The next day.

Dale Mansion.

Zena slowly opened her eyes and looked at the room surrounded by pink, a little confused.

She muttered to herself:

"I ...... It worked? ”

There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone, as if last night was just a sweet dream.

She can still remember the flowers and applause,

There are also the smiling faces of the audience, the stars surrounding them with the moon, asking when the next "Hunting" will be staged, with a warm and expectant attitude.

All this is so unreal.

Zena rolled over and got out of bed, opened the curtains,

On a winter morning, the sun shines through the thin clouds on the streets, adding a touch of gold to the ground.

The drunks walked shoulder to shoulder,

Someone fell and shouted a few swear words.

The streetscape is still the same as usual, and nothing seems to have changed.

"Whew~"

Zena sighed, an unspeakable sense of loss in her heart.

At this time, someone knocked on the door outside,

"It's time for breakfast~"

It was Phyllis's voice.

Zena said "um",

"Hear me! I'm coming! ”

So she said it, but she just went to change her clothes, and then went back to the window, and continued to look out in a daze, and her mind drifted somewhere.

A few minutes later, Phyllis returned,

"Zena!?"

Zena sighed helplessly,

"Alas......"

Dejectedly, she went over and opened the door.

When Phyllis saw his sister, the corners of his mouth curled, and he said in the tone of a passerby: "I knew you would have dark circles under your eyes." The day after the premiere of "Roman Holiday", I was in the same state. ”

Zena unconsciously played with her hair with her right index finger,

"It's a weird feeling. I knew that everything had changed, and it was as if nothing had changed. ”

"Poof!"

Phyllis scoffed, "How old are you?" A little girl, why is she so sentimental? ”

She stretched, half-leaning against the doorframe,

"Let's talk about it."

Zena asked, "Say what?" ”

Phyllis stretched out his hand, pinched the other party's little nose, and said, "Of course, it's to talk to my gentle, respectable, and understanding sister and talk about the troubles in my heart~"

Zena glanced at her sister and retched contrivedly,

"Gross!"

Phyllis annoyed,

"What? I'm sick to you? ”

Zena complained: "It's no problem to talk to each other. But can you not add those modifiers to yourself, 'gentle', 'respectable', 'empathetic', in all fairness, do you have anything to do with these words? Or is Her Royal Highness the princess more in line with ......"

Phyllis's eyes lost their luster when he was halfway through the sentence, like two holes that had been cut out of a paper shell.

Zena: !!

"Phyllis!"

She grabbed her sister's arms and shook them back and forth,

"Hey! Wake up! I...... I was wrong! You are much gentler than Her Royal Highness the Princess! ”

Phyllis looked up,

"Really?"

Zena's chick nodded like a peck of rice,

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Then, he quickly turned the topic back and said, "Phyllis, how did you feel after performing "Roman Holiday" for the first time? ”

Phyllis fell into deep thought,

After a few moments, she said: "At first, of course, it was exciting, pleasant. But soon, I had a sense of unreality. ”

Zena sighed,

"I'm exactly the same as you."

Phyllis chuckled,

The heart says,

Sisters, it's not normal to be inconsistent~

She continued: "I asked Uncle Henry how I could get rid of this confusing feeling, and Uncle Henry told me that I just had to keep myself busy and full. ”

Zena wasn't quite convinced,

"Will it work?"

Phyllis took her sister's hand and walked out,

"Of course it works! Come, let's have breakfast and take you to school. You haven't been there for two weeks. ”

Zena helplessly,

"Got it, you just want me to go to school."

The two of them entered the hall together.

Mr. Dale was already sitting at the table waiting,

On his right hand side is a plate of golden omelette with an enticing aroma accompanied by a piece of freshly baked bread that whets the appetite.

On the left-hand side is a row of spread newspapers,

The Mirror, The Times, The Manchester Guardian......

Famous people are here.

Phyllis attached to his sister's ear,

"Aren't you looking for realism? Those newspapers are. ”

Zena was surprised,

I was about to ask, but I heard Mr. Dale say: "There are so many drama critics, but Professor Lu writes well." ”

He read it out slowly:

“

Miss Zena Dyer's delicate acting skills have successfully portrayed the character of Clara.

Her performance is very natural, without too many traces of deliberateness, and her expressions and movements in the face of different situations are just right, which can accurately convey the emotional and psychological state of the character, and deserves all praise.

With such talent and potential, people are full of expectations for her future acting career. ’

”

Smack-

Mr. Dale closed the newspaper,

"Zena, well done!"

Zena was praised by her father, she inevitably blushed a little, sat down on the chair with her head down, and the mosquito hummed "um", and then stuffed food into her mouth in disguise.

The little girl's cheeks bulged out like a hamster.

Mr. Dale smiled,

"Don't rush to eat. Your mother is still frying sausages~ Moreover, she also wants to praise you. ”

"Uh-huh......"

Zena ate faster, and said vaguely: "I still have to go to school~"

Speaking of going to school, Mr. Dyer's gaze became a little serious, and he asked tentatively, "Do you want to delay for a few days?" ”

Zena was stunned,

But soon, she thought of the reason for her father's concern,

The character of Clara is so special.

She also hesitated,

"Shouldn't there be any problem? After all, it's only been one show. ”

Mr. Dyer pointed to the newspapers at hand and said, "The success of 'The Hunt' inevitably magnifies the problem." I'm still a little worried about you ...... at school Alas......"

He sighed deeply,

I wanted to say that "where there are many women, there are many rights and wrongs",

But after all, there are two daughters in the family, and this is really unspeakable.

Zena groaned,

"I'd better go to school."

Mr. Dyer knew that his daughter's decision would not be easily changed, so he stopped persuading.

Zena gobbled it up for a while, quickly swept away the plate, and was about to head out.

Phyllis followed and whispered, "Don't worry, Zena, no problem. ”

Zena: ???

"What don't you have to worry about?"

Phyllis laughed, "That's what you and your father just discussed." Don't worry, I've got someone to help solve it. ”

"Tut-tut......"

Zena was speechless as she circled around her sister,

"You can't be looking for Professor Lu, are you?"

Phyllis was a little confused,

"How do you know? Did he tell you? ”

Zena complained: "Do you still need to say it? You can trust that person so much that can solve the problem, who else can it be but Professor Lu? ”

Phyllis was so stunned that he had nothing to say,

“……”

Zena smiled,

"Sure enough, it's Professor Lu. That's really nothing to worry about. ”

With that, she slipped out the door.

Phyllis looked at her sister's back, touched her nose helplessly, and muttered, "Am I really that obvious?" ”

……

London, Adelphi Girls' School.

Da Da Da –

A carriage slowly stopped at the gate.

Zena jumped out of the carriage,

"Whew~ It's cold."

She looked around.

The plane tree at the door hangs with melting ice, shining in the sunlight,

The cold wind blew, and the branches of the trees rustled as they swayed.

The students wore heavy winter clothes and hurried by.

Strangely, they all saw Zena, but avoided it intentionally or unintentionally, as if there was an invisible wall of qi around Zena.

Zena frowned, wrapped her scarf tightly, and rushed into the school building quickly, heading straight for the classroom.

As a result, as soon as she stood at the door, the classroom that was still noisy instantly quieted down.

Everyone was saluting her.

A few seconds later, a low discussion rang out,

"She really acted......"

"You say 'acting'? That's not the right word, is it? After all, Clara's role is so annoying, how can a normal person play it vividly? ”

"You do have a point."

……

Zena raised an eyebrow,

"Disgusting."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

In an instant, the classroom fell silent.

Zena snorted contemptuously from her nose, then sat down in her place and began to clean up the table.

Her table mates leaned over,

"What a 'disgusting'! You can say that again! Resbai~"

"Poof!"

The words made Zena burst out laughing.

The tablemate of this treasure is called Barr Schelotto, and she is Zena's best friend.

Zena whispered, "What's the matter with you?" I didn't see you last night when I saw off the audience at the entrance of the theater...... Hey, hey, hey! You wouldn't have failed to come, would you? ”

Barr shrugged her shoulders like a little adult,

"You're surrounded by so many nobles, I can't squeeze in."

"Ah......h

Zena was a little embarrassed.

Bal looked left and right and said in a voice that was almost whispering, "Not only did you not see me, but you also didn't see them?" ”

Zena was surprised,

"They? You mean, there are other classmates? ”

Ba'er replied helplessly, "Well, they are all ...... Almost all of them went. ”

Zena: ???

I really don't understand what these classmates think.

"The Hunt" is a new play cooperated by drama masters Lu and George Bernard Shaw. Prime Minister" and "Roman Holiday" are in front of the jade, and the situation of a vote is hard to find.

Therefore, out of kindness, Zena promised to help her classmates buy tickets at the original price.

But they all refused!

There are various reasons for refusal.

"The original work of 'The Hunt' is too esoteric for me to read. Come to think of it, the same is true of adapted plays, right? ”

"I can't go. The family is not allowed to stay outside too late. ”

"What's the meaning of the Old Man's Passion? I only watch romantic dramas. ”

……

It's good now, and after refusing, I ran to buy a ticket by myself,

What kind of brain circuit is this!?

"Are they sick?" ”

Bar couldn't help but laugh,

"Well, I think too. But ......"

She restrained her smile, as if she wanted to say something, but a thousand words finally converged into one sentence: "Heh, woman." ”

Zena was puzzled,

"What is this!?"

Ba'er's eyes were crooked, and she smiled mischievously: "Zena, if they rely on you to buy tickets, it is equivalent to receiving your favor, can they still evaluate you as unscrupulously as now?" ”

This sounds very strange, and it feels like putting the cart before the horse,

As if to say, when students watch "Hunting", they are going to criticize, but the enjoyment of watching the drama is secondary.

Zena couldn't help but glare at Ba'er,

"Nonsense!"

Ba'er spread her hands and said: "You know me, what you see and say is my consistent style." ”

Zena pinched the other party's face,

"How old are you? Are you embarrassed to say 'consistent style'? ”

Barr: "! @#￥%……”

I was pinched so that I couldn't say a complete sentence.

Zena let go and said, "And, like you said, 'Say what you see,' and I don't care about those criticisms." Criticism is also a kind of encouragement~"

Bar rubbed her cheeks,

"Do you really think so?"

Zena asked rhetorically, "What else can I think?" ”

Ba'er "hum~" lightly and said, "I'm quite confident~ In that case, you might as well try to imagine that you helped them buy tickets, and as a result, after watching it, they said that you acted rubbish, can you still laugh?" ”

"Ah......h

Zena was asked, and she did hesitate in her heart.

If it had been before, she dared to assert,

But after acting in "Hunting", she deeply realized that people's hearts are fickle,

Who can truly know their own heart?

Barr spreads her hands,

"Look, I'm not wrong, right? Moreover, they are already a little jealous of you~ The more you release kindness, the more they think you are showing off. ”

Zena: "......"

Speechless.

Ba'er looked around and quipped, "Maybe I'll have to follow you as well." We are both big villains, and I am a little follower, like a combination of an old witch and a black cat. ”

Zena reached out and pinched the other cheek again,

"You're talking nonsense again!"

But then, she said with a low mood: "I'm sorry to bother you." ”

Barr pouted,

"What are you sorry for?! In "The Hunt", Lucas didn't apologize to Marcus. ”

Zena was stunned for a while, then laughed out loud and asked, "You mean, I'm Lucas, you're Marcus?" ”

Barr said, "Yes. ”

Zena smiled even more,

"Then you should call me 'Daddy'. Quick, call 'Daddy'. ”

Barr annoyed,

"You ......"

The conversation began, and the classroom door was pushed open.

I saw the church grandmother West walking into the house quickly,

In the past, she always had a straight face, but today she doesn't know why she is smiling, and her smile is like an old chrysanthemum that blooms after a long drought.

Barr poked Zena's arm with her finger,

"Knitting class this morning?"

Zena shook her head and said, "How do I know? You don't want to think about it, I haven't been to school in three weeks. However, I don't think she has thimbles or wool, so she doesn't look like she's going to talk about knitting techniques. Maybe it'...... Hum...... My sister sent rescuers. ”

Barr is puzzled,

"Rescuers? Save you? ”

The two were whispering to each other when another man came in.

It was the principal, Cipriano Jangui.

In an instant, the students below all sat upright.

Zhan Ji stepped up to the podium and said with a spring breeze on his face: "You are very lucky. This morning is a special lecture, and the teacher who gave the lecture was Professor Lu Shi, a famous writer and scholar from the London School of Economics and Political Science. ”

As soon as these words came out, the students' eyes fell on Zena,

Jealousy, envy......

The list goes on.

Everyone knows why Lu Shi is here.

Unexpectedly, Zhan Ji hadn't finished speaking,

"In addition to Professor Lu, there is another teacher, the Holy See of Canterbury, Archbishop Temple."

As soon as these words came out, the classroom fell silent,

“……”

“……”

“……”

The classmates' eyes changed when they saw Zena,

All the emotions that had been before had turned into unparalleled awe.

"Goo......

Bar swallowed,

"Zena, your sister is so powerful?"

Zena was also confused, and said in a low voice: "I've been living with her for a few years, and I don't see it at all." ”

Barr was speechless,

"This speaker looks like a stranger."

"Well, she's changed, everything has become so strange," Zena said. ”

The two were whispering,

At this time, Mama West ran out, and it was not long before she helped Temple into the classroom.

Temple was dressed very formally today, and even brought out the golden bishop's crown,

The crown is set with precious stones, shining with dazzling light,

Golden tassels hung from the sides of the bishop's crown, swaying with his steps.

Mama West looked at Temple with a glue-like gaze, as if she could crawl in front of Temple at any moment, kissing the hem of his robe and even the tiptoes.

Behind the two, Lu Shiting followed leisurely.

Janji took the lead in applauding,

Only then did the students below react,

As a result, the classroom was overwhelmed with applause, and it seemed that even the air was shaken.

Temple raised his hand,

"I am not a Canterbury See, but a speaker. So, all that red tape is not necessary. ”

Mama West said numbly: "The archbishop said it too well~"

There was even a peach heart in his eyes.

Temple quietly withdrew his hand that was being held by the other party,

"Thank you, sister."

This "sister" almost made Mama West faint,

She let out an inexplicable cry: "Ah~~~Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Seeing this scene, the students all know the reason why Miss West's menopause is almost over but she hasn't married yet.

Temple coughed lightly,

"Sister, please stand back."

Mama West hurriedly stepped back and stood solemnly beside her, like a door god.

Temple breathed a sigh of relief,

When he looked at Lu,

"Professor Lu, shall I come first?"

The crowd was shocked,

The archbishop actually wants to listen to Lu Shi's arrangement?

I saw Lu Shi smile and say, "Come according to the plan, archbishop." ”

Temple nodded, then spoke to the podium, "Today's topic has to do with lies. Do you think lying is an unconscious act? ”

The students at the girls' school were generally more positive in answering questions.

The question of the Holy See of Canterbury is different.

“……”

“……”

“……”

No one squeaked.

Temple seems to have expected this for a long time and is not affected,

"You may have heard that the Anglican sect has a charity and has established many children's homes. Last night, I ordered experiments to be carried out in various correctional institutions. The parishioners in charge of childcare put gauze on different parts of the children's bodies while they were asleep. When the children woke up, the parishioners asked the children about the cause of their injuries. And guess what? ”

Today's second question, again, no one responded.

Temple: "......"

Twice cold, the face is somewhat unbearable.

At this moment, Zena raised her hand.

Temple was satisfied,

"You say."

Zena got up and said, "There should be a child who made up the reason for his injury, right?" ”

Temple remained silent,

"You say, 'a part.'"

This is obviously a hint, and of course Zena can hear it,

She immediately changed her tone,

"When I say 'part', I should mean ...... Forehead...... No more than 30%. ”

As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the classroom changed a little,

"Dale must have thought more than thirty percent."

"Well, she's getting fast."

"It hasn't changed, right...... How could anyone lie about such a thing? ”

……

The students did not dare to respond to the archbishop, but they still had the courage to talk about Zena.

Temple raised his hand and said slowly, "Quiet." ”

Everyone immediately shut up.

Temple continued: "Miss Dale, there is something wrong with what you said. The term 'some' is rather inaccurate, it should be 'most', or 'mostly'. ”

The classroom was so quiet that you could hear a pin dropping,

The students thought they had misheard.

"More than 90 percent of the children made it up, and there were all sorts of reasons for the injuries," Temple said. Some children can even start with the cause, and then the subsequent process and effect are also presented, and the sound and color are also presented. ”

Having said that, finally some students couldn't help it,

"This ...... Is it possible? ”

(End of chapter)