Hard to Escape

Chapter 26

Yin Li had stood calmly on the sidewalk with a large bouquet of roses in his hand, drawing countless passersby's attention. I walked straight into my apartment without a single backwards glance. The following two days followed the same pattern. He didn't call to me and didn't bother me. He only stood there with a new, fresh bouquet of roses every day. Meanwhile at home, the aromatic lilies Li Jing had sent me bloomed wantonly with a heavy fragrance.

After another day, he didn't just have roses in his hand anymore. He even had a sign by his feet that said in large letters in French: "Forgive me."

I would have never thought that Yin Li could do something like that. Not knowing how to face him, I escaped through the back door.

Frank helped me contact Madame Taylor, and today was our meeting.

Madame Taylor is a world-renowned dancer. She had gained fame and recognition in her youth. When she retired from the troupe, she then became a choreographer. She had once publicly announced that she would never take a student of her own volition. I was that exception.

Currently, she was running late, and meanwhile, I grew increasingly nervous. My heart was uneasy.

She was my only hope for unraveling all the riddles.

However, once my gaze landed on this famous teacher's esteemed, elegant face, I felt a chill come over my body. She clearly recognized my face, but her reaction wasn't that of a happy reunion. Instead, it was calm to the point of indifference.

"Show me a pirouette on pointe and a backwards kick." Her voice was aloof and she didn't even greet me or hug me. She only dropped that one ice-cold sentence.

"I've lost my memories." I felt slightly ill. "I was in a car accident and forgot everything. I don't remember who I was, and I don't remember you either."

Only with that did Madame Taylor look at me with slight surprise. But it was only that one look. She then continued. "Let me see your leg." With that, she came forward to examine my calf. She crouched in front of me, her face solemn and grave. She pinched me from my toes all the way to my heel to my calf. Afterwards, she asked me to twirl.

"Teacher, are there any problems? We can sit and chat."

At this, her face grew even colder. "I think there's no need for any further discussion. And don't call me teacher. I don't recognize you as Alicia. You don't have the legs of a dancer." She looked up at me and her tone was like a judge delivering a death penalty. "Those without strong legs can never become a magnificent dancer with the ability to stun the audience from the stage. With your legs as they are right now, it's impossible for you to become a professional dancer. In the history of ballet, there has never been a dancer with such flabby, powerless legs."

Her cruel words made me feel resentful and wronged. "But I am Alicia. You know this! I can relearn how to dance! I'm not afraid of pain!"

"Many times, just having the right attitude is not enough. You only have the desire to dance ballet, but not the legs for it. Every dancer, for the sake of dance, is capable of sacrificing a lifetime of blood and sweat. They sacrifice everything, yet in the end, the ones who are able to stand at the peak of the world, look down on all others, and receive the worship of all, are very few in number."

"It's regrettable. Alicia is a dancer I very much respect. But the reality now is this: an Alicia without ballet is not Alicia. You are not her."

My heart was in complete disarray. I nearly died, and without knowing what for. I lived painfully amidst a giant lie. Once I realized the truth I wanted to reclaim my past, but discovered that everyone no longer needs me.