Chapter 35: “The Result Is Already Out”

The role Mu Ruo was auditioning for was that of an ancient beauty, the younger sister of a tyrannical villain. She appeared pure and pristine on the outside but was actually as vicious as a snake. Though the role had few scenes in the movie, it needed to leave a stunning impression.

Mu Ruo waited in line outside for a while.

Inside, when the director saw Mu Ruo’s resume, his brows furrowed deeply. She had overseas education but no acting experience at all. Her photo showed a rare beauty, but in this era of heavily edited photos, he doubted the authenticity of her appearance.

The assistant director whispered, “She was recommended by Sister Du.”

Du Yue had some clout in the industry and a good relationship with the director.

Even though Du Yue recommended her, the director only gave Mu Ruo a chance to audition; whether she got the role depended entirely on her ability.

The director nodded, and the next person to come in was Mu Ruo.

The moment the girl entered, the directors’ team was immediately impressed.

Her facial features were exceptionally standard, her bone structure exquisite with no flaws. Wearing a loose white T-shirt and gray pants, her dark hair casually tied up, she exuded an elegant and graceful demeanor, likely due to her ballet background.

She was indeed a beauty, even more vibrant than in her photos.

Just by her appearance, Director Zhao was excited. He wanted someone who could convey the sense of a beauty that would astonish at first glance. So far, those they had found either had the temperament but not the looks, or the looks but not the temperament.

This girl, even without wearing period costumes, gave off an ethereal and otherworldly vibe just by standing there.

Director Zhao whispered, “It’s her. We can slowly work on her acting, teaching her each movement.”

The assistant director frowned, “Her demeanor is too pure, not fitting for a wicked princess.”

“No, I want this exact feeling,” Director Zhao insisted, “She will undergo a transformation once she understands the character.”

Regardless, everyone had to audition today. Even though Director Zhao had internally decided on Mu Ruo based on her looks, she still needed to audition for the part.

He asked Mu Ruo to perform the scene where the princess requests the male lead from her tyrannical brother during a banquet.

Since there was no actor playing the tyrant, everything depended on Mu Ruo performing in modern attire, essentially an imaginary performance.

All eyes in the audition team were on Mu Ruo.

The girl put down the script and didn’t merely read the lines. In just a brief moment, her demeanor changed.

With an innocent look at the invisible tyrant, her pure eyes carried a hint of unintentional cruelty. Although she held nothing in her hands, she mimicked the action of playing with a hairpin.

This single transformation stunned Director Zhao.

Considering her resume indicated no acting experience, and Du Yue had specifically mentioned she was a novice beauty trying out, he hadn’t expected anything outstanding.

He was genuinely surprised when this girl, with just one movement, conveyed the presence of a high-ranking young lady.

“Imperial Brother, I find this person quite interesting.”

Her charming yet mischievous voice fit the role perfectly. Her eyes slightly shifted, smiling as she looked from the tyrant to the bound and kneeling male lead, adding a touch of malice, “Why not gift him to me, and let me punish him?”

Even though she was wearing an ordinary T-shirt and long pants, Director Zhao and the others felt as if she were dressed in a princess’s luxurious attire. Her graceful movements were exceptionally elegant.

The princess walked gracefully down from the banquet and approached the imaginary male lead.

Then, she mimicked holding a nonexistent hairpin and slowly inscribed characters on the male lead’s face.

Director Zhao watched intently, even counting the strokes. She portrayed the character with such precision that even the traditional characters were detailed.

……

After finishing the scene, Mu Ruo expressionlessly bowed to the director’s seat.

Before being transported into the book, Mu Ruo had just finished shooting a historical film where she played the second female lead. Despite her looks, she was not a popular actress and had no backing. She relied solely on her acting skills to gain recognition in the film industry.

She always took months of training for every role she got, learning everything from the character’s demeanor to their skills. She was confident in her performance and believed there were no issues.

Director Zhao looked at Mu Ruo as if he had found a rare gem, eager to finalize her for the role on the spot.

The staff escorted Mu Ruo out, saying, “We will inform you of the interview results within two days.”

Mu Ruo nodded and left.

Director Zhao watched her leave and declared, “It’s her!”

The assistant director had some concerns, “She’s too beautiful. Won’t that be a problem?”

Director Zhao was annoyed, “The character is supposed to be beautiful. Should we cast someone unattractive?”

“That’s not it,” the assistant director hesitated, “I mean, she’s much prettier than the female lead. Won’t that upset the leading actress?”

Director Zhao sneered. He was a renowned director and wasn’t going to be influenced by actors.

Since he had decided on this novice actress, it was final.

Not long after Mu Ruo left, she received a call saying she had passed the audition and needed to discuss the contract.

This success was thanks to Haili’s aunt’s recommendation, so Mu Ruo invited Haili and her aunt to dinner that night.

Du Yue, Haili’s aunt, didn’t know Mu Ruo had already passed the audition and didn’t expect the results so soon. Seeing the two young girls happy, she was pleased too. Unmarried and childless, Du Yue enjoyed the company of young people.

She preemptively comforted Mu Ruo, “Ruo Ruo, Director Zhao’s films are tough to get into. He rejected over a hundred people this time. If you don’t make it, don’t be disheartened. I’ll help you find other opportunities. You don’t have to act to be a star.”

Mu Ruo took a bite of her ice cream and said, “The results are already out.”

She showed the message to Du Yue, who was surprised to see it was personally sent by Director Zhao.

Having been in the industry for a long time, Du Yue knew how hard it was to get into Director Zhao’s crew.

When she went to the restroom, she called Director Zhao to understand the situation better. She was worried someone might have deceived the beautiful girl into a dubious situation.

As soon as the call connected, Director Zhao spoke, “Du Yue, where did you find such a talented beauty? Has she really never acted before? I checked and found no records of her work. She has such good acting skills with no experience. She’s quite talented. If you have more connections like this, keep recommending them to me.”