Seeing the sincere look in Lu Jinzhao’s eyes, Shen Ci nodded lightly.
Just then, the sales clerk finished processing the paperwork and handed over the brand-new property certificate. “Miss Shen, the transfer is complete. Congratulations on becoming an owner at Ten Thousand Lights.”
“Thank you.”
Lu Jinzhao smiled and said, “Miss Shen, you may not know this, but although this house technically changed hands through me, I never even got to move in for a single day. Strictly speaking, it’s still brand new.”
Shen Ci raised an eyebrow knowingly. “Then I should thank you, Mr. Lu. If you hadn’t let it go, a house in such a great location would have been long gone. I really lucked out.”
Lu Jinzhao chuckled softly. “In the end, it’s just fate between you and this house. Oh, and Miss Shen — since my invitation to you was last-minute, the company’s formal invites have already been mailed out. When you arrive Friday, just send me a message outside and I’ll come get you.”
“Alright, no problem.”
Meanwhile, at Longcheng Film Academy.
In the stage play rehearsal hall, a crowd of students poured out together.
“Shen Li, you were amazing just now! No wonder the casting director picked you on the spot.”
“You’ve only been at the school a few days and you already landed a role in a big IP project. That’s incredible.”
“Ugh, I should’ve read Destined to Be Phoenix. If I had, I might have done better in the audition.”
A few girls clustered around Shen Li as they exited. They had just finished auditioning for the drama adaptation of Destined to Be Phoenix.
Film companies have long cooperated closely with performing arts schools. Whenever a crew needs fresh faces, they come directly to the school for mass auditions. Many students snag small roles this way, using the exposure to get their faces in front of audiences early in their careers.
Some lucky ones might even land important supporting parts, get signed by agencies, and start receiving professional support.
Shen Li felt a bit embarrassed by the compliments, especially since these classmates hadn’t gotten roles. A faint guilt crept in.
She had an inwardly self-blaming nature — always unconsciously taking on responsibility that wasn’t hers.
“I was just lucky. And it’s only a maid role. You guys will definitely get better ones later,” Shen Li said with a strained smile, nervously rubbing the hem of her shirt.
Her dormmate Wang Chuhan laughed at her reaction and said to the others, “Look at Shen Li — so soft and timid usually, but the moment she got on stage, it was like she became someone else.”
Thinking about Shen Li’s audition scene — where she had to act out strangling someone — full of raw emotion and powerful presence, the classmates nodded. “Exactly! The way she turned and glared scared me! I even whispered to Wang Huiru, is that really Shen Li?”
“She clearly got completely into character. She was born for this.”
“Honestly, I’m not surprised Shen Li got the role of Ayü. The others were okay, but no one else really stood out.”
Flustered, Shen Li quickly waved her hands. “Don’t say that… it was my first audition; I just winged it.”
Not far behind them, a pretty, delicate-looking girl glanced at Shen Li’s shy demeanor and scoffed quietly, rolling her eyes. “What’s with the fake act every day?”
Once most students had filed out, one of the school’s movement instructors came out with the casting team.
Leading the group was a man in sunglasses — the casting director for Destined to Be Phoenix, Feng Shan.
“Director Feng, thank you for your hard work. Our students this year are truly talented. Please give them more opportunities in the future!” the instructor said with a flattering smile, trying to win more chances for the students.
Feng Shan nodded, glancing at the list in his hand with the chosen names. “Yes, a few are quite good.”
“This time, since it’s a big historical IP, there are lots of maid and guard roles. Not leads, of course, but you know — if the show blows up, those roles won’t be wasted. And the ones we picked today actually have recurring scenes and many lines.”
“Yes, yes, Director Feng, don’t worry. I’ll make sure they practice their voice, body, movement, and expression training well so they won’t drag the production down.”
“Alright, then we’ll get going. If there’s anything else later, we’ll be in touch.”
As soon as the instructor and casting team started to part ways, the delicate girl rushed forward.
“Director Feng, please wait!”
Feng Shan stopped and turned to see a girl hurrying up to him. She quickly tidied her hair, put on a sweet smile, and said, “Hello, Director Feng. My name is Xu Zishan.”
Feng Shan nodded. “I know. You auditioned just now. What is it?”
The rest of the team frowned slightly. They’d been in the industry long enough to know exactly what this was — plenty of people try every trick to climb upward. Xu Zishan’s approach was hardly new.
Trying to get close to the casting director to snag a better role?
Sure enough, Xu Zishan was bold, wasting no time: “I want the role of Ayü.”
Feng Shan blinked, automatically checking the list again. “You weren’t rejected. We cast you as Aru, didn’t we?”
He looked up with a slight smile. “Or are you trying to steal someone else’s role?”
“Yes.” Xu Zishan didn’t even try to deny it. “Aru is the maid of the fourth young lady, who barely appears in the story. Her maid has almost no scenes.”
“Ayü is different. She serves the second young lady. She’s a villain but has a lot of screen time and room to perform. I want to fight for myself, Director Feng. I promise I can play her well.”
Her tone was serious — but it earned only laughter from the casting staff.
Feng Shan glanced at the name originally assigned to Ayü: Shen Li. That name stood out to him — she’d been the best performer in the auditions today.
“Little girl, ambition is good. But you’re still too young to show it so blatantly. Only when you’ve secured your place in this industry can you start demanding roles. Understand?”
He turned to leave with the team — but Xu Zishan’s next words made him freeze mid-step.
“Director Feng, what if my dad can invest money?”
Feng Shan turned sharply. The others also wiped the smiles off their faces.
Lack of funding was the biggest issue for the production. If this trip could bring back investment, the boss would be thrilled.
Feng Shan stared at her for a long moment, then slowly curved his lips into a smile. “Xu Zishan, right? I’ll remember you.”
(End of Chapter)