Studio Superstar

In an instant, the good mentor-student meeting turned into a fan meeting. The entire trainee studio was drowned out by screams.

The show team had recruited the participants at the beginning of the year. At that time, no one knew what the show’s mentor lineup would be.

This wasn’t the first time Guantian held an acting competition. The mentors in similar shows always came and went, so some people thought that the mentors that could be invited to Studio Superstar were just ‘those people’.

Under such psychological expectations, the degree of impact on the entire Internet caused by the official announcement of Shen Tingyan could be imagined.

Shen Tingyan had never participated in a variety show!

This man had devoted himself to his career since his official debut and he only appeared in the public eye when a new movie was about to be released.

It was good to have a sense of career. It definitely reassured fans that he didn’t become a variety show star. However, it was really lonely to not see Teacher Shen during the days without movies!

The more than 100 million Weibo fans were looking at it every day, even if it was a variety show that moved Shen Tingyan. Let them see more of their male god’s appearance in life outside the big screen!

It was just that year after year passed and their wish never came true.

Just as all the fans were about to give up their prayers and accept it, Studio Superstar suddenly showed such a hand. They were all about to kneel to the show’s staff!

Teacher Shen’s variety show debut was finally coming!

“When I saw the official announcement of the show on Weibo last month, I thought I was hallucinating. Teacher Shen, Teacher Su, Teacher Guan and Teacher Feng. How much virtue have I accumulated in my previous life to come to this show?” Chang Yun spoke in such an exaggerated manner that he almost cried.

Jiang Lianlian also raised her hand and shouted, “I still don’t know what the show’s format is but I want to pay homage to all four teachers!”

“Me too!”

“I’m different from you. Teacher Guan, I am your brainless fan!”

“Teacher Su, look at me, look at me!”

“I want to act in Director Feng’s movie!”

“Teacher Shen, Teacher Shen, Teacher Shen!”

Everyone was enthusiastic. Chang Yun turned to Xue Xiao and said, “Xiao Xiao, you—”

“Ah.” He smiled teasingly. “I know the person you most want to worship as a teacher!”

Xue Xiao’s face was flushed, his eyes were shining and he didn’t refute it.

On the other side, the small theater studio.

Hearing the screams coming from the screen and looking at the faces red with excitement, Feng Wei laughed. “It is still Teacher Shen who is the most popular.”

Guan Ruoying also smiled. “Teacher Shen has many fans and it is your first time appearing on a variety show. It is normal for everyone to be excited. I was excited for several days when I heard the news.”

Su Shijin raised an eyebrow. “Hey hey hey, it is also my first time appearing on a variety show. You can’t treat me differently.”

Guan Ruoying reacted quickly. She immediately raised her hands and waved small fists. “Teacher Su, ahhhhhh. I like you so much!”

Su Shijin told her, “It is too fake. Please show your acting skills as a Best Actress winner!”

Feng Wei laughed. Once he finished laughing, he looked to the side and said meaningfully, “Teacher Shen, won’t you say a few words?”

The man sitting lazily beside him rolled his eyes and looked over with a smile.

Shen Tingyan always gave people a cold feeling.

His complexion was cold, his eyes were cold and even his voice was full of coldness.

His whole body was like a piece of ice. He was also like a pile of snow on the top of a snowy mountain.

Of course, there were people who felt it was more appropriate to describe him as the ‘flower of the high mountain.’ (TL: Someone who stands out from the rest due to exceptional qualities)

He was beautiful and could be viewed from a distance, but not played with.

He felt very clean and pure.

But it was just the ‘feeling.’

The moment this man opened his mouth, others would know that he wasn’t too cold to be approached. However, if he was provoked then be prepared for him not giving them any face.

“It seems like Director Feng likes the cue process. Okay, then I’ll cue it for Director Feng.” Shen Tingyan rested one hand on the mentor’s table, turned the pen in his hand and said calmly, “Please move on to the next link.”

Shen Tingyan didn’t continue speaking. Feng Wei wasn’t angry and retracted his gaze with a smile.

In the trainees’ studio, Jiang Quan coughed lightly and said, “Okay, then I’ll introduce the rules of the first round of the acting skills test.”

Before this, all the trainees only knew that they would be recording a closed show.

Of course, this show was different from a serious idol talent show. The staff didn’t confiscate their electronic products or their snacks and other items.

They could bring as much luggage as they wanted as long as it fit in the dormitory.

As for what type of test they would face in the show, the show’s staff kept it a secret from them and would only reveal it one by one during the process.

The recording finally entered this stage. Everyone stopped screaming and became serious, sitting upright.

Xue Xiao finally moved his eyes away from Shen Tingyan. He clenched his fists and listened carefully to Jiang Quan’s next words.

“In the first round of acting skills evaluation, the show has prepared a total of 15 plays, including six solo players, seven two-person plays and two three-person plays.”

Jiang Lianlian calculated it and said in surprise, “There are only 26 characters in total? But there are 50 of us here.”

“All students will enter the room on my left one by one in order of their years of acting from shortest to longest, selecting the play and character—”

Jiang Quan waved his hand. It was only then that everyone noticed there was indeed a door on the side of the studio.

There was a commotion.

“Each play can be selected repeatedly and each role can also be selected repeatedly. There is no upper limit to the number of repetitions. Just choose what you think is best for you.”

A repeat selection?!

No wonder why the staff only arranged 26 roles for them!

Chang Yun was in shock. “But this means—”

Xue Xiao analyzed it. “Out of the 15 plays, there are likely to be unpopular plays that no one chooses. There might also be popular plays that are repeated several times and put on the stage.”

For the plays that were performed repeatedly, there would be the most direct comparison of acting skills between groups.

Jiang Lianlian immediately said, “Then I definitely have to stagger it with others so I don’t collide with others. The one who is ugly will be embarrassed at that time!”

The moment she said this, Jiang Quan said with a smile, “In the process of selection, you won’t know what other people’s choices are, nor will you know how many people have selected those plays and characters. Therefore, there might be cases where a two-person or three-person play isn’t full and they can’t form a group. In this case, the students who are left alone can make a second round of selection.”

Suddenly, the entire studio wailed.

The judgment of popular and unpopular works was actually very metaphysical. At the very least, the show must choose some famous film and television dramas.

If they couldn’t know other people’s choices or even know which characters had been chosen, wasn’t it a pure blind audition? There might be a group crash if they weren’t careful!

Chang Yun said unwillingly, “Then can’t we ask people what they selected when they come back?”

Jiang Quan took the place of the staff to block the way for him. “The students who have made a good choice won’t return to the studio. Please follow the instructions of the staff members inside and wait in another studio.”

Chang Yun covered his face with a snap and shouted, “Help!”

Xue Xiao couldn’t help laughing at this appearance. He thought for a while and said, “After everyone goes to another studio, they can communicate with each other about what play they have chosen. This way, at least the people in the second round can avoid popular plays according to their own ideas.”

Jiang Lianlian looked helpless. “The premise is that there is a second round. If you want to go to the second round, you must choose a two-person or three-person play, right?”

After all, if a single-person play was chosen then they would be a solo group.

Chang Yun said, “Yes, in the case of a blind selection, the three-person play is most likely to not become a group. Or try to choose the three-person play that looks the most unpopular?”

Xue Xiao asked cautiously, “Then… what if the unpopular play successfully forms a group?”

Chang Yun replied, “Then kill me!”

Xue Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He actually felt that the current thinking of these two people was a bit wrong. They were putting the cart before the horse.

“I don’t think it is necessary to avoid popular plays. If you crash then you crash. It is only by choosing the most suitable character that you can act to the best level, right? What’s more, this is a competitive show and everyone always has to compete in the end.”

Xue Xiao told the objective and cruel truth with an obedient face.

Chang Yun suddenly said, “I am afraid that I will be eliminated in the first round because the contrast is too strong.”

Xue Xiao glanced at Jiang Quan and whispered, “It isn’t said that people will be eliminated in the first round.”

Sure enough, once the students had almost digested everything, Jiang Quan said in a friendly manner, “After choosing the play, everyone will have two days to rehearse. The first round of acting evaluation won’t eliminate anyone. However, the four instructors will score according to everyone’s performance. Then according to the score distribution, the 50 students will be divided into three groups and take acting classes separately.”

Someone wailed. “Ah, so we are going to be divided into the poor class, the ordinary class and the good class.”

“I’m dreaming back to high school!”

“No no no, high school isn’t as cruel as this!”

“Okay,” Jiang Quan said gracefully. “Next, I’ll ask the first participant to enter the selection room to choose.”

The years of acting ranged from short to long. The shortest was naturally the amateur participants.

The amateur participants had no serious acting experience and some people didn’t have any hope when they submitted their resumes to the show. They recorded some embarrassing short performance videos because they didn’t have a collection of works. They didn’t expect to really be seen by the show.

It was exciting to have an opportunity to get in touch with acting but now that they were asked to take the lead in choosing roles, they were really blind and didn’t know how to choose.

The right role for them?

How could they know which role suited them?

Some people’s footsteps revealed a strong sense of emptiness, but there were also people who were naturally confident and walked very calmly.

The moment the selection process began, the mentors on the big screen disappeared and left the students chattering and discussing it.

Jiang Lianlian, “Xiao Xiao, will you choose an ancient play or modern play?”

“I don’t know.” Xue Xiao shook his head. He was very excited at the moment. “I definitely won’t make choices like this.”

“When I used to play an extra, I participated in more costume crews,” Chang Yun said. “I really want to act in a modern play.”

“I used to play a lot of female supporting roles in costume dramas. If I had to choose, I still want to act in a costume play. I want to try playing the heroine once!”

On the other side, the small theater studio.

The four mentors were invited here for the convenience of recording some reactions separately.

The large screen in front of them was divided into two split screens. The left showed the scene of the selection while the right showed the waiting room.

Guan Ruoying re-opened the roster of participants in her hand and said while recognizing people, “It is still quite difficult for amateurs to come up and choose their own works. In other words, they don’t know how to choose.”

Su Shijin said, “Even many mature artists don’t know how to choose roles that suit them. That is why they often overturn the cart.”

Feng Wei smiled. “Who is Teacher Su talking about?”

Su Shijin raised an eyebrow. “Director Feng, don’t pit me.”

She looked at the camera directly in front of her, raised her pen and nodded to the voice, “The audience can think of whoever they want now. It has nothing to do with me.”

Shen Tingyan flipped through the roster of participants nonchalantly while listening to the other three talk in order to provide materials for the staff.

The process of selecting roles in turn was lengthy.

Some people struggled with it for a long time and one person even dragged it out for over 20 minutes.

The people in the waiting room were interested in chatting at first, but all of them stopped due to dry mouths and they showed a hint of fatigue.

Xue Xiao maintained his excitement all the time.

His two hands rested obediently on his knees and his fingers grasped at his knees.

Looking at his appearance, Chang Yun suddenly burst out, “You really like acting.”

Xue Xiao turned his head, blinked and nodded. His eyes were curved in a smile. “Yes, I like it!”

Chang Yun: “……”

Xue Xiao turned his head and continued to stare at Jiang Quan with shining eyes that said, ‘Call me, call me quickly.’

Chang Yun covered his chest.

…He had never seen such a frank person in his life!

Jiang Lianlian, who was sitting on the other side of Xue Xiao, winked at you. ‘You are poked, right? I was poked by him like this back then!’

Chang Yun replied, ‘You were tempted by masculinity. I am different from you. I was pierced through the heart by candy!’

Under the staff, Jiang Quan received a prompt from the staff in his headset and said, “Next, students who have been acting for one to three years should get ready.”

Xue Xiao, Chang Yun and Jiang Lianlian straightened their backs in unison.

They were all in this batch.

In the front row, Fan Xue also became nervous.

As the most popular one among the 50 participants, he had actually only debuted for two years.

Jiang Quan glanced toward the stairs and he said, “Xue Xiao, please enter the selection room.”

It was finally his turn!

Xue Xiao let out a long breath.

Since they wouldn’t be coming back to this studio, they had to take all their luggage with them.

Xue Xiao grabbed his backpack, folding chair and suitcase as he stood up, bringing everything he had gained for over a year of life here.

Jiang Lianlian and Chang Yun whispered words of encouragement, “Choose well, jiayou!”

In the front row, Fan Xue cast a cryptic glance toward him.

Xue Xiao walked down the steps, bowed to Jiang Quan, opened the door of the selection room and walked in without hesitation.

The small theater studio.

The moment she saw Xue Xiao’s figure appear in the huge selection room, Guan Ruoying said, “Ah, I remember him.”

The four of them had also seen in this studio the resumes and video highlights released by the show just now.

Guan Ruoying covered her lips and said, “I am very impressed by him.”

Xue Xiao’s back scene truly killed people. She had seen a lot of handsome men in the entertainment industry but even she felt her heart beating fast just now.

Su Shijin glanced at Shen Tingyan with a bad smile. “Yes, everyone has a big impression.”

Shen Tingyan didn’t seem to feel this gaze and calmly turned the roster of participants to Xue Xiao’s page.

At the top left was an obedient headshot. He looked young as if he hadn’t graduated from high school.

All the previous items were filled out neatly but the last four columns were particularly eye-catching. It was why the participants laughed just now.

—“What is your goal?”

The rest of the people filled in this column with answers like, ‘Become a Best Actor/Actress’, ‘play a leading role within one year’ or ‘win an award one day.’

Meanwhile, Xue Xiao wrote simple words.

—Shen Tingyan.

—“Who is your idol?”

—Shen Tingyan.

—“Who is your enlightenment in acting?”

—Shen Tingyan.

—“Who is your favorite person?”

—Shen Tingyan.

……

Shen Tingyan Shen Tingyan Shen Tingyan Shen Tingyan.

Shen Tingyan laughed. He put down the pen, leaned back against the chair and idly looked at Xue Xiao.

He had never met such a simple, brainless fan.