Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 350 Zeng Li: Please Call Me the Victorious Fighting Buddha
Some people are disappointed, some are happy; that's just how the world is.

After the awards ceremony, Liu Jing attended the banquet, and then Cheng Long dragged him to the second event.

The dinner was very formal; everyone was polite and courteous—a great social occasion.

The second event was a bit less formal. Jackie Chan enjoys hanging out with young people and prefers excitement and energy. There weren't many formalities or pleasantries; it was a great place to connect and build relationships.

The third scene was rather unconventional; Liu Jing visited each of Gao Yuanyuan's, Jing Tian's, and Bai Bing's rooms in turn. As for Zhang Min, to avoid suspicion, she visited Gao Yuanyuan's room.

The next day, everyone went their separate ways and continued their busy lives.

Liu Jing left by plane and returned to Shanghai with Zhang Min. Filming for "Chinese Paladin 3" had been underway for half a month, and he was about to join the crew.

Bai Bing and Gao Yuanyuan, the two right-hand women, returned to Beijing, while Jing Tian went to Wuxi to continue filming.

Liu Jing didn't care about anyone else.

On the flight to Shanghai, the lottery system was optimized, with three main changes.

First, rewards are no longer categorized, and the prize pool has been upgraded with a wider variety of items.

Second, only top-tier entertainment awards qualify for a chance to win a prize.

Third, the reward threshold has been adjusted. Only when the host and their bond win awards such as Best Newcomer, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, or Best Film can they get a chance to win a prize.

In summary, it is now more difficult to get a chance to win a prize, but the types of prizes are more diverse.

During the entire Hundred Flowers Awards event, Liu Jing only received one chance to participate in the draw. He finished optimizing the system on one side and immediately used it.

Congratulations! You've been selected to receive the script "The Night the Comet Came." Please choose a suitable time to collect it.

Liu Jing drew an English script, but he didn't feel any changes after the optimization.

The script was somewhat obscure, and the dialogue was a bit disorganized. Liu Jing studied it carefully the whole way before finally figuring out the main plot.

The idea is excellent, the production cost is very low, there are few actors, the scenes are simple, but it's a bit mind-bending.

Liu Jing plans to use the idea to rewrite the script, making it more in line with the customs of China.

He stayed in Shanghai for two days before leisurely joining the production team.

Liu Jing was overthinking things. Qianqian wasn't even on set; she was deliberately avoiding his schedule.

He was worried that having Sisi around would prevent him from using the skills of the film crew's married couple. Sisi also had her own worries: "That bastard is hooking up with other women, how embarrassing for me! I'd rather not see him and not have to worry about him."

Not only was Xixi absent, but Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, and Tang Yan were also absent. Mi and Shishi were filming multiple projects simultaneously, while Tang Yan was filming her scenes with Xu Changqing in another production.

Li Guoli originally had a dark expression. He had a lot of opinions about Yang Mi and Liu Shishi's behavior of filming two projects at the same time, but he had nowhere to reason with them.

Cai Yinong made the decisions, and Liu Jing was in charge of the household, so he could only sulk.

He was the chief director of "Chinese Paladin 3" and had made up his mind beforehand. If Liu Jing didn't perform well, he would definitely take the opportunity to give him a good scolding and vent his anger.

Unfortunately, Liu Jing didn't give him the opportunity. Playing a role like Jing Tian was no challenge for a Hundred Flowers Award-winning actor.

Fortunately, Liu Jing greatly accelerated the filming process and improved filming efficiency. Li Guoli's frustration dissipated, and he praised Liu Jing as "Liu the One-Shot."

Filming during the day, then meeting up with the director, assistant director, and a few actors for drinks after work, before returning to the hotel to revise the script – a uniquely relaxing experience.

A few days later, Liu Shishi returned to the film crew, and Liu Jing returned to Yandu, and the two missed each other again.

The global premiere of "Painted Skin" will be held at the Olympic Sports Center. As the male lead and a recent hot topic, Liu Jing has no reason not to attend.

He regretted it as soon as he got back to the company, feeling that he would have been better off on the film set. Nothing was wrong when he wasn't back; everything was trouble once he returned.

Casting for "The Message" is still ongoing, with auditions continuing daily. Auditions have begun for all roles except for a few key ones.

"Sister Danchen, it's not that I don't support you, but look at these statistics. If you were ranked higher, I might make an exception and talk to the casting team. You're not even in the top five, how can I face them?" Liu Jing was extremely annoyed. He had just sat down in his office and hadn't even had a sip of tea when Yan Danchen arrived.

"Let me see how many points they got." Yan Danchen didn't believe it. How could I not even make it into the top five? That bastard must be lying to me.

"Here you go." Liu Jing handed over the documents.

This is internal information from the casting team, so naturally, others can't see it. The Five Sufferings of Spring and Autumn hold a special position, and besides, Yan Danchen participated in the audition, so it wouldn't hurt for her to take a look.

Yan Danchen flipped to the first page, which contained Yuan Quan's information, and couldn't help but be surprised. "Yuan Quan is actually number one, with a total score of 9.07. Wow! That's a really high score. I think I only got a little over seven. She has an innate, cool, and intellectual air about her, with sharp facial features and a distant look in her eyes. She's adept at conveying deep emotions through micro-expressions. She gave outstanding performances in 'Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land' and 'Amber,' revealing an undercurrent of emotion beneath her rational exterior. This quality is a perfect match for Li Ningyu's professional composure and the inner turmoil she experiences when coerced..."

The following comments were from the casting team, and Liu Jing hadn't expected the casting team to rate Yuan Quan so highly.

This information was given to him by Bai Bing just now. After reviewing it, the casting team preferred actresses who played Qingyi (a type of female role in Peking Opera) in Li Ningyu's selection process.

Second place went to Zeng Li with a score of 8.92. Her profile was more detailed, and the final part was the casting team's comments.

Zeng Li possesses a cool and aloof temperament, distant yet not cold, exuding an aura of high intelligence. Her features are well-defined and dignified, perfectly suited to portraying the authoritative presence of a cipher chief. Her outstanding performance as Song Jiayi in "The Hairdresser" earned her a nomination for the 2006 Golden Goblet Award. Song Jiayi's restrained dignity amidst turmoil resonated deeply with Li Ningyu's composed and professional attitude.

Zeng Li's performance style is restrained, not relying on exaggerated movements, but conveying emotions through her eyes, which suits Li Ningyu's "silent resistance during torture"...

Third place: Qin Hailu, 8.76 points.

Fourth place: Chen Shu, 8.69 points.

Fifth place: Li Bingbing, 8.57 points.

Sixth place, Yu Nan, 8.34 points.

Seventh place, Zhang Jingchu, 8.21 points.

Eighth place, Gao Yuanyuan, 8.08 points.

Eighth place, Jiang Qinqin, 7.87 points.

Tenth place, Yan Danchen, 7.63 points. Gentle and dignified, skilled at restraint, she fits Li Ningyu's outward characteristics. However, her high intelligence and sharp wit, as well as the complexities of human nature, fall slightly short of perfectly in embodying the character…

……

"Sigh! Tenth place, what a huge disappointment. Does this mean I can only play Chang'e from now on?" Yan Danchen said bitterly. The casting team's comments were fair, reasonable, and unbiased, so she really couldn't say anything.

“Some actors act their whole lives and never have a single memorable role. Compared to them, you’ve already done very well,” Liu Jing comforted him.

For each of the seven important roles—Li Ningyu, Gu Xiaomeng, Wu Zhiguo, Wang Tianxiang, Bai Xiaonian, Jin Shenghuo, and Wu Tian—five actors will be invited to audition.

The group invited Gao Yuanyuan, Zeng Li, Yuan Quan, Chen Shu, and Li Bingbing; the others came to audition voluntarily.

This casting call was particularly intense, and the casting team was unable to make a final decision, so they handed the information over to the director.

The casting of Gu Xiaomeng was not surprising. Liu Jing's original intention was Zhang Ziyi, Tang Wei, Fan Xiaopang, Hao Lei, and Qin Lan.

Because of Director Lu's decision, Qin Lan was replaced by Zhou Xun.

Based on the director's preferences, the casting team extended audition invitations to five leading actresses. Apart from Zhang Ziyi, the other four accepted the invitations.

Zhang Ziyi is currently preparing for "Perfect Match," where she is both the producer and the lead actress. She is not available for the second half of the year.

Fan Xiaopang was also very busy and had no free time, but he still came. Qianqian had already been rejected by Liu Jing, and she knew she had no chance either, after all, her acting skills had been criticized by many men.

However, in order to boost the popularity of "The Message", Fan Xiaopang participated in the audition in a high-profile manner, showing a determination to win.

The casting team invited five people, and dozens of them volunteered to audition. Zhou Xun stood out with a score of 9.22. All the other scores were below eight, so the casting team didn't hesitate and directly cast Zhou Xun.

Unless the director uses his veto power or adds more than 1.5 points to the second-place candidate, Zhou Xun will be Gu Xiaomeng.

The first role cast in "The Message" was Zhou Xun.

The assistant is secretly contacting Zhou Xun, attempting to poach her.

As for whether Zhou Xun will take the role after his contract with Huayi expires, it remains to be seen whether he will renege on his promise after receiving the role.

Bai Bing wasn't worried at all; on the contrary, she was looking forward to it. The thought of personally blacklisting a top actress, especially one of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), excited her.

"Sissi is stuck with her roles and has always wanted to break through her established image. She's transitioned to action stars, played a nine-tailed fox, and wanted to play Gu Xiaomeng—all attempts. Sissi's efforts have already paid off, and I want to learn from her, to try all sorts of roles so that everyone forgets about Chang'e. After looking at this information, Zeng Li, Yuan Quan, and Qin Hailu are indeed more suitable for this role." Yan Danchen sighed, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Haha, you blockhead, the top three are classmates, the eight beauties of the Central Academy of Drama's 96 class. You're in for a tough time now. There's also Zhang Jingchu and Chen Shu, they're both from the Central Academy of Drama. It's a pity Zhang Ziyi isn't included. Four beauties from the Central Academy of Drama competing for one role, that would be truly exciting!"

Liu Jing remained silent, his gaze shifting between the three names: Yuan Quan, Zeng Li, and Gao Yuanyuan, unable to make a decision.

Of the top six, Qin Hailu's looks weren't to his liking, so she was the first to pass.

The second person to pass was Li Bingbing. They couldn't poach her, and she was an artist from a competitor. What was the point of keeping her?
Chen Shu was too capable, and Yu Nan was too aggressive; he passed on both of them in quick succession. Gao Yuanyuan didn't score high, ranking eighth, but that was because she was his favorite.

So-called fairness and impartiality only apply when no one involved is involved.

"You gave Zeng Li two roles: Sun Shangxiang in 'Red Cliff' and Wang Cuiping in 'Lurking.' Poor older sister of mine, who was the first one I met, now has no roles to play and can only take on some commercial gigs to make ends meet." Yan Danchen sighed, looking pitifully at Liu Jing.

Liu Jing didn't feel sorry for her at all. He believed that every pitiful person has something hateful about them, and Yan Danchen was one of them.

She rose to fame a few years ago for playing the role of Chang'e in "The Lotus Lantern," and was called "the most beautiful Chang'e" by the audience. For a time, she was inundated with business deals and endorsements.

This was much more lucrative than acting, and from then on, she was constantly on the go, accepting all kinds of commercial offers, even for the opening of shopping malls in fourth-tier cities.

"It was all Xiao Dong who fought for her." Liu Jing denied it, but was glad he hadn't chosen her as a burden back then.

"Tch! What can that little brat do..."

"Ahem, Sister Danchen, do you want to see what I'm capable of?" Bai Bing came in carrying a pile of documents and overheard everything.

When Yan Danchen arrived, Liu Jing left the door wide open to allow passersby to see, in order to prove their innocence.

He had no choice but to do it this way; he was worried that once the door was closed, Yan Danchen would plot against him.

Yan Danchen was indeed determined to sacrifice her physical body for Li Ningyu.

Liu Jing is no longer the novice he was a few years ago; he now understands women very well and saw through Chang'e's thoughts at a glance.

"Haha, just kidding, it won't interfere with your work." Yan Danchen laughed it off and quickly left.

Liu Jing asked curiously, "She seems a little afraid of you?"

"It's nothing. I got her drunk that day, stripped her naked, and took a few photos," Bai Bing said with a grin.

"..." Liu Jing was speechless. No wonder Yan Danchen entrusted the brokerage business to Bai Bing and was so reluctant to talk about it. When others asked, she praised Bai Bing's work ability.

"Do you want to see? She has a great figure, slim and well-endowed." Bai Bing said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm a respectable person." Liu Jing hesitated for a moment. He was busy right now, so he would talk to her when he had some free time.

"Tch!" The assistant rolled her eyes, not bothering to expose her.

This wasn't the time for flirting. She placed the documents on the table. "These are the audition videos, and these are the casting materials for the other roles. The casting team is urging us on; almost everyone who could audition has come. They need to finalize the roles by the end of the month. Tomorrow is the premiere of 'Painted Skin,' and they're worried they won't be able to find you again. Since you're back this time, they hope to finalize these five roles first, and then they'll schedule the dates with the actors."

"Okay! I'll take care of these things before I go back to Hengdian." Liu Jing rubbed his temples.

The assistant poured a glass of water, placed it next to the boss, and then hurriedly left.

She is also very busy and has a lot of work to do.

Liu Jing plugged in the hard drive and looked at the audition videos of Zeng Li and Yuan Quan, feeling even more conflicted.

He sighed softly, deciding to put Li Ningyu aside for now and look at the other characters.

The top five auditionees for Bai Xiaonian were Chen Kun, Qiao Zhenyu, Feng Shaofeng, Yu Shaoqun, and Yuan Hong.

Liu Jing didn't hesitate and immediately decided on Chen Kun.

Six years ago on the set of "The Story of a Noble Family", Liu Jing slapped Chen Kun because of his attitude towards Xi Xi.

Realizing the harsh reality, Chen Kun repeatedly apologized to Xixi. The easygoing Xixi, however, had already resolved the issue with him.

Liu Jing didn't care; he hadn't suffered any loss that day anyway. If he dared to bare his teeth again, he'd get another slap.

He chose Chen Kun, who is the most famous among these people, and sharing the stage with Zhou Xun is a great publicity point.

Wang Tianxiang was among the top five in the audition. Liu Jing only watched the video once and decided to cast Wang Zhiwen without hesitation.

Liu Jing hesitated for a long time before finally deciding on Fan Wei for the role of Jin Shenghuo.

“Sun Honglei, Hu Jun, Liao Fan, Duan Yihong, damn it, why is Jiang Wen also here? What’s he doing here?” Liu Jing flipped through the casting list for the male lead Wu Zhiguo and was really annoyed when he saw Jiang Wen.

The moment Liu Jing saw Jiang Wen's name, he mentally crossed it out; he didn't want to hire a high-ranking director.

He was watching these people's videos when Gao Yuanyuan knocked on the door and walked in with a smile.

"Not thirsty, not hungry, not tired," Liu Jing replied before Gao Yuanyuan could speak. That smile clearly indicated he wanted something. Coming to her at this time was most likely about casting for "The Message."

"Let me give you a massage." Gao Yuanyuan pouted, she really knew how to predict things.

"Yuanyuan, your score wasn't high this time," Liu Jing sighed.

“I know, I came in eighth, even lower than Zhang Jingchu. My performance was extremely poor, which means this role isn’t really suitable for me,” Gao Yuanyuan quickly replied.

"Huh?" Liu Jing was surprised. Wasn't he here to use connections?
“It’s not that I don’t want to act in your films, nor do I mind that you’re a tyrant on set. I know you’re doing this for my own good, wanting me to shed my ‘pretty face’ image. If it were Gu Xiaomeng, I wouldn’t hesitate. Li Ningyu has a scene where she needs to be completely nude, and the final result definitely won’t be like that. But during filming, she’ll definitely have to be naked. There are so many people on set; you wouldn’t want me standing there, letting everyone stare, would you?” Gao Yuanyuan voiced her concerns, but there was another layer of worry: men are often petty.

“When you’re filming this scene, you’ll definitely find a stunt double in advance, or clear the set beforehand.” Liu Jing had a plan.

Gao Yuanyuan bit her lip, "But if you play Takeda, and we have scenes together, let alone physical punishment, no matter what kind of torture you put me through, I still can't portray that sense of humiliation."

Liu Jing clicked his tongue; this really was a problem.

For the audition of Takeda, the casting team invited five people: Atsuro Watabe, Daniel Wu, Chang Chen, Liu Ye, and Zu Feng. They chose a Japanese actor because Takeda's character is portrayed as an ordinary person in the story's setting.

All five auditioned, and Liu Jing currently has the highest score. The casting team gave him a high score of 9.2, making him stand out from the crowd.

Liu Jing did not participate in the audition. The casting team unanimously felt that the director played the villain too well in "New Police Story" and was the best choice to play the role of Takeda Nagatoshi. Moreover, he also knew Japanese, so they added Liu Jing to the shortlist.

"Takeda..." Liu Jing didn't really want to play the role, as it would affect his image.

“You’re going to be a director, so whatever role you play won’t interfere with your acting career, but it won’t interfere with your directing career.” Gao Yuanyuan poured herself a glass of water and placed it aside.

"Alright. Since you don't want to act, I won't force you," Liu Jing sighed.

"Mua! You're so cute, I love you to death." Gao Yuanyuan leaned in and kissed Liu Jing, leaving a red mark on his cheek, before happily walking away.

"You promised to give me a massage, but now that I've done it, I've forgotten about it," Liu Jing muttered.

The beauty has left, but the work must continue.

With the end of the workday fast approaching, Liu Jing was still agonizing over whether to choose Wu Zhiguo or Li Ningyu.

ding dong...

A text message came in: "Director, this is Tang Wei. Could you give me a chance? Any role is fine. I just want a place to work."

bang bang bang...

There was a knock on the door. Liu Jing put down his phone and said, "Come in."

Zeng Li entered, and Liu Jing suddenly felt like an online friend had appeared before him.

"You're quitting your role too?" Liu Jing frowned.

"What role are you asking me to step down from? You mean Li Ningyu? Why should I step down? Why should I step down?" Zeng Li asked, puzzled.

"Aren't you supposed to be pretty laid-back?" Liu Jing asked with a half-smile.

"No one's offering me roles, but a laid-back attitude can save face. The role is right there on my lips, so please call me the Victorious Fighting Buddha." Zeng Li doesn't shy away from it at all; after flirting for over a year, there's nothing left to hide.

"How will you fight?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

"Ten times!" Zeng Li stretched out both hands and made a ten gesture.

"You owe me over eighty times now, and you haven't paid me back even once," Liu Jing said irritably.

"It's ready to be cashed out anytime. If you don't come to collect it, can you blame me?" Zeng Li rolled her eyes and sat down on Liu Jing's desk. "There's no time like the present. How about today?"

"I'm a decent person." Liu Jing said blankly. He had to go back to Baiyujing tonight; Qianqian was at home.

"Wipe your lipstick off before you say that."

……

P.S.: So this is what heatstroke feels like.
(End of this chapter)