Never Forget - Chapter 5

Ye Zhuyi finished her final pose with her back to the judges. Her figure was as graceful as a slender bamboo stalk. She lowered her head and turned slightly, as if about to look back but too shy to do so.

The music stopped. The blinding white lights on stage dimmed, and the indoor lights came on. Ye Zhuyi caught her breath and turned around to bow respectfully.

“Good job, good job.” Director Lu Buping was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with Ye Zhuyi’s performance. Her face was full of praise, and her eyes crinkled with a smile. “We’ll discuss the audition results after everyone has finished. Please wait for our notification.”

“Okay, thank you, Director Lu,” Ye Zhuyi nodded. Before leaving, she couldn’t help but glance at Qin Zhizhen.

Qin Zhizhen was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed. Her eyes were lowered, lost in thought. As if sensing her gaze, she suddenly looked up and met Ye Zhuyi’s eyes.

Feeling like a guilty thief, Ye Zhuyi panicked and quickly looked away, then hurried toward the door.

Zhou Wen urgently warned, “Hey! Watch the st—”

Before Zhou Wen could finish the word “steps,” Ye Zhuyi had already missed her footing. Fortunately, the stage steps weren’t high, so she only twisted her ankle and stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance. The staff member who tried to help her, however, ended up falling to the floor instead.

“Are you okay?” Zhou Wen and Ye Zhuyi asked in unison.

The staff member waved them off and scrambled to his feet.

Ye Zhuyi quickly turned to Zhou Wen. “I’m fine.”

Her ankle stung, and she didn’t dare look at Qin Zhizhen. Desperate to leave, she hurried out the door with a slight limp.

“That girl,” Zhou Wen said, shaking her head with a smile as she watched Ye Zhuyi’s retreating figure. She nudged Qin Zhizhen with her shoulder. “What were you thinking just now?”

“I was thinking the dance was quite good,” Qin Zhizhen replied, a small smile playing on her lips as she withdrew her gaze. “But…”

“But what?” Zhou Wen pressed.

Qin Zhizhen added casually, “I thought she was a seductive enchantress, but it turns out she’s just a rabbit.”

A rabbit fleeing in panic, hopping and skipping away.

The people beside them were stunned at first, but then they couldn’t help but smile. Some even laughed out loud, finding the description spot on.

“Pfft, that’s an accurate description,” Lu Buping said, picking up Ye Zhuyi’s resume and flipping through it twice. She sighed and added, “Her dancing is good, and her acting is decent too. It’s hard to believe she’s only been in three web dramas. She’s got some real talent. She reminds me of that person.”

Zhou Wen teased, “Oh, besides Zhizhen and that person, I’ve never heard you praise anyone’s talent before.”

Lu Buping chuckled but didn’t confirm or deny it. She handed Ye Zhuyi’s resume to her assistant.

Ye Zhuyi had no idea what happened in the audition room after she left. As soon as she stepped out, Ke Shu rushed over and asked urgently, “How did it go? What did Director Lu and the others say?”

Ye Zhuyi didn’t answer. She took a couple of steps and leaned against the wall. Her feet ached, her legs felt weak, and her heart was racing. When was the last time she had been this nervous?

Only now did she truly feel alive.

Noticing Ye Zhuyi’s unsteady steps and her flushed, frail appearance, Ke Shu’s heart sank. Did she mess up because she was too nervous? Just like that actress before her?

Ke Shu called Xiao Qiao over to help her support Ye Zhuyi back to their seats. “It’s okay,” she said comfortingly. “There will be plenty more auditions like this. Just getting a chance to show your face is a good start.”

Once Ye Zhuyi was seated, Ke Shu checked her watch. “Rest for a bit. We’ll take you home once your foot feels better.”

“Sister Ke,” Ye Zhuyi said, biting her lip. “I want to wait for the results here.”

The assistant director had mentioned that the first round of results would be announced after the auditions ended. They would call the successful candidates that night. If you didn’t get a call by midnight, you were out.

Most of the actors who had auditioned were still waiting in the lobby. Knowing the results early would let them plan their next moves sooner.

Ke Shu glanced at her in surprise. Ye Zhuyi was always the first to leave after an audition. This was completely unlike her.

Without thinking too much about it, Ke Shu just wanted to go. She was already convinced Ye Zhuyi wouldn’t get the part and didn’t want to waste any more time. But she also didn’t want to crush Ye Zhuyi’s spirits, so she didn’t know how to bring it up.

Seeing Ke Shu’s conflicted expression, Ye Zhuyi said considerately, “Sister Ke, do you have something else to do? I can just wait here for the results. Xiao Qiao, you can take Sister Ke back to the company.”

“No need. I’ll just take a taxi. You stay here with 11 and wait for the results. Send her home tonight.” Ke Shu waved Xiao Qiao to sit down. After taking a few steps, she remembered something and turned back to say, “Remember to tell me when the results are out.”

Ye Zhuyi nodded. “Okay.”

After Ke Shu left, Xiao Qiao handed Ye Zhuyi her phone, a pack of tissues, and a bottle of water. Ye Zhuyi thanked her in a low voice, used a tissue to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead, and then twisted off the cap to take a drink.

The cap had already been loosened, so it came off effortlessly. Xiao Qiao had always been this thoughtful. Ye Zhuyi said “thank you” again.

“It’s nothing. You don’t have to thank me every time.” After a brief silence, Xiao Qiao asked hesitantly, “What did you hear back there?”

In the lobby, female celebrities were gathered in groups, chatting about this and that. Ye Zhuyi took a sip of water and glanced at the crowd. Jin Yue, who had been very popular lately, was surrounded by many people, standing in the center with a beaming smile.

“I heard you told her to have some self-respect,” Ye Zhuyi said plainly.

Xiao Qiao visibly relaxed.

Ye Zhuyi screwed the cap back on her water bottle and glanced down at the message Hua Jin had sent earlier.

It was a pleading emoji and a single line: “Keep a close eye on her for me!”

Ye Zhuyi narrowed her eyes, handed the water to Xiao Qiao, and asked casually, “Is she trying to get you to get back together with her?”

Xiao Qiao shook her head. “She wants me to go back to being her assistant.” She let out a scoff, finding the idea ridiculous.

It was absurd. Xiao Qiao was now an employee at Xingyao, while Jin Yue was with Tianhua Entertainment. Even if Xiao Qiao wanted to go back, it wasn’t something Jin Yue could just decide.

Ye Zhuyi pretended to know nothing and looked concerned. “Xiao Qiao, would you ever go back?”

“What are you thinking? I’m doing great here, and it’s so much easier. I’m not going back.” Xiao Qiao bent over to put the water bottle in the bag on the floor, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. “And I’m definitely not getting back with her.”

Xiao Qiao handed her a mint, and Ye Zhuyi unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.

The topic dropped. Xiao Qiao then asked, “Did something go wrong at the audition? How did you twist your ankle?”

“No, I twisted it walking off stage after the audition,” Ye Zhuyi said, rotating her ankle. It already felt much better.

“Was the audition hard?” Xiao Qiao asked. “Do you think you nailed it?”

“It wasn’t easy.” Ye Zhuyi glanced at the closed door but didn’t answer the second question.

Xiao Qiao didn’t push her.

Time dragged on. The silence felt unbearable, especially as the other actors emerged from the room, each one looking thrilled.

To be honest, Qin Zhizhen’s reaction had left Ye Zhuyi feeling uncertain. She didn’t know if he’d looked at the other actors the same way. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, especially seeing the joy on their faces.

The tension reached a breaking point when the auditions ended and the judges announced they needed half an hour to discuss the results.

Ye Zhuyi couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up and said, “I need to use the restroom.”

Xiao Qiao looked at her in surprise. It was the first time she’d seen Ye Zhuyi so nervous. After a moment, she replied, “Okay.”

But Ye Zhuyi was already gone.

Xiao Qiao could only stare after her.

In the restroom, Ye Zhuyi placed her hands under the faucet. The water ran in uneven spurts, and the cool spray on her cheeks instantly calmed her down.

She leaned her hands on the cool marble countertop and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Water droplets trailed down her smooth jawline, and the flush on her cheeks had finally faded.

Ye Zhuyi grabbed a tissue and patted her face dry.

Behind her, a stall door swung open. The sharp click of high heels echoed on the floor as Jin Yue’s figure appeared in the mirror.

“Ye Zhuyi?” Jin Yue let out a light laugh as she walked over to wash her hands. “I thought you were a third-tier actress? Director Lu’s movies don’t even give auditions to anyone below second-tier. I’m curious, what methods did you use to get this audition?”

Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Ye Zhuyi tossed the used tissue into the trash and looked up. Through the mirror, her gaze met Jin Yue’s with calm indifference. Instead of answering, she asked, “What do you think, Senior?”

Jin Yue turned and shamelessly looked her up and down. A contemptuous smile played on her lips as her eyes filled with unreadable emotions. “How should I know? After all, people in this industry will do anything to get famous, won’t they? Heh, I’ve always been blunt, so don’t take offense.”

Her gaze was unsettling, and her words were deliberately cutting.

Ye Zhuyi’s lips curled into a cold smile. She deflected the insult with a sharp retort: “Is that why you assume others do the same things you always do, Senior?”

Jin Yue instinctively backed away, her hand gripping the edge of the sink. Her expression froze, a flash of embarrassment and humiliation crossing her face.

Ye Zhuyi raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh as she smoothed her hair. “I remember that big hit of yours, Senior. Cui Gao was the director, right? His female leads are always top-tier actresses. At the time, what tier were you?”

Not even a third-tier actress, yet she had managed to replace a top-tier star who had already been cast.

Jin Yue’s gaze turned sharp, but Ye Zhuyi didn’t care. She had no interest in playing these petty games. She turned to leave.

Behind her, Jin Yue’s eyes fell on her limping right leg.

When the rapid clicking of high heels approached, Ye Zhuyi frowned. She assumed Jin Yue was simply storming off in a rage.

So when Jin Yue’s hand shoved her hard in the back, she was completely caught off guard.

There were two steps in front of the restroom door. Ye Zhuyi stumbled and fell straight down.

But instead of hitting the ground as she expected, a cool hand grabbed her wrist and another supported her waist. She crashed into a soft embrace.

“Are you okay?” Qin Zhizhen’s calm, cool voice drifted down from above.

Support