Although the character of the young Daoist didn’t have a lot of screen time in the sixty-episode TV series, as the male secondary lead in one of the five stories, it was still a desirable role.
Among a heap of aspiring young actors vying for the role, a handful proved themselves qualified. In such circumstances, the choice of an actor went beyond surface-level acting skills and delved into additional factors.
Inherent popularity, backing from a company, and various undisclosed elements all played a role in deciding an actor.
As the assistant director, Zhang Zhen had decision-making power over some minor roles, including the significant role of the young Daoist.
Xu Qiao’s audition was indeed impressive, but for some unknown reason, Yang Hui changed her mind and gave Li Chengxuan an audition opportunity.
Frankly speaking, given the same preparation time, Li Chengxuan’s final audition fell far short of Xu Qiao’s brilliance. Even in terms of actions, expressions, and detailed portrayal, it was evident that he was imitating Xu Qiao who had shone earlier.
Yang Hui, being an experienced agent with influence in SSE, persuaded Zhang Zhen to give her some face and build a good relationship. As for the private benefits, that was another story.
Although Li Chengxuan was not on par with Xu Qiao by more than a star and a half, it was considered satisfactory. Yang Hui said that Li Chengxuan should be given the role. Since they were both under the same agent, it didn’t matter who got it.
After all, Water Ghost’s standout performance depended mostly on the male lead. While a strong performance from the young Daoist priest would be ideal, a slight misstep wouldn’t significantly impact the story.
Despite feeling some regret, Zhang Zhen suppressed Xu Qiao’s audition footage. He informed Hu Zhenghua that Li Chengxuan’s audition was satisfactory and worth considering. Hu Zhenghua had previously seen Li Chengxuan’s acting among the fresh faces and deemed it quite decent. After a couple of questions, the decision was made.
When Xu Qiao learned about this, there wasn’t much surprise. Since the day Li Chengxuan got on the car after the audition, he vaguely sensed something would happen.
Unable to secure the role, it was likely that the termination of the contract had already been put on Yang Hui’s agenda.
As expected, shortly after receiving the audition results, her call came in. At that moment, Xu Qiao had just finished filming a scene, sitting in the lounge, casually chatting with Li Feifei.
“Xu Qiao, after finishing ‘Chatting About,’ come back to the company to start the termination process.”
Yang Hui’s words resonated clearly in the relatively quiet lounge. Li Feifei’s face drooped instantly upon hearing what she said.
Xu Qiao lowered his gaze, taking a sip of warm water to soothe his throat. He had been abandoned.
Among these events, Li Chengxuan undoubtedly played a role. It was evident that Yang Hui favored him more.
Initially, Yang Hui hesitated about whether to keep Xu Qiao or not, and the role of the young Daoist was a test to determine whether she would. If Li Chengxuan hadn’t intervened, and Xu Qiao smoothly secured the role of the young Daoist, Yang Hui would have stood up for him with the company.
But now everything had been officially announced to be over.
Li Chengxuan took away this role, and Yang Hui no longer hesitated, decisively giving up on him. Resources were always insufficiently allocated. In such times, personal relationships tended to lean towards the one you favor more.
Moreover, this was also the intention of the company’s higher-ups.
Xu Qiao had a slight headache, not because of the termination itself, but the various troubles that would follow.
The mountain of paperwork, the scramble to find a new place to live after losing his company-provided housing, the looming question of finding new employment — all these worries gnawed at him… Xu Qiao was someone who avoided trouble.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Lbkfnfg, afgwlcjalbc wluta rjnf tlw ogbw delaf j yla bo vlragfrr. Lf kbeiv vfji klat oeaegf wjaafgr joafg atf mbwqifalbc bo “Jtjaalcu Cybea.”
Lf geyyfv tlr afwqifr jcv gfqilfv, “P ecvfgrajcv, Dlu Vlrafg Tjcu. P’ii ub atgbeut atf qgbmfrr ktfc ‘Jtjaalcu Cybea’ kgjqr eq.”
We Hljb’r nblmf kjr mjiw. Tjcu Lel mbeiv afii la kjrc’a j vfilyfgjafis wjrxfv mjiwcfrr. Lf ufcelcfis kjrc’a abb mbcmfgcfv.
This realization furrowed Yang Hui’s brows, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She thought Xu Qiao would at least say something positive, perhaps request her to speak up for him. She even prepared some words to deflect him, telling Xu Qiao it was the company’s decision, and she had no control over it.
However, Xu Qiao remained nonchalant, displaying a calm demeanor, showing no concern about the outcome.
The prepared words proved utterly useless.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Qiao glanced at Li Feifei, who looked melancholic, and casually asked, “What’s wrong?”
Li Feifei pouted, whispering in a subdued voice, “Li Chengxuan, this smiling tiger, is so hateful.”
Yeah, he was truly detestable. Xu Qiao sighed, blowing away strands of hair that the wind brought to the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t keen on quarreling with people, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hold a grudge.
Li Feifei adjusted his hairband for him, sighing. “Big Brother, what am I going to do if you terminate the contract?”
Xu Qiao glanced at him in confusion. “You’re an assistant. They won’t give you a hard time. They’ll probably assign you to someone else.”
Li Feifei teary-eyed, looked at Xu Qiao without saying a word.
Xu Qiao, unable to bear his gaze, looked away and sighed. “If you still want to stay with me, then continue staying with me.”
At these words, Li Feifei instantly grinned and cautiously asked, “Big Brother, do you have any plans? Should I inquire if any economic companies are interested in signing you?”
Speaking of this, Li Feifei was filled with determination again. He had a mysterious confidence in Xu Qiao, believing that his big brother would become famous sooner or later.
Xu Qiao reminisced about the things he had done in the book worlds. “Plans? Let me think. I might do programming, work as a translator, draw, play esports, or maybe open a martial arts studio, um… being an undertaker might work too.”
Every time he mentioned a plan, Li Feifei’s face would twitch a bit. “Big Brother, are you serious? After being with you for so long, I just realized you actually have a sense of humor.”
Looking at his little expressions while talking, so formal and serious, someone who didn’t know might actually be intimidated.
Xu Qiao looked at Li Feifei’s expression and didn’t argue. However, Li Feifei’s words did make him start thinking about what to do after the contract termination. Given the current situation, he didn’t know if any economic companies were interested in signing him. If not, what should he do?
He hadn’t graduated from college yet, and half a year into his debut, his studies had been delayed quite a bit. The body he transmigrated back into had almost no noteworthy internship or award-winning experiences.
Apart from the entertainment industry experience on his resume, there was really nothing else to write.
Since there wasn’t much to write on his resume, should he prepare a portfolio in advance and try his luck with applications later? As this thought flashed through Xu Qiao’s mind, he silently added to his schedule.
The two was chatting for a while when a sudden commotion outside the lounge caught their attention.
Li Feifei peeked outside. “What’s happening? Big Brother, let’s go check it out.”
The two went outside the lounge, and coincidentally, Si Cheng and Zhang Yinghui were walking towards them. Si Cheng tugged at Xu Qiao’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother Xu Qiao, Director Jiang asked us all to go over.”
Go where? Xu Qiao asked him with a glance.
Si Cheng looked outside the set and then at Xu Qiao. “Meng Xuan’s role is still vacant. Director Jiang said he found someone for a guest appearance.”
Meng Xuan, in the book, was the descendant of a retired prince from the former dynasty. She was described as an otherworldly fairy, untouched by worldly dust. Due to the character’s minimal screen time but high image requirements, the role had been vacant since the start of filming.
The commotion outside suddenly intensified, and Xu Qiao looked up to see a group of people escorting a woman. The crowd surrounded her, making it difficult to discern her appearance.
Li Feifei craned his neck, squinting through the crowd, catching a glimpse of the face inside. He exclaimed, “Seems like it’s Sister Guan Han?”
“Guan Han?” Zhang Yinghui also expressed surprise, subtly glancing at Xu Qiao.
Guan Han, another artist from SSE, possessed a pure and pleasing appearance that appealed to the older generation. Her style leaned towards innocence and kindness, much like Xu Qiao.
She had some notable background and gained resources immediately upon debut. This year, having starred in two highly popular idol dramas, she was currently enjoying a surge in popularity.
Why would Guan Han cameo in a small web series?
Li Feifei hesitated to speak. Interestingly, this rising star had a good relationship with Li Chengxuan in the company. There were even photos circulating of the two shopping together, but those had been suppressed.
Due to the trouble caused by Li Chengxuan to Xu Qiao, Li Feifei was on high alert, afraid that his shadow might be present if she came over.
Jiang Wen hastily approached Guan Han, exchanged pleasantries, and greeted her with a polite smile. After a while, he waved to the surroundings, calling everyone from the crew, “Come, pause your work for a moment, gather around.”
With the director’s instruction, Si Cheng and the others exchanged glances and walked over.
Jiang Wen cleared his throat, and his usually stern face now bore a smile. “Let me introduce everyone. Miss Guan Han came to our crew this time to cameo as Meng Xuan.”
Only upon entering could they get a clear view of this currently popular star surrounded by the crowd.
Guan Han wore a fitted cashmere coat, her pointed chin tucked into a thick scarf. Revealing a face the size of a palm with delicate features, she gave a slight wave to the crowd, exuding a refreshing and charming vibe when she smiled.
“Wow! Guan Han looks even more beautiful than in the photos!”
“It’s great that Guan Han is here!”
“Indeed, Meng Xuan’s role suits Guan Han perfectly.”
As Guan Han approached, she undoubtedly became the most prominent figure within the crew. Everyone welcomed her warmly.
Facing Guan Han, Jiang Wen patted Si Cheng and Zhang Yinghui’s arms. “These are our main actors. Since you’re all young people, you can chat first. Guan Han, take a seat. We’ll film your scenes this afternoon.”
“Chatting About” was a low-budget web series with limited promotional funds. Jiang Wen invited Guan Han to leverage her popularity. Originally just a casual invitation, Jiang Wen was pleasantly surprised when Guan Han agreed.
As for the remuneration, it did pinch his budget for a while.
“Hope to have a pleasant cooperation with everyone!” After Jiang Wen left, Guan Han smiled, scanning the room, and her gaze landed on Xu Qiao beside her. “You…”
Her eyes curved into crescents, a signature dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. “Seems like I’ve seen you at the company, hmm — part of the Chasing the Spotlight with Chengxuan?”
Did he mishear that? Why did the tone of this question sound a bit exaggerated?
Li Feifei stole glances at her several times. Although Xu Qiao was the least successful in the Chasing the Spotlight, being in the same company and acquainted with Li Chengxuan, Guan Han shouldn’t have trouble recognizing him.
Xu Qiao clearly understood this and greeted Guan Han with a subtle smile, “Big Sister Guan Han.”
“Name?” Guan Han tilted her head, her attractive lips parted, uttering two words.
Xu Qiao squinted his eyes.
Guan Han smiled lightly. “What’s wrong? I’m asking for your name.”
Clearly, her voice was soft and sweet, but it seemed not so friendly. Beneath the innocent and delicate facade, there was a subtle arrogance and mockery not easily detectable.
Sensing the atmosphere was a bit off, Li Feifei chuckledm “Big Sister Guan Han, it’s Xu Qiao. Xu Qiao from the Chasing the Spotlight group.”
“Ah, right, Xu Qiao.” She innocently blinked, slightly distressed as she wrinkled her nose. “Because I’m not great at remembering names, so—”
“It’s okay if you don’t remember.” Xu Qiao interrupted her with a smile.
“But if Big Sister Guan Han is so forgetful…” Xu Qiao tilted his head, wearing a more innocent smile than Guan Han, “I suggest eating more walnuts. Good for the brain, don’t you think?”
Guan Han’s smile froze on her face.
At that moment, an assistant approached with her script. Guan Han restrained her smile, glanced at Xu Qiao, then turned and walked away.
After Guan Han left, Xu Qiao sat down, casually opened his script as if nothing happened, while Li Feifei was anxiously hopping around. “Ancestor, how can you talk to a senior like that?”
Xu Qiao asked nonchalantly, “How did I talk?”
“Your words were basically insulting her intelligence!” Li Feifei was frustrated. Guan Han’s background was not something to be trifled with.
“Really?” Xu Qiao uncapped a highlighter, drew a line on the script, looked up with innocent eyes. “I didn’t insult anyone. I sincerely gave a suggestion.”
***
【chachai: Many thanks to Ashley for being my first subscriber! Weeeee!! Maybe you wanna be my second? hehe~】
Lol! Love the MC
(ty for the chapter!!!)
Another villain appeared but I’m so happy MC put her in her place. I can’t wait until MC wins everything at life and all of those ants get face-slapped.
Thank you for the chapter!
Same T.T
yeah. slap slap …
Holy shit, that shitty company is filled with nothing but mediocre green tea bitches, isn’t it?
Ugh! Evil and conniving, Li Chengxuan! That total butthole! Anyone want a serving of green tea? Geez, they really come in twos. Still waiting on ML’s reaction. I’d love for him to force the Green Tea and Butthole out of the circle. Looking forward to see what’s on our MC’s plans for a career.
I love it when there’s that subtle clap back. Like don’t play with fire if you don’t want your fingers burned
Thanks for the chapter!
Thank you for the update ☺️
Thanks for the chapter! So petty…
I hope those people who hates our beloved mc would fall inlove with him. That would be a good plot twist lol