Chapter 38
With the actor for Li Zhi confirmed, Xu Ying breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Now all that's missing is the female lead.
Unfortunately, the female lead is the core of the drama and is someone who absolutely cannot be compromised. Just when Xu Ying thought it would be difficult to find a suitable candidate, the female lead actually offered herself up.
Since the project was first announced, "Empress Wu Zetian" has been recruiting actors in the entertainment industry. However, the production team is considered by outsiders to be too amateurish, and those with any reputation are unlikely to come forward.
Xu Ying personally contacted many of the actors, including Du Jing.
However, he didn't come not because he looked down on the show; he was simply out of touch with the news and had no idea that such a production crew was recruiting. Otherwise, he would have definitely given it a try.
However, to Xu Ying's surprise, just three days after Du Jing made the decision, an actress contacted her. The actress introduced herself as Tang Ningshuang on the phone.
"Hello, my name is Tang Ningshuang. I learned from a friend that the production team is casting actresses. Can I come for an audition?"
Tang Ningshuang was once quite popular in the entertainment industry.
When she first debuted, she became an overnight sensation in her first period drama because of her bright and beautiful face and her youthful and delicate acting skills. As the third-billed supporting actress, her popularity even surpassed that of the male and female leads at one point.
However, just when everyone thought she was about to become a rising star, she suddenly encountered suppression from the company.
The incident stemmed from her dissatisfaction with the company's excessive drinking parties and endorsements of substandard products. This led to a heated argument with the company's senior management, who, in a fit of anger, suspended her from her job.
Then, a flood of negative information about her suddenly appeared online, saying that she acted like a diva on set, making her assistant kneel to put on her shoes, and that she knowingly became a mistress and deliberately interfered in other people's marriages...
With all sorts of scandals circulating, and with the company and other competitors fueling the fire behind the scenes, her popularity with the audience vanished like a bubble.
Those who used to praise her are gone, replaced by endless insults and ridicule.
One day in heaven, the next in hell.
She was devastated.
The company's senior management wanted to use this method to force her to submit, but she was young and headstrong at the time. Even if she broke down, it wouldn't affect her stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat. She would rather ruin her own career than compromise her principles.
And that's how she was sidelined.
During her long period of being sidelined, she didn't have the money to terminate her contract, so she could only slowly wait it out until she had no popularity left and until her contract expired.
She is free.
However, seven years have passed, and she has gone from twenty-one to twenty-eight years old. Over the years, countless young actresses have come and gone in the entertainment industry, and audiences have changed one after another. Very few people still remember her.
She couldn't even get a decent role when she auditioned, and could only end up in all sorts of terrible dramas. It was under these circumstances that she met Du Jing by chance.
In the film crew at the time, Du Jing played a guard and she played a maid. The two happened to have a few lines in a scene together, which led to them talking and gradually becoming friends.
Du Jing felt great sympathy for Tang Ningshuang's plight.
So when he finished reading the script and discovered that Tang Ningshuang unexpectedly matched the appearance of Wu Zetian in the script, he couldn't wait to call her and ask her to recommend herself for a try.
Tang Ningshuang is beautiful and has decent acting skills; what if she succeeds?
"I can only say that the script is excellent, and the female lead's character is very well-developed. If you have the opportunity to star in it, this will definitely be your comeback role!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Ningshuang immediately called the screenwriter without saying a word.
Du Jing is a very down-to-earth and talented actor. The role he chooses must be good. Besides, it's the female lead role. Whether it works out or not, it's always worth a try.
After agreeing on a meeting time, Xu Ying hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, she immediately went online to search for Tang Ningshuang. She wanted to see what this person's acting skills and appearance were like. But wow, before her video cut came out, various marketing accounts compiled old scandals about her.
Xu Ying: "......"
She still watched the video.
Seeing this made her even more upset, because the girl in the video had bright eyes and white teeth, and her every move was elegant and graceful. She was exactly the Wu Zetian actress she had always dreamed of.
If it weren't for those damaging videos, she would have already committed to the person.
Alas, nothing is ever perfect.
Xu Ying planned to ask about the situation during the audition. If it was a false accusation, then she would let it go. If it was true, no matter how good the acting was, she couldn't use it. Using an actor with such a clear dark history would be like planting a landmine for the production team.
After thinking it over, Xu Ying was still worried, so she called Zhou Xingyun again.
"Could you help me find out about an actress named Tang Ningshuang? She has a lot of scandals, and I just want to know if they're true or if there's more to the story..."
Xu Ying has no requirements regarding the actors' fame, whether it's a good or bad reputation. As long as the person is competent and their acting skills are good, she is willing to use them.
"Tang Ningshuang, that name sounds familiar. Okay, no problem. I'll have Luo Ying inquire about it. That kid knows a lot of people, he'll find out for you in no time."
*
Luo Ying really does have a lot of connections.
In less than two days, he sent a message to Xu Ying.
Luo Ying: The actors are fine, it's all the company's fault. I don't even care to talk about their company's executives. They can only fool young girls who have just graduated from university. Anyone with even a little bit of inside information in the industry would not want to sign with them.
February Sky: I'm relieved to hear you say that.
Luo Ying: What, you're planning to make Tang Ningshuang the female lead?
February Sky: Yes, you noticed.
Luo Ying: I've read the script too. Just by looking at the actress's face, I knew she was the leading lady.
February Sky: Right? That's perfect. I'm even afraid you'll tell me the rumors are true...
Luo Ying: Haha, don't worry about using it, the person is fine.
February Sky: Hmm.
Xu Ying put down her phone and breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Tang Ningshuang was alright; otherwise, she really wouldn't know where to find such a favorite actress.
Xu Ying picked up her coffee and took a small sip.
She arranged to meet Tang Ningshuang at a coffee shop, ostensibly for a screen test. However, Xu Ying was actually quite confident in Tang Ningshuang's acting skills; her greater concern was Tang Ningshuang's overall condition.
Actors are very dependent on their performance.
No matter how beautiful an actor is, if they lack passion and vitality, they will be as lifeless as a withered flower, and their acting will naturally lack any appeal.
Therefore, Xu Ying had to meet with her.
The clips she found online were all from Tang Ningshuang's performances seven or eight years ago. Now, so many years have passed, she wonders how much she has changed.
She doesn't necessarily require actors to stay young.
However, Tang Ningshuang experienced a meteoric rise to fame in a short period of time, only to plummet to the bottom in an instant. Such a huge drop would be a blow to most people, causing them to become indifferent. She was worried that Tang Ningshuang would be the same.
Indifference is not a mistake.
But that's what actors are all about – their job is to express emotions.
Xu Ying was not comfortable entrusting her role to a cold and indifferent person.
Tang Ningshuang did not disappoint her.
Xu Ying sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of the coffee shop, her eyes casually sweeping out the window, and she saw a long-haired, busty girl across the street. The girl was wearing a red shirt and dark flared jeans, with a bright and charming smile, a total trendy retro beauty.
Xu Ying's gaze followed her until she entered the store and sat down next to her.
"Hello screenwriter, I am Tang Ningshuang."
Tang Ningshuang reached out her hand.
Xu Ying seemed to awaken from a dream.
She stood up and shook hands with her, thinking to herself that it was no wonder Tang Ningshuang became an instant hit right after her debut; she was indeed a great beauty who could withstand the test of time!
Xu Ying felt that the production team had struck gold.
With Tang Ningshuang in the cast, the drama "Wu Zetian" is already halfway to success.
The two chatted happily in the coffee shop.
Tang Ningshuang finally signed the contract, but after receiving the script, she couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her: "Screenwriter, are you aware of my past scandals?"
"I know."
"If you know this, can you still trust me to work with you?"
Beneath her surprised and questioning expression lay a barely perceptible hint of delight.
Xu Ying explained with a smile, "Because I know they're all fake."
"It's that simple?"
"It's that simple."
Tang Ningshuang was speechless for a moment.
After leaving the company, she contacted so many people and auditioned for so many production teams. They probably knew she was innocent, but so what? Her reputation was already ruined, and her fame was almost gone. They were unwilling to take the risk for her.
She doesn't blame them.
But at this moment, she was extremely grateful to Xu Ying for giving her this opportunity.
"Screenwriter Xu, thank you."
Tang Ningshuang has a beautiful smile, but she looks even more beautiful now with tears in her eyes. Many people in the coffee shop are secretly glancing at her, and Xu Ying even heard a click of a camera the moment she smiled gratefully.
Someone is taking pictures.
Xu Ying wasn't afraid; at this moment, she only had satisfaction with the female lead.
*
On November 1st, the production team of "Empress Wu Zetian" officially started filming.
Xu Ying was also present at the opening ceremony. She was very particular, not only having the crew buy a pig's head as a sacrificial offering, but also requiring all the actors and staff to burn incense, worship Buddha, and pay their respects.
There were no such customs when filming a TV series in the Yu Kingdom, so the group of people found it quite novel and solemn.
“You know what, after burning incense, I really did have a special feeling in my heart, it was quite mysterious,” Zhou Xingyun said privately to Luo Ying.
Luo Ying: "You should thank Xu Ying. Burning incense has brought out everyone's sense of collective honor."
Perhaps it's because they've shared incense and greetings together that the crew members all seem so motivated now.
"Everything is ready, and the actors should hurry over. We're about to start filming!"
......
The crew officially started filming, and the person in charge of publicity for the Dayan platform didn't rest either. He posted the group photo of the opening ceremony that the photographer had just taken on the official Weibo account.
The nine-grid photos basically explained the process of the opening ceremony.
To be fair, "Empress Wu Zetian" didn't make much of a splash in the entertainment industry; it was just a low-budget production. There are countless productions like this every year, and who has the time to pay attention to each one?
Only the online literature community paid more attention to this because of the February Sky Festival.
Sure enough, as soon as the official Weibo account of "Empress Wu Zetian" released the photos of the start of filming, a group of people immediately swarmed around to dig up information about the actors.
The nine-grid photo reveals a lot of information, especially the large group photo in which everyone is facing the camera. This photo is undoubtedly the most comprehensive, so most netizens are focused on it.
The most eye-catching person in this photo is undoubtedly the girl standing in the middle. Everyone else is without flowers, but she is holding a bouquet. The sunlight is just right, and she is looking at the camera with a gentle smile.
What a pure and innocent little white flower.
But... who is this actor?!
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Author's note: Revised
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