Performing Emotions Live

“Next, number 18, trainee Jian Han!” Fang Hui immediately shouted, “Here!” He swiftly opened the door and pushed Jian Han inside, closing the door behind her. Tang Jun, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, sneered, “Hui, you did that on purpose, didn’t you? You might as well tell the kid to quit and save her from more humiliation.” Fang Hui straightened up and asked, “What do you mean?” Tang Jun raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you know? Han Chen is one of the judges today.” After a pause, he added gleefully, “And the big boss is there too.” Fang Hui’s face darkened immediately. He hadn’t noticed who the judges were in his rush to get Jian Han into the room. Now, it seemed he had set her up for failure. Jian Han looked around and saw that the rehearsal room was about 100 square meters, divided by a large floor-to-ceiling window. She was in the smaller half, which served as a waiting area. A woman in a beige suit sat behind a desk and glanced at her. “Wait here for a moment. You’re next after the current performance.” Jian Han nodded absentmindedly and curiously approached the window to peek inside. In the middle of the room was a row of couches where three people sat. On the left was a handsome man in a black suit with neatly combed-back hair, revealing a broad forehead that gave him a mature look. In the center sat an older man with meticulously styled white hair, looking every bit like a refined British gentleman. Jian Han’s gaze finally landed on the third person, and her eyes widened in shock. The man in the deep purple shirt with a slightly open collar—wasn’t he the actor on all the posters in her room? She looked at the nameplate in front of him: *Han Chen*. The calligraphy was striking. Now she understood why Fang Hui had said, “Follow in Han Chen’s footsteps.” This handsome devil was Han Chen! “Teachers, I’m ready!” A pretty girl stood in front of the three judges, smiling warmly and bowing slightly. Jian Han quickly focused on her. None of the judges responded. The man in the suit looked inscrutable, the old man was stiff and proud, and Han Chen’s cold, expressionless face created immense pressure. The silence made the girl visibly nervous, and her voice trembled as she spoke. “Zhaoyang!” Her face lit up with a bright smile, as if she had just seen someone she liked. Suddenly, her expression turned to anger. She pointed an accusatory finger at an imaginary figure, her voice sharp, “Zhaoyang! Who is she?!” Then, she went silent, staring ahead as if listening to Zhaoyang’s explanation. A moment later, tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked out, “You want her, not me?” She stomped her foot and turned to run. After a few steps, she stumbled as if someone had pulled her back. She spun around, clenched her fists, and pounded the air, half-laughing through her tears. “You’re awful! Even if it’s April Fools’, you can’t joke like this!” Her tears still hung on her lashes, but her lips had already curled into a smile, her joy bursting out. The girl straightened up and bowed to the judges. “Teachers, that’s the end of my performance.” The man in the suit remained silent, still unreadable. The old man nodded slightly. Han Chen frowned and said, “You showed joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but the April Fools’ twist felt forced and unnatural.” He tapped the table, and three golden stars lit up on the screen. The other two judges followed suit, also awarding three stars each. Jian Han watched as the scoreboard revealed a maximum of five stars. The girl had received only three—barely passing. Jian Han was surprised to see that the girl wasn’t disappointed at all. In fact, she looked thrilled, as if she had won a prize. *Is three stars really that impressive?* Jian Han wondered. The girl bowed again and left happily. When she saw Jian Han in the waiting area, she paused for a moment, then composed herself, nodded politely, and walked out with elegance. Inside the room, Han Chen’s impatient voice called out, “Next!” Jian Han raised an eyebrow and walked forward. The moment she appeared, Han Chen’s face darkened. He immediately snapped, “How dare you show up again? With your appearance, your acting range is already limited. You couldn’t even handle the melodrama that suited you best last time. What could you possibly act in?” He waved dismissively. “Get out and stop wasting our time!” Jian Han’s anger flared. She finally understood what had happened to the original Jian Han. When she first arrived in this body, she had woken up in a bathtub, the water stained red with blood. There were no wounds on her body, except for a faint scar on her wrist. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time. But now it was clear—the blood had come from this body. After being humiliated by the idol she adored, it was no wonder the original Jian Han had been too ashamed to live. Jian Han was furious, but her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. Seeing her standing there in a daze, the other two judges also lost interest. The man in the suit slowly furrowed his brow, clearly displeased. Suddenly, a deep, magnetic voice echoed in Jian Han’s mind: “A great actor can step into any role at any time, anywhere. The director, the host, even the fans can be your scene partners.” The voice was like a refreshing spring, instantly cooling her heated mind and clearing her thoughts. She turned away from Han Chen’s scowling face and looked at the man in the suit. “As long as I express joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, I pass, right?” The man raised an eyebrow, now intrigued. He nodded slowly. “Yes.” Jian Han pressed her lips together. “Alright, I’ll begin.” With that, she turned and walked out. Even the old man showed some interest, tilting his head to see what this trainee—whom Han Chen had dismissed as worthless—could do. Jian Han retreated all the way to the waiting area. Han Chen’s cold, mocking voice followed her. “Tch, giving up already? I thought she’d have more fight in her!”