Huayu: From "Good Fortune Across the Sky" to becoming a top star

In addition to director Derek Tsang, producer Jojo Hui, and casting director, Zhou Dongyu was also present in the audition room.

After rehearsing a scene, Yi Yangqianxi was covered in a fine sweat.

He felt he hadn't performed well, partly due to Jiang Xun's influence.

Jiang Xun's nonchalant demeanor made him inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Director, can I do it one more time?" he said, his tone pleading.

Derek Tsang raised his hand to stop him: "No need, Jackson. You did very well, much better than the previous two times. You've grown up."

Grown up?

Yi Yangqianxi was stunned for a moment.

What kind of evaluation is this? It's not about acting skills, it's not about understanding the character, it's about growing up?

It's like an elder praising a child for growing a few centimeters taller.

"I was a little nervous just now." He tried to get a second chance.

Derek Tsang smiled and nodded, but his gaze had already returned to the actor information on the table: "You can go back first and wait for our notification. Others are waiting, so let's not waste any more time."

Xu Yuezhen then spoke up, her tone gentle but authoritative: "That's right, we're all acquaintances, and we know about your past behavior."

Previous performance?

Yi Yangqianxi gritted his teeth.

In the first two auditions, the director clearly didn't think he was a good fit. The first time, the director said he was too young and hadn't fully matured. The second time, the director said he didn't have the same dissatisfaction with the world that Xiao Bei had in his eyes.

This time he made ample preparations, but all he got in return was a "you've grown up."

He felt somewhat resentful, but he still nodded his thanks, got up, and left the conference room.

The moment the door closed, he saw Jiang Xun and Zhou You chatting and laughing in the waiting area. Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up inside him, as if something intangible had flown away.

"Dongyu, what do you think?" Xu Yuezhen looked at Zhou Dongyu.

Zhou Dongyu leaned back in her chair, twirling the pen in her hand: "It's alright."

Just two words.

In her opinion, Yi Yangqianxi's performance was mediocre, lacking any highlights. He had poor body control, didn't know where to put his hands, and his eyes seemed unfocused.

Of course, she didn't need to say these things.

"Alright, call the next one." Derek Tsang picked up the next document on the table.

Xu Yuezhen shook her head gently, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Yi Yangqianxi's performance was okay before, neither good nor bad, but why did he regress today? Was it nervousness, or some other reason?

"Jiang Xun!" a staff member called out as they opened the door.

In the waiting area, Jiang Xun and Zhou Ye were just discussing Yi Yangqianxi, who left with a blank expression.

He walked out without saying goodbye to anyone, his face expressionless.

"I'm going in first." Jiang Xun stood up and threw the remaining orange peels into the trash can next to him.

"Keep it up." Zhou Ye waved.

Jiang Xun pushed open the door and walked into the audition room, his eyes quickly scanning the room.

The people at the table were looking at him with scrutinizing eyes.

"Hello, teachers." He bowed slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

Derek Tsang and Hui Yuet-chen exchanged a glance.

Putting aside his acting skills, Jiang Xun's appearance is already quite good.

Tall, slender, with a healthy dark skin from the high-altitude sun, and well-defined facial features, especially her bright and clear eyes, she bears a resemblance to Xiao Bei in the script.

"Tell me why you decided to audition for the role of Xiao Bei?" Derek Tsang asked directly.

Jiang Xun thought to himself, "I'm so annoyed."

Didn't you send me the audition invitation? If you hadn't, I might be in the middle of coordinating with CCTV about the gala right now.

But he showed no sign of it on his face, and instead put on a serious expression, saying in a sincere tone, "Because, like him, when I was a teenager, I felt that I had nothing left to lose."

The room fell silent for a moment. Xu Yuezhen put down her pen and looked up at him.

"How exactly?" Derek Tsang leaned forward.

"My parents died in an accident on my fifteenth birthday."

Jiang Xun's tone was flat, as if it carried a faint numbness.

"Since then, I've grown up alone, lived alone, and gotten used to everything by myself. In some ways, I'm quite similar to Xiao Bei."

He almost laughed when he finished speaking.

How is this any different from those talent shows where contestants complain and try to gain sympathy?

But the results were indeed quite good.

The others all showed some degree of sympathy on their faces, and even Zhou Dongyu, who had been expressionless in the corner, twitched her eyebrows slightly.

Derek Tsang did not respond immediately, but instead picked up a page of the script from the table, stood up and handed it to him.

Jiang Xun took it with both hands, looked down and saw that Xiao Bei was going to take the blame for the female lead Chen Nian. In front of the police, he pulled her into the abandoned factory and then tried to stage a scene of assault.

"Is there a problem?" Derek Tsang asked.

"Thank you, director, no problem," Jiang Xun replied readily.

"You have five minutes to prepare."

Jiang Xun nodded, took the script, and sat down on a chair to the side.

He didn't rush to look; instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He has never received professional training in acting.

All my past life experiences started with working as an extra in Hengdian World Studios.

I squatted at the entrance of the film crew waiting for work, being ordered around by people, and played various roles such as soldiers A and B, passersby C and D, and even a corpse.

Over the years, he worked his way up, accumulating a set of unorthodox skills to handle various roles.

After his rebirth, thanks to the people and events he had seen in his previous life, as well as the life-and-death experience he gained from the car accident, his understanding of acting reached a new level.

It's not about improving skills, but about having something new in mind that I didn't have before.

For example, loss, loneliness, and the despair of not being able to see the light in the darkness.

The reborn brothers will surely understand.

And these are all things that Xiao Bei's character needs to some extent.

He opened his eyes and began to read the script.

"Director, I'm ready."

Derek Tsang nodded: "Dongyu, go help with the setup for a scene."

Zhou Dongyu stood up from the corner and walked up to Jiang Xun.

She wasn't tall, and standing next to Jiang Xun, who was over 1.8 meters tall, she looked even smaller. But she got into character quickly, though her eyes were as calm as a pool of water, revealing no emotion.

"Thank you for your help, Sister Dongyu."

"It's okay, you don't need to feel pressured. Just do it according to your understanding."

Jiang Xun nodded.

The abandoned factory didn't need a real set; the empty space in the audition room was the stage, and Jiang Xun had no intention of actually pinning her to the ground and tearing her apart.

Staff cleared an area, and two chairs were piled in the corner to serve as obstacles.

Derek Tsang sat in a chair, his hands crossed on his knees, looking calmly ahead.

"start."

Jiang Xun's breathing quickly changed from calm to rapid, like a snow leopard cornered.

His eyes were no longer those of the polite and gentle boy from before, but rather a state of utter madness, dark and heavy beneath them.

He grabbed Zhou Dongyu's wrist with such force that she involuntarily staggered forward a step.