Chu Yueyi had forgotten how she got out of the car in such a daze.
She had intended to discuss a topic with Shi Guanghua, but suddenly started a strange game of "stringing along for decades," completely failing to understand how the conversation had reached this point.
After returning home, Chu Yueyi finally managed to calm down a bit. She looked down at the white roses and handmade items in her arms, then took out her phone to send a message to someone, politely expressing her gratitude.
She often lost her temper when facing Shi Guanghua, but as long as they weren't directly confronting each other, their communication could be quite rational.
This might also be the reason why neither of them had crossed any boundaries for so long. She was quite restrained and cautious when sending WeChat messages, and since Shi Guanghua wasn't good at online communication, their private chats were rather unremarkable.
Shi Guanghua replied quickly: [I just looked it up online, and they say stringing someone along is bad behavior.]
Clearly, Shi Guanghua was unaware of the push-pull tactics in dating. Instead of leaving immediately, he parked his car and studied, absorbing common knowledge about the human world from the information-rich internet.
When Chu Yueyi saw the content Shi Guanghua sent, she thought he had finally come to his senses and encouragingly replied: [Good, you should learn more about normal people's thoughts.]
She rarely sent cute cat emojis to men, but now she used one to convey her strong approval.
She thought Shi Guanghua should recognize how ridiculous he had been, but she didn't expect him to send another message.
[They say stringing someone along means being hot and cold, sending mixed signals, but why do I feel like you haven't sent any signals?]
CYY: [?]
Shi Guanghua directly sent her an article from Zhihu, in which a respondent described in detail the feeling of being strung along, how hope comes after disappointment, only to be disappointed again, being hurt by the other person's on-and-off behavior, yet still falling for their false kindness despite knowing better.
After reading this article, Chu Yueyi's first reaction was that love-brained people indeed never learn their lesson.
After reading this article, Shi Guanghua's first reaction was to ask: [Why don't we have so many interactions when you string me along?]
Shi Guanghua was very confused. Other people who string along or get strung along chat frequently, but Chu Yueyi hardly ever chatted with him.
CYY: [???]
Chu Yueyi was stunned by his question.
She found his thought process bewildering.
Brother, those people are playing with emotions and deceiving feelings, it's completely despicable behavior, and you read it and ask why I'm not toying with your feelings!?
CYY: [...Are you accusing me of not stringing you along properly?]
Shi Guanghua replied briefly and quickly: [Yes.]
He added: [I just realized that other people chat a lot and send mixed signals.]
Shi Guanghua previously had no concept of WeChat interactions. After researching, he discovered how talkative these people were.
The respondent wanted to use their miserable experience of being strung along to warn others not to be love-brained, but who would have thought that what Shi Guanghua took away from it was not the lesson, but that he should chat frequently with the other person.
This was similar to when elders tell you not to run on slippery roads on rainy days, and Shi Guanghua responds by sprinting down a hillside, perfectly demonstrating what it means to be a negative example!
Chu Yueyi's eyebrows twitched, and she replied helplessly: [For some reason, I really want to punch you right now.]
She couldn't even maintain rationality in online chats anymore, mainly because she found it impossible to reason with Shi Guanghua.
Shi Guanghua humbly asked: [Is this considered a kind of signal?]
CYY: [Bye]
CYY: [Bleh.jpg]
[Okay, I've received the signal.] Chu Yueyi held her phone, speechless. She felt like she had dug herself into a hole. She shouldn't have mentioned stringing people along in the first place, and now she couldn't get out of it.
Great.
She hadn't even experienced normal dating, and now she was being pushed to be a scumbag woman who strings people along. It was indeed very challenging.
And the most outrageous way to be a scumbag was to send "Bye" and dissatisfied emojis.
Chu Yueyi put her phone aside and started dealing with the roses. She originally wanted to find a vase to arrange the flowers, but halfway through, she found it troublesome. She got tired just after unwrapping the bouquet.
There was a reason why Chu Wenyue called her a giant baby at home. Except for work-related matters, she really didn't want to do anything extra.
Chu Yueyi even reflected on why she wanted to arrange flowers. When she received flowers from the school at her graduation ceremony, she didn't know where they ended up either. She clearly wasn't a meticulous person.
This made it seem like she valued the white roses a lot.
In the end, Chu Yueyi didn't arrange the flowers, nor did she throw them away. She placed the scattered bouquet on the balcony, where they transformed from delicate blooms into dehydrated dried flowers under the sun, adding a touch of chaotic, withered beauty.
The dried stems were cut off, and the pristine dried flowers were thrown into a glass bottle, later becoming a decorative item on Chu Yueyi's bookshelf.
The craft they made that day was placed next to it, or more accurately, the one Shi Guanghua made, as Chu Yueyi mostly contributed by giving verbal instructions.
After the movie day, there were some changes in the communication between Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua.
Shi Guanghua had always been straightforward, and his attitude towards Chu Yueyi remained unchanged, almost wearing his double standards on his face.
When facing Shi Guanghua, Chu Yueyi often couldn't control her temper and frequently found herself reflecting on her words and actions. She was usually quite friendly to others, but when it came to Shi Guanghua, she always felt irritated.
During the recording of "Dream Huayin," the production team would prepare some snacks, and the sponsor's drinks were placed on the table. Although everyone dared not blatantly place products, there would always be advertising segments, such as shots of the Huayin assistants and contestants drinking the beverages.
In the studio's rest area, Chu Yueyi arrived first and found only Shi Guanghua and a few contestants inside. The other two Huayin assistants hadn't arrived yet.
After greeting everyone friendly, Chu Yueyi noticed the drinks on the table and curiously asked, "Are we going to film the drink segment here later?"
Chu Yueyi was considered the most popular among the three Huayin assistants, mainly because her comments on stage were mostly praise, so the contestants weren't afraid of her. As the mood maker designated by the production team, she basically always had a smile on her face in front of the camera.
Liu Yan was probably the most revered figure among the contestants. Even when the veteran wasn't angry, her words always had a sharp edge. Her experience spoke for itself, and coupled with her straightforward personality, she came across as very incisive.
Zou Qian might be the comedian, mainly because his praise couldn't match Chu Yueyi's, and his criticism couldn't match Liu Yan's, but he had a uniquely funny style.
The contestants were equally confused: "Probably... we're not sure either..."
Chu Yueyi nodded understandingly and picked up a bottle of drink, intending to taste it first. Embarrassingly, she hadn't tried the sponsor's brand before filming "Dream Huayin."
While the contestants were chatting quietly in the corner, Shi Guanghua noticed Chu Yueyi's action and took the initiative to stand up and walk towards her.
Chu Yueyi gripped the bottle and twisted hard twice, but the cap didn't budge at all. She frowned and continued to exert force.
Shi Guanghua walked over and reached out his hand to her, seemingly asking for the drink in her hand, looking like he wanted to help her.
If it were someone else offering help, Chu Yueyi might have gone along with it, directly handing it over and then smiling in gratitude. However, seeing Shi Guanghua inexplicably sparked her competitive spirit, and she stubbornly turned her back, insisting on opening the drink herself.
Shi Guanghua looked at Chu Yueyi's back: "?" What had he done to offend her this time?
Recently, Shi Guanghua had discovered a new side of Chu Yueyi. Sometimes she would inexplicably have a competitive spirit with him, even though he hadn't actually done anything wrong.
This was probably like felines: when in a good mood, they're soft and gentle, but when in a bad mood, they hiss at people. They won't show truly aggressive behavior, but they always try to appear threatening.
And she seemed to be particularly harsh with those close to her.
She wouldn't be fierce with other people.
Shi Guanghua had already gotten used to it. He good-naturedly followed her, once again standing in front of her, silently reaching out his hand.
Chu Yueyi was anxious about not being able to open the bottle, and seeing him so composed made her even more competitive. She looked at his hand hanging in mid-air and reflexively reached out to swat it away!
Shi Guanghua wasn't hurt by the swat. He had just withdrawn his hand when he glanced at the drink in her arms and instinctively reached out again, only to see her about to swat his hand once more.
He slightly withdrew his hand, and she lowered her palm a bit.
He reached out to her, and she raised her palm again.
The two began to face off in mutual probing, entering into a strange hand-slapping game.
The contestants watching this scene nearby were a bit bewildered.
A contestant who didn't understand the standoff between the two stood up in surprise: "Is it that hard to open? Teacher Chu, let me help you..."
Others immediately pulled him back down, advising: "Don't go, you'll get hit."
"Her slap wouldn't hurt that much, would it?"
"Did I say you'd be hit by Teacher Chu?"
If someone else came to help Chu Yueyi open the bottle cap, she certainly wouldn't slap their hand.
If the contestants helped her open it now, she surely wouldn't refuse, but the other person's attitude was uncertain.
What's called "one willing to hit and one willing to be hit" - was this something they should interfere with?
Chu Yueyi heard the murmurs around her and instantly felt embarrassed, not expecting others to notice their little interactions. She casually handed the drink to Shi Guanghua, no longer continuing their childish confrontation.
Shi Guanghua opened the drink and handed it back to her: "Here, drink."
Chu Yueyi pursed her lips and said in a muffled voice: "I don't want it anymore."
Shi Guanghua ignored her sulking and patiently elaborated: "Please drink it. I'm worried you're thirsty. I'm begging you."
He had now summarized a rule of thumb: when communicating, don't let her feel like she's lost, and things will generally move forward.
Chu Yueyi let out a light hum, finally accepting the drink bottle and slowly sipping it.
The surrounding contestants sighed in amazement, noting how rare it was to hear the music director beg someone - truly unprecedented.
"I hope Director Shi will communicate with us like this in the future too. He could see through my tough exterior with one glance and say, 'Use this arrangement, I'm afraid you don't know which one to choose, please.' Instead of coldly asking, 'What's your reason?'..."
"Daydreaming in broad daylight?"
The reality was, Shi Guanghua never coddled people at work. His suggestions basically represented decisions. Unless contestants could provide reasonable explanations to prove their choices were better, he would just stare at them expressionlessly.
And so far, no one had been able to make better choices than Shi Guanghua.
Indeed. Shi Guanghua was a hidden figure revered by the contestants. Although he had no screen time at all, he was equally strict in their eyes.
If Liu Yan's sharp comments could wound people, then Shi Guanghua's cold and bland expression was another style. He wasn't good with words and wouldn't criticize people, but rather exuded an air of "I can't be bothered to waste words on you" detachment.
Liu Yan's criticism was "you're stupid but there's hope," while Shi Guanghua's silence was "you're stupid and beyond help."
The strengths and weaknesses of these two straightforward figures were equally obvious. If someone did very well, they would praise directly. If someone did poorly, they couldn't hide their emotions either.
Moreover, Liu Yan and Shi Guanghua had always performed excellently in their professions, making it difficult for them to empathize with those who didn't do well.
The veteran Liu Yan once had an explosive quote: "I sing so damn well, why should I bother arguing with those who sing terribly!?"
The contestants had thought Shi Guanghua was as impatient as Liu Yan, but now it seemed he did have patience - he just didn't like using it, always in an emotion-conserving state.
This was truly a miraculous thing.
Teacher Chu Yueyi had the best temper and didn't understand much about music, yet she somehow specially countered the musicians.
A contestant pondered thoughtfully, stroking his chin: "Is this what they call the food chain?"
Recently, Chu Yueyi found herself unexpectedly popular. Although she had always been quite friendly to the contestants before, it hadn't reached the point where they frequently asked her to stay.
In the studio, Chu Yueyi came back to get something and happened to run into the contestants rehearsing. After greeting them, she politely and officially smiled: "Well then, good luck with your practice. I'll just..."
A contestant said disappointedly: "Teacher Chu, won't you stay and watch us rehearse?"
Chu Yueyi's smile was flawless, but inside she was a bit confused: "?"
It was true that Dream Huayin's support staff occasionally participated in rehearsals. Liu Yan and Zou Qian had both given private guidance. But it didn't seem appropriate for her to do this - wouldn't it be misleading them?
If she were asked to impart performance experience, she definitely wouldn't refuse. But her singing wasn't good?
Chu Yueyi was very self-aware. She hesitantly said: "I thought you all were aware of my musical abilities? Would you dare listen to my guidance?"
She didn't feel ashamed admitting her singing wasn't good. After all, her main profession was acting, and she wasn't brought here to be an instructor.
The contestants coaxed: "Just stay and watch, there are other teachers giving instructions!"
"There will be a vocal coach later, and Director Shi and the others are all here. You can just sit on the side and watch."
Faced with the contestants' enthusiastic invitations, Chu Yueyi felt even more suspicious: "..." What was the point of her being there?
"Director Shi is too fierce. It'll be better if you're here." Someone, seeing her hesitation, finally told the truth.
Chu Yueyi looked surprised: "Is he fierce?"
Everyone firmly replied: "Fierce."
Chu Yueyi's mind worked quickly. She immediately grasped the deeper meaning - this was subtly tattling, though she didn't know why they were telling her.
Chu Yueyi had no choice but to stay. She sat in a seat to the side, and soon saw Shi Guanghua and the others arrive.
Shi Guanghua was startled to see her. If one had to describe his current feeling, it was like a teacher entering the classroom to give a lesson, suddenly discovering the principal sitting in the back observing. Even his voice became gentle and mild.
The lesson content was the same, but the spirit had changed.
The contestants exchanged meaningful glances, clearly finding the effect satisfactory.
As each contestant took turns rehearsing, Shi Guanghua wasn't emitting his usual intense coldness today. This emboldened the contestants, making them speak more assertively: "Director Shi, what if I play my own piano accompaniment?"
This contestant had proposed this idea several times but hadn't been able to convince Shi Guanghua. Now he was bringing it up again.
Shi Guanghua raised an eyebrow, about to directly refuse, when unexpectedly Chu Yueyi curiously leaned in: "Who accompanied before?"
Shi Guanghua softened his tone and explained: "There's a live band."
Chu Yueyi, not understanding live performances, asked: "So what's the difference between that and him playing himself?"
Shi Guanghua pondered for a few seconds. He didn't want to explain the complex process to Chu Yueyi, so he could only use simple words to clarify: "The band's performance is very stable. In this kind of competition, both playing and singing live carries a higher risk."
This type of music competition show wasn't just about singing to a recorded accompaniment. The accompaniment and harmonies were quite professional. Shi Guanghua wasn't opposed to contestants accompanying themselves; he simply felt this particular contestant's level wasn't high enough yet.
This was actually out of goodwill, but he didn't like explaining.
The contestant was stunned: "But you never mentioned this before..."
Shi Guanghua calmly said: "I thought you had an accurate awareness of your own performance level."
He had never understood why contestants who didn't play well still insisted on playing. After being pestered several times, he naturally became even less willing to explain.
The contestant: "..." Great, now I'm aware.
Chu Yueyi stared at Shi Guanghua for a moment. She blinked and suddenly said: "You're so fierce."
Shi Guanghua looked utterly confused: "Am I fierce?"
Chu Yueyi nodded: "Mm-hmm, fierce enough to hurt me."
As a tone-deaf person, she felt attacked, honestly admitting her level was below the contestant's.
Shi Guanghua instantly panicked. His body stiffened as he tried to explain: "I just thought it would be more suitable for him to perform his own accompaniment on stage when he plays better..."
Chu Yueyi said with satisfaction: "This sounds more like your usual way of speaking."
She roughly understood why the contestants said Shi Guanghua was fierce. In his energy-saving mode, he didn't explain and only gave clear-cut results.
Hearing this, the contestants became excited, egging things on like spectators: "Director Shi, we need this kind of speaking style too!"
Shi Guanghua: "..."
Even if slow on the uptake, Shi Guanghua realized he might have been set up by the contestants. No wonder she was oddly sitting in today - clearly someone wanted to complain to a higher-up.
Complaining to the production team was useless; no one there could manage Liu Yan and Shi Guanghua. Honest advice might be unpleasant to hear but beneficial to act on. Their comments might not sound nice, but they weren't wrong either.
Chu Yueyi gloated: "So Director Shi is that harsh at work."
Shi Guanghua was teased by her but couldn't fight back. He could only turn and vent his emotions on the culprits, coldly saying to the contestants: "What's the use of making requests to me? She won't always be here listening."
Shi Guanghua was naturally friendly towards her out of habit, but he didn't have this habit with the contestants.
He had already decided that as soon as Chu Yueyi left, he would immediately switch back to his previous state. He didn't believe these people would still dare to freely make suggestions then. He spoke to Zou Qian the same way and didn't see any problem with it.
Director Shi was a fair person. Whether a singer was famous or unknown, if their ability wasn't good enough, it simply wasn't good enough. He absolutely wouldn't coddle anyone in his speech.
"Do you also need this style of speech? Do you need to ascend to heaven as well?"
That's right. He laid his cards on the table.
He was indeed applying double standards, and he wasn't hiding it anymore!
The others gasped: "This is a threat! It's a blatant, face-to-face threat!"
"Teacher Chu, if you step out of this door today, none of us here will be able to live."
The contestants weren't angry; instead, they laughed exaggeratedly.
Chu Yueyi's face was now flushed red. He was simply giving up, clearly showing he couldn't treat her and others with the same attitude!
If this were any more direct, it would be a public confession!
Chu Yueyi planned to escape, saying in a trembling voice: "It's getting late..."
The contestants didn't dare let Chu Yueyi leave, hurriedly persuading: "Stay and watch a bit longer!"
"Yeah, I haven't rehearsed yet. We can't just watch them."
The contestants thought: Joke's on her, if she leaves now, she'll be assassinated on the spot.
Surrounded by the contestants and considering that Liu Yan and Zou Qian had already watched the rehearsal, Chu Yueyi eventually stayed out of professional integrity.
Shi Guanghua and others were originally guiding by the stage side, with Chu Yueyi watching from a corner, but she was soon invited to the stage side again.
Shi Guanghua was instructing at the edge of the stage when he saw Chu Yueyi being led by the arm by a female contestant, and they eventually came to his side.
"Teacher Yueyi, please sit here!" The female contestant enthusiastically arranged for Chu Yueyi to sit just a step away from Shi Guanghua.
Chu Yueyi felt like she was overseeing, closely watching Shi Guanghua's daily work.
Shi Guanghua glanced at her, then continued with his explanation.
Other contestants remarked: "There's indeed a softening effect in his voice; his tone is much gentler now."
"Is this also considered a kind of reverb?"
Chu Yueyi: "..." You seem to be treating me like some strange equipment!