Chapter 60.1
A week before the grand show, Yu Le took Lu Yao to the venue for the first time for a rehearsal.
Of course, as the only outsider among a group of professional models, Lu Yao’s task was not just to rehearse but also to observe and learn on the fly.
This was the third time in Lu Yao’s life he was learning how to walk properly.
The first time was as a child learning to walk, the second was during military training learning to march, and the third was today, learning how to walk the runway.
At first glance, it seemed a bit absurd, and upon closer inspection, it was even more so.
But Lu Yao found it quite interesting.
The reason was simple: How could something done for his wife be considered uninteresting?
To avoid unforeseen circumstances like weather issues, the venue was not outdoors but an indoor space spacious enough to comfortably accommodate 5,000 people.
The venue had been set up well in advance.
To match the shared theme of “Verdant World,” the scene was designed to be deep and natural, with a color scheme dominated by gray-blue and ink green, aiming to create a pure beauty reminiscent of thriving nature.
When Yu Le and Lu Yao arrived, the venue was almost fully set up. The main theme was evident, though some minor details were still being refined.
“There’s a familiar feeling about this place.”
Yu Le looked around. “Mr. Lu, don’t you notice it?”
Lu Yao: “Notice what?”
“Everything,” Yu Le said. “It’s not just one point; it’s the overall atmosphere. When I first went to Daiwa Town and got off the bus and approached the town, it felt just like this—fresh, comfortable, and particularly relaxing.”
Lu Yao: “Yu Le, it’s winter now, and there’s heating inside.”
Yu Le: “……”
Yu Le: “Damn science students.”
Old Song arrived earlier than they did. After Yu Le introduced Lu Yao to him, Lu Yao extended his hand first. “Mr. Song, it’s an honor.”
“An honor, indeed, Mr. Lu,” Old Song replied.
Old Song had a kind and amiable appearance, not acting superior because of his status. He resembled an ordinary grandfather, and his smile was warm and approachable.
Yu Le put his arm around Lu Yao’s shoulder. “So, Mr. Song, what do you think of our Mr. Lu? Is he suitable for the final spot?”
The slight pride and boasting in Yu Le’s tone made Mr. Lu in a good mood.
Yu Le attached great importance to this show, and so did Mr. Song. Previously, when he heard that Yu Le wanted someone with no runway experience for the finale, he was honestly worried, despite Yu Le’s repeated assurances that the person he selected would have both appearance and strength.
Now that he saw Lu Yao in person, his concerns were halved but not entirely dispelled.
Mr. Lu indeed had an outstanding appearance and impressive demeanor, but this was a runway, not a photo shoot. It was only when he actually walked the runway that his true abilities would be revealed.
“I hope everything goes well,” Mr. Song said meticulously. “Mr. Lu, let’s give it a try?”
They went to the stage area. The models took their positions backstage. With Mr. Song’s signal, music started playing, and the models began to walk out, pose, turn, and return in an orderly and pleasing manner.
Mr. Song nodded in satisfaction.
Yu Le watched while providing on-site instructions to Lu Yao:
“Since it’s a collaborative show, the models go on in pairs. You’ll be my model, so walk on the left side. After coming out from backstage, just stop briefly at the front, then turn around and return through the left side.”
“It’s actually quite simple. You’re not a professional in this area, so you don’t need to learn every detail of the steps. Just walk as you normally do. Your physique is no worse than theirs. Just walk in your own style, and that will be the best.”
“After the last model walks, there will be a curtain call, so there’s a collective appearance. After completing a circle, stop at that position. Finally, Mr. Song and I will come out to greet everyone, and that will conclude the show.”
“How does that sound? Is it simple?”
Lu Yao nodded. It indeed didn’t seem difficult.
Yu Le said, “They’ll adjust the order slightly after this run. You can give it a try in the second round.”
Lu Yao understood and went backstage to prepare for the second round.
Yu Le stood with a bottle of water with Mr. Song, waiting.
Not just them, but many staff members also took a break from their work to watch. Given the previous photos and videos, everyone recognized Lu Yao, so it was unspoken that he would be the center of attention.
Even though Yu Le had a mysterious confidence and absolute faith in Lu Yao, he felt a bit nervous.
As the music started again, the models stepped onto the runway.
While Yu Le had been able to objectively appreciate the previous models, he couldn’t do so this time. From the moment the first group of models appeared, he was counting heads, waiting for the finale.
When the music slowed for the third time, the highly anticipated finale models appeared.
Lu Yao was paired with a foreign model with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were of similar height, but their facial features showed clear racial differences. The foreign model’s expression management and walking steps clearly reflected his professional level.
But even so, Lu Yao was not at all inferior.
His deeply sculpted features, straight and upright posture, and perfect fit with Eastern aesthetics gave him an initial advantage.
Unlike the uniform and cold demeanor of professional models, despite being restrained, the military training had deeply ingrained a straight and upright demeanor in Lu Yao, which was hard to conceal. His movements carried an inherent dignity that made it hard to look away after just one glance.
If one had to compare, he even seemed to have a slight edge over the foreign model.
After all, Lu Yao’s training was genuine and rigorous, unlike the models who relied on gym equipment and salads. Yu Le knew it wasn’t fair to compare, but he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
Such an outstanding person was his.
He turned to look at Mr. Song. It was clear that Mr. Song’s doubts about Lu Yao’s suitability for the finale had been completely dispelled. His eyes were now full of admiration, which was the highest praise for Lu Yao.
Noticing Yu Le’s gaze, Mr. Song smiled. “Mr. Lu is indeed quite impressive, different from what I had imagined. May I ask, Mr. Lu, have you ever—”
Mr. Song’s question was interrupted by a sudden uproar and screams. Both of them were startled and quickly looked up to see that the person on stage had already swiftly jumped off the runway.
Lu Yao moved with astonishing speed and agility, leaping over tables and chairs, and in two steps reached a nearly two-meter-high platform. He lifted a fallen child with one hand, and just as a partition was falling from above, he shielded the child tightly in his arms and quickly rolled over to safety on the other side.
The scene unfolded so quickly that almost everyone was still in shock.
Yu Le was the first to react, running toward the scene. Others, waking up from their daze, hurried to surround them:
“Is everything alright?! Did anyone get hurt?”
“Didn’t twist your ankle, did you? Check for any arm scratches.”
“I’ve only seen scenes like this in spy movies. Mr. Lu is amazing!”
“Let’s save the admiration for later; first, get the child.”
“Why was there a child in the venue? Who brought them in?”
“Stop crying. Your brother didn’t cry even though he saved you. Can you please be quiet?”
“Everything’s fine, no injuries. Get the child out of here quickly, don’t make things worse!”
The child’s father came over, apologizing repeatedly and quickly took the child away.
Lu Yao adjusted his position to land safely. He was unharmed but had a slight pain in his elbow from the child’s fall. He didn’t want Yu Le to worry and quickly reassured him, holding his hand tightly. “It’s okay, don’t worry.”
“I know,” Yu Le said softly. “It’s nothing you can’t handle.”
Lu Yao smiled and ruffled his hair.
Seeing this, the crowd around them sighed in relief and couldn’t help but admire and be curious about Lu Yao even more.
It seemed that Mr. Lu would be in the spotlight once again.
The rehearsal lasted from afternoon until evening. When they walked out the door, they discovered it was already snowing outside.
Yu Le remarked, “The snow in Xuan City is so delicate.”
Lu Yao took his hand and put it into his own pocket. “Why do you say that?”
Yu Le looked up. “Because Wucheng is in the north, the snow there is rough, with big flakes and it lasts long. Since it started tonight, we’ll probably be having snowball fights by tomorrow morning.”
Unlike Xuan City’s soft, delicate snow that melts upon landing.
“Hey, brother,” Yu Le asked him, “Didn’t you ever see snow that could be piled up and thrown at people when you were growing up in Xuan City?”
Lu Yao: “I’ve been to the north a few times on winter missions.”
Yu Le sighed, “Oh, I forgot.”
…
A week before the grand show, Yu Le took Lu Yao to the site for the first rehearsal.
Of course, as the only novice among the professional models, Lu Yao’s task was not just to rehearse but also to make a last-minute effort to observe and learn.
This was Lu Yao’s third time learning how to walk.
The first time was learning to walk as a child, the second was learning to march in the military, and the third was today, learning how to walk the runway.
At first glance, it seemed a bit absurd; upon closer inspection, it was even more so.
But Lu Yao found it quite interesting.
The reason was simple—how could serving his wife be anything but interesting?
To avoid unexpected weather issues, the venue was not chosen as an outdoor space. The indoor venue was very spacious, easily accommodating five thousand people.
The venue had been set up well in advance.
To match their shared theme, “Verdant World,” the scene was arranged to lean towards a deep natural aesthetic, with gray-blue and dark green as the main tones, aiming to create a pure beauty that flourishes in nature.
By the time Yu Le and Lu Yao arrived, the venue was nearly set up. The main theme was evident, but some small details still needed to be refined.
“It feels very familiar.”
Yu Le looked around and said, “Mr. Lu, don’t you notice?”
Lu Yao asked, “Where?”
“Everywhere,” Yu Le replied. “It’s not just a point that’s similar; it’s the overall atmosphere. When I first went to Daiwa Town, it felt just like this when I got off the bus and approached the town—very refreshing, very comfortable, and especially relaxing.”
Lu Yao said, “Le Le, it’s winter now, and the heating is on inside.”
Yu Le said, “……”
Yu Le said, “Damn scientist.”
Old Song arrived earlier than them. After Yu Le brought Lu Yao to the backstage and introduced him, Lu Yao took the initiative to extend his hand, saying, “Mr. Song, I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lu,” Old Song replied.
Old Song’s appearance was very kind and amiable, not self-assuming but rather like an ordinary grandfather. He smiled in a way that made people feel very comfortable.
Yu Le put his hand on Lu Yao’s shoulder and said, “Mr. Song, what do you think of our Mr. Lu? Is he fit to be the finale?”
The small hint of pride and boasting in his tone made Mr. Lu feel very good.
Yu Le was very concerned about this show, and so was Old Song. He was initially uneasy when he heard that Yu Le wanted to use someone with no runway experience for the finale. Despite Yu Le’s repeated assurances that his chosen person would have both appearance and capability, he remained worried.
Seeing the real person now, half of his worry was alleviated, but there was still some left.
Mr. Lu did indeed have an outstanding appearance and impressive temperament, but this was a runway show, not a photo shoot; it was only on stage that the real test would show.
“I also hope there won’t be any problems,” Old Song said with a meticulous attitude toward his work. “Mr. Lu, shall we give it a try first?”
They went to the stage. The models were taking their positions behind the scenes. With a gesture from Old Song, the music began, and the models came out one by one, taking their positions, turning, and returning backstage, all in an orderly and pleasing manner.
Old Song nodded in satisfaction.
Yu Le watched and provided on-site teaching to Lu Yao.
“Since it’s a collaborative show, we decided on pairs of models. You’re my model, so you’ll walk on the left side. After coming out from backstage, you only need to stop at the front once, and then turn around and return from the left side.”
“It’s actually very simple. You’re not a professional in this area, so you don’t need to learn every step detail. Just walk as you usually do. Your physique is not worse than theirs; just show your own style, and that’s the best.”
“After the last model finishes, there will be a collective appearance. After you finish walking around, stop at that position. Finally, Mr. Song and I will come out to greet the audience, and it will be a perfect ending.”
“How does it sound? Is it very simple?”
Lu Yao nodded. It did seem to be no difficulty.
Yu Le said, “They might adjust the order a bit after they finish walking, so you can try it in the second round.”
Lu Yao understood and went backstage to prepare for the second round.
Yu Le, holding a bottle of water, waited with Old Song.
Not only them but also many staff members took a break from their work to come and watch. After the previous travel photos and videos, everyone in the venue recognized Lu Yao, so the focus of attention was obvious.
Despite Yu Le’s deep confidence and full faith in Lu Yao, he felt a bit nervous at this moment.
As the music played again, the models stepped onto the runway.
In the previous round, Yu Le could still view the show with objective appreciation, but this time it was different. From the moment the first group of models appeared, he was counting heads, waiting for the finale.
When the music slowed for the third time, the highly anticipated two final models appeared.
Lu Yao was paired with a foreign model with blonde hair and blue eyes. The two had similar heights, but their facial features had obvious racial differences. The foreign model’s expression management and walking pace all revealed his solid professional level.
Despite this, Lu Yao was not at all outshone.
His deep and profound features, upright posture, and a look perfectly fitting Eastern aesthetics gave him an advantage from the start.
Unlike the often emotionless and uniform demeanor of professional models, though he restrained himself, the military-trained straightness and forthrightness were deeply ingrained, showing through his movements, making it hard for people to look away after just one glance.
If one had to compare, there was even a hint of overshadowing the foreign model.
After all, the professionally trained models from gyms and salons could not compare to someone who had undergone real training. Yu Le knew this comparison was unfair but couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
Such an excellent person was his.
