The audition for “De Wei Lou” was scheduled for mid-October, six months after Chi Feiran began preparing for this role, while the casting call had only been out for about a month.
Chi Feiran knew that, to many people, this already seemed unfair. Big companies always have more access to insider information. The competition in this industry has always been fierce. Li Yuan felt sorry for him for working hard for half a year and possibly ending up with nothing, whereas many artists from smaller companies barely had any time to prepare.
Therefore, Chi Feiran thought there was no point in complaining. He was inherently more privileged than others. If he couldn’t endure a little setback without grumbling, it would be quite ungrateful.
When Chi Feiran arrived at the audition site, many people were already there. As soon as they saw him, their expressions visibly changed, revealing their dismay.
The characters in “De Wei Lou” had distinct features, and Chi Feiran’s age and appearance made people immediately think of the young master Ji Yunsheng from the script. So, the actors who aimed to audition for Ji Yunsheng felt a sense of hopelessness.
Competing with the prince of the Chi family for a role? Just hearing it sounded unrealistic, let alone saying it out loud, which would be laughable.
The actors whose types were obviously different from Chi Feiran’s breathed a sigh of relief. For many, every audition opportunity was precious, especially for a renowned director like Director Zheng. Facing an opponent like Chi Feiran, the chance of winning was almost non-existent. It wasn’t just about the wasted effort but the loss of a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was truly heartbreaking.
Due to the simultaneous auditions for several important supporting roles, the waiting area grew more crowded, yet it remained quiet as everyone was busy preparing for their upcoming audition.
Chi Feiran noticed the gazes around him, aware that people thought he was just going through the motions. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, wondering if they would feel any better if they knew Director Zheng’s true thoughts.
The first group of auditions encountered an incident.
The people in the waiting area saw that one of the first group members came out with their hand wrapped in gauze, bleeding!
Immediately, someone asked what happened, and they learned that the audition scene inside had several large wooden chopping boards lined up with knives and vegetables. They not only had to recite their lines and portray the character but also perform actual cooking tasks!
This wasn’t entirely unexpected since it was a chef-themed drama. Such a test was understandable, and everyone had prepared for it. Even the small agencies had rushed to train their actors in the past month.
However, an accident occurring in the first round cast a shadow over many hearts.
Auditioning for a famous director was already nerve-wracking, and now with the added risk of injury, the anxiety only increased.
Chi Feiran noticed that after the first group, more and more people were heading to the restroom.
Realizing this, Chi Feiran almost wanted to laugh but restrained himself, aware that too many people were watching him. Any expression he made could be misinterpreted as confidence, causing unnecessary pressure on others.
He thought it best to keep a neutral expression to avoid adding more stress to the scene. If he smiled, people might think he was confident in winning the role.
With this in mind, Chi Feiran sighed softly, lowered his head, and continued reading his script, avoiding eye contact with others.
Li Yuan, next to him, felt quite reassured seeing how composed he was. But he couldn’t help noticing that every actor who came out from the audition was looking their way.
Was he overthinking it, or what? After all, Chi Feiran naturally drew attention just by sitting there.
Li Yuan glanced at the meticulously prepared Chi Feiran again and decided not to say anything that might affect the young man’s state.
Chi Feiran’s number wasn’t too late, somewhere in the middle. Thanks to Li Yuan’s early reminder, he had noticed that the casting directors had grouped actors considering their preparation levels, with similar company backgrounds and strengths.
Such details showed how well-organized the entire production team was.
When Chi Feiran’s number was called, he entered with four other actors. “De Wei Lou” had many ensemble scenes, which was likely why the auditions were arranged this way.
As described by many before, the first thing he saw upon entering the audition area was five large wooden chopping boards. These boards weren’t the common household type; they were large and had a strong sense of age, likely props prepared for the actual shoot. The knives were also traditional styles.
Chi Feiran had mentally prepared for this before entering, but… why was his boyfriend at the audition site?!
Rong Jin sat among the row of casting personnel, with a sign in front of him labeled “Producer.”
The other four actors, upon seeing Rong Jin, all glanced at Chi Feiran with expressions that were hard to decipher.
Producer Rong remained unfazed, showing no guilt about not informing his boyfriend. When their eyes met, he even smiled and mouthed, “Good luck.”
Chi Feiran felt a bit complicated, forcing himself to look away from Rong Jin. His gaze swept over the name tags in front of the other casting personnel, finally stopping at Director Zheng Lin.
Zheng Lin, over forty years old, had her long hair casually tied back and wore light makeup that revealed traces of time. Her attractiveness was not in question.
What made her compelling was not her looks but her aura, a blend of artist and professional, making her seem both free and confident. However, unlike many artists who gave off a lax sense of freedom, Zheng Lin exuded a strong sense of control.
As Chi Feiran looked at Zheng Lin, she was also scrutinizing him carefully, though her expression revealed nothing of her thoughts.
The other actors began their simple self-introductions, and the crew distributed the audition material. Chi Feiran focused, introduced himself, and then lowered his head to review the script.
After reading it, he looked up briefly at Zheng Lin’s direction.
Zheng Lin seemed unsurprised that Chi Feiran looked at her but didn’t show any additional reaction.
A casting director beside her reminded them, “You have five minutes to prepare, and remember to incorporate actual operations.”
Chi Feiran took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, and quickly began to get into character.
He didn’t know if this was a deliberate challenge, but he knew that to get the role, he had to outperform everyone else.
This time, they were auditioning for two scenes, both of which featured Ji Yunsheng heavily. It would be hard to believe that the chosen scenes were not deliberately selected.
The two scenes had a significant emotional contrast. The first scene depicted Ji Yunsheng after his parents’ death, already experiencing a psychological breakdown, being overtly and covertly ostracized. Despite still having the family inheritance, he was unwilling to use it to save the urgent situation at De Wei Lou.
This scene was an emotional outburst. Ji Yunsheng was worried about De Wei Lou—it was his master’s school. Even though he didn’t like it initially, after several years, how could he not have any feelings? On the other hand, it was his ancestral property, something stained with his parents’ blood! And these people, they demanded it from him so naturally!
Expressing this mix of conflict, anger, and underlying confusion was challenging.
In the second scene, the emotional tone shifted 180 degrees. It showcased Ji Yunsheng’s pride and happiness when his culinary skills had matured, along with a few light-hearted jabs at his senior brothers, without coming off as unlikable.
Not only was acting prowess required, but also the ability to transition seamlessly between emotions.
Chi Feiran took a deep breath, as if to absorb Ji Yunsheng’s essence into his own body.
After several rounds of auditions, the air already carried the scent of freshly cut vegetables, somewhat like a real kitchen. But Chi Feiran knew the smell wasn’t quite right.
A real kitchen should have more of a lively, bustling atmosphere, much hotter than this air-conditioned audition room, filled with the mingling aromas of various vegetables, meats, and meticulously cooked dishes. Eldest Brother’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was so fragrant that it could make a Buddha leap over a wall. Second Brother’s stir-fries were the most visually appealing, with flames leaping up to the ceiling, which was both alarming and thrilling to watch.
A voice announced, “You may begin.”
Then came the sound of chopping boards in use. Yes, this too. Third Brother’s knife skills were the best, able to cut tofu with his eyes closed.
Zheng Lin leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Chi Feiran.
Ji Yunsheng had no lines at the start of this scene, so his emotions had to be conveyed through his actions and expressions. Chi Feiran kept his head down. Even after the casting director signaled the start, he remained still.
Zheng Lin’s eyebrow twitched, and she glanced at Rong Jin sitting next to her.
Rong Jin, however, did not look at her, his eyes fixed ahead—more precisely, on Chi Feiran.
Zheng Lin’s attention quickly returned to Chi Feiran, knowing that observing his performance was paramount.
Then, Chi Feiran moved.
He slowly picked up the knife, one hand pressing down on the prepared prop vegetable, and made the first cut—slowly. The others’ lines continued, and so did his actions, still very slow.
Compared to the others’ swift and efficient knife work, Chi Feiran’s actions seemed overly deliberate. Zheng Lin even heard a faint click of disapproval from the casting director beside her.
However, Zheng Lin’s eyes remained glued to Chi Feiran’s hands, a peculiar feeling arising within her. That posture…
Chi Feiran’s movements were slow, but there was something in his demeanor that made Zheng Lin see the difference!
Author’s note:
Rong Rong: My boyfriend is the best! What do you all know?!
