Chapter 666: Chapter 663: Separation (5)
This woman! Bo Yan felt an itch in his heart, a stronger itch in his body. If she were in ancient times, she’d definitely be a devastating beauty capable of causing the downfall of a nation!
But isn’t that the dream of all men? To have a lady on the outside, a dancer on the inside. Pure and innocent in public, but accustomed to the ways of the world in private.
There has to be a bit of fun in marriage; otherwise, the same dish every day gets tiresome. She was just right—exactly to his liking.
Bo Yan’s adam’s apple bobbed, he looked up and, with the slightly dramatic tone of a movie line, said, “Miss, I greet you with respect. My name is Zhang Gong, with courtesy name Junrui. I hail from Central Zhou Luoyang, 23 years of age, born on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. My late father once served as the Minister of Rites, living a life of integrity; hence, our family circumstances are humble, and I have yet to marry…”
Xia Siyu grew up overseas, only returning to her home country at sixteen or seventeen, and dropped out after just a few years of schooling. Her acting roles were entirely in youth campus films, which is to say—when it comes to classical literature, she’s illiterate.
“What?” she exclaimed.
“The ‘Romance of the Western Chamber,’ aren’t we performing it? The ancient Chinese used in those romantic films is really just plain language. It certainly doesn’t have the rhythmic flair of the original text.”
“What ‘Romance of the Western Chamber’? Weren’t we just watching ‘The Carnal Prayer Mat’?” she asked.
Bo Yan shook his head earnestly, “It’s not the same. There’s a fundamental problem; I can’t bring myself to play that role.”
“What fundamental problem?” she inquired, having not read the original novel and thus unaware of its content.
Bo Yan calmly replied, “The male protagonist in the movie, Weng Yangsheng, was a eunuch from birth—’incapable.’ It was only after seeking the aid of a master and undergoing a transplant that he could claim power. How can I possibly play him? I’ve been outstanding from birth. And I simply cannot empathize with such a scoundrel. He had such a gorgeous wife and still went out stirring up trouble, causing his wife to suffer retribution and end up in a brothel. I’m different. With a stunning wife like you, I’d never be unfaithful. That’s my ideal.”
In truth, he could tell that the reason Xia Siyu was so excited today was because they were about to be apart the following day. For the past six months, they had always been together. Although they couldn’t stay in the same room every day due to the numerous people around during the film shoot, at least they worked together and saw each other daily.
Even Xia Siyu, with her lack of common knowledge, knew that ‘Romance of the Western Chamber’ ended with a happy reunion, the male and female leads ending up together. However, Bo Yan hadn’t told her about the original source of ‘Romance of the Western Chamber,’ “The Story of Yingying,” written by the Tang dynasty poet Yuan Zhen. In the book, the male lead Zhang Sheng begins with deception and ends with betrayal. As a destitute scholar, he seduces the daughter of the prime minister, Cui Yingying, and after achieving the title of top scholar, he reneges on his promises and leaves.
The most disgusting part was when he claimed Cui Yingying deserved to be abandoned for not upholding female virtue.
Yuan Zhen himself was a despicable man, having cast aside the famous courtesan Xue Tao, the one known for creating Xue Tao paper. But what of it? Yuan Zhen carefully crafted the story of that licentious scholar, yet centuries later, people have long forgotten the original. What they remember is the story of undying love and loyalty—never parting until white-haired.
“How do I know if you’re telling the truth?” Xia Siyu teased lightly, her face flushed. When in love with someone, naturally, she loved to hear all kinds of sweet nothings. Her brows and eyes were smiling, yet she feigned seriousness, “Since you’re so familiar with ‘Romance of the Western Chamber,’ do you know what they said when they committed to each other for life?”