On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Wenchun and his daughter went out to visit relatives. These relatives of the Zhao family were scattered all over the city. By the end of the day, Zhao Xiyin was exhausted, but Teacher Zhao was full of energy. After changing her clothes at home, she happily went to listen to opera with her old neighbors.
Zhao Xiyin was just about to take a shower when her phone rang.
The caller surprised her greatly; it was Su Ying.
After answering the call, Su Ying said succinctly, "Is it convenient? Let's go downstairs and talk."
Zhao Xiyin, bundled up in a down jacket, went downstairs. With fewer cars on the road during the New Year, she spotted the Polo with its lights on. Su Ying, who was driving, rolled down her window and waved to her.
To be fair, for someone of Su Ying's stature, driving a car worth around 100,000 yuan is indeed too low-key. But considering her personality, it doesn't seem impossible. Zhao Xiyin got into the car, beaming as she greeted everyone, "Happy New Year, Teacher Su."
Su Ying nodded. "Happy New Year."
She hadn't fully recovered from that allergic reaction, and because she was rushing to celebrate the New Year, she was discharged from the hospital early. Upon closer inspection, there were still faint red marks on her face. Zhao Xiyin remembered what she had done wrong, and her earlier excitement quickly faded.
“After joining the crew, the dance portion of ‘Nine Thoughts’ will be filmed within two months at most. Do you have any plans or arrangements after that?” Su Ying asked.
"I haven't thought about it," Zhao Xiyin said. "I might take a break for a while, or go back to my friend's place to continue helping her run her online store."
It's not that she hadn't thought about it. There were many opportunities; Zhang Yijie and Dai Yunxin had both extended offers, but Zhao Xiyin just hesitated.
Su Ying said, "You don't like entering the entertainment industry."
Zhao Xiyin chuckled, "I'm too lazy, and I'm not very good at talking."
Su Ying agreed with this point, saying, "Your personality isn't suitable."
Zhao Xiyin pursed her lips but did not deny it.
"Do you like dancing?" Su Ying asked again.
“Of course,” Zhao Xiyin replied affirmatively.
A moment of silence.
Su Ying replied to a text message on her phone, asking as she did so, "Would you like to come to my art center?"
Her reaction was normal, even her tone was calm. It was as if she had suddenly remembered something, or as if she had mentioned it casually. There was no ulterior motive, no overt or covert admonitions, and no exaggerated claims of high salaries and generous benefits.
If you like dancing, then come to my place.
That's the reason.
"Starting in the second half of the year, 'The Moonlit Clouds' will expand to a national tour. Starting from Beijing, it will include Tianjin, Suzhou and Hangzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, and Nanning. The art center has also received invitations from abroad, and if the arrangements go smoothly, an international tour will also be arranged." Su Ying is usually known for her aloofness and pride, but when talking about these things, her pride and self-satisfaction were evident in her eyes.
She said, "If you're interested, you can come and give it a try."
Zhao Xiyin was stunned, blinking her eyelashes repeatedly as she stared intently at Su Ying.
Su Ying felt uncomfortable under her gaze and frowned, asking, "My allergy hasn't gotten better yet, you don't need to look at me like that."
“No, Ms. Su, I’m not familiar with this dance at all,” Zhao Xiyin said.
“Learn what you’re not familiar with.” Su Ying hated hearing this kind of nonsense and went straight to the point. “I’ll have my assistant send you the art center’s information and contract template. If you come, your initial salary definitely won’t be very high, but if the attendance rate is good, we’ll give you a raise.”
Su Ying is also a woman of strong character and integrity. She speaks frankly and directly, never making empty promises or grandiose claims. In fact, after getting to know her a few times, you realize that she is a person of action and truly treats dancing as dancing.
After saying that, Su Ying locked the car and told everyone to get out.
Zhao Xiyin stood there and watched the car drive away before heading home.
Su Ying's assistant was efficient and quickly sent her the information, along with a cute emoji, "Xiao Zhao, actually, Sister Ying really admires you!"
Zhao Xiyin diligently studied the materials and searched for related performance videos online before finally falling asleep around 2 a.m. Zhou Qishen called her around 8 a.m., but she was still lying in bed, her eyes barely open. She mumbled a "hello" and then drifted back to sleep.
When Zhao Xiyin woke up again at ten in the morning, she was still wide awake, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze for five minutes. When her phone rang, she thought it was Zhou Qishen, but slowly she looked at it and realized it was Dai Yunxin.
Dai Yunxin, carrying a gift box, thoughtfully extended New Year's greetings to Zhao Wenchun. Teacher Zhao always held her daughter's mentor in high esteem. The two chatted for a long time in the living room, during which Zhao Wenchun said gratefully, "Xiao west's success today is inseparable from your care and support."
Dai Yunxin was also polite, "It's all thanks to her own hard work and she's very sensible. Once the movie 'Nine Thoughts' is filmed, she'll have more opportunities and a bigger stage in the future. I'll keep an eye on her for you."
Zhao Wenchun said, "It all depends on her. After all, dancing doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in any particular circle. As long as you like it, you can dance anywhere. As long as she's happy."
Dai Yunxin got up to leave after sitting for a short while, and Zhao Xiyin saw her off.
As they went downstairs, the two walked one after the other.
Dai Yunxin took a file folder out of her bag and gave it to her. "I'm preparing to make a movie this year, and I hope you can participate. You will always be my best student. You started learning dance from me when you were seven years old, and it's been nineteen years. Your teacher truly cares about you, and you deserve better."
Zhao Xiyin paused for a moment, opened the folder, and glanced at the title.
I thought it would be related to a stage play, but it turned out to be an urban romance film.
Zhao Xiyin asked, bewildered, "Master, are you planning to change your career path?"
"Stage plays only represent a small niche market, and it's difficult for them to find buyers. Although they are popular at film festivals both domestically and internationally, what's the point if they're critically acclaimed but not commercially successful? With so much money and effort invested, who wouldn't want to make a profit..."
Dai Yunxin suddenly stopped talking, smiled, and said, "Xiao west, you are very close to the temperament of the female lead in the story. I will do my best to recommend you to the production company. As for the salary, don't worry. When you come to my company, I will not treat you badly. You will have many opportunities for various events and advertising invitations in the future."
Zhao Xiyin remained silent.
Dai Yunxin paused for a moment, "What, you don't want to?"
Zhao Xiyin forced a smile but didn't say anything.
As Dai Yun pondered, her enthusiasm slowly cooled.
As they exited the building and reached their car, Dai Yunxin turned around and suddenly asked, "Are you back together with Zhou Qishen?"