CHAPTER 312: AUDITIONING FOR A ROLE

Acting as the supporting character was simple, but it was not easy for Han Bi.

Was Director Lin really making her kneel, beg, and cry in front of Wen Nuan?

What a joke!

Cai Xiaojing sneered. There couldn’t be too many people in the studio, and Lin Ning didn’t like a lot of noise, so Linda and the others weren’t there. It was just Han Bi, and she felt like she was walking into a lion’s den.

She was starting to wonder if Wen Nuan and Lin Ning were in on some kind of trick together.

"Why do we have to audition this scene?" There were so many scenes in the script, but he chose this one. She had no problem acting in this scene, but having Wen Nuan as her partner made her very uncomfortable.

Lin Ning threw the script on the table. "If you don’t want to audition, then get out. Don’t waste my time. Let someone else come in and audition."

Director Lin was a very domineering director. He didn’t like actors who went against his wishes. Many actors who had worked with him said he was a tyrannical director. On set, he was the one and only boss, and no one could argue with him.

Han Bi suppressed her anger and asked, "I don’t need a partner."

"You can get out of here right now. I don’t need you to act," Lin Ning said, his temper flaring. Cai Xiaojing’s lips twitched. A tyrant was a tyrant. She wouldn’t dare challenge that temper.

Han Bi had always been an actress whom directors cherished. Whether she was acting in her home country or in Hollywood, she had rarely been treated like this, and even when she was, it was never as merciless as Lin Ning.

She was angry and wanted to just leave, but this opportunity to work on this project was too important. With Ye Yan in the film, she really wanted to act in a movie with him.

Wen Nuan didn’t think much of it. Everyone knew about Lin Ning’s temper. Although he was a tyrant on set, he was a fun person when they were hanging out.

She already didn’t like Han Bi, so she was secretly happy that Lin Ning was giving Han Bi a hard time.

The audition began.

Wen Nuan played the role of the empress. She had no lines, just sat there with a cold expression, watching Han Bi. She exuded authority and arrogance, with a subtle, oppressive, and sharp air.

Lin Ning nodded subtly.

Han Bi knelt down and kowtowed on the ground. Wen Nuan watched her with a cold expression, but she was secretly shocked. This was her first time acting with Han Bi in person, and her heart was a little nervous.

After all, Han Bi was a Hollywood superstar who had been famous for many years. Domestic actresses could hardly compare to her.

She had seen a lot of Han Bi’s work, but she had never had the chance to act with her face to face like this.

No matter what she thought of Han Bi, her acting skills were something Wen Nuan had to secretly admire. Liang Hongyu was the female lead, and her presence was exactly what a female lead’s should be. In this scene between Liang Hongyu and the empress, she was both respectful and angry toward the empress. After repeatedly being denied permission to go to war, she was impatient.

But to save her husband, the proud Liang Hongyu swallowed her pride and spoke with great respect. She showed her deep love for her husband, her concern for the country, and the courage of a warrior.

This was a difficult role to play, but Han Bi quickly got into character in less than a minute. The moment she knelt down, Wen Nuan, her acting partner, felt that this was no longer Han Bi. It was Liang Hongyu, a female hero fighting against the Jin, a woman who deeply loved her husband, and a great woman who cared for her country.

Her eyes held a humble plea, suppressing her deep love for her husband, while also showing loyalty to the Song Dynasty and respect for the empress. Her every movement was that of Liang Hongyu.

"Empress, the Jin people think there’s no one in our Song Dynasty, and they have invaded us again and again. Our people are suffering, and countless soldiers on the border are fighting to the death to protect our country. As a protector of the country, how can I, Hongyu, stand by and do nothing? The border is in constant danger. If we lose Tongguan, the Jin cavalry will trample everything in their path and head straight for the capital. The consequences are unimaginable. Please, Empress, reconsider. In the name of the Han family’s loyalty to the country, please allow Hongyu to lead the army. Hongyu and the Han family swear to serve the Song Dynasty to the death, to protect our country’s land, and to protect our people from the Jin’s harm. Empress, please allow Hongyu to go to war."

She spoke, then knelt down, humbly begging the empress for permission.

A slight change in Wen Nuan’s cold eyes. She looked down as if she was thinking, but also as if she was sneering. There was a hint of cruelty as she coldly watched Liang Hongyu struggle and remained silent.

Han Bi looked up again, her eyes filled with tears. The war heroine was usually courageous and heroic, but her sudden tears gave her a pitiful and fragile charm.

"Empress..."

"Cut!" Han Bi was about to say her second line when Lin Ning called out. Wen Nuan breathed a sigh of relief. Han Bi got up from the floor and her tears were gone in a flash.

Lin Ning nodded in satisfaction. Wen Nuan, on the other hand, was thinking about how much emotion she had put into it. She could clearly feel her own shortcomings in front of Han Bi. She probably needed to spend several years in front of the camera to have a performance like Han Bi’s.

It was easy for her to create pressure for her acting partner. Unless the other actor had the same presence as her, it would be very difficult to act with her. She could captivate her acting partner completely, as if nothing could escape her grasp. She could easily pull others into her world.

This must be the power of an international star.

Director Lin was a demanding director. She had only said one line, and he had already cut it and seemed very satisfied. It looked like Han Bi had a great chance. Han Bi also felt Lin Ning’s approval.

She hadn’t had a chance to work with him in years, but today he saw her skills and would definitely be impressed.

Han Bi was very confident about this.

Cai Xiaojing frowned. Lin Ning flipped through the script, had his assistant bring him a copy, and explained a scene to Wen Nuan, telling Han Bi to be her acting partner. This scene was a slap scene.

The scene’s content was that the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty were at war, and the Song army kept losing. Liang Hongyu became suspicious and thought there was a traitor in the army. After an investigation, she found out it was her cousin. Her cousin was in love with Liang Hongyu’s husband, Han Shizhong, and had some fighting skills, so she insisted on following him to the battlefield. But during a battle, she was captured by the enemy and betrayed the Song Dynasty in exchange for her life.

When Liang Hongyu found out, she was furious. She slapped her cousin and ordered the army to execute her, putting justice before family.

Han Bi didn’t mind. She would just act as the partner. This scene wasn’t that difficult for her. When they stood in the acting area, Han Bi already had a terrified expression on her face, naturally showing her fear with her body language, without any pretense.