Xia Ting was confident of her plan. She remembered that Mr Pang had told her that he only took her in because she was pretty, but she had no ability and had refused to perform some "business transactions" at that!
"Fine." Xia Ting said, and everyone was surprised at how calm she had become. Was she agreeing to the change?
Xing Yu narrowed her eyes. She knew that there was no way someone like Xia Ting would simply accept this. However, Xing Yu herself was not someone so easy to bully. Just because she endured didn't mean she was weak!
"But!" Continued Xia Ting, and she tilted her head up cockily. "Only if she can act better than me!"
Hearing this, Liu Xing Yu smirked inside. Ha! She wants to compete with me in acting? Fine, if she wants to lose so badly, I will give it to her! Liu Xing Yu had seen Xia Ting act before, and for how confident she was about her acting, anyone could tell that she was an amateur!
Although Xia Ting had performed alright in previous films, it was only because they were very simple characters that were similar to her own personality! They were always loud, boisterous girls who, due to bad writing, had no emotional depth! But Liu Xing Yu also knew that as long as an actress was good enough, she could turn a flat character into a brilliant one. Just because of Xia Ting's ability alone, Liu Xing Yu knew that she would win.
However, Xing Yu understood how she needed to act. If she looked too confident, Xia Ting may have second thoughts, so Xing Yu purposely put on an unsure expression, and hesitated to respond, making Xia Ting even more confident.
"So? Don't dare?" Xia Ting said, instigating her further. "An actress doesn't dare to compete in acting?"
"X-Xia Ting... isn't there another way we could resolve this..." she said timidly, pretending to be afraid of going head to head.
Xia Ting's smirk grew even more as she continued insisting that they compete, undermining Xing Yu if she didn't. A few of those who wanted to suck up to her sided with her, knowing what she was trying to do.
"That's right ah! If you really didn't use underhanded means then you must have the ability!"
"How can someone who can't act be the main lead!"
At this, Xing Yu simply let herself look even more unwilling, but inside... she was just rearing to go.
Director Li looked at the chaos helplessly. He also thought that Xing Yu couldn't act. If he let them compete and she lost, wouldn't Mo Rui Han have his head?
He turned to look at Mo Rui Han again, but unexpectedly, Mo Rui Han was gazing at Xing Yu with a hard-to-decipher smile.
When he sensed that Director Li was trying to get his attention, he shifted his gaze to him and nodded.
"..." Director Li looked at him unsurely. He was going to let them compete? Didn't he absolutely want Liu Xing Yu as the main lead? Why would he do this then?
However, seeing as Mo Rui Han had already approved, Director Li went ahead with it. Since he had agreed, Director Li couldn't be blamed if Liu Xing Yu lost her role due to her own abilities! He would take this chance to get rid of her.
"Alright then! We will decide after seeing both of them act." He declared.
Xia Ting nodded in satisfaction, while Xing Yu drew into herself even more, looking terrified.
"Then, we will do..." Director Li flipped through his script. "Act 4, Scene 20!"
Xia Ting immediately looked at her script and checked. Although Xing Yu had only been an extra, she had gotten a copy of the full script and read through it, even rehearsing the female lead's lines to practise! She knew exactly which scene was chosen, because it was one of her favourite ones as well! The complexity of the female lead's emotions was incredibly fun to portray!
The script for the scene was as followed.
ACT 4 SCENE 20
AT THE PALACE COURTYARD.
The Minister has just been beheaded by the 4th Prince, Shang Ge Ming.
The female lead, Huo Qiu Yue approaches her father's body. All the commoners have been escorted out of the area, and only her dead father remains, along with his killer, the man that she loves.
Huo Qiu Yue stands over the body. She remembers the way her father has treated her. She looks at him and laughs hysterically.
HQY: My father is dead... he's dead!
Huo Qiu Yue walks away.
As she leaves, she stops in front of Shang Ge Ming before walking past him.
SCENE END.
"So simple!" Bragged Xia Ting, as she laughed both on the inside and outside. "I'll go first then, Junior Xia Ting."
Director Li frowned. Simple? He had picked it because the writer had mentioned to him before that this was a difficult scene. He wanted to see how Liu Xing Yu would mess up, but he forgot that Xia Ting's skills were not that great either! Nonetheless, he was sure that she couldn't be worse than Liu Xing Yu!
Xia Ting was completely at ease as she began her performance, as if she didn't consider any chances of herself losing. Since she was already in full costume, she truly looked the part, and used it to her advantage.
She looked down at the ground where the minister was supposed to be, and started to chuckle lowly. Slowly, her laughs escalated in volume until she sounded like a madwoman laughing. The character was supposed to have a deep hatred for her father.
Xing Yu watched in amusement as Xia Ting brought a hand up to her mouth and cackled. Everyone else around watched silently as well. Xia Ting's acting was surprisingly better than usual today, because she seemed to be particularly good at acting the role of a vengeful woman. The audience could truly see the anger and hatred the character held for her father through Xia Ting's mocking laugh.
"My father is dead!" She cried out, in between laughs. "He's dead!"
Xia Ting continued laughing as she stepped over the imaginary body and walked away from it. She eventually stopped in front of where Mo Rui Han had been standing and observing, and looked at him briefly, her laughter dying.
There was zero emotion in her eyes as she gazed at him. She couldn't grasp the character's feelings at all. If she did, she wouldn't have looked at him with such an expressionless face. But most people watching could only see her back view, so they thought that she had done a pretty good job up till that point.
Eventually, she brushed past him, her chuckles coming back.
With her performance done, applause broke out. In particular, those who were trying to curry favour with her clapped furiously, shouting praises.
Director Li brought his hands together excitedly. This Xia Ting had actually done better than he expected! Truth be told, it was not an amazing performance. In fact, it was slightly better than passable. But Xia Ting had made no obvious mistakes and her laughter and hysterics had been believable, so Director Li was relieved. With this, Liu Xing Yu should not be able to win!
Seeing the support from the staff, Xia Ting's ego grew even further. She threw Xing Yu a cocky smirk that only grew wider when she saw the way Xing Yu cowered. Ha! So my performance was that amazing that you're trembling, huh?
There were truly people in the world who lacked any sense of self-awareness.
Inside, Xing Yu was scoffing. What kind of trash acting was that! This script was so amazing, and the characters had so much depth, but she had actually managed to reduce such a pivotal scene into a boring sequence? Laughable!
But outside, Xing Yu maintained her facade, so she looked away from Xia Ting's piercing glare like she was too afraid. When she turned, her gaze clashed with Mo Rui Han's.
He had been watching her silently, and the both of them could see amusement and mockery in each other's eyes. Xing Yu wondered if Mo Rui Han perhaps felt the same way about Xia Ting's acting as she did. It made sense, after all, since he was such a great actor.
Nonetheless, she didn't want to stare too long, so she dropped her gaze to the floor and continued with her show.
"M-must I really act?" She whimpered, looking at the crowd with pleading eyes.
"Do you want to back out on your word!" Yelled Xia Ting. "People who go back on their words are the worst kind!"
"That's right!" Echoed an extra.
Director Li smirked and nodded along.
"Xing Yu, you already agreed to this. It's not fair to change your mind just because you've seen Xia Ting's acting," he said, trying to act reasonable. Inside, he was eager for her to take the bait. Like this, Mo Rui Han couldn't come after him for rejecting Xing Yu if everyone else didn't support her too.
Xing Yu concealed her smirk as she looked at them helplessly.
"Okay... then I will do the right thing and compete... Likewise, it's not fair for you guys to go back on your word right?" She looked at them expectantly. She made herself sound naive. "If I win, then you will accept me...?"
Xia Ting broke out into laughter.
"If you can even remember the lines!" She said condescendingly. This talentless brat thought she could win? What a joke!
This time, Xing Yu didn't bother hiding her smile. She got Xia Ting to agree publicly already. If she wanted to back out later, it would be difficult for her to do so without making herself look bad.
Xia Ting's chuckling stopped when she caught Xing Yu's smile. It was incredibly confident, and that made Xia Ting hesitate a bit. However, she remembered what Mr Pang had told her. Liu Xing Yu couldn't act! There was nothing for her to worry about!
She was definitely trying to act brave!
Seeing everyone ridicule her and sensing their low expectations... Xing Yu got excited.
"Well, if that's the case then... here I go."