CH 68

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who cares if he looks blank or not? President Chen doesn't know, and neither do you," Qiu Ping sneered impatiently, then said lightly, "One of them is Mrs. Song, so who do you think he will look at?"

President Chen indeed didn't know. He was only responsible for funding and didn't bother with digging into the entertainment industry gossip. Artists were like money trees and investment stocks to him, and he had no interest in or knowledge of their personal affairs. He looked puzzled and turned to Song Yan, saying, "One of them is your wife?"

Song Yan nodded, "Yes."

Since the female actors hadn't arrived yet and there were only a few of them in the room, the assistant director didn't hold back as much and jokingly said, "To be honest, both female actresses who are auditioning today have a good relationship with Ting Feng. I remember Tang Jiaren debuted with you ten years ago, right? You won the Best Newcomer award at that year's film festival. I remember, she was even happier than you during her interview. The media even gave you the title of 'Best Screen Couple', right?"

They were young and collaborated on their debut, delivering outstanding performances in the film. Their debut work was a great success, which led them to the most eye-catching film festival red carpet. They were also at the most beautiful age of seventeen or eighteen, so it was difficult for outsiders not to pair them together.

The assistant director's curiosity was almost burning through Song Yan's face.

"Since your wife is not here, tell us, did you two have anything between you before? Ah?" he asked.

Song Yan replied calmly, delivering a disappointing answer, "No."

The assistant director clearly didn't believe it, "Impossible? Nothing at all?"

Over the years, Song Yan had been through many interviews, and whenever there were interviews related to film promotions, the media would always bring up his debut work and also ask about his relationship with the female lead. Every time, his answer was a denial. However, the denial of the parties involved couldn't be considered a strong clarification. After all, it was an industry default for artists to lie in front of the camera. The media didn't believe it, and even the fans who shipped the "Tang Song" couple didn't believe it. Thus, various speculations and discussions continued.

Until two years ago when Song Yan and Wen Li publicly announced their marriage. And also, adding to the fact that Tang Jiaren's career focus had always been abroad. Although Wen Li had popularity, her commercial value couldn't be underestimated. Over the past two years, she had starred in several hit dramas, gaining tremendous attention and popularity. This gradually diminished the curiosity of the media in public settings.

"No," Qiu Ping chimed in, succinctly explaining for Song Yan, "Old Yu already said that there was nothing between them."

Qiu Ping had a much better relationship with the screenwriter, Old Zhou, than with the assistant director. Old Yu had mentioned some details about Song Yan's filming years ago, as well as speculations about his first love. Qiu Ping could share it with Old Zhou because he was a script enthusiast who didn't care about the industry's affairs. It wouldn't cause any trouble. However, the same couldn't be said for the assistant director. If the information got leaked, who knew what kind of impact it would have.

Upon hearing Qiu Ping's words, the assistant director also understood, realizing that it was indeed nothing.

"Hah, those exposés are all bullshit! They claimed to reveal Song Yan's romantic history, saying he had a relationship with Tang Jiaren back then, even calling it their first love, but later they had a falling out due to resource conflicts and stopped interacting. It was only recently when Tang Jiaren returned to the country that they reconciled," The assistant director firmly pushed the blame onto the gossip marketing accounts, "You can't trust them."

Song Yan rarely paid attention to such gossip, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Exposing my romantic history?"

The assistant director nodded, "Yeah, several relationships, with logical analysis and evidence."

Although he was also in the industry and knew that most of these things were half-truths or outright fabrications, he wasn't close enough to Song Yan to discern what was true or false.

"What evidence? I only ever had one relationship, my wife," Song Yan clarified personally, smiling, "And I'm here today to accompany her to the audition."

"Just one relationship? So, the pure and innocent first love with Tang Jiaren that the media speculated about is all nonsense," the assistant director was taken aback.

Not only the assistant director, but President Chen and Qiu Ping were also surprised. They all worked in the film and television industry, where beautiful women were abundant, and there were plenty of attractive female artists. Not to mention male artists, even some female artists had many romantic histories that were as exciting as a TV drama. To see such a clean relationship history truly astonished them.

Observing the expressions of Qiu Ping, the assistant director, and President Chen, Song Yan knew what they were thinking. He rarely talked about his romantic history in front of the camera because the effect would be the same. Some media outlets would still write whatever they pleased for the sake of their KPIs. He simply couldn't be bothered.

On the other hand, Wen Li's romantic gossip had been exploited by the media even more than his. Coming from an idol drama background, her positioning included generating rumors, whether true or false. Song Yan was unsure about the veracity of those rumors, but regardless of their authenticity, they didn't reach a final conclusion. He didn't want to burden himself with unnecessary troubles by asking her.

It wasn't until two years ago when they got married that, during a banquet after a certain artist event, both of them got drunk. Unable to resist their physical instincts and desires, they attempted to be intimate, but it didn't go smoothly, as both of them were unfamiliar in that regard.

That night, the mood completely set -- drinking some alcohol, being alone together, in the night, under the same roof, and being legally married, both of them being artists, their makeup and styling were done to outshine their peers. They had already stunned the audience in front of the camera, not to mention face-to-face contact. Anyone with normal human emotions would find it hard not to think in a certain direction under such circumstances.

After drinking, Wen Li became a bit unrestrained and complained when she felt uncomfortable.

"Wuwuwuwu, it hurts... Teacher Song, do you really not know how to do it?"

Song Yan paused and replied, "I don't."

Wen Li was stunned for a moment, seemingly shocked by his answer. After a long pause, she awkwardly said, "Oh, then it's fine. You can do your best."

Song Yan remained silent for a moment, knowing that she was uncomfortable. He resisted the urge to make a move and said in a low voice, "Tell me what you like. I'll do it."

"How would I know?" Wen Li bit her lip, feeling embarrassed, "I've never had meat1 before."

"..."

Ignoring these foolish conversations and the truthfulness of the rumors and romantic histories surrounding each other, they had a clear understanding in their hearts - they were both each other's first.

As the assistant director tried to probe into his romantic history, Song Yan unintentionally recalled that night from two years ago. Lowering his eyes, he pressed his fingers against his forehead. With a pursed lip, his Adam's apple moved up and down, and he felt a mix of emotions.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Director Qiu, Tang Jiaren has arrived."

"She's here? She got ready quickly," Qiu Ping said, "Ask her to come in."

The reason she got ready quickly was that her temperament naturally matched the Republican-era setting. With simple eyebrow and eyeliner strokes, plus a touch of lip color, she perfectly embodied the elegant lady of that era.

Both Qiu Ping and the assistant director were taken aback, admitting that some female artists had exceptional natural elegance, which suited this retro style.

Tang Jiaren was also surprised when she saw Song Yan. Recalling the encounter in the dressing room with Wen Li, she quickly concealed her expression and smiled at him.

"I didn't expect you to come today."

"I came with my wife," Song Yan smiled. He couldn't stay here during the actress audition, so he stood up and said to Qiu Ping, "I'll go out for a stroll."

"What's there to do at the hotel? Just sit here and help us watch. I don't understand acting, so we need professionals like you," President Chen then asked Tang Jiaren, "Miss Tang, you don't mind, do you?"

Tang Jiaren shook her head, "Of course not. The role I'm auditioning for is paired with Song Yan, so it's better to have him here."

Song Yan sat back down again.

"Since you're here, can you help us with a scene?" Qiu Ping thought for a moment and said, "Let's try the scene where Ye Yan gets taken away."

Song Yan spoke in a calm tone, "Then I'll help with the lines."

Qiu Ping glanced at Song Yan's modern clothes and then at Tang Jiaren, who was dressed in full Republican-era attire. They didn't match at all. Originally, it was supposed to be a solo audition, but no one expected Song Yan to come today. It would be enough for him to help with the lines.

"Alright, let's do it."

Unlike auditioning for minor roles, for artists of their caliber, directors would usually give some hints before the audition. However, the specific scene and the state the actors needed to present, just like an ordinary person going for a job interview, were not revealed in advance. This was to see the actors' abilities in the most authentic way.

Qiu Ping randomly picked a scene from the script that tested the actor's emotional range. Although Song Yan just sat their and was delivering lines, he still portrayed the emotions of the character in the scene. After this short performance, Tang Jiaren's hairstyle was slightly disheveled from performing the scene where she was "taken away".

Qiu Ping was quite satisfied and assigned a few more scenes for her to improvise.

After the audition, Tang Jiaren bid farewell politely and left the room.

"She's the best," the assistant director said, "Compared to the previous few actresses, she's the best."

President Chen smiled and said, "She didn't spend those years abroad in vain. Only Director Qiu has high requirements. It's already good enough if actors agree to take on the role without specifically preparing for the audition."

Qiu Ping scoffed, "For ordinary commercial films, we can skip the audition, but for [Ice City], if I don't have strict requirements for the role of Ye Yan, would Old Zhou give up? Hmph, artists who rely on their fans for a living are the most difficult to deal with."

It was well known that businessmen had a more lenient bottom line, while intellectuals were the most difficult to please. Once they had their principles, it was as hard as pulling teeth to change their minds.

Meanwhile, on her way back to the dressing room, Tang Jiaren happened to run into Wen Li, who had already finished her makeup.

Wen Li didn't want to keep the big shots waiting for too long, so she hurried over.

Before returning to China, Tang Jiaren had also paid attention to domestic news. She knew that Wen Li had recently gained attention for her Republican-era styling which she did together with Song Yan.

"Screenwriter Zhou has a good eye. You look more like Ye Yan," Tang Jiaren said, "But just looking the part is not enough."

Wen Li nodded, "I know."

"You can do it."

"I will."

Two female artists competing for the same role could speak to each other so calmly and peacefully. It was enough to show that they both had good qualities.

In the audition room, as soon as Wen Li walked in, she heard a gasp from President Chen, one of the investors.

Last time at the dinner, this President Chen didn't show up. Wen Li was momentarily surprised but politely greeted everyone in the room.

"Call Old Zhou and urge him," Qiu Ping squinted his eyes and lightly poked the assistant director's arm, "His Ye Yan has truly come to life."

The assistant director whispered, "Old Zhou is still stuck on the expressway. It's a working day today."

Qiu Ping chuckled. "Tell him that Wen Li's makeup is done. I bet he'll get off the car and run from the expressway directly."

"Is it that exaggerated?" The assistant director looked skeptical.

"You don't know what kind of person Old Zhou is."

Unlike Tang Jiaren's light-colored cheongsam, Wen Li's cheongsam was adorned with large embroideries, with high saturation and vibrant colors. She had tied up all her long hair, and at the hairline, there were finger-wave curls, a hairstyle loved by elegant ladies of that era. But nowadays, not many people could pull off such a versatile style.

The director and the investors glanced at Wen Li briefly and politely averted their eyes. After all, her husband was present.

Song Yan didn't have as many reservations when looking at Wen Li. His gaze was focused openly, from her hair strands to her shoes. It wasn't the first time he had seen her in a cheongsam, but he still couldn't take his eyes off her, his gaze full of tenderness and adoration.

Wen Li felt uneasy under his intense scrutiny.

The words "What are you looking at?" got stuck in her throat. There were others present, so she had to give him face. She wished she could just rush to Song Yan and cover his eyes with her hands.

Qiu Ping didn't waste time and directly said, "Let's do the scene where Ye Yan and Ting Feng meet for the first time. Wen Li, do you smoke?"

As he spoke, Qiu Ping casually took out a cigarette box from his pocket, intending to hand one to Wen Li.

How could Wen Li smoke? Her grandfather used to be a heavy smoker when he was young, but now that he was old, his lungs couldn't take it, and he would cough incessantly when stimulated. Her uncle, Wen Yan, was a refined person who didn't want to become an old smoker like his father, with yellow teeth and dirty fingers. Even if he had the money, it wouldn't look decent. He didn't smoke himself and didn't want to be exposed to second-hand smoke either. So he ordered everyone in the family not to smoke.

When Xu Li was in high school, he didn't study well and was influenced by his classmates to try smoking. But when Wen Yan found out, he gave Xu Li a good beating, using him as an example to deter others. Seeing her younger brother's pitiful state, she decided to never touch cigarettes again.

So she shook her head, "I've only smoked prop cigarettes for acting before."

"Ah?" Qiu Ping didn't expect her to not smoke and didn't prepare any props. He directly lit the cigarette in his hand and handed it to Wen Li, "Then just pretend for now."

This scene was one of the opening scenes in the script. Ting Feng, the only son of a returning general, was a true playboy. His impending marriage was the focus of attention for all the young ladies in the city. He didn't like the highborn ladies who wore Western dresses and spoke Western languages, nor did he like the student girls who were full of revolutionary ideas. Instead, he fell for a woman from the kiln. In order to marry this lowly woman, he defied his father's orders, resorted to hunger strikes, kneeling, and running away from home. He used every trick in the book.

The powerful people in the whole city sighed and envied Ting Feng's infatuation and the good luck of this woman, but no one knew it was just a play under political struggles.

Qiu Ping whispered to Song Yan, "Help your wife with the lines."

Song Yan nodded, "Okay."

The first time Ting Feng saw Ye Yan was in the kiln.

It was a place of sound and color, with dim lighting, decadent atmosphere, a mix of perfume and cigarette smoke, and the faint sound of men and women laughing. Ting Feng stood on the corridor, looking in through the paper window.

There was a woman sitting in the room. The phonograph in the room played a blurry dance song with crackling noises. The dim light flickered, casting a graceful shadow of the woman on the wall. Ye Yan sat beside the kerosene lamp, smoking a cigarette. Her beautiful face was hidden in the shadows, half-lit and half-dark. Between her slender fingers, she held a cigarette, exhaling smoke and creating a hazy cloud that lingered around her.

Women of that era had a different charm compared to the present. They were completely decadent and lifeless. Smoking should have been a temporary escape from hardship for them, but it only made them more desperate.

Although the smoke didn't reach her lungs, the show had to go on. Wen Li exhaled a long breath to adjust her breathing, while a hint of moisture appeared in the corners of her eyes.

Qiu Ping stared at the slight wetness in the corners of her eyes, his expression inquisitive and serious.

Someone knocked on the door and Ye Yan looked in that direction. The wetness in the corners of her eyes quickly receded.

Upon seeing the young and handsome man at the door, Ye Yan was well-prepared. She immediately changed her previous decadent appearance. With seductive eyes and a flirtatious tone, "Oh, honored guest, you've arrived?"

Qiu Ping suddenly patted Song Yan's shoulder, "Don't stop, go and act, I want to see more."

Wen Li also heard Qiu Ping's words. To continue the performance, she adjusted her emotions and got back into character.

She glanced at the clothes Song Yan was wearing, which had a strong modern flavor. If she had known he would help with the acting, she should have asked him to change into Republican-era attire.

It would also give her a chance to see Song Yan in a military uniform.

"Don't be nervous, honored guest," Wen Li stood up, smiling as she took Song Yan's hand and led him to sit down, "Is it your first time here?"

Song Yan replied, "Yes."

"Oh, I'm so lucky," Wen Li slowly approached him, lightly tapping his chest with her fingers and deliberately blowing air into his ear, "I gladly accept the honored guest's first time. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you, ensuring that you enter with three legs and leave with two."

After saying that, she even groped his thigh.

"..."

Normally, even if she asked him to lift her waist, he would refuse, saying it would demean her noble status. But when it came to acting, she wasn't being coy anymore and could say anything.

Qiu Ping and the assistant director who were watching the performance next to them noticed that Song Yan's expression wasn't quite right. His chin was tense, and his eyes were dark, making it unclear whether he was immersed in the scene or not.

The focus was on Wen Li. Song Yan was just a prop, regardless of whether he was immersed or not.

In the script, because they were afraid someone might be eavesdropping outside the door, Ting Feng grabbed Ye Yan's wrist and pulled her onto his lap, teasing her.

"What about my third leg? Did you eat it? Huh?"

The censorship standards nowadays are really biased. If this were to be included in a regular TV drama, these lines would have been cut long ago.

Ye Yan giggled and said, "Of course not. You were feeling so comfortable that you didn't want to take it out and go back."

...

After teasing each other for a while, the commotion outside the door ceased. Only then did Ting Feng regain his seriousness and whispered to her, "They want me to bring you back to the mansion in a couple of days. Be prepared."

Ye Yan nodded, "I know. I'll be waiting for you."

The scene ended here. Wen Li was still sitting on Song Yan's lap, feeling uncomfortable. She turned her head and looked at Qiu Ping with a helpless expression, "Director Qiu, if there's nothing left, can I get up now?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, you can get up."

Wen Li quickly bounced off Song Yan's lap.

The woman who had just been charming and full of allure suddenly disappeared. Wen Li touched her nose and whispered to Song Yan, "Was it okay?"

Song Yan sighed.

Upon hearing him sigh, Wen Li became nervous again. She thought she had performed well just now. Could it be that she had too high of an opinion of herself?

Later, Director Qiu had her improvise a few more scenes, and she didn't dare to slack off, afraid that her performance wouldn't be satisfactory.

"I have a rough idea," Director Qiu said, "You two should hurry up and finish that variety show first."

Although there was no clear response, Wen Li understood. She nodded vigorously and said, "Got it!"

When she was preparing to remove her makeup, she coincidentally ran into Old Zhou, who was rushing over. Wen Li greeted him. Old Zhou had a sweaty face, panting as he asked, "Finished trying?"

Wen Li replied, "Uh, yes," paused, and then asked, "What happened to you? You're all sweaty."

"Nothing," Old Zhou disappointedly waved his hand and turned to enter the room.

Not long after, Wen Li heard Director Qiu shout angrily.

"We have the recording! We fucking recorded it! Call everyone back and do it again? Who cares about you!"

Wen Li: "..."

She had to work overtime, so she quickly ran off.

——

After hurrying back to the dressing room, Wen Li found that Tang Jiaren was still there.

Tang Jiaren had changed back into her own clothes and was sitting on a chair playing with her phone, clearly indicating that she had nothing else to do.

Wen Li sat down in front of the dressing mirror and asked the stylist to help her undo her hair while casually inquiring, "Why hasn't Teacher Tang left yet?"

"I wanted to wait for you to finish the makeup trial so that I can have a chat with Director Qiu," Tang Jiaren replied.

"Oh," Wen Li acknowledged and said, "You can go now then."

Tang Jiaren stood up and walked behind her, looking at her face through the mirror and said, "You're really lucky."

Wen Li didn't know what she was referring to. She preferred straightforward conversations, but Tang Jiaren seemed to be someone who liked to beat around the bush.

"What do you mean?" Wen Li asked.

"This is what they call being favored by luck," Tang Jiaren said, "To be honest, your acting skills still don't measure up to this role."

Wen Li furrowed her brows and asked, "Do you know me well?"

"I don't know you, but I know your work," Tang Jiaren confidently smiled, "But you do look really beautiful in the cheongsam."

Tang Jiaren didn't deny Wen Li's stunning appearance. They had completely different looks and styles, with no basis for comparison.

After complimenting her, Tang Jiaren left.

Wen Wen, who was standing next to Wen Li, whispered, "Sister, why did she praise you just now?"

"It's because she's a competitor that she acknowledges the other person's strengths," Wen Li casually said, "If you forcefully deny the opponent's advantages just because they're a rival and wonder why they're competing with you, you'll only end up getting angry with yourself."

Wen Li was beautiful and didn't deny that most female artists were beautiful. With so many outstanding people in the world, it would be a waste of time to be jealous and belittle each one. It was more efficient to bury oneself in pursuing goals.

Tang Jiaren was her senior, and as an actress, she clearly had a deep understanding of the industry. She wouldn't subjectively deny Wen Li's strengths.

Wen Li wasn't angry, but rather quite pleased.

"She acknowledges that I'm beautiful but doesn't recognize my progress," Wen Li said. "However, Director Qiu chose me."

Tang Jiaren left the dressing room and went straight to find Director Qiu.

She didn't like waiting, and logically speaking, there was no need to deliberate between her and Wen Li. Wen Li's appearance was indeed advantageous and suited the role of Ye Yan, but if Ye Yan had a more cold and aloof character, Director Qiu wouldn't even arrange a makeup trial for Wen Li and would directly choose Tang Jiaren.

But opportunities were a strange thing. This role in the great script seemed to be served to Wen Li on a silver platter.

Director Qiu didn't waste any words and revealed the result she wanted to know.

"Both Old Zhou and I agree that Wen Li is more suitable for the role of Ye Yan. I'm sorry, Jiaren, for bothering you to come here in person and wasting your time."

Tang Jiaren frowned, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Director Qiu nodded, "I was initially concerned that Wen Li might not be able to handle it, but when she changed into the cheongsam and transformed into Ye Yan before my eyes, I became convinced that she is Ye Yan."

"...Isn't it because of the added advantage of her appearance?" Tang Jiaren asked.

"Of course, that's also a factor. Having a good match between the actor and the character's appearance is a very important condition, and I believe you understand that, Jiaren."

"But based solely on that..."

"No," Director Qiu said firmly, "She has made great progress and put a lot of effort into this role. A talented student, coupled with a talented teacher, the effect is much greater. Song Yan must have taught her a lot before the audition."

Upon hearing Song Yan's name, Tang Jiaren smiled and said, "No wonder."

Director Qiu sighed and comforted her, "Next time we have a good script, I will make sure to give it to you first. We'll have another opportunity to collaborate."

Tang Jiaren murmured, "Thank you, Director Qiu," then glanced around and asked, "What about Song Yan? Did he leave?"

"I invited him to have lunch together. He said he promised his wife to have lunch with her," Director Qiu shrugged, "He probably went to find his wife now."

Tang Jiaren had to admit that in the face of Wen Li's advantages, besides her rapid progress, there was also Song Yan.

After bidding farewell to Director Qiu, Tang Jiaren's assistant asked if she should go home directly for lunch or go somewhere else.

She gave a perfunctory response and headed back to the dressing room.

"Did you forget something in the dressing room?" the assistant asked, "Should I go get it?"

Tang Jiaren shook her head.

As she reached the door of the dressing room and was about to go inside, she heard Wen Li say helplessly, "This cheongsam is a costume. How can I wear it home?"

Tang Jiaren: "..."

Not having worked together for ten years, she couldn't believe that Song Yan would even keep the costumes for himself.