The next day.
Qiao Shu was awakened by a series of urgent ringing. Slowly, she opened her sleepy fox-like eyes and reached out a fair, delicate hand to grab her phone from the bedside table.
Relying on instinct, she slid the answer button without even bothering to open her eyes. “Hello.”
“Qiao Shu! What time is it already, and you’re still not awake? If you hadn’t picked up, I would’ve stormed over to your apartment!”
Qiao Shu was dazed for a few seconds. Wasn’t the variety show supposed to start filming in a week? Why was Zhang Qian looking for her?
“It’s the script for the female lead in Glimpses of Light, directed by Liu Zhongran. It’s a youth campus drama.”
Qiao Shu: “??”
The female lead? Zhang Qian actually managed to get her a script for the female lead! Was she dreaming?
“The audition is tomorrow morning.”
Qiao Shu: “!?”
“Did you hear me? This is a rare opportunity. I’ll send you the audition clip via WeChat later.”
Qiao Shu propped herself up, her lazy voice tinged with drowsiness. “Why me?”
“Because of your looks.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Zhang Qian spoke earnestly, “Qiao Qiao, you have to seize this opportunity. This is the only chance you’ve had to play the female lead in the two years since your debut.”
Qiao Shu pursed her red lips. “Okay.”
Zhang Qian breathed a sigh of relief. What was it like having an artist who didn’t want to become famous? She had practically worried herself sick.
Rumors online claimed that the male lead for this drama was Jiang Tu, and the topic had even trended on Weibo. Jiang Tu’s studio hadn’t denied it, but Zhang Qian felt it was unlikely Jiang Tu would take on this role.
Others speculated it might be Xu Yili, an idol who debuted with the RBW group. Xu Yili had been gaining a lot of popularity lately.
If Qiao Shu could act alongside Jiang Tu, she was bound to gain some attention, because Jiang Tu was a hot topic in himself.
If it was Xu Yili, that wouldn’t be bad either—at least the drama wouldn’t air without any buzz. Idols could still draw an audience.
With Qiao Shu’s looks, figure, and acting skills, it would be a travesty if she didn’t become famous.
“Hurry up and get out of bed to familiarize yourself with the lines. If you land this role, Le Chcolat Box won’t just be a dream.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
“If you get this role, the dating show is off the table.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Qiao Shu knew Zhang Qian was dangling a carrot in front of her—or, to put it plainly, making empty promises.
Could she refuse? Obviously not. If she didn’t take it, Zhang Qian might actually come over and kill her.
“Got it.”
“I’ll send the script via WeChat. The audition is scheduled for nine tomorrow morning. I’ll send you the address.”
Qiao Shu yawned and replied lazily, “Okay, Sister Qian. I’ll definitely land it.”
Zhang Qian: “…”
After hanging up, Qiao Shu couldn’t fall back asleep, so she got up to wash up. For breakfast, she casually boiled two eggs and warmed a glass of milk.
Qiao Shu rarely checked Weibo. Her Weibo account was managed by Zhang Qian, and she didn’t have a secret account of her own.
After finishing breakfast, Zhang Qian sent her the audition clip. Unbeknownst to her, Weibo was in an uproar over the male lead for Glimpses of Light.
#Rumors: Jiang Tu to Star in Glimpses of Light#
#Rumors: Xu Yili to Star in Glimpses of Light#
The two hashtags occupied the first and second spots on the trending list, with fans from both sides criticizing the official Weibo account of Glimpses of Light.
【To be honest, I really hope my idol takes on this role. He’s never acted in a campus drama before.】
【What a joke. Has the production team even finalized the casting? How has this been trending for two days straight?】
【Please rely on official announcements. We invite everyone to look forward to Jiang Tu’s new drama, Source of Flames.】
【The production team should quickly finalize the casting and stop stringing people along. It’ll be hilarious if they end up getting burned by their own games.】
Actually, Jiang Tu’s fans also knew that since his studio hadn’t issued a denial, they couldn’t speak too definitively.
Jiang Tu was twenty-four this year, still several years away from needing to transition roles, so taking on a campus drama now was perfectly fine.
The next day, on set.
Most of those auditioning were unfamiliar faces. Qiao Shu thought this drama likely prioritized newcomers.
To better fit the role of Yu Shujia, Qiao Shu wore a short wig. Paired with the beige fluffy sweater and skinny jeans she had on today, her outfit made her look every bit like a high school student.
The director was momentarily taken aback. The script had been written by his wife, and it was also his wife who had specifically requested Qiao Shu to play Yu Shujia.
“Hello, Director Liu! I’m Qiao Shu from Huanyu Entertainment. I’m here to audition for the female lead role, Yu Shujia.”
Liu Zhongran nodded. “Are you ready?”
Qiao Shu nodded and began to immerse herself in the emotions. The scene she was auditioning for was the drunken female lead confessing her feelings to the male lead.
“Chi Ye…”
As Qiao Shu spoke, a flicker of surprise passed through Liu Zhongran’s eyes. Her voice was good, capturing the essence of drunkenness.
“Do… do you have someone you like?”
Qiao Shu blinked her hazy, fox-like eyes, her soft voice tinged with a nervous tremor.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to say. You just need to nod or shake your head.”
Before “Chi Ye” could respond, Qiao Shu continued, “Are you going to say I’m drunk?”
“No, I’m not drunk. I just feel a little dizzy. Hey, Chi Ye, why are there two of you now?”
Qiao Shu blinked her shimmering eyes. Since the male lead wasn’t present, she simply recited her lines.
“Chi Ye, can I stay at your place tonight? I can’t go home after drinking—my mom would worry. Can I crash at your place for one night?”
“Oh, right, Chi Ye, you still haven’t told me if you have someone you like!”
After finishing her performance, Qiao Shu took a deep breath and bowed to Liu Zhongran. “Director, I’ve finished my audition.”
Liu Zhongran nodded.
His expression was too calm for Qiao Shu to gauge his thoughts, so she simply stood still, waiting.
Silence—a deathly stillness.
The spacious set wasn’t just occupied by Qiao Shu and Liu Zhongran; there was also a group of actors waiting to audition.
“Qiao Shu, go back and wait for the notification.”
“Alright, thank you, Director.” Qiao Shu’s expression remained calm as she turned around and saw a familiar face.
When Han Lianmeng saw Qiao Shu, a flicker of surprise crossed her almond-shaped eyes. Qiao Shu was here too? Which role was she auditioning for?
In an instant, the two passed each other. The thought of Qiao Shu marrying Jiang Tu filled Han Lianmeng with jealousy—a jealousy that drove her mad.
Qiao Shu’s heart remained unruffled. She was still thinking about her performance earlier—it had been passable but not quite satisfactory.
She had never been in love, nor had she ever liked anyone. That scene had been improvised.
Whether she would land this role felt uncertain to Qiao Shu. She had forgotten that Yu Shujia had never been in love either.
Qiao Shu went to the restroom before leaving, still mulling over the audition. She hadn’t expected to run into Han Lianmeng on her way out. What lousy luck, she thought to herself.
“Qiao Shu!”
Qiao Shu walked past Han Lianmeng to the sink, placing her hands under the motion sensor of the faucet.
“Aren’t you and Jiang Tu planning to visit your parents after the wedding?” Han Lianmeng frowned. How dare this bitch ignore her!
“What’s it to you?” Qiao Shu replied expressionlessly.
“You—” Han Lianmeng was left speechless with anger.
“How could it not be my business? You’re my half-sister, by the way. Which role are you auditioning for today? The third female lead? Or the fourth?”
Qiao Shu felt a headache coming on from the noise.
“Surely not the fifth female lead? Oh, I forgot—roles beyond the fourth female lead don’t even require auditions.”
Frowning, Qiao Shu placed her hands under the automatic hand dryer, completely ignoring Han Lianmeng’s remarks.