I entered Huayu Entertainment in 2016.

Wang Zian followed Zhou Ye through the gate of the Beijing Dance Academy and walked along an asphalt road lined with ginkgo trees on both sides.

In February, the ginkgo trees were still bare, their branches intertwined overhead, casting fine, interwoven shadows on the road.

The campus was bustling with activity, filled with students rushing to rehearsals. Some carried cello cases, others held dance shoes and sheet music, and still others jogged past them in their costumes, their flowing sleeves kicking up a cloud of dust as they dragged on the ground.

They arrived at a secluded teaching building.

This building is older than the others, and its exterior walls are covered with dried ivy vines. However, it is located in a remote and quiet area, and the sounds of music and teachers giving instructions can be faintly heard from every classroom inside.

"During the art exams, this place gets very crowded with art students!"

Zhou Ye walked ahead, pushed open a door on the first floor. The corridor was warm and cozy, with the heating on full blast. "They're all here for intensive dance or performance training arranged by legitimate organizations."

She walked to the door of a small dance studio at the end of the corridor, took out her key, and opened the door.

The classroom is small, about 20 or 30 square meters.

The wooden floor was polished to a shine, and the mirror on the wall stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Opposite was a large window, through which sunlight streamed in, casting a large expanse of golden light on the floor.

An old-fashioned standing air conditioner stood in the corner, blowing hot air out.

The mirror reflected the empty classroom and the figures of two people walking in one after the other.

"I originally had a partner, but some of them didn't pass the preliminary audition, some haven't even taken the second audition yet, and some rushed off to take the Shanghai Theatre Academy exam!"

"Now I'm all alone, and I have to find a backup program, so I'd like to ask for your help!" She looked up at Wang Zian, her almond-shaped eyes filled with a thin but actually very thick plea.

"How can I help you?" Wang Zian asked. "Just by singing?"

Zhou Ye nodded and then shook his head.

"It's not just about singing; you can act out a short story with me!"

She took two steps forward, stood in front of Wang Zian, looked up, and her voice changed from low to serious.

"The third test mainly tests overall skills and requires some teamwork; our test numbers are next to each other, so I think we'll definitely be in the same group!"

Wang Zian remembered telling this girl that he didn't want to go to Beijing Film Academy.

Zhou Ye felt a little panicked when he saw that he didn't react.

She immediately clasped her hands together, raised them to her chest, and leaned forward slightly, adopting a standard "begging" posture.

"Please, bro! You're the best! Help me out!"

Her voice was drawn out, with the ending note rising, as if she were being coquettish or being unreasonable, using all the tricks she used to use to beg for things from her sister at home.

"I'll treat you to a big lunch; the reservations are all made!"

Wang Zian looked at her clasped hands, her slightly pouting lips, and her ponytail slipping from her shoulders to her ears as she leaned forward.

He sighed.

Anyway, I already told her this morning, and her exam only has a few days left.

Well, since I've already helped, I might as well see it through.

"Okay, okay, okay~!" Wang Zian shook his head helplessly: "Let's make it clear first, I can't act~!"

Upon hearing his agreement, Zhou Ye's face instantly broke into a smile, like a flower suddenly blooming in the sun.

Her eyes shone brightly, her mouth stretched wide to reveal a row of big white teeth, and she transformed from a worried exam candidate into a child who had just won a big prize.

"You don't need to do anything. Just stand there, I'll perform, you sing, and then I'll reach out my hand to you, and you can take it!"

Wang Zian's eyes widened in surprise.

Hold hands!

He's never held hands with any other woman in his entire life except for his mother!

"What's wrong?" Zhou Ye asked, puzzled, when he saw that he wasn't speaking again.

"Do we have to hold hands?"

Zhou Ye was also stunned.

As an art student, she felt that holding hands was perfectly normal!

She was about to say "Of course," but then she realized something: it seemed that Wang Zian had never received any art exam training.

For him, holding hands is not just a stage action; it carries weight.

For some reason, a stirring thought suddenly popped into her mind.

The thought was so small that she herself didn't realize when it had popped into her head, but it was there, like a seed blown in by the wind.

"You...you've never held hands with other girls before?" Zhou Ye's face flushed slightly.

Does my mom count?

"Of course not!" Zhou Ye said, his eyes fixed on Wang Zi'an.

"No, not at all!" Wang Zian said bluntly.

Zhou Ye simply said "Oh".

She appeared calm on the surface, or at least she thought she was pretending to be calm; but at that moment, the slight flutter in her heart was spreading out like ripples on a lake.

Two fair and tender ears inexplicably turned red; under the light, the capillaries inside could be seen.

No, Wang Zian suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Girl, your blushing teapot is like a bubble teapot!

Shouldn't I be the one blushing?

"Let's begin!" Wang Zian said directly, not wanting to waste any time.

"Okay~ okay~!" Zhou Ye nodded belatedly, already a little embarrassed to look him in the eye.

Then, she made a move that startled Prince An.

Zhou Ye unzipped his down jacket and took it off, revealing a white dance costume with jasmine patterns underneath.

The dance costume is fitted, low-cut, and has very thin shoulder straps.

Below her collarbone was a large expanse of fair skin, which stood out starkly against the black down jacket.

No, this~~~

Wang Zian paused for a moment.

As a male college student who had been single for eighteen years, how could he possibly remain calm when he saw a beautiful girl like this in front of him?

That face also turned red.

"Um, are you hot?" Wang Zian pressed.

Zhou Ye looked up at him, nodded silently, and his face turned even redder.

"The air conditioner is on!" she said, her voice muffled.

Wang Zian glanced at the large standing air conditioner in the corner, which was blowing air.

"Okay~!" Wang Zian shook his head, banishing the chaotic emotions from his mind; "Let's begin~!"

What song should I sing?

"Jasmine flower~!" Zhou Ye's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"What did you say?"

"Jasmine!" Zhou Ye repeated.

"Oh! I know, I've learned this song before!"

"Let's begin!" Zhou Ye whispered.

"What a beautiful jasmine flower~~!" Wang Zian sang a line, his baritone voice sounding particularly rich and resonant in the empty practice room.

When Zhou Ye heard him sing, his ears turned redder again.

I'm wearing a jasmine dress!

No, how am I supposed to jump like this!

···

For the entire morning, Wang Zian simply stood there, singing "A Beautiful Jasmine Flower" in his baritone voice.

Then he watched Zhou Ye dance in front of him to the accompaniment of singing.

At the beginning, Wang Zian was in the state of "standing there, he was a soldier".

His eyes were fixed straight ahead; only his mouth was moving.

Zhou Ye also seemed very uncomfortable jumping around. Wang Zian felt that her arms were weak and she couldn't even wave or raise her hands.

She didn't even dare to meet Wang Zi'an's eyes; a subtle ambiguity permeated the classroom.

After stumbling through the dance a few times, both of them felt that their performance wasn't quite right.

"We have to do this properly!" Zhou Ye overcame the slight flutter in his heart and looked directly at Wang Zi'an; "Let's make more eye contact later."

She paused, as if to bolster her courage, then continued, "And you shouldn't...don't just stand there like a statue!"

This time, the tone lacked the embarrassment of before; instead, it was serious and earnest.

"Sure!" Wang Zian didn't seem to mind.

It's not like he's never been seen on stage before.

Whether it's holding hands or gazing into each other's eyes, as long as you treat it as a task, there's nothing you can't do.