Zhao Xiyin smiled but didn't say anything.
"Tell me about it. The youngest among them is only fifteen years old, and the oldest is no more than your age. You have a lot of experience, so I'd like to hear your thoughts," the assistant said with a smile, asking naturally.
Zhao Xiyin was unguarded and expressed her thoughts objectively, "The three people behind the lead dancer moved in an X-shape, but because the spacing was too short, the drumbeat at that moment was very prominent, so it didn't blend in well. From my right side, the angle wasn't straight, but it should have looked beautiful from the front. Also, the final serpentine movement had a tail that was too short and rushed. This move should have been a powerful tool for highlighting the visual effect. If it were me, I would consider making the choreography a bit more relaxed."
She spoke earnestly and observed carefully, clearly having settled down to study.
The assistant nodded repeatedly, "Professional."
Zhao Xiyin quickly shook her head, "No, no, no, I'm a complete novice, I'm just talking nonsense."
The assistant took her hand and naturally led her towards Su Ying. They were already close, and Su Ying must have heard everything that had just been said. The assistant was cheerful and easygoing, "Sister Ying, didn't Xiao Zhao hit the nail on the head?"
Su Ying stood straight, her arms crossed around her waist, her expression cold and her posture haughty, and gave a soft "hmm".
Zhao Xiyin just breathed a sigh of relief.
Su Ying said, "They do have a good sense of self-awareness."
Looking back, those words were quite blunt. But Su Ying's temperament was such that even her most sarcastic and harsh remarks didn't seem excessive. Her extreme focus on the stage, her low-key style in the industry, and her professional expertise in dance all became her invincible armor and medals.
Zhao Xiyin wasn't particularly upset; she just lowered her head and slightly turned down the corners of her mouth.
Upon arriving, Su Ying didn't have time to greet her, busy with various tasks. Zhao Xiyin felt that Su Ying cared much more about her "Rainbow Clouds and the Moon" than "Nine Thoughts." She also noticed that Su Ying was truly strict, easily becoming displeased and scolding, even personally going on stage to correct the actors' movements. Zhao Xiyin carried a notebook, occasionally jotting down notes.
So engrossed was he that he didn’t notice Su Ying approaching.
"What are you doing?" The tone was flat, tinged with displeasure.
Zhao Xiyin subconsciously closed her notebook, but quickly stopped and said truthfully, "I came here to learn from you and to take some notes so I won't forget things."
Su Ying raised her chin. "Open it."
The notebook was open, revealing beautiful handwriting filled with notes on Su Ying's expressions, habits, and style. Zhao Xiyin said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Su Ying interrupted coldly, "Tear it up."
She returned the notebook with a light touch, tossing it into Zhao Xiyin's arms.
Several actors on stage watched, offering either sympathy or comfort, but as soon as Su Ying turned her head, they all went back to their own business.
On the way back, it would be a lie to say she wasn't aggrieved, and Dai Yunxin called just then. Zhao Xiyin's eyes welled up with tears as soon as she heard her master's voice. As soon as she spoke, Dai Yunxin sensed something was wrong, "What's wrong?"
"Don't say you're fine. I can tell what you're feeling just by humming a tune. Did you go to Su Ying's today?" Dai Yunxin asked.
Zhao Xiyin hummed in agreement, "Go to the performing arts center to study."
"Did she make things difficult for you?"
Zhao Xiyin thought about it carefully and realized that at most she would just put on a bad face, but there was no real difficulty involved.
Dai Yunxin's tone suddenly turned cold. "Su Ying is just too individualistic. She's offended countless people, both inside and outside the industry. She's indeed a prodigy when it comes to dancing, but you have to learn how to be a good person before you can do anything else. That's the same principle in any industry. Don't take it too seriously; that's just her style. Tell me, what did she do to you?"
After some earnest advice, Zhao Xiyin spoke without any reservations.
Dai Yunxin chuckled, clearly not impressed. "She's really putting on quite a show these days."
Fearing a misunderstanding, Zhao Xiyin quickly explained, "It's alright, Master, I understand Sister Ying. I'll be more humble in the future and not annoy her."
Dai Yunxin was speechless. "You still think you're not low-key enough? You might as well bury yourself in the sand!"
Zhao Xiyin chuckled twice, genuinely unconcerned.
This apprentice is good in every way, except for this one thing: he doesn't compete or fight for anything. He's like a three-year-old child, living in his own world, stubborn and inflexible, and doesn't know how to adapt or learn the survival rules of this circle. It's really frustrating.
Dai Yunxin suppressed her emotions and got down to business, "I've spoken to the physical education teacher. You should leave early this afternoon, dress smartly, and I'll take you to meet some of the teachers."
Zhao Xiyin hesitated for a moment, "My dad has been sick these past few days, I..."
"With such a great opportunity, can't you think about your own future?" Dai Yun said with heartache and indignation, "Zhao Xiyin, you are truly a genius!"
Unable to bear hearing her master's grievances, Zhao Xiyin readily agreed, "Alright, alright, I'll go."
Dai Yunxin sent her driver to pick her up right on time, taking her to a Japanese restaurant on Chaoyang Road. As soon as she gave her name, the waiter led Zhao Xiyin to a private room. She was stunned when she opened the door. There were several people in total, both men and women. One of them was saying, "A one-carat diamond ring is nothing special; the pigeon egg that President Zhuang bought at the exhibition last time is truly exceptional."
As soon as the door opened, all eyes turned to her. Zhao Xiyin tensed up and instinctively looked for Dai Yunxin among them. Dai Yunxin was sitting to the right of the main seat, smiling and beckoning to her, "You're here, come sit here."
There was an empty seat next to Dai Yunxin, so Zhao Xiyin went over and sat down.
“This is one of my students, Zhao Xiyin. You can just call her Xiao Zhao,” Dai Yunxin introduced. “This young lady trains very hard and doesn’t have much free time. So, I took advantage of a little free time to bring her out to broaden her horizons.”
Although Zhao Xiyin was cheerful, she disliked these kinds of social dinners, which always made her feel uncomfortable. Since Dai Yunxin had said that, she couldn't just ignore it, so she forced a wooden smile.
Someone recognized her, "Isn't she the lead dancer in Director Pang's new film, the one who partnered with Su Ying?"
Dai Yunxin smiled and replied, "President Qi has a good memory."
"Wow, you have a bright future ahead of you." The speaker smiled, tilting his glass forward slightly. "Young Zhao, shall we have a toast?"
Zhao Xiyin picked up the juice, smiled, and took a very small sip.
Fortunately, she wasn't the main character at the dinner, and she didn't have much to do afterward. Zhao Xiyin observed for a while; most of these people were business people. The only one who could truly be considered a teacher was Dai Yunxin. Dai Yunxin seemed quite adept at this kind of situation, eloquent and always smiling. She frequently raised her wine glass, and although it was just a little red wine, it was clear that she was in high spirits.
Zhao Xiyin remained quiet throughout, occasionally glancing at the time secretly.
The guests were evenly split between men and women, and the topics of conversation were all quite serious. Although there were inevitably occasional exaggerated claims, that's just how drinking culture is—a back-and-forth of boasting and flattery. The only person who made Zhao Xiyin slightly uncomfortable was the man to the left of the head of the table.
He was around thirty years old, wearing a plain black shirt with a long, thin veil as decoration on the sleeve, which made him look even more sinister. Whenever his eyes met Zhao Xiyin's, he would give a subtle smile. Zhao Xiyin didn't like this kind of face; his smile wasn't clean or pure, like glue, sticky and insipid.