Other than trust in your scene partner, another crucial skill for an actor on stage is improvisation—the ability to think on their feet. It's human to forget lines or directions; after all, we are not robots with photographic memories. When that happens, you need to improvise. You might think improvisation is unrelated to your scene partners, but you'd be wrong: it cannot be done alone. If you go off the lines and your partner does not cooperate, it will be obvious something is wrong. That is why trust exercises are so important. A good partner can make or break the whole show. During improvisation, the partner's role is to keep the scene going; if you know your partner's lines, try to feed them in a natural way, for example by phrasing them as a question. Mr. Sam paused to think of an example before continuing: "For example, the line your partner has forgotten could be, 'I have to go to the market this afternoon.' When you see your partner hesitating or improvising, you can say something like, 'Yes, by the way, aren't you supposed to be going to the market this afternoon?'" Do not correct your partner on the spot because that will tip the audience off to the mistake, and that is the one thing you mustn't do on stage—unless, of course, it is a purposeful plot device. “There is only one key rule to improvisation: always say yes. Don’t stop your partner’s flow or the momentum of the show; keep the scene going. If you’re good and natural, the audience might not even realize you’re improvising — and sometimes the best material comes from improv.” That was all Mr. Sam could offer on the theory of the exercise. He could talk all day about theory, but acting required practical lessons, so he moved on to the next step. “Alright, to keep things moving, work with the partner you have. There’s no script — make up any scene and continue from there. Remember, for improvisation, always say yes!” Jun Yang had no idea his English teacher was so knowledgeable about the arts and acting. Then again, he thought the teacher simply hadn't had an opportunity to show that side of himself. That, however, wasn't his concern. He turned to the fiendishly handsome young man standing next to him. The grin looked innocent, but Jun Yang wasn't fooled; he could see the scheming behind it. To stop Feng Qi from derailing the exercise, Jun Yang knew he had to take the lead. If he set the theme and flow of the scene, it would be harder for Feng Qi to steer it someplace strange. "Yes, that was the plan!" With that in mind, Jun Yang thought quickly and began before Feng Qi had a chance to speak. "Hey, how's it going, Feng Qi? Enjoying your day at the market? The weather's nice, isn't it?" It wasn't particularly original—he had copied Mr. Sam's prompt—but at least it did the trick. There was no way Feng Qi could turn a chance encounter at the market into something else—or so Jun Yang thought.

Feng Qi smiled and, following the cue, continued, "Oh yes. The weather today is wonderful. I am definitely enjoying myself." He paused to let the message sink in, then added, "How about you, Jun Yang? Are you enjoying a great day as well?"

"Yes, I am…" Jun Yang said, and then he was at a loss. He hadn't prepared what to say next; he'd been so focused on setting up a normal scene that he'd forgotten how to keep it going. Like a panther sensing an opening in its prey, Feng Qi pounced with a wickedly charming line: "Oh? Is that because of the company you have today? I had no idea you enjoyed my company so much…"

Jun Yang was flustered—did he have to admit that? Why was this happening? It crossed his mind that he had been too passive. Maybe offense really was the best defense. He was too busy trying to defuse Feng Qi's charms, and perhaps that wasn't the way to go. Wanting to switch tactics, Jun Yang tossed the question back to Feng Qi. "Yes, I'm enjoying the company I have." Jun Yang knew that was part of the improvisation exercise, but when he said it he still blushed a little. "But how about you? Are you enjoying the company you're with?" Feng Qi raised his brows. He had expected Jun Yang to squirm and change the subject, so this aggressive counter surprised him.