Huayu: Starting with Hextech

Monday afternoon, Imagery Workshop

The audition room was temporarily set up as a simple "tea room" scene.

A bar table stands against the wall, with a coffee machine, mugs, and several potted plants on it. Next to it are a water dispenser and a refrigerator.

The lights were adjusted to be bright yet soft, simulating the daytime lighting in an office.

Several people were sitting behind a monitor on one side of the room.

Besides producer Xu Xiaogou, there was another middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, sporting a short beard, and exuding a calm demeanor; he was director Chen Mingzhang.

There are also screenwriters and casting directors.

The atmosphere was much more formal and tense than when we met alone last time.

Lin Xiao had already changed into his audition outfit.

A dark gray plaid suit with a light blue shirt underneath. No tie, the top button of the shirt undone, and the sleeves rolled up to the forearms, maintaining a business feel without appearing too rigid.

Her hair was also styled specially, with the wispy bangs slightly styled with hairspray to reveal a smooth forehead and defined brow bones.

She wore extremely light makeup, just to make her skin tone appear more even in front of the camera.

He looked at himself in the mirror and could hardly recognize that this was the same actor who had been wearing armor and had his long hair tied up not long ago.

The suit was like a layer of armor, quickly enveloping him in the aura required for the role of "Wang Wei"—rational, restrained, and professional.

He closed his eyes, recalling Xu Xiao'ou's words about "decency" and "warmth," and the subtle emotional progression between Wang Wei and Du Lala in the script.

On the other side, Wang Luodan was also ready.

She changed into a standard office lady outfit.

She wore a light beige fitted blazer, a silk shirt underneath, and a knee-length pencil skirt. Her hair was still neatly styled in a short style, and her makeup was exquisite but not overdone. She was holding a folder and a cup of coffee prop in her hand.

She stood quietly in the corner, silently reciting her lines, her expression focused, completely immersed in Du Lala's work mode.

Xu Xiao'ou and Chen Mingzhang exchanged a few words in hushed tones, then looked at Lin Xiao and Wang Luodan: "Teachers, are you ready? Let's try the first section."

The audition scene was a scene from the third episode of the script.

Du Lala and Wang Wei had a minor disagreement at a meeting because of a project proposal. After the meeting, the two bumped into each other in the break room.

The script required that the scene contain both the awkwardness and rivalry left over from work disagreements, as well as the subtle feelings of mutual attraction that must be restrained. There are few lines, and the complex emotions are mainly conveyed through eye contact, facial expressions, and subtle body language.

"Action!" the script supervisor slammed the clapperboard.

Wang Luodan carried her coffee cup to the coffee machine in the break room and operated it deftly.

She pursed her lips slightly, with a faint frown between her brows, clearly still bothered by the unpleasantness of the meeting just now—the resentment and slight grievance of a newcomer to the workplace after being rejected by authority.

Lin Xiao, carrying a document, also walked into the tea room, seemingly wanting to get some water.

When he saw Du Lala, he paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then quickly regained his composure and walked to the water dispenser.

The air was quiet for a few seconds, with only the hum of the coffee machine and the sound of water being dispensed from the water dispenser.

"Your proposal is a good idea."

Wang Wei suddenly spoke, his voice steady, his gaze fixed on the water flowing into the cup, not looking at Du Lala, "But the feasibility assessment was too idealistic, and the risks were not adequately considered."

Du Lala paused as she took the coffee, her back straightening slightly.

She turned her head and glanced at Wang Wei, her eyes showing both resentment at being exposed and embarrassment at having to admit it after being professionally corrected.

"I just feel that... sometimes you need a little courage to break the rules."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and resolute.

Wang Wei filled the water tank, turned off the tap, and finally turned to look at her.

His gaze fell on her profile, where her face was slightly flushed with emotion.

His gaze was complex, containing the scrutiny of a superior regarding a subordinate's professional competence, an objective assessment of her "courage," and a hint of...admiration.

"Courage deserves encouragement."

He began, his tone still steady, but slightly gentler than before, "But in a company, any courage must be built on rigorous data and reliable risk contingency plans. This is about being responsible for the project, and also about being responsible for your own career."

After listening, Wang Luodan lowered her eyelashes, looked at the brown liquid in the glass, and didn't say anything, but her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

Wang Wei looked at her with her head down, and her fair neck and slightly trembling eyelashes caught his eye.

His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the water glass for a moment, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

But the next second, his gaze shifted away, and his expression returned to calm and undisturbed.

"Send me the revised plan by noon tomorrow." He left those words, picked up his water glass, and turned to leave.

Just as he was about to leave the break room, Du Lala suddenly spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation and barely perceptible expectation: "Director Wang..."

Wang Wei stopped walking, but didn't turn around. He simply turned his head to the side, waiting for what was to come.

"……Thanks."

After saying those two words, Du Lala seemed to have used up all her strength, and immediately turned around, pretending to stare intently at the coffee machine.

With his back to her, Wang Wei's lips twitched upwards very quickly, almost too fast for the camera to capture—a smile that was a mixture of understanding, helplessness, and a hint of pleasure.

Then, without saying anything, he strode out of the break room.

"Cut!"

Chen Mingzhang's voice rang out.

There was silence behind the monitor.

Xu Xiao'ou, Chen Mingzhang, and the screenwriter all stared intently at the replay.

In the video, Lin Xiao and Wang Luodan's performances are presented in a split-screen format.

Wang Luodan's portrayal of Du Lala is extremely natural and fluid, capturing the stubbornness, sensitivity, and subtle changes of a workplace newcomer. Every shift in her gaze, every tension and relaxation in her shoulders, is just right, making the audience believe that this is the hardworking and rich-hearted Du Lala in the workplace.

Lin Xiao's Wang Wei, on the other hand, impressed the judges.

He has completely shed the traces of period dramas.

The way he walks, the strength with which he holds a cup, and the way he looks at people all exude a composure and sense of propriety honed through good education and professional training.

He didn't use exaggerated expressions or movements to show his "heart flutter"; all his emotions were hidden in subtle changes in his eyes and slight muscle reactions.

The fleeting admiration in his eyes when he looked at Du Lala's profile; the momentary distraction when his Adam's apple bobbed as she lowered her head; the almost imperceptible, yet story-filled, curve of his lips when he heard her say "thank you"...

Especially that last departing figure, upright and resolute, yet seemingly carrying a ripple of emotion.

The most wonderful thing is the chemistry between the two.

When they were subtly at odds because of their work disagreements, it was as if an invisible electric current was colliding in the air.

When Wang Wei softened his tone and gave instructions, Du Lala unconsciously relaxed. The ambiguous tension between them, their mutual attraction yet their attempts to restrain themselves, almost overflowed through the screen.