She subconsciously glanced at the actors present on set. Most of them were common extras, and there were a few minor supporting actors with some fame. There were no other big names of the same level.

Given director Zhou Bin's discerning eye and his pursuit of excellence, the choice of the female lead could never be one of these extras or minor supporting roles, right?

Could it be that the actual lead actress hasn't arrived yet? Or has she already auditioned but doesn't know it?

Chen Lu was filled with doubts and was secretly guessing.

At this moment, a member of the directing team shouted, "Attention all actors, the audition scene is set up and we are ready to begin the auditions!"

Seeing Chen Lu searching around for someone, Liu Fei chuckled twice, "Given Director Zhou's personality, the casting of the female lead is definitely the most suitable."

Lu Chuan also admitted, "Director Zhou's eye for talent is indeed sharp; just look at the two people next to that young lady."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lu realized that the two were teasing her, so she quickly looked away.

All the extras stood up and walked towards the audition scene. Qin Nian'an took a deep breath, calmed her nerves, and followed them.

Director Zhou Bin walked to the center of the stage, picked up the microphone, and announced in a loud voice, "Lu Chuan, Qin Nian'an will play the female lead. You and she will try out the scene where you come to the rescue."

"What?!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

Lu Chuan and Liu Fei were slightly surprised.

Qin Nian'an? Isn't that the pretty young girl from earlier?

They glanced at Qin Nian'an curiously a few times, but didn't say anything more.

Director Zhou has always had a keen eye for talent, so there must be a reason why he chose this newcomer.

Chen Lu's face showed an expression of disbelief.

She originally thought that even if the female lead wasn't Liu Fei, it would be another big name in the industry. She never expected that it would be this unknown newcomer who hadn't even graduated yet.

Her expression suddenly became complicated, her eyes filled with incomprehension and resentment.

She really didn't understand why Zhou Bin would choose to cast an under-graduate college student as the female lead instead of using A-list stars like her and Liu Fei who had popularity, acting skills, and experience.

What is so special about this Qin Nian'an?

The audition officially began, and the first scene was the encounter between Qin Nian'an and Lu Chuan.

This part of the plot tells the story of the female lead, Lin Qingwu, whose father, an official, is framed by his superiors. Her father asks someone to send her away, but she is chased and killed. Then, she encounters the male lead, Meng Jiu, who saves her like a hero.

It was Qin Nian'an's first time acting opposite a top actor like Lu Chuan, so she was inevitably nervous, but she quickly got into character, and her eyes, tone of voice, and demeanor were all very well portrayed.

The scene of their reunion was filmed in one take.

With a weight lifted from his heart, Zhou Bin's face showed a satisfied expression.

He was initially worried that the young lady who brought her own investment to the production would have mediocre acting skills and that he would have to give her some pointers. However, after the audition, he discovered that Qin Nian'an did have some talent.

Although he deliberately chose the simplest plot, getting it right in one take far exceeded his original expectations.

That's it.

"Let's try one more time, Chen Lu, you come and act out your climax scene."

Chen Lu was taken aback. Was she supposed to accompany a newcomer to an audition?

Despite her extreme reluctance, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it.

This climax scene depicts the lovestruck third female lead confronting the female lead, Lin Qingwu, in the rain. She has given everything for the male lead, Meng Jiu, even causing her family to be implicated. Why is it that Lin Qingwu, who has nothing and is even burdened with a criminal record, can receive all of Meng Jiu's attention, while he ignores her, a lady from a prominent family? She doesn't understand where she went wrong.

The focus of this scene is the female supporting character's emotional outburst, which isn't particularly difficult.

Because it was an audition, no prop shower was used; the actors had to simulate the rain scene themselves.

When Zhou Bin shouted "action," Chen Lu and Qin Nian'an simultaneously got into action.

At first, the rehearsals went well, but then an unexpected incident occurred.

Seeing Qin Nian'an's effortless emotional performance, Chen Lu's dissatisfaction became increasingly apparent. Although others might see it as her immersing herself in the role, she knew in her heart that she simply couldn't stand Qin Nian'an.

Chen Lu knew that if she continued acting like this, she would most likely pass the audition on the first try.

She harbored resentment towards Qin Nian'an for playing the female lead. After learning about this, she thought about it and realized that since Liu Fei was playing the villain, the female lead role definitely wouldn't go to her.

Why can't I play the role? Why should a new little girl play it?

With her status and resources, a little behind-the-scenes maneuvering would be more than enough for her to play the leading lady.

So she deliberately didn't cooperate. When Qin Nian'an was following the script and her emotions were progressing, she would either speak at different speeds, changing the rhythm randomly, or her emotions would be out of sync, being calm when she should be angry and questioning when she should be rational, trying to mess up the other person's rhythm.

Qin Nian'an was indeed affected, her face showing a series of surprised expressions. Half of it was from being affected, and the other half was from not expecting that the level of her co-star was so low. Any random person in their profession could act better than Chen Lu.

"Card!"

The more Zhou Bin looked, the deeper his brows furrowed.

Has Chen Lu's acting skills deteriorated that much?

Did he contact the wrong person?

Helpless, Zhou Bin could only call a halt, "Chen Lu, what's wrong with you? Your emotions are off, and your rhythm is messed up. Let's start over!"

Chen Lu feigned a hint of apology, "I'm sorry, Director Zhou, I wasn't in the right state of mind just now."

However, when filming resumed, she continued to do as she pleased, deliberately making things difficult for Qin Nian'an, causing the filming to stall time and time again.

Despite the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, Qin Nian'an patiently cooperated again and again.

Director Zhou Bin's expression grew increasingly grim, but he didn't say anything more, only giving Chen Lu a cold glance.

Finally, a simple scene between the two actors was barely passed after six or seven takes.

Seeing that Qin Nian'an was not in a good condition to continue filming, Lu Chuan and Liu Fei were asked to put on makeup and film all the scenes set up for the day.

During a break, Chen Lu, feigning seniority and wearing a fake smile, "kindly" advised Qin Nian'an: "Qin Nian'an, right? I think you're still too young, and your understanding of the role isn't quite there yet."

Although this character appears lively on the surface, she is actually quite reserved inside. You were too outgoing just now; you should have toned it down a bit, made your eyes a little colder, and completely suppressed your emotions. That would have been more in line with Lin Qingwu's character.

She claimed to be giving guidance, but in reality, she deliberately taught the character the wrong logic and distorted their persona.

Qin Nian'an looked incredulous upon hearing this.

She had carefully studied the script and had her own understanding of the character.

The core of Lin Qingwu's character is that she is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and agile yet resilient, rather than the stoic and indifferent character that Chen Lu described.

Knowing that Chen Lu was wrong, Qin Nian'an couldn't directly refute her because of her status and seniority. She could only smile awkwardly and nod, "Thank you for your guidance, Sister Lu. I'll think about it some more."

Seeing that she didn't dare to refute, Chen Lu's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness. She patted her shoulder and said in a tone of condescension, "It's okay, take your time. After all, you're a newcomer, so it's normal that you don't know anything. Just learn from me."

After a half-hour break, it was finally Qin Nian'an's turn to appear on camera again.

"Miss Qin, this isn't an audition, it's the main role. Let me take you to get your makeup done first."

Qin Nian'an was overjoyed when she learned that she had passed the audition.

She really did get the role of Lin Qingwu!

Looking at Qin Nian'an's happy smile, Chen Lu felt a surge of anger rising in her chest.

She glanced at Liu Fei, who was filming, and seeing that Liu Fei was not free for a while, she followed behind Qin Nian'an.

In the dressing room, there were quite a few extras who needed to have their makeup done, and the staff were all busy.

Chen Lu stepped forward, looking down at Qin Nian'an with disdain and contempt in her eyes. Her voice was loud and clear, and the surrounding staff and several extras in makeup could hear her clearly.

"I won't say anything about Liu Fei playing the female lead, but you, with no connections and among all the girls, what makes you think you can act opposite me? What makes you think you can outshine us? With your laughable acting skills?"

"Let me tell you, you can't make a living in this industry just by being a good actor!"

"Newcomers should honestly start from playing minor roles. Once you've made a name for yourself, then you can dream of getting the lead role."

She took a step closer, her tone undisguisedly sarcastic and condescending.

"If you know what's good for you, tell Zhou Bin you're not suitable for the role of Lin Qingwu and give up the lead role. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to ensure you never get a chance to make it in this industry!"

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like