Chapter 71: It is human nature to love flowers to their full potential.
“…”
elder brother.
Xia Huanming, who remained silent, twitched his little finger slightly.
Cuicui, who was standing by, had just finished applying setting powder to Xia Huanming and was about to pack up her makeup tools. When she heard Chen Xing say this, she couldn't help but look up at the mirror and said, "It really doesn't feel out of place for you to call him brother. I thought he was older than you at first."
"In fact, there is only a one-year age difference." Chen Xing simply pulled a chair over and sat over, tapping his right fingers twice, "How is it, brother, tell me quickly."
Xia Huanming found it funny: "Is it your turn for me to teach you?"
A truly nervous person would be like Zhao Xingyu, pacing back and forth in the corridor holding the script.
Chen Xing didn't answer, but just looked at him with his big eyes, as if he wouldn't leave unless he came up with a solution.
Xia Huanming sighed softly, held Chen Xing's left wrist, and wrote two words on his palm stroke by stroke.
Chen Xing felt the tingling sensation coming from the palm of his hand and recognized that it was clearly the word "calmness".
He raised his head and saw that the tension between the other person's brows had relaxed, and his expression was much softer than before.
"So that's how it is—" Chen Xing closed his palms, looking very happy, "I'll go and teach the secret book to others right away."
Chen Xing stood up from his seat, pinched Xia Huanming's shoulder one last time, and left.
Cuicui looked at Chen Xing's back as he left and asked, "Where is he going?"
"Where else can he go?" Xia Huanming touched the place that Chen Xing had just touched. He could see through Chen Xing's movements. "He is now a psychologist. He comforts whoever he sees is nervous."
Chen Xing has always been like this. He looks like he has always been taken care of by them, but in fact he has always been taking care of them.
What Chen Xing said just now undoubtedly made him relax.
Only those who have experienced it will understand how important it is to have someone who is willing to share your stress when you are nervous.
Xia Huanming walked out of the dressing room and saw Chen Xing cheering for Zhao Xingyu, who looked like a swordsman.
He just raised a relieved smile, but the next second he couldn't smile anymore.
As he spoke, Chen Xing was writing on Zhao Xingyu's hand in his own way.
Xia Huanming: “…”
No, just say it, why do you need to get started?
Chen Xing waved his hand and finished writing casually: "Do you understand what I wrote?"
Zhao Xingyu stared at his palm and answered uncertainly: "You... want me to go to the toilet."
Chen Xing: “?”
"No, guess again..." Chen Xing was about to write it again when he suddenly felt someone grabbing his shoulders.
Looking back, Xia Huanming was standing behind him, looking at Zhao Xingyu calmly, and said in a steady voice: "It's about to start, let's go to the front and wait."
After saying this, Xia Huanming slowly lowered his eyes, looked into Chen Xing's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Ah, you guys go first, I'm going to go drink some water." Zhao Xingyu said and left first.
Chen Xing and Xia Huanming walked side by side through the backstage corridor. Every time they met a staff member, they would bow slightly and greet each other first.
The fluorescent tubes above their heads hummed, casting a warm bluish-white glow. The two turned around at the same time and found that the cameraman was holding a camera and filming them.
I don't know when I started following them.
Chen Xing and Xia Huanming ignored it and continued walking forward, passing by doors that were shining with warm light.
The contestant's clear voice came through the crack of the first door, and the makeup artist was making the final adjustments to his makeup.
There were bursts of laughter coming from the second door. The staff counted the props and stuffed cookies into the hands of the interns...
In front of the third door, several screenwriters were sitting together, enthusiastically discussing the details of the scripts for the last few episodes.
Each room is shrouded in soft orange light, like a carefully wrapped glowing gift box, which is clearly distinguished from the cold white light in the corridor, yet wonderfully integrated.
When we arrived at the fork in the corridor, a staff member with a ponytail was standing on tiptoe and writing the four big words "All the best" on the whiteboard with a marker. Then the pen was borrowed by another male staff member who passed by.
The two followed the boy and turned left. The lights in the corridor gradually dimmed. The boy lifted the curtain and reminded them to "be careful with your heads". Then he bent down and moved the computer cases stacked on the ground to one side of the aisle. After a few steps, he handed the pen to the staff member with an ID card.
The staff led them to the side curtain, where Zheng Qi and Wang Baiyue were already waiting, and the contestants from the three groups also came to watch.
Du He clenched his fist and cheered the host: "Brother, come on."
The host nodded at him, got ready, and walked up the stairs when the time came.
There was a commotion outside. Zhao Xingyu, who had arrived late, hugged Zheng Qi's arm and said excitedly, "It's started, it's started."
Zheng Qi smiled and said, "I know, I know. Please loosen your hand first. It's squeezing my stomach."
When Chen Xing turned around again, Wang Baiyue was leaning against the wall and video-calling his girlfriend, describing the scene backstage in vivid detail.
Just at this moment the host also spoke, and the sound of the microphone came clearly from both sides. Chen Xing subconsciously half covered his ears.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, the audience burst into applause, and many people responded to him: "Good!"
"Welcome everyone to the first episode of our show "Acting First" for the first drama performance. Today, three groups will present wonderful performances. The audience does not need to compare or vote during the entire performance. The audience can just relax and enjoy the wonderful performance. Next, let me introduce our mentors!"
The host's loud voice echoed in the theater, and every time a mentor's name was announced, there was a thunderous applause from the audience.
"Zhang Jinan, do you have anything to say to the audience?"
"No need to say anything else. Since the contestants have been rehearsing so hard, let's just enjoy the performance."
When Zhang Jinan was talking, Chen Xing was standing behind Xia Huanming, his fingertips circling the belt around his waist out of boredom. Suddenly, the person in front of him grabbed his wrist with his backhand and accurately held it.
Before Chen Xing could react, Xia Huanming had already pulled his hand into his arms.
Xia Huanming tilted his head slightly and whispered in his ear, "Confiscate the tools used in the crime."
This is not confiscation.
Chen Xing stared at his right hand being caressed, and occasionally felt the soft chest muscles under the fabric.
He lowered his head and laughed, not intending to pull his hand away.
He even had an idea: if he took the opportunity to touch Xia Huanming's butt, would Xia Huanming let him touch her breasts in exchange?
However, he quickly put the idea out of his mind.
Xia Huanming was not a fool, so why would he be willing to do this? And if he really did it, Xia Huanming might even angrily question him about what he was doing.
Chen Xing felt embarrassed for thinking such vulgar things. He always felt a little sorry for Xia Huanming and withdrew his hand angrily.
Xia Huanming immediately asked him: "What's wrong?"
Chen Xing stared at the ground and made up a random excuse: "It's too hot."
"A little bit indeed," Xia Huanming said with a smile, his eyes curved, "Let's go have some shaved ice after this is over."
Chen Xing immediately looked up and answered eagerly: "Okay!"
Xia Huanming added: "But is it okay for just the two of us?"
Chen Xing didn't understand why he asked this, and tilted his head slightly: "What's wrong with this?"
Xia Huanming gave him a bright smile and said nothing more.
After the mentors finished speaking in turn, Chen Xing noticed that the host took a few steps forward and walked in front of the curtain.
The large bright red curtain was slowly lowered, and during this time, the props team hurriedly carried various props onto the stage.
After all, drama is a drama model centered on dialogue and body movements, and the scenery is often very simple. Chen Xing once watched the drama "A Doll's House", which had the same background from beginning to end.
And most of their scenes are pubs.
The lonely screen on the field cast a diamond-shaped shadow in front of the accounting counter. Two paint-chipped wooden tables and chairs stood crookedly in the circle of light, surrounded by four scattered chairs. Further in front was an ordinary door curtain, and nothing else.
Their scene tells the story of a loyal person played by Zhao Xingyu being hunted by a villain. On his way back to the city, he passes by this shabby tavern, where he meets the waiter played by Wang Baiyue, the bankrupt businessman played by Zheng Qi, and the two brothers played by Xia Huanming and Chen Xing.
This is the story of five young knights with hidden identities who get to know each other and then part ways here.
Yaya, who is good at writing plays, commented after watching their rehearsal: "The timeline of this play is only five days, but it is a very exciting five days. So exciting that I think these characters will still feel that these five days are like a dream when they look back on their lives more than ten years later."
Coincidentally, the name of their play is "The Yellow Millet Dream".
Wang Baiyue went on stage first, and when the curtain opened, he began to speak his lines.
"I still have zero income today. If this continues, I'll have to go back to the city!"
A few minutes later, Zheng Qi drank the last sip of water and stepped onto the stage.
He suddenly got into the mood and became hurried as if he was looking for something.
When it was Chen Xing's turn to perform, he excitedly said to the audience, "This is the first time I've traveled far away with my brother. He repeatedly reminded me not to run around everywhere. I remembered, so I started looking around. For me, who never leaves the house, all this was new."
Chen Xing couldn't wait to run to the front, squatted down, and pretended to explore among the flowers.
"Wow, this is a flower wet by the rain. Wow, this is..." Chen Xing stood up suddenly, "sheep dung dried by the wind."
He looked back aggrievedly: "Brother - I touched something dirty."
Afterwards, Xia Huanming slowly walked up from the backstage. As soon as he appeared, there were loud cheers from the audience in the front row.
It's normal to exclaim. Even though Xia Huanming is dressed like this, his figure and looks are so stunning in person, and he is more stunning in person than in front of the camera.
If the program crew had not prohibited the audience from taking photos, these audience members would have taken dozens of photos. The handsome guy is next to another handsome guy, so when would they take photos?
"I told you not to touch me," Xia Huanming pulled Chen Xing's hand without any disdain, "Let's go find a place to wash... There's a tavern over there, let's go ask them to borrow some water."
So the two of them drew aside the door curtain and walked into the tavern.
This is where the two of them come in.
The main film officially begins only after all the central characters have arrived.
The first three acts are all similar everyday comedies, with modern expressions appearing from time to time, but everyone knows that these are comedies, so there is no sense of incongruity.
For example, Zhao Xingyu thought that this store was a black shop, and Wang Baiyue thought that Zhao Xingyu was a wanted criminal. When the two were on the verge of a fight, they were suddenly interrupted by a snoring sound.
After that, every time they drew their weapons, a "Hulu" sound was heard.
Zhao Xingyu put away his sword and asked the audience, "I think he is a weirdo. Why would a tavern owner raise frogs?"
Wang Baiyue took a step forward: "What an injustice! What frog? It's obvious that someone is sleeping here!"
After saying that, the two turned around at the same time. Chen Xing at the other table pointed at Zheng Qi who was sleeping on the table opposite and said, "Yes, that's him!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Huanming's steamed bun covered his mouth, and the audience burst into laughter.
For example, Xia Huanming thought his brother was lost, so he hurried over to find Zhao Xingyu who was playing cards.
Zhao Xingyu shook his head and said he didn't see it. Wang Baiyue just brought the roast duck ordered by Zheng Qi, and two feet suddenly appeared under the counter.
The four of them smiled at each other, then carried the roast duck to the cashier's counter to chat.
Zhao Xingyu looked at Zheng Qi and said, "Your clothes are nice and look very expensive. You don't look like a bankrupt merchant."
Zheng Qi said to Xia Huanming: "You are not bad looking, it's a pity for you to be a family slave."
Xia Huanming said to Wang Baiyue, "I see you run pretty fast, but isn't it a waste of your talent to be a waiter?"
Wang Baiyue finally asked Zhao Xingyu: "Your sword is definitely not an ordinary thing. Who is your master?"
The four people who had the secret did not respond to each other's probing. Finally, they all laughed at the same time, facing the audience, and said in unison: "As long as you don't tell, the fake will become real. This is the origin of the secret."
At this time, Chen Xing, who was sitting under the counter, poked out half of his head and said, "I can't take it anymore. This smells too good!"
"Where did you come from, little mouse?" Wang Baiyue said with a smile, "Why didn't you respond when your brother called you? He was so anxious."
"Brother, I'm sorry," Chen Xing walked out, pulled Xia Huanming's clothes, and apologized carefully, "I was afraid that you would be angry about what happened this morning, so I hid for a while. Ouch, I just hit my head, it hurts."
The younger brother played by Chen Xing is only fifteen years old, and he speaks to Xia Huanming in a coquettish tone which fits the character very well.
Xia Huanming touched Chen Xing's forehead and asked, "I'm not angry anymore. Does it hurt here?"
Chen Xing nodded obediently.
Xia Huanming pulled him aside and asked him to sit down. Just like an elder brother taking care of his younger brother, he helped Chen Xing rub the painful area.
The audience nodded.
With such a good brother, it is natural to pamper him.
On the other side, Zhao Xingyu cleared his throat, walked a few steps to Wang Baiyue who was cleaning the dishes, and imitated Chen Xing's tone of voice: "I didn't mean to break the table this morning~ Don't be angry~ Good brother~"
Four people: “…”
Audience: “…” Mai Ai Si!
The people watching backstage heard Zhao Xingyu acting like a spoiled child and silently turned to Zheng Peiya and Xue Si Nian.
Li Mu pinched his philtrum and almost rolled his eyes: "Didn't I tell you to delete this part during rehearsal? Why is it still here?"
Qi Yinrui shook his head and sighed: "What's wrong with the audience?"
The culprit Xue Si Nian laughed and said, "This is hilarious."
Li Mu: "You kept it on purpose to take revenge on society."
Xue Si Nian whistled, pretended not to hear it, hugged Zheng Peiya's arm and said that she didn't know.
Everyone laughed together.
Suddenly, the lights went dark and the fourth act began.
The people backstage gradually stopped smiling.
Because the current joyful and peaceful atmosphere will take a sharp turn for the worse in the fourth act.
The assassin who was chasing Zhao Xingyu finally caught up here, and the true identities of the five protagonists gradually surfaced.
They are not dignitaries, nor are they the clichéd "prince hiding his identity", but a few loyal and courageous martial arts heroes. When the country was caught in internal and external troubles, they resolutely rushed back to the city and vowed to defend their country to the death.
It was these treacherous people who murdered Zhao Xingyu. When they learned that Zhao Xingyu was holding confidential documents that could change the fate of the world, they wanted to kill him to silence him.
The criminals who had been lying in ambush for a long time first used poison gas to knock everyone out. Knowing that they were no match for Zhao Xingyu, they took the weakest brother Jin Xia as a hostage and forced them to hand over the secret code.
Seeing his brother being abducted, the elder brother almost went crazy, and was held back by someone. Several people had been fighting with other men in black for a long time, and all of them were covered in wounds. In addition, the smoke had not yet cleared, so everyone was just trying to stand.
"Let him go and I'll give it to you." Zhao Xingyu confronted the man in black for a long time and slowly took out the secret letter from his lapel.
"Throw it over here." said the man in black.
At the moment when the man in black was distracted, Chen Xing suddenly snatched the sword, stabbed the blade into his side, and pierced through both him and the man in black.
To ensure everything was safe, he drew out his sword without hesitation and stabbed it in again.
The crew designed an exquisite stage effect here.
Zheng Peiya suggested that death in a drama does not necessarily have to be expressed with blood, but can be replaced by more impactful imagery.
So when Chen Xing pulled out the long sword from his side, the tip of the sword pierced the sachet hidden around his waist.
In an instant, countless peach petals fell like blood, forming a miserable red color at his feet.
Like the blood that flowed from him.
This sudden death scene put the audience in a complex mood: on the one hand, they were shocked by the beautiful design of the flying petals, and on the other hand, they were shocked by the plot twist.
Just when they thought that "the protagonists will be able to escape unscathed", the person least likely to sacrifice chose the most heroic death.
This little villain would go looking for his brother whenever he felt a little pain, but in the end he stabbed himself to death with a sword.
In the audience, sighs rose and fell one after another.
Everyone has now realized that this play has long shed its comedy veneer, and a more serious story is waiting for them.
The atmosphere in the theater suddenly became solemn, and the audience members all stopped smiling and became serious.
Before he died, the man in black widened his eyes and asked him in disbelief: "How dare you!"
Chen Xing sneered disdainfully: "Do you think everyone is like you, running away when disaster strikes? Since we have decided to go back, we have already put life and death aside!"
After the man in black closed his eyes unwillingly, Chen Xing finally couldn't hold on anymore and slowly fell down.
Chen Xing closed his eyes, darkness enveloped his vision, and only chaotic sounds flooded into his ears: noisy voices, footsteps of varying paces, and the dull thud of something hitting the ground.
"Pin'er!"
"Quick! Catch him!"
"Pin'er, wait for me! I'll go find someone to save you!"
"Bang——"
Chen Xing had his eyes open during the rehearsal, and his memory told him that everyone was dealing with the aftermath of his death.
Zhao Xingyu chopped the man in black a few more times to vent his emotions; Wang Baiyue went to ask someone from the clinic to come and take a look; Zheng Qi found a rope to tie up the man in black who had been knocked unconscious.
So what about Xia Huanming?
At this moment, Xia Huanming should be suffering from both toxicity and grief.
The muffled sound was the sound of Xia Huanming's knees slamming heavily on the stage and crawling towards him on his knees.
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