The Ex-Wife-to-Be Is Acting Weird After Losing Her Memory - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Etude Four

“How was the effect of the scene practice, with CEO Xiao Zhen specifically coaching you?”

A popular, syrupy love song was playing in the celebrity van. The lingering melody was like macaron-colored candies bouncing on steps made of cotton candy. Fu Ruyi leaned against the back seat, asking curiously.

Lu Jiayin’s fingers, holding the water cup, paused. A hint of doubt flickered in her almond eyes: “It was… pretty good.”

Her earlobes unconsciously felt a little hot. Ever since Zhen Zhen’s sudden “in-character” move during their kiss practice for the third scene, Lu Jiayin couldn’t help but feel her heart race whenever she met those calm, dark eyes in the following days of practice.

She was afraid that Zhen Zhen might suddenly become intimate again, but even more so… she felt a vague sense of anticipation.

She tilted her head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. Drinking too quickly, a few drops trickled down and disappeared into her long, fair neck.

The car smoothly arrived at the audition venue from last time. Since today was the female lead audition day, security at the entrance was even stricter. After Fu Ruyi and her party registered their information at the gate, the van drove into the complex and stopped directly in front of the innermost building.

The audition was on the first floor. As Fu Ruyi and her group entered the lobby, the agent suddenly stopped.

“That looks like people from Yueying,” she whispered to Lu Jiayin.

A group of people approached from the end of the corridor: several bodyguards in black suits, two assistants carrying large bags, and at the center, surrounded like stars around the moon, was an actress wearing a tight sequined dress and sunglasses.

“Qi Yongshan is here for the audition too,” Fu Ruyi added specifically, seeing no reaction from Lu Jiayin. “The night before your car accident, you ran into her at the awards ceremony, and she ended up winning the Golden Pearl Best Actress award… The look of smug self-satisfaction on her face at the time, I couldn’t even bear to look. I can’t believe we’ve run into her again this time…”

Lu Jiayin stopped. At that moment, the imposing group arrived in front of them. Qi Yongshan removed her sunglasses and greeted them with an exaggerated expression: “Sister Jiayin, what a coincidence?”

Because she would be getting her costume and makeup done shortly, Lu Jiayin had only put on light makeup. Qi Yongshan, however, was in full makeup—fake eyelashes, eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick. Two large diamond earrings glittered. She was dressed meticulously, like she was walking the red carpet. She scanned Lu Jiayin a few times, pursed her lips, and smiled: “It seems we really have fate.”

Before Lu Jiayin could speak, Qi Yongshan fluttered her false eyelashes, feigning an innocent and cheerful posture: “But I’m sorry this time; you’ll have to play a supporting role for me.”

Hearing this, Fu Ruyi laughed first: “I didn’t realize Actress Qi had the ability to foresee the future. The audition hasn’t even started, and you already know who got the role? It’s a good thing there are no reporters here, or you’d have to be careful about being written up for suspected under-the-table dealings…”

Qi Yongshan hadn’t expected her provocation to backfire into an accusation. She widened her eyes and retorted: “Which eye saw me making under-the-table dealings? I’ll sue you for defamation of my reputation…”

“I’m just offering a friendly reminder. After all, Actress Qi has only been famous for a short time and may not understand that caution in speech and conduct is basic professional ethics,” Fu Ruyi countered with a smile.

Qi Yongshan, thwarted, turned away angrily: “Never mind, I won’t stoop to the level of a loser!”

Her gaze fell upon Lu Jiayin across from her, who was watching the scene with a composed expression. Meeting that gaze, Qi Yongshan suddenly felt a little flustered.

It was always like this. No matter how hard she tried, this person seemed entirely oblivious to her existence.

She bit her lip in frustration and walked briskly past Lu Jiayin.

After Qi Yongshan was out of earshot, Fu Ruyi couldn’t stop herself from complaining: “I really don’t understand Qi Yongshan’s hostility toward you. It was just an unintentional remark from the director years ago, asking her to stand in for you during lighting checks, not actually treating her as a lighting double. But she had ulterior motives, insisted on publishing articles to put you down, saying the double was prettier than the lead, and then got roasted badly by the public.”

She clearly remembered that Qi Yongshan became fixated on the phrase “Lu Jiayin’s double.” She had to compete with Lu Jiayin in everything, from who was the most beautiful to competing acting skills. Unfortunately, she never won until she finally managed to turn the tables this year with the Golden Pearl award. Unexpectedly, not only did she fail to break her obsession, it seemed to have gotten worse.

Even the headline of her winning press release didn’t forget to include Lu Jiayin—”Former Actress Crushed by Double, Qi Yongshan Takes Golden Pearl Crown,” which made Fu Ruyi wonder whether she should even bother with public relations, despite the beautiful photo of her own artist taking up half a page.

Lu Jiayin said calmly: “I’ve never considered her a rival. Doing my own best is what matters most.”

“That statement will make her even angrier,” Fu Ruyi said with a smile. “Qi Yongshan has been marketing her looks since her debut and is now pursuing the goddess route. It’s clearly a copy of you. I hope she wakes up soon.”

As they spoke, they reached the door of the makeup room. Staff members waiting there greeted them, and the topic temporarily concluded.

This time, the audition required full makeup and costume. Lu Jiayin ultimately chose the third scene: the confession scene between Mu Shuanghe and Andrew.

The male actor partnering with her was from Qisheng. As one of the investors of Dark Light, Qisheng is an established film and television company, known as the “Actors’ Military Academy.” Several of the currently popular male actors came from Qisheng.

Lu Jiayin, after finishing her styling, stepped lightly into the audition hall. She wore a black floral dress with a French flair. Her long hair was pinned up with a bow ribbon, with a few wisps falling along her delicate neck. Her makeup was very light, with only her lips in a bright red, like a flower gracefully blooming in the dark night.

The male actor, Xie Qing, was a former model with somewhat mixed-race features, appearing charming and passionate, fitting the image of Andrew very well. Seeing Lu Jiayin enter, Xie Qing’s eyes lit up, and he greeted her actively: “Actress Lu.”

Lu Jiayin nodded slightly: “Just call me Lu Jiayin.”

Xie Qing was naturally outgoing and laughed at her words: “That wouldn’t be polite, but I also don’t really want to call you Sister Jiayin… I feel it would be too casual for a beauty like you.”

His slightly moss-green eyes looked brightly at Lu Jiayin, clearly showing great admiration for her. Unfortunately, Lu Jiayin never returned his gaze.

She stood in the empty space of the room, her eyelashes lowered, seemingly contemplating something. Xie Qing knew she was trying to get into character, so he quickly stood in his position and quietly waited for her to begin.

As the music started, Lu Jiayin raised her head. The light shone on her perfectly contoured face, casting a subtle, moving golden glow. Her high heels gracefully clicked across the floor as she moved toward Xie Qing following the rhythm of the music.

A fair, delicate arm was laid on his shoulder in a graceful posture.

Xie Qing was an actor who had been in the industry for several years, yet at this moment, he was momentarily taken aback, a little flustered. Fortunately, he quickly adjusted his state, cautiously wrapping his arm around her waist.

With the soft, cloud-like person in his embrace, they danced to the music. The rhythm gradually sped up—the lights, the music, the tapping of their feet.

The plot advanced. The impoverished, wandering artist held this beautiful, enchanting Eastern woman as if she were a priceless treasure. She was lively and spirited, yet her eyes hid a profound, private loneliness.

He yearned to approach her and dispel her solitude.

At the moment of confession and farewell, Lu Jiayin’s eyes glistened as she looked affectionately at the lover she was about to leave. Xie Qing smiled, opening his arms and embracing her tightly, cherishing her.

They struck a kissing pose. Lu Jiayin slightly stood on her toes, her lips halting an inch away from the male actor’s cheek. Her eyes were full of reluctance, yet she let go of his arm without hesitation, maintaining that smile.

It wasn’t until the final freeze frame that a hint of moisture, as if shattering a crystal clear layer of ice, welled up in those sparkling almond eyes. But the tears never truly fell. They remained embedded deep in her eyes, about to fall but never quite doing so, eventually dissipating silently.

The assistant director on the side shouted “CUT.” The frozen moment flowed again. Xie Qing snapped out of his trance as if waking from a dream, bowing slightly to Lu Jiayin.

“Thank you for your hard work,” he said sincerely. In that brief few minutes, he truly felt immersed in the world of Mu Shuanghe. His thoughts and emotions were completely led by her, leaving him utterly helpless.

Long Jing, sitting at the center of the long table, maintained her focused gaze throughout. When the segment ended, she was the first to ask: “Why did you choose to handle the final expression that way?”

The script’s description of Mu Shuanghe’s reaction only stated that she quietly said goodbye to him, her eyes flickering. The actresses who auditioned before unanimously decided to shed tears, but Lu Jiayin was the only one who didn’t. This made Long Jing curious about the person in front of her again.

Lu Jiayin replied calmly and deliberately: “Because she is Mu Shuanghe—the artist who always pursues beauty and yearns for dreams. Even in the moment of separation, it’s a life she pursued and experienced without regret,” She blinked lightly. “In my heart, she makes a beautiful entrance and takes a beautiful bow.”

This was the strong impression she had formed of this genius artist after consuming all the reports, biographies, and performance videos about Mu Shuanghe over the past few days. Even at the end of her life, this dancer, who suffered from bone cancer and endured countless hardships, insisted on stepping onto the stage to complete her work, taking her final bow in the most perfect posture.

Life gave birth to beauty and hope from suffering. She was born for splendor, even if it meant burning out completely.

After hearing her words, Long Jing remained silent for a long time. After a while, she finally spoke: “The previous performers were also excellent, but you are the one who touched her soul.”

On the drive back, Fu Ruyi was elated to hear that she had performed well: “I knew you definitely had it!”

“I initially thought about making it a crying scene, as it would have a greater visual impact, but then I remembered Master Qiu’s performance in Tale of the Pear Garden and felt that this approach would be more consistent with Mu Shuanghe’s character,” Lu Jiayin said, leaning back against the seat with a steam eye mask covering her eyes.

Fu Ruyi chimed in happily: “Of course, especially since you specifically went to apprentice under him back then…” Her voice abruptly stopped. She turned her head toward Lu Jiayin with a look of disbelief: “When did you…?”

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