Yu Shuman gave a slight bow. Her posture was impeccable, but the bow itself was brief. She straightened up efficiently and began her self-introduction. Her voice was steady but somewhat distant.
Qin Ran knew that from the moment Yu Shuman knocked on the door—no, from the moment she stepped into the room—she had already slipped into character.
The person standing here wasn't Yu Shuman anymore; it was the third female lead, the character Yu Shuman was portraying.
Qin Ran glanced at the director, catching a glimpse of the shock in his eyes, followed by a hint of denial. Qin Ran understood why. The Yu Shuman standing before them wasn't the director's ideal vision of the third female lead. In the director's mind, someone like Ling Miaohan was more fitting for the role. But he also couldn't deny that Yu Shuman's interpretation left him wavering.
Compared to the reserved Ling Miaohan, Yu Shuman's performance was more aggressive. The conspicuous mole beneath her smile and her pale lip color made her appear both sickly and unnerving.
She wasn't the typical rich girl seen in most TV dramas; she looked like someone with a hidden agenda, a suspicious character in a suspense thriller. Did the director want such a role? Probably not. In his vision, the perpetrators, the ones who killed the security guard, should appear innocent. Only then would the revelation of their guilt be truly tragic.
But with Yu Shuman's portrayal, the audience would immediately suspect she had something to hide, that she wasn't ordinary, and might even be the murderer.
However, this kind of character was also undeniably captivating. No one could ignore a character like Yu Shuman's.
The director bit his lip, intent on challenging Yu Shuman. He chose a difficult scene for her, one where her character's flaws were exposed by the male lead. This was a scene that would be hard to pull off without another actor to play against.
But Yu Shuman accepted the challenge. The confidence in her eyes was clear to Qin Ran. She smiled slightly, knowing that no matter how difficult the director tried to make it, as long as the scene was in the script, Yu Shuman wouldn't slip up.
Yu Shuman had taken her preparation seriously, memorizing the entire audition script thoroughly.
Yu Shuman asked if there was an extra chair, and the producer quickly handed her one from the corner. As Yu Shuman positioned the chair, she maintained the poise of a wealthy heiress. She didn't clumsily use both hands to handle the chair. Instead, she dragged it across the floor with one hand, the legs scraping noisily, but she seemed unfazed, smiling calmly as she placed it in position.
After setting the chair, she signaled to the judges that she was ready to begin. Before the producer and director could respond, she started her performance. Yu Shuman sat in the chair, facing the judges, her legs naturally together and angled to the side, gathering her skirt around her. The hem of her dress draped down, revealing only a small part of her fair calf.
Yu Shuman placed her hands lightly on her upper thighs, her back straight, sitting on only a quarter of the chair. Her smile never wavered, but the longer one looked, the more rigid it appeared.
She was like a beautiful, delicate doll, with no individuality. But if one looked into her eyes, they would see her true self. Yu Shuman's face suddenly changed slightly. Though she still smiled, her eyes revealed a hint of menace, and her smile froze momentarily.
But this expression was fleeting. She still appeared to be the elegant, wealthy heiress. Then Yu Shuman spoke, "Officer, are you questioning me now?" Her tone shifted slightly, with a noticeable hesitation on the word "questioning."
Qin Ran glanced down at the script. At this point, the male lead was supposed to say, "Relax, beautiful, this is just routine."
Yu Shuman tilted her head slightly and raised a hand to brush her hair. The script indicated that her character should show a hint of panic in her eyes at this moment. But instead, what Qin Ran saw was a look of scrutiny, evaluation, and threat.
Yu Shuman had altered the script's intended expression. It wasn't that her performance was lacking; she had conveyed emotion through her gaze, but it wasn't the emotion the script called for. She had interpreted the character differently, adding her own understanding.
Qin Ran instinctively glanced at the director. She knew this proud director might not appreciate Yu Shuman's deviation from the script. As expected, the director's expression darkened, but he continued to watch Yu Shuman intently.
Keep watching. My Manman will win you all over.
In Qin Ran's mind, Yu Shuman had that kind of charm.
Unlike the director, the screenwriter looked as though she were thinking, Wow, this is amazing! She gripped her tablet tightly, her fingers white with tension, eyes gleaming behind her round glasses as she stared at Yu Shuman.
It seemed like Yu Shuman was looking at them, but upon closer inspection, her gaze wasn't focused on them at all. Instead, it was fixed on a spot not far in front of them, as if someone else were sitting there. After brushing her hair, her expression returned to normal, as if the previous look had never existed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Her response was completely different from what was written in the script, which called for her to be "nervous and trembling." But Yu Shuman's demeanor was too calm, with no emotional fluctuations, as if she had forgotten that this part should be charged with emotion.
Her tone was so flat that it was unsettling. The only sign of unease was her hands, which had been resting lightly but now clenched slightly, indicating tension.
At this point, even Qin Ran, who wasn't an expert in acting, could tell that Yu Shuman was an excellent actress. She had put in all her effort into learning and practicing her craft, enough to earn the recognition of others. And Yu Shuman had thought deeply about her character, giving it her own unique interpretation.
But this third female lead was risky, completely different from what the director had envisioned. The director called "cut," and everyone stopped to look at him. Yu Shuman stepped away from the script and stood up. Even as she rose, she was still in character.
The director looked at Yu Shuman with a deep gaze. After asking a few routine questions, he told her to wait for their decision. Yu Shuman's eyes held arrogance and confidence as she replied, "Alright, I'll be waiting for your call." Her words were polite, but her eyes seemed to say, You'd better be smart enough to give me the role.
Yu Shuman wasn't typically this arrogant; it was the third female lead's character that had this attitude.
After Yu Shuman left, a few more actors auditioned, but Qin Ran could tell that the director's mind was elsewhere. His expression of indecision was different from when Ling Miaohan had auditioned. He was now nervously shaking his leg.
Qin Ran relaxed into her chair, noticing the impatient rhythm in the director's jittering leg. When the auditions finally ended, the director immediately pulled the screenwriter and producer into a discussion, completely ignoring Qin Ran's presence.
The producer gave Qin Ran an apologetic look before joining their conversation.
Qin Ran didn't mind, just sitting and listening to their debate. As she listened, she realized that the director was consciously avoiding talking about Yu Shuman. This made her frown. Yu Shuman was so talented; there was no way the director was overlooking her due to dissatisfaction. Instead, he was avoiding discussing her because she had challenged his vision.
Yu Shuman's interpretation of the third female lead wasn't what the director had in mind. For someone as proud as him, this was a form of provocation. His deliberate avoidance of Yu Shuman proved just how much she had shaken him.
They discussed Ling Miaohan for a long time. Just as the director was about to say, She's the one, Qin Ran spoke up, "Director, it seems like you've forgotten about one of the candidates." Her words caught the director's attention, and the screenwriter's eyes lit up.
"Isn't there still someone else who's very suitable? I don't know much about acting, so feel free to disregard my opinion, but it seems like you've overlooked someone. I thought Yu Shuman's performance was quite good."
Qin Ran was sly enough to say she didn't know much about acting, making it seem like they'd simply forgotten. But had they really forgotten? No, the director was deliberately avoiding the topic, afraid that bringing up Yu Shuman would force him to acknowledge how compelling her interpretation was and how it challenged his own.
The director opened his mouth, then slumped back into his chair, defeated.
The screenwriter, however, was excited, "Yes! Yu Shuman! She was amazing. I've seen her in period dramas before, and her acting was pretty average back then."
The producer, of course, sided with Qin Ran. He was all about the money, and besides, Yu Shuman's acting had clearly impressed everyone.
The director, however, continued to resist, shaking his head, "No… no, her character interpretation is all wrong. It can't be like that…"
But Xiaoyue, the screenwriter, clutched her tablet and firmly supported Yu Shuman's performance, "I think this version is great. As a wealthy heiress, even after experiencing such a traumatic event fifteen years ago, she wouldn't have become someone without any sharp edges."
"Yu Shuman's portrayal of the third female lead is sharp and aggressive. I think that's exactly what this character needs."
Not just great—the light in her eyes showed how thoroughly Yu Shuman's performance had captivated her. After the screenwriter finished speaking, Qin Ran turned to the director, "So, what do you think?" At that moment, the director realized where Yu Shuman's sharpness had come from.
When Qin Ran asked this question, she had the same aura as Yu Shuman when she left the room earlier. That was exactly the kind of presence a wealthy heiress should have.
Defeated, the director sighed, "Alright… let's go with her."
Qin Ran: My Manman will win everyone over! (Cheering.gif)