CHAPTER 447: CHAPTER 445: AUDITION

Wen Qiao gave her a thumbs up, "Full marks for reading comprehension, you."

"Look at how pleased you are."

As Jiang Yao spoke, her gaze landed on a corner of the banquet hall, "Hey, Director Zheng is over there, let’s go say hi."

Wen Qiao followed Jiang Yao’s gaze, her eyebrows subtly raised, "Wen Shu is also there?"

It was only after her remark that Jiang Yao noticed the person standing in front of Director Zheng, facing their direction.

Jiang Yao’s expression became somewhat guarded. She waved for a waiter, put her cup on the tray, and took Wen Qiao over with her.

"Director Zheng, we meet again."

"Agent Jiang."

Director Zheng’s full name was Zheng Chen. He was in his early thirties, a renowned avant-garde director in the industry with a tricky and ever-changing filming style, full of tension, and very good at figuring out what the audience wanted. Thus far, the three movies he had directed had won significant awards.

Jiang Yao nodded towards Wen Shu and Qi Ming beside her, and stepped aside, "Director Zheng, this is the artist I manage, Wen Qiao."

"Hello, Director Zheng."

Zheng Chen glanced over Wen Qiao, "Indeed not bad."

After a moment of thought, he said, "I happen to have a script here, how about you show me a test scene?"

"Ah?"

Wen Qiao was a bit dumbfounded.

Was things moving this quickly?

"Let’s go, there’s a vacant room right next door." Zheng Chen was a person of action, "If it’s a good fit, we can settle it, and that’ll be one less thing for me to worry about."

"This, I...."

Zheng Chen took a couple of steps forward then stopped, remembering something, and turned back to Qi Ming, "Come over and help act a scene."

"You’ve got to be kidding, Zheng Chen?" Qi Ming pointed to himself, "How can I help act when I can’t even act?"

"It’s fine, just be a line-reading machine." Zheng Chen pulled him along, "The scene can’t be done alone."

"Why don’t you do it yourself then?"

"I need to observe, why all this nonsense? You’ve already helped sing the theme song, what’s wrong with adding an extra hand to act out a scene?"

Wen Shu chimed in at the right moment, "Director Zheng has already said it, just go, and help Qiao out with the scene."

Qi Ming reluctantly agreed, "If my girlfriend is saying it, then okay."

-

Next to the banquet hall were resting rooms for the guests, and Zheng Chen casually picked an empty one for Wen Qiao to audition in.

The movie that Wen Qiao was eyeing was called "Rouge Tears."

The film told the story of a female student, Tong Yu, who came back from studying abroad and, after embracing new education, rebelled against her family’s arranged and outdated marriage, only to ultimately be overpowered by reality and forced to separate from the person she loved.

The scene Zheng Chen wanted Wen Qiao to try was the brightest moment in the film that expressed the female lead Tong Yu’s emotions.

The scene described how, with the arranged marriage imminent, Tong Yu asks the man she likes to meet, revealing her feelings and pleading for him to take her away.

Wen Qiao glanced through the script, "Director Zheng, this scene might not be the best for Qi Ming to help with, right?"

"Hmm?" Qi Ming curiously grabbed the script, "What scene?"

After flipping through it, he glared at Zheng Chen, "You’re doing this on purpose, are you, making me act out a confession scene in front of my girlfriend?"

"That does seem... a bit inappropriate, doesn’t it?" Jiang Yao also looked at Zheng Chen.

"You go find someone else, if not, I’ll find someone for you."

My little uncle was also here. If he took the part, it would be completely appropriate.

Qi Ming stuffed the script into Wen Qiao’s hands, ready to leave while holding Wen Shu’s hand.

"Wait a moment."

Wen Shu shook off Qi Ming’s hand and walked up to Wen Qiao, "May I take a look at the script?"

Wen Qiao looked at Zheng Chen, and upon his nod, handed the script over to her.