It was nearly eleven at night, and the restaurant was mostly empty. They hadn’t booked a private room, choosing instead to sit by the window where they could enjoy the night view. Looking through the glass, the city lights seemed like ten thousand stars within arm's reach. The jagged silhouettes of skyscrapers were reflected on the surface of the Huangpu River; between the sky and the water, the world was awash in a shimmering brilliance that felt surreal and illusory.
Qi Bailu ate very little. Thinking the food wasn't to his taste, Ruan Qiuji looked at him, but Qi Bailu explained, "It’s for my next audition. I have to maintain my current weight."
"You’re already very thin."
Qi Bailu explained that being even thinner might suit the character better. Ruan Qiuji studied him for a moment before saying, "Perhaps the way you looked in those photos from before would be enough. If you really need to lose weight, it won't be too late to do it after the audition."
"Photos?" Qi Bailu froze. It took him a couple of seconds to realize Ruan Qiuji was referring to the private photos of him that had circulated online. That incident had caused such a stir; there was no way Ruan Qiuji hadn't seen them. He gave Ruan Qiuji an uneasy glance and picked up his wine glass, taking a sip to mask his expression.
Seeing his silence, Ruan Qiuji asked, "Was that from before you started filming? They were shot very well. They fit the temperament you showed later in *Dewy Night Run*."
"It was on my eighteenth birthday."
After saying this, Qi Bailu poured himself more wine. Although Ruan Qiuji was only looking into his eyes, for a fleeting moment, Qi Bailu felt as if he were standing there stark naked, his entire being seen through by the man. Due to the alcohol, a flush crept up his ears and neck, making him look almost shy, but Qi Bailu knew it was more than that.
Fortunately, Ruan Qiuji dropped the subject. He pushed the plate of crystal shrimp toward him, choosing a lighter topic. "Even if the requirements for the screen are harsh, you can't just not eat."
Since he put it that way, Qi Bailu had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks. Perhaps because the crystal shrimp tasted so good, he ended up eating quite a lot without realizing it. Ruan Qiuji had already finished and sat there casually sipping his wine. The champagne in his glass was a pale rose pink, reminding Qi Bailu of the circumstances of their first meeting.
When Ruan Qiuji set down his glass and saw Qi Bailu watching him, his gaze turned inquisitive. Qi Bailu said, "It’s *Swan Lake*."
A piano stood in the most prominent spot near the restaurant entrance, and a professional had been hired to play classical music. Qi Bailu had always felt that dining in such places was too stiff and formal. But hearing the music of *Swan Lake* today, he thought of the music box Ruan Qiuji had graciously yielded to him.
Ruan Qiuji tilted his head to listen and smiled. "It is indeed."
"The card you wrote—'Let her finish her dance'—is from a poem by Yeats," Qi Bailu said, then added, "I looked it up online."
"Are you asking why I wrote that?"
"I can guess a little."
Ruan Qiuji had been leaning lazily against the back of his chair, but now he slowly sat up straight and told the story behind the poem. Yeats had written it for a female poet who was also an actress. Yeats told her that her poetry was terrible, and the woman wanted to commit suicide, thinking that perhaps she could leave a name behind that way. She jumped into the sea during a rainstorm but then regretted it, so she began to dance on the beach. The next day, she went to Barcelona and went mad there. That was why Yeats wrote, "Let her finish her dance."
Qi Bailu listened, somewhat entranced, forgetting to drink the champagne in his hand. "Did she really go mad?" he asked.
Ruan Qiuji found the question a bit peculiar, but he answered anyway. "Perhaps. I only heard the story from someone else as well."
Dancing was the lightest of things, yet also the heaviest. Qi Bailu’s thoughts drifted for a moment. Ruan Qiuji said, "I hope you can finish your dance, too."
Qi Bailu seemed to snap back to reality then. His expression was a brief mix of wariness, confusion, and something else. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you don't look happy."
***
