Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Compared to Li Xiaoran, Zhao Liying didn't unlock many poses, but just being able to keep up with Zhang Ze's stamina and participating in special role-playing games was enough to surprise Zhang Ze.

Even after two days of turmoil, Zhao Liying was still able to get up normally, which is much better than that good-for-nothing Li Dabai!

In the following days, Zhang Ze did not allow Zhao Liying to think about anything else.

He took her sightseeing around Shanghai, enjoying the river views of the Bund during the day and the hustle and bustle of Xintiandi at night.

Late at night, it's time for the two of them to be alone.

He used this method to temporarily distract her from her anxiety about the audition.

Zhao Liying was very cooperative. She let go of all her burdens and enjoyed her rare holiday like an ordinary girl.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already the end of December.

Cai Yinong called to arrange the time and place for the audition.

It must be said that Tang Ren, being from Hong Kong, is indeed very fast in film and television production. In just a few days, he had already adapted a first draft of the script.

Even with the original work, this pace is still quite astonishing.

The director who took on this project is named Lee Wai-chu, a female director who came from Hong Kong's TVB. She has directed many classic period dramas and is known for her strictness and high standards.

Several girls were already seated in the reception room. Without exception, they all had delicate oval faces, flawless makeup, and perfect posture. Each of them looked like a standard beauty sculpted from the same mold.

As soon as Zhao Liying walked in, her unadorned round face became an anomaly.

The girls' gazes swept across her face, carrying a hint of barely perceptible disdain, before they returned to their reserved demeanor.

Zhao Liying's palms began to sweat, and she subconsciously straightened her back, her indomitable spirit rising again.

Zhang Ze sat down next to her, patted the back of her hand, and said nothing, but it calmed Zhao Liying down.

After waiting for about half an hour, Cai Yinong's assistant came out and called out their numbers, leading them to the audition room.

"Ms. Zhao Liying, please come in."

Zhao Liying took a deep breath, stood up, and walked into the audition room.

There were three people sitting in the room. In the middle was director Li Huizhu, a woman who looked to be in her forties with short hair and a serious expression.

Sitting next to her were Cai Yinong and a screenwriter.

"Miss Zhao, have you read the script?"

When Li Huizhu spoke, she spoke in Mandarin with a Hong Kong accent, but with a decisive and efficient air.

"I've seen it."

Zhao Liying nodded.

Which section would you like to try?

Zhao Liying recited a scene from the script, in which the female lead Ruoxi is punished by being made to kneel in the Imperial Garden, and later Emperor Kangxi comes to visit her, resulting in a scene between the father and daughter.

This is a play with very complex emotions.

Li Huizhu glanced at Cai Yinong, seemingly surprised that she would choose such a difficult event.

Cai Yinong didn't say much; she simply made a starting gesture.

"Okay, get ready."

When Zhao Liying closed her eyes and opened them again, her entire demeanor had changed.

She no longer seemed like the nervous auditioning actress, but rather like Ma'ertai Ruoxi, who struggled to survive in the deep palace, yet remained stubborn and unyielding.

She knelt on both knees, her back straight, her head slightly lowered, her face expressionless, but her eyes were filled with grievance and resentment, a trace of fear of imperial power, and pride from future generations.

The assistant director, playing Emperor Kangxi, walked up to her and recited his lines.

When she heard the words, "Do you really want to leave me that much?", Zhao Liying's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Some say that acting seems simple, but it is actually very difficult. To act well, one must have the ability to empathize with others.

In that instant, Zhao Liying recalled many things: the hardships in Hengdian, her perseverance on set, and the acting skills she had honed while working as an extra on various film sets. Her performance was completely revealed.

She suddenly raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes instantly, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"Father..."

She uttered only three words, her voice hoarse and choked with emotion, yet containing a thousand unspoken words.

That cry encapsulated a daughter's longing for her father, the despair of a prisoner, and the sorrow of a time traveler who knew the course of history.

The whole room fell silent.

Cai Yinong leaned forward, forgetting to maintain her composure.

The screenwriter gaped, as if he could see the characters he had created come to life.

Even Li Huizhu's usually serious face showed a hint of relaxation.

She didn't stop, she just tilted her head back and looked at the empty space in front of her, and tears finally slid down her cheeks and dripped to the ground.

"I did nothing wrong."

She uttered those three words in a breathy voice, so soft they were almost inaudible, yet they struck everyone's hearts with tremendous force.

"good!"

Li Huizhu suddenly spoke, interrupting the performance.

She stood up, walked quickly to Zhao Liying, and personally helped her up.

"You acted very well." She looked into Zhao Liying's eyes and didn't hold back her praise.

"The character Ruoxi is inherently a contradictory being. She is a time traveler from the future. She is proud, but she also understands the supreme power of the imperial court in this era. She is afraid, but she is still herself. Her unyielding stubbornness is her true nature."

"You portrayed her stubbornness so vividly; you brought this character to life!"

Cai Yinong was completely stunned.

She knew Li Huizhu well; this woman was incredibly picky about acting, and it was difficult to get even a single good word from her, let alone something like "she brought the performance to life!"

Zhao Liying was also stunned. She couldn't believe her ears until Li Huizhu repeated it again.

"The role of Ruoxi is yours."

Overwhelmed with joy, she was speechless for a long time.

After the audition, Cai Yinong personally escorted Zhang Ze and Zhao Liying out of the hotel.

"Zhang Ze, you've won again."

Cai Yinong looked at Zhao Liying, who was still excited beside her, and couldn't help but sigh.

"I told you, she's the most suitable candidate," Zhang Ze said.

"Alright, it's settled then. The female lead is hers."

Cai Yinong waved her hand, "The crew will start preparations next month. I've already spoken to Director Li about your request to learn from the crew, and she's agreed."

"However, she also said that she wouldn't treat you differently because of your status on her set, so be prepared."

"Thank you, Mr. Cai."

"Don't thank me. Director Li said she also wants to see what kind of talent someone has in finding such good actors." After saying that, Cai Yinong turned around and went back to the hotel.

Watching her departing figure, Zhang Ze knew that the second step of his plan was also in place.

He turned his head and saw Zhao Liying staring at him with a silly smile.

"Aze, I did it!"

"Yes, you succeeded." Zhang Ze smiled as well.

He reached out and ruffled her hair again.

Under the sunlight, the girl's smile was even brighter than the warm winter sun of Shanghai.

Next, Zhao Liying needs to focus on improving her acting skills.

In particular, knowledge about ancient costume dramas requires guidance from professional teachers.

In this regard, we'll need Sister Sun to contact some reliable people.

Zhang Ze stayed behind to participate in the pre-production work of the film crew, hoping to direct a movie independently next time!