Dream Dance Gracefully - Chapter 64 - A Wave Calms, Another Wave Rises

When it came to singing, it was clear that Zhang Wan’er was overly invested. After she and Chen Tianqi sang a duet, she needed a moment to catch her breath, and then Xu Meng and Li Shaofei took the stage.

They spent a joyful afternoon and slowly eased into the fun, with Zhang Wan’er joining in as well, making it feel like a real gathering.

After singing for a few hours, the four of them were visibly tired, so they stepped out of the room to grab a bite to eat.

They returned to the same restaurant from earlier that day. After everyone finished their meals, it was time to head home. Li Shaofei and Xu Meng left together, while Chen Tianqi took Zhang Wan’er home.

Upon arriving home, Chen Tianqi felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his throat. As expected, Chen Hui was back, sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea, his expression rather neutral.

“Uh… Wan’er, why don’t you head to your room?” Seeing his father’s demeanor, Chen Tianqi knew that Chen Hui wanted to have a serious talk.

Zhang Wan’er, being an outsider in this household, felt it was best to say nothing, so she lowered her head and headed to her room.

“Dad, let me explain.”

“Alright, I’m listening. Go ahead.”

Chen Tianqi didn’t expect his father to be so straightforward.

Taking a deep breath, he sat down across from Chen Hui.

“It all started that night…”

Chen Tianqi took half an hour to elaborate on the situation involving Zhang Wan’er, embellishing it a bit to convey his feelings.

Once Chen Hui understood the matter, he didn’t come off as cold-hearted. After some thought, he said, “Tianqi, I think it might not be appropriate for Wan’er to stay here, considering it’s all men in this house. Let her stay at your brother’s place.”

After contemplating, Chen Hui proposed this compromise. Chen Tianqi thought for a few minutes before nodding in agreement. “I’ll go talk to Wan’er about it.” He stood up and headed upstairs.

Once inside the room, Chen Tianqi explained the situation to Zhang Wan’er. She didn’t refuse; after all, she was in his home seeking refuge, so she accepted the suggestion.

The next afternoon, after school, Chen Tianqi returned home to find Zhang Wan’er packing her belongings in her room, while Yang Xue was sitting in the living room.

“Sister-in-law, remember that she’s Xu Meng’s best friend. Please don’t make things difficult for her,” Chen Tianqi deliberately reminded Yang Xue, worried that she might give Zhang Wan’er a hard time.

“Haha.” Yang Xue laughed, “Tianqi, are you overthinking this? Do you really think I would mistreat her?” Rather than answering, Yang Xue turned the question back on Chen Tianqi.

“Ah, sorry, sister-in-law. I guess I worried too much. Alright, take her with you,” Chen Tianqi said, turning to find Zhang Wan’er.

“Wan’er, you’ll be staying with my brother now. Just be obedient, and my sister-in-law won’t make it hard for you.”

“Mm, got it. Thank you, Tianqi. I really appreciate it.” Zhang Wan’er seemed unsure of what to say, not quite knowing if she should feel happy or not.

“What’s there to thank me for? Just come by here to hang out when you can,” Chen Tianqi replied, also at a loss for words. “Alright, you keep packing. I’ll head out for a bit.”

Chen Tianqi felt it was necessary to give Zhang Wan’er some space, so he went downstairs.

Yang Xue noticed Chen Tianqi’s demeanor and asked, “Tianqi, if you want to talk to Yiyi, just give her a call. I’ll take care of Wan’er. Don’t worry, I won’t mistreat her. If things don’t work out, I could have her come work as my assistant at the company.”

Chen Tianqi sensed there was more to her words. “Sister-in-law, you’re overthinking. If Wan’er wants to be your assistant, it’s up to her.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you. She seems really obedient. I’ll save the assistant position for her; no one can take it away. And you, make sure to focus on your studies. It’ll give you the chance to hold your head high in front of Dad later. Anyway, Wan’er’s coming down, so let’s get going.”

“Okay, be careful on the way…”

After sending Zhang Wan’er off, the villa returned to its previous quiet state. Chen Hui wasn’t coming home tonight, and once again, Chen Tianqi was alone.

Once in his room, Chen Tianqi pulled out a piece of paper with a few numbers written on it. He dialed those numbers.

“Beep, beep.” “Beep, beep.”

“Hello?”

“Tianqi? Is that you?” Lin Yiyi’s excited voice came through the phone.

“Yeah, it’s me, you silly girl. Why are you so excited? Calm down…”

“Hehe, Tianqi, how have you been lately? Is everything alright?”

“I hadn’t even asked you, but you’re asking me first. Fine, I’ll tell you. A lot has actually happened lately…” Chen Tianqi then shared everything that had been going on recently, including the situation with Zhang Wan’er. He didn’t want to hide anything from Lin Yiyi; he was afraid of potential misunderstandings, as being straightforward was the best approach.

There was a pause on the other end before Lin Yiyi’s voice came through, “Tianqi, I trust you. Just remember, wait for me to come back, okay? And keep your distance from other girls, or else when I get back, you’ll be in trouble. Hmph!”

Chen Tianqi let out a sigh of relief, worried that Lin Yiyi might misunderstand him. “Okay, okay, I’ll wait for you. Make sure to get to bed early. Wait, that’s not right-the time difference. You should rest well. Don’t throw a little tantrum, alright?”

“I know, I know! I’m doing great here. Enough talk; you get some sleep. Call when you have the chance, okay? I’ll miss you.”

“You silly girl, I’ll miss you too. Alright, I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.”

“Mm, sleep well. Goodnight.” Shortly after, a soft “peck” sound came through the call.

Only then did Chen Tianqi hang up, feeling that Lin Yiyi seemed to be doing well on the other end, though he couldn’t help but wonder if she had faced any difficulties.

A lot had happened and been resolved over the last couple of days.

Chen Hui’s company, along with Lin Qingtian’s, had seen several of their affiliated smaller companies pull out, no longer wanting to collaborate with the Chen Family and Lin Family.

Both the Chen Family and the Lin Family lacked grand ambitions; their only goal was to manage the company well. As for expanding the company’s presence, that was impossible. The Chen Family had already formed a union with the Yang Family before, merging some subsidiaries, with smaller companies being swallowed up by the larger ones. This was something many smaller companies did not wish to see.

Now, with the potential merger between the Chen and Lin Families, many small companies chose to withdraw from the Chen and Lin Family’s holdings, believing it was better to leave on their own terms rather than being forced out.

Some people were worried, while others were pleased; this outcome was what they had hoped for.

“Great job, Boss! Your strategy is just brilliant! Those companies must be feeling hopeless right now. You’ve managed to get them tearing their hair out with just a little maneuvering. Truly impressive. I admire you,” a young man said, bowing slightly to a chubby middle-aged man.

“Hmm, enough flattery. I couldn’t have succeeded without you; it’s all thanks to your efforts. Now, go on,” the boss replied lightly.

The young man left, and another more mature man entered the room.

“Boss?”

“Yes, just do as I instructed. This way, those companies will inevitably be thrown into chaos. By then, the territory will be ours.”

“Understood, I’ll take care of it right away.”

“Remember, keep it clean and leave no traces.”