Chapter 4: A Novelist Writing Liu Bei Literature is a Bonus for Performance

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“So that’s what it was. I thought you were going to reveal some incredible secret, but isn’t this common knowledge?”

“It’s precisely because you’re a newcomer that you must take this first step bravely.”

“And is this stage play difficult? Not at all. Not only is the script pitifully short, but the only characters are you and Su Zhihan. It’s as if I tailored it specifically for the two of you newcomers.”

Jiang Yingxue’s slender fingers tapped the desk, making a slow, rhythmic clack clack sound.

To Ye Zhou, however, the sound felt like it was stuck in his throat, leaving him unable to argue.

Jiang Yingxue continued, “Also, Ye Zhou, don’t forget that Treasure of the Club you broke.”

She spoke those last four words, “Treasure of the Club,” slowly and with heavy emphasis.

“Club Leader Jiang, from now on, all I can say is that I’ll do my best…”

At this point, Ye Zhou had no choice but to cross that bridge when he came to it.

After all, whenever he heard “Treasure of the Club” come out of Jiang Yingxue’s mouth, his head hurt more than Sun Wukong’s when Tang Sanzang recited the Tightening Fillet Spell.

Sigh, looking back, curiosity really did kill the cat.

On Ye Zhou’s first day joining the Drama and Film Club, he was full of joy when Club Leader Jiang Yingxue sent him to the prop room, telling him to get familiar with the various stage props on his own.

He walked in and immediately spotted a very special stage prop—or rather, an antique vase—sitting at the very top of a two-meter-high shelf.

He thought about reaching up to touch it, but it was a bit too high. In the process of trying to reach it, his hand suddenly cramped violently, causing him to instinctively push forward.

The other stage props on the shelf didn’t break when they fell, but that specific antique vase shattered the moment it hit the floor.

Jiang Yingxue had rushed over at the sound, her face expressionless.

“Ye Zhou, this has been the Treasure of the Club since the very first day the Drama and Film Club was established at Jianghai University.”

In the end, she gave Ye Zhou two choices.

Naturally, Ye Zhou had chosen the latter without hesitation: to serve as free labor for the Drama and Film Club until graduation!

As for the former option—he swore that even if he sold his entire being, he wouldn’t be able to afford the compensation.

Dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

Jiang Yingxue took a long stretch, showing off her tall, elegant figure.

“That’s more like it. Ye Zhou, a wise man submits to circumstances. Now, tell me about your specialties. I want to help you incorporate them into your performance.”

Ye Zhou didn’t have time for idle thoughts and said, “Uh, does being able to write novels count?”

Ye Zhou wasn’t just saying that; he really was a novelist. However, it would be more accurate to call him a failing novelist who just writes to collect the base attendance pay.”

It was a hobby, but also a part-time job.

“It counts! Why wouldn’t it? From what I know, novelists should have some degree of split personality. After all, you’re constantly splitting yourself into multiple characters. That will definitely be helpful for acting.”

“I have no choice but to agree.”

“So, what kind of works do you have?”

“Uh… Liu Bei Literature…”

“Are you a closet pervert? Though, that also seems to be helpful for acting. After all, there’s a lot of internal monologue, and you can quickly immerse yourself in complex emotions…”

Jiang Yingxue frowned slightly, appearing to be thinking very seriously about this issue.

Ye Zhou’s eye twitched; he truly didn’t know how to respond.

“Alright, Ye Zhou, I have a general understanding of your situation now.”

“However, I have to go and individually guide Su Zhihan’s rehearsal this morning. It’ll be your turn at noon, you two will rehearse together in the afternoon, and finally, you’ll go on stage to perform at 8 PM tonight.”

“Putting everything else aside for now, you must at least memorize all of your lines perfectly.”

Jiang Yingxue pulled open a drawer and found another stage play script labeled with the title Platonic Love.

“Normally, with two newcomers like you, I would guide Su Zhihan and the Vice President would guide you.”

“But when I asked her, it’s not that she didn’t have time to guide you; she specifically stated she was unwilling.”

Ye Zhou was stunned. Was he really that disliked?

But speaking of which, there was a Vice President?

To be honest, from the time he joined the club until now, he hadn’t seen the Vice President once. He didn’t even know their name.

***

As Ye Zhou walked out of Club Leader Jiang Yingxue’s office, he didn’t feel relieved. Instead, it felt like an invisible mountain was pressing down on his back, feeling about a third as stressful as the national college entrance exams.

Arranging both the rehearsal and the performance on the same day—the schedule was tight enough to be suffocating.

Ye Zhou got a cup of warm water and sat on the sofa, beginning to study the Platonic Love script in his hands.

After a quick look, he realized it was just a typical, melodramatic youth romance plot.

But some people just loved that kind of thing; the more they chewed on it, the better it tasted.

In short, the content followed two freshmen seeking Platonic Love who met through a chance encounter, saw their relationship heat up, broke up over a misunderstanding, and eventually reconciled.

Out of all the parts, the final reconciliation was the most important because it contained a rare moment of physical contact—the so-called kiss scene.

Ye Zhou double-checked several times, and right next to the kiss scene, the words “Stage Kiss” were clearly marked in large letters.

In plain English: the actors would fake the kiss, but from the perspective of the audience below the stage, it would look real.

At that moment, the thought popped into his head again:

[Today’s Intel: When fellow freshman member Su Zhihan performs in the stage play, she will turn the fake kiss into a real one with the male club member.]

Ye Zhou told himself not to dream impossible dreams.

After all, the two of them had only met once on the day they joined the club. At all other times, either he was at the club and she wasn’t, or she was at the club and he wasn’t—sometimes neither of them was there.

In short, two people whose schedules never aligned couldn’t even be considered ordinary acquaintances, so how could that be possible?

But then again, the Daily Intelligence was never wrong.

Ye Zhou thought it over and over, but unable to come to a conclusion, he stopped dwelling on it.

Just then, a senior student walked in with one hand on her hip, pushing the door open with a wide stride.

Her long, crimson curly hair made her skin look even fairer. Her lively almond eyes looked like crescent moons when she smiled, and her lips were painted a light mauve.

She wore a simple white shirt tucked into a high-waisted short skirt, topped with a khaki trench coat. Paired with Doc Martin boots and black tights, her overall look was fresh with a touch of sweet and cool style.

This was Chen Yuhe, one of the core members of the Drama and Film Club and one of the club’s representative faces. It was said she was incredibly popular at Jianghai University.

An aura of youthful vitality practically hit him in the face, which stood in stark contrast to Ye Zhou’s current salted fish state.

“Oh! Little Junior, you’re here early today too.”

Ye Zhou gave a listless “Mm.”

Chen Yuhe immediately spotted the script in Ye Zhou’s hand and put her hands on her hips.

“Wow, Club Leader Jiang has already decided to let you star in the Drama and Film Club’s first stage play of the new semester at Jianghai University?”

“Hmph, I told her my intuition is always good. She didn’t believe me then, but she does now, right?”

“By the way, didn’t she have something to talk to me about? Strange, why isn’t she in her office?”

Ye Zhou pointed toward the door. “Club Leader Jiang… she seems to have gone to the rehearsal room to give Su Zhihan some one-on-one guidance.”

“Oh!”

Chen Yuhe moved her long, black-clad legs and didn’t forget to turn back and give Ye Zhou a thumbs up. “I’ll be there to cheer for you at 8 PM tonight, Little Junior!”

“I wish you a perfect performance!”

Ye Zhou replied miserably, “I’ll take your word for it, Senior Chen…”