White Swan

Chapter 29

At 10:30 in the morning, Qiao Fei sat alone on the floor of the dressing room on the first floor of the theater, in a daze.

Today should be the last scene of the rehearsal of the first act of the dance drama, and the rehearsal will start tomorrow to prepare for the performance after next year.

But Qiao Fei did not participate.

He didn't have the guts to go out to meet people, and he couldn't survive a full day of rehearsal with his aching body, and he didn't know how to ask for leave from the dance company, so he had to hide in the empty dressing room and pretend that he didn't exist.Usually when there is no performance, no one will go to the dressing room downstairs, and Qiao Fei is not afraid of someone breaking in.

He has nowhere to go, the world is so big, but he doesn't have a destination of his own.

After sitting for a while, Qiao Fei took out a water bottle from her bag, frowned, took a sip, stretched her neck and swallowed it.The jug is not filled with water, but a little brandy sneaked from the villa bar.

The only few bottles of painkillers at home were found out by He Haoyun and thrown away. The only way Qiao Fei could think of to relieve pain was this.Except for being drunk by He Haoyun during the interview, Qiao Fei has never drank too much alcohol, and he has never tried to numb his nerves with alcohol.

After pouring the spicy and bitter liquid, Qiao Fei coughed twice, forcing herself to take another sip.

The brandy worth tens of thousands at home filled an entire cupboard, and He Haoyun would never find out if one or two bottles were missing, and probably wouldn't care if he found it.

It wasn't the first time Qiao Fei was beaten by He Haoyun, but this was the most painful time.The bruise on his face turned from dark blue to purple, and it was slightly swollen, and it hurt badly when touched lightly.The worst pain was the ribs, which seemed to be stuck in the lungs when I breathed.

After drinking the brandy one mouthful at a time, Qiao Fei gradually felt less pain.

The dressing room is in the center of the theater, without windows, and Qiao Fei sat on the ground, gradually forgetting whether it was day or night outside.He vaguely felt that this dressing room was his world, and he was the only one who would live here forever.

It seems to be very good.

The locker behind her was freezing cold, but Qiao Fei didn't even have the strength to move it.

He once wondered if his ribs were broken, but he didn't have the courage or the mood to go to the hospital.He just wants to sit in this powder room until it merges with the floor and the locker.

There are several messages from Shi Xubai in his phone, asking him why he didn't come to the rehearsal, and there is a cute emoji behind the line.Qiao Fei raised the corner of her mouth, but she couldn't smile in the end.

His fingers hung on the screen for a long time, and finally put down the phone.

He couldn't think of anything to say.

Alcohol gradually numbs the mind, and Qiao Fei drank the brandy in the jug one after another as if he had found a savior, regardless of the severe burning in his throat and stomach.The bottle of brandy quickly ran out.

Brandy can’t be drunk like this, the faster you drink alcohol with more than 50 degrees, the greater the reaction.

Not knowing if it was the effect of alcohol, Qiao Fei picked up the phone by accident and sent a message to Shi Xubai.

[I'm not feeling well today, I want to ask for a vacation. 】

He sent one and felt that the explanation was not clear, and then sent another one.

[It just hurts too much. 】

Like the water that opened the gate, Qiao Fei couldn't stop sending a message.There is no one around to talk to, so he regards the mobile phone information as a diary.He finally found an outlet and sent out all the words he was holding back in his heart. Then he pressed the send button without knowing what he typed.

After sending an unknown number of text messages, Qiao Fei felt exhausted, threw the phone on the ground, and slowly lay down against the locker.

He stayed in the dressing room in a daze for a whole day, maybe fell asleep in the middle, and was awakened by the faint voices outside in the evening.Probably the rehearsal is over. The dance hall is on the second floor. After the rehearsal, everyone has to go through the dressing room on the first floor to get to the gate.

He should probably go back.I don't know if He Haoyun's anger has subsided.Qiao Fei supported the locker and stood up, feeling a little dizzy, but her body was quite comfortable, as if stepping on cotton candy.He couldn't stand still for a while, staggered to the wall, shook his head like a puppy, trying to wake himself up.

Qiao Fei leaned on the door and listened for a while, making sure that there was no sound outside before she dared to open the door and go out.If you turn right from the dressing room, you will be the entrance of the theater, and if you turn left, you will be a corridor leading to the backstage door.

Just as she was about to turn right, Qiao Fei stopped and looked towards the back door of the stage when her eyes were attracted by something on the left.The usually closed door was opened a crack, maybe the cleaning staff forgot to lock the door when they left, it looked a little uncomfortable.

Qiao Fei stared at the half-open door for a long time, and finally walked towards it as if attracted by something.

The lights in the theater were not turned on, and there was no one on the dark stage, only Qiao Fei's footsteps echoed in the empty environment.

Qiao Fei has been dancing in the theater for two years and knows where the stage lights are on.He groped in the dark to find the gate with ease in the background. The third wrench on the right was the central lighting.

Lift the wrench up, and the huge stage is instantly illuminated by warm yellow lights.Qiao Fei narrowed her eyes and blocked it with her hands.He knew the stage well, every scratch on the vinyl floor, every spot where the connecting tape came off, even a small stain on the curtain.

This stage is his second home, and also the destination of his heart.

In the whole world, only on this stage can he feel at ease.But he is just a group dancer, struggling at the bottom of the dance group.No one came to see him dance, and no one applauded specifically for him.

Qiao Fei walked slowly to the center of the stage and bowed to the empty auditorium.

The spotlight above his head came down, casting his shadow on the ground for Qiao Fei.

He put on his headphones, played one of his favorite piano pieces, and pretended that the theater was full and he was the protagonist.

A ballet dancer can't speak on stage, she can only use her movements to try to impress the audience.Whether it's struggle, pain, joy or sorrow, their expression is their body.

Qiao Fei put all his emotions into it, and let his body say what he couldn't say with words.

He likes to close the curtains and listen to music, and stares in the mirror in a daze. No one wants to see him, so he has to dance with his own shadow.

-

Shi Xubai saw that Qiao Fei's message had already been rehearsed.

Most of the people in the dance hall have left, only a few people are still packing their things.Shi Xubai clicked on the message Qiao Fei sent him while coping with the ulterior motives of some actresses chatting with him.

When Xu Bai quickly looked over the previous text messages, his fingers gradually began to tremble.

【I've already listened to everything he said. 】

[But it still hurts. 】

【What on earth does he want me to do. 】

【Why can't you let me go, he doesn't even like me. 】

……

There were probably a dozen or so messages about a drowning man asking for help from driftwood during a storm.Shi Xubai's breathing was a little faster, and his heart was twisted into a ball.

The actresses around were still chattering about how innovative and beautiful the dance rehearsed today was.

Shi Xubai didn't hear it at all, he stopped on the last message and couldn't move his eyes.

【If he doesn't love it, don't love it. I still have a white sun. 】

There is no new information after that.

Shi Xubai almost didn't hold the phone, and said excuse me vaguely to the actress who was pestering him, and rushed downstairs before he could pack his things.

He didn't know where he was going, only that he wanted to be with Qiao Fei.He sent a message to Qiao Fei while running, and he made several typos before sending it out.

【Where are you? 】

Waited 1 minute and he didn't get a reply.

Shi Xubai became anxious, 【Qiao Fei, tell me where you are! 】

He made several voice calls to Qiao Fei but no one answered.Feeling uneasy, Shi Xubai couldn't help thinking about the worst.

What did that bastard do to him.

It was completely dark after five o'clock in the winter evening, and Shi Xubai stood at the entrance of the theater, feeling helpless.The world is so big, where is he going to find him.

Shi Xubai looked up from the phone, and suddenly saw something, staring at a place.

The door leading to the backstage of the stage was not closed tightly, and a ray of light spilled through the crack of the door.The dance troupe has been rehearsing upstairs for months, and the theater stage has not been lit for a long time.

He hesitated for a moment, followed his instinct and opened the door, and walked into the quiet theater.

The lights in the auditorium were not turned on, and only a spotlight shone on the stage.And there was a person in the middle of the stage dancing with his eyes closed, unaware of Shi Xubai's arrival.

Qiao Fei.

He didn't play the music, but wore headphones and immersed himself in his dance.But Shi Xubai recognized right away that he was dancing the dying white swan in "Swan Lake".There is no music to accompany him, but Qiao Fei seems to be the music itself, and the rest of the sounds are superfluous.

Different from his usual timidity and cautiousness in rehearsal, Qiao Fei almost seemed to be a different person. He held his head high, and his slender limbs blended with the music.

Every spin, every movement is laced with desperation and sadness.

The technology isn't perfect, but it's beautiful.

The poor ugly duckling can't turn into a swan and will lose his life.

For a moment, Shi Xubai felt as if the white swan should be danced by a boy, which seemed to be Qiao Fei's role in the first place.Like Odette, he is miserable and has secrets he can't tell, and if he did tell them, no one would listen.

Qiao Fei danced with a sense of desperation, like a lonely life begging for some attention from passers-by, but she was not humble at all.He has been looking up, living in hell, but yearning for the sky.

One dancer, one audience, only the two of them in the whole world.

Many, many years later, Shi Xubai took Qiao Fei's hand and walked on the street, recalling this night.He said, that was the first time I felt that you don't have wings, but you can fly.

He didn't open his eyes until Qiao Fei finished dancing. He first bowed to the empty auditorium, then slowly turned around and looked at Shi Xubai.

His eyes were blank, as if he didn't recognize him at all.

There was thin sweat on Qiao Fei's forehead, and his chest heaved slightly.

Shi Xubai couldn't help but took a step closer to him. He felt as if he was approaching some antelope that was easily frightened and ran away. He spread his hands flat to indicate that he was not threatening.

It wasn't until he got closer that he could see that there was a conspicuous bruise on Qiao Fei's face, the corner of his mouth was also torn a little, there was still a little dry blood, and there was an unnatural flush on his cheek.

The wound at the corner of his mouth looked red.swelling.The rotten hickeys proved that he belonged to a demon forever, withered and died in a place where the sun couldn't reach.

Shi Xubai didn't even think about it, he stretched out his hand and hugged Qiao Fei into his arms.The boy smelled a little alcohol, not unpleasant, slightly spicy, the smell of being slightly drunk on Christmas Eve.

The ugly duckling was frighteningly thin, Shi Xubai felt as if he was hugging the whole world in his arms, but also seemed to be hugging nothing, empty.

A very faint sentence from Qiao Fei came to his ear.

He asked, are you my white sun.

Shi Xubai felt a severe pain in his heart for a moment, as if a few bloodstains had been scratched out.He raised his hand and brushed away the shattered hair on Qiao Fei's forehead, and whispered in his ear, no, but as long as you want, I can take you out of the darkness.

Qiao Fei didn't answer, and when Shi Xubai gently lifted him from his shoulders, he saw tears in his eyes.He murmured softly, as if he was talking to Shi Xubai, but also as if he was talking to himself.

Why don't you, he took my orange candy, I only have one white sun left.

Shi Xubai didn't answer, and asked him after a while: "Let's go?"

"Where are you going?" Qiao Fei didn't seem to see Shi Xubai, his eyes were looking through him, looking further away.

"Take you home."