Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 42.3

The third clip was a scene from the movie "Pearl's Wager."

This famous scene also involved crying, but not the unrestrained, over-the-top kind of crying.

In this scene, Princess Mingzhu, seated in the palace garden of her doomed kingdom, tore the precious silk scarf—a gift from the kingdom's traitor and her lover—as she recalled their shared past. Once the scarf was reduced to shreds, and she tossed the pearl given to her by her lover into the garden lake, her tears finally fell. Then, she plunged into the lake herself, ending her pain and suffering.

(Mingzhu 明珠 = pearl)

There were no lines throughout this scene, making it much more challenging to recreate than the previous scenes.

"What about the silk scarf? Don't tell me we're not supposed to act without one?" a trainee asked.

At this question, a staff member brought over a stack of newspapers, saying, "We couldn't find any tearable cloth, so you'll have to make do with this."

The trainees: ？

Newspapers? They were supposed to pretend that the newspapers were a "precious gift" from their enemy/lover?

This scene contained no dialogue whatsoever! If someone who lacked acting skills sat there tearing newspapers and crying, they wouldn't evoke the image of a suffering princess; they'd look more like a person with Alzheimer's disease!

Immediately, many trainees recoiled in their seats, none wanting to be associated with such an image.

As the trainees exchanged wary glances, Song Yingshi suddenly stood up.

Knowing Song Yingshi's protective nature, many trainees promptly tried to dissuade her:

"Little Shi, sit down! Don't give yourself Alzheimer's because of us!"

"Instructor Lin, we can't recreate this scene. Please skip it; we don't want our Little Shi to turn into a fool."[1]

"Little Shi, you're the best! Mommy loves you!"

The trainees' reactions exasperated Song Yingshi. Her face twitching, she said, "What are you all saying? I'm not doing this for your sake. I know how to act."

Huh?

Little Shi...knew how to act?

When Song Yingshi started her performance, the big question marks hovering above the trainees' heads turned into even bigger question marks.

Song Yingshi went into her performance wearing her usual pink uniform and holding a roll of newspapers. However, the moment she entered character, her simple attire and prop instantly vanished from everyone's minds as her performance captivated their attention.

The chair Song Yingshi sat on had no backrest. Yet, it looked as if she was leaning against an invisible corridor.

Song Yingshi sat sideways to the audience, her gaze fixed on the right side of the stage. Yet, from the audience's perspective, she seemed to be gazing at another world, her eyes piercing time and space.

Nobody knew what Song Yingshi saw, but the color drained from her lips, and then a sharp tearing sound broke the silence.

Song Yingshi's knuckles were white, as if her bones would burst through her skin. Her eyes also reddened, revealing her clear hatred.

At the same time, those eyes that carried visible hatred gradually accumulated tears of sorrow.

At this moment, the audience witnessed, through Song Yingshi's eyes, a collision between the young princess's overwhelming hatred and passionate love.

After ripping the "silk scarf," Song Yingshi's tears fell as she staggered to her feet and pulled a pearl from her brocade pouch.

Contrary to the original plot, Song Yingshi didn't cast the pearl into the "lake." Instead, she held it in her mouth as she jumped off the stage.

The performance ended.

As Song Yingshi landed below the stage, Song Pianxian, seated in the first row, reached out to steady her, saying, "Careful."

"Thank you, Instructor Song," Song Yingshi said as she steadied herself.

Standing this close to Song Pianxian, Song Yingshi had to acknowledge the woman's beauty. The woman's gentle strength was also incredibly attractive. Most importantly, when she looked at the other party, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.

Seemingly knowing what Song Yingshi was thinking, Song Pianxian smiled and softly explained, "Yes, we share the same Song lineage, but our families branched off long ago."

Realization dawned on Song Yingshi, and she beamed a smile at Song Pianxian.

When Song Yingshi straightened her body, she was startled to find Lin Qinglu watching her with narrowed eyes.

Seeing Lin Qinglu's behavior, Song Pianxian chuckled and said, "This is the best performance we've seen thus far. Qinglu, won't you give some comments?"

Lin Qinglu glanced at Song Pianxian before looking back at Song Yingshi, mild surprise replacing the caution in her eyes. She never expected to see such a capable actor in an idol survival show like Star of Spring.

The level of skill Song Yingshi displayed wasn't something one could gain after one or two acting lessons.

Seasoned and confident acting skills, effortless improvisation, extremely fast entry and exit from character—only a seasoned actor with extensive experience could achieve such a feat.

"Have you acted in any films before?" Lin Qinglu asked, looking Song Yingshi straight in the eye.

"I'm only a trainee; I've never acted in films," Song Yingshi answered.

"Who did you learn your acting skills from, then?" Lin Qinglu asked with a raised brow.

"I don't have a teacher," Song Yingshi replied.

The confusion in Lin Qinglu's eyes deepened.

Song Yingshi understood Lin Qinglu's troubles, but she couldn't just reveal the truth. So, she decided to tell a partial truth, saying, "Maybe you can say that all the actors in films are my teachers. I like to recreate their performances in my free time. I'm sorry if my acting was bad."

The part about her recreating the performances of other actors was accurate. When she first joined the entertainment industry as a background actor, she didn't have the money to hire proper instructors, so she could only recreate the performances of others to develop her skills. Hence, in a sense, the actors in films could be considered her teachers.

"You don't have to be humble; your acting was excellent," Lin Qinglu said, nodding.

!!!

As these words came out, the other trainees reacted with even greater excitement than Song Yingshi herself.

A film empress praising a trainee's acting skills? This was simply unbelievable!

However, in all honesty, without Song Yingshi's performance and knowledge of Lin Qinglu's temper, they would have suspected collusion between Lin Qinglu and the production crew. But after seeing her performance, no one doubted Lin Qinglu's judgment.

Thanks to this incident, the imitation show continued with an even livelier atmosphere. Even those who dared not act previously began taking the stage with their companions to perform dubbing. Everyone eagerly participated in the event, causing it to last far longer than the production crew had initially anticipated.

After the event concluded, the trainees left the recording studio one after another.

Shi Zhi, who joined the event halfway, represented the production crew in the final interactions with Lin Qinglu and Song Pianxian.

"Thank you for your hard work, Instructors," Shi Zhi said.

"The atmosphere in Spring Star is much better than I imagined," Song Pianxian commented.

"To be honest, this is the most spirited batch of trainees I've led on this show," Shi Zhi sighed.

"Besides team spirit, they are also surprisingly talented," Song Pianxian said. "Especially Song Yingshi… She's very much worth cultivating. I heard she has her own studio. If the opportunity arises, we would like to work with her."

Shi Zhi: ?

Since when did guest celebrities come with gifts? After just a short visit, Song Pianxian was already thinking of shoving resources to the show's trainees?

Shi Zhi, who didn't see Song Yingshi's performance, was greatly confused by Song Pianxian's words. However, she didn't let her confusion show on her face. Only after the guest celebrities had left did she look into the situation.

…

On the sedan leaving the White Tower…

After looking out the window and feigning calm for some time, Lin Qinglu ultimately caved to her curiosity and said meaningfully, "I didn't expect CEO Song to hire a new actress for the company after a simple visit." You even had to hire the prettiest one.

Based on Lin Qinglu's observation, only Song Yingshi and another trainee called Huai Xu had outstanding appearances.

Although Huai Xu never performed in the imitation show, her striking appearance and temperament made her stand out. The behavior of the trainees seated around her also revealed her high status among them. Hence, like Song Yingshi, Huai Xu also made a lasting impression on Lin Qinglu.

"Don't you have the same appreciation for talent? Even if I did nothing, I'm sure you would've had Liu Lele contact her," Song Pianxian gently replied.

Lin Qinglu immediately perked up in delight at Song Pianxian's comment. Modestly, she said, "With such acting skills, it'd be a waste for her to remain a small-time idol."

"We still have to wait until after she debuts," Song Pianxian said, reminding Lin Qinglu not to jump the gun.

Lin Qinglu didn't refute Song Pianxian, merely saying, "Have Liu Lele pass a message to her studio and keep an eye on the show's results."

"Then, I guess I'll leave her to you? Or do you want my involvement?" Song Pianxian asked.

"She never asked for you to manage her. You just need to manage me," Lin Qinglu snorted.

Amidst the whispers between the two, the sedan carrying them exited the greenery surrounding the filming location and disappeared into the distance.

…

Meanwhile, inside the White Tower…

It was already lunchtime when the imitation show concluded, so the trainees made their way to the cafeteria as they discussed the show.

After Song Pianxian and Lin Qinglu, Song Yingshi's name was brought up the most in everyone's discussions.

When Song Yingshi regrouped with her teammates, Dan Silan scrutinized her for a long while before she said, "You are really amazing. In contrast, I can only dance."

Upon hearing this, Quan Yuanyuan rolled her eyes at Dan Silan's low EQ. She found it baffling how Dan Silan could go from sounding like an arrogant bitch to a green tea bitch[2] despite meaning neither.

However, Quan Yuanyuan was afraid of starting another waterworks, so she dared not voice her thoughts to the crybaby.

Meanwhile, Song Yingshi smiled politely at Dan Silan's praise.

Song Yingshi didn't think she was all that great. After all, this was already her second chance at life. If she couldn't even come up with a few more skills than the trainees here, her previous life would've been in vain. If she must compete with someone, she should be competing with seasoned actors rather than with little girls trying their hardest to learn how to sing, dance, and rap.

"Your singing and dancing are already outstanding, Leader," Song Yingshi comforted Dan Silan.

Dan Silan immediately regained her confidence at Song Yingshi's words, saying, "You're right. I am your team leader. Even someone as skilled as you still has to call me 'Leader.'"

Exasperated by Dan Silan's response, Quan Yuanyuan said, "Little Shi was only comforting you. Don't think too highly of yourself."

Dan Silan looked at Quan Yuanyuan.

Sensing something off with Dan Silan's gaze, Quan Yuanyuan questioned, "What?"

"My confidence returned as soon as I turned around and saw you. Thank you," Dan Silan said.

Quan Yuanyuan: "…" My name won't be Quan Yuanyuan if I don't kill you today!

Looking at Quan Yuanyuan trying to murder Dan Silan with her gaze and Dan Silan happily enjoying her meal with renewed confidence while being utterly ignorant of Quan Yuanyuan's death glare, Song Yingshi shook her head and chuckled.

At this time, a different group of trainees came over to sing praises of Song Yingshi.

When Huai Xu returned after getting her meal, a crowd was already gathered around Song Yingshi's table.

Smiles and laughter surrounded the table, creating a lively atmosphere.

Song Yingshi never seemed to lack friends by her side.

Huai Xu briefly paused at this sight before she turned around and left the cafeteria.

As Song Yingshi swept her gaze across the gathered crowd, she spotted Huai Xu leaving through the gaps, and she couldn't help but wonder why Huai Xu was leaving without her. However, there were still trainees talking to her, so she couldn't leave.

When the crowd eventually dispersed, Song Yingshi promptly bid goodbye to her teammates and returned to her dormitory.

However, nobody was in the dormitory.

Confused, Song Yingshi pondered for a moment before she decided to check outside the White Tower.

Upon arriving outside, Song Yingshi found Huai Xu sitting in front of the flower bed full of bright yellow wildflowers.

Upon arriving beside Huai Xu, Song Yingshi self-righteously said, "You violated our contract. You left the cafeteria without me."

Song Yingshi still felt miffed at using the Romantic Partner Contract to push her around these past few days. Now that she finally had the moral high ground, she naturally had to get some payback.

However, Huai Xu ignored Song Yingshi's words. Looking up at Song Yingshi, she calmly said, "Your performance was great."

Huai Xu's remark startled Song Yingshi. After sitting down beside Huai Xu, Song Yingshi stretched her legs and said with high spirits, "Of course. Who do you think I am?"

Song Yingshi might react humbly when others praised or congratulated her, but she couldn't help but feel happy and proud when the same words came out of Huai Xu's mouth. She also didn't have any desire to respond with humility.

Huai Xu chuckled as she recalled Song Yingshi's stunning performance. At the same time, the slight dejection that plagued her vanished without a trace following Song Yingshi's words.

Meanwhile, Song Yingshi began to dig into the plastic bag between her and Huai Xu, wondering, "What do you have here… Wow! Mandarins!"

As Song Yingshi began happily peeling mandarins, Huai Xu raised her hand and placed it on top of Song Yingshi's head. Then, while gently ruffling Song Yingshi's hair, she said in a voice that carried a gentle touch, "They're your reward."

TL Notes:
[1]Instructor Lin: This is referring to Lin Qinglu. It is common for Chinese artists to be addressed as "teacher/instructor (老师)." This is a general title for artists. Typically, Chinese only address people they are familiar with by name (with or without surname). In the case of unfamiliar people, we will usually address them by their surname+title. Hence, Instructor Lin and Instructor/CEO Song. (Song Pianxian can also be considered an artist, so either title will fit her.)

[2]green tea bitch (绿茶婊): This is an internet slang used to refer to two-faced individuals (could be used for both male and female) who behave nice on the surface but are actually scheming rats. These individuals will typically play the "good kid" to undermine a certain individual/group's credibility for their own benefit (whatever it may be).