Chapter 62

Chapter 62

From the day he received the invitation, the number of job offers Song Nian had on his hands dropped significantly, but his time outside only increased.

Because he had been studying intensively to improve his acting skills.

He knew this opportunity was rare, and unlike auditions for TV dramas, it would be extremely competitive; only by standing out could he land the role.

Watching him head out full of energy every day, Li Yanchuan didn't say much, just encouraged him with a simple "keep it up."

But behind the scenes, he had used his industry connections to investigate the film project.

It was indeed a big production with great potential.

Correspondingly, the level of difficulty in selection was also very high.

He believed Song Nian would give it his all, but he also secretly arranged a fallback plan for him.

—Worst case, even if he didn't make the cut, he could invest some money in the film to get him a supporting role.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with using connections, because bringing your own resources is part of the game, and he happened to have plenty of money.

Besides, with Song Nian's ability, he could definitely handle any role, which wouldn't affect the normal filming of the crew and would still let him participate.

If it really came to that, he could just throw more money into the project and have Director Zhao tailor a script specifically for him and let him play the lead.

————

Days passed, and finally the day of the audition arrived.

Arriving at the audition venue, Song Nian was stunned as soon as he stepped out of the car.

So many people!

Auditionees were packed three deep, and he couldn't see the end of the crowd.

Not only were there more competitors, but they were also stronger.

Just from walking down the hall to grab his number, he spotted several familiar faces—all currently hot young stars with huge online buzz.

Especially the guy at the center of the crowd.

If he remembered correctly, that person was Quan Mingjun, one of the popular male stars. He didn't have many representative works, and it was said he had a bad personality in private, but he had a huge fanbase of young followers and huge online buzz.

At that moment, he was surrounded by people, standing with his arms crossed, talking confidently, looking very pleased with himself, as if he had the audition in the bag.

After getting his number tag, Song Nian found a random seat in the waiting area, sat down, and while waiting, he watched the door of the audition room.

Following the staff's guidance, actors were called in one after another, then filed out.

But judging by their expressions, the auditions didn't seem to be going well.

Even a well-respected actor came out looking unhappy, and he got the same response: "Wait for us to call you."

Which was actually good news for him—it meant there was still a chance.

But no matter what, seeing strong competitors fail to land the role made him a bit nervous.

Song Nian took a deep breath and pulled out his phone to take his mind off things:

"Song Nian: Honey quq are you busy?"

Soon, the other person replied:

"Li Yanchuan: Not busy."

"Li Yanchuan: Done with the audition?"

"Song Nian: Not even started yet. So many people, I'm so nervous TAT"

Seeing this, Li Yanchuan raised a hand to stop the briefing, gestured for everyone to leave the office, and called him.

The ringtone caught him off guard. Song Nian thought the man had only managed to text him on a work break, so he didn't expect a direct call.

For some reason, he got nervous, his heart racing.

He cleared his throat with a couple of coughs, then answered the phone, trying to sound calm:

"Hey?"

"You're waiting? How long 'til you go?"

His low, magnetic voice cut through the noise, hitting him right in the chest and making his heart skip a beat.

"S-still a while, at least an hour."

He touched his cheek with the back of his hand, trying to cool his flushed face.

"Then I can talk to you for an hour."

Li Yanchuan seemed to let out a low laugh, his unfairly attractive voice sinful.

"Aren't you at the office? Isn't work keeping you busy?"

His face burned even hotter as he asked.

After all, Li Corp was in the middle of major reforms; there were mountains of things to deal with. Chairman Li was definitely busier than a small-time celeb like himself.

"All that can wait until the afternoon."

He didn't mention that he'd pushed everything to the afternoon or cut the meeting short, Li Yanchuan answered casually.

"What do you want for lunch? I'll have the driver pick you up, and we'll eat together."

"Then I want to go to that Western restaurant from before."

Strangely enough, even though there were no deliberate words of comfort or encouragement, just a series of trivial, pointless chats, the nervousness in his heart dissipated, and Song Nian gradually relaxed.

It was as if just hearing Li Yanchuan's voice could put him at ease.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out beside him.

Curious, Song Nian looked over and saw a man flanked by bodyguards walking down the corridor and into a room.

"What's wrong?"

Hearing the commotion on the other end, Li Yanchuan asked.

"Movie Emperor Qu just walked by."

Equally shocked, Song Nian took a long moment to collect himself before explaining to others.

Qu Liang, who had just won the Best Actor Golden Award and frequently appears on the big screen, had undeniable talent and achievements; even non-fans would recognize him.

As a new-generation actor, he naturally had a striking appearance that looked great on camera, but seeing him in person was even more impressive—he looked better than on screen.

"No wonder he's a Best Actor. He's really handsome and so charismatic."

Song Nian couldn't help but exclaim under his breath.

But somehow, there was something familiar about his face—like he resembled someone he had seen before?

Was it just his imagination?

This fanboyish admiration, however, sounded different to Li Yanchuan.

Hearing someone compliment another man's looks, he frowned in displeasure and sourly commented:

"He's just an actor who's only won domestic awards. How good-looking can he be?"

Upon hearing this, Song Nian felt the other person's tone was off—prickly, even a little jealous?

Before he could dwell on the odd tone, he heard the staff calling his number.

"It's my turn. I'll hang up now."

He said to the person.

"Mm, go for it. Give it your all, that's enough. I believe in you."

Li Yanchuan's voice returned to its usual calm, gentle tone, with no trace of the earlier sourness.

After hanging up, Song Nian took a deep breath, pushed open the heavy door, and walked into the audition room.

The director and several judges were seated inside, nodding slightly as he entered.

Qu Liang, who was playing the male lead, was also among them.

"Hello, Director, everyone. I'm Song Nian."

Probably because he had just spoken with Li Yanchuan, he felt none of his earlier nervousness; he was completely calm.

—Just as Li Yanchuan had said, there was no need to care about the result; as long as he gave it his all, he would have made his hard work worthwhile.

Whether he succeeded or failed, someone was waiting to have lunch with him.

Recalling Li Yanchuan's steady voice, Song Nian couldn't help but smile slightly. He took the script fragment handed to him, read through it, and began his performance.

He became completely absorbed, as if in a trance. Later, he couldn't even recall how he performed; he just followed his instincts to enter the character. When he snapped out of it, the performance was over.

Even the judges in front of him were stunned. It wasn't until the director started clapping that the others snapped out of it and joined in with enthusiastic applause.

Oddly, Qu Liang frowned, as if thinking about something, and only clapped a few times halfheartedly.

But Song Nian didn't notice this. He saw approval in the director's eyes and felt hopeful. His eyes lit up, and quickly bowed in thanks.

However, after complimenting Song Nian's acting, the director paused. Instead of deciding right away, he turned to Qu Liang:

"Qu, what do you think?"

"Indeed, not bad."

The earlier frown disappeared as Qu Liang smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

After he spoke, the judges in the room fell silent. The sudden silence made Song Nian feel awkward.

Had he misread their reactions?

He grew nervous.

"You're Song Nian, right? Go home and wait. We'll let you know the audition result."

In the end, it was the director who spoke first, giving a vague answer.

"Alright, thank you all for your time."

Without getting an immediate result, a flash of disappointment went through Song Nian. After saying a polite goodbye, he left the audition room.

But thinking that he had performed beyond expectations and that the coaching over this period hadn't been wasted, he cheered up. Happily, he went to find Li Yanchuan for lunch and waited for the result without worry.

During the days of waiting, even stranger things happened.

Normally, audition results come out in three to five business days, but now two weeks had passed, and there was still no news.

Brother Wang, his agent, had asked the production team privately several times, only to be told they were still discussing it.

"Maybe I already got cut?"

Lying on the study sofa with his legs crossed, Song Nian muttered to himself.

"Not necessarily. There might be a disagreement within the production team."

Li Yanchuan paused his work behind the desk and looked up at him.

"I wonder if I'm even on the candidate list."

Just as he was mumbling, his phone suddenly rang.

He casually answered with a "hello" and, after hearing what the other party said, his eyes widened instantly, and he jumped up from the sofa:

"Great! Got it. Thank you!"

As soon as he hung up, he turned to Li Yanchuan with sparkling eyes. Before he could say anything, Li Yanchuan guessed what happened and asked with a smile:

"You got the role?"

"Yeah! But they said the contract signing would be a bit later."

Excited, Song Nian nodded firmly, not bothered by that odd request.

"So, to celebrate our big star's successful audition, how about we go to a Western restaurant for dinner tonight?"

Li Yanchuan invited with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Hearing the term "big star" suddenly, Song Nian's face flushed, and he stammered shyly,

"I'm not exactly a big star yet."

"Then, little star? Would our little star do me the honor?"

Somehow, adding the word "little" in front of any term makes it sound intimate and flirty, especially when paired with the faint smile at the corner of one's mouth, making the effect even more disarming.

For no reason, Song Nian's face turned even redder.

"Well... I guess I'll do you the favor then!"

He craned his neck defiantly, trying to hide the heat in his cheeks, and answered with a grunt, like a proud little dog.

————

Unlike the warmth and calm of the two here, the other side was a scene of bloody chaos.

With a loud bang, the porcelain cup smashed onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Didn't my brother say Director Zhao was going to guarantee me the second male lead role?!"

Quan Mingjun, furious, screamed hysterically.