Chapter 41
She had witnessed the true battlefields of gods and demons, seen the calculations and scheming behind the so-called "compassion for all living beings," and seen countless "immortal lords" who would stop at nothing to achieve the Great Dao. In her eyes, the "immortal lords" in the script, imagined by mortals and filled with melodramatic love and self-pity, were as laughable as children's scribbles.
"I won't perform."
Zhuohua's voice was clear and crisp, without the slightest hesitation. To ask her to play a fake immortal, a figment of mortals' fantasies, who would sacrifice himself for love? This was an insult to her divine status. She feared that halfway through the performance, she might lose control and send the entire crew, along with the melodramatic script, back to chaos with a single divine thought.
Su Qing's smile froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Zhuo Hua to refuse so decisively. She coughed lightly and looked at Lu Xiao: "What about Lu Xiao? The second male lead, Ye Sha..."
Lu Xiao did not answer immediately; his gaze fell on the second script.
The second script's cover was a stark dark blue, with sharp lettering: "Lantern in the Dark Night." The synopsis read: "Ancient Costume Supernatural Detective Drama."
The story revolves around two main characters, Zhuohua and Lu Xiao. Zhuohua is a Taoist disciple with extraordinary magical skills. While traveling the world, she meets Lu Xiao, who is a lantern bearer. Together, they solve a series of bizarre and mysterious cases, pursuing light and justice in the darkness. The plot is fast-paced, logically sound, and the characters are well-developed.
Lu Xiao picked up the script for "The Lantern in the Dark," and flipped through it much faster than before. His eyes were focused, and his fingers unconsciously traced the edges of the pages. The description of the lantern bearer in the script captivated him: calm, rational, observant, silent yet resolute.
This character lacks the flashy special effects and exaggerated emotions of fantasy dramas; instead, it possesses a profound sense of reality and inner strength. It requires depth, understanding, and precise expression in the subtle details.
Lu Xiao's heart raced slightly. He felt that this role was like an uncut gem, full of challenges and closer to what he longed to prove deep down—not by his looks, not by luck, but by his solid acting skills and hard work to win recognition.
“Director Su,” Lu Xiao raised his head, his eyes bright and firm, with a steadfastness that had been honed over time, “I am very interested in ‘Lantern in the Dark Night’.”
Su Qing raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. She had thought Lu Xiao would prefer a second male lead in a fantasy idol drama who could quickly gain fans.
She looked at Zhuohua: "Zhuohua, the female lead in 'Dark Night Lantern,' has a dashing personality, sharp intuition, and extraordinary skills." Su Qing looked at Zhuohua's aloof and stunning face, and said cautiously, "...Is she a good fit? Would you like to act in it?"
Zhuohua glanced at the script's description of the Daoist successor "Qingwei," but showed little interest. Exceptional magical abilities? In her eyes, it was no different from catching ants—utterly devoid of challenge.
She was about to refuse when her gaze fell on Lu Xiao's hand, which was tightly gripping the script for "The Lamp in the Dark Night," his knuckles turning slightly white. She saw the intense desire and seriousness in his eyes.
Lu Xiao also looked at Zhuo Hua, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible tension and anticipation. He needed a significant role to prove himself, and the role of "Mo Yan," the lantern bearer in "The Lantern in the Dark," was undoubtedly the best opportunity. But even more so, he hoped that Zhuo Hua could be by his side.
Zhuohua understood the emotion in Lu Xiao's eyes. She was silent for a few seconds, and just when Su Qing thought she was going to refuse outright again, she said calmly, "Okay."
A look of surprise flashed in Lu Xiao's eyes, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.
Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief and made the decision: "Okay! Then let's go with 'Lantern in the Dark'! The company will do its best to secure it. The project has a good team, and the director is known for his attention to detail and acting skills. Although you are newcomers, with Chairman Lin's influence and your previous 'special performance', there shouldn't be any problem!"
She specifically emphasized "special manifestations," clearly referring to the Lin Yang incident and the fears dominated by the "confessions."
“However,” Su Qing’s tone shifted, her expression turning serious, “Director Chen Feng is notoriously strict, intolerant of any imperfections, and utterly despises pretty faces and nepotism. In his films, if your acting isn’t up to par, no amount of connections will help. This time, the amount of dialogue is substantial, and the micro-expression requirements are extremely high. You all need to start preparing immediately, and I will arrange for a dialogue coach to give you special training.”
Lu Xiao immediately straightened his back, his eyes sharp as a drawn sword: "I understand, Director Su! I will do my best!"
Zhuohua picked up her teacup, took another sip of the spiritual tea, and remained completely unfazed by the impending "strict director" and "acting test." Acting? Playing a mortal?
All she needed to do was ensure that Lu Xiao could successfully land the role he wanted and that he wouldn't be mistreated during filming. As for herself... well, she could just consider it accompanying Lu Xiao to experience the ups and downs of life.
Looking at Lu Xiao's high-spirited demeanor, and then at Zhuo Hua's nonchalant "I'll use the sky as a blanket if it falls" attitude, Su Qing helplessly rubbed her temples. Fine, one a workaholic, the other a pillar of strength (though occasionally capable of upsetting the entire sea), this combination... isn't bad.
"Take the script back and study it carefully. Your special training starts tomorrow and will be very intense, so be prepared," Su Qing concluded.
"yes!"
Leaving Su Qing's office, Lu Xiao clutched the script for "Dark Night Lantern" tightly in his hand, his steps light and quick, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
Zhuohua walked beside him, her steps unhurried. The golden rays of the setting sun streamed through the glass window at the end of the corridor, bathing the two of them in a warm glow.
Back in his exclusive top-floor suite, the city lights were already twinkling outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Lu Xiao eagerly sat down on the large sofa, opened the script of "Lantern in the Dark Night," and began to read it voraciously.
His brow furrowed and relaxed at times, his fingertips unconsciously underlining key points on the script, and he muttered to himself, imitating the lamplighter's professional terminology and calm tone.
Zhuohua nestled lazily in the single sofa next to her, toying with a warm, smooth jade pendant in her hand. Her gaze wasn't on the script, but rather quietly watching Lu Xiao, who was immersed in the world of his character.
The lamplight outlined the focused profile of his face, his long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath his eyes, and his thin lips parted slightly as he recited those complex terms. That focused, unwavering seriousness was like a magnet, drawing Zhuohua's gaze in.
When he read a passage about the relationship between rigor mortis formation time and temperature, he got stuck, his brows furrowed, and he read it several times, but still didn't seem to fully understand it.
Zhuohua's fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly.
A wisp of pure divine thought, imperceptible to mortals, like the most nimble thread, silently reached out and instantly disappeared into the script in Lu Xiao's hand. Those few lines of professional text that had puzzled him seemed to be given life, and the knowledge, logical chains, and even related physiological principles contained within them flowed directly, clearly, and without hindrance into the depths of Lu Xiao's consciousness like a clear stream.
Lu Xiao's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, a flash of enlightenment crossing his eyes. He continued smoothly, his voice steady and clear, carrying a sense of certainty. After reading it fluently, he was even stunned for a moment, feeling that the knowledge points that had been obscure and difficult to understand before had suddenly become incredibly clear and simple. He subconsciously looked at Zhuo Hua.
Zhuohua remained lazily nestled on the sofa, her fingertips tracing the jade pendant, her gaze calmly returning his. Only the slightly upturned corners of her lips betrayed a faint, mischievous smile, like that of a fox who had stolen a piece of candy.
Looking at her calm and composed demeanor, as if she were hiding her achievements, Lu Xiao felt a sudden surge of warmth in his heart and instantly understood something. A tremendous warmth and sweetness enveloped him. He put down the script, stood up, walked to Zhuo Hua, knelt down, and gently held her hands, which were resting on her knees.
“Hua Hua…” He looked up at her, his eyes shining brightly, filled with gratitude, love and a certainty that “I knew it was you.” “Thank you.”
Zhuohua let him hold her, feeling the warmth of his palm on her fingertips. She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, obscuring the soft light that flashed across her glassy eyes.
"Perform well." Her voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried an undeniable support. "My little husband deserves the best."
Lu Xiao's heart felt as if it were soaking in the sweetest honey. He gripped her hand tightly, nodded emphatically, his eyes as firm as a rock: "Yes! I will definitely not let you down!"
Lu Xiao scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "There are some martial arts moves in there, and I'd like to ask you to teach me."
Zhuohua smiled and said, "Okay."
Outside the window, the city's neon lights shimmered, and traffic flowed like a river. Inside, the warm light illuminated a scene: one person buried in books, focused on their studies; the other sat languidly, their gaze lingering. The script of their mortal lives had just begun, and their own story was being written by their own hands, sweet and unwavering.
Before the morning mist had been dispelled by the sunlight, the film studio was already a hive of activity. Track carts rolled over the cobblestone streets with a dull thud, mingling with the shouts of the crew to create the unique background noise of a film set. The air was filled with the fresh smell of dust, along with the slightly pungent odor of paint wafting from the prop carts nearby.
Zhuohua sat upright in a large folding chair, her posture as straight as a pine tree in the snow. The indigo Taoist robe she wore was made of thick material with an ancient pattern, and the wide sleeves hung down, almost covering her hands resting on her knees.
As dawn broke, the light fell upon her serene profile, outlining a near-perfect silhouette. Only in the depths of her eyes, gazing into a certain corner, did a faint yet undeniably warm feeling emanate from them.
In that corner, Lu Xiao was holding his phone.
He was wearing the dark gray, coarse cloth costume of the "Lantern Bearer" from the play, without makeup, his face almost too clean in the morning light. At this moment, he lowered his head slightly, the cold light from the screen illuminating his focused eyes and brows.
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