The Alluring Dance of Loulan

The auditorium was completely filled, with many more people streaming in, opting to stand on the second-floor balcony. Just as they settled, the indoor lights suddenly dimmed.

Swish—

The stage lights instantly flared to life, plunging the audience into darkness while a brilliant spotlight centered on the stage.

“They’re starting, they’re starting, it’s begun!” Jin Bo whispered, his voice brimming with excitement. He reached out and patted Qiu Yuelun, who stood beside him.

Qiu Yuelun impatiently swatted his hand away, continuing to ignore him.

On stage, two hosts emerged from either side of the curtains. They exuded vibrant energy, their postures tall and elegant, their faces adorned with magnificent makeup as they strode to the center to deliver their opening remarks. Jin Bo, meanwhile, aimed his camera solely at his beloved sister. “My sister is still the best to look at, hehe.”

The bullet comments began to flood the screen.

[What’s wrong with this brother? We know your sister is great, but don’t hog the view. Can’t you give the public some other choices?]
[We want other pretty girls and handsome guys! Don’t just do a direct shot of Shan Shan!]
[Shan Shan: Where did this embarrassing goofball come from? (Uji Bayu jpg.)]
[Shan Shan trusted you enough to give you her phone, only for you to use it to flaunt your doting-brother qualities?]

No matter how the bullet comments clamored, Jin Bo persistently continued his direct recording of his sister.

“On this beautiful and sunny day, the 17th Annual Arts Gala of Yunjing University of Media and Communication officially begins! Next, let’s welcome Class 1 of the Freshman Broadcasting and Hosting Department, who will bring us the song ‘Youth Has Me’!”

After the hosts passionately finished their announcement, the first act was finally introduced. The audience instantly quieted, eagerly anticipating the performance. Only then did Jin Bo switch his camera to a full-stage view. He had promised his sister to record the entire gala, and he intended to do so diligently.

The opening song was grand and resounding, much like a powerful, positive anthem typically sung on Youth Day. It was well-performed, but far from reaching a level that would stir deep emotion. Because it was the first act, everyone listened attentively.

Gradually, the bullet comments shifted to other topics.

[I wonder when that handsome guy in red, whom I just bumped into, will be performing?]
[Does anyone understand, my friends? Just that one glance, and now my mind is filled with the image of that exotic youth. I don’t want to watch any other acts; I only want to see him.]
[That must be a dance student. That body proportion is absolutely divine! Who wouldn’t want to see a beautiful youth dance?]
[I hope I don’t have to wait too long. I’m already prepared to record the screen.]

Jin Bo was clueless about what these people were discussing, his head full of question marks. He couldn’t be bothered with the bullet comments; he was a restless soul. He turned his head, intending to chat with Qiu Yuelun.

Good heavens! The man was fast asleep!

‘No, buddy, wake up. Do you truly have no desire for the worldly songs and dances? Don’t tell me!’

Jin Bo: “…”

Backstage waiting area.

A teacher with a sharp voice called out, “Classical Dance Department, hurry up! Your act is next; quickly get into position!”

“Coming, Teacher!” Li Xiangchi responded, then glanced at Jian Ye, who was still attaching chains to his outfit. “Ready?”

Jian Ye finished securing all the bling-bling decorative chains and gave an OK gesture. The waiting area was somewhat dim, and the sounds from the stage upfront were audible.

Twenty students stood quietly on either side, like a line of ducklings, patiently waiting.

A classmate standing with Jian Ye couldn’t help but exclaim, “When Little Yezi goes out there, how many audience members will be utterly mesmerized?”

“When our class beauty finished his makeup, my heart thumped wildly. Is this reaction normal for a straight man like me?”
“You’re not alright, hehehe! Jian Ye’s type is a top-tier ‘man-killer,’ bro. You’re about to turn gay!”

Jian Ye: “…”

Watching this group bicker, Jian Ye felt helpless. He could only interject, “Shhh, keep it down. We’re on in half a minute. Do you all still remember your moves?”

Li Xiangchi also chimed in playfully, “They would have remembered, but you just had to flash that outfit in front of them, and their beauty-struck minds forgot everything.”

“Brother Chi, you’ve also gone bad,” Jian Ye chuckled softly.

“It’s all thanks to those little rascals, hehe.”

No sooner had their chatter faded than the front stage began its announcement: “For our next act, a dreamlike story from an exotic land, please welcome Class 2 of the Freshman Classical Dance Department, presenting their group dance, ‘Dream of Loulan’! A round of applause, please!”

It had begun.

The moment the background music swelled, Jian Ye mentally kept his own rhythm. The first to rush onto the stage was a group of youths dressed in hunting attire. They wore white tops interspersed with animal patterns, grey-blue leather breeches, and black high boots, singing and dancing to portray the joyful scene of returning laden with spoils after a hunt.

The music at this moment was lively and upbeat, with the intertwining sounds of acoustic guitars and goatskin drums stirring the emotions of the crowd. Yunjing University of Media and Communication’s stage hardware facilities were excellent. A dynamic backdrop screen displayed images, currently showing a bonfire party scene.

Then, a flash of red suddenly appeared. Jian Ye entered, raising his hands. He performed a grand leap, transitioning into a body-changing jump, landing in the center of the crowd. With a Dragon’s Reach palm, he followed with an upward palm, a grand side-step, and then a Yuanbao jump.

Despite wearing red gauze that leaned towards a feminine style, his movements were remarkably clean and sharp. The audience was stunned, having expected a simple dance performance. With his entrance, everyone became fully alert.

[This is the show I’ve been waiting for!]
[Everyone, ready—start drooling!]
[The red outfit is so beautiful! He seems weightless, dancing with such effortless grace.]
[I’m also a dancer. Those moves look incredibly difficult, and in reality… they’re not simple at all.]
[My sister upstairs is making me laugh so hard! Hearing your words is like hearing words, hahaha!]
[Jin Shan’s brother, you’re doing great this time! Keep that camera firmly on the handsome guy in red!]

At this moment, Jin Bo finally understood who the red-clad youth the bullet comments had been discussing was. He had to admit that seeing him in person was truly captivating. At first glance, he had even mistaken him for a girl. Only after zooming in on the screen did the youth’s stunning beauty strike him speechless.

It was a beauty that transcended gender, a vibrant and moving expression. At this moment, he resembled a carefree little bird, soaring freely across the frontier lands.

Suddenly, the stage lights dimmed, and ominous clouds flashed across the background screen. The cheerful background music transformed into urgent, tense horn calls and war drums. The enemy had arrived. Warhorses whinnied, accompanied by the crashing roar of thunder and lightning, creating a terrifying sense of oppression.

A group of people in black enemy uniforms rushed onto the stage, engaging in confrontation and struggle with the youths from the grasslands. The red-clad youth tried to advance but was held back by his comrades.

Here, Jian Ye’s footwork became even more rapid and intricate, connecting a swift arm swing with a dramatic cloud-shoulder waist turn. A spotlight followed Jian Ye’s figure. After executing a ‘shooting swallow’ jump, he raised his hand in a ‘swallow piercing the forest’ move, performing a high-speed pirouette amidst the tight drumbeats. Spinning on a single point with one foot, anyone without excellent balance would easily become dizzy after a few turns.

Yet, Jian Ye completed twenty turns in one fluid motion. In the first row, Yi Siyu nearly stood up, his heart pounding. He worried it was an accident, but it was merely part of the dance’s choreography. For the enemy had slain all of the youth’s compatriots. Their collapse symbolized the failure of war, a life of displacement.

The background music shifted to a melancholic string piece, with the mournful sound of the erhu particularly poignant. The youth slowly raised his hands with the music, rising from a kneeling backward arch, his boneless body performing these movements effortlessly. With a single knee thrust, he desperately lifted his back leg high, his toes pointed into an arch, reaching infinitely close to his upturned head.

The upturned posture allowed the audience to perfectly glimpse the youth’s fair, slender swan neck, which seemed to glow with beauty.

Subsequently, the music transformed once more, no longer sorrowful, but imbued with a hint of festivity. A group of maidens, also in exotic attire, entered the stage. Unlike Jian Ye, they wore purple gauze dresses, delicate round hats, and silk ribbons wrapped around their hands, moving from back to front.

The youth’s country had been defeated, and to ensure peace between the two nations, he was to be offered as tribute to the enemy country. The enemy king, captivated by the youth’s exquisite, gender-ambiguous beauty, intended to take him into his palace and keep him captive. These purple-clad maidens were the attendants tasked with grooming him.

At this moment, four male dancers carried a round platform onto the stage. The platform had a pole supporting each of its four corners, resembling a sedan chair. The maidens adorned Jian Ye with a red veil. The youth’s delicate features were faintly visible through the translucent red gauze, a hint of innocence replaced by a touch of allure. A silver chain draped across the veil, extending from his left ear to his right, passing over the bridge of his nose, fully revealing the beauty’s captivating charm.

Paired with the vibrant makeup, the smile in the youth’s eyes vanished, replaced by an unfathomable darkness.

Jian Ye executed a ‘cloud-front bridge’ flip directly onto the round platform, smoothly settling into a kneeling position within it. The round platform was lifted, and Jian Ye continued his dance movements within that confined circular space. His left hand circled his wrist, his right pushed his wrist, and his legs pressed upward, swaying with the music’s rhythm in a posture most people couldn’t achieve.

[Oh my god! Can a human leg bend that much?]
[At this moment, I can’t express my feelings in words. This dance only makes me want to lie on my bed and say, “Holy crap!”]
[The handsome guy in the veil is slaying me! How can he do both male and female dances?]
[I finally understand why our ancestors wanted to expand their territory. Who wouldn’t love this beauty?]
[I’m wondering what the red lips behind that red gauze taste like, and who will be lucky enough to find out later.]

The background screen shifted to a magnificent imperial palace. The youth, presented to the enemy king, was performing a dance at a banquet. The king, using him as a display of power, introduced his new favorite to his princes and ministers. At this point, Jian Ye’s dance became even more seductive. A move involving touching his leg and twisting his waist captivated all the men and women present.

‘Help me! This boy knows how to sway!’
‘Are those perky hips and straight legs real?’

The exotic youth danced before the king, his body swaying, exuding myriad charms, causing the king to laugh heartily, utterly delighted.

Thwip—

An arrow sliced through the air, heading straight for the king’s vital spot. The king, startled, dodged it. In the sudden chaos, the red-clad youth abruptly pulled down his veil, a sharp weapon in his hand, his eyes filled with a suffocating madness.

With a wide sweep of his foot, he single-handedly vaulted up from below the stage, then fiercely lunged to stab the opponent’s throat.

Boom! A clap of thunder echoed in the background music, and the king crashed to the ground.

The red-clad youth wore a predatory smile, his eyes holding an unwavering resolve that defied death. In his final pose, he held a bow snatched from the enemy’s hands, aimed it at the camera in the audience, drew the string taut, and released an arrow. The arrow was, of course, an imaginary prop, yet that single archery motion seemed to pierce countless hearts.