Chapter 29 The Second Duke and the Discovery of His Identity: Key Character, Male Lead, Key Role...
Fang Xuran hadn't experienced this kind of audition process for several years. Nowadays, when casting lead roles and important supporting roles in the industry, contracts are usually signed and that's it; there's no need for auditions at all. Only directors like Lu Jiang, who have their own rules and are serious about their work, still insist on auditions.
Bai Wenning was also a little nervous. These past few days she had been practicing from morning till night. She had read the scripts that Shi Yao had given her countless times, and she had also practiced Meng Tao's scenes many times. She had even written a short biography of the character.
Although she hasn't seen the full script yet and doesn't know how Meng Tao's character will develop, Bai Wenning has already fallen in love with the character. As she reads the script, she can't help but start analyzing the character's traits according to her own understanding, and she even wrote a long character biography.
I heard that Lu Jiang is very strict and looks at people's first impressions. If someone's appearance doesn't match the character's image in his mind, he will definitely not choose them. Bai Wenning doesn't know if she is suitable. She thinks she might not be. Meng Tao is bright and passionate, like a little sun. Although she was born in a wasteland, she has a vigorous vitality.
She is completely different from him.
Can she really play Meng Tao well?
Fang Xuran, standing beside her, shared the same trepidation. The characters of these two male protagonists didn't quite match him. Jiang Nanqiao's composure and forbearance, and Xue Hao's frankness and cheerfulness, were traits he lacked. Although he seemed quite outgoing, he wasn't actually extroverted at all. He was often forced to act as a social butterfly just to liven up the occasion.
Actually, the role he first chose was Xue Hao. Although it wasn't a perfect match, the other person had some similarities to him, at least more than Jiang Nanqiao. Xue Hao was a much easier role for him to play, and the cheerful and outgoing character would be more likely to attract fans.
However, he currently has a thorn in his side: the need for a career change.
In the part of the script that Shi Yao gave him, Xue Hao had no romantic storyline at all, only some bickering with Meng Tao, and he seemed to develop feelings for Ye Xin at the end. Jiang Nanqiao was different. The first episode was a romantic storyline with Ye Xin, the second episode was a breakup, and the third episode was a reunion with his ex. The drama was off the charts.
So he ultimately followed his heart and chose Jiang Nanqiao.
He's been working on the script these past few days. Because the script is limited, he can't fully analyze what kind of character Jiang Nanqiao is, so he can only fill in the gaps based on his own understanding.
He had initially felt quite confident, but now, standing in the audition room in front of Lu Jiang and Qin Yuechi, he suddenly felt a little nervous again.
The only familiar face in the classroom was Shi Yao. Fang Xuran secretly glanced in Shi Yao's direction, hoping to get some comfort from her.
Unfortunately, Shi Yao was looking down at her phone and didn't notice his gaze at all.
Lu Jiang originally wanted to wait for Shi Yao to speak first, since the script belonged to her, and he admired this young woman and wanted to elevate her status. However, Shi Yao seemed to have some important information to reply to and did not look up, so he had to speak first.
"I've seen your files, Xiao Fang. We meet again." Lu Jiang gestured with his chin towards Fang Xuran. "You didn't pass the audition last time. Are you confident this time?"
Seeing that the other party still remembered the audition she had failed before, Fang Xuran felt a little more relaxed and gave a well-behaved smile: "Of course I did, I can't let Sister Shi Yao down."
Bai Wenning nodded silently beside her, meaning that she thought so too.
Lu Jiang was very curious about Shi Yao's relationship with the two of them. Obviously, it couldn't be that she was an agent and an artist. Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning were not in the same company. Moreover, he vaguely remembered that Shi Yao used to be an artist in the industry.
What kind of relationship do they have that would make Shi Yao give them such an important audition opportunity?
Lu Jiang looked at Shi Yao curiously. She was still looking at the screen. Noticing the gaze beside her, she looked up and gave an apologetic smile: "Sorry, I have some urgent business to attend to. I'll be right back. Director Lu, why don't you test them first?"
Lu Jiang was amused by her words and obediently withdrew his gaze, preparing to "test" the two. Fang and Bai, who had heard Shi Yao's words, exchanged a glance and smiled bitterly.
It seems that Shi Yao's earlier statement when she gave the script, "I'm just providing an audition opportunity; whether they get the part depends on their performance," wasn't a joke.
The two men's expressions turned serious, and their attitude became even more earnest.
This is a rare opportunity, we must seize it!
Shi Yao's fingers flew across the screen as she replied to WeChat messages.
Today is the second performance of "Shining Idol". She did not get a ticket, but she did not give up.
Besides the official stage performances and individual fancams, the most anticipated part of each performance is the photos taken by the fansite admins. Stage photos are a true test of the fansite admins' photography and editing skills. For idols, stage photos are different from regular photos and are key to attracting fans.
No matter how beautiful the photos are, they are mostly static images. Idols are active on stage, so dynamic stage photos are naturally more attractive.
However, such photos are mostly rare and hard to come by. The stage positioning changes constantly, and the idol and the fan site admin need to coordinate perfectly to capture that most eye-catching 0.0001 second of the killing part.
The number of photos for the first performance is always the smallest because the show hasn't aired yet when it's recorded, and the main audience of the talent show hasn't arrived yet. Most of the performance tickets have been distributed to the media by the production team.
Only a small percentage of the fans can get in, and among those fans, only a very small percentage are actually fan site administrators.
However, there are a lot of stage photos from the first performance of this season of "Shining Idol". Perhaps it is because more people have bought stocks in advance. Basically, every popular contestant before the competition has two or three fansite admins posting pictures.
The management of "Shining Idol" was not strict in the early stages, or perhaps they did not expect so many fansite admins to collect media tickets and inside photos. The fansite admins were very fast, and as soon as the performance ended, stage photos were posted everywhere. Before the show even started, everyone knew about the group assignments for the first performance, as well as the costumes and stage design.
Therefore, the second cohort strengthened its review process, making it unlikely that they would be able to get tickets in this time.
This season of "Shining Idol" has garnered considerable attention since its premiere. Although it hasn't reached the level of nationwide enthusiasm for talent shows that the first and second seasons did, it's still much more popular than the previous two seasons. Later, the Jian Mingzhou incident and the Yingxu incident occurred, which propelled "Shining Idol" to mainstream popularity.
Whether or not this was the kind of viral buzz the show's producers wanted, "Shining Idol" has undeniably become a hit, with the number of people watching the talent show increasing several times over.
There is also competition among fan site administrators. Who is the most popular fan site administrator? Who has the best data? Who has the best aesthetic sense and the best photography skills? These are all subtle comparisons.
Regular commuting photos are just simple snapshots, requiring no special skills; the performance stage is where the real skills are showcased.
When the first performance was recorded, it hadn't even started airing yet, and only a few fan site admins could get in. For the second performance, everyone learned their lesson and started applying for tickets in advance by using multiple accounts. Fan site admins from different groups were all eager to be the first to take amazing photos.
Shi Yao is currently Ying Xu's biggest and most famous fan site admin. Ying Xu can basically be said to have been made famous by her. Her fans are very concerned about her activities.
She hasn't been in the factory these past few days, but she's been buying photos of Yingxu going to and from get off work from a proxy photographer every day, doing some simple editing, and then posting them on Weibo.
Yingxu's current popularity is enough to place him in the top tier. Offline fans who follow him are springing up like mushrooms after rain. There are now more than twenty new fans on Weibo, making him a top-tier celebrity.
There were no performances a few days ago, and there weren't many old photos of the show being taken. These fan site admins mostly posted photos of people going to and from get off work, which looked like a game of Candy Crush.
Logically speaking, even if Shi Yao didn't post on Weibo, Ying Xu wouldn't lack people taking pictures of him.
But there's nothing she can do; she's being closely watched. Not only are her fans concerned, but fans from other groups are too. Whenever she doesn't actively post on Weibo, a post titled "Has Sister Tianguang run away?" will appear on Green Leaf.
Shi Yao had no choice but to be forced into involution.
She joined a fan site group, but instead of buying any photo sets there, she hired a professional photographer from a previous order-distribution group to handle offline tasks for her.
Actually, buying photo sets is much cheaper. The fan sites that follow celebrities offline have different fan bases, and most of them like to take photos of several popular celebrities and then sell photo sets to make money to recoup their losses. After all, there are many people who run fan sites, but not many actually come to the offline events.
Shi Yao didn't buy it because she didn't want to be discovered. The information of the fan site admins is basically shared. If she bought the picture pack, the fan site admin who bought it would know that she didn't go, and then everyone would know that she didn't go.
To avoid trouble, Shi Yao simply hired a professional photographer.
The photographer usually stays at the film studio and has excellent photography skills. He sends photos to Shi Yao regularly every day. Shi Yao sees the photos, selects the ones she likes, edits them, and then posts them on Weibo using a different IP address, creating the illusion that she is actually at the factory chasing after people offline.
Fortunately, I'm good-looking, so editing the photos wasn't too difficult; I just needed to adjust the brightness and colors.
Today is the second performance, and there are definitely no tickets for proxy photographers, so Shi Yao gave him a day off. But of course, she couldn't just give up like that. Stage photos are very important; a good photo can make Yingxu's rise to fame more stable.
Shi Yao herself can't go, but there are always fans and admins who can get in. Everyone knows that the performances are strictly checked, so even if she buys photo packs, no one will say anything.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Shi Yao found ten people to place orders, including six fan site admins and four casual fans. Even if someone was unlucky enough to be arrested by security, she would have a backup plan.
She refused to believe that all ten people could be arrested!
The performance recording starts at 12 o'clock. Once inside, all communication devices will be blocked, making it impossible to contact the outside world. Shi Yao had already placed orders with eight people last night, but just now she felt uneasy and added another person from the fan site group who takes photos on behalf of others.
[AAA is growing bigger and stronger: Hello, do you accept proxy photography for the second performance of Shining Idol?]
[A accepts a photo-editing service: Okay, boss, who would like to place an order?]
[AAA's Growth and Strengthening: A Promise]
[A accepts a photo-editing service: Ah...]
[AAA's Growth and Strengthening: What's going on? Are they fully booked?]
[A, who accepts photo-editing services: You're the fourth person to place an order with me [laughing and crying emoji]]
[A accepts a photo-editing service: Boss, this is a bit special here; there are too many people who want his photos, so I'll focus on shooting for him. I'll guarantee at least four 500-page photo packs, and then the packs will be selected according to the order of payment. Is that acceptable to you?]
[A offers photo shooting and retouching services: No deposit required. The success rate of performance photos cannot be guaranteed; I will set a price after the event.]
Shi Yao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This proxy bidder was quite shrewd in business, making money from four sources at once.
And Promise's popularity has skyrocketed to an alarming degree.
[AAA's ambition to grow stronger: I'll buy out the entire project, is that okay? I'll take as many as you bid.]
The person on the other end seemed intimidated by Shi Yao's wealth and arrogance, and only replied after several seconds.
[A offers photo editing services: Buying out the service is quite expensive.]
[AAA's Growth and Strength: Money is Not a Problem]
In the end, Shi Yao won over this proxy bidder with her strong financial resources, and then added another fan site admin who also took orders.
After transferring the deposit to the last fan site admin, Shi Yao finally put down her phone with peace of mind. The performance would be recorded all day, and she wouldn't hear anything until at least 7 p.m. By then, the auditions should be over, which would give her time to edit Ying Xu's photos.
Shi Yao finally raised her head and looked at the two little animals in the center of the room who were looking at her with a nervous yet expectant expression. She smiled slightly and said, "Let's start the audition. I think you're ready."
Lu Jiang and Qin Yuechi exchanged surprised expressions. Shi Yao seemed quite strict, not even bothering to chat with the person she had recommended beforehand.
This gesture further strengthened the affection between the two, and they unconsciously became more serious.
Lu Jiang flipped through the script: "Fang Xuran, the role you're auditioning for is Jiang Nanqiao. Your outfit today is quite suitable, so you don't need to change."
Bai Wenning glanced down at her costume and suddenly blushed. Her clothes weren't quite right. She thought Fang Xuran would be the first to audition and was about to step aside to ask the staff if there was a changing room when she heard her own name called again.
"Bai Wenning, I see you want to audition for the role of Meng Tao, but I think you're more suited to the role of Ye Xin, so why don't you try this one first?" Lu Jiang put down the script and made the decision on the first round of auditions.
It's the breakup scene at the beginning of the second episode.
Shi Yao raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything.
She knew that Bai Wenning had chosen the role of Meng Tao and had even written a character biography, preparing diligently for several days. But that was just Lu Jiang's habit; he loved to disrupt other people's plans. Shi Yao could, of course, politely decline on Bai Wenning's behalf, but that would only deepen Lu Jiang's dislike and make it harder for him to secure the role.
Qin Yuechi, standing to the side, remained completely unmoved, as if she had expected this all along. She leaned back in her chair, observing the expressions of the two people in front of her.
Bai Wenning was surprised to hear this, but she did not panic. Instead, she nodded in agreement and then closed her eyes to compose herself.
Although she had been focusing on practicing Meng Tao, she hadn't neglected Ye Xin either. She was someone who liked to prepare in all aspects, let alone the crew that was interviewing Lu Jiang.
It's fair to say that the last-minute casting change was entirely within her expectations.
Fang Xuran remained completely calm. The scene he had practiced the most these past few days was the breakup scene. Although choosing this scene was a bit unfair to Bai Wenning, it was very advantageous for him.
He straightened his expression, took out a pair of black-rimmed glasses from his pocket, put them on, and then found a good position.
Lu Jiang unconsciously sat up straighter. The attitude of these two children was somewhat unexpected. He waved to the photographer in front of him, and Chen Che said softly, "Start."
Fang Xuran strolled down the street, looking somewhat lost in thought. He had just left his homeroom teacher, who had said that the quota for students to skip the queue had been allocated and he had to go.
The assignment to the countryside had to be given to the students who were good at studying. If he didn't go, then Ye Xin would have to go. Ye Xin couldn't stand that kind of hardship, so he agreed without hesitation.
But what about the future?
After being sent to the countryside, it's hard to say when he can return to the city. Will Ye Xin wait for him? Yesterday, he heard from a classmate that Ye Xin's family was planning to send her abroad. He didn't ask, nor did he dare to, for fear of getting an answer he didn't want to hear.
Unknowingly, he arrived at the Ye family's gate. The Ye family was a large and prestigious family, always bustling with activity whenever he visited, and this moment was no exception.
Fang Xuran raised his hand, but stopped abruptly at the door. He heard a familiar voice; it was Ye Xin's mother.
"Xinxin's plane ticket has been bought, and the application forms are all prepared. After she finishes practicing the piano, take her to get a haircut, and then take a car to catch the plane tonight."
"I won't bring the books; I can buy them when I get there. Just bring some simple clothes."
"Madam, Miss doesn't allow anyone to touch her wardrobe."
"Why worry about these things now? With me here, how could she possibly disagree? Just go!"
Fang Xuran stopped in her tracks, a look of bewilderment on her face.
Ye Xin... is she really going abroad?
In a flash, he understood everything. No wonder the teacher's tone was so meaningful when he talked about the rural quotas, and his expression was even more meaningful when he mentioned Ye Xin. It turned out that Ye Xin was indeed going abroad.
That would allow me to avoid being sent to the countryside.
Why didn't he tell her? Even if his family wasn't as well-off as hers, he would still worry about her. And shouldn't he have told her beforehand that they were parting ways?
He desperately wanted to rush in and ask Ye Xin's mother when Ye Xin had decided to go abroad, but when he reached the door, he just couldn't bring himself to step inside.
"Mom!" It was Ye Xin's voice.
Jiang Nanqiao was in a daze and accidentally bumped into the Ye family's gate. The noise startled the two people inside, who quickly walked over.
Upon seeing that it was her boyfriend, Bai Wenning subconsciously wanted to smile, but then, as if remembering something, she forcibly suppressed her smile and turned to send her mother away, saying, "Mom, this is my classmate. He probably has something to ask me about his studies. You should go home now."
Then he pulled Jiang Nanqiao aside.
Fang Xuran stared silently at the arm that was being held, and when the other person stopped, he hesitated and said, "You..."
"Jiang Nanqiao, let's break up." Bai Wenning said, trying to remain calm. Her hands were clenched tightly, and her voice was trembling slightly, but the person in front of her did not notice.
The answer he feared most was read aloud, yet Fang Xuran felt no pain. He looked at his lover as if he were a stranger.
...
The first rehearsal lasted for twenty minutes straight. Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning were well-prepared, and without anyone telling them to stop, they got carried away and acted out a lot of the later scenes.
Neither Lu Jiang nor Qin Yuechi intended to call it over. They continued acting until the scene between them ended. If they continued, it would be a one-man show for the two of them, which is when Chen Che finally called for a stop.
After the performance, the two did not offer any comments, nor did they allow Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning to rest for a while. They immediately made them perform another scene.
It's a scene between Meng Tao and Xue Hao.
Even though the two were well-prepared, they couldn't help but feel a little flustered. Shi Yao raised her eyebrows. Sure enough, this was the Lu Jiang she knew.
She knew it; how could Lu Jiang possibly resist causing trouble?
The second scene between them was longer, but fortunately, both of them were very familiar with the script. Bai Wenning focused on practicing the character of Meng Tao, and Fang Xuran's personality was also closer to Xue Hao's, so the performance was relatively smooth.
"Alright, that's enough for today. You've worked hard." Lu Jiang finally called a halt, waving his hand to let Chen Che take the two of them down to rest.
Fang Xuran was preoccupied with her role, wiping away sweat with a tissue while looking at Shi Yao with expectant eyes.
Shi Yao received the signal in her eyes and finally spoke up: "Director Lu, what do you think of the two of them?"
Lu Jiang's expression remained indifferent; he simply said mysteriously, "Go back and wait for further instructions."
Having said that much, Shi Yao couldn't ask any more questions and could only shrug at the two of them. Fang Xuran didn't necessarily need an answer, and seeing that Lu Jiang didn't seem to be dissatisfied, he felt much more at ease.
As the noise outside grew, a capable female assistant strode into the audition room and said to Lu Jiang, "Director Lu, most of the actors who are auditioning have arrived, and I've already assigned them their numbers. When do we start the auditions?"
"Let's do it now."
Fang Xuran's eyes lit up when she heard this. She quickly grabbed Bai Wenning, who was about to leave the classroom, and smiled sweetly at Shi Yao and Lu Jiang, saying, "Director Lu, Sister Shi Yao, Teacher Qin, Sister Bai and I don't have any other plans today. Can we stay here a little longer to learn? We'll just be little spectators and won't get in the way."
Bai Wenning, who was originally preparing to leave obediently, was also intrigued upon hearing this and, together with Fang Xuran, looked intently at the three examiners.
Qin Yuechi was amused by Fang Xuran's wit and generously said, "Alright, then you can sit and watch from the side. Let me make this clear first, this doesn't mean you've already won the roles."
Lu Jiang snorted and said, "If you're going to stay, you have to stay until the end. No one is allowed to leave halfway through."
Fang Xuran blinked and gave a playful salute: "Mission accomplished!"
He waited until everyone on the scene laughed before continuing, "I'm reluctant to leave even though you're asking me to leave early."
Who would want to miss such a great opportunity to observe Lu Jiang and Qin Yuechi auditioning actors up close?
Moreover, Fang Xuran had a small, dark idea in his mind. He wanted to see who the competitors were. Lu Jiang did not hold a public audition this time, but only announced his casting to a small group of people.
He knew about the group beforehand, so he specifically asked his agent to inquire, and it took him a lot of effort to find out that it was true.
In other words, if Shi Yao hadn't given him this opportunity, he definitely wouldn't have known about Lu Jiang's casting process based solely on his own connections.
The fact that people came to the audition today at least shows one thing: they are very well-informed and have extensive networks.
He needs to carefully observe who poses the greatest threat to his position in the circle.
Not long after the female assistant left, the first person to come in for the audition arrived.
To be precise, it wasn't one, but a pair.
Perhaps because "Under the New Sun Tree" has two male leads and two female leads, Lu Jiang simply asked his assistant to divide the auditionees into teams of one male and one female, so that they could see both individual performances and scenes with each other.
The two people who came in were dressed similarly to Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning, in clean and crisp white shirts paired with plain-colored trousers.
Fang Xuran's eyes widened suddenly when she saw the male actor's face clearly.
"Cheng Muzhi!"
Shi Yao had been looking down at the script, but as one of the interviewers, she was bound to ask some questions later. Suddenly, she heard a familiar name.
Cheng Muzhi?
Isn't that the original male lead's name?
She suddenly looked up and was met with two familiar faces. The one on the left was none other than Cheng Muzhi, the original male protagonist of the book, and the one on the right was none other than Qiao Xi, the original female protagonist.
Shi Yao blinked, somewhat surprised.
Good heavens, I actually ran into them here, and even two of them at once.
Her expression was normal, after all, these two were no different from the other characters to her, but the system in her mind was already excitedly shouting.
"Host! Key male lead and key female lead detected! They've appeared! They've appeared!"
Shi Yao rubbed her ears, warning the system to shut up: "I heard you."
The system didn't back down, excitedly shouting, "Host! Quickly win them over, gain their favor! Their favor is the most valuable thing!"
Shi Yao's expression was indifferent. Given the original owner's relationship with these two, gaining favor wouldn't be so easy. She would rather proceed slowly according to her own plan.
Unbeknownst to her, Qiao Xi and Cheng Muzhi, standing opposite her, were also experiencing a tremendous upheaval in their hearts.
Shi Yao's expression was very calm, as if she was not surprised at all to see the two of them, and she even rubbed her ears impatiently.
The same thought arose in their minds:
How did I end up meeting her here? And as the interviewer no less?
Who is she?!
Author's Note: I'm not working overtime today, so I finished writing ahead of schedule! I did a major revision of yesterday's chapter, so those of you who bought it should definitely reread it, otherwise the plot won't flow smoothly. Sending you all lots of love!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-06-17 20:55:05 and 2024-06-18 20:10:49!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: White Bone Hill 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
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