OBS Chapter 1579 Recognizing One's Position
Chapter 1579 Recognizing One's Position
Han Ling's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
She knew the dance troupe's financial situation all too well. In the past two years, the arts community had generally been struggling; the performance market had shrunk, and government subsidies were decreasing, which had greatly affected the dance troupe. Sometimes, salaries couldn't even be paid on time, and everyone had to rely on sporadic performance subsidies to make ends meet.
At the last meeting, the team leader said that everyone should choose between wearing the old dance costumes or pooling money to buy new ones. The old dance costumes have been used for several years, some are faded, and some are even torn, so they are not very presentable.
Many leaders from the Grand Theatre attended this arts performance. If I could catch their eye, I might have the opportunity to join the Grand Theatre. The Grand Theatre is the dream place for all dancers, not only because of its excellent benefits but also because of its broader career prospects.
Everyone cherished this opportunity, so they unanimously decided to buy new dance costumes.
However, there was still disagreement about the price range for dance costumes. Girls from wealthier families wanted to buy ones costing four or five hundred yuan each, feeling that if they were going to buy something, they should buy the best and not let their clothes slip at a crucial moment. Girls from poorer families felt that two or three hundred yuan a piece would be acceptable and there was no need to buy something so expensive.
As the lead dancer, Han Ling's costume must be better than everyone else's. This is the rule of the dance troupe; the lead dancer is the core of the entire dance, and their costume must be the most outstanding so that the audience can immediately grasp the focus.
It was obvious that Sun Yumei wanted to use the exorbitant price of the dance costume to make her give up the lead dancer position. A dance costume costing four or five hundred yuan was an astronomical sum for Han Ling. Her monthly salary was only a little over 300 yuan, half of which she had to give to her mother; she would have to save for two months without eating or drinking to afford one dance costume.
Han Ling was furious, but helpless. She had no money and couldn't bear to ask Xiao Ran for money. Xiao Ran's salary was about the same as hers; together they earned only seven or eight hundred yuan a month. After deducting rent, food, and transportation, very little was left.
A girl who was close to Sun Yumei saw through her intention and spoke up accordingly.
"This is such a rare opportunity, let's buy something better. It would be such a shame if the performance was affected by a poor-quality dance costume."
"Yeah, since we're buying it, we should definitely buy a better one. Otherwise, we might as well just wear the old ones. We're going to spend money anyway, so we might as well go all out from the start."
The girls from less affluent families whispered.
"Actually, there's no need to buy something that expensive. I think something around two hundred yuan would be fine. Dancing is about skill, not clothes."
"Yeah, the group isn't paying salaries this month, so we should be careful with our money. Besides, two hundred isn't a bad amount."
Han Ling breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and was about to speak in agreement when Sun Yumei spoke first.
"Han Ling, you're the lead dancer, so your dance costume needs to be decided first so we can coordinate with you." Sun Yumei looked at Han Ling with a smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes: "What kind are you planning to buy?"
"I...I haven't thought about it yet," Han Ling said softly.
Amidst the intertwined gazes of the crowd, Han Ling had no choice but to swallow back the words she was about to say. She could feel the looks around her—some sympathetic, some watching the spectacle, and some gloating.
Upon hearing this, Sun Yumei retorted sarcastically, "Then you'd better hurry. There's less than a month until the performance, and you haven't even finalized the dance costumes yet. How are you going to rehearse? It wouldn't be good if you delayed everyone's progress."
The meaning couldn't be clearer—you can't even decide on the dance costume, so what kind of lead dancer are you?
Han Ling bit her lip, her face turning pale. She really wanted to argue, but the words wouldn't come out. Because she genuinely couldn't afford that much money; that was an undeniable fact.
Just as Han Ling was caught in a dilemma, Qin Hao suddenly asked, "What kind of dance costume is so expensive?"
One girl explained, "We're performing ballet at next month's arts festival, and we need professional ballet costumes. There are very few places in Beijing that sell them, and they're all very expensive. We went to look around before, and the slightly better ones cost 450 yuan. There were some for around 200 yuan, but the quality was much worse."
"Yes, ballet costumes have very high requirements for workmanship and fabric. Cheap ones are uncomfortable to wear and easily damaged. Professional dancers wear imported costumes, some costing over a thousand yuan."
Qin Hao laughed and said, "Hey, it's just ballet costumes, there are plenty in Shenzhen. I'll make a call and ask for you."
As he spoke, he took out a black "brick" from his briefcase—a mobile phone.
This made the young girls in the dance troupe stare wide-eyed.
In those days, mobile phones were a rare commodity, only truly wealthy and powerful individuals could afford them. Each mobile phone cost over 20,000 yuan. This was equivalent to, in later generations, slamming Porsche keys on a blind date – a truly impactful gesture.
"Oh my god, is this a mobile phone?" a girl couldn't help but exclaim.
"So Sun Yumei's boyfriend is so rich. No wonder he's so generous," another girl said in a low voice.
"Of course! I heard these things cost tens of thousands of yuan each, enough to buy an apartment in Beijing."
"Such a small gadget is so expensive? That's like carrying a house with you!"
"Sun Yumei is so lucky to have found such a boyfriend."
Listening to her colleagues' chatter, Sun Yumei unconsciously raised her chin, her face beaming with undisguised pride. She basked in their envious glances, feeling secretly delighted.
Han Ling wasn't particularly surprised. She was more concerned about whether Qin Hao could help her buy a cheap dance costume. After all, one dance costume cost almost two months' salary, which was simply too much for her.
Qin Hao dialed a number and said a few words into the phone. Everyone held their breath and listened intently.
After hearing what was said on the other end of the phone, Qin Hao nodded and asked a few more questions. About two or three minutes later, Qin Hao hung up.
Seeing Qin Hao hang up the phone, Han Ling asked anxiously, "Old Qin, how did it go?"
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Qin Hao. Even for those from wealthy families, spending less money was always a good thing. After all, nobody's money grows on trees.
“If you all buy from one store, I can give you 180 yuan per piece,” Qin Hao said.
As soon as she finished speaking, Han Ling was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "What kind of size is the 180? Is the quality okay?"
"Don't worry, this factory supplies ballet companies overseas directly, so the quality of their export products is absolutely guaranteed," Qin Hao said seriously. "I know the owner there, and he promised to give you the most favorable price."
"That's great! That saves us three hundred yuan!"
"Yes, I can buy export products for only 180 yuan. It feels like a dream."
"Sun Yumei has such good taste; her boyfriend is both rich and capable."
Sun Yumei was quite pleased with her colleagues' flattery, but her only complaint was that it meant she couldn't force Han Ling to give up her lead dance position. She had originally planned to use this opportunity to discourage Han Ling, but Qin Hao's intervention completely disrupted her plans.
Although she was unhappy inside, Sun Yumei maintained her smug expression on the surface.
"Thank you, Lao Qin," Han Ling said gratefully to Qin Hao.
Qin Hao waved his hand: "Alright, we're all old classmates, any more formality would be awkward. It was nothing, don't worry about it."
Han Ling smiled sheepishly, finally feeling relieved.
After the dinner, Han Ling and her group returned to the dance troupe together.
On the way, the girls were still discussing what had happened that day.
"Sister Yumei's boyfriend is so kind. He not only treated us to a meal, but also helped us with our dance costumes."
"Yes, it's such a great deal to get export-quality ballet costumes for only 180 yuan."
"Sun Yumei is so lucky to have found such a boyfriend."
Han Ling listened to these discussions, feeling a mix of emotions. She was happy that the dance costume issue had been resolved, but the thought of Xiao Ran weighed heavily on her heart.
Sun Yumei asked the team leader for leave and, amidst the ambiguous glances of her colleagues, took Qin Hao's arm and got into a taxi.
In the evening, Han Ling came to Xiao Ran's dormitory after getting off work.
This is a faculty dormitory at a university in Beijing, an old, dilapidated building. The corridors are dimly lit, the walls are peeling, and there's a musty smell in the air.
Han Ling knocked on the door, and it took a while for the door to open.
Xiao Ran was somewhat surprised to see Han Ling: "What brings you here?"
"You don't want me to come?" Han Ling said softly.
Xiao Ran quickly stepped aside to let Han Ling into the room. The room was small, about ten square meters, with a bed, a table, and a wardrobe—simple and unpretentious. A few books sat on the windowsill.
Xiao Ran's smile was somewhat unnatural: "How could that be? I just... didn't expect you to come. Please sit down, let me get you a glass of water."
Han Ling sat down on the edge of the bed, looking around the cramped room. She had been here several times, and each time she felt a tightness in her chest. Xiao Ran, a counselor staying on at the university, could only live in such a place, earning a meager salary and living a meager existence.
"By the way, did you enjoy lunch?" Xiao Ran asked tentatively, handing over a glass of water.
"It's fine." Han Ling took the water glass and forced a smile. "You wouldn't believe it, our group's Xiao Liu always picks the most expensive fruit to eat. He went to the restroom several times this afternoon, and even said he'd go again after he gets paid."
Despite Han Ling's attempt to defuse the awkwardness with a joke, Xiao Ran remained unhappy.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Han Ling, I swear I will make a lot of money. Then I'll take you to the best restaurants and the most expensive hotels, and I'll never let you suffer with me again."
Han Ling smiled and shook her head: "As long as I'm with you, what we eat and where we stay doesn't matter."
“No, maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but I’m a man, and this is very important to me.” Xiao Ran’s tone was urgent, his eyes filled with a hint of stubbornness: “I don’t want you to live this kind of frugal life with me.”
Han Ling was taken aback, not expecting Xiao Ran to still be concerned about this matter.
She could only comfort her, saying, "I know you've been working very hard, and you will definitely succeed. I believe in you."
Xiao Ran was deeply moved and grasped Han Ling's hand: "Thank you, Han Ling. Having you by my side is my greatest fortune."
Han Ling squeezed his hand, and the two smiled at each other. Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the simple little room in a warm silver glow.
Xiao Ran slowly approached Han Ling, and Han Ling didn't pull away. The atmosphere in the dormitory grew increasingly ambiguous, and both of them began to breathe rapidly.
Just as their eyes met, and they were about to take things further—
Bang!
The dormitory door was pushed open forcefully, startling the two of them so much that they immediately let go of each other's hands, as if they had done something wrong.
A young man was standing at the door; he was Xiao Ran's colleague and also her neighbor in the dormitory building.
"Xiao Ran, I'm sorry to bother you." The person looked embarrassed. "Well, there's an urgent matter at school that needs you to come over right away."
Xiao Ran frowned: "What is it?"
"I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, but it seems there's been a problem with the students, and they want you to go and handle it."
Xiao Ran sighed and turned to Han Ling, saying, "Sorry, I have to go."
Han Ling nodded: "It's alright, you go ahead and do your work."
Xiao Ran was a little reluctant, but she still left with her colleagues.
……
Meanwhile, in a high-end hotel.
Sun Yumei lay on Qin Hao's chest with her bare shoulders exposed, her eyes glazed over.
The lingering warmth of their intense encounter left her feeling utterly limp, like a puddle of water. The hotel room was dimly lit, and a faint scent of perfume filled the air.
Qin Hao leaned against the headboard, lit a cigarette, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.
About fifteen minutes later, Sun Yumei finally remembered to confront him.
"Why did you help Han Ling out of that predicament? Do you have a crush on her?" Sun Yumei's voice was tinged with bitterness as she traced circles on Qin Hao's chest with her finger.
Qin Hao didn't answer, he just continued smoking.
"Such a beautiful day, and this is all you want to say to me?"
"Ugh, I'm being serious." Sun Yumei sat up, wrapped in the blanket. "You know Han Ling and I don't get along, so why are you helping her? Do you have feelings for her?"
Qin Hao stubbed out the cigarette he had only half-smoked in the ashtray, then got up and put on his clothes.
"Where are you going?" Sun Yumei was taken aback.
Qin Hao finished dressing, turned around, and gently pinched Sun Yumei's chin, saying slowly, "You're particularly unlovable like this."
After saying that, Qin Hao turned and left.
Upon seeing this, Sun Yumei panicked immediately. Without even putting on her clothes, she jumped off the bed and hugged Qin Hao tightly.
"I was wrong, okay? I promise I'll never lose my temper with you again. Please forgive me this once, okay?" Sun Yumei's voice was trembling with tears.
However, Qin Hao's response was a cold, two-word reply: "Let go."
Sun Yumei trembled, her arm freezing in mid-air.
She could sense the coldness in Qin Hao's tone; it was a resolute tone devoid of any emotion.
In the end, Sun Yumei let go of his hand in shock, staring blankly at Qin Hao's resolute back.
The door slammed shut.
Sun Yumei was left alone in the room, sitting forlornly on the edge of the bed.
Only then did Sun Yumei realize that although Qin Hao was willing to spend money on her and treated her well, he wasn't indispensable to her. (End of Chapter)