Meng Honghe, thinking about the entertainment value, didn't stop Qiu Jie.
The figure removing her makeup paused slightly, then slowly turned around.
Her face was bare, yet it perfectly embodied the phrase "a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without adornment." Her eyes and brows exuded an undeniable air of heroism, possessing an androgynous beauty that was truly stunning.
Qiu Jie's words caught in his throat, and it took him a while to come to his senses before he sat back down in frustration.
The camera captured this moment perfectly, and Director Yu, who had been in front of the monitor, suddenly clenched his fist and exclaimed, "Good! That's it!"
He once again marveled that he had not misjudged her; her calm and proud demeanor alone was enough to convince people that she was Yun Zhuoyi, the renowned Peking Opera performer known throughout China.
-
The story of "Liyuan" begins when Yun Zhuoyi, at the height of his fame in Dongjiang, resolutely chose to give up his existing achievements and go north to study opera.
Mr. Xue played the role of her teacher.
In the play, the two, one teaching and the other learning, vividly portrayed the teacher-student relationship.
However, no one knew that Mr. Xue was genuinely teaching her with all his heart, and his appreciation and care for her were completely sincere.
Even across a century, this support and inheritance has never changed.
After completing her studies, Yun Zhuoyi returned to the stage. By then, her skills had become superb. When she returned to the stage, her performance became an instant hit in Beijing, thus establishing her status as the queen of male lead roles in Peking Opera.
However, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, she raised funds for charity performances in Zhongjing and traveled back and forth for anti-Japanese funds. After hearing that her good friend Gu Mei had died in Dongjiang, she resolutely returned to Dongjiang.
Meng Hong and the other four seemed to have truly become reporters documenting her life, completely immersed in the story. Even when Yun Zhuoyi decided to return to Dongjiang, Qiu Jie forgot that they were filming and blurted out anxiously, "You can't go back! You almost died, you know that!"
Qiu Jie only realized after he finished speaking that he had deviated from the script, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
However, Chu Meibo, who was opposite him, did not panic at all. He said calmly, "Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by fate. Even if I really die, it is my fate, Yun Zhuoyi's fate."
She looked up at Qiu Jie and smiled, "Besides, since you almost died, it means you're not dead yet. I thank you for your kind words, Mr. Qiu."
Her gaze was all-seeing, yet she seemed indifferent.
She seemed to have known all along that these reporters were not simple people, but she stopped there and didn't pry. Such magnanimity and composure were indeed the style of Yun Zhuoyi.
Chu Meibo's performance was so natural that it was as if such a historical event had actually occurred.
If Qiu Jie hadn't realized he'd misspoke, he would have thought it was all part of the script.
This was originally a mistake, but it became a memorable moment that people talked about in this episode.
Then, until Yun Zhuoyi returned to Zhongjing injured, thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye.
The once bustling stage was now empty, and the bright red lacquered tables and chairs had faded. The elderly Yun Zhuoyi, dressed in casual clothes, stepped onto the stage again. Her singing voice was as powerful and mellow as ever, but it inevitably carried a hint of age.
She was born in the heyday of Peking Opera, and her life was full of ups and downs and legends. In the end, she inevitably grew old like this ancient art form.
The camera slowly zooms out, leaving only a blurry silhouette, like a faded old photograph, becoming a piece of history.
Meng Hong and the other four stared blankly at the stage.
As witnesses to this period of history, they followed Yun Zhuoyi as if they had truly walked from the Republic of China era to the modern era. Seeing the once spirited and charismatic emperor of male roles on stage, unable to resist the erosion of time, they felt a pang of sadness and couldn't help but shed tears.
Just then, the lights around the theater were suddenly turned on.
Director Yu shouted, "Cut!"
Then, the staff members came out one after another, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, teachers!"
While the four were still in a daze, Fu Cheng was the first to break free and went to greet him: "Director Yu."
Director Yu shook hands with each of them, but didn't bother with pleasantries. He called out to the backstage area, "Where's our hero? Mei, take off your makeup and come out quickly, let's go eat."
A short while later, Chu Meibo removed her makeup, put on a down jacket, and walked over looking refreshed.
Upon seeing her appearance, Fu Cheng was taken aback: "She's the actress who plays Yun Zhuoyi?"
Director Yu laughed heartily, appearing quite proud: "Isn't she surprisingly young? — Let me tell you, Mei is still a high school student!"
His words surprised the four guests on the other side.
Qiu Jie, quick to speak, couldn't help but say, "How could that be! Her performance in the play makes her look at least thirty years old!"
Meng Hong and the others didn't say anything, but their expressions showed that they agreed with Qiu Jie's words.
After all, Yun Zhuoyi in the play is not naive at all. With that kind of aura, how could he have emerged without decades of honing his skills!
Upon hearing their words, Shi Ren laughed and said, "Don't even mention you guys, I didn't believe it at first either, but Xiao Mei really is a high school student. Before the recording started, she was still doing her test papers backstage."
Chu Meibo: "..."
Meng Hong looked at Chu Meibo in amazement, while the other three had different expressions, especially Fu Cheng, whose expression was the most complicated.
Fu Cheng was extremely talented, and he had always been proud of it. However, he never expected to encounter someone even more talented than himself. She was only a teenager, yet she already possessed such acting skills. Wouldn't she be even more amazing in the future?
Although Chu Meibo is an actress, Fu Cheng still felt a deep sense of crisis.
Just then, Shen Huai walked over, and Director Yu quickly greeted him, "Little Shen, let's go have a meal together later."
Shen Huai handed the scarf to Chu Meibo before apologizing, "Thank you, Director Yu, but I have to catch a flight back to Zhongjing soon, so I'm afraid I won't make it in time."
Director Yu was somewhat disappointed. The more he worked with Chu Meibo, the more he realized how superb her acting skills were. In his opinion, with Chu Meibo's abilities, her future achievements would certainly be remarkable.
He knew that Chu Meibo was discovered by Shen Huai, and he also knew that Ye Cang, who had recently become famous, was also Shen Huai's artist. This showed that Shen Huai had a good eye for talent, and they might have more opportunities to cooperate in the future.