The indigo clouds obscured the bright moon, but could not conceal the splendor of England City.
Car lights flashed by, and a Rolls Royce steadily parked by the roadside.
Fu Yinli stepped out of the car, standing beside the red telephone booth, lighting a cigarette.
The dim streetlights cast shadows on his face, his suit was upright and tailored, and the evening breeze gently blew away the rising smoke, accenting his silhouette profoundly.
At this moment, the deep sound of a piano emerged from the street, followed by the distinct, elegant timbres of a cello and a violin, gently joining in to perform a ballet piece called "Letzter Tag" that was tender yet powerful.
A girl brushed past him, heading towards the three street performers ahead.
She set down her bag, took off her high heels, and danced with the music in the night.
Her slender, fair arms gracefully lifted, drawing a smooth, elegant arc in the air, classic ballet moves, lively yet graceful.
The koi fish embroidery on her orange-toned tulle skirt reflected the light, rippling as she spun, graceful and light, like a fairy fallen to earth.
Gradually, more and more spectators gathered, the flowing notes like petals falling on heartstrings, stirring ripples of resonance.
With a light leap in the chorus, the crowd burst into applause.
The girl showed no stage fright.
With the next spin, she danced close to Fu Yinli, near enough that he could touch her if he reached out.
As their eyes met, Fu Yinli was slightly lost, for those eyes were pure and lively, untainted by any impurities, looking at him as if carrying feelings, yet tinged with a hint of fluster.
The on-the-spot spin and the crane-like spin were both completed before him, then she returned to the center and gradually concluded the dance.
The light in the girl's eyes dimmed with the ending note, as if everything faded to dust, giving a sense of ethereal beauty, breathtakingly beautiful.
The street immediately erupted with waves of cheer and applause.
"Isn't that the fashion designer Lindie, why is she performing on the streets?"
Someone in the crowd recognized her, commenting aloud: "..."
Su Lingzhi smiled as she took her bow, barefoot, she went forward to shake hands with the three street musicians.
Despite having eight years of ballet training, it was merely a hobby.
Today she felt enthused, joined the street performance, unexpectedly attracting so many onlookers, and cooperated seamlessly with the three street musicians.
Then, the audience gathered around, tossing money into the dish on the ground as tips.
Without staying long, Su Lingzhi put on her shoes, retreating while waving goodbye, when her back suddenly bumped into a warm wall of flesh.
At the same time, a strong hand firmly gripped her waist, steadying her balance.
Su Lingzhi hurriedly stepped out of his embrace, turned to apologise, "Sorry…"
Upon seeing the man in front of her clearly, Su Lingzhi was stunned for a moment, unsure how to react.
She had seen him while dancing.
It was precisely because of his profound, fiery gaze that she almost forgot her moves.
Her high heel seemed to have stepped on his foot, with him staring at her so intently, he might be about to settle scores with her.
Su Lingzhi's heart inexplicably lost its rhythm, and she asked him, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"That's good." Su Lingzhi slightly bowed, and departed.
However, she hadn't walked far before she didn't notice the curb beneath her and, caught off-guard, tumbled forward.
...The air seemed to freeze for a second.
Su Lingzhi quickly got up from the ground, dusting off her skirt; although she knew how embarrassing it was, she still pretended to be casual as she glanced at the man in front of her, then changed direction and ran back.
Watching her retreat in the opposite direction, Fu Yinli retracted the hand that intended to help her, and bent down to pick up the set of keys on the ground.
In the instant he turned his gaze, he saw her returning figure, steps cautious, eyes seemingly studying him.
Fu Yinli opened his palm with the keys, "Looking for this?"
His voice was deep and magnetic, clear in every word.
In this foreign land, hearing Chinese was undeniably comforting, yet she suddenly felt awkward, not because she feared he was a bad person, but because his aura was too strong, making her afraid to approach.
But once near him, her heart uncontrollably, fervently, started pounding.
Su Lingzhi accepted the keys from his hand, expressing thanks.
"The dance was well performed, yet you walk unsteadily…" before he finished speaking, she had already run off.
Fu Yinli watched her fleeing silhouette, eyes deepening.
At this time, the street piano had transitioned to another tune, the evening breeze remained tender.
Fu Yinli extinguished the cigarette butt, took several bills from his wallet, and gave them as tips.
After finishing his cigarette, as he returned to the car, Xiao Li in the driver's seat spoke to him, "President Fu, the Ministry of Finance called back, scheduled a meeting at the racetrack at two tomorrow afternoon."
Fu Yinli responded lightly, his gaze as dense as the night.
In the ensuing silence within the car, a sudden comment emerged, "Do I look scary?"
Thinking he misheard, Xiao Li glanced at him through the rearview mirror, then awkwardly replied, "How… how could you be…"
After a moment of silence, Fu Yinli instructed, "Look into whether there's a Lindie among London College of Art's students."
...
In the apartment, Su Lingzhi had just stepped out of the bathroom when she received a call from her friend Zhuang Xiaoxi.
"Not slaving away at Lyrae, running off to perform on the streets?"
Listening to the sarcasm, Su Lingzhi's expression paused, "How do you know?"
Zhuang Xiaoxi replied, "I just scrolled upon a video of you dancing in the street; I wasn't sure if it was you, so I called to confirm, didn't expect it to actually be you."
Su Lingzhi didn't expect someone filmed a video and posted it online, not to mention recognized by someone familiar.
She walked to the living room, tidying up her drafts, while replying, "I haven't danced ballet for a long time, it was just a chance to move the muscles."
"You call that moving muscles? Look how you've hooked the audience both at the site and online."
"I'm not a seductive type."
The voice on the other end was momentarily blocked, "If not seductive, then you're the fairy fallen to earth."
Su Lingzhi laughed softly, "Why are you speaking so ironically tonight?"
"Because I think you're suited to ballet, stop slaving away at Lyrae, producing over a hundred design drafts in a month and a half, is that even human work? By the end of your internship, the aura within you will be burnt out."
"Compared to ballet, I prefer fashion design. My boss treats me fairly well, a hundred drafts are manageable compared to other designers at the studio, the task is relatively light; such a minor challenge I can handle."
Su Lingzhi picked up her phone, ending the call, "Alright, no need to worry about my affairs; the slave needs to sleep now, work awaits tomorrow."
...