Chapter 190: The Special Examiner for the Art Entrance Exam
Sina Entertainment News:
“Yesterday, the highly anticipated film 'pieta', directed by Li Chen, wrapped up filming in Hong Kong.”
“According to informed sources, this drama, which has been kept under strict wraps since the start of filming,”
“will be Li Chen’s second work to be submitted to the Venice Film Festival, following 'painted skin'.”
Sohu reported:
“The Capital Film Academy today announced the list of candidates who passed the preliminary round of the art entrance exam. 1300 art students will proceed to the retest and final exam.”
“The final results will be announced on March 29th.”
As soon as the news about 'pieta' was released online,
Li Chen received a call from Tian Zhuangzhuang.
He was told that as a graduate student, he should at least show his face at the school.
Li Chen felt a bit ashamed.
Since the start of school last year, he had been so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, and he hadn't visited the school even once.
When Li Chen returned to the Capital, he rushed to the school without stopping.
Upon entering the campus, he couldn't avoid being pointed at by students as if he were a giant panda.
The students' whispers drifted into Li Chen’s ears.
“It's Director Li Chen!”
“I heard his 'pieta' is going to be submitted to Venice again. I’m so envious!”
“What's he doing at school?”
“I don’t know, but Director Li is a graduate student, so it’s not strange for him to be at school, right?”
“Could it be related to the art entrance exam? I heard only a small portion of the final exam examiners are teachers from the school.”
“The others are all celebrities from the cultural sphere.”
“You know what, what you said might actually be true. If it is, this year's candidates are in luck.”
“Director Li is known for being unyielding and impartial.”
“What are you talking about? Even if that's true, the school is only leveraging Director Li's reputation. The final decision will definitely not be made by Director Li.”
“I heard there's a girl this year who isn't even 16 yet, only slightly older than Liu Yifei was back then!”
Li Chen arrived at Tian Zhuangzhuang's office.
He found that Liu Yifei's homeroom teacher, Wang Jinsong, was also there.
Seeing the situation, Li Chen roughly guessed what the two of them wanted to talk about.
Sure enough, the school hoped he would serve as an examiner for the art entrance exam retest.
In recent years, the retest and final exam have been conducted together.
Ten years further back, the retest and final exam were separate.
“Since both of you have spoken, how can I refuse?”
Li Chen looked at the thick stack of retest candidate lists in front of him.
It looked like twenty or thirty pages.
Seeing how smoothly things went, Wang Jinsong chuckled, greeted them, and left.
With no outsiders present, Tian Zhuangzhuang spoke without reservation.
“I heard your film 'pieta' is going to Venice?”
Li Chen nodded: “That’s right, I’ve already contacted Markel.”
“Hmm, that’s good. Those people at the Golden Rooster Awards were indeed a bit excessive.”
Li Chen smiled and didn't respond.
After chatting with Tian Zhuangzhuang for a few minutes, Li Chen left.
He hadn't walked a few steps out of the teaching building when a figure appeared behind him.
“Senior!”
“Why are you here?”
“I should be asking you that.”
Li Chen smiled: “Teacher Tian called me and asked me to come over.”
Yang Mi was in a good mood.
Just now, in her dorm, her roommate Zhang Xiaofei rushed in, flustered, saying that Director Li had come to school and gone to the teaching building.
Yang Mi immediately became interested.
She quickly got dressed and left the dorm.
Walking on campus, students looked at Yang Mi next to Li Chen, their eyes full of envy.
Yang Mi chuckled: “Senior, it’s only you. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be this popular.”
Li Chen scoffed: “Stop flattering me. Get to the point. 'painted skin' is about to begin its promotions.”
“Make good use of this time to study hard at school and keep improving.”
Yang Mi stuck out her tongue.
Then she said with a fawning smile: “A few girls in my dorm want to treat you to a meal. Do you have time?”
“Forget it. You treat them to a meal on my behalf, and you can expense it at the company later.”
Yang Mi had guessed this would be the outcome, so she wasn't disappointed.
She continued gossiping: “Senior, are you here for the art entrance exam?”
“Are you the special examiner rumored to be at the school?”
Li Chen found it amusing: “Why are you asking about this? What, do you have a relative taking the art entrance exam?”
Yang Mi laughed heartily: “What relatives do I have? Among these candidates, I only know Jing Tian.”
“Hmm?”
“Jing Tian passed the preliminary round. You didn't know, Senior?”
Li Chen shook the file folder in his hand: “Twenty or thirty pages, where would I find the time to read it carefully?”
Yang Mi thought about it, and it made sense.
On the day the school announced the list, many parents brought their children, craning their necks to find their children's names.
Li Chen rested for a day.
Then he went to the martial arts school to visit Miss Liu.
'kung fu king' should announce its casting results soon.
Li Bingbing had also started training.
The previous fan war between the two of them,
did not affect their ordinary friendship, thanks to Li Bingbing's deliberate efforts to maintain it.
Watching the two of them, covered in sweat and wearing training clothes, walk towards him,
Li Chen handed them two bottles of water.
Before Li Chen could speak,
Li Bingbing initiated the conversation: “Director Li, Yifei trains very hard, and she already has a foundation in action scenes. I feel ashamed by comparison.”
Liu Yifei appeared indifferent to Li Bingbing's praise.
She leaned intimately against Li Chen.
“You’re too modest. In terms of acting, she’s far behind you. She still needs to learn a lot from you.”
Li Bingbing smoothed her sweat-dampened hair and smiled: “Director Li, don’t say that. Yifei and I are improving together, aren’t we, Yifei?”
Liu Yifei’s eyebrows curved, and she drew out her voice: “Director Li is right. Who doesn’t know Director Li is famous for being an honest man!”
“He won’t even compliment his girlfriend!”
Li Bingbing covered her mouth and chuckled.
Li Chen quickly tried to defend himself: “Who says I won’t compliment?”
“Yesterday at school, Yang Mi said that the art entrance exam was full of beautiful women, and that I, as an examiner, shouldn’t be dazzled.”
“I said that I look at Liu Yifei’s face all day, and I’ve become face-blind.”
“Everyone looks like Liu Yifei to me!”
Liu Yifei’s face turned red, and she lightly punched Li Chen.
Li Bingbing and Li Chen both laughed.
The final round of the art entrance exam began, and Li Chen was truly face-blind.
From his perspective,
the most beautiful was undoubtedly Jing Tian.
But compared to the naive Liu Yifei of yesteryear, there was still a gap.
There was also a girl whom Li Chen truly wouldn't have recognized as Zheng Shuang if he hadn't seen the list; she was very ordinary.
Perhaps he had truly seen Miss Liu too much, and his standards were too high.
Among these hundreds of girls,
the most famous was definitely Jing Tian.
But the youngest was Zheng Shuang.
The most famous in the future, and the one who would rise to fame the fastest, was also this girl who was not yet 16.
The final exam included live performance and talent display.
The two were not in the same group.
Zheng Shuang's group's topic was a group scene of people squeezing onto a bus, with each candidate improvising freely.
Jing Tian's group's topic was a group scene in a state-owned factory.
Zheng Shuang took an unconventional approach.
She earned unanimous praise from all examiners except Li Chen.
Compared to Zheng Shuang, Jing Tian's performance was merely passable.
On stage, Jing Tian seemed to have completely failed to get into character.
Everyone else was performing their own scenes without actual sets or characters.
Only Jing Tian, like a headless fly, tried to find someone to act with.
But she found that everyone else was already immersed in their roles.
Li Chen sat below the stage, unable to resist a slight smile.
Jing Tian looked around awkwardly.
Seeing Li Chen’s expression from the audience, her face instantly turned crimson.
She didn't even know how she got off the stage.
With Jing Tian's performance like that,
Li Chen didn't feel right giving her a high score.
He gave her a passing score of 6.
Li Chen inadvertently glanced at the scores given by the examiners to his left and right.
He found that the examiner on his left had given a 7.5.
The other examiner on his right gave an even higher score: 8!
Li Chen suddenly realized that Lu Zheng must have already made arrangements.
It was all about connections everywhere, and the school was no exception.
Jing Tian was just going through the motions.
The young girl was truly protected airtight.
When Li Chen left, the art exam candidates, one by one, watched him leave with fervent eyes, as if performing a salute.
They wanted to strike up a conversation but lacked the courage.
Jing Tian had no such reservations.
Seeing Li Chen leave the auditorium, she jogged a few steps and quickly chased after him.
She followed behind Li Chen nervously the whole way.
Only after Li Chen separated from the other examiners did Jing Tian quickly catch up.
“Li Dage”
Li Chen’s brow furrowed slightly. Li Dage?
He turned his head and saw it was Jing Tian.
Li Chen chuckled: “Sweetie, your 'Li Dage' has me flattered.”
“Anyone who didn’t know would think I was Li Xunhuan, Little Li Flying Dagger!”
Jing Tian’s fair face flushed slightly: “Mi Mi calls you Senior. I feel calling you Li Dage is more intimate and respectful.”
“Whatever you prefer. What do you need me for?”
Jing Tian felt relieved when Li Chen didn't object to her addressing him that way.
“Li Dage, did I mess up the exam today?”
Li Chen smiled, thinking to himself that even if she hadn't taken the exam, Lu Zheng would have found a way to get her in.
“Don’t overthink it, that’s not the case. In group scenes, nervousness is also a normal way of expressing yourself, don’t you agree?”
Jing Tian’s face grew even redder.
Li Chen subtly encouraged her.
“Prepare well for the professional courses; they are the key.”
Jing Tian pursed her lips: “I understand, Li Dage.”
She knew her own situation.
Professional courses were her biggest headache.
She heard that the youngest girl was a top student?
Then she must be a poor student.
Li Chen left the school and then went to visit Zhou Xun on set.
'li mi's conjecture' was also nearing completion. Aside from Deng Chao being replaced, everyone else was the original cast.
The next day, Ning Hao and his wife, knowing Li Chen was back at school, quickly called him over.
Upon arriving at Bad Monkey, the storefront looked freshly renovated.
It seemed Ning Hao was doing well recently.