Huayu: I really am a genuine top star.

Chapter 73 truly lives up to its reputation as the Beijing Film Academy's "Second Showcase

Shen Li quietly slipped to the corner seat by the window according to her seat number, pulled her hoodie down even further, took out her phone, pretended to browse the news, but actually kept her eyes and ears open.

The school bell rang, and Teacher Lu walked in carrying her textbooks.

Just as the note said, he was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat serious and wore black-rimmed glasses. He glanced around the classroom, said nothing, and began lecturing.

The course "Audiovisual Language" teaches how images and sounds in film and television work together to narrate stories and express emotions.

Teacher Lu explained things in great detail, from camera movement to color usage, from sound classification to editing rhythm.

Shen Li listened quite attentively at first, since it was related to her major.

But as I listened, I started to drift off.

The main problem is that the teacher's tone of voice is rather flat, like chanting a sutra, and I didn't sleep well last night, so my eyelids started to droop.

No way! It's fifty yuan! Shen Li pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself to concentrate.

He took out his notebook and pretended to take notes, but actually drew little figures on the paper.

"Therefore, in the bathroom murder scene in Hitchcock's Psycho, the rapid editing and the sharp violin sound together create an extremely terrifying atmosphere. This is a typical use of sound and image synchronization to enhance emotions."

Teacher Lu adjusted his glasses and glanced across the classroom.

"Can any student give a contrasting example, where sound and image are used to create a special expressive effect?"

The classroom was silent. It was an elective course, after all; everyone was either on their phones or daydreaming. Who was really paying attention?

Teacher Lu seemed used to it, and his gaze began to scan randomly.

Shen Li's heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head, wishing she could bury her face in the laptop. Don't click on me! Don't click on me! Don't click on me!

"The student by the window, the one in the gray hoodie, yes, that's you."

Teacher Lu's voice came through clearly.

Shen Li: "..." What I feared most has come to pass!

He forced himself to stand up, his mind racing. Sound and image contrast... sound and image contrast... examples... think of something!

"Teacher, I think... for example, in the movie 'Léon: The Professional,' when Mathilda buys milk for Leon and finds that her family has been murdered."

Shen Li tried her best to make her voice sound steady.

"The scene depicts a bloody massacre, but the background music is the somewhat melancholic yet hopeful 'Shape of My Heart.' This contrast between sound and visuals creates a sound-image opposition. Instead of amplifying the cruelty of the scene, it imbues it with a complex and sorrowful sense of fate, making the audience's emotions more complex."

As he spoke, his heart pounded with anxiety.

I remembered this example from a movie review I read before, but I don't know if it's correct, and I don't know if Mr. Lu will accept it.

Teacher Lu looked at him, her eyes behind her glasses seeming to light up: "Oh? You've seen 'Léon: The Professional'? You can even pinpoint the scenes and the soundtrack? Impressive. Please sit down."

Shen Li breathed a sigh of relief and quickly sat down, her back covered in a thin layer of sweat.

That was close! I guessed right! Looks like all those movies and reviews I've been watching weren't a waste of time!

In the following classes, Shen Li dared not be distracted anymore. She focused her attention, pretending to listen attentively, but in reality, she was always ready to deal with possible "surprises".

Fortunately, Teacher Lu didn't call on him again. Instead, several other students were called on, and they answered haltingly, receiving a few words of criticism from Teacher Lu.

After enduring two classes, Shen Li felt more tired than after running a kilometer when the bell rang.

It's not easy to earn fifty yuan!

As I walked out of the classroom with the flow of people, I quickly sent a message to my employer: "Lesson completed, all was well. The teacher took attendance once, which I answered; a question was asked once, which I answered. Mission accomplished."

The other party quickly replied: "Awesome! You actually answered the question? Did you not give yourself away? Money transferred, please check. I'll contact you again next time!"

Shen Li looked at the transfer notification on her phone; fifty yuan had been deposited into her account. She immediately felt that all the anxiety she had just felt was worth it.

"Well, for this half-day, eighty for the desk, one hundred for fixing the pipes and changing the lock, forty for tips, fifty for the substitute lesson, plus the ten from the swim trunks earlier..." He counted on his fingers, "Wow! Almost three hundred in!"

I'm happily considering whether to add a chicken leg or get some ribs for lunch.

With an air of indifference, they marched confidently and arrogantly toward the cafeteria.

Just after midnight, the cafeteria was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, a bustling and noisy scene.

The air is filled with the aromas of braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, and spicy hot pot, mixed with various perfumes and sweat, creating a unique "complex fragrance" that belongs to the university cafeteria.

The queue in front of the food window was winding and twisting, just like a train station during the Spring Festival travel rush.

Shen Li stood in the line, her eyes scanning the surroundings like radar.

Goodness, this cafeteria truly lives up to its reputation as the "second stage" of the Beijing Film Academy.

Three seats in front of me stood a girl from the dance department. She was wearing a pale yellow tank top with two thin straps that barely clung to her fair, rounded shoulders, looking as if they might snap at any moment.

The vest was made of very little fabric, tightly wrapping around her ample, voluptuous breasts, which trembled slightly as she stood on tiptoe to look around, making one's eyes dizzy.

She wore a white mini-skirt, revealing two long, straight, and slender legs that were so white they seemed to reflect light. The tender flesh on the inside of her thighs was faintly visible as she walked. The skirt was so short that she would expose herself if she bent over.

"Hey lady, did you just wear your workout clothes out in public?"

Shen Li mentally commented, "Looks: 8/10, Figure: 9/10, Courage: 10/10. I'm deducting one point so she doesn't get arrogant."

Across from me stood a woman with a mature, sophisticated air. She wore a black, form-fitting knit top with a perfectly placed V-neck, revealing her delicate collarbones and a deep, alluring cleavage.

The sweater was so thin it was almost like she wasn't wearing anything; it clung tightly to her body, revealing her curvaceous figure in every detail.

She wore a tight leather pencil skirt that accentuated her round, perky buttocks, making them almost spill out. As she walked, the skirt swayed, and her buttocks rippled.

She stood with her long legs crossed, wearing over-the-knee boots and black stockings that gleamed alluringly under the light.

Shen Li's eyes almost fell into that ditch, so she quickly recited "prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony" to force her gaze out.

"Is this a third-year performing arts student? That aura, that physique, that irresistible charm—she's practically a walking hormone generator, a walking aphrodisiac!"

The line moved forward slowly.

Feeling bored, Shen Li began to observe the reactions of the boys around her.

Good heavens, those animals' eyes were like magnets, all drawn to those few "scenic spots".

A boy wearing thick glasses was so engrossed in watching that he almost knocked his plate over the back of the person in front of him.

Tsk tsk, what a jerk… Shen Li watched coldly, curling her lip in disdain.

After finally squeezing through the window, I got a full plate of braised pork and was just about to find a seat to start eating.

Suddenly, he heard a soft, sweet voice with a touch of naivety call out to him, "Shen Li! There's a seat here!"