Chapter 18: At That Moment, She Completely Transformed Into A Different Person
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The staff went in to inform, and after a while, she came out and invited Xi Mo: "Miss Ruan, you may enter now."
The door was already open, waiting for her. When Xi Mo went in, she still lightly knocked on the door first, and after hearing Lin Qitang's "please come in" from inside, she entered.
Considering that no matter where she goes, it seems that she rarely knocks on doors. It's not because she lacks manners, in fact, she has been strictly taught etiquette since childhood. Rather, it's because most of the time, she doesn't need to.
Usually, someone else opens the door for her, either considerately or respectfully inviting her in.
If she was still Xi Mo now, Lin Qitang would definitely come out to greet her. Back then, Lin Qitang worked hard to invite her to play the leading role. It's also thanks to Lin Qitang's special attention to Xi Mo, otherwise she, "Ruan Yesheng", would not have the chance to appear here at all.
The outdated ones in the circle are not as good as the newcomers. Today is not what it used to be. As an old and newcomer, she has to adapt to the so-called low-key and small-time as soon as possible. Anyway, she has acted in various roles, and life is like a play, all relying on acting skills.
Lin Qitang was sitting in front of the workbench, and she stood two meters away from him, smiling and nodding: "Director Lin, hello, I'm Ruan Yesheng who came to audition."
Lin Qitang flipped through her resume.
There was no photo on the resume, and there was not much information. This originally made him a little dissatisfied. Now he raised his eyes, looked at the woman in front of him, and couldn't help but fix his eyes on her.
Ruan Yesheng's appearance and figure are undoubtedly first-class. She can catch people's attention in an instant, and most importantly, she is extremely recognizable. There are a lot of handsome men and women in the entertainment industry, but some people can't be popular at all. The audience is blind when they act in a drama, because they are unrecognizable and can't be remembered.
The woman in front of her stood in a decent posture with a natural temperament.
Just standing there is a pleasing scenery.
In particular, Xi Mo's temperament, which seemed to be exuded, caught Lin Qitang's eyes without any suspense at that moment.
Lin Qitang is relatively young among directors. He is only in his thirties. He is considered a cutting-edge director. Directors are basically divided into three categories, artistic, commercial, and hybrid. Artistic directors have very strict requirements and have a very personal style. Such directors will consider the latter more in the pursuit of box office ratings and personal artistic effects, and rarely have unspoken rules. Commercial directors are obviously looking at the money, and they will also compromise the various unspoken rules in the circle. If the producers come in to support them, they will also cooperate. They will not hesitate to shoot various thunder dramas* and create artificial mines.
*sensational or exaggerated storylines, plot twists, and dramatic elements. These dramas often contain unexpected and shocking events, making them attention-grabbing and sometimes controversial.
Lin Qitang happened to belong to the third type: the mixed type, and he was involved in both.
On the one hand, he hopes that he can be more in line with his own wishes in terms of casting. For example, Ding'e, an important role, has been strictly checked by himself. He has tried so many actors, and many of them are still popular at the moment. But he hasn't found the one who reached his heart yet. But on the other hand, Xi Mo actually recommended Ruan Yesheng to him, and she didn't forget to express it openly and secretly. It should be noted that Xi Mo had been focused on filming movies before, and now that she is willing to take over a TV series, it will be considered a gimmick at that time, and with Xi Mo's huge fan base and influence, one can completely predict the future direction.
Speaking of which, the other party's willingness to play the role was the result of him pestering her with shamelessness. No matter what he did, he couldn't afford to make Xi Mo lose face.
Originally, he intended that if this Ruan Yesheng was not too bad and could reach an acceptable level, he would cast her.
Who would have expected that after meeting her in person, her appearance and temperament greatly exceeded his expectations.
Xi Mo was observant and noticed that Lin Qitang's expression improved slightly. She didn't say anything, knowing that she just needed to wait for him to speak.
After setting aside the resume and calming down, Lin Qitang's expression also became more subdued. "Mm, it says here that Miss Ruan, you have previously done advertisements, MVs, and even a movie a few years ago. Judging from the timeline, you shouldn't be considered a newcomer. But why isn't the movie's title mentioned?"
Xi Mo smiled and said: "That was a long time ago. Now, I consider myself a newcomer and wish to start anew. Thank you, Director Lin, for giving me this chance to audition."
You can keep pretending and acting as much as you want!
When you asked me to play the female lead role, didn't you just smile shyly and refuse to leave for a long time!
Lin Qitang said indifferently: "Okay, let's stop here for now. According to the first item in the audition book, you can start."
Xi Mo lowered her head.
Her beautiful brows and eyes also lowered, and with a graceful step forward, she did not show the slightest hesitation. Her hands interlocked as she respectfully bowed and said: "Nuo."
Her voice was very soft.
And right at this moment, she completely transformed into a different person.
The etiquette in the Han Palace is extremely strict, whether it's in speech, behavior, or sitting posture, everything reflects proper manners. Even in clothing design, it adheres to the principles of propriety and restraint. Despite wearing modern casual attire, when Xi Mo bowed, it seemed as if she was donning traditional attire with a trailing skirt and an ironed long hair, exuding the elegance and refinement of ancient times, permeating every aspect of her.
She also handled the details precisely right. When a woman bows in a gesture of respect, she should use her right hand to fold over her left hand.
Lin Qitang straightened his body subconsciously and looked at her.
Her response of "Nuo" not only addressed the first line of the audition script but also perfectly echoed his instruction for her to begin.
She is very respectful now. She is Ding'e, the most perfect and loyal servant on the surface, and when she bows and responds, she doesn't even raise her eyebrows or eyes. In front of Deng Sui, she always appears in a lowly position, serving diligently. In the early days, Deng Sui was naive and lively, often pulling Ding'e along to play and trying to make the mature young woman laugh, but it was still difficult to succeed.
The first test is an ordinary scene. At this time, Deng Sui has not entered the palace. Deng Sui orders Ding'e to handle something outside the mansion. Dinge's response is her usual calm and humble manner.
This kind of quietness and humility hides her self-confidence and arrogance that are superior to everyone.
There is nothing she can't do.
Deng Sui also trusted her so much.
This posture of bowing and showing respect makes it difficult to clearly see Xi Mo's eyebrows and eyes. However, Lin Qitang can accurately perceive the hint of arrogance revealed in her respect, which was not visible in the previous audition actors. Those actors failed to interpret Ding'e's character deeply enough and only portrayed her superficial respect.
Lin Qitang took a sip of water: "Okay, next one."
Still the same lines, still the same, monotonous 'Nuo'.
Scene change.
This time it was Deng Sui's father, Deng Xun, who asked Ding'e to do one thing. He killed an assassin in front of him and Deng Sui. The assassin failed to assassinate Deng Sui and was caught on the spot.
This assassin is Ding'e's elder brother.
Deng Sui's grandfather, Deng Yu, was a general who once galloped on the battlefield. He made great contributions to the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu. The honor of the Deng family also came from him. Because of helping Liu Xiu establish a new dynasty back then, the Deng family inevitably made many enemies, and when Deng Xun took over as the head of the family, it became even more turbulent. Deng Xun was cautious, his eyes were like torches, and when the assassin came in, he could see that the assassin and Ding'e seemed to have some connection. In fact, the assassin had just looked at Ding'e a few more times during the chaos, but it had already made Deng Xun a little bit suspicious.
In order to dispel doubts, Deng Xun ordered Ding'e to kill the assassin.
Xi Mo stood at the same place, still folded her hands to salute. The ancient robes were wide and would cover her face when saluting. Under this cover, Xi Mo glanced in the direction of Lin Qitang. Deng Sui said in a deep voice, "Nuo."
A single word without any emotional ups and downs.
Facing her own brother, she still chose to obey Deng Xun's order without the slightest hesitation, but this time the ending was a little imperceptibly protracted and stagnant.
Sitting there, Lin Qitang felt that his soul was sucked in by Xi Mo's hidden gaze.
Good actors are very good at attracting people's attention when they enter the scene. The top ones will even bring in all the scene partners to the scene, completely abandoning the concept of the set and being on the actual scene.
Compared with Deng Sui who was vigorous and decisive in the later period, Deng Sui at this time was still very kind, with the most common innocence and simplicity among girls at that time. In the early days, she didn't want to see bloodshed, and she didn't want Ding'e to kill for her, although Ding'e had already been stained with unknown amount of blood under Deng Xun's order.
Upon receiving Xi Mo's profound gaze, Lin Qitang felt a sudden sensation, as if Deng Sui had been the one being looked at. In the script, at this moment, Deng Sui also had a reaction. She sensed Ding'e's gaze and understood that Ding'e didn't want to kill in front of her, hoping she would avoid it.
Lin Qitang held his chest with one hand. Because Deng Sui was injured at this time, he forcibly twisted himself into a delicate amd weak daughter, and said softly according to the script: "Father, Sui'er will go back to the room first."
Xi Mo: "..."
Who allowed you to act opposite me?!
After Xi Mo saluted, she folded her hands and waited quietly with her eyebrows lowered.
After Deng Sui left, she raised her eyes and glanced at the back of Deng Sui, who was imaginary in the void, her fingers were bent, as if she was holding a sharp sword, her face was expressionless, and her feet seemed to be facing that way without hesitation. go.
The assassin was in that direction, and she was still playing the role of Ding'e. Lin Qitang sensed his gaffe, coughed quietly, and took another sip of water: "Very good, move on to the next one."
The third scene is still the one-word dialogue, 'Nuo'
After Liu Zhao died, Deng Sui had become the powerful Empress Dowager at this time, and the distance between her and Ding'e was getting farther and farther, but both of them maintained the facade and did not reveal it.
Deng Sui ordered Ding'e to assassinate a stubborn old minister in the court, pretending to be an accident. The courtier was very dissatisfied with her hearing the government, and formed a party to rebel. In order to stabilize the situation, she had to act first.
Now, Ding'e has already killed countless people for her.
Xi Mo took two steps forward, bowed and said, "Nuo."
At this time, she had already raised her eyes, looking directly at the void in front of her through her non-existent wide sleeves.
In front of her was Deng Sui.
She used to lower her eyebrows and lower her eyes in front of Deng Sui for an unknown number of years, but now that time has passed, she can already look at her like this. The acting skills of an excellent actor are reflected in the eyes in many ways. Every eye movement, every emotional expression is a scene.
Lin Qitang also stared at her as if he had been touched by a ghost, "As the Guardian of the Palace, I am asking you to kill again. Are you tired of it?"
Xi Mo: "......"
Lin Qitang, you're sick!
Why don't you just play the lead actress yourself?!
Why did you come looking for me in the first place?!
At that time, Deng Sui belonged to the court and listened to politics. Her power was above anyone else, equivalent to the empress, so she would call herself Zhen* in the later stages of the script, and she was also the first woman in history to use it. As her personal attendant, Ding'e was rewarded with a job guarding the palace order to accompany her around.
*"朕" (zhèn), a term traditionally used by emperors to refer to themselves, the royal 'I'.
Xi Mo had no expression on her face, and bowed to play with this psychotic director: "I will do whatever the Empress Dowager asks me to do."
Suddenly, Lin Qitang regained his composure and waved his hand to Xi Mo, feeling a bit embarrassed. He said, "You don't need to try the long lines later. By the way, Miss Ruan, what's your relationship with Xi Mo? She mentioned you, and I'm quite curious."
Xi Mo said: "We were classmates."
Lin Qitang had a somewhat enlightened expression, "You also graduated from there? Your resume is too simple, and I'm not quite sure. Miss Ruan, which company are you currently affiliated with?"
"I'm not with any company, but I signed with a private manager," Xi Mo replied. Thinking of Yan Tinghuan outside, Xi Mo felt annoyed.
Ruan Yesheng must be blind to have signed with her.
Among the directors, Lin Qitang is more fond of promoting newcomers. In fact, he has indeed popularized many young actors. He hopes to use Xi Mo's influence this time to bring out a new batch of new characters. He also want to leave a fresh face who is not well-known in the circle, but whose temperament and acting skills are consistent.
Lin Qitang looked at Xi Mo and smiled slightly: "Then, is Ms. Ruan interested in signing a contract with my studio?"
Xi Mo also looked at him with a decent smile.
Ten minutes later, Xi Mo was accompanied by the staff and came out. Yan Tinghuan stood up from the sofa and said hello: "How is it?"
She is so laid back that she doesn't look like a manager.
Xi Mo didn't say a word, but the staff member replied: "Congratulations, the role has been decided. Director Lin has some work arrangements for both of you. Get ready, and you'll receive the work sheet later."
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Thank you, thank you." Yan Tinghuan smiled and shook hands with the staff: "Then let's go first and wait for the news from Director Lin."
After finishing speaking, she hugged Xi Mo intimately: "I knew it, my Ruanruan is the best."
Xi Mo was covered in goosebumps, but the staff at the back called Yan Tinghuan again: "I'm sorry, Miss Yan, I have some private matters and I want to ask you for help."
"What's the matter?" Yan Tinghuan smiled back.
"May I ask if there are any seats left for that memory crash course? "
The staff member looked coquettish and said," Is it true that there is a one month trial without any fees?"
Yan Tinghuan: "?"
Xi Mo had already gracefully put aside Yan Tinghuan's hand, and walked forward swiftly, Yan Tinghuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled secretly, and said to the staff member: "Mm, I heard that the quota is full, If there is another time, I will let you know?"
After prevaricating the staff, Yan Tinghuan caught up with Xi Mo, and couldn't help but take Xi Mo's arm again: "Ruanruan, to celebrate you getting the role, let's have a good meal?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Let go!
Either clinging or hugging, you are so disgusting!
Xi Mo smiled and held Yan Tinghuan's arm back: "Okay, where to eat?"
"I just texted Tangtang, and she was so happy that she said that after getting off work, we must go to a high-end place for a high-end meal." Yan Tinghuan winked.
"Where?" Xi Mo pretended to be excited.
Hehe, no matter how high-end Tangtang said the meal would be, it couldn't be more than stir-fried squid.
Yan Tinghuan said, "Let's go eat seafood."
Xi Mo: "..."
You guys are going to die!
