The venue for the audition for the second female lead of "Plainness" was located in Zhong Ding Building. Xu WanZhi got there earlier and hoped to leave a good impression with Jiang ChengXi.
The auditions for the female lead and second female lead were not scheduled on the same day. As such, she did not run into Chen Jin.
Even though it was just the audition for a supporting character, there were still many of 1st tier actresses there. This was, after all, a movie by Jiang ChenXi. Many established actresses were willing to just be in it and say a few lines. It just might become the opportunity that they've been waiting for to become the superstar on the big screen.
Xu WanZhi, being in the middle of these other actresses, was like a new blood with her first real work just being released. She did not fit in very well among the other actresses.
Xiao Yuan went to draw her order in line. Xu WanZhi picked a spot on the corner and sat down. She had planned to look over the script one more time.
Suddenly, she saw a shadow over her and, when she looked up, she saw Shen Yi.
Shen Yi was in a full suit and has a cup of coffee in his hand, obviously there to take care of something. He lowered his head, smiled at Xu WanZhi, and said to her, "WanZhi, long time no see."
Shen Yi's secret relationship with the original owner had always been something that was on Xu WanZhi's mind. She did not want to have anything to do with this man so she said to him, coldly, "Hi, Shen Yi. What are you doing here?"
Having said that, she felt that what she had said did not convey that she did not wish to engage with him so she added, "As far as I know, they are only auditioning female supporting role today."
Her reaction made Shen Yi chuckle. He cocked his head and said, "Thanks to my dad, I am here as the investor today."
"Is that so?" Xu WanZhi snickered. "Didn't Mr. Shen tell me last time that he no longer wished to attend any events as the young master of the Shen's? Isn't this a bit faceslapping? Are you trying to suppress me by stressing that, trying to make me bad off now?"
"Of course not." Shen Yi stopped smiling and disappointment was very obvious on his handsome face. "If there were any kind of subtext, it would more likely that I wanted to let Miss Xu know that we can find a place and arrive at some sort of an agreement."
Before Xu WanZhi could even roll her eyes, Shen Yi added immediately, "I'm just kidding. WanZhi, I am quite happy to have run into you today. Know that even though you are in my friend's list, but as of late, I had to go watch our show in order to see us together as a couple."
"Mr. Shen, what a bummer that you are not auditioning today with your acting. If I must say, you should compete with Jiang YueXian and take the role of male lead from him. I think you just might earn the title of film emperor during Oscar this year." Xu WanZhi rolled her eyes at him and said, "You have to watch our show to see us as a couple? What an interesting way of putting it. 'Blossoming Us' had only aired a few episodes and both male and female leads were still in their adolescent years. There was almost zero romance right now. Yet, somehow, so many websites out there have all these edited photos of the two of us. Why bother hiring all the editors to create them if you weren't even going to look at them yourself? Do you think I am stupid or that you are stupid?"
Shen Yi wasn't upset that she had saw through his plot. He merely sighed and said, "Of course I am the stupid one. I continue to hold out hope that, sometimes, when enough work was put behind it, it will become the truth."
Xu WanZhi stood up and pulled away from him. "Shen Yi, I don't know what had happened between the two of us that gave you the wrong idea that we are very close to each other but I am with Mu ZhenYu now, despite the fact that Huanyu had gone bankrupt…"
She was only half way before when Shen Yi interrupted her. "WanZhi, I know you have sympathy for Mu ZhenYu, which was why you chose to stay with him even after Huanyu had gone bankrupt. I even know that she had already gone home with him and met with his family. But, WanZhi, I can wait. Do you understand? I can wait until your sympathy for him has passed."
Xu WanZhi looked at him coldly, "What I have for him is not sympathy."
"What is it then? To marry into a prestigious family? WanZhi, the Shen's rival the Mu's as far as statuses go," said Shen Yi in a low voice. "Why would you want to waste your time on him and kiss up to his grandmother and stepmother instead of giving the Shen's a chance? My parents are very easy going and you'd know if you meet them."
Shen Yi looked behind her as he talked. Noticing something odd in his look, Xu WanZhi, too, turned around quickly. She saw a slightly chubby man who immediately went inside of the stairway after giving them a look.
The chubby man looked very family but Xu WanZhi couldn't quite recall who he was right away. When she turned back around, she saw an indescribable look on Shen Yi.
It looked like Shen Yi knew that man.
Xu WanZhi suddenly recalled what that chubby man was – the night of Bai Fei's birthday, Mu ZhenYu brought a few of Bai Fei's bodyguards and beat up a chubby man. That was the same chubby man that Mu ZhenYu had beaten up.
He was one of Mu XueLin's. Mu XueLin was a cunning one. He pretended that everything was fine and dandy but secretly sent someone to follow her… did the mean the chubby man had heard all of Shen Yi's crazy words?
Xu WanZhi gritted her teeth and violently shoved the script inside of her purse. "Pardon me."
The audition of "Plainness" went smoothly. Once the audition was over, the director team announced on the spot that Xu WanZhi would be second female lead.
Even though Xu WanZhi tried very hard to pour all of her concentration and effort into the script, but she was still bothered by what had happened before the audition.
She didn't know what Mu XueLin would do with that piece of information but she felt that it's best she told Mu ZhenYu the entire incident so there wouldn't be any misunderstanding.
That being said, this incident could be looked at differently. Plus, the entertainment circle was a messy place to begin with. This might be nothing to Mu ZhenYu originally but, had she made a point of bringing it up purposefully, would make it seem like she had something to hide.
She debated between the two possibilities and wasn't able to make a decision right away.
She hadn't seen Mu ZhenYu the entire day and she just locked herself up at home and watched drama on TV while enjoying her fried chicken. She wanted to use other beautiful romance to heal her own heart.
She received a call from Xiao Yuan at 8 PM. "Hello, WanZhi-jie. What are you doing right now?"
Xu WanZhi recalled that Xiao Yuan had "Plainness"'s script in hand that afternoon and exhorted her spent time studying it and familiarizing herself with it and appreciate this opportunity that didn't come easily. Xu WanZhi, on the other hand, had spent way too much time worrying about matters related to Mu ZhenYu and hadn't been listening to what Xiao Yuan had told her.
By now, it was too late to turn down the volume of the TV.
From the other end, Xiao Yuan's voice was so loud that it could shatter a few glasses. "WanZhi-jie, 'Plainness' is about to start soon. How do you have time to watch TV??"
Xu WanZhi cleared her throat and lied seriously. "I… I… I… I am studying other's acting. I am watching period drama also."
"I just heard some someone said 'demon blah blah blah'…" Xiao Yuan grumbled but did not pursue the subject. She merely said in a serious tone. "WanZhi-jie, I just got a call from Uncle."
With a guilty conscience, Xu WanZhi quickly said, "Your uncle? If you need time off to take care of family business, take as much time as you need. Don't worry about it. I'll let Fang-jie know."
"No, not myuncle." Xiao Yuan was anxious. She raised her voice and said, "It's yours. Your dad, Uncle!"
"My dad?" Xu WanZhi was a little bit stunned. She recalled the man who was listed in her blocked list, Xu Tian.
The one who tortured original owner's mother to death and refused to pay for original owner's tuition.
Xu WanZhi was alarmed all of a sudden. "Why did he call you? What did he say?"
"He said, his flight had landed this afternoon and he's here. He also said that he called you but couldn't get through so he asked me to schedule a time for the two of you to meet."
"Why did he want to meet up with me out of the blue?" Xu WanZhi's face dropped. How come she kept running into one awful thing after another today?
Xiao Yuan could tell from Xu WanZhi's tone that she and her father didn't get along. Her voice softened. "Well, I'm not sure. Probably some family matters?"
Xu WanZhi mulled over it a little and asked, "How did he get your cellphone number? Have you met him before?"
"No. He said he got it from Old Mr. Mu. Who's Old Mr. Mu? Mr. Mu's father?" said Xiao Yuan.
Old Mr. Mu? Mu XueLin?
Xu WanZhi was completely dumbfounded. Xu Tian and Mu XueLin should be two individuals who'd never cross path. How did the two of them touch base with each other? What was going on that she didn't know about?
She couldn't figure it out so she just told Xiao Yuan. "Block his number and ignore him."
Xiao Yuan quickly acknowledged that.
At this moment, Xu WanZhi could hear noises from outside of the door. Mu ZhenYu had returned.
Xu WanZhi got out of bed and walked into the living room in her bare feet. She waited for him to loosen up his tie, changed into slippers, before she said to him, "Mr. Mu, my father took the afternoon flight over today."
Mu ZhenYu didn't seem too surprised when he heard that. "And?"
"He… seemed to have met up with your father," said Xu WanZhi.
Mu ZhenYu stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. After a little while, he finally asked, "How did the two of them get together? What did they talk about?"
Xu WanZhi shook her head, "I don't know either. I have a poor relationship with my father. He didn't care that I am an actress and haven't spoken to me in years. He popped up out of nowhere when I became Brand B's spokesperson last time but I blocked his number."
Looking at her frantic look, the corners of Mu XiYuan's mouth rose up. Smiling, he teased her, "Perhaps our fathers got together to talk about our marriage."
"Marriage?" Xu WanZhi's voice became high-pitched. "You, you, you… you know our relationship is fake. You shouldn't joke about something like that. What marriage? Preposterous."
Mu ZhenYu chuckled and dropped the subject. He walked over to her slowly, put his hands over her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, WanWan. I'm here for you."
Xu WanZhi wanted to clarify some more but his one simple sentence had calmed her.
A few days later, "Blossoming Us" part 1, with only 20 episodes, would be airing its final episode.
Xu WanZhi received a call from Old Madam Mu and insisted that she must join them at their place for the last episode as that would only be the right thing to do. Xu WanZhi felt that she couldn't turn her down so she agreed to it.
The night of the final episode, she went over to the Mu's with Mu ZhenYu. As soon as the two of the walked inside of the house, they saw Mu XueLin sitting on the couch. He waved and greeted her and, on his side, sat original owner's wonderful father Xu Tian. The two "buddies" were drinking together and seemingly enjoying each other's company.
Xu WanZhi exchanged a look with Mu ZhenYu and had a bad feeling.
Seeing the worried look on Xu WanZhi, Old Madam Mu felt that she needed to chime in to break the silence. "It was me who took the liberty to invite Mr. Xu over. His daughter is so successfully and the show that you are in is so good. And it was also about his generation. So I thought I'd invite him over to join us in the viewing."
Having said that, Old Madam Mu looked up at Mu ZhenYu. "And while we are at it, we can also talk about your marriage."
"What?" Xu WanZhi's eyes almost popped out of her socket.
Oh my gosh, Mu ZhenYu. What awful luck that he had called it.