Mei Xue sat on a black folding chair, a slim notebook computer resting on her knees.
Her slender fingers tapped on the keyboard, as if she was handling some document.
Her outfit today was as simple as ever—a white knitted top and gray sweatpants.
Her black hair was tied back into a low ponytail, with two small braids at her temples held by white hairbands, adding a touch of youth and vitality.
That hairstyle actually looks pretty good.
I can’t believe I never thought of it before.
Yu Qing’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but picture Mei Xue’s figure in his mind, automatically pairing different outfits on her.
If you change the clothes to a black dress, let the low ponytail down, keep one of the small braids… hmm…
As for stockings, though they’re comfortable, bare legs seem even better.
“……”
As Yu Qing was lost in thought, Fu Yi seemed to sense something.
She lifted her head, eyes moving from the screen to Yu Qing, and a joyful smile appeared on her face.
“Senpai finally arrived~ I’ve been waiting so long!”
She waved at Yu Qing in greeting, but his long silence left her a bit puzzled.
“Senpai?”
“Ah? Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”
Yu Qing snapped back to reality, explaining calmly to Mei Xue.
After so many incidents, lying had become a reflex.
“Oh~ For something to distract Senpai in front of me, it must be very important, right?”
She phrased it as a question, but anyone with eyes could see Mei Xue was a bit angry.
Being ignored by Yu Qing clearly annoyed her.
“It’s nothing much. I was considering which outfit would look better with your hairstyle today.”
Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon.
Yu Qing smiled at Mei Xue, naturally speaking words that could explode a room.
“Aiya! Senpai is so bad! You’re making me feel embarrassed!”
Mei Xue turned away.
If not for the total lack of blush, Yu Qing might have believed her.
Ever since this woman had tricked him into dancing, Yu Qing had labeled her as his top alert target.
Even if Fu Yi claimed her own farts were smelly, Yu Qing would have to check personally.
Just kidding—he wasn’t that perverted.
Besides, after Transformation, he could just smell and know.
“Mei Xue, aren’t you joining? I see Teacher Shen is already ready to begin teaching.”
Yu Qing ignored Mei Xue’s nonsense, pointing to Shen Tang, who was happily snacking on melon seeds.
Suddenly being called out by Yu Qing, Shen Tang froze.
She had been quietly observing Fu Yi’s lively innocence, finding it novel, when she was unexpectedly cued.
However, her strong professional sense let her adjust instantly.
She glanced at Fu Yi, her eyes silently asking if they should begin.
“Teacher Shen is very professional. You should learn properly from her.”
Fu Yi refused Yu Qing’s invitation, remaining seated on the folding chair.
Her fingers stayed on the keyboard, her eyes shining as she stared at the screen.
“I have some things to do. I don’t need to learn these basic steps.”
Her rejection was so natural that Yu Qing was a bit stunned, but it surprisingly fit his impression of her.
In fact, before coming, he had suspected Mei Xue might stand him up.
By comparison, her simply sitting to the side was better.
Still, having the teacher take over everything meant all his planned responses were rendered useless.
“Take off your jacket first. Warm up for five minutes.”
Shen Tang’s voice snapped Yu Qing back.
She was already stretching her wrists and ankles, signaling Yu Qing to follow.
Her tone was strict, leaving no room for argument.
This teacher really does seem legit.
“Oh, okay.”
Yu Qing responded quickly, taking off his jacket and placing it on the nearby chair.
He started clumsily stretching like Shen Tang, but couldn’t help glancing at Fu Yi sitting to the side.
She seemed busy, eyes glued to the screen, occasionally frowning slightly, her fingertips tapping the keyboard with a soft ‘da-da’ sound.
The warm sunset filtered through the window, outlining her in a gentle glow, so quiet she looked like a painting.
“Focus.”
Shen Tang’s stern voice came suddenly.
She stared seriously at Yu Qing.
“Your physical condition isn’t bad, but inadequate warm-up can cause injury. If you truly want to learn dance, give it your all. Once you succeed, your heart… your friend will naturally reward you.”
Did she almost say ‘beloved’ just now?
Yu Qing was startled, quickly looking away, but couldn’t help pondering why Shen Tang would have such a misunderstanding.
As he focused more on warming up, Yu Qing began to feel just how stiff his limbs were.
Every stretch felt clumsy and uncoordinated.
Even with the flexibility granted by Transformation, the awkwardness remained a major issue.
Once warmed up, Shen Tang clapped her hands, signaling Yu Qing to look at her.
Once he did, she continued.
“I’ll go over the Basic Steps of the Waltz with you. Watch my feet.”
She began to demonstrate.
Her graceful figure moved in the center of the room as she counted the rhythm.
“One, two, three, one, two, three… Lead forward, step back, close feet… Shift your weight clearly…”
The movements looked simple, but doing them was another matter.
Yu Qing felt like a robot with newly attached limbs—a smart brain, but disabled limbs.
He either missed the beat, forgot to shift his weight, or moved arms and legs together.
He watched his awkward dancing in the mirror, feeling utterly ridiculous.
Shen Tang, on the other hand, was patient, correcting him again and again.
Her gaze and tone remained calm, like a strict robot, making Yu Qing feel even more pressured.
“Relax your knees, don’t lock them so straight.”
“Keep your body upright, chin up, look at me. Don’t look at your feet! And don’t look at Fu Yi!”
Hearing her name, Mei Xue looked up from her work, her gaze landing on Yu Qing’s crab-like dance moves.
If it were anyone else, she’d find it boring, even painful to watch.
But seeing Yu Qing, she felt a strange joy.
It was like having a pet husky who sees another husky in the mirror and tries desperately to rescue it, pawing at the glass, failing, and flailing about foolishly.
Just like Yu Qing now.
“Arms! Hold your frame like you’re embracing someone! Yes, maintain that posture!”
Embracing someone?
The thought made Yu Qing’s face tense up.
He glanced at Fu Yi, but she didn’t look up, still focused on her screen, as if the chaos on this side had nothing to do with her.
A strange sense of loss washed over him.
Yu Qing was never athletic, lacking coordination.
Embarrassing himself in front of strangers was already hard enough.
Let alone in front of Fu Yi—even if she didn’t seem to be paying attention.
“Stop.”
Shen Tang called for a halt, frowning slightly at Yu Qing.
After a moment of thought, she made a new decision.
“Your sense of rhythm is weak, and your body is stiff. Let’s try this—you practice the Basic Steps alone with the music.”
She walked to the wall, connecting her phone to the Dance Studio’s Bluetooth Speaker.
A gentle Waltz began to play.
“Listen to the rhythm. One, two, three, one, two, three… Step in time.”
Shen Tang spoke, then went to the side to drink from her water cup, still watching Yu Qing intently.
The scrutiny was suffocating.
If those old geezers had watched class this closely, I wouldn’t have suffered so much during finals.
Damn, this is like preparing for a graduate exam!
What a tyrant!
Yu Qing silently complained, alone in the center of the Dance Studio, moving stiffly to the flowing music.
He tried to follow the beat, but his legs felt newly attached, never keeping up with his mind.
Soon, his steps became tangled, almost tripping himself at times—awkward and a little pathetic.
Damn it, I must have lost my mind to agree to this.
I thought getting close to Mei Xue would be a good idea, but I’m the only idiot here.
She’s just sitting pretty over there.
As he was about to give up, Mei Xue finally spoke.
Her voice was full of suppressed laughter.
Clearly, though she never looked up, she knew just how ridiculous Yu Qing’s dance was.
“Senpai, you’re moving your arms and legs together~”
The light words pierced his defenses like a needle.
Ugh, kill me.
I can’t dance—this is impossible!
Yu Qing’s spirit broke, a faint blush on his face—not from shyness, but from mortification.
His movements froze, wishing he could just collapse and prove he wasn’t cut out for this.
Shen Tang sighed, rubbing her forehead.
“You’re not hopeless, but at this rate, it’s useless. We need some assistance.”
“Yu Qing, come here.”
Hearing the command, Yu Qing reluctantly stepped forward.
Shen Tang stood in front of him.
Surprisingly, she didn’t demonstrate again.
Instead, she turned to the window.
“Fu Yi, come over too.”
?
Why am I involved?
Fu Yi typed a question mark, finally lifting her gaze from the screen.
She looked puzzled, but set down her notebook and walked over.
“Is something wrong, Teacher Shen?”
“Help him get a feel for it.”
Shen Tang pointed to Yu Qing, explaining.
“He can’t even find the basic rhythm or frame. For a partner dance, it’s unreasonable to have him practice alone. Pair up, guide him through the Basic Steps, let him experience the lead and follow.”
What?!
Yu Qing’s eyes widened.
Dancing with Mei Xue?
Teacher Shen—no, Master Shen! You’re a true educator!
Now, this is what makes learning dance worthwhile.
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