3 Zhuang Zhou's Dream of the Butterfly: Life is a Play

On Saturday afternoon, Liu Yuwei arrived at the busiest pedestrian street in northern Beijing and ran into her former colleague, Lu Xiaohe, who was already waiting for her at the mall entrance. When she'd picked up her daughter, Xiaolu, the previous night, Xiaohe had offered to treat her to a movie as a token of her gratitude. As they entered the theater arm in arm, Liu Yuwei saw the trailer for "Summer Like You" playing on a giant LED screen. Jin Lang's handsome face perfectly matched his blue and white high school uniform. Liu Yuwei had long seen the film's widespread publicity in various media outlets. The male and female protagonists met on a summer campus, becoming each other's first loves but breaking up due to unforeseen circumstances. Ten years later, they reunited and reunited. The story itself wasn't particularly original, but Jin Lang had largely stopped taking on pure romance scripts since his transformation a few years ago. As soon as the news of the film broke, netizens exclaimed that Jin Lang had listened to his fans and was proactively offering them a treat. Liu Yuwei raised her chin slightly and pointed at the big screen in front of her. "What movie are you treating me to? Not this one, is it..." "You're right." Xiaohe fished two tickets from her bag. "Someone gave them to me. They said they're hard to get. There seems to be some kind of event after the movie." "I'm not interested in these fairy tales that trick young girls. How about we go shopping?" "Since we're here, let's relive our youth! Let's go!" Xiaohe saw that she seemed reluctant and simply grabbed Liu Yuwei's arm and dragged her towards the ticket gate. Entering the theater, many young couples had already entered. Liu Yuwei gritted her teeth and sat down on the cushioned seat. The lights dimmed and the big screen lit up. Although she had a general understanding of the plot, seeing the man repeating Liu Yuwei's familiar story in the movie, even though she considered herself strong, she couldn't remain indifferent. Coincidentally, the heroine in the movie also has a good friend. The stereotypical "green tea" female supporting role in film and television dramas is the greatest significance of making the previously smooth relationship of the male and female protagonists' relationship full of thorns. "Hi, hello, I'm Song Miao's boyfriend, Jin Lang." These were the first words Jin Lang said to her. Song Miao was Liu Yuwei's high school deskmate, a universally recognized beauty. She clearly remembered the usually aloof boy smiling brightly at the girl beside him, a smile as dazzling as cherry blossoms in the spring sun, both dazzling and gentle. If she could go back to those days, she would remind herself to position herself correctly the moment she received the script of her life. As the overhead lights came back on, the 90-minute movie quickly ended, but no one in the audience stood up or left. "Dear moviegoers...

On Saturday afternoon, Liu Yuwei arrived at the busiest pedestrian street in northern Beijing and ran into her former colleague, Lu Xiaohe, who was already waiting for her at the entrance of the shopping mall. When she had taken her daughter, Xiaolu, home the previous night, Xiaohe had said she wanted to treat her to a movie as a token of gratitude.

As soon as the two walked into the cinema arm in arm, Liu Yuwei saw the trailer of "Summer Like You" playing on the huge LED screen. Jin Lang's handsome face matched with the blue and white high school uniform did not feel out of place at all.

Liu Yuwei had long seen the film's widespread publicity in various media outlets. The protagonists met on a summer campus, becoming each other's first love but breaking up due to unforeseen circumstances. They reunited ten years later and reunited.

The story itself is nothing new, but since Jin Lang's transformation a few years ago, he has almost stopped accepting scripts with pure love themes. As soon as the news of the movie came out, netizens cried and said that this was because Jin Lang heard the voices of his fans and took the initiative to give everyone benefits.

Liu Yuwei raised his chin slightly and pointed at the big screen in front of him, "What movie are you going to treat me to? Not this..."

"You're right." Xiao He fished out two tickets from her bag. "Someone gave them to me. They said they're hard to get. It seems there's some kind of event after the movie."

"I'm not interested in fairy tales that trick young girls. How about we go shopping?"

"Since we're here, let's relive our youth! Let's go!" Xiaohe saw that she seemed reluctant, so she directly pulled Liu Yuwei's arm and dragged her towards the ticket gate.

When they entered the screening room, many young couples had already entered. Liu Yuwei gritted her teeth and sat down on the cushioned seat. The lights went out and the big screen lit up.

Although she had a general understanding of the plot before, she couldn't remain indifferent when she saw that person repeating Liu Yuwei's familiar story in the movie, even though she believed she was strong inside.

Coincidentally, the heroine in the movie also has a good friend. The biggest significance of the stereotyped green tea female supporting role in film and television dramas is to make the originally smooth relationship between the male and female protagonists full of thorns.

"Hi, hello, I'm Song Miao's boyfriend, Jin Lang."

This was the first sentence Jin Lang said to her.

Song Miao is Liu Yuwei's deskmate in high school and is recognized as a great beauty in the whole grade.

She clearly remembered the usually aloof boy smiling brilliantly at the girl beside him. That smile was as dazzling and gentle as the gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring sunshine.

If I could go back to that year, I would remind myself to put myself in the right position when I got the script of life at the beginning.

As the overhead lights came on again, the 90-minute movie ended quickly, but no one in the seats stood up and left.

"Good afternoon, dear fans and audience friends!"

Accompanied by a cheerful greeting, the male host holding a microphone walked onto the small stage in the screening room.

"Thank you all for coming to our 15th roadshow for "Summer Like You"!"

Before he finished speaking, some young girls at the scene began to scream "Jin Lang, Jin Lang, Jin Lang!!!"

"I can already feel everyone's enthusiasm. Without further ado, let's welcome the two leading actors of 'Summer Like You', Jin Lang and Lin Yuwei."

Jin Lang, wearing a movie-related T-shirt and blue jeans, with a casual white shirt on top, strode onto the stage.

While his outfit was incredibly simple, coupled with his gentle smile, it was easy for girls to associate him with the high school senior they'd been infatuated with in their youth. He bowed deeply to the audience. Under the spotlight, Jin Lang remained unfailingly humble and courteous. Whether in his early days or after his meteoric rise to fame, on the 38-degree Hengdian set or facing pointed interviews from reporters, he always managed to be gentle and unfailing, leaving no room for fault.

Just like when he was in high school, from teachers to classmates, everyone would give a thumbs up when they mentioned Jin Lang's name.

Liu Yuwei didn't expect that the two people who hadn't met in the past eight years would meet for the third time in the last three days.

Sitting in the audience at this moment, I felt as if I was in the first year of high school, standing on the sun-baked playground with a crowd of classmates, looking at the young man on the podium who was speaking on behalf of more than a thousand freshmen.

Time goes round and round, and no one expected that after going full circle, the starting point of the story would also be the end point.

The host on stage conducted a brief interview with the two actors, asking some trivial questions that were relevant to the plot.

"Next, we're moving on to a special segment. This is a treat we've secured for all our fans and moviegoers. We'll be inviting two lucky audience members to come on stage and re-enact famous scenes from 'Summer Like You' with our creators!"

There was another round of excited shouts from the audience.

"Let's not play any tricks today. Let's just hand over the selection to the two main creators! Ladies first, Yuwei goes first."

The actress looked around and said, "Let's go to the man in the gray sweatshirt in the fourth row! But you may have to ask your girlfriend first if she can let you go on stage~" The audience laughed.

The boy said shyly, "She said yes, but can she take a photo with Jin Lang later?"

The girls were all wowed, envious of other people’s boyfriends being so considerate, and even more envious of the girls who could go on stage for photos.

"We can take a photo together as a group of four. Of course, I have no objection if your girlfriend takes a photo alone with my boyfriend. Is that okay, Fu Zhixing?" Lin Yuwei looked at Jin Lang playfully, and he nodded happily.

The audience shouted, "I've hit you!" She said, "My boyfriend, is this true?"

Liu Yuwei took out his cell phone, looked at the red dot in the work group, and scrolled up to the chat history.

"Excuse me, please pass, thank you!" In winter, everyone wears more clothes, and the already narrow aisle becomes even more crowded. The boy in gray was embarrassed to force his way through.

"Ah, good!"

Liu Yuwei subconsciously picked up his coat and stood up.

"Since this lady has stood up on her own, don't sit down. Come on stage together!"

Jin Lang's voice suddenly came from the speakers on both sides of the stage.

Liu Yuwei looked around and found that apart from that man, she was the only one standing there.

"It seems that our leading actor has also chosen his partner. Then please invite two lucky fans to come on stage together!" the host continued.

Liu Yuwei pulled Xiaohe to get her up, but then heard Jin Lang teasing, "I didn't expect to be rejected by Yuwei in the movie, and to be rejected by the audience outside the screen. It seems I have to reflect on myself!"

In the end, Liu Yuwei stood in the center of the stage under the envious urging of the audience and the pushing of Xiaohe.

Jin Lang had actually seen her a long time ago. When everyone was looking towards the stage, only that blue figure kept her head down.

She actually came to watch his movie, with an imperceptible joy on her face.

Lin Yuwei and the male audience first reenacted the sweet scene where the heroine took the initiative to confess her love during college.

The sunny actress on the stage asked the male audience member with full conviction, "Fu Zhixing, you're so smart, can't you see that I'm pursuing you? I like you!"

Liu Yuwei's back was straight, but there seemed to be waves surging in his chest. People who are favored can always rush around recklessly and fearlessly.

…

"Weiwei, Jin Lang is playing basketball on the playground. Let's go and take a look."

"Look, look, he got first place in the monthly exam again. Weiwei, you're amazing too, third place!"

"Weiwei, I just saw a girl confess her love and was rejected by him. I was very happy at first, but now I feel a little sad. Do you think I will be the next one he rejects?"

At that time, Song Miao always dragged her along to chase Jin Lang around the campus: in the corridor during breaks, in the sanitation area of ​​Class 7, under the basketball hoop on the playground, and on the honor roll on the white tiled wall.

Liu Yuwei didn't know whether that person had slowly entered her heart naturally.

When you fall in love with someone, you will find that his name and figure will keep appearing around you without any effort.

Later, Liu Yuwei learned that this was called the retinal effect. The eyes and ears would automatically filter out other people and noises, selectively seeing and hearing only him.

The girl’s thoughts are unspeakable. Everyone can like Jin Lang, but she can’t.

Song Miao was her best friend to date, bar none. Besides, if any boy was asked to choose between them, it wouldn't be her. Not wanting to become the subject of public discussion, she had to pretend nothing had happened.

Not long after, the carefree Song Miao changed her usual behavior and shyly told Liu Yuwei that her confession was successful.

Before, she and Song Miao would stand in a corner together and peek at Jin Lang from afar. Now, she could take the opportunity to stand behind them openly.

In fact, this is already very good.

…

Liu Yuwei slowly came back to her senses. She glanced at the man who was so close to her. In the hazy light and shadow, his nose bridge was high and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned.

One man’s meat may be another man’s poison. How ironic that those heartbreaking images become fond memories for others.

Her fair hands slowly clenched, and the raised edge of the ring on her middle finger left two red marks.

"Next, we invite Jin Lang and our lucky audience to perform the famous scene where the hero and heroine reunite and confess their love!"

As the host spoke, Liu Yuwei was invited to the center of the stage and took the script cue handed to her by the staff.

"I don't need it." Jin Lang waved his hand.

The host immediately followed up with a compliment, "As expected, our leading actors are very dedicated and remember the lines for this famous scene clearly."

Jin Lang looked at the person opposite him with a flickering look in his eyes. With a slightly playful tone, he said in a whisper that only the two of them could hear, "Are you ready?"

Following the sound of "one, two, three, action", Jin Lang unexpectedly spoke first.

"Don't come looking for me anymore. I'm doing fine now. The past is no longer that important to me, and the same goes for the people in the past!"

His tone was as cold as last night.

Liu Yuwei and the audience were stunned. This seemed to be the heroine's lines!

Seeing Jin Lang's serious expression, she had to turn around and signal to the staff on the sidelines for help.

Seeing that Jin Lang was not embarrassed or laughing, and did not call for a stop or ask for a redo, the host understood that he intended to switch roles.

So he waved his hands wildly, signaling Liu Yuwei to continue performing with the male lead's lines.

"Listen to me, I can explain everything about our breakup."

Liu Yuwei held the microphone in his right hand and mechanically read the words on the card.

"Explain, explain what? Explain why you suddenly disappeared without a word?"

Jin Lang performed the role with deep emotion, his hoarse voice trembling with anger, and the audience sighed.

There was less than half a meter between the two of them, and Liu Yuwei could clearly see the blue veins on his neck bulging due to his excitement.

After a brief pause, he seemed to have lost all his energy and spirit, feeling lost and painful. "No need, you told me before that expired medicine cannot be taken."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I had my reasons back then."

It was as if she was brought into the scene by the man's superb acting skills. The female voice coming from the speakers was no longer stiff, and the person holding the microphone had a slightly messy breath, and the ending tone seemed to contain hidden grievances and sadness.

Jin Lang's eyes were unfocused, and Liu Yuwei thought he was recalling his lines. After a moment, he lowered his head slightly and looked at her, his eyes as clear as a deep pool, with an inappropriate expression on his face, sincere and warm.

He skillfully and naturally grabbed Liu Yuwei's left wrist, which was holding the card, and then asked in an expectant tone, "What exactly do you want to say to me today?"

The discerning people in the audience whispered, "Why does it seem like Jin Lang is a little happy! Shouldn't the hero, no, the heroine, be in pain and entangled at this time?"

Liu Yuwei looked at the words on the card, and her eyes uncontrollably fell on the man's slender fingers. She could still feel the heat of his palm through his sleeve.

This scene was the same as last night's, except that the wind was cold then, but now the spotlight made her cheeks hot, and there was even a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her mind was a little stuck.

After a long silence, she heard a wave of urging from the audience. She slowly said, "I want to ask you, do you still want me?"

The voice is soft and touching.

Although the lights were not turned off, Liu Yuwei still felt that it was pitch black around them, with only a beam of light shining on the two of them, as if they were the real protagonists of this drama.

She clearly remembered that the next scene in the film was that the male protagonist saw through the female protagonist's inner hesitation, so he took the opportunity to embrace her in his arms.

As she was hesitating, Liu Yuwei suddenly fell into a warm embrace, with the familiar ocean wood fragrance in her memory, and then a soft voice sounded in her ear, "I want it."

My heart was beating like a frightened deer.

The next second, the lights in the venue came on. The host came over, thanked the two for their wonderful performance, and asked Jin Lang why he had the sudden idea to swap the roles in the script.

He chuckled softly and said something that seemed like an answer but also seemed to explain nothing, "Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly, life is just like a play."

There weren't so many sudden ideas. When he took on the script, he had already immersed himself in the role.

It had been planned for a long time, but the heroine had just arrived.

According to the event process, the host invited the two leading actors and the lucky audience members to take a group photo together; then he turned the camera and recorded this successful roadshow with the audience.

...

Returning to his seat from the stage and following Xiaohe out of the cinema, Liu Yuwei's brain was like a desert swept by a strong wind. His fragmented thoughts were like sparse vegetation and gravel blown all over the place, making it impossible to piece together a complete idea.

Lu Xiaohe held Liu Yuwei's arm and was even more excited than when he went on stage himself. He was in high spirits and talked incessantly.

"Sister, I took a bunch of pictures of you and will send them to you later. I didn't expect to be so lucky today. I can actually act with such a big star!"

"Hey, I'm not trying to be too boastful, but if you two stand together on stage, your CP feeling is just as good as the official one!"

Xiaohe talked to herself for a long time, and when she saw that the person next to her had no reaction, she pushed her shoulder hard.

"I say, Liu Yuwei, after seeing the stunning looks of a top male celebrity up close, you're completely captivated and can't help yourself?"

Then, he deliberately rolled his eyes and provoked her again, "Just now, someone said that he didn't want to watch a movie with me at all!"

Liu Yuwei's spirits had returned to her place. She didn't want to be perfunctory with her friend all afternoon, so she found an excuse. "Xiao He, the work WeChat group just said that the law firm has something urgent to deal with. I might have to leave first."

"Your boss is such a jerk that he doesn't even let you go on the weekend. Okay, let's make an appointment another day!"

"Okay, bring Xiaolu with you next time!" Liu Yuwei smiled and waved her hand, and the two said goodbye at the entrance of the mall.