Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

Having already made friends with each other, Chen Chao and Bai Yu quickly struck up a conversation, chatting about everything from filming to games. After discovering that they both enjoyed playing games, they became increasingly engrossed in their conversation, almost forgetting that there were other people around.

"Um... hello." A somewhat timid voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Chen Chao and Bai Yu's conversation. The two turned their heads at the same time and saw a boy wearing black-rimmed glasses who looked a little dazed for some reason.

Faced with the gazes of the two male leads at the same time, the boy subconsciously swallowed. "I am Li Yan, and I play Daqing in the drama."

"Hello, I'm Chen Chao." Pausing his game interaction with Bai Yu, Chen Chao smiled and took the initiative to shake hands with Li Yan. "From now on, we'll be in the same production team. If you need any help, feel free to contact me anytime."

"Yes, just say whatever it is." Hearing Chen Chao's words, Bai Yu nodded and patted Li Yan's shoulder. "We're about the same age, so let's just treat each other as friends."

Faced with their kindness, Li Yan nodded vigorously, whispered "thank you," and then stood beside them without saying a word.

Noticing that he still seemed a little nervous, Chen Chao took the initiative to start a conversation with him, such as what movies he usually watched and what games he usually played.

Under Chen Chao's guidance, Li Yan gradually relaxed and caught up with the rhythm of Chen Chao and Bai Yu's conversation. Of course, he was still a little confused when the two of them used some game terms.

The lunch break for the start of filming was also held at the same hotel where the press conference was held. As the biggest star in the crew, Chen Chao didn't act like a big star at all. Instead, he took the initiative to invite everyone to toast and even told jokes to liven up the atmosphere, making everyone laugh.

Seeing this harmonious scene, Zhou Yuanzhou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Chen Chao, who was so young, might be difficult to get along with and act like a big shot, but now it seemed that he had completely worried too much.

While the cast and crew of "Guardian" were having a meal together, the topic of the start of filming for "Guardian" had already become a trending topic online. However, the comments section under the hashtag #ChenChaoGuardianStartsFilming# showed a polarized trend.

"Ahhhh, Chen Chao is finally back on set! I declare that he is Shen Wei himself!" A netizen, probably a fan of Chen Chao's career, posted an official photo of Chen Chao as Shen Wei.

"I still believe in Chen Chao's acting skills. Ouyang Ke and Xu Zhengtai both acted very well, and he even performed very well in the Yan Xun clip circulating online. I believe he can portray Shen Wei well."

"No way, they're really casting him as Shen Wei? How old is he? Can he really portray the vicissitudes of someone who's lived for ten thousand years?"

"Why would he turn down movies and TV dramas to act in a web series? Has he lost his mind?"

"What does the idiot upstairs know? Ah Chao is clearly challenging himself. Always playing similar roles will limit his acting range."

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Time flew by during filming, and a month had passed in no time. Filming of "Guardian" was now on track, and Chen Chao had returned to his usual regular lifestyle on set.

Just as Chen Chao finished filming and returned to the rest area to relax, his agent and "mother-in-law" Ji Ran came over.

"Ah Chao, I have some good news." Before Chen Chao could speak, Ji Ran spoke first, his voice filled with obvious excitement, "Daylight Entertainment has sent us an invitation to audition for their new drama 'The Story of Minglan'."

Upon hearing Ji Ran's words, Chen Chao was slightly taken aback. To be honest, this news did surprise him.

After all, it's Noon Sunshine, the company widely recognized in the industry as "a production by Noon Sunshine is bound to be a masterpiece." From "Nirvana in Fire" to "The Disguiser," and the upcoming "Like a Flowing River" and "County Committee Compound," almost every one of their dramas is a guarantee of both critical acclaim and high viewership.

"What role are they planning to have me audition for, and how did they even think of me?" Chen Chao asked after taking a big gulp of the mineral water in his hand.

"They plan to ask you to audition for the male lead. Your performances in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' and 'Duckweed,' as well as the clips of Yan Xun, have been seen by the directors and producers at Daylight Entertainment, and they have a very high opinion of you," Ji Ran explained with a smile.

"Plus, Ah Chao, you're currently very popular, so you're a pretty suitable candidate." Of course, there's one more thing Ji Ran didn't mention: the female lead of this TV series is Zhao Liying, and they plan to have Chen Chao and Zhao Liying play lovers for the third time to generate a lot of buzz.

"Okay, then please arrange an audition time for me with them. I'll ask Director Zhou for leave to go to the audition." After thinking for a moment, Chen Chao nodded and agreed.

After receiving Chen Chao's affirmative reply, Ji Ran quickly communicated with Daylight Entertainment and arranged the audition time and place.

After obtaining the exact time and place, Chen Chao went to ask director Zhou Yuanzhou for leave. Perhaps because Chen Chao had performed very well, Zhou Yuanzhou was very easy to talk to.

Upon hearing that Chen Chao was going to audition for the male lead in a Daylight Entertainment drama, he immediately granted him three days off. "Good luck with the audition, try your best to get the role, and you can bring another wave of popularity to our 'Guardian'."

.......

The audition location that Noon Sunshine and Chen Chao agreed on was their company headquarters in Dongyang, Jinhua, Zhejiang.

Although Chen Chao arrived half an hour earlier than the agreed audition time, he was somewhat surprised to find several familiar-looking actors already sitting in the waiting area after following the staff. They were mostly veterans in the industry.

Instead of exchanging greetings and pleasantries with these veterans, Chen Chao found a corner to sit down, closed his eyes, and began to review the character segments of the male protagonist Gu Tingye that he had read in his previous life.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the staff finally called out Chen Chao's name, waking him from his reverie. "Mr. Chen Chao, please come in."

As Chen Chao pushed open the audition room door, the first thing he saw was three people sitting behind a long table. The one in the middle was director Zhang Kaizhou, the one on his left was producer Hou Hongliang, and the one on his right was screenwriter.

"Director Zhang, Producer Hou, and screenwriter, hello. I'm Chen Chao, here to audition for the male lead, Gu Tingye." With a slight bow, Chen Chao introduced himself calmly.