It was Hu Xiu's first time visiting the Shanghai Theatre Academy. The sky was overcast, layers upon layers of clouds piling up.
Following Diao Zhiyu straight through the school gates, they wound their way across the campus. Compact in layout and modest in size, the grounds were sparsely populated yet not desolate. There was no sign of the rumored congregation of exceptionally attractive students—none were more handsome than Diao Zhiyu.
Diao Zhiyu walked ahead, his black curls and fair skin standing out vividly against the gloomy day, as if enhancing the contrast.
He glanced back: "The students are all on break now, so the campus is pretty empty. I borrowed a key from a senior—he said we could use it until one o'clock this afternoon. This is where many veteran actors have rehearsed."
"Did you used to have classes here?"
"Yeah, only the acting and musical theatre departments are in the city center; the rest are out in the suburbs."
The chosen ones...
He unlocked the door, revealing a fifty-square-meter rehearsal hall—an empty space with three floor-to-ceiling windows lining the southern wall and barres on either side. In the corners stood cabinets, speakers, and two large tables, the floor worn with age.
Diao Zhiyu grew animated upon entering. After all, Snowpiercer was a tedious setting; they had performed there over and over, with no sense of novelty, while campus days always evoked nostalgia.
Just as Hu Xiu pulled a copy of An Actor Prepares from her bag, Diao Zhiyu frowned. "Don't read that, and this edition isn't right either. I'll lend you a proper one when I get the chance."
"Then... what should we..."
"Relax a bit—stretch, vocalize, whatever. Follow me..."
Diao Zhiyu shed his heavy coat, revealing broad shoulders and long legs. His neck cracked as he twisted it left and right.
His backbends displayed remarkable flexibility, his muscles seemingly honed by academic training. Staring in awe, Hu Xiu mimicked his movements and asked, "Did you study dance?"
"Yeah. Ten years of classical dance, but I didn't get into the PLA Art Academy—no natural talent."
"But your physique is so well-suited..."
"In dance, without innate talent, poor coordination holds you back. I couldn't keep up with those who had better balance and comprehension.
Besides, I never really loved dancing. My mother was the enthusiast. Later, I switched to basketball and even skipped classes—but enough about me.
I brought you here to teach you some acting basics and help you tap into what's hidden in your subconscious."
What... in the subconscious?
"Any questions?" His pleasant voice echoed in the air. In this moment, Diao Zhiyu wasn't the boyfriend who clung to late-night phone calls; he was the instructor, hands behind his back, observing his novice student with keen interest.
"So what should I do?"
"Free your instincts. Imitate an animal, perform an objectless skit, or try an organic silent sketch—which will it be?"
"Right now, I have to imitate an animal?"
"Play a monkey—scratch and fidget in front of me."
Hu Xiu froze on the spot. Starting with an extreme challenge already?
Diao Zhiyu, struggling to suppress a laugh, fell silent for a few seconds. "Let's try something less intense. Do you remember those scenes from Snowpiercer?"
"Yes..."
"I'm the sheriff, about to arrest a fugitive. Your task is to improvise for three minutes and convince me to let you go. No setting restrictions—you may begin."
Glancing around, Hu Xiu saw no set—how was she supposed to act? Diao Zhiyu seemed to read her mind. "Immersive experience means feeling present in the scene, while pure performance requires the actor to embody it fully.
The setting is all in your mind—whether you're cradling a cat, colliding with a tree, or holding a stillborn illegitimate child, it's all possible."In the winter light, Diao Zhiyu stood amidst dancing dust motes, the fine hairs on his face clearly visible. He wore a seaweed-green shirt beneath a leather jacket, his black curly hair apparently permed. Even at close range, his professional actor's aura couldn't be concealed by sleep deprivation - his presence filled the rehearsal room, radiating an intoxicating charm.
He actually hadn't shaved... Was that even allowed?
She sniffed: "The sheriff skipping shaving today is against the rules, you know."
"What rules..."
"Just the two of us alone, I shouldn't say more."
He raised an eyebrow: "Fantasy..."
Could a straight guy really not understand when you're complimenting him?
Tilting her head to study Diao Zhiyu, who clasped his hands behind his back, he was the spitting image of Qin Xiaoyi: "Why are you staring? Want me to handcuff you directly?"
She couldn't think straight around Qin Xiaoyi. What criminal? Where did she look like a criminal?
Meanwhile, you're playing the role of Minister Qin in this Live Action Role Playing Game while actually being a heartthrob, setting fires in female players' hearts. "The sheriff's curly hair must be part of your character design."
"I'm naturally curly..."
Not giving her any chance to change the subject, his sheriff's authority remained undiminished: "Has the criminal decided on her backstory yet?"
"What are you talking about? I'm carrying out a mission here - seducing the sheriff."
Only then did Diao Zhiyu realize he was staying in character: "I don't fraternize with women."
Forget it, this approach wouldn't work on Qin Xiaoyi - he was completely impervious. "I escaped from the hospital. Though I'm Mafia, our boss was chivalrous. Seeing I'm a woman, he offered himself as hostage to save my life."
"I fled while injured to deliver intelligence, only to run into you. Just a mere woman of no consequence. With crucial information at stake, if you let me deliver it, it would be the last thing I can do for my late boss. After that, you can do with me as you please."
After speaking, Hu Xiu straightened her neck and leaned stiffly toward Diao Zhiyu, feigning injury: "If you don't believe me, kill me now. If you trust me, let me go, and I'll repay you handsomely someday."
As she spoke, she lost confidence in her own performance. The moment her arm brushed Diao Zhiyu's hand, she sprang up, covering her face as she ran to the window to hide behind the curtains. What kind of injury act was that? She was like a human lamppost - so embarrassing! Diao Zhiyu raised an eyebrow: "Not bad actually..."
He actually thought... it was acceptable? Hu Xiu peeked out from behind the curtains to see Diao Zhiyu moving a table: "Stand on this..."
Wearing jeans and a lavender sweater, she obediently climbed onto the table, looking down at Diao Zhiyu standing below - feeling somewhat embarrassed. Diao Zhiyu said: "Turn your back to me..."
Hu Xiu turned around.
"Fall backward..."
"Huh?"
Was he joking? She turned her head to see Diao Zhiyu's arms outstretched behind her, ready to catch her, yet she instinctively felt nothing but empty space behind her head - if she fell, she'd definitely crash.
Trembling on the stool, she said: "Diao Zhiyu, even Suning's toughest team-building exercises weren't this intense. At most we had 5:30 AM runs, military posture drills at 10 PM, backward falls onto thick cushions, and high-altitude free falls with safety measures - nothing like your human catching method..."
"What are you afraid of? Don't you have even that much trust?"
"If I fall, I might crash into you too. What if you break a bone?"
"Don't worry about me. Just fall.""How could I not want to? Do you know how hard it is to get an orthopedic appointment these days? Both hands are broken—how will I dance in the future? Maybe I can even return to my old career as a dancer."
"Stop joking, fall back."
"Or do you just want to take advantage of me?"
Diao Zhiyu was amused: "If I let you fall on me, how is that taking advantage? Wouldn’t it be better if I used another method?"
"Exactly, try another way."
His expression instantly turned stern: "Be serious, this is a class. You can’t ignore your mentor’s instructions."
Being urged to fall backward always brings hesitation. Hu Xiu stood on the table, trembling with the tragic resolve of climbing a cliff in the deep mountains to meet her death.
She glanced back at the person behind her—his arms showed no sign of relaxing, tense yet utterly confident, his gaze unshakably firm.
Maybe it wasn’t so terrifying after all. Hu Xiu shifted her heels slightly off the edge of the table. It should be fine—if she fell, she fell. At worst, she’d end up with a bump on the back of her head—
She closed her eyes, leaning back into the weightless fall. When she opened them, strands of hair brushed her face. Diao Zhiyu had caught her steadily, holding her in a princess carry.
"Not that scary, was it?"
The impact had been heavy on him too. He took a few deep breaths, watching her wide-eyed, startled expression, and grew flustered himself.
When he chuckled, it was like sunlight breaking through clouds, his stubble looking unusually sensual by his lips.
She heard Diao Zhiyu say: "Your delivery just now wasn’t bad, but your gaze kept dodging—lacking confidence, without an actor’s conviction. If you’re injured, show it; when your body feels pain, your voice should tremble. Lines like ‘just a woman’ are meaningless, clichés from TV dramas. I think you’re exceptional—rarely do I see such resilience in a girl. You’re quick-witted and sharp—there’s no need to belittle yourself."
Her hair covered half her face, yet it perfectly revealed her stunned expression. She lay dazed in his arms, her mouth still agape—
Recalling her performance, she knew it had been terrible, her movements stiff and artificial. Yet Diao Zhiyu hadn’t uttered a single harsh word.
What he meant subconsciously was to uncover the root of her lack of confidence and help her overcome it.
Just then, the sky cleared. Sunlight, filtered through the Tyndall effect, shone directly into her eyes. They grew damp; she blinked, on the verge of tears.
But this wasn’t the moment to expose him. Affection and kindness were this boy’s most captivating virtues.
Diao Zhiyu seemed eager to avoid sentimentality too, teasing her deliberately: "What, planning to stay in my arms forever?"
The backward fall never happened—instead, Hu Xiu rolled to the ground, landing on her knees with a thud: "No, you can’t touch me. If there are any more physical contact scenes after this, my heart won’t handle it."
Diao Zhiyu didn’t understand: "It’s normal for actors to have contact, no big deal."
"My acting isn’t good enough—if we touch, I’ll develop feelings."
"Oh, then for the next training sessions, wear thick clothes, wrap yourself in cling film—layer upon layer. That way, contact won’t affect you."
Huh?
"You’re the one who said we can’t touch. Or are you implying something would happen if we did?"
What would happen? Hu Xiu swallowed: "Master, we’re in class. Please don’t harass your student."
Hit right in his soft spot, Diao Zhiyu suppressed a laugh, though his eyebrows lifted: "What are you thinking? I meant focus on your acting. Direct your attention to the stage, your Role, and the context—don’t let personal feelings interfere."Tears still fell uncontrollably. This wasn't the right moment for gratitude. Hu Xiu stood up: "Master, you're so fierce. I think I scraped against a nail - requesting a halftime break."
"Which leg?"
He knelt to lift her pants leg, his warm palm gently holding her cold ankle as he carefully examined the injury - she really had been scratched.
Hu Xiu looked down at his dark hair, wondering how much tender affection was hidden within those natural curls.
So this actor couldn't quite distinguish acting from reality either - his heart softened whenever he saw a girl cry.
Still uncorrupted by worldly influences, his instinct to protect girls remained intact. After confirming Hu Xiu was fine, Diao Zhiyu took her hand and led her out: "Let's go to the clinic first. We might not always have classes here in the future. Consider this first acting lesson as ceremonial."
"Future classes could happen anytime, anywhere. You need to listen carefully and take good notes - I'll check them."
Li Ai was always the perfect helper. The SAVORELLO he ordered for Hu Xiu arrived quickly.
The dark green bicycle stood in the shop against a backdrop of YAMAHA guitars, afternoon light streaming in, making the place look like a British-style boutique.
Diao Zhiyu stood in the shop wearing an apron while wiping glasses, his complete photography equipment visible behind him: "Really, it wasn't necessary - I was the one who lost it." Despite his words, he couldn't hide his happiness.
Hu Xiu, busy writing copy, just shook her head with a suppressed smile - her way of being coy. She'd recently discovered a new passion: using her previous copywriting experience from the advertising agency to write scripts first, then filming and editing them into videos.
Diao Zhiyu readily agreed, even promising to help with editing to make her the most beautiful Simultaneous Interpretation content creator on Bilibili.
But before that, acting classes needed to continue. Those amateurish skills from Live Action Role Playing Games were quite crude, and her slightly hunched posture didn't match a streamer's temperament - she needed systematic training.
So the seal placed over her head meant the second lesson was beginning?
Li Ai was absent, reportedly attending another pre-New Year court hearing - there was increasingly little he could do about the car accident, and settlement seemed the likely final outcome. During the quiet afternoon, Zhao Xiaorou burst in: "Where's Li Ai?"
"Hasn't returned yet..."
Her face showed the familiar concern, though she didn't look happy either. The reason was simple: in a recently leaked video, Gong Huaicong, while drunk, had described his current girlfriend as "chewing gum pretending to be pure - already chewed by someone else and spat out, flavorless."
Netizens no longer defended Zhao Xiaorou like before. After so many trending incidents, she was no longer seen as the vulnerable, cheated-upon woman. Internet users turned faster than flipping pages, commenting that Gong Huaicong truly lived up to his title as the entertainment industry's disciplinary committee head - his judgment of people was spot-on.
"Do me a favor. There's a Mercedes event in a few days for couples. Wang Guangming is bringing his girlfriend. I need you to play my admiter midway through, to show Wang Guangming that I'm not just dating Gong Huaicong - I have handsome men surrounding me too."
"I won't act..."
"I'll pay you. Besides, aren't you an actor? Playing an admiter isn't difficult - you'd only appear for about twenty minutes."
"I have a girlfriend."
"Who? Since when? So soon? You just resigned recently and already have a girlfriend? Then what about Hu Xiu?"
Diao Zhiyu rustled his newspaper loudly: "It's her..."
"Damn!" Zhao Xiaorou looked at Hu Xiu drinking coffee: "You didn't tell me? We're through. My god, how did you manage it? You actually managed to melt this iceberg?""The one I pursued..." Diao Zhiyu said with calm composure, as if stating the most ordinary matter.
"I can't follow this plot." Zhao Xiaorou's expressions were insufficient to convey her bewilderment: "Diao Zhiyu was the pursuer? How did he pursue you?"
Of course, she couldn't reveal those beast-like things Diao Zhiyu had done when breaking into her residence at night.
Hu Xiu improvised with flushed cheeks: "Well, he suddenly confessed one night, said he'd liked me for a long time, and threatened to call the police if I didn't agree."
A puzzled face emerged from behind the newspaper. Hu Xiu shrugged her eyebrows and stuck out her tongue, refusing to be outdone.
Zhao Xiaorou wasn't really listening, still sending voice messages to her assistant: "For that Mercedes event, discreetly ask Gong Huaicong's secretary if he actually has availability. If not, I'll go persuade him tonight."
Hu Xiu couldn't help reminding Zhao Xiaorou: "Don't overact. What's there to fear? Spouses are legal enemies, lovers are sweet adversaries - it all comes down to acting anyway."
"When Gong Huaicong first met me, he said I was different from those flashy gold diggers. Now he's starting to find me disagreeable."
"I can't lose face in front of Wang Guangming. He cheated and now parades his mistress around - an old fox paired with a weasel. How can I stand there alone, clearly appearing as if Gong Huaicong dumped me."
"Those marketing accounts are like cockroaches, infiltrating everywhere with their nasty comments. Other Internet celebrities would seize the chance to buy comments mocking me."
"Wang Guangming has moved on. No need to compete with him. Being an independent single blogger is quite good actually."
"Gong Huaicong isn't that interesting either. Anything gained through acting - when you're not showing your true self either - will eventually be exposed."
"Not necessarily. What people remember most are their first loves and affair partners. Everything else is just seasoning."
Zhao Xiaorou was smoking rather heavily, her innocent face contrasting with her worldly voice: "I just never thought divorce could become a stain for women nowadays. Men talk about love being wonderful, but ultimately they all want blank canvases to paint on, without considering their own painting skills."
"True feelings exchange for true feelings." Hu Xiu didn't comment on Zhao Xiaorou's remarks, only gently brushed away the stray hairs on her face: "As for money and status, why fight for them? Don't fall into those harem struggle tactics from ancient times."
Diao Zhiyu took it all in. Zhao Xiaorou suddenly attacked: "Diao Zhiyu, treat Hu Xiu well. Dare to bully her, and I'll twist your head off."
The target was seriously reading the newspaper, putting on airs with an English original edition - except he was holding it upside down.
"So you're acting?"
"Yeah. Performing mime for you."
"I don't believe it. The newspaper is genuinely upside down."
With a low hum, Diao Zhiyu turned and walked backward, staring intently at Hu Xiu, looking utterly provoking.
Hu Xiu grew flustered under his gaze. In the flickering light, she noticed one of his double eyelids was less defined, and his smile was actually exceptionally sweet - something she hadn't noticed before.
"What are you smiling at..." he asked first.
"Nothing..."
"Tell me..."
"Remembering a joke Ning Zechen told on Snowpiercer - your Qin Xiaoyi is the Kidney Deficiency Prince."
She immediately regretted saying it. Damn! Why did she make such an abrupt dirty joke!
Wasn't this proving she had some improper thoughts about him! Lewd intentions revealing themselves through casual banter, her innocent act dangerously close to collapse.Diao Zhiyu halted his steps, his hand resting on Hu Xiu's shoulder as he slowly leaned in. His movement was deliberate, his lips brushing past her cheek without making contact. His curly hair brushed against her eyes and face, and his lazy, gentle tone whispered by her ear: "If you say I have kidney deficiency again, I won’t go easy on you."
His hand slid from her shoulder to her collarbone, his fingers slipping beneath her clothes and gliding down two inches before stopping at a critical point.
Hu Xiu’s face flushed like a ripe red tomato. Her entire body went numb, rendering her immobile. They were in a dimly lit section of the road, with no one around the residential area. The pleasant scent of the man had already invaded her nostrils. Ever since they had turned off the lights last time, both of them had harbored some improper thoughts.
But then Diao Zhiyu suddenly withdrew his hand: "You’re really wearing too little—your shoulders are freezing. Take my jacket and wear it upstairs. I’m heading home."
"Wait!"
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to come upstairs…"
"What would I do upstairs?" Diao Zhiyu looked at her with keen interest. Hu Xiu had originally intended to invite him up for a chat, but now the meaning had shifted entirely.
Oh no, had she just tried to seduce him? Going upstairs this time would definitely mean a home run, and she wasn’t even wearing matching underwear. How absurd!
"I’m leaving…" Diao Zhiyu stepped back with a smile, his words tinged with a hint of mischief: "I’ll give you an extra lesson during overtime. Love is a limited supply—promiscuity is unacceptable, and physical contact is a luxury. Don’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary. Oh, and remember not to get that wound on your ankle wet."
With that, he stuffed his down jacket into her hands, waved, and walked away.
So teasing!
Just after she had gone upstairs and taken a shower, Hu Xiu’s phone vibrated incessantly. Diao Zhiyu had asked her to organize her class notes and send them to him for review. Hu Xiu earnestly picked up her notebook, pondering for a long time before she started writing.
First Lesson of the Exclusive Acting Masterclass (Global Limited Edition):
Step one in acting: Build self-confidence.
Words like "the weaker sex" do not apply to modern women—discard them.
Trust falls aren’t just for team-building; they can also hone acting skills (though it feels like I was tricked).
There are no small Roles, only small actors. Refuse Roles that don’t suit you, especially playing someone else’s boyfriend.
Even holding a newspaper upside down can be acted convincingly. To avoid physical contact, wrap yourself in three layers of plastic wrap.
Love is a limited supply—promiscuity is unacceptable, and physical contact is a luxury. Don’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary…
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