Chapter 91 It’s Me...
The glaring black marks that catch the eye are thick and of varying shades, standing out against the pure white lining. They silently and clearly show obvious signs of human damage, like a winding and abrupt scar.
Ren Limeng's face changed drastically, and her voice was extremely angry. "Yueyue, has anyone been here? Who scratched it? I'm about to go on stage. This person is so vicious! Even an inspection inside might not be able to see it! Luckily you found it!"
Costumes are like armor for opera actors, like invisible wings behind their backs. Protecting the costumes is their basic responsibility as actors.
As if suddenly remembering something, Ren Limeng looked at the eyebrow powder box on the dressing table. She quickly pulled out the box and compared the colors of the eyebrow powder and the black marks with a frown.
"Mengmeng..."
Li Chuyue's heart was beating like a drum and her eyes were wandering and flickering. She looked at Ren Limeng's hands moving quickly and violently at a loss. Her throat seemed to be choked by an invisible stone, and she was panicked and unable to speak. She didn't dare to confess, as if she could deceive herself and get away with it.
She really wished that time could go back and go back to a moment ago so that she could suppress her impulse. But at this moment, all she could do was look at Ren Limeng helplessly.
Listening to Li Chuyue's trembling voice, Ren Limeng took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and slowly took the costume from Li Chuyue's hand, "Don't be afraid, Yueyue, stay calm! Stay calm! You can... wear mine. My clothes are one size bigger than yours, you should be able to wear them..."
As she spoke, she looked up and prepared to take the clips from the cabinet on the other side. Using clips to fix and adjust clothes is a common operation for opera actors. She was confident that she could help Li Chuyue survive this accident, and she also had to find a way to stabilize Li Chuyue's mentality so as not to affect her stage performance.
Ren Limeng was well aware of Li Chuyue's hard work this week. She sincerely hoped that Li Chuyue could perform at her best in front of the judges from the three major troupes of Meixiang Theater. The teachers who came today were the backbone of the Huangmei Opera community in Mei City and might very well affect their future. Although she didn't care much, Li Chuyue seemed to care a lot.
Therefore, although Ren Limeng was very angry, she still forced herself to remain calm. She had to be the backbone of the two people, and they could not let this little episode affect the assessment.
But the next second, Ren Limeng was stunned.
"...This is your costume."
The cowardly voice was very small, but it was so clear in the silent room, and it shot straight into Ren Limeng's heart like a deafening sound. Ren Limeng was a little confused. Her eyes paused briefly, staring blankly at the black mark in front of her, and then looked up at Li Chuyue, but only caught Li Chuyue's wandering and evasive eyes.
They grew up together and were too familiar with each other. Sometimes a look was enough to express a lot of meaning. This unspeakable tacit understanding was so annoying at this moment. Ren Limeng couldn't believe her eyes. She opened her mouth several times but couldn't make any sound.
She widened her eyes in disbelief, as if she wanted to stare through Li Chuyue, as if this would make the familiar person in front of her have a different face.
Deathly silence spread in the room. Every sporadic footstep in the corridor seemed to trample heavily into the hearts of the two people. Neither Ren Limeng nor Li Chuyue said a word. Ren Limeng stared at Li Chuyue blankly. The air around them was so heavy that she could not breathe.
"Yueyue, you..."
Did you do it?
Ren Limeng's eyes were completely red. She clenched the costume and eyebrow powder box in her hands tightly, and did not notice the nails deeply embedded in her palms. The pain that seeped out blood was the easiest of all the emotions she was experiencing at the moment. She finally spoke with difficulty. She could not accept what she saw.
Ren Limeng would rather believe that she was wrong and that it was all her groundless guesses. She and Li Chuyue had trained together for many years. Since she could remember, they had been eating and living together. They had secretly passed notes to each other in countless classes; they were happy and worried about each other's progress and bottlenecks; they even remembered each other's menstrual periods and dietary taboos so clearly. How could it be Li Chuyue?
Looking at Li Chuyue, who lowered her head with red eyes, silence seemed to be her answer, the cruelest answer.
Ren Limeng restrained her trembling body and clenched her teeth. She had to get to the bottom of it. She wanted to hear Li Chuyue say it herself that she was the one who deliberately tampered with her costume!
She didn't understand, she really couldn't accept it, why? Could the relationship they had maintained for so many years be so fragile?
This black mark not only left a mark on the costume, but also penetrated deeply into Ren Limeng's heart, shattering her to pieces.
Before Ren Limeng could finish her words, Wu Murong suddenly cried out in disbelief at the door, "Ren Limeng, what are you doing?"
Ren Limeng subconsciously looked towards the door. Wu Murong was holding her thermos cup, her face full of wrinkles of astonishment and disbelief. She walked over quickly, "Even if you don't accept the audition, you can't ruin your costume on the spot! Do you know what you are doing? Who are you trying to show off to? Ren Limeng, you..."
Ren Limeng's mind was dazed. Following Wu Murong's stern gaze, which was so excited that it could pinch a mosquito to death, she noticed the costume and eyebrow powder box in her hands. Her dear mother seemed to have misunderstood the current situation...
She was an innocent victim whose costume was scratched! She wasn't resentful enough to do something so self-destructive as to scratch her own costume. She wasn't stupid! She had clearly prepared very carefully, wanting to... have a good fight with Li Chuyue!
But now, what should I do?
Ren Limeng habitually took a half step forward to block her mother's sharp eyes that seemed to want to kill someone, while thinking about this accident that could be a big or small thing in her mind.
If she explained that it was Li Chuyue who scratched the mark, her mother would not believe her even if she insisted that it was accidental. It would definitely affect Li Chuyue's performance in the selection. Even after the selection, given her mother's bad temper, she would not let it go. She would definitely pursue her and ask the drama school to deal with the matter seriously.
The anger and pain in her heart were about to overwhelm Ren Limeng, but her rationality finally held on. Ren Limeng quickly analyzed all the possibilities and consequences in her mind and came to a simple and only conclusion - Li Chuyue could not bear her mother's anger.
After so many years, she knew Li Chuyue's family situation too well. If this matter was made public, it would inevitably affect Li Chuyue's life and even her entire life.
To learn acting, one must first learn morality. If anyone in the circle knew about the little tricks Li Chuyue did today, Li Chuyue would definitely not be able to perform with dignity. This would become a black history that she could not wash away in her career.
Although this is the fact in front of us, maybe... Li Chuyue has some difficulties?
She didn't have the time to ask clearly. Even if they were strangers, they should have the opportunity to state their reasons. What's more, they were good friends. She had to listen to Li Chuyue's explanation before she could make a thorough judgment!
Anyway, she couldn't let Li Chuyue face her mother's wrath. After all, she was her mother's biological daughter. No matter how angry her mother was, she could only beat her a few more times.
During the moment of silence in the room, Ren Limeng made countless excuses for Li Chuyue, trying to convince herself to be more rational and more "willing" to take the "blame". After all, they had been together for many years, and she could not stand idly by. She might as well treat it as a temporary solution!
"Auntie... Li Meng... didn't mean it... I'm sorry..."
Ren Limeng's eyes widened, and she suddenly turned her head to look at Li Chuyue, who was at a loss but hesitated to speak. Ren Limeng's face was full of astonishment, as if she had been struck by lightning. She stood still, with incredible helplessness flashing in her eyes. Everything around her seemed to be still. Only Li Chuyue's timid explanation echoed in her ears over and over again, completely drowning out Wu Murong's shocked and angry rebuke.
"Chu Yue, you don't have to explain for her! If she were even a little bit as obedient as you, I would be so grateful! She even dared to ruin the costumes! Ren Limeng, is there anything else you can't do? Do you want to piss me off to death? You are so willful!!! Do you think you are rebelling against me? You are so irresponsible! Do you have any respect for the stage? You..."
Tears rushed into her eyes uncontrollably, Ren Limeng's vision became blurred, and her body trembled uncontrollably, making it almost impossible for her to stand firmly, but she just stared at Li Chuyue.
How could her mother think that of her? She had never once given a halfhearted performance on stage! She wanted to protest loudly! She wanted to ask fiercely! She wanted to do whatever it took!
But... looking at Li Chuyue who had helplessly covered her face with tears like broken pearls, Ren Limeng finally just took several deep breaths, and forced herself to stand up alone from the boundless ocean of sadness. She pursed her lips tightly.
Every breath was accompanied by a dull pain in her chest, and a warm, bitter taste of rust spread in her mouth. Ren Limeng slowly opened her eyes, tears welling up in her sockets, but not a single drop fell. She finally straightened her stiff body, slowly turned around, and met Wu Murong who had already walked in front of her.
“…It’s me…”
These two short words were squeezed out of Ren Limeng's dry and bitter throat with great difficulty, almost using up all her strength. She suppressed all trembling and unwillingness, and repeated them almost to herself, her voice finally firm, "It's me."
It's my friend!
It’s Li Chuyue!
Why!
“Pah————”
Time seemed to be suddenly stretched out, and seemed to be frozen in this small space. A crisp and loud sound, with an indescribable power of anger, was like a sudden rainstorm in summer, fierce and resolute, with all the anger and disappointment of a mother, it attacked Ren Limeng resolutely. Ren Limeng said nothing, but slowly closed her eyes.
The air was heavy and oppressive, as if it had solidified, with a faint, barely perceptible tremor. The reverberation of the sound seemed to still vibrate in the air, lingering for a long time.
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