustered state was evident in the corners of her eyes and brows.

Even the tips of her ears were flushed red.

Yan Huaiqing watched her with a smile, waiting for her to calm down.

Lin Zhixia knew she was smiling, but when she lifted her head while still holding onto her wrist, she noticed a glimmer in Yan Huaiqing’s eyes that she couldn’t decipher as if she had gathered all the stage lights in her gaze, saving them just for this moment to show her.

Just for her.

Lin Zhixia’s emotions surged once more, but as if guided by some inexplicable impulse, she asked, “Have you kissed anyone else, Teacher Yan?”

Yan Huaiqing’s gaze flickered briefly before she regained her composure, playing along with her seamlessly

“I see. Once I’ve kissed you, I can’t kiss anyone else.”

Lin Zhixia belatedly felt a wave of shyness wash over her. Her ears turned crimson, her cheeks burned, and she unconsciously raised a hand to touch her face.

She had noticed Yan Huaiqing truly hadn’t kissed anyone else.

“If you haven’t kissed anyone else, Teacher Yan, why did you kiss me?” she asked softly, her voice almost swallowed by the air.

“There’s a tradition in our troupe,” Yan Huaiqing explained. “If a play receives a full house of applause, we embrace all the actors after the curtain call. It’s a way to share the joy and symbolizes passing on luck.”

So it was just a tradition.

Lin Zhixia pressed her lips together.

“We’ll be holding a script discussion for a new play in a couple of days. I hope it brings you good luck,” Yan Huaiqing added, tilting her head as she studied her.

No matter what, at least she had been bathed in moonlight all by herself.

Lin Zhixia suppressed a smile, her eyelashes fluttering twice as her gaze shifted. Suddenly, she lifted her head and tapped a finger on her other cheek.

“Teacher Yan, give me a kiss here too I want double the good luck.”

Yan Huaiqing was amused by her antics, turning her face away with a laugh to avoid looking at her.

Lin Zhixia seized the moment to step half a pace closer, her gaze clear and bright as she pressed, “Is that not allowed?”

Yan Huaiqing was still smiling, a little helplessly, but she didn’t push her away or retreat even an inch.

Pursing her lips, Yan Huaiqing took a breath, then turned her face toward Lin Zhixia, leaning in closer and closer, her expression growing increasingly calm and composed.

Judging by her line of sight, she didn’t seem to be aiming for the cheek.

Lin Zhixia panicked again.

She didn’t dare to breathe.

Her face flushed red.

Her heartbeat raced faster and faster.

Just as her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest, Yan Huaiqing suddenly turned her face aside and blew a soft breath near her ear. Good luck.

“Wishing you good luck,” she said with a straight face, then released Lin Zhixia’s wrist, turned around, and headed toward the break room.

She’s going to be the death of me.

Lin Zhixia followed her like a little wooden puppet.

“Teacher Yan, you still haven’t told me,” she said, jogging a few steps to catch up.

“What?” Yan Huaiqing didn’t look back.

“Do I have a mole in my eyebrow?” Lin Zhixia leaned in to ask.

Yan Huaiqing suddenly stopped and turned to look at her, scanning between her eyebrows before raising a hand to gesture. “Not on this side.”

Her hand moved to point to the other side.

“This side.”

She didn’t finish.

A slight smile curled at the corner of her lips, and she walked away.

Lin Zhixia stood there for a moment, covering her right eyebrow.

She guessed there was one.

But she wasn’t sure.

She’d have to check for herself later.

She quickened her pace to follow her again.

“Why? Why? Why?”

“Who can tell me, why is this happening?”

“Why am I the one getting hit, but she’s the one trending?”

“Why does hitting me make them feel so good?”

“Who can explain this to me? Why?”

“Am I some kind of Japanese? Did I break some divine law? Was I born just to be hit?”

“There’s no justice! Absolutely no justice!”

“Really, no justice at all”

“Who will speak up for me?”

“Who will speak up for me?”

“Huh?!”

“Who on earth will speak up for me”

As soon as they entered the hallway, they could hear Su Wangyue’s heart-wrenching roars.

It was common for everyone to go a little wild and playful backstage after wrapping up a scene, and Yan Huaiqing was long used to it, showing no surprise.

Lin Zhixia, however, quickly pulled out her phone. As soon as she opened Weibo, she saw the trending topic suggestion #Yan Huaiqing’s Slap, I Feel So Satisfied#

Clicking in photos, videos, GIFs, and memes were all there.

Scrolling through several pages, she saw netizens analyzing the slap from every angle, but no one was speaking up for Su Wangyue.

Pfft,

Lin Zhixia laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Yan Huaiqing turned to look at her.

Lin Zhixia stifled her laughter and showed her the phone. Yan Huaiqing squinted as she scrolled through a couple of pages, then laughed too.

“Teacher Su is so pitiful.”

“Teacher Su is so pitiful.”

They exchanged glances, holding back laughter and sighing before heading toward the break room.

Inside the break room, Su Wangyue was leaning against the edge of a table, holding her phone and wailing, “What kind of weird preferences do these netizens have? It’s not like they’re the ones getting slapped, right?”

He Zhe sat nearby, silently handing her a tissue and gesturing for her to wipe the lipstick mark off her face.

Su Wangyue took the tissue, crumpled it in her hand, and continued to complain.

“I think for tomorrow’s show, we should all just skip performing and let Yan Huaiqing stand on stage by himself, then have the audience who bought tickets line up to get slapped on stage one by one.”

“That way they can truly enjoy themselves and get a real experience, so they won’t just stand around talking without feeling the pain.”

Everyone had been laughing uproariously at her words, but when they saw Yan Huaiqing enter, their eyes began darting around, eagerly awaiting some drama.

Su Wangyue, unusually, paid no attention to Yan Huaiqing. Instead, she walked over to Lin Zhixia, pulled out a tissue with a flourish, pretended to wipe nonexistent tears, then leaned on her shoulder while complaining incessantly.

“Lin dear, just look at how pitiful I am.”

She sobbed and sniffled, repeating essentially the same things she’d said in the hallway, but now adopting a delicate, tea-like demeanor.

Lin Zhixia found herself caught between laughter and tears. Just as she raised her hand to pat Su Wangyue’s back in comfort, she caught sight of He Zhe sitting nearby.

She didn’t dare pat her back. Didn’t dare move. Didn’t even dare keep her shoulder anymore.

She could only stand there frozen.

After fake-crying for a long while, Su Wangyue suddenly seemed to realize something. She made a thoughtful sound and straightened up.

Lin Zhixia didn’t know what was happening but sensed trouble brewing. As she tried to step back, Su Wangyue grabbed her chin.

After scrutinizing her face for a moment, Su Wangyue raised an eyebrow and asked, “I don’t remember kissing you, so where did this lipstick mark on your face come from? And it’s so clear, so perfectly defined.”

All eyes turned toward them.

“You kissed so many people, you must have just forgotten,” Lin Zhixia defended herself under everyone’s gaze.

Su Wangyue frowned, pretending to think.

“Does my lip shape look this good?”

“The lipstick shade doesn’t seem right either, does it?”

“Did Ah Yan drag you backstage and forcibly kiss you?”

“For-ci-bly kissed you “