Chapter 87 – Wine Shop

The arena echoed with continuous screams, the sea of white lights surging. Shen Fubai adjusted the microphone at his mouth, slightly raising his hand, and the noise below diminished considerably.

“Welcome everyone to my concert. This year marks the seventh anniversary since my debut. Just this month, I celebrated my 23rd birthday, receiving many blessings from all of you.” Shen Fubai clasped his hands together, bowing gently, “Thank you for your company over these seven years.”

The fans surged again, someone shouting, “You deserve it!!!”

Another voice yelled, “We also thank you!!!”

The Bird’s Nest, with its capacity for ninety thousand people, was filled with clamor, extremely noisy.

Shen Fubai had never liked excessively loud environments, except for scenes like this. Every person below, every scream, was an expression of their love and encouragement for him.

Standing at the center of the stage, Shen Fubai gazed at the sea of white around him: “A concert should logically be about singing, but I want to do something different. You’ve all seen today’s stage setup.”

In previous concerts, Shen Fubai’s company would design the scene, making it high-end, atmospheric, and sophisticated, imbued with a sense of futuristic technology. But this time, it was entirely different. The stage was adorned with carvings and intricate latticed windows, pavilions and rockeries, dry ice producing swirling mists. Behind him, on the large screen, was a painting in ink wash style, featuring a wine jar at its center. On the jar, in red characters against a black background, was the character for “wine,” written in a flowing script.

“Doesn’t it have a very ancient flavor? I believe everyone remembers that I debuted as a dancer, and today I want to dance for you. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

“Love it!!!”

“Whatever you dance, we’ll love it!!!”

Shen Fubai smiled faintly, glancing briefly in the direction where Jiang Heng was, then shifting his gaze back: “This dance is called ‘Wine Shop.’ I choreographed it myself, rehearsed for two months, and finally, it can be presented to you today.”

This solo dance was long and rich with narrative. Shen Fubai poured all his emotions into the dance movements, expressing them vividly through his supple body language.

Some feelings couldn’t be spoken aloud, but music could convey them, and so could dance. Through these, he declared to the world — I like you —

The sound of the guqin rose once more.

The opening scene showed a young man in white seated beside a stone table, drinking tea silently. He was refined and warm, possessing the demeanor of a celestial being.

The flute played a lively and bright melody, reminiscent of birdsong in the spring valley, amidst towering mountains and flowing water. He was like a wild crane, free among the clouds and clear skies.

But on his wrist was a chain, long and winding, the other end tied to the stone table.

As the melody of the flute ebbed and flowed, he held the green jade teapot, rising gracefully to dance. His movements were light and agile, as if he were about to soar away. The iron chain rattled loudly, dragging him back down, causing him to stumble to the ground.

Swiping his sleeve created a hazy drizzle, lowering his eyes produced misty vapor. He tried to break free from his shackles but was powerless, curling up in pain. In the end, he could only abandon his struggle, sitting back down beside the stone table. His hand, still holding the chain, poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it calmly.

He was as bright as the moon, a deity to the world, like a hermit in the mountains, yet he couldn’t escape the mundane world. The immortal crane was confined within the painting, unable to fly out.

He was divine, worshipped by the masses, but bound by too many fetters.

Shen Fubai was dancing about himself.

The him who was forced to temper his brilliance, to suppress his nature, forever yearning for freedom without compromise — this was the immortal crane, wearing shackles, unable to take flight.

From youthful exuberance to learning restraint, dealing with the media with ease, smooth and worldly, skilled in calculation. Like the white-clothed immortal who transformed from painful struggles to drink tea without revealing emotion.

This section of the dance didn’t employ too many technical moves, but the endurance and struggle conveyed in it moved anyone who witnessed it.

This was Shen Fubai’s inner monologue.

This scene was titled ‘Teahouse’—

The flute music gradually faded.

The yangqin began to play.

Upon hearing the yangqin, the white-clothed immortal looked stunned, setting down his teacup and following the sound.

The yangqin notes struck the heart.

The young man in white entered the human world, encountering a wine shop.

He picked up a wine cup, lowering his head to sniff it momentarily, a look of hesitation crossing his eyes before taking a small sip.

He found the taste excellent.

The immortal danced, this time with more force, the chain clanging louder, but still, he couldn’t break free.

He grew increasingly weak, turning to look at the cup of wine again, immediately rushing over to seize the entire wine pot.

Shen Fubai tilted his head, mimicking the action of drinking, and there really was water in the wine pot, pouring down and caught by him.

Then he threw the wine pot aside, performing several consecutive somersaults, the iron chain naturally wrapping around his wrist.

Shen Fubai paused for a moment, then continued spinning, directly tearing the chain off the stone table!

In the next second, he changed direction, stepping and flipping, unraveling the chain wrapped around his body. As the chain was about to fly out, he grabbed it with one hand. Without stopping, he shed the crane-sleeved robe he wore during his spin.

He leaped into the air, performing a grand jeté, the ties of his jacket and lower garments coming undone with his movement. When he landed, his entire white outfit floated to the ground. Underneath, he wore a red outfit, which, along with his makeup, made him appear strikingly beautiful.

The yangqin music faded, replaced by drumbeats.

There were also several large decorative drums on the stage. In rhythm with the music, Shen Fubai skillfully swung the iron chain in his hand, as if juggling nunchucks. But the chain was undoubtedly more challenging than nunchucks. The black chain whipped out shadows in Shen Fubai’s hands, striking the drum surface repeatedly, the timing perfectly synchronized with the background music, never once hitting himself.

The cheers from the audience were almost enough to lift the roof off the Bird’s Nest.

…almost forgot that the Bird’s Nest was open-air, without a roof.

The cheers from the audience were almost enough to tear through the Earth’s atmosphere.

“Holy shit, too amazing!”

“How can it be so awesome ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!”

“I just recorded that segment and posted it on my WeChat Moments; I’ve never received so many likes!”

The drumbeats had already ignited the atmosphere to its peak, but this wasn’t the end.

Before the drumbeats ceased, the harp began to play.

Shen Fubai discarded the iron chain, kneeling and turning toward the wine cellar, his body slithering onto the wine jar like a snake. He flipped over, lying on the wine jar and casually grabbing another, removing the cork and drinking it in one go.

Wine gushed down, a few drops sliding down his Adam’s apple, disappearing into his slightly open collar. The half-lidded youth, lazy with a smile, was stunningly beautiful and sexy, captivating enough to steal one’s breath with a single glance.

The bianzhong began to play.

With the first strike of the bianzhong, the entire venue seemed to be stunned, the noise level halving.

Shen Fubai’s dance accompaniment was performed live, not from a backing track. An entire folk orchestra was on the other side. The massive bianzhong occupied a vast area.

The bianzhong, an ancient instrument, had a history of over two thousand years. When it rang, its magnificence and grace were indescribable.

The youth lying half-reclined on the wine jar seemed to be awakened by the sound of the bell, his eyes slightly opening. Then he smashed the wine jar in his hand, flipping up and performing three consecutive difficult technical moves.

A cloud-like continuous side handstand followed by a front somersault and then a backward somersault.

The cheers from the audience were deafening.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh mom, did I just see a real human?!?”

“This is a god, definitely a god, he’s flying!!!”

“This is crazier than acrobatics!! I apologize for my ignorance in the past; I thought dancing was soft and weak, this is too fucking strong!!!”

The music reached even greater heights, and the red-clothed youth danced freely in such sounds, breaking free from his restraints.

This scene was titled ‘Wine Shop.’

Teahouses and wine shops, the most talked-about places.

Wine, fearless of public opinion, let’s indulge recklessly—

When the dance ended, the fans were still in a frenzy, chanting in unison: “One more! One more! One more!”

Xie Weiluo took the opportunity to rush forward with a bouquet of teddy bears: “Fubai, over here, over here!”

She sat in the first row, and Shen Fubai could easily see her.

The seats in the first row were quite expensive. Apart from the tickets Shen Fubai gave away, each seat was obtained by spending money. However, the Xie family was wealthy, so this wasn’t an issue.

Shen Fubai walked to the edge of the stage, squatting halfway down to receive the bouquet, saying, “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me! Do you remember me? We chatted on WeChat!!!”

Shen Fubai was taken aback. He was certain he hadn’t met this pretty girl before. Then he turned his head and saw the aloof youth, out of place amidst the jubilation.

Xie Chian was actually here.

Shen Fubai nodded slightly as a greeting, not lingering for too long, placing the bouquet to the side.

He instantly recognized the diamonds and jewels adorning it: “…”

Rich family, hardcore fan.

Shen Fubai remained composed, returning to the center of the stage. The audience below was still chanting for “one more.” He curved his eyebrows: “No way, I’ve been dancing for so long, I’m exhausted. How about I sing for you instead?”

The fans responded, “Yes!!!”

“This is a new song, one I’ve never sung before in any setting. I wrote the lyrics, and as for the melody…I asked a good friend for help. He’s also here today.” Shen Fubai smiled, “Let’s welcome our great actor Jiang, my co-star from my last drama, Jiang Heng.”

There was no need to hide this fact. The composition was handled by the team, and Jiang Heng was the composer.

The fans were shocked.

Jiang Heng was here too?

Jiang Heng, who had been hiding in the corner, suddenly found a spotlight shining upon him. He was startled, not expecting Fubai to have arranged this.

But he reacted quickly, walking onto the stage calmly, greeting Shen Fubai’s fans, “Hello.”

Fans: “Ahhhh!!”

Among Shen Fubai’s fans, there was a certain percentage of long-term followers. That initial costume photo had left a deep impression; even if their ardor had cooled over time due to the lack of follow-up, seeing the two main figures together now, collaborating on lyrics and music, how could they not be thrilled?

This was all sugar!

“Jiang Heng came as a special guest,” Shen Fubai said with a straight face. “We developed a good friendship during the filming of Pear Blossoms.”

A friendship that extended to the bed.

Jiang Heng played along: “I’m honored to have had this collaboration with Fubai. I hope Fubai continues to thrive, and thank you all for supporting his new song.”

In the audience,

Ye Lin: “Blabbering nonsense.”

Xie Chian: “Pretending to be proper.”

They knew what kind of relationship these two had.

But most people were truly unaware, and just the sight of the two sharing the stage was enough to make them breathless.

Shen Fubai cordially invited Jiang Heng to take a seat in the guest area, then said, “This song, named after me, is called ‘Fubai.'”

An accompaniment rich with ancient Chinese style filled the venue, and Shen Fubai’s clear, melodious voice echoed through the microphone across the entire space—

Distant mountains dark as a painting,

White clouds conceal the homes of man,

The moon hangs on the tip of a branch,

Cool branches under the night’s chill,

Fireflies dart through the height of summer,

Chess pieces fall upon the lamp flower,

A youth dwells in the mountain,

The sound of tea brewing, faintly hoarse,

Accompanied by wind, snow, flowers, and birds,

No need to mention it further,

Isn’t it breathtakingly beautiful,

Years pass in the mountain,

A bit lonely, isn’t it,

…

Then comes a visitor from beyond the mountain,

Mistakenly wandering into this cloud-filled space,

Carrying wine in search of the way home,

Encountering a youth by chance,

Reclining beneath a willow, drunk in the shade,

Inviting each other to drink beneath the moon,

Losing half a move in chess,

Laughing, imposing an additional penalty of wine,

A voice cold and clear as jade,

Resounding right by the ear,

A large cup of white wine,

Wishing to remain perpetually drunk, never waking up,

Fireflies and candlelight may shine brightly,

But how can they compare to dawn.