The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 22

“I really can’t stand his arrogant attitude,” Yang Min muttered, rolling her eyes in a blatant display of annoyance. “He acts like the whole world revolves around him.”

Shen Nian, however, remained unfazed, focusing instead on the task at hand. “When does the casting for Lu Jue begin?”

“In a moment—first one up!” Yang Min turned back, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Shen Nian. “Shen Nian! You have to give it your all! Show him what you’re made of!”

Xu Lele chimed in, “Yes! Good luck!”

Shen Nian gave a modest smile. “…I’ll do my best.”

About five minutes later, the audition officially began. Including Shen Nian, there were four competitors for the role of Lu Jue; the other three were all male Alphas. Shen Nian drew the last slot in the lottery, giving her the chance to observe everyone else’s performance.

She leaned over to chat with Yang Min. “The second senior has very solid fundamentals.”

“Mhm,” Yang Min whispered, leaning in. “Senior Zhou Lie is usually very low-key. We all think he’s incredibly talented, but he’s not the competitive type—he mostly plays the second lead. I’m actually surprised he auditioned for Lu Jue this time.”

Shen Nian nodded. “I think he performed better than Yan Yi.”

“You have a good eye!” Yang Min paused, then asked with a hint of worry, “But what about you?”

“What about me?”

“I mean…” Yang Min sighed helplessly. “Why are you only praising others? It’s almost your turn. Do you have any confidence in yourself?”

“Well…” Shen Nian suddenly smirked.

Just then, the moderator called her name. She stood up and casually brushed the dust off her hem. A split second before leaving, she gave a playful wink to Yang Min and Xu Lele. “It’s a pity, but Senior Zhou will have to settle for the second lead again this semester.”

She walked toward the stage alone but was quickly blocked at the narrow stairway. Two people were standing there, deep in conversation, unaware of her arrival.

“If they choose Yan Yi, I’m definitely not going to accept it. Your performance was way better than his.”

The other person was indeed Zhou Lie, the one Shen Nian and Yang Min had just been discussing.

“I messed up one part,” Zhou Lie admitted. “I got too emotional during the climax and my voice cracked a few times… I’ll accept it if they deduct points for that.”

“The flaws don’t hide the jade!” his companion countered, rolling his eyes. “Even with mistakes, you’re better than that guy Yan Yi.”

“Excuse me.” Since they were blocking the only path, Shen Nian had to interrupt. “Could you let me through?”

Zhou Lie immediately pulled his friend aside. “Sorry.”

Shen Nian offered a polite smile and quickened her pace past them onto the stage. During her introduction, she briefly stated her name and the scene she intended to perform.

“Wait? A girl is actually auditioning for Lu Jue?”

Below the stage, a judge wearing glasses gasped, looking at the profile card in her hand. “I was just about to ask if the gender was listed incorrectly.”

Shen Nian countered, “Is there a rule stating Lu Jue must be male?”

“Technically, no.” The judge shook her head, though her playful, skeptical gaze was visible even behind her glasses. “But looking at you, if you stand on stage with the other lead, can you actually hold your own and dominate the scene?”

This remark immediately sparked a wave of whispers from the audience.

“Exactly, a girl has never played Lu Jue before.” “She’s a freshman, right? She looks like she has zero stage experience. Seniors Yan Yi and Zhou Lie are way ahead of her.” “She’s probably just overestimating herself.”

Shen Nian had sharp hearing and caught most of the chatter. She simply smiled. “Don’t we have to try first to know the result?”

“Fine,” the judge waved her off. “Go ahead. We have a heavy schedule today.”

Shen Nian gave a brief nod. She felt no psychological burden because the scene she chose was the exact one she had rehearsed with Shen Zui. Having practiced it already, she had a much firmer grasp on Lu Jue’s inner psyche.

“I must say, you have a truly unique aura. Just now, I was dizzy with worry, yet I spotted you instantly in the crowd.”

She entered the role almost instantly. Her entire aura shifted, transforming her into a playboy at a high-society gala. The audience was immediately captivated by her sophisticated yet unique delivery; they sat up straight, their eyes fixed on her.

Shen Nian’s gaze became watery and soft, as if she were truly looking at a lover, as she tenderly delivered the line: “Like a sacred white orchid.”

“…” “…”

The entire hall fell silent, completely enthralled by her performance. It wasn’t until she finished and stepped off the stage that the crowd finally reacted.

Yang Min excitedly grabbed Xu Lele’s hand. “Ahhh! It’s in the bag! Shen Nian is definitely getting this role.”

“She… she’s so amazing,” Xu Lele whispered, her face flushing. “If I had to act opposite her, I don’t think I could keep my composure.”

“Lele, have some confidence!” Yang Min patted her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go to the judges’ table! I want to hear that judge who looked down on her admit the role belongs to Shen Nian!”

Contrary to her expectations, the judges’ panel was currently in a heated argument. As Yang Min approached, she heard the three judges arguing fiercely.

“There’s nothing left to discuss. The younger generation truly has talent; let’s settle on Shen Nian.”

“What are you talking about? How is it ‘settled’? I think Yan Yi was better! Lu Jue should be played by him!”

“Yan Yi?” The two female judges looked at each other, then glared at the male judge in glasses. “He doesn’t even come close.”

The man bristled. “I think Yan Yi is the best! His fundamentals are solid, and more importantly, out of all the candidates, he fits Lu Jue’s image the most!” He took a deep breath and continued, “You have to realize that Lu Jue needs to capture everyone’s attention the moment he appears. His looks are vital. Chen Cheng and Zhou Lie look too upright, and Shen Nian’s features are too soft. None of them are as suitable as Yan Yi!”

“If that’s your logic, why bother with auditions? We should have just given it to Yan Yi from the start.”

“Don’t be like that,” the man adjusted his collar, feigning impartiality. “I’m supporting him because his performance was genuinely good.”

The three were split into two camps, refusing to back down. Yang Min brought Xu Lele to regroup with Shen Nian.

She lowered her voice. “I never expected them to compare you to Yan Yi. This is an insult to you!”

Shen Nian looked thoughtfully at the other side of the room, where Yan Yi stood with his arms crossed. He was no longer as arrogant as before; he straightened his collar and turned his head away.

“Stop arguing!” The moderator stepped in to play peacemaker. “How about this? Since you can’t decide, let’s have an extra round between Shen Nian and Yan Yi! Everyone will score their performances, and whoever gets the higher score wins the role!”

Yang Min went up to protest. “On what grounds? Shen Nian’s performance already outshined Yan Yi’s!”

“But the senior judge has a point; Shen Nian’s appearance isn’t as ‘fitting’ as Yan Yi’s.” The moderator looked at her. “Look at Senior Yan Yi—he bought his own suit and accessories for this audition. And Shen Nian? She just showed up in her everyday clothes.”

Yang Min frowned. “But—”

“Visual presentation is a key part of our evaluation!” the male judge snapped, brandishing his scorecard. “Don’t treat this lightly.”

“I understand.” Shen Nian stepped forward, holding back the furious Yang Min. “I accept the decision to compete again.”

The moderator breathed a sigh of relief. “Fine. We’ll put the tie-breaker at the end of the night. Let’s proceed with the other roles first.”

“Does that mean we have to wait until tonight?” Shen Nian asked.

“Yes,” Xu Lele nodded. “It’ll probably be around 8:00 PM.”

Yang Min watched Yan Yi pick up his script and curled her lip. “…It feels like they’re just giving Yan Yi time to prepare. Look at him cramming!” She anxiously pushed Shen Nian. “Shen Nian, why are you so calm? Hurry up and think of something!”

“Mhm.” Shen Nian glanced at the weather outside and stretched. “I’m going back to the dorm for a bit.”

“Okay!” Yang Min nodded. “It’s almost time for Lele and me to audition. Go find someone to run lines with, or maybe borrow a suitable outfit! If you lose because of your styling, I’ll be livid.”

Shen Nian smiled without continuing the topic. After cheering them on, she grabbed her things and left the venue.

She went back to the dorm to grab a change of clothes, then went to the gym as planned, staying there until dusk before finding a restaurant for dinner. Her phone, which was on silent, was flooded with good news from Yang Min and Xu Lele—both had secured the roles they wanted.

Shen Nian replied with her congratulations and was immediately hit with a barrage of follow-up messages from Yang Min.

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“Ahhh, Yan Yi is even more shameless than I thought! He actually called in so much help!” “They’re literally dissecting every single word and detail of the script for him!”

Shen Nian clicked on the photos. Yan Yi was indeed preparing as if for war, surrounded by a group of seniors offering advice. His performance earlier had been mediocre, likely because he had underestimated his competition. It was only after seeing Shen Nian that he felt the crisis and rushed to improve.

Shen Nian indifferenty turned off her screen. She finished her meal at her usual pace and made her way back slowly. Seeing a new milk tea shop on the way, she stopped to buy two cups.

“Milk tea,” she said, handing the drinks to Yang Min and Xu Lele once she returned to the hall. “Congrats on getting your roles.”

“Thanks!” Xu Lele accepted happily.

Yang Min circled around her. “Why are you still dressed like this?” she asked. “You were gone all afternoon—what were you doing?”

Shen Nian answered honestly, “The gym. The coach happened to be free this afternoon, so I went over.”

“…” Yang Min was so annoyed she punched her in the arm. “Yan Yi is making such a big production over there, and I told you to work on your styling, but you didn’t take it to heart at all!”

“I did,” Shen Nian protested. “I remembered.”

“Then you—”

Before she could finish, Shen Nian’s phone rang. She looked at it and smiled at the two. “I couldn’t find anything suitable on the way back, so I ordered a delivery. Hang on, I’ll go pick it up.” With that, she jogged out of the hall.

Yang Min’s eyes widened. “Did she buy a suit?”

Xu Lele clutched her chest. “That seems like a huge expense…”

“Whatever,” Yang Min whispered in her ear. “Shen Nian’s family seems well-off. If she bought it, she bought it; it’s not like she’ll only wear it once.”

But when Shen Nian returned, they were both dumbfounded.

“What is this?” Yang Min picked up the small canister in her hand.

“Styling spray,” Shen Nian explained. “To style my hair.”

“I can read!” Yang Min took a deep breath. “I mean—is this your entire preparation?”

Shen Nian took the spray back and shook it vigorously. She started walking toward the center of the hall. “I’m not finished yet. Do you have a mirror I can borrow?”

“…” Yang Min’s face went pale. “It’s over.” Xu Lele echoed, “Totally over…” The two turned to each other and wailed in unison. “How can she beat Yan Yi like this?” “What’s the point of just doing her hair? Senior Yan Yi is armed from head to toe!” “Ah, Shen Nian is taking the enemy too lightly!”

Below the stage, Yan Yi saw Shen Nian. He immediately cut off his conversation with the others and stepped forward. “You’re back. Good, let’s get started.”

Shen Nian stopped and looked at him. “…I’m not ready yet.”

“We don’t have all day for you to get ready. Do you expect us all to wait for you?” Yan Yi dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “I don’t care; we start now.”

Shen Nian frowned slightly.

“What, do you want to forfeit?” Yan Yi smirked. “Forfeiting is fine too, just don’t waste our—”

“I got it.” Shen Nian interrupted him, sounding displeased. “You go up first then. I’ll be ready in a second.”

Hearing this, Yan Yi couldn’t wait to turn around. He was intentionally trying to deny her time to react. He urged his companions, “It’s starting, she agreed to it herself.” Then, he rushed onto the stage.

Shen Nian gave up on finding a mirror. She stood below the stage, watching Yan Yi’s performance while working on her hair.

To be fair, Yan Yi’s performance was up to standard. Naturally, to be in the drama club and hold his current status, his strength was undeniable. Furthermore, Shen Nian’s earlier performance had given him a sense of crisis; after an afternoon of practice, his new rendition was a quantum leap forward.

He performed the scene where he meets the female lead, Xu Jun. His expressions were vivid and engaging, and he delivered a long monologue with effortless grace. Even Zhou Lie, who had been waiting to find fault, was impressed. He whispered to his friend, “…If Yan Yi had performed this well this afternoon, I wouldn’t have bothered getting my hopes up.”

His companion opened his mouth to offer comfort but couldn’t find any words.

In less than ten minutes, Yan Yi finished his performance. As he bowed, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. This made him even more conceited; he looked down at Shen Nian from the stage, his gaze contemptuous as if looking at a defeated opponent.

Shen Nian looked away and handed the spray to Yang Min, who had just rushed over.

“You…” Just as Yang Min was about to speak, she caught Shen Nian’s gaze and suddenly lost her voice.

Shen Nian patted her on the shoulder and walked past her onto the stage.

“She’s going up already?” Xu Lele was a step behind and asked Yang Min, “Is Shen Nian confident?”

Yang Min clutched her chest and looked back at her, silent for a long moment.

“…What’s wrong?” Xu Lele waved her hand in front of her eyes. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I… I think I just saw a living Lu Jue…” Yang Min finally found her voice, murmuring under her breath.

“What did you say?” Xu Lele frowned, confused.

Yang Min couldn’t describe the internal shock she was feeling. Taking a deep breath, she pointed toward the stage.

Shen Nian brushed past Yan Yi and stood on the stage once more. Compared to the afternoon, her attire hadn’t changed much—though she had changed into a dark shirt and trousers, it was still a step below Yan Yi’s formal suit.

But this time, she had used the spray to slick all of her hair back. She was naturally beautiful with an excellent bone structure; by doing this, her entire face was revealed. With willow-leaf brows, starry eyes, a straight nose, and red lips—with a face like that, Shen Nian didn’t even need to speak. Just standing there was enough to command conviction.

Lu Jue was designed to be a liar who relied on his looks; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to capture so many hearts with just a few words. The moment she appeared with that face, the entire hall fell into a hush.

Xu Lele immediately understood what Yang Min meant by “seeing a living Lu Jue.” For a split second, her eyes met Shen Nian’s, and her heart began to race wildly.

“…Clearly the youngest and most beautiful girl, yet forced by your parents to marry a man with one foot in the grave. Miss Xu Jun, do you truly hold no resentment?”

Shen Nian raised her hand, her gaze tender as if she were looking into the eyes of a lover.

“Join forces with me.” She slowly curled her lips. A mixture of admiration and ambition overflowed from her eyes. Combined with her soul-stirring voice, she conquered the entire audience in an instant.

“I will give you a beautiful future.”