Against the Light - Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Interesting
【Ahhh, Teacher Bai's smile is so heart-warming!!】
【I claim this smile, ahhh!!】
【Teacher Bai seems pretty cold, but she always gives off a very warm feeling. I'm starting to like this woman.】
【Thanks to Gu Xinran, I have a chance again!】
【Person above me, draw your sword. Teacher Bai is mine!】
【Newbie here, just arrived. Question: why is this person wearing a mask?】
【Exactly. Participating in a show, an acting competition no less, while wearing a mask? What kind of slick move is this??】
【To the person above, you should check Weibo. Because of this Little Fairy's slick move, the show's discussion volume has more than tripled. I feel like it might have been deliberately arranged by the production team. After all, this show is the best at creating buzz.】
【Participating in an acting show with a mask? What the hell can she even act? Are they going to communicate with their eyes? That's ridiculous. If she manages to place, it's definitely fixed.】
【Sister, who says you can't act with a mask? Ever heard of Fu Lingyue?】
【Ahhh, I was just about to say that! Didn't Teacher Qi's Fu Lingyue only show her eyes the entire time? She barely even had any lines, but who would dare say her acting was bad? A good actor's eyes can speak!】
【Sister Ling will forever be my white moonlight!!!】
【Don't bring up Sister Ling, it's such a sore spot for me!!!】
【I actually think this is pretty good. Anyway, now I just wake up every day and turn on the live stream. I want to see who Little Fairy is, but I'm also afraid she won't be what I imagined after she takes off the mask. It's a conflict, but I'm so curious. It's also pretty fun to see all the experts on Weibo photoshopping pictures to guess her real face.】
【Same here. I like this sense of mystery. There are so many variety shows these days, but very few can hold my interest. I hope Little Fairy can give me a few more surprises.】
When Gu Xinran returned to the villa, everyone had already formed their groups.
"Little Fairy, come on, the four of us will be a team," Lin Guo said, pulling her aside and pointing to Qin Qiong and Deng Jia.
"Okay."
Gu Xinran glanced through the script. It was a historical palace drama, and they were to perform a famous scene from it.
The characters were: a foolish and incompetent king who loved beauty more than his country, a calculating and ambitious consort who meddled in politics, the second daughter of a general's household who was devoted to protecting her love, and a timid, submissive eunuch.
"This is the only drama I ever dropped halfway through because the second female lead died," Lin Guo said, shaking her head as she flipped through the script.
"Hmm?"
"You haven't seen it? Let me explain it to you. The show is mainly about a princess from a fallen dynasty who, bearing the weight of her nation's hatred, enters the palace and becomes the king's beloved consort. She has him wrapped around her finger, completely obedient to her every command, and the great Kingdom of Zhao is nearly destroyed at her hands. That's this Consort Lian. She's the female lead, and in the end, she unites the world and becomes the biggest winner."
"The Fu family of Zhao has guarded the borders for generations. They are the pillars of the kingdom, holding an extremely high status. They were also the ones who led the destruction of Consort Lian's home country. Therefore, Consort Lian despises the entire Fu family and wishes for nothing more than to see them all dead!" Lin Guo picked up the remote control and slapped it on the table, entering full storyteller mode.
"The Fu family had a daughter named Lingyue, a true prodigy, gifted in literature and arts. She wore light armor that covered her face all year round, so no one had ever seen her true appearance. From a young age, she was the king's study companion, and spending their days together, they developed feelings for each other."
"However, Consort Lian interfered. Internally, she slandered the Fu family's reputation. Externally, she provoked tensions with neighboring countries and even framed the Fu family for treason."
"Just imagine, my Fu family, a household of loyal heroes, willing to die for the Kingdom of Zhao, never daring to claim credit or show off. But that foolish king actually believed Consort Lian's nonsense! When a neighboring country attacked, the Fu family fought bravely to resist the enemy, only to be betrayed by Consort Lian. They suffered defeat after defeat, and her father and brothers died tragically on the battlefield, their bodies never recovered!" Lin Guo paused, heaved a heavy sigh, and clutched her chest, looking utterly grief-stricken.
"…"
Lu Qing had come over to listen in because their discussion seemed intense, only to find this character dramatically adding to her own role. She nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Hey, hey, hey, have you assigned your roles yet? The group next door has already started running lines. What are you still chatting about?"
"Ah, Teacher Lu, Little Fairy hasn't seen this drama, so I was just explaining it to her!"
"But it seems like everything you've said has been useless."
"Hey, I was just getting to the climax! After the Fu family was defeated, the neighboring country proposed a series of unequal treaties. One of them was for the Kingdom of Zhao to offer up Fu Lingyue as tribute. The shameless King of Zhao agreed and even proposed to trade her for ten years of truce between the two nations."
"Just imagine it. You've lost your family. You've gone from a beloved little princess to a pitiful wretch everyone despises overnight. And then you're used as a bargaining chip, sent into the hands of your enemies. No matter how you think about it, it's just heartbreaking, right?" Lin Guo couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow.
Gu Xinran took a breath and nodded. Based on her description, she could picture the scene in her mind. It was indeed very pitiful.
"And then?"
Lin Guo pouted. "As soon as she was sent across the border, that son of a bitch king of the neighboring country threw her to the three armies as a reward. She had a fiery spirit, so she bashed her head against a wall and killed herself. Her role was over."
"…"
Gu Xinran rubbed her forehead. She looked at Lin Guo, who was completely listless and dejected.
"Alright, you. Hurry up and assign the roles. I'm quite looking forward to seeing your group's performance," Lu Qing urged.
"I would rather die than play Fu Lingyue. It's too tragic. Consort Lian is too evil. That's perfect for Sister Qin Qiong."
"??? Excuse me? I want to be a good person for once!"
"Then you play the king?"
Qin Qiong was about to nod when she suddenly froze. "That's a bad guy too, isn't it??"
"…"
"Hey! I propose we let Little Fairy play Fu Lingyue. It's perfect since she's already wearing a mask. If it weren't for her mask, I'd find it a bit hard to get into character."
"Agreed!" the other two said in unison. Seriously, a role with almost no lines, a covered face, and having to convey everything through your eyes? That was way too hard!
Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but it suited her just fine. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
【Ahhh, what, what, what, she's going to play Fu Lingyue!!】
【Holy crap, is this a divine prophecy or what? She's actually going to play Fu Lingyue!】
【Tsk, please no. Are they really letting a rookie with no acting experience play Fu Lingyue? Please don't ruin my white moonlight, okay?】
【Damn, that's bold. The original Fu Lingyue herself is sitting right next door watching you, you know.】
【Why did Teacher Lu's group choose this drama? Can't they pick another one to ruin?】
【Looking forward to Little Fairy's acting.】
In the villa next door, the veteran actors were also very curious about someone wanting to challenge the role of Fu Lingyue.
"Sister Qiuyan, you were the one who originally played this role, right?"
"Yes. This role is quite difficult to play, mainly because of the mask. It completely covers everything below the eyes, which really tests your acting skills. All emotions have to be conveyed entirely through the eyes. It's very easy to make the character seem soulless. It's quite challenging. I'm looking forward to their performance."
Meanwhile, in Lu Qing's villa, the three small groups were rehearsing nervously.
Gu Xinran closed her script and carefully tried to feel the character's state of mind.
The others had more or less finished their preparations. When they turned their heads, they saw Gu Xinran spinning in place with her eyes closed. She spun a full three circles before opening her eyes.
"Ba… Balala… Little Magic Fairy… transform?" Lin Guo stared at her, dumbfounded.
"…" Am I that stupid?
"Teacher Lu, can we perform it once for you to see and give us some on-the-spot guidance?" someone asked.
"Sure, go ahead," Lu Qing nodded, signaling the other two groups to be quiet.
Gu Xinran and the others immediately and obediently returned to their seats to watch the first group's performance.
Ten minutes later…
【Holy crap, my eyes are about to go blind. Is this supposed to be Fu Lingyue? All she did was cry and cry? Your Fu Lingyue is a crybaby? Can't you study the original drama properly?】
【Same. This group is just awful. What was up with that king? Too many expressions, and not an ounce of a king's presence.】
【Consort Lian was just smirking on the side the whole time… her smile made me want to rush in and slap her. So despicable.】
【The only one worth watching in this group is Consort Lian. She's despicable enough.】
"Ahem, is the second group ready?" Lu Qing skipped the feedback stage entirely and looked at the second group.
Another ten minutes later…
【To be fair, they're a bit better than the last group. But I really can't stomach this Fu Lingyue. The other two were okay.】
【Same. Fu Lingyue's completely expressionless face really dragged them down. It was like the other two were acting with a wooden mannequin. They got no feedback or reaction at all. The awkwardness was palpable.】
【Hahahaha, I feel like Teacher Lu is on the verge of a breakdown. She's rubbed her forehead four times already, hahaha.】
【Honestly, the drama they chose is really a bit difficult. Look at the one Teacher Bai's group chose. Although it doesn't have strong emotional conflicts, it's more suitable for rookies. Teacher Lu's standards are a bit too high.】
Lu Qing lifted her eyelids, a look of utter despair on her face. "Next group."
Just as Gu Xinran and the others walked to the center of the room, Lu Qing raised a hand. "If it's going to be an eye-staring or expressionless performance, you'd better go prepare some more. I will curse people out."
"Uh…" The group exchanged glances, all looking at Gu Xinran. The others had acting experience; she was the only one who didn't.
Gu Xinran nodded. "I haven't fully grasped this character yet, but we can give it a try first. We need to work on it together."
"Right, let's just try it," Lin Guo nodded, looking at Lu Qing.
"Go ahead."
Lu Qing forced herself to rally her spirits and watched them intently.
They each took their positions. Qin Qiong, playing the king, stood in the center. Lin Guo, as Consort Lian, stood by her side. Deng Jia, the eunuch, stood three steps behind the king at an angle, head bowed and body slightly bent. Gu Xinran, as Fu Lingyue, stood directly opposite the king, about three meters away.
Gu Xinran clasped her hands in front of her, her eyelids lowered, her gaze fixed on the ground before the king's feet.
Consort Lian shot the eunuch a look. The eunuch, looking troubled, secretly glanced at the king before mincing his way over to Fu Lingyue.
"Miss… Miss Fu, please accept the decree. His Majesty has been unable to sleep at night because of your matter. Please don't…"
"Get out!" the king's face darkened as he roared.
The eunuch shuddered and retreated, trembling.
【A little interesting. This guard acted well!】
【This? This is it? An expressionless Fu Lingyue?】
【Hahaha, I really can't look at Qin Qiong's face. It's clearly written all over her face that she's a villain. Seeing her face really takes me out of the scene.】
【Sigh, this batch of actors is so bad, so bad.】
On screen, the king slowly walked up to Fu Lingyue. Fu Lingyue showed no expression and maintained her slightly bowed posture.
"Ling'er, I… I can't bear to part with you either, but the Kingdom of Zhao cannot withstand another war," the king said, his tone softening as he looked at her with deep affection.
Fu Lingyue's body moved slightly. "Your Majesty, have you ever thought of me?" Her tone was calm as she raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting from the floor to the king's chest.
"Of course I have. The whole world knows the Fu family committed treason. Even if you had nothing to do with it, and I believe you, the people of the world do not. If we can trade you for ten years of peace between our two nations, the common people will surely cast aside their prejudices and be grateful for all you have done for Zhao. In ten years, I will personally welcome you back to court, make you my consort, and keep you by my side, never to be parted from you again."
Fu Lingyue closed her eyes, her throat bobbed, and she slowly straightened up, raising her head to look directly at the King of Zhao.
"Ling'er." The King of Zhao placed his hands on her shoulders.
Fu Lingyue took a deep breath, a hint of a tremor in it that she quickly suppressed. She looked at the King of Zhao, pulled her arms back, and shook off his hands. As she inhaled again, the veins on her forehead and neck bulged. A red ring formed around her eyes, which welled with tears, but none fell.
【Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, this is good. This is really good!】
【That's the vibe, that's the vibe!】
【Damn, that gaze is amazing. The redness around her eyes is so natural. It feels like she's genuinely heartbroken.】
【The way she straightened up is interesting. Before, she was mindful of her status as a subject before the king, but after hearing that scumbag's words, her heart completely died. 'To hell with you, you big pig's trotter.'】
【The details are on point. That choked-back sob was acted so well.】
【Suppressed, so suppressed. It really moved me.】
【The way the tears welled in her eyes but didn't fall was just brilliant.】
Lu Qing was also a little surprised, staring intently at Little Fairy as if she had discovered a new continent.
The veteran actors in the villa next door were also watching the performance.
"Hey? This actress is interesting. She hasn't seen the drama, yet she was able to grasp the character's state of mind in such a short time. She has a lot of potential. Who is she?" Qi Qiuyan was full of amazement, nodding repeatedly.
Soon, the performance was over. Gu Xinran let out a breath and blinked, forcing back the tears that had welled up in her eyes. It had been too long since she had acted; she was a little rusty. It seemed she still needed to practice properly.
She looked up and found everyone staring at her. "What's wrong?"
"You're not Little Fairy, are you…" Lin Guo asked.
"Huh?"
"You're a little treasure!!"
Gu Xinran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. She thought her cover had been blown!
"Sister Fairy, you're my idol! Can you teach me that trick where tears well up in your eyes but don't fall?"
"Practice more, and you'll eventually learn it."
"You're not a rookie, are you?" Qin Qiong asked.
The two of them had the most scenes together just now. Qin Qiong had a fair amount of acting experience herself and would subconsciously try to dominate her scene partner with her gaze during a performance. But just now, she felt that not only had she failed to suppress her partner, but she had been completely upstaged. This baffled her. A rookie with no acting experience should absolutely not have that kind of presence.
Gu Xinran's eyes curved into a smile. "I guess you could say I'm half a rookie."
"That's amazing. I'm even more curious about who you are now."
"Teacher Lu, hey, can you not smile so creepily?" Lin Guo had intended to ask Lu Qing for some pointers, but when she turned around, she found her grinning foolishly at Little Fairy and couldn't help but comment.
"Ahem." Lu Qing coughed lightly and immediately returned to normal.
"Not bad. This group's overall performance was very good. It's just, Qin Qiong, your villain face is too immersive. No matter how I look at you, you seem like the main antagonist."
"Hahahaha—"
…
During the lunch break, Lu Qing hummed a little tune as she entered the veteran actors' villa.
"How about it, how about it, how about it? Did I strike gold this time or what?" she began to show off excitedly the moment she walked in.
"You did, you did. You really struck gold."
"Hehehe, I didn't expect her acting to be so good either. Her eyes can speak, and she handles so many small details perfectly. I don't even need to teach her; she's a natural. She's simply a born actress."
"Yes, yes, alright. We know you're here to show off," Yan Xi said with a look of despair. She had watched her own students perform today, and a few of their scenes nearly sent her to an early grave. She was so angry her head felt like it would explode, so she had run over here to escape during the break.
"Hey? You know too? When did you watch?"
"There. Teacher Bai is still over there admiring it," Yan Xi said, glancing toward the sofa.
Lu Qing sidled over and saw Bai Yilan watching a replay on a tape she had borrowed from the crew. She watched it once, then rewound it and watched it several more times.
"Hey, Teacher Bai, what do you think of this Little Fairy?"
Bai Yilan nodded. "She has a lot of potential. Her acting is polished, she understands things instantly, and her control over emotions and grasp of details are both excellent."
"Mmm~ It's rare to hear you praise someone like that~ That's enough to make me proud for a while."
"Stop joking. She wasn't praising you," Yan Xi rolled her eyes at her.
"Praising my student is the same as praising me," Lu Qing huffed.
…
In the office, Fang Jinghai and Qu Qi were once again dumbfounded.
"Is this Gu Xinran?" Qu Qi was beginning to have serious self-doubts.
"Is… is it?" Fang Jinghai was also losing confidence. This Sister Ran was so, so, so different from the rumors!
…
On the set, Ming Zhen's eyes were wide.
"Ahhh, my treasure, my treasure!! I'm going to have Yilan get this treasure's contact information for me!!" Young President Ming was practically dying from excitement.
"Oh ho, another day of Young President Ming swooning."
…
In the bedroom, Gu Xinran was lying on the bed, about to close her eyes for a nap. She turned her head and found Lin Guo lying on her side, propped up on an arm, staring at her with wide eyes.
"??? Can I help you?"
"Nope. You sleep. I'll just look. I won't talk," Lin Guo said with a sweet smile.
"…" Gu Xinran was silent for a moment, then silently turned over to face away from Lin Guo. She closed her eyes, and just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a rustling sound. She opened her eyes and jumped in fright!
Lin Guo was squatting by her bed, her hands cupping her cheeks, smiling at her!
"! What are you doing!?"
"Heh, I think I know who you are," Lin Guo said with a mysterious smile, winking at her.
Gu Xinran frowned. She had heard that line countless times in the past two days!
Lin Guo stood up, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a name she had never even heard before.
…
"Ooh, ooh, something's going on here! Why are they kissing??" In the veteran actors' villa, Lu Qing turned her head and saw the TV on the wall. On the split-screen, in the two-person room, Lin Guo was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning down close to Little Fairy's face. From that angle, it looked exactly like she was kissing Little Fairy!
Hearing this, everyone immediately turned to look.
"Teacher Lu, you're a mentor, after all. Is it really okay to be such a gossip?"
Bai Yilan had no interest in gossip. She unintentionally looked up, and her gaze froze.
"?????"
"I knew it. That Lin Guo is always calling her 'Sister Fairy.' She's up to something, isn't she?" Lu Qing, ever the carefree one, was still laughing.
Bai Yilan took a deep breath. A rush of anger surged through her, and she coughed heavily twice. Even her head began to ache.
"Oh my, are you still not well? You should go rest for a bit," Lu Qing said, patting her on the back.
"The… cough, the production team, they're not going to do anything?" Bai Yilan pointed at the screen.
"This? What's there to do? Freedom of love is encouraged these days. What's there to manage?"
"You, cough cough… you're not going to do anything either?"
"Me? It's a matter of mutual consent. What right do I have to interfere??" Lu Qing looked completely baffled. Is that any of my business?
"This isn't a dating show!"
"You… seem very agitated?"
"I'm not." Bai Yilan took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Oh."
"Hey, I also think you should manage it. Don't just focus on having fun and forget your duties. It is a competition, after all," Yan Xi spoke up.
"Fine, I'll go talk to them later and tell them to tone it down a bit."
"Cough, cough!"
"Oh dear, Teacher Bai, with your health, you should hurry back and rest."
Bai Yilan glanced at the screen again. The two of them inside were chatting away enthusiastically!!!
The sight made her vision go dark with anger, and her head throbbed even more intensely.
…
【Hahaha, why does Teacher Bai look like she's been traumatized?? She's so cute, hahaha.】
【Ahhh, Teacher Bai, I'm so here for you!!!】
【She's already been divorced, is it really okay for her to be this innocent?】
【Hahaha, Teacher Lu is such a troll. They were clearly just whispering to each other. How did that become kissing?】
【Excuse me, how long has Teacher Lu been single? But you have to admit, the angle really does look like a kiss!】
【Lu 'Rumor-Monger' Qing, hahaha.】
In the office.
"Hiss, Sister Qi, do you feel like something's not quite right?" Fang Jinghai asked, propping her chin on her hand as she watched the screen.
"Tsk." Qu Qi also rested her chin on her hand. "I feel it. It's like there's a whiff of… jealousy."
"Do you think Teacher Bai might have…"
"Recognized her!"
"Ah, and look, this morning when she gave Teacher Bai the medicine, Teacher Bai even smiled at her. It was a very gentle smile, too."
"Hiss!" Qu Qi sucked in a sharp breath.
"So, her current situation is: she's flirting with another girl in front of her ex-wife, her ex-wife has found out, and she… is completely oblivious?"
"Ah."
Qu Qi was stunned for a moment. "Interesting~"
"???"
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