She didn’t have a fixed style of dance. She simply loved dancing and always felt she could find herself in it, using it as an outlet for her emotions.

Shen Siyan was silent for a few seconds. “That’s great.”

Xu Zhilu paused, holding a duck claw, and lowered her eyes. “Yeah.”

Shen Siyan looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Do you remember performing on stage during the New Year’s celebration in third grade?”

Xu Zhilu was startled. “I remember.”

She suddenly felt listless and lost her appetite, staring at the duck feet in front of her.

Noticing her expression, Shen Siyan spoke softly. “I suddenly remembered something today.”

“What?”

Xu Zhilu bit into the duck claw nonchalantly, though she felt a bit anxious about what he was going to say next.

Shen Siyan looked at her. “After you performed on stage, didn’t a lot of people come up to ask for your contact information?”

“…Yeah,” Xu Zhilu said. “And then?”

She remembered that incident and even recalled overhearing people asking Shen Siyan about her. Xu Zhilu hadn’t been too happy about it, but she couldn’t deny that part of her was pleased.

After all, everyone wants their performance to be appreciated and liked.

But just as she was feeling happy, she remembered what Shen Siyan said next.

He didn’t like it.

He thought it wasn’t very good, not as good as her previous piano performance.

It was then that Xu Zhilu realized why Shen Siyan had always seemed disinterested or even impatient whenever she talked to him about dancing before. He simply didn’t like it.

All her previous doubts were answered in that moment.

She hadn’t confronted him then and had quietly left.

She was afraid to ask him why he didn’t like it, but she thought, if he didn’t like it, then so be it—there was no need for an explanation.

Xu Zhilu had held back and never asked.

But soon after, she quietly replaced dancing with the piano, hoping to earn his praise and approval. Thinking back now, she realized how foolish that had been.

Why should she give up something she loves just because of someone else’s likes or dislikes?

Shen Siyan was silent for a moment. “At that time, many people asked me for your contact information.”

“I know.”

Xu Zhilu replied calmly. “What are you trying to say?”

Shen Siyan looked at her intently. “Did you hear what I said back then?”

Xu Zhilu was taken aback.

She looked up in surprise and stared at him. “What did you say?”

Shen Siyan slowly explained, “I didn’t mean what I said.”

He continued, “It was just a little annoying. They kept asking about you, so I said I didn’t like it. But it wasn’t true. I didn’t dislike it, nor did I think you danced poorly. On the contrary—”

He paused, looking at her with intense eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he said, word by word, “It was a beautiful dance, and I liked it very much.”

Xu Zhilu had a pure and innocent appearance, with a slightly round face and bright almond-shaped eyes that made people want to protect her.

But when she danced, she transformed completely. Gone was the innocent little white rabbit; she became bold and captivating, her whole body seeming to glow, drawing everyone’s gaze.

Shen Siyan couldn’t deny that he was mesmerized at the time.

After he spoke, the room fell into a long silence.

Xu Zhilu lowered her eyes, staring at the object in her hand. It felt as if a thorn that had been lodged in her heart for years had finally been removed. She had finally found the answer to something that had troubled her for so long.

She was quiet for a while before suddenly asking, “Why are you bringing this up now?”

Shen Siyan didn’t hesitate: “My mom mentioned that you switched to piano because of something I said back then?”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

She pursed her lips and glared at him, irritated: “Don’t be so full of yourself, okay? That had nothing to do with you.”

She didn’t want Shen Siyan to know the truth, nor did she want to admit it: “I learned piano because I liked it at the time, not because of you.”

“…”

“Oh.” Shen Siyan looked at her and smiled. “Okay, it wasn’t because of me.”

He paused and then said, “I didn’t mean anything by telling you this.”

He added softly, “I just wanted to explain.”

Xu Zhilu murmured an acknowledgment, unsure of what to say next.

She set down what she was holding and took a sip of water. “I didn’t think much of it.”

Shen Siyan chuckled, following her lead: “Alright, I get it. You didn’t think much of it.”

He sighed lightly. “I worry too much.”

For some reason, Xu Zhilu felt a twinge of sarcasm in his words.

She lowered her eyes and chose to ignore him.

The two of them quietly finished their midnight snack.

After eating, Shen Siyan gathered the trash and planned to leave it outside for the hotel staff to collect later.

He checked the time and decided not to linger any longer.

“I should go back now. Remember to lock the door tonight.”

Xu Zhilu nodded.

They exchanged a glance.

Xu Zhilu walked him to the door, and Shen Siyan stepped out.

She stared at her toes for a moment but couldn’t help calling out, “Shen Siyan.”

He turned around, looking at her. “What is it?”

Xu Zhilu bit her lip, took a deep breath, and said, “Thank you.”

Shen Siyan looked puzzled. “Thank you for what?”

“Thank you for telling me that.”

She admitted honestly, “I was bothered by it for a long time.”

Shen Siyan was slightly taken aback, then walked back towards her.

He stopped in front of her, a hint of regret in his voice. “I’m sorry. I only said that to someone else at the time. I didn’t really mean that I didn’t like it.”

He bent down, meeting her gaze, and sincerely apologized, “It was my fault.”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “I had my own issues too.”

In fact, if she had followed Xin An’an’s advice and bravely asked questions when she was unsure, she wouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable for so long.

She pressed her lips together and said, “It’s nothing. You should go back and rest.”

Shen Siyan nodded and patted her head. “Alright, I’m going.”

—

It was a long time after Shen Siyan left before Xu Zhilu slowly returned to bed and lay down.

Strangely, she felt a little better, but there was still a lingering discomfort.

The thing that had troubled her for so long turned out not to be what she had thought.

Xu Zhilu lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

After a long time, she turned over and buried her head in the quilt.

If she had asked sooner in her past, would things have turned out differently?

But there are no “what ifs” in this world.

That night, Xu Zhilu had a long dream.

Amidst the chaos, Shen Siyan’s face appeared repeatedly, as if he had taken root in her mind. Every time he appeared, she couldn’t control her joy and excitement.

She gathered her courage and walked toward him.

But as soon as she got close, he wore a look of impatience. His cold eyes made her too scared to get any closer.

…

When she woke up, it was still not very bright outside.

Xu Zhilu pulled the quilt around herself and took a deep breath, feeling helpless.

She blinked, reached for the phone on her bedside table, and turned it on.

It was only five o’clock.

Xu Zhilu wasn’t sleepy anymore, so she got up and stretched for a while.

After a moment’s thought, she sent a message to Shen Siyan.

Xu Zhilu: When are you going back?

After sending the message, she didn’t rush to wait for a reply.

After napping and getting washed up, she finally received a message from Shen Siyan.

Shen Siyan: I’m not going back for now. How long are you staying here?

Xu Zhilu: ?

Shen Siyan: I’ll leave after I see your performance.

Xu Zhilu: …Oh.

She was puzzled by Shen Siyan’s odd behavior.

Xu Zhilu stared at her phone for a long time but ultimately didn’t ask any of the questions on her mind.

She had rehearsals in the morning and afternoon, so she didn’t have much time to communicate with Shen Siyan.

After changing clothes, Xu Zhilu went downstairs with her teachers and classmates for breakfast, and then headed to the dance studio for practice.

Before leaving, she messaged Shen Siyan again.

Shen Siyan only asked her to send her location when she arrived, without much other conversation.

The dance studio where Xu Zhilu and her friends practiced was not far from their hotel, which was conveniently located in the city center.

Shen Siyan slept most of the day and didn’t head out until noon to visit the dance studio where Xu Zhilu was practicing.

When he arrived, Xu Zhilu and the others were still practicing.

As soon as Shen Siyan looked up, he spotted Xu Zhilu. She wasn’t the tallest among them, but she stood out, right in the middle of the group.

She was good-looking, young, and beautiful, with fair skin that made people notice her at first sight.

Shen Siyan stared at her for a long time before leaning lazily to one side. He didn’t send her a message or urge her; he just stayed outside quietly. Instead, the clerk, who was sitting at the door as a receptionist, glanced at him, stood up, and walked out. “Handsome guy, are you here to look for someone?”

Shen Siyan shook his head. “Yes.”

The clerk was stunned, pointed, and asked, “Do you need me to call them out for you?”

Shen Siyan smiled, looked at the glittering person inside, and shook his head. “No need.” He paused for a moment and smiled. “I want to be her audience.”