Naturally, the relationship between Zhang Yue and Qi Shejiang was edited to appear very cold. As soon as they met, Zhang Yue ignored him, while Qi Shejiang teased Zhang Yue, which was indeed true. Later, when Zhang Yue woke up in the morning and saw Qi Shejiang practicing, they edited it to make it look like he just took a glance and then walked away, as if he was annoyed by the noise Qi Shejiang made. Even with these two, they still had to sleep on the same bed, which made the audience question how to interpret it. Of course, they all praised the director’s team for a job well done! The other members of the Guanshan band did great too! Aside from the deadly solo crosstalk, everyone had to admit that Qi Shejiang’s performance was unexpectedly outstanding. They originally thought he would be the one creating the most blunders, receiving the most care, and maybe he would strive for fame through hard work, but nobody would’ve thought that in rural life, Qi Shejiang would actually thrive! After the show aired, the ratings were quite good.
This had a ripple effect, drawing even more attention to the relationship between Zhang Yue and Qi Shejiang. It was unclear if the production team was stirring things up, but it now seemed to appear as if the two were the top rivals in the entertainment industry.
Zhang Yue went to watch a crosstalk performance featuring Qi Shejiang. He didn’t act with his teammates, and while he was outside the venue buying drinks alone, someone took a picture and posted it online: “Why do I feel like I saw Zhang Yue?” In the photo, Zhang Yue was wearing a mask, half his face exposed, looking indeed similar to the impression everyone had of him. However, all the people reposting it insisted that the blogger should wake up; were they dreaming?
In the end, even the blogger started to doubt their own eyes, saying, “Alright, alright, let’s just say I imagined it.” After some time, when everyone looks back at this undeniable evidence, they can’t help but sigh: what were we thinking? Even with it right in front of us, we didn’t believe it!
Speaking of Qi Shejiang’s performance, this was a crosstalk special featuring Zhou Sihe, a senior disciple of Meng Jingyuan, who made the arrangements. Qi Shejiang was invited to serve as a warm-up act for Zhou Sihe; otherwise, performing for several hours in a row is exhausting for anyone.
This also tests people’s abilities, as everyone came to see Zhou Sihe, and if Qi Shejiang doesn’t perform well, the audience might just play with their phones while waiting for Zhou Sihe to come back.
Zhou Sihe and Meng Jingyuan have a good relationship, and without any hesitation, he supported Meng Jingyuan. He agreed immediately and even specially asked his disciple Liu Qing to support Qi Shejiang.
When the cast list was announced, many took notice.
Who is Zhou Sihe? He is well-rooted, having learned crosstalk from a young age, with more than twenty years of experience; he can perform and entertain, and his solo performances are also very popular. Qi Shejiang is dual-genre trained while Zhou Sihe has also learned Jingdong Dagu and Henan Zui.
Zhou Sihe is quite the performer; supporting him while performing for his fans is indeed a challenge.
[Qi Shejiang is pretty bold; he’s really pursuing this path and even helping others perform. Buying tickets for this special show means they are all fans of Zhou Sihe, including many seasoned cross-talk lovers.] [I feel like this is harder than performing on TV, and this time the partner isn’t Meng Jingyuan or Zeng Wen. I’ve heard that those who came mainly to listen to crosstalk might shout ‘boo’ if it’s not performed well, and that would be really embarrassing.] [Uh, but even if the performance is good, it probably wouldn’t be acknowledged, right? I think it’s a bit unreasonable to say that; honestly, I think Qi Shejiang’s performance is already pretty good in my eyes, I enjoyed it anyway.] There’s a lot of chatter, but there is also support for Qi Shejiang; however, even within the crosstalk circle, there are endless debates, making it even harder to determine whether Qi Shejiang’s talent is enough to captivate the audience. Anyway, all the tickets for Zhou Sihe were sold out. Not only that, but a video site caught the buzz around this event and requested to livestream Zhou Sihe’s special performance. This has never happened before; Zhou Sihe discussed it with Meng Jingyuan and agreed to it. Now even those who can’t go to the site can enjoy the show online.
… Qi Shejiang took this performance very seriously; out of respect for Meng Laoshi, he went to support Zhou Sihe and wanted to do right by both of them. Qi Shejiang practiced lines with Zhou Sihe’s disciple Liu Qing and discussed jokes. Zhou Sihe had never seen Qi Shejiang perform before, and upon hearing him, he reacted similarly to Meng Jingyuan. Steady, very steady; with this level of confidence, his disciple is far from being able to compare! Zhou Sihe couldn’t help but think of Meng Laozu. He seemed to understand why Meng Jingyuan was so willing to help Qi Shejiang. There must be a reason that reminds him of his grandfather in Qi Shejiang! On the day of the performance, Qi Shejiang and Liu Qing arrived backstage several hours in advance. Liu Qing is the best at supporting roles among Zhou Sihe’s disciples, and this time he worked hard to help Qi Shejiang. He knew Qi Shejiang was popular, and being able to share the stage with him might bring some recognition.
The two of them didn’t just serve as a warm-up; they were the opening act. “I went to check on the website, and they’ve set up the equipment. To be honest, this is my first time doing a livestream,” Liu Qing said, rubbing his hands together. He has performed quite a lot, but thinking about how many viewers were tuning in because of Qi Shejiang made him understandably anxious—this feeling is natural. Hopefully, Qi Shejiang wouldn’t mess up, or he’d end up dragging him down. “It’s fine, just say it well,” Qi Shejiang comforted Liu Qing. Qi Shejiang sometimes played small roles, and after learning the sanxian, when there were no performances he would help the dagu players tune their instruments. “To be honest, you’re a bit different from what I thought,” Liu Qing couldn’t help but say.
“I’ve seen your videos before and thought your performance was good; I assumed you’d be a bit arrogant, but you’re so considerate.” Qi Shejiang just smiled; back in the days with his father’s troupe, he was the one taking care of the other kids. After entering the crosstalk world, he also took care of his master’s children and his junior disciples.
As soon as he thinks of the past, Qi Shejiang’s thoughts become somewhat ethereal again. That time was so chaotic; the Jianghu performers had no status whatsoever, bullied by local tyrants, and his family was even taken by a warlord to perform.
“Jesse? Jesse?” Liu Qing nudged Qi Shejiang, “What’s the matter? You should be getting ready to go on stage.”
“…It’s nothing.” Qi Shejiang rubbed his cheeks, got up, and changed into his robe, walking to the side curtain with Liu Qing to wait.
As the host announced, Qi Shejiang and Liu Qing walked onto the stage, both young actors who had prepared a set of purple sandalwood robes for this performance.
Applause erupted from the audience, who were fans and ticket holders there for Zhou Sihe; they were just giving some courtesy, casually clapping while quietly gossiping.
“Is this the idol that’s been controversial lately, coming to the crosstalk scene?”
“Critique of Peking Opera? This Liu’s performance, can an idol really do it well?”
“I don’t know how good it will be… If I find it lacking, I’ll just take a nap; I’m exhausted from last night’s overtime.”
“Not just an idol, looks like a mixed-race idol… Just look at that appearance.”
