On the day of the audition, Xie Guan arrived at the venue and took a look: among the three people auditioning for the role of He Qiao, he was the oldest. The others were young and tender, practically exuding youthfulness. While he waited, he felt like an actor from a neighboring production team who wandered onto the wrong set.
Since he came all the way, Xie Guan had no choice but to go in. As he entered, the assistant director’s face turned dark, but the round-faced director, Pang Zhonghua, remained calm. He pulled out a booklet from the table and handed it to Xie Guan, saying, “Try this scene.”
Xie Guan took the script, turned around, and prepared for two minutes.
When he turned back, his entire demeanor changed instantly.
Xie Guan stood tall with straight shoulders and an elongated neck. His lips were tightly pressed, and his chin slightly raised, giving him an imposing presence. Despite his expressionless face, his eyes were slightly lowered, and the angle he looked at people immediately became condescending. In his every movement and gesture, there was precise control over his body, exuding an aura of a rebellious youth.
“I heard your master is Ye Sanbai?” he asked arrogantly with his gaze fixed on the director. “I am He Qiao, the heir of the Hai Ling He family. I’ve heard of the fame of Sect Ye’s Wing Chun. I’d like to spar with you.”
After being rejected by the protagonist and being told that the coach does not allow private fights, he moved his lips slightly, as if about to say something, but held back. He cast a glance at the director and sneered coldly, “I used to think Ye Sanbai’s disciple was an extraordinary young talent. Today, upon meeting you, it seems otherwise.”
He casually bowed, his sarcasm evident. “Reputation doesn’t always match reality. I learned that today.”
The essence of being “tsundere” lies in the “dere.” In that glance, there was a strong killing intent, yet hidden beneath it was a childlike unwillingness. Especially in his hesitant expression and the lazy bow, he portrayed a martial arts fanatic who was deeply passionate about martial arts, yet ignorant of human emotions, bringing the character to life.
The director applauded him twice. “Well done. You acted excellently, capturing his personality accurately.”
After finishing his audition, Xie Guan immediately softened his attitude and politely bowed to the people in the room. “Thank you, and I apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
The assistant director made a note on Xie Guan’s profile and said, “The audition results will be notified to your agent in a few days. Thank you for your performance. Next!”
As Xie Guan was about to leave, a young man rushed in hurriedly and collided face to face with him. There was a low threshold at the entrance of the room, and he failed to notice it in his haste. The young man tripped and lost his balance, falling straight into Xie Guan’s arms.
Xie Guan couldn’t evade it in time and swiftly reached out, grabbing the man’s elbows. Despite his slender arms, his grip was incredibly strong. Xie Guan exerted force from his shoulders and back, gently pushing the man’s leaning body back into an upright position. “Be careful.”
The careless man’s mouth and eyes formed an “O” shape simultaneously. Before speaking, he looked at him from top to bottom, similar to how one observes rare animals. He asked, “What was that just now? Have you practiced martial arts?”
Xie Guan gestured to him and indicated that the director was still in the room. He smiled gently, “Nothing, just a reflex.”
As he didn’t want to block the doorway, he was about to leave when suddenly, everyone inside the room shouted in unison, “Wait!”
The director and the man exchanged a glance, and the man’s eyes curved, signaling the director to speak first.
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.
Director Pang Zhonghua hurriedly flipped through the documents, saying, “What’s the name of this young man… Oh, Xie Guan. Yes, don’t leave, wait for a moment. Wait until He Qiao finishes his audition, alright?”
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No wonder Xie Guan found him familiar. In the recent idol drama that aired on Hulu TV during the summer, Li Yan played an independent designer. With his good looks and fashionable character, the fans praised his beauty endlessly after the show aired, and Li Yan gained some popularity.
Xie Guan recalled how he acted alongside Wang Ruolun before. He heard that Li Yan was a graduate from a prestigious music school abroad and initially debuted as a singer after returning to China. However, his elegant style didn’t appeal to the audience, and he decided to switch to the entertainment industry out of frustration.
Although Mr. Li Yan didn’t become an artist, he retained all the quirks of one. He was often criticized by netizens for being pretentious and accused of having low emotional intelligence.
In terms of appearance, Li Yan clearly had the upper hand over Xie Guan. He was young and handsome, and his temperament was closer to that of a pampered rich young master. When he started reciting his lines, his youthful voice was clear, and his eyes sparkled with vitality. Although his acting was a bit immature, the overall feeling was right.
Xie Guan’s portrayal depended entirely on his theatrical expertise; he bore no resemblance to the character “He Qiao.” In contrast, Li Yan didn’t require anything extense; he simply stood there excluding a natural aura, and his inherent qualities completely compensated for his limited acting abilities.
The director and the assistant director exchanged a few words in a hushed tone, then turned to Xie Guan and asked, “Xiao Xie, what do you think?”
Xie Guan’s heart sank a little, understanding that the director probably favored Li Yan for the role of He Qiao, which was why he was being asked.
“Very natural,” he said, regretful but honest. “The actor’s inherent temperament fits the character very well.”
Pang Zhonghua nodded and smiled. “Exactly, Li Yan embodies He Qiao’s spirit perfectly.”
He blushed a little at the praise and cleared his throat awkwardly. Pang Zhonghua laughed heartily and said to the assistant director, “He’s the one.”
Li Yan was momentarily stunned, his eyes showing delight. However, he suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to face Xie Guan.
Xie Guan smiled and mouthed the words, “Congratulations.”
Pang Zhonghua observed their interaction and felt satisfied. He said to Li Yan, “You can go back now. We’ll discuss the specific arrangements once all the actors are finalized.”
Then he turned to Xie Guan. “Xiao Xie, please stay. I want you to take a look at this other character.”
“So, you originally went for the audition for the fourth male lead, but the director cast you as the third male lead and you even gained Li Yan’s friendship in the process?” Wang Ruolun sighed. “Your luck, is it a blessing or a curse? Hmm, it’s really hard to say.”
Thinking back on everything that happened at the audition today, Xie Guan also found it quite unbelievable.
He thought he had no chance after the part He Qiao was given to Li Yan. But unexpectedly, Pang Zhonghua asked him to audition for another role, Chen Duqiu, the third male lead.
According to the script, Chen Duqiu was the 22nd generation successor of the Chen family’s Tai Chi, just as calm and steady as the martial arts he practiced. He was gentle yet firm, capable of holding his own against the overpowered male protagonist. In the series, he mainly played the peacemaker and problem solver.
This character was purely there for the audience to swoon over—a character with exceptional intelligence and martial arts skills, serving as the team leader in the North China qualifiers, later becoming the captain of the Chinese national team. He led a group of young martial artists to conquer the world, all without a romantic subplot. He was the epitome of a male god.
But that wasn’t all. After he finalized the role with the director and left, he found Li Yan was still waiting outside. As soon as he came out, Li Yan immediately approached him, grabbing his hand and shaking it warmly. “Bro, thanks for today! I’m Li Yan, from Star Era Entertainment. We’re going to be colleagues in the same crew from now on. Come, let me treat you to dinner.”
Xie Guan had no idea this guy was so outgoing. He was pulled downstairs to a tea restaurant and shared a meal with him, and just like that, they became unexpectedly close.
No wonder Li Yan didn’t have many friends in the entertainment industry.
“Why do you care so much about Li Yan?” Xie Guan said, “Did he eat your rice? Why are you so biased against him?”
Wang Ruolun made a mocking sound and asked, “Have you known each other for more than 24 hours? Why are you so eager to defend him?”
“To be honest, he’d lose his confidence if he looked inward,” Xie Guan said, flipping through a page of the script leisurely. “He’s a bit eccentric, but his emotional intelligence isn’t as low as they say online. You’re an adult, why bother being upset with a kid?”
Wang Ruolun felt like he was betrayed by his good friend and almost spat out a mouthful of blood in frustration.
“Li Yan is really asking for trouble. You’ll find out if you spend more time with him,” Wang Ruolun flicked his cigarette butt into the ashtray and chuckled, “But I can guess why he keeps wanting to be friends with you.”
“Hmm?” Xie Guan was intrigued.
“Who’s the number one actor at Star Era, do you still remember?” Wang Ruolun said, “I heard you beat Zhong Guanhua up so much he turned into an idiot. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, that’s why he’s trying to win you over.”
Xie Guan: “Where did this false news come from? Who hit him?!”
Wang Ruolun continued to exaggerate, ‘Well, no matter who did it, everyone was thrilled to see Zhong Guanhua get punched. And you also fought with Zhang Heshan, right?’ He concluded emotionally, ‘Your reputation in the industry is really fearsome now, making everyone tremble at the mere mention of your name.'”
Xie Guan was utterly flabbergasted.
After Lin Yao found out about this news, she praised his luck. Nowadays, the entertainment industry focuses more on criticizing idol actors’ professionalism than praising them. Gaining the director’s favor would make his future path much smoother.
Xie Guan never experienced such a smooth-sailing audition before. His previous company, Starlight Entertainment, was declining rapidly, and roles for their artists were often snatched away. Directors would praise his acting, but soon after, any random star would be parachuted into the cast. After being sidelined so many times, he gradually became accustomed to putting in useless effort. He would cast a wide net and only end up with one or two small roles.
Now, with Star Era Entertainment standing behind him, he didn’t need to worry about losing confirmed roles easily, let alone snatching roles from others.
Thinking about Star Era, Xie Guan’s thoughts involuntarily shifted to Huo Mingjun.
Since his appearance, everything has gone better.
There were human factors in this change of course, but it felt more like a superstition about fate turning around. Huo Mingjun helped him a lot and the so-called “lucky encounter with a noble” seemed to be true after all.
Restless, Xie Guan tossed and turned on the creaky old wooden bed, feeling annoyed by the noise. Eventually, he couldn’t stand it anymore and got up, angrily searching for a recipe.
Before joining the team, there was a very important task to accomplish—inviting Huo Mingjun to dinner.
Xie Guan couldn’t imagine what would happen if Huo Mingjun wasn’t satisfied; probably the entire building would be flattened with just a word from the Director.
Director Pang arranged professional martial arts trainers for the actors, and because each person had a different background, there were also specialized instructors teaching basic techniques. Initially, Xie Guan thought that his foundation in martial arts meant it wouldn’t be too difficult to learn. However, the Tai Chi master, a descendent of the Chen family brought in by the director shook his head after observing Xie Guan’s skills. “It’s all superficial techniques lacking depth,” he commented.
Reluctantly, Xie Guan followed his guidance, relearning Tai Chi’s traditional and new forms, including the hand movements and how to incorporate equipment. The old master was well-versed in the philosophies of Laozi and the Book of Changes; practicing in the mornings and teaching in the afternoons. Xie Guan did not attend formal education for many years, and every day, he tirelessly memorized phrases like “Yang energy rises to become yang; yang energy descends to become yin” and “Hair represents the tips of blood; blood is the sea of Qi.” It was downright excruciating.
On the day they were supposed to have dinner, Huo Mingjun had someone drive him to the gate of Xie Guan’s residential area. He then navigated to Xie Guan’s address as provided. The neighborhood’s streets were not only narrow but also filled with illegally parked cars. His Bentley could easily collide with electric scooters if he tried to drive in.
Huo Mingjun wasn’t concerned about himself but feared startling the owners of the electric scooters. Xie Guan lived on the fourth floor, and as soon as he reached the second floor, he could smell the aroma of cooking.
The negotiations with Long Feng Group were nearing completion, and the bidding for the Cuiping Mountain Villa Resort project was underway. Huo Mingjun was also managing several large real estate projects. He was too busy to eat properly, but now, smelling the delicious aroma in the hallway, he felt his appetite suddenly awaken.
Xie Guan hurriedly came to open the door, holding a spatula. He said, “Help yourself,” and quickly retreated back into the kitchen.
Huo Mingjun changed his shoes at the doorway and casually entered the living room. He appeared very calm, showing no signs of being a newcomer.
The one-bedroom apartment was small with a low ceiling, making Huo Mingjun’s 1.87 cm height feel stifled. Despite the limited space, the room was tidy, and Xie Guan seemed unfazed. The bedroom door was wide open, revealing the neatly arranged bed inside.
Huo Mingjun calmly sat on the single sofa. He noticed a brown bottle and some medicated plasters in a cabinet under the TV. Upon inspection, he found freshly opened medicinal wine and herbal plasters.
His expression darkened instantly. He put the items back and headed to the kitchen.
Oop did he misunderstood xie guan as being bullied? 👀
💖💖💖💖