A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Stage Play

◎The Actor◎

As the end of the semester drew near, time seemed to fly by. The academic calendar for the semester was reaching its end. In mid-to-late June, the final exam schedule was released. Since the Lunar New Year was early this year, the summer holiday was also starting sooner.

In high school, it’s one exam after another, and until the college entrance exam arrives, any relaxation is just an illusion. So, even though the school announced it would be holding a gala, most students who weren’t participating felt indifferent.

However, this gala wasn’t just a July 1st celebration; it would also serve as a final farewell ceremony for all the third-year students. It was said that in addition to the school’s own attendees, they would also invite outstanding alumni who had already graduated and some business leaders from public welfare projects as special guests.

As one of the main planners of the stage performance, Li Ruoruo was under immense pressure. She left home early and returned late every day, and as soon as she was back in the dorm, she was as exhausted as a dog and just wanted to lie down. The dance drama they were preparing was about a group of idealistic young people in modern history who continuously created art to inspire patriotism. In this era, both opera and spoken plays took on a new look.

In her concept, these people included not only educated youth and entrepreneurs but also theater performers and singers. Their voices, she believed, should echo across a hundred years.

In this play, Eastern and Western cultures would clash, blend, and finally create their own unique character. She divided it into three acts. The first was a bustling Shanghai during its heyday, where the songs of a pipa singer and a cabaret dancer intertwined. The second act was set after the fall, when oppressed and disheartened patriots came together, rekindling the flame during a desolate and difficult period. The third act would show the Red Flag fluttering as the triumphal march resonated for a hundred years, with the youth of a century ago and today’s youth singing and dancing together.

Now, their cast was almost set, and the choreography was halfway done, but the actress for the pipa singer had yet to be determined.

The pipa singer was a very important character. She was a microcosm of the lower class in the old society, earning a living by singing. Later, she cut off her long hair, joined an anti-war play, and finally, amidst the chaos of war, she played a song on her pipa, “Ambush from Ten Sides,” to send off her comrades.

Among the people who auditioned, few could play the pipa. It was too difficult to find someone who could dance a little and also play the pipa.

She sighed, unwilling to give up the role. She wanted to present the best possible stage performance as a perfect send-off for her last time planning a high school production.

Seeing her dispirited look, her roommates tried to comfort her. “Why don’t you take a day off? You’ve been rehearsing for so long, a short break won’t hurt, right? Why are you wearing yourself out?”

“You don’t get it. I have to hold on to this breath and not let go to keep going. If I lose it, it’ll be hard to get it back. There are more than twenty people in this show, and I have to keep my eye on them.”

Just then, Bai Tan came out of the shower, her hair wrapped in a bath cap and a face mask on. She was carrying a basin of clothes, her long, fair legs flashing as she walked to hang them up.

Li Ruoruo’s slumped body “sat up like a dying man in a fright.” “With those long legs, it would be a pity not to wear a cheongsam! Miss Bai Tan, do you have any hidden talents, like playing the pipa or something?” She gestured in the air twice, her face full of anticipation.

Bai Tan’s forward steps halted, and she walked back. Holding the basin with one hand, she peeled off the lower half of her mask with the other. “I can’t play the pipa, but I can play the guitar. How about you do a time-travel drama, and I’ll go back and play for you?”

“Thud!” Li Ruoruo rolled her eyes and fell back weakly, muttering to herself, “My pipa singer, my fated singer, where are you?”

The other roommates looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. “Sigh, she’s gone crazy again…”

Bai Tan came back after hanging up her clothes and couldn’t stand it anymore. “If you really can’t find anyone, you can ask a teacher from a school to see if you can get a crash course. Practice just enough to look the part, then pre-record the music. That could work too.”

“That’s not a bad idea, I’ll give it a try.”

“Well, think about it. You can do it!” With that, she grabbed a book and walked out.

The others were used to her running off to the next dorm but reminded her, “There might be a dorm check tonight, so remember to come back early.”

Bai Tan gave an “OK” sign, closed the door, and walked two steps across the hall. Pushing open the slightly ajar door, the first thing she did was tear a page off a calendar and tuck it into a book. “I downloaded some foreign short films that are great for English listening practice. You can watch them.” She handed a learning tablet to Gu Zhu, opening a classic sitcom. “One episode is perfect before bed.”

Gu Zhu nodded, took it, and set it aside. She first explained the problems Bai Tan had gotten wrong today, marked a few more for her to do, and then put on her headphones and started the first episode.

An episode was about twenty minutes. After watching it, she exited, turned off the tablet, and continued to help Bai Tan with her problems. It was probably the meteor shower she created in the lab last time that had sparked Bai Tan’s interest. Lately, she had been putting more effort into chemistry, and her progress was obvious.

After finishing all the problems, Bai Tan leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh. “I’m fried! Applause!” She listlessly clapped for herself twice, then stared at the empty lower bunk for a long time. Suddenly, she asked, “Can I sleep here?”

“I’m here every day anyway, so why don’t I just move in? What do you say?” This wasn’t a sudden whim. Even though her roommates in 512 were great and she saw Gu Zhu every day, that didn’t stop her from wanting to be closer to her.

They say that living together is the best way to test if two people are a good fit and can be together forever. By that logic, she concluded that they would get along great if they lived together, and therefore, they should be roommates.

However, Gu Zhu shook her head without hesitation. “I’m used to living alone.”

Unprepared for such a quick rejection, Bai Tan turned around and straddled the chair, resting her chin on her arms on the back of the chair. Her eyes looked pitiful. “Really no?”

The bell for lights-out suddenly rang. The room lights went off, plunging them into darkness. Gu Zhu’s breathing quickened for a moment before returning to normal. A moment later, Bai Tan turned on the desk lamp, and the room had a light source. Gu Zhu let out a soft breath. “No. The lights are out, you should go to bed.”

“Are you afraid of the dark?” Bai Tan asked out of the blue. If she hadn’t been mistaken, she had clearly seen Gu Zhu’s pupils widen in shock the moment the lights went out. She gently took Gu Zhu’s hand and held it. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

Gu Zhu hadn’t expected Bai Tan to be so perceptive in just a few seconds. She was indeed afraid of the dark, but a little light could alleviate that fear. Or, to be more precise, she was afraid of sudden darkness—that feeling of being suddenly swallowed by the dark, like a drowning person unable to find the shore.

“It’s okay, I have a light.” Gu Zhu instead held Bai Tan’s hand back, pulling her up. “Go back.”

Bai Tan was pushed to the door but still clung to the doorway, unwilling to give up. “There’s not even a tiny chance? You can set some conditions, like I have to finish ten extra test papers or improve my exam ranking by one or two hundred spots, or something?”

The young mistress seemed to really want to be her roommate. Her pleading made Gu Zhu want to smile a little, but she didn’t want to give in. Perhaps it was a sudden bout of mischief, but her face remained cool and indifferent. She tilted her head as if in thought, and then, under Bai Tan’s expectant gaze, she shook her head again. “Good night. See you tomorrow.”

The door closed, and Bai Tan pouted. “Good night. I want to see you every day.”

After the person outside had left, Gu Zhu opened the door again, stared at the door of 512 across the hall, and let out a light sigh. She knew very well that she couldn’t share a room with others. Her initial desire was just a momentary longing. She had thought that if she really moved into a multi-person dorm, maybe her problem would eventually go away.

However, some things in the world seemed to be fated. She was assigned a single room. When she found out, she was a little disappointed, but also secretly relieved.

Some thoughts are just for a moment, and some things, once broken, are hard to put back together.

Gu Zhu was also grateful because, in this way, she was able to meet and become close to Bai Tan by chance.

She couldn’t sleep in a room with other people. It made her feel very insecure. She would constantly toss and turn because of another person’s presence, not knowing when she fell asleep, yet waking up early.

She couldn’t agree to be Bai Tan’s roommate.

Even though, deep down, she really wanted to.

Closing the door, Gu Zhu climbed into bed and buried herself under the covers. The dorm had air conditioning, and she was using an air-conditioned comforter. The fluffy, sun-warmed blanket provided some temporary comfort to her heart, which had been climbed by darkness.

This weekend, it was her scheduled time to practice with her music teacher.

Gu Baozhi picked her up as usual on Friday evening. This time, she parked the car outside and waited for her inside the security office. When she picked her up, she glanced around and didn’t see anyone she didn’t want to see, so she relaxed and smiled a little.

Gu Zhu didn’t expose her, just obediently followed her home. On the way, Gu Baozhi asked, “When does that summer training camp you mentioned start? Where is it this year?”

“It’s scheduled for July 15th. I don’t know where yet.”

The rest of the ride was silent. They both probably thought of what happened last year. After a long pause, Gu Baozhi said, “Let me know when it’s confirmed, so I can prepare things for you.”

“Okay.”

…

On Saturday afternoon, Gu Zhu left with her instrument bag. When she arrived at the music school, she saw many more students and their parents. She found out at the front desk that it was for summer class enrollment, and these students were there for a trial lesson.

A parent asked her, “Little sister, what do you study? How many years have you been studying, and how is it here?”

Before she could answer, the teacher who was promoting the classes immediately spoke up. “This is one of our school’s long-time students. She’s been studying the pipa for four years and is now preparing for the eighth level! Not only that, but her academic performance is also excellent. She was the top student in the county on the high school entrance exam, and now in high school, she’s said to be number one again. Her grades haven’t slipped at all, and learning an instrument is just the icing on the cake for her!”

Hearing this, several adults couldn’t help but praise her, thinking that learning an instrument was indeed a good idea. They looked at her demeanor—she seemed well-mannered and knowledgeable. Maybe music really could have a positive influence.

“So, she really plays the pipa, and she’s really good at it?” Just as they were discussing, a young girl’s voice suddenly cut in.

“Of course! No lie!” the promotion teacher answered subconsciously.

Gu Zhu looked in the direction of the voice and saw Li Ruoruo staring at her, her eyes shining like a hungry wolf that had spotted a delicious piece of meat.

“Gu Zhu! It’s you!”

Support A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon