Chapter 54: A Single Glimpse of Yang Guo Ruins One for a Lifetime

Chapter 54: A Single Glimpse of Yang Guo Ruins a Lifetime

Clap, clap, clap.

The entire audience erupted.

One could safely say it was an absolute uproar.

Re-enacting such a legendary scene for later generations is an almost impossible task.

In fact, many wouldn't even dare to attempt it.

No matter how well you perform, you cannot surpass the original masterpiece.

If your performance falls even slightly short, the four directors will tear you apart with their critiques.

Yet.

Chen Ping and Yuan Bingyan had successfully brought this legendary scene back to life.

Moreover, their performance was not a whit inferior to the original.

In some aspects, it even surpassed it.

For instance, the moment Chen Ping removed his mask.

That single unmasking did not just stun Guo Xiang within the story—it left everyone in the venue utterly flabbergasted.

"Come, let our two actors step forward."

Amidst the cheers, Chen Ping and Yuan Bingyan walked out from the center of the stage.

The host, Da Peng, stepped up excitedly: "Chen Ping, don't you want to say something?"

Handing the microphone to Chen Ping, Da Peng prompted.

"Say what?"

"For instance, about your looks."

Indeed.

What everyone cared about the most was Chen Ping's appearance.

One must remember.

Chen Ping had previously been described as thoroughly unremarkable.

Yet who could have foreseen that in the blink of an eye, he would become devastatingly handsome.

Quite a few actresses even found their hearts racing continuously the moment they laid eyes on him.

With looks like these, how was anyone else supposed to compete?

Although they found it deeply bizarre.

Some even wondered if Chen Ping had undergone plastic surgery.

Yet that was simply impossible.

For one, Chen Ping had never had the time for surgery.

Everyone had been locked in rehearsals, and Chen Ping had nowhere gone—surgery was out of the question.

Furthermore.

Although Chen Ping's looks had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation, a closer inspection revealed that his facial features had fundamentally remained unchanged.

This was definitely not the result of surgery.

Yet despite those features remaining the same, his entire facial contour and overall aura were beyond comparison with his former self.

"Weren't my looks always thoroughly unremarkable?"

"Pfft..."

Nearly choking on water thanks to Chen Ping's high-level humble brag, Da Peng retorted: "You call that unremarkable? Are the rest of us supposed to just give up on living? Let everyone in the audience who considers themselves more handsome than Chen Ping raise their hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, not a single hand went up in the audience.

It wasn't that they lacked the courage; it was that they had been completely and utterly outshined by Chen Ping.

"I honestly don't know how to explain this."

How could Chen Ping possibly say, "I'm just a cheater; the reason my looks are off the charts is entirely due to a system"?

Not only was this cheat working wonderfully, but it also left absolutely no trace behind.

"I believe this has to do with Chen Ping's state of mind."

At this moment, Derek Yee chimed in: "I've always felt Chen Ping is a very introverted person, so his personality used to be quite restrained. This caused his appearance, despite being truly exceptional, to never feel particularly striking. But today, the moment Chen Ping let go of that restraint, we were able to witness his true visage. I must admit, today's Chen Ping has utterly astounded me."

Beauty is something everyone universally appreciates.

Even though Derek Yee always favored actors with genuine strength and acting chops, having both breathtaking looks and superb acting skills was simply the best of both worlds.

Director Liu Ming was far more direct, blurting out on the spot: "Chen Ping, I have a movie in the works—would you be interested in a collaboration?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the entire audience stirred with excitement.

One had to realize that although Liu Ming's career wasn't deeply rooted yet, no one dared to underestimate his capabilities.

Even Derek Yee had nothing critical to say about his urban romance series.

To think Liu Ming would directly extend an olive branch to Chen Ping right here on stage.

"Thank you, Director Liu Ming. If an opportunity for collaboration arises, I would certainly be willing."

This was merely a polite and conventional reply.

Chen Ping didn't take it as a guarantee that Liu Ming would actually cast him.

His response was neither a definitive acceptance nor an outright rejection.

After all, this was an informal occasion, and whether they would truly work together in the future remained to be seen.

Naturally.

Truth be told, Chen Ping wasn't particularly eager to star in Director Liu Ming's films.

It wasn't that he harbored any aversion toward Liu Ming.

It was simply that Liu Ming's movies lacked depth and constantly reeked of petty bourgeois sentimentality—a style Chen Ping thoroughly disliked.

"Bingyan, come, share your thoughts."

By her side, Zhao Wei steered the conversation toward Yuan Bingyan: "Your portrayal of Guo Xiang today was truly magnificent, especially that gaze of yours when you watched Chen Ping unmask—it was profoundly moving."

"To be honest, I was somewhat dazed myself. I never expected Chen Ping after the unmasking to be so completely different from before. Fortunately, that stunned expression seemed rather fitting for the moment."

"How would you describe the difference between the current Chen Ping and the former Chen Ping?"

"Let me think..."

Seemingly caught off guard by the question, Yuan Bingyan glanced at Chen Ping, pondered for a moment, and then replied: "I feel like they're pretty much the same. Although there's a massive change, looking closely, it somehow feels identical."

"That's precisely why I said your performance capturing Guo Xiang's expression upon first laying eyes on Yang Guo was peerless."

Zhao Wei applauded Yuan Bingyan.

They were all veterans in the industry; given Yuan Bingyan's reaction, how could Zhao Wei fail to understand?

In truth, it was the exact same for Guo Xiang.

A seed had already been planted deep within her heart the moment she met Yang Guo, regardless of whether he was conventionally handsome or possessed ordinary looks.

To her, Yang Guo was simply the most striking big brother in the entire world.

"Director Chen Kaige, why don't you offer some comments?"

Having finished, Zhao Wei turned her gaze toward Chen Kaige.

"The renowned writer Lin Yanini once wrote a line: *A single glimpse of Yang Guo ruins a lifetime.*"

Looking directly at Chen Ping, Chen Kaige spoke with a hint of emotional resonance: "Previously, I thought such a line could only exist within Louis Cha's martial arts novels, but seeing Chen Ping today, I finally believe it."

This time, because of Chen Kaige's remark, the applause from the audience lasted for a prolonged duration.

*A single glimpse of Yang Guo ruins a lifetime*—this referred specifically to Yang Guo.

Aside from Little Dragon Maiden, every single woman who crossed paths with Yang Guo truly had her life upended.

Cheng Ying, Lu Wushuang, Gongsun Lü'e, Guo Xiang... every single one of these women was breathtakingly beautiful and hopelessly devoted.

Yet, having once beheld Yang Guo, none of these women could ever welcome another man into their hearts.

Naturally.

Beyond the aforementioned few.

Guo Fu, Wanyan Ping, Yelv Yan... they too fell instantly in love upon meeting him.

Yet ultimately, realizing that a future with Yang Guo was impossible, they married others.

As for Guo Fu, it wasn't until she saw Yang Guo again sixteen years later that she finally understood why she had always competed with him and made things difficult for him—it was simply because she loved him.

These were the tales told within the pages of *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.

Because only characters within a novel could possess such peerless and tragic beauty.

But right now.

Chen Kaige had applied this very sentiment directly to Chen Ping.

Everyone understood the profound implication behind those words.

"Alright, let's not even bother with the next round."

"Yeah, we might as well just surrender outright."

"I honestly feel like quitting."

As Chen Ping and Yuan Bingyan stepped down from the stage, the remaining actors were hit with a wave of deep melancholy.

Chen Ping, who had previously seemed entirely unremarkable, had unexpectedly dealt them a devastating ultimate move at the crucial moment.

That single blow had left them too dazed to recover even now.

(End of this chapter)