The young actors who were scolded couldn't keep their dignity and burst into tears, rushing into their parents' arms like fledglings seeking comfort.
"What kind of crappy director is this? What's wrong with our children to be scolded so fiercely? Go eat shit!" the parents grumbled indignantly.
The elder brother couldn't help frowning, his face filled with concern, "Sister, maybe we should go back."
He didn't want his sister to end up being scolded to death.
"Don't worry, brother. I'm confident in myself. I won't get scolded, and I'll be selected too!" Xia Ningxing knew very well what he was worried about. At that moment, she clasped his hand, blinking her eyes reassuringly as she spoke.
The brother couldn't help but sigh.
At this moment, a sneer came from beside them, and Xia Ningxing turned her little head to see a girl about ten years old, with a fair and pretty face, now arrogantly tilting her chin up and giving her a disdainful glance.
Though she was just a child herself, she insisted on speaking with the tone of an adult, "Little brat, boasting like that you're not afraid of twisting your tongue?"
In such a competitive setting, girls tend to feel threatened upon seeing another girl prettier than themselves. Seeing that she came dressed in such a rustic outfit, probably from some backwater village, they surmised her acting skills couldn't be much either. Listening to her bragging just now filled them with scorn.
"I won't allow you to talk about my sister like that!" As soon as someone dared to insult his sister, the elder brother instantly became angry, staring at her with eyes as fierce as a provoked beast.
The girl was startled by his gaze and instinctively took a step back.
Xia Ningxing didn't get angry, but instead, she wore a smile that wasn't quite a smile, crossing her tiny arms and staring at her with beautiful almond-shaped eyes, her voice milky and soft, "Do you dare to bet with me then?"
"What wouldn't I dare!" the girl snorted coldly, also crossing her arms. She was taller and older than Xia Ningxing and looked down on her from above, "What are we betting on?"
"Let's bet on who'll be kept in the upcoming audition," Xia Ningxing suggested with a tilt of her eyebrows, looking charming despite her young age and the old-fashioned dress she wore, "The one who isn't selected has to call the other 'Granny.' What do you think?"
If she's so unconvinced, then she'll have to see what it means when talent doesn't allow daddy to keep a low profile!
"Sure!" The girl, itching to give this brash country bumpkin a lesson, jumped at Xia Ningxing's suggestion and agreed without a second thought.
It was a confrontation waiting to happen.
Soon, it was the girl's turn to audition.
The audition piece was this: the female protagonist in an orphanage, hoping to be adopted, with only the simple line "Can you adopt me?"
How to interpret it was up to their skills.
The girl looked down, and when she lifted her face, it was already twisted into a pitiful expression, devoid of any of her prior arrogance.
"Can you... adopt me?" She bit her lower lip, her face a mixture of pitiful and hopeful, sniffling and trying to force tears, but failing to cry.
Instead, her features twisted slightly.
Xia Ningxing couldn't help but roll her eyes at this performance—she had thought the girl would show some real talent.
Excuse her frankness, but her own acting skills were better when she first started out.
Even though the girl's performance was awful, compared to other children, she did quite well.
Director Xu, whose face had been fuming with anger, now seemed to relax slightly, giving a nod with some semblance of approval, "It's... passable."
The girl, praised by the director, immediately seemed as if she had tasted honey, her face showing barely concealed pride as she gave Xia Ningxing a challenging look.
Xia Ningxing: "..."
Daddy now feels that it's an insult to compare himself with trash like you!
"Next," the director called out.
The brother nervously swallowed, his forehead streaming with cold sweat, as if he were the one about to perform, speaking incoherently, "Sis... sister... your... it's your turn."
"Don't be nervous!" Xia Ningxing reassured him with a soft, soothing smile, then stepped forward.
She politely greeted, "Hello, Director."
Director Xu had initially been unconcerned, but upon looking up his eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the little girl's face.
How could there be such a stunning little creature!
Fresh and tender like a sprout just pushing through the soil, in a dress with tiny flowers, adorably naive and pure, her skin flawlessly smooth enough to burst with a puff, her eyebrows curving delicately like distant hills, her eyes brimming with bright light, her lashes dense and long as butterfly wings, her nose delicate, and her slightly upturned lips a pale pink.
Still carrying baby fat, her petite frame soft and cute, emitting the enchanting milky scent unique to babies, she was irresistible—even making one want to take her home.
She was simply the perfect candidate he had in mind—at least in terms of appearance.
But could her acting match up?
"Please start your performance," Director Xu ordered, keeping his gaze on her. Despite his rising expectations, his stern face betrayed no hint of his thoughts.
Xia Ningxing slipped into character in a second.
Without speaking, her starry eyes fixed ahead, as if the couple ready to adopt her were right there. She displayed a look of longing mixed with uncertainty, and her cautious voice was almost heartbreakingly soft, "Can you... adopt me?"