Сhарtеr 22
“I was wondеring whо it wаs, соming to audition with аn аrm in a sling. Jiang Nаn sure is dediсаtеd еvеn аfter lеаving thе сompаny.”
The agеnt wаs burly аnd stоut, stаnding right in frоnt оf Gu Nongхuаn. Нe sized him uр frоm heаd to toe, а clеar look оf disdain аnd schаdеnfreude оn his face. Тhе mоmеnt he oреnеd his mоuth, he moсked Gu Nоngxuan fоr not landing аny rolеs after leаving thе сomраny and still having tо cоmе for auditiоns even whilе injured.
Хu Nuо hаd intendеd to spеak up, but Gu Nоngхuаn stepped forward aheаd оf her.
It was at this momеnt thаt she overturnеd hеr earlier belief that the Gu Nongxuan from ten years ago was different from the one ten years later.
“Brother Wang.”
He smiled warmly at the man in front of him, addressing him familiarly as if he had no temper at all.
The next second, wearing that harmless expression, Gu Nongxuan said calmly, “You’re right. Leaving the company and working hard only cost me an injured arm, which is still better than staying under you and losing my life.”
Many actors, agents, and staff members nearby were paying attention to the scene. Gu Nongxuan’s voice wasn’t particularly low, and upon hearing his words, everyone looked at Wang Zhong with a different expression.
“I’ve long heard that agents from their company force their artists into shady deals… and even have ties with organized crime.”
“That’s terrifying. Judging by Jiang Nan’s words, did he almost lose his life, and that’s why…”
Wang Zhong’s face turned pale with anger. He instinctively raised his arm, but upon remembering that Gu Nongxuan was no longer his artist, he held back from striking.
“So you’re still stubborn, huh? You’ll get what’s coming to you, you little brat.”
He snarled viciously.
But Gu Nongxuan, unlike his former soft-spoken self, merely smiled gently and replied politely, “It’s fine, Brother Wang. If you really can’t stand me, you can always die before I do.”
Wang Zhong erupted in rage: “What the hell did you say!?”
“If you didn’t hear me clearly, don’t worry. I’ll carve it on your tombstone when the time comes.”
Xu Nuo, standing behind him: Damn.
This way of saying the most vicious things in the gentlest tone was exactly the same as the Gu Nongxuan from ten years later.
So he had always been this kind of person. Thinking of Xiao You’s similarly sharp tongue, she became even more convinced of the role of genetics.
Wang Zhong’s foul temper couldn’t tolerate this for long, and soon the commotion caught the attention of the security guards.
“What’s going on here!?”
When the security guards arrived, they saw the burly Wang Zhong swinging a fist at the young man who only reached his chin.
Especially since the young man looked fair and delicate, with an injured arm to boot.
“Security, he’s my former agent. We just had a little argument. It’s nothing.”
Gu Nongxuan forced a weak smile on his pale face.
Xu Nuo suddenly stepped forward from behind: “Young master!!! You’re just too kind-hearted, which is why you get bullied. If the security hadn’t arrived in time, this meatball’s fist would have landed on your face. He even threatened to make things difficult for you earlier!!”
Meatball Wang Zhong: ?
Not to mention everyone else, even Gu Nongxuan was almost caught off guard by Xu Nuo’s outburst.
Upon hearing this, the security guards were outraged.
Their director hated troublemakers the most. This kid was so well-behaved, yet he had a dispute with this fat guy. It was obvious at a glance who was causing trouble.
“Our director said we don’t hire troublemaking artists. Get out now.”
Their director had a powerful background. No matter who you were, if you wanted to join the production, you had to follow the rules. The security guards weren’t intimidated and decisively chose to kick him out.
The young man behind Wang Zhong widened his eyes: “What does this have to do with me!?””Birds of a feather flock together. I just saw Meatball digging his nose and wiping it on you. You two really are close.”
Xu Nuo immediately chimed in.
“Who the hell are you calling Meatball!?”
“Huh!? Where’s the booger!?”
Wang Zhong roared, the boy panicked, and the security guard menacingly escorted them away.
The world gradually quieted as Wang Zhong’s curses faded into the distance.
The security guard still seemed a bit uneasy and came over to admonish Gu Nongxuan, telling him not to cause trouble with people again.
Gu Nongxuan nodded, offering just the right amount of gratitude: “Thank you.”
The security guard’s expression softened considerably.
After everyone had left, Gu Nongxuan, who had been exuding an air of polite detachment, quietly leaned closer to Xu Nuo, hooked her finger, and whispered, “Sister.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, the look in his eyes was filled with a clear plea for praise.
The image of the grown-up Gu Nongxuan that Xu Nuo had seen instantly dissipated, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Really impressive. Clearly a smart kid.”
Gu Nongxuan smiled, curling his lips. Though he couldn’t see his sister’s smiling face, he could sense her mood.
After that earlier incident, no one dared to stir up trouble anymore. Everyone obediently looked over their materials.
Gu Nongxuan had his too. Before coming, he had gone through them countless times. Seeing Xu Nuo’s curiosity, he quietly began explaining the script to her.
“The story is set in a fictional ancient dynasty. It’s about a father and son who accidentally find a crown prince from a fallen kingdom, stranded in a foreign land. They travel with him across the land. The prince, originally filled with hatred, gradually becomes moved by the suffering in the world, comes to understand greater righteousness, and ultimately finds peace.”
“The role I want to audition for is this crown prince.”
The script required an actor around 17 years old. Though Gu Nongxuan wasn’t quite 17 yet, he was close. The director wasn’t that strict about the actor’s age.
Xu Nuo listened as he explained the character to her. Unlike his usual state, he spoke in a very engaging way, adding his own insights and occasionally mentioning the director’s past works.
He truly loved it. When talking about these things, his eyes sparkled like stars.
Finally, Xu Nuo saw the youthful spirit fitting for his age.
But he wasn’t selected.
When Xu Nuo heard Gu Nongxuan calmly mention this, her mind was filled with question marks.
“Don’t they usually ask you to wait for a call? Did the director reject you outright??”
No emotion showed on Gu Nongxuan’s face. He even comforted Xu Nuo instead: “It’s okay, Sister. I can go back to the Gu family.”
“When I grow up, I can just invest money to make movies. It’ll be the same.”
For a moment, Xu Nuo was speechless.
After her first encounter with the young Gu Nongxuan, she had immediately looked up all the information about ‘Jiang Nan.’
The last movie he starred in after leaving the industry was called “Ming Mang.”
It was the very one he was auditioning for now.
But if Gu Nongxuan didn’t get the part, how did that happen?
“This doesn’t make sense. Didn’t you ask for a reason?”
Of course, Gu Nongxuan had asked. He believed his acting was fine and even expressed that even if it wasn’t this role, just a minor part, he still wanted to participate.
But the director still refused almost immediately without much thought.
The answer was just one sentence.
“You’re not suitable.”
This was the phrase he heard the most after entering.
Just three short words, repeatedly shattering the resolve he had painstakingly pieced together.
Only…
“I’m sorry. Did I let you down?”
Sister had helped him time and again. It was his own fault for being useless and unable to seize the opportunity.He actually had no resistance to returning to the Gu family.
Since his sister loved eating so much, he would work hard to earn money after going back to repay her.
Yes, he still had to repay his sister. So what if he didn’t pass the audition? So what if he lost his last chance to act? It didn’t matter… it really didn’t matter…
Strange, it clearly didn’t matter.
So why were tears falling from his eyes on their own?
Xu Nuo saw Gu Nongxuan, who hadn’t even realized he was crying and was still trying to force a smile to comfort himself. He reached out and patted his head, his voice almost a sigh.
“It does matter, and there’s nothing shameful about it.”
The young man’s lips trembled, and he finally stopped smiling. Silent tears streamed down his face. Just standing before him, one could feel the near-shattering pain within that frail frame.
He truly loved acting, loved it so much he was willing to give up everything.
But now, he had lost his last chance.
He couldn’t act anymore.
…
An hour later.
The director turned off his constantly buzzing phone, opened the car door, and sat in the driver’s seat.
Just as he was about to pull the handbrake—
Suddenly, the sunroof above opened. He looked up in confusion—
and came face-to-face with a pig’s head poking inside.