After Failing to Reverse the Plot, I Made My Escape - Chapter 14

The protagonist of the original novel has arrived.

The crowd waiting outside the door began to stir restlessly.

“Hey! I heard Yu Fuqiu is part of the interview panel today!”

“Oh my god, I heard he is really strict. Even though he is gentle with people, he has extremely high standards when it comes to acting.”

“I am so nervous.”

“For a small production like this, putting aside why Yu Fuqiu would even accept it, how did Director Hu manage to get him to come to our school?”

“Shh, do you not know Yu Fuqiu is also from our school?”

“Wait, how come I have never seen him attend classes?”

The person turned their head and lowered their voice. “He is just an adult undergraduate. He is only enrolled here for the title. In reality, his education level probably is not even as good as a junior college.”

“Yikes.”

“Ahem.”

Tan Ling walked up to that person and flashed a kind smile. “Excuse me, do you have some business with our Teacher Yu?”

The person clearly had not expected to be caught. Startled, they jumped, their face still holding remnants of the disdain and schadenfreude from gossiping. They opened their mouth, instinctively wanting to defend themselves and deny the claims.

However, the moment their gaze moved past Tan Ling and saw Yu Fuqiu not far away, leaning on Director Hu while lightly rubbing his temples, all the prepared excuses instantly got stuck in their throat. Their mind went blank.

Soft light filtered through the gaps in the window, landing perfectly on Yu Fuqiu. He looked pale, possessing a sickly fragility. A few strands of dark hair, dampened by cold sweat, clung to his smooth forehead.

Due to his discomfort, the corners of his eyes were tinged with a faint red. His long lashes drooped, casting small shadows beneath his eyes.

The person stared blankly, their cheeks instantly flushing bright red. They had only heard rumors about how Yu Fuqiu had climbed his way up by getting close to Chang Tingzhi, being “kept,” and selling himself to achieve his current success.

But at this moment, they could hear the sound of their own quiet breathing.

“I am sorry, Teacher Yu,” the person hurriedly lowered their head, stammering and incoherent. “I did not mean it. I have a foul mouth; please do not take it to heart.”

Yu Fuqiu had not yet recovered from his previous dizziness. After a three-hour car ride, he was knitting his brows. Having finally regained his composure a little, he heard the apology, looked up, and let his calm gaze fall on the person in front of him.

He actually had not heard clearly what the other person had said and had no intention of pursuing it, but given his relationship with this school, he could guess what the young man had been talking about.

He shook his head, his voice still a bit weak but carrying his usual warmth. “It is alright.”

He pulled his hand back from Director Hu’s grasp and gave Hu Daoyuan a faint, weary smile. “Sorry, I have troubled you.”

With that, without giving anyone else a single glance, he walked straight into the interview room.

The young man remained frozen on the spot. A faint, pleasant scent lingered in the air, making his head feel momentarily dizzy.

He raised his hand and struck his own head hard, muttering under his breath, “Why is Yu Fuqiu completely different from how Xiao An described him?”

“Teacher Yu, you asked for the files on these few students earlier. Is there someone you have taken a liking to?”

Hu Daoyuan pulled out a seat for Yu Fuqiu and took off his own jacket to drape it over him. Yu Fuqiu was focused on the materials in his hand and did not notice the gesture. His eyes were fixed on one particular file, his brow furrowed.

It was so familiar. What was this inexplicable sense of panic in his heart? Why did he feel like he was about to lose something?

He took a deep breath, closed the file, and shook his head. “No, I just happened to come across their videos. These few are already somewhat famous influencers on short-video platforms.”

“They might not necessarily possess the purity of someone from a rural town,” he said, tapping his slender fingers on those files with meaningful intent. “Of course, that is just my personal speculation.”

Hu Daoyuan held the materials thoughtfully and whispered something to the assistant beside him.

“Alright, let us begin the interviews.”

The people outside, holding their numbers, entered one by one.

The smile on Yu Fuqiu’s face gradually vanished as he straightened his back. He occasionally wrote things down in his notebook with a pen. After a candidate finished their performance, Yu Fuqiu would tear a page from the notebook and hand it to the performer.

“Oh my god!”

“This is Teacher Yu’s evaluation and areas where I can improve!” A short-haired girl shouted excitedly in a low voice as soon as she left the room, clutching the slip of paper. The other candidates crowded around to see.

“My goodness, getting an evaluation from Teacher Yu is truly rare. He is so sharp, yet so generous in sharing his experience with juniors. Even if you do not get picked, getting this advice makes it worth it.”

It was well-known that since Yu Fuqiu announced his marriage to Chang Tingzhi, he had rarely participated in variety shows, mostly appearing only as a guest at award ceremonies. He was hailed as the “Most Ethereal Actor” and “Born to be an Actor.” His insights into acting were incredibly high, and one could gain significant experience just by communicating with him.

“I am going to frame this!” The short-haired girl spun around happily, holding the paper.

Su Xiangwen bit his lip, looking at his own profile sheet. They all shared a dream of becoming actors, which was why they applied to this top-ranked acting department in the country, fighting through various hurdles to reach this prestigious institution. If he could get Yu Fuqiu’s evaluation, it would be amazing.

“Hello, I am,” he began, raising his hand, wanting to hand his profile to the assistant at the door.

“Xiao Wen?” A voice of confusion from behind made him freeze.

“Xiao An.”

His roommate was standing there reciting a script, his eyes moist and bright. “Are you signing up too?”

Ke Qi’an patted his shoulder. “Go for it! Xiao Wen, I told you long ago that you could do it!”

Just then, there was a commotion at the door. The producer’s assistant walked out with a few thin sheets of paper, frowning and muttering, “These people will not do.”

Ke Qi’an caught a glimpse of the names at the top of the assistant’s stack out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly curled his lips into a smirk.

“Hey, watch out, Xiao Wen!”

Su Xiangwen felt a shove on his back and stumbled forward, crashing into the assistant.

Caught off guard, the assistant stumbled, and the stack of papers in his hand flew out, scattering all over the floor. Simultaneously, Ke Qi’an let out a cry of surprise and accidentally bumped into Su Xiangwen’s arm, causing Su’s own profile to fall and get mixed in with the jumbled papers on the ground.

The scene was pure chaos.

“I am sorry, I am so sorry, Assistant. Xiao Wen did not see you, I am truly sorry.” Ke Qi’an quickly bent down, his beautiful face filled with panic and apology as he scrambled to help pick up the documents. When he picked up one specific sheet, his eyes darkened for a split second.

“Who is Xiao Wen?” After Ke Qi’an organized the papers, he asked the assistant. “You do not know who Xiao Wen is, right? He is my roommate, the one standing there wearing glasses.”

“He did not mean it. Please do not take it to heart.”

“It is fine.” The assistant frowned but did not say much. It was crowded today, and it was understandable that students were flustered, especially with Yu Fuqiu being here.

“Those whose names are called next, please follow me.” The assistant read several names from the organized list.

Su Xiangwen was still searching the floor for his profile when he suddenly heard his name. He looked at Ke Qi’an in confusion. “I have not even handed in my profile yet.”

Ke Qi’an smiled and patted his shoulder. “Actually, I submitted it for you during the recruitment! Maybe they are letting you interview; why don’t you give it a try?”

Su Xiangwen looked grateful. “Thank you!”

How could he have doubted Xiao An before? Xiao An’s idol is Yu Fuqiu, and he is always talking about his idol’s pros and cons. Is that not normal?

Maybe Yu Fuqiu is just someone whose exterior does not match his interior, Su Xiangwen thought.

Ke Qi’an watched Su Xiangwen’s figure disappear around the corner and smirked with satisfaction.

Just as it was almost Ke Qi’an’s turn, he saw Su Xiangwen walking back from the corner, looking utterly despondent. His steps were unsteady, his eyes were red, and he was clutching his registration form so tightly his knuckles were white. He looked as if his soul had been sucked out.

Ke Qi’an’s heart stirred, and he immediately went to meet him. His expression instantly switched to one of worry and concern, his voice soft and gentle. “What is wrong, Xiao Wen? The results, are they out? Did you pass?” He asked despite knowing the answer, his tone filled with just the right amount of tension.

Su Xiangwen looked up. Seeing him was like finding an outlet for his emotions. His lips trembled, and tears suddenly gushed out. His voice was choked with sobs and disbelief. “No, no, Xiao An, I was rejected. I did not even get a chance to interview. I was cut directly during the preliminary screening.”

“What?! How is that possible?!” Ke Qi’an’s voice spiked, his face etched with shock and indignation. He grabbed the swaying Su Xiangwen, his tone furious. “Your conditions are so good, and you practiced your lines until they were perfect. How could you not even make it to the interview? This does not make sense!”

As he spoke, he carefully observed Su Xiangwen’s reaction. Seeing that the boy was completely overwhelmed by loss and grievance, he chose the right moment to suggest, “Unless someone deliberately blocked you.”

He paused, as if realizing something, and lowered his voice with a hint of sudden realization and caution. “Xiao Wen, did you accidentally offend Teacher Yu earlier? Teacher Yu Fuqiu? I think I heard that he has some advisory power over the preliminary list this time.”

His words were vague, but they were like a poisonous seed, instantly taking root and sprouting in Su Xiangwen’s simple mind.

Su Xiangwen snapped his head up. “Teacher Yu? Yu Fuqiu? Impossible. He said it was fine, and I apologized.”

“Oh, Xiao Wen, how can you be so naive!” Ke Qi’an frowned, looking like he was dealing with someone who did not understand the ways of the world. “Teacher Yu himself has a good personality, so of course he would say it is fine to appear magnanimous. But that does not stop the people around him from gossiping! Those assistants and managers, to show their loyalty or to prove how much they protect Teacher Yu, likely reported your incident with a lot of added flavor!”

He sighed. “Teacher Yu is in such a high position with so much to do every day; how could he personally oversee everything? He must have believed what the people around him said. From his standpoint, to maintain the team’s authority or avoid unnecessary trouble, he made this choice for him.”

“Sigh, do not be too sad. Who told us we do not have backgrounds or backers? Even though this production is not the biggest, it has quite a pedigree. Teacher Yu is a big star and Mrs. Chang; you know the power of the Changqiu Group. If he says the word, will the people below not rush to comply? Small fry like us are just at their mercy.”

Su Xiangwen clenched his fists so hard his body trembled with rage and sorrow. His once clear eyes were now filled with resentment. He suddenly looked up toward Yu Fuqiu’s direction and, regardless of the consequences, began to hurl insults in a tearful yet sharp voice.

“Yu Fuqiu! What gives you the right? You are just a thing that used a man to get to the top! Bullying people just because you have a bit of fame! What talent do you have? You are just a whore! Bah! Disgusting!”

“You look like a total bitch; what can you do besides spread your legs? Your acting is like shit! If Chang Tingzhi was not propping you up, you would not even be fit to lick my shoes!”

“Pretending to be pure and gentle on the surface while doing dirty deeds behind everyone’s back! Someone like you who sold their body to get ahead will rot in the gutter sooner or later!”

His shouting echoed in the hallway, drawing the eyes of a few passing staff members, whose faces showed shock and disgust.

Standing behind him, Ke Qi’an watched Su Xiangwen’s complete loss of control. Listening to those foul insults that stabbed right at Yu Fuqiu’s sore spots, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk where no one could see.

Yu Fuqiu sat in his seat, took a sip of honey water, and tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose. Writing evaluations for others required intense concentration. He had to focus on the person’s muscle tension, body movement, vocalization, pitch, and so on. It was a massive drain on his energy.

“Teacher Yu, do you want to take a break?” Hu Daoyuan looked at the pale Yu Fuqiu with concern.

Yu Fuqiu shook his head slightly, pressing his aching temples firmly with his fingertips, and forced a reassuring smile. Today was a special day. It was an unwritten rule between him and Chang Tingzhi that no matter how busy they were, they had to return to their shared home in the evening. It was their private, secret anniversary.

He wanted to finish his work quickly and go back to see Chang Tingzhi.

At the thought of seeing Chang Tingzhi tonight, even if the man might still be cold, returning to that space full of memories seemed to provide a faint source of strength. Thinking this, the irritation and extreme mental exhaustion of the past few days seemed to become insignificant, dispelled by a hidden sense of anticipation.

“Let us continue.” He took a deep breath, his voice soft but carrying an undetectable trace of urgency.

Director Hu signaled the staff to let the next auditionee in.

The door was pushed open gently.

In the next instant, Yu Fuqiu’s movement as he went to look down at the resume froze. His pupils suddenly contracted.

The person’s gaze politely swept over every judge present. Finally, those clear, innocent, deer-like eyes landed precisely and unerringly on Yu Fuqiu’s face, meeting his gaze before he could recover from his shock.

The smile on the young man’s face seemed to deepen slightly, his dimples becoming more pronounced. He clearly stated his name.

“Hello, teachers. I am Ke Qi’an.”

He was the protagonist of the original book.