Chapter 11

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Lin Hao’s performance didn’t quite meet his own standards.

He felt a bit dissatisfied internally, thinking the scenario was somewhat clichéd. After acting for so long, he’s gotten used to the kind of conflict that erupts into an argument and eventual confrontation, so when he improvised, he just fell back on habit.

But the logic felt slightly off. He had set up this aversion to hearing swear words, which felt a little awkward. The language wasn’t even that offensive, but in terms of tone, this was as far as it could go.

But still… he wasn’t happy with it.

Regardless of whether Lin Hao felt awkward or not, the judges made no comments. They just wrapped things up on their own and asked them all to leave.

Well, it made sense. Commenting or not was normal; this was an exam, after all. Lin Hao felt a bit uneasy, but Liu Ye left straight away without hesitation. Lin Hao lingered at the doorway, hesitating.

“How was it, how was it?”

Zhang Ziyi and her group were waiting outside. She was up next, anxiously trying to get any last-minute info.

“…The first recitation was average, and the second part didn’t go very well,” Lin Hao replied, frowning.

“Ah…” Zhang Ziyi had hoped for good news but stumbled over her words before quickly composing herself. About to head in, she added in a rush, “It’s fine! You’ll be great, keep it up!”

“Yeah, good luck to you too.”

…

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ziyi stepped into the exam room.

The last time during the initial audition, she had forgotten her lines halfway through and was so upset afterward, thinking she had no chance. But Ms. Chang had reassured her that as long as she performed normally, she had a good shot.

That was the gist of it. In other words, Ms. Chang had always had high hopes for Zhang Ziyi since their prep class. So, since she had passed the initial audition, all she needed was to deliver a solid performance this time.

She looked for Ms. Chang with a hopeful smile but found the judges whispering among themselves.

“The pacing was decent, and the quick reaction was impressive given the time constraints. That Liu Ye kid wasn’t bad either, though the scene’s theme didn’t come across very clearly. They were performing separately rather than as a team.”

“Lin Hao still managed well, trying to bring the scene together, but Liu Ye just didn’t follow his lead,” one of the judges remarked.

“Come on, Mr. Tian, don’t make excuses. Even if he did well, he’s still Ms. Chang’s student,” joked Judge Li. “Looks like you’ve got some tough competition this year, right?”

“Hey, it’s not like I haven’t seen better. Our Class of ’93 has some great talents, too,” replied Teacher Tian Youliang, Lin Hao’s mentor. It was, in fact, the first time he had encountered this level of challenge. “Wang Qianyuan from our class is also doing well, isn’t he?”

“True, and that kid’s got the looks for acting—sharp features and a well-proportioned build,” Zhang, another judge, quipped. “When I see him, I think of Zun Long, though Lin Hao has a bit more ruggedness to him.”

“You’re right; there’s a similarity, but some differences too… Alright, let’s get ready for the next group,” Ms. Chang said cheerfully but kept her thoughts to herself.

…

The second round had fewer participants, and the results would be announced that afternoon, so most students waited around the campus to check the board.

Except for Lin Hao, who was taking things rather lightly.

With time to spare and feeling disheartened about his subpar performance, what better way to ease his worries than by eating?

“Don’t stress. I know your skills well,” He Jiong reassured Lin Hao, who was rare to see with a troubled expression. “It may not be perfect, but it can’t be that bad either.”

“It’s okay,” Lin Hao responded, slightly confident he’d make it through the second round. “But my impromptu performance was awful—totally off-topic and overly dramatic.”

“Improvisation relies on your accumulated experience. It’s like hosting—you handle emergencies based on prior knowledge. Only seasoned hosts can manage that,” He Jiong comforted him. “The judges are looking for potential and strengths, not polished perfection.”

There was some truth in that.

But Lin Hao had always had high expectations for himself. After all, he had received one-on-one mentorship from Teacher Tian. Having an unenthusiastic partner threw off his plans, and he ended up with a performance he wasn’t proud of.

“Forget it, let’s just eat,” Lin Hao finally said.

“Yeah, exactly, just a small setback,” He Jiong agreed.

On a cold winter day, hot lamb spine stew was the perfect comfort food. Paired with some refreshing side dishes, it wasn’t too overwhelming.

However, He Jiong still had commitments, so after their meal, Lin Hao wandered back to the campus alone to check the results.

…

At the Central Academy of Drama.

“Hey, where’s Lin Hao?” Mei Ting asked, realizing he was nowhere to be found.

“I have no idea…” Hu Jing replied. “We weren’t grouped together this time.”

Zhang Ziyi quickly chimed in, “I thought you two were, though! Last time you stuck together.”

Having spent these rounds together, the group had bonded and formed a little support network. If they all got in, they’d be classmates, so it made sense to get acquainted early.

“Nope,” Hu Jing clarified, blushing slightly despite being surrounded by fellow girls. “He’s my senior mentor, brought in to guide me. We didn’t know each other before.”

“Wow, he didn’t stick around for the second session? Not very gentlemanly,” Mei Ting teased. She was older and enjoyed poking fun at Hu Jing, whom she found endearing.

“No, no, he did ask if I needed more help, but I told him I was fine.”

“Look at you, even explaining,” Zhao Wei jumped in. “It’s alright, he’s quite the match for our little beauty.”

“Ah, stop it…”

Amid laughter and teasing, the conversation never paused.

Just as guys talk about girls, girls talk about guys too. The four friends soon turned their attention to Lin Hao, their common acquaintance. Zhang Ziyi, always in the know, mentioned she had heard that Lin Hao’s improvisation hadn’t gone smoothly. It seemed his partner didn’t mesh well with him, and he had left the room looking rather frustrated.

“Hey, there he is!”

As they spoke, Zhao Wei noticed Lin Hao strolling over.

“Here come the results!”

Mei Ting, standing opposite Zhao Wei, spotted the teacher coming out with a large red list in hand. The group rushed over to see the rankings.

This time, the list still had many names—over 120 advancing to the third round. Most people checked from the top down. However, this time, Lin Hao wasn’t first.

“Zhang Tong is at the top… Oh! Lin Hao is third!”

Still third place? Lin Hao was one of those people who complained about their performance, only to end up scoring impressively. It was almost annoying but amusingly predictable.