Chapter 85 Peach Blossom Fan
Ren Limeng's tone revealed some emotion, and Shen Xingzhi couldn't help but turn his head to look at her. Although the smile on her face was very bright, he seemed to be able to feel the faint melancholy in her eyes.
Is it because you are revisiting an old place?
"Li Meng, you actually went to school here? We're on your home turf now, you have to introduce yourself to us!"
"It is my great honor to welcome everyone to Mei City again."
Chen Xi raised the sunglasses in his hand, smiled at Ren Limeng, and they all walked into the theater together. There were staff waiting inside to receive them.
"Hello, distinguished guests! I am Xu Kai, the head of the promotion department of Meixiang Theater. Welcome everyone to the blessed land of opera, Lingrunmei City, and also welcome everyone to Meixiang Theater. I will be responsible for the reception work these days. This is my assistant Xiao Fang, Fang Shuyun."
The program "Mountains and Seas" has reached a cooperation with Meixiang Theater in Mei City. The must-check-in points for Team Shen Xingyi are planned by Meixiang Theater. After the two sides exchanged greetings, Xu Kai led everyone directly into the second-floor box of the Anxiang Hall, the largest hall in Meixiang Theater.
"The Anxiang Hall is the largest performance hall in the Meixiang Theater. Mr. Xu, are you going to take us to see the show live?"
"Yes, today is the opening of the Huangmei Festival. Our theater will be performing its signature play, Peach Blossom Fan, at 3:30. It will be performed by two of our theater's pillars, teachers Li Chuyue and Han Tai. This play won the Plum Blossom Award, so all the guest teachers can look forward to it."
Li Chuyue?
Listening to Xu Kai's introduction, Ren Limeng's ears moved slightly, the past flooded into her mind like a tide, and a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes.
Once upon a time, Li Chuyue, like Yan Fangshu, was Ren Limeng's childhood partner in learning opera. However, she had been away from Huangmei Opera for nearly fifteen years, and it had been too long since they last saw each other. When she suddenly heard this familiar name, the title of "pillar teacher Li Chuyue" made Ren Limeng stunned for a moment, and the smile on the corner of her mouth was mixed with mixed feelings.
The last time they met, Li Chuyue was still a little girl crying because she had practiced a play over and over again without making any breakthrough. In the blink of an eye, they have all grown up.
Yan Fangshu had mentioned that Li Chuyue had joined the Meixiang Theater, but Ren Limeng had never expected that with so many actors in the Meixiang Theater, the first play she performed after returning to Mei City was performed by Li Chuyue. She had also practiced "Peach Blossom Fan" countless times.
The auditorium on the first floor of the Anxiang Hall was packed, and the boxes on the second floor were located above the front rows of the auditorium, providing an excellent perspective for watching the show. Looking around, everyone's eyes showed some approval.
Chen Xi, in particular, did not expect that such a niche drama like Huangmei Opera would still have so many people watching performances. The Anxiang Hall was larger than she could imagine, with more densely packed seats than those in ordinary cinema giant screen halls. The magnificent lights set off the classical and elegant decorations around it, making people feel the innovative development of traditional culture.
"Teacher Li Meng seems to know our theater very well. You seem to be from Mei City. You must have been here before, right?"
Ren Limeng had been here more than once. From childhood to adulthood, she had participated in countless competitions at the Meixiang Theater. She had appeared on all eleven stages of the theater. However, many years had passed. Ren Limeng looked at Xu Kai and smiled slightly. "Of course, my parents also performed Huangmei Opera in the Qianfang Troupe."
"Qianfang Troupe? So they are actors from our theater? What a coincidence!"
Xu Kai asked knowingly, with just the right amount of surprise in his eyes. He had done his homework on the four guests in advance, and the theater had communicated with the program crew many times. He naturally knew Ren Limeng's family background very well, but in front of the camera, these were just beautiful accidents, unexpected coincidences.
In addition to the regular performing actors, the theater also signs performance agreements with major theater troupes. Meishi's three major theater troupes, such as Qianfang Theater, are regular guests of their troupe. Many actors in the troupe are even responsible for theater performances all year round.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Chen Xingzhi and the other two had more or less surprised expressions on their faces. No wonder Ren Limeng could introduce the Meixiang Theater so familiarly like a tour guide. She was not a stranger visiting, but an acquaintance returning home.
"Um."
Ren Limeng did not say much. She and the program team only reported this much, and tactfully rejected some of the "coincidences" assumed by the program team that showed a stronger connection. She did not tell the program team the names of her parents, as she did not want to mention her parents too much in front of the camera.
The program staff just thought that her parents were ordinary people who wanted to keep a low profile, but that was not entirely true, because she didn't know whether they would like to be labeled as "Ren Limeng's parents". After all, she was their "unpromising" daughter.
Of course, at this moment Ren Limeng had some secret expectations in her heart.
I heard from Yan Fangshu that Xu Kai seems to have been in the theater for seven or eight years. Could it be that... he knows whose child she is?
Ren Limeng's father, Ren Shunan, is the band leader of Qianfang Troupe and a national first-class performer; her mother, Wu Murong, was once the absolute mainstay of the troupe and a national first-class actor. Now many well-known actors from the three major troupes are their students. Ren Limeng believes that Xu Kai definitely knows her parents.
I just don't know if her parents have mentioned her to their colleagues. She has won championships in major domestic competitions and is a host on the Orange platform. Although she is not as famous as the two in the Huangmei Opera circle, she should at least be considered... a semi-public figure, right?
Could it be that her parents are just being hard on the outside but soft on the inside, and can't help but proudly introduce their daughter to those around them in private?
"Teacher Li Meng, may I ask your parents' names? Are they in the theater today?"
Listening to Xu Kai's warm and friendly inquiries, the light that had been shining in Ren Limeng's eyes seemed to dim a lot in an instant, but she hid her emotions very well, and no one could see the heavy disappointment she was feeling at the moment, like being burned by the scorching sun, but she had to continue smiling.
To be honest, she didn't know where her parents were now.
She and her parents basically only call each other during the holidays, chat on WeChat when they remember, and send each other red envelopes to show their concern, but most of the time, they do not interfere with each other.
"Mr. Xu, they... probably don't want to attract too much attention. It looks like Peach Blossom Fan is about to begin. Let's watch the show first!"
Ren Limeng hesitated for a moment, and her eyes happened to fall on the darkened stage. As the performance of "Peach Blossom Fan" began, no one pursued the issue.
The lights in the box were also changed to soft and warm ones. Chen Xi and Guan He both turned their attention to the stage. As the actors appeared, they gradually entered the opera world of "Peach Blossom Fan". Only Shen Xingzhi couldn't help but shift his gaze slightly and continued to pay attention to Ren Limeng, whose expression was difficult to read.
"...The spring breeze knows no change in human affairs, it still blows songs around the painted boats, who will come to sigh for the rise and fall of mankind..."
She could recite the lyrics by heart, and her movements and expressions were still unforgettable. Even though the "Peach Blossom Fan" in front of her was different from the one back then, Ren Limeng could still guess 70% of the entire performance correctly. She unconsciously paid attention to Li Chuyue on the stage.
Li Chuyue's singing and posture have improved a lot compared to those days. "Peach Blossom Fan" depicts the love tragedy and historical changes against the backdrop of dynastic changes. At the climax, Li Chuyue grasped the protagonist Li Xiangjun's resistance and steadfastness as she banged her head on the ground and splattered blood on the fan with the love poem.
As the treacherous minister gently waved his paper fan, Li Chuyue let out a shrill cry of determination, and blood splattered onto the stage like a drizzle, staining the fan red. The audience seemed to be immersed in the scene, feeling the feelings of separation and reunion, and the rise and fall of the country. "Peach Blossom Fan" has since become a well-known play, worthy of being the winner of the Plum Blossom Award, an authoritative award in the opera world.
There was a wave of applause in the audience, and Ren Limeng and others couldn't help but clap their hands. There was a sense of melancholy in everyone's eyes, as if they were still immersed in the opera story.
"Guest teachers, please wait a moment. The two leading actors will be here to greet you shortly. For this trip to Mei City, the theater has specially invited the two leading actors to serve as your opera teachers. Together with my assistant Xiao Fang, they will accompany you throughout the tour and training."
Noticing the immersion of Shen Xingzhi, Chen Xi, and the others, Xu Kai's face lit up, his lips curled up, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. As the head of the promotion department, he was busy and didn't have time to accompany the entire program. However, Meixiang Theater needed to show their importance to the "Mountains and Seas" program, so sending two of their mainstays to accompany the class was a brilliant idea.
Han Tai and Li Chuyue are both handsome and beautiful. Not only can they represent the image of the theater, but Xu Kai is also full of confidence. With the help of "Shan Hai", a popular variety show platform across the country, they can launch their own Huangmei Opera stars, which will be worthy of the theater's careful planning and design.
"Hello, Teacher Xingzhi, Teacher Chenxi, Teacher Guan He, and Teacher Li Meng!"
Han Tai and Li Chuyue were still wearing their full makeup from the drama "Peach Blossom Fan" when they came in. They entered the box one after the other, glanced at the cameras around them a little stiffly, and then looked at the four recording guests in the center of the box with smiling and friendly eyes.
Li Chuyue already knew in advance that among the guests recording the "Mountains and Seas" program today was Ren Limeng, her best friend when she was a teenager.
Even earlier, when she heard about the cooperation between the theater and the program team, she specially watched the premiere of "Mountains and Seas" to do her homework in advance. The moment Ren Limeng appeared, Li Chuyue couldn't help but stand up in surprise. She recognized her at a glance without reading the subtitles. They were too familiar with each other.
She never thought that they would say goodbye like this.
From noon till now, she has been accepting this sudden news. Li Chuyue thought that she had made all the psychological preparations before entering the box. This was just a high-level reception job, and she could present a natural and professional attitude.
But the moment she saw Ren Limeng on the far left, when their eyes met, looking at Ren Limeng's calm and composed smile, Li Chuyue's eyes still flickered unconsciously, unable to look directly into those clear and moving eyes like glass.
"Chu Yue, long time no see."
Ren Limeng's bold and gentle call immediately attracted the attention of the whole audience. Even Xu Kai and Li Ming, the director in charge of the program on the scene, couldn't help but look at each other, and then they all looked at the graceful Ren Limeng.
Ren Limeng knows Li Chuyue?
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