Chapter 103: Life Is But a Play.

In the four-act play "Only You," the character of the father, portrayed by Li Shixin, spans several decades of life. To authentically embody each stage of the character's journey, Li Shixin put meticulous thought into his makeup.

For the first act, "The Walk Home from School on My Back," he was styled as a man in his prime. Clad in a red pullover sweater over a white shirt and sporting a black wig, he appeared to be in his thirties. The staff from the Bureau of Culture, having learned that the actor was actually in his sixties, found it hard to believe. Whether judging by the actor's stride, his gait, or his stamina—carrying a young actress who looked to be about 1.6 meters tall—he bore no resemblance to a sixty-five-year-old man.

"Leaders, let's not worry about his age for now. Can you please address our concerns?" prompted the tenants nearby. The officials waved them off. Working in cultural industry management in Rongdian, they had seen it all. Rongdian was a city built on theater; if the Bureau of Culture truly wanted to crack down on unauthorized performances, they could round up dozens of them just by taking a drive around town. Honestly, had they not received over a dozen simultaneous reports about this small theater, they wouldn't have bothered. Seeing that the play had already begun and feeling a spark of curiosity, the lead official gestured for patience. "Wait a moment. It won't hurt to wait a little longer. Let them finish the act first." With that, he and his colleagues, whose attention had already been captured by the stage, stepped aside.

On stage, Li Shixin and An Xiaoxiao were fully immersed. The first act depicts a rainy day when the father picks his daughter up from school. Because the puddles are deep, he carries her home, sharing a heartfelt conversation along the way. The stage was elaborately set, with a large backdrop painting of a rainy school street. Against this blurred background, the daughter held an umbrella, clinging to her father's back, while he trudged laboriously through the "water."

A stage play is not a film; in movies, such an environment is easily achieved with water trucks and location shooting. But the stage has no such luxuries. How to compensate? One must rely on the backdrop to convey the general setting, while the actors use their craft to project the environment and the characters to the audience.

How did Li Shixin do it? He simply rolled up his trousers high and dragged his feet as he walked, as if every step encountered resistance. There was no water on stage, yet to every observer, the father was clearly struggling through a flooded path. With just these two details, the environment was vividly conveyed. Under Li Shixin’s guidance, An Xiaoxiao held her own—by gripping the umbrella tightly and allowing it to sway uncontrollably, she masterfully brought the windy, rainy atmosphere to life.

Caught in this "storm," the father and daughter reached the center of the stage and began their dialogue:
"Dad, are you tired? Look, you're sweating. Put me down, I can walk."
The father bounced his daughter to keep her secure. "Don't fidget. The rainwater is too cold; what if you catch a chill?"
"I'm a big girl now. You're still carrying me home—my classmates will laugh!"
"Nonsense! No matter how old you get, you're still my little girl. As far as I'm concerned, even when you're married and have children of your own, you'll still be my little girl. Hold on tight!"
"Oh! Dad, it's thundering, I'm scared!"
"Silly girl, don't be afraid. Dad's here."
"Dad, from now on, whenever it thunders or rains, you have to come pick me up. I'm afraid otherwise!"
"Alright, alright, Dad will remember."
"No matter how busy you are at work, you must come. You can't forget!"
"Yes, don't worry, Dad won't forget."

Beyond the father's initial stubborn refusal to let her down, the dialogue mostly consisted of the daughter, in a mix of joy and playfulness, sharing trivialities about school and home, and dreaming of the future. The opening act was subtle, but the audience was unknowingly enveloped by the warmth radiating from the pair amidst the storm.

As the curtain fell, the first act concluded. Li Shixin hurried back to the dressing room with An Xiaoxiao to prepare for the next scene. "Quickly, five minutes. Hurry, Xiaoxiao!"
"Understood, Teacher Li! No problem!"

Backstage, Li Shixin stripped off his outer layers and changed into a suit. He glanced at Zhang Shuo, who had been standing to the side. "Have you decided?" Removing the black wig of his prime and donning the gray one of middle age, Li Shixin asked aloud. Zhang Shuo gritted his teeth, watching Li Shixin work. "This is the last time. If I blow it this time, I..."

Li Shixin finished his transformation with practiced speed, then tapped Zhang Shuo on the shoulder, pinning a boutonniere onto his suit jacket. He gave him a playful flick to the forehead. "You brat, with me here, you won't blow it!"

The second act began. A wedding scene unfolded before the audience. As the curtain rose, the father sat on a chair, his eyes lined with wrinkles, his shoulders slightly hunched.
"Congratulations, Old Li! They say a son-in-law is like a son. From now on, you have a son, too!"
Facing the well-wishers, the father’s smile was bittersweet. "Ha, I wish! I hope my Xiaoxiao never marries and stays right by my side."
"What a ridiculous thing to say! What daughter doesn't get married? Old Li, you've raised this head of cabbage for twenty years, and now that you're giving it away, you're feeling a bit sour, aren't you?"
"Go on with you! Go take your seat, and see how I deal with you at the banquet table later!"

Amidst the banter, the daughter, dressed in her wedding finery with a flower in her hair, approached him alongside her clearly nervous groom. They stood in a tense silence for several seconds. In the awkward pause, the father gave a heavy huff. "What are you standing there for? Too stingy to toast your father-in-law and call me Dad?"
"Dad..."
"Listen, kid, with so many guests here today, I have something to say to you. Don't interrupt; just listen." The father stared sternly at the groom before turning his gaze to his daughter.

He gestured with his hands as if cradling a kitten. "When Xiaoxiao was born, she was only this big. In the delivery room, I thought, 'This is my daughter. For the rest of my life, I will ensure she is safe and happy.' I watched her grow from the size of a kitten, babbling and stumbling, until she reached my knees, my thighs, my waist, my chest... For twenty-four years, I endured every hardship so she would never suffer, and now she has grown into this beautiful young woman. Now... I am handing her over to you."
"Young man, remember this: if my daughter suffers even the slightest grievance under your care, as long as I can still move, I will not let you off!"
"And you, my daughter, remember: from now on, he is your husband, and he will walk the rest of your life with you. But don't forget that your father is still here! I will spend the rest of my life continuing to love and cherish you."
"We know, Dad!"
"And... after you're married... come back to visit often."
"We will, Dad!"

As the couple responded, the stage lighting shifted. One half of the stage dimmed, leaving the father alone in his chair, as if his time had frozen. The other half was bathed in bright light, where the couple’s life played out—bidding farewell before work, the daughter adjusting her husband's tie, sharing dinners, and tending to a prop baby—a series of complex actions that made time seem to accelerate.

The two scenes occasionally intersected. The daughter and her husband came and went in a rush, while the father, for the most part, sat staring at the phone. The contrast between movement and stillness, light and shadow, vividly portrayed the diverging lives of the daughter and father after the wedding.

On one side, loneliness and solitude. On the other, a flourishing new life.

By the end of the second act, seeing the father in the dim half of the stage, seemingly withering away as time accelerated around him, the audience could no longer hold back. The sight of that father—sitting perfectly still, yet visibly wilting amidst the fast-paced life of his daughter—brought tears to the eyes of many elderly viewers in the audience. They saw themselves.