Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Night slowly fell.

A bonfire was lit by the lake, its orange-red light reflecting on everyone's faces, flickering and illuminating with the dancing flames.

The production team set up fairy lights on the grass, and strings of warm yellow lights twinkled in the night, as if they had plucked the stars from the sky and hung them on earth.

The last part of the spring outing was a bonfire dance party.

Soothing music was playing from the speakers, and several couples of villagers had spontaneously walked into the open space, swaying gently to the rhythm.

Lai Kuan-lin stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze fixed on a certain figure.

He finally mustered his courage, took a deep breath, and walked towards Hu Lianxin.

"Little Hu..."

With a forced smile, he extended his hand: "May I have this dance?"

Hu Lianxin was standing next to Li Ran. Upon hearing this, she turned her head and her gaze lingered on his face for a second.

Then she looked away, as if she hadn't heard anything, and reached out to grab Li Ran's wrist.

"Li Ran, dance with me."

Lai Kuan-lin's hand froze in mid-air.

Li Ran glanced at him, then at Hu Lianxin, and smiled: "Me? I can't dance. I can't do anything too difficult, I only know how to do the 'social dance'."

Hu Lianxin chuckled, took out her phone, swiped it a couple of times, and handed it to him: "This is it, it's very simple. I'll teach you a few times, and I guarantee you'll get it."

Li Ran looked down at the screen.

It's a video of a duet dance, "The Waltz of Love," where a boy and a girl embrace and dance, spinning, tilting, and freezing in place, with the two smiling gently in the frame.

He looked up at Hu Lianxin's expectant eyes and nodded: "Okay."

Hu Lianxin's eyes lit up: "Then I'll go teach you over there..."

"Need not."

Li Ran shook his head: "It's very simple, you'll understand after watching it once."

Hu Lianxin paused, a hint of doubt in her voice: "Really?"

Li Ran didn't say anything, but simply stretched out his hand, palm facing up.

Hu Lianxin looked at the hand, and without hesitation, she placed her own hand on it and then pulled him toward the center of the open space.

After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Wang Sulong, who was watching the commotion not far away.

"Taki-nii!"

She called out, "Could you change the song for us?"

Wang Sulong was drinking water when he heard this. He looked up and his gaze fell on the two people's clasped hands. His eyes narrowed into slits instantly.

"What song should we change to?"

Hu Lianxin raised her chin, her voice brimming with barely concealed amusement: "The Waltz of Love!"

Wang Sulong paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, put his water glass aside, and strode over: "Alright! I'll sing for you myself!"

He walked over to the sound system, gestured to the staff, then picked up the microphone and cleared his throat.

People nearby heard the commotion and gathered around.

"What? Li Ran is going to dance?"

"With whom? With Xiao Hu?"

"Holy crap, oh my god, hurry up and record!"

Guo Qilin was the first to rush over, squeeze to the front, and take out his phone to point at the open space.

Li Xueqin and Lamu Yangzi followed closely behind, their eyes wide open.

Meng Ziyi stood on tiptoe to look inside, calling out, "Let me in... let me in."

Zhou Ye stood in the crowd, holding Taxue in his arms, looking at the two people standing side by side on the open ground. He pursed his lips but said nothing.

Lai Kuan-lin was still standing there, his outstretched hand had long since been withdrawn and put in his pocket, his expression unreadable.

Holding the microphone, Wang Sulong suddenly remembered something, turned to the cameraman following beside him, and shouted, "Hey, your production team, remember to buy the rights! Don't let them sue us if we air it!"

The photographer gave an OK sign.

Guo Qilin couldn't wait any longer. He walked straight to the speakers, turned on the accompaniment, and shouted, "Alright, alright, everyone's waiting to see the performance! Let's begin!"

The prelude to the music flowed out slowly.

Wang Sulong stood at the edge of the open space, raised the microphone, took a deep breath, and began to sing: "Stand on tiptoe, lift the hem of your skirt... let my hand gently rest on your shoulder..."

In the open space, Li Ran turned around and faced Hu Lianxin.

He raised his right hand and gently placed it on her shoulder blade, the movement very light. His left hand gently held her hand, the warmth of their palms spreading out where their hands met.

Hu Lianxin smiled faintly, her heart skipping a beat.

She tiptoed and gently lifted the hem of her skirt, the floral pattern swaying slightly in the night breeze.

The firelight reflected on her face, giving it a faint blush, whether from the firelight or something else, it was hard to tell.

"Dancing gracefully, breathing softly—how sweet is the waltz of love..."

The first accented note falls.

Li Ran started to move.

He took a steady step back, his movements fluid and natural, as if it were not the first time he had danced this dance. Hu Lianxin moved forward in perfect harmony, their bodies slightly touching, and then gently swayed apart with the next note.

"Step by step I draw closer to you, circle by circle I press against my heart... like a shooting star dancing in the night sky..."

Then comes a continuous rotation.

He led, and she followed.

Her skirt drew a graceful arc in the air, and in the firelight, it looked like a shooting star that bloomed and disappeared in an instant in the night sky. Her hair was gently lifted as she spun around, and a few strands brushed against his chin.

Li Ran looked down at her. Hu Lianxin was looking up, her eyes bright, reflecting the flickering firelight and his shadow.

"Take each step closer to me, circle after circle, my resolve grows stronger... I want to spin with you endlessly..."

Rotate, and rotate again.

Their steps became increasingly synchronized, as if they had jumped over it a thousand times. Every time she leaned, she landed steadily in his arms, and every time he led her, she followed without hesitation.

No one is more compatible with me than you, no one can give me the love you've given me... Our future is the most beautiful thing...

The last note fell.

With a gentle pull, Li Ran caused Hu Lianxin to lean back, resting her entire body in his steady arm.

She looked up at him, and he looked down at her; their eyes met.

The image freezes...

A gesture of embracing.

There was a moment of silence.

Then applause and cheers erupted.

"oh……!"

Guo Qilin was the first to jump up, nearly throwing his phone away: "My God! Li Ran, are you filming a dating reality show?! Is this something I can watch for free?!"

Li Xueqin clapped wildly, shouting, "A memorable scene! A memorable scene has been created! This will definitely become a memorable scene of this season of 'Peach Blossom Village'!"

Spicy Yangzi exaggeratedly clutched her chest, slumped to the side, and leaned on Li Xueqin's shoulder: "Ah! I'm heartbroken! I just touched his face, and he treats another woman like this!"

Li Xueqin shoved her away: "You're heartbroken my ass, you've never even been in love."

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Meng Ziyi's eyes widened as she stared at the two figures still frozen in place on the ground, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Li Ran, you're amazing! Who could withstand that?"

Zhou Ye, holding Taxue, watched this scene, pursed his lips, and then suddenly exclaimed, "I want to too! I want to jump too!"

She turned her head and looked around, her gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Wang Sulong: "Brother Long, sing me a song later too!"

Wang Sulong laughed heartily: "Alright, alright, let's line up!"

Song Dandan sat in the main seat, smiling as she looked at the young couple on the open space, and nodded: "Xiao Hu also danced well, the two of them coordinated very well."

Everyone praised it enthusiastically, making it as lively as Chinese New Year.

But on the edge of the crowd, two people were in different situations.

Lai Kuanlin stood in the corner, watching Hu Lianxin stand up with Li Ran in her hand on the open ground, watching the two of them smile at each other, watching her spin, tilt, and freeze in Li Ran's arms.

He slowly lowered his head, pulled his hands out of his pockets, and rubbed them together.

It's nothing, just... a little disappointed.

Not far from him, Zhang Han remained motionless.

His gaze fell on the open space, on the frozen figure, and the melody of the song he had just heard seemed to still echo in his ears.

He was very familiar with the song "The Waltz of Love".

That's an interlude from the TV series "Meteor Shower".

In that drama, he played Murong Yunhai, and she played Chu Yuxun.

They danced together in the show, to this song. Back then, he was young, she was young, and everything was still possible.

later……

Room number eight at night.

In the boys' dormitory on the first floor, Lai Guanlin lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his eyes wide open, showing no signs of sleepiness.

Zhang Han leaned against another bed, looking at his phone under the light. He caught a glimpse of his absent-minded look out of the corner of his eye and sighed softly.

He put down his phone, sat up, and looked at Lai Kuan-lin.

"Xiao Lai," he began, his tone carrying a hint of world-weariness, "I still advise you to focus on your career first."

Lai Kuan-lin paused for a moment, turned to look at him, and looked somewhat bewildered.

Zhang Han didn't explain further, but just looked at him quietly.

Lai Kuanlin remained silent for a while before suddenly speaking, his voice muffled: "Brother Han, I don't understand. Li Ran and Zhou Ye...aren't they supposed to be a couple?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Han's lips curled into a faint smile.

"In the entertainment industry, there's no such thing as a devoted, one-sided love."

He paused, his voice lowering as if talking to himself: "Back in the day... sigh, let's not talk about it."

Lai Kuan-lin looked at him but didn't dare to reply.

Zhang Han withdrew his gaze, looked at him again, and said calmly, "Li Ran and his rumored girlfriends are probably all true, and..."

He paused for a moment, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "Li Ran has a very powerful background, which we can't compare to. It's normal for these girls to throw themselves at him. Some things, we should just take a more relaxed view of."

Lai Kuan-lin remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft "Mmm" and burying his face in the pillow.

……

At this moment, the atmosphere in the girls' dormitory on the second floor was completely different.

The lights were bright, and the three people each occupied a corner, with a subtle sense of tension permeating the air.

Hu Lianxin sat cross-legged on her bed, staring intently at Meng Ziyi on the opposite bed, her eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Sister Meng!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear: "You're interested in Li Ran?"

Meng Ziyi was sitting on the edge of the bed removing her earrings when she heard this, her hand paused, and her expression froze for a moment.

She looked up at Hu Lianxin, then subconsciously turned to look at Zhou Ye on the other bed.

Zhou Ye was leaning against the headboard, holding Taxue in his arms, stroking its fur gently.

Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were fixed on Meng Ziyi without blinking, her gaze deep and penetrating, as if she could see right through him.

Hu Lianxin pursed her lips, clearly not believing it: "Then why are you so close to Li Ran? You were the first one to rush in when we were playing games today, weren't you?"

Meng Ziyi opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know where to begin.

Zhou Ye spoke up at this moment, his voice slow and deliberate, yet carrying a hint of meaning: "Sister Meng, you know Li Ran is a 'scumbag,' right?"

Meng Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening...

"Yes, yes!" Meng Ziyi nodded repeatedly, as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Of course I know! Don't worry, I just want to ride his coattails, really! Li Ran is so popular right now, what's wrong with riding his coattails?"

Hu Lianxin stared at her for two seconds before slowly saying, "Sister Meng, you'd better not have any other ideas."

The tone wasn't like a warning; it was more like... a declaration of sovereignty.

Meng Ziyi was internally screaming: What's going on with you two? One's playing the bad cop and the other's good cop, and you're working together pretty well?

Zhou Ye spoke up again at this moment, his tone softening, as if advising: "Sister Meng, Li Ran isn't as good as you think..."

Meng Ziyi felt completely numb when she saw Zhou Ye's worried expression.

She did have some feelings for Li Ran.

What's there to hide? Li Ran's face, his figure, his hands, and the way he focuses when cooking... who wouldn't find him attractive?

But before she could even do anything, the two of them had their eyes on her.

Does she not know whether Li Ran is a scumbag or not?

It's all over the internet, his rumored girlfriend could form an LPL team, but so what?

She's just greedy!

Seeing Zhou Ye and Hu Lianxin enjoying their meal so much, she also wanted to try it...

Why are you two being so wary of me?

Li Ran has so many rumored girlfriends, but I haven't seen anything happen between you two.

Liu Haocun, Tian Xiwei, Wang Churan... who isn't someone you should be wary of even more than me?

And then there's Zhang Jingyi, this special case...

Why am I the one being closely monitored?

What's wrong with including me?

Meng Ziyi's mind was in turmoil. She raised her hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, I promise, I just wanted to ride the wave of popularity, I had absolutely no other intentions. Are you satisfied now?"

Hu Lianxin and Zhou Ye exchanged a glance.

Zhou Ye lowered his head and continued petting the dog, while Hu Lianxin leaned back against the headboard. Neither of them spoke again.

Meng Ziyi lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and sighed silently to himself.

The key point is that she also felt like she was throwing herself at a blind man, as Li Ran didn't pay any attention to her at all.

Never mind, I'm not tempted anymore.

Yeah, right...

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow, Li Ran's face lingering in her mind.

Sigh, it's so hard to be a person...

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