Chapter 26: I’m a Better Match for Him!
Afterward, the musical performance segment and training process from the dance and singing training week of All-Round Teen Idol were also broadcast. There wasn’t much controversy, and Yu Weixi was even praised for his serious teaching.
As for the FengYu ship fans… they were currently experiencing the ordeal of ice and fire, their bodies and minds tormented. A step forward was hell, a step back was heaven.
The shippers said: As sweet as the behind-the-scenes footage is, the variety show itself is just as cruel!
The variety show tortures me a thousand times, yet I treat the behind-the-scenes footage like my first love.
Even if the two main characters don’t even look at each other while collaborating on the variety show now, and are even forming ships with other men, as long as I watch the behind-the-scenes footage from back then, I can be fine again!
I’m fine again!
I can do it again!
Doing sit-ups every day, I’ve gotten thinner (balder) and more beautiful (poorer).
And entering a new week, the music and dance training continued, but the main class was changed to acting. Feng Yan and Ji Shilin spent the whole day in the classroom, teaching the students the control, techniques, and application of acting over and over again.
Last week, through practice and selection, the dance lead and center of this large-scale musical had already been decided. The same was true for the singing part.
On this day, after three days of adaptation and practice, the official auditions for casting began. Those who had successfully competed for important roles in singing and dancing were not eligible to audition for important roles again. This week, most of the people who came to audition for the main roles were new faces.
“Let’s begin.”
The mentors sat in a row, rating and recommending roles for the students one by one.
The content of the musical was about interesting things that happened in a class, and the story of the students chasing their dreams.
The first roles to be competed for were the third and fourth male leads. One was a rather taciturn bookworm, and the other was a hot-tempered but athletically talented school bully.
“Hello, teachers. My name is Chen Ye.” The first group to go on stage also seemed to fit the characters well. One of the youths looked very shy, and the other was tall and big.
“My name is Luo Ding.”
After they finished their individual introductions, Feng Yan nodded and let the two begin.
The two were to act out a scene where the school bully mistakenly thought the bookworm had stolen his money and was questioning him harshly.
There was a table on the stage. Chen Ye sat on the side, reading a book. Suddenly, he saw Luo Ding stride in aggressively.
“You bookworm! I didn’t expect it! You’re usually so quiet, but you’re quite good at doing such dirty things!”
Luo Ding grabbed Chen Ye’s collar and shouted, “Give me back my money!”
“You… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Chen Ye said with a blank expression, “I didn’t steal your money…”
“I don’t care about that. Give me back my money!”
The two confronted each other, back and forth.
Feng Yan frowned slightly.
After the performance ended, the two students stood on the side, quietly waiting for comments.
Feng Yan paused and said, “Which character do you think is more difficult to play in this scene?”
Chen Ye said, “I think Luo Ding-ge’s character is more difficult because the school bully has to keep questioning and have an emotional outburst.”
Luo Ding also nodded.
“No, actually, the more difficult role to play in this scene is the bookworm.” Feng Yan said helplessly, “Chen Ye, I felt like you were a background board the whole time.”
Chen Ye was taken aback.
Feng Yan explained, “Static acting is often more difficult than dynamic. After this scene, at least we all know that Luo Ding is a domineering and unreasonable school bully, but you… I even suspect that you were disconnected.”
After all, Chen Ye had been standing like a pillar the whole time, just mechanically responding to Luo Ding’s accusations.
Chen Ye quickly explained, “Because, because this bookworm’s personality is taciturn…”
Feng Yan said, “Right, but being taciturn doesn’t mean this person has no emotions. Whether it’s indifference or taciturnity, there are layers and progressions of emotion. You can’t make expressions with your face, but your eyes can, your small movements can, and your temperament can. It’s not asking you to become a poster.”
“I see… thank you, teacher.” Chen Ye nodded.
Ji Shilin also commented, “Luo Ding’s acting is not bad. The emotions were not too over the top, and the control was quite good. As for Chen Ye, just pay more attention to static acting.”
Lu Jiayan asked curiously, “What is static acting?”
“I know this one!” Tian Yawei said, “The first half of Mr. Feng and Mr. Yu’s The Coast’s Solitude is all that.”
The first half of the little president and the merman’s interaction was them talking by the coast, and both of their personalities were introverted, so the scenes were almost static, relying only on small expressions, eyes, and tone.
Of course, at that time, Yu Weixi’s acting was still green. His demeanor was his natural self plus Feng Yan’s personal coaching, but his lines were dubbed.
“Ah… I understand. Then why don’t Mr. Feng come up for a segment now?” Lu Jiayan cued him as per international practice.
For the sake of the show’s KPI and ratings, it was naturally indispensable to cue the mentors. Before, they had asked Yu Weixi to dance, Xiao Baima to freestyle, and Chu Qing to sing. This time, Feng Yan naturally couldn’t escape.
Lu Jiayan, not afraid of death, added, “Why don’t we do a segment of what Yawei just said? The merman segment? We can even have Mr. Yu and Mr. Feng do it together!”
Yu Weixi: “…”
Why is the fire burning on my side again?
“Together! Together!”
At this moment, the hall was already in an uproar, everyone shouting for an impromptu performance.
Yu Weixi crossed his arms and said coolly, “Sorry, I’ve already forgotten.”
Feng Yan paused, then also smiled. “I don’t remember it very clearly either…”
Then the next moment, the director immediately played a clip from The Coast on the big screen.
Yu Weixi: “…”
…
The waves kissed the beach. The man knelt on one knee by the sea, holding the merman’s hand and said seriously, “Are you willing to come ashore to be with me?”
“Are you willing to come ashore for me?”
Abandoning the familiar sea, stranded for love.
“I am willing.”
The man lowered his head and kissed the merman, while the merman looked up, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, and met the kiss.
…
Yu Weixi: “…”
Feng Yan: “Wow.”
The production team is really good at this, aren’t they?
Then, Yu Weixi stood up with a “swish” and said to Luo Yucheng, “Little Luo, our much-anticipated new generation merman, why don’t you take this opportunity to adapt and show us? The audience is—looking forward to it.”
Feng Yan: “…”
Yu Weixi directly pulled Luo Yucheng up and onto the stage.
It was like forcing a duck onto a perch. Now, Feng Yan had no choice but to go up.
The scene was a little quiet. Not many people understood Yu Weixi’s move.
“Hahaha… not bad.” Lu Jiayan said, “A clash between the new version of the merman and the little president.”
Feng Yan went on stage. He helplessly tugged at his collar, cast aside all other superfluous personal emotions, entered a working state, and completed a segment with Luo Yucheng.
For the kissing part, Feng Yan changed it to a hug.
And after it was over, the overall effect was not bad. At least it was pleasing to the eye.
Yu Weixi looked at Feng Yan and Luo Yucheng, who were hugging on stage, with a blank expression.
Chu Qing couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Yu Weixi.
Is he really not angry…?
And after today’s recording ended, Chu Qing couldn’t help but chase after him.
“Xixi!”
“Mmm?” Yu Weixi was removing his makeup in the dressing room. He glanced at Chu Qing beside him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not angry, are you…?”
“What am I angry about?” Yu Weixi slammed the comb on the table with a “thump” and sneered, “Why should I be angry?”
“Oh… it’s good that you’re not.”
Chu Qing paused and also sat down to remove his makeup with Yu Weixi.
A minute later…
Yu Weixi slammed the makeup remover on the table with a “bang.”
Chu Qing’s body trembled. He was startled and didn’t dare to speak.
Another minute later…
“Trash Luo Yucheng!”
Yu Weixi slammed the toner on the table with a “duang.”
Chu Qing: “…”
Yu Weixi turned his head and asked Chu Qing, “Aren’t you going to ask why?”
Chu Qing: “…”
Chu Qing: “Why is Xixi angry?”
Yu Weixi said fiercely, “Because Luo Yucheng’s acting is terrible!”
“Mmm, mmm.”
“It’s terrible! I’m still a better actor!”
“Mmm, mmm.” Chu Qing poured makeup remover on a cotton swab. “I also think that Xixi’s merman and Mr. Feng’s little president are a better match.”
“Of course!”
Chu Qing: “…”
It wasn’t just Yu Weixi who was unhappy. On the other side, Feng Yan was also very unhappy.
“There’s no sense of satisfaction at all.” Feng Yan sat in the car and lamented to his assistant, “Xixi’s merman is still a better match for me.”
The assistant said helplessly, “Of course. The movie was so popular back then, mainly because you two had good chemistry.”
“It’s all in the past.” Feng Yan lowered his eyes.
What surprised him was that, seeing that clip again after so many years, with Yu Weixi sitting beside him, it still made his heart flutter again.
It was as if he had returned to the time of filming. Facing Luo Yucheng before him, his mind was filled with Yu Weixi’s image.
Crazy… crazy.
“I wonder if Xixi still has any feelings.” Feng Yan smiled. “I wonder if his heart will still flutter?”
The assistant thought about Yu Weixi’s attitude towards Feng Yan and said, “Probably not. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have refused to collaborate with you again today and pushed Mr. Luo up instead.”
Speaking of which…
Feng Yan bared his teeth.
He was rushing home today to celebrate his mother’s birthday. If he didn’t personally question Yu Weixi tomorrow about the reason for pushing Luo Yucheng out, his surname wouldn’t be Feng!
Hehe.
