She couldn’t count on anyone in the troupe. If she wanted to avoid being fired, her only option was to reach out to a higher-up.
There had been a man who’d taken an interest in her before—more than ten years older, a widower, with a decent position. He probably had enough pull to put in a good word for her.
Back then, though, she’d turned him down because of his age, politely claiming that her family had already arranged a match for her.
But now she had no choice. Wen Shengnan couldn’t think of anyone else who could get her out of this mess.
So she changed into a pretty dress and went to see him.
Liu Wei was surprised to see Wen Shengnan. He’d been smitten with her the very first time he laid eyes on her.
In all his thirty-something years, he’d never seen a girl as beautiful as Wen Shengnan.
How did that poem go again? “A graceful maiden fair—a gentleman’s heartfelt care.”
His late wife had been fine, but people always wanted something better, and Wen Shengnan was exactly that—something better.
“Troupe Leader Liu.”
Wen Shengnan had borrowed someone’s kitchen to cook a meal for Liu Wei. “I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately, so I came to check on you.”
“Xiao Wen, you’re thoughtful.”
Liu Wei was a sharp man. He’d heard about Wen Shengnan’s situation, and he knew perfectly well that if she wanted to stay in the troupe, she’d most likely come looking for him.
He wasn’t actually sick at all, but he’d deliberately spread the rumor that he’d caught a cold—just to give her an opening.
He did like Wen Shengnan, but she’d already rejected him once. He wasn’t about to go chasing after her and get shot down again. After all, he was a troupe leader; there was no shortage of women who’d want him.
He liked her, sure—but she wasn’t the only fish in the sea.
The current situation gave him the perfect chance to get back at her for making him lose face before. If it weren’t for her looks—just a dancer, and she thought she could marry him?
Dancers, in the old days, were nothing but performers. She really thought she was something special.
Despite his thoughts, Liu Wei didn’t let anything show on his face.
He was exceptionally warm toward her and poured her a glass of water. “It’s pretty cold out—why are you dressed so lightly?”
“Troupe Leader Liu, why don’t you try the porridge first and see if it suits your taste?”
Instead of answering him, Wen Shengnan stepped forward and ladled out a bowl. “I figured you might not have much of an appetite, so I added some vegetables and minced meat.”
She handed him the spoon.
Liu Wei glanced up at her and noticed she’d made an extra effort with her appearance today. She looked more alluring than the last time they’d met—enough to make his heart itch, and he felt an urge to pin her right there on the table.
“Not bad. Tastes good.”
Liu Wei finished the whole bowl, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then rubbed his hands against his knees. Wen Shengnan noticed and couldn’t help feeling disgusted.
She didn’t want to be with Liu Wei—not just because of his age and the fact that she’d have to be a stepmother, but also because he came from a rural background and had too many bad habits she couldn’t stand.
Sensing her gaze, Liu Wei asked solicitously, “Xiao Wen, have you eaten yet?”
“Troupe Leader Liu, I haven’t.”
Wen Shengnan sat down not too far from him. She knew exactly which angles made her look most attractive and which expressions would stir a man’s sympathy.
“Troupe Leader Liu, I…”
She bit her lower lip lightly and slowly lifted her eyes to meet his—that single look made Liu Wei’s heart skip a beat, and he instinctively crossed his legs.
“Xiao Wen, what’s wrong?” Liu Wei wanted to pull her into his arms, but he was wary of a setup. He raised his hand, then pulled it back and handed her the glass of water instead.
“Troupe Leader Liu, please—you have to help me!”
Wen Shengnan seized the moment and grabbed his hand. Liu Wei’s hand trembled, and he dropped the glass, spilling water all over both their legs.
“Xiao Wen, look at this…”
Liu Wei’s hand ended up resting on her thigh. “Sorry, sorry.”
Pretending it was an accident born of panic, he tried to pull back, but Wen Shengnan threw her arms around him. “Troupe Leader Liu, if you won’t help me, I might as well die!”
“Don’t!”
It took every ounce of Liu Wei’s self-control to push her away. “Xiao Wen, don’t get so worked up. Come, sit here and tell me slowly what’s going on.”
“How can I know whether I can help you if you don’t give me all the details?”
“Troupe Leader Liu, here’s what happened.”
Wen Shengnan naturally couldn’t tell the truth. She pinned all the blame on Tang Xuejun instead, since Liu Wei would never actually go and verify it with her.
“How can someone like that even be a professor? Clearly, her reformation back in the day wasn’t thorough enough!”
Liu Wei was furious. From the way he spoke, you could tell exactly how he’d gotten his position as troupe leader.
“Troupe Leader Liu, I truly love dancing. But I know my stage dreams are about to be destroyed.”
“I’m nobody—I have no connections, no seniority. I’m not even asking to perform on stage anymore. I just want to stay in the troupe, doing whatever—even if they transfer me to the kitchen unit.”
Wen Shengnan stood up, bending her knees as if to kneel before him. Liu Wei caught her, and she took the chance to fall into his arms. “Troupe Leader Liu, I really don’t know what to do. Other than you, I have no one else to turn to.”
“Xiao Wen, this isn’t such a big deal. Don’t go talking about dying over it.”
“As a revolutionary soldier, how can you be so weak? Our Party has defeated so many enemies—can this one little setback really bring you down?”
“Troupe Leader Liu, you’re absolutely right.”
Wen Shengnan blinked her tear-filled eyes. “Shengnan is willing to learn from your teachings.”
Liu Wei’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Wen Shengnan pretended not to notice, reaching out a finger to lightly trace his neck. “Troupe Leader Liu, is your throat bothering you?”
“No.” Liu Wei’s voice came out hoarse.
He tried to push her away, but Wen Shengnan shoved him straight onto the floor and draped herself over him. Feeling that pressing against her, she pretended to get up—but her hand pressed down right there.
Liu Wei’s wife had been dead for over two years. God only knew how he’d survived that long.
If there were no woman around, maybe he could manage—but having a soft, fragrant woman lying on top of him like this, if he didn’t react, he’d be a corpse.
“Xiao Wen!”
Liu Wei wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Don’t be scared. Whatever it is, I’ll help you.”
“Troupe Leader Liu, thank you. But could you let go of me first? If someone sees us like this, I’ll never be able to hold my head up again.”
“Xiao Wen, no one’s going to see us here. And even if they do, don’t worry—I’ll marry you.”
With that, Liu Wei pressed his lips to hers, swallowing her gasp into his mouth.
Wen Shengnan had known what would happen before she came. But now that she’d actually given herself to him, she felt nothing but bitterness.
From now on, she’d be stuck with this old man—and all of this was Ye Zhiqiu’s fault!
Ye Zhiqiu, I will never forgive you!
