A Strong Response

"I have no memory of crying since I can remember. On the other hand, someone was a crybaby when they were little, always crying with snot running down their face. There are many witnesses to this, so they can't deny it."

"What do you mean by snotty-nosed? You're supposed to be the young patriarch of the Si Clan, yet you're so ignorant. It's utterly shameful. This is called 'pear blossoms in the rain,' a manifestation of one's inner world. In drama, it's called a crying scene, a type of acting. It proves I've had a talent for acting since I was a child."

"That acting was so realistic, I couldn't even tell it was acting."

"The highest level of acting is to create something so realistic that it's indistinguishable from the real thing. Although I certainly didn't reach that level when I was a child, it was more than enough to fool laymen."

Si Ming deeply regretted letting the two meet. He should have made Si Jingyu leave immediately after the performance. Instead, it turned into a cockfighting scene, making them a laughing stock for outsiders. In the end, he and Si Shuiyun worked together to separate the two.

"You finally won, so don't Dou Qi and ruin your mood. Go celebrate with your classmates, they're waiting for you. We can think about the finals tomorrow," Si Ming comforted Si Huaruo.

"There's no way around it, we're just incompatible. Ever since we were kids, she's always competing with me, from rock-paper-scissors to exams, she always wins. Can you imagine? I've played rock-paper-scissors with her 125 times and I've never won a single one. It's so unfair! She's even a centimeter taller than me. I started puberty right before she started puberty. Is there any justice in this world?"

Si Huaruo vented her indignation for a while, then suddenly realized, "That's right, that's why I'm enemies with her!"

You're only realizing this now?

Si Ming suppressed his sarcasm and comforted her, "Just do your best; there's no need to compare yourself to anyone else."

"I'm not a stubborn person, of course I understand this principle, so I changed the way I compared things. There's no need to compete with her in the same field. It's like if she wants to win a dance award, I'll go for a drama award. We're both Nine Arts Phoenix Fledgling respective fields, and neither of us is better than the other."

Isn't this still not enough to give up?

"Of course, this approach might make people think I'm afraid of her, so I'm considering a different method recently. For example, I'll choose a competition with rules that are advantageous to me, preferably one that she absolutely cannot win against, one that would disqualify her if she participates. That way, I can win without a fight!" Si Huaruo said with a smug puff of her chest. "I'm not a child anymore. I know how to use the rules of the game reasonably. That's what a mature adult does."

From the moment you persist in your Dou Qi, you've been destined to be forever separated from maturity.

Si Ming didn't know how to comment, so he could only say, "Whatever makes you happy. Let's go, your classmates are getting impatient."

"Don't act like you're not involved. Come on in!"

"That's not a good idea. You're all girls, and I'm the only boy. Besides, I'm not a member of your drama club," Si Ming politely declined.

Si Huaruo said sternly, "This kind of thing doesn't matter at all. All I know is that you are the biggest contributor to our victory in this competition. We can't do without you, no one else."

"Sometimes I think you're childish, and other times I think you're more mature than most people. I really don't know how to describe you," Si Ming sighed.

Si Huaruo corrected, "I am a mature adult, not childish at all."

She forcibly pulled Si Ming along, about to walk towards their companions, when a girl stopped them.

"Si Huaruo, you win this time. To complete such an excellent work in such a short time, I admit defeat wholeheartedly."

The speaker was the girl surnamed Lu who had previously made the challenge. She said she was convinced, but her face was still full of resentment. However, she did not lose her manners and showed excellent upbringing.

Si Huaruo was very tolerant of everyone except Si Jingyu, and said with a smile, "Your work is also excellent. I just happened to win by a narrow margin. Let's encourage each other."

"Hmph, save your hypocrisy. Although I lost this time, I'll definitely win next time. Don't think you're always the winner."

The girl surnamed Lu turned and left angrily, but returned after a few steps, saying in an awkward tone, "Since you beat me, you must take the title of champion. You are not allowed to lose to anyone else before I defeat you!"

After saying that, he left quickly without waiting for Si Huaruo's reply.

Si Ming watched the retreating figure and said, "I thought he was one of those villainous extras who jumps out to provoke others, but it seems he's not entirely bad. Now I'm thinking of going easy on him. Let's forget about the tea ceremony competition in two days; we can just go through the motions."

"Yes, she's definitely not a bad person; she's kind at heart."

Si Huaruo nodded, a puzzled expression on her face.

Si Ming casually asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering, who exactly is she?"

"... So you don't even know who she is! Judging from her tone, you've probably competed against her many times before. You don't even know your opponent's name? You're classmates from the same school!"

Si Huaruo, lacking confidence, forced a smile and said, "I... of course I know! Isn't her surname Lu? Right, she's from the Lu Lineage's Tea-Tasting Manor."

"So all you know in the end is her surname? I thought the author was lazy and hadn't thought of a proper name!"

Chapter 295 Strong Reaction

"A youth storm is brewing: female college students defeat veteran actors!"

"Emperor Peak Academy achieves new glories, truly deserving its title as the premier school!"

"Shocking! Obscure actors and obscure genres stage an incredible comeback, leaving men speechless and women in tears!"

"Exorcising spirits through acting, a unique spectacle! Unveiling the mysterious background of the lead actors in 'The Puppet Show'!"

Master Lu: There are only actors who can't act, not genres that can't be performed well!

Si Ming looked at the newspapers in front of him and was speechless. The Nine Arts Phoenix Fledgling was a grand prize for young people, and the average age of the contestants was less than twenty-five. Where did these so-called veteran actors come from?

It seems that even in a different world, the inherent virtues of journalists remain unchanged, as if they have become Principle that can break through the limitations of dimensional barriers.

In fact, the more prosperous a place's art and culture are, the more developed its news industry will be. After all, art is meant to be passed on by word of mouth, or rather, artworks can only sell for high prices if they gain fame; quality is secondary.

The more developed the news industry becomes, the lower the moral standards of its practitioners become. This is because small newspapers, in order to survive, can only use eye-catching methods to increase sales. And once one newspaper succeeds, other newspapers will follow suit, thus constantly lowering the moral bottom line.

The Nine Arts Phoenix Fledgling is a top national award that attracts a lot of attention, and the Emperor Peak Drama Club also has a lot of topics worth reporting, so it's not surprising that it caused a sensation.

For example, one of the lead actors unexpectedly withdrew, the script was revised three days before the competition, the ancient drama style was unexpectedly used, and the unprecedented summoning of deities as actors... In comparison, the troupe members are all school students with an average age of less than eighteen. Before the competition, they were not favored by anyone. These highlights, which would normally be very attractive, have become insignificant at this moment.

Of course, there are unserious gossip reports that are just looking for sensationalism, and there are also serious drama critics, but their interpretations are often questionable.

"The play 'Puppet Show' tells the story of a man who, as a child, saw a street performer put on a puppet show and became fascinated with it. Despite opposition from family and friends, he never gave up, leading a life of poverty and hardship, as if he were always immersed in a self-constructed dream. Until, in his sixties, without a wife or children, he awoke from his dream in a dilapidated temple and angrily threw the puppets that had been his lifelong companion into the fire. But youth had passed, time could not be turned back, and even if he regretted it, he could not start over."

"Although the old man in 'Puppet Show' lived in poverty, he was not alone. He had his most beloved puppet by his side throughout his life. To the old man, this puppet was no longer just a wooden doll, but a living person, similar to Daoist School 'dao companion,' to whom he could entrust his emotions. This both saved the old man and ruined his life. If the puppet had not been so perfect, almost indistinguishable from the real thing, the old man probably would not have survived the long years. But it was also because it was so lifelike that the old man became so addicted to it that he could not extricate himself, until in his twilight years he lamented, 'My life has been full of misfortune, all because of this puppet.'"