However, this time, there were very few people questioning it.
Director Lin was notoriously strict in the entertainment industry, never allowing anyone to pull strings. Moreover, with Elder Lin’s high prestige and integrity, it was impossible for him to leak questions or show favoritism toward Su Yuqing.
That meant Su Yuqing’s results were genuine!
[What tricks did Su Yuqing pull? Did she cheat?] But there were still some who doubted.
[To the person above, that’s impossible. Not only did Elder Lin personally set and supervise the exam, but it was also livestreamed. Try cheating under those conditions!]
Everyone also recalled Su Yuqing’s seating position during the livestreamed exam, which was far from He Suyan, who also scored full marks.
[To be honest, I tried the exam paper myself, and getting a perfect score is indeed difficult. Su Yuqing really has some skills.]
[You tried it? Who do you think you are? That’s hilarious. Does Su Yuqing even have fans these days?]
[To the person above, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, just stop. Could you at least check the person’s profile for verification? You’re making a fool of yourself!]
[Reporting back, I checked and came back. This guy is from Nanjing University, haha!]
[As a Tsinghua University graduate with a science score of over 600 in the gaokao, I can confirm that the questions cover a wide range of knowledge. For a surprise exam, it’s indeed not easy for an ordinary person to get a perfect score.]
Then, a bunch of university students came forward to voice their opinions.
The doubters fell silent. Some irrational fans and hired trolls continued to struggle, but they lost momentum.
Su Yuqing’s “academic genius” persona once again trended on social media.
At the same time, the Reverse Talent Show program’s controversial tactics and He Suyan’s well-deserved reputation as a top Peking University graduate also surged to the top of the trending charts, firmly occupying the top spots.
Meanwhile, Su Yuqing was already standing before the director.
“Hello, Director. I’m Su Yuqing, here to audition for the role of the third female lead,” Su Yuqing stepped forward and gave a slight nod.
Seated below were the director, assistant director, producer, and screenwriter.
The script was adapted from the novel of the same name, “Chronicles of Eternal Autumn,” and the screenwriter was the author herself.
“Chronicles of Eternal Autumn” was highly popular online, with a large fanbase of readers. The author was also a renowned screenwriter, so her fanbase was naturally substantial. As soon as news of the novel’s adaptation was announced, opinions flooded the internet.
Everyone was highly concerned about the casting.
After studying the script, Su Yuqing also skimmed through the novel, though she didn’t have time to read it thoroughly.
The novel tells the story of a female protagonist who is reborn, overcomes numerous challenges, and rises to the pinnacle of power, ruling the world.
Originally the illegitimate daughter of a minister’s household, she was exploited by her family and betrayed by her lover in her previous life, dying a gruesome death.
Upon her rebirth, she embarks on a path of revenge.
The plot may sound somewhat clichéd, but the intricacies of the domestic conflicts, palace intrigues, and even the power struggles in the martial world and court are brilliantly portrayed.
The author’s writing is powerful, depicting grand and majestic scenes with a strong sense of imagery, which is why the novel stood out among countless others.
The third female lead Su Yuqing was auditioning for was the legitimate princess of the current dynasty. In the early stages, she was lavishly doted on—arrogant, flamboyant, and unruly, yet exceptionally talented, unmatched in the world.
Her martial arts skills were unparalleled.
Later, due to the fall of her kingdom and the destruction of her family, she is forced to turn to the dark side.
Though her dark transformation doesn’t occupy much screen time, it’s highly compelling—a mad beauty who wishes she could slaughter everyone in the world.
However, without the protagonist’s halo, she ultimately dies at the hands of the female lead, becoming a stepping stone for the latter’s rise to power.
Compared to the second female lead, whose character is decent but could easily be portrayed as a scheming, hypocritical “green tea” type, Su Yuqing naturally preferred the third female lead.
Moreover, the third female lead had no romantic pairing.
It’s the kind of character archetype solely driven by national and familial vendettas, wholly dedicated to her cause.
The moment the screenwriter saw Su Yuqing, her eyes lit up. Setting aside everything else, this face alone was exactly what she envisioned for Princess Shenghua!
Princess Shenghua was peerless in both talent and beauty, the foremost beauty of the Great Qi, even more dazzling than the female lead.
“Su Yuqing?” Director Hu glanced at Su Yuqing’s profile without saying much, though the skepticism in his eyes was evident.
Cheng Tian had invested in this drama, so inserting someone was understandable. But if she lacked skill, he would rather risk losing the investment and fight to replace her.
“Let’s begin. Perform the scene where she storms the imperial court,” Director Hu said, deliberately making things difficult, though it was still within reasonable bounds.
The scene of storming the imperial court takes place after Princess Shenghua returns from traveling the jianghu with her master. Upon learning that her younger brother had been unjustly killed and the emperor had failed to uncover the culprit, the son of the prime minister—her fiancé—takes advantage of her misfortune. At the moment of achieving the top rank in the imperial examinations, he publicly breaks off the engagement in front of all the civil and military officials. Unable to bear it any longer, Princess Shenghua storms the imperial court with her sword.
She debates the scholars without defeat, instantly becoming famous and known throughout the land.
Su Yuqing nodded without further pleasantries. Spotting a weapon rack nearby, she casually picked up a longsword and twirled it with a flourish.
This move caused the people below to shift slightly in their seats.
At that moment, she gently closed her eyes, then opened them again.
Her aura transformed instantly!
Whoosh—
A regal, imperial majesty radiated from her, her expression dignified, her eyes carrying an air of noble pride and imposing authority.
“This princess does not agree!” Her red lips moved slightly, the words she uttered cold and disdainful.
Holding her sword, she stepped forward one stride at a time, then pointed the blade toward the top scholar. “The top scholar wishes to break off the engagement? What of the royal family’s dignity? If anyone is to end this engagement, it shall be this princess. Who are you to propose it?”
Her tone was laced with suppressed anger, yet she never lost the poise of a royal princess.
She took two more steps forward. “Today, in front of all the civil and military officials, this princess declares the engagement annulled. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. I only hope the top scholar will not regret this.”
Though her words were filled with disdain and scorn, upon closer inspection, the corners of her eyes were slightly reddened, and her gaze held a subtle complexity.
At this moment, Shenghua was fond of the prime minister’s son.
It was just that his heart belonged to his own white moonlight.
“Father Emperor, your daughter cares not for this marriage. Your daughter only begs Your Majesty to grant permission to thoroughly investigate the cause of my royal brother’s death!” Princess Shenghua then turned to look at the emperor seated on the golden throne, completely ignoring the top scholar beside her.
It seemed as though her storming of the imperial court had nothing to do with the marriage but was solely about her brother’s death.
“Excellent, excellent! Princess Shenghua—this is my Princess Shenghua—” While the director and producer were still immersed in the performance, the screenwriter sprang up from her chair.
Pointing at Su Yuqing, she exclaimed excitedly, “It’s you! Su Yuqing, you are Princess Shenghua, and Princess Shenghua is you!”
Before the director and producer could even speak, the screenwriter made the decision once again.
“…”
Su Yuqing twirled the sword with another flourish, sheathed it, and placed it behind her back.
Director Hu observed her simple, plain dress, yet her brows and demeanor were filled with an undeniable noble air. He nodded inwardly in approval.
“Su Yuqing.”
“Yes, Director.” She gave a slight nod, a trace of Princess Shenghua’s haughty pride still lingering on her face.
“How do you interpret the role of Shenghua?” Director Hu asked further.
In terms of acting, Su Yuqing had undoubtedly passed the test just now, but understanding the character was equally important.
Su Yuqing wanted to say she had carefully studied the novel and script, but the Truth System would definitely cause trouble.
She had no choice but to speak the truth, “I only read the first half of the script. Princess Shenghua should be someone who cares about the world.”
In short.
She also has the ambition to rule the world.