Chapter 45 Trouble Resurfaces: A Battle for Roles, On-Site Obstruction
Memorizing lines is a basic skill for an actor, but this kind of test, which involves reproducing the plot based solely on memory without a script, goes beyond the normal difficulty of an audition.
Even many seasoned veteran actors cannot necessarily do this.
Not to mention that the questions are still so random.
The remaining people all looked at Song Ying, some expectantly, others with expressions of anticipation.
However.
The girl before him showed no fear, standing in the sunlight streaming through the window, her whole being as clear as crystal.
"I wouldn't dare to make any boasts, but I'm willing to give it a try."
-
In the waiting room on the other side.
"Ruoxuan, how did the audition go? What did the judges say?" her manager, Zhang Yun, asked with concern.
Just as Sun Ruoxuan was about to say something, her gaze fell on the little deer opposite her, and she suddenly pointed at it.
"You, get out!"
"Why should I leave? This isn't your home."
Xiao Lu already disliked Sun Ruoxuan, and seeing her so arrogant now made her feel that she was going too far. She decided to sit in the lounge until Song Ying returned and make Sun Ruoxuan furious.
"I tell you to leave, so leave! Otherwise, if our secrets are breached, who will take responsibility? You? Can you handle that?"
"You guys have the nerve to call it a secret? It's just some backdoor stuff, using connections. You talk like nobody can't see through it."
During her year of work, Xiao Lu has heard quite a few gossip stories. It's no secret in the industry that Sun Ruoxuan has a sugar daddy. Those who are sensible would have kept a low profile and quietly made their fortunes. But she keeps flaunting it, as if she's afraid her wife won't know and won't be able to find any dirt on her.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Sun Ruoxuan jumped up as if her tail had been stepped on, pointing at Xiao Lu, exasperated. "A mere assistant, how dare you be so arrogant! I've really given you too much face!"
"You want to hit me?" Little Deer wasn't afraid at all, and even took out her phone. "If you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll expose your ugly face right now and let everyone see your true colors!"
She's not like Sun Ruoxuan; she doesn't have the burden of being an idol.
Sun Ruoxuan was furious; no one around her had ever dared to treat her like this.
Agent Zhang Yun quickly advised, "Ruoxuan, at this time, it's better to avoid trouble and not stoop to her level."
"But am I just going to let her bully me like this?!"
"You are a pearl, and she is a piece of rubble. What good will it do you to bump into her? Don't forget why we're here today. Don't cause any trouble."
Even the middle-aged man next to her stepped forward to advise, "Miss Sun, the boss is still over there. Don't let him lose face later."
The fawn's perked-up ears twitched.
boss?
Is he Sun Ruoxuan's sugar daddy?
"Someone pleaded for you today, so I'm letting you off the hook for now. But you won't be so lucky in the future."
Sun Ruoxuan glared at Xiao Lu, then, remembering something, sneered and said in a drawn-out tone, "Some people think that by spending money to buy some trending searches, they can become a popular star. But unfortunately, a pheasant is a pheasant, and a phoenix is a phoenix. Those who can't make it onto the stage can only play the role of runners-up in the end."
Just as Xiaolu was about to retort, the door to the lounge was pushed open.
A man wearing a Huatian work suit walked in carrying a tray.
"Good morning, teachers. I am the duty manager of Huatian Reception. I have prepared some refreshments for you. Please enjoy."
"Oh, Manager, you're too kind, thank you." Zhang Yun greeted her proactively.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xiaolu noticed a figure peeking out from the doorway.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhou An'an.
After thinking for a moment, she went out and pulled Zhou An'an aside.
"Why are you back again?"
“I was afraid that Sun Ruoxuan would bully Teacher Song, so I went to get help.”
Xiao Lu suddenly realized and gave Zhou An'an a thumbs up.
"By the way, where's Teacher Song? Is she auditioning now?"
"Yes, she's still inside. Sun Ruoxuan just finished her test and came out talking bad about Sister Ying!" Xiao Lu snorted and added, "I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going in first to continue scouting the situation. Also, thank you!"
"It's nothing, it's just that I talked too much and caused trouble for Teacher Song." Zhou An'an said with some guilt.
"It has nothing to do with you. I've figured it out. Sun Ruoxuan is just self-righteous and a bully who picks on the weak. Yingjie is her rival, so naturally she doesn't like Yingjie. She'll still cause trouble even without you."
After saying that, Xiaolu waved her hand and said, "I'm going in now."
Just as Xiao Lu went in, the manager came out. As soon as the door closed, she heard Sun Ruoxuan speaking in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh, the assistant is back again?"
"None of your business?"
Xiao Lu rolled her eyes, reached into the tea break box and grabbed a bag of cookies, tearing it open and waving it at Sun Ruoxuan.
What are you so great about? Compared to my sister Ying, you're nothing!
-
Meanwhile, in the audition room, Song Ying's performance had reached its final stage.
Her beautiful tit-like eyes were red, with bloodshot veins all over them. She knelt on the ground, looking desolate. The slanting sunlight fell down, drawing a clear line between light and shadow on her.
Tiny dust particles drifted in the sunlight. She slowly raised her head, gazing at the empty space opposite her. Her eyes were filled with pain and confusion, yet they were not empty, as if there really was someone there.
Slowly, the unfocused pupils contracted, gradually gaining strength, becoming firm little by little. Even the limbs seemed to speak, as if they had come back to life and regained their vitality.
"elder sister……"
A hoarse voice rang out, without any sobbing, yet it sent shivers down one's spine and made one's nose sting.
It's as if I can see that stubborn girl who lost her parents and had no one to rely on, helpless and vulnerable as she grasps at the last straw.
After a few breaths, Song Ying stood up and bowed to the five interviewers.
"Dear teachers, my performance is over."
Her gentle, melodious voice was completely different from when she was acting.
Everyone snapped back to reality, looked at Song Ying, and felt a surge of emotions.
They had just been completely captivated by Song Ying, even their minds were taken away.
This acting is truly...
"Excellent! Very good! The younger generation is truly formidable!"
Director Fang led the applause, saying, "You memorized the lines precisely, your emotional interpretation was spot-on, and most importantly, this ten-minute performance was incredibly smooth and seamless, executed in one take. If that had been a formal shoot, it could have been done in a single take—you must have read the original novel of 'Temptation of Stars' many times, right? Your hard work and dedication are truly commendable! Thank you, producer—"
Director Fang turned to the capable, short-haired woman beside him, "What did you think of the performance just now?"
"Director Fang is an expert. Since you've already approved it, I naturally have no objections," Xie Anning said with a smile.
As the producer, she was personally very satisfied with Song Ying's performance, especially compared to Sun Ruoxuan's previous performance, which only knew how to wail and had no nuances. It was like night and day.
However, casting is not something that one person can decide.
If it were solely funded by Huatian, she could make the decision on the spot.
This time, however, there were several other investors involved. With everyone involved, Huatian cast Shen Yuning as the male lead Qi Zechen and Feng Yunyan as the second male lead Zhan Rong. In principle, the other investors had limited decision-making power over the remaining roles.
"What do the other teachers think?" Xie Anning looked at the other three, and finally her gaze fell on a middle-aged man who was a bit overweight. "President Li, I heard that you had high expectations for the role of Qi Yue, and you also emphasized that the actress playing Qi Yue cannot be just anyone. Would you like to say a few more words?"
Mr. Li, who was being called upon, put down his pen and smiled kindly.
"Producer Xie doesn't understand acting, and I understand even less. But if even a professional like Director Fang says it's good, then it must be really good. However, compared to that, I did see Ms. Song's palm dance trending on social media yesterday, and I found it quite interesting. Now that I've met her in person, I wonder if Ms. Song would be so kind as to perform a piece for everyone on the spot?"
The so-called "palm dance" refers to dancing gracefully on a lotus platform the size of a palm. There is nowhere else to step on, and you can't even place one foot completely. You have to stand on tiptoe and rely on your superb balance to spin at high speed on the lotus platform.
It is extremely difficult even for professional ballet dancers, because the lotus platform is only the size of a palm. During the jump and spin, one cannot deviate from the lotus platform. Once deviated, one will fall off the lotus platform and either fall or twist.
Therefore, it quickly became a trending topic as soon as it was shown yesterday.
Many people were amazed by Song Ying's dance skills, and some professionals even made a video to analyze the difficulty of the dance.
Mr. Li's statement at this moment was certainly not out of curiosity.
President Li looked at Song Ying with a smile.
Song Ying also looked back with a smile.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Li, the leg movements in the Palm Dance are quite large, and the outfit I'm wearing today doesn't seem to be suitable."
"Miss Song isn't giving me face?"
“Of course not. To be honest, it’s really inconvenient. Also,” Song Ying’s eyes crinkled, “as far as I know, Qi Yue in ‘Temptation Star’ doesn’t need to dance in the palm of a hand.”
"In the novel, there's no jumping. But since it's an adaptation, making appropriate adjustments shouldn't be too difficult, right, Director Fang?"
Everyone present was shrewd, and Mr. Li's gaze clearly indicated that he had other thoughts about Song Ying.
Director Fang already knew that President Li wanted to cast Sun Ruoxuan as Qi Yue, so he deliberately increased the difficulty of the audition to ensure that Song Ying could completely overwhelm Sun Ruoxuan with her acting skills, thus discouraging President Li from pursuing the role. Little did he know, this would inadvertently give President Li impure thoughts about Song Ying.
Feeling guilty, Director Fang forced a smile and tried to smooth things over for Song Ying, "President Li, the young lady's outfit today was indeed inappropriate. How about this, you give her a scene to perform, and consider it the final test?"
"Oh my, Director Fang, so you're already showing mercy to the ladies?"
Director Fang's expression turned serious. "President Li, you can't say things like that! I have a wife and children, and that young woman is completely innocent and pure."
"Just kidding, why are you taking it so seriously? Just think of it as me wanting to feast my eyes today. Okay, Producer Xie, could you find one of your company's employee uniforms for her to change into?"
Xie Anning straightened her expression.
“Mr. Li, our company doesn’t have any extra uniforms. How about we just let this go? It’s getting late, Song Ying,” Producer Xie looked at Song Ying and winked at her, “You can go out now. Mr. Li has had a bit too much to drink today. Director Fang will discuss the audition results with your agent later.”
"Who said I'm drunk?" President Li interrupted Xie Anning with a cold face, then tapped the table with his index finger and stared at Song Ying. "If you dance today, this role is yours."
Xie Anning frowned. "Song Ying, you can go out now."
"Thank you very much, producer. However..."
Song Ying paused for a moment, then smiled and looked at President Li as she walked over step by step.
"I have a few more things I'd like to say to President Li regarding the character Qi Yue..."
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