This director lacks vision.

Chapter 276 The Most Beautiful Lu Xueqi?

At 5:15 a.m. on June 21, it was just getting light.

At 4 a.m., the actors from the Fanghua Training Camp had already gathered together, ready to start their morning practice.

Wang Churan yawned, glanced at Cheng Xiao's bulging mouth, and felt a little envious.

She habitually pursed her lips and complained, "This training is too tough, when will it ever end?"

While stretching his legs, Cheng Xiao said, "Is it hard? I think it's alright. I've learned a lot during this time."

Humans have two sides.

Although Cheng Xiao is rebellious and has the temperament of a spirited young woman, she also has a strong will to never give up. She is very serious and hardworking when training, and her overall performance in the training camp is very good.

In contrast, Wang Churan was more negative and often complained.

She said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have signed the contract in the first place. Look at Guan Xiaotong, she didn't sign a contract, and now she's the nation's little sister on iQiyi's variety shows."

We've been training hard here for six months, but we haven't heard anything.

I've barely met Director Jiang Yifeng.

Liu Yicun leaned over and said, "Have you guys seen the news? A few days ago, Huanrui Century posted on Weibo that they failed to invite Liu Yifei to play Lu Xueqi, and now they are holding auditions online to select the most beautiful Lu Xueqi!"

We'll have a half-day off tomorrow, do you guys want to give Lu Xueqi a try?

Hearing this, Wang Churan was somewhat tempted, but she didn't respond.

Liu Jicun's tea-tasting skills were acquired later in life and were not yet fully developed. His speech and actions often had a pretentious quality.

Men may enjoy a woman serving tea, but women generally dislike tea girls.

Therefore, Cheng Xiao and Wang Churan got along well, but both women ostracized Liu Yicun.

Cheng Xiao said irritably, "Are you out of your mind? How old are we to be playing Lu Xueqi?"

Despite being rebuffed by Cheng Xiao, Liu Yicun wasn't angry. She simply lowered her head, pouted, and said in a coquettish voice, "What does it matter if I'm older? Liu Yifei was only 14 when she played Wang Yuyan."

If she can do it, why can't we?

After saying this, Liu Jicun observed Wang Churan's expression and felt that there was a chance, so he continued, "Chuanchuan, you look a lot like Liu Yifei, and you look good in ancient costumes. Why don't you give it a try?"

If you are chosen by Lu Xueqi, you will soar to great heights.

This is a big-budget production with an investment of 2 million yuan, based on the popular IP "Zhu Xian"!

Wang Churan was even more tempted. She also felt that she looked like Liu Yifei, and her classmates and friends had all said so.

She once wore a wig at school to imitate Liu Yifei's makeup, which received widespread praise.

Wang Churan asked for confirmation: "Are you sure it will be useful for me to look like Liu Yifei?"

Liu Yicun jogged to the edge of the venue, took out a phone from his bag, opened the Weibo page, and said, "Look at Huanrui Century's Weibo, in the netizens' poll for the actress playing Lu Xueqi, Liu Yifei got the most votes, accounting for more than 70%!"
Even Xiao Ding, the author of "Zhu Xian", said that when he wrote Lu Xueqi, he thought of Liu Yifei.

This is a Weibo post from Huanrui Media soliciting submissions for Lu Xueqi from across the internet. Take a look.

Wang Churan doesn't have a mobile phone and rarely uses Weibo.

She took Liu Yicun's phone and saw Huanrui Century's Weibo account.

Thank you to all the netizens for your enthusiastic voting on the casting of Jade Dynasty. According to the voting results, Liu Yifei received the most votes.

We at Huanrui fully respect the opinions of netizens and have contacted Liu Yifei's team.

Unfortunately, Liu Yifei was not interested in the role of Lu Xueqi, and despite our repeated attempts, we were still rejected.

Everyone has their own ideas, and we respect Liu Yifei's choice.

Back then, director Jiang Yifeng launched a nationwide search for Gao Yuanyuan, which set a good precedent for Dark Glory.

Today, we pay tribute by launching a nationwide online search for a "Little Liu Yifei" to create a new generation of ethereal beauties and achieve the most beautiful Lu Xueqi!

Upon seeing this, Wang Churan felt her heart beating very fast.

Little Liu Yifei!

She deserves that title!

Wang Churan subconsciously clicked on the comments section, only to find that the comments were all tagging Liu Shishi.

"@Liu Shishi, Little Liu Yifei is here, Huanrui doesn't need to be looked for anymore."

"Haha, isn't the 'Little Liu Yifei' of the entertainment industry just @LiuShishi? Why do they need to solicit names from the entire internet?"

"@Liu Shishi is not only the younger version of Liu Yifei, but also her cousin, if I remember correctly."

"I absolutely cannot let @LiuShishi play Lu Xueqi, I don't want Lu Xueqi to be blind!"

……

Upon seeing these comments, Wang Churan burst out laughing.

She also felt that Liu Shishi was no good, and that only Wang Churan was suitable.

Then Liu Yicun continued, "See? The whole internet is looking for a little Liu Yifei. Chuanchuan, your looks are just too perfect. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Wang Churan was completely tempted, but she still hesitated and asked, "If I go there for the audition, will it conflict with Fanghua?"

Liu Jicun said, "How could that be! Huanrui Century is also a subsidiary of Sohu Video, and it's a sister company of Fengxing Media. In fact, they're all one family."

It's an audition for someone from your own family, what's wrong with you giving it a try?

If they get selected over there, we can just coordinate things here.

Wang Churan was completely fooled by Liu Jicun.

In addition, the character of Lu Xueqi is indeed very attractive, and the titles of "Little Liu Yifei" and "New Generation Fairy Sister" are also very tempting.

She decided to take the day off tomorrow and go for the audition.

Wang Churan couldn't keep things to herself. Seeing that the dance teacher hadn't arrived yet, she ran outside to discuss the matter with her mother.

Cheng Xiao watched Wang Churan's departing figure and sneered, "Is a victory achieved through deception considered a victory?"

Liu Qicun tricked Wang Churan into participating in Lu Xueqi's audition in order to reduce the number of competitors.

After all, they had been training for half a year, and Jiang Yifeng hadn't given any hints about who would play Liu Miaomiao; no one was sure.

The competition at the training camp was intense.

Liu Qicun held up an index finger, rested it on his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Hmm... how can it not count?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao rolled his eyes dramatically.

She was about to accuse Liu Jicun when she heard him pout and say, "If you're so righteous, why didn't you stop Wang Churan just now?"
You share the same idea as me, wanting to reduce competitors.

You always laugh at me for being pretentious, but you're the same! So hypocritical~
Who bumped into me during the last assessment?
Is it Wang Churan?

If I hadn't dodged quickly, I might have broken a bone!

And you, you deliberately make noise so I can't sleep at night.

Cheng Xiao: "..."

Palace intrigue is a woman's instinct.

Moreover, in a training camp setting, only one of the seven actresses could play Liu Miaomiao.

The others also have roles, but they are far from being the main characters.

For these girls, this is a chance to rise to the top in one step.

If I could become a "Feng Girl" (a term referring to actresses who have worked with director Feng), I would become a big star and change my social class.

To achieve this goal, they engaged in all sorts of open and covert struggles, with their parents also providing considerable instigation.

Wang Churan went to the audition for "The Most Beautiful Lu Xueqi" with full confidence.

She thought this audition would be as fair as the one for "Youth," judging by appearance and temperament.

Wang Churan even specially imitated Liu Yifei's makeup and glamorous appearance, and from certain angles she really looked quite similar to Liu Yifei.

But the reality is cruel.

After the staff realized that Wang Churan had no connections, their attitude became very cold, and they seemed indifferent to any questions asked.

Later on, some staff members even asked Wang Churan's mother for kickbacks.

Her mother didn't give it to her, so Wang Churan was eliminated in the preliminary round.

It was this audition that made Wang Churan realize the fairness and beauty of the Youthful Days production team.

She was determined to come back and train hard, but when she returned to the training camp, Han Jianu found out that she had gone to audition for Lu Xueqi.

Han Jianu was furious and wanted to fire Wang Churan, but she couldn't make the decision herself, so she contacted Jiang Yifeng.

On the afternoon of June 22nd, after finishing all the post-production work for "Youth With You," Jiang Yifeng arrived at the "4 AM" venue. Looking at Wang Churan, who was burying her head in the sand like an ostrich, Jiang Yifeng said, "According to the contract we signed earlier, you will receive closed training at the Fanghua Training Camp for a period of 6 months to a year."

We will cover the training costs, and we will also reimburse your and your mother's food and lodging expenses. In addition, we will give you a nutrition allowance of 5000 yuan per month.

This treatment isn't bad, is it?

Your duty is to focus on training and not participate in any other activities without the crew's permission.

Your secret audition for the TV series "Zhu Xian" constitutes a breach of contract.

What do you suggest we do about this?

Jiang Yifeng already had a strong aura, and with the addition of the Beast Heart talent, he was incredibly imposing when he looked serious and unsmiling.

The question fell silent.

Wang Churan gritted her teeth and said, "I was bewitched by Liu Jicun. She suggested that I participate in the audition."

Jiang Yifeng glanced at Liu Jicun, which startled her so much that her face turned pale.

Jiang Yifeng countered, "If Liu Jicun instigated you to kill someone, would you kill someone? You wouldn't."

Because you know that's wrong.

Ultimately, it's because you lack a sense of contract and don't take the training camp seriously.

I just asked a few teachers, and they said that your overall performance in the entire training camp was the worst. You always like to roll your eyes and complain, and you're often in a bad mood.

The Youth film crew is already the fairest film crew in the entertainment industry. I don't look at your family background or personal connections; I only look at your performance.

And yet, you still don't know how to cherish the opportunity.

Then the production team won't want you.

"You can leave now."

As soon as the words "Let's leave" were uttered, Wang Churan burst into tears, crying very sadly.

But Jiang Yifeng remained unmoved.

He continued, "According to the contract, you have breached the contract. You will have to pay for your own training and accommodation during this period, and we will also have to recover the nutrition fees we provided."

I'll let bygones be bygones regarding the 50 yuan penalty for breach of contract.

The training camp director, Han Jian, was found to have mismanaged the camp and clearly neglected her duties; she has been fined three months' salary.

Seeing that Jiang Yifeng had also punished Han Jianu, the actors in the training camp looked even more nervous.

For the past six months, what they have feared most is Han Jianu.

After being expelled from the training camp, Wang Churan stood outside the venue with her mother and refused to leave.

They wanted to plead with Jiang Yifeng, but they couldn't even get a chance to see him.

Looking at the training hall under the night sky, Wang Churan felt as if the past six months had been a dream.

She was once so close to her dream, but she didn't cherish it.

Thinking about her past complaints and lack of seriousness, she felt extremely remorseful.

Of course, she also remembered Liu Jiecun's tea girl face and secretly vowed to get revenge.

The mother said, "Lu Xueqi's audition hasn't finished yet, so why don't we spend some money to bribe her?"

At her mother's arrangement, Wang Churan participated in the audition for the TV series "Zhu Xian" again.

I prepared several red envelopes this time, spending tens of thousands of yuan in total. In addition, I had some advantages in appearance, which finally helped me pass the preliminary selection and enter the first round of the audition.

During the initial audition, Wang Churan saw many celebrity faces, which made her realize the diversity of the entertainment industry.

It turns out that there are different treatments depending on the number of interview rounds, makeup, and time.

She was a nobody, so she was interviewed later in the rounds. Her makeup and styling were very casual. She went in, said a couple of words, and then came out.

When they finally asked someone for the results, they were ridiculed by the staff.

"You think you can play Lu Xueqi? You have no fame and no connections, yet you want to play the female lead in a 2 million yuan investment? Hahahaha, what a pipe dream!"

Wang Churen's first audition was for the Youthful Days film crew.

Jiang Yifeng's production team is excellent, and with Han Jianu overseeing things, it's relatively fair.

This led her to the misconception that the entertainment industry is like that, and opportunities are easy to obtain.

Now, after participating in the audition for the TV series "Zhu Xian," Wang Churan and her daughter have truly experienced the cruelty and reality of the entertainment industry.

Especially the cast of "The Legend of Chusen," the one who was ultimately chosen as the most beautiful Lu Xueqi was actually Sun Li, who became incredibly popular this year.

Although the drama "Empresses in the Palace" was broadcast in November last year, it premiered on a local TV station and was not broadcast on satellite TV, so its influence was not significant.

It wasn't until March of this year that "Empresses in the Palace" began airing on television.

Just as the popularity of the new Legend of Wu Zetian had subsided, The Legend of Zhen Huan began to gain momentum and soared to fame.

Sun Li became one of the most glamorous actresses in the first half of this year.

One of the purposes of Huanrui Century's production of "Zhu Xian" was to promote their own artist, Li Yifeng.

After careful consideration, they felt that Sun Li was popular and had a high enough status, so "Empresses in the Palace" would definitely help her win awards.

Casting Sun Li as Lu Xueqi would elevate Li Yifeng's status and generate plenty of buzz.

Sun Li's team also found it hard to refuse the opportunity presented by Lu Xueqi.

After all, given the choice between playing the leading lady role and the less lucrative, hard-working, mature woman role, no one would willingly choose the less lucrative, more demanding path of playing a supporting role.

As for whether Sun Li's image was suitable for Lu Xueqi, Huanrui Century didn't consider that much at all.

This company could have cast Yang Zi as Lu Xueqi.

Yang Zi is fine, and Sun Li is certainly fine too.

However, this result sparked protests and ridicule across the internet.

"I want Lu Xueqi, who is as aloof and ethereal as a fairy, not Empress Zhen Huan!"

"With Sun Li playing Lu Xueqi, I'm not watching 'Zhu Xian'."

"Huanrui, what are you doing? You've just started a 2 million investment and you've already made a huge mess of things!"

"As expected, there is only one Jiang Yifeng in the entertainment industry. Only President Jiang is really selecting actors from the entire internet, and he is considering the suitability for the roles."

Huanrui is just after hype and popularity; they don't care about the quality of the drama at all.

"There are too few directors like Director Jiang. In the entertainment industry, you still need connections and back channels."

Huanrui's online search for Lu Xueqi is purely for publicity; the candidate was decided long ago.

……

Sun Li's portrayal of Lu Xueqi caused a huge uproar online, but Huanrui didn't care at all.

Back when Liu Yifei played Zhao Ling'er, she was also criticized by many people.

The more a TV series is criticized, the more popular it becomes.

Amidst the criticism, many people also praised Jiang Yifeng.

The more companies like Huanrui engage in such questionable practices, the more precious it becomes for Jiang Yifeng to uphold a certain degree of fairness.

Wang Churen also commented on Weibo: "Although Director Jiang is very strict, he is indeed a good director."

Only he would give ordinary people a fair chance to compete.

I hope Director Jiang continues to thrive, and that Fengxing Media also prospers!

Upon seeing Wang Churan's Weibo post, her mother asked curiously, "Jiang Yifeng kicked you out of the training camp, so why are you still saying good things about him?"

Wang Churan pursed her lips and said, "Director Jiang is indeed a good person. He did nothing wrong."

I was fired this time, all because of Liu Qicun!

Go back, Mom. I'll go back and reflect for two more years, and take some time to adjust.

I'll audition again next time Director Jiang is casting for actresses!
I'll definitely succeed next time!

Liu Qicun, you just wait! And Cheng Xiao too!

Jiang Yifeng's expulsion of Wang Churan did not attract hatred; instead, it left a very deep impression on the young girl.

Combined with the experiences of the cast and crew of "The Legend of Chusen," Jiang Yifeng's image became more imposing in Wang Churan's mind.

Wang Churan made up her mind to go back and "settle down" for a while, become even more beautiful, and then reappear in front of Jiang Yifeng to amaze him once again.

(End of this chapter)