Xu Zhaozhao did not go over immediately.
She looked at Gu Qingyan, and their eyes met.
I tried to see a hint of madness and violence in his eyes, but there was none, only longing and... panic.
Once the director yelled "cut," she was no longer a character in the film.
Xu Zhaozhao started walking, her steps quick, her hair blowing in the wind.
The stage steps weren't high, only two steps. Xu Zhaozhao jumped down the steps and bumped into Gu Qingyan's arms.
He used his own shower gel again.
The woody, cool scent had been somewhat overwhelmed by the strong aroma of freesia all over me.
Noticing the man holding her waist, he reached around to her other shoulder with his other hand, not with much force, but to give Xu Zhaozhao a tight hug.
"I was auditioning, what brings you here?"
Xu Zhaozhao wanted to raise her hand to gently pat his back to soothe his emotions, but he grabbed her hand instead.
He stepped back, grabbed Xu Zhaozhao's hand, and walked towards a corner before disappearing from everyone's sight.
The scene remained quiet for a long time, as still as a chicken.
Whether she was startled by Gu Qingyan's sudden intrusion or stunned by Gu Qingyan and Xu Zhaozhao embracing each other without any restraint, it's unclear.
It should be both.
The young woman in charge of the auditions moved closer to the director, Luo Wen, and asked timidly, "Director, shall the auditions continue?"
"Let's continue."
Luo Wen glanced at the four stunned people and silently sat down.
Upon closer inspection, Xu Zhaozhao's name was not on the audition list.
With the director having spoken, the remaining producers could only sit down and continue with the auditions.
Yu Yao remained in the center of the stage, acting as their tool.
The remaining four either forgot their lines or had wandering eyes, lacking any of the qualities expected of professional actors.
The performance, which lasted less than a minute, was rejected by Luo Wen.
To showcase the professional level of the female lead, the four actresses selected were among the best of the best from professional acting schools.
The acting was merely adequate, but it came across as extremely clumsy after Xu Zhaozhao's performance.
"Thank you, please go back now."
Her stern voice came from the loudspeaker, devoid of any warmth, "According to the original rules, whoever performs best will be the female lead."
"I think you all know the answer."
Since none of them were left behind, the female lead can only be Xu Zhaozhao, whom they looked down upon.
Undeniably, they acted better than the others.
The four of them could only leave the audition site in a huff.
Luo Wen crossed out all the names on the list, turned to the next page, and said to her assistant, "Alright, let's officially begin the audition for the second female lead."
She lowered her eyes, pondering many things. She had also been influenced by the rumors and thought Xu Zhaozhao was "useless".
But after watching her performance, Luo Wen could only sigh, "Rumors are terrifying."
His own worries, and even his attempts to make things difficult for Xu Zhaozhao, were all unnecessary.
She should trust Gu Qingyan's judgment; after all, he's a guy who's obsessed with acting.
...
Neither of them knew anything about what was happening inside the audition room.
After leaving the audition room, Xu Zhaozhao was taken to the public restroom in the building.
The building has been requisitioned, and only actors who are auditioning will come. Everyone is nervously preparing, and there is no one in the restroom.
All that could be heard was the gentle murmur of flowing water.
Gu Qingyan hugged Xu Zhaozhao from behind, took her hand, and rinsed their hands under the tap.
The two rings were taken off and placed next to the sink, reflecting the light.
After wetting her hands, Gu Qingyan turned off the water, lathered the hand soap into foam, and gently massaged her hands with his large palms, finger by finger.
Over and over again, as if they never get tired of it.
Their hands intertwined, foam splashing on them, as if they were playing hide-and-seek with their fingers.
Until a noticeable redness appeared on Xu Zhaozhao's fingers, she couldn't help but speak up: "Gu Qingyan, if you keep rubbing, your skin will break."
He paused for three seconds before turning on the tap and rinsing the foam off their hands.
He took out a handkerchief and dried her hands, treating them like rare treasures, leaving no corner untouched.
The men's ring had somehow returned to his ring finger, while the women's ring appeared in his hand.
He lifted Xu Zhaozhao's hand and, under the bathroom light, slowly slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
Pink tinges appeared on her fair and slender hands.
Gu Qingyan lowered his head and pressed his cool lips to the back of her hand, leaving his mark on her personal belongings.
It was so close, just one centimeter away... That guy was about to steal his wife away.
A sense of helplessness crossed Xu Zhaozhao's mind.
Well, this guy is incapable of being sensible.
She pulled her hand out of his large palm, took a step forward, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
His head was still down, so Xu Zhaozhao tilted her head and leaned close to his ear.
"It's just acting. Gu Qingyan, you're a movie star, you should understand me."
Acting is more important than life itself.
"But this scene isn't in the script!"
Unbeknownst to him, Xu Zhaozhao's words had touched a nerve, and he grabbed her hand from behind her waist and held it there.
An oppressive aura swept over her as he pinned her against the sink, a chill running down her waist.
It wasn't made of ceramic tiles, but rather the Buddhist prayer beads she was familiar with.
"We almost kissed, we were so close."
He buried his head in her neck, his hair tickling her, "Wife..."
For some reason, Xu Zhaozhao seemed to detect a hint of coquetry in those two sentences.
"His performance on the spot was also normal."
Her tone softened, "I won't mind if you need to do this."
Acting is acting, and life is life. She has always been able to distinguish between the two.
"This is not normal."
Gu Qingyan refused outright.
He really wanted to say that Yu Yao was not a normal person.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong; it was just his sixth sense that made him feel hostile towards a love rival.
His tone was somewhat dissatisfied, "I will never need to do that!"
Is there anything more upsetting in the world than being asked by your wife to kiss other girls?
No!
He looked at Xu Zhaozhao with reddened eyes, and Xu Zhaozhao looked back at him. The two were silently competing.
Not filming kissing scenes or allowing physical contact—what's the difference between that and cutting off her acting career?
I must make this matter clear today.
"Have you never filmed a kissing scene? Have you never held hands with another actress?"
Xu Zhaozhao didn't believe him and glared at him. "Gu Qingyan, can't you stop being so childish?"
He gripped her hand tighter, and she couldn't pull away, so they ended up pressed even closer together.
Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with disbelief, and in a hoarse voice, she asked, "I'm naive?"
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