Only the most dedicated CP fans could resiliently take a moment to record a short video to post on Weibo: “I knew cross-talk actors could let loose, but I didn’t expect their collaboration to be this sweet; I’m about to die here! I must tell you: Day and Night is real!!”
“…Given all this, you’re not just a suitable cross-talk actor; you’re practically Man Qian reborn, the ancestral master reincarnated,” Qi Shejiang praised while observing Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue: “Mm, mm, mm.”
“Then I have only one last request left,” Qi Shejiang clasped his fists, “After you become my partner, you’ll have to tutor my mom every day until she wins the highest music award in Huaxia.”
Zhang Yue stumbled, covering his hair: “I might as well withdraw from the cross-talk world!”
Audience member Xia Yiwei: “……………”
Audience: “Hahahahahahahaha!!”
You two, both are indeed relatives of cross-talk actors… As the punchline landed, Qi Shejiang and Zhang Yue bowed and stepped down; the audience’s applause continued, and before they could leave the stage, the host welcomed them back for an encore. “The program just now, the host didn’t announce it, is actually called ‘The Selection of Concubines’; it’s newly adapted and quite lively,” Qi Shejiang returned to the table and first introduced the episode they just performed. As soon as he spoke, everyone chuckled knowingly; that name suits perfectly. “Zhang Yue is just making a guest appearance; everyone knows he’s not a trained cross-talk actor, he only trained for a few days for this surprise program,” Qi Shejiang casually shared some behind-the-scenes stories, “At first, he couldn’t quite adapt; as a singer, he prefers facing the audience head-on, but the ‘straight man’ must constantly watch the ‘jester’.” “I’m watching,” Zhang Yue unexpectedly interjected, his posture indeed half-turned towards Qi Shejiang, eyes fixed on him. “Well, the training seems to have gone well,” Qi Shejiang chuckled softly, “Maybe you should really consider a career change?” “Sure, just fire Xu Siyu later,” Zhang Yue replied naturally. In fact, while outsiders watch for entertainment, insiders look deeper. Despite the duo’s apparent smooth collaboration, it’s not that simple.
Thanks to Zhang Yue’s rich experience on stage, he has been practicing with the script repeatedly in the past few days. Moreover, Qi Shejiang diligently broke it down for him, teaching him the nuances of timing even detailing the pitch of a note and the pause in a sentence; he forced Zhang Yue to grasp the essence of the punchline.
If it were someone else, it would be very difficult for a novice to make the audience laugh on stage, and even to seem natural might be hard. Moreover, there’s one thing about Zhang Yue that’s great—he just needs to say some real stories and genuine thoughts on stage, and everyone finds it funny.
“No way!” Zhang Yue immediately responded. “Oh dear~~” It wasn’t just the girls; even the male audience was getting rowdy. “No way, the encore can’t just be spoken. I don’t have that much to say, but I can still sing.”
” Zhang Yue pretended to roll up his sleeves, “I haven’t even warmed up my seat yet, so Xu Siyu, just wait!” “Then you perform first?” Qi Shejiang looked at him with a smile, appearing very indulgent. It wouldn’t matter if tonight’s performance went a little long; once Zhang Yue was done, he would invite Xu Siyu back on. “I’ll perform! I’ll sing a segment of ‘Zidi Shu’,” Zhang Yue said after thinking, “I learned it from him.” Qi Shejiang casually added, “Isn’t that stating the obvious?” Zhang Yue sang a difficult excerpt from “Shi Wen Shi Da,” “With great majesty soaring to the heavens, and murderous energy filling the universe, all one sees is the shimmering green on the head, the golden silk cap crafted by a skilled artisan, and the glimmering light of the two dragons appears around, with a red tassel above that sways gently, adorned with the curled forms of nine dragons…” Well, Zhang Yue surely showcased his singer background, his breath full and powerful, and as Qi Shejiang’s protégé, he sang with remarkable flair. Thinking of that, it made their relationship seem even closer.
When Zhang Yue was halfway through, Qi Shejiang took the lead in applauding, looking quite proud. After finishing the segment, Zhang Yue cheekily asked, “How did I do?” The audience chorused their praise, “Good!!” Zhang Yue ignored them and stared at Qi Shejiang, “I’m asking you.” Qi Shejiang hadn’t cheered earlier, but smiled, “Very good.” Only then did Zhang Yue look satisfied. A chorus of boos erupted. He was just showing off too much, truly too much! There were also supportive voices shouting, “Good! Do another one!” “Another one? Can’t do it. This thing almost took my breath away.” Zhang Yue patted his chest, not joking, that segment was indeed exhausting. The crowd began shouting for songs, and without a doubt, the loudest calls were for “He Bi Xi Xiang” and “Qiu Shui.” “… Hmm, how about this, let’s sing ‘Qiu Shui,’ I’ll sing my revised version, which I performed once while busking on the street.” Once Zhang Yue mentioned it, many people recalled it, it was the moment they were caught on camera during that New Year’s Eve, marking the first call of the pair.
Now that Zhang Yue announced he would sing again, who knew how excited everyone was. Sure enough, the revised lyrics must have been for Qi Shejiang; otherwise, why would he always sing it when Qi Shejiang was around? “Then I’ll provide you with accompaniment.” Qi Shejiang instructed someone to bring up his sanxian and tested the sound. Hugging the sanxian and glancing at Zhang Yue, Qi Shejiang smiled and said, “Zhang Yue sings really well. I fell for him when I was listening to him sing.” The CP fans in the audience erupted with joyful howls, our CP is so good at marketing! Only Zhang Yue felt his ears warm and his heart racing. Most people didn’t know that Qi Shejiang had just openly and discreetly confessed in front of everyone, saying a genuine love line. The two exchanged glances in silence for three seconds amidst the laughter. Truth and illusion mingled in the lively atmosphere, leaving others unable to distinguish banter from reality, just like Qi Shejiang couldn’t tell whether he was truly before a dream of eighty years or if he had mistakenly entered this life through a dream. The world is vast, with few true friends; may this encounter not betray the time.
Qi Shejiang gently plucked the strings, and Zhang Yue responded with his singing, the melody soaring throughout the venue: The autumn waters flow from spring to winter, the ocean’s surface remains seemingly unchanged. You’ve counted thirty-nine leaves of the green mountains that fly, only to gaze at this night and the frosty wind. Temporarily borrowing the flowers and wind, stopping the snow and moon, presenting a dream that cannot be found in the dream of the concealed deer. The sounds of the geese in the western city can’t return thirty-nine times of the plum blossoms’ red, but they write encounters on the strings. …
- The end of the main text –
Chapter 41 – Extra: Eighty Years Ago Qi Shejiang woke from a dream, and felt something was off. The ground beneath him was hard, and it was dark in front of him, with not a glimmer of light. This sensation felt both strange and familiar, making Qi Shejiang almost believe it was a dream within a dream. Until the next moment, a voice rang out: “Shejiang, turn on the light.” It was clearly his master’s voice. Qi Shejiang was stunned until his master kicked his leg, and only then did he come back to his senses.
Qi Shejiang crawled out of bed, his heart filled with shock. Had he returned to the past, to a time when his master was still alive? Even in the dark, Qi Shejiang knew where everything was in the house.
