The first day of class consisted of dance lessons. The trainees were gathered inside a large dance studio; a European instructor with dark brown hair stood in front of them. Unexpectedly, the instructor spoke fluent Chinese, yet he appeared exactly like the European men one would see in oil paintings. The instructor had a reserved and elegant air to him. Each and every move he made was graceful to a tee.
The instructor’s voice, however, was resolute and serious. Everyone immediately understood that there was no room for laziness in their future dance lessons.
“You can call me Pacino. Tango is a dance that is as passionate as fire. The Argentine tango is especially intertwined with romance.”
Tang Tian Tian, who was standing beside Tang Feng, suddenly exclaimed in distress, “I can’t dance. I’m good at everything else, just not dancing. Tang Feng, what should I do?”
“Stupid, it’s because you can’t dance that you have to learn.” Tang Feng couldn’t resist chuckling.
“In any case, it should be fine since you can dance. Tang Feng, you definitely have to teach me in the future. You have to lead me through the entire dance. I am your dance partner after all,” Tang Tian Tian said and laughed. She then looked at Tang Feng, who was nodding at her request. She suddenly felt an inexplicable itch inside her heart. Tang Feng was graceful and handsome, with a classical air about him. Tang Tian Tian felt that he’d be quite good-looking if he were going to dance…
♦
Tang Feng finally understood why Tang Tian Tian appeared so worried earlier. The girl truly couldn’t dance.
Watching her attempts, Tang Feng couldn’t help but feel the urge to laugh. Before the actual training began, Pacino had asked each trainee to have a dance with him. There wasn’t a specific set of movements to go through; the only thing one needed to do was to move according to the music and experience the charm and passion of Argentine tango under Pacino’s lead.
The clearly distracted Tang Tian Tian was the first one picked to have a dance with Pacino. The romantic sounds of Latin music drifted through the room, interweaving between everyone’s legs and feet. Pacino’s every move was relaxed and enchanting. Tang Tian Tian’s movements, on the other hand, were the complete opposite.
The music was obviously mellow and elegant. In addition, she was being led by Pacino, a tango master, yet Tang Tian Tian’s moves were as stiff as a robot’s. It would be wrong to call her movements “dancing.” They were more in line with a zombie’s walk. Tango, especially Argentine tango, was a dance that connected the dancers and brought out their emotions. Like vines twisting against each other, the souls and bodies of the dancers entwine together, exposing the sensuality of the dance.
But there wasn’t a single spark of attraction between Pacino and Tang Tian Tian. They appeared in pain, and the ones watching them found their dance tedious to look at.
“No, no. It’s not like this.” Pacino shook his head and quickly turned off the music.
“I don’t know how to dance.” Tang Tian Tian shrugged and said in a wheedling manner.
“Don’t think of it as simply a dance or a task to accomplish. You need to use your heart to experience the music. You need to sense your partner’s warmth and every breath.” Pacino walked towards Tang Feng but continued talking to Tang Tian Tian. “Music is a like a tiny, winding path in a forest. You need to take your partner, your momentary lover, and walk along that tiny path together. That is tango.”
“Come, how about you try it with me?” Pacino stopped in front of Tang Feng and reached out a hand with a smile.
Lacing her hands together, Tang Tian Tian leaned against the wall with a frown on her face. Wasn’t it simply dancing? Why did it seem so enigmatic when Pacino described it? Looking at Pacino and Tang Feng standing together, Tang Tian Tian immediately became alert. She had seen Pacino dance with male students before, but strangely, she was especially looking forward to it this time.
While watching Tang Feng and Pacino, Tang Tian Tian noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and quickly discovered someone new standing outside the studio’s door. “Eh, why is President Lu here?”
The music started once again.
The beat of the music pulsated quietly through the room. In time with the music, Tang Feng and Pacino’s steps fell lightly on the floor.
One could almost see the vine-like music entangling around their legs as they moved around. It was completely different from the awkward, stiff dance Tang Tian Tian had earlier with Pacino. The minute the music had restarted, the atmosphere in the studio changed. Tang Feng and Pacino’s dance was graceful yet commanding, a tango between men. Every step, every move they made was powerful and dominating. Every action of theirs was a battle.
The distance between their bodies was small, their chests almost touching, and yet they were also like opponents who at any time could strike eac