Chapter 00136: Amateur Acting Class
# Amateur Acting Class
Chapter 136
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 136: Amateur Acting Class
Friends who often engage in intimate activities know that when two people are together, holding hands leads to embracing, embracing leads to kissing, kissing leads to touching, and touching leads to undressing.
It's a natural progression...
Chen Qi's kissing skills were quite good—gentle at first, then intense, shallow at times, deep at others, always well-paced and comfortable.
The person in his arms was initially stiff but gradually relaxed.
Her slender waist felt like a spring willow by the river, soft and smooth, as if he could sense the texture of her skin even through her clothes.
After kissing for a while, just as he was about to deepen the kiss, Gong Xue suddenly pushed him away with unexpected strength.
"What are you doing?"
She wasn't angry, but rather surprised and embarrassed by the idea of him trying to use his tongue.
"Uh, how do I explain this?"
Chen Qi scratched his head, thinking that if only he had a certain kind of film featuring Xiao Tao, Caihua, or Youa, she would understand everything at once.
"We can't keep doing this. We've already made a mistake... We should go!"
Gong Xue lowered her head and hurriedly walked ahead, leaving Chen Qi no choice but to follow.
She remained silent the entire way back.
When they returned to the Beijing Film Studio, she rushed to her room, threw herself onto the bed, and buried her face for a long time.
Then she touched her cheek, which still felt slightly warm from earlier.
Her expression was dazed, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and struggle.
There was both the desire and instinctual pull from their first intimate contact, as well as the conservative habits ingrained by her environment and the fear of the current social norms.
"..."
Her mind was a tangled mess, and she eventually found herself blaming him.
"He's getting more and more out of hand. Holding hands and hugging weren't enough, now he even wants to kiss... If this goes on, what's next?"
Gong Xue's face flushed again, and she shook her head vigorously.
No, no! That absolutely can't happen!
For some reason, the words of a woman named Yu Jiajia echoed in her ears: "If a man gets what he wants too easily, he won't cherish it. You should keep him hanging, make him think he's about to get it, then pull back. When he gets desperate, act like you're going to give in, but then don't..."
"Is that really the way to go?"
She furrowed her brows, seriously considering the idea, but then shook her head again.
That's not right.
My feelings for him are genuine; I'm not playing games with him.
But, but... after going around in circles, she always came back to the most fundamental issue:
"I'm several years older than him!"
…………
The weather was gradually getting colder.
News came from the Film Bureau first.
Since the competition films had to be submitted before November, Fang Yurong was pressed for time.
After hastily reviewing a few films, she ultimately chose *The Return of the Swallow* from the Shanghai Film Studio.
The story was simple: the female lead was labeled a rightist and forced to separate from her husband.
Twenty years later, she was rehabilitated but refused to return to the big city, instead deciding to dedicate the rest of her life to medical work in the border regions.
It perfectly aligned with the leadership's vision—politically correct, ideologically meaningful, and embodying Chinese values...
At the same time, there was an additional note: support for the Beijing Film Studio's *Tai Chi* to participate in the exhibition!
Having achieved his goal, Wang Yang didn't bother to dwell on Fang Yurong's "abuse of power."
In the days that followed, the focus was on the final push for *Tai Chi*'s post-production, and Chen Qi was once again swamped with work.
Autumn in the capital was brief, and people had already started wearing jackets.
The Beijing Film Academy was currently located near Xiaoxitian, just two kilometers from the Beijing Film Studio—very close.
Later, it would move even closer, right next to the studio, and the movie channel would also set up nearby, bringing the three institutions together.
One morning, Chen Qi arrived at the Beijing Film Academy.
As soon as he reached the entrance, he was taken aback by the scene before him.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of people were gathered there, each holding a piece of paper, looking both nervous and excited, as if they were auditioning for something—much like the art students of later generations.
After showing his ID, he entered the gate and immediately ran into Xie Yuan.
"Hey, big screenwriter!"
Xie Yuan bounded over like an eager husky: "You've got another project for us, huh? Don't go looking for Zhang Fengyi or Zhang Tielin. Zhang Fengyi's busy with *Rickshaw Boy*, and Zhang Tielin's starting to look more and more like a lecher. I'm your guy—I can do anything!"
"Get lost, I'm not here for you!"
Chen Qi swatted him away and asked, "What's going on at the entrance? Why are there so many people?"
"Oh, the school's starting an amateur acting class. Some regular folks who love art want to dive into the world of movies, so they're here to sign up. They're charging 50 cents for registration and 30 yuan for tuition, for a five-month course. It's a total rip-off. The school's being shady."
Xie Yuan was a chatterbox, never one to hold back.
"30 yuan, and this many people are signing up?"
"There were even more the past couple of days. Today's the last day, so it's actually fewer. I heard there were around 3,000 people."
Chen Qi was also surprised.
30 yuan wasn't a small amount, yet 3,000 people had signed up for an amateur acting class? It just showed how deeply rooted the passion for the arts was.
In later generations, this would translate into everyone wanting to break into the entertainment industry and become big stars.
He had Xie Yuan take him to find someone, and they went upstairs to a classroom.
"Teacher Hu is in the middle of a lesson. You'll have to wait a bit. Anything else you need?"
"Nope, scram!"
"Aye, aye!"
Xie Yuan slapped his sleeves, gave a playful bow, and retreated with a goofy grin.
Truth be told, Chen Qi quite liked him.
He was a good actor with a great personality.
He might not become an idol, but he was more than capable of being a solid character actor.
Music and voices could be heard coming from the classroom.
Chen Qi peeked through the window and saw a middle-aged man in his forties with neatly parted hair and a refined demeanor playing the piano.
His name was Hu Weili, a music teacher in the sound recording department at the Beijing Film Academy.
It looked like the class had just started, so he'd have to wait a while.
He wandered around the upper floor for a bit, then decided to head downstairs.
The people from the entrance had already come inside and were lining up in the hallway, with one classroom serving as the registration office.
Some were young, while others were clearly older, all eagerly going in to register and then coming out with a simple admission ticket.
The line stretched along the right side of the hallway.
Chen Qi walked along the left side, observing the crowd with a strange expression.
The world really is a small place!
He reached the end of the line, pursed his lips, and deliberately stood behind the last person, even clearing his throat.
"..."
Li Chengru turned around and looked at him.
What's this guy up to? After sizing him up, he asked, "Hello, are you a student here?"
"How could you tell?"
"First, you're young. Second, you're not holding a registration form."
"Haha, smart!"
Chen Qi chuckled and asked, "You're here to sign up because you're interested in acting?"
"If I weren't interested, why would I be here? Did the 30 yuan fall from the sky?" Li Chengru rolled his eyes.
"I mean, you look like you have a certain presence, like you've got some acting experience."
"Hey, you've got a good eye! I work at a clothing factory, but I do amateur theater on the side, and I'm pretty good at it. I figured I might as well get some proper training, so here I am. Too bad I'm a bit old. If I were younger, I'd just take the college entrance exam."
Li Chengru, 26 years old, was also a talker.
He had hair, and his small eyes sparkled with a shrewdness.
"You are a bit older, but the guy in front of you is just right," Chen Qi said with a smile.
"Who? Me?"
Zhang Guangbei also turned around to look.
"Yeah, you've got that military vibe about you!"
"Hey, you're sharp! I just got out of the army! Are you a student here?"
Zhang Guangbei reached out to shake Chen Qi's hand, then glanced at Li Chengru and shook his hand as well.
Chen Qi was just there to observe the scene.
He smiled without answering and simply said, "Looking at the two of you, with your unique appearances and striking presence, I'm sure you'll both get in."
(End of Chapter)