Chapter 4 I Enjoy Watching Dancing

Many arguments start with mere bickering. If one side would only yield, the fight would never happen.

Liu Jing was brushing his teeth in the bathroom; the apartment was small, so he could hear everything clearly. Conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, discord between husband and wife, domestic unhappiness... Although he had just arrived in this household, he could already sense these underlying issues.

Liu Jing hurried through his morning routine, and as soon as the two women saw him emerge, they fell silent. The silence, however, was only temporary. Without addressing the root cause, they would inevitably clash again—once, twice, until they were exhausted by the fighting.

"If I weren't here, this family would fall apart sooner or later," Liu Jing muttered to himself. *I hope they don't get a divorce right after adopting me. At least hold it together for a few years until I can "level up" and reach adulthood.*

"Woody, go tell Xixi to come eat," Auntie Liu commanded.

Three minutes later, the young girl appeared, her hair a mess and her face filled with despair. Professor An was surprised; usually, it took four or five calls to get her out of bed. "You’re quite diligent today."

"Dad, tell Woody to behave! He’s not gentle at all," the girl bristled.

"Gentle?" Professor An muttered.

"He just shouted a few times, ripped off my blanket, and dragged me out of bed! I’m a girl, for goodness' sake. Who wakes people up like that?" The girl looked indignant, clenching her fists as if to fight, but she didn't dare. The little brat had proven himself invincible back at the orphanage, and she knew she was no match for him.

Professor An was stunned, at a loss for words.

"Haha, finally someone who can keep you in check," Auntie Liu laughed, then urged, "Wash up and eat. Don't be late today."

"Hmph!" The girl huffed, opening a mental ledger to record yet another grievance.

"Woody, come with me to work later," Auntie Liu said while serving dishes. Liu Jing wanted to help, but he was shooed away—no one trusts a child so small to carry plates.

"I want to stay home and read," Liu Jing said, less than enthusiastic. He needed to learn as soon as possible. He wanted to understand this world quickly. The memories of his past life taught him that when arriving in a strange land, one should not act rashly; observe and understand the situation first.

"Your Uncle An is going to school, Xixi has classes, and I have rehearsals. We aren't comfortable leaving you home alone. Besides, if you read by yourself, aren't you afraid you'll just fall asleep again?" Auntie Liu untied her apron, secretly pleased that he enjoyed reading.

"Liu Jing, why don't you go to your grandparents'? They’re free and can supervise your studies," Professor An suggested.

"I’ll stick with Sister Li," Liu Jing replied without hesitation. That old lady didn't seem to like him very much.

After breakfast, they scattered. Liu Jing expected another boring day. He clutched his *Xinhua Dictionary*, intending to hide in a corner and learn his characters in peace. But once he arrived at the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theater, he was instantly electrified.

Forget the handsome men and beautiful women; for a three-year-old Liu Jing, they weren't much use—you couldn't eat them. But the bubbles floating above people's heads were incredibly tempting. What were dictionaries or quiet study compared to those bubbles?

"Oh! Xiao Li, I heard you adopted a child. You brought him today! I had something come up yesterday, so sorry. Let's find a time to have dinner."

Liu Jing sneered. *Hypocritical, fake. "Find a time" means never.*

"Xiao Li, this child looks so handsome. He’ll surely be filial."

Liu Jing rolled his eyes. *Is there any causal link between those two things?*

"Sister Li, is this a relative's child?"

*Heh, they aren't on good terms; she wasn't even informed.*

"Xiao Li, congratulations! What’s his name? He’s not shy at all. Let's talk to Professor An later and arrange a childhood engagement."

*Hmph! Not much to look at yourself, but you have big dreams. With a mother like you, your daughter probably isn't much better.*

"Lili, Panghu had a fever last night; I didn't mean to break our date. Here, little one, a gift from your auntie. Oh, take it, take it! Lili, if you act like that again, I’m going to be mad."

*Hmm! No wonder there's a bubble over her head. Even if it's only nine points, she’s a good person.*

As they walked, Auntie Liu responded to everyone, some greetings active, some passive. Liu Jing was well-behaved, not saying a word, trailing right behind her.

*Cultural and Entertainment Energy +9*
*Cultural and Entertainment Energy +18*
*Cultural and Entertainment Energy +33*
*Cultural and Entertainment Energy +27*
...

Not everyone had bubbles; they only appeared on a select few. By the time they entered the rehearsal hall, Liu Jing had already collected 365 points of "Cultural and Entertainment Energy."

"Woody, sit here and read while I rehearse. The restroom is over there. If you’re hungry, tell me, and I’ll take you to eat," Auntie Liu instructed.

"Rehearsing what?" Liu Jing looked around. The room was large and quite cool.

"The theater's production, 'Chu Rhyme.' I’m going to change; don't wander off," Auntie Liu fretted.

"Mm! I won't peek." Liu Jing opened his dictionary. The girl’s teaching from yesterday had been useful; the pinyin wasn't stopping him.

Auntie Liu found it strange. *You’re quite the gentleman. Even if you did peek, you’re just a three-year-old boy; you’ve seen plenty in the public bathhouse.*

Before long, a group of women arrived. Auntie Liu was decent, but many others changed clothes right in front of the little boy. Liu Jing remained as calm as still water; he was only three, after all. Even with the memories of his past life, his body was not yet at puberty, forcing him to remain indifferent.

The women, seeing the little boy was well-behaved, became even more brazen, teasing him endlessly. Amidst the playfulness, he was "manhandled" quite a bit, though he also got a few perks. He also figured out what "Chu Rhyme" was, and felt a bit disappointed. The actual dances of the ancient Chu State were nothing like this; they were much wilder.

Auntie Liu kept part of her attention on Liu Jing. The little guy was nodding, shaking his head, looking disappointed, sighing... During a break, she couldn't help but ask, "Woody, do you like dance? Shall I sign you up for a dance class?"

"No, I just like watching," Liu Jing said, glancing at the resting dancers and pursing his lips. *Actually, I don't even like the way you dance.*

There was one benefit to reading here: the rehearsals often created a lot of noise. Whenever he felt drowsy, the commotion would wake him up, and he would continue reading. Vaguely, he had found a way to combat his "book-induced sleepiness": reading in the middle of a bustling crowd.

"Xixi isn't very motivated in dance class. If you were to..." Auntie Liu persisted.

"Just keep an eye on me. If I fall asleep, wake me up," Liu Jing said, not looking up from his dictionary.

Auntie Liu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. A child who was overly studious could be quite unlovable.

After watching for a while, Liu Jing waited until Auntie Liu wasn't paying attention and slipped out of the rehearsal room. This place had many other rehearsals, not just dance programs. Once the "wool" was shorn here, he had to find another place to "shear."

One day, two days, three days... At first, Auntie Liu worried about him running off, but eventually, she let him be. Within a few days, Liu Jing knew the place better than she did. He had found a new world, leaving early and returning late every day, more diligent than Auntie Liu was at her job.

In half a month, he had harvested 1,373 points of Cultural and Entertainment Energy. Except for the first day, the gains had been small. However, he had gradually figured out the rules: first, only rehearsals of dance or performances generated energy. Second, bubbles were collected automatically within a ten-meter radius. Third, energy could accumulate in the bubbles, up to a maximum of 100 points each. Finally, if there were no cultural activities for a period, the bubbles would disappear.

After half a month, Liu Jing didn't go to the theater with Auntie Liu; Professor An had arranged for him to start kindergarten.