Why did Xue Xiao finally choose Feng Wei’s group…?
It was because Feng Wei’s first play was really fascinating.
The information revealed by all the other mentor’s plays was a variety of themes and styles. Only Feng Wei’s play had a very simple and straightforward word.
Original.
It was an original play.
Xue Xiao wanted to have an original protagonist who truly belonged to him.
The rest of the participants later entered the selection room. Their first reaction was surprise when they saw Xue Xiao’s choice.
Then in an instant, they all understood.
Not only was Feng Wei’s play an original play, but it also had only one protagonist.
Who could stand this?
Even ten Teacher Shen’s couldn’t stand it!
Xue Xiao later took out his phone, entering and deleting words in Shen Tingyan’s chat box. He felt guilty but didn’t know how to explain it. He was worried…
On the other side, the recording was completely finished, and Shen Tingyan returned to the dressing room.
He watched as the text at the top of the chat box changed from ‘the other person is typing…’ before returning to the words ‘little light bulb.’
A minute later, it changed to ‘the other person is typing…’ before returning to the words ‘little light bulb’ a few seconds later.
Then there was no movement…
Shen Tingyan: ?
Was he giving up now?
Shen Tingyan almost laughed angrily.
In the last round, Xue Xiao said he would choose Shen Tingyan’s play, but in the end, he chose the play of Shen Tingyan’s father.
This round, he said he was going to Shen Tingyan. Then he chose Feng Wei.
Xue Xiao kept saying he liked Shen Tingyan, but in the end, he never chose Shen Tingyan. This little light bulb was a liar.
Then after being angry, he remembered the lineup of the mentor’s play that was just announced. Shen Tingyan frowned, and his eyes calmed down.
The script for the third round of the show was finalized before the show started.
The mentors could communicate with the show’s staff at any time and change the play, but Shen Tingyan didn’t put much thought into his variety show and never considered changing the content.
—Let alone preparing an original play at this stage.
It never occurred to him to bother doing such a thing.
From this aspect, Feng Wei was worthy of being an old fox. He had much more experience and thought more than Shen Tingyan.
The top of the WeChat chat box once again changed to ‘the other person is typing…’
Shen Tingyan glanced at it and felt amused.
He sent a message: “Don’t worry about it.”
The top part returned to the words ‘little light bulb’. The person on the other side seemed startled by the sudden message.
Shen Tingyan could almost imagine the little guy’s frightened face. This caused his eyes to be tinged with amusement.
“Go to bed early. Be careful not to get dark circles under your eyes tomorrow.”
After a moment, the other person replied cautiously, “Okay.”
“Good night. Teacher Shen, you should go home early and rest.”
Shen Tingyan stared at this sweet line for a while before putting down his phone.
There was a knock on the door of the dressing room.
Shen Tingyan didn’t drive by himself today. Fang Lei considered that he needed to film from morning to night, and it wouldn’t be safe for him to drive back when he was tired at night. Therefore, Fang Lei sent an assistant to follow him.
Just now, the assistant was called by the show’s staff to discuss some detailed issues. Shen Tingyan thought the other person was back, so he called out, “Come in.”
Unexpectedly, the door opened, and it was Yu Shanhe’s voice who came from it.
“Teacher Shen, excuse me for disturbing you.”
Shen Tingyan looked sideways.
This person hadn’t left yet?
Yu Shanhe seemed to have stayed specifically to wait for him. Afterwards, Yu Shanhe got straight to the point. “Is it convenient to have a chat? It is rare to have the opportunity to meet. I want to ask Teacher Shen if you are interested in accepting a new script?”
Shen Tingyan turned his head and said in an indifferent tone, “Director Yu is going to make a movie again?”
Everyone in the industry knew that Shen Tingyan didn’t film TV series.
Yu Shanhe said with a smile, “Yes, I have been writing this script for three years. Recently, I finally had an opportunity to film it. The male and female protagonists haven’t been decided, but I already had a preferred candidate when I wrote the script. I don’t know if Teacher Shen can give me five minutes to make a brief introduction.”
Yu Shanhe’s attitude was very humble. His approach of waiting patiently until this point was also severe.
He closed the door and said, “To be honest, the main reason for accepting this show was to meet Teacher Shen.”
Shen Tingyan said, “I have no plans to film recently. Sorry.”
Yu Shanhe paused as if not expecting Shen Tingyan to refuse so simply. He asked politely, “Can I ask why? If you just want to take a break, I can accommodate your time.”
Shen Tingyan said lazily, “It is indeed necessary to rest for a while. It is still uncertain whether I will continue making movies or do other things after my rest.”
Yu Shanhe immediately opened his mouth.
However, before he could say anything, Shen Tingyan continued, “But I already have a bunch of scripts waiting to be picked. Why do I have to pick a script written by a director who spent four years filming ancient dramas but whose movies weren’t good enough?”
Yu Shanhe froze immediately.
This sounded too arrogant.
Then Shen Tingyan’s words after that were more like brutally tearing off all pretenses of cordiality.
“Even if it is just five minutes, there are already dozens of people waiting for me to give them five minutes. I don’t have much time to listen to them one by one.”
“Sorry, I won’t see you off.”
There was no sound in the room.
Shen Tingyan spoke mercilessly, and the other person couldn’t stay in the room at this time.
A minute later, the sound of footsteps was heard.
Yu Shanhe held the doorknob and stood quietly facing the door for a while. Then he turned around and said unwillingly, “I’ve always heard that you just look arrogant. In fact, you aren’t a person who looks down on weak people.”
“In the last four years, I couldn’t get investment to make movies so I could only film TV series. I admit that I was unwilling and absent-minded, so those TV series were of ordinary quality. But at least for movies—I have never given up studying movies in the past four years!”
“I also admit that there were big problems with the two movies I made six years ago. I had ideas but no ability to express them. I couldn’t attract the audience and didn’t get a good reputation. I deserve it all. But I am sure that I have spent the past four years correcting these problems. This filming will definitely be successful. Why are you not even willing to take a look?”
His speaking speed was much faster than before, and his mood fluctuated significantly.
“Shen Tingyan, don’t you believe in such a thing as hard work?”
The man, with his back turned, laughed and said, “Of course, I believe it.
Yu Shanhe said, “Then you—”
“The question is whether you believe in it yourself.”
Yu Shanhe was stunned.
“Do you believe in hard work, and do you respect this thing?”
Unlike Yu Shanhe’s agitation, Shen Tingyan was always calm.
“I’ve seen both of the movies you made six years ago. The problems weren’t as big as you said. They were a bit boring, but this could be solved by changing the filming method. The depth is there. But in the eyes of the audience, if the base isn’t large enough, then not many people will be interested in digging deeper.”
He continued casually, “No matter whether you are beaten to the point of collapse or if you grit your teeth and continue to persevere, it isn’t difficult for you with your ability to become famous again as long as you continue to stand up and make movies one day.”
Yu Shanhe’s expression softened slightly. However, he didn’t expect that Shen Tingyan would sneer coldly the next second.
“That is what I thought at the time. Then I changed my mind because your mind doesn’t seem very clear.”
“Yu Shanhe, you have obviously experienced troubles. You have experienced situations where you need help for others, or at the very least, you needed to not be kicked. You feel that you are underappreciated, but when you met a similar person, what did you do?”
Yu Shanhe was stunned and confused again.
Then at this moment, he suddenly thought of someone.
He was suddenly awakened. At the same time, he understood why the man in front of him was speaking sarcastically.
It was like a bucket of cold water was poured down over his head.
Yu Shanhe was speechless.
Shen Tingyan said slowly, “For a moment, did you feel sympathy for the other person?”
“But in the blink of an eye, you feel that this type of hard work and talent are actually just ordinary?”
“In any case, when it is someone else’s turn, the ‘talent’ and ‘hard work’ that you are proud of and persist in become worthless things. When you see your own reflection in the other person, you will feel pity. Then when you are behind bars, he becomes the most convenient tool you can pick up.”
“Once you are done, you throw him away. It is just as simple, casual, and thoughtless as when others discarded you.”
Shen Tingyan played with his phone and said calmly, “Even coming to the show today was for me, and the other person was just incidental, right? You said some high-sounding words, thinking that as long as you lower your attitude and affirm the other person positively, the damage you caused will all be wiped out.”
“Do you have any respect for hard work? Yet you came here to talk to me about hard work?”
Shen Tingyan said sarcastically, “Hypocrisy, short-sightedness, double standards, a pair of eyes that only stare at yourself and never look around you, and treating other actors as consumables. How can I believe that such a director can still make good movies? I don’t like to waste time.”
There was dead silence in the dressing room.
It was so silent that a needle dropping could be heard.
Then there was once again a knock on the door.
This time, the assistant’s voice was heard outside the door. “Teacher Shen, I’m coming in.”
He opened the door and saw that there was another person inside. He was stunned for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, are you talking? Then let me first—”
“No, it is almost time. Let’s go.” Shen Tingyan stood up.
The moment they passed each other, Yu Shanhe turned around sharply, “In the beginning, I really didn’t intend to do that to Xue Xiao—”
“Don’t tell me,” Shen Tingyan interrupted him and walked out. “Tell the person you should say that to.”
Then he turned around and disappeared from Yu Shanhe’s sight.
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, Shen Tingyan, what an amazingly scathing takedown! I love it! Sometimes writers mention vaguely that a character is sharp-tongued but this writer managed to nail it with STY’s dialogue. Wowza.
And we know why he’s extra sharp this time, heh.
Thank you for translating!
Thanks for the update
Teacher She!! Winner winner chicken dinner! 666!
That take down was superbly done! 👏👏👏👏👏
I really like our ML here, he feels so alive! Not like other novel where all cold and expressionless!
Right! Initially he had all the upper hands, teasing MC. Then slowly, as MC obviously growing out of fan zone into crush zone, he actually also grow character development silently as he had moments where MC teased him speechlessly in turn. And then now that he realised his feeling, he still clumsily try to appear cool in front of MC, but to those that bullied MC, he didn’t really do anything domineering like lavishly spent money to surprass news or stared down coldly to that director. He just do what us normal people do, within our capacity; simply share a photo and gave talk down about reality to self-centered director. That is why his character feel alive.
Exactly. Usually these kinds of showbiz are only good when it comes to the plot, the character development and romance is always thrown to the side or is simply plain boring. I love how vivid and colourful this writing is, it feels like a living breathing piece of work.