Chapter 28 Audition (Revised) has been heavily revised. Those who purchased it, please remember...

Not long after Shi Yao returned home, she received a reply from Fang Xuran, who told her that she had convinced the agent and chosen a role.

[Fang Xuran: Sister, sister, sister!]

[Fang Xuran: I've won over the agent! He's agreed that I won't choose the other three!]

Fang Xuran: (Hehe, actually I couldn't resist seeing Director Lu Jiang's name.)

[Fang Xuran: I'd like to audition for the role of Jiang Nanqiao. Just let me know when you've finalized the time; I'm available for auditions anytime.]

Fang Xuran: Thank you, sister!

[Fang Xuran: [Panda rolling around.gif]]

Shi Yao raised an eyebrow. Fang Xuran had indeed chosen this role. She typed a reply.

[Shi Yao: You chose this role because it has more romantic scenes, right?]

Fang Xuran: Hehe, how did you know?

The drama "Under the New Sun Tree" focuses on the plot, but also has a few romantic subplots. The four young main characters all have intertwined relationships, but the romantic subplot between Jiang Nanqiao and Ye Xin takes up more weight in the early stages.

Because these two are set up as exes.

Ye Xin and Jiang Nanqiao were originally high school classmates who agreed to take the college entrance exam together. However, due to some unexpected events, Ye Xin took the initiative to break up with him. In the end, the two unexpectedly reunited when they were sent to the countryside. There, they met another couple, Meng Tao and Xue Hao. The group grew together and eventually worked together to make their hometown's business bigger and stronger.

Shi Yao only gave Fang Xuran the first fifth of the script, which started with the two falling in love and breaking up. So it seems that Ye and Jiang have more romantic storylines, but in reality, the ones with more romantic scenes among the four are Xue Hao and Meng Tao.

Although Jiang Nanqiao and Ye Xin seem to have been entangled for many years, their relationship was uneventful for more than a decade. After being sent to Xinyang Village, they only cared about the development of their common cause. There may have been a few moments of ambiguity that arose from their tacit understanding, but they were nipped in the bud by themselves. It wasn't until the very end that a brief but significant emotional scene unfolded.

However, Xue Hao and Meng Tao did indeed date for many years, with their romance running throughout. From their perspective, they were like the male and female protagonists of a rural farming novel, who secretly loved each other but were unaware of it until they met Ye and Jiang, two friends from the city. They thought they had found someone they liked, but after testing the waters, they realized it wasn't true. They then realized their true feelings and started to start a business while clumsily learning how to date. In the end, they achieved success in their careers and had a happy family.

Therefore, the main focus of the romance in this drama is actually Xue Hao and Meng Tao. The two gradually develop feelings for each other from innocent teenagers, eventually falling in love and spending the rest of their lives together. The romance seems to be very smooth, but there are actually many twists and turns in the middle. Moreover, this couple is set up as a sunny guy x a straightforward person. Many of their scenes together are not only sweet but also very interesting. It is a timeless bickering couple trope. If they act well, they will definitely attract a lot of fans.

However, apart from a few romantic scenes in the first episode, Jiang Nanqiao and Ye Xin broke up at the beginning of the second episode. In the middle, Jiang Nanqiao and Meng Tao had a little bit of a scene where they tried to date but couldn't get along. Apart from that, there were no more romantic scenes, and there was only a short rekindling of their old feelings at the end.

The major romantic storylines for these two characters take place very late in the series, mostly after they turn 28 or 29. After their romantic storyline ends, the plot also comes to a close. The entire series starts when the four main characters are 17 or 18 years old and continues until they are around 30.

The four main characters have roughly the same amount of screen time, making it easy to immerse yourself in any of their perspectives. Each character is the protagonist of their own story, which is why Shi Yao specifically asked Bai Wenning yesterday if she minded the order of billing.

Because this drama is an ensemble piece, there isn't a single, definitive male or female lead, so the billing order can't be based on screen time. How it's arranged will probably depend on Lu Jiang's mood.

Regardless of the role, it's an excellent opportunity for young actors and actresses in the industry right now. This is a drama directed by Lu Jiang, whose last TV series was ten years ago. The drama became a hit, and he became famous as well, winning numerous awards.

This drama is definitely aiming for awards, and even if the young actors are not experienced enough to win awards, getting a nomination is still a win.

I can't even imagine how fierce the competition will be once the audition information is released.

Fang Xuran said he was more interested in Jiang Nanqiao, which put Shi Yao in a difficult position. Jiang Nanqiao's romantic storyline was mostly in the last part, which was a tug-of-war between a mature man and a woman nearing thirty.

Fang Xuran is just over twenty years old this year. If he plays Xue Hao, most of his romantic storylines are before he turns 25, which is relatively easier to handle. Jiang Nanqiao's earlier part is fine, but the emotional highlight is at the end. Can Fang Xuran really handle it?

Not long after Fang Xuran sent a reply confirming the casting, Bai Wenning also sent a reply saying that she wanted to choose the role of Meng Tao.

This surprised Shi Yao even more. She originally thought that Bai Wenning would definitely choose Ye Xin, which was even more certain than her guess that Fang Xuran would choose Jiang Nanqiao.

In the early stages, Ye Xin's character was closer to Bai Wen Ning in both appearance and personality, and she also had the desired romantic scenes. Although they were not prominent, this kind of superficial romantic storyline was more suitable for her to use for a career transition.

Compared to Ye Xin, Meng Tao's romantic storyline has a much larger proportion. Her character is portrayed as a fiery and cheerful young woman who grew up in the countryside, which is quite different from Bai Wen Ning herself.

Moreover, Shi Yao originally thought that Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning were both facing the problem of transformation. They happened to have debuted in the same sitcom. This time, they would most likely co-star in "Under the New Sun Tree". So she simply let them play a couple, breaking the unchanging sibling image in the audience's mind.

As it turned out, the two of them chose the wrong ones.

Shi Yao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not interfere with their choice. In any case, the final decision would depend on the audition results.

After receiving their replies, Shi Yao called Lu Jiang to schedule a public audition and instructed him to recommend two people for auditions in advance.

With the system's support, Lu Jiang readily agreed and did not show any dissatisfaction with Shi Yao.

Yao had no interest in the rest of the casting process, so she left it all to Lu Jiang and the investors arranged by the system.

After final discussion, the audition time was set for 10:00 AM on Saturday. Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning arrived an hour early and started their auditions at 9:00 AM. After they finished, it would be around 10:00 AM when the official public auditions would begin, and Shi Yao would then go to audition others.

Thanks to the system's intervention and Shi Yao's persuasion, Lu Jiang did not hold a public audition like he did for the last TV series. Instead, he only announced the news of his upcoming TV series directing within a small circle of industry insiders.

Shi Yao was very curious: given Lu Jiang's fame, how many people would actually come to audition in such a short time?

...

Saturday, He Guang Art Museum.

The Heguang Art Museum is located in the northern suburbs. Shi Yao set off a little early and finally arrived on time at 8:30.

This art gallery used to be opened by a wealthy man for his daughter to hold art exhibitions. Later, the family went abroad, and the art gallery was left vacant. Later, Lu Jiang took it over and used it as a studio.

The art museum has three main exhibition halls and several smaller exhibition halls, as well as an open-air garden in the middle, covering an area of ​​more than 600 square meters. Lu Jiang really has a lot of money to spend by renting such a large space as a studio.

When Shi Yao arrived, Lu Jiang's assistant was standing at the door waiting for her. He immediately went to greet her when she got out of the car.

"Hello, Teacher Shi, I am Chen Che, Director Lu's assistant. You can call me Xiao Chen." Chen Che looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He was wearing a light beige shirt and had a rather handsome and pleasing appearance. However, he was very tall, looking at least 1.9 meters.

Shi Yao is 169cm tall, which is considered tall for a girl. She usually wears flat, casual sports shoes, so this is the first time she has met someone who requires her to crane her neck to speak.

"Hello, Teacher Chen, you're so tall." Shi Yao ignored the form of address the other party mentioned and chose the universal and foolproof "teacher" to address Chen Che.

After all, this person looked older than her, so calling him "Little Chen" was a bit disrespectful.

Chen Che touched the tip of his nose, looking a little embarrassed: "I'm 1.93 meters tall, which is indeed a bit tall. I originally planned to be an actor, but it was really difficult to get roles because of my height, so I switched to working behind the scenes."

Shi Yao was astonished to find that he was a full 24 centimeters taller than her. Most actresses in the industry are around 165cm tall, but there are also quite a few who are 160cm or even 150cm. Chen Che's height is indeed not ideal for acting with him.

“You could be a model, you have a pretty good appearance,” Shi Yao casually replied.

Chen Che used his elbow to prop open the door and stepped aside to let Shi Yao enter first. The art gallery had been completely transformed into a studio. Inside was a brightly lit main hall with many staff members moving around, most of them pushing various shelves or trolleys.

Lu Jiang's personal studio was at the very back of Hall 3. The audition venue was right next to the studio. Chen Che took Shi Yao to the front desk to have her face recorded, and then they walked together toward the audition room.

"I worked as a model for a while during college, but I didn't really like that kind of work. I still prefer film and television." Chen Che didn't forget to answer Shi Yao's question. He has long legs and big strides, but he changed to small, quick steps to match Shi Yao's pace.

Shi Yao nodded casually. She wasn't really concerned about where the person was going. Besides, this person was already Lu Jiang's assistant, so there was no need to worry about future work. Being a model might not necessarily be as promising as staying here.

She really wanted to gossip about the relationship between Chen Che and Lu Jiang. It sounded like Chen Che didn't major in directing in college, so how did Lu Jiang end up taking him in as an assistant? But the two of them had already reached the door of the audition room, and Lu Jiang was inside, so she had to swallow her gossip for now.

The audition room was about fifty square meters in size, with a floor-to-ceiling window installed on one entire wall, making the room very well lit. It was equipped with professional lighting equipment, and camera positions were set up on all four sides, with one camera position in the very center. Next to the camera were three chairs, and Lu Jiang sat in the leftmost chair.

Lu Jiang is fifty-two years old this year, and his hair is still very thick. Perhaps because of his age, he looks very kind now, unlike his sharp and imposing appearance when he was young. He is not wearing a suit, but a dark blue casual outfit. He has a pair of reading glasses on his nose and is squinting at something in his hand. Shi Yao is standing at the door and can't see him clearly, but it seems that he is looking at some documents, a thick stack of A4-sized materials.

Lu Jiang was so engrossed in watching that he didn't notice the two people at the door. So Chen Che gestured for Shi Yao to go in directly, and then cleared his throat and said, "Master, Teacher Shi is here."

Upon hearing the voice, Lu Jiang jolted awake, looking up from the document in his hand. When he saw Shi Yao, his face lit up with a smile. He immediately stood up from his chair and strode towards her, saying, "You've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so long."

Lu Jiang was so enthusiastic, as if Shi Yao were his own daughter. He couldn't hide the joy on his face. At first, he even wanted to reach out and hug her, but after realizing it was inappropriate, he quickly withdrew his arm and shook hands instead.

Shi Yao was somewhat flattered and shook hands with this well-known director for a full thirty seconds. The other party didn't hold her hand for so long to take advantage of her; he had a very strong grip, shaking Shi Yao with his right hand while patting her shoulder with his left, making it look like a meeting between national leaders.

Finally, Chen Che took the initiative to step forward, pull Lu Jiang away, and push him into a seat. Then he turned to Shi Yao, gave her a polite but awkward smile, and extended his hand to indicate, "Teacher Shi, my master has wanted to see you for a long time. Please excuse me, you can sit here, just pick any seat you like."

“Sit here, in the middle, I saved this seat especially for you!” Lu Jiang reached out and patted the seat next to him, which was the center seat among the three interviewers’ seats.

Shi Yao steeled herself and sat down, feeling somewhat bewildered. She knew there would be three interviewers today: herself, Lu Jiang, and a casting director arranged by the investors.

She thought Lu Jiang would definitely sit in the middle, but he actually left the seat for her and was inexplicably overly enthusiastic.

Why is that?

Shi Yao quickly understood why. After Lu Jiang sat down, his emotions stabilized considerably. He wasn't as excited as when he first met Shi Yao. He handed the documents in his hand to Shi Yao and said with emotion, "Actually, I've been thinking about making another TV series for the past few years. I was planning to make one last one and then retire, but I haven't come across a suitable script. I never expected that hard work would pay off."

"How did you create this script? Is this really your first time writing a script? How did you come up with this theme? Have you had any experience in this area before?" Lu Jiang asked four questions about death in one breath, and even though Shi Yao was confident, she couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

This director is being far too inquisitive.

Chen Che, who had been standing by, noticed Shi Yao's slightly unnatural expression immediately and quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "My master is just too excited. He really loves this script. He hasn't slept much these past few days, working on the script and the shots day and night. That's just how he is when he gets carried away. Please don't take offense, Teacher Shi."

Shi Yao nodded weakly, and then slowly explained her creative concept to Lu Jiang. Although she did not write the script, everything related to the creation of the script was put into her mind from the moment she chose to exchange it, so she was not worried about being asked questions.

Lu Jiang listened with admiration, and when Shi Yao admitted that this was her first time formally writing a full-length script, he couldn't help but clap his hands and say, "You are simply a genius in the screenwriting world. Do you want to become her apprentice? I have some very experienced screenwriter friends here, or you can tell me which screenwriter you like, and I can help you get in touch with them."

His expression was full of appreciation for Shi Yao and obvious appreciation for her talent. It seemed that if he weren't incapable of writing scripts himself, he would have loved to personally teach Shi Yao.

Chen Che was stunned when Lu Jiang finished speaking. The subtext of his words was that Lu Jiang already regarded Shi Yao as his junior and was willing to unconditionally help Shi Yao make connections. All of this was out of appreciation for her talent and a desire to protect her.

If he hadn't known Lu Jiang for many years, he would have thought the other person was some kind of selfless and charitable person who asked for nothing in return.

But Lu Jiang was different. No one understood his master better than Chen Che. Not to mention selfless, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him stingy. If it weren't for the fact that his mother was Lu Jiang's old classmate and longtime friend, he would never have become Lu Jiang's disciple.

Lu Jiang wasn't even this generous to him!

Chen Che thought to himself with a chill, "So my master isn't just stingy; he just has high standards and is only generous to geniuses."

I was disliked again.

Shi Yao was also shocked by Lu Jiang's generosity. Although Lu Jiang was a director who was "assigned" by the system, he was well-known and she was worried that he might be difficult to communicate with or cooperate with before coming. But he was so approachable and even took the initiative to help introduce her to his network.

Unfortunately, she doesn't intend to pursue a career as a screenwriter...

Just as Shi Yao was about to politely decline, a loud middle-aged woman's voice suddenly came from the doorway: "Old Lu, what happened to fair competition? You've been secretly poaching people from behind my back again?"

The three turned around in unison and saw a middle-aged woman with short, slightly curly hair, wearing a dark green long cheongsam, standing at the door. She was not particularly beautiful, but she had a lot of charm. Her affectionate eyes were filled with a faint anger as she stared at Lu Jiang with feigned anger.

It is Qin Yuechi.

Shi Yao was slightly surprised that she was chosen as the director; this production team was truly top-notch.

Qin Yuechi is a rather unique figure in the industry. She graduated from the PLA Academy of Arts, then worked in a performing arts troupe for five years, and then joined the Capital Drama Theatre, where she worked for another ten years. She originally planned to stay there until retirement, but then she met Lu Jiang, who took a liking to her at first sight and persuaded her to act in a TV series, which was his first TV series, "The Rising Era," ten years ago.

After filming, all the main actors became famous overnight, including Qin Yuechi. She was 33 years old when she first acted, but she started with Lu Jiang. It wouldn't have been difficult for her to get roles afterward, but she refused them all. She went back to acting in stage plays and was hired as a teacher by the Capital Academy of Drama, where she lived a relaxed teaching life.

Many people don't understand her choice, but she only says that her true love is stage plays. She can teach others how to act, but she can't act in TV dramas herself. Even if Lu Jiang invites her again, she won't go.

Qin Yuechi has excellent acting skills and her acting style is unique. Her students are highly regarded for their acting skills, so some major production teams hire her as an acting instructor or casting director to train the actors in filming techniques before filming officially begins.

"You're here pretty fast. Didn't I say it would start at nine?" Lu Jiang didn't care about the other person's accusation at all. Instead, he glanced at his watch and found that it was only 8:40.

Qin Yuechi snorted softly, swayed her hips as she walked into the room, sat down next to Shi Yao, then got up and pulled the chair around slightly, making the three chairs appear to form a semicircle, so that she could see the faces of the other two at the same time.

"I knew you were up to no good, so you deliberately left early. See, I caught you. Who was it that talked about fair competition yesterday?" Qin Yuechi's eyes were full of disdain for Lu Jiang. After saying that, she turned to Shi Yao and grabbed her right hand seriously, saying, "Xiao Shi, don't listen to her nonsense. I know more screenwriter teachers here. I'll introduce you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiang became anxious and said with a "Hey!", "How could I be talking nonsense? After all these years as a director, do you think I can't know some good screenwriters? Do you think you, as a teacher, can know them?"

Chen Che listened to the two of them arguing back and forth as if it were commonplace, and then promptly interjected to change the subject: "Teacher Qin, are you the casting director or acting coach hired by Chenfeng?"

“Both of them. Otherwise, why would I be here today to oversee the auditions?” A hint of smugness flashed between Qin Yuechi’s brows. She then turned to Shi Yao and said seriously, “Shi Yao, if you need anything, you can come to my side. I can provide any kind of teacher you want.”

"Hey!" Lu Jiang was about to get anxious again, but before he could speak, Yao interrupted the two of them.

Shi Yao was afraid that the two would continue arguing, and since she had no intention of doing so, she politely declined, saying that she did not plan to focus on writing the script for the time being, but would contact them if she needed anything in the future.

Lu Jiang looked regretful, and Qin Yuechi wanted to persuade her again, but seeing Shi Yao's determined expression, she could only give up in the end.

Qin Yuechi specifically asked Shi Yao to add her on WeChat, saying that if she had any ideas, she should definitely contact her. Lu Jiang snorted coldly, saying that he had already added her long ago, and Shi Yao was the first to contact him this time. If Shi Yao really had ideas, she would definitely choose him first!

Hearing voices coming from the doorway, Chen Che got up to greet them and found that Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning had arrived together. As if they had made an appointment, they were both dressed in white, and they looked quite well together.

Shi Yao felt a pang of regret. Why didn't these two find a perfect match? They looked so compatible.

Shi Yao had told Lu Jiang in advance that she had two people to recommend for auditions, and Lu Jiang knew which roles they were going to audition for, but he didn't know that the two people who came to audition were Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning.

He had initially thought it was some unknown up-and-coming celebrity with connections, and he was prepared to avoid being sarcastic and to save face for Shi Yao. But it turned out to be someone he knew.

Although he had never worked with either of them, he had seen the popular sitcom and was fairly familiar with Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning. Their acting skills were up to par, but somewhat formulaic. With proper guidance, their potential was high.

Lu Jiang's initial dissatisfaction with the two actors who had auditioned in advance, which Shi Yao had specifically recommended, had largely dissipated by now.

Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning bumped into each other at the entrance of the art museum. Bai Wenning was a little surprised, but Fang Xuran immediately understood the cause and process.

He had recommended Shi Yao to Bai Wenning during a previous dinner party, and Bai Wenning seemed thoughtful at the time, but now it seems she eventually contacted Shi Yao after all.

So he winked at Bai Wenning and greeted her, "Sister Bai, you also placed an order with Sister Shi Yao?"

Bai Wenning realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded shyly.

Fang Xuran nudged her shoulder and said dismissively, "That's normal. Once you get to know her, you'll know how good she is."

The two chatted briefly before a staff member led them inside for the audition. On the way, they chatted and exchanged some information they already knew.

Both were surprised to learn of the roles the other had chosen for the audition, but they were in similar situations and quickly understood the meaning behind each other's choices, encouraging one another.

Upon arriving at the audition room, the two were surprised to find that Shi Yao was one of the interviewers, and even sitting in the center position. Lu Jiang and Qin Yuechi sat on either side of her, their bodies facing her, making it seem as if Shi Yao was the center of attention.

Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning exchanged a shocked look, their hearts churning with mixed emotions.

After Shi Yao produced the script, the two men gained a new understanding of her identity, especially since the script was directed by Lu Jiang. They assumed that Shi Yao must know Lu Jiang or have worked with him to have some influence over casting.

As it turns out today, it's more than just acquaintance; Shi Yao seems to have more influence in the production crew than they imagined.

Suppressing their shock, the two followed the staff into the room and stood in the middle of the classroom waiting for their audition.

Author's Note: I've rewritten it, my darlings. I worked overtime yesterday to finish it, but I'm really not satisfied with the result. I apologize for the poor reading experience. Please read it again, otherwise the later plot won't flow smoothly.

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