Never Forget (GL) - Chapter 3

“Thin? Submissive?” Lian Rong stumbled over the words for a moment. She meekly asked, “Which show are you asking about, Ms. Qin?”

Qin Zhizhen turned her head to look at her, her cool gaze sweeping over the iPad in Lian Rong’s hand. Her lips parted as if to speak, but she said nothing, turning back to the script on her lap.

The trees along the road were dense with branches. Sunlight pierced through the leaves, casting a small shadow on Qin Zhizhen’s thick eyelashes. As the car drove steadily, the dappled light slid across her high nose, resting on the tip.

Lian Rong looked at Qin Zhizhen and then at the video on the tablet. It dawned on her that Qin Zhizhen had asked about being a “submissive” or “bottom.”

A bottom? What a joke… Lian Rong shook her head vigorously. “You’re so dominant and assertive, Ms. Qin. Not a bottom at all. Your female fans even yell for you not to be so strict with your gender and that they want to be Mrs. Qin.”

Qin Zhizhen truly had a dominant presence. There were many fan-edited videos of her with other actresses online, but only one video creator was a viral sensation. It wasn’t just because of the provocative username, “Did Zhenzhen go for the top today?” The key was that in this creator’s videos, Qin Zhizhen was the “bottom.” It was all about “Zhu Yi on top, Zhen on bottom.”

The beautiful and vibrant Ye Zhuyi paired with the cool and distant Qin Zhizhen.

The seductive, enchanting “top” paired with the cold, abstinent “bottom.” The dynamic was a complete reversal of other fan videos. Wow, so good! How could anyone not get addicted to it?

Qin Zhizhen’s hand, which had been turning the pages of the script, paused slightly. As if something came to mind, her beautiful brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. “I think I’ll stick to my gender role. I don’t want to run into another Sui Xuan.”

Lian Rong blinked, a flash of both sympathy and disgust in her eyes.

Qin Zhizhen didn’t want to dwell on the topic. She asked, “What time is the audition for the female supporting role with Director Lu?”

Lian Rong composed herself. “The audition starts at ten, but Director Lu said we could go a little later.”

Qin Zhizhen nodded and held out her hand to Lian Rong. “Give me the files of the actresses auditioning for the female supporting role.”

Lian Rong took a folder from her bag and handed it over, her eyes fixed on Qin Zhizhen’s hand resting on her chin.

It was a treat for anyone who loved hands. Many people coveted them. The bright red nail polish on her fingertips was for a recent awards ceremony.

Looking at it now, she seemed a bit like a “bottom” after all.

Lian Rong remembered something and said, “Director Lu said Screenwriter Zhou added an actress for the audition, Ye Zhuyi. The file is in my email.” She pulled up Ye Zhuyi’s file and presented the iPad to Qin Zhizhen like a treasure.

Qin Zhizhen’s eyes flickered, taking a quick look.

Ye Zhuyi debuted in a girl group after a talent show at age twenty. She had only starred in a few small, lukewarm web series. The better shows only cast her as a second or third female lead. She had no notable works to her name, though she had won a few minor, unknown awards. At best, she was a C-list celebrity; without the popularity she had gained from her girl group, she would probably be even lower.

Lian Rong asked, “Do you want me to find videos of her work for you to see?”

“No need.” Qin Zhizhen frowned slightly. “I’ve already seen them.”

The fan-made videos!

Lian Rong’s eyes lit up. Watching too many fan videos made one overthink things.

For other actresses, Qin Zhizhen reviewed their past work. But for Ye Zhuyi, she watched fan videos.

This difference in treatment… was a quiet bit of fan food to snack on.

Qin Zhizhen’s back straightened slightly. She held the other actresses’ files, her eyelashes half-lowered, her gaze on the paper, but her eyes were unfocused, lost in thought.

An actress with Ye Zhuyi’s resume would have been filtered out in the first round. So why did Zhou Wen specifically give her an audition?

After returning home from the Starry Entertainment headquarters, Ye Zhuyi couldn’t stop thinking about this question.

She had to find a breakthrough, a reason, to increase her chances of passing the first round of auditions.

She lifted a hand to rub her stiff neck. Ye Zhuyi closed her tired eyes. She didn’t have much of her own video material, but she had edited many fan videos with Qin Zhizhen. Re-watching every single one of them carefully was no easy task.

The worst part was… Ye Zhuyi opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the computer screen. Her hand on the mouse twitched.

The videos of Qin Zhizhen were almost all from the film Assassination. On the screen, the female lead played by Qin Zhizhen had once again lost to her mentor. Her hand, hanging at her side, was tightly clenched around her sword. The blood flowing from her fingertips wound a path through the mud, forming a beautiful, crimson flower. The camera panned up to show Qin Zhizhen’s thin lips pressed into a sharp line. The frustration in her deep, pool-like eyes was hidden for a moment by the fluttering of her lashes. When she looked up again, all that remained was an unyielding pride. She lifted her chin stubbornly.

Ye Zhuyi’s gaze followed the graceful curve of her chin down to her pale, slender neck. If she lifted it a little more…

With a deep sigh, Ye Zhuyi closed her eyes, shut down her computer, and lay back on the carpet, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She had no ideas, and all she had were dirty thoughts.

Ye Zhuyi slowly let out a breath, sat up, and shut down the computer, deciding to give herself a break.

Her phone screen lit up. Ye Zhuyi picked it up and saw messages from her group chat. The voice call from the morning had ended abruptly, and they hadn’t continued it. Since they were all busy, sudden disappearances were common, and they would pick up the conversation when they had time.

Song Muran: [smiles. The show wants us to invite our friends from the industry for the next episode. So, who’s free the day after tomorrow? Come record the show with me.]

Yu Wei: […That show is a killer. Can I say I’m busy?]

Song Muran: [meat cleaver. You tell me?]

Hua Jin: [Busy.]

Ye Zhuyi: [I’m busy, too.]

Yu Wei: [Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Give our team leader some face.]

Song Muran gave herself an out: [It would be weird if Hua Hua had time since she’s fighting with the family business wolves. Are you on a new show, Yi Yi?]

Ye Zhuyi explained her situation: [I have an audition the day after tomorrow.]

Song Muran: [What show? What role?]

Ye Zhuyi: [Magpie in Shock, female lead.]

Yu Wei: [!! Wow, Yi Yi, your dream is coming true. You’ll get to see your idol! Go, go, go, get that role!]

Ye Zhuyi smiled. The female lead rarely participated in casting calls, and even if they did, they only showed up for the second round of auditions to read lines with the actors. She held her phone and replied: [I’ll probably only get to see her if I pass the first round.]

Hua Jin: [Magpie in Shock‘s female supporting role? I heard there are some intimate scenes between the female lead and the female supporting role. Qin Zhizhen didn’t want to take the role at first, but Director Lu agreed to let her be a part of the casting process, so maybe you’ll actually get to see her.]

Hua Jin had recently taken over her family’s business, including its subsidiary, Sky Entertainment. She knew more news about the industry than others.

Ye Zhuyi’s heart skipped a beat. Will Qin Zhizhen be at the audition? Will I get to see her?

Song Muran: [smirk. If you get the role, you’ll be able to have close contact with the God of Qin. So, who’s going to come to my show??]

Yu Wei: [Since our team leader is so pitiful, I’ll reluctantly go~]

Song Muran: […It’s a huge burden for you!]

Yu Wei and Song Muran bickered in the chat. Ye Zhuyi’s eyes were fixed on the words “intimate” and “close contact.” She bit her lower lip.

A lightbulb went off in her mind.

So, Screenwriter Zhou saw the fan videos and wanted me to audition… to see the on-screen chemistry?

The first round of auditions wouldn’t involve any line-reading, so she had to pass on her own.

Ye Zhuyi closed her eyes and gripped the heart-shaped necklace on her neck.

The day of the audition, the weather was beautiful. The audition location was in the suburbs of Shencheng, an hour’s drive away without traffic.

At 8:30 a.m., Xiao Qiao drove Ke Shu to pick up Ye Zhuyi.

When Ye Zhuyi opened the door to get in, Ke Shu looked up at her. “Why didn’t you put on any makeup?”

Ye Zhuyi was wearing a white sleeveless dress with a cinched waist. Her chestnut hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her face was bare. She often didn’t wear makeup, but her features were good. Her skin was a fair shade of white, and her lips were naturally full and vibrant. Without makeup, she looked pure, and her beauty was much softer.

Still, even though Ke Shu had said it was fine if she didn’t get the part, she still hoped Ye Zhuyi would pass the audition. Opportunities were rare, which was why she was here in person.

Ye Zhuyi knew what Ke Shu was thinking and smiled. “I don’t know the character’s personality, so I didn’t want to put on makeup randomly.”

Many actresses would wear a full face of makeup to an audition, hoping to get chosen based on their looks. But if the makeup was too different from the character, it could be counterproductive.

Ke Shu nodded, pouring a glass of water and handing it to Ye Zhuyi. “This will be a battle of the elites. Don’t be nervous during the audition. Just stay calm.”

“Okay.” Ye Zhuyi forced a smile.

How could I not be nervous? The thought that Qin Zhizhen might be there made her heart race like a drum. She couldn’t calm down and felt restless. Ye Zhuyi took the cup, took a sip, and steadied herself. Thinking of what Ke Shu said, she asked, “Did you get a list of the actresses auditioning, Sister Ke?”

Ke Shu gave her a serious look.

They’re probably all better than an unknown like me, Ye Zhuyi thought with a smile. “Who else is here? It’s good to be mentally prepared.”

Ke Shu thought she had a point and rattled off the names she remembered. When she mentioned Jin Yue, a popular young actress, the car suddenly sped up.

“Xiao Qiao?” Ke Shu was surprised and asked nervously.

The car slowed down again. Xiao Qiao steadied the steering wheel and explained calmly, “Just passed a car.”

Ke Shu didn’t suspect a thing. “No rush. Drive carefully.”

Xiao Qiao: “Okay.”

Ye Zhuyi looked at the driver’s seat thoughtfully.

There was some traffic on the way, and they didn’t arrive at the audition location until an hour and a half later.

Many actresses had already arrived. The place was bustling, filled with women who looked like a bouquet of gorgeous, competitive flowers. On the surface, they all maintained polite smiles, chatting in small groups. It was a common sight in the industry—you befriended whoever was popular.

An unknown C-list actress like Ye Zhuyi was left alone, which she was happy about. After drawing her lot number, she found a corner and waited quietly.

All the actresses had arrived before ten o’clock, and the auditions started early. They went into the room one by one, according to the order of their lot numbers.

The first actress went in.

The audition room had no windows, and the door was tightly shut, not a single sound escaping.

Ye Zhuyi sat on a chair in the corner, glancing at the door before looking at her clenched fists, the veins on the back of her hands prominent.

She was reminded of her oral exams many years ago. She had waited outside, just as anxious, every minute an agonizing eternity.

“Yi Yi, are you nervous, too?”

Yes, my little Qin Zhen…

Her chest tightened. Ye Zhuyi closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down and take deep breaths.

Seeing this, Ke Shu raised her hand to pat her shoulder and say something encouraging, but her hand stopped mid-air. Ke Shu had been with Ye Zhuyi for other auditions, but this was the first time she had seen her get nervous.

When it came to acting, Ye Zhuyi always seemed so calm and confident.

Was it just because of this good crew? Ke Shu lowered her hand, her brows furrowed. She was starting to understand Ye Zhuyi less and less.

The first actress came out of the room.

All eyes turned to her. The scene was very similar to a high school oral exam.

The actress was slightly out of breath, as if she had just gone for a run. The hair on her forehead was messy with sweat. She looked very upset, and her eyes were a little teary.

The assistant director called the next person in with a professional, robotic tone.

As soon as the second person went in, the actresses in the lobby surrounded the first one, chattering and asking questions.

“What’s the script like?” “Who else is in there besides Director Lu?”

Ye Zhuyi looked over at them.

The actress, who wasn’t very mentally strong, started to cry. She sobbed, “There’s no script and no props. We have to dance. And we only have five minutes to prepare.” She sniffled. “Besides Director Lu, there’s also Screenwriter Zhou and the assistant director.”

“They didn’t tell us to prepare a dance. And five minutes? Even without lines, that’s way too short to prepare.”

“No one else?”

The actress shook her head.

Qin Zhizhen isn’t here?

Ye Zhuyi pursed her lips, feeling both disappointed and relieved.

The auditions continued. Ye Zhuyi’s number was 15, so she had a long wait. The atmosphere in the lobby became more tense each time someone came out.

At noon, the crew handed out lunch boxes, but most of the actresses didn’t feel like eating. Ye Zhuyi had no appetite either. She handed her lunch box to Xiao Qiao and asked Ke Shu, “Sister Ke, can I go have a cigarette?”

Knowing she was nervous, Ke Shu had no objections. She held up her index finger. “One cigarette. Keep an eye on the time, and don’t let anyone see you.”

“Don’t worry,” Ye Zhuyi nodded. She stood up and walked toward the door.

The actresses near the door stirred, and a wave of screams erupted from outside. Amidst the noise, Ye Zhuyi clearly heard the words “the God of Qin.”

Ye Zhuyi’s back suddenly went rigid, and her heart pounded like a drum. She froze.

A person emerged from the crowd, wearing a well-tailored apricot casual suit. Her features were cold, and her entire being radiated an aura of “don’t come near me.” She stood among the crowd like a proud, beautiful swan, and everyone else faded into dull little ducks.

That cold gaze looked at her.

Their eyes met.

Ye Zhuyi felt like the air had frozen.

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