Huayu: I really am a genuine top star.

Chapter 102 Orchid Latte... A series of mishaps...

Teacher Yan called a halt.

She looked at Shen Li and asked, "Shen Li, who are you imitating?"

Shen Li returned to her usual self, smiling憨厚ly: "Vice Minister of External Relations, Senior Sister Lan Xiu."

Teacher Yan nodded:

"You've observed very carefully. You've grasped several key characteristics... the ritualistic feeling of 'touching up makeup,' the rhythm of 'walking,' the scrutinizing feeling of 'looking at people,' and that sense of weariness of 'having seen everything and not caring about anything.'"

The detail of the "makeup touch-up" is particularly vivid, perfectly capturing the character's "refinement" and "deliberateness."

She paused, then changed the subject: "However, there is a problem."

Shen Li's heart tightened.

"You're playing a 'woman.' But you're using the exaggerated techniques of 'a man playing a woman.'"

Teacher Yan stared at him.

"A truly aloof and sophisticated woman isn't a 'man who acts stiff and reserved.' Her 'coldness' isn't rigid; it's a blend of softness and strength. Your performance just now had too much hardness and not enough softness."

Shen Li listened attentively, nodding frequently. Teacher Yan was right; his performance just now did indeed have a touch of exaggerated "cross-dressing."

"You can observe it in a closer way," Teacher Yan continued.

"I've met Lanxiu. Her 'coldness' isn't about keeping people at arm's length; it's about making people want to stay away. It's a more sophisticated kind of 'coldness.'"

Next time you observe her, don't just look at her actions, look at her "blank spaces"... those moments when she doesn't look at people, those gaps in her silence. Those are where the true essence of this person lies.

Shen Li nodded in understanding. Teacher Yan's words were not just a critique, but also a lesson. He remembered them well.

As he stepped off the stage, Chu Yao gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes filled with a hint of teasing: "I wonder what kind of expression my cousin would have if she saw your performance."

Shen Li chuckled: "Please don't tell her."

But in his heart he was thinking: If Lanxiu knew, with her cold and arrogant nature, she would probably give him a cold look and then snort, "Boring."

...Well, isn't this reaction itself excellent material for observation?

Shen Li was pondering Lan Xiu's reaction when Jing Yang leaned over, his face full of mischievous gossip:

"Particle, you've got some nerve, daring to make fun of Lanxiu? She's a famous ice queen, the belle of the External Relations Department, even the student council president has to treat her with utmost respect."

"I call this artistic creation," Shen Li said with an upright expression.

"Teacher Yan said that in character observation exercises, the more distinctive a character is, the more worthwhile they are to observe. Senior Lanxiu's distinctive features are practically overflowing the screen; if we don't observe her, who should we observe?"

Yang Yi muttered to himself from the side:

"So you observed it all and then performed it in front of the whole class? Isn't that... public humiliation?"

"What do you know?" Shen Li waved her hand.

"This is called 'the most dangerous place is the safest place.' The more openly and honestly I act, the more it proves that I have nothing to hide. If I were to sneak around and conceal things, it would only make me look guilty."

Jing Yang gave a thumbs up: "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. It's a shame you're not in diplomacy with a brain like that."

Dai Xiao floated down the next line:

According to social psychology, publicly imitating a person of high status is interpreted as "usurpation" or "provocation" if the imitator is of lower status.

However, if the imitator demonstrates sufficient professionalism and goodwill, it may be interpreted as a "tribute".

Shen Li, your performance just now was somewhere in between. Lan Xiu's reaction will depend on her personal sense of humor and her existing impression of you.

Shen Li: "...Brother Xiao, could you please stop putting on such a restrictive tone just when I've finally managed to relax?"

"Seek truth from facts."

Shen Li let out a wail, her mind uncontrollably conjuring up all sorts of possible reactions from Lan Xiu if she saw the performance (what if someone recorded a video and sent it to her)...

Reaction 1: A cold, aloof glance, a snort of "boring" from under her nose, and then she goes about her business.

Reaction Two: She went directly to his door, staring at him with her long, black-stockinged legs and cold, intimidating eyes, her voice icy: "Shen Li, I heard you used me as material in your acting class today?"

Response 3: Block his account on the "LiLiPao" platform, and also block Jing Yang, Yang Yi, and Dai Xiao's accounts...

Reaction 4: ...Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. The more I think about it, the more unsettling it becomes.

"Alright, we'll meet force with force and water with earth."

Shen Li's eye twitched. "At worst, I'll apologize to her and run errands for her for free for a month..."

After leaving the classroom with everyone, there was still some time before dinner.

He opened his phone and selected an order on "Campus Flash Delivery".

"Delivering two cups of milk tea to the gazebo in the school's small garden. 20 yuan reward! Note: Urgent!!! Need it fast!!! The milk tea is self-pickup at the 'Cha Yan Yue Se' shop near the West Gate; it's already been ordered. Just deliver it to the gazebo and leave it on the steps. Don't call!!! Don't call!!! Don't call!!!"

The three "Don't call" messages and six exclamation marks exude a murderous aura of "Dare to call and I'll kill you."

Shen Li stared at the note, her eyes darting around.

20 yuan, plus two cups of milk tea. It's less than a ten-minute walk from the west gate to the small garden. This job is so easy, it's like getting it for free. And here I am, another chicken leg!

I did frog jumps this morning and they're still sore. I need to eat some chicken legs to help me recover.

But the phrase "Don't make the phone call" just doesn't feel right no matter how you look at it.

When placing a normal order, who would specifically emphasize "don't call"? And say it three times? This is either because they have a guilty conscience or they're up to something shady.

Shen Li hesitated slightly, then snatched it in a second.

Why worry about all that? If you're not going to make money, you might as well. Head straight for the west gate. Along the way, the campus after afternoon classes was a vibrant and fragrant place, full of spring colors.

A girl wearing a floral sundress walked by, the thin straps hanging on her round, fair shoulders. The neckline was shockingly low, and her ample bosom swayed with each step, making Shen Li quickly recite to herself, "If the heart is pure, the sky will not fall."

Upon arriving at the "Tea Yan Yue Se" in Ximen, Shen Li gave her order number, picked up two cups of milk tea, and left.

The milk tea cups also had labels: one cup was "Youlan Latte" and the other was "Sheng Sheng Oolong".

"Orchid Latte... Oolong Tea..." Shen Li savored the two names. "One is artistic, the other refreshing. The person who placed this order must be an artsy young man?"

He carried the milk tea and strolled leisurely towards the small garden.

The small garden at Beijing Film Academy is located in the northwest corner of the campus and is a popular dating spot for couples.

There are few people during the day, but many at night. Couples are everywhere—in the grass, on benches, and behind the artificial hill—so affectionate it's sickening.

It was a little past four in the afternoon, the sun was setting, and golden rays were shining on the garden, giving the flowers and plants a soft glow.

Shen Li walked along the cobblestone path and saw two figures in the pavilion in the distance.

He slowed his pace and pricked up his ears.

Inside the pavilion, a man and a woman are facing off.