heavy rain
In the East District of Taipei, the sky looked like someone had spilled ink on it, and the entire area was gray. Low, muffled thunder could be heard in the distance, one after another, foreshadowing an impending heavy rain.
The rehearsal room of the film production company is quite large. A few days ago, the best actor Ni Chaofan strongly recommended Jin Cang to join the crew, and the matter is now a done deal.
Today is the day for interviewing new actors for several other roles in the movie.
Jiang Ningjing, a female director from Singapore, specially asked Jin Cang to come over and act with the actors who came to audition.
This not only helps the crew select actors, but also allows him to familiarize himself with the script earlier and get into the role more quickly.
In the rehearsal room, the camera has been set up and the lighting technician is busy adjusting the angle. The scene is professional and looks quite formal.
In the corridor outside the rehearsal room, there was a row of chairs, on which sat about six young male actors who came for the interview. They were all trembling with fear and looked quite nervous.
Suddenly, director Jiang Ningjing came out of the rehearsal room accompanied by Ni Chaofan and Xiang Yang, and Jin Cang followed them quietly.
When the male actors waiting for interviews saw them come out, they all stood up and were very respectful.
Xiang Yang said to Director Jiang in a very polite tone, "Director Jiang, this kid is tough and thick-skinned. Just fuck him as hard as you can. Don't be lenient at all."
Director Jiang covered his mouth and laughed, "Mr. Xiang loves to joke around. I treat him like a treasure. You're willing to let him go, but I can't."
Ni Chaofan added, "A Cang, don't mind the trouble. I'll let you practice acting first and familiarize yourself with the process. It will help you get into the role faster."
Jin Cang hurriedly bowed, his tone extremely humble and sincere: "No trouble, I understand, I will cherish this opportunity."
Xiang Yang turned to look at Jin Cang and asked, "Are you not nervous? Are you okay?"
Jin Cang nodded vigorously, then lowered his voice and began to read seriously: "Eight hundred standard bearers rushed to the north slope, and the artillerymen ran side by side to the north..."
His sudden appearance of the eight hundred standard-bearers was so serious and cute that it made Director Jiang and Ni Chaofan laugh. The atmosphere became lively and the other young actors relaxed a lot.
Ni Chaofan smiled and said to Xiang Yang, "Let's go. We're just getting in the way here."
The assistant on the side said loudly to the interviewees, "Alright, everyone, please pay attention. Please come in one by one according to your numbers. This is Jin Cang, who plays 'Adi' in the play. He will be rehearsing with you. This is the 56th scene, and the entire process will be recorded."
Jin Cang hurriedly greeted the male actors who came for audition one by one, with an extremely humble attitude.
The assistant began to go over the interview process. Director Jiang personally escorted Xiang Yang and Ni Chaofan to the elevator, watching them enter and the door slowly close.
Ni Chaofan and Xiang Yang walked out of the elevator and crossed the first floor lobby of the office building, still talking all the way.
At this moment, the rain outside was pouring down, and the raindrops were hitting the glass door of the building.
Ni Chaofan's black private car was already waiting at the door. The driver, holding a large black umbrella, walked quickly from the side of the car and waited at the door of the building.
Since they were in the elevator just now, Ni Chaofan had actually never stopped trying to persuade Xiang Yang to personally direct the new movie that was currently in preparation and was adapted from Xiang Yang's own best-selling novel "Nezha".
"You should think about it seriously." Ni Chaofan said earnestly.
Xiang Yang's face showed a hint of embarrassment. "But, how should I put it? Being a director... this option has never been part of my career plan."
"Passion and potential can be stimulated."
Ni Chaofan patted his arm. "Look at me, and your dad too. Which of us didn't stumble into this field by accident? Which of us started playing drums and gongs at a young age, vowing to be an actor or a director? And what happened? We all devoted ourselves to our endeavors, wasting most of our lives."
He speaks a mixture of Chinese and Taiwanese, and doesn't act like an elder.
Xiang Yang was silent for a few seconds, his eyes revealing hesitation. "My greatest wish is to hand this story over to a director who is truly worthy of my trust."
"Why can't it be you?" At the last second, Ni Chaofan did not give up his advocacy and lobbying.
Xiangyang nodded and forced a wry smile: "I understand. I'll think about it carefully."
"Then let's go together?" Ni Chaofan prepared to get in the car.
"No," Xiangyang pointed diagonally across the street, "There's Eslite across the street. I want to go shopping there before going back."
The driver opened the door for Ni Chaofan, helped him get in the car, and the car quickly drove into the rain.
Xiangyang walked along the arcade outside the building.
The rain was pouring down and he didn't have an umbrella, but the Eslite Bookstore was just across the street, so he planned to rush over.
Just as Xiangyang was about to take a deep breath and dash across the street from the arcade in the rain toward the Eslite Building, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. Maidong? Why was he here?
Maidong stood on the edge of the eaves outside the production company, soaked all over, with rain dripping from his hair.
Xiangyang didn't understand why he didn't go under the arcade to avoid the rain. Maidong was wearing a white shirt, which was completely soaked by the rain and stuck to his body. The lines of his strong muscles were faintly visible and very conspicuous.
"Maidong?" Xiangyang was indeed startled. "Why are you here?"
Mai Dong turned around and saw Xiang Yang. A pitiful expression immediately filled his face. "I... didn't get selected in the audition."
"Huh? Were you in there just now? Why didn't I see you?" Xiangyang walked a few steps closer, took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over, "Come on, wipe it."
Maidong took the handkerchief and wiped his face twice, his voice thick with nasal sounds: "No, their interview upstairs is the last stage, I didn't even pass the initial graphic material review. Maybe... they think I'm not tall enough." He lowered his head, looking worried.
"You're not short," Xiang Yang looked him over, his gaze lingering on him for a moment. "Those muscles look like you've been working out a lot, right?"
Maidong suddenly reached out, grabbed Xiangyang's hand, and pressed his palm on his tight abdominal muscles.
The action was so direct that it was a little scary. Xiangyang really didn't know how to respond. Pulling his hand away or throwing it away was not appropriate.
Mai Dong's tone was urgent and blunt: "You think I have a good figure too, right? I've shot for magazines! In the past, when Jin Cang and I went to auditions together, I usually got the job and he didn't..."
Xiangyang's expression changed slightly, and he skillfully withdrew his hand. Maintaining basic politeness, he said, "Image management is indeed a task that actors cannot slack off on. Don't lose heart, you have a lot of advantages."
Mai Dong seemed not to understand. Instead, he took a step closer to Yang, staring at him intently. "Really? Then... then why did you choose him and not me?"
Xiangyang frowned. "Maidong, you're talking nonsense. You're all wet, do you have a fever?"
Mai Dong leaned in closer, the distance between them becoming somewhat ambiguous. "You're traveling alone in Taipei, so you must be lonely and bored. You want to find someone to hang out with and pass the time... Then why not him and me?"
Xiangyang took two steps back, putting some distance between them, and his tone grew colder. "Your misunderstanding is profound. I don't know how to explain it to you. Take care of yourself. Dry yourself off first and change into clean clothes. Don't catch a cold."
After saying that, Xiangyang stopped looking at him, turned around and rushed out, ran quickly to the alley, stopped a taxi, directly told the address of another Eslite Bookstore, and left quickly.
Mai Dong stood there in a daze, watching the taxi's taillights quickly disappear in the rain, his face full of annoyance and frustration. He wiped the rain off his face vigorously, turned around, and was surprised to find Jin Cang standing at the door of the building, not far away from him.
Jin Cang came down specially to give Xiangyang an umbrella, and no one knew how long he had been standing there.
Jin Cang's face was tense, his expression showing surprise and bewilderment, rather than anger. It was obvious that he had seen and heard everything that had just happened, and all those provocative words that Mai Dong had said.
"Why are you doing this?" Jin Cang's voice was a little hoarse, filled with complete confusion and questioning.
Mai Dong's expression instantly turned ferocious. "What? Do you look down on me? Why are you pretending to be so noble? If it weren't for Xiang Yang and Ni Chaofan's relationship, do you think you could have gotten this role? Stop pretending!"
Jin Cang shook his head silently, his lips moved, and he weakly protested: "It's not...it's not what you said..."
"Have I wronged you?" Mai Dong's voice rose several degrees, becoming piercingly sharp. "I'm better looking than you, I do better in school, and I'm smarter than you! Back in school, I was the one who took care of you, and you were the one who ran after me. Have you forgotten?"
"I know you took good care of me in the past, and I always...always regarded you as my best friend." Jin Cang's voice trembled slightly, and he felt hurt.
"Not anymore!"
Mai Dong yelled back, "I just can't stand your hypocrisy! You said you wanted to be the next Wu Kanglun and rely on your own efforts...but what happened? In the end, it's faster to get into bed with someone else! Ugh!"
Jin Cang's face turned pale. He looked at Mai Dong with disbelief in his eyes: "So... So in your eyes, I am this kind of person..."
Mai Dong sneered in disdain. "Hmph, you're no more disgusting than anyone else. In this industry, the unspoken rules are everywhere, and everyone is just as dirty! I just beg you, don't tell me how hard you work anymore. It makes me want to vomit!"
After shouting those extremely hurtful words, Maidong rushed into the heavy rain without looking back, and his figure soon disappeared around the corner.
Jin Cang stood there, looking at Mai Dong's back, which was once so familiar but now so distant that it was frightening.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, the cold rain hitting him mercilessly and seeping through his clothes, just like his dizzying thoughts, churning violently and pouring down.
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