"Tang Xue, act out the scene where Leng Xinyu draws her sword against her master." Li Zhen was referring to the scene where Leng Xinyu learns that the cultivator who destroyed her village was closely related to her master, leading to a falling out between master and disciple.
"Okay." Tang Xue put down the script, took a deep breath, and to be honest, she was still a little nervous.
Although she was the top student in the acting department at school, after graduation she joined Lin Xiaoxiao's company. After signing with Lin Xiaoxiao's company, acting became impossible for her.
Although she had never given up training, today was her first time auditioning in front of a director. If she succeeded, she would have a chance to act; if she failed...
Tang Xue shook her head, forcing herself not to think about the consequences of failure. She had to succeed; she could only succeed.
"Tang Xue, don't be nervous, relax. Your professional skills are not a problem, I believe in you." A gentle voice entered her ears, and Tang Xue looked up to see the person's eyes full of trust.
Tang Xue lowered her eyes, and her previously tense mood inexplicably calmed down. Why? Was it because of those eyes filled with trust? Tang Xue couldn't understand it. She couldn't understand Lin Xiaoxiao, and even less could she understand herself.
Undeterred by the lack of response, Lin Xiaoxiao turned to Li Zhen and asked, "Director Li, aren't you going to find someone to act opposite her?"
“No need.” Li Zhen shook his head. “Didn’t President Lin say that her business skills are not a problem?”
"Of course." Lin Xiaoxiao was a little proud, but then she was a little worried and said, "Won't it be awkward for her to act alone without anyone to rehearse with?" Lin Xiaoxiao was a little worried that acting with thin air might affect Tang Xue's performance.
"How about Ms. Lin makes a cameo appearance?" Li Zhen squinted at Lin Xiaoxiao. "I also want to see her adaptability."
"Huh? Me?" Lin Xiaoxiao pointed to herself. "No, no, I can't. I can't act. What if I interfere with her performance if I go to act alongside her?"
Lin Xiaoxiao quickly refused. She suggested finding someone to act with her so that Tang Xue could have a better audition, not to make things more difficult for her.
“I think it’s a good idea.” Li Zhen seemed to think his suggestion was quite good. “Since it’s an audition, it will naturally take into account all aspects, so President Lin shouldn’t refuse.”
"Director Li, professional matters should be handled by professionals. As for me..."
"Mr. Lin, I can do it, thank you." Before Lin Xiaoxiao could finish speaking, Tang Xue suddenly blurted out, which surprised Lin Xiaoxiao. "I can't act, I'll just hold you back."
"Didn't President Lin say he trusts my business capabilities?"
Tang Xue was smiling when she said this, but Lin Xiaoxiao could hear the coldness in her tone.
Lin Xiaoxiao blinked, genuinely confused. But since the female lead had spoken, as a devoted admirer, she had no choice but to agree.
Chapter 14
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Bai Bing's gaze turned somewhat deep as she watched Lin Xiaoxiao follow Tang Xue to the side to read the script. Didn't she notice anything different about Lin Xiaoxiao?
No, she realized that if Lin Xiaoxiao's initial change in image was because she had finally let go of that scumbag Lin Yu and decided to start over.
Therefore, Lin Xiaoxiao's treatment of Tang Xue is something that people can't help but pay attention to.
Tang Xue is Lin Yu's girlfriend. Bai Bing had already investigated this when she learned that Lin Xiaoxiao had feelings for Lin Yu.
However, at that time, Lin Xiaoxiao was completely infatuated with Lin Yu and couldn't listen to anyone's words at all, nor did she believe that Tang Xue was Lin Yu's girlfriend.
She only believed what Lin Yu told her, and believed that Tang Xue was just one of the many women who liked him.
Now, Lin Xiaoxiao seems to have figured things out, and she really does seem to have let go of Lin Yu and is ready to start a new life.
But what's going on between her and Tang Xue? Could it be that she wants to use Tang Xue to get revenge on Lin Yu? Thinking about Lin Xiaoxiao's unusual behavior lately, Bai Bing couldn't help but think a little crookedly.
She noticed Lin Xiaoxiao's unusual behavior, but she didn't say anything because she felt that Lin Xiaoxiao's change was for the better.
It's better than the old Lin Xiaoxiao who was obsessed with Lin Yu and had no moral compass. If she had to choose, she would naturally prefer the current Lin Xiaoxiao, who is sunny, cheerful, and seems ready to live a good life.
While Bai Bing was thinking about random things, Lin Xiaoxiao, looking at the lines Tang Xue had pointed out that she needed to memorize, hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up, "How about I find someone to work with you?"
"Does Mr. Lin lack confidence in my abilities?" Tang Xue asked with a smile, uttering these words lightly.
"How could that be?" Lin Xiaoxiao forced a smile; she always felt that Tang Xue was a bit scary.
"I just feel that I know nothing about your industry, and this audition is very important to you. If you fail the audition because of me, Director Li may not give you a second chance."
Although Lin Xiaoxiao felt that even if she failed this audition, she could still find other scripts for Tang Xue to film.
But next time, she might not be able to find such a good script, nor might she be able to get Li Zhen to come out of retirement again. Therefore, this audition is really important for Tang Xue.
Looking into Lin Xiaoxiao's sincere eyes, Tang Xue pursed her lips. The resentment that had been building up in her heart gradually dissipated under the gaze of those eyes.
When she spoke again, her voice softened slightly, "I can do it. Didn't you say you believed in me? Then have more faith in me."
If Tang Xue initially felt a little uneasy because Lin Xiaoxiao rejected her too quickly, now she felt somewhat relieved.
"Of course I believe you." Lin Xiaoxiao said sincerely. "Don't worry, I will definitely do my best and won't ruin your audition."
Tang Xue lowered her eyes, a strange emotion welling up within them, and a sigh escaped her lips, a sigh that only she could hear.
Since it was an audition, no one paid much attention to the details. They simply found a sword for Tang Xue so she could perform well later. After doing all that, Lin Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and reminded herself once again not to hold Tang Xue back.
Looking at Lin Xiaoxiao, who was even more nervous than herself, the person auditioning, Tang Xue found it somewhat amusing, but along with the amusement came a more complex feeling.
Tang Xue let out a soft breath, banishing her excess emotions, and gently closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her gaze had changed.
"Master, tell me none of this is true. Tell me you knew nothing about it." Leng Xinyu gripped her sword tightly with one hand and clutched her clothes at her side with the other, her eyes filled with pleading.
She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe that her master, the one who had saved her from despair, was the culprit who destroyed their village, the culprit who killed her family and the villagers.
"Xinyu." The words, almost like a murmur, escaped from the corner of her lips. "What happened back then was an accident."
"An accident?" Leng Xinyu took a step back. "You could have stopped it, you could have stopped it, why? Why didn't you stop it?"
"Heart Rain..."
"Tell me why?" Leng Xinyu shouted, her eyes turning red, whether from anger or sadness, it was hard to tell.
"You are immortals, you have the power to move mountains and fill seas, don't you know that a single action of yours could destroy a village?"
Mu Ye sighed softly, "As I said, it was just an accident."
"An accident? Hahahaha, an accident, what a great accident." Leng Xinyu's bloodshot eyes turned fierce. "Yes, you are high and mighty immortals, and we are just insignificant mortals. Destroying a village is like stepping on an ant for you."
How could you possibly care? They're just ants. No matter how many die, they won't even get a glance from you. Master, what about me?
Will I become your apprentice, and also your infallible strategist?
All these years, you've taught me cultivation, taught me immortal arts, just so I could go to the Thunder Palace? Just so I could retrieve the Thunder Spirit Orb?
Mu Ye frowned, his eyes showing some surprise. "Xin Yu, don't overthink things."
"Daydreaming, hahaha, yes, it's all just my overthinking. My master is so good to me, how could he possibly be using me? Just like my master said, my family's death and my village's destruction were all due to accidents."
Leng Xinyu stared at Mu Ye with bloodshot eyes. "Master, do you know how much I trust and respect you? But why, why you?"
If you weren't the one who killed my parents, even if my master really did use me, I would be willing to be used by him. But why did you orchestrate such an accident, Mu Ye? How cruel you are!
"Foolish child," Mu Ye coldly rebuked, "Cultivators are meant to follow the path of ruthlessness. After so many years of cultivation, can't you understand it yet?"
“The Path of Ruthlessness, the Path of Ruthlessness,” Leng Xinyu murmured to herself. The next second, she suddenly looked up, her slightly red eyes seeming to be oozing blood.
“If cultivating immortality is cultivating ruthlessness, then I might as well not cultivate immortality at all. I want to become a demon and vow to kill all the ruthless immortals in the world. Mu Ye.”
The next second, the longsword was drawn, its cold tip pressed against Mu Ye's throat. "Today, our master-disciple relationship is severed. From now on, you will cultivate your ruthless path, and I will be your loving one. The hatred for killing my father is irreconcilable. Mu Ye, you wait, wait for me to come and take your head."
Silence, still silence. Looking at Tang Xue's eyes, which seemed about to burst into tears at any moment, Lin Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, then rummaged in her pocket but found nothing.
Reaching out, Lin Xiaoxiao gently moved the longsword still pressed against her throat to the side, then stepped forward and touched Tang Xue's slightly reddened eyes with her fingers. "Are you alright?"
Tang Xue was slightly stunned. Her emotions, which had been somewhat restrained, seemed to have found an outlet. The tears that were about to fall from her eyes dripped directly onto Lin Xiaoxiao's fingers.
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned immediately, her fingers burning so badly she wanted to pull them back. "It's okay, it was just acting, it wasn't real."
As Lin Xiaoxiao watched the crystal-clear tear roll down her fingers, she suddenly felt as if a piece of her heart had been emptied, and she felt a little sad.
"Your master is really a bad guy. He'll be killed sooner or later." Lin Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, and the words just slipped out without thinking.
Pfft! Tang Xue chuckled softly, and her somewhat uncomfortable feelings dissipated.
Seeing Tang Xue smile, Lin Xiaoxiao's lips also curved into a smile, and her previously worried eyes brightened. "Director Li, how did Tang Xue's audition go?"
Lin Xiaoxiao turned around, wrapped the hand that had touched Tang Xue's eye in her left hand, and gently rubbed the finger that had touched Tang Xue's tears.
The scalding heat lingered for a long time, as if it had spread from my fingers all the way to my heart; the intense heat made my chest feel stuffy.
"President Lin..."
“What happened just now doesn’t count. I only deflected Tang Xue’s sword after she had finished her performance. Director Li, please don’t deduct points from her performance because of this.”
Before Li Zhen could even announce the result, Lin Xiaoxiao began to justify her earlier behavior. Why did she act that way? It was because she couldn't bear to see a beautiful woman shed tears.
The aftereffect of receiving the plot from 099 and reviewing it more than once in order to formulate a plan is that I feel sorry for the female lead, Tang Xue.
Especially seeing those reddened eyes, as if she was about to cry at any moment, Lin Xiaoxiao really couldn't control herself. She rubbed her fingers together again, finding a suitable reason for her behavior.
While Lin Xiaoxiao was making excuses for herself, she didn't notice that Tang Xue, standing behind her, was also aware that no one was paying attention to her.
She reached out and touched the corner of her eye that Lin Xiaoxiao had just touched. She didn't know if Lin Xiaoxiao's fingers had been too strong, but when she put her hand down, the pinkness that had faded slightly spread back to the corner of her eye.
Chapter 15
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"Of course." Li Zhen chuckled, his previous coldness completely gone, and even the scholarly aura around him became more pronounced.
"So, what does Director Li mean?" Lin Xiaoxiao stared at Li Zhen, her voice filled with tension and anticipation.
Her behavior made Tang Xue focus her attention on Lin Xiaoxiao again. It was clearly something that had nothing to do with her. Tang Xue lowered her eyes. Why? Why could a person change so much?
Was it really just to get her attention? Tang Xue knew that believing Lin Xiaoxiao's seemingly idiotic reason was really foolish, but why did she have a slight urge to believe her?
"I am very satisfied with Miss Tang's performance." Li Zhen looked at Tang Xue with admiration in his eyes. Li Zhen is not the kind of director who only values fame. He values the actor's acting skills and cultivation more. And today, Tang Xue successfully won him over with her acting skills.
"Tang Xue, did you hear that? Director Li said you passed the audition." Lin Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at Tang Xue, her joy undisguised. "You can act now, you can act in Director Li's movies." If she hadn't been restraining her excitement, Lin Xiaoxiao would have rushed to Tang Xue's side and spun her around.
"Mmm." Looking into those eyes filled with joy, pure and untainted, Tang Xue's heart skipped a beat without her even realizing it.
"Director Li, I'll have to trouble you to put in extra effort for the other actors." At this moment, Lin Xiaoxiao was unaware that Tang Xue's attitude towards her had changed slightly.
Her current focus is on quickly setting a filming date for this drama.
Li Zhen nodded. "We also have some interest in other actors. Of course, we will give priority to actors from General Manager Lin's company. But I want to make one thing clear in advance: if they do not meet my requirements, I will not go easy on them."
"Of course." Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Tang Xue. "This is something we agreed on beforehand. The choice of the other roles will be left to Director Li." Lin Xiaoxiao only cared about the female lead; she didn't care about anything else.
Even if none of the other characters besides Tang Xue end up being from their company, Lin Xiaoxiao doesn't really care. Anyway, once her goal is achieved, all that's left is to make money. As long as the show becomes a hit, she won't lose out.