Chapter 88
Curtain Call: Fame the Musical (5)
----------
Soon, Huacheng University of Dance and the crew of Waiting for the Midnight Sun finalized the matter of coming to school to perform: it was set to be on the second day after the official start of school.
Promotional banners and posters were hung everywhere in the school. These posters were designed with a sense of art, containing only the simplest colors of black and white. A beautiful and eye-catching close-up of Xiang Cai’s silhouette occupied half of the picture. The boy's features were exquisite and his eyes bright as he looked into the ethereal distance.
He was waiting for his midnight sun, waiting for the one who rescued him from the boundless darkness.
Everyone who passed by the poster would stop and carefully examine Xiang Cai’s appearance.
Two young girls stopped in front of the publicity board, and said with strong admiration in their tone.
"Look! It's my husband!" A young lady took out her phone and handed it to her best friend beside her, "Quickly, quick, help me take a photo with my son!"
Her friend complained: "Husband? Son? Didn't you called him brother yesterday?"
Even though she complained, her best friend still grabbed the phone and took a beautiful photo for her in front of the publicity board.
Not only do the students from performing schools chase stars passionately, they even chased their own brothers and sisters [T/N: classmates, not literal]. Setting their sight towards their idols, striving and hoping that one day they could be on the stage and perform with the people they admired.
The two young ladies left adorning big smiles. If they had been more aware of their surroundings, they would have have found their person of interest in this moment, looking at them from behind a big tree nearby!
"Husband? Son? Brother?" Tan Yiming repressed laughter into his throat, and repeated these three words teasingly as he looked at the shy little swan beside him.
Xiang Cai hid himself behind a tree, embarrassed and happy.
"Don't repeat it..." He whispered, "Those were my school sisters who have also moved up from Huawu Academy. They are just joking around."
"They don't seemed to be joking around." Tan Yiming said, "You have been invited back by your school to perform, after having graduated only half a year ago. Even if this achievement was preceded, there cannot be more than five such people in your school’s history, right?"
"That's because the script of the musical is well-written and the director and the two sub-directors are very good." Xiang Cai was still humble and unwilling to take all the credit himself. "There are many more powerful brothers and sisters than me, I just have better luck."
"Cai Cai, you cannot attribute this to the word 'luck' alone." Tan Yiming said, "Even if this was a pie falling from the sky, some people wouldn’t be able to catch it, and some would bite off more than they can chew and choke to death. You have been working hard for so many years, so you were ready when the opportunity came, and with your talents you've seized it."
Tan Yiming encouraged him: "You have very good innate talents, and with more experience you will become even more seasoned - so from now on, learn to praise yourself, okay?"
"..." Xiang Cai didn't say a word and only pursed his lips while nodding.
There were still a few days before school officially started, and there were only a few students in the school. The two of them specifically choose this time to come over to the Huacheng University of Dance, firstly, to see the performance venue, and secondly, to visit the campus.
As a top-ranking school of dance in China, Huacheng University had a very good reputation. After graduation, many students directly entered Chinese-style dance troupes, and some went abroad to further their studies.
Tan Yiming was too curious about this place. After learning that it was Xiang Cai’s alma mater, he researched the school on the Internet, but he had never had the opportunity to walk in.
Today, his wish had finally come true. Xiang Cai acted as his guide, and Tan Yiming listened to the boy's various interesting stories about life on campus in a trance, imagining that he had accompanied Xiang Cai through his campus life.
Xiang Cai introduced things to him and he would recall more memories as he walked on through. The food in the canteen was delicious. The teacher in the physical education class was not very responsible. Every time an assembly was held, the principal would talk for half an hour.
When reminiscing, he realized that the college life that he had once deemed boring, was actually a lot of fun.
"Speaking of which, your school is really small," Tan Yiming exclaimed. It only took a few minutes for them to wander around and traverse the entire school.
"We are a college with a dance-oriented program, so there are only ten departments in total. Including the affiliated Huawu Academy nextdoor, our school has only two thousand students." Xiang Cai enviously brought up, "I heard that there are more students in just one major of those comprehensive universities than in our entire school."
He turned his gaze towards Tan Yiming: "Were there many people in your school?"
"Indeed." Tan Yiming said, "My alma mater covers a large area, and our Finance Department alone has a separate library and teaching building. There is also a lake on the campus, and there were many students around the lake mornings and evenings who run. There were many Asian students in the school, and the school has set up an Asian-style canteen, but to be honest, the dishes are quite poorly cooked and the taste is strange. Asians don’t usually eat it, only caucasian eat it." He suddenly suggested, "Why don't we find time to go to the United States? I can show you around my alma mater, and then we can go to the surrounding big cities."
His proposal caused Xiang Cai’s heart to increase its speed.
"But my passport has expired, and my visa must be processed in advance."
"That’s fine, this matter is not urgent. We have a long time to slowly plan this trip." Tan Yiming asked, "Have you ever applied for a passport before?"
"Yeah." Xiang Cai was silent for a while and replied, "When I was in the affiliated academy, I was sent to Vaganova by the school to study."
Vaganova...
It was one of the most famous ballet schools in the world, and was located in St Petersburg, Russia. It was the cradle of the world's top ballet dancers. Every two years, Huawu Affiliated Academy would send several of its top students to the Vaganova Ballet Academy as exchange students to study.
Xiang Cai had been one of them.
Even though he was black-haired and dark-eyed and he stood out on the land of a foreign country surrounded by blondes, he truly believed that his future belonged on that stage.
Unfortunately, after that, his life trajectory deviated dramatically.
But fortunately, that deviation also brought him a new lease on life.
When he now recalled the time he studied at Vaganova, it felt like a memory from a previous lifetime. Xiang Cai exhaled in a daze and watched that breath of white mist drift away in the icy air.
Tan Yiming knew how he felt in his heart. He looked at him, then gently took his hand, holding his cold fingertips in his palm.
"An even better idea." Tan Yiming suggested, "When spring comes, how about we go to St Petersburg?"
They could visit Vaganova and go to watch ballet, go to see the place where the boy had once pinned all his hopes and dreams on.
Tan Yiming wanted to buy a pair of ballet shoes there and put them on for his little swan.
Xiang Cai opened his lips and chuckled softly. "Okay."
The two of them held hands like this and walked slowly along the quiet, deserted path.
They walked from the little theater on campus to the gymnasium, and then from the gymnasium to the teaching building.
There were two teaching buildings on Huacheng’s campus. One held lecture halls for students taking cultural classes and because school hadn’t started yet, it was currently empty.
The other building was completely filled with rehearsal halls. Dance majors were very hardworking, and they had to have at least six hours of professional lessons every day. In addition, morning and evening exercises could not missed. The whole building clearly divided dance rooms according to department: the Folk Dance Department was on the fifth floor, the Ballet Department was on the fourth floor, and the Classical Dance Department was on the third floor...
Tan Yiming asked: "What about your Musical Theatre Department?"
"We are on the first floor!" Xiang Cai said triumphantly, "We don't need to climb the stairs, and there is even a vocal music classroom next to us, it is so convenient!"
The janitor in the security booth was nowhere to be seen, so Xiang Cai sneakily led Tan Yiming into the teaching building.
The two first went to the exclusive dance classroom of the Musical Theatre Department, but unfortunately, the door was locked. Tan Yiming could only stand outside the glass door and carefully observe the rehearsal hall within.
The rehearsal hall was very large, with a total area of 80 square meters, windows on the north and south walls, with excellent lighting. One wall was completely inlaid with mirrors, and the other three were fixed with bars. Some basic training mats were piled up in the corners. The whole classroom was clean and bright.
Tan Yiming saw such a spacious rehearsal hall, and then compared to their cramped practice room at home. Suddenly, he felt an urgent need to ‘make big money and buy a big house’ in his heart.
Of course, Xiang Cai didn't know what he was planning. The boy enthusiastically took his hand and brought him to a smaller classroom next door.
On the door of the small classroom hung a sign reading ‘Vocal Music Classroom’, and when Xiang Cai tentatively pushed - he realized the door was not locked!
This small classroom was only half the size of the rehearsal hall, and soundproofing materials were pasted on the walls of the room. An upright piano was placed under the window, and dozens of chairs were scattered around the piano.
"The vocal teacher's ears were pretty good," Xiang Cai trembled, "She was like a human-shaped tuner! Whenever we were singing as a chorus, if someone only sang for half the note, she could pick them out!"
Xiang Cai gently closed the door behind him, then nervously locked the door, in fear that sounds would be heard and the security guard would be attracted.
He bypassed the chairs and sat directly in front of the piano.
It could be estimated that it was cleaned almost every day, as there was no dust on the piano. Xiang Cai lifted the lid of the piano, and smoothly rested both of his hands on the keys.
He first played two sets of simple scales, and then practiced arpeggios. His fingering was a bit jerky at first, but he gradually regained the feel of playing the piano.
"What do you want to hear?" Xiang Cai turned his head to Tan Yiming, an eager-to-impress expression all over his face.
"You can play the piano?" Tan Yiming was surprised. He had lived with Xiang Chai for so long but had never heard him mention that he could play the piano.
How many of Cai Cai’s good points had he still not yet discovered?
Xiang Cai said shyly: "Musical instruments is a compulsory course... When I was in the affiliated academy, I had the option of either violin or piano. I didn't know anything about stringed instruments, so I chose piano. I continued to practice piano after college, but I wasn’t so good at playing. It’s been so long since my graduation, so I haven’t touched piano keys for half a year, so now I can only play some simple tunes."
He paused, then added awkwardly: "I am not at a high level - I am definitely not as good as Director Yao."
"..." Tan Yiming helplessly said: "Why did you suddenly bring up Yao Yin?"
Xiang Cai also felt that he had randomly brought this up. He knew that Yao Yin and Tan Yiming had never had that sort of relationship, but he would sometimes inexplicably entertain such sour thoughts.
…Maybe, this was a silly thing one would do after falling in love.
Xiang Cai’s face was hot, and he quickly turned his gaze back, staring at the black and white piano keys in front of him.
He asked himself: What song should I play? What song would he want me to sing?
At that moment, countless love songs poured out of his memory, from pop songs to elegant operas, there are so many notes in this world that could be used to express his love—
He pressed on the keys with his fingertips.
Before his brain could react, his heart had already chosen a song for him.
A song that was most suitable for Tan Yiming and Xiang Cai, and also most suitable for guess and Wang Qingyun.
"If I walk would you run?
If I stop would you come?
If I say you’re the one, would you believe me?
The world is catching up to you
While you're running away to chase your dream."
The piano accompaniment was melodious and along with the boy's clear voice, it floated towards Tan Yiming's heart.
This song was a song sung by the protagonist in the music film Fame the Musical, when the protagonist was wooing the heroine. The musical was not so well-known, but the song itself was very popular. In this scene, the protagonist sat in front of the piano, playing and singing. From beginning to end, his eyes never left his beloved.
The same went for Xiang Cai - his eyes never left his beloved.
"If I sing you a song would you sing along?
Or wait till I’m gone
"It’s time for us to face the truth cause we are coming to each other to change
And maybe I’m not ready but
I will...try for your love."
There was no need to struggle anymore, Tan Yiming thought.
Tan Yiming wanted to tell him: Cai Cai, you already have all my love.
...
Six months ago, Xiang Cai graduated from Huacheng University of Dance. At that time, as a representative of that year of outstanding graduates, he was selected to give a speech on stage.
At that time, the audience was full of parents. But when he looked, he could not find a single face that was smiling just for him alone.
At that time, Tan Yiming could only send blessings to his boy secretly through the live broadcast network.
But now, in this moment, both of their wishes was finally been fulfilled.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
What Cai Cai sang was “Try” from Fame the Musical.
I chose this musical/music film for the Curtain Call because I hope that Cai Cai, Old Tan, and all the dreamers in this novel will achieve worldwide fame.
There is one more chapter to go for the Curtain Call.
----------
Soon, Huacheng University of Dance and the crew of Waiting for the Midnight Sun finalized the matter of coming to school to perform: it was set to be on the second day after the official start of school.
Promotional banners and posters were hung everywhere in the school. These posters were designed with a sense of art, containing only the simplest colors of black and white. A beautiful and eye-catching close-up of Xiang Cai’s silhouette occupied half of the picture. The boy's features were exquisite and his eyes bright as he looked into the ethereal distance.
He was waiting for his midnight sun, waiting for the one who rescued him from the boundless darkness.
Everyone who passed by the poster would stop and carefully examine Xiang Cai’s appearance.
Two young girls stopped in front of the publicity board, and said with strong admiration in their tone.
"Look! It's my husband!" A young lady took out her phone and handed it to her best friend beside her, "Quickly, quick, help me take a photo with my son!"
Her friend complained: "Husband? Son? Didn't you called him brother yesterday?"
Even though she complained, her best friend still grabbed the phone and took a beautiful photo for her in front of the publicity board.
Not only do the students from performing schools chase stars passionately, they even chased their own brothers and sisters [T/N: classmates, not literal]. Setting their sight towards their idols, striving and hoping that one day they could be on the stage and perform with the people they admired.
The two young ladies left adorning big smiles. If they had been more aware of their surroundings, they would have have found their person of interest in this moment, looking at them from behind a big tree nearby!
"Husband? Son? Brother?" Tan Yiming repressed laughter into his throat, and repeated these three words teasingly as he looked at the shy little swan beside him.
Xiang Cai hid himself behind a tree, embarrassed and happy.
"Don't repeat it..." He whispered, "Those were my school sisters who have also moved up from Huawu Academy. They are just joking around."
"They don't seemed to be joking around." Tan Yiming said, "You have been invited back by your school to perform, after having graduated only half a year ago. Even if this achievement was preceded, there cannot be more than five such people in your school’s history, right?"
"That's because the script of the musical is well-written and the director and the two sub-directors are very good." Xiang Cai was still humble and unwilling to take all the credit himself. "There are many more powerful brothers and sisters than me, I just have better luck."
"Cai Cai, you cannot attribute this to the word 'luck' alone." Tan Yiming said, "Even if this was a pie falling from the sky, some people wouldn’t be able to catch it, and some would bite off more than they can chew and choke to death. You have been working hard for so many years, so you were ready when the opportunity came, and with your talents you've seized it."
Tan Yiming encouraged him: "You have very good innate talents, and with more experience you will become even more seasoned - so from now on, learn to praise yourself, okay?"
"..." Xiang Cai didn't say a word and only pursed his lips while nodding.
There were still a few days before school officially started, and there were only a few students in the school. The two of them specifically choose this time to come over to the Huacheng University of Dance, firstly, to see the performance venue, and secondly, to visit the campus.
As a top-ranking school of dance in China, Huacheng University had a very good reputation. After graduation, many students directly entered Chinese-style dance troupes, and some went abroad to further their studies.
Tan Yiming was too curious about this place. After learning that it was Xiang Cai’s alma mater, he researched the school on the Internet, but he had never had the opportunity to walk in.
Today, his wish had finally come true. Xiang Cai acted as his guide, and Tan Yiming listened to the boy's various interesting stories about life on campus in a trance, imagining that he had accompanied Xiang Cai through his campus life.
Xiang Cai introduced things to him and he would recall more memories as he walked on through. The food in the canteen was delicious. The teacher in the physical education class was not very responsible. Every time an assembly was held, the principal would talk for half an hour.
When reminiscing, he realized that the college life that he had once deemed boring, was actually a lot of fun.
"Speaking of which, your school is really small," Tan Yiming exclaimed. It only took a few minutes for them to wander around and traverse the entire school.
"We are a college with a dance-oriented program, so there are only ten departments in total. Including the affiliated Huawu Academy nextdoor, our school has only two thousand students." Xiang Cai enviously brought up, "I heard that there are more students in just one major of those comprehensive universities than in our entire school."
He turned his gaze towards Tan Yiming: "Were there many people in your school?"
"Indeed." Tan Yiming said, "My alma mater covers a large area, and our Finance Department alone has a separate library and teaching building. There is also a lake on the campus, and there were many students around the lake mornings and evenings who run. There were many Asian students in the school, and the school has set up an Asian-style canteen, but to be honest, the dishes are quite poorly cooked and the taste is strange. Asians don’t usually eat it, only caucasian eat it." He suddenly suggested, "Why don't we find time to go to the United States? I can show you around my alma mater, and then we can go to the surrounding big cities."
His proposal caused Xiang Cai’s heart to increase its speed.
"But my passport has expired, and my visa must be processed in advance."
"That’s fine, this matter is not urgent. We have a long time to slowly plan this trip." Tan Yiming asked, "Have you ever applied for a passport before?"
"Yeah." Xiang Cai was silent for a while and replied, "When I was in the affiliated academy, I was sent to Vaganova by the school to study."
Vaganova...
It was one of the most famous ballet schools in the world, and was located in St Petersburg, Russia. It was the cradle of the world's top ballet dancers. Every two years, Huawu Affiliated Academy would send several of its top students to the Vaganova Ballet Academy as exchange students to study.
Xiang Cai had been one of them.
Even though he was black-haired and dark-eyed and he stood out on the land of a foreign country surrounded by blondes, he truly believed that his future belonged on that stage.
Unfortunately, after that, his life trajectory deviated dramatically.
But fortunately, that deviation also brought him a new lease on life.
When he now recalled the time he studied at Vaganova, it felt like a memory from a previous lifetime. Xiang Cai exhaled in a daze and watched that breath of white mist drift away in the icy air.
Tan Yiming knew how he felt in his heart. He looked at him, then gently took his hand, holding his cold fingertips in his palm.
"An even better idea." Tan Yiming suggested, "When spring comes, how about we go to St Petersburg?"
They could visit Vaganova and go to watch ballet, go to see the place where the boy had once pinned all his hopes and dreams on.
Tan Yiming wanted to buy a pair of ballet shoes there and put them on for his little swan.
Xiang Cai opened his lips and chuckled softly. "Okay."
The two of them held hands like this and walked slowly along the quiet, deserted path.
They walked from the little theater on campus to the gymnasium, and then from the gymnasium to the teaching building.
There were two teaching buildings on Huacheng’s campus. One held lecture halls for students taking cultural classes and because school hadn’t started yet, it was currently empty.
The other building was completely filled with rehearsal halls. Dance majors were very hardworking, and they had to have at least six hours of professional lessons every day. In addition, morning and evening exercises could not missed. The whole building clearly divided dance rooms according to department: the Folk Dance Department was on the fifth floor, the Ballet Department was on the fourth floor, and the Classical Dance Department was on the third floor...
Tan Yiming asked: "What about your Musical Theatre Department?"
"We are on the first floor!" Xiang Cai said triumphantly, "We don't need to climb the stairs, and there is even a vocal music classroom next to us, it is so convenient!"
The janitor in the security booth was nowhere to be seen, so Xiang Cai sneakily led Tan Yiming into the teaching building.
The two first went to the exclusive dance classroom of the Musical Theatre Department, but unfortunately, the door was locked. Tan Yiming could only stand outside the glass door and carefully observe the rehearsal hall within.
The rehearsal hall was very large, with a total area of 80 square meters, windows on the north and south walls, with excellent lighting. One wall was completely inlaid with mirrors, and the other three were fixed with bars. Some basic training mats were piled up in the corners. The whole classroom was clean and bright.
Tan Yiming saw such a spacious rehearsal hall, and then compared to their cramped practice room at home. Suddenly, he felt an urgent need to ‘make big money and buy a big house’ in his heart.
Of course, Xiang Cai didn't know what he was planning. The boy enthusiastically took his hand and brought him to a smaller classroom next door.
On the door of the small classroom hung a sign reading ‘Vocal Music Classroom’, and when Xiang Cai tentatively pushed - he realized the door was not locked!
This small classroom was only half the size of the rehearsal hall, and soundproofing materials were pasted on the walls of the room. An upright piano was placed under the window, and dozens of chairs were scattered around the piano.
"The vocal teacher's ears were pretty good," Xiang Cai trembled, "She was like a human-shaped tuner! Whenever we were singing as a chorus, if someone only sang for half the note, she could pick them out!"
Xiang Cai gently closed the door behind him, then nervously locked the door, in fear that sounds would be heard and the security guard would be attracted.
He bypassed the chairs and sat directly in front of the piano.
It could be estimated that it was cleaned almost every day, as there was no dust on the piano. Xiang Cai lifted the lid of the piano, and smoothly rested both of his hands on the keys.
He first played two sets of simple scales, and then practiced arpeggios. His fingering was a bit jerky at first, but he gradually regained the feel of playing the piano.
"What do you want to hear?" Xiang Cai turned his head to Tan Yiming, an eager-to-impress expression all over his face.
"You can play the piano?" Tan Yiming was surprised. He had lived with Xiang Chai for so long but had never heard him mention that he could play the piano.
How many of Cai Cai’s good points had he still not yet discovered?
Xiang Cai said shyly: "Musical instruments is a compulsory course... When I was in the affiliated academy, I had the option of either violin or piano. I didn't know anything about stringed instruments, so I chose piano. I continued to practice piano after college, but I wasn’t so good at playing. It’s been so long since my graduation, so I haven’t touched piano keys for half a year, so now I can only play some simple tunes."
He paused, then added awkwardly: "I am not at a high level - I am definitely not as good as Director Yao."
"..." Tan Yiming helplessly said: "Why did you suddenly bring up Yao Yin?"
Xiang Cai also felt that he had randomly brought this up. He knew that Yao Yin and Tan Yiming had never had that sort of relationship, but he would sometimes inexplicably entertain such sour thoughts.
…Maybe, this was a silly thing one would do after falling in love.
Xiang Cai’s face was hot, and he quickly turned his gaze back, staring at the black and white piano keys in front of him.
He asked himself: What song should I play? What song would he want me to sing?
At that moment, countless love songs poured out of his memory, from pop songs to elegant operas, there are so many notes in this world that could be used to express his love—
He pressed on the keys with his fingertips.
Before his brain could react, his heart had already chosen a song for him.
A song that was most suitable for Tan Yiming and Xiang Cai, and also most suitable for guess and Wang Qingyun.
"If I walk would you run?
If I stop would you come?
If I say you’re the one, would you believe me?
The world is catching up to you
While you're running away to chase your dream."
The piano accompaniment was melodious and along with the boy's clear voice, it floated towards Tan Yiming's heart.
This song was a song sung by the protagonist in the music film Fame the Musical, when the protagonist was wooing the heroine. The musical was not so well-known, but the song itself was very popular. In this scene, the protagonist sat in front of the piano, playing and singing. From beginning to end, his eyes never left his beloved.
The same went for Xiang Cai - his eyes never left his beloved.
"If I sing you a song would you sing along?
Or wait till I’m gone
Oh, how we push and pull
If I give you my heart would you just play the part?
If I give you my heart would you just play the part?
Or tell me it’s the start of something beautiful?"
These were a lot of questions, but in fact, there was already an answer to each of them.
This answer lied in the kiss of Tan Yiming, in the gaze of Tan Yiming, and in the embrace of Tan Yiming.
Tan Yiming stood quietly beside the piano, already fascinated by his singing. He had heard Xiang Cai sing many times. There were sad, warm, and eager songs... But this time, Tan Yiming could hear and see the overflowing happiness in his voices and in his eyes.
The boy sang and continued to gaze at Tan Yiming.
These were a lot of questions, but in fact, there was already an answer to each of them.
This answer lied in the kiss of Tan Yiming, in the gaze of Tan Yiming, and in the embrace of Tan Yiming.
Tan Yiming stood quietly beside the piano, already fascinated by his singing. He had heard Xiang Cai sing many times. There were sad, warm, and eager songs... But this time, Tan Yiming could hear and see the overflowing happiness in his voices and in his eyes.
The boy sang and continued to gaze at Tan Yiming.
"It’s time for us to face the truth cause we are coming to each other to change
And maybe I’m not ready but
I will...try for your love."
There was no need to struggle anymore, Tan Yiming thought.
Tan Yiming wanted to tell him: Cai Cai, you already have all my love.
...
Six months ago, Xiang Cai graduated from Huacheng University of Dance. At that time, as a representative of that year of outstanding graduates, he was selected to give a speech on stage.
At that time, the audience was full of parents. But when he looked, he could not find a single face that was smiling just for him alone.
At that time, Tan Yiming could only send blessings to his boy secretly through the live broadcast network.
But now, in this moment, both of their wishes was finally been fulfilled.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
What Cai Cai sang was “Try” from Fame the Musical.
I chose this musical/music film for the Curtain Call because I hope that Cai Cai, Old Tan, and all the dreamers in this novel will achieve worldwide fame.
There is one more chapter to go for the Curtain Call.
***
Thank you so much 🥰🙏💐
ReplyDeleteT^T They love each other so much~
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the chapter! :3