After ending the call with Jin Xue’s agent, Yan Chi suppressed his anger, took the microphone, and went on stage to deliver an impassioned opening speech.
However, instead of the usual two minutes, he stretched it to five minutes this year. With nothing more to say, he had no choice but to step down.
Yan Chi approached Quan Jiu with the microphone. “Teacher Nine, I’ll have to ask you to speak first. Please try to say a bit more, Jin Xue won’t arrive for another half hour.”
Originally, Jin Xue and Quan Jiu each had opening remarks. As a top-tier actress, Jin Xue herself was from an acting background, so her speaking slot was scheduled before Quan Jiu’s.
But the problem was, Jin Xue hadn’t arrived yet.
Quan Jiu smiled faintly. “Don’t worry.” Then, she took the microphone and stood up, walking gracefully onto the stage.
The moment she stepped onto the stage, the students below, especially the male students, erupted in whistles and cheers.
“She’s so beautiful, who is this?”
“I don’t know, I’ve seen her before, maybe she’s from another department.”
The students chattered and discussed animatedly.
Gu Cheng even stood up and made a heart shape with his hands. “Beautiful lady, can I add you on WeChat?”
Quan Jiu smiled gently, like a refreshing breeze, stirring the hearts of everyone present.
Yu Zhuang was not to be outdone and shouted, “Beautiful lady, do you have a boyfriend? Consider me.”
The cheers in the classroom grew even more boisterous.
Quan Jiu didn’t speak, but smiled at everyone. Only when the cheers subsided did she introduce herself, “Hello everyone, I am your lecturer for this training session. You can call me Nine.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a peculiar division appeared among the students.
All the Class A students on the left were either shocked or skeptical, remaining silent.
However, all the Class B students on the right burst into enthusiastic applause. Some of their phones were still lit, displaying a new announcement in the Class B group chat: [Class Monitor: @everyone, when Nine comes on to speak, everyone clap to welcome her.]
The strange phenomenon didn’t last long. Soon, Class A students reacted and joined in the applause. However, their applause lacked conviction. Moments before, they had united in denigrating Nine, and now they were expected to clap to welcome her. It wasn't applause, but a slap, a self-inflicted one.
It truly stung.
Gu Cheng sank back into his seat the moment he heard Quan Jiu announce her identity. He looked crestfallen. “It’s over, it’s over. This face-slap hurts a bit. Who said Nine was an ugly, fat otaku? Those rumor-mongers have caused so much harm.”
Yu Zhuang no longer cared about the face-slap, his palms red from clapping. “It’s okay, it’s worth the face-slap for a beautiful woman.”
Tian Cheng and Cui Min both looked displeased. Tian Cheng, in particular, felt as if countless knives were mocking her, ridiculing the inflammatory content she had posted earlier.
Cui Min looked at the beautiful face on stage and repeated, “A surgically enhanced face, what’s so great about it?”
Yu Zhuang retorted, “That’s clearly natural. Women’s jealousy is truly terrifying.”
Cui Min snapped, “Men’s lust is also terrifying.”
“Alright, stop arguing. What’s the use of being good-looking? She’s a screenwriter, not an actress. The problem still exists,” Tian Cheng said with a stern face.
As soon as she finished speaking, a pleasant voice came from the stage.
“Do you know what the most important thing for an actor is?” Quan Jiu asked.
Who wouldn’t like a beautiful teacher? The students immediately raised their hands enthusiastically.
Some answered acting skills, some answered looks, some answered opportunities… various answers were given.
Quan Jiu waited for everyone to quiet down before saying slowly, “None of your answers are wrong, but my answer is: the script.”
A burst of laughter erupted from the audience. The script, it made perfect sense.
Quan Jiu continued, “The script is the skeleton, the actor is the flesh and blood, and the costumes, makeup, and post-production are the clothes. Only when the flesh and blood grow along the skeleton will they not grow crooked. Therefore, as actors, you must build a solid foundation of understanding the script…”
Her kind and gentle voice was like waves, rising and falling, rushing and slowing, captivating all the students below the stage. Gradually, the students became immersed in her words. Occasional bursts of laughter and waves of applause echoed through the classroom.
Xiao Liu, waiting below the stage, sighed, “Teacher Nine is too good at teaching. She looks so serene and elegant, but her speaking is so humorous. The students are all captivated.”
Yan Chi applauded and smiled, “We really invited the right person this time. What she said makes a lot of sense.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Jin Xue’s agent.
Yan Chi glanced at the time, 9:20. He couldn’t be bothered to be angry, but was surprised. “Has it really been half an hour? Time flies so fast.”
Xiao Liu said, “I’ll go pick her up,” and hurried out of the classroom.
…
The moment Jin Xue got out of the car, countless students swarmed around her. Four bodyguards escorted her towards the Performing Arts building. Only after entering the building were the students blocked outside.
Xiao Liu, who had been waiting at the main entrance, greeted her. “Teacher Jin Xue, the teaching building is on the second floor, please follow me.”
Jin Xue’s cheerful demeanor towards her fans vanished. Her expression fell. “Who did they send to pick me up?” Without even looking at Xiao Liu, she walked away arrogantly.
Xiao Liu felt indignant but couldn’t show it on his face, so he endured it.
The group went up to the second floor and arrived at the classroom door. Before they even got close, Jin Xue heard the students’ cheers and applause.
Jin Xue became even more smug.
See, this was her fame. They were welcoming her before she even arrived. That ugly, fat otaku must be sitting awkwardly in a corner waiting for her to start.
Thinking this, Jin Xue strode into the classroom, a smile plastered on her face. “Your enthusiasm, students, I could feel it from afar. Thank you for your welcome.”
Unfortunately, her voice was drowned out by a burst of laughter.
And all the students’ eyes were fixed on the stage. They didn’t even notice her, a living person, walking into the classroom.
This wasn’t applause and laughter welcoming her.
Damn it, how dare she start speaking before the main star arrived? Why?
Jin Xue’s face immediately darkened.
Quan Jiu, who was observing everything around her, noticed Jin Xue and smoothly concluded her speech. “Alright students, my speech has seriously exceeded the time limit. I must step down.” She then walked off the stage, handed the microphone to Yan Chi, and gave Jin Xue a friendly smile.
Yan Chi had also seen Jin Xue, but given Jin Xue’s forty-minute delay, he didn’t have a good expression. After taking the microphone, he simply said, “Next, Jin Xue will speak to everyone,” and handed the microphone to Jin Xue.
In front of the students, Jin Xue couldn’t make a scene, so she comforted herself: she’s just a warm-up host. Even if she’s welcomed, she’s just a supporting role.
When the protagonist appears, the supporting role must exit. After thinking this, Jin Xue felt much better. She took the microphone and walked onto the stage.
“Junior students, acting is the most important thing for an actor. How to improve your acting skills is a problem you will face your entire life. In the next week, I will teach you an acting formula. As long as you learn this formula, all of you can become top-tier stars like me, attracting everyone’s attention.
Time is short, so I won’t waste any more words. We will see the results in the upcoming classes. Now, please welcome screenwriter Nine to the stage to speak.”
“Teacher Jin Xue, Nine just stepped down,” a student said.
Jin Xue’s eyes widened, and she looked at Quan Jiu. This woman is Nine? Impossible. The entire internet said Nine was an ugly, fat otaku. How could she be this woman?
Also, if she is Nine, then why did she speak before her? She is the protagonist, and an unimportant supporting role, how dare she steal her spotlight?
Utterly infuriating.
Jin Xue slammed the microphone onto the stage with a thud, producing a harsh collision that startled the students below.
Then, with a dark expression, she walked out of the classroom.
The students below were bewildered.