Chapter Nineteen Zhang Yue thought that since Qi Shejiang was going to call her Auntie, but he forgot that Xia Yiwei was very sensitive to this kind of thing. He stared at Xia Yiwei awkwardly, and at that moment, Qi Shejiang had already pushed him, saying, “Hey, call her sister. You stick to your way, and I’ll stick to mine.” Zhang Yue: “……” It’s not that he couldn’t call her that, but if he did, wouldn’t it create the impression that they were from two different generations?
However, if he insisted on calling her Auntie, Xia Yiwei might just eat him alive… Zhang Yue found a middle ground and said gloomily, “Teacher Xia.” Qi Shejiang didn’t realize there was such a title, “Isn’t that a bit too formal?” Xia Yiwei shot Zhang Yue a glare, and no matter how she looked at it, there seemed to be something wrong, “Alright, enough of that; even if you really call me ‘sister’, I can’t accept it. Teacher Zhang, what are you here for?” Qi Shejiang stifled a laugh and quickly explained, “No, I asked Zhang Yue to come along; he’s helped me a lot. He didn’t mean anything by it earlier, it’s just that from my perspective, since we have a good relationship, it’s different from others who come and go, and I don’t want to get misunderstood.” Li Jing also nodded at Xia Yiwei, indicating that what Qi Shejiang said was true. Only then did Xia Yiwei soften a bit; although Zhang Yue was at fault, it was— “Hey, little Zhang, I should thank you; I was a bit impulsive just now, and look at all the lines you provided for Jesse…” Zhang Yue: “…………” Qi Shejiang almost laughed again, quickly covering half his face to hide his expression.
“Pooh.” Li Jing pretended not to have laughed out loud and said, “It’s not that kind of help; I mean, recently Jesse has been working on music, and Zhang Yue is also an expert in this area, providing guidance.
Here is the edited article:
Xia Yiwei: “…Oh? Hahaha, I didn’t expect that. Well, come, come, let’s have a meal together…”
…They didn’t go out for the meal but set up a small table and ordered takeout.
During the meal, Xia Yiwei introduced him, saying the director’s surname is Jiang, and he is very experienced; this isn’t their first collaboration.
This song, the theme is based on a famous dan character from a hundred years ago, and the director mainly wants to capture that sense of history, also hoping to cast someone with a temperament that fits.
While eating, everyone began to chat.
“If Jesse comes, it should work,” the director thought to himself, as long as Xia Yiwei’s son isn’t too bad, he could afford to lower the requirements on temperament since this mother-son collaboration is also a major highlight.
As a crosstalk performer, one understands that it’s diverse—besides, Qi Shejiang has rich experience; when he was younger, he had gone on stage as both boys and girls, soaking in the backstage experiences he observed a lot, and later he had to perform crosstalk, imitating many, forming a habit of observing various types of people.
Xia Yiwei took out her phone to show him, “There’s also a segment of Peking opera dialogue in the middle.” Qi Shejiang glanced at it; he recognized it as “Wang Qing Yu,” adapted from Bianxi. He asked, “Which school of singing does Director Jiang prefer?” Director Jiang was taken aback, “The one we selected is from the Zhao school.” Thinking for a moment, Qi Shejiang said, “The Zhao style isn’t sweet enough; the female lead of ‘Wang Qing Yu’ has a more vibrant personality. Let me show you.” He put down his chopsticks, cleared his throat, “I haven’t warmed up yet, but just listen to the tone.” “I was originally the master of the elegance of Jinghua, where the golden scales flow like true pearls. Startling the emerald waves, obscured by mist, like silk and jade fins resting on lotus dew—” He sang this part twice; the first time was in the Zhao style, the second was much more round and clear. Qi Shejiang claimed he hadn’t warmed up, but those present thought he sounded great; the difference was substantial. With this back-and-forth singing, the contrast was immediately apparent.
“Hey, no kidding, this seems more suitable as you go along. You guys need to talk to Old Wang about using this later on for the recording!” Director Jiang said, “Having someone skilled in the field is still great.”
“Uh? No need to rush; I was just demonstrating. There are many types in the dan school, including Yan, Yu, Xiang… and the movements also need to be matching.” Qi Shejiang counted.
Director Jiang was confused and then heard there were distinctions in the movements, which he needed to pay attention to during shooting, and could not help but ask, “What other types do you know?”
Qi Shejiang chuckled, “It’s up to you; you tell me which one you like, and I’ll learn to sing that one.”
Director Jiang, however, opened his mouth and was speechless for a while: “…”
He raised his cup, “Impressive, I toast to you.”
Jesse and Zhang Yue have a good relationship and work closely together in music. Jesse is capable of much more than he had imagined. “To protect my voice, I won’t drink wine; I’ll have tea instead.” Qi Shejiang knew he made a living with his voice; he could not touch things like tobacco and alcohol. After the earlier demonstration, Director Jiang admired his self-control, and the two clinked their cups. After the meal, Qi Shejiang rested for a while and then dressed up in costume. The main character of “Wang Qing Yu” is a youthful dan character; the face needs to be lively and beautiful. After tightening the head, his eyes became the upward-turned phoenix eyes. When styling his hair, it was to have small arches with big willow shapes, where there were seven small arches on the forehead, and the big willow adorned the cheeks to shape the face. With red and white makeup slapped onto his face, it was formed into an oval shape. Qi Shejiang has black hair and black eyes, and his features are strong but soft, with a grace that is distinctly Chinese.
Zhang Yue was originally sitting nearby playing on his phone; when he saw Qi Shejiang come out, he almost didn’t recognize him. Qi Shejiang’s frame is small; he walked out slowly and stood there, making it difficult to distinguish gender. Especially his distinctly clear and moist eyes that became even more alluring.
“Ahem!” Zhang Yue cleared his throat a few times.
The others leaned in to take a look, astonished, “So beautiful, this look is really stunning!”
Some staff had just learned that Jesse wasn’t just visiting but came to save the scene, and they never expected the effect to be so good.
“Isn’t it too beautiful? I thought Zhang Yue was turning red…”
Zhang Yue: “…” He felt a bit awkward, but everyone present seemed too preoccupied to pay attention to him; he wasn’t the only one turning red.
Qi Shejiang stepped lightly, mimicking the graceful movements of a Huadan as he walked up to Zhang Yue. Zhang Yue’s gaze flickered slightly as he hesitated, not knowing what to say. At that moment, Qi Shejiang bit his lip, which unexpectedly drew Zhang Yue’s attention. He thought to himself, “Wow! Qi Jiexi looks absolutely stunning like this! I can suddenly understand his fans!”
