Chapter 17: Don't Let Her Notice
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Baby, baby, why are you silent again?"
As soon as the woman next to her opened her mouth, she was urging her to die.
Xi Mo automatically filtered out Yan Tinghuan's nauseating nickname for her and put away her phone: smiling,"I just finished a work-related conversation, now I'm back."
Ruan Yesheng is also disgusting. How can someone even say "sweetheart" so easily?
She thought for a moment and decided that in future conversations with Yan Tinghuan, she would not use any terms of address and would directly speak about the content. This way, at least she wouldn't slip up by calling her the wrong name.
"You weren't this busy before," Yan Tinghuan stared at her face while speaking, a teasing smile on her face. "I didn't expect that after I went out for a while, you suddenly have resources."
Xi Mo calmly replied: "It's just luck. But this is only an audition, nothing is confirmed yet."
As a manager, if you don't pull resources for your actors, it's fine. But now that the actor has obtained resources on their own, you're still so surprised!
It's not like she came back and I had a child. What's there to be so surprised about?!
Yan Tinghuan blinked and asked, "What kind of drama is Lin Qitang in? He managed to keep it hidden, I haven't heard any rumors. Tell me the details first."
Xi Mo couldn't withstand Yan Tinghuan's habit of leaning in while speaking. It was too close, and the overwhelming scent of Yan Tinghuan's excessive perfume made her uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, for the sake of acting, she couldn't step back and had to endure that scent. She said, "It's not confirmed yet. If it is, I'll let you know."
Yan Tinghuan pouted, lifting her index finger and playfully poking Xi Mo's cheek. She immediately became dissatisfied, saying, "Annoying! I am your manager. We have a contract, and I have the right and obligation to know about your work schedule. Now you're being secretive with me?"
Xi Mo, poked on the cheek, felt her heart almost exploded: "..."
Female psychopath, stay away from me!
She felt like she was caught in a raging storm, like the white lady who caused a flood that submerged Mount Jinshan. However, she didn't reveal even the slightest hint on her face, responding with a perfectly charming smile without evading.
She couldn't evade, and she didn't dare to. After all, she hadn't figured out how Ruan Yesheng used to interact with Yan Tinghuan. If Yan Tinghuan had poked Ruan Yesheng's face before without any reaction, then if she were to evade now, it would raise suspicion. Moreover, knowing Ruan Yesheng's personality, Xi Mo believed that after being poked by Yan Tinghuan, Ruan Yesheng would definitely poke back with a smiling face.
Then they would poke each other back and forth, just like a lively performance. What a spectacle it would be.
Deep in her heart, Xi Mo silently wished that the two of them would end up poking each other like a sieve.
Yan Tinghuan seemed to compromise and shrugged slightly. "Alright then, you can tell me once it's confirmed. By the way, Tangtang told me you have a new number now. Are you using a new number for everything? You had been using the previous one for so long, why did you decide to change?"
As she spoke, she lowered her head and played with her phone.
Xi Mo casually replied, "It's not really changing numbers. I still have that number. But from now on, if you need to contact me, use the new number. Tangtang should have told you, right?"
Yan Tinghuan shook her phone. "Yes, I saved it. I was going to call you from the new number, but I thought I'd wait here to give you a surprise."
Xi Mo smiled slightly: "Well, I am indeed surprised, very 'surprised'."
Yan Tinghuan seemed to receive a text message. She opened it and a barely noticeable smile appeared on her lips.
A staff member came out from the inside and walked towards them. Yan Tinghuan squinted her eyes and suddenly asked, "Baby, I've been talking to you for so long, but it seems like you haven't called me 'Sweetheart' even once. Why does it feel like you're not as enthusiastic about me as before?"
Xi Mo: "..."
What was bound to happen finally happened.
However, she didn't expect it to happen so soon!
"Miss Ruan, please come in. Director Lin is looking for you," said the staff member approaching them.
Xi Mo stood gracefully as if granted amnesty, and smiled: "Alright, I'll trouble you."
The staff member from Lin Qitang's studio had encountered countless celebrities and was surprised to see Xi Mo, or rather Ruan Yesheng, with that face and figure. She couldn't help but take a few more glances.
It had been a while since she had seen such a stunning newcomer with such outstanding elegance. Her appearance was truly eye-catching.
Xi Mo turned to Yan Tinghuan, who was sitting on the sofa, and said, "I'm going in. Wait for me here."
Yan Tinghuan smiled and nodded.
"Miss Ruan, please follow me." The staff member led the way, and Xi Mo quickly followed. Being able to escape from that psychopath even for half an hour felt like a blessing from above.
After Xi Mo left, Yan Tinghuan's smile on her face transformed into a more meaningful expression. She continued replying to the previous message: "Ruanruan, I find her quite interesting. You too. If she actually starts calling me 'Sweetheart,' what should I do? She's so dedicated to her acting, who knows if she'll actually believe it and start calling me that."
Ruan Yesheng replied: "Remember to maintain an appropriate demeanor when interacting with her. Don't tease her too much."
Yan Tinghuan chuckled and typed: "It seems like you're the one teasing her, right? Yes, yes, only you're allowed to tease, not me. Anyway, I formally accept the task you've entrusted to me."
After a brief pause, another message arrived from Ruan Yesheng: "You must protect her and don't let her notice."
"Of course, I will. Just like I protected you in the beginning."
Xi Mo entered the office with the staff member. Deep inside the office, separated by frosted glass, there was another world.
The staff member handed her a thin audition script, saying, "Director Lin wants you to take a look at the audition script first. Once you're ready, you can go in and audition at the designated time. After reading it, please return the script to me."
Xi Mo politely replied:"Alright, thank you."
The staff member poured her a cup of tea, and she sat down to flip through the audition script.
The script is the cornerstone of a production and largely determines the fate of a drama. In terms of early-stage confidentiality work, the script is also the most strictly guarded. To prevent script leaks and premature spoilers, production companies usually don't release the complete script unless it's for established actors who have the qualifications to select scripts. Even for highly anticipated TV dramas and films, popular actors may not be able to see the full script until negotiations and contracts are finalized.
As Xi Mo is just a newcomer auditioning for a role, her audition script is relatively simple. The beginning provides an overview of the background, story synopsis, character analysis, and character relationships, which is like a director explaining the role to the actors. Sometimes during auditions, the director personally comes to guide the actors, but as a "newcomer," she hasn't reached that level yet.
The following pages contain the scenes and dialogue she will be auditioning for. These are fragmented and require the actor's ability to understand and embody the character.
However, as the female lead, Lin Qitang had given her the complete script early on to convince her to take the role, so her understanding of the entire drama can be considered quite in-depth.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
This drama is a Han Dynasty palace court drama titled "Sui Ting."*
*绥廷 - peaceful monarchy
"Sui Ting" tells the legendary life of Empress Deng Sui, who was highly regarded as a prominent empress during the Eastern Han Dynasty. From a young age, Empress Deng was known for her scholarly pursuits, extensive knowledge, and exceptional beauty. The historical records in the Later Han Book speak highly of her.
Although she was initially an Empress, she later became an Empress Dowager and held power for 16 years, actively participating in state affairs. She transitioned from the inner palace to the imperial court and made significant contributions during her reign, including stabilizing the declining Eastern Han Dynasty, ensuring the safety of the nation, and promoting the well-being of the people. During the era of Cai Lun's invention of papermaking, her discerning eye for talent played a crucial role, and she made remarkable contributions to the dynasty.
What is most commendable is that during her reign, Deng Sui was diligent and self-disciplined. She maintained strict discipline over her maternal relatives, effectively curbing the fatal turmoil left by the dominance of powerful families and eunuchs, which had plagued the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Deng Sui's achievements in the court have left a lasting legacy. However, it is unfortunate that she was a woman. As the Empress Dowager for sixteen years, she held power and controlled the government, which caused resentment among many. Nevertheless, future evaluations of her are generally more positive than negative.
In this drama, to enhance the dramatic effect and increase the audience's engagement, the character of Deng Sui has been portrayed with more complexity and depth.
Initially, Xi Mo was cast as the lead female character, Deng Sui. However, for this audition, she is trying out for the role of Ding'e, Deng Sui's personal maid since childhood.
Ding'e is also a highly intricate character, who accompanies Deng Sui throughout the entire story.
When she was picked up by Deng Xun, the father of Deng Sui, Deng Sui happened to be seriously ill and showed no signs of improvement. However, three days after she entered the mansion, Deng Sui's condition gradually improved.
As a result, Deng Xun gave her a name and let her accompany Deng Sui. The name given to her was 'Ding'e,' which means 'to dispel misfortune' for Deng Sui.
Ding'e is a tragic supporting character who is always by Deng Sui's side. She has her own hidden motives and, as a slave, she goes from the palace in the early stages to the court in the later stages. She sacrifices herself multiple times for Deng Sui, but in the later stages, their relationship becomes complicated, filled with both love and hatred.
Such a role, once performed well, can easily capture the hearts of the audience. If a familiar actor takes on the role, their popularity will naturally receive a significant boost. And if a newcomer successfully portrays this character, fame is not far away.
Xi Mo was familiar with the script to the point where she didn't need to read it thoroughly. She skimmed through the literal dialogue parts in the beginning and jumped to the scenes she would be auditioning for.
It must be said that this audition was quite challenging.
The first set of scenes consisted of three instances of Ding'e's "singing affirmation"* moments. In the Han Dynasty, when responding to a superior's command, one would respectfully bow and say "Nuo" to indicate compliance.
This gesture of obediently carrying out orders is called "singing affirmation".
*唱诺 (chàng nuò). In the Han Dynasty, when responding to a superior's command, one would bow and say "nuo" which means as you wish/promise to indicate agreement or compliance. It is a gesture of respect and obedience.
On her audition script, Xi Mo had three scenes of Ding'e's "nuo," and although the lines were the same, the emotions and implications varied significantly depending on the context. This truly tested the actress's acting skills.
There was also a lengthy monologue later on, which assessed the actors' ability to memorize lines. As a renowned actress, Xi Mo had no problem in terms of acting skills. Additionally, she had the face, money and thighs.
Xi Mo had already figured it out early on, but she still pretended to carefully read the script. After all, there were people watching, and she wanted to leave a good impression. After about ten minutes, Xi Mo stood up and returned the audition script to the staff member. She asked, "Can I go in to see Director Lin now?"
The staff member was clearly astonished and looked at her as if she were a strange creature. "That's it?"
Xi Mo said lightly: "Yes."
The staff member hurriedly said, "Let me inform Director Lin." After that, he turned back and said, "Miss Ruan, did you really remember all the lines? Once I take the script, you won't be able to look at it again. Do you want to take another look before I take it?"
"No need."
The staff member looked at her beautiful face and nodded strangely, "You have such a good memory. I've never seen anything like it."
Xi Mo smiled and said, "I recently enrolled in a memory enhancement program for a month as a trial, and it didn't cost me anything."
"Does it really work?" the staff member asked. "I often forget things and get scolded by Director Lin. Miss Ruan, where did you enroll?"
Xi Mo put on a serious face as if she were promoting a product and pointed outside, "My manager enrolled me. If you have time later, you can ask her."
