Chapter 11: Burden
In the end, the incident at the Film and Art College had not put Su Can in the limelight, but it had more or less fizzled out. Specifically, after the college's Student Union president, acting as host, finished his impassioned opening remarks and the lights came up for the college leaders' speeches, they discovered that Su Can was nowhere to be found in the front row of guest seats.
The Film and Art College's hall had actually been built along the lines of a performance hall, with a fairly complete arrangement of lights and angles. Standing onstage with the lights shining directly at him, the host could barely see the audience below. Only after the lighting changed could he get a clear view.
Naturally, the college's Student Union president felt rather put out when he failed to spot Su Can. He wondered how this had happened: he had passed along the instructions, and before leaving, he had seen Su Can sitting quite comfortably in his seat. Yet in the blink of an eye, the occupant had become a familiar-looking forty-year-old man. Worse still, this middle-aged fellow was leering at the brightly dressed young women dancing onstage.
Only after the ceremony was nearly halfway over and he had asked around did he learn the whole story.
The Student Union president later sought out Lu Wei. The two kept talking backstage to the right of the stage, their voices occasionally growing heated. Throughout their conversation, an indignant Lu Wei kept looking up toward Su Can, her expression plainly resentful.
Su Can could only smile and let it go. But Lu Wei, who was arguing her case with the Student Union, misread that expression. She naturally assumed Su Can was laughing at her, watching her make a fool of herself.