I entered Huayu Entertainment in 2016.

The atmosphere on set was completely different the next morning.

No longer tense, but more focused.

The awkwardness from yesterday has mostly faded after a whole day of practice. Everyone's movements are now a beat faster than yesterday, and basic processes like set design, lighting, and positioning no longer require Lao Li to urge them repeatedly.

Wang Chunzai arrived even earlier today than yesterday. He sat alone next to the monitor, flipping through the call sheet, with a thermos he brought with him in front of him, from which thin wisps of white steam rose.

There's an old saying: "Those who understand the times are the heroes."

Old Li stood in front of the stage, dressed in an earth-yellow military uniform. His belt cinched his waist tightly, and his leather boots slammed into the wooden floor with each step, producing a dull thud.

Standing behind him were the translator played by Lao Yang and several behind-the-scenes personnel dressed as Japanese soldiers.

On the opposite stage, Wang Zian, Zhou Ye, Tian Xiwei, and Liu Haochun stood side by side, all wearing the white inner garments of the opera troupe, their faces still covered with a thin layer of sweat from practicing.

"Your performance today was excellent. I hope you will maintain this level of performance when the Captain arrives in three days!"

His gaze swept across the faces of everyone on the stage, his sinister scrutiny making it seem as if the people standing before him were not a group of unarmed actors, but ants already held in his palm.

Tian Xiwei's lips were pressed down, her fingers clenched tightly inside the sleeves of her costume, her nails digging into her palms.

Zhou Ye's jawline was taut, his lips were pressed tightly together, and his breathing was half an inch shallower than usual. He looked like a bamboo stalk bent under the weight of the weight.

Wang Zian stood beside them, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes filled with tension and unease, but beneath that tension was a layer of composure that was forcibly suppressed, like a bird standing in a storm trying to keep itself from being blown over.

There was something more complex in Liu Haochun's eyes.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she were silently reciting something, and in her doe-like eyes was a dark flame buried beneath fear.

"Click!"

With a crisp click, the scene came to an end.

The condensed air on the stage shattered instantly.

"Phew!" Tian Xi let out a long breath and exclaimed first, "Brother Li, you acted so well! When your eyes swept over me, I really thought you were going to eat me alive! My back was covered in cold sweat."

Zhou Ye nodded in agreement, "When you look at me, I feel like I've been poked by something."

Old Li took off his military cap, revealing hair already soaked with sweat, and smiled kindly, a stark contrast to the cold-eyed Japanese soldier from before.

"Isn't that how the Japanese are? Besides, this guy is supposed to be a super bad guy in the script. If I don't portray him in a way that makes people hate him, then I've failed in my duty."

"Let's see how it goes?" Zi'an jumped off the stage first, followed by several girls, and walked together to the monitor.

Wang Chunzai was sitting there, holding a thermos in one hand and gently tapping the table with the index finger of the other hand, replaying the scene from earlier frame by frame.

She only looked up after everyone had gathered around and stood still.

He glanced at Old Li, his gaze lingering on his sweat-soaked collar. "Not bad! Your acting skills have improved over the years."

Old Li quickly replied modestly, "It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching!"

"I don't recall ever teaching you that!"

Wang Chunzai turned to look at Wang Zian and the other three.

"Looks like you really thought about what I taught you last night; you're doing quite well today!"

Several people were secretly pleased.

"But there's still a problem!"

Wang Chunzai's tone changed, and the smiles on the faces of the others instantly vanished.

"Liu Haochun, your voice is still too soft when you speak. It's not a problem with volume, it's a problem with your voice."

You have this character in your heart, but the lines you speak don't carry the weight of that character.

You need to practice more when you get back, not your voice, but your breath control.

"Push it outward from the dantian, not shout it out from the throat." Liu Haochun lowered his head slightly and responded earnestly.

"Tian Xiwei, your expressions are too rich."

The eyebrows, eyes, and mouth move together, which looks very lively and cute in real life, but it looks too exaggerated in front of the camera.

The audience doesn't know where to look; don't frown too often, use your eyes to express emotions more.

Your eyes are naturally very expressive; don't let your eyebrows steal the show.

Tian Xiwei's brows furrowed unconsciously, but halfway through, she remembered what the teacher had just said, and forced them to relax. Then she nodded vigorously.

"And you, Zhou Ye."

Wang Chunzai looked at her, his tone tinged with disappointment, "You're the opposite of her, you have so few expressions. You always have a cold face, keeping all your emotions locked inside."

"Not all roles are suitable for playing with a cold face. Sometimes you feel that you are already very angry, but what the audience sees is you standing there with a blank expression."

You need to learn to express your inner thoughts outwardly, even if it's just a slight smile or a glance; these can let the audience know what you're thinking at that moment.

Finally, her gaze fell on Prince An.

"You did very well, there were no obvious problems."

Her tone carried a hint of resentment, yet also an undisguised satisfaction.

Wang Zian immediately turned around, raised his hand and waved at the other three people. The smug smile on his face was completely different from the tense and repressed young man on the stage just now.

"Yes, I won! Everyone owes me a meal."

Zhou Ye curled his lip and rolled his eyes at him: "Don't be too happy yet. This is just the beginning. The scenes to come will be much more important than today's."

"Exactly!" Tian Xiwei put her hands on her hips and raised her chin slightly. "There are still many scenes to go. It's not certain who will win or lose in the end."

Liu Haochun nodded quietly and firmly beside him.

We'll see.

Zhou Ye pulled the two of them along and turned to walk towards the wooden floor next to the stage backdrop, wanting to make the most of the time to rehearse the lines for the next scene.

Wang Chunzai looked at the backs of the three girls, then glanced at the boy in front of him who was leisurely waving a mineral water bottle, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Wang Zian immediately stopped smiling smugly and explained seriously, "This is a bet we made last night. It's about who makes the fewest mistakes and whose acting improves the fastest. The loser treats everyone to dinner."

Wang Chunzai's expression changed from confusion to understanding. As shrewd as she was, she saw through the true intention behind this bet at a glance.

"You're trying to motivate them to work harder!"

Wang Zian met her gaze and nodded frankly.

"We started too fast, and the foundation is not solid yet. We need more learning and more ambition. There are even bigger plans ahead, and they must keep up."

He didn't specify what the "bigger plan" was, but there was a certain certainty in his tone that made Wang Chunzai stop asking.

Wang Chunzai nodded and looked away from his face.

Anyway, working hard to hone her acting skills isn't a bad thing. As for who wins and who loses this bet between them, she's very interested in watching to find out.

Wang Zian refocused his attention on the monitor and discussed the replay of the previous video with Lao Li.

Wang Chunzai glanced at him, then at the three girls sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner, engrossed in reciting their lines. He picked up his thermos, stood up from his chair, and quietly walked towards them.

She wanted to give these three girls some special tutoring, and incidentally, to dampen Wang Zi'an's confidence.

This guy just baited the hook again, and I'm almost caught myself.