Chapter 25 – Come Fight

Mu Yao nodded at Jiang Heng, “Hello, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Heng nodded back, “Carry on as if I’m not here.”

True to her word, Mu Yao treated Jiang Heng as if he was invisible, focusing solely on Shen Fubai. “You’ve improved a lot, but you still need more practice. Get up and try again.”

Shen Fubai had fallen, but instead of getting up, he lay comfortably on the ground. “Can I rest for a bit?” With Heng Heng watching him, he could barely walk straight on flat ground, let alone on stilts; he might just fly up to the sun.

Besides, they had been practicing for half a day already. Shen Fubai hadn’t neglected his basics, so his calves weren’t sore. He just wanted a break.

With Heng Heng here, it would be too embarrassing to be seen waddling around like a little duck. Shen Fubai wanted to wait until he could walk as smoothly as a graceful swan before strutting confidently in front of Heng Heng.

Mu Yao was ruthless. “No.”

Shen Fubai tried to appeal to their relationship. “Sis, considering we’ve known each other for an entire morning—”

Before Shen Fubai could finish, the door was slammed open. The person who entered was in such a hurry that they slipped and slid into the room with a loud noise, landing on their butt.

Their feet seemed to have wheels attached, propelling them straight towards Shen Fubai. Startled, Shen Fubai quickly rolled over, and the newcomer landed where he had been lying.

Thankfully, Shen Fubai had reacted in time. Otherwise, he would have ended up in a gayish ground embrace with the guy who had just entered, which would have tipped over the jealousy jar of a certain Jiang nearby.

The one who had slid in was Lu Yunqian. Dazed from the fall, he rolled over and lay beside Shen Fubai, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Lying down, Shen Fubai turned to look at him. “Brother, do you also find it comfortable to lie on the ground?”

Lu Yunqian also turned his head. “It’s, pretty comfortable.”

“It should be,” Shen Fubai said, pouring out a dose of toxic chicken soup. “When you fall, don’t rush to get up. You’ll discover how comfortable it is to lie down.” Afterward, he casually asked, “Did you come here for something?”

Lu Yunqian replied, “The director told me to learn stilts…”

The two chatted back and forth, enjoying their conversation.

“A word from the two of you,” came a soft female voice.

Both turned their heads simultaneously.

A ghost with bright red lips and long hair hanging down grinned at them from the ceiling.

Shen Fubai: “Ah.”

Lu Yunqian: “Ah!!!!!”

Shen Fubai: “Aaaaaah.”

Jiang Heng: “…” What a mess.

_

Shen Fubai had already been frightened once and developed some immunity. This time, he screamed more out of courtesy than genuine fear.

Lu Yunqian shrieked in dolphin-like tones, his decibels piercing the ceiling and echoing through the sky. Seeing how hard Lu Yunqian was screaming, Shen Fubai felt he should join in, so he mimicked SpongeBob SquarePants’ voice.

Jiang Heng, who had witnessed the whole scene, looked as though he was watching two idiots.

After a few SpongeBob screams, Shen Fubai calmly asked, “When did you climb up there?”

It was as if she had climbed up without making a sound.

Mu Yao smiled seductively on her three-meter stilts. “While you were chatting happily and treating me like air.”

Shen Fubai blinked. “How about you take a break and lie down for a bit?”

Mu Yao smiled and lifted the three-meter-long pole under her foot. “Get up and practice. If you don’t, I’ll kick you down one by one.”

Shen Fubai and Lu Yunqian immediately got up without hesitation.

_

Standing high above, Mu Yao had a commanding view, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made people want to kneel and shout “Long live our emperor.”

Perhaps this was the legendary aura of a queen, so dominantly mature.

The queen issued orders, and none dared to disobey.

Otherwise, they would be crushed under her three-meter stiletto heel.

Mu Yao scrutinized Lu Yunqian, flashing a bone-chilling smile. “Are you Xiao Lu?”

Shen Fubai and Lu Yunqian were only two years apart, both young university students who had already experienced the entertainment industry.

However, while Shen Fubai stood at the peak looking down upon everyone else, Lu Yunqian was still at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the gods.

In terms of appearance, Shen Fubai was undoubtedly much more outstanding than Lu Yunqian. One was a stunning, magnificent peony, a true flower of wealth and nobility.

The other was a delicate, cute sprout.

Lu Yunqian: I understand now, I’m not worthy to be called a flower. I’m really too mediocre.

And how could anyone describe a sprout as delicate and cute?

Mu Yao dared to do so. At thirty years old, she had enough experience to make accurate and sharp judgments about people.

Shen Fubai was too gorgeous and flamboyant, beautiful indeed, but his beauty was too aggressive. Mu Yao saw through Shen Fubai’s seemingly gentle exterior the first time she met him. She sensed how rebellious and stubborn he was at heart. Though he appeared to have become smooth after many years in society, hiding all his thorns, a closer look revealed that none of his edges had been smoothed over. The things he held onto had never truly compromised.

That was the pride hidden deep in Shen Fubai’s eyes, even when he laughed in an unassuming manner.

In comparison, Lu Yunqian was nothing more than a sprout. He hadn’t grown into a lush tree yet, hadn’t seen real prosperity, nor had he experienced real storms.

He might have suffered a lot at the grassroots level, but he hadn’t reached great heights, so he hadn’t seen as much as Shen Fubai. Mu Yao liked the innocence in Lu Yunqian’s eyes, the dazed, fawn-like cuteness.

He was also very cute in appearance. If he became popular, he would surely attract a pile of older sister fans and mother fans.

Like a blank sheet of paper, highly moldable, with a promising future ahead.

Most importantly, someone had asked her to take special care of him, so she paid extra attention.

_

Lu Yunqian was flattered. “You know my name?”

He, such a small character, actually deserved to have his name remembered. He was truly touched.

“Of course I do,” Mu Yao said, smiling as she mentioned his character’s name. “Director Xu told me that you’re quite a spirited child.”

The character Tongli was like another cycle of Yu Tang’s life, also entering Pear Orchard from a young age, but luckier, having been protected by Yu Tang. Unlike the younger Yu Tang, who had no one to rely on.

Tongli also had scenes involving stilts. Whatever Yu Tang had done in the past, he would redo.

For a character like Lu Yunqian, an eighteenth-tier minor actor, it was impossible to hire a substitute actor specifically for him. He had to perform himself. If he couldn’t, there were plenty of others who could replace him.

The entertainment industry was that cruel. Countless people below were fighting tooth and nail for a role with just a few lines. To avoid being washed away by the waves, one had to strive to reach the pinnacle and become the irreplaceable one.

Lu Yunqian was incredibly excited.

Had Director Xu remembered his name?

What an honor!

“Stop daydreaming and get on the stilts,” Mu Yao’s expression changed, becoming ferocious. “Little Shen, demonstrate for him.”

After practicing all morning, although Shen Fubai couldn’t walk steadily yet, he was already quite proficient at getting on stilts. This was partly due to his strong sense of balance.

Shen Fubai sighed, swiftly binding the stilts and supporting himself with a pole to stand up.

Lu Yunqian watched in astonishment.

This height was too scary, wasn’t it?

“But, how do you get down from this?” Lu Yunqian’s legs started trembling slightly now.

Jiang Heng said, “Fall down.”

Lu Yunqian: “…” Too real.

_

“Mr. Jiang has a good sense of humor,” Mu Yao pointed to the corner. “See that ladder? Sit down, untie the ropes, then climb down along the ladder.”

“Of course, jumping down is fine too.”

Lu Yunqian weakly asked, “Won’t your legs break?”

“They might,” Mu Yao said. “So it’s best to use the ladder.”

Lu Yunqian: What kind of devilish instructor was this.

Lu Yunqian didn’t have a dance background, so Mu Yao mercifully allowed him to start with one-meter stilts. Even so, Lu Yunqian was terrified to death and fell several times.

Dance training wasn’t for nothing. Shen Fubai hadn’t fallen much during the morning, except for when Jiang Heng came in and he got distracted.

Jiang Heng stood by, leaning against the pole, quietly watching them practice. He was on flat ground, Lu Yunqian was on one-meter stilts, Shen Fubai was on two-meter stilts, and Mu Yao was on three-meter stilts. They formed a stair-like pattern, rising step by step.

Comparing them revealed the differences. Lu Yunqian was still cautiously trying to maintain his balance, while Shen Fubai could already walk on two-meter stilts with ease—partly because Jiang Heng was watching. In front of his idol, he couldn’t afford to lose face and had to walk every step steadily!

Even Mu Yao was amazed by Shen Fubai’s rapid progress.

Shen Fubai’s Baidu profile stated that he had been hailed as a dance prodigy in school. That title had since become a term of ridicule, used to mock his snake-like dance moves.

But seeing him in person, one could truly appreciate that this was indeed a prodigy. In every aspect.

Unparalleled talent, unwavering perseverance, calmness under pressure, and an attitude that seemed carefree but was never negligent. His ability to easily get on stilts without warming up showed that he hadn’t given up on basic exercises.

Many celebrities who entered the circle for money couldn’t do that. Many who dazzled in their youth failed to remain true to their original aspirations. As an insider, Mu Yao didn’t understand why the internet spread the rumor that Shen Fubai couldn’t dance. What she saw was clearly a genius.

Even though Shen Fubai now shone brightly among the stars, Mu Yao felt he was a pearl hidden in the dust, concealed in the night.

Shen Fubai could have been even better, deserving of greater achievements.

Mu Yao’s attitude toward teaching unconsciously became more serious.

When she took her job seriously, she was strict. And when she was strict, Shen Fubai suffered.

_

“Can I take a break?” Shen Fubai walked effortlessly to Mu Yao on his two-meter stilts.

Mu Yao, of course, couldn’t accompany them in practice forever and was already standing on the ground.

“Take these off,” Mu Yao said.

Shen Fubai was grateful. “Thank you, my queen—”

“And then put on the three-meter ones,” Mu Yao continued.

Shen Fubai’s expression was blank. “…Do you have a knife? I want to kill the king.”

“I do,” Mu Yao instantly pulled out a three-meter-long saber used by wudan performers. “What did you say?”

She looked ready to slash Shen Fubai’s stilt leg if he repeated it.

Shen Fubai whimpered. “Can I rest?”

“Choose between the three-meter stilts and the three-meter saber,” Mu Yao said indifferently.

Shen Fubai: “Sis, we’ve spent an entire morning together.”

Mu Yao: “Sorry, I’m a heartless assassin.”

Goodness, how could there be such a vicious woman.

Shen Fubai looked pleadingly at Jiang Heng.

Heng Heng, save me!

The corner of Jiang Heng’s mouth curved slightly, and he spoke. “He’s practiced for a long time. Let him rest for a bit.”

Shen Fubai nodded vigorously.

Heng Heng was the best, sniff sniff.

Mu Yao was surprisingly agreeable. “Alright. Both of you can take a break.”

It was Jiang Heng’s influence.

Relieved, Shen Fubai and Lu Yunqian sat cross-legged on the ground rubbing their legs as soon as they got off the stilts, looking utterly exhausted. Jiang Heng felt sorry for them.

Mu Yao turned to Jiang Heng. “Mr. Jiang, the general you play in this drama has many action scenes. By the grace of Director Xu’s invitation, I am the martial arts instructor for this production.”

Jiang Heng’s expression froze.

“So,” Mu Yao brandished the three-meter saber. “Come fight.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

Madam, you are truly a heroine, skilled in every weapon.