Chapter 18.2
The roads were still clear during this time, so Xiang Qingwei arrived in the city by 10 A.M. She hadn't visited Ning Yang's mother in a while, so she stopped by the house she rented for the old lady after purchasing some gifts.
Ning Yang's mother was delighted by her surprise visit, grinning from ear to ear as she gestured with her hands, pouring Xiang Qingwei water and preparing fresh fruit, until the table was full of food. Xiang Qingwei chatted with Ning Yang's mother for a while, learning that Ning Yang called his mother every day to video chat with her.
Xiang Qingwei then showed Ning Yang's recent dance practice video, sent to her by Zhan Lun, to his mother. Ning Yang's mother stared at the phone intently, tears welling in her eyes, but the corners of her lips curved up in a proud and delighted smile.
Ning Yang's mother insisted Xiang Qingwei stay for dinner, so Xiang Qingwei accepted the invitation.
Ning Yang's mother was not used to having strangers in her home; she felt uncomfortable after a few days of having the nanny around and insisted on doing everything herself.
Thus, Xiang Qingwei fired the nanny and hired a sign language interpreter instead, who would come over every day to chat with Ning Yang's mother for a couple of hours.
When Xiang Qingwei tried to help in the kitchen, Ning Yang's mother gently pushed her out and told her to watch TV in the living room.
Xiang Qingwei had no choice but to sit in the living room and watch TV while waiting for dinner.
Ning Yang's mother was a practical woman and didn't make an exaggeratedly large table of dishes. Instead, she simply made four dishes and one soup, then happily called over Ning Yang on video chat.
When Ning Yang answered the call, he was on a short break from dance practice. His mother rarely initiated video calls during his practice sessions for fear of disturbing him, so he suspected that something must have happened to explain this sudden call.
With this thought, he immediately accepted the call, only to see his mother's smiling face and Xiang Qingwei waving at him.
This scene momentarily stunned Ning Yang.
"I came over to visit Auntie, and she insisted I stay for dinner, so I'm staying for dinner," Xiang Qingwei explained with a smile.
Only then did Ning Yang notice that she was holding a bowl of rice.
"Have you eaten yet?" Xiang Qingwei asked him.
Ning Yang finally reacted. "Not yet, I'm going to eat soon."
Ning Yang's mother watched them converse with a smile on her face, phone still in hand.
Xiang Qingwei said, "Then don't practice anymore. Let Xiao Wu drive you over to join us for dinner. Auntie made a lot of food, and it'll be too much for just the two of us."
Ning Yang saw Zhan Lun return from the restroom, so he quickly hung up the call. "I'm hungry, let's go eat!" Zhan Lun called out.
"I'll eat at home." Ning Yang grabbed his phone and stood up.
Zhan Lun's eyes lit up. "I'll go home with you! I haven't had home-cooked meals in ages!"
"It's not convenient." Ning Yang's rejection was almost immediate. After a pause, he saw Zhan Lun's disappointed expression, and added, "My mom didn't know you were coming, so she didn't make enough food. Next time, when we have an opportunity, I'll invite you over."
Zhan Lun accepted the disappointment with a small, "Okay."
"I should go now." Thinking about Xiang Qingwei and his mother still waiting for him at home, Ning Yang's footsteps involuntarily quickened, and the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile.
Zhan Lun muttered, "It's just dinner at home. Is it really worth being that happy about?"
While Ning Yang descended the stairs with Xiao Wu, Li Li, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, approached them at the entrance.
Xiao Wu had received strict instructions from Xiang Qingwei to keep an eye on Ning Yang, so he had stopped Li Li from entering the practice room today. Even watching from outside was not allowed; he claimed it would distract Ning Yang, his attitude unyielding.
This had left Li Li humiliated, but she was aware of her image before Ning Yang and dared not argue with Xiao Wu.
Li Li knew this was definitely Xiang Qingwei's doing, and her teeth itched with hatred, but she had no choice but to wait downstairs.
"Hey, Ning Yang! Are you going to dinner? Let's go together!" Li Li smiled brightly as soon as she saw Ning Yang walk out of the elevator.
As if Ning Yang hadn't heard her, he walked right by her without so much as sparing her a glance.
"Sorry, Ning Yang's busy. He doesn't have time to eat with you," Xiao Wu supplied, then hurried after him.
Li Li stood there, biting her lip awkwardly. She didn't blame Ning Yang at all, instead placing the blame on Xiang Qingwei, who must have said something to Ning Yang about her.
After getting in his car, Xiao Wu glanced back and concluded that Xiang Qingwei's concerns were likely unfounded. The girl was indeed very pretty, and with some professional styling, she could even debut as an idol. Yet based on his experience, Ning Yang had no interest in her whatsoever.
The dance studio was only about ten minutes away from Ning Yang's mother's house by car.
Xiang Qingwei had simply considered that Ning Yang often practiced late into the night and thus found a hotel close by for him to stay in.
Ning Yang, visiting for the first time, stood at the door, taking a deep breath before knocking.
The door opened swiftly from inside.
Xiang Qingwei looked at him in surprise. "You're here already? Come in, come in!" As he spoke, he took out a pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them on the ground. "Change into these first."
Ning Yang stepped inside, removed his shoes, and tried on the slippers.
"Is it hot outside?" Xiang Qingwei asked. "Why don't you take a shower first before eating?"
Ning Yang realized he was covered in sweat and felt slightly embarrassed.
Ning Yang's mother walked over and patted his hand with a smile.
Following Xiang Qingwei, Ning Yang discovered that the house was even better than it had seemed in the video, spacious and bright.
"I'm going to take a shower first," Ning Yang signed, asking his mother which room was his with his eyes. He grabbed his clothes from the room, entered the bathroom, and quickly came out feeling refreshed after washing his hair and body.
His mother and Xiang Qingwei were already seated at the dining table waiting for him.
The weather was hot, but the food took a while to cool, so Ning Yang's mother had covered the dishes with bowls. Steam rose from the uncovered dishes when she lifted the lids.
"Let's eat," Xiang Qingwei said with a smile.
Ning Yang picked up his bowl and began eating.
The rice was fragrant, and the dishes were delicious as well.
Xiang Qingwei picked up a fist-sized pork trotter and placed it in Ning Yang's bowl. "Eat more meat to replenish your strength. Auntie made too much, and it's good you're back, otherwise Auntie would have had to eat it all."
Ning Yang's mother couldn't help but glance over. Ning Yang had a quirk when eating: he refused to eat food that others had picked up for him since he was little.
She then saw Ning Yang pick up the pork trotter Xiang Qingwei had placed in his bowl and take a bite without a word.
Ning Yang's mother looked at Ning Yang, then Xiang Qingwei, as if she had realized something. She glanced back at Ning Yang, momentarily unsure whether she should be happy or worried.
"You should eat too, Auntie, don't just watch us eat." Following her own advice, Xiang Qingwei placed a piece of pork trotter in Ning Yang's mother's bowl.
Ning Yang's mother was delighted again and put down her chopsticks to sign to Xiang Qingwei, "You're so thin, you should eat more!"
Xiang Qingwei agreed with a smile.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and joyful.
As Ning Yang looked at his mother's smiling face and Xiang Qingwei's laughing face, his heart felt warm. His family's dinner table was always overly quiet, so this was the first time it had been this lively. Everything felt too warm and wonderful, like a dream.
After dinner, Ning Yang offered to wash the dishes.
Xiang Qingwei had slept on the sofa last night, which wasn't very comfortable, so now that she was full, she started getting drowsy again. Ning Yang's mother noticed her yawn and told her to go take a nap in her bed.
Xiang Qingwei glanced at the clock; it was still early, so she decided to rest on the sofa for a bit, telling Ning Yang's mother not to mind her.
By the time Ning Yang finished washing the dishes, Xiang Qingwei had already fallen asleep on the sofa.
Ning Yang's mother walked out from her room with a small blanket, saw Ning Yang, and handed the blanket to him, implying that he should go cover Xiang Qingwei with it.
Ning Yang froze momentarily before carefully tiptoeing over, holding the blanket.
Xiang Qingwei's long black hair draped smoothly down her back, accentuating the fairness of her complexion. She lay on her side, knees slightly curled, and two slender, smooth legs crossed beneath the hem of her skirt. Her ankles were delicate and fine, and her feet were dainty, the toes seemingly tinted pink, soft and cute.
Ning Yang's heart raced a little; he snapped out of it, feeling his ears warm, and bent down carefully to cover Xiang Qingwei's stomach with the blanket.
Xiang Qingwei's eyelids fluttered, but she didn't open her eyes before drifting back to sleep.
Two hours passed before Xiang Qingwei rubbed her neck and sat up from the sofa. She glanced at the clock; there was still an hour left before she was supposed to meet with Miss K.
Seeing that she was awake, Ning Yang's mother poured a glass of water for her first. After drinking, Xiang Qingwei felt much better and asked where Ning Yang had gone.
Ning Yang's mother told her that he had gone downstairs to buy a watermelon.
Just as she finished, Ning Yang returned, carrying a half-cut watermelon. Upon seeing that Xiang Qingwei was awake, he went into the kitchen to cut the watermelon.
Xiang Qingwei watched as Ning Yang expertly sliced the watermelon, his skills rivaling professional vendors on the street.
"I used to sell watermelon with my mom every summer when I was younger," Ning Yang explained, seeming to have noticed Xiang Qingwei's confusion. He casually picked the center piece and handed it to her.
Xiang Qingwei took a bite, then joked, "So your stall must've been the busiest, right?"
"Nope." Ning Yang responded lightly, having caught her teasing tone. "I was very short back then, and skinny with a tan."
"It must've been quite the journey growing into your current self," Xiang Qingwei commented, taking a bite of the refreshing, sweet watermelon. "Oh, it's so sweet! Did you pick it yourself?"
Ning Yang hummed in response.
"Then from now on, I'll have you help me pick watermelons whenever I want to buy one," Xiang Qingwei joked.
Ning Yang glanced at her and smiled, saying okay.
Xiang Qingwei's mind had already wandered off. Ning Yang's experience could be used for marketing, as well as his ability to pick out watermelons.
After they finished eating, Xiang Qingwei bid farewell to Ning Yang's mother and left with Ning Yang.
They arrived at the appointed club ten minutes before the time of their meeting.
Miss K was ten minutes late.
Upon seeing Ning Yang, she was immediately stunned.
Looks were secondary; Miss K could be considered a veteran in this industry, so she was naturally able to see the unique quality about Ning Yang at a glance. She couldn't help but internally applaud Xiang Qingwei's sharp eye.
Xiang Qingwei arranged for this meeting precisely to leave an impression on Miss K. Seeing the flash of interest in Miss K's eyes, Xiang Qingwei knew he had achieved his goal.
After the time it took to have a cup of coffee, Miss K excused herself for another appointment.
Only Xiang Qingwei and Ning Yang remained in the private booth.
"Thank you," Ning Yang suddenly said.
Xiang Qingwei gave him a smile. "This is what I should do; you don't need to thank me."
"Not for that," Ning Yang said. "Thank you for spending time with my mom."
"That's even more reason to not thank me," Xiang Qingwei said. "I adore your mother, and I wouldn't have visited her just because you asked, so there's no need to thank me."
"She likes you too," Ning Yang said.
He could tell that his mother liked Xiang Qingwei; every time she saw her, she was visibly happy. His mother was rarely that happy.
Xiang Qingwei took a sip of her coffee, tilted her head, and smiled brightly. "Can't help it, I've always been likable."
Ning Yang blinked, caught off guard.
The current Xiang Qingwei was inexplicably dazzling.
Xiang Qingwei then spoke more about work. "Starting tomorrow, we'll begin preparations for the initial evaluation dance. Have you and Teacher Zhan chosen your song?"
"We have," Ning Yang replied.
"Great. There's still half a month left before the competition, so make sure to prepare well," Xiang Qingwei said.
She had already received the provisional competition format. During the initial evaluation, each contestant would have a chance to perform on stage, and to play it safe, Ning Yang's performance would definitely be his best: singing.
However, she would try to secure a dance performance opportunity for him as well, striving for an A rating right off the bat.
After finishing her coffee, Xiang Qingwei escorted Ning Yang back to his atelier.
"I don't like Li Li," Ning Yang suddenly said before stepping out of the car.
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback, but by the time she reacted, Ning Yang had already gotten out of the car.
Xiao Wu turned to look at her. "Sis Xiang, should I still keep coming over to watch?"
Xiang Qingwei watched Ning Yang walk into the building. "No need, you can leave."
He was asking for her trust.
And she trusted him.
……
Half a month later, the recording of Super Idol officially began.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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