OBS Chapter 1578 A Triumph
Chapter 1578 A Triumph
In Beijing, the August sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dance studio, bathing the entire practice room in a soft golden glow.
Outside the classroom, a group of girls in tight-fitting practice clothes were dancing gracefully to music. Their slender waists and graceful figures were accentuated by the glistening sweat under the lights.
Their graceful reflections were mirrored in the mirror, like a group of dancing fairies.
Sun Yumei stood in the center of the group, her toes lightly touching the ground, gracefully spinning and leaping. Her movements were precise and fluid, every hand raised and every turn perfectly timed.
However, after she finished a series of movements, she felt a faint stinging pain in her calf, which made her frown slightly.
I sprained my ankle during a community charity performance a few days ago, and it hasn't fully recovered yet.
But after glancing at Han Ling at the front of the line out of the corner of her eye, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to finish the next move.
Although she didn't dislike Han Ling, the two had been rivals in the school dance troupe. Over the years, she believed that she was no less capable than Han Ling in any way, and even worked harder.
Why is it that Han Ling is always the lead dancer, while she has to be a backup dancer in the back?
Whenever there's a performance or competition, Han Ling is always the one standing at the very front, basking in everyone's attention and praise. And what about her? She can only silently cooperate in the corner, serving as a dispensable background figure.
"Stop, stop, stop! Everyone take a ten-minute break, have some water, and we'll continue rehearsing the next dance later."
The dance troupe leader turned off the tape recorder and walked to the front of the group. Her gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Han Ling.
"Han Ling, come here for a moment."
Han Ling wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked up to the team leader.
The team leader made no attempt to hide his praise and compliments: "Han Ling performed exceptionally well. We made the right choice in selecting you for the lead dancer position. Next month's cultural performance depends entirely on you. You are the pillar of our dance troupe, so you can't let us down."
Han Ling nodded, her face expressionless, and simply said politely, "No problem."
This scene, witnessed by Sun Yumei, stirred a pang of sadness within her.
Just as she was lost in thought, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the mirror.
Sun Yumei immediately forgot her desire to compete with Han Ling and turned to bury herself in the arms of the newcomer.
"Hey, you're all sweaty, and your clothes are all dirty."
Qin Hao made a teasing remark, feigning disdain, but instead of dodging, he reached out and put his arm around her waist.
Sun Yumei was furious upon hearing this and made a gesture as if to wipe her sweat with Qin Hao's suit jacket. Qin Hao stepped back, and the two playfully wrestled for a while, causing the other girls in the dance troupe to cover their mouths and giggle.
"Ugh, you haven't come to see me in so long, and you make me angry as soon as we meet!" Sun Yumei said angrily, grabbing Qin Hao's arm.
Qin Hao spread his hands, looking like he had no choice: "My 100-plus pounds are all here, do whatever you want with them."
"Tch, who said I'd punish you?" Sun Yumei's face flushed red, her eyes darting around. "I'm going to make you treat the entire dance troupe to dinner!"
"That depends on your performance." Qin Hao smiled meaningfully.
Sun Yumei blushed even more and quickly covered Qin Hao's mouth, saying, "There are so many people here, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Seeing this, the girls in the dance troupe chuckled, some covering their mouths, others winking and making faces, creating an atmosphere that was both ambiguous and joyful.
"Alright, I've made some money recently, you pick the place." Qin Hao released Sun Yumei, his tone casual.
Sun Yumei's eyes lit up: "How much did you earn?"
"Anyway, it's enough to cover the cost of this meal," Qin Hao said casually.
This statement immediately caught the attention of a group of girls.
Immediately, a slender girl came over and asked expectantly, "Is it really a wedding invitation? If it is, I need to call home to tell them so they won't worry about me."
"Of course it's a genuine invitation. I never lie to beautiful women." Qin Hao smiled, his tone gentle yet serious.
Immediately, a group of girls surrounded them, chattering and chattering like a flock of magpies in a nest.
You're such a nice person!
"Sister Yumei, your boyfriend is so generous. When are you going to introduce me to someone too?"
"You've probably got no chance in this lifetime."
Sun Yumei saw this and her heart was filled with alarm bells.
These little brats dare to act like this in front of her; what will they be like later?
"Alright, alright!" Sun Yumei quickly squeezed next to Qin Hao and took his arm. "Let's all go change our clothes. How about we go to Pizza Hut for a buffet fruit salad?"
The women immediately started whispering among themselves.
"This is good, you don't have to worry about gaining weight from eating fruit."
"Isn't that too expensive? I heard it's 25 per person? With so many of us, it'll cost several hundred!"
"How about we have hot pot instead? It's cheaper there."
"Isn't Pizza Hut a foreign restaurant? I've always wanted to go, but I think it's too expensive..."
Qin Hao chuckled to himself; girls these days are still so simple and honest, they even know how to save him money.
Before he could say anything, Sun Yumei raised her chin, looking like it was no big deal: "Don't worry, this guy's family is well-off. It's just one meal; it won't bankrupt him. Right, Han Ling?"
Han Ling was visibly taken aback when she was suddenly called out.
Under the girls' watchful eyes, she nodded.
Although she didn't know how much money Qin Hao had made in Shenzhen recently, his earnings from Zhongguancun Yellow Pages alone were already the highest among his peers. She'd heard he made over ten thousand yuan in profit in just one month; what was a meal for him?
"In that case, we won't stand on ceremony."
"Sister Yumei, I really envy you. Your boyfriend is not only handsome but also so generous."
"Yeah, yeah, when will I have such a great boyfriend?"
"You've got no chance in this lifetime. Do you even have a figure as good as Sun Yumei's?"
"Ugh! Who are you calling flat-chested!"
For a moment, the girls were chatting and playing around.
It's said that once women let loose, men have nothing to do. A group of women started fooling around as if no one else was around, completely ignoring Qin Hao, who was a woman.
Qin Hao looked at the group of chattering girls in front of him and felt a little helpless.
Just as he was about to go outside to wait and avoid embarrassment, Han Ling called him back.
"Qin Hao."
Qin Hao turned around: "What's wrong?"
Han Ling hesitated for a moment: "I have something to do today, so I won't go. You guys have a good time."
Sun Yumei, who was joking around with her teammates, stopped immediately upon hearing this.
She finally got a chance to outdo Han Ling, but since he wasn't there, the thrill was halved. How could she let it go so easily?
"Oh dear, can't we postpone this until tomorrow?" Sun Yumei quickly took Han Ling's arm. "Everyone's going today, and you're the only one not going. That would be such a downer."
Several girls who were close to Han Ling also tried to persuade her.
"Yes, Han Ling, it's not easy for everyone to get together for a meal, don't spoil the fun."
"Sister Han Ling, let's go together. I heard that Pizza Hut's fruit buffet is delicious, and you can eat a lot of fruits that you've never seen before. It's a rare treat, it would be a shame not to go."
For a moment, Han Ling wavered.
She wasn't actually in any real trouble, but... she knew Xiao Ran's financial situation and personality very well, and he would definitely not accept being paid for a meal without paying. Pizza Hut costs 25 yuan per person, which is indeed a considerable expense for Xiao Ran.
She didn't want to put Xiao Ran in a difficult position.
But since Sun Yumei and the others were so enthusiastic, she felt embarrassed to refuse them directly.
Sun Yumei noticed Han Ling's hesitation at a glance, and her eyes lit up: "Did you make plans with Xiao Ran? Why don't you invite him along? It would be a good opportunity for us old classmates to get together."
Han Ling didn't pick up on the sarcastic tone in Sun Yumei's voice. Instead, she glanced at Qin Hao and, seeing that he didn't object, finally relented: "Then I'll talk to Xiao Ran. He might not be willing to go."
Sun Yumei seized the opportunity to say sarcastically, "Hmph, if you ask me, you and Xiao Ran are really not a good match. Although you've stayed on as a counselor at the university now, your monthly salary is so low, what can you do with that? It's not even as good as Liu Yuan, who earns two thousand a month working for Qin Hao."
Han Ling's expression turned somewhat unpleasant upon hearing this.
Liu Yuan had pursued her for over three years, but she hadn't agreed to be with him. Now, Sun Yumei was telling her to dump Xiao Ran and be with Liu Yuan, clearly trying to put her in a superior position. After all, Liu Yuan was now working for Qin Hao, so wouldn't she be considered inferior when she saw Sun Yumei in the future?
Han Ling's voice turned slightly cold: "Xiao Ran is fine, we are very happy together."
“Happiness? Can happiness put food on the table?” Sun Yumei curled her lip: “With a monthly salary of 380 yuan, how do you two live in a place like Beijing?”
"Sun Yumei!" Han Ling's voice carried a hint of anger.
Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was getting more and more tense, Qin Hao cleared his throat: "Alright, you two stop talking and go change your clothes. I'll go downstairs and wait for you."
Sun Yumei snorted and turned to call the other girls to change their clothes.
Han Ling also walked silently towards the locker room, but she was worried about how to bring it up with Xiao Ran later.
Qin Hao went downstairs and chatted casually with the dance troupe leader in the lobby.
The team leader was a woman in her thirties surnamed Zhou, a teacher in the dance troupe, who had a good impression of Qin Hao's generous family members.
“Mr. Qin, I’ve heard Yu Mei mention you before.” Team Leader Zhou said with a smile, “Starting a business in Zhongguancun? Today’s college students are really remarkable, unlike us back then, who only knew how to study by rote.”
Qin Hao responded politely, but in his heart he was thinking about what to eat later.
As they were talking, a familiar figure suddenly walked in.
"Qin Hao? What are you doing here?"
Xiao Ran was somewhat surprised to see Qin Hao.
Qin Hao shrugged: "Why can't I be here?"
"Oh, you're waiting for Sun Yumei?" Xiao Ran looked Qin Hao up and down, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"No, I'm waiting for all of them," Qin Hao said half-jokingly.
Xiao Ran looked bewildered, and then Team Leader Zhou recounted how Qin Hao had treated everyone in the dance troupe to dinner.
"...Yes, President Qin said he would treat everyone to a fruit salad buffet at Pizza Hut. These girls were so excited that they all went to change their clothes."
Xiao Ran looked somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.
He knew Qin Hao wasn't short of money, but a Pizza Hut buffet cost 25 yuan per person, so 50 yuan for two. His monthly salary was only 380 yuan, and Han Ling's was about the same, plus Han Ling had to give half of her salary to her mother. In a place like Beijing, they could only live frugally with such meager wages.
Fifty yuan is enough for the two of them to live on for several days.
As they were talking, the sound of high heels clicking could be heard from the stairwell.
A group of brightly dressed young girls came down.
They changed out of their bodysuits into casual clothes, each one dressed in flamboyant attire, like butterflies going to a rendezvous.
Han Ling's eyes lit up when she saw Xiao Ran, and she jogged over.
Before Han Ling could speak, Xiao Ran whispered to her, "Let's go see a movie. Didn't you always want to see 'The Story of Qiu Ju'? I happen to be free this afternoon."
Han Ling hesitated for a moment: "But I've already agreed..."
Before Han Ling could finish speaking, Team Leader Zhou advised, "Xiao Ran, it's rare that Mr. Qin is treating everyone today, and everyone is in such a good mood, why don't you come along too?"
"Yeah, it would be such a disappointment if Han Ling didn't go."
"Why is Han Ling's boyfriend like this? She didn't even ask him to spend any money."
"What's wrong with this guy? Someone kindly invited you to dinner, and he tries to drag them away?"
In an instant, the women started talking all at once, their criticisms all directed at Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran unconsciously clenched his fist.
Han Ling could tell that Xiao Ran's pride had been hurt, so she quickly said, "Maybe I shouldn't go. I really want to see a movie."
"No need." Xiao Ran took a deep breath, his voice low. "You go ahead, don't spoil everyone's fun. I won't go..."
Sun Yumei stepped out from the crowd and stood in front of the two with a smile: "Xiao Ran, come along. Qin Hao isn't an outsider anyway, so just treat it as an old classmate catching up."
The word "classmate" sounded particularly jarring to Xiao Ran.
Qin Hao was originally an orphan as poor as him. The two often ate together, attended classes together, and complained about the terrible food in the cafeteria when they were in school. At that time, Xiao Ran thought that they would face the same difficulties after graduation.
It turns out that he'd only graduated a few months ago, and although he'd managed to stay on as a student counselor, his monthly salary was only 380 yuan. And Qin Hao? I heard his Zhongguancun Yellow Pages business was making over 100,000 yuan a month in profit!
My roommates, one is in heaven, the other is on the ground.
In comparison, he was far inferior.
"No, Han Ling can go with you." Xiao Ran's voice trembled slightly. "I just remembered I have some things to take care of at school, so I won't go."
After saying that, Xiao Ran resolutely turned and left.
His back view looked somewhat lonely, yet also stubborn.
Han Ling was stunned and wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Team Leader Zhou.
"Han Ling, it's fine if your boyfriend isn't going, but you can't be absent. It's not easy for everyone to get together for a meal; how can the lead dancer be absent?"
"Yes, yes, Han Ling, let's go quickly, I'm starving."
"Exactly, I'm starving."
Han Ling bit her lip, but ultimately did not chase after them.
She glanced back in the direction Xiao Ran had left, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Looking at her like this, Sun Yumei's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes.
The group arrived at Pizza Hut in a grand procession.
This was Beijing in 1992, and Pizza Hut was still a novelty. As an American chain restaurant brand, Pizza Hut represented a completely new food culture and consumer experience: self-service salads, self-service fruits, unlimited refills... These concepts were unheard of for many ordinary people.
The girls from the dance troupe were stunned by what they saw as soon as they entered.
Bright lights, clean tables and chairs, polite waiters... everything is completely different from the school cafeteria and small restaurants.
"This place is so luxurious..."
Wow, look at all that fruit over there!
"Really? You can eat whatever you want?"
"There's even a tower made of fruit? It's so beautiful..."
Everyone chattered excitedly, like country bumpkins visiting the Grand View Garden, their eyes full of curiosity and excitement.
Qin Hao helped everyone take their seats and found a large table that could seat more than a dozen people.
The waiter handed over a stack of plates and a stack of tongs, and pointed towards the self-service station: "The self-service salad and fruit are over there, please help yourselves."
“Then I can just pick the expensive ones, right?” Another girl’s eyes lit up.
"Of course you can. You can take anything that's on the table."
"Then I need to do some research on the more expensive ones." The round-faced girl rested her chin on her hands, her eyes full of eager anticipation.
Qin Hao watched their excited expressions, a slight stirring in his heart. He knew that Pizza Hut's self-service salad bar was a childhood dream for many people in this era, especially for young people experiencing self-service for the first time. Faced with rows of colorful fruits, they would have an urge to "clean up the entire bar." In another ten years or so, this urge would turn into "just a couple of bites are enough." But in this era, it was genuine excitement and joy.
The waiter brought out the salad bowls—small bowls, white porcelain with a blue lace trim. As soon as the girls picked up their bowls, they rushed to the salad bar, pushing and shoving each other in line, like a flock of chicks waiting for their meal.
"Hey, let me pass, I was here first."
"You haven't even held the bowl properly yet, let me fill it first."
"Don't push, don't push, the fruit isn't going to grow legs and run away."
Han Ling hadn't intended to move, but the round-faced girl pulled her up: "Han Ling, come with me. I'll teach you a trick: first lay down a layer of lettuce leaves as a base, then you can put in a lot more fruit."
Han Ling forced a smile and followed her to the bar.
Sun Yumei didn't rush to get the fruit. Instead, she sat upright in her seat, tilting her head to look at Qin Hao: "Why aren't you going? Aren't you going to eat the fruit?"
"I'll just eat what you leave behind," Qin Hao said with a wicked grin.
Sun Yumei rolled her eyes at him, picked up her bowl, and clattered to the bar in her high heels.
The area around the bar was already bustling with activity.
"This is the salad I made, look!" The tall girl proudly held up her bowl, which was piled high with fruit, far exceeding the rim of the bowl. Pineapples, oranges, and apples were stacked in layers, with a layer of lettuce leaves underneath, making it look like it was about to topple over.
"How can you fit so much?" the girl with the ponytail exclaimed. "Show me your method!"
"Duh, first put a base of lettuce, it can absorb water and increase friction, then cut the fruit into large pieces and put them at the bottom, stuff the smaller pieces into the gaps, and finally put a few of the biggest ones on top to stabilize it." The tall girl said while demonstrating: "Remember, the fruit on top must be stable, otherwise it will fall off when you walk."
The round-faced girl returned, carrying her own bowl. Her bowl didn't have much fruit, but it was all expensive—dragon fruit, star fruit, and red apples, a colorful display that looked like a fruit crown. A girl next to her laughed, "You only pick the expensive ones, not the tastier ones?"
"How can I not be picky about the food? These are all imported; I wouldn't normally be able to afford them. If I don't eat my fill today, I'll be letting my mouth down," the round-faced girl retorted righteously, making everyone laugh.
Back in their seats, the girls chatted while eating fruit. The conversation ranged from all over the world, from clothes to cosmetics, from dance to boyfriends. Somehow, the topic veered towards Xiao Ran.
"Sister Han Ling, why isn't your boyfriend here?" the girl with the ponytail asked, her mouth full of pineapple.
Han Ling's smile froze for a moment: "He...maybe he's not used to this kind of occasion."
The tall girl curled her lip in disdain, "Sister Han Ling, you spoil him too much. If he were my boyfriend, I would break up with him on the spot if he dared not to come when I called him."
“He’s a university professor, of course he’s busy,” another girl tried to smooth things over.
"What's so great about university professors? These days, those who build atomic bombs are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs."
Sun Yumei smiled and continued, "That's why I said Han Ling and Xiao Ran aren't a good match. Han Ling, I'm not targeting Xiao Ran specifically, I'm just saying his qualities aren't good enough. Think about it, you're beautiful and talented, you could easily find someone ten times better than him. Why are you wasting your time on him? Liu Yuan is so much better, he's devoted to you—"
"Yu Mei." Han Ling's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a distinct chill: "I've said it before, I have no feelings for Liu Yuan. Xiao Ran is wonderful, we are very happy."
Sun Yumei pursed her lips, about to say something, when Qin Hao's foot gently touched her shoe under the table. She wisely shut her mouth.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat awkward.
Team leader Zhou raised his water glass at the opportune moment, breaking the silence: "Come on, let's all clink glasses. I wish our dance troupe a resounding success and a stunning debut in next month's arts festival."
"cheers!"
"cheers!"
The girls raised their cups, the plastic cups clinking together with a crisp sound, the aroma of fruit and cheese mingling in the afternoon sunlight.
Sun Yumei took a sip of orange juice, put down the glass, picked up a piece of dragon fruit with her fork, and slowly chewed it. Her gaze inadvertently swept over Han Ling, who was looking down, fiddling with the lettuce leaves in her bowl with her fork, seemingly without much appetite. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and an inexplicable sense of pleasure welled up inside her.
Han Ling seemed to sense Sun Yumei's gaze, raised her head, and their eyes met briefly in the air.
Sun Yumei quickly looked away, pretending to be focused on eating fruit, but the smugness in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Han Ling lowered her eyes, put down her fork, picked up her water glass, and took a sip. Her throat moved, as if she were swallowing something bitter.
Sun Yumei's eyes darted around, and she didn't let go of this opportunity to gain the upper hand over Han Ling.
"By the way, have we decided on the dance costumes for next month's arts festival?" (End of Chapter)