Vase cannon fodder is pampered by the group again

Chapter 60.1

Editor: Princess

“…It’s Shen Ci. I just saw him on the way here. Didn’t he get hurt filming a variety show the day before yesterday? Why’d he suddenly show up for class today?”

“He’s Director Min’s long-lost son, right? Ha, maybe he’s just a pretty vase trying to impress his dad and secure the inheritance, so he came here to study.”

“Honestly, he looks even more delicate in person compared to his photos online. I remember his singing’s really good, and his acting has this natural charm. ‘Don’t Say Farewell’ wasn’t quite there yet, but his role as the younger brother in ‘Neighborhood Sunshine and You’ was genuinely impressive—way better than most of the cast, except for the female lead.”

“Beating out some internet-famous singers is worth bragging about? Embarrassing. Besides, he’s just a pretty vase actor from some cheesy idol dramas. He got popular because of his looks and hype—how good could his acting really be? Stop hyping him up blindly, it’s making me sick.”

“How am I hyping him up blindly? You haven’t even seen his work, yet you’re out here talking trash! You’re just jealous he’s good-looking and has connections. You’re the one who’s disgusting!”

“Alright, stop arguing. They’re about to livestream my cub acting opposite god Lu. I’m kind of worried… my cub comes from idol dramas, while god Lu has done so many art films. I’m scared Xiao Ci’s going to get crushed and end up crying.”

“Ha! That’s exactly what I want. I’m waiting for this pretty vase to get a reality check. No talent at all—what’s the point of being good-looking?”

“…”

The chatter and arguments in the back rows grew louder and louder, until the teacher scolded them a few times, forcing the students to reluctantly quiet down.

The classroom was packed with over a hundred people—students from three different acting classes—all of them staring at Shen Ci with mixed emotions.

Shen Ci felt like a helpless rookie surrounded by mockery. He had no choice but to brace himself, take off his mask, and carefully step up to the podium, his nerves on edge.

“Hmm?” The teacher frowned in surprise. “You looked unfamiliar at first, but now you seem a little familiar… which student are you?”

Shen Ci was practically a regular on trending hot searches. He’d even been on the news headlines just the night before, so it would’ve been strange for someone not to recognize him.

But for these middle-aged folks who weren’t interested in young idols, even if they saw his name online often, they probably wouldn’t bother clicking to learn more. They might’ve heard of “Shen Ci”, but remembering the face of an idol-type actor wasn’t their thing.

Shen Ci didn’t think of himself as a big deal, so he bowed politely to the teacher, “Hello, teacher. I’m here to audit the class. My name is Shen Ci.”

Simple, clear, neither humble nor arrogant.

The teacher finally understood and looked at Shen Ci with a calm expression. “Quite studious of you to take the time to learn the basics in class. Not many popular figures would do that.”

“Work on this script with Lu An first. Lu An’s the top performer in the department. Since you’re here to learn, make sure to ask for advice.”

Shen Ci nodded politely. “Alright, thank you for giving me this opportunity, teacher.”

The teacher probably had a good impression of Shen Ci’s humble and polite attitude, because he even reminded Lu An gently, “Shen Ci has his strengths too, so don’t get too cocky, and don’t bully him.”

“Got it.” Lu An’s voice was lazy and perfunctory. He gave Shen Ci a casual smile, then assigned the roles. Shen Ci had no choice but to go along with it.

The smile on Lu An’s face was obviously fake, and he didn’t seem easy to get along with, so Shen Ci had no choice but to lower his head and focus on analyzing the script.

He summed up his part….. first, he had to break down and cry, then deliver a few lines, and finally show a look of sorrow mixed with unwavering resolve.

He rubbed his chin in frustration. Performances like this, which required layered emotional expression, were a real test of skill, and honestly, a bit tough for someone with his “pretty vase” label.

How was he supposed to pull this off? He needed to recall some kind of similar, painful experience…..

The first thing that came to his mind was the scene from that night when Lu Xiao had his throat slit. His heartbeat immediately went into an overdrive of chaos.

Lu Xiao’s despairing yet gentle bloodstained gaze was seared into his heart, and with every replay of the memory, it only became more vivid, leaving him shaken every time.

In short, it didn’t feel like a hallucination at all.

“Teacher Shen, are you ready?” A few minutes later, Lu An’s indifferent voice interrupted Shen Ci’s thoughts.

That “Teacher Shen” made Shen Ci feel a bit awkward. It was clearly meant to be sarcastic, and it was obvious Lu An didn’t like him.

However he didn’t have time to dwell on it, his fingers trembling slightly as he nodded. He was already slipping into the mood, and the tears welling up in his eyes were on the verge of spilling over.

Lu An closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his entire aura had transformed.

Dejected and miserable, his eyes were like dead embers as he slumped to his knees, completely defeated. “Honey, I’m sorry…. I can’t take care of you and the kid anymore.”

In just a few seconds, he perfectly conveyed the regret, self-reproach, and anger of a murderer awaiting a death sentence. The teacher almost couldn’t stop themselves from clapping in praise.

All eyes in the room turned to Shen Ci, who was about to take over the scene.

Shen Ci kept his head down, saying nothing, which surprised everyone. Some students even scoffed out loud at the sight.

However the teacher, who was standing closest to Shen Ci noticed something unexpected—his whole body was trembling, and faint sounds of tears hitting the floor could be heard.

The attention to detail was impressive, so impressive that the teacher’s expression grew serious, and any trace of amusement disappeared from his gaze.

“You bastard…” Shen Ci muttered through trembling lips. His frail body swayed unsteadily before collapsing to the ground like a deflated balloon, startling the audience.

Shen Ci suddenly raised his face, and the teacher’s eyebrows shot up, astonishment flashing in his eyes.

This “pretty vase”….. might not be as shallow as people thought.

Shen Ci bit down hard on his lip as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. The raw grief and despair in his eyes were so painfully real that Lu An, who had just lifted his head, felt a chill run down his spine and almost forgot his next line.

He had underestimated him!

Lu An quickly refocused, snapping back into character to pick up the scene with Shen Ci. The two went back and forth, evenly matched, neither giving an inch. The intensity was so gripping it could have gone straight onto the big screen.

The whispers among the students gradually died down. They stared wide-eyed at the two fully immersed actors on the stage, their jaws practically hitting the floor in shock.

Wasn’t Shen Ci just a pretty vase idol? How could he be this good?!

Not only did he keep up with Lu An, the department’s top performer, he almost also outshone him at first. It was only after Lu An got serious that he managed to hold his own. This had to be some kind of cheat code, right?

Thinking back, Shen Ci had only started acting last year when he joined the cast of “Don’t Say Farewell”. It had only been about a year and a half since then. He’d acted in just two dramas, but his performance in “Neighborhood Sunshine and You” had already reached the pinnacle of idol actors.

This kind of talent and natural flair was honestly a little scary… The faces of those who had mocked Shen Ci’s acting earlier were now looking pretty grim.

Some students even found themselves thinking, “thank goodness Shen Ci didn’t graduate from an acting school”.

The students sitting in the back quickly pulled out their phones, zooming in with their cameras to get a better view of the scene, all of them regretting sitting so far from the action.

Before anyone realized it, the script had reached its final scene.

Shen Ci stared into Lu An’s eyes, his long lashes trembling slightly, and although his dark, star-like eyes still held traces of sorrow, the bleak despair had faded, replaced by a faint glimmer of hope.

“I’ll wait for you.”

The moment the resolute, unwavering voice fell, the classroom sank into silence.

The teacher was the first to start clapping, snapping the students out of their daze. They quickly followed, applauding enthusiastically.

Amid the thunderous applause, the teacher patted Shen Ci on the shoulder, full of praise. “Excellent work! There’s not much for me to critique. Keep working with other actors, you’ll improve even faster.”

Shen Ci forced a smile, his expression strained. “Thank you for the compliment, teacher. It was just a fluke…”

The teacher, experienced and perceptive, immediately noticed that Shen Ci was still caught up in the emotions of the scene. Smiling, he said, “You’ve worked hard. Go sit down and take a rest.”

Shen Ci nodded and returned to his seat, his turbulent emotions finally beginning to settle.

He took a deep breath, trying to remove the image of Lu Xiao lying in a pool of blood from his mind. Why did that suddenly pop into my head? So terrifying.

“Teacher Shen.” Lu An greeted, having somehow appeared beside him.

Shen Ci stiffened, turning his head with a polite, professional smile. “Hello….. is there something you need?”

Lu An’s expression was more sincere than before. “I apologize for my earlier disrespect. Your talent is really impressive.”

Shen Ci waved it off quickly. “No, no, I’m really not that good.”

If it weren’t for that sudden image of Lu Xiao in his mind, he wouldn’t have….. Wait!

A lightbulb lit up above his head. It turns out thinking about Lu Xiao has this kind of effect on my acting?

Suddenly stumbling on this great trick, his heart practically sang with joy.

“Can I add you on WeChat? Let’s be friends.” Lu An held up a QR code, waving it in front of Shen Ci.

Still riding his excitement, Shen Ci agreed without hesitation.