Huayu: Reborn in 97, transferring to the Central Academy of Drama's star-studded class

Midsummer, cicadas chirping, campus.

These words together are simply wonderful.

Jiang Lai strolled leisurely through the school, looking at the energetic young men and women, and felt exceptionally good.

Youth is always something to cherish, especially when it's about to slip away.

The Central Academy of Drama stood up for its students during the most intense period of public opinion.

So when Jiang Lai walked around the school, younger students would often come up to him and say "Good luck," which was quite endearing.

Unfortunately, he's a bit tired of performing now.

Now, when he walks down the street, people who don't know the truth will suddenly jump out and point at him and curse at him, but he doesn't care and is too lazy to care.

I wonder how those who were cyberbullied in their past lives fared.

Jiang Lai stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

In the distance, the boys from Class 96 squatted under a tree, silently watching Jiang Lai. They exchanged information with their girlfriends; both Jiang Lai and Zhang Ziyi said they would be back, so it seemed everything was alright.

But they did come back. One of them wandered around the school every day like an old man with his hands behind his back, while the other went to the library and rehearsal room every day, saying he was preparing for his graduation play and thesis defense.

The two of them didn't even see each other once after returning to school.

"Why do you think these two live such complicated lives?" Liu Ye squatted down like an old man and spread his hands.

"You think that way because you haven't met your true love yet." Dang Hao stood up with his arms crossed, instantly channeling his inner relationship guru. "This love can only be cherished in memory; it just left my brow, yet it rises again in my heart."

"Is this from the same poem?" Qin Hao asked in confusion.

"You don't know anything!" Dang Hao rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright! Stop with the 'upper' and 'lower' stuff, speak like a human being!" Liu Ye said irritably.

Dang Hao squatted down again and pointed to Jiang Lai, who was taking a stroll in the distance. "These two, the man is running away, and the woman is stubborn. One is awkward, and the other is aggrieved. They both need time to calm down and are just waiting for the right opportunity. Once that opportunity arrives..."

"Snapped!"

Dang Hao clapped his hands, "Hey! The two of them made up."

Liu Ye scratched his chin. "So when will that opportunity come?"

Dang Hao curled his lip, "Do you think I'm a fortune teller?"

Several young men squatted under the tree, listening to the cicadas chirping and watching Grandpa Jiang leisurely stroll around the campus.

Liu Ye suddenly asked, "Hey! That poem about reminiscing and 'the heart and brows,' isn't it the same poem?"

Several people looked at him with disdain.

......

Time flows by, like a dream in the early morning, lost in a corner, leaving only bewilderment.

The graduation exams began at the end of June.

The audience was packed with people, all there to see the legendary Class of '96.

The graduation play consisted of classic scripts, with the students of Class of '96 taking turns performing, receiving wave after wave of applause from the audience.

Normally, actors on stage don't clap during their performances, but since it's graduation, nobody cares that much anymore.

Teacher Chang Li sat among the teachers, looking at the students on the stage with eyes full of satisfaction.

These children, who knew nothing when they first enrolled four years ago, now stand on the stage and already look like actors; each of them performed exceptionally well.

Besides the two people, there were Jiang Lai and Zhang Ziyi.

It's not that their performance was bad, but rather that they lacked a certain energy.

It lacks that spirituality.

Jiang Lai's performance was mechanical, precise, and without mistakes, but unremarkable.

Zhang Ziyi, on the other hand, was trying too hard. Every movement, including speaking, was tense, as if she was acting for the sake of acting.

The teachers looked at each other, all realizing the problem, but none of them said anything.

The fact that the matter involving the two children has become such a big deal would affect anyone.

After the graduation ceremony, the thesis defense will follow immediately.

Zhang Ziyi is in much better condition. Although she is still nervous and blushes and stammers when she is stumped by the teacher's question, she is at least more energetic.

When it was Jiang's turn, he was still the same.

He read his prepared remarks dryly and answered questions in a dry manner. When a teacher asked him how he thought when he wrote down a certain viewpoint, he paused for a moment and said something.

"I forgot."

The teachers didn't make things difficult for him; they just smiled and let him pass.

Everyone knows that these two children have something on their minds, but there's nothing anyone can do to help them with this; they can only process it on their own.

7 month 4 number.

Non-graduating students are already on holiday, and the school is much quieter.

Today, Class of '96 is having its graduation ceremony. The principal stood on the stage and gave a speech, fully affirming the students of this year, saying that they are the pride of the Central Academy of Drama and that their future is promising.

Then came taking graduation photos.

Graduation gown, graduation cap, tassels hanging down swaying.

The girls looked at themselves in small mirrors and helped each other tidy their clothes, while the boys casually put their arms around each other's shoulders and boasted that they would become big stars in the future.

"Come on, everyone, stand in line!"

The photographer, holding his camera, took a few steps back and gestured.

"Click."

A photograph was frozen in time.

Four years of youth were captured in a small photograph.

Boiled fish, still at the same restaurant, still in the same familiar private room.

Dishes were served one by one, and bottles of beer were opened one by one.

At first, the atmosphere was quite lively. Everyone was talking about their future paths, the theater troupes they wanted to join, and the plays they wanted to film.

Everyone's eyes shone with light, filled with hope for the future.

As they were talking, someone said, "Maybe we won't see each other again."

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Niu Qingfeng stood up, holding his wine glass, trying to calm things down. He hesitated for a long time before finally saying only one sentence.

"Everyone... let's have another one."

His voice was a little hoarse.

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, making a crisp sound.

The atmosphere suddenly turned somber.

Several girls burst into tears. Zhang Ziyi hugged Zeng Lai, tears streaming down her face. Qin Hailu hugged the two girls, patting their backs and forcing a smile. Even Yuan Quan, who was usually quiet, had red eyes.

Jiang Lai's toast just now was also with wine, but no one noticed.

Finally, Niu Qingfeng wiped his eyes, forced a smile, and said, "Don't look so gloomy! Today is another happy day. Let's start our bright future today!"

Everyone laughed along, and the atmosphere was somewhat restored.

Liu Ye rubbed his face and exhaled. "Jiang'er, which theater troupe have you been assigned to? Is it also the National Theatre of China?"

Jiang Lai looked at the clear liquid in his glass and calmly said, "Actually... I don't want to act anymore."

The sound was very soft, but the entire private room fell silent.

Everyone looked at him.

Everyone can guess the reason, but no one knows how to offer advice.

Zhang Ziyi sat opposite Jiang Lai, her head down, not looking at him, her small hands twisting together vigorously under the table.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people feel uncomfortable.

Suddenly, there was a loud "bang".

He had small eyes. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, his face flushed, his chest heaving, and pointed at Jiang Lai with his finger.

"Jiang Lai! I fucking despise you!"

The sound was so loud that it startled all the students.

With a trembling voice and clenched teeth, the small-eyed man said, "I've practiced martial arts, dance, vocal music, this and that—I've practiced everything! Do you know why I studied acting? Because I wanted to be an actor!"

"But! I still can't deliver my lines well! I can't act out the emotions! Every time I go on stage, I look like an idiot!"

He gave a wry smile. "But what about you? You work with big directors, you work with big stars, you get praised by your teachers, you win international awards—I'm so jealous of you!!"

"You have talent, resources, everything, and you say you don't want to act anymore? What do you take us for? What do you take our hard work for?!"

His voice grew louder and louder until it was almost a shout.

"I know you don't like me, you don't like hanging out with me, but I want to say..." His expression darkened, and his voice lowered, "Something happened in my family, I have to go back and help. I can't give up my dream of becoming an actor."

He bowed to everyone and said, "You all go on for me. No matter what, you must persevere. Just think of it as seeing the view from the top for me."

After saying that, the man with small eyes turned and left, his back view desolate and forlorn.

The private room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Lai sat there motionless, and for the first time he wondered if he had been too willful all along.