Chapter 24

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The first class left everyone feeling a bit down.

During the following classes—body training and vocal exercises—most of the students were disinterested. After all, they had just failed the first class, and Professor Chang had marked their scores rigorously, making it clear this was no joke.

When Zhang Ziyi returned to her dorm, she slumped over her desk, on the verge of tears. In the second half of the class, Professor Chang had gone through each student’s mistakes, critiquing everyone as if their performances were trash. To make matters worse, his points were well-founded.

Zhang was aware of her own level of performance.

Sensing her frustration, Zeng Li tried to comfort her, saying, “It’s okay. Everyone got criticized today. This is normal. We haven’t studied acting before, but we’ll get there with practice.”

Zeng Li herself didn’t feel too bad—she had endured plenty of criticism back in her theater troupe, where feedback sometimes included not just words but physical blows. She understood Zhang Ziyi’s experience, going from being one of the top students to feeling entirely inadequate.

“But Lin Hao has no prior experience either,” Zhang retorted. “How did he manage to do it?”

“…Well, he is ranked first; he has his strengths.”

Zhang Tong, feeling sympathy for Lin Hao, added, “And he was criticized too. We’re getting critiqued for not doing well, but he got critiqued even though he did well.”

“Alright, alright. It was one failure. Next time, let’s learn from it. If we prepare thoroughly, we’ll pass.”

…

Whether or not Professor Chang had intended this as a wake-up call, it had a positive effect. The students began the semester with a renewed outlook.

Class 96 of the Central Academy of Drama gradually regained its vitality. Despite the initial shock, the students took this setback in stride. The school required everyone to show up for early morning practice, and soon they were all doing it together.

Groups gathered at set locations, usually by dormitory. Whenever someone saw a classmate already practicing, there was an urge to join in, worried that slacking would result in poor scores during assessments. This subtle competition pushed some to skip breakfast and start training early.

With such dedication, everyone soon started passing the assessments. One time, even the whole class passed, although Professor Chang still had plenty of critiques. The progress was evident, nonetheless.

After several rounds of assessments, only a few struggled.

And then came the inevitable—some students started slacking. After the initial rigor and the high stakes of the assessments, once they saw results, many slipped back to a more relaxed, even lazy, state. The clearest indicator? Fewer students were showing up for morning practice.

As December set in, the winter chill made it harder to leave the warmth of their beds for cold outdoor practice. Without supervision, it took a great deal of willpower.

…

The class began to split. A few students continued to follow the teacher’s lead, showing up for morning practice daily, working hard, and preparing in the evenings.

Most, however, grew lax.

They thought the numerous tests were just scare tactics. After all, they’d all been harshly criticized; it wasn’t likely they’d be whittled down to just the top students, Lin Hao, Zhang Tong, and Yuan Quan.

Professor Chang’s predictions were accurate—there were relentless assessments, sometimes more than once a week. This constant pressure was exhausting, and preparing thoroughly every time required significant effort.

Despite their efforts, they didn’t see significant improvement. Slacking didn’t seem to lead to setbacks, either.

Maintaining continuous effort was challenging.

And no matter the results, Professor Chang rarely praised them and often pointed out areas for improvement. While this helped push them forward, it was hard to stay motivated under such high pressure.

Many students, once top performers, now found themselves struggling, which led them to question whether they were even suited for acting.

…

When such thoughts creep in, it’s easy to give up.

Once they gave up, they started lowering their standards. Graduating with a diploma would suffice; there was no need to aim for the top. And after speaking to senior students, they realized that while there would be eliminations, they weren’t frequent.

This relaxed their minds further. These students were, after all, the best of their age group, selected from over a thousand applicants. They believed they wouldn’t be the worst and could afford some leniency.

And as they eased up, distractions took over.

For instance, video games were an irresistible lure nearby. Makeup products started catching the girls’ attention. Though they didn’t indulge excessively, it was clear their focus had shifted.

With little encouragement or recognition from the teacher, minimal professional fulfillment, and no sense of accomplishment, students found excitement elsewhere—on the basketball court, in makeup, in games, and even in the flutter of young romance.

Class 96, under such high pressure, managed to pull through this semester. However, if the results at the end of the term were decent, the problem could worsen next semester.

In other words, the class was on the verge of crisis.

…

In late December, during the frigid winter, Beijing had snowed overnight, transforming the campus into a snowy wonderland. In a second-floor office, two unusual guests were present—Zhang Tong and Lin Hao.

Professor Chang had called them in to get their perspective. The class had been showing signs of decline, and he wanted suggestions.

“Um, if I may, I think the frequency of assessments has been a bit high. It’s wearing everyone out,” Zhang Tong ventured, nervously.

“Professor Chang, I think everyone needs more encouragement. Balancing praise with critique would be more effective,” Lin Hao offered.

Lin Hao himself didn’t mind the regimen; he was grateful for the formal training, which allowed him to identify small issues he hadn’t noticed before. He could feel his own progress and had the confidence that he was improving with each attempt.

But for the others, it was different.

They lacked the confidence and relied heavily on teacher feedback and comparisons with peers. While Professor Chang’s strictness encouraged growth, it was hard to cope with so much pressure.

These students, all quite outstanding, were only comparing themselves to one another, disinterested in comparisons with those outside their class.

Lin Hao had noticed the recent changes among his classmates. He’d mentioned it a few times but received dismissive remarks, like, “Why are you worried? You’re the top student; we’re not on the same level.”

Lin Hao wasn’t a saint, so he backed off and reported the issue to the teacher, albeit without immediate results. Today, with the growing concerns among his classmates, it seemed Professor Chang had finally taken notice.

“I see,” Professor Chang nodded. “I have indeed been very strict with everyone and perhaps a bit too sparing with praise. I’ll keep that in mind moving forward.”