Huayu93: From Selling Magnetic Cards to Entertainment Tycoon

Chapter 26: Choreography, Costumes, Zhang Ziyi Joins

Li Si'an didn't intend to do the choreography herself.

He had something in his mind—those dance videos of "Puppet Show" that he had watched on Bilibili in his previous life, various versions, duets, solos, Hanfu, modern outfits, all jumbled together into a bunch of images.

He remembers which version's opening freeze-frame is the most captivating, which dancer's arm trembles as if it's truly being pulled by a string, and which movement transitions are the smoothest.

But remembering is one thing, when it comes to physical health, I still need to discuss it with Tang Yun.

Tang Yun has a natural talent for dancing. She knows what kind of movements look good, what kind of smooth transitions are good, and what kind of intensity will produce the best effect on stage.

Li Si'an gave a direction—for example, "The puppet should have a sudden pause in the chorus"—and Tang Yun tried it out with her body.

After trying it, they would say, "The turn was too fast here, I couldn't catch it," or "Raise your arm a little higher at this angle, it will create more tension."

The two of them just kept going like that. In the empty space on the first floor after the record store closed, an old carpet was laid out, and Tang Yun, wearing her practice clothes, walked around it again and again.

Li Si'an leaned against the counter, sometimes gesturing, sometimes calling for a stop, and sometimes saying nothing, just watching.

Tang Yun learned quickly. She had never experienced the abruptness of robotic dance before, but as soon as Li Si'an said "it was tugged by the string," she was able to capture the feeling.

It's that feeling where your body looks limp, but then suddenly you're pulled by an external force at some point.

"Let's do it again," Li Si'an said.

Tang Yun returned to the starting position and started again.

The demo is out. Li Si'an carries the frog cassette tape with her and plays it on the tape recorder during rehearsals. Tang Yun practices while listening to the music, which is much more effective than just practicing with a mechanical voice.

Huang Guokai sometimes came along too. He didn't say anything, but moved a chair to the corner and sat down to watch Tang Yun dance and Li Si'an mimic the movements.

When Li Si'an asked for his opinion, he said he "didn't understand dance," but occasionally he would say something like, "The accent of this music is on the second beat, so can the movement be timed to that point?"

Li Si'an thought it made sense, so he let Tang Yun try it, and it was indeed smoother.

Li Si'an felt that this kid not only knew how to arrange music, but also had a natural talent for rhythm. He should invite him more often in the future.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Si'an went to Master Shen's place.

Master Shen makes dance costumes in an alley near the Beijing Dance Academy. Li Si'an spent half a month asking around before finding the address, and before going there, she went over the style of the costume she had in mind several times.

Master Shen was in his fifties, wearing reading glasses, and his apron was covered in loose threads and scraps of cloth. He glanced at Li Si'an and put down his work.

"What are you doing?"

"Two sets of costumes for the duet."

Li Si'an gestured as she spoke. "Tang Yun's outfit should be bright red, a very vivid and bright red, in the style of a Tang Dynasty high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with wide sleeves, a large skirt, and a light fabric that can float when you dance."

He had imagined that scene many times in his mind—Tang Yun's mixed-race appearance, with deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge, paired with bright red, would definitely be eye-catching under the stage lights.

The sleeves shouldn't be too wide, otherwise it will look like opera, nor should they be too narrow, otherwise it won't have the feel of the Tang Dynasty.

The skirt should reach the ground, but not drag, as dragging would make it easy to trip. He wanted the fabric to be silk georgette, light and sheer with a subtle sheen, so it would flow when he danced.

Zhang Ziyi's outfit is simpler: a black, modified long gown, menswear style, something neat and tidy. It doesn't need to be too complicated; a well-fitting cut is enough, giving her a puppeteer's look. The contrast between black and red is striking.

After listening, Master Shen adjusted his reading glasses and asked a few details—how high should the waistline be, were the cuffs gathered, and should the skirt hem trail on the ground? Li Si'an answered them one by one.

"Also," Li Si'an said, "for the puppet costume, sew a few lines on the inside of the cuffs and hem, not too obvious, but you can feel the pulling when it moves."

Master Shen glanced at him: "A puppet?"

"Yes. This character is a puppet. So you need to capture that feeling of being pulled by strings, and the clothes themselves need to easily convey that pulling force."

Master Shen nodded and pressed the calculator for a while.

"The red set is 1200, and the black set is 600. That's 1800 in total."

Li Si'an didn't haggle, counted the money, and paid the deposit. Master Shen took the money, made a note in his notebook, and said he would come back in half a month to pick it up.

Li Si'an didn't make much of a fuss about the Lunar New Year.

I went back to my maternal grandfather's house on New Year's Eve, had a New Year's Eve dinner, drank a glass of wine with my uncle, and chatted with my maternal grandfather for a while.

Zhou Weilan called from Hong Kong. He talked to her for a while, let her know he was safe, and said that business at the store was going well, so she shouldn't worry.

Tang Yun went back to her own home—her mother's. Although they weren't close, she still had to go back for the New Year. The two of them spent the New Year separately, and she returned on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

After the eighth day of the lunar new year, life returned to its original rhythm.

The shop was open, but students hadn't returned to school yet, so business was slow. Li Si'an had plenty of time to rehearse her dance.

Tang Yun has almost mastered the puppet part. The rhythmic pauses of the robotic dance and the fluidity of the folk dance are blended together, and it's getting more and more like the original.

Huang Guokai would come to the store every few days, sometimes bringing cassette tapes containing some new sound clips he had created using the Frog device, which he would play for Li Si'an.

Li Si'an thought it was suitable, so she kept it and added some more details to the arrangement.

Zhang Ziyi is still preparing for her college entrance exams for arts and hasn't been seen since before or after the Lunar New Year. Li Si'an called her to ask how her preparations were going.

She said it was alright, except the teacher was still asking her to revise that part of the skit. Li Si'an didn't say much, just told her to focus on her exams first, and they could talk about the dance after her exams.

One evening in early March, Zhang Ziyi pushed open the door and entered the store.

Li Si'an was leaning against the counter flipping through magazines when she saw her come in, and she closed the magazine.

"Hey, what brings you here? Did you finish your entrance exams for the Central Academy of Drama?"

"I'm done with the exams." Zhang Ziyi plopped down in a chair, poured herself a glass of water, and said, "I passed all three rounds."

"You're pretty amazing."

Zhang Ziyi waved her hand: "What's so great about it? I think I just got lucky. You wouldn't believe it, during my first recitation, I stood there and forgot my lines halfway through, and the teacher had to finish them for me."

Li Si'an chuckled: "Luck is also part of ability. You must have some other outstanding qualities that made them let you pass."

"Who knows?" Zhang Ziyi took a sip of water and smiled. "Maybe it's because I'm pretty."

Li Si'an looked her up and down. "You're a bit fairer now than you were two years ago." He stared at her face for a couple of seconds. "You know what, your face is quite symmetrical."

"What do you mean?"

"They say this is called a 'movie face,'" Li Si'an said. "The kind that shines under the camera. You might actually have a bright future if you study acting."

Zhang Ziyi reached up and touched her face: "Really?"

"Go back and get a mirror, look at yourself from both sides, it's not much different."

Zhang Ziyi looked at him with some skepticism, then smiled and said, "Alright, I'll take your good wishes."

She stood up and patted her pants: "Alright, enough of that. When do you start rehearsing your dance?"

"I've been waiting for you." Li Si'an took out a cassette tape from under the counter. "Listen to the song once first, then we'll begin."