Chapter Sixteen: Giving Liu Yifei a Little Brother

A solitary spotlight shone down on Liu Xiaoli on the stage.

She was a lonely pursuer of light.

Alone and isolated.

Liu Xiaoli's figure was not slender.

Not only was she not slender, but to Chen Siyuan she seemed slightly full-figured.

Yet at this moment, beneath the cold, lonely light, she appeared incredibly fragile.

Even Chen Siyuan, seated in the audience, felt an overwhelming urge to rush onto the stage and hold Liu Xiaoli in his arms.

She should not have to bear such solitary pain!

Liu Xiaoli slowly closed her eyes on the stage…

Her body trembled as if struck by a bolt of lightning…

Amid the slight shaking, she summoned all her strength to lift one hand…

Pointing far off towards the horizon…

The direction where the other swans had flown away…

From the front row, Chen Siyuan clearly sensed a deep longing in Liu Xiaoli’s eyes…

…

Applause!

The thunderous applause of four thousand people!

Deafening, like rolling thunder!

Chen Siyuan stood up, clapping, turning to scan the crowd.

Behind him, a sea of black—a nearly unanimous standing ovation.

Every face was radiant with excitement.

They had witnessed the birth of a classic!

They wished to pour every ounce of their energy into the applause.

In truth, this was a simple case of herd mentality!

But the collective enthusiasm of four thousand people was formidable.

Even those openly or covertly opposing the New York Ballet Company had to rise and applaud.

There is no greater torment than this: watching your rivals succeed and having to applaud them.

But their suffering was not Chen Siyuan’s concern.

He only knew that Liu Xiaoli’s "The Death of the New Swan" was a resounding success.

This was the first salvo in Liu Xiaoli’s path to becoming a globally recognized dance artist.

At this moment, the other dancers of "The Death of the New Swan" also appeared on stage amid the applause.

They stood in a line behind Liu Xiaoli, emotionally taking their bows together.

The prolonged applause moved them to the verge of fainting.

After years in the profession, performing countless ballets—many of them classics—they had never before encountered such a warm audience response.

Liu Xiaoli, standing center stage, was equally moved.

It was worth noting that her strongest dance style was actually classical dance.

It was the performance "Chuyun," which had once won five prestigious awards.

That was her greatest strength!

But now, with a newly choreographed ballet, she had earned the recognition of four thousand spectators at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Her heart surged with emotion.

She caught sight of Chen Siyuan applauding in the front row.

Her gaze instantly softened with warmth.

She understood clearly.

This success owed the most to the man sitting below the stage.

Her husband.

The decision to enter into a sham marriage with him had been the best choice of her life.

The performance ended brilliantly.

The New York Ballet Company held a grand celebration banquet.

"The Death of the New Swan" premiered to great acclaim.

Following this came public performances and a nationwide tour.

The days ahead would be hectic for all the dancers of "The Death of the New Swan."

Yet each of them would embrace the busy schedule gladly.

But before that, they would celebrate properly.

At the banquet, Liu Xiaoli—the greatest contributor to "The Death of the New Swan"—naturally became the center of attention.

With Chen Siyuan by her side, Liu Xiaoli allowed herself to indulge a little more in drinking.

"Don't drink casually when I'm not around," Chen Siyuan said tenderly as he steadied her, sensing she had had a bit too much.

"Mm, the premiere was a success, everyone’s happy, and I only had a couple more drinks because you were with me. I won’t do it again," Liu Xiaoli replied shyly, clinging closely to Chen Siyuan like a bashful young wife.

Behind them, Liu Yifei bounced along playfully.

Chen Siyuan glanced back at her. "Xixi, keep up."

"Okay, Dad, just make sure Mom is steady. I won’t fall behind," Liu Yifei said as she quickened her pace to join Chen Siyuan.

Although Liu Yifei wasn’t particularly interested in dance, she admired how warmly the audience had embraced her mother’s performance.

She had been deeply moved in the theater.

She dreamed of receiving such applause herself one day.

"Xixi, no matter what career you choose or where you are, never drink casually with others alone. We must not have ill intentions, but we must remain cautious—there are many bad people out there," Chen Siyuan, already slipping into a doting father role, seized every opportunity to educate Liu Yifei.

He said this while keeping a watchful eye on Liu Xiaoli.

Tonight was an opportunity.

Perhaps he could help Liu Yifei have a little brother.

When she eventually entered this world, there would be times he couldn’t be there to protect her.

Having a younger brother to look out for his sister was surely necessary.

Liu Yifei had no inkling of all these thoughts swirling in Chen Siyuan’s mind.

But she could feel the depth of his fatherly love.

"I understand, Dad!"

Happily, Liu Yifei moved to stand beside Liu Xiaoli, supporting her by the other arm.

It was getting late by the time they arrived home, and their long-standing plan to watch a family movie together was interrupted.

Still, Liu Yifei was considerate.

Once home, she quietly went to her room, leaving Chen Siyuan and Liu Xiaoli some space.

Chen Siyuan helped Liu Xiaoli upstairs.

From her condition, it was clear she couldn’t bathe herself.

Even if she wanted to, Chen Siyuan would not feel at ease.

A fall could have serious consequences.

"I’ll help you wash up," Chen Siyuan said without hesitation, lifting Liu Xiaoli into the bathroom.

Liu Xiaoli blinked but did not resist.

This man by her side had given her so much.

She had no reservations with him.

Yet, for once, Chen Siyuan acted with rare restraint.

Perhaps Liu Xiaoli’s performance tonight had softened his heart.

But Liu Xiaoli was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, now sober and flushed with shyness.

Chen Siyuan looked serious. "I want to give Xixi a little brother."

"Ah!" Liu Xiaoli gasped.

She hadn’t expected such a thought from him.

She turned her head away, unwilling to meet his gaze or her own reflection.

…

The next morning, Liu Xiaoli hurried to the bathroom to wash up.

After learning Chen Siyuan’s intentions, she felt torn and uncertain.

Did he want a child of his own?

Did he not love Xixi?

That didn’t seem right.

Those two—father and daughter—were inseparable at home, to the point of making her jealous.

Liu Xiaoli felt her mind spinning.

She never imagined.

Chen Siyuan wanted a son.

Simply to have a brother to protect his sister.