Logically speaking, given how much Wei Xi valued this audition, she wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
With her back to the audience, Wei Xi's expression was visible only to Chen Fu. Overwhelmed by emotion, Wei Xi appeared utterly heartbroken.
But the next moment, Wei Xi's expression suddenly changed.
The heartbroken expression on her face suddenly turned into a mocking sneer. The familiar lines and expressions reminded Chen Fu of the past.
I had just been injured and had just come off the operating table. The anesthesia hadn't worn off yet, and I was lying in bed, half asleep.
When she woke up, she found that many people had come to see her. She said that she remembered that the iron plate of the stage was not sturdy enough, but before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly interrupted. Everyone told her that it was just an accident - a senior in the industry kindly invited her to be a guest at the concert, and she accidentally stepped off the stage and fell. The stage had been carefully checked several times and there was no problem.
The senior actor who invited her to participate stood by her bedside, his tired face showing a hint of impatience. He said, "Xiao Fu, I'm trying to help you, don't make things difficult for me, okay?"
...
Later, Wei Xi came to see her at the hospital, wearing sunglasses, his tone both regretful and flippant.
She said, "Sister Fu, now that you've broken your right leg, you probably won't be able to dance anymore."
How can a person go on living if they lose what is most important to them?
The bystander always seems so relaxed, Wei Xi's eyes held a hint of provocation, just as they did now.
Chen Fu's eyes trembled silently.
Wei Xi's methods were cunning, and those who didn't know Chen Fu's past couldn't hear the harshness in her tone.
Chen Fu gave a wry smile.
She had almost gotten used to Wei Xi's attitude. At first, Chen Fu tried to resist and avoid it, but after several attempts, she realized that she could never escape these hardships when she was isolated and helpless.
...
"Someone who steals the show, who can't even play a supporting role well, what kind of actress is she trying to get?
The sudden turn of events startled Chen Fu. She looked ahead and saw Lu Yu slamming his fist on the table and cursing angrily.
Chapter 7 CP7
Lu Xiaomi was furious.
This is intolerable; steaming and boiling are tolerable, but vermicelli is not; Chen Fu is tolerable, but Lu Xiaomi is not.
Wei Xi openly exposed Chen Fu's wounds in front of so many people, using extremely subtle methods that ordinary onlookers couldn't understand at all. However, Lu Xiaomi, as a true fan of Chen Fu, naturally knew the purpose of Wei Xi's change of words today.
The words of rebuke slipped out, and Lu Xiaomi, still not satisfied with just cursing, wanted to rush up and ask Wei Xi if Chen Fu had stolen his woman or slept with his wife, so that he would go to such lengths to disgust her.
The sudden turn of events disrupted the two's rehearsal. Ms. Sun, standing to the side, inwardly cried out in alarm. Wei Xi, who had just heard the reprimand, didn't react at first, only feeling an increasingly eerie silence around her. She turned around abruptly and saw Lu Xiaomi staring fiercely at her.
Most of the uninformed onlookers felt that President Lu was too domineering, taking advantage of his position as a high-ranking employee to arbitrarily curse people when he was in a bad mood. However, when they saw Wei Xi, who looked like she had done something wrong, and recalled the methods they had heard about from Ms. Sun, they began to understand the situation better.
Wei Xi paused for a moment to catch her breath. She had a high starting point and a good background; she had never been insulted like this before. She was used to being fawned over and flattered, and had enjoyed the extra privileges afforded by her connections and background...
So his guilty conscience turned into a bewildered hatred. He turned to look up and saw Chen Fu's perpetually expressionless, icy face.
This person is always like this. Ever since I met her, whether she's injured, scolded by her manager, or subjected to various unfair treatments, she always has this expression.
There was no response; it was as if these things were not worth mentioning at all.
Those eyes were forever devoid of emotion, dull and boring; staring at them for too long instilled a sense of dread, as if one were being assaulted in front of them. That contempt emanating from her very bones made Wei Xi feel like a clown trying to trip her up, a pathetic chasm blocking Chen Fu's path.
Chen Fu knew she would cross this ditch sooner or later, and she was never afraid.
A deep-seated resentment, like a leech, crept into his heart. His unwillingness and anger compelled Wei Xi to stubbornly choke back his sobs.
"If there's anything I did wrong, Mr. Lu, please feel free to point it out. What kind of behavior is it to interrupt our rehearsal like this?"
She's gone too far.
Lu Xiaomi slammed her hand on the table.
"You know perfectly well what you did wrong."
This rebuke brought tears to Wei Xi's eyes.
Unexpectedly, Chen Fu made a fool of herself today...
Two or three assistants swarmed around her, and Wei Xi's body went limp. The gazes that should have been fixed on Chen Fu pierced through her like sharp swords, and she managed to stand up with the help of her assistants.
Chen Fu stood beside her, showing no intention of reaching out.
From this angle, Wei Xi couldn't see the expression on her face, but she knew that this carefully planned farce was nothing more than a one-woman show, because Chen Fu just stood there calmly, never sparing her a single glance.
*
Seeing that Lu Xiaomi was about to get excited again, 0413 in her arms kept whimpering and tugging at the corner of her clothes.
Host, don't be impulsive. Chen Fu's affection for you isn't high enough right now, so we can't offset the OOC penalty.
...Yes.
Lu Xiao Mi, who had learned her lesson, immediately wilted.
It's a bit embarrassing to say, but on the first day the new system went online, Lu Xiaomi asked 0413 to check Chen Fu's favorability towards her, and the result was quite unexpected.
"Negative five."
Lu Xiaomi: ?
Are you kidding me?
"Is there something wrong with your system?"
It's not that Lu Xiaomi refuses to accept reality, this outcome is just too surreal. As a true fan of Chen Fu, Lu Xiaomi believes that every second she sees Chen Fu, she's sending out heart rays, the kind that flash and make a "biubiubiu~" sound. Even if Chen Fu doesn't immediately accept it, her affection for her shouldn't be negative, right?
If this gets out, people will laugh themselves to death. It turns out that Lu Xiaomi's actions were as fierce as a tiger, but the score was 0-5.
"The system is fine, it's just negative five. It was negative ten before, and it increased by five after you two met."
...
Undeterred, Lu Xiaomi asked again,
How much affection does Chen Fu have for Sun Hao?
"Negative ten thousand."
That's alright.
It takes 15 points of favorability to offset an OOC penalty, and Lu Xiaomi's account balance is currently severely insufficient, making it a pipe dream to escape the penalty.
Lu Xiaomi felt a chill run down her spine whenever she thought about the punishment she had received before. The feeling of having her consciousness forcibly separated from her body was truly unpleasant. More importantly, the substitute Lu Yu, who was forced to go online, might do something irreversible.
Thinking of this, Lu Xiaomi slapped 0413, thinking to herself, "Where were you before? You only reminded me after everyone had finished cursing. What's the use of being wise after the event?"
However, the expected pain did not come...
She still maintains a clear mind and complete control over her body.
Am I not out of character (OOC)?
In the midst of the chaos, Lu Xiaomi suddenly remembered that when 0413 introduced the character's traits to her, he specifically mentioned that Lu Yu was a cold person, but very sincere to his friends. In other words, he was extremely protective of his own. If you mess with my people, I will definitely destroy your entire paradise.
I see...
With theoretical support, Lu Xiaomi suddenly felt much more confident. She looked at Yanshan with an unfriendly expression.
"Who hired this person?"
Lu Yu didn't say much, but his tone was very accusatory.
So Yanshan immediately slammed his fist on the table.
"Who the hell brought this guy in?"
The miserable assistant director silently stood up from his seat.
Yanshan waved his hand dismissively, looking quite disdainful.
"Take it back to where it came from, don't delay their schedule later."
*
After seeing Ms. Sun and Wei Xi off, Lu Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that her expression had improved, Yan Shan tentatively suggested that Lu Xiaomi could continue auditioning.
Of course, we have to try out the play.
But now that Wei Xi is gone, there's no one to act with Chen Fu anymore.
Logically, the set was full of actors, and anyone could easily act alongside Chen Fu. However, Lu Xiaomi's actions just now were too overwhelming, revealing Lu's bad temper to everyone. These days, even playing a supporting role is dangerous; if you don't do well, you'll inevitably get a scolding from Lu. Who would be willing to step up and risk a thankless task?
Lu Xiaomi waved her hand.
"I'll act alongside her."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shan silently rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself, "You old man have neither studied acting nor read any scripts, yet you're acting alongside Chen Fu now? Isn't this ridiculous?"
Lu Xiaomi really wasn't fooling around.
"Cultivation" is very similar to a fan fiction she once wrote for Chen Fu.
The inspiration came from a series of photos taken by Chen Fu. The person in the photos is wearing a black trench coat and tight leather pants, holding a mobile phone and standing at a bustling street corner. Her eyes are faintly visible through her wispy bangs. Under the hazy blue sky, she looks a lot like a female police officer on duty in a Hong Kong TV drama.
After seeing these photos, Lu Xiaomi was immediately inspired and exclaimed, "My beautiful wife is so hot, please arrest me immediately!"
So Lu Xiaomi used this as a blueprint to write a short fan fiction.
Influenced by her father, Chen Fu aspired to become a police officer from a young age. However, after she was admitted to the police academy with excellent grades, her father was framed for dereliction of duty. Unable to bear seeing her father wronged, Chen Fu vowed to clear his name.
This is very similar to the female protagonist's character in "Cultivation".
In the audition scene, the female lead is still reeling from the tragedy that struck her, remaining deeply depressed while secretly investigating the truth behind the case from years ago. She works alone for a long time, finally finding a couple willing to tell the truth as witnesses. Filled with immense excitement, she goes to their home to collect their testimony. However, she discovers that the couple has already been murdered, leaving only their young daughter at home.
The policewoman circled around the stage once.
Not seeing any witnesses, her bright expression dimmed. Before her stood a child playing with a ball; the policewoman's tone was somewhat stiff as she questioned him.
Where did your mom and dad go?
"have no idea."
The child answered crisply and clearly.
The policewoman clearly hadn't expected her to answer that way.