The birth of an actor

Chapter 53 Return the favor

"Are you crazy?"

This was Fan Bingbing's first reaction after hearing An Xin's words.

"If I were to sign with another company, why would they still cast me as Jin Suo?"

"It's suitable for you."

shrug nonchalantly:

"Didn't Aunt Qiong Yao say you were suitable?"

"But I don't plan to sign with Yiren!"

"These are two separate things. The fact that they told you about this before signing the contract... actually, from that perspective, it's quite kind. It's not like they'd have you sign the contract first and then tell you about the role change. That would be pure deception... On the other hand, Aunt Qiong Yao only said that your beauty was too aggressive and that she wanted you to play Jin Suo, but she didn't say in the contract that you had to sign before you could play Jin Suo. Let's look at it separately: you being suitable for Jin Suo is one thing. Whether or not you sign with a company is another. Do you understand?"

"..."

Fan Bing was speechless, her eyes filled with absurdity.

"Besides, remember what Director He said? For the lead role, she has to consult Aunt Qiong Yao. But for supporting roles like Ertai and Jin Suo, she can make the decision. I don't know if you noticed yesterday, but... at least when Director He called me, I could hear a hint of guilt in her voice. Don't forget, Liu Xuehua gave you your photo to her, not Aunt Qiong Yao. It was also her who thought you were suitable for Ziwei. Aunt Qiong Yao didn't know you before seeing your audition... In that sense, Director He actually admires you, doesn't she? It's just that she can't make the decision herself without her mother-in-law."

"But……"

Although she thought Anxin's words made sense, the girl still felt that it was impossible.

"I've already signed a contract, why should they let me act in it?"

That's why I said, "Go and give it a try."

Seeing that she was still stubborn, Anxin said directly:
"How will you know you can't do it if you don't try? Right?"

"..."

The girl was silent.

His eyes flickered, and there was even a hint of timidity in them.

But with this fear... she instinctively looked at Anxin:

"Then...then...will you come with me?"

At some point, when she needed someone to rely on, the only person she could think of was Anxin.

"Row."

Anxin agreed without much thought.

He was actually worried that this hot-tempered girl might make some mistakes in handling the matter.

Golden Lock... then let's go with Golden Lock.

She started out as a high-ranking official, didn't she?

Upon hearing his words, Fan Bing instantly felt confident.

I don't know where this confidence comes from, but... I'm definitely not panicking anymore.

I couldn't help but smile slightly:
"Hehe... Don't worry, you're so nice."

"Remember to treat me to a meal."

"Hmm! Hehehe!"

Seeing her grinning foolishly, Anxin shook her head helplessly and took out an IC phone card:
"Here, let's make an appointment with Director He."

……

When He Xiuqiong heard that Fan Bing wanted to talk to her, she readily agreed and arranged to meet for lunch.

However, upon hearing that An Xin would also be going, she immediately booked a private room in the restaurant of her hotel.

Around 11:30 a.m., the two arrived at the hotel restaurant, told the waiter, and were led into a private room.

He Xiuqiong was already waiting inside, with a script beside her.

A smile appeared on her face when she saw the two children come in.
"Don't worry, Bingbing, you're here."

"Sister He".

Hearing Anxin's voice, He Xiuqiong's smile widened even more:

"Okay, please sit down. I haven't ordered yet, so you can do it. We'll order what you like later. Come on, make yourself at home. There are no outsiders here today, just the three of us."

Fan Bing's expression became somewhat uneasy upon hearing the phrase "no outsiders." She instinctively looked at An Xin, who smiled and nodded.
"Then let's eat more today."

"Haha, of course! And this is just a light meal. When we get to Taipei, I'll take you to try some authentic local cuisine!"

He Xiuqiong seemed quite happy, but the more she smiled, the more embarrassed Fan Bing became.

She felt that Director He thought she was there to sign a contract...

Regardless, since she was already there, she had no choice but to sit down. As for ordering food, she left it to Anxin.

But just as she was looking at the menu with peace of mind, He Xiuqiong suddenly looked at Fan Bing and asked:

"Bingbing, where's your mother?"

"She... went back."

"Uh."

He Xiuqiong's smile froze.

She knew, of course, what it meant for the girl's mother to go back.

Since the other party is a minor, the contract must be signed in the presence of a guardian for it to be legally valid.

But now, not only did her mother not come, she went back home...

"Did they go back to their hometown in Shandong Province?"

"...Yes, they left yesterday afternoon."

Hearing this, He Xiuqiong's heart sank.

Just then, An Xin had already ordered four dishes and a soup, and handed the menu to He Xiuqiong:
"Sister He, is this alright?"

He Xiuqiong snapped out of her daze, glanced at Anxin, took the menu, and then added two more dishes.

After the waiter left, the atmosphere was quiet for two seconds.

Anxin spoke again:
"Sister He, when will our crew start filming? Do you have a specific date? My school just starts in September, so I need to get the specific date so I can ask for leave in advance."

"Yes, filming is scheduled to begin on September 21st in Chengde. We'll shoot all the outdoor scenes in Chengde and Chifeng first, while the weather is still warm, and then move to the studios at the Summer Palace and Yanjing to shoot indoor scenes. As for taking leave... you can ask for leave on the 18th or 19th. We still have a day or two to go before we set off."

After receiving the exact date, I nodded with relief:
"So, who was chosen to play Ziwei?"

Upon hearing this, He Xiuqiong glanced at Fan Bing, then suddenly smiled at An Xin:
"What are you doing here? Trying to be my mediator?"

"No, no, I was just asking."

Seeing An Xin shaking her head, He Xiuqiong suddenly sighed:
"Sigh... Bingbing, don't blame me."

"I didn't, Director He..."

As the girl spoke, she quickly went to pour tea for He Xiuqiong.

Then He Xiuqiong continued:
"After Liu Xuehua and I recommended you, I really liked you and thought you were perfect for Ziwei. But... you know, my mother-in-law is the original author of this book. In her mind, from the beginning of the creation, Ziwei already had a vague image. When casting for film and television, acting skills are one aspect, but another aspect is whether the visual appeal matches one's own image. And in this aspect... neither I, the director, nor anyone else can do it. Only the original author, that is, my mother-in-law, knows what kind of image and temperament the person she needs most has."

"……I understand."

"Yes, and your performance was flawless. Both I and Director Sun think you're perfect for the role, otherwise we wouldn't have had you auditioned alone. But... I'm sorry."

"Oh? Please don't say that." Fan Bing quickly shook her head:

"I'm so apprehensive. Actually, I'm extremely grateful to you for giving me this opportunity, letting me read the script in advance, and recommending me to Aunt Qiong Yao..."

The girl paused at this point.

After glancing at An Xin, he continued:
"It is indeed because I did not meet Aunt Qiongyao's requirements that I have troubled you."

She spoke so earnestly that outsiders couldn't tell whether she was being sincere or not.

He Xiuqiong did not investigate further.

Frankly speaking, given her status, the fact that she would say "sorry" is already giving a young girl face.

If she really had to be humble... Fan Bingbing would probably have to kneel down right there with a thud.

So, she simply placed the script she had on hand on the spinning wheel and spun it in front of the girl:

"So, I hope you can consider the role of Jin Suo. Although she and Ziwei are mistress and servant, they are like sisters, and the role has a lot of screen time, almost as much as Fu Ertai's. It is also a character with depth, and if played well, it will be very outstanding."

Looking at the handwriting of "Princess Pearl - Golden Lock" in front of her, Fan Bing was at a loss for words.

Instinctively, I glanced at Anxin one more time.

what do I do……

I...can't open my mouth.

Anxin naturally received the girl's pleading look and knew that the girl was in a bit of a predicament.

So, he took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and asked:
"Sister He, has no one been chosen for this role yet?"

"Yes, but if Bingbing wants to play the role, it's yours."

"Uh……"

Amid Fan Bing's hesitation, An Xin said:

"But Aunt Zhang has already gone back... To be honest, she's actually quite angry."

"I understand."

He Xiuqiong nodded:

"It is true that we failed to fulfill our promises."

"Furthermore... Director He, Director Xie Jin also called her after this year's film and television class graduated, wanting her to join the other students from the school. Director Xie also introduced her to a film and television company..."

While silently apologizing to Director Xie Jin, An Xin said something that surprised even the girl, making her eyes widen in astonishment.

No... why are you taking Director Xie's name too...?

He Xiuqiong was taken aback.

She naturally understood what Anxin meant.

He subconsciously looked at Fan Bing.

The girl had already realized what was happening and instinctively lowered her head.

She couldn't tell if it was true or false.

Whether it's true or false, it doesn't matter.

First of all, Fan Bingbing definitely can't play the role of Ziwei.

She knew her mother-in-law's personality well.

In my own company, if I say one, then there's absolutely no second.

So, what follows is simply a matter of choice.

From her perspective, whether Fan Bingbing signs the contract or not, and whether Jin Suo plays the role or not, are actually two separate issues.

One reason is that as long as she signs the contract, the role of Jin Suo will definitely be hers.

There might even be other forms of compensation, such as priority consideration for the next drama series...

However, the reason for the two situations is that... Jin Suo, like Fu Ertai, is a character who...

The mother-in-law didn't care who she chose.

The investment in this drama wasn't actually that large; the main budget went to Zhang Tielin, who plays the emperor, and Su Youpeng, who plays the fifth prince Yongqi. After all, one is a veteran actor with solid acting skills, and the other is an idol for young women, which is a guarantee of quality.

With these two people taking up a large portion of the investment, the rest of the budget became very tight.

Therefore, they can only hire some unknown actors.

Mainland actors are much cheaper than Taiwanese actors, so this version of "Princess Pearl" did not follow the usual TV series ratio of 6 Hong Kong/Taiwanese actors to 4 Mainland actors, or 7 Hong Kong/Taiwanese actors to 3 Mainland actors.

Everything is based on being cheap and easy to use.

Just like how the mother-in-law didn't care about Fu Ertai, Fu Ertai, who cost 1,000 yuan, only cost a little over 20,000 yuan based on the budget of 22 episodes. Jin Suo... his salary would definitely be lower than Fu Ertai's.

Then she'll have to weigh it up.

Economical and easy to use.

Based on this, she began to think about it.

If Bingbing can't sign with her own company... would she feel regretful? The answer is definitely yes.

She really likes this girl.

She was also well aware of Xie Jin's reputation as a director.

I also know that Bingbing graduated from the school run by the other party.

As for Jin Suo in the preliminary selection, compared to Bingbing... she naturally preferred Bingbing.

not to mention……

Instinctively, she glanced at Anxin.

She probably already knew why the boy was sitting at this table today.

Thinking of this, she suddenly asked:
“Bingbing, if it weren’t for an artist from our company… the pay for this show might not be as high, maybe even lower than Anxin’s. We’ve offered another actor playing Jin Suo 700 yuan per episode. Can you accept that?”

Fan Bing was taken aback, then her eyes lit up instantly:

"I can! Director He, I can do it, no problem!"

He Xiuqiong felt somewhat disappointed upon receiving this answer…

The boy I liked didn't sign in.

The girl I had my eye on... didn't sign in either.

How can I not feel regret?
but……

"Alright, then the role of Jin Suo is yours."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly looked at An Xin with a smile:
"Don't worry, are you satisfied with my decision, sister?"

"Uh...hehe."

Looking at the young man scratching the back of his head, smiling somewhat embarrassedly, He Xiuqiong sighed inwardly.

Who told me... I owed him and the girl a favor?

(Okay, that's the first setup for the master's storyline. Let's wrap it up!)