Chapter 360: Chapter 360

The theme of tonight’s performance is emotional reactions after the annihilation of one’s family.

Mr. Zhang gave Tan Qianzhi one minute to prepare emotionally, after which he immediately entered a vacant stare.

Everyone thought Tan Qianzhi was starting to get into character and waited intently to watch his performance.

However, when the minute was up and Mr. Zhang called for the performance to start, Tan Qianzhi remained in the same dazed, vacant state.

The worst part was that his mouth was slightly open, looking like he might drool at any second.

Though it was not her intent to insult anyone, Sang Ning couldn’t help but feel like she was witnessing the archetypal "foolish son of the landlord." She finally had a keen understanding of what Qin Jiaxiang meant by "the number one idiot in the entertainment industry."

"Little Tan, act! Don’t just stand there—get into the scene!" Mr. Zhang raised his hands, palms up, gesturing repeatedly while his voice carried an urgent tone to remind Tan Qianzhi.

Tan Qianzhi slowly turned his head to look at Mr. Zhang and said, "Teacher, I am already acting."

After speaking, his shoulders slumped, and his mouth opened even wider, making him appear even more like a fool.

Mr. Zhang sighed deeply and closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation, signaling he couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

Thinking back to when Tan Qianzhi played a dull-witted character in a film, Mr. Zhang let it go. After all, a mentally underdeveloped fool wouldn’t have many emotions; upon encountering the tragedy of family loss, the initial reaction might truly be that blank confusion.

"Alright, alright, you can step down now." Mr. Zhang waved dismissively, one hand still clutching his head.

"Thanks very much to Classmate Tan for demonstrating how an abnormal person might react to losing their family. Next, let’s invite a few more students to show us how normal people might respond." Mr. Zhang composed himself, then turned to the students and joked lightheartedly.

Tan Qianzhi took a seat in the second row, behind the female students.

As soon as he sat down, Wei Lejun turned around and unleashed another round of merciless mockery directly at him: "Little Tan, someone as stupid as you should be called Tan Qianchun. Why are you named Qianzhi?"

Even the dimmest fool should react to blatant mockery, yet Tan Qianzhi simply chuckled, as if it didn’t faze him, scratching the back of his head with one hand: "Classmate Wei, I think you might be right."

Wei Lejun froze for a moment, then turned back around, unwilling to engage with Tan Qianzhi further.

"See? Sincerity truly is his ultimate skill. Tan Qianzhi really is so dumb it’s endearing," Huang Chengzi whispered to Sang Ning, stifling a laugh. "Someone with a mellow disposition like Little Tan is definitely Lejun’s nemesis. Just look at her; she’s fuming like a charred skillet. She’s the one who insulted him, but in the end, she’s the one who’s most irritated."

Huang Chengzi and Sang Ning’s murmured conversation caught Mr. Zhang’s attention, and Sang Ning, unfortunately, became the scapegoat called up to perform.

Despite it being Huang Chengzi who whispered first, Sang Ning was the one dragged onto the stage.

She was exhausted. Just destroy everything already.

In her past life, Sang Ning lived like a solitary being, detached and indifferent. After being transported into the book, she gained family, friends, even a romantic relationship, and her emotional connections deepened. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱

Previously, when performing emotional scenes, Sang Ning would rely on her rational analysis of the protagonist’s feelings.

But now, she had learned how to immerse herself in the role. She substituted the murdered family with the people she had emotional ties to in this world, gradually sinking into the emotion.

Sang Ning visualized the podium as the site of the massacre, her mind suddenly blanking out, eyes bewilderedly scanning the area around the stage.

As soon as she entered the zone, the room went silent, so much so that even Mr. Zhang adopted a serious expression.

Initially, Mr. Zhang hadn’t placed much faith in Sang Ning’s acting skills. He knew the reason Sang Ning could land the role of a leading actress was because her martial arts skills were unmatched in the entertainment industry.

As for her acting, Qin Jiaxiang had already instructed the performance teachers to provide extra coaching for her weakest skill.

But now, it appeared her acting had a certain brilliance to it; with continued refinement, she could undoubtedly become a top-tier actress rivaling Wen Jiu in the future.

Despite being a scene relying on invisible props, Sang Ning’s helpless eyes instantly drew everyone in, as if the stage was littered with the corpses of people closest to her.

She stumbled a few steps across the stage before collapsing, loudly hitting the ground, clearly showing her strength had drained entirely.

Then she opened her mouth, silently sobbing, as though someone had gripped her throat tightly; she wanted to cry but couldn’t. Immense sorrow rendered her even incapable of tears.

Facing the students in the audience, Sang Ning clutched at her chest with one hand, mouth gaping, seeming muffled, her vulnerability so piercing that it tugged at hearts and made some feel an inexplicable urge to cry.

While most students merely furrowed their brows under the weight of emotion Sang Ning had infused them with, Huang Chengzi, who had an uncontrollable response to sadness, burst into tears, sobbing aloud: "Wahhh, Sang Ning is too pitiful! I just want to hug her and comfort her!"

With Huang Chengzi’s cries echoing in the studio, Sang Ning’s emotions reached a new layer. Her eyes radiated a vengeful fury to annihilate everything—her thirst for revenge overflowed. Her gaze now mirrored a demon crawling out of hell, determined to drag everyone down with her, to have them buried alongside her fallen family.

And Mr. Zhang became her imaginary target for revenge.

The previously moved Mr. Zheng sniffled lightly as he wiped his tears, then glanced up at Sang Ning, meeting the world-destroying look in her eyes.

Mr. Zhang suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if Sang Ning might actually slit his throat at any moment.

Was there any need to take acting this seriously?

Mr. Zhang panicked. He feared Sang Ning might be too consumed by her role and quickly called "Cut!" to end her performance.

The downside of immersive acting is the difficulty of detaching from the character. Even though Mr. Zhang had already stopped the scene, Sang Ning took a long while to slip back into reality.

Sitting back in her seat, her chest still ached faintly. Being an actor was pure torment—it was no wonder some entered depression after filming a single project.

Now, Sang Ning deeply understood that being too engrossed in a role could sometimes backfire.

Mr. Zhang offered his critique of Sang Ning’s performance: "Sang Ning, your acting was very impressive—emotionally rich and compelling—but there’s room for improvement in technique. You still have plenty of space to grow."

Mr. Zhang likely noticed Sang Ning’s difficulty withdrawing from her role, so he deliberately explained to the students the professional ways to rationally detach themselves from a character’s emotions post-performance.

Sang Ning’s portrayal finally earned Wei Lejun’s approval as she gave Sang Ning a proper look: "Turns out this vase actually has a little substance."

Sang Ning had already figured out Wei Lejun’s personality—she was a petty person who thrived on criticizing everything and everyone indiscriminately.

The best way to deal with someone like her? Complete and utter disregard.