Jia Dan's manager's face turned red, but he didn't dare say anything. He knew better. Wang Xiaohua's name was well-known even in Hong Kong, not to mention she had the backing of Tangshi Media! Although Tangshi Media didn't have many famous artists, its official backing was formidable.
Jia Dan's expression fluctuated between red and white. He finally suppressed the pain in his chest and spoke up, "Yes, it's normal for action actors to get hurt. Sister Hua, my manager was just worried about me and spoke out of turn. Lao Liang! Apologize to Sister Hua!"
Lao Liang, the manager, was a man who could handle the ups and downs. He took a deep breath, calmed his expression, and said, "Sorry, Sister Hua."
Wang Xiaohua chuckled twice, glanced at Jia Dan, and then hesitated. There were some things she couldn't push too far. Director Fang Qiong quickly stepped in to mediate, "Alright, everyone, let's not stand around! Props! Makeup! Check the actors' conditions and get ready for shooting!"
The surrounding staff then sprang into action, and ten minutes later, they resumed filming. This time, the cooperation between the two was excellent, almost finishing the scene in one take.
Qilin suspected that Director Fang Qiong might have hurriedly approved the scene to prevent any further conflicts between him and Jia Dan, hoping to send him off quickly. However, this wasn't actually the case. Fang Qiong was a very dedicated director and wouldn't compromise the quality of the film due to conflicts between actors.
After the shoot, Director Fang Qiong specifically found Qilin and gave him a thick red envelope containing 10,000 yuan as an apology for the day's events. Qilin, never one to refuse money, accepted it without hesitation.
Before leaving, Qilin made sure to bid farewell to Hong Tai and the group of martial artists, as well as other staff members in the crew. Despite having filmed two movies, none of them had been released yet, and he didn't feel like a star. His amiable attitude earned him goodwill from others.
After leaving the crew, Qilin took a two-day rest at home before heading to Beijing with his team. The interview was to be held in Beijing!
Although it was called an interview, the role had essentially been reserved for him. In the industry, there are four types of auditions:
1. **Role Assignment Audition**: The actor is confirmed, but the role isn't. The actor auditions to determine which role they best fit.
2. **Competitive Audition**: Multiple actors are considered for a role, and the audition determines the best fit.
3. **Replacement Audition**: A role has been cast, but the original actor is unable to perform. The audition finds a replacement similar to the original choice.
4. **Pre-determined Audition**: The role is practically decided, but the audition is to confirm the actor can handle it.
Qilin’s current audition fell under the third category. Initially, the role was intended for one of the Four Sons Returning from Overseas, but they refused when they learned it was for Ma Wencai. Han Wanli then thought of Qilin, deciding to offer him the role, saving the company money.
On the plane, Qilin finished reading the script for Ma Wencai. The film, titled "New Butterfly Lovers," didn't focus much on Ma Wencai. His scenes were few, similar to his role as William in "Charming City." If filming went smoothly, he could wrap up in a little over a week.
However, after reading the entire script, he realized that the changes in "New Butterfly Lovers" were quite significant and beneficial for him.
The biggest change was that the main antagonist was no longer Ma Wencai, but Zhu Yingtai's mother! In the new script, the Zhu family was wealthy, and Zhu Yingtai was their only cherished daughter. The Ma family was powerful, with Ma Wencai's father being the local governor. The two families were close, and Zhu Yingtai and Ma Wencai grew up together. Unfortunately, Zhu Yingtai saw Ma Wencai as an elder brother, while her family wanted them to marry. Ma Wencai's mother disliked Zhu Yingtai's tomboyish demeanor, so she suggested Zhu Yingtai disguise herself as a boy to attend school, where she met the poor scholar Liang Shanbo. Drawn to Liang Shanbo's innocence, Zhu Yingtai fell for him. They secretly pledged themselves to each other, and Liang Shanbo became a county magistrate through hard work. However, when he proposed, Zhu's mother vehemently opposed the match, favoring the childhood friend from a powerful family over the newly appointed official. Forced by her mother, Zhu Yingtai married Ma Wencai, leading to Liang Shanbo’s death from heartbreak. Zhu Yingtai, heartbroken, made three requests: to marry in white, to leave at noon, and to pass by Liang Shanbo's grave. Ma Wencai agreed to all her conditions, and Zhu Yingtai eventually threw herself into Liang Shanbo's grave, where they transformed into butterflies and flew away together.
Qilin's role as Ma Wencai was minor, with even fewer scenes than Zhu’s mother. But Qilin didn’t mind; the main thing was that he would earn a million yuan for the role.
Wang Xiaohua had different plans for this 'Ma Wencai,' preparing a lot of 'learning materials' for Qilin to turn Ma Wencai into a passionate, victimized character. She even had a headline in mind: 'The Misunderstood Zhu Yingtai!'
After landing, the assistant Zheng Jun had arranged a car, and the group went to the hotel to rest for the night. The next morning, they headed to the audition site for "New Butterfly Lovers."
Unexpectedly, they ran into two familiar faces there.
"Xu Xin! Han Xue?"
Qilin was surprised to see the two. Han Xue, of course, was the young lady of Tangshi Media, and they had previously worked together on "Charming City." Xu Xin was Han Xue’s stunt double in the same project.
Xu Xin was pleasantly surprised to see Qilin and hopped over, "Brother Lin, you're here for the audition too?"
Qilin smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm auditioning for Ma Wencai."
Xu Xin widened her eyes, "Ma Wencai? Brother Lin, you look so good, why not audition for Liang Shanbo?"
Qilin laughed. Being the lead wasn't just about looking good. Plus, earning a million for a week's work was a great deal!
Han Xue also approached. After shaking hands, she said, "You playing Ma Wencai actually makes me feel a bit pressured."
Qilin was puzzled, "Pressured? What kind of pressure?"
Han Xue shrugged playfully, "I'm afraid the audience will call me blind!"
Qilin: "..."
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