The birth of an actor

Chapter 6 Paper Horse Human Relationship
Fan Bing was clearly taken aback by the question, then opened her mouth as if to say something. But just as she was about to speak, she met An Xin's gaze.

My mouth is a little stiff again.

That look in his eyes... something's not right.

I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong, but even though I'm just looking at her eye to eye, it gives me a... weird feeling.

It's like they've seen right through you, inside and out.

It's as if... those eyes are speaking.

At this moment, those eyes "said" only one thing: To be honest, it's okay.

This feels so awkward.

She couldn't understand how the other person could convey such a meaning through their eyes. But the lie, just before it was uttered, turned into silence, and that silence filled the furnace called honesty.

She pursed her lips, avoiding his gaze.
"That stall looked very dirty."

How dirty is it?

"I don't know either. The meat looked very fresh, but... I felt like it was all bloody and greasy, and just looking at it made me... nauseous. Even though it smelled delicious when grilled, I still felt disgusted. But Director He seemed very interested and asked me several times if I wanted to eat it, and then he bought ten skewers for himself."

"...That's it."

After he had a general idea of ​​what was going on, he said:
Where are you from?

"A native of Shandong Province."

"Were they relocated to Shandong Province?"

"No. My hometown is Qingdao, but I live in Yantai now."

"Always in Shandong Province?...What about your grandparents' generation? Did your grandparents, maternal grandparents, or this generation ever go to the area outside the Great Wall? Or did they always live inside the Great Wall?"

"What does this mean?"

The girl clearly didn't understand:

"What's the matter?"

"Shanhaiguan."

"Uh……"

Fan Bing was taken aback, but still didn't understand what An Xin meant. After pondering for a moment, she shook her head slightly:
"I don't know either... What does this have to do with me not eating the meat from that barbecue stand?"

She was a little curious.

Looking at Anxin's face from inside the elevator, I was filled with confusion.

But Anxin shook her head:

"No, I was just asking."

"Just asking? I thought you were checking my household registration."

"Ha~"

Anxin chuckled softly and didn't respond further.

But I know perfectly well... This girl seems to have a secret.

However, we'll have to ask the old immortal to take a look at the specifics.

Besides, she's from inside the pass...

As they pondered this, the two stepped out of the elevator. It was only then that Fan Bing asked:

"What did you mean by saying... that we can't get in or out?"

"Here."

Anxin pointed towards the mountain-suppressing stone on the east side of the hotel lobby:
"That's a mountain-suppressing stone. Do you know its purpose?"

"It seems to be... a house-protecting charm?"

"You can understand it that way. Just think of it this way: it can keep bad things out and also keep the unclean things in this house from moving around."

After An Xin explained, Fan Bing understood:
"So... what Director He just said, that she walked around her room all night?"

"Ah."

Anxin responded with a soft "yes," and then the girl asked with great interest:
"So this is feng shui?"

"Correct."

"Why do you know this? Is it because of that... shamanic disciple?"

"Ah."

"That sounds pretty impressive..."

"I have a question for you."

Suddenly, Anxin spoke up, then asked under her puzzled gaze:

"Have you heard of the book 'How to Be an Actor'... Oh, wait, I mean."

Under Fan Bing's gaze, which shifted from puzzlement to bewilderment, he quickly shook his head:
"An Actor Prepares".

"..."

Fan Bingbing's lips twitched.

I was thinking to myself, how on earth did you confuse this book with Pavel Korchagin?

But after a moment of silence, she nodded:

"I've heard of it; I have a copy right here."

"……You have?"

Anxin's eyes lit up.

"Yes, we do. This is our school's textbook... By the way, you're interested in acting? Want to give it a try?"

"Yes, I visited many bookstores in Chifeng yesterday but couldn't find it."

"How did you find out about this book? It's hard to know the exact title unless you're an actor, right?"

"Well……"

Hearing this, Anxin thought for a moment and smiled:
"Because I come from the future. The book 'The Future' is incredibly popular!"

"Cut~"

Fan Bing was somewhat speechless and a little absurd, but still blurted out:
"Really? Will I be famous in the future?"

"Red, red enough to cover half the sky."

Haha~ That's great~

Clearly, she didn't take that seriously, and An Xin didn't say the second half of her sentence.

But the next second, she said:

"I don't know exactly where you can buy that book, but I can lend it to you. This kind of textbook... seems to be quite niche, so it's normal that you can't find it in bookstores."

"Oh?"

Anxin's eyes lit up:
"Did you bring it with you?"

"Of course, that book is something you need to read often. If you want to read it... you applied to Yenching University, right? Here's what I'll do, I'll lend you the book. Anyway, I'll be going back to Yenching in a few days. You can read it first, and return it to me when you get to Yenching."

She said it very frankly.

I must say, he really has that characteristic boldness and generosity of people from Shandong province.

Anxin did not refuse her suggestion.

He really needs a professional book like this to see what acting is all about.

So he readily agreed.
"Okay, then lend it to me later. I'll return it to you when I get to Yanjing. Leave me your contact information."

"Well, here it is."

The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out two or three business cards, handing one to him.

Anxin took it and looked at it:
Xie Jin Star Academy – Professional Actress: Fan Bing

TEL: 010-7725XXX
His lips twitched:
"Professional actor?"

"..."

Fan Bingbing's eye twitched, and she blurted out:
"I'm not giving you the book!"

"I'm borrowing..."

"Then I won't lend it to you."

"No, please... Sister Bingbing, I was wrong, okay?"

"Hahaha, say that again!"

"You like listening?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Can I borrow that book?

"Hahahahaha..."

The girl let out a series of hearty laughs, while simultaneously leading him in a different direction.

"Hey, how about I teach you the first thing an actor should do?"

"For example?"

"Do you want to hear something more colloquial, or something with fancy, literary jargon?"

"How do you explain it in simpler terms?"

"shameless!"

"Stop swearing!" "Who's swearing? It's true. The first lesson for an actor is to be shameless."

Fan Bing rolled her eyes:
"That's why I asked if you wanted to hear the more literary version or the more colloquial one. The literary version is called 'releasing one's true nature, liberating one's true self.' But actually, what our classmates summed up themselves is 'shamelessness.' Although it sounds harsh, it's more accurate... And this isn't an insult. To put it bluntly, if you're asked to play a cat, you are a cat. If you're asked to play a dog, you have to lie on the ground, stick out your tongue, and bark. As an actor, you can't have a sense of shame. You can't feel embarrassed when people are staring at you, or get nervous when people are looking at you... that won't do!"

"It all boils down to one thing: out there selling yourself, with your face turned outwards?"

"?"

Hearing An Xin's words, Fan Bing was stunned for a moment, as if she was questioning the meaning of his words.

But after taking a few steps, he nodded:
"Yes, that's the idea. Actually, as long as you let go of your shame and unleash your true nature, you've already entered the door. As for what comes next... well, you should read the book."

"Because you don't understand either?"

"...Why are you so annoying!"

"Ha~"

Anxin smiled and waved her hand:
"I was just kidding. But thank you anyway, that book was a great help to me."

"Hehe~"

The girl smiled, and the two gradually moved away from the hotel.

As she looked around, she asked again:
"Is Director He's problem serious? Is it really a ghost encounter?...Do ghosts really exist in this world?"

What do you think of this score?

Anxin followed in her footsteps, her tone equally relaxed:
"For those who don't believe, it's pure feudal superstition. But if you've actually experienced it, even if you don't believe, you'll have more reverence for it. There are gods watching over us, after all. As for Director He... he did encounter some unclean things, but it's not a big problem. I'll see him off tonight, and then he'll be gone."

"What if we don't leave...?"

Upon hearing this, he shrugged:

"Big problem."

Fan Bing was taken aback, but then she understood what he meant.

"No way?!...Really? Is it really that weird?"

Seeing that she had misunderstood him, he explained with relief:
"Don't worry, don't overthink it. I've checked everything, it's not a big problem. Besides... do you even know where you are?"

"...Zhaowuda Road".

"Who told you that?"

An Xin rolled her eyes speechlessly and pointed to the ground beneath her feet:
"This is Northeast China."

"...Isn't it Inner Mongolia?"

"..."

The shaman, who was originally planning to say "the place where I grew up," almost failed to gather any spiritual energy.

Looking at the bewildered girl, he shook his head helplessly:

"Chifeng is also considered part of Northeast China. If you don't believe me, ask the locals."

"Oh, okay. And then? This is Northeast China... So what about Northeast China?"

"In the Northeast, nothing is greater than the Five Immortals. The Old Immortals do not enter Shanhaiguan, but outside the pass, nothing can surpass the Old Immortals' rules, and there is nothing that a shamanic disciple cannot send away."

He said it formally, but not solemnly; rather, it was a matter-of-fact and nonchalant tone.

The white mountains and black waters, where all things are intelligent. The first part refers to the land, while the last four words refer to the Five Immortals.

These words might not carry much weight for a woman from inside the Great Wall. But even a child who grew up eating canned yellow peaches knows the significance of these words.

Perhaps because of his attitude, Fan Bing was momentarily hesitant to tease him, and could only nod and point to an intersection:
"That's it. I bought the barbecue there yesterday."

"Ah."

Anxin didn't say anything more and walked over directly.

Fan Bing didn't dare to get too close, keeping a distance of about ten steps from An Xin.

She thought the other person would pull out a compass or some kind of magical artifact. But in reality, they didn't. Anxin simply walked to the intersection, looked around, and determined the direction before continuing to walk in one direction.

Seeing this, she quickly followed:

"Where?"

"There must be a family holding a funeral over there."

"?"

Looking at the row of bungalows that An Xin was pointing to, Fan Bing was full of confusion.

But he didn't ask any more questions and followed him into a narrow alley that was much narrower than the main road.

He walked leisurely, stopping and starting, until Fan Bing was almost completely bewildered, then pointed ahead:
"Here."

Actually, he didn't even need to point it out; Fan Bing heard a commotion of gongs, drums, and flutes.

Then I saw a mourning tent.

"..."

Her lips twitched, and goosebumps inexplicably rose all over her body.

"you……"

"Can you do me a favor?"

Anxin interrupted her, pointing to the paper figures placed on either side of the mourning hall:
"See that paper horse? Go take a look and see if its hooves are torn."

Fan Bingbing's face turned pale:
"No...I...I don't dare!"

If she was just a guide just now, after experiencing An Xin's "strange" abilities, she wouldn't dare to go near the funeral hall of the dead.
But it was indeed inconvenient for him to go.

His birth chart clashes with that of the deceased.

After thinking for a while, he said:
"This is a favor from Director He."

"..."

Upon hearing this, the girl pursed her lips. She had once told An Xin when they first met that being appreciated by a director like He Xiuqiong was a rare opportunity, one that countless aspiring actors dreamed of.

And now...

After a few seconds, she nodded vigorously:

"Okay, that... pink paper horse?"

"Yes, let's see if the wound is on the front hoof or the hind hoof."

"……it is good."

Watching the girl walk away resolutely, Anxin, standing behind her, felt a pang of emotion.

He had figured out the girl's personality.

To put it nicely, they're brave, daring, and willing to go all out; to put it bluntly...

They will not give up until they achieve their goal.

He is a very determined person.

No wonder...

Tsk.

He sighed, watching the girl wander around in front of someone else's mourning tent before quickly walking back:

"It's the front hoof; there's a tear in the paper on its front hoof."

"...Okay, let's go."

"Ah."

The girl quickly followed him out of the alley and stood in the sunlight. The chill she had felt seemed to dissipate, and she couldn't help but ask:
Why do we need to look at the front and hind hooves?

"Let's see if the thing that came on horseback is a person."

"...What do you mean?"

Have you heard the idiom, "a horse stumbles"?

"I know."

"If the front hooves are broken, it means that what you've attracted isn't human. Conversely, if the hind hooves are broken, they are."

"...?"

Fan Bing was completely stunned:

"What does that mean? Is that even a valid explanation? Is this...scientific?"

"You want me to explain it to you scientifically?"

Anxin asked back with a speechless look, then waved her hand:
"Alright, let's go back. As long as it's not human, it's fine. I was initially considering whether to ask the King of Sorrow, but it seems we don't need to."

"……it is good."

And so, the two returned to the hotel and knocked on He Xiuqiong's door again.

After the door opened, he led Fan Bing inside and, in front of everyone in the room, pointed at Fan Bing:
"She acted as your scout once, so you owe her a favor."

Fan Bingbing's lips twitched...

Big...Big Brother.

Are you being...so blunt?
Still wrapped in a blanket, He Xiuqiong paused for a moment, then looked at Fan Bing with somewhat dim and lifeless eyes, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Bingbing, thank you."

The girl snapped back to reality, looked at He Xiuqiong, hesitated for less than a second, and then calmly shook her head:

"It's alright, Director He, it's what I should do."

　Just to clarify, the plot wasn't randomly arranged. This book is for entertainment purposes; it's not about low-magic or anything like that, and it doesn't involve any supernatural elements. It serves as a prelude to later plot points involving qigong. Also, some things genuinely can't be explained by science, especially since everyone's been reborn…

　　
　
(End of this chapter)