Chapter 24: Passionate Play

  Printed on A4 paper with No. 4 font, the dense script of the play has three crooked red handwritten characters at the top - Passion Play.

  Scene: Inside Xiang Yu's tent

  Characters: Xiang Yu (played by Chen Yan), Yu Ji (played by Xia Xi)

  Xi Xi hadn't seen the specific plot content yet, but just seeing the title and character settings made her shout angrily at Director Tang. Her one shout brought everyone from the entire Hongmen Banquet drama team rushing over.

  Tang Dao walked over with his hands behind his back, taking small steps: "This is called a gimmick, a selling point, do you understand?"

  "Whatever, I'm not acting!" XiXi slammed the script on the table, her face red with anger and determination. She had already reached her limit of patience playing opposite Chen Yan, and now this director was asking for some passionate scenes? He was simply rubbing it in her face! She was going to quit!

  Xin Nuo picked up the script that Xi Xi had thrown on the table and quickly scanned it.

  Xiang Wang (said with great passion): That young Liu Ji is simply going to ride roughshod over this king's head.

  Yu Ji (with great passion): King Xiang, calm your anger.

  ……

  Xiang Yu (singing with great passion): Ah! Yu Ji! Since I've had you, life has been a miracle. Together we've wandered, together we've fought through the years. You are my intoxicating sweetness.

  Yu Ji (singing with great passion): Ah! King Xiang! You are the wind, I am the sand, entwined together all the way to Guanzhong.

  King Xiang (with great passion): Dance a dance for me!

  Yu Ji (with great passion): Ah!

  After reading this scene, Xian Miao's eyeballs almost fell out. This plot setting and language style, except for Tang Gongzi, no one else can write it.

  "This is what you call a passionate drama?" Xuan Mei said with a somewhat helpless tone.

  "Hmm, this passionate atmosphere mainly relies on the lead actors to create, it's a great test of their acting skills." Director Tang shook his head and said with conviction, completely ignoring the skeptical glances from the people around him. According to his script, the romantic scenes between Xiang Yu and Yu Ji were the highlight of the entire play.

  "You might as well think carefully about the love and murder of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang." Xiāng Miǎo gave Táng Dǎo a meaningful glance, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

  "This..." Director Tang was embarrassed, nowadays the rotten woman is popular, this is indeed a selling point, but if he really acted like this, he would be reluctant, because Director Tang also has another identity, that is Liu Bang's actor.

  Although we often joke and call each other good friends, if it's performed in front of the whole school, it's really embarrassing and can't be done with a straight face.

  Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Liu Xingman, the instigator. "Fujoshi", he said with a tone of disdain, genuinely helpless.

  Xia Xi went to protest against Liu Xuanmei, but failed. Almost at the same time, Chen Yan also went to secretly protest, and similarly hit a nail on Xuanmei's head.

  He is different from Xi Xi, Xi Xi is resistant but Xian Miao, and at the same time, she was forced to perform due to her relationship with her best friend, while he has a handle in the hands of the queen.

  Chen Yan was never afraid of threats, but Xian Miao happened to be a soft nail, with a tone that was neither light nor heavy, making people feel that she was obviously unwilling to be coerced, yet couldn't bring herself to refuse, and unknowingly fell into her trap.

  "I didn't say how to arrange it." Xuan Mei retorted with a glance. "Either play against Yu Ji or Liu Bang, choose one, we respect the actor's opinion." At this moment, Xuan Mei's expression was like a cunning little fox, full of determination.

  Chen Yan glanced at Xi Xi, who was complaining to Luo Jia with her back to him. A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, "Yu Ji". He fell silent for a moment before speaking up.

  Xixi's shoes are heartbreaking, sad and indignant. She was sold by her good sister Xianmo to the crew to perform "passionate scenes" with Item Wang. The whole script first discussed Liu Bang, then discussed midnight snacks, and finally came up with a few nonsensical singing lines, not even a few passionate lines, but still had to act out the passionate feeling, isn't this tormenting people?

  She memorized her lines quickly, but somehow lacked passion in her performance.

  Chen Yan's situation is even worse, Xi Xi has no passion but at least occasionally has two expressions, Chen Yan is directly a poker face to the end, let alone passion, there are not even any expressions.

  Tang Dao brought them repeatedly practicing, finally almost hugging the legs of both and crying out: "Brother and sister, can't you be more serious about acting?"

  Two people simultaneously kicked him: "How come you're not being serious?"

  After a physical education class and two activity classes, the art festival performance competition was finally ushered in. As one of the most popular competitions among all the projects of the Art Festival, on the day of the competition, the report hall that can accommodate more than 400 people was almost full.

  At the sight of so many people sitting in the auditorium, Xi Xi's heart secretly lamented. There were only four performances scheduled, how did so many people show up? This is going to be a huge loss of face! What was she thinking when she agreed to perform in this school play? She had completely forgotten that she was originally forced into it. Before she could further bemoan her fate, it was already her turn to go on stage.

  Chen Yan's black cloak was already on the stage, and as soon as she came out, he beckoned to her and said familiarly: "Yu Ji, you're here."

  Xi Xi walked up to him, taking advantage of the few steps to sneak a glance at the audience below, which was packed with people. Her heart tightened and her voice trembled slightly: "It's getting late, Your Majesty should rest."

  "That Liu Ji's kid is almost riding on my head!" Chen Yan's words shocked the Tang Gongzi below, and Xiang Wang actually had an expression. Chen Yan's thousand-year-old cold face poker face actually performed a rare angry look, could it be that he was dazzled?

  Looking back again, Chen Yan still had a look of being in character.

  "Don't get angry, Your Majesty," she said, only to get halfway through the line before freezing up. The audience in the packed theater looked on, King Xiang waited on stage for her cue, and the crew members stood by, with the director being more nervous than anyone else. And yet, Xi Xi forgot her lines at this critical moment.

  "I... " She struggled to recall her lines, but her mind was a complete blank and she couldn't remember what to say. One second, two seconds, the atmosphere on stage began to become eerie.

  Yu Ji Chen Yan took a step forward and grasped her hand, "You don't have to comfort me."

  Xi Xi's palm was icy cold, while Chen Yan's hand was warm and hot, the heat transmitted through the skin, she let him hold it, this sudden little episode outside the script made her mind clear for a moment. Comfort? Yes, her line should be to comfort King Xiang, then introduce the background of the Hongmen Banquet.

  She picked up the previous lines, Chen Yan's small action, not only was a quick wit to respond to the situation, but also gave her encouragement and trust, the two people on stage were more serious than any performance.

  Sitting in the front row watching the show, Xian Miao saw an unexpected scene of King Xiang and Yu Ji holding hands, but her expression was calm, with a natural smile on her face. Chen Yan, look, before I even threaten you, you've already exposed your own weakness.