Pang Wei sighed. “Xin Yan is the grandson of Xin Mingqing, the CEO of Huasheng Group.”
Shang Lu was somewhat surprised. “I remember Xin Mingqing seemed to have only one son. So, is Xin Yan his illegitimate child?”
“What illegitimate child? Xin Mingqing had two marriages. Xin Yan’s father, Xin Hongbin, is the eldest son, born from his first wife. The one who appears most frequently now, Xin Hongkai, is the second son, born from his second wife.”
Upon hearing this, Shang Lu understood immediately. Two wives each gave birth to a child—there must be plenty of dramatic entanglements involved.
However, information online about Xin Mingqing’s private life only mentioned that he received support from his father-in-law and single-handedly founded Huasheng Group. It was likely another story of a “phoenix man” abandoning his wife and child.
In that case, Xin Yan and Xin Zhuo must be rivals. Why had the novel never mentioned this?
No matter how hard Shang Lu thought, she couldn’t figure it out, so she simply stopped trying. In any case, Xin Yan definitely wouldn’t side with the male lead—that much was certain. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Holding the documents, she suddenly thought of a good idea. Since the drama she was filming wouldn’t be aired on television anyway, releasing it online might actually yield better results!
“Auntie, I think this web series is quite promising. I’ve decided—I’ll go with this! By the way, do you have Xin Yan’s contact information? I have many ideas and would like to discuss them with him properly.”
After all, Shang Lu had personally witnessed web series evolve from crude productions to taking root and flourishing. Although the circumstances in these two worlds were different, she believed that standing on the shoulders of giants could help the other party avoid many detours.
If she could use this opportunity to bring down the male lead, the female lead would lose her biggest backer and no longer be able to stir up trouble!
Before the meeting, she needed to carefully consider how to phrase her arguments to persuade the other party.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xin Yan received Pang Wei’s message. Seeing that Shang Lu had agreed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“Knock, knock, knock. Mr. Xin, I have something to report.” A knocking sound came from outside. Xin Yan turned off his phone. “Come in.”
A man in a tracksuit entered, wearing sunglasses and holding a file folder in his hand.
“Mr. Xin, I followed up as instructed. Xin Zhuo indeed has a relationship with the youngest daughter of the Yan family. Also, here is the information you asked me to investigate on Shang Lu. It’s all here.”
Xin Yan’s slender fingers took the photos and then tossed them aside.
But the stack of documents was neatly held in his hand. “Continue monitoring Xin Zhuo. Being manipulated by a woman—that’s all he’s capable of.”
The man in the tracksuit acknowledged the order. Seeing Xin Yan fully absorbed in examining the documents, he tactfully withdrew.
Alone in the office, Xin Yan went through the documents one by one, his gaze finally settling on a photo of Shang Lu arguing with the Yan siblings.
After a long while, he uttered three words: “Interesting.”
Shang Lu had no idea she had already been thoroughly investigated.
But even if she knew, she wouldn’t care. After all, who would believe in something like transmigration?
Not to mention, dramas about transmigration were virtually nonexistent at the time, and many people didn’t even have such a concept.
Sunday, Huayi Film and Television.
As Ji Xue stepped out of the elevator on the second floor, she saw many girls standing in the hallway. Some were sitting with their eyes closed, resting, while others paced back and forth nervously.
The atmosphere also affected Ji Xue. She clutched the file folder tightly to her chest and walked forward, finding a seat to sit down and wait quietly.
Suddenly, a girl next to her nudged Ji Xue. “Hey, you look really familiar. Aren’t you that child star?”
Ji Xue opened her eyes and saw a delicate-looking girl gazing at her with curiosity. Ji Xue habitually smiled. “Hello.”
Seeing she didn’t deny it, the girl immediately grew excited.
“Wow, you really are that child star! I remember you played the little princess in The Son of Heaven, right? Hi, I’m Zhang Zhujun! I can’t believe I actually ran into a celebrity!”
Zhang Zhujun had received her audition notice from “Actor’s Home,” but after arriving, she realized almost everyone there was an unknown minor actor—not a single star in sight.
Although Ji Xue had acted as a child and could be considered a child star, she hadn’t performed in nearly a decade. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhujun still recognized her.
“You know, Director Shang Lu is personally conducting this audition. I heard the female lead will be chosen from among us. Who knows who’ll be that lucky? You know who Shang Lu is, right?”
Zhang Zhujun was naturally outgoing, and Ji Xue was a child star she quite liked, which explained her excitement.
Of course Ji Xue knew the director was Shang Lu. In fact, Shang Lu had personally called to invite her. Her parents hadn’t been very supportive, thinking Shang Lu had only made short videos before and couldn’t possibly direct a TV series.
But Ji Xue hadn’t acted in so long. Without an agency, she had no resources. Even though she’d performed as a child, now she had no roles to play.
So whenever someone was willing to cast her, no matter how small the part, she would definitely show up!
This time was no exception.
Suddenly, the conference room door opened, and a girl in a black uniform stepped out.
“Time’s up. Our audition is about to begin. Those whose names I call can come in now. Dong Zhi, Zhang Zhujun, Sheng Qiaoli—you three are in the first group.”
Zhang Zhujun sprang to her feet and waved to Ji Xue. “Hey, I didn’t expect to be first! I’m heading in now!”
Seeing her lively personality, Ji Xue found it amusing yet also felt a twinge of envy. She just wondered what the audition would actually be like.
At that moment, Shang Lu sat at the center of the table. To her left was the unprofessional photographer Tan Le, and beside him was the socially anxious rich kid Yu Jialin.
To Shang Lu’s right was Sun Ruhui, and next to her was the representative from Huayi Film and Television.
Beside Shang Lu were stacks of documents and numerous photos. She already had a few candidates in mind, but for the crucial female lead role, she wanted to consider carefully.
The first, second, and third groups had all finished their auditions, and the pile of documents to Shang Lu’s right had shrunk considerably.
Soon, it was the final group’s turn—and Ji Xue was among them.
As soon as she entered, Ji Xue’s attention was drawn to Shang Lu sitting in the center. She was surprised to find Shang Lu so beautiful, like a dazzling red rose that instantly captured everyone’s gaze.
Yet her eyes were sharp and penetrating; when they rested on Ji Xue, it made her instinctively straighten up.
The first person Shang Lu noticed was Ji Xue. She was the only actress she had personally called to invite for an audition, and she was also a candidate for the female lead. The purpose of this audition was to see how her acting skills measured up.
Most importantly, Ji Xue’s appearance truly fit the female lead in the drama—the kind of face that naturally wins over audiences. It might not be strikingly eye-catching, but it could easily evoke sympathy from viewers. This type of look might not be that of a stunning beauty, but it could thrive in the world of television dramas.
Shang Lu looked at the final three candidates and gave them a prompt.
“Now, imagine you’re a student. A handsome guy often bullies you, so you start fighting back. The lines are up to you. You have ten minutes to prepare, so think it over carefully.”