164. The Truth

Qi Le’an didn’t know that Wei Changfeng was faced with an important choice in his life. After having the promise of Jenny, he continued to practice the opera attentively. He spent the whole morning practicing and didn’t get out of the training room until lunchtime.

At noon, the theatre group members would have a two hours’ break. Those who lived near would go back home for a rest while those who didn’t go home would just stay. Qi Le’an fought with Wei Changfeng last night and Wei Changfeng also didn’t reply to his text message this morning. Hence, he decided not to go home.

Besides, he had to wait for Robert to apologize to him the moment Robert arrived!

The group members could have a meal subsidy. At noon, those who got along well would go out for lunch together. Qi Le’an had lunch with Jenny outside yesterday noon but today, he didn’t find her.

After thinking about it carefully, Jenny didn’t say she wanted to eat with him today, so Qi Le’an just shrugged and went to Subway at the entrance to buy a simple meal.

After finishing lunch, he had a walk outside. Holding a bottle of cold water, he watched the street performers singing. Afterward, when it was getting hotter, so he returned to the theater group.

When everybody started to practice in the afternoon, Qi Le’an was still patiently waiting for Robert’s apology.

But reality gave him a hard slap. Robert didn’t come to apologize to him this afternoon and worse still, Jenny was gone too.

At first, Qi Le’an thought Jenny must be occupied, so he just went on rehearsing with the other members with a smile. When the rehearsal was almost over this afternoon, he finally couldn’t refrain from texting Jenny but he didn’t get any reply even after he got home.

She just disappeared for no reason, making Qi Le’an feel suspicious.

However, he was too stubborn to tell Wei Changfeng about it.

Wei Changfeng also had a lot of things in his mind. He wanted to discuss them with Qi Le’an when the latter returned home. However, upon seeing that Qi Le’an didn’t look happy, he just bit his tongue.

As usual, Wei Changfeng cooked the meal. The two of them finished their meal silently and Qi Le’an went back to the bedroom with his laptop.

Wei Changfeng sat outside and stared at the leftovers on the table in a trance.

Although Wei Changfeng went back to the bedroom that night, Qi Le’an had already fallen asleep. Wei Changfeng could only close his eyes and sleep then.

The next morning, Qi Le’an still left without saying anything. Wei Changfeng was woken up by the door banging sound. When he picked up the phone and saw the text message from Professor John, he instantly felt everything was so messy.

Qi Le’an hurriedly ran to the theater group simply to meet Jenny and Robert.

However, he didn’t meet Robert but saw Jenny who looked in a hurry.

Upon meeting Qi Le’an, Jenny hugged Qi Le’an and said, “Le’an! I’m sorry. Yesterday, I needed to go back home to handle some urgent stuff and I also left my phone here. I didn’t see your message until today.”

Qi Le’an felt better when Jenny said so! It looked like Jenny didn’t disappear for no reason!

“I was in a hurry yesterday and I didn’t see Robert either. How about this? This morning, you just finish your rehearsal first and I will make him apologize to you in the afternoon!” Jenny said with determination.

Qi Le’an believed her words.

After spending two days in the theater group, he felt much better about the overall rehearsal than before and coordinated with others more naturally. When he was waiting aside, Qi Le’an would observe how the other members were acting and then find out his shortcomings.

Jenny didn’t take part in the performance this time. Her role was played by a spare actress and she was the temporary conductor.

Two hours quickly ended. Everyone gathered to watch the recording videotaped just now. Jenny praised Qi Le’an again.

“Le’an! You were amazing! It has only been three days! You’ve made such rapid progress! What do you think? How about joining our theater group after the performance?”

Qi Le’an didn’t expect Jenny to throw an olive branch for him so soon. For a moment, he felt a bit flattered. However, he didn’t accept it or reject it directly. Instead, he jokingly said, “Then my professors won’t feel happy, will they?”

Jenny was also a student from Tisch, who was also aware of the abnormal rules of the school. Instantly, she shouted, “Oh! I forgot that  An was still studying at school!”

Jenny behaved so naturally that Qi Le’an started to wonder if he had thought too much. Maybe she was occupied so she didn’t meet Robert?

As she was talking, Jenny picked up another call. After hanging up the phone, she said apologetically to Qi Le’an that they could not eat lunch together today.

Qi Le’an surely felt that it was not a big deal. He didn’t need a dining partner. Moreover, apart from Jenny, there was someone else who invited Le’an to lunch.

It was Dossey who asked Le’an to have lunch together. He was the top actor of the theater group, who played Othello this time.

Dossey was almost thirty years old. He had been in the theater group since graduation, playing the supporting role and the leading role. He just loved opera from start to finish.

He was a man, but he was always as merry as a boy. His green eyes were always filled with curiosity or happiness. He seemed to have no worries at all.

“An, you’ve made progress so rapidly!” Dossey gasped in admiration, his eyes full of amazement. “Did you have any magic potion?”

Qi Le’an was a bit bashful due to his praise, saying, “You are awesome! Your voice is so amazing!”

Dossey laughed and the two of them went out for lunch.

After going back in the afternoon, Dossey asked Qi Le’an to act together. Qi Le’an found that the people of this theater group were all really in love with opera. Being with them made him very happy.

Amidst practicing, Qi Le’an received a text from Jenny. Jenny said she was sorry because she had to leave again for her family affair.

Recalling Jenny picking up the call in a hurry at noon, Qi Le’an could only tell Jenny that it was okay and that she could just focus on dealing with her family affair first.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to get off work. People in the theater group were ready to go home in twos and threes. Dossey asked Qi Le’an to stay and act with him for another session. Qi Le’an also wanted to learn something from Dossey, so they just hit it off.

After sending a text to Wei Changfeng about this, Qi Le’an was pulled into the auditorium on the second floor by Dossey. The two sneaked in while the guard was not paying attention.

Although the auditorium was small, it was well equipped, just like a small version of an opera house. Qi Le’an sighed in admiration, “I didn’t know there was such a place!”

Dossey blinked mysteriously and said, “Isn’t this place amazing? I like this place very much… Unfortunately, it’s always not open.”

Qi Le’an couldn’t help laughing when he saw the naughty look of Dossey.

They didn’t notice the time while they focused on acting. They studied the script together. Dossey was gentle and humorous. Whenever Qi Le’an had any shortcoming, Dossey would point it out. Within the two hours, Qi Le’an had learned a lot.

“An, will you continue to stay in the theater group in the future? I mean… after you graduate?”

On the verge of parting, Dossey also looked like he had found a soulmate so he asked Qi Le’an.

Facing Dossey, Qi Le’an didn’t beat around the bush as he did in the face of Jenny. Instead, he said honestly, “I guess not. I prefer acting in movies.”

Dossey showed a disappointed expression, but very quickly he got happy again, saying, “I have an uncle who is a director! He will come to watch my performance on Saturday. By then, I can introduce him to you!”

Qi Le’an liked Dossey for his straightforwardness so much so he replied, “That’s great! I can treat you to Chinese food by then!”

When Dossey heard this, he became even more excited, saying, “Delicious and magical Chinese dishes! I’m looking forward to this Saturday!”

As the two of them were talking, they suddenly heard someone shouting outside, “Who is inside?”

Qi Le’an was shocked. The next second, he grabbed Le’an by his hand, pulled him over, and hid under the stairway seat together.

The old security guard came near with heavy steps and opened the door. Dossey hastened to shush Qi Le’an. The two of them squatted face to face in a corner, trying to lower their voices.

The sound of footsteps passed by and Qi Le’an’s heart couldn’t help but beat quickly. The old security guard glanced at the seats with a flashlight. There were several times when Qi Le’an saw the light hitting Dossey’s head.

“Strange. There is no one here,” the old security guard mumbled, “Those rats just forgot to turn off the lights again!”

Then, the security guard turned off the lights and left with heavy steps.

The auditorium fell into darkness. Only the signal lights of the emergency exit shone with green light. Dossey’s green eyes blinked and Qi Le’an suddenly felt flustered.

“An…” Dossey whispered.

Qi Le’an avoided Dossey’s gaze and started to miss Wei Changfeng.

“Let’s get going. My boyfriend is still waiting for me at home!” Qi Le’an stood up and said.

There seemed to be a glint of disappointment in Dossey’s eyes, but it just flashed by. He also stood up and said with a smile, “Haha! Bob never sees us hiding in the chair!”

He took Qi Le’an to the emergency exit and said mysteriously, “He also never remembers to lock the door of the emergency exit!”

The two of them left the auditorium from the emergency exit. They walked down the stairs and then Dossey said, “Le’an, how about giving you a ride home? It’s too late now.”

Qi Le’an looked at his phone and found in shock that it was almost ten o’clock! And he had got no reply from Wei Changfeng at all since he sent the message.

Qi Le’an was flustered. It was too abnormal that Wei Changfeng didn’t reply to his text!

“An?” Dossey asked again.

It wasn’t safe in New York at night. Qi Le’an hesitated for a moment and said, “Okay, please give me a ride then.”

Dossey was happy again.

The two of them walked to their practice rooms respectively. As they passed by Jenny’s training room, they suddenly heard something.

Qi Le’an looked curiously at the brightly lit room. Did Jenny come back to get something at night?

Dossey saw that Qi Le’an was looking at the room. He found it quite funny so he put his index finger at his mouth and walked to the door on tiptoe. Then, he waved at Qi Le’an.

Amused and also resigned, Qi Le’an also walked over stealthily. He was a bit curious about whether Jenny was in the room.

Dossey pressed the door handle and twisted it gently.

“Uh… Ah…..!”

The next second, the sound of some special actions came. Both of them were stunned, and Dossey immediately blushed!

Qi Le’an gestured for Dossey to close the door as fast as possible. For a moment, they were in a great flurry. The door was pushed open instead!

“Ah… ah… ah…uh…!”

With Jenny’s scream, Qi Le’an suddenly saw the man behind Jenny.

When he saw the two of them, he raised his eyebrows aggressively, his eyes full of provocation. Holding Jenny in his arms, he just kept doing it with her.