Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 215: Things Have Changed

There was still plenty of time.

On the drive to the competition venue, Liu Changqing kept a steady pace—no rushing, no reckless overtaking. He drove politely, yielded to pedestrians, and maintained a calm demeanor.

After arriving, he stepped out with his daughter and immediately spotted An Yuanyao, who had been waiting for a while.

The two exchanged a few words before An Yuanyao took Liu Xiazhi’s hand and jogged with her toward the backstage area.

As she left, Liu Xiazhi kept turning back, waving and shouting, “Dad, you have to cheer for me!”

Liu Changqing watched them disappear inside before circling around to the main entrance, where he got his ticket checked and entered the venue.

The moment he stepped inside, he realized that the place was far grander than he had imagined. It had the same layout as a grand opera house from his past life, complete with an upper-level balcony for spectators.

After searching for a while, he finally spotted Liu Zhiyue and made his way over. But before he could even take his seat, his eyes landed on a familiar figure just a few rows ahead.

A round figure.

Dressed in a formal outfit that technically fit but looked uncomfortably tight. It was clear he had taken extra care with his appearance today.

Liu Changqing’s gaze sharpened as he stared at the chubby kid sitting in the front row.

Why the hell is he here?

Completely unaware of the dagger-like glare directed at him, Haohao excitedly waved a single rose he had somehow acquired and loudly proclaimed to the couple beside him:

“Dad! Mom! Just wait till you see how pretty your future daughter-in-law is!”

His voice was so loud that every single word traveled clearly to Liu Changqing’s ears.

Liu Changqing’s expression darkened.

His left hand, resting on the armrest, unconsciously tightened into a grip.

Crack.

Hearing the ominous sound, Liu Zhiyue quickly reacted, lunging forward to grab his father’s arm, his fingers wrapping tightly around the bulging veins.

“Dad! Stop! You’re gonna break it!”

“I swear, one day I’ll teach that brat a lesson… and show him the consequences of running his mouth.”

Liu Changqing’s voice was low and menacing, his teeth clenched with barely suppressed rage.

Liu Zhiyue, taken aback by his father’s reaction, followed his gaze and spotted the back of a chubby kid’s head.

He had never met Haohao before, only heard of him through his sister’s complaints. With a slight frown, he turned back to his father and asked, “Who’s that?”

“A little punk who doesn’t know his place…”

“…That’s Haohao, isn’t it?”

Liu Zhiyue immediately put the pieces together.

After a brief moment of surprise, he snapped back to reality and quickly tried to calm his father down. “Dad, relax. We’re here to watch Xiazhi’s performance, not to get angry. Her performance is the most important thing today.”

“…”

Liu Changqing took a deep breath, slowly suppressing his irritation.

He had been this close to kicking that brat.

This kid might be young, but his little schemes were already brewing. From his words alone, it was clear he had been planning this for a while.

A little beast in the making.

Meanwhile, in the front row, Wang Tianhao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Moments ago, he had been beaming with excitement. But now, he clammed up, instinctively sensing danger.

His first thought was to turn around and check.

But a voice inside his head warned him—

Don’t look back. Whatever you do, don’t look back…

Li Wanran was there too.

Seated near the back, she had chosen a less conspicuous spot where she wouldn’t attract much attention.

Her gaze was fixed on the stage.

She had arrived late, and by the time she sat down, someone was already performing. But after a few minutes, she quickly lost interest.

Compared to last year’s competition, this year’s acts seemed unimpressive.

Why had she even come here after the divorce?

Even she wasn’t entirely sure.

She had simply followed an inexplicable urge, leading her to this venue today.

But the performances did nothing for her.

Most of them were lackluster, even boring. The longer she watched, the sleepier she became.

Finally, the current act ended. The host walked onto the stage, microphone in hand, and after a brief introduction, announced the next performance.

“Next, we have Contestant 007, Liu Xiazhi, performing a classical dance—Pointing to the Moon.”

As the lights dimmed, the entire venue was plunged into darkness.

Deng—

The gentle pluck of a guzheng string rang through the silent hall.

A soft spotlight illuminated the center of the stage.

There, Liu Xiazhi knelt, her head lowered, a long silk fan resting in her hands, which were delicately crossed on the floor.

Deng—

Another note resonated.

At that cue, Liu Xiazhi moved.

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Gracefully, she lifted the fan with one hand and flicked it backward.

The tail of the fan trailed through the air like a ribbon, forming a perfect arc.

At the same time, the melody of the guzheng blended into the scene, washing over the audience.

An Yuanyao, dressed in traditional Han attire, sat quietly beside a guzheng at the edge of the stage.

With each pluck of the strings, a delicate, captivating sound filled the hall, drawing everyone in.

Liu Changqing watched the two women on stage, enraptured.

Even Liu Zhiyue, who had been slouching earlier, now sat upright, eyes fixed on the performance.

Liu Changqing had seen this routine before during rehearsals.

And it was during those rehearsals that he had come to a realization—

An Yuanyao is incredibly talented.

The dance was mesmerizing. The music was enchanting.

If he had to describe it, he wouldn’t even know where to begin.

The two performers, both dressed in flowing Hanfu, exuded a breathtaking classical elegance. Every step, every note, every movement was executed with precision and grace.

The melody itself struck a chord deep within him.

Listening closely…

The first half carried a faint, lingering sorrow.

Midway, the tone shifted—transitioning into something hopeful, like a revelation.

And by the final notes, it left behind a sense of understanding, as if someone had seen through the illusions of the world.

A beautiful piece.

That was Liu Changqing’s conclusion.

Though, truthfully, all those poetic interpretations?

He had just made them up.

All he really knew was that it sounded nice. Beyond that, music had never been his strong suit.

But watching the performance, he found himself smiling, fully immersed in the moment.

What he didn’t realize…

Three rows behind him, Li Wanran was also watching.

Her gaze remained fixed on the stage—on the two performers.

And on her face was a complicated expression.

One that was hard to put into words.

She looked at her own daughter, standing beside another woman—someone who shared no blood ties with them.

Performing together, in perfect harmony.

And in her heart…

She felt something shifting.

As if something that had once belonged to her was slipping further and further away.

Her eyes remained locked on the stage.

She watched Liu Xiazhi’s elegant movements, every motion flawless, every turn executed to perfection.

A memory surfaced.

Last year, on this very day…

The person standing beside Liu Xiazhi on stage—

Had been her.