Chapter 100: The Dance Party (Part 1)

  "I'm so envious of Xue Chang." San Luo Yun's voice interrupted Gu Huan Li's reminiscence, "He has already filmed several commercials before even officially debuting..."

  "Luoyun, I don't understand, why are you so eager to enter the entertainment industry?"

  "Every artist actually doesn't know how long they can stay, doesn't know how long they can persist. But just thinking about it, one's own voice, one's own performance, can accompany someone through a beautiful youth, isn't that a great thing? If possible, give me a full stage, sing the songs I like, in the way I like... No sadness, only sunshine, and thousands of people laughing together until dawn. Slightly raise my head, just look at the world from my own angle. Can be willful, can be naughty, can be stubborn. As long as, still remember to insist on being myself. Even if this road is walked, will stumble, will hurt, I also believe that later will be a beautiful time."

  San Luo Yun's lips had a faint bitter smile, "Saying so from my mouth, should be called arrogant, right? Such clumsy me... Not only no music or dance foundation, even memory is not good, always slower than others in memorizing scripts."

  "But I know how hard you've tried..."

  "Some things are not achieved just by working hard." San Luo Yun's expression was somewhat despondent, and it wasn't difficult to see how many setbacks she had experienced during her training.

  "At least you're stronger than me" Gu Huanli stretched out her arms and hugged her only friend, "Don't lose heart, don't give up. In the future, there will always be beautiful things waiting just for you."

  "Yeah, just like you always say, time is not to be wasted." San Luo Yun patted her own face, mustering up her spirits. "If you and I were to join the entertainment industry together, we could even form a girl group. We'd definitely be better than DAP."

  "Uh..." Gu Huanli smiled awkwardly, "What's DAP? Delivered At Pce? Or Dynamic Application Platform?"

  "Please, if you keep this up, you'll really become a bookworm. DAP is currently the most popular and hottest boy band."

  "What's wrong with studying hard?" Gu Huanli muttered to herself, lowering her head to look at the original books spread out in front of her.

  "There's nothing wrong, it's just that life will be much less fun." Sanluo Yun said with a straight face and righteous words, "How can those who study business management not broaden their horizons and gain more experience? If they only focus on books, they will never be able to apply theory to practice."

  "That's also true." Gu Huanli nodded and thought for a moment, then smiled brightly and said seriously, "From now on, I'll definitely study more case analyses."

  San Luo Yun's mouth was agape for a moment, before she looked down dejectedly and muttered to herself, "......How pitiful. This person is clearly beyond salvation."

  "Luoyun, what did you just say?" Gu Huanli didn't quite catch it, she looked at Sang Luoyun in confusion, asking her to repeat herself.

  "You see, case analysis is indeed helpful, but ultimately solving things still depends on people."

  "Uh-huh."

  "Isn't human talent the greatest capital?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "There's no one to manage, so it can't be called management, right?"

  "Hmm." Gu Huan Lirui looked at Sang Luo Yun with a puzzled expression, "But I don't understand, what exactly are you trying to say?"

  San Luo Yun slumped on the table and let out a weak sigh. Senior, she really had given it her all.

  One year later.

  "Gu Huanli, Qi Yichen, a senior from your school, has come looking for you. He wants you to meet him at the school cafeteria after class."

  Upon hearing San Luo Yun's words, Gu Huan Lian didn't show any excitement, instead she furrowed her brow. "What's going on?"

  "The professor was very impressed with that special topic paper you wrote during winter break and has asked a senior student to take you out for a meal."

  "I..." Gu Huanli hesitated, she was doing a special topic paper because of boredom during the holidays and didn't want her brother to say that she was too idle and lazy, not for any reward from the professor.

  Because she was close to the professor, for some reason, she became a target in her classmates' eyes.

  Since someone in the class was caught cheating, many people have been spreading rumors that she is the informant, which is why the professor was able to catch the cheater accurately. Although Sanluoyun scoffed at such rumors, she could not calm down her classmates' anger and suspicion.

  Although it didn't cause her much trouble with her studies, her classmates would always stop talking when she approached and burst into laughter after she walked away. Over time, she became increasingly isolated from the crowd, hiding alone in the library surrounded by books.

  That's right, she doesn't need friends. One San Luo Yun is enough.

  That's right, she doesn't need to win anyone's favor. It's all for her brother, that's the only thing that matters in her life.

  "Go have dinner with the senior, how many people can't get to do that." San Luo Yun waved her hand excitedly, seeming even more thrilled than Gu Huan Li.

  "I don't want to go."

  "Why?"

  "I haven't finished reading Paul R. Krugman's 'Internationalism in Vogue'." Gu Huanli summarized the class notes and handed them over to Sang Luoyun.

  "Why is it always so cold towards Senpai?" San Luo Yun frowned.

  "No"

  "Also, when there was no summer vacation, the senior asked if you wanted to go camping with seniors in the department, and you said something came up at home. This year, the senior invited you to the Christmas party, but you said you were busy with schoolwork..."

  "Because during the summer vacation, I'm going on a trip with my brother!" Gu Huanlin explained. It was her brother's first time taking her abroad for a vacation, although most of the time she spent cooped up in restaurants reading and waiting for her brother to return, but he would still take out time to accompany her strolling along the Seine River, drifting on the gentle waves of Cambridge, lingering in the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, picking a bunch of Provence lavender, sipping a mouthful of Munich beer...

  "Yi Chen is a great senior, don't you think? Every time I tell him you're not going, he looks very upset."

  Even if San Luo Yun said so, Gu Huan Li found it hard to imagine that Luo Yi Chen would have any sad expressions. Because the more gentle the expression on his face was, the more she felt he was extremely hypocritical. Moreover, after graduating from senior year, he actually chose to continue studying for a master's degree at Tsinghua University. Could it be that he had become addicted to being a senior?

  Most of the time, he always had a gentle smile on his face, treating everyone equally, and forever used a warm attitude to treat all his junior brothers and sisters. Every time he came to class, he was always surrounded by people and received the warmest welcome.

  "I don't dislike Senpai, I just don't want to get involved with him."

  San Luo Yun looked at Gu Huan Lian quietly, revealing an expression of sudden realization, "You wouldn't still be bothered about this year's Valentine's Day, would you?"

  Gu Huanli smiled slightly, "Is there anything I need to pay attention to on this year's Valentine's Day?"

  "San Luo Yun sighed, 'Nothing's wrong? Otherwise, why would you be speaking in this tone?'"

  Gu Huanli smiled somewhat awkwardly and looked away with a guilty conscience.

  This Valentine's Day, I don't know which nerve of Luoyi Chen got crossed, but he actually managed to get her phone number from Sangluo Yun.

  "Will you be my girlfriend?" Even through the phone line, Ruo Yi Chen's voice was clear and bright, but it made Gu Huan Lian feel dizzy for a moment.

  "Female companion?" Gu Huanli murmured to herself, repeating it over and over again.

  It wasn't a formal dance at all, and everyone seemed to go in groups, so there was no need to invite a female partner.

  "This is an event hosted by our department and I'm the person in charge... so, I hope to invite you..." Ruo Yichen on the other end of the phone seemed a bit tense.

  "Perhaps it's because there aren't enough participants?" Gu Huan thought for a moment before guessing.

  "No, it's personal, I want to invite you."

  "Can I think about it?" The hand holding the phone trembled slightly, Gu Huanli couldn't control her fear, but a blunt refusal might affect her brother's cooperation with the Luo family. Although her brother had never asked her to have any special attitude towards Luo Yichen, as a member of the family, she had to consider the interests of the whole family.

  It's just...

  How should I bring this up with my brother?

  Gu Huanli actually hoped that her brother would refuse, but she didn't dare to make such a suggestion. So, for the next few days, she was restless and couldn't sleep, not knowing how to bring it up.

  Gu Tianxi still had doubts.

  In the high-end restaurant they often went to, Gu Huanli carefully brought up the topic of spending Valentine's Day at the school dance, but Gu Tianxi immediately rejected her request.

  "Why won't you let me go?"

  "Because you're too young." Gu Tianxi's tone was a matter of course, "Let's talk about it when you grow up." He elegantly placed the napkin on the table, signaling the waiter to come and pay the bill, also conveying his attitude of not wanting to continue the discussion.

  Gu Huan Lian shrunk back a bit and stuttered, "Brother has already held an adult ceremony for me, doesn't that mean I can formally enter society?"

  "What reason makes you have to go?" Gu Tianxi's words and smile were full of meaning, and his eyes seemed to see through everything.

  Because she heard that the cooperation between Fengyun International and the Luo family was entering a critical stage, the tightly strung string was fragile and sensitive. Any slight movement might cause her brother's previous efforts to be destroyed in an instant. She had to help her brother grasp the initiative, and Gu Huan Lian knew that the more anxious she became, the more likely she would arouse her brother's suspicion. Putting down the teacup, she smiled faintly, "I rarely participate in school activities. This is a good opportunity to communicate with my classmates."

  "Do you really want to go?"

  "Yes."

  Gu Tianxi couldn't help but laugh, as if mocking her naivety. "Alright, then go."

  Brother's letting go made Gu Huanli greatly astonished, and also made her realize something. Perhaps, it was never that brother wanted to restrain her, but rather she had never fought for anything herself.

  "Thank you, brother."

  "Don't be polite, just have fun." Gu Tianxi stretched out his hand and stroked Gu Huanli's hair, revealing a warm smile.

  Gu Tianxi not only didn't stop her Valentine's Day dance, but also personally helped her prepare a small gift dress, so she could make a grand entrance. Even though Gu Huanli repeatedly declined, saying that college students wouldn't dress up so formally, Gu Tianxi still helped her get ready with all the accessories, and even arranged for a makeup artist and stylist for her.

  Only one day left until Valentine's Day.

  Expectation? Disgust? Fear? Hesitation? Even Gu Huanli herself couldn't tell.