Hard to Escape

Chapter 29

In my haze of pain, I was fed a pain reliever.

The pain seemed to disturb my thinking. My consciousness felt like it had left my body and floated to a faraway place. Amidst the head-splitting pain, I heard numerous noisy disputes that lacked order and sense. Scene followed scene.

"Her leg has already endured numerous injuries. A fall like this is a catastrophe for her. You still want her to have a nerve block injection and continue dancing? This might be the last performance of her dance career! Is it worth it? It's just a recital. Is there a need to risk it all?" I heard a familiar voice speaking French in an incredulous tone.

"She'll be fine." It was the cold, detached female voice. "She is different from the both of us. She is flawless. She'll be fine."

In my head, a pair of whirling feet were spinning continuously. The feet were powerful and beautiful. They moved with precision, as if they were numb and couldn't feel anything. However, I felt pain by just looking at that beautiful pair of feet. I wanted to scream and awaken from this semi-conscious state.

"If it hurts, don't bear it." In this daze, a calm, steady voice sounded. It was tender, yet strong enough to capture my attention, drawing my consciousness back to my body. The turbulent, black tides of memory ebbed. I felt my hand being grasped in another's palm. It was large and warm.

"You aren't headstrong at all. You're already too quiet and well-behaved." I felt another hand brush my sweat-soaked bangs aside. "You can be even more headstrong. You don't need to apologize to anyone."

I clenched the hand that was grasping mine and soundlessly slept through another night.

The next day at ten minutes past noon, I slowly awoke. I saw Wu Ke's anxious face by the bedside. Roses filled a vase by the head of the bed. The air carried the faint smell of cologne.

Wu Ke visibly let out a sigh of relief. "You've awoken. Luckily it was only the ligament. You'll be fine after you rest for a while. You scared me back there on the stage. Your method was practically insane. Even if you are gifted, you can't just squander it like that."

I smiled apologetically at her and clenched my hands. It was as if I could still feel the remnants of warmth from last night.

It was Yin Li. His cologne was the one I had gifted him. Such a sly man. He knew I didn't want to see him, yet he always reminded me of his existence. He had such propriety, I couldn't bring myself to dislike his behavior.

I rested for nearly a month because of this incident. In this month, I could only diligently watch Frank's DVDs as if my life depended on it. I rehearsed every move in my mind.

Soon it would be the casting call for "Only I Dance". I didn't have much time left.

However, once I confidently appeared again in the studio, something unexpected occurred. Wu Ke started teaching me spins and leaps—continuous fouettes, graceful spins, and pirouettes. Though she was patient this time, I was unable to maintain my balance for long.

When I spun quickly, I always felt dizzy and saw stars. The control I had over my body greatly decreased, making my movements look ungraceful. Rather than dancing ballet, it looked as if I had deliberately went on my tiptoes, lifted my leg, and turned. And even if I performed a decent pirouette, I would still need to rest a moment before continuing with the next move. I was unable to link everything together.

"You should use your butt and knees to absorb the force on your toes when spinning. Your spine must be perpendicular to the ground. You must maintain your center of gravity! Don't panic, and don't let your eyes wander."