Han Zhao stared at Quan Jiu, "Teacher..."
Quan Jiu said earnestly, "Actually, you're not without talent. You're just too afraid. You're afraid of the spotlight, afraid of the cameras. I've watched your solo performances. When no one is around, you're like a different person. Back then, I could tell you genuinely loved acting." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Han Zhao held the microphone, silent for a long time. But inside, he was deeply shaken.
Yes, he didn't dislike it. He was just too afraid of people's gazes.
"I thought I hid it well, but I didn't expect the teacher to see through it," Han Zhao said with a bitter smile.
Quan Jiu looked around and said slowly, "Those people who were judging you a minute ago, do you think they remember you now? Will they still talk about you? Will they always think of you in the future?
No, they'll forget as soon as they turn away. Just like you, do you remember embarrassing moments of anyone in your class? Do you think about them all the time? No.
You, you're not as much of a focus of attention as you think."
Han Zhao was quiet for a while before saying with a bitter smile tinged with relief, "I understand, Teacher."
Quan Jiu encouraged him, "Then you sing here. I'll go buy some drinks."
Watching Quan Jiu gradually disappear into the crowd, Han Zhao took a light breath, switched to the next accompaniment, and began to sing.
...
A University, Department of Performing Arts, Class A practice room.
Pan Fengming chuckled and whispered to Jin Xue, "Don't worry. Without my guidance, and she's not a professional, the stage effect tomorrow will surely be disastrous."
Jin Xue's displeased expression finally improved a little. However, she hadn't let go of the matter of Pan Fengming selling her last year's lecture notes, which had caused her embarrassment.
"I'm not asking for a refund anymore. If this matter gets out, your professorship will surely be lost. My only demand is that no matter what, I will crush Class B, and Nine, under my feet.
You're a smart person, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what to do."
Pan Fengming said obsequiously, "Class A will definitely win. That screenwriter will definitely not be able to compare to you. Winning against them is the general trend. I only need to 'fan the flames' a little, and tomorrow's stage will be out of their league."
Jin Xue glanced sideways, "I hope your 'fanning the flames' won't be as useless as your lecture notes."
"It definitely won't be," Pan Fengming assured her.
...
At half-past five in the afternoon, Quan Jiu successfully picked up all the students, and they returned to school by bus.
On the way, Quan Jiu looked at the students with various expressions and asked with a smile, "How did you feel today?"
Xiang Fei sighed, "Those old folks were too talkative. I drank several pots of tea today."
Ren Kui also looked tired, "That garden was too big, like a nursing home. Spending a day in there made me feel like I was fifty or sixty years old."
Zhuang Yu complained, "Am I as miserable as you? I was truly disgraced today. At first, I couldn't even recognize the scales, nor could I cut meat. Fortunately, the sister next to me helped me."
"I was also particularly miserable..."
The students began to chatter, discussing the various things they encountered that day. Finally, someone mentioned, "Where's the class monitor? The class monitor was the last to get off the bus. What did you go do alone?"
Han Zhao smiled awkwardly, "I... went to the city center to sing."
As soon as they heard singing, everyone cheered.
Zhuang Yu wailed, "Teacher Nine, this is too unfair. Why is he the only one having such an easy time?"
Quan Jiu smiled and played a video for everyone.
Upon seeing the disastrous singing performance in the video, everyone cast sympathetic glances at Han Zhao. Xiang Fei looked like he had discovered a new continent, "No wonder he never goes when we sing. So even the male god has a fatal weakness."
Ren Kui joked, "Class monitor, from now on, just be a quiet, handsome man. Don't sing. Your singing is comparable to a disaster scene."
Han Zhao, however, let out a loud note, which made everyone in the car burst into laughter.
Ren Kui put on a look of heartbroken grief, "Male god, you've changed. Before, in my heart, you were like an aloof emperor from the heavens, detached from worldly affairs. How have you descended to the mortal realm now?"
"The mortal realm is more interesting than the heavens," Han Zhao joked.
The entire bus, amidst laughter and chatter, finally returned to school.
As they got off the bus, Quan Jiu told everyone, "Everyone, let's work overtime tonight. We'll rehearse and run through the stage. At seven thirty, everyone gather at the performance hall."
The students had no objections and dispersed to eat or rest.
Quan Jiu bought a bread to stave off hunger and went to the performance hall first.
It was only six thirty, but the performance hall door was locked.
Quan Jiu found it strange and immediately called Yan Chi.
"Teacher Yan, why is the performance hall door locked? Isn't it usually not locked until ten thirty?"
Yan Chi was surprised, "It's locked? That shouldn't be the case. We need to inspect the stage tonight. Wait a moment, I'll ask."
After hanging up, Yan Chi called the administrative teacher and was told that the key had been taken by Pan Fengming.
Yan Chi then called Pan Fengming, but her phone was turned off. He called other teachers who knew Pan Fengming, but after asking around, they all said they hadn't seen her.
Yan Chi had no choice but to call Quan Jiu and inform him of the result.
"We can't reach her for some reason. I'll go look for her in the office building. You haven't started the stage run-through yet, have you?"
Quan Jiu smiled, "It's okay. I'll call a locksmith directly. I'll cover the cost."
Yan Chi thought for a moment, "That's fine. But the school should pay for it. This is the school's problem, and you shouldn't bear it. I'll call someone. The school has locksmiths."
Quan Jiu didn't refuse and waited at the entrance after hanging up.
The locksmith arrived soon, and Yan Chi came with him.
While waiting for the lock to be opened, Yan Chi apologized, "They're probably worried about the stage being tampered with."
But as he said it, he lacked conviction and felt ashamed. He hadn't expected a teacher from his own school to resort to such undignified tricks.
Quan Jiu smiled indifferently and didn't expose him.
Soon, the lock was replaced.
The locksmith gave four keys. Yan Chi kept one for Quan Jiu, and he took the other three keys to report to the administrator.
At seven thirty, Class B students successfully entered the performance hall and began their rehearsal. However, before they could even finish one scene, Jin Xue and Pan Fengming arrived with Class A students.
Pan Fengming saw that the performance hall door was open and immediately became enraged. She stormed into the performance hall and shouted, "Who opened the door?"
Only Quan Jiu and the Class B students were in the performance hall, so her shout was quite obvious.
Quan Jiu smiled and said, "The lock was broken, so we found a locksmith and replaced the lock. Teacher Pan, if you need a key, you can get one from the administrator."
They had replaced the lock. Pan Fengming was furious, "Do you think the school is your home? You can just change the lock as you please?
Also, tomorrow is the performance. So much valuable equipment is stored here. If you opened the lock without authorization and something gets lost, will you compensate for it?"