Chapter 11

On the weekend, at eight o'clock in the evening.

Li Qian was holding a small mirror, making all sorts of expressions in front of it.

This wasn't for fun; it was a monologue.

Some say that acting is seventy percent facial expression, which might not be entirely true, but the importance of facial expressions in a performance is undoubtedly significant.

Li Qian had a handsome face, there was no doubt about that, but... as the saying goes, being handsome or beautiful has nothing to do with acting skills.

Even as a pretty face, one needs acting skills at the level of a pretty face.

He knew that in his previous life, although he had been in the entertainment industry for many years, his acting skills were not necessarily that great. This was different from music; when it came to music, he had endless confidence as soon as he picked up a guitar. Even though he didn't achieve much in music in his previous life, and even did better in the entertainment industry, music was his forte, so he wasn't short of confidence.

But to be an actor, especially a good actor, he knew he still had a lot to learn.

Although he had never received a single day of systematic acting training in both his lives, after years in the industry, he had met hundreds, if not thousands, of actors, and through osmosis, he had accumulated some of his own techniques and methods. Although they were a bit unorthodox, it didn't matter as long as they worked.

Moreover, the countless brilliant characters and performances in his mind were his true and best teachers.

Tom Hanks' sincerity, Gary Oldman's neuroticism, Morgan Freeman's effortless grace, Marlon Brando's blunt power, Al Pacino's steady grandeur, Johnny Depp's seductive charm, Tony Leung's melancholic eyes, Ge You's natural simplicity, and Chow Yun-fat's domineering smile... of course, there was also Robert De Niro...

The saying "acting is seventy percent facial expression" has a second part: "seventy percent facial expression, sixty percent in the eyes."

Li Qian had a pair of beautiful eyes, there was no doubt about that.

Perhaps in the eyes of the previous Li Qian, there was only youth and naivety, but after the passage of time, when those thirty years of experience settled in his eyes, they remained bright and black, yet became unfathomably deep.

Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness.

Bitter smiles, chuckles, laughter in rage, gentle smiles, warm smiles, sneaky smiles, belly laughs, disappointed smiles, joyful smiles, weathered smiles, gentle smiles, sacred smiles, seductive smiles...

Sudden rage, bone-chilling anger, smiling in rage, angry yet awkward...

Melancholy, sorrow, loneliness, tears streaming down, silent sobs, smiling through tears...

A serious face, solemn and restrained, deep in thought, calm...

...

Facing the mirror, Li Qian kept changing his expressions, paying special attention to his eyes.

He showed a natural smile.

Clear, clean, and warm.

Then, a flirtatious smile.

His lips slightly curled, not showing his teeth, his eyes bright and mysterious, as if hiding a smile, yet with a hint of indescribable melancholy.

Well... it was tiring.

For someone who hadn't been trained, suddenly using facial muscles extensively would make their face feel like it was about to cramp after a short while.

Staring at his own eyes for a long time would also make his eyes feel abnormally sore and teary.

...

Li Qian rubbed his eyes and patted his face, just about to put down the mirror when there came a knock on the door. Then, his father, Li Dad, pushed the door open and saw the mirror he was holding up.

Originally, his face had a slight smile, but after a moment of surprise, it quickly turned into a very complex expression.

Speechless astonishment, a hint of anger.

Confusion? Contempt? Pity? Disappointment?

Li Dad pointed at the mirror in his hand and said, "You're a boy!"

Li Qian chuckled, shook the mirror, and said, "Boys need to look in the mirror too!"

Li Dad was speechless.

His good mood instantly vanished.

After a pause, he said, "Your monthly exam results were pretty good, 533 points, 26th place."

"Wow? You already know?" Li Qian quickly put down the mirror and stood up. "Did you call Mr. Zhou?"

Li Dad, displeased, said, "Don't call him Mr. Zhou, call him Mr. Zhou!"

Li Qian shrugged and pouted helplessly.

After saying that, Li Dad turned to leave, hesitated, looked back at his son, then at the mirror on the bed, and then at the guitar next to the mirror. With a conflicted look, he said, "One good exam doesn't mean much, don't forget our agreement is for the final exam!"

He paused and added, "And I want to reiterate, as your father, I still hold the same opinion: liking music is fine, but making music your future career... you'll fall flat on your face!"

...

Before the first class in the morning, the classroom was unusually lively.

As with every monthly exam, on Monday morning, the class rankings were posted on the blackboard.

Seeing herself as the class top again, Wang Jinglu's face showed no joy, but when she saw Li Qian's name at 26th place, her fists clenched tightly.

First place, Wang Jinglu, 659 points.

26th place, Li Qian, 533 points.

This score was roughly in line with Wang Jinglu's estimate, with some minor deviations.

Wang Jinglu scored 9 points more than expected, while Li Qian scored 7 points less than expected.

However, this score was enough to satisfy Wang Jinglu.

From 433 points to 533 points, a full 100 points!

In just one month, Li Qian had improved by 100 points!

Although he had a playful smile when making the promise, that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had really done it!

...

Li Qian, as usual, arrived at the classroom just in time, but was immediately startled by the lively atmosphere inside, thinking, "Wow, this is too lively! It seems exams are really a magic weapon. Everyone really cares about their rankings!"

At that moment, as if by telepathy, Wang Jinglu, who had already returned to her seat after checking the rankings and was chatting with her desk mate about the exam, suddenly turned to look at the back door of the classroom.

Li Qian soon felt her gaze and couldn't help but wink at her.

Wang Jinglu smiled at him, a hint of shy excitement in her eyes. Then, she quickly turned back to discuss with her classmates.

Li Qian put the guitar case in the far corner of the northwest side of the classroom, right between the last row of storage cabinets and the north wall. As soon as he sat down, he was immediately noticed.

"Damn, guys, Li Qian is here!"

"Improving by 100 points in a month, are you serious? Can you leave some room for the rest of us?"

"I was wondering why you stopped playing basketball recently. Turns out you were secretly studying. What about the promise that basketball is your life? You traitor! But... how did you do it? Can you share some tips?"

...

The first class of the morning was Mr. Zhou's.

As usual, as the homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhou didn't rush to explain the math test but first analyzed the class ranking trends—praising those who improved and encouraging those who didn't.

Thus, Li Qian was praised.

After two math classes, there were two English classes.

In this exam, Li Qian's English score improved significantly.

Thus, he was praised again.

The first class in the afternoon was Russian. Mr. Liang first praised a few students who had made significant progress, then changed the topic, tapping his fingers on the desk and saying, "But there are still some students, like... Li Qian, yes, I'm talking about you, don't turn around! I heard your overall score improved a lot! That's worth praising! However, you've improved in other subjects, but what about Russian? русский, что делать?"

Li Qian lowered his head in shame.

In the following two Chinese classes, during the first class, after explaining all the questions except the essay, Ms. Qi Jie walked to Li Qian's side, gently tapping his desk and smiling softly, "You did very well, but don't be proud, keep working hard! By the way, your essay is kept by the teacher, I'll give it back to you later."

By the second class, Li Qian understood why his essay was kept.

After reading a few model essays, his essay was miraculously brought over by students from other classes, and Ms. Qi Jie displayed it to all the students in class—full marks!

The whole class was in an uproar!

...

Li Qian felt very tired, very tired.

Being praised too much can also be tiring, and it's true.

Finally, the classes for the day were over, but Li Qian still had an extra task to complete: copying his essay three times.

One copy was for Ms. Qi Jie to file.

Every Chinese teacher has a "Student Essay Book," which contains the best essays from their students over the years, each of which can be used as a model for future students.

Since good, worthy essays are not that common and need to be accumulated year by year, it's not an exaggeration to say that the thickness of a Chinese teacher's "Student Essay Book" can clearly indicate their teaching experience!

For example, Li Dad's "Student Essay Book" was a thick stack!

The second copy was to be submitted to the Chinese research group of No. 13 High School, also for filing.

The school would self-publish a book called "Excellent Essays" every one or two years, which would be distributed to all teachers and students. The content of this book was a collection of student essays.

As for the third copy, well, even though Li Dad hadn't said anything, Li Qian knew he couldn't escape it!

...

After tidying up his things, Li Qian was about to wait for the other students to leave before taking his guitar case, but the classroom was still chaotic when he suddenly heard someone calling his name in the corridor.

Li Qian was about to go out when Liu Qiang ran into the classroom, followed by a few close friends.

Liu Qiang, panting heavily, pointed outside angrily and said, "Quick, Li Qian, quick, come and see!"

Surprised, Li Qian was pulled out of the classroom by him.

Leaning on the railing, he followed Liu Qiang's finger and looked down.

In the crowded after-school crowd, a striking blue sports car was parked.

Looking closely at the brand, it seemed to be a Lamborghini?

Standing by the car door was a handsome young man, and opposite him was a girl in a school uniform.

That was... Wang Jinglu.