She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 52

When Ji Yaoguang saw Chang Yu walking over with a bag of popcorn, she quickly pushed those trivial matters to the back of her mind. Whether customers would come or not was a matter of fate. Today's elementary school students were becoming increasingly mature and might not appreciate such an old-fashioned way of expressing affection.

The two walked side by side on the quiet path, words becoming superfluous for a moment, a single exchange of glances speaking volumes. Ji Yaoguang focused on finishing the bag of popcorn in her hand, occasionally feeding Chang Yu a few pieces. Chang Yu's expression was rather complex, as if her mind was tangled with unsolvable knots. After a while, she casually asked, "Did you know Jiang Yusheng before?"

Ji Yaoguang replied, "No, I didn't. Why?"

"It's nothing," Chang Yu shook her head with furrowed brows. "She's a very enthusiastic fan, greatly admiring you."

Ji Yaoguang nodded. She rarely interacted with fans, and had seen some other artists encounter extremely passionate fans who even affected their daily lives. They relied on fans to maintain their popularity, while simultaneously resenting fans' repeated intrusions into their privacy. Initially, Ji Yaoguang didn't have a good impression of this group, but now her attitude was slowly changing. If all fans were like Jiang Yusheng— She considered this possibility and chuckled, praising, "The little junior is very cute."

Chang Yu responded faintly, "Mm."

Ji Yaoguang patted her hands, throwing the empty popcorn bag into a nearby trash can, then looked expectantly at Chang Yu. She rarely carried wet wipes when going out, and when with Chang Yu, she didn't need to think about anything. Chang Yu lowered her gaze, wiped Ji Yaoguang's lips with a tissue, then gestured for her to hold out her hands. A cool, damp sensation spread from her palms to the backs of her hands and between her fingers. Chang Yu's actions were meticulous and careful. Ji Yaoguang shivered, her eyes taking on a moist sheen. She licked her lips, gazing at Chang Yu's face, her imagination running wild. But this was during the show's filming period; Chang Yu would certainly not allow it. Realizing this, she sighed with some regret.

Director Zhao Beiting, who had been absent all day, appeared punctually in the evening, suddenly reminding the guests, who had been gravitating towards everyday life, of the roles they were to play at night. Zhao Beiting had two empty boxes beside him, now asking people to draw a theme from one of them. There was a room in the inn called "Shangxin Court," where the staff had already finished setting up the scene and the lighting technicians were in position. "I'll do it!" Bo Yu volunteered, stepping forward and rummaging in the box Zhao Beiting pointed to for a while before reluctantly pulling out a slip of paper.

"What does it say?" Sun Shaogong feigned impatience.

"It's—" Bo Yu unfolded the paper in his hand and read word by word, "It's 'If Fan Li hadn't sent Xi Shi to Wu...'" The ellipsis meant that everything after that was up to them to improvise.

Zhao Beiting smiled and added, "Now you'll each draw the roles you'll play."

"Wait a moment!" Bian Yuting suddenly interrupted Zhao Beiting, saying, "Director Zhao, I think it's very unfair. I have no acting experience at all, doesn't that mean I'm destined to lose terribly? Chang Yu is a great actress, if she wins every time, aren't we at a huge disadvantage?"

"There are three judge roles in there, it's purely based on luck. As for Chang Yu, let's have her be a judge every time," Zhao Beiting spoke, settling the matter.

Chang Yu glanced at Ji Yaoguang and asked softly, "Then what rewards do the judges get?"

Zhao Beiting replied, "Five yuan in funds each time."

The production team's stinginess had been evident from the start. Zhao Beiting's words made everyone hang their heads in disappointment. If judges got a five-yuan reward, how much would the best performer get? But thinking of their own empty wallets, they perked up again. It was still better than nothing, and the production team's intention was clearly for them to make a living through the methods they had come up with during the day.

Ji Yaoguang was nervous yet confident. She drew a slip from the box and, without looking at it herself, held it up to Chang Yu's eyes—it was King Fuchai of Wu. She would be cross-dressing as a man. After a yelp from one side, an even more tragic person appeared. "Why am I Xi Shi?" Bo Yu wailed. He turned to Sun Shaogong, blinking his eyes cutely, "Brother Sun, can we switch roles?"

Sun Shaogong replied without blinking, "I'm Zheng Dan."

Zhao Beiting spoke, "OK, now that you all have your roles, go to the makeup artists to prepare for the stage."

There were three judge seats in total, with only Bian Yuting being lucky enough to draw one.

Cross-dressing was also an art, relying entirely on skill. Fortunately, these performers weren't burly men; after makeup, although comical, they wouldn't immediately make people burst into laughter. Before the performance began, Ji Yaoguang kept glancing at Bo Yu and the others with a smile, refusing their suggestions to switch roles, her expression looking quite mischievous.

The story took place in Zhuluo Village in Zhuji. A minister of Yue was ordered to search various places for beautiful women to present to the King of Wu. He walked through every corner and finally saw several beautiful women by Huansha Stream. He taught them palace etiquette and the art of seduction, not expecting to be ensnared himself. Between national duty and love, he resolutely chose the latter, planning to elope with Xi Shi.

"When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked. The King of Yue is not one to share fortune with; it's better to let go now." Fan Li walked in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, looking quite melancholic. At this moment, he was not the brilliant strategist Fan Li, but an ordinary man troubled by love. The choice he faced was like a knife cutting at his heart.

With a "shing—" sound of a sword being drawn, Wen Zhong, with an ashen face, said through gritted teeth, "Fan Li! The country is not yet restored, and you still have the heart for romance? I, Wen Zhong, have misjudged you."

"Yes," Fan Li smiled slightly. He sighed wistfully, "You may not know, Xi Shi is already carrying my child. If we send her to the Wu palace, you can guess the consequences."

"......" Wen Zhong was stunned, not knowing how to continue for a while. After a long time, he sighed and threw down his sword, saying, "Go then, I won't stop you."

"Thank you," Fan Li said softly.

Fan Li and Xi Shi were about to leave by carriage.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves rang out. They thought it was the Yue army, but unexpectedly, the banners were embroidered with a large "Wu" character. It turned out that King Fuchai of Wu had also heard that Zhuluo Village was a place of outstanding people and could produce many beauties. Unable to control his lust, he ignored Wu Zixu's advice and came in person to welcome the beauty.

Seeing that a battle was unavoidable, it was finally resolved by a few words from the gracefully appearing Zheng Dan.

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"On stage, you need to be more open. There's also a very important point: you can't just act for yourself, you need to be aware of the people around you," Zhao Beiting jumped onto the stage after the scene ended and said, "Don't treat the other actors on stage as opponents, they are your companions. Do you understand this? Also, An Muyu, you had many places where you stumbled and couldn't continue your lines. Are you not familiar with this play?"

"Actually, it's not just her who had this issue," Chang Yu spoke calmly. "I suggest that for future stories, we write a brief outline. This way, after understanding it, you can bring out something new. Today's performance was mediocre, and in some places, it could even be described as bumpy. Actually, before the show started, Director Zhao said that this time, we're not just looking at your acting skills, but also your awareness."

"I agree with Chang Yu," Bian Yuting chimed in. Though she didn't have acting skills herself, she had been a manager for a while and was familiar with various scripts. She did have an eye for choosing plays.

Since it was the first performance of the evening, many problems could still be forgiven. After a discussion between Zhao Beiting and the two judges, they awarded the best performance to Bo Yu, for his portrayal of a pregnant Xi Shi's demeanor. Bo Yu, still in his costume, happily accepted the red envelope, carefully opening it. "Twenty yuan?" Bo Yu exclaimed, then muttered to himself after a while, "Well, it's enough for a takeout meal at least." He took out the bill, waving it smugly in front of everyone, looking quite showy.

"Teacher Ji, did you see it? See, I don't need to go out and carry bricks, right?" Bo Yu said with a bit of pride.

Ji Yaoguang smiled slightly, just taking out her phone to snap a picture of Bo Yu, quickly uploading it before he could react, with the caption: "Pregnant Xi Shi receiving salary."

Some behind-the-scenes snippets from the show had already been leaked during filming. Though it was called a live reality show, the program was broadcast a day later, giving the video team enough time for editing and writing captions. Fans who had been eagerly waiting for updates finally got one and flocked to Ji Yaoguang's Weibo.

"Oh my god, how is this so funny? What happened to my campus god!"

"I'm dying of laughter! Teacher Ji, please post more."

"I wish I could rush to the filming location!"

"I want to know what this is all about. Little brother Bo played Xi Shi, so who did Teacher Ji and the others play? Can't wait to watch the show!"

"I'm laughing like crazy looking at my phone, my mom's asking what I'm doing."

Ji Yaoguang V: I'm afraid you won't want to see me after watching the show.

She posted another Weibo teasing.

Chang Yu V: I'll look at you. \\\\@Ji Yaoguang V: I'm afraid you won't want to see me after watching the show.

Fans commented below: Oh my, what's happening to this world? Teacher Chang suddenly dropped her cool and reserved demeanor to show affection, is it because spring has arrived?