Chapter 22: The Sentimental One Cannot Avoid Embarrassment

  It's going to be embarrassing!

  The idea of Danyong had just emerged when it suddenly became a reality.

  As Zuo Xiying's neat, nimble and elegant dance steps unfolded, her long legs stretched out in a flash, exuding infinite charm. With a flick of her scattered hair, she revealed a thousand alluring expressions; with a turn of her slender figure, she suddenly appeared radiant. Before long, those who couldn't keep up with the dance retreated from the scene, all staring at this beauty dancing in male attire, pointing and whispering to each other. This made Shan Yong feel even more miserable. The female dance was already awkward enough; what's more, he had to maintain close proximity to his beautiful female instructor, inhaling her subtle fragrance and holding her soft small hands - how could he possibly keep his mind focused?

  Very beautiful, so beautiful that it's beyond comparison. The closer the distance, the more awkward he felt.

  What's more, after a few steps, Zuo Xiying became enthusiastic and played with high-difficulty moves. With one hand, she stirred the spoon-like single bravery to turn around in circles. With one tilt of her body, she brought Single Bravery into a high-difficulty backward lean, as if their roles had been swapped, and Single Bravery was like a beauty. Not satisfied with just swaying her body, Zuo Xiying's dance steps were even more powerful and beautiful. For the nth time, Zuo Xiying seemed to want to hug Single Bravery for a lover's backward lean, but Single Bravery leaned back with a bit too much force, and his mind was dazed. As Zuo Xiying leaned in close, Single Bravery became tense and fell to the ground with a thud, causing the watching crowd of people to burst out laughing.

  It's a good thing that Dan Yong has thick skin, and just as he was about to get up, a slender white hand stretched out in front of him and pulled him up. Zuo Xiying smiled mischievously and asked: "Looks like your skills aren't as high as you boasted, huh? You blew it so high it reached the sky, but you fell to the ground... being a girl doesn't seem to suit you too well... how about trying to be a boy?"

  "This... I'll definitely do it." Shan Yong was a bit nervous, but Zuo Xiying smiled and patted him on the shoulder, and Shan Yong straightened his chest, no longer feeling nervous. He stepped onto the dance floor, but his movements were much stiffer than Zuo Xiying's earlier male lead.

  In school, I often danced, but just found a girl to touch and feel her hand. Now, after a thousand or ten thousand regrets, I shouldn't have just touched, my dance steps aren't good, so I changed back to male steps, still can't keep up with the teacher's pace.

  At this moment, Zuo Xiying was again in a charming and flirtatious state, as if refusing yet welcoming at the same time. Her eyes were burning with passion, making Shan Yong momentarily have the illusion of being a romantic lover. With her crab-like steps and cat-like movements, her actions flowed like clouds and water, causing many girls to follow and imitate her. As she swung her hips and swayed her waist, her entire body's curves and dynamic movements were fully displayed, causing the surrounding men to stare without blinking. Her changing steps, crossing steps, and spinning steps made Shan Yong feel even more inadequate, as if he was in a daze. Along with the enthusiastic applause and cheers, the final note ended with Zuo Xiying looking up at him with an adoring gaze, like a couple gazing into each other's eyes, both of them covered in sweat, tense and leaning against each other, embracing their own waists.

  All around, a round of applause erupted, and the delighted citizens pointed and stared in envy at this couple.

  Eating without breaking a sweat, this dance was danced so bravely that he really broke out in a cold sweat, and with Xiying by his side, it's hard to keep a low profile. Shanyong couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead, while Xiying couldn't help but laugh and ask: "How about another one?"

  "This... I..." Dan's face turned red with embarrassment, a bit too humble, and too difficult to accept.

  Before he could respond, several decent-looking young women approached and directly invited Zuo Xiying to lead the dance with them, wanting to play together. Shan Yong was hesitant and reluctant, but as soon as someone else asked, Zuo Xiying immediately agreed and dragged the unwilling Shan Yong into the crowd.

  When the music of the mass dance started, Zuo Xiying suddenly became the focus of attention. Standing in front of the crowd, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender hands and wrists. With exaggerated gestures, she danced with varying steps, showcasing a unique elegance and flair that was hard to describe. Occasionally glancing around, her smile was even more radiant than the drumbeat. As she reached the climax of her dance, Zuo Xiying spun around, urging the young women beside her to join in, and soon the crowd erupted into applause and cheers, with some people even whistling. Many men and women who were eating nearby put down their bowls and gathered to watch the commotion, pushing the small dance floor on the side of the road to the forefront.

  This time, Shan Yong was really embarrassed. Standing next to Zuo Xiying, his hands were not hands, his waist was not a waist, and his legs were even less like legs. Every step he took felt awkward. Occasionally, Zuo Xiying would excitedly pull him along for a few steps, and her slender hand and wrist would make him feel uncomfortable rather than pleased. The more uncomfortable he became, the more Zuo Xiying seemed to enjoy herself, deliberately leading him in high-difficulty spins and flower-like movements. Whenever he lost his footing, it would always provoke Zuo Xiying and those few elderly women into bursts of loud laughter.

  It's a good thing that there was previously Dan Yong's encouragement, so the master sister wasn't polite to him at all, and the more she made a fool of herself, the happier it seemed to make people.

  It was easy to get through two songs, but he didn't dare dance again. He pulled Xie Ying out of the crowd, who was still full of energy, and bid farewell to the group of young women whose excitement was at its peak. Once they were out of the crowd, Shan Yong was so out of breath that his old sweat hadn't dried yet and new sweat was already breaking out. Xie Ying looked at Shan Yong with a smile in her eyes, fortunately not teasing him about his awkward appearance. Wiping away his sweat, she said: "Looks like you can't wait to send me back to the hotel now?"

  Of course, Dan Yong glanced around cautiously, afraid that the person who had a crush on his sister would come over and invite him again, which would be troublesome. He nodded: "Mm, if you don't want to go back, we can consider going somewhere else to have fun." Anything was fine, but dancing was definitely out of the question.

  "Hehe, let's go back, I've been out for more than two hours, it's too late and my father will worry." Zuo Xiying said with a smile, not having had enough fun. Duan Yong didn't invite her again, turned around and pushed the car, when he drove to Zuo Xiying's side, Zuo Xiying didn't get on the car, smiled and pointed at Duan Yong: "Let's walk for a while, look how sweaty you are."

  "Oh, okay." Shanyong said, getting off the car and pushing it. Today was a pull and a loss, basically even, but Shanyong didn't know what impression he had given to his master sister, and his heart felt a little uneasy, but today's scheduled goal was completed, now wanting to go further, probably not possible.

  On the other hand, Zuo Xiying was beaming with joy, seemingly enjoying being the center of attention. Shan Yongxi had stopped for a moment, and his sweat began to fall, as if he was once again nostalgic for the heart-pounding feeling of facing Zuo Xiying head-on. He couldn't help but steal a glance, only to find himself locking eyes with Zuo Xiying, who smiled, as if everything was understood without needing to be said.

  Not good. At a glance, Dan Yong felt that his sister was both intelligent and cunning, with eyes that seemed to see through his thoughts. As he thought about it, Dan Yong suddenly felt a sense of regret.

  "What's wrong, Shanyong? You didn't seem to be having fun when you came. Why do you look unhappy now?" Zuo Xiyin also noticed Shanyong's dejected appearance and intentionally said a sentence.

  "Who said I'm happier than ever?" Dan Yong said, covering up.

  "Isn't it? You seem to have a knot in your heart, are you going to toss and turn all night?!?" Zuo Xiying turned around, walking backwards, her eyes fixed on Shan Yong as he teased, probably having already guessed his thoughts. But unexpectedly, Shan Yong spoke directly: "Of course I'm worried, it's just that I'll never see you again... Eldest sister, I don't even know your name! I know your surname is noble, but what about your given name? Let me guess?"

  "My name is Zuo Xiying, the bustling Xi, the outstanding Ying. My sister's name is Zuo Xirong, maybe you know this name." Zuo Xiying said with a smile, her sister's name should be known by many people in Lushan, but unexpectedly mistaken for someone else. Shan Yong had an admiring attitude and said: "Wow, I didn't know... So it turns out that Teacher Zuo has two sisters? That means I have two teacher-sisters."

  Zuo Xiying was slightly startled, but this name not only failed to intimidate Shan Yong, but instead had the opposite effect, making him somewhat curious. He chuckled and shook his head, saying: "You wouldn't want to know her, she's probably around your mom's age. Our family is old-fashioned, my dad didn't have me until he was over 40, I'm the youngest in the family, and my sister's son is almost as old as me. How about you?"

  "I'm an only child, and being an only child is meaningless, it's so lonely. Otherwise, Master Sister will call you sister from now on." Shuang Yong said with a smile.

  "Give an inch, take a mile, but if I really had such a fun-loving brother, it wouldn't be bad either. Let me think about it. The reply date will be decided later." Zuo Xiying said with a big smile, at this time shedding her reserved demeanor, probably because she knew Single Yong's personality well. She made an elegant turn and walked alongside Single Yong, asking somewhat strangely: "This time I came to Lushun City, the few people I met are all quite strange. Lei Dapeng, for example, my dad says that kid is stupid but has great wisdom; and then there's Si Mu Xian, my dad says he's highly cultivated."

  "It can't be, Lei Dapeng is a well-known fool, in junior high school, he still had two strands of snot hanging from his nose; Simu Xianren is not bad, but he reads too many books and is a bit pedantic. They attach so much importance to these two." Shuang Yong felt a little disappointed, it seemed that he was too low-key, so low-key that Professor Zuo didn't pay attention to him, seeing Zuo Xiying smile, he asked: "Then did your dad not evaluate me?"

  "After evaluating, he said this kid is a bit wild and a bit of a glutton. Hmm, nothing else was mentioned, it seems like these are the only two characteristics." Zuo Xiying intentionally said, looking at Shan Yong's expression, Shan Yong chuckled and said: "Isn't this just Zhu Bajie being dissatisfied with the ugly appearance of the monster? As for eating, compared to your dad, I'd gladly admit defeat. With just a glance and a sniff, he can distinguish seven or eight different ingredients, I really don't have that skill."

  It's self-deprecation, and also lightly parried the teasing from Zuo Xiying. Zuo Xiying saw through it too, saying that he was greedy for food, but he didn't take offense, instead thinking it was praise. He smiled and retorted: "You're being modest? My dad can only eat but not cook, you're a versatile talent, able to cook, eat, and even find ingredients."

  "This, I've always been low-key about it, and I'm not bragging to you, but the signature dishes of the eight major cuisines of China - Sichuan, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Anhui, and Hubei - I've tried most of them. Our hometown is a special place, it's been a must-visit for military strategists since ancient times, after thousands of years of battles, many people have moved here from all over the country, so our local cuisine has absorbed the strengths of various cuisines. For example, the 'Thirteen Flowers' dish, its knife work is similar to that of Suzhou cuisine, every dish must have a flower arrangement, and when you lay out the dishes, it's a feast for the eyes, you can't bear to pick up your chopsticks; or take the 'Zhāngzé Lake Banquet', the technique of cooking the soup is from Cantonese cuisine. Nowadays, these cuisines are not easily distinguishable, you have me in you, and I have you in me... actually, there's no one dish that can suit everyone's taste buds. For example, Shanxi people like sour flavors, Anhui people like salty flavors, Sichuan people like spicy and numbing flavors, Guangdong people like fresh and raw flavors... if you're not a local, you can't enjoy it, but if you want to develop your business elsewhere, you have to adapt. After all these adaptations, the flavor has changed... overall, I think my hometown's flavor is still the best."

  However, Zuo Xiying was not his kindred spirit in food, frequently laughing and just appreciating the exaggerated expression, laughing and saying: "You're still being low-key? You've finished all eight major cuisines, aren't you bragging? My dad doesn't even dare to boast that he's tried all eight major cuisines."

  "There's nothing to brag about, my dad used to run a restaurant in the city, and all the restaurants in the city are basically the same industry. The first thing to do is to go taste how others' dishes are. For me, restaurants are home, and home is restaurants. Among the people I know in society, more than half are master chefs, it's convenient to eat, sometimes I directly go to their kitchen to eat." Dan Yong said with pride, but actually, it was because he often caught wild game and sold it to various restaurants, so he inevitably knew many chefs. Knowing many people means you have to take advantage of the situation."

  Zuo Xiying smiled, this kind of unbelievable lifestyle was still a bit fresh and hard to understand for her. She asked with interest about the food customs in Lucheng City. It turned out that it wasn't just bragging, there were over 200 dishes on the menu for the top ten banquets, and the signature dishes of the eight major cuisines. Shanyong could rattle them off like a tongue twister. When it came to famous snacks, he was even more enthusiastic, listening to him made one's mouth water. As they chatted and laughed, the distance between them narrowed.

  Every time Zuo Xiying saw Shanyong's carefree smile, she couldn't help but feel a little dizzy, her adrenal glands secreting strongly, almost as if she wanted to blow herself up into a foodie who had tried all the delicacies in the world.

  Until the Hilton Hotel appeared in sight, Shanyong's smile condensed inexplicably, and a disappointed melancholy climbed onto his face that was not good at hiding.

  Without exaggerating the sorrowful expression, she quietly walked through this section until she stopped at the gate. Xiying broke the silence with a smile and asked: "It's time to say goodbye, why aren't you talking? I'm surprised to know you, but also very happy."

  "I'm glad, but it's a pity you're leaving... We'll start our internship in a few days and I'll also be going back to my hometown. Who knows when we'll have the chance to see each other again." Shuang Yu couldn't hide his disappointment. Zuo Xiying was about to leave, but seemed reluctant, said goodnight, took two steps, then turned around and looked at Shuang Yu who was standing still: "Do you have time tomorrow?"

  "Really!" Yu Rong exclaimed in surprise and delight.

  "Hmm, I think your car is pretty good, low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and fast too." Zuo Xiying smiled as she looked at Shan Yong's beloved car, then suddenly asked: "Tomorrow afternoon my father has a lecture at the Lu Institute, if you don't mind, can I ride in your car?"

  "No problem, doesn't matter, absolutely delighted." Shuang Yong was overjoyed.

  "Goodnight." Zuo Xiying waved her hand cutely.

  "Good night." Yanyong said mechanically, still not digesting the surprise.

  Zhou Xiying's slender figure walked quickly, entered the lobby, turned back and smiled, disappearing into the hotel. As soon as she left, Shan Yong took a deep breath, his lung capacity expanding to its maximum, and immediately a high-pitched, cheerful whistling tune came out. Listening carefully, it was the authentic "Big Flower Palanquin", blown even higher than the suona's tune. He blew all the way, riding his bike left and right, swaggering back to Luan Yuan.

  In the hotel, Yu Xun left the elevator and quickly returned to her room. As she passed by her father's room, the door was open, and he was waiting at the entrance, smiling at her. She didn't say a word, but responded with a similar smile. Her father, Yu Nan, smiled and said: "I said you must have had a lot of fun, it seems I'm right, why don't you invite him to come up and sit for a while?"

  "Dad, are you worried that I won't be able to get married or something? Honestly." Zuo Xiying said with a pout, turning her head to go back to her room. Her coquettish behavior made Zuo Nanxia look at her with delight, and he reminded her as she walked away: "Don't forget to take your medicine!"

  "No need, I've never felt so relaxed, but also never so tired, walked several kilometers, definitely won't have insomnia...... Oh right, also ate a lot of local snacks, will tell you tomorrow." Zuo Xiying replied, opened the door with a creak, stuck her head out again, smiled and gave her father a goodnight blessing, then closed the door.

  He smiled slightly to the left, but when his daughter disappeared, his smile also disappeared, and his eyebrows furrowed, as if there was a knot of unresolvable sorrow between them...