novelslam Chapter 586 Did I also betray my master and ancestors?
Chapter 586 Did I also betray my master and ancestors?
……
……
"Thank goodness, thank goodness, they didn't think it was offensive..."
Li Xin felt like she had just had a false alarm, and the anxiety and tension quietly dissipated.
She was terrified that if she opened her phone, she would see a question mark from Gu Qing—she would be so ashamed that the sky would fall.
She took a deep breath and swiped the message with her fingertips.
"When admiring flowers...When admiring flowers...How could it be such a coincidence?"
"He likes this piece too?"
Upon reading the contents, Li Xin pursed her lips, her expression complex, her slender eyes slightly upturned, her eyes a mixture of delight and surprise.
How famous is "When Enjoying Flowers"?
Mr. Cao adapted this song in Chapter 63 of "Dream of the Red Chamber," where it was sung by Fangguan at Baoyu's birthday banquet.
It was because of this song that she was chosen by the production team of the 10 TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" to play the role of "Xue Baochai".
Li Xin suppressed her emotions and hurriedly replied to the message: "Mr. Gu Qing, please wait a moment, I'll go find the video."
"Miss Li Xin, please wait a moment."
"Ah...wh...what's wrong?" Li Xin's finger hovered above the screen, a little uneasy.
Can you just call me by my name?
Gu Qingzhen settled in Bengbu.
It's so late at night, with the gentleman coming and the lady going. What are you trying to do?
Gu Qing had met quite a few strange people in the past three years, but he had never met anyone as serious as Li Xin before.
The way they addressed each other as "Mr. Gu Qing" and "Ms. Li Xin" made it seem like they were acting out a period drama set in the Republican era; all that was missing was a bow between them.
"Does she have a bit of an artsy, intellectual vibe?"
Gu Qing couldn't help but speculate.
Director Chen?
No, that's insulting to the girl.
We female opera singers are naturally gentle, virtuous, beautiful and intelligent. How can we be the same as Director Chen?
Gu Qing's elbow naturally bent slightly.
Li Xin was also taken aback by Gu Qing's question at first. After she realized what was happening, the bitter look that Su Wan often had on her face was somewhat dispelled by the smile in the corner of her eyes.
"Wouldn't it be impolite to call someone by their name directly?"
Li Xin suppressed her smile, her fair fingers gently pressing down on the corners of her lips to maintain her composure, though she still felt awkwardly uncomfortable.
Deep down, the way of thinking she developed from practicing Kunqu Opera since childhood makes her very much like a sentimental woman from ancient times.
In her mind, "propriety" is of paramount importance.
The way you address someone must be correct, your status must not be overstepped, and you must not lose your sense of propriety.
"Li Xin, Li Xin, Li Xin..."
"Okay, I'll stop being impolite now."
Faced with Gu Qingyi's string of copied and pasted answers, Li Xin's lips, which she had managed to suppress, couldn't help but curl upwards again, and even her eyebrows couldn't help but curve into a smile.
A sweet feeling bloomed on her face, like a delicate orchid bud finally opening its petals at this moment.
She was somewhat shocked.
Li Xin subconsciously believes that Gu Qing's image is still Er Yuehong from "The Mystic Nine"—gentle and refined, elegant and noble.
Especially after "Ya Tou" died, she often appeared taciturn and sorrowful, and the natural sense of grief she exuded really touched her personal aesthetic point.
That sense of heartbreak, of "deep affection not lasting," really resonates with many artsy young women.
But now, after just a few words—
"Er Yuehong, how can you be so witty and lively?"
"It seems the girl died in vain."
Li Xin muttered to herself, yet couldn't help but smile.
“I’m so much older than you, so I’ll still call you little brother. Wait a moment, I’ll go find the video for you, it might take a while.”
She typed a reply, and for some reason felt that Gu Qing's image suddenly became vivid, like a watercolor painting that had suddenly been colored, and even the sense of distance between them had been reduced.
"Then let's forget it. It's too much trouble for you so late at night. I need to rest soon too."
"...Did I disturb your rest, little brother?"
Li Xin was in high spirits, but when she saw the words "Gu Qing needs to rest" at the end, she couldn't help but feel disappointed and anxious.
"I didn't disturb you. I was already too upset to sleep. But listening to 'The Peony Pavilion' made me feel much better; it helped me fall asleep."
"Sleep aid?"
Li Xin's pretty face paled slightly, and she looked like she was about to cry. "Little brother, did I sing that badly?"
"Huh? You sang this?"
"Pfft-"
In an instant, Li Xin's fragile heart was stabbed again.
She felt as if an invisible arrow had pierced her heart, and tears were almost streaming down her face.
That shouldn't be the case. This is a video of her singing when she was still in the Kunqu Opera troupe, not after she entered the industry.
Logically speaking, their skill level should be above average...
If an outsider said this, Li Xin probably wouldn't care.
The person who can speak is Gu Qing.
Gu Qing, who brought Huizhou opera to the Spring Festival Gala, promoted traditional Chinese culture nationwide, and inspired countless young people to fall in love with opera.
She had a bit of "admiration" for Gu Qing.
Promoting traditional opera, appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, and even a traditional opera Spring Festival Gala—
As the highest authority in the world of traditional Chinese performing arts, he performed in front of audiences nationwide, promoting the culture of his hometown, Huizhou opera.
Once upon a time, these were the responsibilities and obligations she had to bear.
But the result was that she "sweated".
The year she enrolled as a freshman, she didn't even dare to go to school and went straight to filming.
The school's nurturing, the teachers' love and expectations, the hand-appointed "fifth-generation Du Liniang," the designated successor of the boudoir opera...
Whenever Li Xin thinks about these things, she finds it hard not to be tormented by her conscience.
Humans are actually contradictory beings.
You should wish she hadn't acted in "Dream of the Red Chamber" or entered the entertainment industry back then:
At the prime of his youth, earning a meager salary, he witnessed every day a scattered audience of gray-haired people, and his colleagues who were often a dozen years older than him.
Being alone in an empty theater all day—she would definitely feel even worse than if she were dead.
But having entered the entertainment industry and experienced its glamorous beauty and dazzling allure, he was initially captivated and easily dazzled by the allure of the world...
But after that, they flocked to the production team to select roles, faced pressure from the agency, strictness from the agent, a packed schedule, and a cutthroat industry.
Over the years, this was a wake-up call for Li Xin.
She began to miss the carefree days of rehearsing with her kind teachers and mentors in the theater.
I want to go back, but I can't; I stay, but I'm suffering terribly.
A hint of melancholy and sorrow lingered in his eyes from that moment on.
Until more than a year ago, I started paying attention to Gu Qing.
This allowed Li Xin to avoid internal strife and divert attention.
She already knew of Gu Qing's great reputation from the Running Man show three years ago.
But what truly sparked my curiosity and interest was my appearance on the Spring Festival Gala and my duet with Brother Chen Long on "Wujiapo" at the Opera Spring Festival Gala.
An adapted version of "Wujiapo" retains the charm of traditional opera while developing in the direction of popular music, and is deeply loved by millions of young audiences.
This was something Li Xin could never have imagined before.
The older generation in the opera world worked so hard to promote it, but still achieved nothing. How did Gu Qing manage to do it?
Then came the various legendary deeds of Gu Qing:
He is a scholar with a classical style, a young man with traditional Chinese culture, a promoter of tourism in his hometown, and a disseminator of Huizhou opera culture. He is also a student of a highly respected Huizhou opera actress.
Li Xin found it hard not to identify with Gu Qing.
She was a Kunqu opera virtuoso (young lady role), while Gu Qingze was considered a Huizhou opera virtuoso (young lady role).
She abandoned her expectations of Kunqu Opera and ran into the entertainment industry, barely managing to become a second or third-tier artist, with no one paying attention to her.
Gu Qing, on the other hand, was completely different. She debuted in the entertainment industry, became an overnight sensation and a top star, but she voluntarily gave up fame and fortune to further her studies in the performing arts, and was deeply loved by audiences across the country.
The two people had completely opposite stories, yet they lived very different lives.
Li Xin felt a complex mix of emotions towards Gu Qing, including admiration, envy, inferiority, regret, and sorrow.
Fortunately, Gu Qing is a man, and he has a natural attraction to the opposite sex.
If she were a woman, especially a female celebrity not much older than herself,
Li Xin dared not imagine how badly she would be hit; she was probably only a hair's breadth away from becoming a self-pitying "bitter woman."
……
"Sister Li Xin, what I mean is that you sang so well."
"How did you learn your kung fu? It's amazing!"
Gu Qing was taken aback.
The woman in the video with her rosy cheeks and peach-blossom-like makeup bears little resemblance to Li Xinyou now.
When Tang Yixin told him that her best friend was a Kunqu Opera singer, Gu Qing didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a marketing tactic used by celebrities to boost their image.
His most vivid memory of Li Xin from his past life was the image of her holding a chicken leg in "Joy of Life".
Unexpectedly,
"So, I've met a Kunqu Opera master?"
Gu Qing was very curious, "Sister Li Xin, would you mind asking me about 'water-milled seasoning'?"
He now incorporates elements of both Beijing opera and Anhui opera, which he also uses in his creation of traditional-style songs, often resulting in innovations.
The soft, melodious Wu dialect of Suzhou is definitely one of the most popular languages.
“Master… I wouldn’t call myself one.”
Li Xin felt a little embarrassed by the praise, and a blush spread across her gentle cheeks.
“Brother, you sing Hui opera very well too. I’ve heard you sing ‘Zhaojun’s Departure from the Frontier’ in ‘The Mystic Nine’.”
"Why did you decide to learn Kunqu Opera? Won't your teacher say anything?" "No, Teacher Wang's vision isn't that narrow. What I want to promote is traditional opera. As for the various industries within it, let's not categorize them for now. We'll talk about that after the public has accepted it."
Gu Qing became a "rebellious disciple," cricketing his own teacher.
He mentioned his desire to learn the accent of Wu dialect and his idea of trying to compose songs in the future.
"Little brother, really? You're going to promote Kunqu Opera in the future?!"
Upon hearing that Gu Qing also had the idea of promoting Kunqu Opera, Li Xin's gentle and sorrowful face suddenly shone brightly in the dead of night, and her beautiful eyes were also full of spirit, showing unparalleled joy and excitement.
Yup!
She couldn't do it, and she didn't have the face to call herself a successor of Kunqu Opera, so she had no way to promote opera anymore.
Gu Qing is capable!
If he succeeds in promoting it, wouldn't he fulfill her wish and regret, and also alleviate his own guilt?!
"Teach me! Little brother! I'll teach you!!"
After that, Li Xin was like a completely different person.
“Brother, our Kunqu Opera singing and recitation uses the ‘Zhongzhou Rhyme’, but it incorporates the ‘Suzhou Pronunciation’, making it sound soft and sweet, with Wu dialect characteristics, but it is not a dialect.”
Li Xin even typed faster, as if afraid Gu Qing would stop learning.
"Our singing style is clear, gentle, and melodious. In terms of pronunciation, we emphasize 'dialectal separation' and follow the principle of 'no singing without sound, no dancing without movement'..."
Each word must be sung in three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. The beginning is the initial consonant, the middle is the final vowel, and the end is the final rhyme.
"Don't rush, don't drag it out. Like drawing silk, slowly and carefully deliver each note to the listener's ears."
"So that's how it is?"
Gu Qing listened attentively on the other end of the phone, tracing the motions on the bed sheet with her fingers.
He wasn't just going through the motions; he was genuinely learning.
"Is that right?"
Li Xin received a voice message.
She subconsciously clicked on it—
"Dreaming of warbling orioles~ a chaotic blur of fleeting years..."
Gu Qing's voice came through the receiver, exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
The voice wasn't as soft and sweet as the one she sang in the video she just posted; instead, it was clear, clean, and like a mountain stream.
Li Xin's lips parted slightly.
"Her voice was as soft as silk, as clear as a spring... My teacher didn't lie to me..."
She murmured, stunned.
Who can sing it five or six parts similarly after only watching it once?
It seems like she's exactly the same as she was back then!
So you're also a prodigy from a sect?!
“Little brother, slow down a bit. Huiju opera is bright and cheerful, while Kunqu opera is more subtle and delicate…”
Li Xin hesitated for a moment, as if she had made up her mind. She lightly touched the screen with her fingertips, recorded a voice, and practiced it once.
Since entering the entertainment industry,
She never sang Kunqu Opera in public again, unable to overcome that mental hurdle.
"Singing it only for him shouldn't be considered breaking the rule, right?"
Li Xin thought to herself.
It lasted a long time tonight.
Gu Qing originally just wanted to study the singing method of Shuimo Diao before going to sleep.
His original plan was to "listen for ten minutes and then go to sleep."
Unexpectedly, Li Xin was so dedicated that she almost told him all the secrets she had kept hidden in the door, and she was still so serious.
She not only taught him singing techniques, but also his posture—though she could only describe it through voice on the screen.
"Raise your hand like this, not too high, not too low, just to chest level."
Your eyes should follow your hands; wherever your hands go, your eyes should follow. Don't look at the audience, don't look at the ground, look into your heart.
He listened with great interest, occasionally asking a few more questions.
Gu Qing was so excited after talking to her.
"Staying up all night once in a while shouldn't be a problem, right? It'll be a good opportunity for my young body to experience the intensity?"
Gu Qing has great respect for people who are better than him in their respective fields.
Like,
When he first filmed The Journey of Flower, he admired Zhao Liying's attitude. Despite being criticized by the entire internet, she was able to persevere and work hard to act.
Then,
Even Yang Mi, with whom he recently collaborated,
Gu Qing actually quite admired her for winning the bet with the company, her workaholic attitude and personality, and for training a group of newcomers.
They are all capable people.
People who make a name for themselves always have some merits.
Taking the essence and discarding the dross is Gu Qing's personal philosophy of learning.
that's it,
In the hotel room at around 4 a.m., two completely different yet strangely harmonious scenes unfolded.
Li Xin, a female artist, walked around the room singing with her hair down, wearing a silk nightgown and the lights on.
Gu Qing, a top celebrity, couldn't sleep at night and humbly listened to others.
If I told anyone, who would believe me?
The two young people didn't talk about anything else. At around 4 a.m., in their respective hotel rooms, hundreds of kilometers apart, one taught the other Kunqu Opera.
The scene is surreal.
……
"No, Teacher Li, I need to go to sleep. I have to work tomorrow."
Around four or five o'clock, Gu Qing looked out the window at the dawn sky, where a pale white tinge had already appeared on the horizon.
He remembered that Da Tian Tian had said she would arrive at the hotel at noon, so he needed to make sure he was well-rested.
"Ah... okay, get some rest, goodnight."
Li Xin was speaking when she suddenly realized that her voice was a little hoarse and that her skin, which was covered by a silk nightgown, felt a little cool.
She then realized that she had walked to the window without knowing when. The window was not closed properly, and the cold wind of early winter was blowing in through the cracks, giving her goosebumps.
She hurriedly canceled the voice message, tucked her hair behind her ear, coughed a few times to clear her throat, and only after confirming that her voice was okay did she send the message to Gu Qing.
Before shutting down,
She listened to the voice message she had just sent again.
The voice is soft and gentle, it sounds very pleasant, there's nothing wrong with it.
Li Xin breathed a sigh of relief.
Even she herself didn't realize that these young girls' mannerisms had quietly crept into her heart.
"Phew, I really learned something tonight."
Gu Qing was in a good mood, and all the anxiety and restlessness she had felt at night when she couldn't sleep were gone.
Indeed, people need to find something interesting to do.
No matter how busy you are at work, you have to leave some space in your mind to fill it with different things.
"Does this count as stealing someone's skills?"
Gu Qing put on her pillow, covered herself with the blanket, and a strange idea suddenly popped into her mind.
The rules in the opera industry are actually quite "old-fashioned".
For example, when a crosstalk performer becomes an apprentice, he needs to respect his teacher, offer tea and kowtow, and formally become a disciple. In some cases, witnesses are also required to be present.
In the transmission of skills, the relationship between master and apprentice is not only one of transmission and learning of skills, but also a deep emotional bond.
Once a master-apprentice relationship is established, the master will bear the responsibility and obligation to provide lifelong education and guidance to the apprentice.
Similarly, apprentices should always remember their master's kindness and teachings.
Otherwise, Lao Guo wouldn't keep harping on "betraying one's teacher and ancestors."
"It can't be that serious. Ours is just a minor incident, it can't be that serious..."
"However, Sister Li Xin is a good person. When I go back to Huizhou for the New Year, I will send some tea to Sister Yi Xin and ask her to help deliver it as a token of my gratitude."
Gu Qing closed her eyes and turned to rest.
……
Meanwhile, at an airport in Shanghai.
"Quick, quick, quick! I want to give the master a surprise!"
Despite feeling sleepy, Da Tian Tian mustered her energy and excitedly disembarked from the plane.
She did lie to Gu Qing.
She said she would arrive at noon, but she actually took a flight in the morning, just to give Gu Qing a surprise.
She wore a cream-colored cashmere coat over a black turtleneck sweater and knee-high black boots, looking both chic and beautiful.
"Sweetie, is it alright for us to go so early? It's only a little past 4 o'clock now."
The assistant following behind was dozing off, listless, and swaying like a phone about to run out of battery.
"Even if we get to the hotel, it will only be around six o'clock. Will Teacher Gu wake up?"
"Do you understand your brother better, or do I?"
Da Tian Tian looked down on her assistant and gave a light snort.
"The expert's biological clock is very regular. He never stays up late. No matter who comes, it's no use. He usually gets up at 6:00 to go for a jog or morning exercise. You can tell he doesn't understand."
"I'll give him a surprise when he gets back to the hotel!"
Jing Tian happily got into the car and set off.
Gu Qing had just drifted off to sleep.
Unbeknownst to him, a "surprise" was rapidly approaching.
……
……
(P.S.: One more chapter to go) (End of this chapter)