Chapter 165 Money Power
"Let Teacher Han and Teacher Li sing you two more Huangmei Opera excerpts. Chen Xi's intonation just now wasn't quite right, and it was a bit distracting."
Shen Xingzhi arranged things calmly. He and Ren Limeng, who had been paired as partners in a musical, were able to cooperate perfectly on the second day of training, completing all the movements and interactions smoothly, and it seemed that they could perform directly in the public performance.
However, there are still problems with Guan He and Chen Xi's performance. After repeated practice these days, until today, their rendition of the Huangmei Opera segment "Couple Watching Lanterns" is still not perfect.
Especially Chen Xi, everyone knows that Chen Xi wants to use the highlight Huangmei Opera clip inserted in the song "Time and Life" to show himself, but the prerequisite for showing is strong strength.
It is not easy for Chen Xi, who has no foundation in opera, to learn Huangmei Opera. Everyone can see Chen Xi's hard work, but the reality is that he has not achieved any success.
Chen Xi is now in a dilemma.
At the beginning, she clearly expressed her desire to break through herself with powerful words, and flatly declined Ren Limeng's kindness, taking the role of the female lead in the Huangmei Opera segment. As one of the only two girls in the group, Ren Limeng did not compete with her, and even took the lead in encouraging Chen Xi to perform the Huangmei Opera.
Chen Xi had never thought that singing, reciting, acting and fighting in Huangmei Opera would be so difficult. She didn't want to make Ren Limeng laugh at her, but learning Huangmei Opera quickly was not something that could be achieved by just trying one's best.
Especially after Ren Limeng’s stunning performance in the ring match on Wednesday afternoon.
Chen Xi felt the pressure. There were only 48 hours left before the performance, and she had still made frequent mistakes this morning. What Chen Xingzhi called "a little" was already giving her face. She could hear Chen Xingzhi's dissatisfaction.
The anxiety at this moment overwhelmed everything. If Chen Xi didn't want to see Ren Limeng and her mother having fun at noon, he actually didn't want to eat at all.
"Brother Xingzhi, I can go by myself. I'm familiar with this place. You don't have to worry about me being alone."
Even though there was a work shoot at noon, when she and Shen Xingzhi went to her house alone, Ren Limeng would really feel like she was meeting her parents. Their progress was not that fast, so she had to deliberately control the progress.
Ren Limeng raised her head, without looking at Shen Xingzhi. She glanced at Chen Xi's tightly pursed lips, paused, and said, "Sister Chen Xi, don't worry. Your play has already taken shape. Maybe if you relax a little when acting, you will get unexpected results."
Ren Limeng noticed that when Chen Xi was practicing Huangmei Opera today, she was intentionally or unintentionally imitating the performance of "Couple Watching Lanterns" that she saw last night. However, her mother had performed Huangmei Opera for so many years and had her own system of interpretation. As a Huangmei Opera beginner, Chen Xi's actions actually disrupted her rhythm.
The segment "Couple Watching Lanterns" compiled by Li Chuyue was basically tailor-made for Chen Xi. What Chen Xi should do now is to keep calm and not panic.
Ren Limeng did not point out the problem directly.
Since she and Chen Xi could barely maintain a superficially harmonious relationship, she could only make subtle suggestions and hope that Chen Xi would believe that what she said was not just empty talk in front of the camera, but a sincere desire for the whole team to perform better.
As for the rest, Ren Limeng had only respect. After all, even Li Chuyue didn't mention it at all.
Ren Limeng looked at Li Chuyue who was patiently teaching in front of Chen Xi.
"I'll accompany you, just in time to pay."
Hearing Ren Limeng's words, Shen Xingzhi didn't say much. He put down his things and stood up, expressing his attitude with his actions, which forced Ren Limeng to look away. She hesitated for a moment in her mind, looked at Shen Xingzhi's deep eyes, and did not insist any longer.
"Brother Xingzhi, buying so much, is it over budget?"
Ren Limeng took Shen Xingzhi to the fruit shop downstairs from her home. There were so-called financial restrictions during the recording, and Ren Limeng wanted to buy two bags of fruit to take home, just as a token of her appreciation.
Even though Shen Xingzhi's "working" at the first stop earned them money to cover their expenses at the second stop, Ren Limeng still kept in mind that they were currently recording.
If other teams are stingy with their pocket money while their team is lavish, it will definitely not be a good impression for the audience when the show is broadcast. There is no need to create unnecessary controversy.
Ren Limeng stared at the seven or eight plastic bags full in Chen Xingzhi's hands, and listened to him nonchalantly asking the boss lady to get another box of cherries and blueberries. Finally, she couldn't help but speak out to stop him.
"It's okay. We'll go up there first. These are gifts from the production team. It's your mother's birthday, and they're going to your house to record the show. Shouldn't the production team show some appreciation?"
Shen Xingzhi smiled faintly, lazily placed the plastic bag on the cashier, scanned the code to pay, and looked at the assistant director Li Ming who followed behind the camera, "Director Li, these are for the staff, please help distribute them."
Ren Limeng's gaze fell on Li Ming, who took the two large bags of fruit from Chen Xingzhi's hands with a forced smile. She said nothing and did not worry about the funding issue anymore.
Since Shen Xingzhi gave a reasonable explanation, if the program team chose to default, then the unreasonable parts would naturally not be broadcast. This was tacitly understood by her.
"Director Li, Li Meng and I are going to go say hello to the uncle and aunt first. You guys wait in the car. Chen Xi and Guan He just sent a message and it will take another half an hour. We can continue recording after they arrive."
While taking the wheat, Chen Xingzhi picked up the cherries and two other boxes of slightly more expensive fruits. After making all the arrangements in an orderly manner, he prepared to go to the family compound with Ren Limeng.
"Teacher Shen, the show is recorded 24 hours a day. Isn't this against the rules? On the street...what if someone sees us and exposes us?"
Li Ming hesitantly tried to persuade her, his voice filled with embarrassment getting lower and lower in the face of Shen Xingzhi's smiling and cold gaze. He looked evasively at Ren Limeng on the other side, with a clear plea for help in his eyes, as if hoping that she could speak out together to stop Shen Xingzhi.
Ren Limeng frowned slightly, seemingly thinking about Li Ming's words, looking at Shen Xingzhi but never saying a word.
She didn't forget Li Ming from Yigong.
Since Li Ming was able to change the performance process to the extreme, compressing or even canceling her stage hosting performance, why is he hypocritically talking about rules all the time to fool children just a few days later?
Since she had seen through the unspoken rules of the variety show, there was naturally no need for her to go against Shen Xingzhi at this time. What's more, this matter had nothing to do with her, at least it seemed that it had nothing to do with her.
Ren Limeng lowered her eyes, her thoughts unconsciously returning to the time after breakfast today, when the two of them were on their way back to the B&B. Chen Xingzhi coldly sent the two cameramen to the side of the road to take some photos of the street scene, then turned off the waist microphone and suddenly looked at her and spoke.
"Li Meng, last night...you didn't lie to me, did you?"
Ren Limeng narrowed her eyes slightly, raised her head, looked at the soft sun in the sky, felt the warmth of the sun sprinkled on her face unscrupulously, and heard Shen Xingzhi's tentative question. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes blinked like a butterfly flapping its wings.
"Um?"
Ren Limeng also turned off her microphone with one hand. She did not turn her head to look at Shen Xingzhi, but turned her head to look to the other side.
The boxwood trees on both sides of the road appear particularly vibrant in the morning light, with lush branches and leaves intertwined, forming layers of emerald green canopy, sparkling with a playful luster.
Ren Limeng asked casually, walking forward briskly.
Chen Xingzhi followed Ren Limeng with an upright posture, emitting a cool aura. His deep eyes locked with Ren Limeng showed a hint of helplessness. He reminded Ren Limeng unwillingly, or rather questioned her, and his tone was firm that he would not tolerate Ren Limeng playing dumb any longer.
"When we talked last night, you said to give me a chance."
Ren Limeng finally tilted her head, she looked back at Shen Xingzhi and smiled gently, "Yesterday? Thank you, Brother Xingzhi, I always keep my word."
Ren Limeng smiled with her eyes curved, but Shen Xingzhi couldn't see through her attitude at the moment. She answered too quickly for him to believe.
"So it's thanks?"
Shen Xingzhi tried to grasp the key points of Ren Limeng's words. His deep eyes were sharp and restrained. He slowly lowered his head, and his low voice was filled with some deliberate bitterness.
At least Ren Limeng was very suspicious that Shen Xingzhi was deliberately showing weakness at this moment. He knew that she always responded to soft tactics rather than hard ones.
Ren Limeng glanced at the cameraman who was following her. She didn't understand why Chen Xingzhi had to dig deep into the matter. She had already said it, and her words counted!
To pursue her, he wants a chance, and she needs to solemnly agree?
Chen Xingzhi was just playing tricks at the moment, but... He stared at her seriously, his slightly dim eyes making it impossible for her not to pay attention.
Even though Yu Guangzhong could notice the camera following him, Shen Xingzhi still stared at Ren Limeng with a pretentious look, as if there was only one answer in his eyes and heart that he would not give up.
Ren Limeng even suspected that if she gave an ambiguous answer at this moment, or just said "just thank you", Shen Xing would be able to do something crazy like confessing his love in the street in a second.
He understood her concerns.
"I didn't lie to you, okay?"
Ren Limeng couldn't help but roll her eyes at Chen Xingzhi, and continued to explain in a somewhat revealing way, "You spent so much money, your 'money power' is worth a chance!"
"061002."
"ah?"
Why did Shen Xingzhi suddenly report a string of numbers?
Ren Limeng raised her eyebrows, her attention was more on the follow-up photographer who was about to come over, and when she heard Shen Xingzhi's calm and unthinking voice, she subconsciously retracted her gaze and looked back at the person in front of her in confusion.
"My bank card password is too complicated to remember. I'll send it to you via WeChat later."
Ren Limeng's mind went blank for a moment, and suddenly only Shen Xingzhi was left in her eyes.
Shen Xingzhi's eyes looked straight at her with concentration and depth, as if he wanted to hide her in his eyes.
He paused slightly, his jawline stretched into a blade-like arc, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, his voice was low and steady, his face seemed still cold, as if he was seriously discussing a stage performance with her. But only Ren Limeng, who was sitting opposite him, knew the burning heat surging in his eyes at this moment.
Ren Limeng tried hard to control her expression, but she could feel her cheeks gradually getting hot.
It must be because I ate too much in the morning. It is natural for the body to react after eating the freshly cooked fish meal in the hot summer. Besides, the sunlight shining on my face at this moment is just right.
Ren Limeng finally couldn't help but avoid Shen Xingzhi's scorching gaze, her wandering eyes looking into the void. She opened her mouth, but suddenly lost her usual high emotional intelligence, and could only continue to listen to Shen Xingzhi's somewhat hoarse voice.
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