1novels Chapter 455 Performance
Chapter 455 Performance
When Tan Yu stood in the center of the stage, he was as taut as a fully drawn bow.
The spotlight shone on him, and his silver-gray suit gleamed softly under the light.
He held the microphone in one hand, while the other hung at his side, his fingertips gently rubbing the seam of his trousers.
The audience was packed with people, filling over thirty tables. At each table, people were whispering among themselves. The clinking of dishes and the hushed conversations mingled together, creating a buzzing sound like a swarm of bees hovering overhead.
The host was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a dark red suit, with his hair neatly combed and a natural smile on his lips. He was clearly in this line of work.
He walked over to Tan Yu, bowed to the audience, and when he straightened up, the microphone was already at his lips.
"Distinguished guests, dear friends and family, good afternoon!" His voice was loud and clear, instantly silencing most of the murmurs in the room. "Today is the joyous occasion of Mr. Tan Yu and Ms. Xu Manxue. On behalf of the newlyweds, I would like to thank everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to witness their happy moment."
A round of polite applause erupted from the audience.
The emcee turned to face Tan Yu and brought the microphone closer: "Tan Yu, let me ask you a question that all grooms get asked right now—are you nervous?"
Tan Yu subconsciously swallowed.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his knuckles gripping the microphone turned slightly white, but he remained firm in his words: "Not nervous."
Someone in the audience laughed.
The host pressed him, asking, "In that case, why don't you say hello to everyone?"
Tan Yu picked up the microphone and began, "Hello everyone, my name is Not Nervous."
The whole room burst into laughter.
Tan Yu realized he had said the wrong thing because he was nervous, and he chuckled to himself, but his shoulders visibly relaxed a little.
Seeing that he had relaxed, the host turned to the audience and called out, "Come on, let's bring the groomsmen up! I heard during the wedding procession that these gentlemen did a great job at Xu Manxue's house."
Liu Jun, Zhao Dapeng, and Sun Tianyu stood up from the first row.
Liu Jun walked at the front, taking long strides. His dark blue suit made him look like he was going to discuss a project worth hundreds of millions.
Zhao Dapeng followed him, bending down to adjust the corsage as they walked. Halfway through, he realized it was getting crooked and decided to stop.
Sun Tianyu walked at the very back, clutching a handful of wedding candies he had swiped from the wedding procession, popping one into his mouth as he walked.
The three people went up on stage and stood in a row next to Tan Yu.
Liu Jun stood on the far left, Zhao Dapeng stood in the middle, and Sun Tianyu stood on the right.
The four of them standing together look exactly like a boy band.
The host glanced at the four of them and said with a smile, "I heard from backstage that our brothers Tan Yu really showed off their skills during the wedding procession today. They were stuffing red envelopes, flipping sofas, climbing on air conditioners, and especially the one who found the high heels—"
Zhao Dapeng immediately straightened his chest.
"—What was it called again?"
Zhao Dapeng's chest deflated.
Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience.
The loudest laughter came from Tan Yu's mother's table; she covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes from laughing.
The host stopped teasing them and steered the conversation back on track: "Come on, now that all four of you are here today, how about you put on a show for everyone? It's Tan Yu's brother's wedding, aren't you groomsmen going to do something?"
Liu Jun reacted the fastest, turning to Zhao Dapeng and Sun Tianyu to exchange a few whispered words of advice before turning back to the microphone: "We've prepared a performance. It's something the four of us choreographed ourselves. It's not very well done, but the thought behind it is what counts."
The host stepped aside, clearing the center of the stage.
Liu Jun stood at the very front, with Zhao Dapeng and Sun Tianyu on either side of him, and Tan Yu standing half a step behind them. The four of them struck a pose, clearly about to put on some kind of act.
Tan Yu waved his hand in the direction of the music, and the music started instantly.
A Gangnam Style song started playing.
Tan Yu and his three companions then started dancing the Gangnam Style on stage.
This music was something Tan Yu asked Lu Ran for a while ago when he needed it urgently, because he was worried that he wouldn't have anything to perform on stage.
As soon as the music started, several people began to dance, immediately setting the tone for a lively wedding.
The guests in the audience had never heard of this song before, but they found it quite interesting with the dance and music.
As the dance was about to end, the audience was laughing hysterically.
The bridesmaids at Xu Manxue's table laughed so hard they slapped the table, spilling their drinks.
The emcee stepped forward at the opportune moment and brought the situation back under control: "Alright, alright, the show's over, the laughter's gone, now it's time to invite the bride out. Otherwise, she'll get impatient backstage and come up here blaming me."
He handed the microphone back to Tan Yu and retreated to the edge of the stage.
The lights have changed.
The bright white light gradually dimmed and was replaced by a warm yellow soft light.
The entire venue fell silent, and everyone's gaze turned to the white door at the end of the stage.
The door opened.
Xu Manxue stood at the door.
She wore a white wedding dress with a long, flowing skirt that trailed on the ground. The dress was adorned with tiny rhinestones that reflected sparkles in the warm yellow light.
Her hair was styled in a bun, with a white silk flower tucked behind her ear, and she wore a pair of pearl earrings that swayed gently as she tilted her head slightly.
Her makeup was very light, yet it perfectly accentuated the contours of her features.
She applied a thin layer of blush and her lips were a pinkish nude. The moment she stood at the door, a slight smile played on her lips, but that smile clearly concealed nervousness—her fingers gripping the doorframe twitched slightly.
Her older sister, Xu Manlin, stood beside her.
Xu Manlin wore a champagne-colored short dress today, with her hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking less sharp than when she was picking up her bride.
She turned her head slightly and whispered something in Xu Manxue's ear.
Xu Manxue nodded, took a deep breath, and took Xu Manlin's arm.
The prelude to the wedding march began.
It was a string version, with a solemn yet warm melody that flowed slowly through the quiet atmosphere of the entire venue.
Xu Manxue linked arms with Xu Manlin and walked forward step by step.
She walked very slowly.
Her high heels swayed steadily on the red carpet-covered aisle.
The trailing train of her wedding dress swept gently across the red carpet behind her, like a white tide slowly surging forward.
The guests on both sides were watching her.
Some people were taking pictures with their phones, some were wiping their eyes with their heads down, and some had their mouths open and forgot to close them.
Xu Manxue's mother sat in the first row, her hands tightly clutching the handkerchief draped over her lap, her eyes red-rimmed, her lips pressed into a thin line, yet she was still forcing a smile.
Lu Ran sat in the front seat, and Shen Yuege sat next to him.
He watched Xu Manxue walk slowly by, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe suddenly welled up inside him.
He recalled the first time he met Xu Manxue. She was standing in the audition room reciting Mu Nianci's lines. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
At that time, she still had a bit of the awkwardness typical of a newcomer, but her eyes already had a light in them.
Now she's walking down this red carpet, wearing a wedding dress, and everyone is looking at her.
The light is still there, even brighter than it was a few years ago.
Xu Manxue walked to the front of the stage steps and stopped.
Xu Manlin helped her up two steps, and then the two of them stood still.
Tan Yu waited in the center of the stage. His posture changed from casual to ramrod straight, like a tree nailed to the stage.
He looked at Xu Manxue, his mouth slightly open, his eyes fixed.
Xu Manlin did not immediately hand over Xu Manxue's hand.
She stood in front of Tan Yu, her expression becoming more serious, and spoke in a voice that wasn't loud but loud enough for those in the front row to hear: "Tan Yu, I'm entrusting my sister to you; you must treat her well."
Tan Yu took a deep breath and raised the microphone.
His voice was much steadyer than before, each word spoken with conviction: "Sister, don't worry. In my life, Tan Yu, I will never let Manxue suffer any more injustice."
What guarantees do you have?
Tan Yu was silent for a second.
Then he began to speak, his pace neither too fast nor too slow, as if someone were slowly recalling something very important: "The first time I met Manxue was at the audition for 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes.' She was auditioning for Mu Nianci, and I was auditioning for Yang Kang. That day, she was wearing a white coat, sitting in the corner reading the script, very intently, and she didn't even hear anyone talking to her. At that moment, I thought, this person is different from other actors."
Xu Manxue stood beside her sister, her eyes beginning to redden.
Tan Yu continued, "Later, during the filming of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' which lasted for several months, I saw her every day on set. She was incredibly dedicated to her craft; if one take wasn't good enough, she'd do another, never complaining of being tired. There was a scene where Mu Nianci had to cry, and she cried seven or eight times in a row, each time for real, until her eyes were swollen. When we wrapped up, she sat on the steps rubbing her eyes, and I handed her a bottle of water. She took it, drank a sip, and thanked me."
"Later, in 'Meteor Garden,' she played the female lead and I played the male lead. The same went for 'My Lucky Star.' In three consecutive dramas, she played the female lead and I played the male lead. The crew joked that we were 'bound together,' automatically paired together every time a new drama started."
He paused, his voice softening slightly, but his tone growing heavier: "When filming 'The Starry Night,' there was a rain scene. It was the dead of winter, and the artificial rain was freezing cold on us. Manxue had a fever that day, and the director suggested rescheduling the shoot, but she said no, she could manage. After that scene was filmed, she was wrapped in a blanket, shivering in the car, her lips turning purple. I thought to myself, I don't want her to suffer like that again."
Xu Manxue was already crying.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but the waterproof makeup the makeup artist had applied held up, preventing them from smudging. However, the tear tracks shimmered under the lights.
Tan Yu put down the microphone and bent down in front of Xu Manlin.
He didn't bow, just leaned forward slightly, his tone extremely firm: "Sister, every word I said today comes from the bottom of my heart. After Manxue is with me, I won't let her bear everything alone anymore. I'll take care of her when she's sick, I'll support her when she's tired, and I'll do whatever she wants to do. She's the one for me in this life."
Xu Manlin looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she reached out, took Xu Manxue's hand off her arm, and gently placed it in Tan Yu's palm.
"I'll remember," Xu Manlin's voice was a little hoarse, "If you treat her badly, I'll be the first to object."
Tan Yu gripped that hand tightly.
Xu Manxue's fingers were cool. He placed his palm on hers and gently pressed his thumb against the back of her hand.
The two stood facing each other, their eyes locked, neither speaking, but no one in the audience urged them on.
After about ten seconds, Xu Manxue couldn't help herself anymore. A slight smile appeared on her lips as she said, "Don't keep such a long face. You look like you're going to your execution." Tan Yu was amused by her words, and his tense shoulders immediately relaxed. The two of them stood facing each other, grinning foolishly. One's eyes were red-rimmed, while the other's lips were turned up so wide they couldn't suppress them.
A round of applause erupted from the audience, more enthusiastic than ever before.
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