Chapter 155: Surprise
The final day of filming for Walking with the Light could be described as calm and uneventful.
With the official performance set for tomorrow, all groups had entered the tense stage of final preparations.
During this period, Gu Qinghuan had been both gossiping and performing, inevitably splitting her focus. Fortunately, she was only a supporting role, and Yue Yi barely let her pass.
Lu Jian could be considered acting true to herself. Although some of her lines were still a bit stiff, for a school New Year’s gala stage, it was more than sufficient.
In comparison, Yu Yuan, as the lead, faced the greatest pressure, and Yue Yi’s expectations for her were also the highest.
However, even Yu Yuan herself was surprised—her performance was actually quite good.
Yue Yi was also surprised. From the beginning, he had felt that Yu Yuan was well-suited for the role, but he hadn’t had much hope for her acting skills.
So-called acting is “showing others what they want to see.”
The problem is that people’s understandings differ vastly. One’s own interpretation and others’ expectations are completely different things. Not to mention that people tend to slack off on themselves—once they relax, the portrayal of the character collapses.
Yet Yu Yuan performed exceptionally well in this regard. She could meet all of Yue Yi’s requirements, and as long as she didn’t step off stage, she could maintain it consistently.
Stroking his chin, Yue Yi chatted with Gu Qinghuan while Yu Yuan and Lu Jian rehearsed their scene.
“Do you know what Yu Yuan’s family situation is like?”
“I don’t,” Gu Qinghuan replied with a straight face.
Questions like this were better answered by Yu Yuan herself. Her situation was too special and could easily cause harm.
Yue Yi was just asking casually. Thinking that Gu Qinghuan was more familiar with Yu Yuan’s older sister, he didn’t dwell on it.
He continued, “It feels like she’s very used to sensing other people’s emotions and responding quickly. She can even internalize others’ expectations of her for long periods.”
“While that’s a good thing for an actor, she’s just an ordinary student. This kind of habit is a bit heavy.”
Gu Qinghuan simply hummed in acknowledgment and didn’t say more.
After finishing this segment, Yu Yuan ran over for some water and asked expectantly, “How was my performance just now?”
“Very good—much better than mine,” Gu Qinghuan said honestly. At most, she could play herself; acting as someone else wasn’t really her strength.
Yu Yuan’s mouth curved into a grin, about to celebrate, but she quickly restrained herself and changed her words. “Not that much. You acted pretty well too.”
She even learned to say polite words now. Gu Qinghuan handed her the water cup. “We’ll do a full run-through again this afternoon, then deliver everything to the student council early and wait for tomorrow’s rehearsal.”
Yu Yuan nodded, then asked, “Will your family come to watch the gala tomorrow?”
For this filming, students who hadn’t taken leave could watch the gala in Mingde’s auditorium.
However, with limited seating and the addition of parents, not everyone could be accommodated, so only some students’ parents were invited to attend in person.
Originally, given Gu Qinghuan’s family situation, she wouldn’t have been invited. But since she participated in the program, she also received a viewing slot.
“No,” Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “They only gave one slot. My mom thought it’d be better to watch at home with my grandma, so I returned the invitation.”
Privately, Gu Qinghuan felt relieved. She was worried that if her mother came, she might notice something off.
Although Gu Haiyan probably wouldn’t stop her, if things got serious, she would definitely question her afterward and give her a stern lecture.
“My mom is coming,” Yu Yuan said, her eyes sparkling. “She even said she has a surprise for me.”
Recently, because of her participation in the performance, Yu Wenli and Cui Wanning’s attitudes toward her had improved again. Cui Wanning would even look up edited clips of Yue Yi’s group online, saying Yu Yuan performed well and hadn’t disgraced the Yu family.
Although she felt a bit sorry toward Yu Xin, being able to gain her family’s attention made Yu Yuan genuinely happy.
Gu Qinghuan’s first instinct was that the “surprise” probably wasn’t anything good. But seeing Yu Yuan’s expectant expression, she said nothing, only patting her shoulder. “Then we have to perform well.”
“Mm!” Yu Yuan nodded vigorously and went to rehearse the next segment with Yue Yi.
Gu Qinghuan went into the three-person group chat and sent a message: [What’s up with Ye Weiyu today?]
Jiang Chuchu: [Nothing unusual, but it feels like he’s holding something big back.]
Gu Qinghuan: [Is everyone in the class ready? The livestream is tomorrow.]
Yu Xin: [No problem. Over the past few days, we’ve identified the positions of the fixed cameras that have appeared. If needed, we can guide things toward those spots.]
Yu Xin: [Tomorrow is a live broadcast. Aside from rehearsal, each group has to find their own gimmicks. To maintain the popularity of their livestream rooms, they probably won’t refuse students who approach them.]
Yu Xin: [We’ve prepared five plans for now. We’ll decide which to use depending on the situation, but asking for autographs and conducting surveys should be the most suitable.]
Gu Qinghuan sent Yu Xin a thumbs-up emoji. This time, Yu Xin had organized the plan very well—steady and orderly.
Although it lacked some aggressiveness, that was because this program was being filmed for external audiences. Any carelessness could lead to exposure, so this was sufficient.
After the final rehearsal in the afternoon, Yue Yi’s group submitted all their materials to the student council.
As the first group to submit, the student council conducted an especially thorough inspection, taking quite a while. Just as they were about to finish, Lou Zheng’s group arrived.
What Lou Zheng’s group submitted were costumes. Seeing the four dresses carried by Bai Hanshan, all covered with dust-proof covers, Gu Qinghuan asked curiously, “Why prepare four sets?”
“Backups, in case of accidents,” Bai Hanshan added. “Sister Lou requested it. They’ll also be stored separately later.”
So cautious—probably experience gained from being tricked before. Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Checking and registering four outfits was quick. The student council soon hung number tags on them and handed the corresponding claim tags to Lou Zheng.
She didn’t leave immediately but started chatting with Yue Yi about the program schedule.
All performances had been finalized yesterday, and everyone received the program list this morning.
As expected, Ye Weiyu’s group was scheduled right after the opening large-scale dance—second in order. With dance, calligraphy, and singing combined, it was lively enough.
After that came Mingde’s own performances—the guitar club’s singing with accompaniment, along with backup dancers, leaning more toward a situational presentation.
Fourth was Yue Yi’s group’s skit.
The fifth performance was Ning Fu’s singing, with Bai Qingyin accompanying.
The sixth and seventh were also Mingde’s performances, and the eighth was Lou Zheng’s group’s duet recitation.
At this point, all performances for Walking with the Light would be completed, and an online vote would open for half an hour.
By the end of the gala, voting would close, and the results and rankings would be announced on-site. The first-place team would be congratulated, and the livestream would end. A compiled version of the program would be released online a few days later.
“Do you feel pressure being last among the four groups?” Yue Yi asked.
“Actually, the pressure is less,” Lou Zheng smiled.
Just then, Ye Weiyu’s group also arrived. Hearing Lou Zheng’s words, Ye Weiyu immediately chimed in, “I think it’s better to go earlier. If you don’t fight for anything, you won’t get anything at all.”
