Chapter 123: Concealing the Truth
"Li Meng, it's out, number one! I always say my daughter is the best! Your blanket skills, hand techniques, and body movements—these basic qualities are all there. Coupled with your mother's carefully rehearsed performance of 'The Female Imperial Consort,' as long as you perform normally, you'll definitely take first place! This first place is well-deserved! Dad is proud of you!"
When the results of the art exam of the China Academy of Drama were released, Ren Limeng and her parents happened to be at home. Wu Murong and Ren Shunan immediately turned on the computer in the study, held their breath and entered the official website of the China Academy of Drama, anxiously checking the professional rankings in the field of opera. As soon as they opened the downloaded file, the name "Ren Limeng" immediately caught their eyes.
Seeing that the long-awaited first place was finally decided, Wu Murong and Ren Shunan clasped each other's hands and looked at each other with a sigh of relief. Ren Shunan put his arm around Wu Murong and turned his head with a smile on his face to look at Ren Limeng who was still watching TV casually in the living room.
"I'm telling you, 'The Female Prime Minister' is the perfect role for you. Look, your acting score was 92. I looked around, and you're the only one who got above 90! If it weren't for 'The Female Prime Minister', how could you have gotten first place? But, Lao Ren, don't be so happy. Open the champagne halfway through!"
The result of the art exam was as expected, and Wu Murong smiled. Even though she seemed to be complaining, the smile in her eyes was sincere. It was pitiful for parents in the world. Ren Limeng's opera performance had never worried them since she was a child. This was the first time. They were worried during this period, and they were almost always afraid that Ren Limeng would "rebel" in the art exam again.
The sleepless nights of fear were finally over.
"There's still academic subjects, Li Meng. Cheer up and stay calm for the time being... The college entrance exam is less than three months away, and you still have time to watch TV? Have you finished the homework assigned by the teacher? Although your grades have improved greatly recently, don't be too proud. Pride comes before a fall! Don't let the academic subjects fail you and ruin your efforts!"
Turning her head to look at Ren Limeng who was lazily crossing her legs on the sofa, Wu Murong suppressed the irritation rising in her heart and took deep breaths again and again. But in the end, she slowly frowned. She always felt that Ren Limeng's condition was not right, as if she was acting without soul. In her eyes, Ren Limeng did not have the spirit of the past.
Even though she passed the art exam perfectly without any major problems, Wu Murong was still a little worried. She couldn't help but yell at Ren Limeng, hoping that Ren Limeng would take the college entrance examination more seriously.
Even if it is a time bomb, Ren Limeng must hold on until after the college entrance examination.
One hundred days before the final sprint of the college entrance examination, Ren Limeng lived at home again. Wu Murong and Ren Shunan put aside all their important work and took turns accompanying Ren Limeng in studying. Ren Limeng studied late into the night, and when she came out of the bedroom, she saw Ren Shunan lying on the sofa with his arms folded and his eyes squinting.
"dad."
Hearing the sound of Ren Limeng opening the door, Ren Shunan opened his hazy eyes and picked up his phone. "I'm done...it's already 1:50. Let's go to bed."
Ren Shunan stood up, rubbed his shoulders, and stretched his elbows. He looked at Ren Limeng with concern, "It's too hard, Limeng. You still have to go to morning self-study at 6:30. This is not a solution!"
"It's only a few days away. I missed a lot of classes for the art exam some time ago, so I have to catch up quickly. There's no other way. You and my mom don't have to accompany me every day. I can handle it alone. You guys can't handle it at your age. The same goes for the morning. You don't have to get up so early to cook. I can just buy some food at the stall."
Ren Limeng sighed softly. She had been living in the school dormitory for many years and was used to being independent. She didn't expect to receive such thoughtful treatment recently. Both her mother and father tried their best to create the best environment for her college entrance examination. She couldn't help but feel distressed when she saw it.
Apart from the necessary basic skills practice every day, opera seemed to have suddenly disappeared from her life. She seemed to have become an ordinary senior high school student, anxious and looking forward to the college entrance examination every day.
"That won't do. Your mom said that small stalls are unhealthy. Normally, it's fine, but now we're so pressed for time. What if you get diarrhea? It'll delay everything... Your mom has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Sometimes she gets angry and says harsh things, but don't take it to heart. You have to believe that mom and dad love you the most!"
"...I know, Dad, you're the only one who spoils her. Don't worry, I don't have the energy to argue lately. Let's talk about it after the college entrance examination!"
"After all, she's your mother. Thank you for your hard work, my dear. You've been sensible since you were little. Your mother and I are really lucky to have you. Don't worry, I will criticize her too. She has a very strong personality and hasn't improved despite all the losses she's suffered."
"But you still love my mom. I'm sensible... Dad, if my mom and I have a falling out one day, who will you help?... Forget it. With the love you two have for each other, you'll definitely help my mom."
Ren Limeng smiled bitterly and pulled the corners of her mouth. In the dim night, the dim light of the living room reflected the figures of father and daughter. After finishing the questions, Ren Limeng felt dizzy. She couldn't help but ask the questions in her heart, and quickly gave the answers herself.
Ren Shunan walked forward, slowly hugged the exhausted Ren Limeng, and said softly, "Baby, this is incomparable. You are all very important to me. Daddy will not let you go to that day."
Ren Limeng's eyes dimmed instantly. Her father's comfort actually avoided her question. This was actually her father's answer.
Ren Limeng forced all the sour emotions to remain in the dead of night. During the day, she seemed to have recovered to her full potential and threw herself into the third round of review for the college entrance examination.
In the last fifty days, the teacher has stopped teaching all new questions. Summarizing wrong questions and filling in the gaps have become the most important things for every student. Ren Limeng looks at her English vocabulary book while walking home from school every day, trying to memorize a few more words as soon as possible.
Under the street light, Ren Limeng suddenly stopped and looked at Wu Murong who came to pick her up. Wu Murong's lips were pressed into a stiff straight line, the corners of her mouth drooped slightly, and her brows were tightly furrowed. For some reason, Ren Limeng always felt that her mother's eyes looking at her tonight were particularly complicated, full of hesitation.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Wu Murong's gaze was too intense, and Ren Limeng finally closed the marked vocabulary notebook in her hand and slowly looked towards her.
"...It's okay. Let's talk about it after the college entrance exam. During this last period of time, I hope you take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid."
As soon as Wu Murong opened her mouth, her tone was unspeakably cold. Ren Limeng could clearly feel her suppressed dissatisfaction, but she really didn't understand. She had been concentrating on studying during this period of time, so she shouldn't have offended her mother, right?
Her mother successfully aroused her curiosity. Why did she suddenly say such harsh words? Hadn't they been on a truce for quite a long time?
"What's going on? Mom, stop talking halfway!"
In front of the zebra crossing, Ren Limeng looked up at the red light not far away, slowly stopped, and turned her head to wait for Wu Murong to walk to her side.
"...Did you sing 'The Female Imperial Concubine' during your art exam at the Drama Academy?"
The entanglement and confusion in her heart finally overwhelmed everything. The endless stream of cars in front of her seemed like her heart at the moment. Wu Murong stared at Ren Limeng steadily, and slowly asked about the news she had just learned today. Her hands hanging on both sides had already been clenched.
Ren Limeng's eyes froze slightly, and she lowered her eyes for a moment, then quickly met her mother's cold and stern gaze again, calmly without dodging.
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Didn't I get first place in the exam?"
Since the result is what everyone wants, why settle the score later?
"So you really sang 'Peach Blossom Fan'? You played both the male and female leads in the same play. Did you use what you learned from the audition at the beginning of the year in the final audition for the art exam?"
Wu Murong's voice was a little hoarse, with some disbelief, and she unconsciously raised her voice. She really couldn't understand what Ren Limeng had done.
One of the colleagues who came to Meixiang Theater to exchange ideas today was a teacher of this year's art exam. He mentioned that there was an impressive candidate in Meishi who performed very well in the professional examination. Wu Murong's colleague at the scene immediately thought of Ren Limeng and kindly sent a message to Wu Murong, but Wu Murong suddenly knew everything.
"Peach Blossom Fan" seemed like a taboo topic between her and Ren Limeng. When she was preparing for the art exam at the beginning of the year, Ren Limeng mentioned that she wanted to play "Peach Blossom Fan", but as soon as Ren Limeng opened her mouth, Wu Murong immediately remembered the selection competition at the beginning of the year and stopped Ren Limeng in anger.
How great is "The Female Prime Minister"! It condenses all the fruits of her and Ren Shunan's efforts over the years, and is tailor-made for Ren Limeng. No wonder Ren Limeng was always a little absent-minded during the training some time ago. It turned out that she was secretly repairing the plank road.
Her daughter was truly patient! After the exam was over, even after the results came out and she got first place, she didn't mention a word about it, as if she had always followed their arrangements. If it weren't for today's accident, Wu Murong believed that she might never have known in her life that Ren Limeng's exam performance was "Peach Blossom Fan"!
"Ren Limeng, what on earth were you thinking about? If your performance of 'Peach Blossom Fan' was so amazing, why were you so scared that you ruined your costume at the audition? Are you trying to mess up your art exam? These days, your dad and I have been so focused on making sure you do well on the exam, running around like crazy. Don't you find it so funny? No wonder you weren't serious about training back then. You've really grown up now!"
The green light quietly came on on the opposite side, but Wu Murong and Ren Limeng remained standing. The more Wu Murong spoke, the angrier she became. Thinking about her own hard work, she felt even more ironic! She felt as if she had been fooled, yet Ren Limeng had won first place in the art exam and was still taking the college entrance exam!
She spoiled the child too much, which allowed Ren Limeng to act so recklessly! She had been wholeheartedly planning for Ren Limeng, and Ren Limeng was repaying her by hiding it from her?
"I gave my all to the art exam, but you disagreed with me playing 'Peach Blossom Fan' and kept insisting on me playing 'The Female Prime Minister'. Everything you said was just me making excuses. What can I do??!"
Ren Limeng bit her lower lip tightly, leaving a white mark on her lip. She spoke stubbornly word by word, looking at her excited mother in front of her, her eyes gradually becoming moist.
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