novellhall Chapter 268 Exorbitantly Priced Chinese Meal [5000 words]
Chapter 268 Exorbitantly Priced Chinese Meal [5000 words]
Chapter 267 Exorbitantly Priced Chinese Meal [5000] (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
He created scenarios for each student: they had just broken up with their lover, won the lottery, were lost and looking for directions, or were secretly following someone.
The way people walk reveals their emotional state.
Chen Xun interrupted from time to time, offering suggestions for adjustment: "When you're following someone, your gaze is too obvious. When you're actually following someone, your gaze should be unfocused, and you should observe with your peripheral vision."
"Winning the lottery isn't about jumping around; it's more like a light, dreamlike feeling. You need to land even lighter on your feet."
"Walking after a breakup isn't about sadness, it's about emptiness. Your body is moving, but your soul isn't."
Half an hour later, most of the students had practiced it once.
Chen Xun had them split into pairs and observe and adjust to each other.
Just as he was inspecting the various groups, the back door of the classroom was gently pushed open a crack.
A head popped in.
It's Lee So-yeon.
Today she was wearing the same oversized grey sweatshirt she wore before, paired with black skinny jeans and Doc Martens boots.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, she had no makeup on, and wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses.
Upon seeing Chen Xun, her eyes lit up. She sneaked in furtively and crouched down to sit in the empty seat in the last row.
Chen Xun saw it, but didn't say anything.
Continue to instruct a girl on how to secretly observe the steps of her crush.
After sitting down, Li Suyan took out her notebook and pen from her backpack and looked at the class intently.
A blonde girl sat next to her, curiously observing her.
"You're not in this class, are you?"
The blonde girl asked in a low voice.
"From the directing department."
Li Suyan lowered her voice: "I'm here to audit the class. Professor Chen Xun used to be my roommate."
"Wow!"
The blonde girl's eyes widened: "Really? What's he like in private?"
"At once----"
Lee So-yeon thought for a moment: "She's pretty ordinary. She also stays up late reading scripts, and she gets upset when the last bottle of cola in the fridge is drunk. She's a great cook, especially her stir-fried pork with chili peppers, Daebak!"
She didn't control her volume when she said "Daebak," and several students in the front row turned around to look at her.
Lee So-yeon quickly covered her mouth.
Chen Xun walked over at that moment.
"Li Suyan, classmate."
He said sternly, "You can audit the class, but please keep quiet."
"I'm sorry, teacher!"
Lee So-yeon immediately sat up straight, placing her hands on her knees like a primary school student.
The surrounding students all laughed.
Chen Xun shook his head and walked back to the front of the classroom: "Alright, let's continue."
"Next is the second exercise, which is to demonstrate the character's identity through walking."
He wrote a few words on the whiteboard: old man, killer, nobleman, thief, alien disguised as human.
"It's still walking, but this time I need to incorporate the character's physical characteristics and psychological state."
"It's not as simple as an elderly person walking with a hunched back; we also need to consider the stiffness of their joints and their breathing rhythm."
"Assassins walk with a low center of gravity, ready to burst forth or dodge at any moment; nobles are not arrogant, but rather naturally composed—"
He paused, then looked at the students: "Would anyone like to volunteer to demonstrate how an alien disguised as a human walks?"
The classroom fell silent.
This question is a bit difficult.
In the back row, Lee So-yeon raised her hand.
"Okay, Lee So-yeon."
Chen Xun nodded.
Lee So-yeon walked to the center of the open space, took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them.
She started walking.
The steps were very precise, even excessively so.
Each step was almost perfectly consistent in length, and the range of arm swings looked as if they had been measured with a ruler.
Her gaze was level with the front, but her eyeballs moved slightly slower than normal, as if she were scanning her environment with her visual system.
The most subtle thing was her breathing.
Completely synchronized with the pace, inhaling every two steps and exhaling every two steps, very rhythmic.
Chen Xun was somewhat surprised.
I didn't expect that Lee So-yeon's acting skills would have become so strong after so long.
After walking back and forth, she stopped and looked at Chen Xun.
The classroom was quiet.
"What did you figure out?"
Chen asked the students.
The boy wearing a baseball cap raised his hand: "Her walk is so perfect; normal people's walking has slight asymmetry."
Another girl said, "Her breathing is so regular. Normal people's breathing changes slightly depending on their emotions and pace."
"And her gaze."
An Asian male added, "When a normal person walks, their eyes naturally scan their surroundings, but she seemed to be performing a visual scanning program, spending the same amount of time in each area."
Chen Xun nodded and looked at Li Suyan: "Explain your design."
Lee So-yeon was a little embarrassed: "What I was thinking was that an alien was trying to imitate humans. It had studied human walking patterns, so it could do it perfectly, but because it was too perfect, it looked unnatural."
"It hasn't grasped those subtle changes yet."
"very good."
Chen Xun rarely smiled: "This is what I want you to understand. Acting is not about imitating appearances, but about understanding the underlying logic."
He told Lee So-yeon to go back to her seat and then continued the class.
In the time that followed, he led his students in more practice.
How to adjust the performance range in different shot sizes.
In a close-up, a blink of an eye can convey emotion, while in a wide shot, the entire body needs to be involved.
How to interact with a non-existent green screen element.
"Imagine you actually have a Cosmic Cube in your hand, its weight, temperature, and texture."
How to maintain consistency in performance during repeated shooting.
"Remember which floor tile your left foot landed on during your third repetition, and you should land on the same tile during your tenth repetition as well."
The classroom atmosphere became increasingly lively.
The students began to ask questions boldly.
Some asked about their experience performing on a green screen in "The Ancient One," some asked about the details of learning hand seals from Jackie Chan, and others asked about the Hollywood audition process.
Chen Xun answered what he could, and glossed over what he couldn't with a single sentence.
During class, he noticed a change in how the students looked at him.
At first, it was out of curiosity and a bit of star power that people paid attention to, but now it's more serious and respectful.
They really treated him like a teacher.
When the bell rang, Chen Xun was talking about how to control the tension of a performance through breathing rhythm.
"Okay, that's all for today."
He shut down his computer: "Next week we'll talk about micro-expression control in front of the camera."
"For the course assignment, you need to find a movie you like, select a walking scene that is no more than 30 seconds long, analyze how the character's gait reflects their state, and write a one-page analysis report."
The students began packing their things and left one after another.
Several students walked up to the podium and asked if they could take a photo together.
Chen Xun collected several photos, and his classmates left satisfied.
Li Suyan dawdled until the very end, and only came over when she and Chen Xun were left in the classroom.
"That's well said, Oppa."
Her eyes sparkled: "I took lots of notes."
"Why are you here auditing the class?"
Chen Xun asked while packing his things.
"Our directing department is also taking a basic acting course this semester, but the professor's lectures are too theoretical."
Li Suyan pouted: "I snuck over when I heard Professor Anderson say you were teaching. Sure enough, practical experience makes all the difference."
She paused, then lowered her voice: "I want to see how you are doing. You haven't shown up much since the photo scandal."
"I'm fine."
Chen Xun stuffed the notebook into his backpack: "Teaching is quite interesting, more interesting than I imagined."
"That's good."
Lee So-yeon smiled: "By the way, I'm filming my graduation project next month. It's a 15-minute short film, and the script has been revised many times. It's finally almost finished. Could you take a look at it then?"
"Sure, send it to my email."
The two walked out of the classroom together.
There were still a few students in the corridor, who nodded and greeted Chen Xun when they saw him: "Teacher Chen Xun."
Chen Xun responded to each of them.
As they went downstairs, they heard several students who had just finished class chatting.
"To be honest, I thought he was just going through the motions when he came to give the lecture, after all, he had just finished filming a blockbuster like 'Ancient One'."
It was the voice of the boy in the baseball cap: "I didn't expect there to actually be something there!"
"His explanation of green screen acting was so helpful. I was filming a sci-fi short film with an independent production team before, and I had absolutely no idea how to act in front of a green screen."
"And he's not pretentious at all."
"My friend is at NYU. One of their celebrity alumni went back to give a lecture, and the whole time he talked about how great he was. He charged for photos with the alumni. It was disgusting."
"Chen Xun is the real big shot; he doesn't need to put on airs to prove himself."
"Oppa, look at this."
Lee So-yeon, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around and showed Chen Xun her phone screen: "There's a Korean food variety show that did a special on stir-fried pork with chili peppers in the latest episode. The chef said it's the soul dish he learned in China, and the comments section is full of people asking how to make authentic stir-fried pork with chili peppers."
Chen Xun glanced at the screen; it displayed a plate of glistening, oily stir-fried pork with chili peppers, which looked quite appetizing. "So you're planning to steal the recipe and use it to make a documentary?"
No, that's not it.
Li Suyan put away her phone: "What I just wanted to say was—I've practiced the stir-fried pork with chili peppers you taught me so many times, and I wanted you to check it out today."
Chen Xun glanced at her: "You? Cook?"
"Hey! Don't underestimate people!"
Lee So-yeon straightened her back: "I'm now the head chef of our directing department's little kitchen. Last time the crew was filming a night scene, the kimchi fried rice I made was all gone. Even the director of photography said I could open a takeout shop."
"Okay."
Chen Xun turned on his turn signal and turned onto the familiar alley: "Shall we go to your place or mine?"
"Let's go to the usual spot!"
Lee So-yeon's eyes lit up: "The apartment we used to share, I renewed the lease later, although I live in the school dormitory most of the time now, the kitchen stuff is still there."
Chen Xun was stunned for a moment.
That apartment—
The car drove into that familiar neighborhood.
More than two years have passed, and the shops on both sides of the street have changed several times, but the overall appearance has not changed much.
The beige three-story apartment building is still in the same spot, with a fresh coat of paint on the exterior and a few more potted plants at the entrance.
After parking the car, the two went upstairs.
The staircase was still the same creaky wooden staircase, and the walls were covered with various takeout flyers and community event notices.
Lee So-yeon took out her keys and opened the door.
Welcome home!
She spread her arms out dramatically.
Chen Xun went inside.
The layout of the living room remained the same, but some of the furniture was replaced.
The old secondhand sofa has been replaced with a gray fabric sofa from IKEA, and several movie posters have been added to the wall.
Memories of Murder, Oldboy, and Burning are all South Korean films.
The coffee table was piled with scripts, storyboards, and several books on directing theory.
"How is it? Doesn't it have a very artistic feel?"
Lee So-yeon said smugly.
"It's cleaner than when we shared the place."
Chen Xun spoke the truth. Back then, the living room was always piled with their belongings.
Script, gym equipment, filming equipment, instant noodle box —
Lee So-yeon smiled and took off her coat, revealing a white T-shirt underneath: "You sit down first, I'll go to the kitchen to prepare. We agreed that I'm the chef today, you can only watch, not do anything."
Are you sure?
Chen Xun walked to the kitchen doorway and leaned against the door frame.
The kitchen was quite tidy.
Various spice bottles were placed on the stove, spatulas and knives hung on the wall, and sticky notes and Polaroid photos were pasted on the refrigerator.
One photo shows Lee So-yeon holding a box of fried chicken when she first moved in, with him standing next to her looking helpless.
"Of course I'm sure!"
Lee So-yeon took out the ingredients from the refrigerator: pork belly, green peppers, garlic, ginger, and a packet of dark soy sauce labeled as made in China.
"See? All the ingredients are there. Even the pork belly was specially bought by me this morning in Koreatown. It's perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat, absolutely authentic."
She put on an apron.
It reads "The director is busy, please do not disturb".
Li Suyan started washing vegetables and cutting meat.
The movements were fairly skilled, the meat was cut to an even thickness, the green peppers were deseeded and cut into diamond-shaped pieces, and the garlic and ginger were minced.
As Chen Xun watched her retreating figure, he suddenly recalled the scene from two years ago.
Back then, when Lee So-yeon had just moved in, she would even burn the pot when cooking instant noodles. Now, she can actually prepare ingredients quite well.
"That's quite an improvement."
Chen Xun was somewhat surprised.
"Of course."
Without turning her head, Lee So-yeon said, "Do you know how many potato shreds I've cut to practice my knife skills?"
"There was a Chinese student in our department. I traded my kimchi recipe for his Chinese cooking secrets, an equal exchange."
She turned on the gas stove, heated the pan, and then poured in the oil.
Once the oil is hot, first put the pork belly slices in and stir-fry them.
The slices of meat sizzled in the hot oil, slowly curling and changing color as the fat was rendered out, releasing a fragrant aroma.
"The key is to render out the fat so it's not greasy."
As Li Suyan stir-fried the vegetables, she explained, like a food show host: "Then add minced ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant—okay, now add green peppers."
Chen Xun sighed.
Lee So-yeon actually figured out the trick!
The green peppers sizzled as they hit the pan.
She quickly stir-fried the green peppers, coating each piece with oil.
Finally, add soy sauce, a little cooking wine, and a pinch of sugar, then stir-fry a few more times.
Before taking it out of the pot, she scooped a small spoonful and handed it to Chen Xun: "Try it~"
Chen Xun took it and tasted it.
Surprisingly, it tasted really good.
The pork belly is crispy and fragrant without being greasy, the green peppers are crisp and tender, the saltiness and sweetness are just right, and the sauce flavor is also sufficient.
"sure."
"It's much better than I expected!"
"Daebak!"
Lee So-yeon was so happy she almost jumped for joy, ladling the food onto a plate: "I told you I'm amazing now!"
She carried the plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers to the coffee table in the living room, then ran back to the kitchen: "There's one more dish, stir-fried cauliflower with soy sauce, it's something I just learned to make, you wait!"
Chen Xun sat down on the sofa and looked at the steaming dish on the coffee table.
The sound of Lee So-yeon humming a song came from the kitchen; it was a popular song from a certain Korean group.
Suddenly, the singing stopped.
"Sizzle"
A loud bang.
It was much louder than the sound of stir-frying earlier.
"Oh my!" Lee So-yeon exclaimed.
Chen Xun immediately got up and went to the kitchen.
As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw flames leaping half a meter high from the pot.
When Li Suyan poured the cauliflower into the hot oil, she may have introduced water, causing the oil to splatter and come into contact with the open flame.
"Damn it!"
Lee So-yeon panicked and frantically reached for water to pour on the water.
"Don't use water!"
Chen Xun stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. Dousing a frying pan with water is a common-sense mistake; it will only make the fire burn more fiercely.
The fire is still burning.
The flames have already started to reach the range hood.
Lee So-yeon turned pale with fright: "What should we do?"
Chen Xun quickly scanned the kitchen and saw the pot lid next to the stove.
He grabbed the pot lid and aimed it at the burning wok lid—
The flames, cut off from the air, struggled for a few moments before going out.
But the kitchen was already filled with thick smoke.
The oil in the wok was still smoking from the high temperature, and the flames from before had burned the cauliflower and sauce, releasing a burnt smell.
To make matters worse, the smoke detector on the ceiling beeped twice, and then—
"Waaaaaahh ...
The piercing alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire apartment.
"It's all over, it ...—"
Lee So-yeon covered her head with both hands.
Chen Xun looked up at the flashing red alarm and his heart sank.
Once the smoke alarm goes off, the entire building will be alerted, and the fire department will be dispatched automatically.
The fire department charges a fee for responding to calls!
"Open the windows for ventilation!"
He opened the kitchen window, then ran to open the living room and bedroom windows.
Smoke drifted out the window, but the alarm was still blaring, its shrill sound sending chills down your spine.
Downstairs, neighbors were already shouting, "Fire? What's going on?"
Two minutes later, they heard the sirens of fire trucks.
It approached from a distance and stopped in front of the apartment building.
"I really didn't mean to—"
Lee So-yeon said with a mournful face, "I just wanted to cook a nice meal—"
"It's pointless to talk about this now."
Chen Xun had already heard footsteps coming upstairs: "Get ready to pay."
There was a loud knock on the door. Chen Xun went to open it.
Two men in firefighter uniforms stood outside the door; one was in his forties, and the other looked to be in his early twenties.
The older one was holding a notepad.
"Fire department. We've received a report of a fire here."
The older firefighter asked, his gaze passing over Chen Xun and looking into the house.
"A minor kitchen accident occurred; the oil pan caught fire, but it has been extinguished."
Chen Xun stepped aside to let them in: "There was no open flame, it just triggered the smoke alarm."
Two firefighters walked in, and the younger one went straight to the kitchen to check.
The older man looked around the living room, his gaze lingering for a second on the stir-fried pork with chili peppers on the coffee table, before turning to Li Suyan.
She was still wearing that apron with the words "Director is Busy" on it, and there were traces of smoke on her face.
"The oil pan caught fire?"
The elderly firefighter confirmed this.
"Yes, by accident."
Lee So-yeon whispered, "We'll take care of it right away—"
A young firefighter came out of the kitchen: "I confirmed there was no open flame, the smoke was from burnt food, and the alarm was triggered normally."
""
The older firefighter nodded, wrote a few notes on the whiteboard, and then looked up: "According to Los Angeles Fire Department regulations, a dispatch fee is charged for responding to false alarms or dispatching fire trucks in non-fire emergencies."
"This time, one fire truck and four firefighters will be dispatched. The basic cost is $500. If additional treatment is required after inspection, there may be additional costs."
Five hundred dollars!
Lee So-yeon gasped.
"Can—can you make it cheaper?"
She tried to explain: "It was really an accident, and the fire is out—"
"Rules are rules!"
The older firefighter said in a businesslike tone, "You can choose to pay now or we will send the bill to your apartment address. There will be late fees if it is overdue."
Lee So-yeon looked at Chen Xun, her eyes saying, "Save me."
Chen Xun sighed and took out his card from his wallet: "Pay now."
The older firefighter took out a portable POS machine. He swiped the card, signed, and printed out a receipt.
"I recommend that you equip your kitchen with a fire blanket or a small fire extinguisher."
Before leaving, the young firefighter said, "Using a lid to catch oil in a fire is correct, but it would be safer to have fire extinguishing equipment."
"Thank you!" Chen Xun accepted the receipt.
After the firefighters left, the apartment became quiet.
The smoke had mostly dissipated, but the burnt smell lingered.
The alarm has also stopped, with only occasional beeping sounds indicating that it has just been activated.
Lee So-yeon slumped onto the sofa, covering her face with her hands: "Five hundred dollars—my living expenses—"
"Learn from this, be more careful when cooking next time!"
Chen Xun sat down opposite her.
"But my stir-fried cauliflower with soy sauce—"
She looked toward the kitchen, her voice becoming even more mournful.
Lee So-yeon was destined not to enjoy this exorbitantly priced Chinese meal.
Chen Xun, on the other hand, had quite an appetite.
Five hundred dollars is nothing to him now; what he cherishes most is the stir-fried pork with chili peppers that he makes himself.