Just from the man’s attire, it wasn’t difficult to see that the role he wanted to audition for was the same as Jing Li’s.
He was wearing a similar moon-white robe with special designs at the waist to give a slender and elegant silhouette. The slightly elegant fabric lifted lightly with each step he took, giving off a sense of ethereal grace. Paired with the white jade hairpiece on his head, he really did look somewhat like an exiled immortal.
If they hadn’t already witnessed Jing Li’s stunning appearance in the moon-white robes earlier, the people present would likely have been captivated.
It was clear this man had put in considerable thought and effort before coming.
Jing Li looked him up and down with interest, surprised he had managed to find a chance to crawl out after the huge scandal he had caused.
It seemed this scumbag gong had quite some skills.
But these matters were no longer related to him. Jing Li only glanced at the man briefly before shifting his gaze away.
This face had been creating quite a stir online recently. It wasn’t difficult for Director Li to recognize him. He had been somewhat displeased at the sudden interruption, but seeing the man’s solemn and earnest attitude, his expression softened slightly. He nodded at the man and said, “You’re not late. But someone is ahead of you in line. Since you’re already prepared, you can go to the waiting room first to get settled. I’ll have someone notify you when it’s your turn.”
“You mean Jing Shao?” Lin Xiao suddenly spoke up. Seeing Director Li look at him in confusion, he smiled gently and continued, “Jing Shao and I have some history. I didn’t expect to see him here too. If he truly likes this role, then I’m willing to withdraw my audition.”
His words sounded humble, but people in the industry weren’t fools. Anyone could hear his attempt to curry favor.
“No need, I can’t accept your ‘goodwill’. Besides, I’m not familiar with you at all,” Jing Li couldn’t help but scoff before Director Li could respond.
He was truly surprised at how shameless this man could be – cheating on someone’s boyfriend yet shamelessly benefiting from their resources. And now he pretended to graciously give up the role to him?
Jing Li nearly laughed out loud.
“Director Li, why don’t we do this,” Jing Li looked to Director Li and suggested, “Since this gentleman is so well-prepared, let him try out for the role first. I can wait.”
“No need. Jing Shao, I didn’t mean anything by it. Although you lack experience, if you sincerely like this role, I’m willing to…”
“Do you want to have a relationship with me?” He jerked his chin toward the outside, “If you really don’t want to audition, the door is over there.”
Lin Xiao was rendered speechless by his rebuttal.
The attitude was clear enough.
Director Li sneered inwardly but did not show it on his face. Seeing Lin Xiao fall silent, he said, “Then you can go first.”
Lin Xiao pretended to hesitate for a moment. Seeing the assistant director start to walk forward, he quickly nodded at the director before hurrying to follow.
“Er Shao, why did you let him go first? This person obviously said that on purpose.” Behind Jing Li, the assistant couldn’t help but grumble softly, extremely displeased and unwilling.
“What’s meant to be mine will be mine, regardless of who goes first,” Jing Li replied indifferently, clearly not bothered by this at all.
The assistant’s lips moved soundlessly for a few moments before he chose to stay silent.
Their conversation was also overheard by Director Li nearby. Seeing Jing Li’s open-minded confidence, his impression of the young man improved a bit more. He was determined that no matter how Lin Xiao performed later, he would definitely give Jing Li a chance to audition as well.
At the same time, Lin Xiao, in the distance, also secretly made a resolution – he had to try his utmost later to win this role in one go, leaving Jing Li no chance to audition at all. Let him have a taste of being trampled by him again.
Just thinking about that scene put a satisfied, cold smile on Lin Xiao’s face.
The audition content wasn’t long, just the scene of the male lead being misled into the sect’s forbidden grounds and about to be punished by the sect leader before being saved by the young master who rushed over after hearing the news.
Lin Xiao had made thorough preparations before coming and had repeatedly rehearsed the scene countless times with his agent. He could almost perform it all from memory now, with the images completely imprinted in his mind.
So, when they arrived on site, he simply nodded at the assistant director to indicate he was ready.
As the audition began, he strode towards the sect’s grand hall. Just as he neared the entrance, he saw two men inside, one standing and one kneeling. The standing one had an imposing aura, lecturing sternly, while the kneeling one kept his head lowered, his entire body radiating an unyielding stubbornness.
Lin Xiao’s footsteps faltered for a moment as he waited for the scolding inside to end before lazily sauntering over the threshold. At the same time, his expression shifted to an arrogant, careless look as he called out loudly, “Father, who’s the blind fool that dared anger you this time? Do you want your son to teach him a lesson for you?”
The man inside paused and looked over with a frown, shouting, “Nonsense! What are you doing here? Leave at once!”
The sect leader was played by a famous veteran actor. Every aspect of his performance, from speech to expression, was filled with skill. Although the scolding sounded severe, a fleeting gentleness still flashed through his eyes, perfectly portraying an outwardly stern but inwardly doting old father.
Yet Lin Xiao didn’t notice any of that. From the first glance the other man had looked at him, he was overwhelmed by the sheer oppressive might, his heartbeat even skipping from fright.
He had completely forgotten his next lines.
It was only when Director Li’s irritated voice sounded from behind that he came back to his senses and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I forgot my lines. Can I start over?”
He hadn’t expected such a huge difference between acting with a veteran and his agent. Even with his limited prior acting experiences, he never encountered such a strong opponent. Just now, he had been completely crushed without any ability to respond.
Thinking about how all this was seen by Jing Li nearby, shame and anger flushed his entire face red, but he still had to grit his teeth and endure it.
Director Li frowned in displeasure, but considering the opponent was a veteran actor with decades of experience, he reluctantly swallowed his annoyance and allowed a redo.
Jing Li, off to the side, simply raised his brows in interest, not saying anything as he continued observing calmly.
The scene restarted. This time, Lin Xiao steeled himself, and after the veteran’s stern scolding, he barely managed to shakily deliver his next lines, “This disciple admits his wrongs in trespassing the grand hall without permission. I beseech the sect leader to punish me.”
He bowed with cupped fists, trying to seem mischievous, but still felt intimidated by the other’s imposing manner. His upturned lips looked somewhat strained.
As a seasoned actor, the veteran was naturally very dissatisfied with his performance, but could only see it from this angle. Seeing the director hadn’t called for a stop, he could only continue reluctantly.
Fortunately, the following lines were few, ending after just a couple of sentences. All Lin Xiao had to do was help the male lead on the ground up, then say his final line to finish.
But when he went to assist the man on the ground, another accident occurred. Since the other had kept his head lowered in a kneel until now, Lin Xiao hadn’t seen his face. Only when helping him stand did he realize the scene partner was none other than the famous movie emperor Fu Yan, the male lead of this drama.
This unexpected discovery instantly shocked him into widening his eyes and losing control of his expression, his lines jamming up once more.
Continuous mistakes, one after another, finally ignited Director Li’s temper. He shouted angrily, “What are you doing?! If you can’t act, get lost, and stop wasting everyone’s time!”
Being scolded in front of so many people, Lin Xiao also couldn’t keep up appearances. But thinking of how hard-earned this opportunity was, he swallowed his anger and smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, Director Li. I was a bit tired from the trip here just now and haven’t recovered my composure. Can I have ten minutes to get into character?”
Jing Li watched his embarrassed expression in amusement for a few seconds before chiming in with a smile, “Director Li, don’t get angry. Since this gentleman is so confident, why not be more generous and give him ten more minutes? Otherwise, if this role really gets ‘given’ to me, that would be quite unfortunate.”
Hearing his previous words thrown back mockingly, fury flashed across Lin Xiao’s face. But he couldn’t find any words for rebuttal and still cherished this rare chance. So, despite the humiliation, he looked hopefully to Director Li, waiting for his decision.
Director Li was also extremely angry, originally wanting to chase the man away. But hearing Jing Li’s words, he reconsidered – maybe this young master would perform even worse than this guy later. That would be too awkward. With this thought, his anger abated slightly, and he gestured at Lin Xiao in acquiescence to his request.
Lin Xiao was overjoyed, repeatedly thanking Director Li before hurrying off without even glancing at Jing Li.
When the assistant standing next to Jing Li saw this, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes skyward. Jing Li chuckled and ruffled his hair fondly.
With Lin Xiao’s problem, it was naturally Jing Li’s turn now.
Considering Lin Xiao’s performance from before, Director Li cautioned, “Later, just act according to your own feelings. Don’t be afraid. Pretend they’re just wooden posts.”
Jing Li laughed at his analogy and couldn’t help but respond with a smile before striding into the scene.
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