Zero-sum game

When I came to the rehearsal field the next day, I heard it was very lively before I even got to the dressing room.

Shen Yan walked in, and before he had time to inquire, he heard an assistant speaker next to him say: "It's rare that the tickets for the first show are sold so well."

"That's right, I thought there would be more people on stage than off stage with two little-known students starring."

"Where did so many people buy tickets? I heard that none of the famous students from the School of Drama are here."

"Never mind him, as long as someone buys a ticket."

"..."

Everyone was talking about it, Shen Yan was secretly happy, but also wondered how their tickets sold so well.

Tian Xin walked up to him at some point and whispered, "I know why."

"Because Cai Ying helped us promote it in the drama circle," Zhou Xingchuan continued, "two-thirds of the tickets for the first show were sold."

"Yes," Tian Xin said with emotion, "This is the influence of a famous screenwriter. When will I be like Cai Ying?"

Hearing this, Shen Yan pinched the curled and yellowed script in his hand, thoughtfully.

The first performance of "Daydream" was scheduled for two days later, and they were already extremely proficient in both the venue and the play. Shen Yan could recite every line in it in his dreams, but he still felt nervous.

This is not a small fight within the academy. The audience below all paid to come and watch, and Cai Ying helped to promote it, so they must have high requirements for the performance.

On the eve of the official performance, at two o'clock in the morning, Shen Yan squatted beside the bed, and felt pain in his stomach, as if rough sandpaper was rubbing the stomach wall.

Zhou Xingchuan stretched out his hand but failed to touch Shen Yan, half sat up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Yan's forehead was covered with sweat, his face was pale, and the pain made him speechless for the first time.

Zhou Xingchuan hurriedly got up and said, "Put on your clothes, let's go to the hospital."

Shen Yan waved his hand with difficulty, "No, I have medicine, it's next door, in the drawer under the wine cabinet."

Zhou Xingchuan almost sprinted to get the medicine, poured water and watched Shen Yan take it, "Do you really not need to go to the hospital?"

Shen Yan shook his head, his lips finally turned red, "No, I know what's going on."

It is said that a long illness makes a good doctor, and Shen Yan has been able to clearly distinguish the cause of his stomach pain.

"Maybe I'm too nervous," Shen Yan squeezed out a little smile, "Didn't you say that emotions are connected to the stomach."

Zhou Xingchuan recalled that when Shen Yan rushed over in the morning when he was taking the entrance examination of the Fourth Faculty, his complexion was also pale, and he said that he had a stomach problem.

"Get some rest, otherwise tomorrow you won't be able to perform at your best if you don't have the energy." Shen Yan advised him to rest instead.

"How can I sleep like you are?" Zhou Xingchuan said.

He was a little at a loss, stood up and brought a hot towel over to wipe Shen Yan's sweat, "Would it be better if I rub it for you?"

"I don't know." Shen Yan replied.

"Then try." Zhou Xingchuan put his hand into Shen Yan's clothes, and slowly rubbed his stomach.

I don't know if it was a psychological effect, but Shen Yan really felt better. He curled up slightly, tucked his head into the quilt, and pressed his forehead against Zhou Xingchuan's chest, like a kitten.

The night was very quiet. From an unknown family in the community, the sound of a man and a woman arguing, crying and roaring, could be heard from afar.

"Who's fighting?" Zhou Xingchuan said.

"En." Shen Yan agreed, and the effect of the medicine caused drowsiness to surge up again. He stretched out his arms and hugged Zhou Xingchuan's waist, trying to let the warmth from the other party spread to him, and slowly fell asleep.

The premiere was on Saturday evening, but the two of them got up early in the morning. Although Shen Yan's face was still a little pale, he looked quite energetic.

According to the instructions of the instructor, first go out to buy condolences for the backstage.

Zhou Xingchuan drove to a pastry shop that looked exquisite. A row of macarons was arranged very beautifully. The color matching was more like decoration than food.

"What do you want to eat?" Zhou Xingchuan asked.

"This." Standing in front of the window, Shen Yan clicked on the chubby big blessings lined up inside.

The clerk stood inside and asked, "There are strawberry, matcha, chocolate, and durian flavors, which one do you want?"

"Matcha." Shen Yan said.

"Take 10 of each kind." Zhou Xingchuan added.

"Do you need so many?" Shen Yan wondered.

"Of course, it's better to have more than someone doesn't get." Zhou Xingchuan looked at another clerk who was putting various other snacks into it. "... Please pack each of them separately."

When I arrived at the theater with several big bags of snacks, it was still early, and only a few people came to the lounge.

Compared with the nervousness of newcomers like them, the professional actors in the theater are much more comfortable, and they are not in a hurry to prepare early.

The two people put the things they brought in the public tea room, where Tian Xin’s sympathy gifts have already been placed, cups of milk tea are piled up into a hill, and there are sticky notes next to them to distinguish whether there is sugar or no sugar, and whether there is any additive , so careful that it doesn't look like Tian Xin's style.

When they came to the stage, the props were already in place and they were checking one by one. Tian Xin came out from the corner, circled around Shen Yan and Zhou Xingchuan, and said over and over again: "Is there any problem? Take it easy, take it easy, you will definitely behave very well." OK."

Zhou Xingchuan smiled and said, "We're fine, but you, don't be so nervous."

Tian Xin took two deep breaths, put her head on Zhou Xingchuan's shoulder and began to whisper, "What should I do, I really want to cry, my play is really on the big theater."

The girl walking next to her pulled her over and said, "Don't put pressure on the lead actor, just go as you go."

The closer to the opening time of the show, the more people came, and the actors arrived one after another.

Before the performance, Shen Yan thought about pouring a cup of hot water and taking painkillers. Passing through the corridor on the second floor of the theater, he happened to be able to see through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows that the audience downstairs was preparing to line up to enter.

They didn't notice that there were people on the second floor looking at them, most of them were holding paper tickets and talking to each other.

Most of them are young people in their 30s and [-]s, and occasionally there are a few elders who look a little older. They are no more noisy than others, and they stand silently.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Zhou Xingchuan said standing beside him.

"Ok?"

"These people are all here to see us. They are willing to spend time and money to see our performance. This feeling is amazing." Zhou Xingchuan said.

"yes……"

"I used to choose the acting department because I liked the feeling of all the attention. I liked the spotlight on me. I liked the huge theater where only my voice could be heard." Zhou Xingchuan looked downstairs and said slowly, "But now Know how much effort and responsibility you need to be able to stand in the center of the light."

Shen Yan didn't speak, but unconsciously squeezed the cup in his hand. Zhou Xingchuan looked back and smiled and said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't say such things when the show is about to start. It's okay. We do what we do in rehearsal."

Shen Yan forced a smile, and handed him the cup in his hand, "If you know something is wrong, go and pour me a glass of water."

At eight o'clock in the evening, the lights of the theater were turned off on time, and the performance began.

It is very difficult to perform a good show. The script, lines, actors, props, director... want the viewers to be as depressed as mountains, and the world to be low for a long time. Many conditions are indispensable, but as long as one is missing, it will be Like chicken ribs, it's a pity to discard them if they are boring to eat, and the audience can't even sit until the end of the play.

In class, the vocal music teacher likes to give an example, that is, theater performances are the most challenging.

Viewers of TV dramas don’t like it, at worst, they switch to another channel and don’t watch it. Movie audiences don’t like it, at worst, they go away. If the audience of a drama thinks it’s not good, no one will laugh when they should laugh, and no one will cry when they should cry. His face was moved, the dead silence was so desperate, what's more, the performance was not good, and the audience directly threw water bottles at him.

Cai Ying sat in the middle of the front row of the theater. This is the best angle for vision, and he can even clearly see the slight changes in the expressions and movements of the people on stage.

He invested in this play purely for fun.He didn't expect to see such a highly completed work on an ordinary exam stage of the Academy of Drama. If the script, actors, and performances were still a little short at that time, they are undoubtedly close to completion now.

After the whole performance was cut and edited, the duration was one hour and forty minutes.

This was Shen Yan's last scene. He was sitting on the other side of the meeting room in the prison, looking at Zhou Xingchuan two by two.

"I didn't expect you to come to see me." Shen Yi said.

"It was very windy last night, and I suddenly remembered the dance you danced at that time." Zhou Tuo also didn't match his words, but no one cared.

"Ah," Shen Yi looked down at his legs, "It's been a long time since I jumped."

The conversation between the two people was clear and shallow, and it didn't fall to the point. It seemed that there was a lot to say, but there was no way to say it.

Soon the meeting time was over, Shen Yi looked back before walking out of the meeting room.

It was just an ordinary look, but Zhou Tuo also had a premonition that he would never see him again.

Shen Yan felt that none of the rehearsals ended as quickly as this official performance. He stood on the side of the stage and looked at Zhou Xingchuan standing alone in the center of the stage. Everything around him was hidden in the darkness, only the lights were shining on him. .

From his perspective, Zhou Xingchuan's profile can only be seen clearly outlined by the light, half hidden in the darkness, half obliterated by the light.

ended.

The lights of the entire theater were turned on again, and all the actors came out from both sides of the stage to express their thanks one by one, and Shen Yan was the first to come out from the right.

Zhou Xingchuan walked towards him from the opposite side, raised the microphone prepared in his hand to say thanks on behalf of everyone.

This section was also prepared long ago, Shen Yan shifted his attention when he heard it, because he found that standing on the stage, he was able to see everyone's faces so clearly.

He saw Tian Xin clapping vigorously, Cai Ying smiling, and behind him a girl with long black hair, red eyes, and a tissue in her hand.

His chest was suddenly filled with a wonderful and powerful force, which made his whole body tremble.

This is this, this is here, where he can move people, influence people, and feel his own value.

This feeling made him so happy that he couldn't help himself.