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Xiaowen smiled: "Although the candidate hasn’t been decided yet, it’s basically you, the brightest star of our year! Aren’t you honored? To be in close proximity with Empress Qin, a god-like figure. "
A roommate on the side joked: "What are you saying, she might be god to us, but not necessarily for Tangtang. They might even have the chance to film together later."
"Right, right, right." Xiaowen laughed and echoed, "After all, our Tangtang is also a queen. The moment she walked in, our room 405 immediately lit up, bling bling!"
Speaking of this, Xiaowen walked to Tang Ruoyao's bed and spread her hands to mimic rays of light, as if depicting endless brilliance.
The expression on Tang Ruoyao’s face was blank.
Xiaowen and the other roommates looked at each other.
"Tangtang?" A call came to her ear.
As if woken up from a dream, Tang Ruoyao reacted slowly and said: "What is it?"
Xiaowen: "What are you zoning out for?"
"It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered something." Tang Ruoyao vaguely glossed over it and asked, "What were you guys saying? I wasn’t listening."
Xiaowen: "Oh, not much, just talking about you being on the same stage with Empress Qin, and asking if it's an honor."
Tang Ruoyao smiled and said, "It's an honor, of course it is. I don't usually have the chance to meet such a person, so I want to take a good look and see if she looks better than in the movies."
Xiaowen wow-ed: "Even you’ve never seen her before?"
Tang Ruoyao lied with a straight face: "No."
"I thought you were filming with a major director, so you could’ve seen her here or there."
"Nope."
A roommate said: "Hey, I heard that Qin Yinong and Director Mei..."
There was a vague momentum towards gossips about Qin Yinong. Tang Ruoyao suppressed her temper, and diverted the subject seemingly nonchalantly: "How are your graduation theses going?"
Everyone chimed in, and they started talking business.
In today's difficult employment situation, Tang Ruoyao's 405 room is fortunately blooming everywhere. No need to talk about Tang Ruoyao, she has already signed with her agency since early. Even though her career is rising, she could still squeeze some time out of filming to attend school, and she received the "Three Gold" Best Actress title before graduation, as expected of the "405 Big Sister".
Xiaowen, whose full name is Wen Shuxian, born with a pleasant round face, is a hit with the audience. During sophomore year, she was chosen by a big agent company and filmed idol dramas, gradually becoming popular. Until now, she has played in many scripts, and is considered quite a famous actress in the TV drama industry.
Fu Yujun, the one joking on the side, has a delicate and earnest face, has solid basic skills, and is taking the Tsing Yi route (T/N: Tsing Yi is a type of character in Chinese opera that plays the role of middle-aged women, specifically wives and mothers). She has also signed with an agent company. Even though she has yet to handle any leading role, her supporting roles in TV series that have been broadcasted were very well received, and she’ll be able to soar when she has a chance.
Cui Jiaren is the least eye-catching among the four, but she too has signed a contract with the theatre. She’ll be able to join the National Theatre right after graduation, which is also a good path.
It is often said that girls’ dormitories usually have competition, but they’re mainly rumors. At the very least, that’s not the case with room 405. Their entire room is eager to learn and advance together, and each of them is excellent in both character and academic performance. Because they always place among the best in class, they formed the famous "scholar dorm” of their year.
Friendship during student life is one of the few precious relationships in a person's life that is not mixed with interests. The four of them cherish it--no matter how turbulent the entertainment industry is, they hope to stay connected forever.
Somebody changed the topic again, and said in a low voice: “I heard that Huo Yuke is also back. She’s so haughty that she might as well be lifted here on a carriage of eight people. Have you guys seen her?”
The lively dorm room quietened down suddenly, to the point one can hear the needle fall.
The three people below all turned their eyes to Tang Ruoyao.
Tang Ruoyao was still tidying up, as if she hadn’t heard anything.
Wen Shuxian said: "Tangtang, aren’t you mad?"
Tang Ruoyao paused, and said indifferently: "What should I be mad at?"
Wen Shuxian filled in indignantly: "She stole your role!"
Tang Ruoyao hummed in agreement.
Two days ago, Ruan Qin told her that she had been rejected for the female lead role of that movie, that someone with a strong backing pushed her out. That someone was Huo Yuke, her classmate.
Huo Yuke is also considered notorious in the class. Relying on her backing, she’s been featured as lead roles since freshman year. With endless resources falling on her head, she won the Golden Guild Award for Best Newcomer. The heroine role was also shortlisted in many domestic film festivals. While not as recognized by the industry as the "Three Golds", they are still prominent. If it wasn’t for Tang Ruoyao, the top graduate of the class of 2014 would be her.
But there is no ‘if’ in this world. Unfortunately for her, she’s in the same year with Tang Ruoyao, and the two of them take the same path. Huo Yuke's achievements have been completely overshadowed by Tang Ruoyao's brilliance.
Huo Yuke may not need this specific role, but since Tang Ruoyao wanted it, she absolutely must have it. It just so happened that it was when Qin Yinong was "neglecting" Tang Ruoyao, purposefully letting her stand on her own feet, and didn't ask after the audition in detail. This was why Huo Yuke was able to snatch it.
At any rate, Wen Shuxian, the little famous actress signed with a big company, is very well-informed. Huo Yuke also never shies away from the fact that she has endorsement, just short of putting up an announcement to the whole world. The news that she snatched Tang Ruoyao's role had passed to Wen Shuxian's ears, and now she told the others in the room.
As a result, the rest of them were very upset, but Tang Ruoyao looked all right.
"What can I do? Knock Huo Yuke on the head?" Tang Ruoyao smiled at the blazing eyes of her roommates, and said leisurely, "It's illegal to hit someone."
"Just don't let her know that it’s us and it’s all good." Wen Shuxian leaned her cheek against one hand and considered it seriously, "Find an empty place, put a sack on her head, beat her first and deal with it later."
Fu Yujun shook her head and said, "It's not safe. What if she manages to break free from the sack and sees us?"
Cui Jiaren, who doesn’t talk much, said: "We can hire someone. My boyfriend is an amateur practicing Sanda, there are many tall men in his club. We should be able to call out a few." (T/N: Sanda is known as Chinese kickboxing that practices traditional kung fu and modern fighting techniques)
Wen Shuxian fist palmed and said happily: "Okay, that's decided!"
Cui Jiaren grabbed her phone: "Then I’ll call now."
Tang Ruoyao chucked a pillow at their heads, laughed and scolded in a relaxed tone: "Alright, alright, calm down. It's just one role, without this, I can still get another one."
Wen Shuxian grieved for her and muttered: "But you were preparing for such a long time."
Tang Ruoyao raised her eyebrows slightly, and said nonchalantly: "Is it guaranteed to be mine as long as I prepare? Maybe Huo Yuke has been preparing longer than me. If my skills can’t match up to others, I’ll admit defeat."
Wen Shuxian's expression was downright terrible, she choked out: "Like hell! Huo Yuke, she—"
Fu Yujun pulled her from the side, laughing to ease the atmosphere: "Fairy Wen is swearing, don’t be like that." Avoiding Tang Ruoyao's sight, Fu Yujun tightened the fingers on her arm and winked wildly.
Wen Shuxian's chest heaved sharply, but she endured it.
Tang Ruoyao got out of the bed, looked directly at the three of them, and said sternly, "Huo Yuke has bodyguards with her, and she has more than one. Do you really think I don't want to beat her?"
Wen Shuxian said without thinking, "Then we’ll also hire a few bodyguards. Let's fight it out and see who wins." She couldn't help but snort as soon as she finished speaking.
All of them laughed together.
The crisis evaporated.
After laughing for a while, Wen Shuxian curled her lips and said, "But I’m still very pissed at her. I heard people say that she talked shit about our Tangtang everywhere, saying that there’s a sponsor behind her. I spit, who’s really the one with a sponsor, doesn’t she know it herself? The thief shouts to catch the thief, can there be anyone as shameless as her?" (T/N: 贼喊捉贼 means the thief covering himself up by shouting along with the crowd to catch the thief)
Tang Ruoyao's eyes darkened, uncomfortably pursing her lips.
Fu Yujun glanced at Tang Ruoyao a bit, and suggested, “Okay, don’t talk about her anymore, it’d just ruin everyone’s mood. To celebrate our 405 room gathering again, what do you guys want to eat tonight? My treat!"
Wen Shuxian raised her hand: "Hot pot! Does anyone have any objections?"
Cui Jiaren said: "None from me."
Tang Ruoyao smiled and shook her head: "Me neither."
"Then it's decided." Fu Yujun enthusiastically circled the three roommates with both arms, and pulled them out of the door.
The dorm rooms for the performing department are all on this floor. Some of the doors were wide open, so they greeted others all the way downstairs. Wen Shuxian said, “Luckily we didn’t meet that disgusting Huo Yuke. Otherwise, I’d have to fight her."
Fu Yujun pinched her arm and warned in a low voice: "Still not done yet? Mention her again and you can eat on your own."
Wen Shuxian quickly shut up and said nothing else.
She’s straight-forward and her mouth is quick. It’s also because of this mouth that she is often mocked by the media. Fortunately, her heart is big enough, she never takes the slander seriously--just continues to film peacefully.
Regardless of all the noise around her, Tang Ruoyao was quiet the whole time. Not the kind of quietness pretending to be cold, but the one staying out of the matter as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
Fu Yujun missed the former Tang Ruoyao a little bit.
When Tang Ruoyao first enrolled in freshman year, she was actually a bit shy in private, and would be embarrassed when receiving unexpected kindness, although still not really talkative with a cold and arrogant noble face. She had her own sharpness, her own facets, her own arrogance, and was quite a lively person. Later, who knows what happened, her entire personality changed, as if she was hiding herself in a shell, with some heavy sorrow buried deep in her eyes. She became indifferent to everything, the coldness and apathy seeping from her bones.
If it wasn’t for the fact that she still treated the other three the same as before, Fu Yujun would have suspected that some ghost had possessed her.
Just now, Tang Ruoyao said seriously that Huo Yuke had bodyguards, dispelling Wen Shuxian’s urge to fight. She said that she also wanted to beat her, seeming to stand on the same battlefield with them, but in fact, her eyes were as calm as stagnant water.
She didn't care about Huo Yuke snatching her role at all.
Fu Yujun didn't plan to confirm, but she had a vague feeling that what Huo Yuke said about Tang Ruoyao having a sponsor might be true. Her sponsor was probably the main reason for this big change.
Other people might not know, but all in their dorm room knew the truth. Tang Ruoyao is from an ordinary background, and she has no prominent family history as the rumors said at all. But in just three years, her resources are really not something a newcomer can get.
She was thinking attentively when she suddenly felt something, and so she raised her head, only to meet the thoughtful look in Tang Ruoyao's eyes.
Fu Yujun froze.
Tang Ruoyao curled her lashes and smiled slightly at her.
Fu Yujun's scalp became numb, trembling, and a layer of goosebumps appeared for no reason.
Tang Ruoyao retrieved her gaze.
Fu Yujun quietly reached her hand towards her back. The thin shirt was sticking onto her body, and there was a layer of cold sweat on her back.
She was wrong.
It wasn’t that Tang Ruoyao had been smoothed out of her edges. She just learned to cover said edges, and occasionally shows a corner without a word, enough to make people shudder.
What exactly happened to her?
Wen Shuxian was babbling the whole way--she even could weave a long speech about a flower she passed by. Cui Jiaren took out her phone to record it, and laughed while recording: "Fairy Wen, if I put this on the internet, do you believe that your fans will all abandon you in minutes?"
Wen Shuxian proudly turned her head: "No way, my fans like me like this. It's called authenticity, okay? I would rather fans like the real me with flaws than just my image."
Cui Jiaren was startled, half praised and half surrendered: "Wow, this philosopher."
Wen Shuxian turned her face and asked Tang Ruoyao: "Tangtang, do you think I'm right?"
Tang Ruoyao said nonchalantly: "They might prefer the persona. You’re an actress, just showing them your performance is good enough, why do you want them to see the real you?"
Wen Shuxian was choked speechless by her.
Cui Jiaren made a vote for Tang Ruoyao: "Indifferent and heartless Tang Ruoyao, iron righteous Tang Ruoyao, poisonous tongue Tang Ruoyao, protect the best Tang Ruoyao, Tang Ruoyao walks the flowery road, mama loves you, advance!"
Tang Ruoyao: "……"
Wen Shuxian was so angry that she was fuming, she went to pinch Cui Jiaren’s face. Cui Jiaren held her phone up to film while ducking behind Tang Ruoyao: "Mama, no, Tangtang save me!"
Wen Shuxian: "Hahahaha, this part must be posted online, see if I lose fans, or if you lose fans."
Cui Jiaren: "I don't have any fans. I'm a commoner, how can I compare with Fairy Wen?"
Fairy Wen yelled, chasing Cui Jiaren for a while, but Cui Jiaren couldn't handle it, so she stuffed her phone into Tang Ruoyao's hand. Tang Ruoyao was stunned, and then continued to record after composing herself.
Once the two were done fighting, a cool voice came from behind: "I posted the video on the internet already. Wait for the hot search."
Wen Shuxian: "!!!"
She wants fans to see her real self, but that doesn’t mean she wants them to see a crazy woman!
Wen Shuxian hurriedly took out her phone, and nervously checked the two’s Weibo accounts again and again, but there was nothing. Realizing that she was being played, she raised her head: "Tang! Ruo! Yao!"
Tang Ruoyao raised her brows and stood still.
Wen Shuxian stared at her for a while, reached out a pair of claws and viciously pinched… Cui Jiaren's face.
There was no other way, that face of Tang Ruoyao had such a heavenly aura, she couldn't do anything to her, so she had to bully Cui Jiaren instead. Who told her to look a little bit worse?
Cui Jiaren: "...The fuck!" She couldn't help but spit out a curse.
The two pinched each other fiercely.
Fu Yujun sighed on the side: "Feels bad for Jiaren."
Tang Ruoyao, the culprit, had no guilt, raised the corner of her lips slightly and said, "Yeah."
The two looked at each other and chuckled.
The first day back in the dormitory, Tang Ruoyao was surrounded by the long-lost relaxed and lively atmosphere, easing her heavy heart like never before.
Wen Shuxian and Cui Jiaren were bickering again, fooling around on the bed. Tang Ruoyao chuckled and shook her head, opened the graduation thesis on her lap and read it again. The revision was finished long ago, and the defense bans any use of manuscript, so she needs to reach the level of just blurting out the content.
The phone on the bedside shook. Tang Ruoyao swiped open the screen and stared at the text from home. Her smile narrowed, and her eyes darkened little by little.
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The author has something to say:
One more chapter first, one more chapter in the evening~
I’m not writing about the small theater today. I will tell you a story I saw and give it to us today.
translated by noba, edited by drew