Multiple Personalities

In the days that followed, Haochuan's life pace suddenly accelerated. His schedule was packed with various training courses, from acting to dancing, and then singing; every skill needed practice.

On the first day of training, Shen Jingqi and Haochuan quickly washed up and set off for the training location.

In the training room, under the dazzling lights, Haochuan, dressed in simple training clothes, looked particularly handsome in front of the mirror. Shen Jingqi stood to the side, eyes filled with encouragement and anticipation.

"Haochuan, are you ready? Let's start!" The acting teacher stood to the side, script in hand, with a look of professionalism and rigor in his eyes.

Haochuan stood at the center of the stage, facing the mirror, took a deep breath, his chest slightly rising and falling. He nodded, his gaze firm.

"Haochuan, this time your character is a young man with a complex inner life and rich emotions. You need to try to fully immerse yourself in this character, to feel his joys, anger, sorrow, and happiness."

Haochuan closed his eyes, trying to touch the soul of that character.

"No, no! Haochuan, your expression isn't quite there yet; you need to invest more!" The acting teacher suddenly interrupted Haochuan's performance, his voice carrying sternness but mostly an expectation of Haochuan's potential. Haochuan trembled slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face, but quickly regained his determination.

"It's alright, Haochuan, let's try again." Shen Jingqi stood next to him, his voice gentle yet firm. He walked up to Haochuan, lightly patting his shoulder.

"Alright, let's try again." Haochuan pulled himself together and once again threw himself into the performance. This time, he put more effort into feeling the character's emotions, striving for perfection in every gesture, every glance. His expressions began to become rich, and his eyes sparkled with understanding and love for the character.

"Hmm, much better this time, but still not natural enough. Remember, acting is not about imitating deliberately but about expressing genuine emotions," the acting teacher observed Haochuan's progress and nodded slightly, yet still did not relax his expectations.

Haochuan nodded again, secretly pondering the teacher's words. He began trying to relax himself, allowing his emotions to flow naturally.

"You need to recall those emotional ups and downs you've experienced before and incorporate them into your performance."

The acting teacher emphasized.

Haochuan felt a bit puzzled.

Time ticked by, and the air in the rehearsal room seemed to have frozen. Haochuan still couldn't immerse himself.

"You need to recall those emotional ups and downs you've experienced before and incorporate them into your performance." The acting teacher stood beside Haochuan, his gaze penetrating, emphasizing the importance of emotional expression.

Haochuan furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of confusion crossing his face. He was still young, with relatively simple life experiences, and those complex emotional ups and downs seemed distant to him. He turned to Shen Jingqi, his eyes pleading for help.

Shen Jingqi understood Haochuan's predicament and gently patted Haochuan's shoulder, his gaze full of encouragement: "Haochuan, don't worry, you can try to imagine. Imagine yourself in those situations and feel those emotions."

Haochuan nodded, although still somewhat uneasy, he decided to give it a try. He closed his eyes and began imagining himself in various emotional scenes.

"Imagine you lost someone very important, that kind of pain and helplessness..." The acting teacher's words echoed in Haochuan's ears, guiding him into the ocean of emotions.

A blurred figure emerged in Haochuan's mind, a playmate from his childhood with whom he lost contact after a move. He tried to feel the pain of losing a dear friend but found the emotions seemed not strong enough.

"No, Haochuan, you need to feel deeper. Imagine that person's smile, voice, the happy times you spent together, and then imagine him suddenly leaving, never seeing him again." Shen Jingqi softly reminded beside him, trying to help Haochuan enter a deeper emotional state.

Haochuan closed his eyes again, struggling to recall every detail of his playmate. He remembered them chasing each other in the park, fishing by the river, making vows of never being apart at sunset. Then, suddenly, he left, and an unexpected sense of loss and sadness surged in Haochuan's heart.

His thoughts seemed to transcend time, returning to that era full of laughter and innocence.

"Haochuan, faster, hurry up!" A crisp child's voice sounded in his ears.

Haochuan's mouth unconsciously curled into a smile as if he could feel the carefree happiness.

However, happy times are always brief. As the sun set, they sat by the riverbank, watching the sunset's afterglow shimmering on the water surface. The playmate suddenly grew silent, and Haochuan noticed his strange mood.

"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Haochuan asked concerned.

The playmate shook his head, tears glistening in his eyes: "Haochuan, I'm moving. After this, we might never see each other again."

Haochuan's heart sank abruptly, and he couldn't believe his ears. They had once made vows never to part, were those promises now so easily shattered?

"Why? Where are you moving to?" Haochuan's voice carried a trace of urgency and reluctance.

The playmate lowered his head, his voice choked: "My parents are being transferred for work, and I have to go with them."

Haochuan fell silent, not knowing what to say. He thought of the joyful times they had spent together, those carefree days, and a surge of inexplicable loss and sadness welled up in his heart.

"Haochuan, don't be sad. Although we have to part, our friendship will never change." The playmate raised his head, trying to comfort Haochuan.

Haochuan forced a smile, but the glisten of tears in his eyes betrayed his inner pain. He knew that farewells were inevitable, but he couldn't accept such a sudden goodbye.

In the days that followed, meetings between Haochuan and his playmate became less frequent. Every time they met, they would hug each other tightly, as if trying to etch each other's images into their hearts. They talked about their futures, about dreams that might never come true.

Finally, the day of parting arrived. Haochuan stood in front of the station, watching his playmate pulling a suitcase, the figure gradually becoming distant, and an endless sadness filled his heart. How he wished time could stop so they could have a little more time together. But reality is always cruel, and the playmate eventually disappeared into the crowd, leaving only the sound of footsteps growing fainter and fainter.

Haochuan stood motionless, unable to move for a long time. It felt as if he had lost something important, and his heart felt empty. At that moment, he understood what true loss was, what real sadness was.

As time went by, Haochuan gradually emerged from that painful memory. He began to try accepting a new life and making new friends. But the time spent with his playmate was forever etched in his heart, becoming an indelible part of his life.

"Haochuan, what are you thinking about?" Shen Jingqi's voice pulled Haochuan back to reality from his memories.