Just One Look : The Look That Wowed Audiences 2

This is another video clip which I like quite alot. The actress in this clip is Li Li, the first Xiangju actress who was ever awarded first-grade in the country. Too bad she quitted from the Chinese opera scene at the peak of her career in the late 1980s and nothing was heard of her since.

This clip was taken from the show "Grievances of a Courtesan" (青丝恨). The story of this show was about a courtesan, Jiao Guiying, who offered all that she had to her lover Wang Kui in order to assist him pursue his imperial examinations. However, upon topping his scholarship, he ditched Guiying immediately and married a high-ranking official's daughter. Guiying, who was hopeful that he'd come and redeem her freedom from the brothel, was heartbroken, and hanged herself to become a spirit to capture Wang Kui. The clip here depicts the scene whereby Wang Kui's servant came to inform Guiying that the former had became top scholar, and had a letter for her. Guiying was delighted about receiving Wang Kui's letter. The letter meant more than a pot of gold to her, and she had to wipe her hands clean before carefully taking it from the servant. Guiying felt blissful while reading the opening sentences of the letter, but slowly, she realised that this letter was not a love letter, but a letter of breaking-up. I like the way Li Li acted here, as she was in total control of her character's emotions.