[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-198":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260906,4412,"Chapter 198: Which Blossom Compares to Your Radiance (Guaranteed Double-Chapter)","rising-in-1979-chapter-198",198,"\u003Cp>“You can write novels, compose songs, paint, and even act?” Zhu Lin didn’t believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I already know how to write novels, compose songs, and paint—so learning acting too doesn’t seem so strange, does it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin paused, thinking it over—there was some logic to that: “Then tell me about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, at the Moscow Restaurant, over a Russian meal, Wei Ming talked to Zhu Lin about Stanislavski.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know who this is, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin shook her head, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t her fault for being unprepared—back then, access to knowledge was extremely limited; even proper science and culture books couldn’t be printed fast enough, let alone ones on acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who truly wanted to learn acting could only study on their own through films and plays, practicing expressions in front of mirrors—so she’d invited Wei Ming to the cinema precisely to learn while watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Konstantin Stanislavski was a Russian acting theorist born in the last century. He wrote a famous book on acting called ‘An Actor’s Preparation.’ The school of acting he championed is called the ‘Experience School,’ and from it branched out the ‘Expression School’ and the ‘Method School’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you even know this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a classmate at Beijing Film Academy,” Wei Ming evaded—actually, in his past life he’d known a girl from film school who constantly let loose around him, treating herself like no one special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming explained what the Experience School, Expression School, and Method School were, giving examples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suppose a love scene requires you to show deep affection for the male lead—the Experience School actor would try to genuinely fall in love with him, truly liking him from the heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!” Zhu Lin gasped. “Then what do you do after filming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You try to pull yourself out, of course—some can’t, which is what’s called ‘acting real life.’ That might explain why our cultural circle has such a high remarriage rate,” Wei Ming said. In the future entertainment industry, there were no bottom lines; even today’s cultural circle had far lower standards than the public realized—only the media channels were too narrow for ordinary people to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the Experience School is mentally exhausting. Those who do it well can truly move people—but some things can’t be experienced, like killing, or other illegal acts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming went on to explain the Method School: “The Method School means you look at the male lead and think of a man you once loved, then tap into those feelings and apply them to the actor. This works for love scenes, happy scenes, sad scenes too. The advantage is you can disengage quickly; the downside is if your personal experiences are limited and you lack enough emotional templates, you’re stuck—and it easily becomes formulaic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin nodded, regretting she hadn’t brought paper and pen—this kid really did know something. She’d never heard these theories before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked: “What about the Expression School?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It uses tone, facial expressions, body language—all to make the audience believe you’re deeply in love with him. Compared to the Method School, the Expression School is closer—it emphasizes that actors should control, master, portray, and transcend the role, while the Experience School seeks to become the role.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin: “It feels like the Experience School is more powerful—doesn’t becoming the role represent the highest praise for an actor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Only if you plan to play one role your entire life. If you want to create more classic roles, you must avoid getting too deeply entangled in any single one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many negative examples in this regard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After explaining these theories, Wei Ming added: “Actually, actors don’t need to strictly label themselves as one school. Use whichever method works best in performance—they’re just tools. What matters most is solidifying your fundamentals first. Acting requires four core skills. Do you know what they are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Singing, speaking, acting, fighting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking, imitating, teasing, singing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin: “What? Are you kidding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “You started it—singing, speaking, acting, fighting? Do you think this is opera?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the table, Zhu Lin lightly kicked him with her calf—she was wearing heels today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister Lin had worn them to feel more authentic dancing the tango—he’d told her high heels were better for tango—but today they were here for the movie, so dancing probably wouldn’t happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Actually, what you said—singing, speaking, acting, fighting—isn’t too far off. It’s voice, stage presence, form, expression…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he broke each one down one by one—when Sister Lin got into Beijing Film Academy, she’d learn exactly this, and he could teach her himself. But connections at the academy mattered too—even just an amateur class made you one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, convinced yet?” He finished speaking and eating, wiped his mouth, and leaned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin: “Convinced, convinced—I’ll call you Teacher Wei from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you call me teacher, come to my place this Sunday—I’ll teach you systematically,” Wei Ming invited. This was sacrificing his novel-writing income to nurture her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Zhu Lin feared delaying his real work. “I can sing. My diction’s fine. My physique? No problem—I used to dance. I can still do the splits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming really wanted her to do one right then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for acting, I think practicing in front of a mirror is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That won’t do. Besides voice, stage presence, form, and expression, there’s also the Seven Powers and Four Sensibilities, and liberating your nature—you don’t know any of this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, what are those?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming checked the time: “Oh no, we’re late for the movie. I’ll teach you this Sunday at home—there’s so much more to learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin pouted but didn’t object—fine, she’d go. She was mainly thinking about those romance novels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they bought tickets for the second screening, the movie ended at ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s late, but the movie was really good—the acting was great,” Zhu Lin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The acting was indeed good, but you should notice their style is already outdated—not natural enough. When you start school, learn properly from your teachers; avoid copying movie acting too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? So outdated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming believed Chinese cinema’s turning point was the 1980s films by Xie Jin—works that future generations could still appreciate as great classics, unlike many other excellent films from his era, which bore heavy historical marks: great in short clips on TikTok, but unbearable in full length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xie Jin, the Fifth Generation directors’ visual language and acting styles were entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take you to see foreign films sometime—you’ll see. Acting here is still too stiff, like they’re always reciting quotations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin burst out laughing—this assessment was fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the next two days, Zhu Lin didn’t go to Wei Ming’s home—he had other things to do; he couldn’t bring a young girl home every day to “train” her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early Friday morning, Wei Ming rode his motorcycle with Yang Hao to the CPPCC Auditorium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the third “Hundred Flowers Award” ceremony would be held—the first in seventeen years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming and Yang Hao attended as media representatives, allowed to take photos and later write articles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, Liu Shi and others from the school bus team brought two full buses of Peking University students as student representatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auditorium was packed: over 1,500 people including cultural and film figures, lively Young Pioneers, enthusiastic middle and university students, national model workers from factories and farms, and military representatives honored in the counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, and about forty foreign journalists based in Beijing—Wei Ming and Yang Hao sat with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Ming converse fluently in English with foreigners, Yang Hao was envious—he was definitely someone who’d dated a foreign girlfriend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hao pointed ahead: “Hey, look—Zhang Binggui!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the nationally famous labor model “One-Grab,” his invitation was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming saw him in person for the first time—he’d always wanted to meet him at Wangfujing Department Store, but his stall was always packed; he could never squeeze in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming also spotted Wang, the head of Beijing Film Studio, and Xu Sangchu, head of Shanghai Film Studio, whom he’d met only once—they sat near the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them were the actors—all familiar faces. He’d have to say something to Liu Xiaoqing; after all, she’d agreed to star in “The Ox and Niu Er.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 9:30 a.m., the awards ceremony began, hosted by Lin Bin, editor-in-chief of “Mass Film,” with Zhou Yang presenting the awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right away, Chen Huaiai, father of Kai Zi, won—he directed the Peking Opera film “The Iron Bow,” which took Best Opera Film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was among the top directors in China for such films, so his role in filming the Peking Opera portions of “Farewell My Concubine” was crucial—he was a true expert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came animated films: two winners—feature-length animation “Nezha Conquers the Dragon King” and animated series “Afanti.” But Wang Shuchen was still at Cannes; the award was accepted by directors Yan Dingxian and Xu Jingda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later awards went overwhelmingly to “Little Flower,” which won Best Music and Best Cinematography.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hundred Flowers Awards still had many categories; next year, when the Golden Rooster emerged, only the major awards would remain—after all, letting audiences judge technical categories was inherently biased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Chen Chong, Wei Ming’s age, won Best Actress for “Little Flower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another female lead in “Little Flower,” Liu Xiaoqing, won Best Supporting Actress for “Look at This Family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qing’s mood was probably sour—she had two of the five Best Actress nominations, for “Little Flower” and “The Wedding”—but that only split the votes. Sigh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Aunt Qing knew how to comfort herself—at least she wasn’t as unlucky as Li Xiuming; among the “Three Golden Flowers” of Beijing Film Studio, she and Zhang Jinling both made Best Actress nominations, but Li Xiuming got nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Tang Guoqiang, the male lead of “Little Flower,” he was currently sunbathing in Cannes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top prize, Best Story Film, went to three films: “Little Flower,” “Ji Hongchang,” and “Tears”—obviously not a tie; failing to pick a single winner fit Chinese philosophy perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, Li Rentang, male lead of “Tears,” won Best Actor—he’d swept every major mainland award: Golden Rooster, Hundred Flowers, and Huabiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tears” had lower fame than the other two, but its director, Li Wenhua, was very well-known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beijing Film Studio swept the awards this year with two winning films, “Little Flower” and “Tears”—Director Wang’s expression toward Director Xu was barely concealed triumph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Xu Sangchu smiled calmly: “Feng shui turns. This year, Shanghai Film Studio’s ‘The Herdsman’ will be released, and ‘Lushan Love’ is also very special—next year’s Hundred Flowers outcome is uncertain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All awards were announced at once, then selected winners—actress Chen Chong and screenwriter Chen Lide—were asked to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the ceremony, there were tea parties and events lasting until night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming was chatting with Liu Xiaoqing about shooting action scenes—she was still filming, had rushed back from Sichuan knowing she’d win, and would leave by train tomorrow morning—she was truly dedicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after just two sentences, Wei Ming was called away by Director Wang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaoqing felt a bit down—I won’t eat him, she swallowed, but he really was good-looking, better than Tang Guoqiang, and more importantly, a genius!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Wang came to deliver good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just spoke with Xia Meng on the phone—she’ll bring the director over next Monday to discuss collaboration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming beamed: “Finally!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t come soon, he’d have started another co-production project himself—though he wasn’t sure if it’d be the original director. Original director Mou Dunfu was famous, but his specialty was bold, sensual films—not wuxia—so his version of this film was mediocre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Hundred Flowers ceremony, Wei Ming dropped Yang Hao off at his home. By the time he got back, it was past ten—he still had to write today’s article while it was fresh: “May, red flowers, green willows, all blossoms in full bloom. In this beautiful season, the third…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning, as Wei Ming was about to leave, the phone rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, who’s this?” He loved receiving calls!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s face lit up: “Sister Xue? Calling so early? I’m truly flattered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just passed the Post and Telecommunications Bureau and remembered you had a phone installed, so I gave it a try,” Gong Ying whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh oh oh,” Wei Ming asked, “Has your new film started shooting yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet—it starts next week. Our cinematographer went to Beijing for the Hundred Flowers Awards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, small world—I was at the ceremony all day yesterday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were invited too?” Gong Ying was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t say invited—I went to work, representing Peking University’s campus journal, snagged two free meals, and met a few famous actors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying: “So who did you see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Xiaoqing, Chen Chong, Zhang Jinling…” Wei Ming listed a string of young female actresses, making Gong Ying’s stomach twist with envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These actresses must all be very beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Average at best. Compared to you, they fall short. How could a hundred flowers match your radiance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying covered her mouth and laughed softly, but she was used to Wei Ming’s blunt compliments—coming from any other man, such words would be frivolous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming told her about the main winners of the Hundred Flowers Awards, news that had not yet spread widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that Chen Chong had won Best Actress, Gong Ying couldn’t help but yearn for it—achieving such an honor at just nineteen was truly impressive; she wondered if she’d ever have a chance before thirty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Wei Ming mentioned the framing of “Purple Grapes”: “I went all the way to Liuli Chang to have the best framer there do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You? I just painted it for fun—it’s embarrassing!” She stomped her foot in agitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Not embarrassing, but Master Wu Zuoren said after seeing it that you still need to practice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!” Gong Ying nearly cried out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “But Master Wu said if you want to improve, you could talk with his wife—Old Lady Xiao specializes in flowers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying’s emotions swung like a rollercoaster—her eyes sparkled brightly. Just listening to a master’s advice, even without formal study, would be immensely valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time I visit your home, I’ll pay both of you a visit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Sure. Then I’ll show you the Qi Baishi flower-and-insect scroll I bought—eighteen pieces total, every kind of insect and plant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying’s interest surged, but she doubted she’d have time to visit Beijing during filming—this movie would take at least two or three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really. We’ll write letters and talk in detail later.” Though she hadn’t received the painting yet, and she wouldn’t be coming to Beijing anytime soon, he felt confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, many media outlets across the country began reporting on the revival of the Hundred Flowers Awards. As Best Actress, Chen Chong once again captured nationwide attention, showered with praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no Golden Rooster or Huabiao yet, the Hundred Flowers Award was China’s highest film honor. The first two Best Actress winners, Zhu Xijuan and Zhang Ruifang, were both among the “Twenty-Two Great Stars.” Chen Chong was the third Hundred Flowers Queen—proof of how deeply beloved she was by audiences nationwide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deeper the love, the greater the pain when it’s broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving her award, Chen Chong specifically went to the Beijing Hotel to visit the set of “The Herdsman,” hoping Director Xie Jin would praise her—and secretly hoping he’d regret not casting her in “The Herdsman”: Hmph, you didn’t pick me for “The Herdsman,” now see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first Best Director and Best Narrative Film winner of the Hundred Flowers Awards, Director Xie merely smiled faintly—he didn’t think his film needed a new Hundred Flowers Queen to enhance it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Gong played her role well. As a supporting character, she didn’t compete or vie for attention, fulfilling her function perfectly. If it had been Chen Chong—with her forceful personality—she’d have clashed with Zhu Shimao for screen presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chong had hoped Director Xie would treat her to a lavish meal at the Beijing Hotel, but they ate out—and the meal was plain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the foreigners coming and going at the Beijing Hotel, enjoying the best treatment, only strengthened her resolve to leave the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming, familiar with the route, waited at the corner of the street where Zhu Lin’s dormitory was located.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhu Lin in a long dress and short heels, Wei Ming’s eyes lit up—so beautiful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late May—the summer was coming!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no thighs showed on the street, the fluttering hem of her dress was lovely enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s lesson—freeing one’s nature—would be harder in a dress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming tossed her the helmet; she got on the bike and gripped his waist—previously she’d sat astride, but today she sat sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Wei Ming bought the motorcycle, Zhu Lin was probably the second-most-frequent passenger—first was Yanzi; Biaozi often borrowed the bike to take his girlfriend out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at Wei Ming’s home, Zhu Lin, who hadn’t been there in days, immediately noticed things were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, a shoe cabinet appeared by the door, a standing clothes rack in the living room, and a large rug on the coffee table—barefoot on it must feel wonderful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Yesterday I visited a few stores. I even replaced the bed—want to see it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go on, why would I care about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the bedroom door was open—Zhu Lin could see the new bed was much larger; sleeping on it must be especially comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Once summer ends, my sister and the others will move in. Where else would they sleep if I didn’t buy a bed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus Grandma and my cousin—if they all move in, we’ll have to put a single bed in the study for Old Wei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turns out even this big four-person room isn’t enough—only buying more beds will solve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhu Lin thought: when his family arrives for summer, she probably won’t be able to come here so casually anymore—she had barely over a month left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, Lin Jie,” Wei Ming interrupted Zhu Lin’s thoughts, “help me move this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked Zhu Lin to move the coffee table aside, revealing the full rug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take off your shoes and sit on it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just trust me—I washed this rug.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin took off her shoes, revealing nylon socks. Seeing Wei Ming sit cross-legged, she regretted choosing to wear a dress today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take off your socks too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin angrily yanked off her socks, but she kept thinking this kid might try to take off more of her clothes—if he asked her to remove even one more item, she’d leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “A key goal of freeing your nature is eliminating shame. Don’t just say socks—some performances require stripping down entirely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really was thinking that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin huffed: “Then I’d rather not act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. There are plenty of roles—if you don’t like one, or can’t accept it, don’t do it. Happiness matters most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sat facing each other on the soft rug; Wei Ming chatted casually: “Have you heard the news about the Hundred Flowers Awards?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard. I even voted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who did you vote for as Best Actress?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin smiled: “Chen Chong. My vote helped her win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I was at the award ceremony too. Took a few photos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, so you met Chen Chong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is she even prettier in person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Average. Just a little girl—nothing special. Compared to you, she’s far behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t flatter me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seriously. None of the actresses at the ceremony yesterday matched you. The Hundred Flowers may be bright, but they can’t rival you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin blushed, lowering her head to change the subject: “Aren’t we supposed to be freeing our nature? Why aren’t we starting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “We already started. Saying things you normally wouldn’t—even crossing the line—is part of freeing your nature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin felt those earlier words didn’t count for Wei Ming—he always talked like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about me. You’re the one applying to film school, you’re the one being trained. Now it’s your turn. Say it—what do you really want to tell me? Speak your deepest thoughts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sat on the soft, comfortable rug, the atmosphere relaxed. Wei Ming’s words were undeniably tempting. Zhu Lin took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming, seeing her steel herself, thought she was about to tease him—come on, you little vixen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a long pause, she blurted: “Did you ever sleep with your foreign ex-girlfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3417,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e1aecdc451e849ba5598bc659655da24779901c10634cdb82c5d6afe6de7cd51","rising-in-1979-chapter-199","rising-in-1979-chapter-197",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]