I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A lot of people are waiting for an answer, and the atmosphere becomes a bit tense. Li Ke is the director, so he has the right to veto a candidate. After all, it’s just an audition. But before he exercises that right, he has to give a reason, especially since he didn’t even look at those girls before passing on them.

Bai Feifei knows that Li Ke has a bad reputation. He’s difficult to deal with and has a bad temper, so he might say some unpleasant things. She silently takes a deep breath. To be scolded and eliminated in front of hundreds of people… to be blunt, her career might not be very smooth after this.

Li Ke scoffs. His laugh, amplified by the microphone, sounds like a mockery in everyone’s ears. He looks up, the smile on his lips like he’s watching a child throw a tantrum. “Just for those three words, ‘Why not,’ I’m not interested in hiring you.”

Next to him, Huo Wu is still writing, already on the last page. When she’s done, she hands the paper to Li Ke, puts the cap back on her pen, and looks at the girls with a blank expression.

Li Ke looks at the paper and gives a fair assessment. “You wrote well. Kids, just because there are a lot of you and you’re loud doesn’t mean you’re right. Before you argue with me, you have to be good enough to convince me. If she were talking to me like this right now—” Li Ke gestures to Huo Wu and smiles, “even if Teacher Huo were cussing me out, I wouldn’t have the slightest thought of telling her to go home to her mommy, understand?”

Huo Wu glances at him but says nothing. The girls are clearly not convinced, and their faces look angry. Li Ke pauses, then squints and looks around the audience seats. But the waiting area is too far away, and his nearsightedness makes it hard for him to see even with his glasses. All he can see is a foggy blur, and he can’t even tell who is who. He stops and calls out, “Number nine, number nine, stand up.”

Bai Feifei’s eyes widen as she stands up. Fu Xiaoxiao’s head follows her movement, looking up, not understanding why the topic suddenly landed on them. Bai Feifei has a fleeting, impossible thought—could it be that the original owner had a fling with Li Ke, and he’s holding a grudge? Impossible. Li Ke’s face doesn’t scream “handsome.” He’s not ugly, and he has a certain artistic flair for a man in his thirties, but he’s not good-looking.

Bai Feifei’s mind is racing, but she doesn’t show it.

Li Ke points at Bai Feifei, satisfied. “Girls, at your age, you should be kinder. When others are saving people under the hot sun, where were you five?”

Bai Feifei sees the girl in the white dress clutch her clothes. The other five girls lose their angry expressions, their faces filled with panic, as if they’ve been caught doing something.

“Alright, number nine, you can sit down.” Li Ke waves his hand, telling Bai Feifei to sit down, and throws the microphone to the side.

Bai Feifei: “…”

“Why do I feel like a good student being used to shame others?” Fu Xiaoxiao whispers, covering her mouth with her hand. “I remember my teachers and even my mom always used you to shame me. This is exactly like that.”

Bai Feifei is just as confused. She doesn’t think Li Ke would see her in a different light just because she helped someone. The entertainment industry is always this real. Having good character is important, but being a good person and being able to bring in money are two different things. This is Li Ke’s first time directing a TV series, so he’s not doing it just to help Huo Wu. There are profits and benefits that they can’t see.

So Bai Feifei shakes her head and says softly, “I don’t know.”

Fu Xiaoxiao blinks and wisely says nothing else. Bai Feifei, like everyone else, looks back and forth between Li Ke and the five girls, but she is more subtle about it. Li Ke watches the first five girls with his arms crossed, his face expressionless. Huo Wu seems the same.

A staff member comes over with a clipboard to escort them away. Huo Wu picks up the microphone. Her voice is a little slow, but every word is clear, echoing through the hall. It’s a warning and a reminder: “Remember to respect your teachers, be professional, and have a good character. Only then can you go the distance.”

Bai Feifei’s heart tightens. She wonders if she imagined it, but it seems like Huo Wu glanced in her direction as she said this. Her heart feels sour. She feels like a rag soaked in vinegar and wrung into a twist, sour and smelly, yet she desperately wants to find a clean part of herself to show to others.

She doesn’t know what those five girls did, but it’s clear that it’s something that Huo Wu and Li Ke can’t tolerate. It’s something that crossed their line.

“Numbers one through five are eliminated. Now, number six, please come forward.” Huo Wu’s voice becomes a little softer. “Everyone has only three minutes. Do your best and don’t have any regrets.”

After saying that, she smiles and glares at Li Ke. “Director Li is a good person.”

Li Ke looks at her curiously because of that last sentence. His expression is strange, and he strokes his chin. He looks at the waiting area again. Something is off. Really off. Huo Wu is the kind of person who doesn’t care about anything, so why would she add a reminder to “do your best and don’t have any regrets”?

Once, when he mistakenly drank alcohol with antibiotics, he had to be rushed to the emergency room, and Huo Wu only said, “You’re tough.” Then, she left him a bag of apples that cost two yuan a pound and left. She was heartless. He takes out his phone and texts his assistant, Zhao Wei.

[Li Ke: Did Ji Meng ask you for chocolate and some medicine? I heard the doctor came over and asked if little Huo was hurt.]

[Zhao Wei: Yes, she asked for two bars and some medicine. What’s wrong, Director? Do you want some? I still have some. I was saving it for Teacher Huo. Should I get some for you?]

[Li Ke: No.]

[Li Ke: Just asking.]

He closes his phone and strokes his artistic ponytail. He looks at the waiting seats and chuckles.

After that brief interruption, everyone feels a little on edge. If some people wanted to audition alone before, they are now all looking for partners. It’s better to have someone to give you some comfort.

Fu Xiaoxiao goes to the small room to wait for their takeout. She says Bai Feifei can eat as soon as she’s done with her audition. She ordered fruit, so she has to put it in the mini-fridge in the car. It’s hot, so the fruit will go bad and oxidize quickly. If it’s left out for an hour, it will be inedible.

While Bai Feifei waits, she is also invited to join a group. A lot of people approach her, but she doesn’t know their backgrounds or their acting styles, so she rejects a few of them. Then Wu Qingying comes over. Wu Qingying seems shy and timid. She looks a little nervous as she asks Bai Feifei, “Feifei, can we be partners? Is that okay?”

Bai Feifei hesitates for a moment. She thinks about how Wu Qingying was practicing alone and then agrees. “Okay.”

Wu Qingying graduated from a film academy a year ago. She has acted in a few roles, and Bai Feifei happened to see her in one. Her acting is good, and she uses her original voice. Her skills are solid, but she’s never become very popular. Her fan base is even smaller than Bai Feifei’s. (Although Bai Feifei’s fans are a mix of haters and pretty-face fans.) The effect of two people working together is better than one. It creates a spark and adds points to their performance.

She’s not sure what Li Ke’s attitude is or what Huo Wu’s standards are. With a film student like Wu Qingying, she can at least avoid some common mistakes. Wu Qingying’s line delivery is also good. The scene they’re auditioning for is a modern drama, and lines are important. They can’t be too theatrical or too weak. Two people who are equally skilled can bring out the best in each other, otherwise the effect would be counterproductive.

They team up and go to pick their topics. Surprisingly, their topics are the same. The staff member who gives them the papers also finds it interesting. They smile and say, “Some people have the same topic, but there aren’t many. I don’t know if you’re lucky or unlucky… You both got this topic. You better figure out how to work together. It’s your turn soon.”

They both thank him and go back to their seats. Not far away, number six has started her performance. Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying both stop to watch, but it doesn’t seem to be going well on stage.

Li Ke puts on his leopard-print glasses. The thick lenses make him look mysterious. He keeps his lips pursed, and his eyes are empty of emotion. The hall is so quiet that it’s uncomfortable. Li Ke looks at number six and then snaps, “Take the makeup off her face. How did she get in here? Who let her in? Is everyone starving? Are your eyes just for show?” He sweeps his gaze across the room, his eyes full of coldness.

The staff members are too scared to say anything. They don’t know how Li Ke can see that she has a little bit of BB cream on her face from three to four meters away. Bai Feifei grins, thinking his eyesight is sharp. Number six is asked to go down and wash her face, but she doesn’t know if she’ll have the courage to come back. When it’s number seven’s turn, Bai Feifei thinks she can finally watch a performance to get an idea, but…

Li Ke throws his clipboard and grabs the microphone. “What’s going on? What’s going on? Everyone is either wearing colored contact lenses or secretly putting on foundation. And there’s one girl over there drawing her eyebrows—I’m talking to you! Don’t you know what ‘no makeup’ means? If you put on makeup again, you’re out!”

Numbers one through seven are like the calabash brothers trying to save their grandfather; they all fail. Everyone is too scared to say anything. The people who wanted to audition alone now completely give up. They can’t find a single person who is alone in the whole room. Bai Feifei gulps as she watches number eight shakily stand up. She’s wearing a white dress, has black hair and creamy skin, and an unmistakable youthful vibe.

Bai Feifei has high hopes for her, but then she sees number eight take two steps, and her legs give out. She faints.

CRASH

It’s a loud sound. She’s really unconscious.

Bai Feifei: “…”

This is…

The crew’s medical staff rushes over to check on her. Everyone’s eyes move from the unconscious girl to Bai Feifei, the “good student.” This includes Li Ke, Huo Wu, and the important crew members.

Bai Feifei feels like she’s sitting on a bed of needles. This is the first time she has experienced this much attention. It’s so uncomfortable, even though they aren’t thinking anything bad. Fu Xiaoxiao somehow came back. She crouches next to the girl, poking her cheek. She’s very helpful, helping the doctor carry her to the side, and then she whispers to Bai Feifei, “Baby, she really fainted!”

Could she be faking it? If she could fake a fall from that height, Li Ke should give her a major role based on her acting skills and commitment.

“Who’s next?” Li Ke finally smiles, looking at someone. “Oh, number nine?” After putting on his glasses, he can finally see people clearly. His expression softens a little. He even winks at Bai Feifei and says, “Ready?”

Bai Feifei: “…”

She lets out a breath and stands up. She isn’t shy. She smiles confidently and bows. “Hello, Director Li. We’re a group of two.”

Li Ke hums and looks down at the forms. “Who else?”

Wu Qingying shakily stands up behind Bai Feifei and walks to the center, her face pale. The young girls nearby unconsciously clench their fists, cheering for them, hoping they can get a good start.

Li Ke pauses. Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying stand in front of him. The two girls are the same height and have different types of beauty. But everyone’s eyes are on Bai Feifei. For some reason, she’s captivating. She’s beautiful, and there’s a light in her eyes that makes people want to keep watching her. The unlucky writer who was sent to do a public relations job has her eyes light up. She compares the character’s bio to Bai Feifei again and again. She then pulls out her phone and frantically types with her thumb.

[Team Bald: Ahhhhhhhh!]

[Bald Team Member 2: You’re crazy?]

[Bald Team Member 1: I saw the real Fusang!]

[Bald Team Member 2: ?]

[Bald Team Member 3: Pictures! Where’s the form? Let me see! Let me see!]

Bald Team Member 1, Lin Yanzi, immediately looks at the forms in her hand. Because they haven’t heard from her, the “Team Bald” members start spamming her with messages, accusing her of being a player. Her phone starts vibrating, but she doesn’t have time to look down. Her expression freezes as she looks at the forms.

“This…” Her expression becomes strange. She subconsciously looks at Li Ke. Li Ke is calmer than her. He is a big director who doesn’t show his emotions. He lowers his eyelashes and pinches the two forms, lost in thought for a long time. Lin Yanzi’s eyes move back and forth between the forms and Bai Feifei. It’s hard for her to believe what she’s seeing.

The large arm tattoos, the big earrings, the stylish and puffy purple hair, the disdainful and arrogant look in her eyes, the smoky makeup, and the close-up headshot… and the unique look that seems to look down on the world… If she hadn’t lived through that era, she couldn’t have imagined that such a person existed.

“Bai Feifei,” Li Ke whispers, frowning. He pauses, looking at the form, and says nothing. When he’s silent, no one dares to speak. Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying stand side by side, looking at each other, seeing the confusion and nervousness in each other’s eyes.

Bai Feifei doesn’t know what’s wrong. She only knows that Li Ke has been silent for a long time after picking up the form. Something must be wrong with the form. She looks down and stares at her arm for a long time. There are no tattoos, and no scars from laser removal. It’s smooth and clean. She isn’t sure how the audition will turn out, so she can only do her best.

Bai Feifei can’t help but look at Huo Wu. Her long hair is in loose curls behind her, making her look intellectual and elegant. She exudes a mature woman’s charm. She leans her cheek on her hand, looking a little lazy and relaxed, but she’s even more captivating. Even without makeup, she’s stunning.

Huo Wu avoids eye contact with her. Bai Feifei’s eyelashes flutter, and she purses her lips.

“Someone tampered with the form.” Huo Wu lowers her eyes and taps the table with her fingers. “Li Ke, don’t be impulsive. Students have the right to express themselves through their style. It doesn’t mean they’re a delinquent. Her image fits Fusang. She’s a good talent.”

Li Ke’s face is blank, and his eyes are dark. Huo Wu isn’t afraid of him. She doesn’t look up, just stares at the photo on the form. “This picture could be from a previous role or a costume party. It’s too one-sided to use this to judge a person.”

Li Ke seems to be listening. He looks at Bai Feifei again and whispers to Huo Wu, “She doesn’t have tattoos.”

“Mhm,” Huo Wu hums in agreement. “The tattoos in the photo are huge. If she had them all removed, she would have permanent scars. She doesn’t look like she has any.”

Li Ke takes a deep breath. He still can’t connect the person in the photo with the person standing in front of him. After a while, he presses his forehead as if he’s waking up. He looks at Bai Feifei with a strange expression. “Who gave you this form?”

Bai Feifei is stunned. She takes a few steps forward and takes the form. The photo is so striking that she doesn’t need to look at it closely. She sighs, smiles, and says, “Director Li, this isn’t the one my agent gave you.”

“Mhm,” Li Ke hums. He asks her, “Do you have another one? A backup?”

His voice isn’t quiet. Everyone is paying close attention to what’s happening, especially Fu Xiaoxiao. She hears that something’s wrong. She rushes over and says, “Yes, yes, we have a backup form. We have black and white and color copies. We also have a video tape. Which one do you want? We have everything.”

Li Ke pauses, looking at Fu Xiaoxiao, who just appeared out of nowhere. He tries to hold back his laughter, not knowing who this clown is. He holds out his trembling hand, suspiciously looking at Fu Xiaoxiao. How is she so different from everyone else? Not only is she not shy, but she also looks a little familiar?

Bai Feifei is amused by Fu Xiaoxiao. Her nervousness and serious composure melt away, and she smiles brightly. “This is my assistant and my childhood friend.”

Fu Xiaoxiao grew up under the ironclad heels of a group of lawyers. When they were having meetings, she would sit on the office desk, drinking milk with her legs crossed. This kind of bravery is not something an ordinary person can possess.

Fu Xiaoxiao nods, acting like a servant, helping Li Ke flatten the form. Then she bows and retreats with a hidden sense of accomplishment. Before she leaves, she walks past Bai Feifei, her eyes shining as she whispers, “Go get ’em, baby!”

The sound is not loud, but Bai Feifei is close to the stage, so most people hear it. Many people unconsciously smile. The pure friendship between the two girls is touching. It’s not just moving; it’s the kind of pure and genuine friendship you only find in your youth.

Li Ke’s expression softens a little. He looks at the new form. It’s average, nothing special, but it’s acceptable. Bai Feifei used to be a small model. She didn’t do runway shows, only photoshoots, and her work was mostly punk-themed. This is probably why someone wanted to mess with her image. After all, the female lead of this show is a girl who is so pure that the whole world wants to protect her.

The image requirements are high. Li Ke doesn’t want someone whose real life is too different from Fusang’s, or the audience will be disappointed. And girls this age, no matter how much you teach them, have a limited range of acting skills when they first start. They might not be able to handle acting with Huo Wu, so they have to have a special spark. The audience must believe she is Fusang.

He nods, puts the form to the side, and says, “Begin.”

The audition scene is simple. It’s a combination of a talking scene and an action scene, and the topics are the same. The topics only have three keywords: school, violence, and escape. There’s no cause and no result. This is something that’s happening, and the two people in the scene don’t know if they are bystanders, victims, or abusers.

Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying have already decided what they’re going to do. Wu Qingying is like a flower that grew up in a greenhouse. She doesn’t have her own opinions and prefers to listen to others. She’s shy and even speaks softly, and she doesn’t have many other ideas. While they were discussing, the most common thing she said was, “I’ll do whatever you want.” At that moment, Bai Feifei feels like she has a bit of a fledgling complex.

It’s hard to act without any props. Wu Qingying’s line delivery is good, but there’s a climbing scene. Bai Feifei looks around and moves a table from the side. Huo Wu’s eyes linger on her knees. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, and she purses her lips as she watches. After Bai Feifei moves the table, the two of them retreat ten meters away, to the waiting area, where there are natural steps. They’re going to play victims who are escaping. Of course, it’s not just escaping. If that’s all it was, it would be meaningless. Bai Feifei temporarily embodies Fusang, and Wu Qingying’s goal is also clear. She isn’t aiming for the female lead. She’s aiming for a supporting role, a tough and resilient girl named Qi Yang.

The supporting character’s appearance fits her well. She’s weak and timid, but after going through a series of events, she becomes cheerful and optimistic, trying her best to tell a group of people in society that they can do it and that they’re not useless.

Li Ke can see what’s happening immediately. He smiles. “This girl is smart. She knows that this is a hard scene to act and that it would be awkward, so she just skipped the violence part.”

Huo Wu’s lips curve into a smile, but she quickly hides it. She just hums in response.

Li Ke sees that they are still preparing. He looks at the groups of girls not far away, and his eyebrows twitch. He sees a few of them practicing slapping each other. But he doesn’t say anything. Everyone has their own understanding of the scene. As people’s ages change, their understanding of things also changes. When you ask people of this age to portray these keywords, they will most likely come up with similar things. They might even come up with the exact same scene.

Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying are ready. Not far away, two girls are running hand in hand, looking anxious, as if someone is chasing them. They run to the steps. It’s only about knee-high, but Wu Qingying suddenly stops, looking left and right, her face pale. “They’re… everywhere. There’s no way out… Fusang, what do we do? They’re going to beat us to death… what do we do…”

Tears of fear fall from Wu Qingying’s face. Bai Feifei’s knuckles are white as she holds her wrist. Her face is covered in sweat, and her hair is stuck to her skin. She is also scared, her lips pale, but her eyes are full of determination. She looks at her surroundings. She sees something and suddenly lets out a small laugh. “Jump!”

“Jump?” Wu Qingying is stunned. She pulls Bai Feifei’s hand and looks down. Her legs feel weak from fear. “I can’t. This is the second floor!”

“It’s only one and a half stories. It’s not that high. There’s grass below, and it just rained. It’s better to jump than get caught by them.” Bai Feifei says quickly. “I’ll jump first. I’ll catch you, and then you come down, okay?”

Wu Qingying is still hesitating. Bai Feifei has already used one hand to support herself on the edge and jumps down. She rolls awkwardly to stop herself. Huo Wu’s pen tightens in her hand. Her knuckles are white. Li Ke frowns and whispers to Huo Wu, “She fell. I think she had an injury on her leg before she came on stage.”

But when she was on stage, Bai Feifei pulled her pants down. She hasn’t said a word about it, and even when she winces from the pain of jumping, it looks so natural that it’s believable. Huo Wu hums in agreement.

They continue to watch, communicating every so often. Bai Feifei is about to jump from a platform that’s almost 1.5 meters high. The distance isn’t high, but the platform is split into two steps and is 1.2 meters deep. The distance and height are a challenge, especially since her leg is already injured. Li Ke pauses, watches for a while, writes something on his paper, and says, “She’s quick on her feet.”

Her knee touches the edge of the platform. The gauze wrapped around her wound doesn’t help. The blood has already seeped through the denim fabric and is starting to spread. When she gets up, she clearly stumbles.

Wu Qingying yells from above, “Fusang, are you okay? Your wound is open!” This is improvisation. She probably noticed that Bai Feifei accidentally hit her knee, and the blood is starting to flow down her ankle.

Bai Feifei’s face is pale with cold sweat from the pain, but she shakes her head firmly. She looks left and right, spreads her arms, and says earnestly, “Jump! We don’t have time!”

Wu Qingying’s tears fall even harder. She struggles on the platform, not daring to jump. But the situation won’t allow her to think too much. Bai Feifei instantly understands her intention and says, “Hurry! They’re coming!” Wu Qingying seems to have been grabbed. She struggles to get away but loses her footing and falls down, letting out a scream. “Ah—”

Bai Feifei’s eyes narrow. Wu Qingying is falling at the wrong angle! It’s not a joke to fall headfirst from a 1.5-meter-high platform that’s split into two sections! She grits her teeth, uses her knees to propel herself forward, and catches her. Her knees hit the ground hard. A sharp pain surges through her leg. Her face instantly changes. Bai Feifei clenches her jaw and holds back a cry of pain.

There’s no time to say more. The two girls help each other up. With Wu Qingying’s sobs of relief, they finally escape. Li Ke holds his breath, knowing this is just the beginning.

As they get closer, he can finally see the two girls’ subtle expressions. Bai Feifei’s face is pale from the pain, but her eyes are determined. She is in pain, but she is the one leading them. She pulls Wu Qingying forward, not letting her look back, and not looking back herself. She just keeps moving forward without hesitation or fear.

Wu Qingying’s tears never stop. Her eyes are filled with tears, and she looks back and then at Bai Feifei. The conflicting emotions make the already timid girl completely break down. Her sobs never stop, and she starts whimpering.

They arrive at the table that Bai Feifei set up earlier. Li Ke has been curious about the purpose of this table. He has written many answers on his paper: a classroom, an office, or just a prop for them to hide behind? But these seem too ordinary.

Soon, Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying give him an answer. When Wu Qingying sees the table, her already pale face becomes even worse. She sits on the ground and starts crying loudly, losing all her timidity. The fear makes her lose all her grace. “It’s over! We can’t get out! This wall is too high! They’re going to catch us and beat us to death! Why did I have to be the target today? Why!”

“I’m the one who got hurt because of you, and I’m not even crying. What are you crying about? As long as it’s not over, there’s still a chance.” Bai Feifei scoffs, looks up at the wall, and says calmly, “Step on me and climb up.” With that, Bai Feifei holds the table leg and crouches down. Wu Qingying is still crying behind her and doesn’t move.

Li Ke purses his lips. Without even realizing it, he has straightened his back. Bai Feifei lowers her head, so no one can see her expression, but her clear words reach everyone’s ears. “Qi Yang, listen. My leg is injured, so only one of us can get out.” Bai Feifei doesn’t lower her voice. She speaks in her usual tone. “The only hope is on you. If you cry here and waste even a second, they will catch me a second sooner. If you go out now, call the police, and get help, I might still have a chance to escape. The choice is yours.”

It’s quiet for a moment. Bai Feifei doesn’t look up. Wu Qingying’s tears are still flowing, but the thin girl gets up from the ground. She sobs, and then one foot slowly steps on Bai Feifei’s shoulder. It’s shaky, but firm.

In that moment, Li Ke suddenly feels that Bai Feifei must be smiling. Wu Qingying leaves. Bai Feifei collapses to the ground behind the wall, her body completely limp. The blood from her leg soaks a small patch of the floor. There’s a smile on her face. “Hurry up,” Bai Feifei mumbles as she lies on the ground. Her hair is soaked with sweat, and it’s stuck to her face. She looks tired and disheveled, but there’s a natural beauty to it. She whispers to herself, not caring if anyone can hear her, “My life is in your hands.”

She closes her eyes. After a brief rest, she stumbles to her feet and looks back. Her eyes land directly on the camera. Li Ke, who’s watching, is stunned for a moment. He subconsciously looks up at the stumbling girl in the hall and then looks back at the small monitor. He can’t see her eyes, only her thin back, but it’s still moving forward. He doesn’t know what she saw, but her gaze evokes many emotions in him. Did she see the abusers, or did she see hope?

Bai Feifei walks back to her seat as if nothing happened. Wu Qingying wipes her tears and follows her. The hall is quiet for a moment. Li Ke is very satisfied, even relieved. Bai Feifei didn’t try to get sympathy, so he didn’t pay too much attention to her leg injury. He just looks at their forms and says, “Are you both non-majors?”

Bai Feifei blinks, a little confused. Wu Qingying said she graduated from a film academy. Wu Qingying nods and says softly, “Yes.” Then she turns to Bai Feifei and says, “I forgot to tell you that I graduated from a film academy, but I majored in art communication and design…”

Bai Feifei: “…”

“You both did well.” Li Ke turns to the others. “What do you all think?” The others nod in agreement. Lin Yanzi is excited, but since there are hundreds of people left, she can’t show it too much. She leans in to Li Ke and says, “She’s good. I sent her information to the group. The writing team all agrees—she fits the image, her eyes are full of life, and her actions are quick and clean. A girl like this is a great talent.”

Li Ke thinks the same thing. If all goes well, he thinks the role of Fusang will be hers. He thinks for a moment and looks at Huo Wu. Huo Wu hasn’t said anything yet. Li Ke asks, “What do you think?”

Bai Feifei also holds her breath, looking nervously at Huo Wu. She cares more about what Huo Wu thinks than what Li Ke thinks.

Huo Wu doesn’t show much emotion, but she nods. “She’s good. Her acting is good, both talking and acting. She has her own ideas and can handle a scene. Wu Qingying—” Huo Wu turns to Wu Qingying. “Your form says you’re from a film academy. What did you major in?”

Wu Qingying answers, “Communication and design, but I took a lot of acting electives.”

“Mhm,” Huo Wu hums and says to Li Ke, “They’re both good.”

Bai Feifei’s nervous and serious expression finally melts away, and a bright smile appears on her face. Huo Wu glances at her, pauses, looks away, and then looks back. Her pen starts drawing on her notepad unconsciously. Soon, all the empty spaces on the page are filled with black dots. Huo Wu frowns and turns to the next page.

Li Ke nods in satisfaction. He finally shows some concern. “You should go get that checked out. Your injury isn’t minor. You’re a girl, so you don’t want to get a scar. It’s hot, so be careful of infection.”

Bai Feifei acts nonchalant. Even though Li Ke brought it up, she doesn’t use her injury to gain sympathy. She bows to everyone. “Thank you, Director, thank you… thank you, Teacher Huo!”

Huo Wu’s expression is a little strange, but she hums in response. As soon as Bai Feifei gets off the stage, Fu Xiaoxiao, who has been waiting, rushes over and hugs her. “You were amazing, baby!” Fu Xiaoxiao doesn’t care about anything. She spins around Bai Feifei and carries her like a child to the seat. The seats are close, only a few steps away. But Bai Feifei has been through a lot: she fell, she jumped, and someone stepped on her. Her emotions have been on a roller coaster, and she’s exhausted, so she doesn’t resist. She just hums along with Fu Xiaoxiao, making some meaningless noises.

After they leave the stage, number ten goes up, but no one is in the mood to watch. Wu Qingying follows them, her face full of apologies. She says nervously, “Is there anything I can do to help? I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault for not paying attention.”

“It’s okay,” Bai Feifei waves her hand and adjusts Fu Xiaoxiao’s skirt. “You don’t have eyes on the back of your head, so it’s not your fault. You gave me the role of Fusang, so I should be thanking you.”

Wu Qingying just shakes her head and smiles shyly. “I wanted to get the role of Qi Yang. I’m… not like Fusang. Fusang suits you.”

Bai Feifei just smiles. Wu Qingying doesn’t stay long and leaves.

Fu Xiaoxiao has been busy treating her wound. She’s heartbroken. “Do you want to go eat something? I’ll ask Auntie Xue to bring the car over. Can you still walk? Both of your knees are torn up. We need to go to the hospital. The wound is deep, and you lost some flesh. It’s pretty serious.”

Bai Feifei can tell from the amount of blood that the injury is not minor. She nods. “Okay.”

Perhaps because Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying raised everyone’s expectations, the dozens of groups that followed were all mediocre. Li Ke frowns, his smile a little sarcastic. “Dozens of film students can’t even compare to two non-majors. All they want to do is slap each other. What a joke.”

“The ones after them are young,” Huo Wu says. “They’re only first-year students, so they haven’t even formed good acting habits. It’s normal for them not to be able to let go.” Li Ke shakes his head and tells everyone to take a ten-minute break. They’ve been here all morning, and they’ve only found two good talents.

He can’t help but look at Bai Feifei’s punk photo. He stares at it for a long time, looking confused. “What was this kid thinking, taking on a role with this kind of style? And keeping a selfie of it? Isn’t she afraid of it being used against her?”

“She’s cute, isn’t she? There’s a big contrast.” Ji Meng smiles. “That girl is having a hard time. Her family was wealthy, but they went bankrupt. Her father committed suicide, and her mother is sick. She’s probably… trying to support her family.”

Li Ke is stunned. He didn’t know about this. Then he suddenly says, “Don’t you think this girl, Bai Feifei, is very similar to Fusang?” Fusang is the female lead of “Guang·Ying.”

Ji Meng has read the script. She is stunned when she hears Li Ke say this, and she thinks about it. It’s true. Fusang is also a person who fell from the clouds into the mud. But she’s very similar to Bai Feifei. She never gives up, and she’s always cheerful and positive. Just like in the audition. Ji Meng is almost certain that in Li Ke’s mind, even though Bai Feifei is a little green and needs to adjust some things, she is Fusang.

“Does she have other pictures?” Li Ke takes out his phone and tries to search for her, but he can’t find anything. He says in frustration, “This girl is really new. Her agent is also funny. She only gave me a two-inch passport photo.” That’s right. The photo Fu Xiaoxiao prepared for Bai Feifei is a two-inch passport photo with a red background and white shirt. Apparently, that’s what Bai Xue told her to do. She said a great director can spot talent, and if the passport photo is good, the person will be even better, which will raise their expectations and be good for Bai Feifei. Whether it’s true or not, Li Ke likes the passport photo. It’s proper, natural, and beautiful.

He looks at the form again and can’t help but criticize. “With this face and these eyes, why would she be a model? Isn’t that a waste of resources? If she had come to me sooner, I would’ve made her a star. Did you find anything? Why is it so hard to find a picture?”

His assistant, Zhao Wei, is losing it. “She’s a new artist! An unknown artist! Where am I supposed to find a picture? Give me some time, Director!”

Huo Wu, who has been silent for a long time, suddenly says, “I have some.” Li Ke immediately looks up. “Let me see! Let me see!”

“Why do you have pictures of her?” Huo Wu looks at Li Ke. “Are you going to cast her?”

Li Ke doesn’t say yes or no. He just shrugs. “What do you think?”

Huo Wu takes out her phone and shows him the photos in her album. Li Ke is stunned when he sees the photos. He taps the screen twice. “This kid is great… Why does this photo look so familiar?”

“Isn’t that the girl you told me to find in three days?” Zhao Wei, the assistant, leans in and is stunned. “The one who was on the trending list for a few days! Why does Teacher Huo have photos of her?”

Huo Wu doesn’t say anything, but Ji Meng’s expression behind her is a little strange. Looking at the photo’s save date, it must have been saved on the day it became a trending topic. What was Huo Wu saying at that time? “I don’t care,” “I’m not interested,” “Don’t talk about her,” “You talk too much.” Now… what’s with secretly saving a picture of her?

Ji Meng scratches her chin, sighing inwardly. Huo Wu sends the photo to Li Ke and then looks at the door. “I’m going outside.”

Li Ke hums in response. After a while, he looks up at Ji Meng. “Where’s she going?”

“She’s going to show some humanitarian concern,” Ji Meng says mysteriously. “To give love.”