The performance began.
Acts rotated onto the stage in quick succession, heating up the auditorium’s atmosphere to thunderous applause.
Soon, it was time for Zhao Nige’s folk dance troupe.
Right before stepping out, she gripped the edge of the curtain and took one last peek at the audience. Still no sign of Lu Yanling.
Whatever. She had to focus on the performance.
As the previous act drew to a close and the host announced their piece, the dancers minced onto the stage from both wings.
Folk group dances typically featured large ensembles, vibrant costumes, festive music, and themes celebrating national unity. Even before Zhao Nige transmigrated, such massive group numbers were notorious for drawing the lowest television ratings during holiday galas.
So following an acrobatic bowl-balancing dance, this folk routine drew little enthusiasm from the crowd. In the front row, some of the leaders even turned their heads to chat among themselves.
As the music swelled, dozens of dancers formed neat rows advancing from either side.
Zhao Nige was positioned in the very back.
The choreography wasn’t new, and most formations had been fixed long ago. Since she and Yu Qian were recent additions, they had been placed in the rear. The instructor had offered Zhao Nige a spot in the front row, but she had turned it down.
Only when she nearly missed her cue and it came time for the ending pose did Zhao Nige finally perk up.
By this point, Lu Shaoyu was getting bored. “You guys watch,” he told the buddy beside him. “I’m heading to the bathroom.”
“Hey, don’t leave yet, Brother Yu!” His comrade grabbed his arm, eyes lighting up as he pointed toward the stage. “I just spotted an absolute stunner!”
Lu Shaoyu scoffed. He had been sitting there like an idiot for over an hour without seeing a single girl who caught his eye. Granted, the dancers were all pretty enough, but none could compare to the fairy-like goddess who already held his heart.
Ordinary girls didn’t stand a chance.
“Seriously, I’m not kidding!” his friend insisted, clearly excited. “Look at the one on the edge of the back row—doesn’t she look like an angel straight from heaven?”
Lu Shaoyu tossed a dismissive glance over his shoulder. The moment he looked, he froze, his eyes widening in shock.
It was her.
It was really her—his goddess!
Forgetting all about the bathroom, Lu Shaoyu scrambled back into his seat, his gaze locked entirely on the figure on the stage.
***
It was not until the second half of the dance that Zhao Nige moved from the back row to the front.
The moment she stepped forward, the spotlight shifted with her. Audience members who had found the performance dull suddenly sat up, their attention drawn to the stage. More and more eyes fixed on her.
She wore a white asymmetrical bandeau top paired with a midriff-baring wrap skirt. Her long hair fell down her back, and bright tribal totems were painted on her arms. Silver earrings chimed softly against her lobes.
Bathed in the stage light, she appeared like a maiden stepping out from the moonlight.
With a sweep of her arms, she spun into the air like a swan taking flight.
Every strand of her hair seemed alive with vibrant energy. Her slender fingers looked poised to pluck the moon from the sky, and her arched feet appeared to dance upon clouds. Vivid, spirited, and unyielding, she was the very embodiment of life itself.
Nothing could defeat her; nothing could stop her dance.
As the performance drew to a close, she leaped upward with supple grace, soaring toward the sky like an immortal about to ride a crane into the heavens.
The entire audience was held spellbound.
Staring at the leaping figure on stage, Lu Shaoyu could distinctly hear his own racing pulse.
Oh, Mom.
Your son has fallen hard.
***
Amid thunderous applause, Zhao Nige slowly exited the stage.
Even after she and the troupe returned backstage, the auditorium still echoed with enthusiastic cheers and clapping. Used to such reactions, Zhao Nige headed to the dressing room to change out of her costume.
Their rehearsal instructor hurried over, beaming. “Brilliant! The folk dance group stole the show today. Just listen to that audience—no other act got a reaction like this!”
The other dancers in the group were just as surprised. Their folk routine had never been a standout, yet today it had drawn such an overwhelming response.
Yu Qian, never one to filter her thoughts, spoke up immediately. “It’s all thanks to Zhao Nige! That flying backbend at the end stunned everyone.”
“Exactly. Zhao Nige did a phenomenal job.” The instructor looked at her as if she were a prized treasure, utterly delighted.
A cold scoff came from the vanity table. Li Ting sneered, “If she’s so amazing, why isn’t she doing ballet?”
Even among dancers, there was a pecking order.
Within the Art Troupe, folk dance had the lowest entry requirements, while classical and ballet demanded the most. Both required a foundation built from childhood; without over a decade of grueling practice, reaching the top was out of the question.
Li Ting was clearly mocking Zhao Nige—challenging her to see how she measured up against the ballet dancers if she was so capable.
Zhao Nige glanced at Li Ting and smiled faintly. “Even if I did switch, I’d choose Chinese classical dance. What future is there in ballet?”
“You—!”
Li Ting stared at her, stunned by such arrogance. Just because Zhao Nige had stolen the spotlight today, she was already acting like she was above everyone else.
Yu Qian disliked Li Ting and stepped forward, taking Zhao Nige’s arm. “Come on, Zhao Nige. Let’s go change and get ready for the evening ball.”
Only the finale remained onstage: the grand ballet performance, led by Zhao Lanxin and Gao Xiang.
Zhao Nige had no interest in watching Zhao Lanxin perform. Once she and Yu Qian changed, they slipped out through the backstage exit.
***
The chief of staff was talking to the officer beside him when he noticed Lu Yanling standing in the shadows by the auditorium door, having arrived unnoticed.
Rising quickly, he hurried over. “What took you so long? The performance is almost over.”
Lu Yanling glanced at him and took his seat without a word of explanation.
With the show winding down, several senior officers smiled and greeted him as he sat down. Lu Yanling nodded in return, his gaze briefly sweeping toward the backstage area before he looked down to review his speech.
When the performance ended, the leaders took turns addressing the audience. Lu Yanling went up to speak as commander of the regional Special Operations Brigade.
Impeccably turned out in his uniform, he stood before the microphone with calm authority. His voice resonated through the hall, clear and resolute.
The female dancers from the Art Troupe crowded the wings to watch him, whispering among themselves in excitement.
“Who is he? He’s gorgeous!”
“You don’t know him? That’s General Lu’s son—the most fiercely talented officer in the entire army!”
“Is he Lu Yanling?”
“That’s him. He’s already a brigade commander. Give him a few more years, and he’ll be promoted again.”
“How come I’ve never heard of someone that remarkable before?”
“People from backgrounds like that prefer to keep a low profile.”
“Oh, right—didn’t people say Zhao Lanxin was set up on a blind date with a young master from the Lu family? Could it be him?”
“Pfft, not a chance! The one Zhao Lanxin met was a grandson from the family’s first branch—just an idle, good-for-nothing playboy. Brigade Commander Lu is the real deal, the true heir to the Lu family’s military legacy. If Zhao Lanxin actually married in, she’d have to call him Youngest Uncle. Though I heard the date fell through anyway; he didn’t care for her at all.”
As the Art Troupe girls gossiped, they gazed at the stern, handsome man on stage, lost in fantasy.
“I wonder if Brigade Commander Lu is seeing anyone…”
“A man like him is out of reach. Don’t even dream about it—he’s way out of our league.”
“Sigh, what kind of woman could possibly catch his eye…”
Unfortunately, Zhao Nige had picked the wrong time to leave.
Had she stayed to watch the final performance and caught this scene, she would have discovered Lu Yanling’s true identity in utter shock. She would also have realized, with no small amount of mortification, that the man she had been scheming so hard to seduce was actually the male lead’s youngest uncle.
Regrettably, she had left the moment her part was done.
***
Zhao Nige and Yu Qian headed to the base cafeteria for dinner.
“Nige, is your boyfriend coming to the mixer tonight?” Yu Qian asked.
“Of course.”
Zhao Nige had come all this way just for him; there was no way she would pass up this chance. He had definitely seen her during the performance earlier. She refused to believe he would skip the party tonight.
As the performance wrapped up, other members of the Art Troupe began trickling into the cafeteria, the room buzzing with chatter about the upcoming dance.
At eight that evening, Zhao Nige slipped into a moon-white satin backless cocktail dress with delicate spaghetti straps, then headed to the ballroom in the integrated building with Yu Qian.
Soft, warm light filled the hall as a slow, melodic saxophone tune drifted through the air, contrasting with the balloons and streamers strung across the walls. A crowd had already gathered—young officers and Art Troupe dancers were either chatting in quiet corners or swaying on the dance floor. The atmosphere was surprisingly lively.
The moment Zhao Nige walked in, several heads turned in her direction. Before she could even find a seat, a young officer approached her, nervously asking, “Excuse me, miss, may I have this dance?”
“Thank you, but I’d like to rest,” Zhao Nige declined politely.
Feeling awkward, the young officer turned and asked Yu Qian instead, leading her away.
Zhao Nige sat alone at a small table with a glass of juice. Her gaze swept through the dim, crowded hall, searching for the person she wanted to see. She turned down several more officers who came up to ask for a dance, the endless stream of suitors growing tiresome.
After scanning the room once more, she was certain Lu Yanling hadn’t come.
Her good mood evaporated. He knew she would be here tonight, yet he still stayed away. Apparently, he was quite the grudge-holder.
Mentally marking a strike against him, she drained her juice and set the glass down. Fine. If he wouldn’t come to her, she could go to him. In a base this large, she could easily ask around and find his whereabouts.
Just then, a man’s bright, surprised voice called out from behind her. “I finally found you!”
Zhao Nige turned and gave him a languid glance. “Oh. It’s you.”
Lu Shaoyu was overjoyed. “I’ve been looking for you forever! I went backstage right after your performance in the auditorium this afternoon, but you weren’t there.”
Zhao Nige looked him up and down. “You’re a soldier too?”
“Yeah.” He gazed at her with eager, unabashed interest. “Can I have this dance?”
Too annoyed to bother with polite refusals, Zhao Nige ignored him entirely, walked over to the bar, and poured herself a glass of fruit wine.
Refusing to give up, Lu Shaoyu followed close behind, unleashing his usual flirtatious flattery. “Beautiful lady, your charm has completely captivated me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the last time we met, yet I still don’t know your name.”
Leaning against the bar with her arms crossed, she gave him a dry, half-amused look. “Can’t you tell? My name is Jane Doe.”
Lu Shaoyu let out a hearty laugh, picked up a glass of fruit wine, and clinked it against hers with a wink. “What a coincidence. I’m John Doe.”
Zhao Nige clicked her tongue in disgust.
Where on earth did this idiot come from?