Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 504 Everyone Starts to Believe the Legend (11000 words in a crazy frenzy!)

"hello?"

It's a little past 2 PM Beijing time, which is 11 PM in LA, not too late, but in New York, it would be 2 AM. Chen Nuo already knew what was going on when Lameria went to call her husband.

Judging from Old Tang's sleepy voice, he was clearly already asleep. As for why his phone was separated from him and why his wife was so far away, Chen Nuo didn't care to think about it.

He is now filled with rage.

Although he knew this old guy was unreliable, he gave him a tiny bit of trust for a second, out of consideration for the fact that the old man had come all this way to advise him. And this is how it turned out!
This old man doesn't deserve even the slightest trust!

"Donald, didn't I tell you not to go around talking about this?"

Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Chen Nuo, disregarding Old Tang's current state and lack of any intention of greeting him, immediately roared angrily, "So, tell me what you did? You actually went on Pierce Morgan's show on CNN and talked about it at length! Now the whole of America knows about this. Just three minutes ago, you were fast asleep, but Mark Zuckerberg called me, asking what happened and how I knew. I was completely speechless. Donald, I'm asking you, what were you thinking? Tell me!"

“I…”

On the other end of the phone, Old Tang uttered the word "I," but Chen Nuo was truly enraged at this point and didn't want to listen to his nonsense. He interrupted, "Shut up, OK? Don't say anything now, just listen to me. I don't want to hear your excuses or any more of your pretexts. I don't want to hear any of it! Let me tell you, this is entirely your fault, you old scoundrel who spouts nonsense, you went back on your word, you betrayed my trust, you treated your promises to me like bullshit!"

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and continued, "Donald, I'll ask you one more time, what the hell are you doing? What are you thinking? Why did you do that? Do you have some kind of dementia? Let me tell you, your big mouth not only ruined Mark's wedding, but it also destroyed the trust and friendship between us. I'm not kidding!"

Chen Nuo vented his anger for a while, until he finally stopped.

I then realized that the other end of the phone was silent; the call had been disconnected sometime earlier.

He hesitated for a moment and didn't call again. Just as he put his phone away, he heard Jiang Wen laugh and say, "Nuozi, I think this is the first time I've ever heard you swear."

Zhang Ziyi also laughed and said, "I've known Chen Nuo for quite a while, and this is the first time I've heard him lose his temper."

Chen Nuoqiang smiled and said, "I'm sorry, please excuse my poor performance."

"Are you done playing?" Li Er asked.

Chen Nuo said, "It's over."

Li Er said, "Come over as soon as you're done fighting. Everyone's been waiting for you for so long."

A middle-aged man with thinning hair next to him laughed and said, "It's alright, Professor Li, it's nothing, it's only been a few minutes."

Chen Nuo said to him, "I'm sorry, Professor Chen, something happened in the United States."

Chen Gang, a professor in the acting department at the Central Academy of Drama and later the head of the department, was startled and quickly waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, it's alright." Feeling a little embarrassed himself, he hurriedly turned to Wu and said, "Um, Director Wu, why don't you continue?"

Beside him, a well-off middle-aged man said, "Okay, Professor Chen, then, fellow teachers, let me repeat the rules again, okay?"

“Okay.” Chen Kexin, who was sitting in the second seat on the right, smiled and said, “Speak slowly, I’m getting old and my mind can’t keep up a little.”

Jiang Wendao said, "Director Chen is absolutely being modest. I think among us, Director Chen is probably the youngest. Director Cai, what do you think?"

Tsai Ming-liang said, "Seeing Director Chen's hair, I really have no way to refute it."

Jiang Wen laughed and said, "So that's how it is. I was wondering why these ladies looked so young; it turns out it's because they have long hair."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyi, Li Binbing, and Hao Lei all laughed.

Li Binbing said, "Jiang Wen, what you're saying makes me think you're harassing us women. Be careful, or I'll report you to Zhou Yun."

Hao Lei said, "I disagree with Director Jiang's statement. I think Professor Li is still very young even though he has short hair."

Li Er's lips twitched slightly, managing to force a smile.

However, her outfit today can definitely be described as "not forced".

Having received an appearance fee, he came out of retirement to serve as a judge on a variety show for his students and son's company. He traveled from Beijing to Hengdian, and he looked radiant. From his hairstyle to his shoes, everything was meticulously coordinated, exuding style.

Even compared to the other eight younger judges sitting on the judging panel—Jiang Wen, Zhang Ziyi, Li Binbing, Hao Lei, Tsai Mingliang, Chen Kexin, Chen Gang, and Chen Nuo—she doesn't look old at all; in fact, she looks younger than Tsai Mingliang, who was born in 57 and is 55 this year.

The show's director said just that one sentence, and as a result, all the big names on stage started chatting about trivial things again.

But the middle-aged man could only stand there and smile apologetically, not daring to utter a single word.

Originally, although Wu Hao was considered a veteran of Youku's variety show team, having worked at Zhejiang TV, Dragon TV, and Hunan TV before being poached by Youku, and directed many variety shows, he could only listen to people chatting like those on stage.

"Alright, alright, stop talking for now, let's hear what the director has to say first," Zhang Ziyi said at this moment.

Jiang Wen said, "Okay, listen to the director. From now on, no one is allowed to speak. Who spoke first and interrupted the director?"

Zhang Ziyi said helplessly, "You were the one who mentioned it first, Director Jiang."

Jiang Wen said, "Ziyi, you're wronging me. This has nothing to do with me. Nuozi was the one who called first, and we were just going along with what he said."

Zhang Ziyi laughed and said, "Director Jiang, I can't argue with you, but Professor Li and Professor Chen are here. Be careful, they might spank you later."

Jiang Wen laughed and said, "Hahahaha, I'm not saying anything more. Director, you go ahead."

Wu Hao smiled and said, "Okay, then I will start by introducing the competition system of our program to you all. This is the first episode of our 'The Birth of an Actor'. And you are the mentors for the first episode. Our sixteen students for this episode are already backstage ready. They will come up one by one to introduce themselves in a moment."

"Before each student goes on stage, we will send a resume to the teachers. The teachers can then ask questions based on the information on the resume, and give some questions to test their improvisation skills. They can then watch their performance on camera through the monitor in front of them and provide feedback."

"If you are satisfied with the performance, you can give a gold card to the student so that they can pass directly and advance to the next round. We have a total of five gold cards, so please give them out carefully."

Jiang Wen said, "I have a question."

Wu Hao said, "Professor Jiang Wen, please speak."

"What are the benefits of this gold card? It can't just be for passing the test, right? What's the incentive then? I saw those people backstage when they came over to say hello earlier; they didn't seem like they didn't have any acting opportunities."

Wu Hao laughed and said, "Of course there are benefits..."

“In my opinion, the benefits can’t be too small,” Jiang Wen interrupted again. “I think…”

Wu Hao felt a little helpless, but he could only keep smiling.

What else could happen?

If the entertainment industry is a food chain, then the person speaking is a Tyrannosaurus Rex that can rampage through the forest, while he is at most a Velociraptor. Although it is terrifying to herbivores, it can only obediently lie down when it encounters a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"Brother Jiang."

Just as Wu Hao was preparing to wait for the Tyrannosaurus Rex to go berserk, a soft voice suddenly sounded from the side.

Strangely enough, as soon as this sound appeared, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's imposing manner immediately diminished.

"Brother Jiang, can you let the director finish speaking first?"

Tyrannosaurus Rex immediately said, "Okay, I won't interrupt, Director, you go ahead."

Wu Hao suppressed a smirk and said, "Well, let me answer Director Jiang Wen's question first. Regarding the rewards, we will invite producers or executives from various domestic film and television companies to give the trainees real acting offers based on their performance. These companies include Huanxin Film & Television, Hengdian Group, China Film Group, Youku Video, Enlight Media, Tangren Film & Television, and New Pictures, among others. The trainee who receives the most gold cards will ultimately receive an A-level contract from Warner Bros. in the United States..."

"Hahahaha. Aren't all these companies..." Jiang Wen laughed, but this time he stopped mid-sentence, glanced to the side, and asked, "Nuozi, can I say one sentence? Just one sentence."

"Sigh... go ahead and tell me."

"I'd like to say, since we're both playing the favor card, I have to get involved too. Let's have a great time with our next movie. I'll give the second female lead role to one of the outstanding trainees from this variety show. Nuozi, what do you think?"

"Thank you. Okay, director, please continue. Brother Jiang, please don't interrupt, the professors are all here."

"Okay, okay, from now on, I absolutely won't speak unless you say something."

Seeing Jiang Wen's grimacing expression, everyone on stage laughed. Wu Hao could hardly suppress his smile either. He coughed lightly and said, "Finally, I want to remind all the teachers that our variety show is different from other variety shows in China. Although we have a process, we don't have a script during the process. Please feel free to ask questions. I believe you all have plenty of experience with this, so I won't elaborate."

"In addition, could you please ask Ms. Hao Lei to act as the host and do some of the connecting work?"

Hao Lei smiled and nodded: "Okay, no problem."

This was agreed upon when the contract was signed.

She didn't seem to have any complaints.

What could she possibly be unhappy about?
First, she received two million in appearance fees. That's no small sum for someone like her, an artsy type.

Secondly, look at the people around her. Although Hao Lei is a well-known actress in the mainland film and television industry, here, in terms of seniority, achievements, and status, if she doesn't become the host, then who will?

Is it Jiang Wen or Zhang Ziyi?
Wu Hao said, "That's roughly the situation. Do any of you teachers have any questions now?"

Chen Gang said with a smile, "I have a small question: if someone performs very poorly, will they be eliminated?"

Wu Hao said, "No, because we have already signed contracts with them."

Chen Gang smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand."

At this point, someone said, "Director, I think this rule could actually be changed. I think we need an elimination mechanism, like eliminating one or two people in the first round to keep everyone motivated. As for the appearance fee, we'll still pay it. What do you think?"

Wu Hao thought to himself: What did I say? You're the boss, you make the decisions.

He immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, I think it's fine. If the other teachers have no problems, we can take a ten-minute break and then start recording. The entire recording will take about 5-6 hours, and we will arrange dinner in the middle. If any of you teachers need a break, you can let us know. If there are no other problems, let's begin now."

As he finished speaking, he looked at the person who had just spoken. Not only him, but many people on the stage looked over as well.

Then he said, "Okay."

……

……

Chen Nuo never expected that a variety show project he hadn't paid much attention to would end up becoming such a huge success.

Many things, like a snowball, get bigger and bigger, and become more and more unexpected.

Initially, the program was simply a collaboration between "Huanxin" and Youku. Later, because the company needed to arrange leave for Dilraba Dilmurat and Yang Zi, the news reached the Beijing Film Academy, and the Beijing Film Academy also joined in.

Then, Tong Liya reminded him that if the program became a one-man show by the Beijing Film Academy, it would seem too small-minded. So, Chen Nuo arranged for Li Jing to connect with the Central Academy of Drama. Unexpectedly, the Central Academy of Drama was surprisingly proactive. They not only invited Chen Gang to be a judge, but also took the initiative to contact two alumni of the Central Academy of Drama who are very influential in the entertainment industry—Jiang Wen and Zhang Ziyi.

Later, due to Lin Gengxin's connection, the program was passed on to the Shanghai Theatre Academy. The Shanghai Theatre Academy showed great interest in this first variety show in the country and even the world with the theme of "actor training". Especially since the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama had already joined, they did not want to be absent. So they took the initiative to participate in the cooperation and put in their own outstanding graduate - Hao Lei.

As for the judges, Peter Chan, Tsai Ming-liang, and Li Bingbing, they were invited by Youku.

Ultimately, the show assembled a judging panel that could be described as somewhat abnormal.

Although he and Jiang Wen will not participate in the entire program, aside from appearing as special guests in the first episode, they may only participate in two or three episodes of the 12 episodes depending on the situation, with the other seven fixed judges taking the lead.

The entire variety show project will last for three months, during which the 16 trainees will live and train together in a closed environment, with all meals, accommodation, and filming taking place in Hengdian. All the hardware facilities, including dormitories, studios, and logistics, will be sponsored by Hengdian Group.

At this point, both Youku and Li Jing asked him to record an episode. As the boss of the co-producer, it would be unreasonable for him not to show up.

However, once he arrived at the scene, he was somewhat apprehensive.

It's important to understand that he's never been a theorist. When it comes to acting, he at most gives pointers to actresses like Tong Liya and Gao Yuanyuan in private. In public, he's genuinely not very good at speaking.

Aside from telling Jiang Wen, that old fox, to keep quiet, his role on the scene didn't seem to be very significant.

Next, including
Jiang Yiyan.

Lin Gengxin.

Yang Rong.

Zhang Ruoyun.

Yan Bingyan.

Xiao Zhan.

As others took the stage one by one, he remained mostly silent. Even though some were from his company and some were his senior classmates, he simply kept his expression unchanged and remained silent, his only requirement for himself being not to laugh out loud.

Because I saw these people being tortured.

To be honest, it's really quite interesting.

Li Er.

His teacher, who had been retired for several years and stayed home to take care of her granddaughter, did not improve her personality. On the contrary, it seemed that after not teaching students for several years, she had a lot to say, but she couldn't say it at home, so she said it all here.

"Jiang Yiyan, just because you changed your name and added a 'yi' doesn't mean you can be the lead actress. Professor Chen just gave you a task, the simplest emotional performance, and this is how you performed it. You can't even perform something this simple. I think you should change your name again and call yourself Jiang Jiuyan. Because your acting is truly ninth-rate."

"Lin Gengxin, right? I saw in your profile that you graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy and have acted in many dramas. I want to ask you on behalf of your teacher, do you even know how to use your brain when you're acting? I used to think the person next to me was stupid, but now I realize that he's still far behind you. Are you famous yet... I hope not! If you become famous, then there's no justice."

"It's not that being good-looking is enough to become an actor. I often tell this to this person, and now I want to tell you the same thing... Yang Rong, with your current acting skills, either you make up your mind to study hard, or you might as well get married while you're young. That's also a way out."

“Zhang Ruoyun, you graduated from our school's vocational program in 07, so you should be Professor Liu's student, right...? Well, I often tell people that there's no difference between vocational programs and undergraduate acting programs; acting is a professional skill. But for you, I'd like to go back to school and ask Professor Liu how he taught you. Is it really that difficult for a professional actor to perform a crying scene? See this person next to me? Zhang Yiyi told me that he had never received any acting training, but he could cry in three seconds. If you can't even do that... I advise you to change careers as soon as possible.”

"Yan Bingyan, your acting was alright, but just alright. In your self-introduction, you said that since your debut, you've always been disliked by directors and producers. I just want to say that you have to adapt to the market, not wait for it to adapt to you. The first time I took Chen Nuo to audition was for director Chen Kexin's 'If Love.' Director Chen and the producer also disliked him."

Chen Kexin interjected at this moment: "I didn't!"

However, Li Er ignored him and continued, "But in the end, he won the performance opportunity by auditioning with Zhou Xun. I didn't say a word more than necessary. You can act, but you should think about this carefully yourself."

"Xiao Zhan, right? Fashion design major... Never mind, you can go now."

After Xiao stood down, Li Er chuckled coldly, "This kind of person can be an actor? And from your company?"

Chen Nuo had enjoyed listening to this, but now, touching his nose, he felt a little embarrassed and quickly explained, "Well, the company signed him not to pursue this path; he's actually a singer."

"A singer? What are you having this show for? What did you tell me before? Didn't you say you were making a serious acting program to train good actors? Did you invite him here to be a joke? He has to be one of the people eliminated today."

"Ahem, ahem." Chen Gang interjected, "Teacher Li isn't that bad, at least she's not bad-looking."

"How good are they!?" Li Er retorted angrily. "Professor Chen, does your Central Academy of Drama only select students based on their looks?"

“No…” Chen Gang looked at Chen Nuo with a wry smile and said, “That’s not what I meant, Professor Li.”

Li Er sneered, "Heh, his looks aren't exactly good!"

Chen Gang looked like he wanted to laugh even more. His eyes swept over Chen Nuo's face before he said, "Yes, in Professor Li's eyes, he should indeed only be considered average."

"Alright, everyone, let's take a break now," the director said with a smile as he came up.

Li Er felt he had talked a lot and was a bit tired, so he went out to rest.

Yes, rest and recuperation.

It's impossible for Teacher Li to say that she went to the toilet.

No one else moved.

As soon as Li Er left, Tsai Ming-liang said, "If we follow Professor Li's standards, I think no one will qualify. I think this gold card should only be given to the five actors in our seats."

Li Bingbing laughed and said, "Director Cai, I can't do it, I'm not qualified."

Hao Lei also said, "I can't either, I've never won any awards."

Zhang Ziyi smiled and said, "So, compared to the other two, I'm still quite insecure. I guess I'll just let it go."

Jiang Wendao said, "I haven't been an actor for many years. Twenty years ago, I thought I could compete with Nuozi. But now, let's just let him off the hook."

Chen Nuo said, "If none of you want it, then I'll give it to you. I don't mind having too many prizes."

"Hahahaha." The people in the seats all burst into laughter.

Tsai Ming-liang added, "If we compare everything to Chen Nuo, then no one will be qualified."

Chen Gang coughed lightly and said, "Actually, I think being stricter isn't a bad thing. I often tell them at school that besides talent, what makes a good actor? High standards and strict requirements are definitely important factors."

Jiang Wen laughed and said, "Professor Chen, our Central Academy of Drama spends all its time studying the Beijing Film Academy, right?"

Chen Gang laughed and said, "You can't say that. We're learning from their experience. We can't just sit here and wait to be left far behind. Like this time, I said we have to come to this show, otherwise, the gap will really widen."

Zhang Ziyi said, "I also think that the school's decision is definitely the right one. I am very gratified to see so many younger students looking so energetic."

Jiang Wen asked, "Nuozi, are you confident about going to Venice this time?"

Chen Nuo laughed and asked, "How did you know?"

Jiang Wen said, "How come I didn't know? Besides, Director Chen is a judge this time."

Chen Nuo glanced at Chen Kexin and said with a smile, "It's just a shortlist; I have no confidence at all."

“Philip lost to you once, so you can beat him a second time,” Zhang Ziyi said.

Chen Nuo looked at Zhang Ziyi again.

From the moment he first went to Cannes, the two of them had a subtle, unspoken animosity. This time, she came to participate in his company's variety show, ostensibly for the sake of the school, just like Jiang Wen, who kept saying the same thing. But Chen Nuo knew perfectly well that if it weren't for their past relationship, Jiang Wen would have been a fool to even come. And Zhang Ziyi? Was this some kind of gesture of goodwill towards him?

Chen Nuo said, "It's really hard to say. Actually, it's not a big deal if I don't take it. I'm pretty easygoing and take things as they come."

Tsai Ming-liang said, "Chen Nuo has a very good attitude. I think even if he doesn't succeed this time, there will be a next time, and the time after that. How old is he now? It's just a matter of time. However, more than whether he can win an award, I'm more interested in seeing the movie Chen Nuo made this time. I heard that he has made a great breakthrough in acting compared to his previous works."

"Hahahaha." Chen Nuo laughed.

What a breakthrough.

Indeed, this claim has been circulating widely in some film magazines. However, this was a publicity stunt orchestrated by Allison and James to lobbied the Venice Film Festival judges and generate buzz for "Dorp."

It was a breakthrough. He took off his clothes and almost had a real-life romance with Theron. How could that not be considered a breakthrough?
The group chatted for a while longer, and when Li Er returned, the recording resumed. After Xiao Zhan, the next person to appear was an acquaintance of Chen Nuo.

……

Jing Tian was already extremely nervous before she came up.

In the waiting room, even though they knew there were many cameras pointed at them, it was still difficult to maintain their composure.

The judges' comments were truly scathing. Everyone who heard them felt their hair stand on end and a chill run down their spine.

Especially that Xiao Zhan.

When I returned to the waiting room, it would be no exaggeration to say that I looked ashen-faced.

Before that, the atmosphere in the waiting room was very cheerful when Xiao Zhan was performing, until Li Er said something, along with his facial expression.

It instantly transported her back to her sophomore year of college, to that semester when Li Er taught them acting. But back then, things didn't seem to be as ruthless as they are now.

If everyone called her a devil back then, she's now been upgraded to a demon king.

This made her stutter a little when she first walked over from backstage.

"Hello everyone, esteemed teachers. My name is Jing Tian, ​​and I graduated from the Beijing Film Academy..."

Looking at the big-eyed girl in front of him, Chen Nuo's first thought wasn't of the "rich and beautiful flower" from his previous life, but rather of the sweet and innocent girl he had bumped into a few times when he was in school.

He graduated three years ago, and Jing Tian should have graduated two years ago.

During this time, he hadn't paid any attention to the other party's news. But now, it seems that wearing this white low-cut lace dress...
They must have eaten quite well.

"Jing Tian, ​​I see that although you've only graduated for a year or two, you've already filmed quite a few dramas. You've even played some leading roles. So I'm a little curious, what is the purpose of your visit to our program today?" Hao Lei asked.

Upon hearing this question, Jing Tian's eyes involuntarily darted around, but she quickly looked away and said, "I'm here mainly to learn today, teacher."

"Alright, let's begin..."

Three minutes later.

Li Er frowned and said, "Jing Tian, ​​have you forgotten everything I taught you in acting class?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian froze, twisting her hands behind her back and nervously saying, "I'm sorry, Teacher Li."

"How much do you weigh now?" Li Er asked again.

"I... over 100."

"Over 100. Do you think that's normal?"

"I..." Jing Tian's face turned completely red, and she couldn't say a word. If it weren't for the cameras, she would have cried.

Of course it's not normal, but after Bazaar last year, she suddenly became a bit self-destructive and didn't pay attention to managing her figure. Before she knew it, she had gained more than 20 pounds.

Zhang Ziyi laughed and said, "Actually, it still looks very good. It's just that as actresses, sometimes it's necessary to manage our figure to look good on camera."

Jing Tian forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Teacher Ziyi."

Li Er continued, "Gaining weight is secondary; the key issue is your acting skills now. What exactly have you been filming for the past year or so? Have you continued your physical and emotional training? Jing Tian, ​​you are capable of acting. But now that you've become like this, it truly breaks my heart."

At that moment, in the variety show's control room, Wu Hao was watching Jing Tian on stage, who was about to burst into tears, and couldn't help but laugh.

This episode was completely unexpected for him.

Before this, he had thought about what the highlights and key points of this episode would be, but he never expected that the person who would create the most explosive moments in the show so far would be Chen Nuo, that retired teacher who seemed very difficult to deal with!

So interesting.

Especially the scene where she berates these young actors one by one, leaving them looking utterly humiliated, is something even a director would find quite amusing.

The key point is that Li Er, this plump middle-aged woman, looks quite kind and gentle, but once she opens her mouth, no one who has ever stopped crying is ever stopped by her, and she always manages to hit the nail on the head, which is really rare.

Having worked in variety shows for so long, he knows that while a show might become popular based solely on celebrities, achieving widespread popularity and national recognition is a different story. Besides the star power, there must be other highlights and points of interest, especially for niche variety shows like theirs, where entertainment value is even more crucial.

And now, Li Er has unexpectedly made up for this without any doubt.

"Remember to tell Hao Lei later that every time a student comes up, they must make sure to let Teacher Li speak," Wu Hao said to the director on set.

"Understood, I'll go in a bit."

On the monitor in the control room, Li Er saw Jing Tian crying, but didn't show much expression. Suddenly, he turned his head and said, "Go up and stand with her."

"Me?" Chen Nuo was enjoying the gossip, but he never expected to be the one getting involved.

At that moment, he was genuinely not acting. His eyes widened, he pointed at his own nose, and said incredulously, "Me, go up there?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The control room erupted in laughter.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!" an assistant director yelled. "Who has ever seen Chen Nuo make that expression?"

"Hahahaha, we absolutely have to cut this scene into the promotional video."

"Absolutely! Hahaha. Director, do you think Chen Nuo will go up there?"

"Who knows? I hope so."

"Keep it up, Professor Li!"

On set, Li Er, perhaps having heard the calls from the directors in the control room, nodded to Chen Nuo and affirmed, "Yes, you go up."

Turning to Jing Tian, ​​he said, "I hope that in the next few minutes, you can find your own emotional expression, find your own creative confidence, Jing Tian. Do you understand?"

"You, why aren't you going up there yet!"

“I…” Chen Nuo looked at Li Er, sighed, and said, “Teacher, I’m a judge.”

Jiang Wen said, "Professor Li, I can't stand by and watch Chen Nuo act like this without giving him a good beating. This kid's gotten too cocky! He doesn't even listen to you anymore!"

"You!" Chen Nuo glared at Jiang Wen, who had a wicked grin on his face, and had no choice but to get up.

This time, not only did the judges spontaneously erupt in applause and laughter,

In the waiting room, Yang Rong, Yan Bingyan, Jiang Yiyan, Song Yi, Dilraba Dilmurat, Yang Zi, Bai Bing, Xiao Zhan, Zhang Yuheng, Lin Gengxin, Zhang Ruoyun, Ren Jialun, Teng Fei, Luo Jin, Zhang Luyi, and many others who were watching TV together all called out at the same time.

Wow! We actually made it up!

"Professor Li is amazing!"

Is this going to be a live demonstration?

This time, unlike before, they weren't just reacting to the camera. They were genuinely excited.

This included Dilraba. The girl stared at the screen, momentarily forgetting how nervous she was. Last time she performed on stage at school, she was brutally insulted by that person, and it even trended on Weibo. Before coming this time, she had nightmares for days before finally mustering the courage.

However, now her attention was suddenly focused on the television screen, just like everyone else's.

The red-haired man in the video walked onto the stage with a helpless expression.

She had heard Li Er's evaluation of Xiao Zhan.

At that moment, looking at this person, she couldn't agree more.

Indeed, it's quite average compared to others. Professor Li is absolutely right.

Once Chen Nuo was standing on the stage, Li Er said, "Okay, now the two of you stand facing each other, looking at each other. Don't speak, use your eyes to observe what kind of clothes the other person is wearing today, what their state of mind is today, and what kind of emotion they are having when facing you at this moment."

Jing Tian raised her head and looked at the man opposite her. She tried her best to do as Li Er asked and to awaken her body's senses, but she still couldn't help feeling nervous.

Good heavens, what is she doing?
She was acting opposite Chen Nuo in front of the camera?!
"Okay, take one step forward."

Chen Nuo moved first, taking a step unhurriedly, his expression calm and natural.

Jing Tian took a step in line.

"Take another step closer."

"Closer."

"Closer."

"Okay, let's keep this distance."

Jing Tian's heart was pounding.

Now, she was so close to Chen Nuo that their noses were almost touching, and her chest was practically pressed against his body. She dared not look at him, yet she couldn't look away.

"Trust the emotions you see in each other's eyes right now. Trust the relationship they bring to you. Observe how they look at you."

Jing Tian looked at Chen Nuo.

His eyes were clean and deep, just like the boy she had secretly watched on campus all those years ago.

No, that's not right—

he's changed.

He became deeper, calmer, and more captivating.

In particular, the look in his eyes at that moment was filled with unconcealed sorrow, a faint melancholy, and a chilling despair.

"Chen Nuo, give Jing Tian a hug."

Li Er's voice slowly rang out.

Almost instantly, Jing Tian was gently pulled into his arms.

His movements were incredibly gentle, embracing her from above as if protecting a frightened little bird. His breath brushed softly against her ear, and he carried a faint scent—not perfume, but an almost natural body odor.

“Jing Tian, ​​I want you to sense your opponent, then surrender yourself to them, sense their breath, sense all the emotions and energy their body is transmitting to you at this moment.”

Jing Tian unconsciously followed the instructions given by the voice-over.

His scent is like that of a childhood autumn outing, the sun shining brightly, the wind blowing from the wheat fields, the air filled with the fragrance of dry wheat straw, sun-baked earth, and tree bark. It's a pure, expansive scent that makes you want to close your eyes and drift off to sleep peacefully on the grass under the warm autumn sun, enveloped in that aroma.

Before she knew it, Jing Tian's eyes welled up with tears.

She trembled slightly in his arms, breathing rapidly, like a mayfly with a short life finally finding warmth to rely on.

In her final moments, she lingered in this warm embrace, wishing to die there.

"Okay, now split up and go back to where you started."

This indifferent and calm instruction, upon reaching Jing Tian's ears, abruptly pulled her from her gentle dream.

She almost hated the voice.

Because, the moment those words were spoken, the warmth she felt, the security and excitement in that embrace, were all ripped away in an instant.

The man retreated step by step, his movements slow, as if he were being pulled by some transparent thread.

"Through what you just experienced, you should now know the relationships between each other."

"We don't know the specifics."

"But now, Jing Tian, ​​I want you to keep two words in your mind, but don't say them out loud. Tell the other person with your eyes."

"Those two words are—Goodbye."

Goodbye.

The moment those two words reached her ears and touched her heart, Jing Tian could no longer hold back her tears.

She looked at him through her blurry vision and saw his face.

Although he didn't shed a tear, his gaze was like a hand, kneading her heart into a knot.

"Besides saying goodbye, what else are you conveying with your eyes?"

"Now, use your senses to accept it."

what else?
That is, of course, love.

Silent love, repressed love, deeply hidden love.

"If you can give him one more hug, and this is the last hug between you two."

How would you hug him?

"Three, two, one."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jing Tian pounced like a startled little sparrow. In just two steps, she was in front of him, hugging him with all her might.

At that moment, there was no hesitation in her actions.

She hugged him so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

But she still wouldn't let go.

She was like a vine entwined around a big tree; even when the tree withered and the vine died, she died without regret.

"Perceive again what emotions and energy the other person's body is transmitting at this moment."

"Remember it. Remember this moment, how he activated you, and how you activated yourself."

"Remember it."

Jing Tian closed her eyes.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat, feeling his body temperature, and savoring this hard-won, real touch.

This was the embrace she had dreamed of for five whole years.

This is something she will never forget for the rest of her life.

"Now, you can say one sentence."

"This is the last thing you said to each other."

"Three, two, one."

Jing Tian said almost reverently, "I'm really happy to see you again today."

"Okay, that's it."

……

"call----"

A series of long, unanimous shouts rang out.

From the control room to the waiting area, everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that moment.

It turns out that during the entire performance, almost everyone unconsciously held their breath.

why?
No one can say for sure.

But they knew that everything that had just happened, without a single line of dialogue, unfolded like a touching love story.

Two people gazing at each other, drawing closer, separating, embracing...

Every detail seemed to transcend the stage and the camera, bringing those subtle emotions into their hearts.

That emotion—calm yet turbulent, intense yet restrained.

That is the greatest sound is silent, that is love without words.

At this moment, the plump woman sitting in the center of the nine-person judging panel seemed to be recognized in a new light.

All eyes turned to her, filled with an almost reverent admiration.

At this moment, everyone began to believe the legend that had been circulating in the industry for a long time, but had always been treated as a rumor:
Unlike Zhang Yiyi's accidental encounter, Professor Li had already decided when she first met the boy that he would definitely bring glory to the Beijing Film Academy and inherit her mantle in the future.

……

In the scene, Li Er adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "Jing Tian, ​​remember the feeling your opponent gave you. That way, at least you can act in some romance films in the future."

Upon hearing this, everyone who was still moved was stunned for a moment.

Then laughed.

(End of this chapter)