A hundred miles away, in the film and television city.
"Cut—"
"That's it for now."
Inside the vast audition hall, an indifferent male voice rang out.
Standing in the center of the hall, Mu Ziwei let go of the stern expression on her face and looked forward with anticipation at the man in the middle of the row in front of her, nervously waiting for the final verdict.
The few people to the left and right of the man were whispering to each other, looking at Mu Ziwei and talking quietly, some showing appreciation, others pondering over the script in their hands.
The man slightly lifted his eyelids, glanced at her, his face still expressionless, giving no clue to his emotions.
"Go back and wait for the notification."
"Yes, thank you, Director Xie."
In response to the man's indifferent answer, Mu Ziwei showed no disrespect on her face; instead, she bowed respectfully to the person opposite and exited the audition scene.
The moment the door opened, stepping out of the audition hall, she was met with her agent's expectant gaze.
"How was it, are you confident about this audition?"
"..."
Mu Ziwei pondered for a moment, somewhat uncertain, "It should be okay, I suppose."
At least, she had given it her best.
The agent was still worried, "Did Director Xie say anything, or did he have any reaction?"
"No reaction, he told me to go back and wait for the notification."
"Sigh, that's right, Director Xie is known in the industry for being difficult. If you can see any reaction on that expressionless face of his, it would be a strange sight."
The agent let out a sigh, expressing complete understanding.
Director Xie's films have all been of high quality since his debut, earning him numerous directing awards. With his background and talent, he didn't need to curry favor with anyone. Even the big entertainment companies could only use all their strategies to secure an audition opportunity for their artists.
As luck would have it, Mu Ziwei was one of them.
Seeing her artist looking tired, the agent quickly made way.
"Let's go, let's head back to the hotel to rest. I've already found out that there are two popular young actresses competing with you for this role. However, their positioning isn't as good as yours, and both in terms of seniority and capability, they're slightly weaker. We have a good chance of securing this role."
Mu Ziwei rubbed her temples, her brow furrowed with fatigue.
"Okay."
In the car on the way to the hotel, Mu Ziwei leaned back in the nanny van and took a brief rest.
"How's it going with 'Happy Together'?"
The agent was unconcerned, "Don't worry. I've already negotiated with the Program Team. You're not the same person you were before, and Director Zhang is well aware of what's more important. He won't hold a grudge over this."
"I know."
Mu Ziwei nodded almost imperceptibly, not really worried about it. What she cared about was the promotional effect of the TV series.
"Teacher Pan once said that the games on the show are arranged for couple CPs. Who's pairing up with Zhang Yilin after I leave?"
Thinking back for a moment, the agent replied, "I think her name is Tang Shu... she's the third female lead in the drama who's always been against you, a newcomer."
As an independent agent for an A-list celebrity, she dealt with numerous matters daily, and it was only thanks to her good memory that she could remember a name.
"Her?"
At the mention of this name, a delicate face appeared in Mu Ziwei's mind, and her brow furrowed further.
"Is there a problem with her?"
"No... if it's her, then even better. When is this episode going to air?"
The agent glanced carefully at Mu Ziwei's expression, and years of understanding allowed her to vaguely guess something.
"In seven days, next Sunday evening at 8 o'clock. Do you need me to do anything?"
"Remember to lead the trend."
"I understand. Don't worry, it's not easy to form a TV series CP."
A hint of contempt flashed across the agent's face.
***
In the study.
Tang Shu sat in front of her desk, hugging a big plush monkey she'd bought for 9.99, organizing the medicinal herbs in her hands.
Ever since she woke up two days ago, she'd been adapting to the environment, understanding this world through the diary of the original owner and the internet, and had to admit it was an enviable place.
However, as the Young Sect Master of the Tang Sect, she knew well the principle of always staying alert, regardless of time or place.
"Then... let's prepare some medicine for self-defense first."
"Ding—Ding—"p>
Her phone chimed with more than a dozen notifications, the unread messages on WeChat coming in rapid succession.
Glancing at the screen, Tang Shu saw they were from her university roommate, the cute Cheng Ranran. The two had gotten along quite well during military training, and in her memory, she was a soft and adorable girl.
But obviously, this adorable girl's personality did not match her appearance; she was quite impulsive.
[Tang Shu, Tang Shu, I've discovered you look very much like an actress on TV~~~]
[It's from that hot campus idol drama 'Love Tornado'. I've only followed three episodes and I'm already disgusted by the white lotus in it. I've decided to dislike her forever, ew~~~]
[It's true, you look similar! If you don't believe me, I'll screenshot it for you~~]
[picture.jpg]
[My sweet Shushu, so cute and adorable, how can she be compared with you? I won't ever dislike you~~]
[...What the heck? What did I just see?!]
[In the cast list behind the white lotus, there's a "Tang Shu" - what's that about???]
[OMD!!! It is you, sneaking off to act in a drama all by yourself, leaving your most adorable and best friend in the dark. You heartbreaker, you don't love me anymore, wailing—]
...
After finishing her work and putting the freshly made bottles of medicinal powder into tiny glass vials, Tang Shu pinched her phone and replied.
[It's me.]
[From a while ago.]
It had only been two weeks since college started, and the idol drama had long been finished by the time she got to know Cheng Ranran. Tang Shu's original character was introverted and reserved, so she naturally didn't mention her acting in a TV drama.
Tang Shu's reply was brief, but the cute girl quickly caught on:
[Okie-dokie~ This time I, the great one, shall be magnanimous and forgive you. From now on, even going to the bathroom, such a minor thing, you must not hide it from me, understand?!]
[...]
Not quite.