“What are you thinking that’s making you so agitated? Your pheromones are showing,” Chi Qingwei sniffed lightly and said.
Shen Zuofeng coughed awkwardly and averted her gaze, replying, “I was just thinking I need to carefully consider how to establish a character persona. After all, different people express grief differently.”
Moreover, there was a crucial point that made Shen Zuofeng extremely embarrassed.
Wasn’t the person she loved right in front of her? And now she had to perform the grief of losing her beloved right in front of that very person.
Just thinking about it made her embarrassed enough to dig out a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment with her toes.
“Oh.” Chi Qingwei nodded, though her expression clearly showed she didn’t believe it. However, she didn’t press further and instead followed Shen Zuofeng’s line of thought: “So what kind of persona are you planning to establish?”
Shen Zuofeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I’ll go with Chang Xuan.”
After all, she definitely wouldn’t use herself as the persona to perform that would be too strange.
While Shen Zuofeng had solved her character problem, Chi Qingwei hadn’t yet.
She stared at her assigned topic with a cold, stern expression, as if looking at an enemy.
Shen Zuofeng found it amusing, the young CEO Chi was racking her brains over how to express surprise for three million.
“Stop staring at me and figure out your role. The answer isn’t written on my face,” Chi Qingwei urged when she noticed Shen Zuofeng still watching her instead of thinking about her performance.
“Alright,” Shen Zuofeng replied good-naturedly.
Not long after, Wang Fuke conducted several more rounds of auditions before calling for a break, with the remaining candidates to enter later.
He approached Shen Zuofeng and Chi Qingwei, grinning like a fox that had just stolen something, and said, “Are you two ready? You can give it a try now.”
Shen Zuofeng first glanced at Chi Qingwei, waiting for her slight nod before responding, “Yes, I’ll go first.”
“Good.” Wang Fuke, in high spirits, returned to his seat. The others, seeing this, immediately perked up and focused their attention on the two, knowing they should treat their investors with due respect.
Shen Zuofeng took a deep breath. She had never tried acting before, so this attempt felt quite novel to her.
She walked to the front of Wang Fuke and the others and stood still. In front of her was a table, and her demeanor quickly transformed into one of icy aloofness and detachment, like a celestial maiden from the highest heavens, unapproachable.
The laughter in her eyes was replaced by stillness, though deep within them lingered a trace of helplessness and sorrow. She gazed absently at the table as if her beloved lay there.
Her beloved was gravely injured, yet she had found no way to save her, forced to watch helplessly as she suffered from illness.
“Chi Yi.” Chang Xuan slowly sat down by the bedside, her gaze both infatuated and pained as she looked at the person on the bed. In this moment, she was no longer the proud genius of the cultivation world, but an ordinary mortal grieving for her beloved.
The woman on the bed had been ravaged by illness to the point of being emaciated, clinging to life by a mere thread. Once that thread snapped, she would be gone.
“Chi Yi, what should I do? I’m useless, I can’t save you.” Tears suddenly slipped from Chang Xuan’s eyes as she grasped Gong Chi Yi’s hand, burying her face in it and gently nuzzling. Her voice choked with sobs as she said, “I can’t bear to see you in such pain, but I don’t want you to leave me either. What should I do, Chi Yi?”
Chang Xuan’s heart ached, but she couldn’t make the woman lying there get up and comfort her as she used to.
Every time she had been sad before, this woman would smile and console her.
Chang Xuan gently stroked Gong Chi Yi’s face and smiled softly.
Tears silently traced her cheeks as she leaned down to kiss Gong Chi Yi’s face, whispering, “You’re suffering, aren’t you? Don’t worry, go ahead. I’ll live well, just as you told me to.”
She watched with a smile as the woman on the bed breathed more and more evenly, until finally, as if reassured, her chest no longer rose and fell.
She lay quietly on the bed.
Chang Xuan gazed at her, entranced.
All the detachment around her was drowned in an atmosphere of grief and despair. Chang Xuan rose, holding Gong Chi Yi’s body, silently keeping her company.
Beside them, Chi Qingwei watched Shen Zuofeng, who was still immersed in her role, and noticed the tears on her cheeks. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Cut!”
Wang Fuke stood up excitedly, his face alight with exhilaration.
Everyone else was also stunned by Shen Zuofeng’s performance. They had expected it to be terrible, but instead, they were amazed, it was far better than they had anticipated!
Shen Zuofeng sat quietly for a moment, waiting to snap out of character before immediately looking toward Chi Qingwei. She saw her gazing intently, emotions swirling in her eyes, but Shen Zuofeng couldn’t decipher what Chi Qingwei was thinking.
“President Shen, you must think it over carefully! After all, you want this drama to be a success, don’t you? And you are the one I believe best fits the role of Chang Xuan!” Wang Fuke was so excited that his pheromones overflowed. Though Shen Zuofeng’s acting was still a bit raw, she had all the essential qualities. With a little polishing, Wang Fuke was convinced that a bright new star would emerge in the entertainment industry!
“Old Wang, rein in your pheromones, they’re too strong!” an alpha couldn’t help but complain.
Despite Wang Fuke’s artistic appearance, his pheromones carried an intensely strong rose scent, which didn’t match his persona at all.
“Oh, oh, sorry, sorry,” Wang Fuke chuckled apologetically.
Shen Zuofeng paid no attention to his pheromones and merely nodded casually, focusing all her attention on Chi Qingwei. She would certainly consider Wang Fuke’s proposal carefully, but with many matters to handle at the company, if she were to take on the role, she would need to make proper arrangements.
Chi Qingwei smiled lightly at her and then took the initiative to step into the position where Shen Zuofeng had been standing earlier.
As soon as everyone saw Chi Qingwei take the stage, they quieted down, eagerly awaiting Young Miss Chi’s performance.
Chi Qingwei sat down lazily, glancing at the slip in her hand as if it were a lottery ticket, and chuckled softly, “Oh? Three million? Not bad.”
She extended her hand to the side. Before anyone could grasp the meaning of her gesture, Shen Zuofeng quickly stepped forward and took the lottery ticket from her hand.
“Here, take it. Go buy a necklace for your partner.”
“Alright, thank you, Little Chi.” Shen Zuofeng replied, suppressing a laugh.
Wang Fuke: “…”
The assistant director and the others: “…”
Wang Fuke spoke with a hint of amusement, “Well, this is quite a surprise, you’ve certainly surprised us.”
Chi Qingwei leisurely smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeve and cast a cool glance at Wang Fuke. “Wasn’t it a surprise?”
“Alright, alright, it was,” Wang Fuke chuckled. Chi Qingwei’s performance truly fit her own persona.
“Take your time to consider it. I’ll be waiting for your response,” Wang Fuke said seriously.
“We’ll give it careful thought,” Shen Zuofeng nodded.
Chi Qingwei remained silent but tacitly agreed with Shen Zuofeng’s words.
Afterward, the two sat to the side and observed Wang Fuke’s auditions. Whenever they came across actors they thought were promising, both paid close attention. Since Shen Zuofeng was involved in the production of The Record of the Sword, she had a good understanding of the character settings and could offer her insights.
By the end of the day’s auditions, only a few minor supporting roles had been cast, with none of the major roles finalized.
The two declined Wang Fuke’s dinner invitation and instead found a small restaurant where they booked a private room, wanting to enjoy a quiet meal. If they had gone with Wang Fuke and the others, they would have had to deal with social niceties, which was too bothersome.
Shen Zuofeng watched Chi Qingwei, who was still ordering, and said with a smile, “I’m a pretty good cook. I could make meals for you in the future.”
After finishing her order, Chi Qingwei set down the menu and looked into Shen Zuofeng’s smiling eyes. The discomfort she had felt earlier when Shen Zuofeng cried slowly faded. She replied lightly, “Are you trying to tempt me into agreeing with this?”
And with that “in the future”.
How cunning.
“That depends on whether you’re susceptible to such temptations.”
“Do you think such a simple offer could tempt me? If so, I’d be far too easily swayed.”
“And it’s too ordinary.”
Shen Zuofeng wasn’t flustered and continued to smile warmly. “Don’t you like ordinary things? If you prefer romance, then I’ll prepare something special next time.”
Resting her chin on her hand, Shen Zuofeng added, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being ordinary. After all, the more ordinary something is, the harder it is to sustain.”
How many people would willingly prepare three meals a day for someone else, and do so for a lifetime?
“You’re not wrong about that.”
“Ordinary is the foundation, but romance can still happen when the moment calls for it.”
Shen Zuofeng added, “As long as you don’t find it cheesy.”
“Cheesy?” Chi Qingwei asked.
“Like romantic gestures that are too cliché and overused. You might already be tired of them,” Shen Zuofeng explained.
Chi Qingwei nodded but thought to herself that even if many people had used the same gestures, the person using them made all the difference.
No matter how old the trick, as long as it came from the right person, it would always be the most effective.
“I’ll take you home later. I’ll have someone return your car to you tomorrow,” Chi Qingwei said, remembering that Shen Zuofeng’s car was still parked at Chiliang Tower.
“Alright, it’s fine if you don’t. I can go get it myself,” Shen Zuofeng hinted.
Chi Qingwei glanced at her and said calmly, “I won’t have time to accompany you tomorrow. If you go to get it yourself, just take it and leave.”
“Alright!” Shen Zuofeng felt a bit disappointed. She had thought that if she went to pick her up, she could at least see her one more time even though they would meet at the party later, who wouldn’t want an extra chance to see their beloved?
“You’re making me think you’re ‘taking advantage of my favor’ like this,” Chi Qingwei looked at Shen Zuofeng. What was with that expression?
It was like a puppy abandoned by its owner.
Was Shen Zuofeng really that loyal?
Chi Qingwei began to doubt her own impression of her. Shen Zuofeng seemed perfectly normal around others, so why did she act like a puppy seeking affection from its owner whenever she was around her?
Or was it true that love really makes people lose their intelligence?