Chapter 20 – The Audition

During the rest of the waiting time, no one said another bad word about Xiao Fang. More than half of the people were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, while the person in front of him was poring over the script, determined to make Xiao Fang admit defeat.

“Number 158, come in!” an assistant called from the doorway. The actor who had made the bet with Xiao Fang responded, shot a provocative look at him, and walked in.

“Alright, you can go now,” the young man in the main seat said, letting out a bored yawn. His exquisite face wore a look of utter disinterest. The assistant director and screenwriter beside him couldn’t say a word, only looking at him with regret.

Number 158 looked on in disbelief.

“Why? You haven’t even seen my skills yet. I’ll definitely perform well.”

“The 157 people before you all said the same thing. Don’t waste my time. I just don’t like what I see. If you think there’s a problem with my eyes, you’re free to find another gig,” the young man said impatiently.

This was a huge misunderstanding. Number 158 said with a panicked expression, “Director Ruan, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your eyes, really, I…”

“Alright, next.”

The assistant very helpfully opened the door.

“Number 159, come in.”

The matter was settled. No amount of protest would have any effect. Number 158 walked out with a face ashen with despair, but there was still a sliver of something supporting him.

So what if he failed? Director Ruan’s standards were so ridiculously high, did that worthless Xiao Fang think he could pass?

So, as he passed by Xiao Fang, Number 158 shot him a vicious glare. Xiao Fang was not to be outdone, sending his blessings with silent words.

Number 158 saw Xiao Fang mouth two words: “Scrub.”

Number 158’s face instantly turned uglier than… well, you know. Just as he was about to do something, a look from Que Jiang, who was beside Xiao Fang, taught him how to behave. The sight of Que Jiang made Number 158’s heart pound with fear. The fist he had just clenched silently loosened. Hmph, what’s so great about having a few stinky coins to hire a bodyguard?

At this moment, Xiao Fang felt that the feeling of bullying others with a powerful backer was truly great!

After this moment of emotional reflection, Xiao Fang didn’t dare to be complacent. This Director Ruan was notoriously picky in the industry. One slip-up and he might just reject everyone. So far, none of the people who had come out had a good expression on their face, so they probably hadn’t passed. Xiao Fang’s expression also gradually became serious.

“Number 181, Xiao Fang.”

Xiao Ma nervously grabbed Xiao Fang’s sleeve, pretending to be calm as he said, “Brother Xiao, it’s okay. If this falls through, we have plenty of money to find another gig. We’re just trying out, don’t take it to heart.”

Xiao Fang nodded with a sweatdrop. This tycoon-like attitude was truly worthy of an assistant trained by the original owner. No, he had to let this kid know that he was more than just a rich second generation!

“Here!” Xiao Fang answered loudly, his nerves taut as he walked in.

The room was about the size of a classroom, with three tables placed in the center. Behind them sat the director, assistant director, and screenwriter.

The man sitting in the middle looked the youngest, probably only in his early twenties. At this moment, his professional expression was tinged with a hint of weariness. The aura he exuded with every gesture gave Xiao Fang a vague intuition that he looked very much like a Third Gender.

“Hello, Director. Hello, Assistant Director. Hello, Screenwriter,” Xiao Fang greeted politely, completely devoid of the original owner’s arrogant demeanor.

Director Ruan, sitting in the middle, showed no change in expression. He casually picked up a piece of paper and said in a lazy tone, “You, just act out Yu Zhi’s smile.”

A smile? Xiao Fang’s brain froze for 0.1 seconds before he reacted.

Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy had many characters. It told the story of a chef who lost his sense of taste and chose to travel the world. He was moved by various small stories and flavors, and in the end, created the most famous work of his life.

Yu Zhi was one of the characters in a small story. He was a boy from the countryside with a sister who was studying and a paralyzed mother at home. But his sister was an excellent student, and his mother had a very positive attitude, raising both children well. Yu Zhi supported his family by selling small wontons. He was kind and shy. Later, a white-collar girl fell in love with Yu Zhi, and after a series of stories, the two of them ended up together.

Xiao Fang took a deep breath and quickly got into character. He took off his coat and placed it on a chair to the side. His straight back bent slightly, and a shy look appeared on his face. His eyes curved into crescent moons. It wasn’t a very handsome smile, but it looked very warm, an unadorned smile that slightly revealed a few teeth. He said, “Delicious wontons, want some or not?”

The screenwriter at the side’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Director Ruan with some excitement.

Director Ruan’s expression softened slightly, but the words that came out of his mouth were not praise. “I didn’t ask you to say any lines.”

Xiao Fang stood up straight, his face calm. “I just felt that Yu Zhi’s smile was most genuine at this moment, so I couldn’t help but say it.”

The screenwriter coughed to the side. “We only announced the script details two days ago. How did you react so quickly and get into character? You know, we announced forty-five characters.”

“This is what we should be able to do at an audition. If we can’t remember all the characters, then there’s no point in coming. This is also a quality an actor should have,” Xiao Fang said. In his previous world, he had never neglected any character and had always treated each one seriously.

“Then how do you see the character of Yu Zhi?” the assistant director asked.

Xiao Fang thought for a moment, then replied, “An honest man who lacks some self-esteem.”

“Where does he lack self-esteem? He supports his family through his own labor, he hasn’t stolen or robbed, and he doesn’t have any flaws,” Director Ruan said, picking at his words.

Xiao Fang lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before answering, “Yu Zhi was born into a not-so-good family and has a shy personality. He had to start selling wontons early to support his mother and sister. The shame of his youth and the reality of his situation would make him feel inferior to others. As he grew older, this shame turned into a reserved lack of self-esteem. But he is a kind person, and this is just one aspect of his character.”

The seriousness in Director Ruan’s eyes gradually faded. “You see things quite clearly. Alright, you’re it. Do you two have any other opinions?”

The screenwriter and assistant director both shook their heads. This was the only one they had seen all day who was worth watching. If they passed on him, who knew how long it would be before they met another one.

A flicker of joy appeared in Xiao Fang’s eyes, but it passed quickly.

“Thank you, Director, Assistant Director, and Screenwriter.”

“Alright, then wait for the notice to start filming,” the assistant director said kindly. He was finally seeing a promising seedling.

Xiao Fang nodded, turned, and left.

“Director Liang, don’t you think he looks like someone else?” Director Ruan suddenly said.

Director Liang was stunned. Who could he look like? He had no impression at all.

Ruan Tan sighed. “Don’t overthink it, I was just saying,” he had originally wanted to say he looked a bit like Xiao Qi, but then he thought that since they would be working together in the future, he would find out everything then.

When Xiao Fang walked out of the room, his expression was normal, showing no sign of the joy of being selected. When he passed by Wen An’an, she nervously asked him how it went.

“I passed. Don’t be nervous. You’ve done so much homework, just do your best when you go in,” Xiao Fang didn’t say too much. Being too confident might not be a good thing. Wen An’an nodded, but the faces of the people around them were clearly not happy.

This kind of person actually passed.

Number 158 had just come out of the bathroom. Seeing Xiao Fang come out, he walked straight over.

“Hmph, I don’t even have to guess, you didn’t pass, did you?”

Xiao Fang didn’t even lift his eyelids, instead taking a step back.

Number 158 looked at him strangely. “What do you mean?”

“Make some space for me to apologize. You know what to do, right?”

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me… you passed,” Number 158 guessed.

Xiao Fang didn’t speak, just gave him a look.

Number 158 gave a scornful laugh. “Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. A rich second generation with no skills like you must have used money.”

“He didn’t use money,” a voice came from behind.

“How do you know he didn’t use money?” Number 158 turned around angrily, but when he saw who it was, he immediately cowered. “D-Director Ruan.”

Ruan Tan sneered. “What, you still don’t believe me? Do you want me to check my bank records?”

Now everyone was stunned. No one would have believed that this pretty boy would pass Director Ruan’s audition. But the evidence was right here, and no one dared to question it anymore. Everyone knew that Director Ruan was notoriously strict, and besides, with his status, where would he be lacking money?

Ruan Tan took a form from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Fang. “Here, I forgot to give you this. Fill it out now and you can leave.”

Xiao Fang politely took it. Just as he was about to say some polite words, Ruan Tan patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t say anything unnecessary. I’m leaving first.”

“Next, hurry up!” Ruan Tan returned to the room, refreshingly direct and cute.

Xiao Fang suddenly found himself liking this little director a bit.

With a smile on his lips, Xiao Fang looked at Number 158 again, almost wanting to slap him in the face with the form in his hand.

“You said it, don’t go back on your word.”

Number 158 gritted his teeth, unable to swallow this insult.

Que Jiang, who was standing to the side, was about to make a move, but was stopped by Xiao Fang, who had anticipated it.

Xiao Fang’s smile faded. “Those who say my acting is bad, I can use my skills to teach you how to speak. But, those who speak ill of my mother, I will use my money to show you who you can’t afford to offend. I, Xiao Fang, do have a few stinky coins. If these few stinky coins can’t even protect my mother, then they’re worthless to have. This time is just an exception. If you apologize here today, I won’t take any other action. But if you don’t even know the basic principles of being a human being, then don’t blame me, the rich second generation, for targeting you in the future!”

You don’t bring family into an argument, a principle even elementary school students know. Although there were still people here who didn’t like Xiao Fang, on this matter of principle, no one spoke up for Number 158.

Number 158’s face turned ashen. He unwillingly said, “I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have brought your mother into it.”

Only then did Xiao Fang’s expression soften. He turned and left without another word.

Number 158 watched Xiao Fang’s retreating back, his fists clenched in unwillingness. He would definitely repay this insult!

***

“You’re saying a little actor said that about him?” Fei Xiangnan frowned.

“Yes,” Que Jiang reported the whole story of today’s events.

Fei Xiangnan’s eyes gradually darkened. He looked at the wine glass in his hand, his expression growing increasingly displeased. “Did he say anything in the end?”

“The madam’s meaning was to let it go,” Que Jiang said. In fact, if it were up to his own temper, this matter would definitely not be over. “What are your thoughts, President Fei?”

Fei Xiangnan remembered the way the little fool looked when he talked about his mother teaching him to cook. “Find out his company. No need for any big moves, just enough to make a point.”

Que Jiang naturally understood his boss’s meaning. It was clear.

“Which director’s audition did he pass?” Fei Xiangnan didn’t hang up the phone, suddenly taking an interest in the little fool’s work.

“It was Director Ruan, Ruan Tan.”

Fei Xiangnan glanced at his friend. He was quite familiar with this director. His friend gave him a strange look back. Why was he looking at him for no reason?

“Is it a lead role in a movie?” Fei Xiangnan’s mood improved.

Que Jiang hesitated on the other end of the line. “Not the lead.”

“Second male lead?”

“No.”

“Third or fourth male lead?”

“Neither. Just an ordinary supporting role.”

Fei Xiangnan’s face instantly darkened. The madam of the Fei family running off to be a minor supporting actor? Fei Xiangnan looked at his friend again, this time with undisguised disgust.

“Got it. Let me know if anything else comes up.” Fei Xiangnan hung up the phone.

Zhang Yuanxiao looked at Fei Xiangnan unhappily. “Why did you look at me twice while you were on the phone? And with disgust?”

This friend of Fei Xiangnan’s was rather flamboyant. He had kept his hair long since college, and now it was tied back in a ponytail, making him look like a suave but degenerate fake gentleman. His aggressively beautiful face had attracted the admiration of countless young masters and ladies in their circle. He was also a young entrepreneur who had built his own empire without relying on his family’s support. Recently, this guy had taken a liking to a newly emerging director and was pursuing him with great enthusiasm.

“He attended Ruan Tan’s audition.”

“Who?” Zhang Yuanxiao took a sip of wine, his mind completely blank. It took him a while to react. “Oh~ your spouse, huh? Hmph, this time he must have paid his way in.”

Fei Xiangnan’s hand holding the wine glass paused, and his gaze shot over like a sharp knife.