Chapter 8

"It's your turn." She ignored his comment about "impressiveness," and simply gestured with her chin towards the area not far away that had been rearranged for "Feathered Eagle's" scenes. A corner of the set was there, and several main actors were already in place.

Following her gaze, Lu Xiao's blush vanished instantly, replaced by a focused and serious expression. He took a deep breath, nodded vigorously, gripped the script in his hand tighter, and strode over.

The director finally snapped out of his daze and, seeing Zhuohua still leaning lazily against the pillar as if it were none of his business, rubbed his hands together and leaned closer, his face beaming with an almost fawning smile: "Miss Zhuohua! Those moves you just made... were simply divine! The reaction! The speed! The power! Absolutely amazing! A true expert!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he wanted to pile up every compliment he knew in his life, "Look... this maid A may have a small role, but she'll definitely be a highlight! There are still a few fight scenes later on, could you... give our action choreographer some pointers? Or... could you design a few moves yourself?"

Zhuohua didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, her gaze remaining fixed on Lu Xiao, who had already entered the center of the set and was rehearsing lines with the popular young actor playing the male lead. She casually hummed in response.

The director, undeterred by the initial rebuff, became even more enthusiastic: "Then it's settled! By the way, Miss Zhuohua, your skills... are they family tradition? Or did you study under some reclusive master? With that level, you'd be more than qualified to win an international martial arts championship!" He probed, trying to uncover some background information about this mysterious master.

Zhuohua finally turned her head and glanced at him indifferently. Her gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made the director's next words catch in his throat. A strange chill rose from the soles of his feet, causing him to subconsciously shrink his neck.

He wisely shut his mouth and awkwardly took two steps back, but his gaze toward Zhuohua remained as eager as if he were looking at a moving gold mine.

"Action!" The assistant director in charge of the dialogue scenes shouted.

The camera was focused on the interior of the filming location.

The night was as dark as ink, and under the round, bright moon, a tall, elegant figure wearing a straw hat stood in the shadows of a large tree outside the farmhouse where the protagonist was spending the night. He was almost invisible unless you looked closely.

Suddenly, Yu Ying, played by Lu Xiao, twitched his ears. The camera zoomed in cleanly, revealing Lu Xiao's usually clear and bright eyes, now filled with a sharp gaze. His body remained still, but his knife was already in motion.

"brush".

A cold, gleaming blade flashed, and the assassin who had appeared behind him met his end.

Lu Xiao didn't even glance at the falling assassins, and said in a deep voice, "Since you're here, you're not leaving."

With his cool voice, Lu Xiao's sharp eyes, and clean, crisp movements, a silent fight scene was presented in a spectacular way to the director's camera.

The director behind the monitor suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes fixed on the screen!

"Cut—!" The director's voice was almost a shout, filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Great! Fantastic! Lu Xiao! That's it! Perfect! The eyes! The movements! The lines! The emotions! Everything is spot on! It's so captivating!"

The director's eyes lit up; he had struck gold! He hadn't expected Lu Xiao's acting to be so nuanced; he was a gem in the rough!

"Lu Xiao, you acted well! This role requires restraint, and your eye acting is excellent!" The director praised him with a smile, and the others had to admit that the director had a keen eye.

The set erupted in applause and murmurs of admiration. No one had expected that such an unassuming shadow guard character could be portrayed with such depth and so movingly!

The male lead looked at Lu Xiao with some surprise; the immersion he felt just moments before was genuine. He sincerely praised, "You acted so well, Lu."

Lu Xiao was a little embarrassed by the director's praise and the applause around him. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he quickly put down the tray, resuming his previous shy smile: "Thank you, director! Thank you, teachers! It's because the script is well written..." He subconsciously looked in Zhuo Hua's direction.

Zhuohua remained leaning against the pillar, arms crossed. Her face was expressionless, as if the brilliant performance just now was nothing out of the ordinary. But her gaze remained fixed on Lu Xiao, never wavering for a moment.

When she saw Lu Xiao's cheeks slightly flushed from the praise and his bright, slightly smug eyes, the corners of her lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly and very subtly.

The arc was so fast it seemed like an illusion, yet it carried a warmth that was almost indulgent.

The director rushed over excitedly and patted Lu Xiao on the shoulder: "Good lad! You've got talent! You're got acting potential! It's been wasted before!"

The more he looked at Lu Xiao, the more satisfied he became. Then, remembering that there was an even bigger gold mine nearby, he immediately turned to Zhuohua, his tone becoming even more ardent, "Miss Zhuohua! Look! What a promising talent Lu Xiao is! His talent! His comprehension! It's a pity to have him in the hands of a shadow guard who never shows his face!"

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining: "Perfect! Our third male lead, 'Shen Yan,' is that young general who is reserved in the early stages and explodes later, and needs a bit of a brokenness. We weren't very satisfied with the previous auditions! I think Lu Xiao's temperament and the tenacity in his eyes are a perfect fit! Miss Zhuohua, do you think... we could let Lu Xiao audition too? He has a lot of scenes and lines, it's definitely a great opportunity!"

The third male lead?!

Lu Xiao was completely stunned by this unexpected windfall; he was utterly dumbfounded! The third male lead?!

This was a height he could never have dreamed of! A huge surprise swept over him like a tsunami, leaving him breathless. He could only stare blankly at the director, then at Zhuohua, his mind completely blank.

Zhuohua's gaze swept over Lu Xiao's shocked yet eager face. The light in his eyes was even brighter than when he was acting, like a burning little sun.

She knew, of course, what this opportunity meant to Lu Xiao. The pursuit of fame and fortune by ordinary people was insignificant in her eyes, but... Lu Xiao liked it.

He loves acting, loves the feeling of immersing himself in another character, and loves the glow of recognition. This pure, vibrant passion is a rare sight in her long life.

She didn't look at the director, but simply nodded casually to Lu Xiao, her tone as indifferent as if she were deciding what to have for dinner:

"Go if you want to."

Four words, light and airy, yet they were like a shot of adrenaline for Lu Xiao!

Overwhelmed with joy, Lu Xiao's reason crumbled instantly! He was so excited he almost jumped up, his eyes reddening, and he bowed deeply to the director: "Thank you, director! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I will definitely prepare well! Thank you, Zhuohua!" His voice trembled noticeably with gratitude as he said the last sentence.

The director was overjoyed, praising her repeatedly, and then looked at Zhuohua with great interest: "Miss Zhuohua, look over here... Maid A's role is small, but it's absolutely brilliant! We'll have to rely on you for the later fight scenes..."

Zhuohua finally shifted her gaze from Lu Xiao, giving the director a cold, indifferent look. Her gaze was devoid of warmth, and the director swallowed back what he was about to say.

"Okay," she uttered, acknowledging the answer. Then, under the director's relieved yet ecstatic gaze, she slowly pulled a small bag of... potato chips from her pocket?

Tear.

The sound of the packaging bag being torn open was exceptionally clear on the quiet film set.

Zhuohua casually picked up a golden potato chip, put it in her mouth with a crisp "crunch," as if no one else was there. Her demeanor was as if she weren't the one who had just stunned everyone and been revered by the director, as if Lu Xiao, who was about to audition for the third male lead and had a promising future, had nothing to do with her.

She was just eating potato chips when her gaze drifted lazily back to Lu Xiao, who was excitedly communicating with the assistant director about the audition details in front of the green screen in the distance. She watched his ears turn slightly red with excitement, watched him gesturing wildly, and watched the flame of dreams burning brightly in his eyes.

Click.

Another potato chip crumbled between my teeth.

Tsk.

These earthly snacks... taste... not bad?