Chapter 907: Better Than Great
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The beautifully decorated military hall auditorium was unlike its usual solemn appearance, now full of exotic style.
Gu Nianzhi saw the scene on the TV and was a bit surprised by Tan Guiren’s outfit. However, she didn’t pay too much attention to her.
This kind of person could only make her feel sad once at maximum. Make her sad twice? Tan Guiren wasn’t worth it.
As she contemplated it, she realized that this must be the Military Literary and Arts performance that Professor He was originally going to go to.
She hadn’t expected Huo Shao to go as well.
She knew that Huo Shaoheng never went to this type of arts performance.
When she was still living with him in C City, he would always spend Christmas Eve with her at the base as long as he wasn’t on a mission elsewhere.
Of course, things were different now.
She was already an adult and had left the protection of his wings. He had more time to do his own things now.
Gu Nianzhi’s mind was a complete mess, but she wasn’t jealous or pained. She was just a bit confused. Really, only a little bit…
He Zhichu picked up on the tiniest change in Gu Nianzhi’s expression. He also noticed Huo Sahoheng on TV, but he wasn’t surprised at all.
Huo Shaoheng was bound to attend an event like that sooner or later with his kind of status. In fact, his attendance at this type of thing would only become more and more frequent.
It looked like Gu Nianzhi was unable to get accustomed to it though…
As He Zhichu thought about it, he was both pained for Gu Nianzhi and a bit relieved and happy for himself.
He’d never thought that Gu Nianzhi and Huo Shaoheng would break up, but from the looks of today…
He Zhichu took the remote to change the channel and said to the bartender, “Play some dance music.”
The bartender notified the bar’s DJ and asked him to play some melodious and touching Christmas songs per He Zhichu’s request.
Soon afterward, the third repeat of “Edelweiss” began to play in the bar. The lights also dimmed until only the rainbow-colored lights lit the room.
He Zhichu parted the crowd of people around him and walked up to the couch that Gu Nianzhi was sitting on. He offered a hand to her and asked, “May I?”
Gu Nianzhi looked up in surprise at He Zhichu, feeling so shocked that she couldn’t find any words to say.
He Zhichu smiled. His s.h.i.+mmery, sultry eyes were extremely alluring under the rainbow-colored lights.
“You won’t embarra.s.s me like this, right?” He Zhichu bent down to quietly whisper in Gu Nianzhi’s ear.
Gu Nianzhi quickly accepted his hand. “Of course not, Professor He. You speak too seriously.”
They would just have one dance with everyone else.
There were already students walking to the dance floor in pairs.
Everyone was already a graduate student, so they all knew how to ballroom dance.
He Zhuchu took Gu Nianzhi’s hand and placed the other on her waist. He slowly began to dance with her.
The pair’s movements were strangely harmonious. No matter whether they were spinning or staggering, they synched up like they had done this thousands of times before.
Gu Nianzhi was also feeling confused. How could she dance in such synchronization with He Zhichu?
Recalling when she had danced with Huo Shaoheng, they had needed to spend lots of effort getting in sync.
He Zhichu hugged Gu Nianzhi’s waist and looked down at her confused eyes. “…You know, I was the one who taught you how to ballroom dance.”
Gu Nianzhi was surprised.
“When you were young, you saw my family host b.a.l.l.s and made a fuss about wanting to learn. I taught you myself.” The corners of He Zhichu’s lips lifted bit by bit. “Otherwise, why would we be so compatible as dance partners?”
At the time, Gu Nianzhi had been short and chubby. She was also very naughty and restless when they danced, so she’d nearly stomped his feet swollen…
1But he had savored the moment like it was the sweetest candy, not caring at all. He’d taught her with great patience until she’d finally learned it.
Unfortunately, she’d left him not long after that.
Gu Nianzhi frowned in thought. “Really? But I don’t remember any of it at all.”
The corners of He Zhichu’s lips twitched as he thought… If she could recover her memories, then why would Huo Shaoheng still be in the picture?
Of course, he merely thought this to himself. There was no way he would say it out loud.
That implicated a man’s pride.
“…I am not in your memories, but your dancing still remembers me,” He Zhichu replied dryly as he led her into another spin.
The pair’s embrace and dancing on the dance floor were photographed by someone.
Soon after, Huo Shaoheng’s phone received a vibration notifying him of a new text message.
Taking out his phone, he quickly glanced at it to see a photo of He Zhichu and Gu Nianzhi dancing together.
Besides that, Gu Nianzhi’s appearance in the photo was mature and glamorous, so she was strangely a great match for the equally elegant and aloof looking He Zhichu.
If a stranger looked at the photo, they would think this was a beautiful couple of similar ages. No one could tell that they were more than ten years apart in age.
This photo had been taken by Special Operations Forces personnel protecting Gu Nianzhi in secret. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended up on Huo Shaoheng’s phone.
Huo Shaoheng discreetly shut off his phone. One hand was tightly balled into a fist that did not relax for a very long time.
He never thought that He Zhichu would actually go to Gu Nianzhi and her cla.s.smates’ Christmas ball.
1So, the outfit and jewelry he had selected for Gu Nianzhi today were all for He Zhichu’s sake.
…
The Military Art Ensemble’s performance had been very successful.
After a full two hours and the final curtain call, Tan Guiren bowed again and again as everyone stood up to give thunderous applause.
Under the stage, two children were specially arranged to carry large bouquets of lilies to present her with.
Carrying the lilies, Tan Guiren appeared to be as beautiful and as natural as the lilies in her hand.
Even though Cai Shengnan looked down on Tan Guiren somewhat, she had no choice but to admit that Tan Guiren’s beauty was unrivaled at that moment.
She couldn’t help but quickly glance over at Huo Shaoheng.
However, she saw him looking down at his phone, meaning he hadn’t seen Tan Guiren on the stage at all.
Indescribable happiness slowly rose amidst Cai Shengnan’s low spirits.
Thankfully, even her glamorous, alluring, and talented cousin was unable to attract this Major General Huo’s gaze.
After the performance concluded, Cai Shengnan confidently walked backstage to congratulate Tan Guiren.
“Cousin, your performance was so amazing today. It was like I was back in the golden auditorium of Carnegie Mellon University when you won that major international award!” As Cai Shengnan said this, she pressed her cheek to Tan Guiren’s in greeting.
Tan Guiren was also very anxious and excited. She grabbed Cai Shengnan’s hand and kept asking, “Cousin, are you serious? I really performed well today? I’m telling you, I was even more nervous today than when I partic.i.p.ated in that international compet.i.tion last time! If I had even played one note wrong, I would’ve been sure to jump right down from the stage!”
“How could you have? You performed so well today!” Cai Shengnan encouraged her once again before taking Tan Guiren, who had taken her makeup off, into the smaller performance hall next door for the celebration party.
Huo Shaoheng had originally wanted to leave, but he was held back by his father, Huo Guanchen, because he was making him chat a bit with General Ji and his men.
Huo Shaoheng had no choice but to patiently chat with General Ji and the military elite.
General Ji was also extremely busy that day, so he only talked with Huo Shaoheng for a bit before going to have tea with the other military elites across the room.
Huo Shaoheng didn’t follow them over. He headed towards the door instead.
From the corner of his eye, he spied his father accosting his mother. He didn’t know what Huo Guanchen was trying to do.
He frowned and walked over to say, “Ms. Song, would you like to go home?”
Song Jinning couldn’t ask for anything more, so she quickly replied, “Yes, I was just about to leave.”
Huo Shaoheng then dryly remarked to Huo Guanchen, “General Ji and his men are going over there for tea, shouldn’t you head over as well?”
Huo Guanchen was indeed going to go over there, but he had made plans with Prime Minister Tan. He saw that they weren’t coming over, so he panicked when he noticed Huo Shaoheng and Song Jinning leaving the small performance hall.
He quickly chased after them.
In the hallway outside, he could only see Huo Shaoheng and Song Jinning disappearing around a corner.
As soon as they turned the corner, they would be outside.
Huo Guanchen anxiously walked up to them and was about to call Prime Minister Tan when he saw three people come over. It was none other than Prime Minister Tan, Cai Shengnan, and Tan Guiren.
Huo Guanchen sighed in deep relief and quickly caught up to Huo Shaoheng and Song Jinning as he said to Prime Minister Tan, “You’ve finally come, what took you so long?”
Cai Shengnan noticed that Huo Shaoheng hadn’t left yet, so she raised a brow in surprise.
Despite her delaying Tan Guiren for some time, she’d somehow failed to successfully delay her long enough.
At that moment, Huo Guanchen began to boldly praise Tan Guiren once again as he said to Huo Shaoheng, “This is the Miss Tan Guiren I often mention to you. You know her as well. Since everyone is free today, how about…”
Song Jinning didn’t wait for Huo Shaoheng to speak before arranging her face into a smile and interrupting Huo Guanchen. She said to Prime Minister Tan, “Prime Minister Tan, I can testify that General Huo Guanchen has always praised Miss Tan and can’t stop thinking about her. Please be a.s.sured that I have been divorced from Huo Guanchen for a long time. I would fully support it if he were to remarry. If he marries Miss Tan, then the two families’ statuses would match extraordinarily well!”