157: Chapter 157: Full marks for participation!

Baihua Hall was silent for a moment, followed by thunderous applause.

The students from the Performance Department clapped the hardest; they didn't have as much specialized knowledge, but they were the closest to ordinary audience members.

An Zhuo performed much better than Tang Xumi; it was brilliant—that was their intuitive feeling.

Look at this actor—she's from their class! How amazing!

Lou Jia also kept clapping without stopping, all the while quietly observing the reactions of everyone in the theater troupe.

Everyone had similar expressions: surprise, shock, admiration, and awe.

Even Professor Leng Xiaotan, who held authority over the entire venue, abandoned his previous crossed-arm posture and clapped sincerely; the muscle definition in his arms was clear, and he looked very satisfied.

Teacher Jiang Ying was so moved she even shed tears.

"Great, An Zhuo's participation grade is saved," Lou Jia thought pragmatically.

"Great, my participation grade is saved," was also An Zhuo's first thought.

In a way, they had reached the same conclusion from different perspectives.

The study tour concluded amidst the extreme excitement and thrill of Performance Department Class 1.

Professor Leng Xiaotan didn't say much to An Zhuo, but the reactions of everyone present had already proven that An Zhuo's Acting was convincing enough.

Instead, Teacher Jiang Ying specifically asked An Zhuo to stay behind when the students were lining up to leave.

"Xiao Zhuo, you really performed very well." An Zhuo didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Teacher Jiang Ying was extremely excited, raising her voice even though her throat didn't seem capable of producing much sound.

Standing beside her was another charming actress who was currently staring at An Zhuo with curiosity.

"Oh, look at me, I forgot. This is Teacher Xu, the lead actress of our troupe. When she was young, she starred in 'Mist and Rain'—it was a production from many years ago, so I assume you wouldn't know it. She is currently performing in 'Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier'."

"What's that supposed to mean? The way you say it makes me sound so old," Teacher Xu said with feigned anger.

It was clear that the two had a good personal relationship.

An Zhuo reacted quickly; although she truly didn't know this famous stage actress beforehand, she still greeted her very cleverly, "So it is Teacher Xu."

The few of them started chatting right there, having a delightful conversation centered solely on the topic of stage plays.

"When performing in a stage play, your gaze must be steady; you cannot avoid the audience, and you must not fear the lens."

"Also, your blocking—sometimes you drifted off-stage, and the audience couldn't see your body movements clearly."

"However, your expressiveness made up for these issues," Teacher Xu and Teacher Jiang Ying said in unison.

The two exchanged a glance, both marveling at how formidable the younger generation was.

An Zhuo learned many more stage Acting techniques once again.

Practical experience really is the best teacher; no matter how well something is explained in class, whether you can perform it on stage is what matters most.

The study tour ended successfully, and on the bus ride back, An Zhuo received a friend request from Professor Leng Xiaotan.

How rare, Director Leng is actually willing to take the initiative.

As soon as she accepted, he sent over the student participation grade register.

Beside An Zhuo's name, which was ranked first, hung a bright "100 points."

Hmph, hmph~

"Thank you, Director Leng."

The other party didn't reply again.

Because the guillotine of failing a degree course had been moved further away, An Zhuo was in a very good mood all week.

The weekend was the day she had originally agreed to become Professor Qiao Daoping's apprentice.

An Zhuo didn't forget to report her plans to her partner, Ji Yunqi.

When the call was first connected, there was a sound of water and laughter from the other end; she was probably enjoying a pool party in the Maldives.

The workaholic finally looked like she was on vacation; An Zhuo accurately heard the sound of ice cubes clinking against bubbles when the call connected.

After she finished explaining that she was about to become an apprentice, and to the current dean of the National Film Academy at that, there was a clattering sound on the other end—something must have been knocked over.

After a few dozen seconds, it seemed that Ji Yunqi had sprinted to a quiet place.

"Are you serious?! You're going to become Professor Qiao Daoping's apprentice?"

"That's right." An Zhuo was very calm, but there was a tiny hint of pride in her tone.

She recounted the whole story of how she had used Director Yu Feng to break into Master Yu Bingde's circle and seek patronage during this time.

"Oh my! Then you must take this very seriously. You need to observe the three major festivals, isn't the Dragon Boat Festival coming up soon? Have you prepared the holiday gifts? When are you going to visit to pay your respects?"

"Sister, the Dragon Boat Festival is still two months away," An Zhuo replied with a deadpan expression, but Ji Yunqi continued to fire away like a machine gun.

"What Master Yu Bingde likes, what Professor Qiao Daoping likes, plus their friends, family, and fellow disciples—all of this needs to be prepared... No, I can't go on vacation anymore; I'm flying back to the country immediately."

The other party hurriedly said goodbye and hung up; it sounded like she was going to fly over to help immediately, regardless of any objections.

Has her non-compete period ended? An Zhuo started calculating the days for her.

Sigh, forget it. Sister Ji is just a workaholic; she can't even have a peaceful vacation. It's better to let her come back and stay busy. Some people are just more energetic the busier they are.

She flew back that very day, and An Zhuo didn't have to worry about the apprenticeship ceremony at all; Ji Yunqi had prepared everything.

An Zhuo was happy to be a hands-off boss; she dressed up carefully and drove to Professor Qiao Daoping's villa.

In her past life, she was a skilled driver, so she barely had to put in any effort to get her driver's license in this life. Although she had a driver for her travels as a celebrity, there were always some occasions where she needed to drive herself, right?

For example, in a private meeting like this to seek patronage, it was better to appear alone. By keeping her posture humble, she could shorten the distance between them. Bringing a driver and bodyguards—what would a whole crowd of people look like?

When An Zhuo arrived at Professor Qiao Daoping's courtyard, there were already quite a few luxury cars parked on both sides.

Most of them followed the path of low-key luxury. Being industry insiders, it was fine to be widely noticed while working, but in private, they didn't like to attract too much attention.

An Zhuo quickened her pace. She had specifically arrived an hour earlier than the agreed-upon time, so why had so many people arrived before her?

The front door was wide open, and there were voices inside; it seemed they were discussing how to arrange the plates on the table.

As she entered, apologizing for the disturbance, she saw Shen Xiliu, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, walking toward the dining table carrying an exquisite fruit platter.

Professor Qiao Daoping, who was folding the table runner on the table, also looked up.

"Oh my, beloved apprentice, you're here!"

This form of address gave An Zhuo goosebumps.

"Ahem." Master Yu Bingde, who was resting on the sofa, tapped his cane, "You haven't officially held the apprenticeship ceremony yet; don't go shouting that around."

"It's just a short while, is it worth being so fussy about?" Professor Qiao Daoping didn't care at all. This apprentice he had been coveting for so long was finally within his grasp; couldn't he just satisfy his craving for a moment?

"Teacher, why didn't you let me come earlier to help?" An Zhuo took the tools from his hand very naturally and began to help.

Her movements were skillful and natural; she looked experienced and independent at a glance, which made Professor Qiao Daoping even more satisfied.