Chapter 548: 257 Beauty (First Update)

Yet another car pulled over, and Bai Ziyan walked over with a smirk, “You’re late…”

The door opened, and Bai Ziyan was slightly stunned.

The person who arrived wasn’t Qu Feitai, but a handsome man in his thirties.

This face looked familiar, as he had just seen it in the idol competition last night.

It was none other than one of the judges, Zhou Zhengru.

Zhou Zhengru looked at Bai Ziyan, raised his eyebrows, and asked with a smile, “Do you know me?”

Bai Ziyan scoffed, “I don’t know you,” and walked away.

Zhou Zhengru walked over with a smile, “Mr. Wu, Teacher Yu, sorry I’m late.”

Yu Dawei saw him and nodded, “Not too early, not too late. Let’s go in together.”

The male lead for this film had been decided long ago, it was Zhou Zhengru.

When he first made his debut, his acting skills were doubted due to his overwhelmingly handsome appearance. However, Zhou Zhengru was down-to-earth, diligent, and made progress step by step. He won the first Best Actor award at the age of thirty and became unstoppable. Before Xue An’s scandal, he could slightly rival Xue An in terms of public reputation and resources, but after that, Zhou Zhengru had no competitors among his peers.

In fact, Yu Dawei was a very smart director. The significance of this movie, after a seven-year break, was extraordinary, with a strong cast of award-winning actors, fresh faces, and established veterans. Zhou Zhengru played the risk-taker role, a newcomer to assure Yu Dawei’s eye for talent, and veterans to guarantee word-of-mouth reputation. Like a tripod, it was a very stable arrangement.

As future comrades-in-arms for the next six months, Zhou Zhengru had a say in the casting. After all, the two would have the most interactions, and having chemistry was important. Besides Yu Dawei, Zhou Zhengru also attended the audition as a judge.

Zhou Zhengru’s gaze fell on the back of a young man in the distance and asked with a smile, “Is that Teacher Yu’s son?”

Yu Dawei’s smile on his face deepened, “He’s my nephew. The kid has never seen a film set before and insisted on coming to play. He’s a bit mischievous, so if he rubs you the wrong way, please bear with him.”

“So it’s Teacher Yu’s nephew. He has the potential to be an actor. With Teacher Yu’s introduction, will he develop in this direction?”

Yu Dawei shook his head with a smile, “This kid is too naive and can’t stand hardships. Better forget it.”

The Qus’ third son nearly died trying to break into the entertainment industry, so it was even more impossible for the Bais to let their young master show his face in the circle. In the eyes of those prestigious families, no matter how many stars support you or how high your status, they all think you’re unfit for the stage as an actor.

The third son of the Qus family could only be an exception.

Today’s audition was a big event, with all the newcomers with a bit of fame in the entertainment industry attending.

A row of benches at the entrance was filled with beautiful women, each like a delicate high-quality product in a store window, dazzling and unique.

From the expressions of these beautiful women, you could tell a lot. Those with a hint of arrogance had some fame in the industry already, those with disdainful eyes were backed by strong capital, and those with nervous expressions were students without much background.

Among them, there were two people who stood out, with everyone’s eyes falling on the girl in white, their gazes filled with hidden hostility.

She stood straight like a pine tree, her beautiful face shrouded in a faint morning haze, making her even more mysterious and illusory. Her beauty was not flashy or ostentatious, but rather gently flowing like a stream or the warm sun in winter, pure and everlasting.

Of all the beauties present, there were those as gorgeous as peonies, elegant like orchids, innocent like gardenias, and fresh like lilies. However, each of these outstanding beauties only represented a single form of beauty, ultimately pale in comparison to the girl with her deeply engraved beauty that was unforgettable, leaving ripples in one’s heart that were hard to calm.

Her composure and gentleness stood out among the crowd, making even the girl with, at most, a delicate appearance next to her become a mere foil.

The crowd regarded her as a strong rival, all wondering where this newcomer came from, without any prior information on her.

Duan Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrow, recognized her, and walked over to greet her with a smile, “What a coincidence, we meet again.”

Everyone listened carefully as Duan Xiaoxiao seemed to know her.

Ming Jing merely nodded in response without speaking.

Duan Xiaoxiao felt a bit awkward, thinking she was a friend of Liu Suifeng’s sister and decided to give her some face.

But she was determined to win the role of the female lead this time, and could only apologize to Ming Jing in her heart.

Ye Zhen showed a hint of a smile and glanced at Duan Xiaoxiao without care, her eyes filled with disdain.She appeared to be just an innocent-faced girl, but her eyes looked down on others like a high and mighty queen. This extreme contrast made Duan Xiaoxiao subconsciously skip a beat and stare at her with suspicion.

Ye Zhen took a sip of water to moisten her throat and raised her eyebrows slightly.

Nowadays, newcomers were becoming more and more mediocre. Those who came for Yu Dawei’s audition wore heavy makeup, vying to outdo each other in oddity and flamboyance. Were they simply not thinking straight?

Of course, she had no obligation to remind them.

Doing one’s homework beforehand was something an accomplished actor should always do.

A pair of malicious eyes stared at her like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, silently hissing and waiting for the right opportunity to bite her.

Ming Jing glanced at the other girl, who was caught off guard by Ming Jing’s sudden look. As a result, she awkwardly lowered her head in embarrassment.

Ming Jing raised her eyebrows.

Xiao Wenwen, with whom she had had a brief interaction during ‘A Day in Three Meals.’

After the show aired, Xiao Wenwen’s stinginess and underhanded tactics had drawn widespread criticism online. The stark contrast between her and Ming Jing had left the audience with no patience for her antics.

Later, when a scandal regarding her being the third party in a relationship surfaced, she was heavily criticized and forced to leave the half-recorded ‘A Day in Three Meals.’ It had been three months since then, and the fickle netizens had long since forgotten her, blurring her out of memory.

After being dumped by Zhou Nan, Xiao Wenwen couldn’t let go and somehow managed to attach herself to a wealthy businessman, who happened to be one of the investors in Yu Dawei’s new film. The film had five investors, all vying to push their people into the project. As a result, Xiao Wenwen ended up attending the audition, supported by the businessman.

It was a game of capital, and only the best would come out on top.

Xiao Wenwen hadn’t expected Ming Jing to be there as well, which further unsettled her confidence.

She remembered that the largest investor in the film was Zhoufan Film Industry, which was well known internally as the largest cultural enterprise under the Shenzhou Group. Along with Apple Video and Hutou Film, they formed the triumvirate of Shenzhou’s entertainment industry, occupying half of the entertainment world.

Ming Jing was Shen Zhou’s god-sister, so if she wanted to make it in the entertainment industry, she could easily do so.

She already had everything, yet she still wanted to compete for resources with her. Why?

——

At the elevator entrance, Li Tingting saw Lan Huixin waiting for the elevator and couldn’t believe it: “What are you doing here?”

Lan Huixin calmly stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 25th floor. As the doors were about to close, Li Tingting quickly slipped in.

Li Tingting looked at her suspiciously. Lan Huixin’s clean and innocent face had always been outstanding, even in the Film Academy, which was brimming with beauties.

Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, she was simple and neat, with no other adornments on her body apart from a wristwatch. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing a fair and full forehead. Her large and lively eyes were crystal clear, exuding a pure and captivating charm.

Li Tingting noticed that Lan Huixin had no makeup on, which only revealed a few barely noticeable freckles that didn’t detract from her attractiveness but rather added a unique flavor to her looks.

“You’re here for the audition? How is that possible?” Auditions had standards, and being a film academy student didn’t guarantee a spot at the audition.

“Yes, I’m here for the audition,” said Lan Huixin with an innocent smile.

The more brightly she smiled, the more uneasy Li Tingting felt. She asked suspiciously, “Did you… Did you hook up with some rich guy?”

A cold smirk appeared on Lan Huixin’s lips: “Do you think everyone is like you?”

They arrived on the 25th floor. Lan Huixin left without waiting for Li Tingting, who was turning red with anger.

At that moment, a staff member was reading out the name list for those who had been called. Each person took a form, filled it out, and then entered the audition room in order.

“Duan Xiaoxiao…”

“Xiao Wenwen…”

“Ye Zhen…” Ye Zhen was a bit lost until Ming Jing nudged her, jolting her back to reality. She took the form and walked over.

The thin sheet of paper seemed to turn into a heavyweight treasure in her hands.