Chapter 33
Nan Tao touched up her makeup, reapplied her red bean paste-colored lipstick, then walked out of the bathroom in her high heels.
The two people who were talking at the door heard the voice and subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice. Seeing that it was Nan Tao, they were suddenly embarrassed. Family members, who would have thought that they would meet the object of gossip in a place like the bathroom? It seems that Nan Tao is also here to audition for Director Lotte?
Nan Tao smiled politely at the two of them, then returned to her seat. Not long after she sat down, she heard the staff calling her number plate.
Pushing the door open, I found the space was quite large, about 40 square meters. On the wall opposite the door hung a banner with yellow letters on a red background, which read "Welcome to Auditions." There were two tables in front of the wall, with three people sitting at each, who were obviously the interviewers for the audition. One of them was an acquaintance, Jiang Hui.
Jiang Hui was temporarily assigned as an interviewer by Director Lotte. She gave Nan Tao a helpless smile and gave her an encouraging gesture.
Nan Tao quietly gave an OK sign, then looked at Director Lotte and the others and said, "Hello everyone, I'm auditionee number 26, Nan Tao."
Director Lotte: "Have you ever acted in a movie before?"
Nan Tao: “No.”
Director Lotte: "Have you ever acted in a play?"
Nan Tao: “I performed it when I was in college.”
One of the interviewers interjected, "You've graduated all these years ago and haven't acted in a play or a movie yet, and you're auditioning for this incredibly difficult female lead role? Aren't you wasting our time?"
Nan Tao looked at the person who was speaking. He was short and fat, wearing a pair of small glasses. There was a seat sign on the table that read "Li Ding, the producer of Tianyu Century Entertainment". She smiled and said, "I haven't even started the audition yet. How do you know I was wasting your time? It's too early to judge someone and Tianyu Century sent someone like you, who has no qualifications, to be the producer?"
Producer Li's face flushed crimson. His company was the largest agency in the entertainment industry, a subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed Yu Group. Furthermore, he had been stationed on set for many years, and all this made him a favorite among glamorous stars. He was furious and annoyed by Nan Tao's bullying, and slammed the table. "I think you should just give up the audition. You're not suitable!"
Nan Tao tutted her words. "The director hasn't said anything yet, why are you so anxious? If you don't like someone and won't let them audition, then why not just hold a casting audition and just get them in through the back door through you."
Producer Li was trembling with anger. Who would directly lay out such a dirty and filthy secret? Even if he had used a backdoor to get someone in, how could he admit it? He struggled to defend himself against someone who didn't follow common sense. He didn't know how to refute him. After a long while, he finally managed to say, "Who used a backdoor? Don't talk nonsense! Director Le, I think she's a troublemaker, a troublemaker."
Director Lotte chuckled, "Really? Don't you think she looks a lot like He Xian? There's a scene in the drama where He Xian has a three-hundred-round argument with a rival who came to pick a fight."
Producer Li suspected that Director Le was scolding him, but he couldn't find any evidence. He glared at Nan Tao in frustration, "What are you wasting time for? Why don't you come up and draw lots?"
Nan Tao stepped forward and put her hand into the box. There were three pieces of paper in it, which were three audition clips. She hoped to choose the prison scene. Jiang Hui said that she had strong explosive power, and although it was difficult, it would be amazing if she performed well.
After searching for a while, Nan Tao took out a piece of paper and saw the words "A clip of He Xian being beaten with a stick in prison" written on it. It seemed that God was helping her.
Producer Li scoffed, "Your luck is really bad. You chose the hardest one."
Director Lotte: "Let's begin. First, act out the scene where he's reported to the police and imprisoned, then act out the scene where he's brutally caned in court."
Nan Tao's expression changed and she quickly got into the play.
She had a stubborn look on her face and was steadfast and unyielding, but she was suddenly pushed hard by the prisoner, and He Xian's knees hit the ground, and the crisp thud seemed to prove her innocence.
He Xian gritted her teeth in pain, but her eyes remained firm. She looked at the constable and shouted, "Our Tianxia Restaurant was framed! You arrested Shuang'er and me without any reason. Is there any law? I want to see the prefect!"
The constable sneered, "My lord is so busy, how can I have time to see you? You two should go to the cell and stay there obediently. Once the investigation is complete, I will naturally clear your name."
He Xian was quickly pushed into the cell and the lock was closed with a click.
He Xian grabbed the wooden pillar of the cell with both hands and asked the constable, "Where did you take Shuang'er?"
Constable: "You'd better find a way to prove your innocence, otherwise your life will be in danger."
He Xian fell to the desolate ground, his eyes slowly becoming determined, "I, He Xian, will never let anyone get away with anything. Don't let me find out who framed me!"
After performing the first section, Nan Tao quickly switched to the second section.
He Xian was taken out of the prison by the bailiff and brought to the government court. The court was crowded with common people who came to watch the fun, whispering and pointing.
Amidst the majestic sound of the court entering the court, He Xian was pushed to his knees.
The prefect said: "Who is here? Please state your name."
Hexian: "My daughter Hexian, the other day a customer at Tianxia Restaurant suffered from food poisoning. This is truly unjust. Please, sir, investigate and clear our name!"
The prefect said: "I will make my own judgment. I invite the accuser to come forward."
After the plaintiff came forward, he exaggerated the accusations and said that the environment of Tianxia Restaurant was unclean, the kitchen was messy, and that they mixed incompatible ingredients.
He Xian blushed with anger and shouted, "You're lying! We clean Tianxia Restaurant every half day, and I personally oversee the kitchen. I've studied medicine since I was a child, and the ingredients I use are completely natural. Your Excellency, please don't believe his nonsense."
The plaintiff presented the evidence. After examining it, the judge threw the sticks in the tube onto the ground and said, "Twelve strokes of the cane!"
The constable pushed He Xian to the ground and punished him with a cane according to his instructions.
He Xian shouted angrily, "You are a dog official. You are blind to the slightest detail and don't look at the facts. You are unworthy of being the parent official of the people!"
He Xian, who had never suffered any hardship since childhood, faced severe beatings without shedding a tear or confessing under torture.
After Nan Tao finished her performance, she couldn't get out of the role of He Xian for a long time.
The scene was silent, and everyone was immersed in Nan Tao's wonderful performance. They seemed to see another noble quality of firm belief in the spoiled eldest lady.
"Good, great performance!" Jiang Hui clapped her hands excitedly.
Director Lotte stood up excitedly, "This is the Hexian I imagined. She's not just a rich girl, but also a pioneer who dared to resist feudal ideals. When faced with frame-ups, she endured but was subdued. Especially when she angrily scolded the corrupt officials, she's full of personality!"
Nan Tao hadn't expected such a powerful outburst, as if possessed by He Xian. She initially had no empathy for He Xian, but during the performance, she suddenly saw herself in her, equally unwilling to yield. He Xian refused to yield to others' frame-ups, while she refused to yield to having her luck taken away, leading to the tragic fate of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character.
"Thank you for the compliment, Director!" Nan Tao said generously, then looked at the producer of Tianyu Century, "Producer Li, are you satisfied with my audition?"
Producer Li glared at Nan Tao and said, "You can leave now. Next one."
Nan Tao rolled her eyes secretly and turned around to tell Assistant Yu that if all the producers of Tianyu Century were of this level, they would probably be on the verge of bankruptcy.
After the audition, Nan Tao returned to the car to wait for Jiang Hui.
When I'm bored, I play games to kill time and occasionally check Weibo.
Wow, I actually saw some new content.
#Yong Ya auditioned and received praise from Director Lotte! #
#Yong Ya's audition clip for playing He Xian#
#Nan Tao and Rong Ya compete for the role of He Xian! #
When you click on the entry, you will see that everyone is praising Rong Ya for her beauty and acting skills. Every time they praise Rong Ya, they will also criticize Nan Tao.
[Goddess Rongya is so handsome! She fits the character so well.]
[I am a fan of the original novel, and Rong Ya is the Hexian in my mind. ]
[Director Lotte has a good eye for detail. My goddess deserves to play his role.]
[Who is Nan Tao? How dare she try to scam my Rong Rong?]
[A variety show star with no film or television credits auditioned for the female lead role. I'm dying of laughter. Who gave her the courage? She's not even worthy of carrying my Rongrong's shoes.]
Please, Nan Tao, don't take advantage of Queen Jiang's soft heart just because you and Queen Jiang are on the same kids variety show.
A few people who liked Nan Tao spoke up for her, but Rong Ya had a huge fan base and was soon overwhelmed by the scolding and had no power to resist.
Nan Tao looked at Rong Ya's fans, 12 million, and then looked at her own, 1.3 million. Most of them were passers-by who followed her just for fun. With such a huge gap, it would be strange if she was not crushed by the other party. It seemed that she had to work hard to accumulate fans and could not always rely on public relations.
Internet agent Lin Hong also noticed this and called to ask Nan Tao if she needed any online public relations.
Nan Tao refused, "It's different for now. The casting results will naturally slap them in the face."
Lin Hong: "This movie is invested by Tianyu. Do you want to talk to Mr. Yu?"
Nan Tao: "I'm confident I can get in based on my abilities. By the way, can you help me pick out some good movie scripts? I'm planning to develop a career in the film industry."
Lin Hong: "Thank goodness, you're finally planning to move?"
Nan Tao: "Please help me get more publicity so that I can have more fans than Rong Ya next year."
Lin Hong: "If you have a hit movie or TV show, plus your looks, it should be no problem for you to surpass her."
Nan Tao: "I'm here to give you my blessing. Also, keep an eye on Rong Ya. Although I'm willing to prove my ability, I won't be stubborn and let her throw a punch at me if she tries to use any tricks."
Lin Hong: "Don't worry, I will take care of all this."
Shortly after hanging up the phone, the car door opened and it was Jiang Hui.
Nan Tao: "It's over. Was it hard?"
Jiang Hui: "I was supposed to leave after the audition, but Director Le stopped me and talked for a while. Can you guess what he said?"
Nan Tao: "Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me now!"
Jiang Hui's eyes were full of smiles as she whispered something into Nan Tao's ear.
Nan Tao's eyes lit up, "Really?"
Jiang Hui nodded: "Of course it's true."
Nan Tao: "By the way, let me show you today's trending searches."
After reading it, Jiang Hui wondered, "This is all fabricated! Director Le even told me that Rong Ya's acting was too stiff and unnatural, and that she wasn't suitable for the role of He Xian. Forget about praising her. Given Director Le's personality, it's already good that he didn't criticize her to her face."
Nan Tao's eyes flashed with gossip, "Weren't you with me this morning? How did you know?"
Jiang Hui: "Director Le had his assistant send me the audition videos from this morning, asking me to help sort out any good ones. Here, I'll show you. It includes Rong Ya's audition clip. Not to mention the praise, it's already great that Director Le didn't scold her for the way she portrayed He Xian."
After watching the film, Nan Tao expressed her difficulty in evaluating it. "Doesn't everyone online say she's a cool beauty? Why does she give off such a womanizing vibe? It's too strong. That half-hearted look, if you knew she was being imprisoned, you'd think she was being forced into a dark cell."
Jiang Hui gave a thumbs up and said, "You got the point I wanted to express but couldn't put it into words!"
Nan Tao: "Have you worked with Rong Ya before?"
Jiang Hui: "No, but I heard from others that she has a good attitude. I'm not sure if it's true, but I've seen her acting skills improve today."
In the car, the two of them talked calmly about beauty, from the ends of the earth to the corners of the sea, and finally returned to Wanyuanzhuang to pick up Yu Ze. The three of them happily went to eat hot pot together.
After eating hot pot, Jiang Hui slept in Wanyuanzhuang for one night and flew back to Beijing early the next morning.
That day, Nan Tao was resting at home and didn't go anywhere. She was lazily lying on the swing sofa on the balcony playing with her mobile phone.
When I was about to fall asleep, I suddenly received a call from Yu Zhengyang, saying that he would take a flight tonight and arrive home early the next morning.
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