Reporter Huang has been having a particularly good life recently. With a few exclusive news from Shang XiRui, he made into the big page and won many awards from the editor-in-chief. He immediately replaced all his clothes and shoes with brand new ones. He now dares to opt for Camel brand cigarettes. With a cigarette in his mouth, he was developing the remaining photos of that day in the darkroom, preparing to send them to Shang Xirui to butter up to him.
After excluding the single photos of Shang XiRui published in the newspaper, there were a dozen of photos of Shang XiRui and Cheng FengTai. Reporter Huang picked through them and found one photo:
Cheng FengTai leaning his back on the plum tree with one arm bent behind Shang XiRui. Shang XiRui stood in front of him, covering half of Cheng FengTai's body, with one arm bent behind his back.
Cheng FengTai smiled absentmindedly while depicting a chic young master.
But Shang XiRui has his lips pursed and smiled so brightly, as if he had a stolen piece of candy in his mouth and he was afraid that it will roll out once he opened his mouth. His lips couldn't hide the sweetness, it's that evident.
The two are equally handsome, but each one carries a different set of seductiveness. If the pair is a man and woman couple, one can praise the pair as a match made by the heavens.
************************************
Reporter Huang didn't think there was anything special when he took the photo. Now, he couldn't stop staring at the photo. He doesn't know whether it was because his photography skills had improved or because this pair was just exceptionally handsome and photogenic.
The lighting was evenly distributed creating a wonderful shadow. The photo looked seemed like a painting! Just the thought of Shang XiRui praising him upon receiving the photo later, made him develop 2 more copies of the photo.
A colleague quietly entered the darkroom and leaned over from behind: "Hey! Whose photo is this?" Reporter Huang immediately put the photo into an envelope, annoyingly said: " It's none of your business!" and left.
The colleague brushed his nose in frustration, cursed and rummaged around angrily. A roll of film was found clamped on the rope. He casually pulled it out and flashed it up and let out a long "Hey" in surprise.
***********************
Reporter Huang went to the backstage of the ShuiYun Tower today, for naught. He arrived untimely. In the past two days, due to the large-scale criticism of Shang XiRui in the newspapers, many colleagues in the theater industry spontaneously also went to the Tower to express their solidarity and support to Shang XiRui.
Wang Leng also happened to come and see Shang XiRui in a play, and Cheng FengTai and Du Qi were also there. There was no room for everyone to stand backstage. Reporter Huang was well acquainted and chatted with all the actors, leaving behind photos. He even winked before leaving, as if the envelope contained something very precious.
Shang XiRui couldn't help but take a look of the photos behind everyone's back. When he saw the group photo next to the plum tree, it was poetic and picturesque. He looked up at Cheng FengTai. Cheng FengTai winked and gave him a playful smile so different from the one in the photo. Shang XiRui held up the photo staring at it carefully for a while wondering which one was more like his second master, the second master in the photo or the second master in front of him.
Wang Leng sat next to Shang XiRui and couldn't help but look at him curiously especially at the photo Shang XiRui couldn't let go. In the photo, two people were clearly standing one behind the other. However, Wang Leng couldn't help but feel that the hands behind Shang XiRui and Cheng FengTai were intertwined - the mood on the photo make people think similarly.
*******************************
Several colleagues in the theater industry talked magnanimously and expressed their sincerity to Shang XiRui, telling him not to take what the newspapers said seriously. They all loved his plays and his people and recommended him as the leader of the new generation of theater coaxing Shang XiRui into a good mood.
Yuan Lan and other old people from ShuiYun Tower were listening, but their attitude were stern and disapproving. They were not excited at all. Du Qi was the only one who was about to blow out fire. He threw the seed hulls he was snacking on and let our a big deep breath. He slapped the table pointing to the few suspects who said bad things about Shang XiRui and scolded them.
He said that they were like thieves for being old and not dead. He came forward and scolded all the actors who other actors didn't dare to reprimand. Everyone nodded and smiled as they listened, seeming to perfectly agree. After waiting for a while, all the colleagues were sent away, Yuan Lan sneered and nodded: "The seventh young master has eight thousand pounds of loyalty and eight thousand pounds of righteousness. If he takes it all on today, he can crush our class leader to death!"
Du Qi was puzzled by the meaning and raised his eyebrows: "Me, Qi Ye is very loyal and righteous, so how come I crushed Rui Ge to death?"
Here, Shi Jiu can be said to be Yuan Lan's confidant and answered for her: "You came to the backstage of the ShuiYun Tower and acted like Xu Mother Scolding Cao (徐母骂曹). If word spreads, no one dares to settle the blame with you Qi Shao Ye. The blame will fall on our Group Leader. Now, tell me if our Group leader should shoulder your 16,000 pounds of burden."
Don't say that Du Qi dismissed these words, even Shang XiRui himself did not take it seriously. Them young adults didn't say that they are afraid of people and their sharp tongues. Not to mention that Du Qi is the brains of Shang XiRui's play. Come on now! If you want to blame Du Qi for his reckless remarks, it would be too ungrateful!
Shang XiRui sneered and said: "So what, Qi Shao Ye is not wrong, I was thinking of the same!"
Cheng FengTai frowned and Yuan Lan smiled bitterly and shook her head.
*******************************************
Du Qi enthusiastically struck up a conversation with Wang Leng, listened to her singing beautifully and then headed back home in a swaggering way. Wang Leng is used to seeing a lot of human sentiments of high and lows in the theater industry in his hometown and she knows that no matter what the circle is, it is essentially a circle of free and unbiased. Since she is someone new to this circle, she will remain silent and just discuss plays with Shang XiRui. Not long after, the two of them laughed and became friends.
Normally, Shang XiRui would glare at Cheng FengTai if he acts a little frivolous but when it comes to himself, when he meets a great actor he acts as a very close elder sister 姐姐 or a hot younger sister 妹妹 without any inch of shyness in his body.
Qian Dan's voice is generally high, so when meeting Qian Sheng, he has to lower his pitch to match it. With Kun Sheng, he doesn't have this worry and can freely sing with his voice. Shang XiRui held Wang Leng's hand, shook it and sighed of relief: "It's comfortable! Being with you is just comfortable!"
He didn't feel that he had spoken carelessly, while others pursed their lips and smiled. Wang Leng also found it difficult to respond and just let out a smile. At nightfall, Shang XiRui had to take the girl out for a hot pot. Finally, Cheng FengTai persuaded Shang XiRui to stop and said with a smile: "Why did you agree to Niu Ye's visit? We agreed to send Miss Wang home before dinner." So he asked Lao Ge to drive Wang Leng home. He turned around and saw that no one was around. He raised his leg and nudged his knee on Shang XiRui's butt, saying, "This is a real lady. Once the ticket is out, don't get too excited. It's enjoyable! It's still comfortable! Be careful that the Wang family breaks your flimsy dog legs!"
************************************
Shang XiRui understood that the reminder was valid, but he still patted his buttocks then clenched his fists determined to beat the crap out of Cheng FengTai. Cheng FengTai took his first punch, then Shang Xi Rui took out an envelope from his arms and tossed it onto Cheng FengTai's chest.
Cheng FengTai opened the envelope and peeked. He was amused and gave out a laugh. He pulled out the photo and said: "There are exactly two copies. Give me one, it'll be a keepsake."
Shang XiRui nodded when he suddenly remembered something, he grabbed the photo on Cheng FengTai's hand and turned it over and wrote a note. A single note from Shang XiRui ruined a photo and Cheng FengTai in an instant felt anguished that it was too late to stop him.
The more someone cannot write, the more nerve-racking it is to hold a pen. Shang XiRui squeezed the pen so tight that the tips of his fingers turned white. He wrote four big words in a shaky manner: A harmonious marriage lasting a hundred years. (Or in wedding greetings: May you live a long and happy life together!) It's like an inscription. He ended the note saying: Husband Shang and his wife , photographed under the white plum blossoms tree.
Cheng FengTai looked at the words and he couldn't get angry nor let out a laugh. He knew he had endless tricks up his sleeves! He grabbed the back of Shang XiRui's neck and shook him, as if he was determined to strangle him to death. Shang XiRui screamed, but was not afraid and got the other photo and wrote the exact same thing he did on Cheng FengTai's copy.
百年好合,
- 商郎携伉俪，拍摄于宅内白梅树下
Cheng FengTai said: "Why don't I even have a name?"
Shang XiRui said: "There's a name!"
He pointed the word "Husband Shang and wife" with the tip of his pen pointed at the word wife: "This is you!"
Cheng FengTai was really angry but also couldn't help but laugh hard: "You are a real man indeed. Are you declaring that you want to claim me from my head to toe?"
He said it quite well. Shang XiRui wants to show his manliness. If he married a woman, there will probably be other women who will stand up for his wife. Both Cheng FengTai and I are men, but he can only bully Cheng FengTai.
After repeatedly reading what he wrote, Cheng FengTai felt less angry and his smile faded, feeling something was wrong and called out to Shang XiRui: "Wait a moment Shang Lao Ban, what's the color of the plum blossoms in your yard?"
Shang XiRui blurted: "It's white!"
Cheng FengTai without the need to rethink about it since he distinctively remembered they were Red! But him seeing Shang XiRui mistook a deer as the horse, he couldn't help but suspect that Shang XiRui was color blind.
He hesitated and thought for a while, then asked Shang XiRui again: "It's red right? Don't believe me, ask Xiao Lai!"
Shang XiRui raised his fist in annoyance: "Nonsense! Why ask her! If I say it's white it is white. I've been living here for many years, do you think I can still remember it wrong?!"
Cheng FengTai thought that it would be unfair to be kicked and punched just for the color of a peach blossom, so he just shut up, sat next to Shang XiRui and frolicked for a while be he left.
*****************************
On the day of Hou YuKui died, although it was an internal mourning among the actors, but because of Hou YuKui's fame, the excerpt of a star-studded cast was still a box-office! Niu BaoWen brought Wang Leng here early. Wang Leng had no acquaintance here but Niu Baowen wanted to greet the other attendees, so he entrusted her in Shang XiRui's care.
Shang XiRui will sing "Wujia Slope" and "Sitting in the Palace" with her today, so it was just appropriate to look after her. After greeting everyone, they both prepared while chatting and laughing. Shang XiRui's transformed from a handsome young man to a dewy and delicate girl, very lovable. When Wang Leng looked at him, she thought she was back in her hometown with her boyfriend who was also a Qian Dan. (A man acting female roles.) She couldn't help but feel moved and teased him: "Good sister!"
Shang XiRui was stunned when he saw Wang Leng in her outfit. He was wearing thick-soled opera boots, a dark beard, two sharp sleek eyebrows and a pair of starry eyes. : "Ya! Hao GeGe!" (Hey! My good brother!)
The two came to their senses and playfully laughed and everyone who cares will see it. The young disciple of the Hou family panicked and ran backstage saying: "Senior, please quickly go to the stage take a look. There seems to be a hole in the old curtain!"
Everyone was surprised and ran to the stage to check it out. What is hanging today is the yellow background pine and cypress picture that Hou Yukui used to put up back then. When it was first hung up, it was still dark. Now when the stage lights are lit, a chestnut-sized black hole is clearly bored out of the end of the pine branch. It's particularly noticeable on the bright yellow background.
Shang XiRui looked up and a stinging pain on his chest - This was bestowed by the emperor! It's a relic! Unable to hold back his temper, he shouted angrily: "What's going on with this! Who meddled with the suitcase!"
*******************************************************************************************
Sorry it took plenty of years to come back on track.....
Currently trying my best to live life fully, hope everybody does too!
-JiaLing2^^