Chapter 178: Chapter 80: Top Star of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (19)

The two adults and two children were a beautiful sight wherever they went, like a sudden splash of color in an ink wash painting—vibrant and full of life!

They took the first bus. By the time they arrived at the Cultural Palace, the main gates hadn’t opened yet, but quite a few people were already waiting.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked along the line toward the end. As Xia Zhaoyun’s gaze swept casually over the crowd, she saw a familiar, tall, and upright figure.

Huo Tianhao was fiddling boredly with a cigarette between his fingers, listening to Liu Mingkun drone on beside him. A frown of impatience creased his brow. ’I really have no idea how I ended up here!’

Sensing her gaze, he snapped his head up, only to find that she had casually looked away as if nothing happened.

He stuck the cigarette between his lips and scoffed. ’She really can’t wait to cut ties with me. Said we’d be strangers if we met again, and now she won’t even spare me a glance.’

"Hey, it’s Comrade Xia Zhaoyun! Huh, and who’s that other comrade?" Liu Mingkun heard his strange laugh and looked up, puzzled. He followed his friend’s gaze and saw two exceptionally beautiful women, his initial awe quickly turning into excitement.

Before Huo Tianhao could say a word, he was already waving his hand. "Comrade Xia, over here!"

Xia Zhaoyun pretended not to hear. Holding a child’s hand with one hand and linking arms with He Qingran with the other, she quickened her pace. "Let’s hurry up and get in line, or more people will get ahead of us."

Seeing more and more people arriving, He Qingran naturally let the distant shouts go in one ear and out the other. She also held her child’s hand and hurried, almost jogging, to get in line.

Liu Mingkun sensed the dark mood coming from his ’big brother’ beside him. With a mischievous grin, he darted out and blocked Xia Zhaoyun’s path. "What a coincidence, Comrade Xia! We meet again!"

"Are you trying to get in line? Come on, come to the front." He pointed at Huo Tianhao but couldn’t stop his eyes from darting toward He Qingran. "Brother Hao is saving us a spot up there."

The competition was being held in the Cultural Palace’s largest auditorium, which could accommodate over five hundred people. Backstage, there were areas for the fifty-plus contestants to do their makeup, change clothes, and rest, as well as space for various staff members.

In addition, there were parents bringing their children for talent classes, various art enthusiasts, and more, making for a large crowd.

By now, the line snaked down the street and around a corner. The bustling, chaotic scene was intimidating to behold.

The gates wouldn’t open for another twenty minutes, and then the staff would have to check everyone’s IDs and letters of introduction one by one. It was better to get inside early and prepare than to wait impatiently in line.

Most importantly, Huo Tianhao and his friend were positioned quite far up, with only twenty or thirty people ahead of them. The offer was too tempting!

He Qingran looked at Xia Zhaoyun and asked in a low voice, "Yunyun, do you know this comrade? Is it a problem? If not, should we cut in line? It’s going to get hot later, and I’m worried the kids won’t be able to take it."

Liu Mingkun also chimed in with a smile, "Comrade Xia, if you guys just wait patiently in the back, you’ll be here forever. You’ll probably miss the start. There are already this many people, and when the gates open, everyone who arrives will just cut in with people they know! The line will only get longer, and you’ll end up further and further back."

"So, you see, now is the crucial moment to leverage your connections."

"And for something as small as cutting in line, you don’t even need a close relationship. Anyone you’re on a first-name basis with will do."

Xia Zhaoyun looked down and stroked the two children’s heads, then smiled at Liu Mingkun. "Well, thank you in advance, Brother Kun."

As Liu Mingkun led them over, he chuckled and said, "I’m just a team leader at the supply and marketing co-op. Don’t ’Brother Kun’ me. Comrade Xia and... this is?"

He Qingran was a little embarrassed but politely followed Xia Zhaoyun’s lead. "Hello, Brother Kun. My name is He Qingran. I’m an announcer at the Zhaoyang Clothing Factory."

"Ah, so you’re Comrade He. You and Comrade Xia shouldn’t tease me. Don’t call me Brother Kun, just call me by my name, Liu Mingkun!"

He then looked down at the two little ones, who, after a few days of good meals, had gained a bit of color and chubbiness in their faces. "These must be our nephew and niece, right? They really look like Comrade Xia." As he spoke, he rummaged through his pockets but couldn’t find anything to entertain the kids with.

Huo Tianhao, however, pulled out a set of small, exquisite, and charmingly cute zodiac badges. He shoved them into Liu Mingkun’s hand and said languidly, "Someone gave them to me. I have no use for them. Let the kids have them to play with."

Liu Mingkun didn’t dare lift his gaze, struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from splitting into too wide a grin.

’Since when does his Brother Hao like these little trinkets? And he actually let someone give them to him? Tsk, tsk. He even changed his clothes and still kept them on him. Unusual. This is very unusual!’

He crouched down, about to stuff the badges into the children’s bags.

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