The content of Li Xingyu and the professor's wife's scene was quite simple—just a scene where Yuan You actively seeks out the homeroom teacher to ask her questions.
The background for this scene was that the homeroom teacher had previously cooperated with the police investigation and had appeared normal during the inquiry, presenting herself as a caring teacher who was pained by the student's accident. Because of this, the police had begun to doubt Yuan You's accusation that "she was a suspect," feeling they couldn't uncover any clues from the homeroom teacher.
To gain the police officer's trust, Yuan You's character would approach the homeroom teacher under the pretext of asking questions.
Shao Yichen had casually written this scene simply because the police had already found (or encountered) three of the four suspects besides the homeroom teacher, and the questioning routines were all similar—except for a small incident in the deceased's girlfriend's storyline that could barely qualify as heroic rescue, which Nan Rongyu performed with upright righteousness, completely like a young man who sees injustice and acts bravely, far from a typical heroic rescue. If she continued using the same routine to meet the homeroom teacher, this film shouldn't be called "The Web" but rather "Where Are the Suspects?"
Furthermore, repeatedly using the same plot formula might increase the film's chances of losing money, but for Shao Yichen, it was essentially mechanical labor similar to copying the same paragraph three times. Continuing this way would eventually bore her aesthetically and make her pull her hair out, so she casually arranged this scene for the third male lead.
At the time, she hadn't anticipated that the professor's wife would cameo as the homeroom teacher.
Thinking this, Shao Yichen didn't feel any sense of crisis. After witnessing Professor Zhao Kang's beard-tugging, eye-bulging acting, she had automatically categorized these two guest stars as good teammates on the path to losing money and was even hoping they could further reduce the film's quality.
Therefore, she was quite relaxed watching the homeroom teacher and Yuan You's performance from behind the camera. If Professor Zhao Kang hadn't been watching nearby, requiring her to keep up appearances, she might have started playing games already.
However, contrary to Shao Yichen, Li Xingyu was extremely nervous at this moment.
He had recognized the true identity of this person Shao Yichen called "professor's wife"!
That was Fang Yuan!
Thirty years ago, she had been an incredibly popular actress!
Even now, mentioning Fang Yuan would evoke the image of a dream lover, a first love's pure beauty for many middle-aged and elderly men.
Unfortunately, this first love had retired from the industry after completing a final art film, subsequently rejecting all film invitations, leaving many men with considerable regret.
Li Xingyu had only learned that this iconic beauty had ended up with Professor Zhao Kang when he went to the professor's home for tutoring.
Previously, when taking a film appreciation course, he had been deeply impressed by Fang Yuan's acting skills—in the film that had made her famous, she portrayed a character who loved and hated passionately. Especially in the final scene when she bid farewell to the male lead and her past self, her sad yet resolute smile made her appear almost supernaturally beautiful.
He never imagined that one day he would act opposite such a veteran actress...
Of course he was nervous.
But more than that, Li Xingyu was anticipating the experience.
Opportunities to perform with such a veteran actress were rare. No matter how his performance turned out, he would give it his all!
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With Shao Yichen's starting signal, filming began.
The camera followed Li Xingyu moving through the corridor.
He carried a mathematics workbook in his arms, his back slightly hunched, head lowered as he walked along the hallway. Passing students ignored him, engaged in their own conversations.
He seemed accustomed to this atmosphere, walking alone toward the office.
Arriving at the office door, he didn't immediately knock and enter but stood hesitantly outside.
At that moment, he heard the homeroom teacher chatting with others. Even through the door, her voice, accompanied by a few faint laughs that he found unbearable, reached his ears.
The sound was so jarring to him, as if mocking him. For an instant, he covered his ears, his body trembling, the sound entering his ears becoming distorted like a broadcast signal suddenly cutting out.
He shook his head vigorously and finally calmed down.
Hearing these sounds, Yuan You finally made up his mind. He put his hand in his pocket, then took it out again, took a gentle breath, and knocked on the teacher's office door with three "taps."
At the moment the door was knocked, the laughter inside instantly ceased. After a few seconds, there was a response from within.
"Come in!"
It was the homeroom teacher's voice.
Yuan You pushed open the door and smiled shyly at the homeroom teacher: "Hello, teacher. There are two problems in yesterday's math homework that I don't quite understand. Could you please explain them to me?"
The homeroom teacher, whose conversation had been interrupted, didn't look particularly pleased. However, bound by her duties as a teacher, she still said to Yuan You: "Let me see it."
Yuan You handed the assignment to her.
She looked at it with furrowed brows, thinking for a moment: "Oh—this problem. Ah, yesterday as soon as I got off work, I took Youyou to her tutoring class. When she got home, she went to check her monthly test scores, so I haven't even looked at the answer for this problem yet—"
This wasn't directed at him but at a colleague in the same office. Youyou was the homeroom teacher's daughter's name.
The office colleague picked up the conversation: "Youyou's grades are so good, and she still goes to tutoring? I heard Youyou ranked first in this monthly test? Wow, that's impressive. If my son were half as smart as your daughter, I'd be satisfied!"
"Not at all, your son's grades are good too." Though the homeroom teacher was being modest, her expression showed she was actually quite pleased. "Oh, Youyou getting first place in this test made me so happy. I've had such bad luck with my class recently, with that incident, finally..."
She glanced at Yuan You, realizing he was still listening beside her, and stopped herself from mentioning anything about the "bad luck" of the jumping incident.
It was at this moment that she remembered there was still a student waiting for her explanation. She looked at the problem and said: "Well, I haven't prepared for this yet, let me take a look. If you have something to do during this break, you can go back first, and I'll explain it to you later—"
"No need." Yuan You smiled seemingly obediently and said softly, "The PE teacher has asked for leave next period, so it's self-study time. Just take a quick look, teacher."
The homeroom teacher was effectively silenced by Yuan You but couldn't say anything further. Reluctantly, she said: "Then I'll look at this problem now, wait here, and I'll explain it to you."
Yuan You stood there, watching the homeroom teacher turn to the answer page in the reference book and begin copying the answer onto paper.
His mind wasn't on the book. Staring at the homeroom teacher's back, he remained silent for a moment before saying: "Teacher, there have been some rumors in class recently."
"What rumors? Is someone dating again?" The homeroom teacher continued copying the answer without even glancing at him, casually responding, "Let me tell you, you teenagers are just too idle, always thinking about this and that, chattering away, always falling into puppy love. Wouldn't it be better to do more exercises? My daughter Youyou, as you know, ranked first in the recent monthly test. She never mentions those boring school matters at home. As soon as she sits at her desk, it's all about studying! If all of you were like her, it would be so much easier for us teachers..."
"Everyone is saying that Bai Ye was pushed from the building," Yuan You said softly.
The homeroom teacher's writing pen suddenly stopped.
"Who said that?" The homeroom teacher's voice seemed to tremble at first but quickly steadied. She put down her pen and turned around abruptly, "Tell me, who? I'll call them out right now for a lecture! All day not studying properly, spreading these baseless rumors!"
"I'm not sure, they're all saying it privately..." Yuan You displayed a fearful expression, lowering his head and shrinking slightly, "They also say it has something to do with competing for a nomination spot at school..."
"That's impossible!"
A piercing—almost screeching—female voice reached Yuan You's ears.
He raised his lowered head slightly and saw that the homeroom teacher had stood straight up from her office chair, glaring at him: "How could you all think that, feel that—"
Midway through her sentence, the homeroom teacher seemed to realize there were still colleagues in the office and that her behavior was quite inappropriate. She hurriedly sat down but still asked with an urgent tone: "No, how did you all know about the nomination spot? Hasn't it not been announced yet?"
The colleagues in the office, initially startled by her outburst, now recovered and came over to comfort her: "Come on, you know how it is—children, teenagers, spreading baseless rumors everywhere. Don't be too angry. Even without that accident, your daughter would definitely have been able to..."
The colleagues glanced at Yuan You, leaving the sentence vague.
The homeroom teacher still seemed somewhat hysterical: "Of course my daughter could! Even if that Bai Ye hadn't had an accident, she would still be the absolute first! A student who paid extra fees to attend this school and ranked first in every test—if that's not cheating, what is? I say we should put him in an empty classroom with an exam proctor watching just him! See what tricks he can pull then..."
Her colleagues didn't want to upset her further at this moment. Although they didn't understand why she had suddenly lost her temper or at whom, they gathered around her, murmuring agreement.
Just as the office descended into chaos, the bell signaling the start of the next class rang. Yuan You grabbed his textbook and quietly said to the homeroom teacher: "Self-study period next, I need to get back to class. Goodbye, teacher."
The homeroom teacher couldn't be bothered to look at him, waving her hand, massaging her temples with slightly trembling fingers.
Yuan You picked up his exercise book and quickly left the office. However, instead of heading to the classroom as he had claimed, he looked at the empty corridor, turned, and ran into the bathroom.
He rushed into a stall, locked the door, and took out his phone from his pocket.
The recording icon on the phone was still flashing.
Author's Note:
First update today!
Thanks to the little angels who cast Emperor Votes or poured Nutrition Fluid for me during the period from 2020-08-28 20:14:00 to 2020-08-29 11:15:44~
Thanks to the little angels who poured Nutrition Fluid: Biyou Palace 5 bottles; Potato, White Hao Like Dust, Moon's Trace 2 bottles; Make a Little Heart, gaial, A Deng 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!