"Oh, the spiteful little wretch has quite a backbone!"
Aunt Wang saw Shen Jinyou’s refusal to duck or dodge as a kind of provocation. Her anger intensified, and she raised the stick high, smashing it down viciously toward the back of his leg, "Kneel down and apologize! Did you hear me!"
Shen Jinyou’s body swayed slightly, and a pained grunt came from his nose. Sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Another strike with the stick.
Shen Jinyou’s knees buckled slightly, then slowly straightened back up, causing his dirty snow-white silken robe to tremble.
"I told you to kneel!"
Aunt Wang, beside herself with rage, put all her strength into a cruel blow.
With a "thump"—, the frail body of the boy could no longer support itself, and he kneeled on one knee on the ground, making a crisp sound in the silent venue.
Everyone’s heart twitched with that sound, as if a steel wire had viciously torn at their heartstrings, wishing they could tear Aunt Wang to shreds on the spot and embrace the pitiful, frail Shen Jinyou.
His empathetic ability was simply too strong!
Zeng Minghui, watching the light begin to grow in his eyes, realized he was wrong. This wasn’t just a talented actor, but also an experienced and rare artist.
Other auditioning actors, to portray Shen Jinyou’s innocence and frailness, would fall to the ground at the first strike, letting Aunt Wang trample over them to evoke pity from others.
But Ye Xian did it gradually, from the initial bewilderment, to the silence when he knew he had been wronged, to the restrained endurance of the beating, furrowing his brow, sweating, clutching his robe in restraint. Only when the force of the stick exceeded the burden his body could bear did he finally fall to the ground.
This kneel shook the soul, creating a full immersion into the character’s anguish and rage, a far cry from the effect of being knocked down right from the start.
The actress playing Aunt Wang saw him finally fall and began preparing for the next segment, rolling up her sleeves and calling for others in the village to come see his embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, a few seconds later, Shen Jinyou shakily stood up again.
Ye Xian standing up again took everyone by surprise, including his opposite actor.
Outside the venue, the door was opened, and Jiang Wanze entered, taking over from Luo Yuwei, who had just finished in audition room two. When they walked in together, this was the scene they saw.
Out of all the auditioning actors, Ye Xian was the one ’Aunt Wang’ felt was the best, brilliant in expression, eye for detail, and gaze. Since he wanted to perform a scene to the utmost, then she would let him.
As the boy’s knees trembled, he slowly stood up again, and Aunt Wang struck him fiercely with another blow.
The body he had just straightened collapsed again.
Jiang Wanze was startled.
Everyone else’s hearts also hung in suspense, silently sweating for him.
Although they all knew that Shen Jinyou was wearing protective gear, and Aunt Wang’s stick was only raised high and gently lowered,
for some reason, they still felt nervous, worried, and angry.
Perhaps the charm of acting lies in its ability to deceive, making one feel as if they are truly there.
Shen Jinyou kneeled on the ground, his slender body having been pushed to the limit, unable to withstand any more blows, even his shoulders began to shake from the cold.
But he was of royal blood, his father the famed War God of Desert North, his mother the world’s foremost beauty, the blood flowing in his veins the most noble and unbending. He could not fall.
Even if he was now but a common countryman, the genetics engraved in his bones could never change.