With nothing to distract him, "Rong Qing" immerses himself in the drama on stage and his performance is getting better and better. He seems to know the script by heart and sings without a hint of hesitation, confidently enjoying the respect and admiration of the audience.
His skirt resembles the water of the Xiangjiang River and his hair is like the clouds of the Wushan Mountain. After his stunning first appearance, he goes on to bring Du Shiniang to life with his light and graceful steps, his vivacious movements and expressive face. He finally recaptures the brilliance of Rong Qiuchen, that most famous actor of the Qing dynasty who has captured everyone's imagination and charmed the whole world.
"All the vows and promises have become illusions.
A match made in heaven has turned into nightmares.
The water glistens like a ribbon.
Beneath the fair exterior a mystery is hidden."
He sings the aria in a clear voice. His eyes are filled with misery; his chanting is interspersed with sobs; his words are laden with regret. In a low voice he speaks of his sorrow and melancholy, and in a high voice he rises into the clouds.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong, I shan't complain.
Why can't I tell the difference between good and bad?
The more I think about it, the more confused I get.
I'm frowning and have nothing to say.
… …
I have a noble heart, but was born in the demimonde.
I have eyes but failed to see that he was unworthy of me.
As time passes by my remorse is endless!"
The final line is sung in such a long, high-pitched way that it gives one goose bumps. It sounds like a cuckoo crying blood[1], turning the anguish of the heart into a cry of grief, revealing the helplessness of the character at this moment, so heart-rending yet so soul-stirring!
Yuan Ge is so mesmerised by the performance that he is unable to move. The Rong Qing in his dreams and the Rong Qing[2] on stage have finally become one! THIS was the cinematic effect he has dreamed of!
Mr. Lee, the Operatic Director of the film, cannot hold back his excitement and is the first to stand up and applaud when he hears Yuan Ge call "Cut".
"Great! That's great!" The 60-year-old gentleman is as excited as a child, repeating these simple words, completely overwhelmed by the performance of the man on stage.
"Catch him! Don't let him get away!"
A screeching, angry shout suddenly breaks the mood of the set and snaps everyone back to reality!
Then, people see a man, dishevelled and stumbling, rushing furiously towards the stage, pointing at "Rong Qing" on the centre stage and shouting, while several security guards from the Rong Mansion and assistants behind him pounce on the stage to grab him, completely ignoring the shooting in progress.
Yuan Ge is stunned, because this miserable-looking man is in fact Yin Fenghua!
His forehead and the corners of his mouth are wounded, and his face is covered in blood mixed with tattered opera make-up, making him look even more wretched. He looks angrily at the crew who are all staring at him in disbelief and shouts hatefully, "What are you all standing around for! Someone's been going around pretending to be a ghost here! Stealing costumes and props, impersonating actors, and beating up the lead in the toilet! What an outrage! What is the use of security guards? If you can't catch this bastard, call the police!"
It's only then that the crowd finally realises that the superb actor "Rong Qing" on stage is not actually Yin Fenghua! And Yuan Ge instantly understands that the man on stage must be the loony boy "Rong Qiuchen" who he has been searching for all these days!
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[1] "Cuckoo crying blood" comes from an ancient Chinese legend.
Legend has it that in ancient times there was an emperor named Du Yu who was in love with his empress. He was later murdered by a traitor and died a miserable death. His soul was transformed into a cuckoo bird, which cried and wailed in the Empress' garden every day. The teardrops it shed were drops of red blood that stained the beautiful azalea in the Empress's garden.
When the empress heard the cuckoo's wail and saw the red blood, she understood that it was the spirit of her husband. In her grief, she wailed day and night, "You come back, you come back", and eventually died of depression.
Her soul was transformed into a red azalea that blossomed all over the mountain and the wilderness, accompanying the cuckoo bird, which is why the azalea is also known as Cuckoo Flower. This is the allusion to the cuckoo crying blood. This lifelong love between bird and flower is an immortal legend in the world.
[2] Rong Qing, Rong Qiuchen, Qingqing, are different names for the same person. Rong is the surname, Qiuchen is the given name, and Qing is a name/title used between close friends.