CHAPTER 32

The audition notice was set for 11 o'clock in the morning. Xiaoyuan and Cai Juan arrived at the location at 9 o'clock as instructed.

Shi Hai gave her the script for the first ten episodes, which was said to be the second draft. Xiaoyuan could choose one or two scenes from these first ten episodes to audition with.

This audition was arranged at the last minute, with a director, a producer, and Shi Hai present. They had made time for this audition. Shi Hai thought that the director and producer had finally listened to him and changed their minds, but he didn't delve into why they had a change of heart.

In "Zui Xiaoyao,"  the character of the second female lead, the demon sect's little saintess Ling Yao, is passionate, lively, and fearless, with a love for wearing red dresses.

Today, Xiaoyuan deliberately chose to wear a red-based dress with small daisy floral patterns and tied up her hair.

As she entered, she bowed slightly and said, "Hello teachers, I am Xiaoyuan, auditioning for the role of Ling Yao."

Shi Hai smiled and nodded at her, winking playfully.

The producer, a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, showed little emotion and nodded politely.

The director, a woman with an elegant demeanor, gave Xiaoyuan a once-over and smiled slightly, saying, "Let's begin."

Xiaoyuan obediently replied, "Okay."

She stood there, lowering her eyelashes and building up her emotions.

A few years ago, Ling Yao fell in love with Jiang Xiaoyao at first sight, trying to find out about him and get close to him until she learned that he already had a childhood sweetheart. She then gave up. Later, she accidentally saved Jiang Xiaoyao and spent some time with him when he had amnesia. The amnesiac Jiang Xiaoyao became quiet and often stared blankly at the lake.

The scene Xiaoyuan was to perform was when she went to the lakeside to get his attention. She had no one to act with, so she had to rely on herself.

Her expression was blank for a second or two, and when she opened her eyes again, her expression had completely changed. She held a bit of her ponytail in her hand, tilted her head slightly, with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, gazing into a corner.

The other three observers understood that she was looking at Jiang Xiaoyao.

She took a few steps, then paused, her gaze unchanged. However, her expression changed again. The stars in her eyes and the smile on her face became more abundant, ready to burst out at any moment. Her eyes, brows, and mouth all showed joy. This was the suppressed excitement of seeing her beloved.

She maintained this expression for several seconds, which gradually changed. She glanced at the lakeside, then at the male lead. At this point, her expression became more solemn, hesitant, and guilty. In a moment, she moved past these emotions, took a few more steps, crouched down, and asked with a smile, "What are you looking at?"

She paused and asked again, "Are you feeling any better today?"

"Or do you still not want to talk?"

"Shall I take you for a walk around here?"

Each line was followed by a pause, waiting for a response. Each tone was relaxed, joyful, patient, and subtly tinged with disappointment. The pause after the third line was the longest. Her eyes softened, filled with tenderness.

At this moment, the director stopped to check the script. Jiang Xiaoyao still hadn't answered her question, staring gloomily at the lake.

Was the performance ending here?

Xiaoyuan remained crouched in place, still looking at him, her expression gentle but tinged with melancholy. She let out a very soft sigh.

"When will you ever pay attention to me?" The three observers simultaneously grasped the underlying dialogue of the performance.

Xiaoyuan lowered her eyes to conceal her emotions. When she raised her gaze again, she had restored the initial joy and tenderness. She stood up, was about to say something, then held back, smiled at him once more, and turned to leave.

"Thank you, teachers, my performance is over." Xiaoyuan quickly jumped out of her emotions and slightly bowed to the three of them.

"Oh, alright," the director exchanged glances with the producer, and his tone became much gentler. "Miss Xiang, let us discuss this first. Please wait outside for a moment."

"Okay." Xiaoyuan nodded and stole a glance at Shi Hai, who winked at her and gave her a thumbs-up.

Xiaoyuan smiled slightly as she walked out. Cai Juan hurried over, "How did it go?"

"It was okay. We're just waiting for the notification." Xiaoyuan said as she leaned back in the high-backed chair, closing her eyes to rest. She had stayed up late reading the script last night and hadn't slept much, but she didn't feel tired at the moment her heart was stirred with excitement.

While performing just now, she had unexpectedly thought of Wei Zhuang, smoking quietly under the eaves of the courtyard on a rainy night, appearing solitary.

Inside, Shi Hai asked the other two, "Director Liu, Producer Chen, what do you think?"

Producer Chen smiled, "What do you think, Director Liu?"

Director Liu replied, "Teacher Shi is right. Miss Xiang indeed has the best acting skills among our choices, and she also looks the most outstanding."

Shi Hai clapped his hands. "Exactly!"

Producer Chen's eyes shifted. "In terms of appearance, Miss XX and Miss XXX are also good, but in terms of popularity, Miss Xiang is ahead of them by far."

Director Liu asked him, "So, which one of those two do you prefer?"

"Oh, it's not like that. I'm just discussing with you all, right?" Producer Chen chuckled.

"Our female lead is more of a pure and beautiful type, while Miss Xiang adds a touch of glamour. The two beauties complement each other and are the hallmark of our drama," Shi Hai said. "I'm not saying the other two ladies aren't beautiful, what I mean is their image and temperament are more similar to our female lead. If they act together, the audience might have trouble distinguishing them."

Director Liu nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

Producer Chen rubbed his chin. "Actually, as soon as Miss Xiang finished her performance, I thought it was perfect! But the investors of the other two also need a reason, right?"

Director Liu nodded again. "Indeed."

These two cunning old foxes!

Shi Hai cursed inwardly, he couldn't compromise now. Success hinged on this final push.

"Well, you see, I'm the writer and creator of this story. The characters are like my own children. If the most suitable person doesn't play them, I..." Shi Hai played the emotional card.

"Hey, hey, I understand!" Producer Chen was from Boyi, which had bought many rights from Shi Hai and planned to collaborate long-term, so he had to be amiable to make money.

He had been avoiding Shi Hai, finding various excuses to reject his recommendations. He knew Director Liu was indecisive and didn't want to make decisions either. So, if he could avoid it, he did. If he couldn't, he would complain that it gave him a headache. It was all about the demands of the investors. As a small producer, he sounded good but was actually quite miserable, ranting on and on.

However, last night, he suddenly received an order to meet the person recommended by Shi Hai, and he couldn't refuse.

He realized he couldn't use the excuse of "investor demands" this time. Miss Xiang had indeed performed very well and was the most suitable for the role of the second female lead. He also had a hunch that if he passed on Miss Xiang, it might not please the higher-ups.

He didn't know what kind of background this Miss Xiang had. Although she wasn't an artist from Boyi, she might have some connections that shouldn't be underestimated. Once she was in the spotlight, it might be hard to meet her in the future.

He decided to make a suggestion. "Teacher Shi, how about adding two more roles to the script? That way, we have a reason, and nobody gets offended, right?" He smiled and raised his eyebrows at Shi Hai, hinting.

Shi Hai wanted to roll his eyes.

Producer Chen and Director Liu looked at him. Shi Hai cursed internally once more but could only say on the surface, "Okay, no problem."

Director Liu clapped h hands and laughed. "Alright, then it's settled."

Xiaoyuan and Cai Juan didn't expect things to go so smoothly. They signed the contract on the same day, and Director Liu and Producer Chen welcomed her warmly. Shi Hai was the happiest, he walked over and patted her shoulder, saying, "I'll send you the script later, so just wait for the work notice."

Xiaoyuan beamed at him with a brilliant smile, her eyes sparkling, "Thank you."

Shi Hai scratched his head, a bit shy to look at her, and straightened his expression. "If you want to thank me, just make sure to perform well as Ling Yao and don't let me down."

Xiaoyuan nodded vigorously, "Of course!"

"Oh, right! Before shooting begins, there will be a week of action training. The male and female leads are already in Hengdian, so you should head there tomorrow," Producer Chen added. "The airfare can be reimbursed."

On the way back, Cai Juan drove while Xiaoyuan sat in the back seat of the white Buick, which belonged to Xiang Zhishi. He rarely drove it, and now that he had gone to Pengcheng, Cai Juan was the one who used it the most.

They were both in a great mood, feeling like they had finally seen the light after the clouds. Not only did they sign the contract, but the pay was also very substantial. They sang and hummed as they swayed their heads, smiling happily.

Xiaoyuan rested her chin on her hand, still buzzing with excitement. "Fifty thousand per episode! Oh my gosh, I've never received such a high fee before." She calculated eagerly, "I heard this drama will shoot 32 episodes. As the second female lead, I should have around 20 episodes, right? Wow, that's a huge sum!"

If she had signed the contract offered by Wei Zhuang at the beginning, she could have obtained resources several times better and much more money than this. But all of that wouldn't compare to the sense of achievement she would get by earning it with her own hands.

Cai Juan didn't bring that up, he just smiled and said, "I hope filming goes smoothly so we can get our hands on that money!"

"Definitely! Rest assured, I won't let this little sum of money slip through my fingers!" Xiaoyuan clenched her fist tightly, extremely determined.

"Alright, let's find a place to eat. You didn't have a proper breakfast." Cai Juan suggested.

"Sure! I'm so hungry." Xiaoyuan replied, patting her stomach.

"By the way, besides the action scenes, there should be quite a bit of romance in this drama, right? You passed the audition, so it shouldn't be too difficult." Cai Juan casually asked.

Xiaoyuan clearly froze for a moment.

Cai Juan glanced at her through the rearview mirror. The afternoon light was bright, enveloping her in a halo of fuzzy gold, as she seemed to be pondering something, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, right hand curled near her lips, pink lips nibbling on her thumb.

"What are you thinking about, Yuan'er?"

While nibbling on her nail, XiaoYuan said, "I just realized something—I might not be suited for dating a boyfriend. I want to see if I can try dating a girl instead."

The white Buick swayed slightly on the road, and Cai Juan quickly steadied the steering wheel. "......"

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