Volume One: Rising to the Pinnacle from the Start Chapter Eleven: What Did He Do Before?

“Alright, street dance it is. But before we start, go change your pants first,” Chen Shuo said, pointing at Chen Jing’s fitted trousers. “For dance training, try to wear something looser.”

“Uh?” Chen Jing scratched his head awkwardly. “I don’t have any other clothes at the company.”

Lin Zitan popped up beside them with a cheerful grin. “It’s alright, I brought some for you.” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a reusable shopping bag. “Ta-da! Boss Lin already guessed you wouldn’t be prepared for dance practice and asked me to get everything ready.”

Surprised, Chen Jing took the pants from her and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Zitan. You’re so good to me.”

Lin Zitan blushed. “No, not at all. Sister Lin Xi asked me to prepare them.”

Chen Jing shook his head with a smile. “I’ll thank Sister Lin Xi too, but it was still you who prepared them.”

After changing into the new clothes, Chen Jing began his first street dance training in this life and the last. Lin Zitan didn’t stay with him; she had her own work to attend to.

Two hours later, Chen Jing felt invigorated. In his previous life, although he’d always been interested in street dance, all his time had been devoted to the sea of knowledge, leaving no room for distractions. Moreover, perhaps because of his outstanding intellect, he’d never had much athletic talent, so he could only watch others perform those dazzling street dances on stage with envy.

After work, Chen Jing didn’t seek out Lin Xi. He just sent her a message on his phone and went home, since he had to give Wang Youxuan a lesson that evening. Well, mainly Sister Menglan had invited him over for dinner, so he had to keep an eye on the time.

When Lin Xi saw Chen Jing’s message saying he had to leave early, her eyes narrowed slightly. She had just returned to the company, and could have stayed away, but she’d come back specifically to talk to Chen Jing about his music lessons.

“Forget it, there’s no rush. I’ll wait until he comes tomorrow,” Lin Xi murmured, stretching her shapely figure as she stood up, about to call Lin Zitan to have dinner after work, when her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID—Teacher Chen Shuo. Instantly, her heart skipped a beat. Was this about Chen Jing again?

Without hesitation, Lin Xi answered the call. “Hello, Teacher Chen Shuo, what brings you to call me after work?” Chen Shuo had previously been the dance instructor for the Eastern Melody Girls, so Lin Xi often dealt with him, and they had a good relationship.

Chen Shuo’s somewhat androgynous voice came through the phone. “Hey! I just finished work and thought you’d be off too. Wanted to chat and ask you something.”

Lin Xi paused, then replied with a knowing tone, “This is about Chen Jing, isn’t it?”

Chen Shuo sounded surprised. “Huh? How did you know I wanted to talk about him?”

Lin Xi arched her brows. So it really was about Chen Jing. She answered casually, “Just a guess.”

“Oh, alright.” Chen Shuo didn’t dwell on it, but couldn’t help asking, “Is Chen Jing really a newcomer?”

Lin Xi asked in confusion, “Why do you ask?”

Chen Shuo considered his words. “You know, for street dancers, physical fitness is crucial. Otherwise, some of the more difficult moves are impossible. Especially certain moves that require explosive strength from specific body parts, like the hands or feet. You understand?”

“Yes,” Lin Xi nodded. She was well aware of this—it was basic dance training.

“So, this afternoon when Chen Jing practiced with me, I noticed his physical fitness was excellent. The basic moves I taught him at the beginning, he could complete with ease.”

“That’s it?” Lin Xi frowned. “Isn’t it possible he’s just naturally fit? It’s not that big a deal.”

“No, it’s not just that,” Chen Shuo replied, struggling to believe his own words. “At the start, I asked if he’d ever learned street dance. He said no. Then, as I taught him various basic moves, he’d watch me do it once and immediately execute it perfectly. Even when I deliberately demonstrated some especially difficult moves at the end, he’d still just watch once and follow along without error.”

Chen Shuo gave a wry laugh. “I even suspected he was pretending not to know street dance. Later, I tested him by having him dance with music, and only then was I sure he’d never trained before—he had no muscle memory.”

Lin Xi’s eyes flickered as her right hand drummed lightly on the desk. She said nothing.

Chen Shuo continued in awe, “In all my years of teaching dance, I’ve never seen anything like this. It defies logic. Maybe this is what you call a true dance prodigy.” Then, carefully, he asked, “To be honest, Boss Lin, can you tell me—who exactly is Chen Jing?”

Lin Xi shook her head. “I discovered Chen Jing by chance. I saw his potential and signed him. There’s nothing unusual.” In truth, Lin Xi had also noticed Chen Jing’s extraordinary qualities, but her understanding of him was limited to his résumé and whatever information she could find online. Beyond that, she knew nothing.

“Well, I understand. Congratulations, Boss Lin. Chen Jing is a promising talent. With proper training, he’ll have no trouble becoming a top star,” Chen Shuo said with a laugh.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

After hanging up, Lin Xi narrowed her eyes, unable to make sense of it. She shook her head and muttered, “Chen Jing, just how many secrets are you hiding from me…”

At that moment, Chen Jing was unaware that his actions had already amazed others. But even if he’d known, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. After all, it wasn’t as though he could pretend to be incompetent—such “hidden genius” scenarios only happened to the heroes in novels.

Back at his rented apartment, Chen Jing took a shower and changed his clothes before heading out to the address Wang Menglan had sent him. The destination wasn’t far—a half-hour was plenty—so he wasn’t in a hurry. He hailed a taxi, gave the driver the address, and noticed the driver looked at him with a curious expression.

Once inside, the driver struck up a conversation, “You’re a good-looking young man. Do you live over there?”

Chen Jing shook his head. “No, I’m visiting a friend.”

“Is that so...” The driver pursed his lips, then asked out of nowhere, “You people in this line make good money, don’t you?”

Chen Jing was completely puzzled. How did the driver know he was a singer? Though he was curious, Chen Jing nodded. “It’s not bad.” Being a celebrity was indeed lucrative, though that wasn’t why he did it—but it was the truth.

“Heh.” The driver chuckled twice and then disdainfully fell silent.

Chen Jing: “???” Are all drivers this cocky nowadays?

When they arrived, Chen Jing paid with a bemused look. But seeing the place, he suddenly understood the driver’s attitude.

The address Wang Menglan had given him—Splendid Mansion—was a luxury villa community. Chen Jing vaguely remembered hearing that most of the residents here were wealthy ladies or the mistresses of rich men.

So that driver thought I was some kept pretty boy? Chen Jing thought, speechless.

He shook off the thought and walked toward the main gate of Splendid Mansion.

“Brother Jing!”

He had just reached the gate when he heard someone call out to him—no mistake, it was directed at him. The only one who’d call him that was Menglan’s daughter, Wang Youxuan.

Seeing him arrive, Wang Youxuan immediately ran over, calling out, “Brother Jing, Brother Jing, over here!”

Hearing her shout, Chen Jing felt a slight headache. The Legend of the Condor Heroes was being serialized, but it hadn’t become wildly popular yet, so no one really knew who the hero Guo Jing was.

Wang Youxuan reached him, jumped up, and threw her arms around him.

With no choice, Chen Jing opened his arms to catch her, absorbing the force of her jump and gently holding her.

Looking down at her with indulgence, Chen Jing said, “You little rascal, aren’t you afraid of falling?”

Wang Youxuan nestled contentedly in his embrace, her laughter bright and innocent. “I’m not afraid. I know you’ll always catch me.”

Chen Jing shook his head helplessly. Only he knew how to absorb the impact—if it were anyone else, both would end up sprawled on the ground. He remembered reading a news story in his previous life about a couple who tried this, with the woman breaking her nose and the man fracturing his chest.

“Come down now,” he said, seeing that she clung stubbornly to him. He lightly patted her back to coax her off. Their actions had already drawn the eyes of passersby, especially the security guard at the gate, whose meaningful look made Chen Jing sigh inwardly. It seemed the rumor of him being a kept man would never be dispelled. Although Wang Youxuan was only seventeen, she’d inherited excellent genes from her mother, standing at a graceful 1.72 meters—tall and elegant, a budding beauty with a fine figure.

“Oh.” Noticing the curious gazes around them, Wang Youxuan blushed and reluctantly let go, leaving just one hand holding Chen Jing’s arm.

To ease the awkwardness, Chen Jing asked casually, “Why are you waiting for me here?”

Wang Youxuan answered with a hint of pride, “Because Mom said you were almost here, and you need a pass to get into the community. So I thought I’d come down to wait for you and bring you in.” Actually, it was possible to enter without a pass by having the guard call the resident, but the real reason she came was because she’d heard from her mother that Chen Jing was coming for dinner, and she couldn’t wait to see him. Of course, she was too shy to say this outright.

Seeing that Chen Jing hadn’t minded, Wang Youxuan was a little disappointed, but she still led him inside after swiping her card. Chen Jing wisely ignored the security guard’s envious, jealous, and resentful gaze, following Wang Youxuan through the gate.

No wonder wealthy people chose to live here—the environment was indeed pleasant, with beautifully tended greenery everywhere.

As they walked, Wang Youxuan pointed out, “There’s an outdoor swimming pool over there, but my mom and I have never been. It’s always crowded, and there are creepy old men.”

Snuggling closer to Chen Jing, she said coquettishly, “Brother Jing, let’s go to a private pool together someday. I’ve never even worn a swimsuit before.”

Chen Jing nodded with an air of seriousness, but his eyes involuntarily darted to her graceful curves, and he swallowed discreetly.

Yes! That’s an excellent idea—an excellent idea indeed!