novellhall Chapter 19 Are you really a couple?
Chapter 19 Are you really a couple?
"Next, the contestants will be divided into two groups and will enter the judges' rooms in the order drawn to perform."
"The scores will be published after all contestants have finished performing."
"Please get ready, all contestants. Staff will be calling out numbers. Ten contestants will be called in a round to wait in the preparation area for their performance."
After Li Weijia finished reading the competition rules, she led the four judges to the performance hall to prepare for the competition.
"The next contestant whose name is called, please follow me to the waiting area."
The staff opened the roster:
"Contestant No. 05035, Lin Yiyi."
"Contestant No. 05005, Wang Lu."
"..."
"Contestants whose names are called, please proceed to the performance hall and prepare."
Zhang Jiani visibly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that her name had not been called.
"I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous."
Zhang Jiani was so nervous that she almost rubbed her hands raw.
"It's okay, trust me, you can definitely perform exceptionally well."
"Really?"
"Just relax and I guarantee you'll perform even better than you did in rehearsal yesterday."
With the system in hand, I really don't know how you're going to lose.
Time ticked by, and fewer and fewer people remained in the hall. Xu Jingxing now only hoped to call Zhang Jiani's name as soon as possible; the girl was on the verge of a breakdown.
"What should I do? I want it to be my turn soon, but I also don't want it to be my turn. I'm so conflicted."
Zhang Jiani closed her eyes and silently recited the script and plot.
The staff member who had called out the numbers came in again.
"Contestant No. 05116, Zhang Jiani."
"..."
"I've called your name, Nini."
Seeing that Zhang Jiani was still sitting there without reacting, Xu Jingxing quickly spoke up to remind her.
"what?"
Hearing that it was almost her turn, Zhang Jiani was so nervous that she dropped her script on the ground.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
Xu Jingxing gently squeezed Zhang Jiani's arm, opened a bottle of water and let her drink a few sips. "Remember what we rehearsed yesterday. You can definitely do it. Believe me."
"Yes!" Zhang Jiani calmed herself down and nodded firmly at Xu Jingxing.
Following the crowd to the entrance of the performance hall, the previous performers had not yet finished their performances. Unlike the lobby, there were no chairs provided here, so everyone could only stand and wait for the staff's next instructions.
Five minutes later, the last contestant finished performing.
The staff started calling out numbers.
"Contestant number 05116, Zhang Jiani, please get ready."
The first one is Zhang Jiani.
The door opened, and Xu Jingxing pulled Zhang Jiani by the arm as they entered the performance hall.
"Hello teachers, I am contestant number 05116, Zhang Jiani, and this is my assistant, Xu Jingxing."
Zhang Jiani bowed and introduced herself to the judges.
Ma Yili glanced at Zhou Jie sitting next to her, "His appearance is not bad."
Zhou Jie nodded, then looked at the two of them, indicating that the performance could begin.
"Okay, teacher."
As soon as he finished speaking, the orange light screen reappeared in front of Xu Jingxing's eyes.
coming!
[Xu Jingxing:]
[Acting Skills: 38/50, Lv1]
[Analyzable attribute detected:]
[Can absorb Zhang Jiani's acting bonus of +20 (this bonus will disappear after the collaboration ends.)]
[Should it be absorbed?]
suck!
[Xu Jingxing:]
[Acting Skills: 38 (20) / 100, LV2]
Xu Jingxing was surprised to find that his acting skills had improved by three points. It seems that his acting skills have also improved during his practice with Zhang Jiani.
The two exchanged a glance, and Xu Jingxing stepped back, handing the stage over to Zhang Jiani first.
Zhang Jiani took off her coat and shoes, revealing a silk nightgown underneath.
The story is set in the context of Zi Ling accidentally wandering into Fei Yunfan's meeting place while wearing pajamas and barefoot.
"Yunfan, are you playing hide-and-seek with me?"
As soon as she said it, Zhang Jiani felt different; she was able to get into character much faster than yesterday.
She added a few small gestures to what Xu Jingxing had told her yesterday.
It highlights the willful, lively, innocent, and romantic side of the character Zi Ling.
She made a gesture to push open the door, and Xu Jingxing appeared just in time at that moment.
Zhang Jiani was stunned for a moment. She did not expect that when she opened the door, she would be faced with "dozens of people who were having a meeting".
"Oh dear, I didn't know there were so many people!"
Zhang Jiani looked shy and her gaze wandered. When she looked down, she saw that she was barefoot and wearing pajamas.
A flush spread instantly from the base of the ears to the entire face.
She forced a short, fake smile, looked at everyone embarrassedly, then covered her face and hurriedly ran out of the house.
Xu Jingxing's expression changed from initial surprise to one of doting affection.
He looked at the "crowd," a smile playing on his lips, and stood up as he said, "Please forgive me, my wife is a bit mischievous."
He then bid farewell to everyone and chased after Zhang Jiani.
"Oh dear, this is so embarrassing, so incredibly embarrassing."
Zhang Jiani covered her face as she ran around the room, crying, "Where is my room?"
"Ah! Where am I? I've gone to the wrong place!"
She continued running around the stage, searching for her room.
"Which one is my room?"
Pretending to push open "a door," Zhang Jiani was stunned when she saw what was inside.
Because right before her eyes, "two staff members from the castle" were passionately kissing.
"what!"
She let out a scream.
Xu Jingxing appeared at just the right moment.
Zhang Jiani threw herself into his arms, secretly glancing at Xu Jingxing, "Yunfan, why are these Frenchmen always kissing like that!"
"Alright, my bride!"
Xu Jingxing lifted Zhang Jiani's shoulders. "Aren't you going to leave the deepest impression on all my employees?"
He focused his gaze on Zhang Jiani, his eyes softening and filled with a smile.
"Let me tell you, I guarantee it will be 100% effective!"
Then, amidst Zhang Jiani's playful shouts, he picked her up and carried her into the house.
The performance has now ended.
The two returned to the center of the stage and quietly awaited the judges' comments.
Ma Yili looked at the two with great interest. "Are you two really a couple?"
"Ah? No, no." Zhang Jiani's eyes were clearly flustered, and she quickly shook her head to explain.
"After watching your performance, I almost believed it!" Ma Yili scribbled a few notes on the score sheet in front of her. "In the previous performances, they were all playing a couple, but you two are different. You two gave me the feeling of being a couple."
"Thank you, Teacher Ma Yili," they both said in unison.
Ma Yili looked at Zhou Jie, "Teacher Zhou, what do you think?"
"I think it's good, especially the character of Zi Ling. Compared to the previous ones, she's no longer portrayed as pitiful and full of bitterness and hatred. I think this is great, after all, times are changing and aesthetics are evolving. Today's audiences don't accept that kind of character design anymore."
"I actually think the male supporting actor performed quite well, especially the princess carry at the end; it made me blush a little."
Ma Yili looked at Xu Jingxing and said, "It seems you do work out regularly."
"I practice when I have free time," Xu Jingxing said with a modest smile. "Mainly because my partner is quite light."
"Okay, I like this answer." Ma Yili smiled at Xu Jingxing.
"Okay, that's settled for now. You can go outside and wait for your results."
After Ma Yili and Zhou Jie made their notes on the scoring sheet, they signaled to the staff at the door that they could continue calling out numbers.
"Thank you, teacher!"
The two bowed to Ma Yili and Zhou Jie and walked out of the performance room.