Chapter 37: A Perfect Match
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Gu Qisong is a very competent bodyguard. When he's on the set, he always stays nearby, and since Chen Xuan is just someone he's not familiar with, out of his sense of duty as a bodyguard, he needs to keep her in his line of sight at all times. After learning about Chen Xuan's thoughts, he accompanies her back to the lounge.
Hearing that the other party was here to see Ruan Yesheng, Xi Mo stood up immediately— after just a few minutes of resting, the moment of perfect acting came again.
Fortunately, she is used to it and can switch easily.
Ruan Yesheng also stood up.
"Hello, what do you want from me?" Xi Mo saw that Chen Xuan looked nervous, so she softened her voice and smiled.
Chen Xuan raised her eyes and said timidly: "Ta...Ta Ge."
Ruan Yesheng was stunned for a moment and looked up subconsciously.
The name Tage is too familiar to her, and its meaning is too special.
At that time, Ruan Yesheng's movie "Sound of Steps"* became popular all over the country, and the heroine Ta Ge she played became an irreplaceable color in the hearts of many fans. This color was fiery and bright, forever preserved in that long-gone time alongside Ruan Yesheng's elegant dance at the end of the movie.
*踏歌声 (tà gēshēng) tà- steps/treading, gē - song/sing shēng- voice/sound, so it was translated as Sound of Steps. Since the heroine is named Ta Ge it's more like tàgē shēng Ta Ge's Voice/Sound (?). DeepL gave a figurative meaning -mournful singing. But I'm assuming it's a movie about dancing based on the movie ending so it could be an intended wordplay
Now she has long been forgotten by the public.
But in the hearts of those who truly love her, her appearance has never been erased by time. Just a quick glance is enough to evoke the memories they cherish in their hearts.
Xi Mo had watched Ruan Yesheng's "Sound of Steps". She knew the significance of the name Chen Xuan had used to address her and guessed that this Chen Xuan was probably a fan of Ruan Yesheng.
Xi Mo smiled and said, "No one has called me that for a long time."
Some fans become deeply immersed in the world of a character they love, often treating the actor who portrayed the character as their favorite one, living in a different kind of fantasy from reality.
Seeing the sincerity and passion in Chen Xuan's eyes, Xi Mo couldn't bear to shatter her fantasy, so she kept smiling. Among her own fans, many directly used nicknames for her various characters. Even though she had played so many roles, she always saw herself as Xi Mo, unchanging. She separated herself entirely from her roles outside of acting. However, if they liked calling her this way, she hoped it would make them happy.
"Ta Ge, I am... your fan." Chen Xuan held onto the door, looking much more nervous than when she first visited the set. "I just wanted to... see you. Will I bother you? Just for a while."
"Thank you. You're not bothering me; I don't have much to do right now." Xi Mo confidently walked over to Chen Xuan and greeted her, saying, "Come over here."
Chen Xuan seemed a bit embarrassed, standing still. Xi Mo smiled and then turned to the couch, gesturing for her to follow. This warm smile seemed to give Chen Xuan a great deal of courage, and she quickly followed, although her legs had some issues, causing her to walk with a slight limp, and was not very coordinated.
While walking, Chen Xuan seemed to be under a lot of psychological pressure, whether it was because her physical imperfection was exposed in front of others or because she was in the presence of her beloved idol. She instinctively used her handbag to symbolically cover her legs.
Xi Mo had noticed her leg issue long before and had guided her toward the sofa to make her more comfortable.
"Please have a seat," Xi Mo said gently.
Chen Xuan, however, continued to stand, clutching her handbag tightly.
Ruan Yesheng silently stood by the sofa, observing Chen Xuan. It had been a long time, and she had never expected a fan to come looking for her. This feeling was indeed a strange and nostalgic one, but unfortunately, she had a different body now and couldn't interact with her as Ruan Yesheng.
Chen Xuan looked at Xi Mo and then turned to Ruan Yesheng, her cheeks turning hot.
Ruan Yesheng gave a slight smile. Considering the situation, she might not be able to stay here, and she was about to quietly explain this to Xi Mo and leave. However, Chen Xuan bowed to Ruan Yesheng and stammered, "Xi Mo, I really, really like both you and Ta Ge. Today, like my other sisters, I came here especially to see you, but I indeed have another purpose. I wanted to see if I could meet Ta Ge. But I really didn't use this opportunity with the fan club members to do anything else. I am your fan, I've liked you for many years. Please believe me!"
Neither Xi Mo nor Ruan Yesheng expected that Chen Xuan would suddenly explain. Ruan Yesheng thought her serious and nervous look was cute, and thought that if she left now, it might bring pressure to Chen Xuan, and lead to misunderstandings. It would be more natural to stay.
Ruan Yesheng smiled and said, "I understand. Sit down and I'll get you something to drink. Is juice, okay?"
Chen Xuan was surprised and happy: "No, don't bother!"
"It's not a problem."
"Then, juice is fine. Thank you, thank you!"
Ruan Yesheng stood up to get the juice, and Xi Mo sat down next to Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan felt like she was simply dreaming - her goddess Xi Mo went to get her a drink, and Ta Ge was still sitting next to her. No one would believe her if she told others.
She was lost in her thoughts for a while, and then she finally came to her senses. She took out a notebook and a pen from her bag and said to Xi Mo, "I know you're very busy, and I'll be leaving soon. Could you... sign this for me?"
"Okay." Xi Mo accepted the notebook, opened it, and saw that it was filled with pages of Ruan Yesheng. Many of them featured Ruan Yesheng dancing, including some set photos and pictures from Ruan Yesheng's dance performances.
Ruan Yesheng started learning dance at a young age, primarily classical dance. Before attending the film academy, she was already an exceptional dance performer, highly regarded by many renowned teachers in the dance community. She often participated in various performances and competitions. After becoming famous in "Sound of Steps" Ruan Yesheng's popularity skyrocketed, and she received numerous film offers, keeping her too busy to perform on the dance stage. The stage photos were all early ones that Chen Xuan had collected.
And the photos were quite interesting. Each one was labeled with the performance time, including the year, month, day, hour, and location. During dance performances, taking photos from the audience was not allowed, so these photos were actually promotional pictures from those performances. Dance performances were usually niche, and the publicity was not extensive. Collecting so many of these early promotional photos was not easy, and it obviously took a lot of painstaking effort.
Ruan Yesheng's fans had mostly grown after she started acting, with many admirers drawn to her on-screen charisma. They might not have been very familiar with her earlier dance career. Chen Xuan's dedication either made her an extremely devoted fan, collecting everything from before and after Ruan Yesheng's fame, or she had a special love for Ruan Yesheng's dance.
Looking at Chen Xuan’s behavior, maybe she belongs to the latter.
Xi Mo unscrewed the pen and asked, "Do you like watching me dance?"
Chen Xuan's eyes lit up, and her adoring expression needed no concealment. "Yes, I really like it! I've been a fan of your dance for a long time. I've bought tickets to many of your performances. Sometimes the performance locations were too far, and I couldn't make it in time, so I missed out and didn't collect the tickets. But I've collected the promotional pictures."
She seemed a little embarrassed when she said this.
Xi Mo smiled and said, "Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you." Chen Xuan's eyes were slightly red. "Back then, I felt that dancing was too hard, but every time I watched your performance, I felt like I could keep going. I thought that if I worked harder, maybe one day I could catch up to your level. Then you filmed 'Sound of Steps' and the dances in it were so beautiful. I watched it many times and even went to learn them."
It turns out that she is also a dancer, and she liked Ruan Yesheng before she became famous. She fell in love with her because of the dancing and fell in love with it because of Ta Ge, and she still remembers it today.
How long could a fan like her continue to adore her idol?
Some people will choose to climb the wall* after a few months.
*in romance, it means to cheat/to find another love, in fan culture, to find another celebrity to support.
Some could remain for a few years.
Some would fall in love with an idol when they were completely unknown, follow them through their rise to stardom, and even in their quieter times, their admiration remained steadfast.
Xi Mo was preparing to sign for Chen Xuan, but she was concerned that she might be too nervous sitting here. So, she casually chatted with her and asked, "Which dance troupe are you in now?
"Chen Xuan lowered her head and looked at her legs. "I haven't danced for several years. I can't dance anymore."
The movements in Xi Mo's hands stopped.
She could see that there was something wrong with Chen Xuan's leg, but she thought it was just a temporary leg injury that would be fine once it healed after resting. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a permanent and irreversible injury. For a dancer, her legs are her life, her everything. If her legs can no longer dance, her dance career will be completely over. Chen Xuan's deep love for dance was apparent, and such a permanent leg injury would be devastating for her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you..." Xi Mo apologized.
She is dedicated to her work and has great respect for those who are passionate about their jobs or hobbies. Hearing that Chen Xuan couldn't dance was already a disappointment, and she felt guilty for inadvertently touching on this sad matter.
Chen Xuan said in fear: "No, no, don't worry about it, Ta Ge, please don't worry. I'm fine! It's been a long time since that happened, and it's nothing."
After a pause, she added, "When I found out that I couldn't use my legs anymore, I was indeed in a low mood for a while. But then I started watching your dance again, and it made me happy. Even though I can't dance myself, I can still have the opportunity to watch you dance, and that's great. I need to live happily, so I have more chances to see beauty."
She looked very open-minded.
Xi Mo finally understood what Ruan Yesheng meant to her.
Sometimes, you like and admire a person, and this person can be your light. Maybe this person doesn't know you exist, but because of the comfort brought by the love and yearning in your heart, you can go further.
This is the first fan to come to Ruan Yesheng after she retired for many years and then came back. This fan is so special that Xi Mo hopes to fulfill her wish on Ruan Yesheng's behalf.
She believes that this is also Ruan Yesheng's hope.
She suddenly wanted to do it for Ruan Yesheng.
"What name do you want me to sign?" Xi Mo asked Chen Xuan gently: "Ta Ge, or my name?"
Chen Xuan said happily: "Both are fine."
Xi Mo was immediately relieved when she heard this.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Originally, she was a little worried that Chen Xuan would want her to sign "Tage", after all, she had always called her that. Since switching bodies with Ruan Yesheng, they had spent time learning and imitating each other's signatures to prepare for moments when they needed to sign autographs for fans or contracts. Xi Mo's signature in Ruan Yesheng's name had been practiced extensively to match Ruan Yesheng's original style. However, if she had to sign "Ta Ge," which she hadn't practiced as much, she was concerned it might not turn out right.
Xi Mo signed Ruan Yesheng's name in the notebook and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Chen Xuan asked with great care, "Could you also write a line from your dialogue in 'Sound Of Steps'?
"Xi Mo: "..."
Given the current situation, she had to make it work.
Xi Mo's heart was tensed, but her face exuded warmth like a gentle breeze. She replied, "Certainly, I'll think about my favorite line. The movie was filmed many years ago, and I may not remember the lines as clearly as before. It wouldn't be good if there were any discrepancies in the words. I'll quickly check online to confirm. Please wait for a moment."
Chen Xuan nodded and expressed understanding: "Yes, it has been many years. Although I have watched it many times, I can only remember the general meaning of some lines."
Xi Mo shifted her position, pretending to browse a webpage on her phone. In reality, she sent a message to Ruan Yesheng: "She asked me to write a line from 'Sound Of Steps.' I haven't practiced your handwriting, so I can only sign your name. She's a big fan of yours and must be familiar with your handwriting. Please come over and write it for her discreetly."
Chen Xuan, worried about taking up their time, quickly added, "It's okay; I don't mind if you don't write the line. I'm already satisfied with the autograph."
Xi Mo was known for keeping her promises. She replied, "I promised to write it for you, so I'll definitely do it."
Touched by Xi Mo's kindness, Chen Xuan thinks: Ta Ge is truly gentle.
Meanwhile, "Gentle" Ta Ge, feigning to be busy with her phone, was silently urging Ruan Yesheng to hurry.
Ruan Yesheng saw the text message and quickly came to the rescue with juice. She put the juice on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Chen Xuan stood up flattered and said repeatedly: "Thank you, goddess!"
Ruan Yesheng smiled at her and turned to look at Xi Mo, Xi Mo glanced at her, Ruan Yesheng walked over tacitly, picked up the notebook, and looked through it with interest, looking at Xi Mo Mo said: "There are so many photos of you dancing back then."
When she said this, she winked at Xi Mo.
Xi Mo: "..."
Seeing Ruan Yesheng pick up the photo album, Chen Xuan's attention was immediately drawn to it. Her two goddesses were standing in front of her, and one of them was looking at pictures of her other goddess. The sudden surge of happiness left Chen Xuan feeling dazed. She felt like she could even go and dance in Tiananmen Square right now, such was her excitement!
"Can I look through it?" Ruan Yesheng asked, sitting on the other side of Xi Mo seemingly naturally. With Xi Mo in the middle, it could almost block some of Chen Xuan's sight. While sitting down, Xi Mo quietly handed her a pen.
"Of course...of course!" Chen Xuan was so excited that she didn't know what to say. She simply believed that having both her goddesses together in one frame was visually stunning, and even more so, she thought they were a perfect match.
The word "perfect match" suddenly popped up in Chen Xuan's mind. At first, she was a bit puzzled by the term, wondering why she thought of it. However, as she saw Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng sitting side by side, both looking so beautiful, she became certain of her choice of words – indeed, they were a perfect match!
