The main reason was Roy's extraordinary performance talent. With just a look, he could convey what Laila wanted him to do, and Wu Yuan could pick up on it. If it were Laila herself, her eyeballs might roll out of their sockets, and the other person still wouldn't get the message she intended to convey.
Amidst a sea of applause, Wu Yuan took the stage.
The stage was designed to resemble a train carriage, with a table placed horizontally in the middle and the familiar green hard seats on either side.
Compared to the original version, there were many changes in the script, but the underlying story remained the same.
As soon as he stepped on stage, Wu Yuan began to complain about his girlfriend leaving him to go teach and explained to everyone that he had come to check on her situation. If it was too tough, he would bring her back.
After providing some background to the story, his childhood friend, He Bao, dressed as a rural entrepreneur, "gracefully" took the stage and sat next to Wu Yuan.
The character played by He Bao was quite talkative and seemed like a braggart, boasting about how much money he had made and how he planned to do some good for his hometown.
Wu Yuan's character listened to him while keeping his thoughts to himself, quietly complaining to the audience: If he was truly as wealthy as he claimed, would he be taking a hard seat all the way here? He couldn't even afford a soft sleeper?
As the audience was amused by this dialogue between the two characters, Laila and Roy entered the stage.
They portrayed a backpacker couple traveling in the East, greatly enjoying the local culture. They took seats across from Wu Yuan and He Bao.
When they appeared on stage, the audience spontaneously burst into applause and cheers. While it wasn't the first time foreigners had appeared at the Spring Festival Gala, it wasn't common for foreigners to be featured in a sketch, let alone two individuals as attractive as Laila and Roy.
Roy was a global ambassador for Burberry, and he had to wear Burberry clothes both in his daily life and when walking the red carpet. For this Spring Festival Gala, Burberry specially designed travel outfits for him, with simple yet impressive designs that made everyone's eyes light up.
Laila's mother, Janet, was also a designer, though she was currently pregnant and not actively designing anymore. Finding a suitable outfit from her previous work was not a problem.
One was an outfit designed by a renowned brand designer, the other was a specially crafted outfit by a global luxury brand. Combined with their impeccable figures and looks, the audience was naturally captivated.
Roy began by helping Laila stow their bags but accidentally bumped into He Bao, who was reaching for something on the other side.
He Bao, with a sense of internationalism, quickly apologized, "I am sorry!"
Roy also apologized, "I am sorry too!"
This sudden turn of events caused He Bao's expression to change suddenly, and his voice raised, "I am sorry three!"
Roy's character, portraying the backpacker, looked at him in confusion, "What are you sorry for?"
Then He Bao raised his voice further, looking as if he were competing with Roy, "I am sorry five!"
This wasn't a complex dialogue and even first-year English students could roughly understand what they were saying. He Bao, fueled by half a bottle of vinegar, turned his role into a comedy. Clearly not understanding much English, he didn't hold back in front of real foreigners, and it became a hilarious scene.
The audience burst into laughter at this. But that was just the beginning; He Bao continued to converse with Roy using his unique style of Chinese-English while Wu Yuan tried to correct his mistakes, acting as a kind of "translator" to let the audience who didn't understand English know what he was saying.
For instance, He Bao's "cousin" was mistakenly referred to as "watch sister," his "mutual understanding" was turned into "you me, you me," and "you don't care about me, I don't care about you" was translated as "You don't bird me, I don't bird you."
From the moment he started speaking English, the audience didn't stop laughing. Not only did his English create moments of hilarity, but his expressions were also side-splitting. Wu Yuan's cooperation was also a highlight; he both highlighted He Bao's lack of proficiency and showed his frustration and impatience.
The main theme of the sketch naturally couldn't be exhausted with laughter, and in the latter part, it gradually revealed the underlying message. It turned out that the rural entrepreneur portrayed by He Bao was indeed a wealthy individual. He had endured the discomfort of a hard seat on a long train ride to save money for donations. Wu Yuan's girlfriend, who was doing educational work, happened to be teaching at the Hope Primary School funded by He Bao.
Towards the end, He Bao revealed why he donated money to educate the children. It was because he had been cheated and fooled many times due to his lack of education. To prevent the children in his hometown from facing the same fate, he would gladly eat a little less and cultivate the future generation.
The sketch concluded with an emotional note, and even Wu Yuan, who had initially planned to take his girlfriend away, decided to stay behind to help more children. Even Roy and Laila decided to visit their area and make a donation.
The sketch ended on that note.
As the four of them took their bows, the audience gave them warm applause and cheers. Chinglish(a blend of Chinese and English) had everyone in stitches, and it was believed that after the program ended, this whimsical form of English would become a trend online.
Laila and Roy didn't perform their song in the sketch due to the changes in the plot. But it would be a shame to give up such a good song, so the Spring Festival Gala director decided to allocate a few minutes for Laila and Roy to perform the song as a separate segment, just as it had been originally planned.
After Wu Yuan and He Bao left the stage, the hosts invited Laila and Roy to stay.
First, they were briefly introduced, and then Laila and Roy spoke a few words of auspicious blessings in Chinese. Their fluent Chinese surprised and amazed both the live audience and viewers watching on television. Even though Roy didn't know Chinese, he managed to learn a couple of auspicious phrases in a short time.
Afterward, the two of them began to sing the rehearsed song "A Thousand Miles" to the accompaniment of music, of course, it was lip-syncing.
Many people strongly disapproved of lip-syncing at the Spring Festival Gala, but Laila believed that there was nothing wrong with it. The biggest advantage of lip-syncing is that it ensures a more stable performance, avoiding potential issues caused by the performers themselves or unexpected mishaps.
Take Roy, for example; he had indeed practiced hard for this performance. However, what if he got nervous or caught a cold and couldn't deliver the performance well? It's important to remember that the show isn't just watched by a few people; it's viewed by audiences across the nation and even around the world. Would it be right to expose them to a program with multiple flaws?
So, even if it were Laila directing the Spring Festival Gala, she would have made the same choice to use lip-syncing.