Chapter 5: Father and Daughter Reunion

The next day, early morning.

Sea City Foreign Language Private High School.

Art building, dance studio.

The girl’s silky black hair flowed smoothly, complementing her fair skin. She was stretching her joints in front of the wall mirror, her long legs as flexible as water, creating graceful curves as she stretched. The dance outfit, which hugged her skin, made her movements even more captivating.

The sunlight from outside streamed in, casting a beautiful glow on this youthful scene.

Five minutes later, the quiet dance room was disturbed by a knocking sound.

A little girl with a bun hairstyle and wearing a school uniform walked in, looked at the scene inside, and her eyes wandered with a hint of envy on the other person’s slim waist and long legs. When their eyes met, she blinked shyly and said:

"Sister Chu, Teacher Chen said your dad is here to see you. He’s waiting for you in her office."

Chu Wang Shu frowned at the words. She put on her school uniform jacket, zipped it up to cover her curvy upper body, stepped into a slightly worn pair of canvas shoes, tied her long hair into a ponytail, and then politely thanked her younger schoolmate before leaving the art building.

The dance studio and the teaching building were not far away.

Chu Wang Shu quickly arrived at the corresponding floor and saw a figure standing by the corridor, lost in thought and gazing into the sky.

If one didn’t judge with biased eyes and looked at it from the perspective of a girl of the same age, her father was indeed a very charming man.

Chu Yuanying had a handsome face, clear and beautiful eyes, and a demeanor that always seemed burdened, filled with the experiences of life. He gave the sense of a man with lots of old stories that little girls liked the most. Now he stood here, seemingly forever upright and silent, attracting the attention of those around him.

—An immensely special presence.

This was a wall that gave a sense of security in childhood, like a smell that brings back memories, always remembered by the subconscious mind.

But now...

On the contrary, Chu Wang Shu got annoyed when memories were resurfaced.

The girl looked at that face, which was as calm as ever.

Chu Yuanying seemed to hide weariness and desolation deep in his soul, showing no trace of unnecessary emotions, only a silent and precise mechanical feeling remained. (note: I think when Chu Yuanying is in his male identity, he should be referred as such)

In the next breath, the advertising images were projected onto the ivory white wall of the international department building across from the teaching building, as always playing during break time.

"The harder you work, the luckier you get!"

"Turn the tide against adversity and thrive in the sunshine!"

"An epic world superstar development plan! A never-before-seen new selection mechanism! It will ignite a worldwide entertainment revolution! Betting on the dreams of hundreds of trainees, this stage is filled with fiery passion!"

"All of this will be officially revealed on July 3rd!"

Chu Wang Shu had long been used to this out-of-place advertisement in high school.

The planning team spared no expense on advertising, coupled with the official endorsement, almost every high school in Daxia Country had similar marketing strategies.

But what puzzled her was that, as the advertising echoed through the corridors, Chu Yuanying suddenly became more lively, and even appeared somewhat... worried?

Yes. Chu Yuanqing was indeed anxious.

She always thought her daughter was the perfect straight-A student, not interested in celebrities, dramas, or games. She lived a healthy lifestyle, like a plant, completely detached from shows like "Dazzling Stage."

But who would have thought that the promotion for this show had gone so far as to reach the school.

The more Chu Yuanqing thought about it, the more nervous she became. What if Little Shu got interested and actually watched the show?

Although Little Shu didn’t know who she was, what difference would it make if she were seen and publicly judged?

It’s just a difference in how their pictures are seen, either blurred or clear!

Chu Wang Shu watched her father’s changing facial expressions and felt that something was wrong.

Right now, her mind was filled with thoughts of quickly practicing dancing to prepare for the show in two weeks, so she didn’t have the time to think about these details. Impatiently breaking the silence, she asked:

"Don’t stare off into space, didn’t you come to talk to me about something?"

Although the coldness in her words and the implied meaning made it clear that the other person should leave, in Chu Yuanqing’s perspective, the scene before him was just an unhappy child throwing a tantrum, which was quite cute.

Um, this is how my daughter’s filter is.

The more he found her daughter adorable, the more he didn’t want to let his own authority unknowingly decline!

Chu Yuanqing pretended to bring up a topic and casually asked:

"Little Shu, does your school put up this advertisement every day?"

"Yeah, it’s been almost half a month since they aired it. Why are you asking about this?"

Chu Wang Shu calmly responded, but inside her heart, alarm bells were ringing loudly. Like a tiny cat tiptoeing nervously and getting its fur all puffed up.

Does Dad find this interesting?

No, absolutely not. Dad must not be interested in the show. I don’t want to be discovered by him just after the first episode!

Chu Yuanqing didn’t notice his daughter’s nervousness. Upon hearing these words, he felt his vision go dark.

Is the advertisement really airing every day? Even if Little Shu wasn’t initially interested, there’s a possibility she might sneak a peek. What if she sees me? That would be a huge disaster!

Chu Yuanqing clenched his teeth in frustration.

No, I must give Little Shu a solid reason not to watch the show. I don’t want her to see me dancing on the television in our living room in the future.

So, he pondered for a moment and calmly replied:

"Nothing, I just think that girls your age seem to be quite interested in this kind of show. I was thinking about whether or not to go and have a look, to understand the topics that are popular at your age."

To retreat in order to advance.

Chu Yuanqing thought to himself that his daughter was going through a rebellious phase, so even if she was originally interested in "Dazzling Stage," she would definitely not go after hearing that sentence.

But it was different from what he imagined...

After hearing those words, Chu Wang Shu felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her cold expression suddenly became a bit flustered.

Eh? How can you actually be interested? What’s an middle-aged guy like you doing watching a talent show? It’s so beneath you!

The girl’s heart was in chaos. When she saw Chu Yuanying raise his phone, as if he was going to scan a QR code on a distant advertisement, she immediately grabbed his arm in a panic. She pursed her lips, suppressed the sound of her pounding heart, and gave a peak performance of her acting skills in her lifetime, saying coldly:

"Don’t bother scanning, there’s nothing interesting about this show."

"You’re busy with work, right? There’s no need to waste time on things I’m not interested in."

"If you have the time, you might as well sleep a few more hours."

Chu Yuanqing felt relieved and took back his phone, replying:

"Is that so? Well then, forget it."

Chu Wang Shu also relaxed, grinding her teeth in irritation, and said unfriendly:

"So what? Did you come to see me just to say these things?"

Chu Yuanqing remained silent for a moment, looking at the face that had lost its youthful innocence. In fact, there were many things he wanted to say, like asking his daughter if she had enough money, how her relationships with her classmates were, and if it was true that she hadn’t been coming home recently.

But in the end, he could only squeeze out a sentence, "Dad has a new job and will be traveling for some time. If you need anything, just text me. I’ve already transferred your monthly allowance."

"Remember to take care of yourself."

Chu Wang Shu didn’t sense anything wrong and simply nodded, saying, "Anything else? If not, then I’ll go back."

She still needed to practice dancing quickly because there wee many talented competitors in Sea City. There were even beginners who have impressed the interviewer just with their looks. She must work even harder herself.

"Is it true? Then Dad left first?"

Chu Yuanqing looked at his daughter and wanted to reach out and touch her head, but his movement suddenly stopped abruptly.

The limbs woven by magic could no longer feel the real warmth.

Furthermore, Little Shu doesn’t like having her head touched now.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😃)

“Okay, bye-bye.”

Chu Yuanqing thought this would be the last sentence he would say to his daughter for a while.

At the very least, he would never have expected to meet Chu Wang Shu outside of her school.

After all, my daughter has always been obedient and sensible. How could she possibly lie to me?