Reba had never expected to be so lucky. The senior who lent her the book was actually a top student.
The textbook section on "The Nature and Characteristics of Art" had only a few lines printed at the top of its final page. The rest was blank.
Yet that blank space was filled from top to bottom with notes: clearly structured, neatly written, and in an elegant hand. The writing really did suit the writer.
Reba found the answer to the question among those notes at a glance and replied, "There are several representative views on the nature of art: the objective spirit theory, the subjective spirit theory, the imitation or representation theory, and other views."
"The scientific theoretical foundation for the nature of art is the theory of artistic production."
"The characteristics of art are divided into three aspects: imagery, subjectivity, and aesthetic quality."
Reba's answer was exceptionally clear.
Her classmates were all astonished.
The class's acknowledged beauty wasn't content with being gorgeous—she'd secretly been studying, too!?
The teacher for this class was Jiang Mei, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes as well.
The question she'd asked was very basic. Any student who had studied diligently could answer it.
But this was the first time she'd taught this class the material covered today, so Reba's ability to answer was all the more impressive.
The last person who had surprised her like this was that kid Zhang Yang.
At the thought, Jiang Mei felt a spark of delight at discovering a promising student. A smile appeared on her face as she continued, "Then tell me, what are the subcategories of imagery, subjectivity, and aesthetic quality?"
Seeing the smile on Jiang Mei's face, Reba immediately relaxed a little and answered earnestly, "Imagery has three aspects: the unity of the objective and the subjective, content—"
"Subjectivity has three aspects: artistic creation, the work of art, and artistic appreciation."
"Aesthetic quality is—"
Her answer was highly logical, detailed yet concise.
The whole class was stunned. Are you studying for a postgraduate entrance exam or something?
"Good. That was an excellent answer." Jiang Mei's smile grew warmer, and she nodded at Reba with admiration. "You prepared very thoroughly. You're the second hardworking and talented student I've come across in the past ten years."
"But Reba, that's no excuse for getting distracted and playing with your phone in class."
The atmosphere at university was indeed much more relaxed and free than it had been from elementary school through high school. The worse the school, the more true that was—it could even be said to encourage slacking off and muddling through.
But the atmosphere at prestigious schools was already quite good—or rather, competitive. The teachers also took their teaching responsibilities seriously and enjoyed having good students.
University teachers also had access to valuable professional connections in the working world. If a teacher particularly admired a student, that student could receive a great deal of help when entering the relevant industry.
Jiang Mei was a good teacher, which was why she was so highly respected.
Her praise made Reba's face flush at once. She was half excited and half ashamed.
She knew perfectly well that she didn't deserve Jiang Mei's praise. She was taking credit for someone else's work.
When virtue and position were mismatched, misfortune was sure to follow!
"You mean a sophomore?" A face came to Jiang Mei's mind.
But the person who'd brought her the materials today hadn't been him.
"Yes." Reba nodded.
"What's his name?" Jiang Mei asked.
Reba's face warmed a little as she replied, "I was in too much of a hurry earlier and forgot to ask."
She added to herself, If the teacher hadn't called on me, I'd have asked him already.
"Was he handsome? How tall was he?" Jiang Mei asked with a smile.
"Very handsome. At least half a head taller than me," Reba said after thinking it over.
She was nearly 170 centimeters tall, so half a head taller meant at least 180 centimeters.
"Then it was probably that kid A'Yang," Jiang Mei said, her voice tinged with amusement.
The students were all curious who this "A'Yang" was, and why the notoriously strict Teacher Jiang seemed so fond of him.
"A'Yang... Yang. A tall, handsome sophomore who's in the Student Union. Could it be him?" Zhong Chuxi thought of someone.
Her roommate immediately asked, "Who?"
Quit being so cryptic and just say it!
Just then, Jiang Mei walked over to Reba and took a look at her textbook. The familiar handwriting confirmed her guess. She said, "Students, you've all heard the name Zhang Yang, right?"
Zhang Yang?
Reba froze for a moment, then it suddenly clicked.
That was right—Senior Zhang Yang, who was in charge of the welcome party. She'd been wondering why he looked familiar.
Without makeup or a formal outfit, he seemed more approachable and sunny.
"Teacher Jiang, of course we know Senior Zhang Yang."
"Yeah. I even voted for him in the rankings of the school's most handsome students on the forum."
"To me, after Senior Hu Ge, Senior Zhang Yang is the most handsome."
"I think Senior Yan Yikuan and Senior Zhang Yang are the most handsome."
"I think it's Senior Lu Yi and Senior Zhang Yang."
"..."
The moment gossip and voting came up, the university students grew animated.
Everyone had their own preferences, but strangely enough, Zhang Yang always made it into the top tier.
Generally speaking, a somewhat handsome but ordinary-looking face was the most versatile and was considered well suited to the entertainment industry.
A purely handsome face, on the other hand, was better suited to romance dramas or certain serious roles, and offered a more limited range.
But Zhang Yang wasn't just handsome—he was versatile, too. That was exceptionally rare.
The teachers at the college all thought that if Zhang Yang found a good role and script, he could win a Best Actor award.
"That's right, I mean the Zhang Yang you're talking about." Jiang Mei seemed happy to talk about him, too. "In your generation's words, Zhang Yang is naturally gifted."
"As we older folks would put it, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
"But that kid A'Yang has a good sense of humor. He says Heaven chases after him to feed him."
At that, Jiang Mei's smile was unmistakable.
The students all smiled faintly, thinking that Senior Zhang Yang was rather full of himself.
Jiang Mei continued, "He's good-looking, versatile, and naturally gifted at acting. He often draws one inference from another, and he has eyes that seem to speak."
"With such remarkable talent, Zhang Yang still studies very hard."
"Some of you may know this, and some may not: Zhang Yang is a signed artist with Tangren. But since he started his first year, he's never once taken leave to go act. He turns down all the arrangements the company makes for him."
"Someone like him will go far."
"You all need to study hard and stay humble."
The students: "..."
Teachers all seemed to have a bit of an occupational habit: no matter what they were talking about, they could always turn it into a lecture.
But they couldn't help feeling curious about and admiring Zhang Yang.
Reba was no exception. She thought admiringly, Senior Zhang Yang is amazing.
Rattle, rattle.
Zhang Yang heard the Entertainment Industry Opportunity Manual flipping pages.
"Opportunity Points have increased."
"Why now?"
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