Chapter 187: The Suzhou Mansion
Seeing comments like these, Xu Youyou wasn’t at all surprised.
But she didn’t really take it seriously, since she earned this money fairly, and no one could steal it from her. However, she didn’t keep it for herself; instead, it was quickly transferred into the account of the Dream of the Red Chamber production team.
[Congratulations to the host! You have completed the “lucky find” task and earned the following reward: Suzhou Mansion.]
Xu Youyou was delighted. Did this mean she had been rewarded with another house?
From the name alone, she knew it was something extraordinary. After all, the system’s rewards were always high-quality.
She immediately instructed Xu Fang to take her there.
Xu Fang skillfully activated the navigation, and the location wasn’t in the city center but was in an area near the outskirts, much like the Zheng family’s estate.
Suzhou’s city center was limited in size, and even with the Zheng family’s wealth, they couldn’t afford to build a mansion of several acres in the heart of the city. The system’s house was similar in this regard.
The mansion Xu Youyou had received was about the same size as the Zheng family’s estate. It had pavilions, towers, intricate carvings, and beautiful decorations, making one feel like they had stepped into a dream from hundreds of years ago.
“Boss, this estate is said to have been built for years. Although it’s well-maintained, the owner hasn’t moved in yet. Are you planning to buy it?”
As Xu Fang was Xu Youyou’s personal assistant, she immediately did some research when she heard about the “Suzhou Mansion,” and now she was sharing everything she found online.
Xu Youyou smiled slightly and said, “This is my house.”
Xu Fang’s eyes widened in realization. To own such a beautiful mansion and have it sit unused for so long—she speculated it might be like the house in the capital, bought and then forgotten.
Though Xu Youyou was the owner, this was her first time visiting. She casually toured the grounds, and as she gazed at the grand architecture, she had a sudden idea: since the Zheng family estate could be used as the filming location for the Grand View Garden, this mansion could easily be transformed into the two Duke’s residences—Rong and Ning.
The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She immediately called over Ouyang Ouyang and Professor Wu. Ouyang Ouyang was even more excited than she was.
“Boss, you really are hiding your talents! With this house, there’s no need to travel all over the place for filming. We can shoot most of the scenes in Suzhou and perfectly recreate Dream of the Red Chamber!”
Professor Wu, despite his age and declining health, immediately straightened up and walked several rounds around the mansion when he saw it, no longer needing support.
“This layout is excellent. The northeast courtyard completely fits the description of Lixiang Courtyard. All it needs is a new plaque, and it’s ready to go.”
Xu Youyou nodded. “As long as it’s suitable. Professor Wu, if you think anything else needs to be changed, just let me know and we’ll get it done. You’re the expert, we’ll follow your advice.”
Professor Wu had worked as a consultant on the 2009 version of Dream of the Red Chamber, but after just three days, he left due to the chaos and lack of professionalism in the production. He thought it was absurd that the crew hadn’t even read the book in full before starting to film.
Naturally, that version of Dream of the Red Chamber turned out terribly. The twelve beauties, who should have been full of life, seemed lifeless under the director’s lens.
Professor Wu felt lucky to have found someone like Xu Youyou, who was dedicated to making a quality TV series. Once the show was complete, he would feel that his life had no regrets.
Xu Youyou and the team then visited two other audition sites. She had expected that even with the large-scale auditions, it would be difficult to find many suitable actors for such a classic work. However, she was pleasantly surprised. After visiting all the audition sites, nearly two-thirds of the roles were already filled.
The remaining third would be handled without further auditions, with internal recommendations from the entertainment industry.
Of the remaining roles, all were fine, except for Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun, two key roles for which suitable candidates had not yet been found.
Although the cast was not yet complete, the production team had returned to Suzhou, where the actors stayed at the Suzhou Mansion for etiquette training and script readings.
While Xu Youyou was sorting through the actors’ resumes, He Zhitian suddenly arrived in Suzhou.
“Boss, why didn’t you call me for the Dream of the Red Chamber casting? You don’t know how excited my family was when they heard you were remaking it! They’ve all been hoping I’d get involved! I’m one of your own company’s artists, let me audition! No need to look elsewhere!” He Zhitian hurried around Xu Youyou, clearly anxious.
Xu Youyou glanced her up and down. With her lively demeanor, she wasn’t sure which role would suit her. In her mind, she thought that with her somewhat conventional acting, He Zhitian could perhaps play a maid or something minor.
Before Xu Youyou could speak, Professor Wu, who had something to discuss, came over and immediately noticed He Zhitian’s energetic appearance.
“Boss, is this the actress auditioning for Shi Xiangyun?” Professor Wu asked.
Xu Youyou wondered if Professor Wu’s eyesight was failing.
“Her acting is terrible, and she can’t handle hardship. Better not let her drag us down,” Xu Youyou said.
He Zhitian wasn’t offended. Instead, she said, “I can’t handle hardship usually, but for Dream of the Red Chamber, I’ll do it! My family has promised me a yacht if I get a role!”
Finally, Xu Youyou understood why the girl was so eager.
He Zhitian and her sister, He Zhilan, were total opposites. He Zhilan was diligent and the model successor that their elders favored, while He Zhitian, as the youngest daughter, was spoiled and only cared about her own enjoyment.
Professor Wu, smiling, said, “Acting skills can be improved over time. Sometimes it’s more about whether the actor’s temperament matches the character. Boss, why don’t you let Anna try makeup on this girl?”
Wang Anna, the chief stylist for the production, quickly arrived with a few assistants. Within the shortest time, they transformed He Zhitian for the audition.
“She’s alive!” Professor Wu exclaimed, looking at He Zhitian with admiration.
Xu Youyou had to admit that, with the right makeup, He Zhitian really did look the part.
Still feeling uncertain, Xu Youyou quietly took out the character compatibility card she had earned from the system.
She had originally planned to activate the card during the audition phase, but since the initial selection mainly focused on actresses who were pretty and lively, it hadn’t seemed necessary. However, now that filming was about to start, she decided to activate the card.
[Ding! The character compatibility card has been activated.]
[He Zhitian: Compatibility with Shi Xiangyun is 90%.]
