Chapter 6, Performance Summary

Nanxi was momentarily puzzled, then laughed and said: "Come on, you have only studied abroad for two years, why are you pretending to be a displaced Fang Liuyuan?"

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't make sense of it. She secretly glanced at the rearview mirror, only to coincidentally meet Ji Chenyang's gaze. She quickly withdrew her sight and fixed her eyes on the road ahead.

What did you study in university?" Ji Chenyang was the first to break the silence, his voice tinged with amusement. Nanxi did not dare to turn her face, responding in a proper manner: "Marine Biological Resources and Environment"

Nanxi remained indifferent and did not respond to him. However, Ji Chenyang grew anxious; he believed he had hinted and suggested countless times, and today he had made his intentions as clear as possible, yet Nanxi continued to show no reaction. In contrast, the girls he had known in the past would have pounced on him like hungry tigers at the slightest indication, as long as they had not outright rejected him.

However, this morning, he took the opportunity to try to kiss her, and Nanxi's face was filled with terror, as if he were about to commit some heinous act! He was not a naive young man; he understood what such a reaction signified. If Nanxi had even the slightest thought of him, her response this morning should have been one of shyness or surprise.

On the stage, Nanxi seemed like a different person. Ji Chenyang had always thought that Nanxi had a very quiet personality, yet watching her on stage, she perfectly captured the delicate and willful charm of Yang Guifei. Ji Chenyang fell into a trance, realizing that he had little understanding of Kunqu opera, often categorizing these resonant and rhythmic scripts as mere antiques. Now he felt that the treasures left by the ancestors could be so wonderful. On the night of July 7th at the Changsheng Hall, when no one was whispering in the dead of night, the stories from a thousand years ago had long vanished without a trace, yet Ji Chenyang below the stage listened with rapt attention. As Nanxi finished her performance and removed her makeup, Ji Chenyang noticed that she still walked with a graceful and delicate demeanor, a new discovery he had never noticed before. It was getting late, and Ji Chenyang invited Nanxi to dinner. Nanxi thought it was hard for him to wait until now, so she asked, "Why don't you take me home, and I will ask Sister Yang to prepare a meal for you as well? Eating out all the time is not good for your health."

Nanxi opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ji Chenyang had already sealed it with a gesture: "You don't have to agree to me right away," he smiled again, his eyes sparkling with the excitement of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, "Actually, I'm afraid to hear you refuse me immediately. Nanxi... I know we haven't known each other for long, but I am willing to pursue you in a very Chinese way, slowly making you accept me.

The appearance of Nanxi, when he first saw her, did not indeed leave him in awe; she simply sat there quietly, listening to her parents and elder brother conversing back and forth, occasionally smiling or responding softly. ... If one were to speak of any special feeling, it might be ... . ... Upon reflection, Ji Chenyang realized that he had perhaps lost his soul.

Ji Chenyang did not respond, quietly walking behind her, bending down to envelop her, gazing at her painted lips and brows in the mirror. In the reflection, Nanxi's features were exquisite, with red lips and rosy cheeks, and her pair of eyes seemed to be filled with affection. Ji Chenyang observed this scene, feeling as if it resembled the famous meticulous painting of a clear water lotus he had collected at home. He gently leaned down, close to her ear, and whispered with a smile, "Do you know what I thought in my heart when I first saw you"

Chuchu Fu Qingquan mentioned wanting to introduce his sister to him, but his tone was extremely hesitant. He had never seen Fu Qingquan so uncertain about anything before, and he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious: Could it be that Fu Qingquan's sister is not presentable? He quickly dismissed this thought, yet he held no expectations. He pondered that if Fu Qingquan truly had a sister of exceptional beauty, how could he have never heard anyone in their circle mention her, and why would she still be waiting for Fu Qingquan to introduce her to him at this age?

At that moment, Ji Chenyang suddenly felt that Fu Qingquan was truly a brother! He was grateful that Fu Qingquan had not introduced Nanxi to anyone else, but had waited until his graduation and return to the country to introduce her to him

What Nanxi displayed was nothing but terror and helplessness, and Ji Chenyang was utterly disappointed, feeling that the defeat he experienced in that moment was enough to destroy all the joy brought by his achievements, big and small, over the past twenty-plus years

Nanxi couldn't help but laugh and asked, "What was the result?"

Before 4 PM, Ji Chenyang arrived again. Everyone in the study group knew that he was Nanxi's boyfriend, and not only did they not stop him, but they also enthusiastically guided him, saying that Nanxi was in the makeup room

Ji Chenyang leaned close to her temple, speaking softly and slowly, yet the unwavering determination reflected in her eyes in the mirror was impossible to refuse

I have never seen a girl with such a pure essence of Chinese flavor as you. Later, I heard you sing, and to be honest, I really did not understand what you were singing; I was only focused on watching you, hardly paying attention to the subtitles. I just felt that your voice was so clean, devoid of any trace of smoke or dust.

There was a gentle knock on the door, notifying Nanxi to prepare to go on stage. The knocking helped Nanxi out of her predicament, and Ji Chenyang quickly stood up to make way for her. This time, he earnestly watched the entire act, and with the subtitles, he could roughly understand about seventy to eighty percent of the plot. It told the story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and his romantic relationship with Yang Guifei. As time passed, they grew weary of each other, and he began to recall the long-neglected Mei Fei. Upon learning that the Emperor had gone to see Mei Fei, Yang Guifei lamented in the palace, "When love first blossoms, the hairpin and the fan are perfectly matched," only to find that in an instant, the Emperor's affections had "suddenly changed."

What surprised him the most was Fu Qingquan's attitude. Fu Qingquan had always been his tennis partner, and they would play several matches together every week. He thought Fu Qingquan would bring his sister out to play some tennis and have a meal to get to know each other, but after Fu Qingquan spoke, there was a long silence. He couldn't help but remind Fu Qingquan, saying, "Aren't you going to introduce your sister to me? Why are you having second thoughts?" Only then did Fu Qingquan seem to wake up from a dream and advised him that the relationship between him and his sister had not been good for the past two years. If Nanxi were to vent her anger on him because of his involvement, he asked him to bear with it.

Since Fu Qingquan has already made this point clear to her, why should Ji Chenyang still expend so much effort on her?

No," Ji Chenyang shook his head, carefully examining the appearance of Nanxi after her makeup in the mirror. She exuded a charming demeanor that was both bright and graceful, resembling a character who had stepped out of an ancient play, yet she appeared so vividly beside him. At a loss for words, he did not know how to describe her adequately. After hesitating for a moment, he rephrased his earlier statement and repeated, "It is now very difficult to find a girl who is very Chinese."

Ji Chenyang was taken aback, and after a moment of daze, he smiled and asked: "I thought you originally studied some form of opera research"

Ji Chenyang's eyes lit up, and the word "joy" was almost written on his face. He had visited the Fu family several times, yet not once had Nanxi taken the initiative to speak. He was driving, using one hand to hold Nanxi's hand, but unexpectedly, Nanxi happened to raise her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Ji Chenyang missed, and his right hand awkwardly circled in the air before returning to the steering wheel. After Nanxi tucked her hair, she maintained a posture with her arms crossed. Women are always somewhat sensitive, especially since Ji Chenyang was being so obvious. However... Ji Chenyang missed, and his right hand awkwardly circled in the air before returning to the steering wheel. After Nanxi tucked her hair, she maintained a posture with her arms crossed. Women are always somewhat sensitive, especially since Ji Chenyang was being so obvious. However... Wasn't Ji Chenyang brought here by Fu Qingquan?

Nanxi was in a state of turmoil. Ji Chenyang released the index finger that was pressed against her lips, yet she forgot all the words she had prepared and did not know how to express herself

When Fu Qingquan spoke these words, his attitude was extremely serious and respectful, resembling the ancient practice of blind marriages. Ji Chenyang could not help but feel anxious; Fu Qingquan's demeanor suggested that after just a brief introduction, Ji Chenyang would be expected to take lifelong responsibility for Fu Qingquan's sister. Ji Chenyang had not anticipated settling down so early; in fact, he should not have agreed. However, by some strange twist of fate, he found himself intrigued by Fu Qingquan's unusually solemn attitude.

Nanxi felt a warmth by her ear, as she was trapped in a very small space by his arms, unable to move. Her heart raced wildly in her chest, yet she dared only to feign ignorance, leaning against the piece and smiling as she asked, "I don't know, what do you think?"

At first, Ji Chenyang attributed Nanxi's behavior to her being "too Chinese," too reserved. He even considered it a problem that he had never encountered a reserved girl in his life. After all, Nanxi had not explicitly rejected him, had she

Father Fu and he discussed political and economic development, yet afterwards he could not recall anything he had said. However, in the span of a meal, all his attention was captivated by Nanxi's every frown and smile. He felt that whether she was like this or like that, whether she was quiet or smiling, everything was just so perfect, better than perfect.

After a long period of contemplation, Ji Chenyang seemed to be searching for an adjective. Finally, he smiled and said, "I find you very ... ... Chinese."

When Ji Chenyang smiled, there was a hint of childlike innocence: "Qingquan said he wanted to introduce his sister to me, and I thought... I assumed I would meet another daughter of someone, a certain young lady like so many others." At this point, Ji Chenyang couldn't help but laugh again, as he had been introduced to too many potential girlfriends since returning home. His father's friends had suddenly become extremely family-oriented, always carrying photos of their daughters, or insisting that their daughters accompany them while playing golf. The daughters were uniformly beautiful and eloquent, leaving little to criticize; the only downside was that he simply couldn't remember them. He had indeed been introduced to too many potential girlfriends since returning home. His father's friends had suddenly become extremely family-oriented, always carrying photos of their daughters, or insisting that their daughters accompany them while playing golf. The daughters were uniformly beautiful and eloquent, leaving little to criticize; the only downside was that he simply couldn't remember them.

Nangxi had just finished applying the flesh-colored oil paint when she caught sight of Ji Chenyang in the mirror. Without pausing her hands, she asked while setting the foundation powder, "Why are you here so early?"