Winter Returns

Chapter 214 The Witch and the Prince

What a timely friend, what a timely tire.

Ruoping said just in time:
"Qinglian, please help us out. Just this once a day. We're already short one person. If we lose another one, we can't perform this play."

She counted on her fingers and said that today is the 24th. The so-called New Year's Eve party is actually on December 31st, because there is a holiday on New Year's Day, so it's only about a week long.

Lu Qinglian's answers were always only two: yes or no, depending on whether she nodded or shook her head.

"How can I help?"

"All you need to do is take the script and rehearse a bit."

"it is good."

Ruoping got excited and started dividing the work. There were only a few of them in the library, so they didn't need to pay attention to the "no noise" signs.

Everyone went to familiarize themselves with the lines first—Qingyi moved quickly, and by the time they finished lunch, he had already made several copies of the script.

This is a play that is not serious at all. It was created on a whim, but everyone is still quite serious. Even if it's just playing around, we have to play it seriously. Ruoping is explaining the role of the witch to Lu Qinglian, while Qingyi and Dukang are designing their signature entrance moves, inspired by the transformation of Kamen Rider.

Zhang Shutong glanced at his own script. He didn't need to familiarize himself with it because he only had five lines. All he had to do was find a place to lie down and go to sleep, and then open his eyes again when the play was nearing its end.

Just what he wanted.

Zhang Shutong quickly memorized the lines and understood the story outline. Although it was about a "sleeping prince," it was actually very different from the original "Sleeping Beauty."

Qingyi still couldn't forget his story about Princess A and Princess B. The so-called witch was actually a princess who turned to hate because of love.

So the whole script is about the love-hate relationship between a prince and two princesses, while the vampire and werewolf are two generals under the witch's command, who are all defeated by the princesses led by the goddess.

Finally, the princess and the witch met. After a heated debate, the witch suddenly realized her mistake and offered her own life to bring the two together. The princess accepted her blessing, but at that moment, the vampire who should have died long ago suddenly appeared. It turned out that everything was a scheme he had set up. The princess and the vampire perished together, saving the prince with her own life...

"How come I'm the only one left in the end?" Zhang Shutong asked in astonishment.

What kind of script is this? A prince starts sleeping from the beginning, and when he wakes up, he finds two princesses' corpses lying next to him. That would be incredibly devastating.

“Tragedy resonates more deeply with people,” said Mr. Vampire.

Zhang Shutong simply looked at Ruoping.

“If you act seriously, it can be quite heart-wrenching,” Ruoping pondered. “The traditional hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress story is so boring now, isn’t it?”

"But this ending is so melodramatic..."

What does Du Kang think?

"Could I bring Zorro along for a cameo?" The werewolf also wanted to find a follower.

"No way." Ruoping clapped her hands. "Alright, alright, at most the ending will be a bit controversial. Let's try acting it out like this first, maybe we'll come up with a better idea?"

The rehearsal began amidst all the noise and commotion.

"Prince, make your entrance—"

Zhang Shutong forced himself to turn around, suppressing his embarrassment. The narration began: "Long, long ago, in a kingdom, there lived a handsome prince..."

"Then came the blue... oh no, the witch."

After another introduction to the witch, they soon arrived at the first key point. As designed in the script, the witch picked up her magic wand—they didn't have one on hand at the moment—and Lu Qinglian rolled up the script and gently tapped Zhang Shutong on the head.

Zhang Shutong collapsed immediately.

"Card!"

The prince and the witch both looked at the director.

“The intensity here isn’t enough,” Ruoping explained. “The prince only realizes at this moment that the princess he sees is actually a witch. His eyes need to be more complex, showing disbelief, grief, and despair. Did you portray that?”

"And the witch, your expression is too cold. This scene needs to convey inner turmoil and hesitation, reluctance and self-abandonment..."

"I'm just helping with the rehearsals," Lu Qinglian said briefly. She didn't need to get too immersed in the role.

"Oh...that's true." Ruoping muttered, "Then Shutong, you should pay more attention. You don't have many lines to begin with, so be serious and let's do it again."

Zhang Shutong sat on a table in the library. Qingyi and Dukang had thoughtfully laid out his coat behind him. All he had to do was lie down on his back. He held his breath and saw the girl in front of him raise a hand. Zhang Shutong looked at Lu Qinglian's delicate and flawless face and the magic wand in her hand, and his lips twitched.

"Cut!" Ruoping complained, "Why is it not as good as last time?"

"Again..." Zhang Shutong quickly apologized.

The third time—

"It's not shock, it's not shock!" Ruoping emphasized loudly, "Although there should be a bit of shock in it, what's with the ghost-seeing expression on your face, Prince?"

Zhang Shutong only recalled the scene when she confronted Lu Qinglian on the mountain. She pretended to fall into a pit, exuding a dangerous aura.

"Could we change the action design? Change the 'knock' to something else?" Zhang Shutong pointed to his head and suggested, "It feels too childish."

"You think it's child's play because you don't have any props. That's what acting without props is like," Ruoping said quite professionally. "Those superhero blockbusters we watch, how do you think they're made? Isn't it just a bunch of people waving their arms and legs in front of a green screen?"

"I'll try again." Zhang Shutong rubbed his face.

The fourth time—

“Cut…” Ruoping said wearily, “Weren’t the rehearsals in class going very smoothly before?”

"Zhang Shutong, you'd better take this seriously." Lu Qinglian gently lifted the script, which was rolled into a paper tube.

"I just find it strange." Zhang Shutong was too embarrassed to say that he wanted to laugh.

"Next time I'll consider pressing harder."

"This really can't be done," Zhang Shutong said earnestly.

Ruoping said:
"This is the last time. If it still doesn't work, skip it!"

Zhang Shutong nodded. This time, he took a deep breath, sat up straight, and watched as the witch revealed her true identity. Zhang Shutong had already missed this scene four times. He remembered not only the lines but also her every move clearly. Before casting a spell with the "magic wand," the witch had to recite the cringeworthy lines written by Qingyi:
"That's right, I am the witch in the kingdom. Didn't expect that, did you? Then let me sleep forever in despair!"

"...I am the witch."

But this time, Lu Qinglian stopped after she finished speaking.

Zhang Shutong was wondering if she had forgotten her lines when Lu Qinglian raised her hand. He thought to himself, "Please, please, if you've forgotten your lines, just call for a stop already. Why can't you just give me a tap?" But the next moment, a paper tube was thrust under his chin.

The witch lifted his chin, a subtle smile curving her pink lips, and spoke each word clearly:
Did you guess it?

she asked softly.

Zhang Shutong looked up as she moved, completely stunned. How could she possibly have guessed that these were lines and actions that were not in the script at all?

He blinked reflexively, but before he could react, Lu Qinglian raised her hand. She went from flicking to waving, and the next moment, there was a soft slap as the paper tube hit him on the forehead.

"Go to sleep."

The witch's voice was indifferent.

Zhang Shutong, who should have collapsed immediately, forgot to fall.

Zhang Shutong reopened his eyes, thinking to himself, "Oh no, this time I didn't perform as well as before. I couldn't even keep up with the scene." He thought Ruoping would complain, "Qinglian, why are you starting to act silly too?" But to his surprise, Ruoping clapped her hands, her eyes shining:

"Great, this is exactly the effect I wanted!"

What's so good about it? Zhang Shutong really wanted to ask.

"I was wrong. Sometimes, pursuing emotional outbursts can actually diminish the beauty of the experience," Director Ruoping suddenly remarked. "But isn't extreme emotional restraint also a kind of outburst?"

"Uh, I didn't understand."

"That is to say, Qinglian's lines here were revised well. It's not necessary to reveal one's thoughts. It's good to let the audience guess. Shutong, your improvisation was also good."

"I?"

"Yes, you just closed your eyes. I thought about it later and realized that closing your eyes is a better way to express a character's feelings than to use your eyes to convey complex emotions."

Zhang Shutong could hardly help but suspect that she was flattering Lu Qinglian.

However, he was relieved to hear Ruoping say that:
"From now on, I'll just close my eyes?"

"can."

The prince already had very few lines, so cut one more.

Next, Zhang Shutong happily wrapped up his filming, as his scenes wouldn't appear until the very end. He would be lying on set for the rest of the time, but the first rehearsal wasn't so strict; he could jump off the desk and walk around freely. The witch's scenes were similar; she also wouldn't appear until the very end. The two actors who had finished filming sat nearby, watching Ruoping and the other two playfully bickering.
"Lu Qinglian, I really underestimated you. You actually managed to improvise and change the lines on the spot."

"Zhang Shutong, I overestimated you. You can rewrite such a simple script many times."

Lu Qinglian had already returned to her lazy demeanor. She continued flipping through the book, seemingly uninterested in what was happening on stage. Zhang Shutong understood what she meant: the main reason for changing the lines was that her acting was too bad.

“I’m not as good at acting as you.” Zhang Shutong said in his guest narration, then cupped his face and said, “At least I can’t portray the feeling of being naturally naive.”

Lu Qinglian rolled the book in her hand into a tube.

"Feel sorry."

She continued flipping through the book:
"How long will the rehearsals last?"

Zhang Shutong checked the time. "I feel like two more takes should be enough. By the way, are you coming to school for the party?"

He thought the atmosphere was pretty good. Qingyi was standing on a chair wearing a cloak, while Du Kang was making a lot of noise on another chair. Ruoping was playing two roles, but the princess and the goddess were often talking together, which was like a split personality. Everyone was making a lot of noise and it was really fun.

Zhang Shutong asked:

"Since Ruoping's best friend didn't come on the first day, let's all have fun together."

"no."

As I've said before, the only answers I get from Lu Qinglian are good or bad. Not long ago, she nodded, but this time she was met with a rejection.

"Shutong, it's your turn to read the narration!"

"Oh, here it comes..." Zhang Shutong took out the manuscript again.

When the end came, he and Lu Qinglian returned to the field. Zhang Shutong watched as Ruoping collapsed with a poignant smile, her eyes twitching. She straightened up from the table, her expression shifting from surprise to freeze and then to sorrow.

The prince reached out his hand—

Then, the play came to an end.

To put it simply, there needs to be some blank space here. Zhang Shutong had no objection; after all, he didn't want to say "Don't die" with a look of utter grief.

"How are you feeling?" Ruoping asked, hands on her hips.

"It's alright." He had thought it was a comedy when he first heard about the princess saving the prince, but he realized it was a tragedy when he saw the script. Qingyi has read a lot of books, and as long as he doesn't deliberately write cringeworthy lines, he actually has a lot of explosive power and appeal. After watching the whole play, apart from the ending which is debatable, it was actually quite decent.

“Then let’s do it properly,” Ruoping instructed. “Qingyi, you two are not allowed to fool around. Shutong, you too, stay on the field and don’t come down. Let’s change our costumes and props first. This time we shouldn’t burst out laughing.”

Zhang Shutong knew that the opportunity Lao Song had mentioned had arrived.

He jumped off the table:

"I'll categorize them and see which ones are usable. You guys memorize your lines."

"Aren't you an energy-saving advocate?" Ruoping asked doubtfully, thank goodness she finally read it correctly.

“I have the fewest lines,” Zhang Shutong said.

Ruoping nodded with a relieved expression, as if her child had finally become sensible.

Zhang Shutong walked a few steps to the bookshelf. Not long ago, they had piled up all the props they could find here. Speaking of which, this was also related to Gu's father. A few years ago, he funded the renovation of the school. It happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the principal simply put together a Mid-Autumn Festival party and invited Mr. Gu and the city leaders to participate. These props were purchased at that time; otherwise, where would their school have gotten these things?

There are also some items from previous years' Halloween and New Year's Day events. Some students bought props but were too lazy to take them with them, so they left them in the warehouse.

Of course, even so, it was impossible to find exactly the right vampire fangs and werewolf fur suits. Zhang Shutong picked out the usable ones, quickly categorized them according to everyone's roles, and then opened his backpack.

He hesitated, clutching the zipper, but there was no point in saying anything more. Zhang Shutong made up his mind, and a few minutes later, he emerged from behind the bookshelf, saying casually:

"All right."

Qingyi and Dukang went first, followed by Ruoping. There was a full-length mirror in the library. As the three of them looked at themselves in the mirror, Zhang Shutong's gaze lingered on Lu Qinglian.

"I've found what you need."

It's more accurate to say that hers is the easiest to find: a cloak, a pointed hat, and a broom—the classic three elements of a witch.

"I'm just helping out today," Lu Qinglian said casually, glancing at her book.

"But we tend to burst out laughing, so the atmosphere doesn't quite match?"

Zhang Shutong pointed to the blue robe she was wearing. She was wearing a pair of sneakers, but luckily the boots her mother had bought were retro-style leather boots, so it was acceptable.

Zhang Shutong forced himself to say:
"For your time's sake..."

Lu Qinglian responded with a helpless look.

It seems to be saying:

Zhang Shutong, your acting skills are really bad.

"I'll go and have a look."

She floated lightly behind the bookshelf.

About ten seconds passed.

A long-haired witch with a slender waist and long legs stepped out from behind the bookshelf and appeared before the crowd.

Lu Qinglian held the brim of her witch's hat in her hand. She was wearing a dark red cloak, the opposite color of her green robe. She frowned slightly, seemingly not quite used to this outfit.

"Wow, Qinglian looks so good!" Ruoping exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"It really is very good." Du Kang subconsciously looked away, only repeating himself.

"It feels very much in line with the drama," Qingyi said, considering the overall picture.

"Please don't take pictures." Even as a witch, her voice remained cold and aloof.

"Okay, okay." Ruoping obediently put the phone back.

Zhang Shutong had a bad feeling, because the witch was still wearing those sneakers. He had forgotten that Lu Qinglian was a germaphobe, or rather, even normal people wouldn't usually wear the shoes provided by the props department. Who knows how many people had worn them before?

Zhang Shutong slapped his forehead, thinking to himself, "My mentor, I never thought I'd be led astray by you."

So much so that when the witch hit him on the head with her wand this time, Zhang Shutong reacted a beat too late and collapsed onto the table.

The play ended quickly.

Time flew by and school was over. The sky darkened early, and the classroom was already buzzing with noise from the second-to-last period, long before the bell rang.

Tonight, Zhang Shutong will be spared from all the noise. His group will stay after school to do their duty, and his deskmate will be with him.

"I'm going to turn off the lights?"

"Could you please open the back window?"

"it is good."

Zhang Shutong forcefully opened the window, while Lu Qinglian tied up the trash bag. The two of them left the classroom together and walked down the quiet corridor.

Today, there are no students rehearsing at school. Everyone has gone to celebrate the holiday, reuniting with their families and having fun with their friends. No matter who they are with or who they spend the day with, they are probably not lonely.

The campus was empty early on; this was the first time the two of them had left together so late.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Zhang Shutong said, still carrying that box on her back, “actually…”

“Zhang Shutong, there’s something I find strange,” Lu Qinglian sighed, “why are you always so insistent on giving me gifts?”

Now she has changed back into her green robes and is no longer a witch, but she possesses a witch-like ability to see into people's hearts.

Zhang Shutong was taken aback. Could it be that she had already guessed what happened at noon?
"So you already figured it out."

"Including this time, this is the third time." She held up three fingers. "Third time's the charm."

Zhang Shutong checked again and again, and realized that she hadn't noticed anything unusual about the boots; she had only guessed that Zhang was going to talk about the gift.

Zhang Shutong also sighed:
"Actually, I also wanted to ask, it's just a gift, wouldn't it be enough to just accept it?"

"I remember telling you this morning that this would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"Trouble? I only plan to deliver this once. I already bought it, and it's not expensive. I won't do it again..."

"That's not what I meant." Lu Qinglian gently shook her head. "Getting used to accepting other people's kindness can become a dependency. Do you understand what I mean?"

(End of this chapter)