“Doctor…” Fatty started shivering again. He whispered under his breath to warn Jiang Cheng. However, when he felt a pinch around his waist, he shut up again. Jiang Cheng’s meaning was clear. Fatty consoled himself. If he could see the issues with Department Head Li, Jiang Cheng could as well. He probably had figured out how to escape.
“How did Chen Yao die?” Jiang Cheng asked again.
Department Head Li raised her head. The face under the glasses felt unfamiliar to them. Soon, the coarse voice rang, “She hanged herself.”
The woman nodded. “Yes.”
To be honest, Fatty didn’t trust the woman before them. Chen Yao might be real. She could be the ghost who came back. But… Fatty pursed his lips as sweat trickled down his neck. Who could say the woman before them was not Chen Yao? She could be the ghost.
Fatty wanted to grab Jiang Cheng's camera to test his theory. He had just extended his hand when he received a murderous look from Jiang Cheng. Fatty trembled and pulled his hand back. When Fatty took another look, Jiang Cheng reverted to normal. The latter looked at the woman, and the edges of his lips were tight as he waited for the answer.
“Chen Yao was a new student from 09,” The woman began slowly. Her coarse voice instantly brought them back in time.
“I was a grade older than her. I was her senior. I was the hostess during their batch’s icebreaker ceremony. She performed during the event. That was how we met. She was very beautiful. She could dance and sing. She was radiant during the event and grabbed many people’s attention. I noticed her grace and talent in ballet, so I suggested that she switch to ballet as her major.” She paused before explaining, “She joined the school to attend the contemporary dance major.”
“Yes.” The woman nodded. “That is the biggest regret of my life.” Her voice was low, and her lips arched into a strange curve.
She personally sent her love rival to her fiance… Fatty thought no wonder her hatred is so deep. Of course, he wouldn’t say that out loud. He nodded along with the woman on the surface.
“It was fine at first. I was proven right. Her progress in classical ballet is far greater than that of contemporary dance. In just a month, her steps, posture and so on… reached a very high level already.” She continued, “Even my fiance had great praises for this girl. Some of the teachers even said in private that… Chen Yao was born for classical ballet.
“The students of batch 09 were very lucky. They entered the school for less than half a year when it was the school anniversary. All the staff, students and even alumni would be there. Some of them were famous celebrities, agents and producers. You might not understand this, but for art lovers like us, an opportunity is extremely important. It was more important than studies. Some of the greatest talents died in obscurity because they didn’t get the stage to shine.”
Jiang Cheng nodded and said in agreement, “I know about the entertainment industry. The field is extremely cruel. A good person could easily lose himself after a few years rolling in it.”
The woman looked at Jiang Cheng with interest, “Were you part of the industry?”
Fatty wanted to cry for Jiang Cheng. Why did the man have to say something? If he didn’t answer correctly, both of them would die, and no one could collect their corpses… Then again, their corpses would probably mysteriously disappear.
“You can say that.” Jiang Cheng righted his body and undid a few of his buttons. He appeared calm. Fatty shivered, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. “I was the star of the night show.” Jiang Cheng nodded officially. “Do you understand that? It means that I will not look at the others once I am named by our guests.” The next second, Jiang Cheng slowly extended his right hand and gripped it into a fist. He looked so severe that Fatty thought he was swearing an oath.
Fatty was stunned. His teeth chattered. He had no idea what was wrong with Jiang Cheng. How did the situation change so quickly?
Then, Jiang Cheng said, “They said there was nothing with me except my high price!”
The woman was confused by the turn in the conversation. She reacted after some time. The first thing she did was to move away from Jiang Cheng.
“Mr… Hao,” The woman was embarrassed for the first time. “I… don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. We’re artists. You… No, you…”
“I’m an artist too,” Jiang Cheng grumbled, “I’ve sacrificed so much for art!”
“Mr. Hao…” The woman took such a deep breath that her mask bent at the sides. “In any case, we are different.”
“It’s alright.” Jiang Cheng nodded. “I know what you mean.”
The woman believed that she would never reach a consensus with Jiang Cheng, so she returned to the earlier subject. At that moment, Fatty felt a trace of change. The strange atmosphere that accompanied the woman had weakened by a lot. Her actions were more coordinated. She felt less like a puppet and more like a human. Fatty seemed to realise something and turned to Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng didn’t change. He responded occasionally to the woman with interest. However, Fatty still noticed the glint on Jiang Cheng’s forehead. It was a bead of sweat. It glided down the edge of his eye.
In just one minute, Jiang Cheng’s forehead… had been covered in beads of sweat.
“Due to Chen Yao’s rapid improvement, the school wanted her to perform during the anniversary.” The woman gritted her teeth. “It was a solo dance. A very rare opportunity.”
“And then?” Jiang Cheng prompted.
The woman lifted her head. Through the glasses, one could sense the venom in her eyes. “She gave up on the chance. She said… She hoped to find a dance partner!”