Chapter Twenty-Two

  "Does Brother Ran want to go to bed with Director Chuan? Does Brother Ran have a leg with Director Jiang?" The little assistant was tongue-tied, saying "don't forget" while looking around, making sure no one else was listening before lowering his voice and asking sneakily, "Is it true or not?"

  "Mind your own business!" Fang Yu pushed the little assistant's head away with a fierce face, while also warning Jiang Chuan with a stern expression, "You'd better not talk nonsense, who the hell wants to sleep with you? This kind of thing is not to be taken lightly!"

  Gang Chuan withdrew his gaze, and with a hint of interest, he looked up and down at the agent who was in a state of panic due to his own question. He slightly curled up the corner of his lips and said, "Oh, can't I ask?"

  "You can't even ask, you're Yanran's junior brother, if this gets out those entertainment reporters will think it's true!" Fang Yu scolded in a frantic tone, "Don't say such things, if Yanran finds out, he'll be so angry he'll come back to life from his sickbed - my god, what sin did he commit to end up with an apprentice as reckless as you?!"

  Jian Ran: "......"

  Excuse me, I really know now.

  At this moment, the hamster's paws in Fang Yu's pocket stiffened and it heard Fang Yu's words. It thought silently: I'm not only not going to be revived by you guys, but my life is also almost gone because of your nonsense... And what about Comrade Fang Big Mouth? Don't pretend to be so innocent, who was the one gossiping with Little Shidi yesterday about my various dark pasts?

  Jiang Chuan: "Fang Ge..."

  "What's going on?"

  "So what's going on with Jiang Luocheng and Yuan Jinyan after all—"

  "Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

  "Oh."

  It seems that this man has also given up on the gossipy world. As Jiang Chuan slowly put his hand into his pocket to touch his head, he bit down on his finger - but Jiang Chuan's skin was thick and rough, so being bitten by a hamster whose head wasn't much bigger than his fingers didn't hurt or itch at all. He firmly stroked the chin of his own hamster before moving his finger away.

  A disheveled hamster crouched in his pocket—

  Shut up and stop acting like a dog!!!!!!!!!

  Three humans plus a hamster huddled together, whispering to each other. Just then, the actors and agents who were preparing in the corridor suddenly shrank down, carefully listening to the noise, hurriedly crawling up to peek out of Jiang Chuan's pocket, and unexpectedly found that it was Jiang Luocheng who appeared.

  Before, in the IM office, I hadn't really taken a good look at him. Now, looking at him, this guy seems to have suddenly become haggard, with a pale face and stubble on his chin. Coming to the front of the actors who came today to compete for the role of "Qiao Sheng", Jiang Luocheng first scanned all the actors present, then lowered his voice and said something to the assistant next to him. The assistant nodded, raised her voice and said in a more polite tone: "Sorry to trouble everyone who is going to audition, our director has instructed us to show you a video before the audition..."

  Fang Yu's face was bewildered, clearly also unaware of this: "What video?"

  Jiang Luocheng: "The video of Jiang Chuan and Jin Ran's screen test that day, I had someone work overnight to edit it and bring it out yesterday—"

  Jian Ran: "............"

  What? That shameful play where you and Jiang Chuan were eating tofu on a cushion together?

  What's the grudge between Old Man Jiang Luo and you?

  Jiang Luocheng patted his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and continued: "Mainly to let everyone who came for the audition today take a look and get a feel for the role. We're really short on time here, if we can't find the feeling I want, then I think it's better not to waste each other's time."

  Jiang Luocheng's words caused the faces of several first-line TV drama actors present to change - they had considered that Jiang Luocheng might be different from other TV drama directors who flattered and coaxed them, but they did not expect this guy to be so impolite.

  For a moment, several actors who could be named had more or less disgruntled expressions on their faces. Among them was one who originally had a good relationship with Jian Ye... Jian Ye crouched in Jiang Chuan's pocket, watching as Jiang Luo Cheng pulled out some inexplicable hatred towards him, completely unable to jump out and mediate the situation, and could only silently stare at Jiang Luo Cheng with a face full of anger.

  At this time, those small stars with no fame followed behind the assistant, entering the audition room with a sincere and fearful face.

  Jiang Chuan and his group were originally here to blend in, so they patiently waited until everyone had entered before following them inside. The entire preview room was decorated like a small movie theater, with dim lighting. Jiang Chuan's group sat down in the last row, and Jin Yan crawled out of Jiang Chuan's pocket, climbing up his chest and jumping agilely onto his shoulder.

  Turning back, I found that Jiang Luocheng had not left, but was leaning against the door frame at the entrance, ignoring the no-smoking sign above his head, lit a cigarette, and said vaguely in the twinkling sparks: "Let go."

  As soon as Jiang Luocheng's words fell, a picture appeared on the screen at the very front of the entire trial broadcast room.

  As the scene on the screen was reflected in the hamster's eyes, which were wide with shock, he also heard Fang Yu let out an unhidden gasp of surprise beside him.

  Let me sort out the timeline, two days ago, he tried out for a role and something happened; yesterday, he found himself waking up in a pile of hamsters and becoming one of them; today, he was bought home as a pet by Jiang Chuan, and received news that "Republic of China's Strange Happenings Records" is going to re-select roles tonight.

  And now, just in the short span of one night plus a morning, what is unfolding before their eyes is a complete TV drama episode.

  It's completely different from the shameful PLAY I imagined.

  On the screen, the green exercise mat is gone, the rough trial mirror photography studio is gone, replaced by a gray and hazy sky, rolling dark clouds, steep cliffs, and the sound of wind blowing from the cracks in the cliff, the sound is sharp and mournful, as if someone is silently crying in the cliff...

  A young man with black hair wearing a white shirt is leaning over the edge of a cliff, his hair blown slightly awry by the wind.

  The camera zoomed in on his face, revealing the small scars from being scratched by gravel. At this moment, he seemed to be struggling to maintain his balance on the cliff edge... But what caught people's attention was those black pupils, which showed obvious hesitation and pain. However, unexpectedly, the young man with black hair had a stubborn expression on his face.

  Two conflicting emotions appeared on one face at the same time, yet seemed perfectly harmonious.

  He raised his head, looking at the hand that was gripping his wrist tightly on the edge of the cliff, and said in a low, trembling voice: "Stinky Taoist, let go—"

  The first line of dialogue sounded, and what was originally a faint discussion in the rehearsal room suddenly fell silent.

  In the lens, a young man with black hair seemed to grit his teeth and said stubbornly: "Now let go, you have completed your mission, isn't it about beheading demons and sweeping away all evil spirits in the world?"

  "Shut up."

  A very indifferent magnetic voice interrupted the young black-haired man's words.

  At this time, the camera pans out slightly and finally includes another person in addition to the black-haired young man hanging from the cliff - that person is wearing a Taoist robe, but his sleeves are rolled up high, his strong arms bulging with veins as he strains, his hand gripping the black-haired young man's hand tightly, his brow furrowed like a sword, his eyes filled with struggle and unease.

  "Me? Did I ever let you speak? You little pest, even when death is near, you still dare to provoke me?"

  The Taoist's words of complaint ignited the anger of the young black-haired man.

  "How did I force you? You always talk about the ancestral teachings of Taoism, are you cultivating Tao or reciting Buddhist scriptures?"

  In an instant, all the suppressed emotions of the black-haired young man seemed to be released. He raised his voice, which was fast and urgent, with anger and sadness mixed in. As he questioned the man on the cliff, asking how he had been forced into this situation, his slightly upturned beautiful eyes also became covered with a thin layer of mist, and his eye sockets followed suit, becoming slightly red.

  The howling wind almost blew away his inquiry.

  It's been a long time, and there has been no response.

  The young man with black hair seemed extremely disappointed, and with an almost inaudible tone, he softly sighed: "Huajin, let go... Let me reunite with my wife in the underworld..."

  "I won't let you die here!"

  A Taoist-looking man standing at the edge of the cliff let out a loud roar, and his uneasy, confused, and bewildered emotions were directly transmitted to everyone's heart through the screen. At this time, the trial broadcast room was silent, and everyone stared at the screen, where the Taoist held the young man with black hair who was hanging on the edge of the cliff, and suddenly pulled him up - and hugged him tightly in his arms!

  The two of them collided and tumbled backward in a heap, while Hua Jin's hand remained protectively around Qiao Sheng's waist, cautious and careful, as if afraid he would make another mistake...

  The scene switched, and the perspective changed to that of Qiao Sheng. He seemed to be slightly raising his head, looking at the extremely handsome face that was close at hand - looking at the eyes of the Daoist who was usually serious and rigid, a hint of helplessness and tenderness flashed by, and he let out a soft sigh.

  "You're really going to drive me crazy."

  A sentence fell.

  The entire screen fell silent again.

  The lights in the broadcast room lit up again, and the people sitting in their seats were still in a daze for a long time.

  At this time, everyone present was in a state of confusion, with the image of "Qiao Sheng" still fresh in their minds. Unconsciously, they even forgot that Huai Jin's acting skills were still a bit rough as a newcomer...

  The actor who played "Qiao Sheng" successfully brought up his partner whose acting skills were not so sophisticated.

  Make the whole picture harmonious and peaceful.

  At this moment, everyone who has seen the clip feels that they have just grasped the core soul of "Qiao Sheng" in such a short clip. Some people also deeply understand what this script wants to express - the inexplicable bond between Qiao Sheng, a mouse spirit, and Daoist Huai Jin.

  As a demon, he was stubborn and strong-willed, troubled by emotions and bewildered by the world, yet still unwavering in his innocence and determination.

  Huajin, a demon-hunting and evil-suppressing expert, had always held firm beliefs. However, his single-minded obsession was on the verge of collapse after encountering a mouse spirit, causing him to become perplexed and wavering, questioning whether everything he had insisted on was right or wrong...

  Such complex emotions were fully portrayed within a mere five-minute plot.

  And these are things they didn't see in the script of the same plot that they just got.

  At this time, all the actors on the scene were silent.

  They didn't give up and think they can't handle this role - after all, they are experienced actors who believe that if they have enough time to ponder and get into character, they can fully portray the role with the complete storyline of the previous script.

  What made them hesitate was another thing: for example, after taking down this role, can they also achieve that within the short five-minute climax scene, let all the audience understand what the TV series wants to express, and then be quickly attracted like them just now, stop playing the TV series on this channel, continue to watch, successfully grab the wild viewing rate.

  Before today, such a thing was simply like a fairy tale to them.

  They also aren't unfamiliar with Jian Ran's acting, which is excellent. However, they have never seen his audition clips and don't know what he looks like during auditions. They just watch a movie or TV series from start to finish and can feel that he is an outstanding actor.

  They didn't expect that after watching the whole movie, it actually toned down the actor's own strength.

  Today's short audition clip, they witnessed with their own eyes -

  What was once a fantasy in their eyes has been achieved.

  Why are you asking me when I'll become a member? What's the rush? I'm not in a hurry, it's better to watch for free for two more days, right? (flirting)