Chapter 405: The Audition
The actresses who were there for the audition were all numbered in advance, and they would go inside and audition when their number was called.
Xu Gui and the female actress called Liu Manshi arrived earlier than Huang Qi and Qin Muxuan, so their number came before them.
“Number 12!”
When she heard the assistant call out the number, Liu Manshi quickly stood up and took a deep breath. Then she followed Xu Gui to the audition room with her head raised.
Before she left, Xu Gui glanced at Qin Muxuan contemptuously, as if she was saying that she was sure to win.
Qin Muxuan just glimpsed at her expressionlessly and then she continued to read the script.
It was a play called “Beacon-Fire in Troubled Times”. It was a story of a rich, patriotic young lady who returned after studying abroad and who actively joined the battle to protect her country in war times.
As for the second female lead, she was the female lead’s innocent and lovely younger cousin.
At the beginning of the story, she was a naive, lively little girl with all kinds of fantastique and dreamy ideas. However, later on, she experienced separations in life and partings at death in the chaotic world, and she went through many vicissitudes. She was still kind and lively, but she no longer had unrealistic dreams. Instead, she followed the female lead and worked tirelessly to help quell the war.
She was a rather beautiful character who could easily win the audience’s hearts.
Ever since she got the audition notice, Qin Muxuan had been studying the script and trying to get into the character. She was now fully prepared and she was sure that she would shine.
The clatter in the waiting room didn’t seem to affect her at all. With her head lowered, she was reading the script in her hands. In the illumination of the lights, her profile looked as beautiful as a picture, making people say wow.
A man with sunglasses walked in and headed for the audition room. With just one glance, he was attracted by Qin Muxuan who was sitting quietly there like a painting.
Qin Muxuan was wearing a dark green cheongsam for the audition today. She was hourglass-shaped, and now with the cheongsam on, she looked even more enchanting. The color of dark green made her skin look very fair, and under the light, there was even a faint reflection.
There had already been numerous people who had cast jealous gazes at her.
Next to her, Huang Qi, who was in a suit and leather shoes, was a sharp contrast to her. The light and shadows intertwined, giving others an illusion that they were two people from different times and space.
The man’s gaze lingered on Qin Muxuan for a few seconds before he smiled meaningfully and walked into the audition room. And no one noticed this scene.
Qin Muxuan felt his gaze, but there were too many people looking at her in this room. She was used to it and didn’t even look up.
After a long time, the door to the audition room was opened. Xu Gui was the first one who came out and she looked jubilant. Then Liu Manshi came out. Qin Muxuan saw that she pursed her lips tightly but still she couldn’t help curling up the corner of her mouth. She knew that her performance was probably good.
She lowered her head and continued to flip through the script, waiting for her turn.
Although Qin Muxuan could remain calm, those who saw the two of them coming out couldn’t stay the same. Soon, they were getting edgy.
“Hey, Qin Muxuan.”
Qin Muxuan raised her head and saw that the one who called her was a girl in a light yellow dress with loosely-combed hair. She looked quite pretty.
The girl looked at Qin Muxuan and sat beside her as if the two of them were very familiar.
“Aren’t you nervous?”
“Why would I?” Qin Muxuan said flatly.
The girl in the light yellow dress said in a tone that suggested she was eager to see more drama playing out between Qin Muxuan and Liu Manshi. “Look, Liu Manshi just came out. She looks like she’s nailed it. Aren’t you afraid of losing?”
“Nope,” Qin Muxuan turned one page of the script and said without looking up, “I believe in myself.”
The girl was made speechless. “Her answer… She was really… confident.” she thought inwardly.
“Sorry, I’m not used to being so close to strangers. Can you please sit a bit further away from me?”
Qin Muxuan knew very well what was on her mind. She didn’t want to waste more time with that girl, so she mercilessly chased her away.
The girl didn’t expect her to say that. She was stunned for a moment before she left angrily. And she started to bitch about it to her fellows.
“Does she think she is a big shot? If you’ve got the nerve, go take it out on Liu Manshi. Is it something to be proud of for her to bully me?”
She was so loud that everyone in the room could hear it.
Qin Muxuan only pretended that she was deaf.
Huang Qi stared at Qin Muxuan who still remained calm and he felt quite guilty.
It all started because of him, but Qin Muxuan had to bear it. He was too impulsive. He should have been more restrained and remained calm.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt sorry for Qin Muxuan.
No way, he couldn’t let Muxuan be humiliated. Huang Qi thought to himself that if Muxuan had unfortunately lost this bet, then he would do…
“Number 15!”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Huang Qi was brought back to reality from his trance by the familiar number.
“Muxuan, it’s your turn,” Huang Qi immediately reminded Qin Muxuan.
Qin Muxuan put the script away and followed Huang Qi into the audition room.
Before they entered the door, Huang Qi softly comforted her, “Don’t be nervous. Just try your best. It’s fine if you lose. I’ll be here with you.”
Qin Muxuan looked at him deeply. “I should be the one to say that. Brother Huang, I’ll be here with you. Don’t think too much.”
“When the audition is over, I want to have a good talk with you, Brother Huang.”
Then Qin Muxuan walked straight to the middle of the stage in the spotlight.
She bowed in a proper manner and said with a smile.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Qin Xuan and I’m here to audition for the role of the second female lead.”
The director who was sitting in the middle nodded and casually said,
“Then, play the scene where you’re reunited.”
That scene was about the reunion between the second female lead and the female lead two years after their family was ruined.
Qin Muxuan had already remembered the script. The moment the director had designated the audition scene, she could recall the plot.
An overjoyed smile quickly covered her calm face. “Sister! Is it really you?”
Qin Muxuan deliberately changed her voice. She sounded like she was really a teenage girl.
Everyone sitting below the stage was shocked, and even the director who had been very picky couldn’t help but nod.
Qin Muxuan got into the character so fast, and it was obvious that she had made sufficient preparations. She was a hardworking and talented candidate.
Qin Muxuan acted vividly as a happy and innocent girl and the performance soon ended.
She bowed once again, as she immediately got out of the acting state.
“My performance is over. Thank you for your attention.”
Then, she stood quietly on the spot, watching the crowd below the stage who were discussing quietly.
After a long time, no one gave her an answer.
“Miss Qin.”
A nice male voice was suddenly heard.
Qin Muxuan followed the sound and saw a relatively handsome man sitting next to the director, looking quite influential.
When they heard him speak, the people who were originally whispering all stopped talking and looked at him wonderingly.
“Do you mind if I ask you to audition for the role of the third female lead?”