Lán Huā Cǎo

Lán Huā Cǎo is a song that links Mei-Hwa’s friendship with Ever to Ever’s developing work as a choreographer. First shared with Ever on a night when she had hit bottom, it returns as the music for The Wanderer and carries Mei-Hwa’s influence from private comfort onto the public stage.

Introduction and Personal Meaning

Mei-Hwa introduces Ever to “Orchid Grass” during a low point in Ever’s life. The song becomes more than a favorite: it marks a moment when Mei-Hwa offered comfort, and its later recurrence lets Ever acknowledge the importance of that act.

When Mei-Hwa passes Ever and Sophie after a snack break, she wishes them good night with a small smile. Ever considers calling after her to say that they are dancing to Mei-Hwa’s favorite song, but hesitates because Mei-Hwa is working and might have to report their rule-breaking to the Dragon, as she had reported Matteo. The song thus holds both affection and the tension created by the limits of Mei-Hwa’s position.

A Thread Through the Tour

During the typhoon-struck southern tour, Lán Huā Cǎo plays from hidden speakers at a hot springs resort. As Ever and Rick walk hand in hand down a stone path ankle-deep in floodwater, the familiar music accompanies a relationship that has drawn close again since Rick’s letter, though they have not kissed again. The scene leaves their intimacy suspended: Ever imagines that another kiss would release a flood they could not hold back.

The song’s appearance amid rain and floodwater joins its emotional associations to the tour’s physical landscape. It does not resolve Ever and Rick’s relationship; instead, its return accompanies a closeness that remains restrained.

From Shared Song to Public Dance

Before the talent show, Ever tells Mei-Hwa that the group is dancing to “Orchid Grass” and thanks her for sharing it. A genuine smile briefly crosses Mei-Hwa’s face before the shadows return. Ever’s acknowledgment turns the song into a gift returned: the private memory is named between them, even as Mei-Hwa’s difficult circumstances remain present.

At the performance, the opening notes of “Lán Huā Cǎo” begin The Wanderer, Ever’s original dance. The performers first form three matching groupings around a central girl pirouetting with raised arms; languid movements gradually reshape the formations as the drums sound. When the music accelerates, black robes come off to reveal sapphire, emerald, and orange costumes, while ribbons and blue fans open the restrained beginning into a vivid, expanding spectacle.

Ever describes choreography as carrying a story, one that has evolved through rehearsal and the addition of new elements. In The Wanderer, the song therefore serves not only as accompaniment but as the starting point for an evolving performance. Its recurrence brings Mei-Hwa’s earlier kindness into Ever’s authored work, transforming a song shared in private into part of a dance presented to an audience.