Studio Superstar: Chapter 35

Xue Xiao’s eyes suddenly became clear.

He straightened up suddenly and paused for two seconds. He rubbed his face vigorously, turned his head, and said, “T-Teacher Shen?”

It was really Shen Tingyan. It wasn’t a dream!

By the way, Shen Tingyan’s group would come to rehearse after 9 o’clock at night!

Shen Tingyan didn’t speak. He just glanced at Xue Xiao’s open notebook.

The shift in gaze was too obvious. Xue Xiao looked over and saw his ugly chibi drawing. He closed his notebook suddenly, his face flushed.

The panicked reaction made Shen Tingyan sneer. “I have seen it already. Why are you covering it up? The drawing isn’t half as good as your words.”

Xue Xiao: “……”

His inability to draw was engraved in his genes! He failed to learn it no matter how hard he tried. He wouldn’t have given up so simply if he hadn’t realized he really had no fate with drawing in his life.

…It was only recently that he couldn’t help drawing again.

As for why, Xue Xiao couldn’t tell.

At this stage in his life, there had been a few moments when he was so emotional that they seemed about to overflow.

Every time this moment occurred, he couldn’t help wanting to do something… writing, drawing, or anything. He wanted to do anything that allowed him to vent his emotions.

He had been in this stage recently.

It didn’t start from when he stepped into the camp. It started after the first round…

Sometimes when his mind wandered accidentally, it would swim to a place he didn’t know, and he would subconsciously draw… then it was seen by the person…

Xue Xiao’s face was hot.

The light was too dim. Shen Tingyan didn’t notice the red color on his face and only said, “Xue Xiao, do I have this image in your heart?”

The man’s voice was soft. The words ‘in your heart’ made Xue Xiao’s heart skip a beat.

Image? What image?

He recalled in confusion what he drew just now that made Shen Tingyan speak in such a dangerous tone.

Then Shen Tingyan continued, “—Am I so arrogant?”

Xue Xiao: “……??”

Shen Tingyan raised an eyebrow at Xue Xiao’s confused eyes. He seemed like he wanted an explanation.

Xue Xiao thought about it. He secretly lifted a corner of his notebook and peeked inside.

Shen Tingyan found it a bit funny.

Then he saw Xue Xiao turn around with the words ‘Isn’t it similar’ written on his face.

Shen Tingyan cried out, “…Xue Xiao!”

He stretched out his hand toward Xue Xiao’s head.

“Teacher Shen!” Xue Xiao’s neck shrank back. Before Shen Tingyan could touch him, the lights here suddenly turned on with a snap.

Jin Xiaochen’s voice was heard, “Teacher Shen is here!”

Shen Tingyan withdrew his hand and looked over with Xue Xiao.

Jin Xiaochen and his two new partners ran over. Then Jin Xiaochen saw Xue Xiao next to Shen Tingyan and took a breath in surprise. “Brother Xue, why are you here? Didn’t you finish rehearsing during the day?”

“Cough… I just came to watch your rehearsal.”

“Oh.” This was in line with Xue Xiao’s style. Jin Xiaochen didn’t think too much and said to Shen Tingyan, “Teacher Shen, that… we just had a small problem with the props…”

They arrived here so late, but the rehearsal hadn’t started. There was a problem with the set, and now a problem with the props. A trace of impatience finally appeared on Shen Tingyan’s face. “What problem?”

The little friend behind Jin Xiaochen took out a notebook hidden behind him.

Half of the notebook was wet. The three of them looked guilty. “Cough, just now, we went to buy three bottles of Coke. They were all from the vending machine. I don’t know why one of them exploded as soon as it opened. It exploded in my hands…”

Xue Xiao and Shen Tingyan looked at the person who spoke. Sure enough, the black t-shirt on his body was also a bit wet.

The young man turned to one of the pages of the notebook. It was originally full of notes and a draft portrait of a human head. The young man was completely dizzy at this moment.

He confessed, “…This is how it is!”

Xue Xiao was stunned.

He had never seen their movie, but he vaguely remembered that it was a youth campus theme. This notebook should be a prop between the male and female protagonists.

If the paper was wet with Coke, it would definitely be useless. Even if it dried, it would leave marks. Fortunately, this type of prop was easy to reproduce. It wasn’t a big problem.

Jin Xiaochen said in an embarrassed manner, “Teacher Shen, do you think we can ask the staff to borrow a notebook first, and I will draw a new one later?”

He had spent a whole night making this notebook.

Shen Tingyan’s face softened a bit.

Before he could speak, Jin Xiaochen’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “Eh? Brother Xue has a ready-made one on hand. Can you lend it to us?”

Xue Xiao: “?!”

He shook his head repeatedly. “No no no!”

Jin Xiaochen said, “Just borrow it for the night. I will return it to you when I’m done!”

Xue Xiao hugged his notebook tightly, his face blood-red. “It really won’t work!”

Jin Xiaochen looked puzzled.

Before they ran to Building 3 together to secretly take lessons for a few days, Xue Xiao also passed around his own notes. How come he suddenly couldn’t use it as a prop?

Shen Tingyan glanced at Xue Xiao and understood it. He said to Jin Xiaochen, “Don’t worry about having props tonight. Just prepare it again tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Jin Xiaochen no longer insisted and quickly responded.

Xue Xiao secretly sighed with relief.

Shen Tingyan said indifferently, “But tomorrow, I won’t have time to help you keep an eye on the props. Pay attention to it yourself.”

“I know, I know. I guarantee that it will never be ugly. I will definitely follow the same standards as the last one!” Jin Xiaochen promised.

His fellow team members laughed. “Teacher Shen, don’t worry. We will take care of it. It is a youth romance drama. No matter how stupid the male protagonist is, it is too much to draw the female lead in such an ugly manner!”

Xue Xiao suddenly felt like his knee was hit by an arrow.

He looked down at the notebook in his arms. He slowly realized that the current situation seemed to be the same as the script.

The trio chatted about this topic.

The only girl among them complained. “Don’t mention it. The first time I saw Xiao Jin’s drawing, I couldn’t get into the act at all.’

Jin Xiaochen said directly, “Even if it is ugly, I drew it with all my sincerity toward you, okay? I drew it very seriously!”

Xue Xiao’s ears pricked up, and he couldn’t help nodding.

Yes yes.

The drawing might be ugly, but it was drawn seriously!

The girl burst out laughing. “Speaking of which, I like this movie, but I still want to complain. This plot is too old-fashioned. If you like her, you have to draw her?”

“In fact, I used to be like this in high school, cough.”

“Really? You can also draw a girl you like?”

“No. Um, I wrote her name or something similar…”

“Oh~~”

Xue Xiao quietly raised his head and started to eat melons.

The boy blushed and said, “Don’t act like you don’t understand!”

The girl and Jin Xiaochen said, “We don’t understand. Tell us about it!”

“Get lost!”

Xue Xiao couldn’t help laughing.

Jin Xiaochen said, “Hahaha, Old Yu is shy, but it is like this. If you really like someone, you will definitely think about the other person often.”

The boy agreed. “That’s right. When she appears, you want to look at her. You want to talk to her when there is the chance and think about her when you have free time. Then while thinking of her, you will write or draw her unknowingly. It makes you very excited. Your mind is really full of her—”

Xue Xiao nodded shyly. He instinctively felt that there was something wrong with substituting himself in like this, but he didn’t react for a while.

“I dream of her even when I sleep, okay!”

“—It is a crush. You must understand!”

Xue Xiao suddenly sobered up.

These words magnified in his ears, and he froze.

The three people chattered enthusiastically.

Their hearts really beat fast when they had a crush. They couldn’t control their blush when they saw the other person and felt embarrassed.

Xiao Jin exaggerated it and asked the boy in the same group, “Were you like this in the beginning?” Then he was stunned by the other person.

The girl couldn’t help laughing. Even a smile appeared in Shen Tingyan’s eyes.

He listened to the three children playing and casually looked to the side. He wondered why this person was so quiet all of a sudden.

The young man sitting on the small bench had a lowered head.

He still held the notebook tightly. His fingers holding the edge of the notebook were a bit twisted. It was slightly hard, and seemed a bit nervous.

Shen Tingyan paused.

His gaze swept to the side of Xue Xiao’s face.

Xue Xiao was red from ear to neck.

This wasn’t the first time that Xue Xiao looked like this in front of him. Shen Tingyan was almost used to it. But at this moment, he seemed to detect something strange from this redness…

On the other side, the girl’s conversation returned to the play. “In fact, when I first watched the movie, I felt that the male protagonist’s performance was quite obvious. How can two people be so pure that it took so long to find out?”

Jin Xiaochen told her, “The movie has to be like this to make people’s hearts itch, okay?”

The other boy said, “In addition, the male protagonist was actually a bit confused at the beginning.”

They didn’t notice that the immediate vicinity had suddenly quieted down.

Jin Xiaochen suddenly asked nervously, “Brother Xue, are you feeling unwell?”

Xue Xiao was startled and raised his head.

Jin Xiaochen was stunned. “Why is your face so red?”

Xue Xiao instinctively turned his face sideways and met Shen Tingyan’s gaze.

The latter’s gaze was somewhat unreadable.

Xue Xiao turned his head away sharply. His heart was beating quickly, and his mind was buzzing.

He moved his lips. Before he could think of what to say, he heard the girl laugh. “When doesn’t Xiao Xiao blush when seeing Teacher Shen?”

Xue Xiao was dumbfounded.

Jin Xiaochen’s mind returned, and he said with a smirk, “That’s right. Brother Xue, are you feeling unwell?”

Xue Xiao stiffened. “No… I’m a bit, hot…”

Jin Xiaochen was relieved and immediately chatted with the other two about other matters.

Xue Xiao was stunned.

He blinked as he looked at the three talking and laughing people in front of him. Then his heart slowly relaxed…

Yes, why was he panicking…?

He just liked Shen Tingyan…

Every time he saw Shen Tingyan, his heart would beat faster, and his cheeks got hot. These reactions made him feel ashamed but wasn’t he used to it? Not only was he used to it, but everyone else was used to it…

A crush would make a person always think about the other party, but wasn’t it the same for fans who liked idols?

Why did he inexplicably substitute himself in when he heard Jin Xiaochen and the others talking?

Xue Xiao thought about it, and his body relaxed.

…Drawing or something, every star’s super talk also had fans who drew them, right?

Yes, how normal was it?

He just drew a bit ugly. Shen Tingyan must’ve received more drawings from fans.

Xue Xiao’s eyes also calmed down.

He seemed to be a bit sensitive today. Maybe he was still tired?

He had finished his work this evening, but he had been working hard all week. His body might not feel it, but his brain was no longer normal.

Xue Xiao convinced himself like this, and his expression became more normal.

Beside him, Shen Tingyan hadn’t spoken since just now. He was still staring at the back of Xue Xiao’s head thoughtfully.

At this moment, a staff member came over and said, “Teacher Shen, the venue has been rearranged. You can start rehearsals!”

Shen Tingyan’s mind returned, and he straightened his body.

He saw Xue Xiao stand up and start to obediently pack up the folding chair. He couldn’t help asking, “Are you leaving?”

Xue Xiao folded the chair back to its original form. He carried it, nodded, and said a bit calmly, “Yes, it seems that I am still a bit sleepy. I will come back tomorrow. Teacher Shen, rest early after the rehearsal tonight.”

He finished speaking and waved his small hand at Shen Tingyan’s group of four. Then he turned around and walked away neatly.

Jin Xiaochen suddenly felt a bit lonely. “I thought Brother Xue would stay to watch us rehearse. It just so happens that Teacher Shen is also here.”

The girl said, “He must be tired from rehearsing during the day.”

Shen Tingyan’s eyes narrowed.

Tired?

He looked like he had been sleeping quite well. Didn’t he feel refreshed when waking up?

It was just like Jin Xiaochen said. In the past, this little lightbulb would definitely stay until he—the rehearsal was over, right?

Shen Tingyan stared at Xue Xiao’s back. Until the other person stepped briskly through the door of the small theater, Shen Tingyan’s expression was still inquiring.