After I Transmigrated into the Novel, I made the Heroine Fall for Me - Chapter 58

Shen Lixie took a deep breath, turned around, picked up the briefcase beside him, and pulled out a laptop. He opened it deftly and silently began working on the documents.

It was as if he had never asked Fang Qingying that question, “Are you sure?” His little sister had changed so much that it was almost too much for him to handle.

Perhaps work was his best refuge. Or maybe he just hadn’t slept well today, leading to auditory hallucinations.

Fang Qingying pursed her lips and spoke helplessly, “Brother Xie, you don’t have to avoid reality like this, do you?”

After asking the question, didn’t he even want to know the answer? And what was wrong with her liking Gu Shengxiao?

“Let me calm down for a bit,” Shen Lixie said, raising his eyes slightly to glance at Fang Qingying before continuing to type without pause.

Fang Qingying let out an “Oh” and slowly flipped open the script for the role she was auditioning for.

The sound of rustling paper and the clatter of keyboard keys alternated in the quiet. After a while, Fang Qingying lifted her gaze from the script and fixed it on Shen Lixie.

After some thought, she suddenly spoke up, “Brother Xie, can you keep this a secret for me?”

For now, she wasn’t keen on letting her parents find out.

“You two aren’t planning to go public?” Shen Lixie asked without looking up.

If that was the case, he felt it necessary to have a serious talk with Gu Shengxiao.

Though he wasn’t happy about Gu Shengxiao “stealing” his sister away, the idea of keeping their relationship hidden angered him even more.

“Yeah,” Fang Qingying said, resting her chin on her hand and thinking for a while before slowly adding, “Probably for a little while longer?”

She actually wanted to wait until she was on equal footing with Gu Shengxiao before going public about their relationship. But she couldn’t help feeling that Shen Lixie was furious right now.

What was there to be angry about? It was just keeping things private for now. Fang Qingying didn’t quite understand his reaction.

“How long is ‘a little while’?” Shen Lixie asked coldly. “Are you planning to break up before you even have to go public?”

“Brother Xie, we just got together. Can you not immediately assume we’re going to break up?” Fang Qingying replied, pursing her lips in slight exasperation.

Honestly, couldn’t he wish them well? Besides, she had no intention of breaking up with Gu Shengxiao!

Shen Lixie closed the laptop on his lap and looked at Fang Qingying with grave concern. “It’s always good to be prepared for the worst.”

Fang Qingying: “…”

Never mind. She really didn’t understand what was going through Shen Lixie’s head.

No wonder he was still single.

Their conversation ended in silence. It wasn’t until the car stopped that Shen Lixie opened the door and motioned for her to get out.

The audition was set in an ancient-style building, where crew members bustled about with props.

Shen Lixie led her through a long courtyard corridor, where summer lotuses swayed in the pond under the breeze.

When they reached the audition site, Fang Qingying realized just how many people had come to try out.

Noticing Fang Qingying and Shen Lixie, a staff member pulled a numbered tag from a box and handed it to them.

Fang Qingying looked at the number 13. In other words, there were still twelve people ahead of her.

Shen Lixie glanced at his wristwatch and instructed, “Xiaoying, will you be alright waiting here alone for the audition? I have a meeting at 11:30. Give me a call once you’re done, okay?”

Fang Qingying nodded and flashed an OK sign with her hand. She then found a chair to sit on and quietly reviewed the script.

Her face remained masked, so no one recognized her.

There were still parts of the script she didn’t fully grasp, so she wanted to use this time to solidify her understanding.

Occasionally, she heard staff members calling out numbers. After what felt like a long while, Fang Qingying finally heard her number being called.

“Number 13, is the auditioning actor here?”

“If you’re present, please come in for your audition as soon as possible.”

Fang Qingying lifted her gaze slightly, her delicate hands closing the script as she stood up slowly. “I’m here.”

When the staff member asked for her name, it instantly drew the attention of the entire room.

“Oh no, why is it Fang Qingying?”

“Looks like we don’t stand a chance. If even Miss Fang is here to audition, it’s probably just a formality.”

“Let’s be honest, we can’t compete with that face alone.”

“Pfft, her acting is terrible, she only gets by on her family’s money and looks.”

“Surely it’s not rigged? Director Xu is famously impartial, isn’t he?”

“…”

The murmurs quickly ignited the waiting room. There were still seven or eight actresses waiting after Fang Qingying, and hearing her name sent them into a panic.

Even those who had already auditioned but hadn’t left for some reason wore uneasy expressions.

Among the group, Fang Qingying was the only one who kept her mask on.

She had already been under scrutiny from the other actresses, but now that her identity was revealed, the weight of their gazes doubled.

Listening to the gossip, Fang Qingying removed her mask and smiled sweetly. “So, sisters, are you implying that Director Xu isn’t fair?”

They could criticize her all they wanted, but dragging others into it was crossing the line.

Director Xu had an impeccable reputation in the industry she couldn’t let these rumors tarnish it.

Besides, how was she “pre-selected”? Whether she was even suited for the role was still uncertain.

Yet in their words, the moment she auditioned, the role was hers regardless of the outcome?

If that were the case, it wouldn’t be her own ability securing the role, but some behind-the-scenes manipulation.

If word got out, she’d likely face another wave of online backlash.

The actresses hadn’t expected Fang Qingying, who was about to enter the audition room, to stop and confront them.

Let’s be real there was a world of difference between whispering behind someone’s back and saying it to their face.

No one answered Fang Qingying’s question, and the earlier murmurs gradually died down.

Fang Qingying scoffed. “Only brave enough to talk behind my back, huh?”

The moment she said this, several actresses darkened their expressions, itching to retort. But Director Xu had a strict policy, he despised actors causing trouble during auditions.

If he found out, they could end up on his blacklist, effectively dooming their careers.

“Miss Fang, please come in.” The staff member waited until Fang Qingying finished speaking before gesturing for her to enter with a polite ‘please.’

Fang Qingying gave a slight nod. “Thank you.”

The moment she stepped inside, the door closed behind her.

Only one person was allowed in for each audition, which was why the process was so slow.

After closing the door, the staff member turned to face the restless actresses who were eager to continue gossiping and said coldly, “I hope all of you remember where we are. Director Xu despises petty scheming.”

The room had been silent just moments ago, but the mention of ‘Fang Qingying’ had turned it into a bustling marketplace, which was hardly befitting their image.

Moreover, it could easily disturb Director Xu and the others.

As for Fang Qingying, once inside, she walked straight to the small stage.

There were three people in charge of the audition: the director, the screenwriter, and the producer.

The first person Fang Qingying noticed wasn’t the director or the screenwriter, but the one person she desperately wanted to avoid the producer, Yun Yifan.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for triggering a random task: Please earn the male lead’s praise.]
[Task is mandatory. Resistance will result in lightning strikes. Please take note, Host.]

Fang Qingying listened to the electronic voice in her head and silently rolled her eyes.

What kind of ridiculous task was this? No rewards, mandatory execution, and the threat of being struck by lightning wasn’t that a bit too much?

Meanwhile, the very person she wanted to avoid nearly fell out of his chair the moment he saw her.

Yun Yifan frowned, cursing inwardly.

Ever since Gu Shengxiao had confessed his feelings for Fang Qingying, Yun Yifan had wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.

But fate had other plans. First, he’d been cornered in the restroom at the banquet, barely escaping unscathed. Now, here he was, face-to-face with Fang Qingying again at the audition for The Legend of Su Yue.

Yun Yifan: The sorrow is overwhelming.

Dressed in a dark suit, Yun Yifan furrowed his brows even deeper, exuding an air of displeasure toward the person before him.

This made screenwriter Xu Huanhuan nervous. The actress she had high hopes for would she be vetoed by the producer just like that?

Director Xu, oblivious to the tension between the two, looked at them in confusion. Their expressions were changing too fast for an old man like him to keep up.

Director Xu spoke up, “Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Fang Qingying nodded. “My name is Fang Qingying. I’m an actress, and I’m here to audition for the role of Palace Mistress Hua.”

As Director Xu listened, he flipped through Fang Qingying’s profile. “Pick a slip of paper from the box beside you. Whatever scene you draw, you’ll perform it. You’ll have five minutes to prepare.”

“Understood.” Fang Qingying agreed and reached into the box to draw a slip.

Neither Yun Yifan nor Xu Huanhuan could focus on Fang Qingying’s performance once it began.

Yun Yifan stared at the documents with a complicated expression, radiating coldness while his inner monologue ran wild.

Fang Qingying wants the role of Palace Mistress Hua. Should I approve it? That way, I can score points with my sister. But what if the director and screenwriter reject her?

Do I have to step in as the producer and investor?

But Director Xu is notoriously stubborn!

This is tricky.

Xu Huanhuan, much like Yun Yifan, was completely distracted from Fang Qingying’s performance.

She glanced at Yun Yifan sitting beside her and immediately felt a chill run down her spine. She really wanted Fang Qingying to play the role of the Flower Palace Mistress. What if the producer took a dislike to her and vetoed her casting?

Then should she throw a tantrum to make Old Xu keep her? But would that offend the producer and cause Old Xu to lose his investors?

Director Xu, the only one in the room who had watched Fang Qingying’s performance, nodded approvingly as her audition concluded. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by two distracted individuals.

“I think Miss Fang is perfect for this role!”

Yun Yifan and Xu Huanhuan exclaimed in unison.

As soon as the words left their mouths, they exchanged glances, both seemingly startled by the other’s outburst.

Yun Yifan: What’s going on?

Xu Huanhuan: Huh?

Director Xu: These two idiots.

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