Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

Most of the other students thought that Li Xiang was only favored by the teachers because he was good at his studies and had a sweet tongue.

However, Yunlong knew very well that from the day he entered the school, he knew that his roommate's connections in the circle were far beyond what ordinary people could match.

After all, having two of the four leading actresses and four leading actors accompany you on a school tour is a privilege that not everyone can enjoy.

Looking at how Huang Lei unconsciously showed affection for Li Xiang during class, he had already made up his mind...

But this guy with so many resources always stays far away when people talk about Director Zhang's new film.

This unusual behavior made Yunlong even more certain that his roommate must know something inside.

After considering the age requirement for the female lead, an even bolder idea popped into his head: perhaps the male lead who hasn't been announced yet is the one standing next to him.

After all, Li Xiang wasn't working as hard last semester as he is now, and his acting practice was clearly targeted.

Isn't this unusual diligence the best proof?

But Yunlong didn't dare ask a single question.

If this deliberate concealment were exposed, it would offend people. He could only keep his guesses to himself, but he couldn't help but be more proactive in getting closer to Li Xiang than ever before.

This sudden warmth left Li Xiang completely bewildered—why was his roommate suddenly becoming so friendly with him?

Although he was puzzled, he didn't have the mind to think about it too much. After all, he was currently enveloped by an invisible pressure.

It wasn't until he actually landed the role that Li Xiang truly understood the significance of being the male lead in a Zhang Yimou film.

He wasn't easily embarrassed and had long been prepared for gossip, but the current rumors surrounding the casting still made him uneasy...

He was afraid. Afraid that he would mess up the performance and wouldn't be able to carry the role;

I'm afraid that because of my meddling, this classic romance film will end up being ridiculed as a terrible movie.

Even more frightening is the fear that their carefully planned "one step to heaven" will go wrong, and that those around them will point fingers and call them "incompetent fools".

So he had no choice but to train like crazy.

Then fill the class schedule so tightly that you don't have any room to think outside the box;

After class, they would immerse themselves in the rehearsal room, meticulously working on their expressions and movements in front of the mirror, wishing they could stretch a day into forty-eight hours.

Ultimately, he still cared. He cared about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and even more so about whether he could save face for everyone around him.

...............................

Time quickly came to the day when Director Zhang was casting the actors.

Following the school's announcement, students eager to get involved gathered near the lecture hall early in the morning, discussing the matter in small groups.

The school is also paying close attention to this matter—if both the male and female leads in Director Zhang's new film are from the Beijing Film Academy,

Not only can this leverage the influence of a renowned director to promote two more rising stars, but it also powerfully demonstrates the strength of this year's students and indirectly showcases the school's high-quality teaching and talent pool accumulated over the years.

This will make it stand out among many institutions, which is undoubtedly a major benefit to the school's future enrollment and reputation.

However, the school officials are also sensible people, and they know that the selection of leading roles by a great director like Zhang Yimou is something that the school cannot control.

Just like with Li Xiang's case, although the school called Zhang Zhidao, it was only to express their attitude and they never intended to forcibly designate a candidate. Ultimately, it still depended on the director's own judgment.

Therefore, the same thing happened this time. The school did not send any leaders to the scene, and Director Zhang only sent Fu Lulu and some staff members. He himself did not come in person.

Li Xiang never approached the lecture hall, not because he was afraid of being recognized, but because he wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

After all, there are many jealous people in the industry. He hasn't officially joined the crew yet. If someone secretly trips him up, he'll regret it.

It would be better to wait patiently until filming is finished and everything is settled before returning to school; that would be the safest option.

The first day of auditions didn't conclude until evening. The reason it took so long was that far more than just female performing arts students came to audition—

Almost every girl who met the age requirement at the Beijing Film Academy came, which is why it has been going on for so long.

Among the gradually dispersing crowd outside the lecture hall, some people wore excited expressions, clearly satisfied with their performance.

Some people hung their heads, their disappointment at being rejected evident at a glance. But this was only the first test; the second test on the second day would be the real challenge.

The excitement of the group auditions had faded, and the room for individual auditions was so quiet that you could hear everyone breathing.

With the camera positioned directly in front of you, the cold light shining on your face reveals every inch of your skin's texture and the movement of your eyes.

Ultimately, from such a prestigious university, only six students successfully advanced to the next round...

Days passed by, and Director Zhang's process of selecting the female lead continued in rounds.

Li Xiang would visit the studio every few days, sometimes bringing fruit, sometimes bringing snacks, and he became increasingly familiar with the staff.

Occasionally, Zhang Yimou would pull up the video recordings from auditions in various places and show them to him.

If you find a good one, you might even ask him to stand in front of the projection of the audition clip to see if he has any so-called "chemistry" with the actress on screen.

Li Xiang was naturally delighted with this, as he was more eager than anyone else for the project to come to fruition, and naturally hoped that his co-stars would be a good match.

So even when it was just rehearsing in the recording beforehand, he cooperated with exceptional seriousness, and would occasionally share his intuitive impressions with Director Zhang.

As expected, the little yellow duck from Nanjing stood out and remained until the very end.

However, even after the actual casting was confirmed, there was still considerable controversy within the production team.

Some people think that he is too young and has no acting experience, and may not be able to withstand the high-intensity filming pace;

Some people also felt that her appearance was not good enough and did not meet the public's expectations for a movie heroine.

Ultimately, Zhang Yimou overruled all objections and made the final decision, selecting this non-professional girl as the new "Zhang Yimou Girl".

Li Xiang, who had remained an observer throughout, vaguely guessed Director Zhang's intention and decided to play himself...

The female lead in the script naturally possessed an unpolished naiveté, with stubbornness in her eyes and an undeniable innocence.

And the little yellow duck does indeed possess a natural charm that perfectly matches the character's temperament.

This unique quality cannot be expressed simply through technique.

Therefore, even if you spend a lot of effort selecting, you may not be able to find a more suitable candidate.

After all, it's not realistic to actually go to remote places to search for it, and who knows how long that would take.

With the male and female leads confirmed, the pre-production of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" has finally come to an end.