DP Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Xiang Yiye took the microphone and said, “Teacher Gu, hello. I’m honored to participate in this lecture. I’ve seen your previous interviews, and two of your viewpoints have left a deep impression on me. The first is that you said actors should know how to empty themselves in order to pour in the soul of another character. The second is that you said actors also need to have their own uniqueness. I am a new actor, and I am also at a critical stage in my life. I often don’t know how to reconcile the relationship between commonality and individuality. I would appreciate it if you could answer my questions and dispel my doubts.”

Gu Wenyu pondered briefly and raised the microphone: “A very good question. In fact, these two points are not contradictory. For example, anyone can turn themselves into a ‘container’ and play another role in society. But you can be a beautiful vase, of course in a complimentary sense, please don’t misunderstand; others can be a thermos; as for this old fellow of mine, I’m just an old enamel bottle…”

The master’s humorous remarks caused bursts of laughter around him.

“Teacher Gu, can I understand it this way: controlling a scene requires a strong ability to empathize, but ultimately, each actor’s underlying character is different,” Xiang Yiye said.

“You’re very smart,” Gu Wenyu said.

Xiang Yiye pressed on: “Are you still accepting students? What do you think of me?”

Gu Wenyu declined with a smile: “Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I’m about to retire. After that, I just want to stay at home and raise flowers and birds, and play with calligraphy and painting. There are other, more outstanding practitioners who you can choose. I wish you success.”

“Thank you, I was presumptuous,” Xiang Yiye said a little embarrassed, and sat down.

After the lecture ended, he walked out of the cultural center. The cold winter wind blew over him, but Xiang Yiye didn’t feel cold. Instead, his heart leaped with joy. The exchange with the senior in the industry was the best possible encouragement for him.

In his previous life, Xiang Yiye entered the industry late. His father needed money for medical treatment. Although someone helped him behind the scenes, he was unwilling to take it for nothing, so he considered remuneration more when accepting roles and endorsements.

Over time, he became an industry workaholic who seamlessly joined one production after another. However, nine out of ten of the dramas he acted in were terrible, making him an excellent target for film critics to denounce the industry’s ecology and for haters to attack.

Similar to the principle of how easy it is to descend into evil and how difficult it is to ascend to good, when he realized that he genuinely loved acting, a hand that wasn’t good to begin with had been completely ruined, and it was no use trying to turn the tables against the odds.

Now it’s different, he has a completely new beginning.

After returning to school, his parents called and asked Xiang Yiye why he hadn’t started his winter vacation yet, and when he was coming home.

Xiang Yiye was going to say “tomorrow’s ticket,” but then he suddenly remembered that he had promised Xu Chuo to go to the art exhibition, so he changed his mind and said, “In a few days.”

“What are you busy with at school, coming back so late this time,” Father Xiang wondered, “Don’t forget you said you’d bring a partner back.”

Crap, he forgot about that. When the time comes, he’ll have to shamelessly go back and get lectured. Xiang Yiye made a few perfunctory remarks, hung up the phone, and took out the art exhibition admission ticket from the desk drawer.

It said “January 31st – February 14th, 9:00-17:00, 21 Lichuan Road”. Xiang Yiye had bought his train ticket home for the 30th, half a month in advance. At that time, he didn’t know that Xu Chuo would have an art exhibition.

The Spring Festival travel rush was in full swing. If he changed his ticket now, he probably wouldn’t even be able to get a spot on the waitlist until after the New Year.

Xiang Yiye looked at the plane tickets again. Only business class was left, and the price was moving. His salary from the first drama had already been settled, so he could afford it.

The biggest problem wasn’t that. Every time he went home, Father Xiang would pick him up at the train station. If he knew that Xiang Yiye was flying back, and in business class, he would definitely be suspicious and ask him where he got the money. He hadn’t told his parents about his acting yet.

Should he say he embezzled his scholarship? But he didn’t have much scholarship money in total, and he had transferred it to his parents as soon as it was issued. Being too filial is sometimes a sin. Moreover, Xiang Yiye could imagine that his parents would be talking about this matter throughout the winter vacation, converting the price of various things into plane ticket prices, and scolding him for spending money recklessly as soon as he had some.

Or should he say he’d hooked up with a sugar mommy and the plane ticket was reimbursed by her? Xiang Yiye thought deeply about it, then he would have to perform for an entire Spring Festival, and it was estimated that all kinds of relatives, like aunts and grandaunts, would come to his house to eat melon seeds and inquire about the causes and consequences.

That would be too terrifying. With all these factors combined, Xiang Yiye opened WeChat and sent a message to Xu Chuo: “I probably won’t be able to go to your art exhibition.”

“Reason?” Xu Chuo replied almost instantly.

Xiang Yiye carefully edited several reasons, but Xu Chuo directly called.

“You promised to come, why did you change your mind at the last minute?” Xu Chuo asked. No matter how much he flirted these past few days, Xiang Yiye ignored him. Finally, he received a message, but it was a cancellation, which was undoubtedly a huge challenge to his personal charm.

“I don’t understand art. If I go, I can only stand there blankly, which is quite stupid,” Xiang Yiye said.

“You don’t need to understand,” Xu Chuo said with a smile, “Isn’t there me by your side? What are you afraid of?”

“You don’t need me as an audience member…”

“Who says I don’t need you,” Xu Chuo said without hesitation for even a millisecond, “There are indeed many audience members, but they’re all here to see the paintings. I’m missing someone who looks like a painting. You can come and be that.”

It had to be said that Xu Chuo really had a way with words, but Xiang Yiye told himself to be rational. He didn’t want to stay in a strange place for the New Year, so he told the truth about the reason.

“This is easy. You return your ticket, and I’ll buy you a ticket for one day later. I guarantee you’ll be able to go home. Is that okay?” Xu Chuo said, “I remember your home is in M City?”

“No need, I don’t want to trouble others,” Xiang Yiye said, “I’ll come and support you at your next exhibition.”

“Opportunities are rare, and it’s hard to say if there will be an exhibition in the future,” Xu Chuo said. “And Xiang Yiye, aren’t we close enough yet that I’m still considered an ‘outsider’?”

The word “close” was already subtle enough, but it still aroused reverie. Xu Chuo’s voice carried an electric current, exploding fireworks in Xiang Yiye’s brain. He remembered the kiss under the street lamp more than a week ago, and accidentally hung up the phone.

Xiang Yiye wavered between “calling back” and “typing” for less than two minutes when a text message popped up in the message bar—

[Beijing Airlines] Dear passenger Mr. Xiang Yiye, you can select your seat in advance for your flight from Huaikou Airport in City S to Jiabei Airport in City M. Please click on the website to select your seat online…

Xiang Yiye typed furiously: “???”

Xiang Yiye: “You even know my ID number?”

Xu Chuo: “I know much more than you think.”

Xu Chuo: “Maybe the only thing I don’t know is what you look like without clothes on.”

Xiang Yiye: “…” Can I call the police? There’s someone openly acting like a hooligan here.

Xu Chuo: “Have a little compassion, Xiang Yiye, don’t let me lose both my love and my money.”

He was determined to carry out moral blackmail to the end. Xiang Yiye reluctantly replied “Okay,” checked the price of the corresponding flight, and transferred the money over. After a while, it showed that the other party had returned it.

He was really rich and willful. It was the same with the medical expenses from his previous hospitalization. Xu Chuo wouldn’t accept it no matter what, firmly promoting his excellent tradition of only spending money and never receiving it when it came to flirting.

The only way to pay him back was probably to melt him down into gold and bury it in his yard, Xiang Yiye thought.

On the last day of January, in the morning, Xiang Yiye arrived at 21 Lichuan Road around 9:30. Actually, he wanted to be there on time, but when he was about to go out, he was almost out of the dormitory building when he glanced in the mirror and suddenly felt that his outfit was inappropriate, so he immediately went back upstairs and changed into a new one.

Except for more formal occasions, Xiang Yiye usually didn’t spend much time thinking about his outfit. He mainly aimed for a refreshing, clean, and appropriate look. He didn’t know why he was so nervous today.

Perhaps because it was the first time he was seeing Xu Chuo’s art exhibition. When they met in his previous life, Xu Chuo didn’t paint much anymore. Even when he later picked up the paintbrush again, the paintings Xiang Yiye saw were all single pieces.

Another reason was that Xiang Yiye was worried about exposing his ignorance. Among the people coming today, many must have high artistic literacy and appreciation abilities. As a layman, he could only watch the excitement.

Xu Chuo said he would be there, but Xiang Yiye couldn’t completely rely on others. He spent a few days cramming on basic knowledge related to art history, but he was still uneasy.

After entering the venue, Xiang Yiye didn’t go inside to look at the paintings directly, but stood near the entrance to read the introduction.

The theme of this exhibition was “New Life.” The introduction didn’t explain the core content and ideas of the exhibition. Instead, it used a fictional story as an introduction, telling the story of a planet that, after billions of years of prosperity, irreversibly declined, and eventually, because its core cooled down, completely turned into a lifeless dead star. However, this was not the end. Billions of years passed again, and new life seemed to be growing out of the desolate desert in different forms.

After Xiang Yiye finished reading, he sent a message to Xu Chuo: “I’m here, Chuo-ge, in front of the introduction wall.”

Xu Chuo replied with a voice message: “Sorry, Xiang Yiye, I’m in the hall at the end, I can’t get away for a while.”

Xiang Yiye replied: “It’s okay, you’re busy, I’ll take a look around myself first.”

There was only one direction to enter the exhibition, and a long corridor followed the introduction wall. The movement line of this exhibition seemed to be fixed, rather than a free and open style. As Xiang Yiye walked into the corridor, he noticed that there was coordination between the paintings on the wall and the surrounding lights. It wasn’t obvious, and it might be overlooked if one wasn’t careful.

Based on his previous understanding, Xu Chuo should be very fond of and good at using colors, which corresponded to his emotionally rich personality. However, Xiang Yiye didn’t see too many collisions of different color blocks in the corridor. Most of the paintings were drawn with simple black lines. Slender black lines were sharply intertwined and overlapped, using density to construct light and dark. The overall style was rather depressing.

From time to time, other people stopped in the corridor, either staring intently at the paintings or exchanging a few words with the people next to them.

All that was in Xiang Yiye’s mind was: What was Xu Chuo like when he painted this painting? What was he thinking? How old was he then? What was he experiencing? Were things mostly smooth or mostly rough?

Understanding the creator himself might impose some constraints on the interpretation of the work. However, Xiang Yiye didn’t care much about that.

He suddenly thought of Xu Chuo saying that this exhibition was “missing someone who looks like a painting.” Coincidentally, this painting in front of him vaguely showed a human figure, but it was too abstract, looking like… a deformed alien creature. Several other paintings around it were similar in style.

So Xu Chuo said he looked like a painting, meaning he looked like these, Xiang Yiye thought. What’s the difference between that and saying he’s not human? Damn, he was fooled again.

He stood in front of the painting called “Noise” thinking wildly, when the lights suddenly went out and the corridor plunged into darkness. Some of the other visitors seemed to be startled and let out a low cry of surprise.