Screenplay
Rhythmic Reflections:
Characters: Zhu Yi - Dancer
Audience
Time: Night
Place:The Paramount, Shanghai
Scene One:
△The audience fills the seats below the stage of the Paramount. As Zhu finishes her final move, the ballroom erupts in thunderous applause
Audience 1: Wow! It was so amazing!
Audience 2: She deserves her renown as an internationally famous dancer. It’s so good I came here for the dance.
Audience 3: Indeed, who in the dance world doesn’t know Zhu? She got a complete honor in dance competitions at a young age, truly a genius dancer.
△ Zhu bows to the audience and slowly walks behind the curtain as the lights fade.
【END OF SCENE 1
Characters: Zhu Yi - Dancer
Assistant - Zhu’s assistant
Time: Night
Place: Dressing Room
Scene Two:
△Zhu enters the dressing room and her assistant follows immediately behind.
Assistant: Miss Zhu, your phone is ringing
Zhu Yi: Okay, got it, thank you.
△Looking at the incoming call display on her phone, Zhu notices it’s from her daughter Xiao Ling. Zhu smiles knowingly.
Zhu Yi: What’s up, baby?
Xiao Ling: Mom, when are you coming home? Don’t forget today is my birthday. You promised to come earlier to celebrate with me
Zhu Yi: Alright, I will be home after in a while.
Xiao Ling: How long do you mean “in a while”?
Zhu Yi: (Gently) Sweetie, I will be home in about 20 minutes. You can have the cake by yourself if you can’t wait to do it.
Xiao Ling: No, I don’t. I want you to have it with me.
Zhu Yi: Okay.
△Zhu hangs up the phone, immediately puts off her dance costume, and, after getting everything in order, she leaves the room.
Assistant: Miss Zhu, the car is waiting at the entrance.
Zhu Yi: Okay, it’s getting late. You should go home as well.
【END OF SCENE 2
Characters: Zhu Yi - DancerDriver
Bystanders
Time: Night
Place: Streets in Yuyuan Road
Scene Three:
△After the assistant leaves, Zhu gets into the car.
Zhu Yi: Hello, please, a little bit faster. I have something important at home.
Driver: Sure.
△The driver began to drive at a faster speed. At a turn at an intersection, a car skids and collides with the taxi. After a loud crash, white smoke fills the spot immediately
Bystander 1: Oh God, there’s been a car accident!
Bystander 2: I’ll call the police. Someone, please call 120!
After a while, an ambulance arrives.
【END OF SCENE 3
Characters: Nurse
Father - Xiao Ling’s father
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s mother
Time: Night
Place: Ruijin Hospital
Scene Four:
△Xiao Ling and her father arrive at Ruijin Hospital. Xiao Ling holds a bouquet of flowers, while her father inquires at the triage desk.
Father: Excuse me, how do we get to Room 301?
Nurse: Go left and then turn right.
Father: Thank you.
△Holding Xiao Ling’s hand, her father heads towards the ward.
Xiao Ling: Dady, is Mom seriously injured?
Father: Yes, you must encourage Mom to recover quickly.
Xiao Ling: Okay, I understand!
△In the ward, Zhu has already woken up.
Xiao Ling: (Excited) Mom!
Father: Are you feeling a little better? Xiao Ling, go arrange the flowers.
Zhu Yi: (depressed) What did the doctor tell you?
Father: you are not seriously injured. you’ll recover soon with proper rest.
Zhu Yi: (agitated) You know that’s not what I want to ask!
Father: Don’t get agitated, please listen to me.
Zhu Yi: tell me directly! How are my legs?
△Father hugs the emotionally overwhelmed Zhu.
Father: I know your love for dance and how important legs are to a dancer. But now that things have already happened. Please accept reality. The doctor says the ligaments in your legs are damaged, and you may never dance again.
Zhu Yi: (Crying) It is nothing different from killing me!Father: Don’t think it this way! You have me and Xiao Ling. Aren’t we more important than your dance?
Zhu Yi: But... But dance is my lifelong pursuit. What am I going to do now?
Father: There will be a way. Everything will get better!
△Xiao Ling, watching her mother cry and her father comforting her, approaches and hugs them both
Xiao Ling: Mom, don’t cry. I will help you in the future. If your legs are injured, I will be your legs!
【END OF SCENE 4
Characters: Students
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Desk Mate - Xiao Ling’s desk mate
Time: Daytime
Place: Jianping Middle School
Scene Five:
△The class-ending bell rings. Students rush out, and Xiao Ling’s deskmate is getting to leave
Desk Mate: Xiao Ling, class is over. Aren’t you going to play?
Xiao Ling: No, I still have homework to do.
Desk Mate: Homework? Didn’t we just turn in our assignments in class?
Xiao Ling: My mom gave me extra work. I have to do it before going home.
Desk Mate: Is it necessary to be in such a hurry? You can do it at home.
Xiao Ling: (Shaking her head) It’s different. I also need to practice dancing at home. Classical Chinese dance requires a lot of effort.
Desk Mate: Huh? You’re busy every day. How do you get rest or have fun?
Xiao Ling: (Hesitant) I... I don’t like playing! My mom says talent cultivation starts from
childhood. When I grow up, I’ll have plenty of time for fun!
Desk Mate: Your mom is so strict. Unlike my mom... By the way, there were reports a few days
ago about your mom’s car accident. How is she now? Is she okay?
Xiao Ling: My mom is fine. Only minor injuries, and she’ll be able to dance again soon!
Desk Mate: That’s a relief. Your mom is a genius dancer. My mom managed to get tickets for the
performance at The Paramount next month. She said she’s taking me to watch. I’m really looking forward to it.
Xiao Ling: (Proudly) Of course, my mom is the best dancer! She’s the youngest winner of the Dance Gold Award!
Desk Mate: Hey, your mom is such an excellent dancer, you must be good at dancing too, right?
After all, you’re her daughter.
Xiao Ling: Me? I prioritize my studies for now...
Desk Mate: Alright, Xiao Ling, I think you’ll be a great dancer in the future too. When you become famous, I can say to people that I used to be your desk mate. They’ll definitely be envious!
△ After the conversation, the desk mate leaves, with Xiao Ling left alone sitting at her desk to work on her homework.
Xiao Ling: (mumbling) I like dancing, but why my mother is so good, I must dance like or evenbetter than hers.
△Looking through the window and seeing the students downstairs happily playing, Xiao Ling feels envious.
【END OF SCENE 5
Characters: Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s mother
Time: Night
Place: Huazhou Junting
Scene Six:
△As soon as Xiao Ling returns home, she drops her backpack and heads straight to the specially arranged dance studio in her home
Zhu Yi: You’re back? Practice the moves of Hu Xuan dance I taught yesterday. I’ll go check your homework.
Xiao Ling: Alright, Mom.
△Xiao Ling changes into her dance costume, follows the beats of the music, and practices the moves. During an eight-beat spin, Xiao Ling loses balance and falls to the ground. Her mother sees the scene as she enters the room.
Zhu Yi: How many times have I told you? This eight-beat isn’t done like that! You need to step out with your left foot first to stabilize your center. If not, no matter how you do, you’ll fall to the ground...
△Xiao Ling gets back up to practice the moves again. Hands pose a flying posture. She steps out with her right foot, takes a step forward, lifts the back foot, and finally spins rapidly.
Zhu Yi: I am better than before, but it’s still far from my expectations.
Xiao Ling: (out of breath) Mom, do I really have to dance?
Zhu Yi: What are you saying? Don’t you like dancing?
Xiao Ling: No, I didn’t say I don’t like dancing...
Zhu Yi: (Interrupting) If so, don’t make so many complaints. Remember, you are my daughter. You should pay as much as love to dance as I do like me. Perhaps, you are young, you are not aware of it yet.
Xiao Ling: Mom, I’m already 13 years old. My dance moves can’t compare to yours at all.
Zhu Yi: I am a genius. I did not mean you don’t have a talent for dancing. Maybe you’re just not very sensitive to it. But your inherent deficiency can be compensated for by hard work. Xiao
Ling, you are Mom’s last hope. If you can’t do it, I’ll have to find another inheritor for my dance.
Xiao Ling: No! Mom, don’t find someone else. I won’t let you down. I will stand on the stage and win awards for you!
Zhu Yi: Good. Let’s practice the moves ten more times...
【END OF SCENE 6
Characters: Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Students
Headmaster
Time: Daytime
Place: Jianping Middle SchoolScene Seven:
△Xiao Ling delivers a speech on the school playground and receives a burst of applause from the audience below.
Headmaster: Xiao Ling is outstanding. She represented our school and won first place in the provincial dance competition. Even though she was preparing for the competition, she managed to balance her studies. Every student should learn from her!
【Students below are whispering discussing Xiao Ling, the star of tomorrow.
Student 1: Xiao Ling is amazing! She is really what other people refer to as “children of other families.”
Student 2: Have you thought about who her mom is? Zhu Yi, a famous dance teacher! It is no wonder that Xiao Ling is exceptional.
Student 3: But I feel Xiao Ling’s dancing isn’t as good as her mom’s.
Student 4: You are finding fault everywhere. If you are good, why don’t you go and dance?
Student 3: That’s not what I meant. Xiao Ling dances very well, but her mom is just too exceptional. That’s why I made the comparison.
Student 5: Xiao Ling is still young; she’ll surely get even better in the future!
【END OF SCENE 7
Characters: Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s mother
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Time: Night
Place: Huazhou Junting
Scene Eight:
△ Night falls, and Xiao Ling doesn’t stay at school for long. She presents the medal she won in the competition to her mother.
Zhu Yi: Hmm, not bad. You got first place. Just keep it up. Your goals shouldn’t be limited to provincial competitions. Like me when I was young, you should aim for national and even global competitions!
Xiao Ling: Mom, it seems too early to talk about things like this. I’m still young...
Zhu Yi: Why are you so unambitious?! When I was your age, I already had awards in international competitions. As my daughter, you should perform better than me!
Xiao Ling: (Solemn) Yes.
Zhu Yi: Xiao Ling, please don’t feel like Mom is so strict. If it weren’t for that accident, I would still be on the stage. You don’t know how many people envied me for my excellence. So many could wait to see my failure for fun. Do you understand?
Xiao Ling: I understand. I will make it. I will!
Zhu Yi: Xiao Ling, do you remember Grandma? She used to be a dancer, but for many reasons, she gave up and became unknown. Mom doesn’t want to end up like Grandma. So, Xiao Ling, you must work hard!
【END OF SCENE 8
Characters-Teacher
Students
Xiao Ling-protagonistAshang-Xiao Ling’s classmate
Time: Daytime
Place: Dance Studio of Jianping Middle School
Scene Nine:
△ After class, the teacher assigns homework to the students and leaves. However, many students don’t leave immediately; instead, they stay in the dance studio and try to remember the moves of the Dunhuang school dance. Feet together, body straight, then alternate hands left and right, followed by a twisting motion and small steps. However, several people can’t maintain their balance after a little time.
Student 1: No, the moves of Flower Rains Along the Silk Road are too difficult; I can’t do it.
Student 2: Yes. The teacher has left; what should we do? Is the teacher going to check our performance tomorrow?
Student 3: Yes, tomorrow we’ll be checked one by one, and those who fail will have to write reflections. Hey, why don’t we ask Xiao Ling for help?
Student 1: (hesitant) Can we?
Student 2: It should be fine. We are classmates, after all. It doesn’t matter to ask for help.
△After discussion, they approach Xiao Ling, who doesn’t stop her dance when they arrive. She rises on her tiptoes to create a graceful curve with her body. She then shows the rhythm and dynamics of dance as she steps through foot movements. Finally, she intentionally lifts her leg
high and almost kicks one of the students.
Student 1: (awkward) Xiao Ling, the moves taught in the eighth beat today are too difficult. We... we are not doing well. Can you give us some help? Just a little; it won’t take much of your time.
Xiao Ling: (disdain) It’s a waste of time talking to you.
Student 2: Why are you talking like that?
Xiao Ling: I always do like this; don’t you know?
Student 3: If you are unwilling to help us, just say so. There’s no need for these sarcastic remarks.
Xiao Ling: I didn’t say that. Don’t put the blame on my shoulder. My time is for awards, not for your services.
△Xiao Ling snorts and bumps into one of the students’ shoulders before leaving
Student 2: She’s too arrogant. It’s just that she’s a bit better than us.
Student 1: Never mind. She is able to be arrogant. Let’s find someone else for help.
△The next day in class, the teacher brings a new student
Teacher: Guys, this is our new classmate. From now on, you guys will study in the same class. Introduce yourself to everyone.
Ashang: Hello, everyone. My name is Ashang. I used to be in the dance class at Qibao Middle
School, but I had to leave for health reasons. Now I’ve transferred to this class, and I hope to get along well with you guys.
Teacher: Okay, You can sit... who sits next to an empty one?
Class Monitor: No one sits next to Xiao Ling. It’s the only one.
Teacher: Alright, then you go sit next to Xiao Ling. Where is Xiao Ling?
Class Monitor: Xiao Ling went to practice by herself in the small room.
Teacher: That’s fine. She has already mastered the new moves. You all should learn more from her.
△looking at the empty seat beside her, Ashang is wondering who her desk partner will be. Afterthat, the teacher starts teaching the moves. They perform a move as if their faces were half hidden behind a pipa still, tap lightly on their tiptoes and move forward with flower-like steps. However, Ashang always falls behind the rhythm, either forgetting the moves or moving with a half-beat slow.
Teacher: Ashang, don’t worry. Follow the movements step by step. Take your time.
△ Watching the coordinated movements by others, Ashang is determined to catch up. So, at dawn the next day, Ashang arrives at the dance studio. Through the crack in the door, she sees someone dancing the Flower Rains Along the Silk Road. Xiao Ling raises her right hand upward, with palm facing outward, and places the left hand downward at the side of the body, with palm facing inward. Then, the right hand slowly rotates to the right, and the left hand follows by rotating to the left. When the right arm extends, the left arm should be completely bent, followed by slow retraction of the right arm to the side of her body and the straight extension of the left arm. Ashang admires the beautiful movements and can’t help but burst out his acclaim.
Ashang: What a dance.
△Hearing the sound, Xiao Ling stops and frowns with a look of disgust as she glances at Ashang, then walks out of the room. It isn’t until the next class that Ashang discovers Xiao Ling is the person who receives so much praise from the teacher.
Ashang: Hello, I’ll be your desk partner from now on. Please render your help.
Xiao Ling: (Coldly) Not interested.
△Since then, Ashang has shown great admiration for Xiao Ling. Upon learning about Xiao Ling’s achievements, Ashang frequently seeks advice from her. Despite no response from Xiao Ling, Ashang tirelessly communicates with her. The teacher observes everything and decides to have Xiao Ling teach Ashang.
Xiao Ling: If it weren’t for the teacher’s command, I wouldn’t waste my time on this.
Ashang: It won’t be a waste of time. I’ll work hard!
△Two months later, Ashang makes great progress. When it’s time for the examination, even the teacher gives praise to Ashang.
Teacher: such progress in just two months. Ashang, you’re also excellent
Ashang: No, it’s all thanks to Xiao Ling’s teaching.
Teacher: That’s one reason. But I can see that you have a talent for dance. If it weren’t for your earlier illness, you wouldn’t be inferior to Xiao Ling now.
【END OF SCENE 9
Characters: Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Classmates
Time: Daytime
Place: Jianping Middle School
Scene 10
△Xiao Ling walks on the road and overhears classmates whispering
Classmate 1: Did you get it? The teacher said Ashang has a great talent for dance.
Classmate 2: Ashang has indeed improved a lot in dancing. Do you think she’ll do better than Xiao Ling?
Classmate 3: No way. Xiao Ling is very excellent.
Classmate 2: maybe. Hmph, Xiao Ling is too arrogant. Ashang bears no resemblance to her atall!
【Xiao Ling clenches her fist, quickly rushes towards the speaking classmates, and then leaves.
【END OF SCENE 10
Characters: Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s mother
Time: Night
Place: Huazhou Juntian
Scene 11
Zhu Yi: Xiao Ling, I’ve gotten it. Your school will work with a foreign school on a classical dance competition. If you get first place, you can be recommended to study abroad. You must seize this opportunity!
Xiao Ling: Study abroad?
Zhu Yi: It’s my alma mater. You must win this time. Failure is not an option, understand?!
Xiao Ling: Yes.
【END OF SCENE 11
Characters: Classmates
Teacher
Ashang - Classmate of Xiao Ling
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Time: Daytime
Place: Dance Studio of Jianping Middle School
Scene 12
△Entering the dance studio, Xiao Ling notices a group of people gathered. With curiosity, she looks up to see Ashang dancing in the centre of the group. Ashang performs complex dance moves, including kneeling, grabbing the foot in a wave-like motion, tilting the torso, and lifting the leg while maintaining a half-kneeling position. Xiao Ling is surprised as she recognizes the dance sequence from the Dunhuang “Flying Apsaras” that she narrowly completed on earlier occasions,
Teacher: (Applauding)You’re doing a good job, Ashang! This piece is the one Xiao Ling almost didn’t manage to finish. If you perform like this in the competition, you’re sure to get a big prize!
Classmate 1: Absolutely, Ashang!
Ashang: (Modestly) Oh, it’s not that exaggerated. Hey, Xiao Ling, you’re here?
△Ashang waves to Xiao Ling. She doesn’t respond, but she turns and leaves. Fearing her defeat by Ashang, Xiao Ling intensifies her practice of Flower Rains Along the Silk Road without a break for almost the day. The high-intensity training, physical activity, and tremendous mental stress begin to induce hallucinations.
Xiao Ling: (Muttering to herself) No, I can’t lose. I can’t disappoint my mom, definitely not!
Teacher:Xiao Ling, what are you saying to yourself here alone?
Xiao Ling: (Coming to her senses) Oh, Teacher, I... it’s nothing...
Teacher: You look not so good recently. You shouldn’t overexert yourself. Learn to take breaks, okay?
Xiao Ling: Got it. Thank you for your concern.
△Xiao Ling looks up and sees several people watching her.
Classmate 1: Xiao Ling looks bad. I think this time the champion might be another one.
Classmate 2: I think so.
【END OF SCENE 12
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Time: Night
Place: Changing Room of Jianping High School
Scene 13
△Xiao Ling, after school, doesn’t go home but sneaks into the changing room. With the help of the faint light emitted from her phone screen, Xiao Ling finds Ashang’s dance shoes and discreetly places several thumbtacks inside them.
Xiao Ling: No one should even replace me as the number one!
【END OF SCENE 13
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Ashang - Xiao Ling’s classmate
Teacher
Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s mother
Time: Daytime
Place: Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe
△At the competition venue of the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe, Xiao Ling smirks at Ashang, which momentarily confuses Ashang. Later, it’s Xiao Ling’s turn to perform the classical Dunhuang dance. As Xiao Ling passes by Ashang, she smiles at her mother in the audience, signalling that she does not need to worry at all.
Xiao Ling:The champion is still mine. Hmph, you are far behind me.
△As the music starts for Flower Rains Along the Silk Road, Xiao Ling gracefully extends her body. Just as she’s about to lift her foot, a sudden pain hits her. Xiao Ling falls to the ground, and her dance shoes are stained with blood.
Teacher: What’s going on?! Stop immediately!
△The teacher rushes to check Xiao Ling’s injury.
Teacher: How did nails end up in your shoes? Who did this?!
Xiao Ling: it might be that I accidentally dropped some nails into my shoes myself.
Teacher: You silly child, how can you be so careless? how can you continue the competition?
Zhu Yi: are you okay?
Xiao Ling: I’m fine, Mom. I can still continue the competition.
Zhu Yi: No, your foot is injured. You must go to the hospital.
Xiao Ling: But I...
Zhu Yi: For a dancer, the legs are more important than anything else!
【END OF SCENE 14
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Zhu Yi - Xiao Ling’s motherTime: Daytime
lace: Huazhou Juntian
Scene 15
△In the end, Xiao Ling withdraws from the competition. Ashang becomes the champion. This incident leaves Xiao Ling devastated. It not only disappoints her mother but also fills Xiao Ling with shame. After her recovery, Xiao Ling refuses to return to school.
Zhu Yi: You lost the competition, but I don’t blame you. You can’t keep avoiding things like this.
Xiao Ling: No, I don’t want to go to school!
Zhu Yi: I’m sorry. I gave you too much pressure, and that’s what made you like this.
△Helpless, Xiao Ling’s parents send her to the countryside, hoping she can recover and relax there. In the countryside, there’s also a grandmother who has been senile for many years. This is the first time Xiao Ling sees her grandmother.
【END OF SCENE 15
Xiao Ling - Protagonist
Grandma (Axiang)
Cousin
Axiang’s Mother
Axiang’s Father
Blind man
Axiang’s Younger Brother
Time: Daytime
Place: Fourth Welfare Institute of Maoqiao Village
Scene 16
△Worried that Xiaoling, a city girl, might find it uncomfortable in the countryside, her cousin took a few days off to take her to explore the area. Despite Xiaoling's internal reservations, she did not show them. Cousin was concerned that Xiao Ling would be bored alone when she went to work. Eventually, her cousin brought her to the welfare institution in which her grandmother lived.
Cousin: It’s been a long time since you saw Grandma, right?
Xiao Ling: Yeah, I almost forgot what Grandma looks like. But my mom always talks about her.
Cousin: Grandma really likes you. Now that you’re here, she must be so happy. As I am busy
with my work, you can visit her on your own once you know the way.
Xiao Ling: Okay.
△Grandma is bathing in the sunlight, reading a book. She looks up only when Elder Sister speaks. Xiao Ling can’t see any signs of dementia on Grandma; she looks serene.
Cousin: Grandma, guess who’s here?
Grandma (Axiang): Oh my, isn’t this Xiao Ling? Come here, let me take a look.
Xiao Ling: Hello, Grandma.
Grandma (Axiang): My baby is becoming more beautiful as she grows up. Xiao Ling, why are you here? Isn’t it the time for school now?
Xiao Ling: I... I’m sick. Mom asked me to come to the countryside for a while to recover.
Grandma (Axiang): Oh, I see.△Xiao Ling conceals the truth. After Xiao Ling leaves, Grandma asks Cousin, who eventually reveals the situation. The next day, when Xiao Ling comes again with Cousin, Grandma, seeing her well, shares stories from her youth.
Xiao Ling: Stories from Your youth?
Grandma (Axiang): Yes, when I was your age, I had already left home...
△Grandma takes out a photo of her former youth as she talks
△Xiao Ling looks at the picture and listen to the story told by her grandma. She starts feeling drowsy as she is listening. She leans back in the chair, entering a dream. When Xiao Ling opens her eyes again, she finds herself in an unfamiliar place.
Xiao Ling: Where is this?
△Xiao Ling walks bewildered, then sees a girl of similar age eavesdropping outside a house.
Axiang’s Mother: There is nothing out; let’s just sell Axiang. We can get some money to support ourselves; the whole family will starve to death.
Axiang’s Father: We have no other choice.
△Axiang, hearing this, shows a sad expression. He turns and sees Xiao Ling.
Xiao Ling : Hello, may I ask where this is? Grandma?!
【Xiao Ling was shocked and remembered the photos of her grandmother when she was young.
Axiang: Are you from outside? This is Maoqiao Village. Why are you dressed so strangely? And why are you calling me Grandma? Just call me Axiang.
Xiao Ling : Okay, Grandma... I mean, Axiang, where are you going?
Axiang: Where? I have no idea. My parents want to sell me. I can’t keep counting money for them here.
Xiao Ling : How can this happen?!
Axiang:Poor girls from families like ours are never treated well. I’m going to hide in the mountains for a while.
Xiao Ling : I’ll go with you!
△Xiao Ling follows Axiang as they escape to the mountains overnight. On the way, they come into a blind man.
Blind man:You were born with a cheap fate, yet you’ve managed to live a long life.
Axiang: Nonsense. You’re the one with the cheap fate. I control my own destiny, and what others say doesn’t matter!
Xiao Ling : And what about me? What’s my fate?
Blind man:I can’t predict your fate. It’s strange; I feel like you’re not from around here.
Axiang: She’s from outside. Come on, , let’s ignore this blind guy; he talks nonsense!
△the two spend the night on the mountain. The next day, Axiang returns home, only to be driven away by his parents. She can’t understand why she is treated this way. Determined to make her family regret, she intends to harm her younger brother, so her parents will know her pain.
Xiao Ling : Axiang, what are you doing?! Don’t be impulsive.
Axiang: I’m rational. I know what I’m doing. I just won’t accept it!
△Taking advantage of his parents’ inattention, Ah Xiang finds his younger brother.
Axiang: Hey, little brother, come here. I has something to tell you.
Axiang’s Younger Brother: What’s up, sis? I didn’t see you the past few days. Mom said you left because you were upset. Sis, don’t be upset. I’ll give you my toys for your play.
△Seeing his brother’s innocent face, Axiang can’t bring herself to harm him. Disgusted with hisown vile thoughts, Axiang leaves that night, vowing to prove himself.
Axiang: I made a fool of myself. I thought I could make my parents regret and even harm my brother. I... it’s just a joke.
Xiao Ling : It’s not! Actually, I used to be like you. In order to gain my mother’s approval, I went so far as to scheming against my own classmates. Unexpectedly, the retribution fell on me.
Axiang: Actually, the blind man’s words bothered me yesterday, but just now I realized, my destiny shouldn’t be judged and decided by others. I won’t believe it. I may not achieve anything significant, but I must prove myself!
△Xiao Ling accompanies Axiang as they leave Maoqiao Village. The two go through various dangers, and Xiao Ling deeply senses Axiang’s indomitable spirit. She finally understands
Axiang’s philosophy: destiny shouldn’t be determined by others, and the approval of others is not the only standard for success.
Cousin: Xiao Ling? Xiao Ling?
Xiao Ling : Cousin…
Cousin: Xiao Ling, how did you fall asleep sitting here? Be careful not to catch a cold.
Xiao Ling :I just had a dream that I met Grandma when she was young..
Cousin: (Smiling) Really? Grandma just told me she had a dream, and she said you was in it too.
Xiao Ling : Where’s Grandma?
Cousin:I helped her back to rest in her room. She’s getting old and often feels drowsy. Let’s go; it’s getting late.
△Xiao Ling doesn’t dwell on this. She regards it as just a dream. However, when Xiao Ling is about to leave, Grandma tells her that she had the blind man tell Xiao Ling’s fortune.
Grandma (Axiang): Oh my, our Xiao Ling is a blessed person. I told you that I used to meet a blind man, and now he am a fortune teller, but I think back to that time he was quite accurate, and I also looked for him. That blind man he said Xiao Ling's fate is better than mine. Xiao Ling, youshould cherish the present, pull yourself together, and remember that any difficulty can be overcome!
△In the end, Grandma mysteriously hands a letter to Xiao Ling and asks her to read it at home. As soon as Xiao Ling returns home, she can't help but open the letter. In the letter, Grandma imparts words of wisdom to Xiao Ling, saying that one's destiny cannot be determined by others' casual remarks. It's up to oneself to change fate.
Xiao Ling : I can't keep avoiding reality. I must face up to it. I'll go back to school and practice my dance!
△Xiao Ling returns to Jianping Middle School with a changed mindset. Instead of fixating on being the best in dance, she follows her passion and practices dance. Xiao Ling chooses to pursue her true self.
【END OF SCENE 16