Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

A moment of silence.

You could hear whispers and giggles about Huang Lei from the group of test takers.

Seeing the other examinee on Jiang Yang's side, Zhou Ye took the initiative to chat with Jiang Yang and asked him what his relationship was with Huang Lei. Before he could speak, Zhou Ye's eyes quickly drooped down, from Jiang Yang's earlobe to his shoulder, and finally he looked down at the ground.

Pretend you didn't ask.

I straightened my clothes, smoothed the stray hairs from my forehead, and continued to try to silently recite "To the Oak Tree."

Breathing was slightly rapid, and shoulders were slightly tense.

Suddenly, a familiar Chongqing accent rang in my ears: "I'm from Tongliang, Chongqing. Where are you from?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ye was slightly taken aback.

Clutching the sticky note in her hand, she looked up to meet Jiang Yang's gaze, then glanced away for a second before looking elsewhere.
"I……"

His lips parted slightly but he remained silent, then pursed them.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes darted away.

The rest of the sentence was left unsaid.

My mind is stuck.

When we were first divided into groups, I did notice Jiang Yang and thought he was a very good-looking guy, but I didn't think much of it.

Knowing that Jiang Yang and Huang Lei had a close relationship, especially knowing that Jiang Yang had passed the preliminary examination of Beijing Dance Academy and was participating in the re-examination, and that Huang Lei had required him to achieve a top ten ranking in Beijing Film Academy.

That makes it clear that Jiang Yang is at least a top student in art exams.

I am a hopeless art exam candidate who lacks confidence.

You need someone's help, but you don't know how to ask.

Mustering his courage, Zhou Ye met Jiang Yang's gaze again and said with a smile, "I'm from the south bank of the Fog City."

"South Bank, in the city, I've been there. The spring water is really nice, and the scenery at Lao Jun Cave is beautiful," Jiang Yang said with a smile.

I heard the term "spring water chicken".

Zhou Ye's eyes widened slightly, and the corners of her mouth naturally turned up.

An instinctive reaction to familiar things.

Zhou Ye's eyes lit up: "I also like to eat spring water chicken. My grandma knows how to make it. I've been to Laojun Cave many times. At night, you can see the night view of the entire Fog City."

Let's talk about things in our hometown.

Zhou Ye was no longer so nervous, and without realizing it, his tone of voice also softened.

Lean forward slightly.

When talking about Laojun Cave, he subconsciously raised his hand to gesture the scenery of Laojun Cave, and his tone became lighter.

Seizing the moment, she brought up the issues with her recitation: "Jiang Yang, could you listen to my recitation of 'To the Oak Tree' and see if there's anything I need to correct?"

"Actually, I'm not very good at this."

"It's okay, can you listen to it for me? When we go back to our hometown, I'll treat you to spring water chicken from the south bank of the foggy city."

She paused, gazed into Jiang Yang's eyes, and said sincerely, "I'm afraid I'm not suited to study this, but I really like it."

Zhou Ye's tone was somewhat urgent and pleading.

Because they realized that time was running out.

She longed to gently touch Jiang Yang's wrist with her fingertips.

Then, realizing it wasn't right, he quickly withdrew.

A cautious sense of distance.

“Sure, take a look. We’re from the same hometown, so let’s help each other out,” Jiang Yang replied.

"Uh-huh!"

Zhou Ye recited "To the Oak Tree" in a low voice.

The volume was low but clear, and I occasionally stole glances at Jiang Yang's reaction.

Observation based on a lack of confidence.

There was naivety and hesitation.

There is the courage born of a lack of self-confidence, and the bravery that comes from a lack of self-confidence.

The sticky notes in my hand are crumpled when I'm nervous, flattened when I'm relaxed, and gripped tightly when I'm reciting.

After finishing the recitation, I gently bit my lower lip, waiting for the evaluation, my throat bobbing with nervous anticipation.

Jiang Yang didn't comment immediately, pondering how to start the conversation.

Because it has many problems.

"Am I a bad student?" Zhou Ye asked after a second of silence.

Afraid of hearing the answer, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she immediately pursed her lips after asking the question.

Jiang Yang shook his head and said seriously, "Not bad. You can distinguish between front and back nasal sounds and retroflex and alveolar sounds. It's much better than when I recited it for the first time. You were just too nervous."

After a moment's thought.

Jiang Yang gave Zhou Ye a brief and concise discussion about her recitation issues.

First of all, the rhythm is monotonous, like reading a text aloud.

Especially the line, "I must be a kapok tree beside you, standing with you as a tree."

Sentences that should have been full of emotion were read without any fluctuation.

Jiang Yang demonstrated once, using pauses and emphasis to highlight the dialogue-like quality of the poem.

Then, during the recitation, the emotions were too stiff, the ending was rushed, the speaking speed was too fast, and the emotions were not fully expressed.

There are also some breathing problems; the breath is insufficient.

Taking a breath midway through a long sentence disrupts the emotional flow of the sentence.

Zhou Ye leaned forward, his ears almost perked up, listening intently.

When Jiang Yang demonstrated, she kept her eyes fixed on the other person's lips, imitating the pronunciation.

Learn carefully.

Jiang Yang taught her once, and she tried reading it once, becoming completely absorbed in it. Zhou Ye's progress was clearly noticeable.

It's a pity that it can't be bound, otherwise we could have gotten the attributes.

The doors to the theater next door opened.

The candidates who had finished their exams in the previous group came out one after another.

Some had red eyes, some were expressionless, and some were beaming with joy, covering their mouths and laughing.

Zhou understood that his group was going to be promoted.

As Zhou Ye followed the group into the theater, his heart pounded faster and faster. He muttered to himself, "Jiang Yang, I'm so worried I won't pass. I started learning in my senior year of high school, and my level is much lower than others."

He suddenly sped up his speech, as if he had been holding back for a long time, and immediately lowered his head after finishing.

"So what? We can always come back next year," Jiang Yang replied.

Zhou Ye lowered his gaze and softly uttered a "hmm".

It probably won't pass.

I will definitely come next year because I really love performing.

I'm afraid of failure, but even more afraid of giving up.

Jiang Yang continued, "But I think you don't need to wait until next year."

What?
At first, Zhou Ye didn't understand Jiang Yang's meaning. After the sentence swirled in his mind for a couple of seconds, he looked up at Jiang Yang in front of him and asked, "Really?"

Jiang Yang followed the group, slowing his pace and turning his body to look back at Zhou Ye.

Speaking of the city they both knew well, he emphasized:
"Sister! Look up at the clouds in the sky."

Zhou Ye was stunned for a moment.

She looked up in confusion, her gaze fixed on the clouds in the sky through the sunlit window in the stairwell.

Stare for two seconds.

I don't understand Jiang Yang's meaning.

Jiang Yang continued, "The children of Chongqing are like the fog of the mountain city; the more the sun scorches them, the more they rise into clouds!"

Zhou Ye held his breath for a moment, his eyes widening slightly.

I understand Jiang Yang's intention.

Taking the exam alone in another city, the encouragement from my hometown people brought me extraordinary strength.

She put the sticky note with the poem "To the Oak Tree" back into her pocket, shifted her gaze back to Jiang Yang, completely relaxed her shoulders, slightly raised her chin, and smiled broadly.

He is beginning to show confidence.

She said softly but firmly, "I will!"

Enter the examination room.

The atmosphere became heavy.

Zhou Ye and Jiang Yang stopped talking.

The small theater, measuring 120 square meters, has wooden flooring.

Chairs, arranged in an arc or a straight line, were placed in the center of the examination area; there were no tables.

The proctor sat at a long table a few meters away from the examinees, covered with a dark blue tablecloth.

A tripod with a Sony professional camcorder was placed in the corner to record the entire process for archiving.

The examiner sitting in the middle was wearing a dark gray suit and was a performing arts associate professor in his fifties.

On either side sat a young teacher and a hired actor.

The person next to him is the exam administration assistant.

He was a graduate student at Beijing Film Academy, wearing the academy's badge, and was responsible for calling out numbers, collecting materials, and keeping track of time.

The cameramen next to the examination area operated their equipment in complete silence.

Against the wall, a school discipline inspector wearing a red armband was keeping a close eye on the examinee's electronic devices.

As the exam assistant called out their numbers, candidates took turns going up to take the exam.

First, I introduced myself.

Then came the recitation segment.

Footsteps could be heard coming from the corridor outside; the next group of candidates must be waiting.

Zhou Ye tried to clear her mind, her lips trembling slightly as she silently practiced her recitation.

You can hear the examiners giving their comments to the candidates from time to time.

"Your lines are a bit unclear, and you need to practice your pronunciation more. You need to pay attention to articulation and pronunciation."

……

"Your breathing is a bit unstable. You can do more breathing exercises in your spare time."

……

"Your emotions weren't strong enough, and the entire recitation lacked variation. You need to learn from your experience."

……

Zhou Ye heard it clearly.

These flaws were also present in her recitation, and Jiang Yang pointed them out.

There is still time to correct it.

They realized that Jiang Yang was capable.

I subconsciously looked at Jiang Yang, and then I heard the exam administrator call out, "Next, Jiang Yang."

Suddenly, I felt that Jiang Yang had changed.

His eyes had become unfamiliar.

He no longer seemed like the fellow townsman from Chongqing who had just spoken to and encouraged him; he was more like a speaker born for the stage. (End of Chapter)