Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Located in a cultural and creative park transformed from an old industrial factory, the school has a strong artistic atmosphere. The gray exterior walls and large floor-to-ceiling windows exude an atmosphere that blends art and tranquility.

Li Ran drove there alone, parked his car, and walked into the lobby on the first floor. He then heard a familiar voice filled with surprise.

"Brother Li Ran!"

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhang Jingyi standing up from the sofa in the rest area, a light and bright smile on her face, and quickly walking over to greet him.

Today she wore a simple off-white short-sleeved shirt and light-colored jeans, her long hair loosely tied up with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, still dressed like a gentle and demure junior.

"Jingyi, have you been waiting long?" Li Ran smiled and looked at her, saying, "Did I disturb your class?"

"No, no!" Zhang Jingyi quickly shook her head, her eyes curving into crescents. "My afternoon classes don't start for a while yet."

She received a WeChat message from Li Ran and went downstairs to wait for him. This was the first time the two had met since the variety show recording ended.

Li Ran's gaze fell on her face. Seeing that she was in good spirits, it seemed that the previous negative effects had dissipated.

Zhang Jingyi felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, her ears burning slightly, and a sweet feeling welling up in her heart.

She said in a lighthearted tone, "Then I'll take you up! There's a dialogue class taught by Mr. Chen Kun today!"

Li Ran raised an eyebrow. "Then we should definitely listen carefully."

He didn't care who taught the class; he mainly came to see Zhang Jingyi today.

The two walked side by side toward the elevator.

They were the only ones in the elevator. The mirror reflected two figures, one tall and one short. Zhang Jingyi looked up at Li Ran and couldn't help but ask again, as if to confirm, "Brother Li Ran, are you really free today? You came all this way..."

"It's really nothing. I just finished filming, and I still need to prepare for the new movie for a few more days, so I just came to check it out today," Li Ran explained with a smile.

The elevator arrived at the designated floor, and Zhang Jingyi led Li Ran towards a spacious and bright performance classroom. When they pushed open the door, there were already four people waiting inside.

Two men and two women, all looking quite young, with clean and neat appearances, were clearly students here. One of the girls was sitting quietly reading a book on a chair by the window, her profile elegant and her demeanor unique.

Li Ran glanced over and recognized Chen Duling, who had made a name for herself with her role as Xiao Erduo in "The Left Ear".

I have no recollection of the other three; they probably didn't achieve anything significant.

The two boys noticed Li Ran entering first, and were stunned for a moment before their eyes widened suddenly.

"Burn God?!"

"Holy crap! It really is Burn?!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet classroom. Even Chen Duling, who was looking down at her book, looked up at the sound and her gaze fell on Li Ran, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.

Li Ran smiled kindly at the two boys and nodded, "Hello, I'm Li Ran. I'm here to audit your class, sorry to bother you."

"No problem, no problem!" The two boys quickly waved their hands, the taller one of them excitedly lowering his voice, "Ran Shen, I've been watching your matches since S8! Can we take a picture together?"

"Of course," Li Ran agreed good-naturedly and walked over to them.

The two boys hurriedly took out their phones, gathered around Li Ran, and took a commemorative photo. Their smiles were as bright as the sunshine outside.

The slight commotion naturally caught Chen Duling's attention. She closed her book, walked over to Zhang Jingyi, and asked curiously in a low voice, "Jingyi, is Li Ran really your senior?"

She had seen the trending topics before and thought it was somewhat for entertainment purposes.

Zhang Jingyi nodded, her tone tinged with a hint of pride: "Yes, Sister Dudu, we went to the same high school. He was a year ahead of me."

By this time, Li Ran had finished taking photos with the two boys, politely declined their enthusiastic discussion about e-sports, and walked towards the window.

He smiled politely at Chen Duling first and then took the initiative to say, "Hello, Ms. Chen Duling! I've seen 'The Left Ear,' and you acted very well."

Chen Duling was somewhat surprised by his politeness, but she extended her hand gracefully with a serene smile on her face: "Hello, Li Ran. Just call me Dudu or Duling, I wouldn't dare call myself a teacher."

She paused, a playful glint in her eye, "Actually, I'm pretty good at League of Legends, you know? So, you could call me a gaming addict?"

Li Ran recalled the amusing anecdote from her past life about her "single-handedly defeating male gods six times," and couldn't help but smile. He reached out and gently shook her hand: "Really? Then we must have a match sometime."

"Great!" Chen Duling's eyes lit up slightly, as if she was quite interested in this matter.

"Actually, I can do it after class today. I know there's a nice internet cafe nearby."

Li Ran found it a bit funny; this posture made it seem like he was the one who was stage-frightened if he didn't go.

He readily nodded: "Okay, it's a deal then, we'll go together after class."

Just as the group was chatting, the classroom door was pushed open again, and Chen Kun strode in. His gaze swept across the classroom, first landing on Li Ran standing by the window, and his eyes visibly lit up.

He walked straight toward the group, a warm smile on his face, but his gaze remained fixed on Li Ran, filled with undisguised admiration: "Li Ran? Welcome, welcome! I've heard Brother Xun mention you before, it's great to finally meet you today."

Li Ran reached out and shook hands with him, saying politely, "Hello, Professor Chen. I apologize for coming to sit in on your class; I hope I haven't disturbed you."

"How could it be a disturbance!" Chen Kun grasped Li Ran's hand with moderate force, but lingered for a little too long.

His smile was excessively friendly. "Brother Xun specifically asked me to take good care of promising young people like you. We welcome you anytime."

Li Ran felt the warmth of the other person's palm and the somewhat prolonged handshake, and a sudden unease ran through her heart. She instantly recalled some vague rumors circulating in the industry about Chen Kun's sexual orientation.

He subtly and naturally withdrew his hand, his smile unchanged, and his tone still respectful: "Then thank you, Teacher Chen. I'm mainly here to learn today."

Chen Kun seemed oblivious to anything, and casually raised his hand to pat Li Ran's shoulder affectionately: "Alright, alright, this class is just for communication, relax, come often when you have time."

This enthusiasm left the students, including Zhang Jingyi and Chen Duling, somewhat stunned. Although Teacher Chen Kun is usually easygoing, it's rare to see him so proactive and enthusiastic.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Kun walked to the front of the classroom and began today's dialogue lesson.

His lectures are indeed unique, explaining complex concepts in simple terms, skillfully guiding emotions, and he is very dedicated to giving guidance to each student.

When it came to the practical session, Chen Kun encouraged Li Ran, a new auditor, to give it a try.

Unable to refuse, Li Ran thought for a moment and chose the famous monologue of the male protagonist Ma Lu from the play "Rhinoceros in Love".

He walked to the center of the classroom and paused for a moment.

When he spoke again, the casualness in his voice disappeared, replaced by a subtle, neurotic quality, as if he were immersed in a specific context.

"Dusk is when my eyesight is worst. Looking around, the streets are full of beautiful women, and the tall buildings and streets change their usual shapes, like in a movie..."

His speech was unhurried, and his voice lacked the hysterical obsession of the original, but instead conveyed a sense of confusion, loneliness, and stubborn vulnerability that resonated more with urban youth.

After one segment ended, the classroom was quiet for a few seconds.

Chen Kun was the first to applaud, his eyes filled with even more admiration: "Very good! Li Ran, your delivery of lines and understanding of emotions are even better than I imagined. This performance is very distinctive, capturing the sense of urban loneliness and the fleeting feeling of being moved very accurately."

Li Ran bowed slightly, regaining his usual humility: "Teacher Chen, you flatter me. I'm just a newcomer, and there's still a lot to learn."

He knew in his heart that the overall improvement brought about by A-level acting skills was far more than just facial expressions and movements; the expressiveness of lines was also an important part.

"That's too modest."

Chen Kun smiled broadly, "You are welcome to attend my classes anytime from now on, don't be shy."

Li Ran replied, "Okay, thank you, Teacher Chen!"

But he had already made up his mind that it was best to avoid this place.

During class, Chen Kun's occasional gazes, filled with excessive admiration and inquiry, made him feel like Zhao Xin was lurking in the bushes in a game, giving him the creeps.

Li Ran didn't want anything dirty, so she hugged him from behind and gave him intimate contact.