When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 260: Chapter 105: The Top Star of the 60s Song and Dance Troupe (44)

This beautiful, intelligent, and immensely talented young woman had pulled them along, leading them to a turning point in their lives. With this foot in the door, their futures and careers would be completely different.

The relatives in the audience were so relieved they could only wipe away their tears. Compared to the carefree girls on stage, they were overcome with emotion. It felt like watching a classic story of an underdog defying their fate...

Xia Zhaoyun was just as emotional as everyone else.

In the past, she had been more focused on chasing the glory the stage brought her—things like the awards she was clutching at this very moment.

Because only they could fill the emptiness in her life. Even so, it was merely the fleeting glow of a firefly.

Then she broke her leg and could no longer grace the stage. The only light in her life was cruelly stripped away.

After being a Ghost for so long, the one belief that kept her going was the joy of reaping her rewards on stage, just like this.

Few could resist the allure of the stage. The spacious platform, the warm yellow lights pouring down, the beautiful music... With the audience shrouded in darkness, it felt as if you were the only one left in the world, dancing alone.

’But things are different now,’ Xia Zhaoyun thought, her lips curling into a smile as she looked at the girls beaming around her. ’I have people I love, and people who truly love me. I’m no longer the lonely dancer, struggling forward under a heavy burden.’

’I’m one of the lucky ones who can truly immerse herself in the enjoyment of life and dance...’

The moment they got off the stage, the girls shrieked with excitement, jumping and hugging each other. They didn’t even wait for the audience to leave, instead rushing over to share their joy with their friends and family.

After verifying the news he’d heard, Liu Mingkun relayed it to Huo Tianhao.

Looking at the young woman—smiling demurely with her head held high as she waited for his praise—Huo Tianhao’s eyes stung. The feeling was even more intense than when he himself had been wronged or falsely accused. Forgetting where they were, he pulled her into a tight embrace. ”Xiaxia, I may have been absent for the first eighteen years of your life, but I will be with you for the rest of it!”

The sudden declaration made Xia Zhaoyun’s heart swell with even more happiness. ”Okay, Tianhao,” she said. ”I want to be with you, too. Let’s make sure our whole family stays happy and well.”

After such an eventful morning, it wasn’t just the children who were starving—the adults were, too.

Liu Mingkun, ever the man with a plan, had already dashed off to the state-owned restaurant to secure a table.

By the time the group arrived, half the dishes were already on the table.

He Qingran’s younger brother, He Qingjun, was only fourteen. Thanks to a stepmother who was spoiling him rotten, he was always well-fed. The teenage boy was tall and quite sturdy for his age. With a clenched fist and a bared-teeth grin, he had become the top dog among his peers at the factory.

But no matter how intimidating he looked, he was still a kid at heart. He was actually playing with a pair of three-year-old toddlers.

He was boasting about his ”glorious deeds,” his neck tilted back with pride. The two toddlers were precocious little sweet-talkers, masters of flattery. They had no trouble communicating, and their adoring gasps were the perfect fuel for a cocky teenager’s ego. For a moment, the three of them got along in perfect harmony.

Liu Mingkun had also ordered baijiu and beer. The men drank baijiu while the women poured themselves beer. The children had soft drinks. Everything was served in glasses, making it feel like a real ceremony!

He Qingjun demanded to drink baijiu, reasoning that he was the ”man of the family” for He Qingran’s side and needed to look the part.

The words were barely out of his mouth before He Qingran smacked him on the head. ”My ’man of the family’? Should I mention I just invited you to round out the numbers? Look, the real ’man of the family’ here is Yunyun’s future husband.”

Huo Tianhao smiled and said, ”Baijiu is pretty strong. Wait until you’re eighteen to try it. But you can have a little beer to join in the celebration.”

He Qingjun scratched his head, his shoulders slumping in resignation. ”Fine. But Yunyun’s future husband,” he said, addressing Huo Tianhao, ”you absolutely can’t go easy on him just because you two are such good buddies.”

”You have to drink him under the table! If we don’t knock my future brother-in-law flat on his back, how are we supposed to see if he’s sincere about marrying my sister?”

He Qingran’s face darkened. ”You little brat, where did you learn to say such ridiculous things?”

He Qingjun puffed out his chest and huffed, ”You might be a pretty lousy sister, but since you asked me to come and back you up, I obviously had to come fully prepared.”

Watching the siblings bicker, Xia Zhaoyun felt a pang of envy, but the feeling was fleeting.

But then an idea came to her, and she turned to He Qingjun. ”Junzi, are you guys still having class these days?”

He Qingjun shook his head, his thick, dark brows furrowing. ”Not really. Our main teachers have all been sent down to the countryside. Every day, we just go to the classroom to recite the little red books. And now they’re starting to put us in teams, wanting us to do what they’re doing outside—investigating every household for ’ideological corruption’ and ’prohibited items.’”

”Besides, we’re all graduating from middle school in a few days. They haven’t even scheduled any exams; they’re just going to hand out diplomas to everyone. We don’t even know how we’re supposed to start high school.”