Chapter 172: Meeting Liu Ye Again
Plastic surgery is so common in the entertainment industry these days that it’s hard to find natural faces, so it’s rare to come across one. Wang Anna was reluctant to easily eliminate this candidate.
Xu Youyou shook her head. “She has a misunderstanding of the role, and her personality is very stubborn. It’s difficult to change her mind easily. If we force her to stay, it would not only put us in a tough spot but also waste her time.”
Wang Anna was persuaded by Xu Youyou and agreed to eliminate the contestant.
With all six judges eliminating her, there was no chance for the woman to stay. She didn’t think she had done anything wrong and instead stomped her foot in frustration. “You don’t choose me? There are plenty of drama crews who will choose me. This is your loss, ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’!”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow at her confident words and, after the woman left, quietly asked the nearby Xie Ran, “Is this contestant famous?”
Xie Ran flipped through the contestant’s resume and casually said, “She has appeared in two dramas, although they were low-budget web series, but she debuted as the female lead and has built some fan base online.”
Xu Youyou nodded. “So she has some confidence. No wonder she talks like that.”
Xie Ran laughed. “Boss, you’re just too particular. If you weren’t so, you could have kept her. It would have helped us gain some heat for the show.”
Xu Youyou understood what Xie Ran meant. Keeping a somewhat famous contestant until the end and even hinting they made it to the next round could give the show more attention. But she didn’t want to go that route. After all, she wanted the roles to match perfectly, and keeping someone unsuitable for the role, even for a bit of extra attention, wouldn’t be right. She didn’t want to deceive the contestant or waste her time.
Moreover, in Xu Youyou’s mind, Dream of the Red Chamber was a treasure, and she hoped the heat it generated would be clean. “This kind of fake heat comes quickly and fades just as fast. What’s most important is creating a great piece of work.”
Soon, the next contestant entered, and Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn’t expected to run into an acquaintance here.
Liu Ye.
Liu Ye had once signed with Xu Youyou’s company, but before the drama aired, she had switched to another company, stabbing Xu Youyou in the back.
Xu Youyou glanced at the information in her hand and raised an eyebrow. “You’re here to audition for Lin Daiyu?”
Liu Ye smiled, seeing that Xu Youyou wasn’t angry with her. “Miss Xu, if I play Daiyu and Teacher Song plays Baoyu, we can continue the heat from the previous project and attract more CP fans. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but laugh. Liu Ye was making a good plan. However, the last drama helped Liu Ye rise in popularity. Why would Xu Youyou continue to support her this time?
“I don’t think your appearance is suitable for Lin Daiyu. How about trying Xiren instead?” Xu Youyou genuinely suggested this.
Liu Ye used to have a more heroic look, which didn’t align with Lin Daiyu at all. She could have tried for Wang Xifeng, but after some time apart, Xu Youyou felt Liu Ye’s aura had changed.
Liu Ye no longer had her bright, lively energy. Instead, she seemed fatigued and heavy-hearted, with occasional flashes of ambition and calculation in her eyes. Xu Youyou thought this kind of energy might suit Xiren better.
But when Liu Ye heard this, a hint of humiliation flashed across her face. “Miss Xu, with my current fame, even if I can’t play Lin Daiyu or Xue Baochai, I can at least play a role like Wang Xifeng or one of the three main spring characters. Are you trying to push me into playing a maid role? Isn’t that a bit too much?”
Xu Youyou could tell that further communication was impossible. She said, “There’s no high or low position in roles, just what’s suitable. If you think like this, the path ahead might be hard.”
Liu Ye felt like Xu Youyou was cursing her. “You don’t need to worry about my career. I’m currently only getting female lead roles. You speak beautifully, Miss Xu, but do you really think you’ll let Song Zhi Bai play a supporting role?”
Before Xu Youyou could speak, Song Zhi Bai, who had been standing next to her, said, “I’ve never thought I can only play male lead roles. In Dream of the Red Chamber, I’m not playing Baoyu.”
Liu Ye didn’t expect such an answer. She immediately reacted, saying, “Even if it’s not Baoyu, it will be an important role like Jia Lian.”
Song Zhi Bai looked at her with disappointment and said, “I’m playing Liu Xianglian, and it’s not a major role.”
Liu Ye turned and looked at Xu Youyou in disbelief. “It’s your own drama, and you’re not letting Song Zhi Bai play the male lead, just a minor supporting role? He’s a top idol, and you’re treating him like this?”
Xu Youyou found this strange. Why did Liu Ye seem to be defending Song Zhi Bai? She helplessly explained, “I’m not making this drama to promote people.”
Liu Ye felt even stranger. If it wasn’t to promote people, then who would want to act?
Song Zhi Bai smiled and looked at Xu Youyou, saying, “Boss, I just want to focus on making a great drama. We’re all willing to follow behind you and be whatever piece of the puzzle you need.”
Liu Ye couldn’t describe her emotions. She did want an important role, and she was indeed defending Song Zhi Bai.
In the past, while filming in Gan Province, she had played a couple with Song Zhi Bai, and it inevitably created some special feelings for him.
After joining Xu Youyou’s company, and hearing all the rumors about “Song Zhi Bai being the boss’s pet,” she thought Xu Youyou was testing her by assigning her a supporting role.
When someone extended an olive branch to her, she left the company without hesitation. But after leaving, she realized that, compared to the chaos in her current company, the rumors about the boss coveting her crush weren’t that bad.
Even though she was getting lead roles now, the production teams were just going through the motions, burning out the fame she’d worked so hard to build.
Truth be told, she regretted it a little.
But now, to make her fight for Xiren’s role, a character she found dispensable, she wasn’t willing to accept it.
Xu Youyou also noticed that Liu Ye’s eyes no longer held the same light, and though she felt some regret, the auditions continued.
The third contestant entered. Unlike the first two, this one wasn’t a professional actress. After finishing high school, she started as a social media influencer, and with her sharp market sense, she now had millions of followers.
“Judges, you should have heard of me. I’m Lin Naer, my online ID is ‘It’s Naer, Not Nal,’ and I’m auditioning for Lin Daiyu.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t see how she resembled the character at all.
“Tell me what you and Lin Daiyu have in common?” Xu Youyou asked.
Lin Naer confidently said, “Our common point is that we both have the surname Lin, and we’re both female. As members of the Lin family, she would surely want me to play her!”
Xu Youyou: …
