Qian Xubing had won numerous international awards, and personally made seven or eight Best Actors and Best Actresses. Although Xiao Lan was a famous actress, even if she was the boss of Yunlai Entertainment, she dared not disrespect Qian Xubing.

Therefore, even though Xiao Lan’s cheeks burned fiercely, she could only bite down hard on her tongue to suppress the embarrassment.

“Director Qian is right. I was thinking too simplistically.”

Feeling the gazes of everyone upon her, Xiao Lan lowered her head, hiding the embarrassment in her eyes. After Director Qian waved his hand, she left the rest area and quickly stepped into the nanny van.

Sitting in the back seat, the assistant noticed Xiao Lan’s expression wasn’t right and quickly asked, “Sister Lan, what’s wrong?”

To the assistant, Xiao Lan was among the hottest female stars of her generation. Not only were her features stunning, but her figure was also well-proportioned, and her acting skills were commendable. Taking on the role of Daji shouldn’t have been difficult. Could something have gone wrong?

Xiao Lan took several gulps of water, then, after catching her breath, she said, “My foundation in dance isn’t sufficient so I didn’t get the role.”

Upon hearing that, the assistant gasped in surprise and dared not say anything more.

———pr

After Xiao Lan left, the audition in the rest area continued.

The second person to try was Zhao Baoru. At thirty years old, Zhao Baoru had studied dance for several years, and as she danced now, she resembled a butterfly gracefully spreading its wings. With a faint smile on her lips, she exuded a subtle charm.

Meng Zhen looked at Zhao Baoru and felt that she truly deserved to be a professional movie actress. Her expressions during the performance were exceptionally delicate, with every movement and gesture flawless.

Assistant Director Li tilted his head and said something to Director Qian Xubing. Zhao Baoru appeared visibly nervous, but she made a concerted effort to maintain her composure.

For the sake of her family and her marriage, Zhao Baoru hadn’t acted in three years. If she couldn’t secure this role, her future path would become even more challenging.

Director Qian cleared his throat gently and said, “Zhao Baoru, your performance was good. However, the aura you exude doesn’t quite match the character of Daji. If you’re willing, you can get the role of Queen Jiang instead.”

Zhao Baoru was momentarily stunned, lost in thought.

After her audition, it was Jiang Lianqin’s turn.

Jiang Lianqin had debuted nearly a year ago and had never acted before. Under Director Qian’s scrutinizing gaze, her heart pounded nervously. Fortunately, her dance skills were solidly grounded, and she smoothly performed the prepared routine without any mistakes.

In the drama, Daji first appeared at the age of sixteen, so her appearance, temperament, and demeanor must all reflect a youthful appearance. Meng Zhen and Jiang Lianqin had both recently come of age, making them the closest in age to Daji.

Although Qian Xubing had worked with Meng Zhen before, he wouldn’t simply choose her based on it. He spoke up, “Meng Zhen, it’s your turn.”

Meng Zhen was dressed in a fitted short-sleeved shirt today, paired with a burgundy silk long skirt. She took a mask from her bag and put it on her face, then held five colored feathers in her hand and began to perform a shamanic dance.

She half-tiptoed and took a few steps forward. Her hands were clasped together as she held the five-colored feathers in her palms high above her head. The mask, adorned with animal patterns, looked particularly fierce, exuding the wildness of ancient ancestors. Yet, the young woman’s figure was incredibly flexible and graceful, whether stepping or spinning, conveying an indescribable sense of beauty.

At this moment, Jiang Lianqin and Zhao Baoru were seated in their respective positions. Seeing Meng Zhen’s unique dance, Jiang Lianqin furrowed her brows and whispered, “Sister Baoru, Meng Zhen’s dance is quite strange. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“The dances from the Shang dynasty are indeed different from today’s. She must have come up with these dance movements herself.”

Zhao Baoru had been in the entertainment industry for many years and had a keen eye. Meng Zhen, despite her youth, had displayed remarkable composure in every move. She must have prepared thoroughly before the audition.

After Meng Zhen finished her dance and removed the mask, revealing her face as fair as frost and snow, even Zhao Baoru, a woman herself, felt her heart skip a beat for a moment.

Meng Zhen was indeed a beauty, and her beauty extended beyond just appearance, but also to her bones. Paired with her eyes that were as limpid as water, she portrayed Daji’s nervousness and her lone courage to perfection.

If she were King Zhou of Shang, she probably wouldn’t be able to resist bringing such a woman into the harem.

“Not bad.”

Qian Xubing applauded, while Assistant Director Li beside him also showed a satisfied expression.

Before the audition began, Director Qian had mentioned Meng Zhen to Assistant Director Li. However, the latter had dismissed Meng Zhen as nothing more than a superficial vase, believing she had no merit beyond her face.

But after the audition just now, he had to admit that Meng Zhen was the most suitable among the four.

Not only did her age match, but her dance skills were also exceptionally refined. Combined with her vivid and lively acting, she truly seemed to become Daji, leaving everyone in awe.

Meng Zhen held the heavy mask close to her chest and returned to her original position, nodding and smiling politely at Zhao Baoru and the others.

Even though Director Qian praised her, Meng Zhen couldn’t be certain about the outcome of her audition. After all, Jiang Lianqin had also performed well. Judging by the directors’ expressions, it seemed they would choose the actress to play Daji from between the two of them.

Assistant Director Li glanced at the floor manager, who then led Meng Zhen and the other two to another rest area.

Qian Xubing picked up his thermos cup, blew away the scattered steam, and asked, “Who do you think is more suitable to play Daji, Meng Zhen or Jiang Lianqin?”

Assistant Director Li wiped his face and whispered, “Do you even need to ask? Meng Zhen’s acting is clearly better than Jiang Lianqin’s, and her appearance is exceptionally striking, fitting the image of the calamitous imperial concubine. Jiang Lianqin is too bland in comparison.”

“I told you before that Meng Zhen is quite good, didn’t I? You should believe it now.” Director Qian said, taking a sip of his goji berry and red date tea.

“It’s a dilemma. If we choose Jiang Lianqin, the production can secure an additional thirty million investment. Thirty million is not a small amount. It can be used for special effects. Meng Zhen doesn’t have a management company, so the stakes aren’t balanced.” Assistant Director Li felt a deep headache. He scratched his head, unsure of which way to decide for a moment.

“Old Li, I used to make movies and rarely filmed TV dramas, but I know that the most important aspects of a good production are the storyline and the artists who can bring that storyline to life. Even if we choose Meng Zhen and miss out on the thirty million investment, we still have one hundred million, right? That’s more than enough for you to do the special effects.” Qian Xubing said to his old friend, his eyes squeezed in a smile.

“Fine, I see you’ve set your mind on Meng Zhen. You directors who make art films are all stubborn as mules. Once you have your eye on an artist, you insist on using them, and no one else will do. What’s with this stubbornness?”

Unlike Qian Xubing, Assistant Director Li had never worked on a big-screen production despite his many years in the industry. He had always toiled within the realm of television dramas.

They weren’t as meticulous as films, so Assistant Director Li’s standards for artists were not as high as Qian Xubing’s.

“Meng Zhen it is then. I also think that girl surnamed Jiang isn’t a very good actress. When she was dancing earlier, she looked like she was gritting her teeth. Anyone watching might think she wanted to tear King Zhou apart.”

“But they’re all young, and few have truly honed their acting skills, so you need to be more tolerant and understanding.”

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

Meng Zhen and the other two were taken next door, and after the floor manager left, Jiang Lianqin approached and said softly, “Zhenzhen, back when we participated in 《Dream Chaser》, we were the closest. I really like the role of Daji. Can you let me have it?”

Meng Zhen, having seen the experiences of the other Meng Zhen’s life, knew that Jiang Lianqin wasn’t lying.

Due to her introverted nature, the other Meng Zhen found it difficult to make friends with similar personalities in a short time. The other trainees formed cliques and whether unintentional or not, isolated her.

During that situation, Jiang Lianqin, wanting to showcase her kind and humble nature, deliberately approached the other Meng Zhen and became ‘good friends’ with her.

Unfortunately, this good friend, after the end of the talent show, never contacted the other Meng Zhen again and even deleted her WeChat.

Meng Zhen looked steadily at Jiang Lianqin and shook her head slowly. “Lianqin, you know, I plan to terminate my contract with Yunlai Entertainment. If I can’t pay it, I’ll never escape the fate of being shelved. This job is extremely important to me, and I can’t give up this opportunity to you.”

The soundproofing in this rest area wasn’t great, and the buzzing noise from the air conditioner’s external unit was annoying and distracting.

Being bluntly rejected by Meng Zhen, Jiang Lianqin couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, and the smile on her face gradually faded away.

Just a few months ago, Meng Zhen was still as stiff as a log, and even after studying dance day and night, her movements were still not coordinated. Why does she seem like a completely different person now?

Not only did she dance well, but her overall demeanor was also completely different from before.

This realization filled Jiang Liangqin with intense jealousy, and her hands hidden in her sleeves clenched into fists.

After about twenty minutes, the two directors appeared again before the three. Qian Xubing had a gentle smile on his lips as he addressed Jiang Lianqin, “Xiao Jiang, your performance just now was very good, and your dancing skills are not inferior to those of professional dancers, however, your acting fell a bit short. We’ll have more opportunities to work together in the future.”

When Director Qian said the first half of the sentence, Jiang Lianqin was still complacent. In her view, her joining the production could bring in thirty million in investment, something no director would likely refuse.

But she never imagined that Director Qian would still choose Meng Zhen, who had debuted in tenth place. How could Meng Zhen possibly compete with someone who was ranked first?

Jiang Lianqin, being young, couldn’t completely hide her emotions. Her eyes widened as she looked at Assistant Director Li in astonishment, her voice somewhat sharp. “Assistant Director Li, Mr. Zhang already had an agreement with you. As long as I play—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Director Qian waved his hand to interrupt her.

“No matter how much investment you can bring to the production, your audition result wasn’t satisfactory. If you can focus your competitive spirit on honing your acting skills, you will surely achieve excellent results in the future.”

Director Qian didn’t even care about the current top actress at Yunlai Entertainment, let alone a rookie who had only debuted a little over half a year ago.

If she’s not suitable, then she’s not suitable.