Chapter 44 A Challenging Test: Masters Clash, Soldiers Meet and Generals Stand Firm
All eyes were drawn to the doorway.
Immediately after, a woman with a disdainful expression and a haughty look walked in arrogantly.
She looked stunning in a bright red velvet bodycon dress that accentuated her fair skin, slender waist, and shapely hips. Her long, black, wavy hair added a touch of sexiness and languidness.
Behind her were one man and two women.
The man was nearly forty, dressed in a suit and tie, and looked somewhat unfamiliar.
One of the women was in her forties, quite capable, and had a formidable appearance. The other woman was about the same size as Xiao Lu, carrying a large bag, and seemed somewhat timid.
They were Sun Ruoxuan's agent and assistant.
Sun Ruoxuan casually tossed her pearl handbag onto the round table, took off her sunglasses, and looked down at Song Ying opposite her.
"You're Song Ying?"
The atmosphere in the lounge became subtle.
Song Ying didn't respond, but instead raised her hand and patted Zhou An'an's arm beside her, "Go ahead and get busy."
"Teacher Song, I..."
"Go ahead, it's alright."
Zhou An'an bit her lip and left the lounge. She was originally going to go back to the front desk, but then she remembered something and changed floors.
The assistant pulled out a chair for Sun Ruoxuan.
Sun Ruoxuan sat down without hesitation, crossed her legs, and leaned back in her chair, lazily gazing at Song Ying.
The agent then walked to the side and closed the door to the lounge.
The fawn immediately became alert.
"What do you want to do!"
"Little deer".
"Sister Ying?"
"Sit down and have some water."
As she spoke, Song Ying picked up the paper cup in front of her, took a couple of leisurely sips, and smiled, "Teacher Sun is a respectable person. Besides, this is Huatian, and the audition is about to begin, so she won't do anything reckless."
Upon hearing this, the little deer sat down, but only half of its bottom touched the ground. It still looked alert, as if it were ready to fight at any moment.
"Song Ying, you're very arrogant."
Sun Ruoxuan squinted at Song Ying, who was drinking water across the round table.
The latter, however, was not intimidated and calmly held up his paper cup, saying, "It's not as grand as Teacher Sun's."
It was just a cup of lukewarm water, yet she savored the poetic and leisurely taste of fine tea.
"Don't give me that sarcastic talk. Don't think you're some big star just because you've gained some popularity these past few days. In terms of seniority, even if you include the years you spent as a child, you still can't compare to how long I've been in the industry. There's no one else here anyway, so I might as well tell you directly—Qi Yue's role is mine, and no one can take it away from me. Including you."
"If Teacher Sun is so amazing, why did you let me sit here today?"
Song Ying blinked, then looked as if she had just realized something. "That's right, because Bai Yang was investigated and prosecuted for accounting issues, and 'Love Journey' was taken down, so no one can stop me anymore, which is why I came."
"you!"
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, '?' Teacher Sun, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Although the payment that President Li of Qingning made to Bai Yang was disguised as a cooperation deposit, there's no guarantee that the truth of the matter won't reach President Li's wife's ears tomorrow. At that time, I wonder if Teacher Sun will still have the same confidence as today."
Sun Ruoxuan was about to say something more when the middle-aged man next to her coughed lightly.
"Miss Sun, there are only five minutes left. Why don't you take a break first, so as not to affect your performance during the audition later?"
"I know! Mind your own business!"
Despite her anger, Sun Ruoxuan was still somewhat wary and refrained from further provocation.
Finally, with everything quiet down, Song Ying glanced at the man, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest.
A short while later, a staff member came in.
"Greetings, teachers. It's time for our agreed-upon audition. Originally, there were three teachers, but Ms. Su Nan from Shengshi had to withdraw from this opportunity due to an injury sustained in another project a couple of days ago. So today, it's just the two of you. Which one of you would like to proceed?"
"I'll go first."
Song Ying raised her hand.
Finishing the test early also helps prevent makeup from fading.
However.
"Let me go first."
Sun Ruoxuan stood up and walked towards the door with a graceful, swaying gait.
Even in a short distance of only two or three meters, he couldn't resist giving Song Ying a haughty glance.
"this……"
The staff member was somewhat embarrassed.
"Then let Teacher Sun go first." Song Ying was too lazy to argue with her about this kind of thing, and gestured for her to go ahead.
With a soft snort, Sun Ruoxuan left the lounge like a proud rooster.
Seeing this, Xiao Lu said angrily, "Sister Ying, this is going too far! You call her teacher, but this guy surnamed Sun has no manners at all."
"Don't get angry. Summer is already a time of restlessness, and getting overheated is not good."
Such behavior of climbing high and stepping on low is common in the entertainment industry. For every normal person, there is just as many as Sun Ruoxuan.
But compared to someone like Sun Ruoxuan who wears her emotions on her sleeve, those who smile to your face but stab you in the back are far more terrifying.
Especially after getting to know Jiang Yueyao and Zhou Ruoyu, Sun Ruoxuan is considered quite good.
"Let me take out the makeup mirror. My lipstick has transferred a bit to the cup. I'll touch up my makeup."
-
Sun Ruoxuan's audition was short, lasting only about ten minutes.
His face was flushed with joy, and he looked like he had victory in the bag.
When he looked at Song Ying, he became even more arrogant, not even bothering to call her by her name.
"Hey, it's your turn."
The other party was rude, but Song Ying still thanked them and got up to go.
The audition venue was right next door.
Upon entering, there is a large open space with mirrored walls on three sides, and five people sitting on the other side: one woman and four men.
Song Ying recognized director Fang Zhonghua and Huatian producer Xie Anning immediately after seeing their photos. There were also three unfamiliar middle-aged men, who were presumably representatives of the investors.
Song Ying bowed.
"Hello everyone, I am Song Ying from Shengshi Entertainment. I am here today to audition for the role of Qi Yue in 'Temptation Star'."
“I know you, Song Ying.”
Director Fang Zhonghua looked at Song Ying with a smile, "You portrayed the character in 'Que Ge' very well. For your first film after your comeback, you've managed to make it this good. It seems you haven't been slacking off all these years."
"Thank you for your recognition, Director Fang. The role of Chu Tanyue is not solely due to my efforts. The director and the actors I worked with also helped me a lot. As a newcomer, there is still much I need to learn from you all." Song Ying said humbly.
"Not arrogant or impatient, calm and reserved, very good. But looking at what you're wearing today, are you ready to play the role of Qi Yue in high school? What if the scene we have you audition for is a different one?"
Finally, the director looked at Song Ying with great interest, wanting to see how she would respond.
Song Ying's clear, crescent-shaped eyes smiled as she delivered her prepared remarks.
"You always have to choose an outfit to wear. If I had chosen one of the costumes for Qi Yue's revenge, like Teacher Sun did, would you have let me act in other scenes? I just chose a stage that you would inevitably test based on my understanding of the story."
"Haha, you're good at predicting exam questions."
Song Ying is quite popular now. Fang Zhonghua had watched some of her videos before and always felt that this girl had a quirky and competitive spirit.
Now that I've met her in person, I realize that Song Ying is much more interesting than the tip of the iceberg shown in the videos.
Fang Zhonghua leaned back in his chair, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"Tell me first, why do you think that Qi Yue in high school is one of my must-test topics?"
After recounting what she had said to Sister Hong before getting her hair and makeup done, Song Ying added something else.
“The visual coordination is one aspect, and another reason is that Qi Yue’s personality in high school is actually a microcosm of different aspects of her later personality.”
"Her privileged family and educational environment have always made her outstanding in her studies. As a result, since high school, Qi Yue has always exuded a proud and confident aura, which has provided a source for her later studies abroad, her return to China to seek revenge and demonstrate her management skills, and even her way of getting along with Zhan Rong."
“But when she was a child, her parents’ compensatory favoritism towards their adopted daughter Qi Xing made Qi Yue feel like an outsider at home. Out of jealousy, she did bad things to Qi Xing, but this badness was not her true nature; it was just to attract her parents’ attention.”
"Of course, because she could feel Qi Xing's care for her, her wickedness was always tempered by a sliver of conscience. This is why, later on, after she turned evil, misled by others into believing that her brother-in-law Qi Zechen was the murderer who killed their parents, and seeking revenge against him, she resented Qi Xing for marrying the murderer while silently protecting Qi Xing. This laid the groundwork for the two sisters to reconcile later and join forces to find the truth."
"Qi Yue is not a stereotypical villain; her character is complex, and all of this complexity is buried in her various experiences during high school. She is a sixteen-year-old girl, but she is not just an ordinary high school girl. To portray this character well, the most crucial step is to show her multifaceted, three-dimensional, and multi-dimensional characterization."
"And this is also why Qi Yue is so beloved by readers."
"Therefore, I believe that this will be a must-test question for a director with rich experience."
Her voice was clear and melodious, neither arrogant nor humble.
The analysis was highly logical, and the author's understanding of the script, characters, and relationships was explained in a very accurate manner.
Director Fang couldn't help but nod throughout the entire process, and towards the end, his eyes lit up as if he had found a treasure.
Especially when you think about it again, the contrast between the good and the bad becomes even more apparent when you consider Sun Ruoxuan's previous interpretation of the character that almost cost Director Fang his life.
Director Fang wished he could cast Song Ying right now.
But since it's an audition, there are some necessary procedures that need to be followed.
"At the high school graduation ceremony, you'll act out the scene where Qi Yue hears about her parents' passing, right there on set, until her scene with Qi Xing ends. However..."
At this point, Director Fang smiled and looked at her.
"The script isn't finalized yet, and I don't have the original text to show you. Please act based solely on your memory of the plot and lines—can you do that?"
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