The secretary turned around but accidentally bumped into someone. When she realized who she had bumped into, she immediately exclaimed, "Young Master, what brings you here?"
"Who are you trying to tell by shouting so loudly?" The man shoved the secretary aside and started turning the lock on Zhou Xueyao's office door, only to find it locked from the inside. He then began banging on the door, shouting, "Zhou Xueyao, what are you doing? Open the door!"
The newcomer was clearly impatient; after knocking on the door a few times, he had already started kicking it. But Zhou Xueyao was completely helpless against him, because this was Zhou Chengli, the notorious playboy of the Zhou family, and also the direct grandson of the Zhou matriarch, making him the rightful heir of the Zhou family—if only he weren't so unreliable.
Zhou Xueyao deleted all the photos she had just received, then took a document, opened it, and placed it on the table before calmly walking to the door and opening it. The moment the lock clicked shut, she quickly stepped back to avoid being hit in the face by the door.
"Big brother, what brings you here to cause trouble this time?" Zhou Xueyao's smile didn't reach her eyes. She glanced at her secretary and gestured for her to leave.
Zhou Chengli reached out and flicked a strand of Zhou Xueyao's hair, saying flippantly, "I'm sorry, Xueyao, I was too impulsive just now and almost bumped into your beautiful face. If you had been disfigured, I would have been in a terrible state!"
"Brother, don't worry about it. I'm not disfigured yet, am I? We'll talk about sins when that day really comes!" Zhou Xueyao curled her lips and mocked him.
Seeing the annoyance in Zhou Xueyao's eyes, Zhou Chengli felt awkward and began to explain the purpose of his visit: "Why is there so little money in my account this month? Is the Zhou family going bankrupt?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhou Xueyao couldn't stand him joking about such things. "How much money do you need? I'll make it up to you."
"Alright, as expected of my little sister Xueyao, the next head of the Zhou family." When Zhou Chengli heard that she was going to make up the money for him, he immediately made an outrageous demand, holding up five fingers, "I still owe five million, give it to me now!"
"Five million, what are you going to do with it?" Zhou Xueyao could come up with the money, but it was still a considerable sum. Besides, her family deposited a lot of money into Zhou Chengli's account every month, so she had to find out why.
Zhou Chengli originally thought he could get the money quickly, but he didn't expect her to talk so much nonsense and ask so many questions. He immediately lost his patience and cursed, "Zhou Xueyao, I'm giving you face by calling you sister. Do you really think you're the head of the household and can make decisions for me? Let me tell you, if you don't transfer the money to me, I'm going to the old house to find Grandma right now!"
"Go ahead, do you think Grandma will tolerate you?" Zhou Xueyao sneered when she heard his words.
But the next second, Zhou Xueyao's smile vanished, because Zhou Chengli pulled out a photo, and the photo clearly showed Zhou Paihuai.
"Little sister Xueyao, I know Grandma doesn't like me, but I wonder if she's interested in the people in the photos!"
Heaven knows how much effort Zhou Xueyao used to hold back and not show any panic. She said, "Who is this? She looks just like my mother. But why did you show this to Grandma? Did you want to upset her?"
“How do you know Grandma is sad? She lost Auntie so many years ago. Now that she suddenly sees someone who looks so much like Auntie, shouldn’t she be happy?” Zhou Chengli put the photo away. “I think if Grandma is happy, she might just give me the money!”
"...Never mind, I'll transfer the money to your account in a bit. Don't bother Grandma with this!" Zhou Xueyao wasn't sure if he would really give the photos to Old Madam Zhou. She shouldn't have impulsively agreed to give him the money, but she really couldn't afford to take the risk.
Just hang in there a little longer, and everything will be different after this year's birthday.
Chapter 71 I will do my best
After comforting the person, Zhou Paihuai asked, "Didn't you say you didn't need to come to the company today?"
Ji Anxi spread her hands and said, "I really didn't need to come, but on my way home after leaving your place, I got a call from the company asking me to go look at the script. You too?"
"..." Zhou Paihuai was too embarrassed to say that she was conscripted by Sister Cheng because she was photographed by paparazzi first, so she changed the subject, "Now that I can take on roles again, Sister Cheng asked me to take a look at the script."
"You seem very unwilling?" Ji Anxi could hear the reluctance in her tone. Although she could sense that Zhou Paihuai didn't really like filming, it had been so long since she'd been on set. Didn't she need to eat? It would be better to have work to do than to act so bitterly.
Zhou Huai shook his head and said, "I'm not unwilling. Aren't we just about to choose a script?"
“I’ll go with you!” Ji Anxi said, then added, “You just told Sister Cheng that you wanted me to help you choose scripts, so I can’t slack off, can I?”
"Okay, then let's not waste any more time!"
When I first arrived, the scripts I saw had all been sifted through by Cheng Minxin, so there weren't many of them. The rest were numerous, several thick stacks at a glance.
"Cheng Minxin truly lives up to her reputation; she has an abundance of resources at her disposal," Ji Anxi, who had never seen much of the world, couldn't help but exclaim.
Zhou Paihuai smiled wryly. Rather than saying that Sister Cheng had abundant resources, it was more accurate to say that the entertainment industry was a big market. If one didn't focus on the quality of resources, there were actually many options available.
"Let's see first."
Looking at these scripts from the perspective of a former hater and now a die-hard fan, Ji Anxi always felt they were unworthy of Zhou Paihuai's status. Zhou Paihuai, on the other hand, couldn't find a story that moved her. Her acting wasn't particularly outstanding to begin with; if she couldn't even immerse herself in the story, she could never portray the character well.
Ji Anxi quickly lost her patience. She slammed the script on the table and said, "I can't stand it anymore. Why are they all such insignificant supporting characters? These characters probably won't last three episodes."
"Not necessarily, it depends on how the director edits it. If they can pad it out, it might exceed 5 episodes." Zhou Paihuai was still in the mood to joke with her.
"So you want to act?" Ji Anxi frowned. "Do you think you haven't been criticized enough?"
Zhou Paihuai has been without any works or buzz for almost a year due to being blacklisted. If he were to play this kind of role as soon as he reappears, he would definitely be ridiculed by the entire internet, which would be a feast for his haters.
"Not necessarily. My popularity isn't as high as it used to be, and the haters are just playing it safe. There probably won't be many people criticizing me then. Right now, I just want to choose a role I like and can immerse myself in." As Zhou Paihuai said this, she had already found the role she wanted to play. She handed the script she was holding to Ji Anxi, "What do you think of this one?"
"So you've already made your choice!" Ji Anxi saw the faint smile on her face and realized that she seemed to really like the story in her hand, so she lowered her head and began to read it.
The script is actually quite straightforward; it's just a story outline used for auditions, yet it already gives off a sense of drama and suspense. Whether or not...
Both the female lead, with her deep love for her country, and the male lead, who fights on the battlefield, have outstanding character designs. Moreover, the story doesn't fall into clichés; the male and female leads ultimately strive for their ideals. If the story were to be filmed following this plot, it would definitely be the kind of story Ji Anxi would like.
Zhou Paihuai isn't the female lead, nor can she play the male lead; the roles she can choose are the main antagonist, someone dedicated to hindering the male and female leads' careers. For such characters where the protagonists are so great, the antagonist becomes incredibly hateful. If Zhou Paihuai doesn't act well, she'll be ridiculed for her poor acting; but if she does act well, she might face personal attacks or even insults directed at her entire family.
"Are you really sure you want to play this role?" Ji Anxi asked her, tilting her head. "Although people say that values follow appearances and that a good villain can attract fans, this character has an ugly face throughout the entire story. The audience will only see your vicious side."
“So what?” Zhou Paihuai asked her in return. “I want to play this role simply because I like this story and I want to be a part of it. Besides, I’ve been in the industry for so many years and haven’t gained a lot of popularity, so the audience’s approval isn’t particularly important to me.”
Ji Anxi felt somewhat convinced. From being a fan of Zhou Paihuai's career to becoming a hater, and now standing by his side as a friend, her mindset had changed significantly. Just as Zhou Paihuai hoped she would live a carefree and unrestrained life, she also hoped that Zhou Paihuai would spend every day of his life happily.
"But if you choose this role, will Sister Cheng agree?"
“She will!” Zhou Huaipai stood up. “It’s getting late, you should go back first, I’ll go talk to her.”
"I'll go with you!" Ji Anxi was unwilling to walk alone.
Zhou Paihuai turned to look at her, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you afraid that Sister Cheng will see you have some free time and start chatting with you about life?"
“…Forget it, I'll just go back!” Ji Anxi chose to give up. Cheng Minxin was quite good at nagging, and she didn't want to listen to her lectures at all. But if she stayed, there was a high chance that Cheng Minxin would take her away for a lecture.
After sending the hater away, Zhou Paihuai took the script and went to find Cheng Minxin.
"Zhou Zhou, are you going to see Sister Cheng?" Tang Xiaole was encountered on the way. Seeing that Zhou Zhou had a script, she guessed that she was going to see Sister Cheng.
Zhou Paihuai simply nodded, about to speak, when he heard Tang Xiaole say, "Then you've come to the wrong place. Sister Cheng went to a meeting earlier; she should be in her office now..."
"Luckily you reminded me!" Before Zhou Paihuai could finish listening, he immediately turned around and headed towards her office.
"...But there's still a high chance he's not here!" Tang Xiaole silently finished what she wanted to say. She really didn't want Zhou Huaihuai to make a wasted trip, but she was too anxious and left too quickly!
Fortunately, Zhou was lucky; she found Cheng Minxin in the office.
After she went inside, before she could even speak, Cheng Minxin gestured for her to sit down and spoke first: "Have you made your choice?"
Zhou Paihuai nodded and handed over the script: "Take a look?"
Cheng Minxin was about to open the script to take a look, but remembering what Zhou Huaihuai had said earlier, she closed the half-open script and said, "Since this is your choice, I respect it, and I hope you can respect your choice and perform this play well!"
"I will do everything in my power!"
Chapter 72: The Acting Class Was Worth It
Soon, Cheng Minxin arranged an audition for Zhou Paihuai. Since she didn't have time to go with him, she arranged for Tang Xiaole to accompany her to the audition.
The script was excellent, and the director was naturally excellent as well, so even the auditions were very important. A special audition venue was arranged, along with a dedicated makeup artist and dressing room. As soon as Zhou Paihuai arrived at the audition venue, he was led to get his makeup done by the makeup artist.
"Come with me!"
"Then you wait here for a bit, I'll be out in a minute!"
Tang Xiaole nodded; she had no objections. Having worked as an artist's assistant for so long, she was well aware that some production teams had very strict auditions, perhaps even requiring actors to wear full costumes. Moreover, judging from Sister Cheng's words, the male and female leads for this drama had already been cast, and today might be the day Zhou Zhou would directly act opposite them...
"Hiss—" Tang Xiaole thought she was worldly-wise, but when Zhou Huaihuai, fully made up, walked out of the dressing room, she couldn't help but gasp. She went to get her makeup done? Did she really not go in and get her face ruined? Did the makeup artist on this set use sulfuric acid on Zhou Zhou? "Zhou Zhou, this—"
"The role requires it, the role requires it!" Zhou Huahuai knew what she was surprised about and answered in advance.
"..." Tang Xiaole shut her mouth. She wasn't a qualified assistant; she should have researched Zhou Paihuai's character beforehand so she wouldn't have seemed too surprised. But this kind of makeup wasn't easy to do. It was just an audition; why did she have to look like this?
At this point, the naive assistant was unaware that the director hadn't deliberately chosen this particular makeup for the audition. Rather, it was because Zhou Huaihuai's character would be wearing this disfigured makeup throughout the entire film, and subsequent makeup would only get uglier, not any better. If she knew the truth, she probably wouldn't be able to resist calling Sister Cheng to complain.
While getting her makeup done, Zhou Paihuai received the script for today's audition. Unlike the synopsis she had received before, this script was a very detailed one, with more specific requirements for the actors' expressions, movements, and lines. The scene she was auditioning for today was nearing the end of the story. The villain plotted one last scheme against the male and female leads, even at the cost of his own blood relatives, but he failed to achieve his goal and could only tragically commit suicide in the end.
These kinds of scenes are the most difficult to act out because many scenes can only be naturally portrayed when the actor truly immerses themselves in the role and empathizes with it. Even award-winning actors and actresses might not be able to convey this kind of empathy if they were to appear directly in the finale. The director probably chose this role because he wasn't confident in Zhou Huaipai's acting skills and wanted to discourage her from taking the challenge.
But for Zhou Huapai, as long as she can open her heart, she is the one who can most easily empathize with the character. What she needs to do now is to enhance her sense of immersion, enter a state of selflessness, and brainwash herself into believing that this is not acting, but that she is now "Sheng Huanyan" who is about to commit suicide.
Sheng Huanyan suddenly leaned forward, as if someone had actually spoken to her, shattering her last shred of illusion. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but then she just pursed them, ultimately saying nothing. As she swallowed the poison, Sheng Huanyan suddenly raised her head; in that instant, it was clear she smiled, but at that very moment, two tears slid down her cheeks...
At that moment, despite the extremely ugly makeup, everyone present was captivated by Zhou Paihuai's eyes, which shone like stars.
The director couldn't wait to stand up. It wasn't that no one had tried out for the role of "Sheng Huanyan" before, but something just didn't feel right to him. It wasn't that the other actors were bad, but everyone was just following the script, portraying a vicious and ugly Sheng Huanyan, leaving no room for any redeeming qualities. But Zhou Paihuai's few minutes of screen time revealed a pitiful side to Sheng Huanyan, which was exactly the kind of role he wanted. Only a role like this had value and meaning for discussion.
"Very good, very good!" Since he was very satisfied, the director naturally didn't hold back his praise. "However, if you were to act in this film, you would have to maintain this makeup for several months of filming. Would you be willing to do that?"
Zhou Paihuai knew that the character setting of "Sheng Huanyan" was that she was disfigured at a young age, which led to her psychological distortion and the many bad things she did. So he kept staring at this kind of makeup, which was the most in line with the setting. Moreover, no one could see her micro-expressions, so it was not a big deal to her.
"Of course, you can rest assured about that!"
"Alright!" The director didn't say anything more. The contract would definitely still be handled by Cheng Minxin and the company, but since he had said so, there was basically no problem with the role.
After the audition, Zhou Paihuai returned to the dressing room. With the help of the makeup artist and Tang Xiaole, it took a long time to remove the disfiguring makeup and restore her original beautiful appearance.
"I have other things to do, you can rest for a while before you leave!" After removing her makeup, the makeup artist hurriedly packed her things to rush off to do makeup for others.
See you next time!
"Please go ahead with your work!"
After the makeup artist left, Tang Xiaole exclaimed excitedly, "Zhou Zhou, are you crazy? Didn't you hear what the director said? This makeup isn't just for one or two scenes; you have to wear this face from the start of filming until the end. And you still want to act in it? Sister Cheng won't allow it. Letting you play this role would be a complete waste of talent."
"Xiaole, calm down. Although this character isn't good-looking, her personality is very complex, with several layers of transformation. It will be a great help to hone my acting skills." Zhou Paihuai spread his hands. "Besides, who said Sister Cheng wouldn't agree? Sister Cheng has already promised me that if I get selected for this role, she'll let me play it!"
"..." Tang Xiaole was speechless. She was just an assistant; what could she say? "Have you ever thought about what your face will look like after three to five months of wearing so many cheap rubber patches on it every day?"
"Um—" Zhou Paihuai hadn't really thought about this problem yet, but it shouldn't be too serious. She'd seen similar disfiguring costumes on TV before, even thicker ones, and had never heard of any actor being disfigured because of them. "Don't worry, I believe the production team will take this into consideration. By the way, did you take any photos just now?"
Cheng Minxin had instructed Tang Xiaole to take the photos. If things went well, they could release some of the audition photos to attract more attention. But now, if the photos were actually released, Zhou Paihuai's remaining fans might all leave.
"Why don't you ask Sister Cheng if you should send it or not?" Tang Xiaole was extremely nervous as she watched Zhou Paihuai send her photos using her phone.
"Don't worry, I won't send them out. I'll save a few to submit as homework. Did you forget I'm still in acting class?" Zhou Paihuai's words dispelled her concerns. "By the way, what did you think of my performance today? Did it improve compared to before?"
Just now, Tang Xiaole was so focused on the "wow" factor that she hadn't paid much attention to Tang Xiaole's acting, even being absent-minded while taking photos. But now, holding the photos and recalling her performance, it seemed like a significant improvement over her previous exaggerated and expressionless acting. This kid is unlucky; her acting had just started to improve when she had to play such a universally disliked character. "She has indeed improved a lot!"
"I'm relieved to hear that. It seems the acting class wasn't a waste of time!"
Chapter 73 A Lack of Martial Morality
"Mr. Ji, Miss Anxi is in your office!" Ji Anbo had just arrived at the company when his secretary came up to him and said this.