Li Chu woke up feeling refreshed. After eating the breakfast Qian Duoduo brought, she started a new day.
She informed Tang Congnan that she wouldn’t be able to attend the upcoming recording for 《This Is The Actor》.
The competition format there was brutal, forcing actors to exert their maximum potential. If Li Chu had taken on a simple, lighthearted script, perhaps she could have still given it a try. But having accepted 《Die at Dawn and Dusk》, it was absolutely impossible for her to immerse herself in another character during the preparation stage. If she forced herself to go, she might end up performing poorly in both roles.
Tang Congnan understood what she meant and relayed it to Hu Yi. Hu Yi used this opportunity to secure a favor, intending to use it for Li Chu’s benefit later on.
The place where Ji Yun and San Qiu arranged to meet Li Chu was a private kitchen restaurant. Li Chu arrived early, just as Ji Yun and San Qiu were getting there.
Ji Yun was an Alpha nearly 1.9 meters tall. Wearing a hat and sporting a scruffy beard, he looked forty-three despite being thirty-four. As soon as he sat down, he exuded a bold, imposing presence.
San Qiu was a bespectacled male Beta, about 1.7 meters tall. He looked quite small next to Ji Yun and seemed very quiet and reserved. However, the occasional glint behind his glasses held a sharpness that seemed to pierce through people’s hearts.
“You’re quite early, huh. Sit down.”
Ji Yun gestured for Li Chu and Tang Congnan to sit, smiling as he sized up the young woman before him.
“You look better in person than on TV, quite fair-skinned. Let’s not beat around the bush and get straight to the point. If this works out, we’ll enjoy the rest of this meal together. If not, we’ll just eat separately.”
Ji Yun was a straightforward person and didn’t want to waste time. He and San Qiu had actually already polished the script. They had originally cast the role, but who knew Ning Manqing’s character would change secondary gender? So, they had no choice but to find someone new.
However, half a month ago, Ning Manqing called him and said someone could play the role. The character could be changed from Beta to Omega, and they could add some romantic elements that audiences currently enjoy. He and his friend (San Qiu) thought about it and decided it was feasible. So, they spent half a month revising the script and sent the draft to the young woman now sitting before them.
Actually, at first, Ji Yun didn’t think Li Chu could portray the Qin Mu he envisioned. Based on her appearance, she didn’t seem quite right; Li Chu was too ‘sweet,’ whereas Qin Mu was supposed to be beautiful, delicate, and possess a touch of wickedness.
“Okay, Director Ji. I’ll begin now.”
Li Chu also liked this kind of straightforward person; there was no need for formalities.
Li Chu lowered her head and began to gather her emotions.
She wondered what scene she should perform to best embody ‘Qin Mu.’ Her fragility? Her lies? Her true face?
Li Chu decided it should be the contrast in her character.
It involved the third victim, who died right in front of Qin Mu and Li Rui.
At that time, Li Rui was asking Qin Mu some questions—not an interrogation, but rather inquiring about her sister while secretly observing her.
Just then, the briefcase held by a man passing in front of them exploded. The man’s limbs were blown apart, and the gruesome scene of flying flesh and blood made everyone around scream.
Li Rui first checked if the man was still alive. After confirming his death, he subconsciously looked at Qin Mu and noticed that she seemed scared too.
This was the scene Li Chu chose to perform. Treating Ji Yun before her as Li Rui, she put on an expression that was blank with shock.
After a moment, she seemed to regain her senses. She glanced towards the corpse, then quickly averted her gaze, covering her mouth with her hand as if disgusted by the gore and trying to suppress a gag. Looking utterly lost on how to handle the situation, she turned towards ‘Li Rui’ almost pleadingly, her stiffness and fright palpable.
‘Li Rui’ didn’t notice anything amiss with her. He took control of the situation and made a call for assistance.
But he didn’t notice that at this moment, while still covering her mouth, she revealed a smile.
Since this was a live audition without camera close-ups, Li Chu lowered the hand covering her mouth.
Her facial features didn’t change drastically; with her hand previously covering her mouth, one might have still thought she was terrified. But now, her facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly, the corners of her mouth lifting into a small smile.
Her expression seemed split, like two mismatched halves crudely joined together. After a few seconds, her face returned to calm, and she lifted her eyes to look at Ji Yun and San Qiu.
It was a gaze so calm it was chilling, as if she wasn’t looking at living people before her, but at inanimate objects.
The few people in the room reacted differently. Ji Yun was the first to break the stillness, starting to clap.
His eyes, fixed on Li Chu, held a fervent gleam. He exclaimed, “You are the Qin Mu I want!”
“You’re much better than I imagined! It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already reached this level! Really excellent, fantastic!”
Ji Yun excitedly slapped San Qiu’s shoulder beside him, making Li Chu watch and wonder if perhaps Teacher San Qiu had gotten shorter from being patted like this all the time.
Seeing Director Ji’s excited, Whac-A-Mole-like actions, it clearly wasn’t the first time this had happened.
Tang Congnan, who had been watching with sweaty palms and internally screaming for his ‘daughter,’ was blown away by how quickly Li Chu was improving. He clapped along, and hearing Ji Yun’s words, his heart finally settled with relief.
Hearing Ji Yun’s endless praise, he quickly added, “Our Xiao Chu did a lot of preparation. She’s been studying the script constantly since she got it. Yesterday, she even went to see Chen Qiu, you know, the serial killer.”
“You went to see Chen Qiu?”
San Qiu suddenly spoke up, his glasses reflecting the light, momentarily obscuring his expression. “Do you think he and Qin Mu are the same kind of person?”
“They are absolutely not the same kind of person.”
Li Chu shook her head, answering with absolute certainty.
Admittedly, she had drawn inspiration for that final gaze from Chen Qiu, but she absolutely did not consider Chen Qiu and Qin Mu to be the same kind of person.
Countless thoughts raced through Li Chu’s mind; she could have offered many points to support her conclusion. But in the end, she simply said, “Chen Qiu is a monster, but Qin Mu is not. She is human.”
Chen Qiu lacked empathy; he placed himself above ordinary people with a cruel arrogance. In Li Chu’s view, comparing oneself to gods and despising others was utterly foolish.
Admittedly, Qin Mu wasn’t particularly empathetic either. When necessary, she would stand by and watch others face danger. Take the third victim killed by the bomb, for instance; she knew perfectly well that nearby bystanders could also be injured, but she didn’t care. She only wanted to achieve her goal: to deliver a cruel visual shock to Li Rui.
Yet, she was still human. Everything she painstakingly plotted, the hidden moves she arranged, the people she killed—in her mind, they all had reasons why they deserved to die.
She didn’t see herself as an executioner on par with the law; she was simply seeking personal revenge.
San Qiu nodded in approval. “You are indeed very good.”
Qin Mu was San Qiu’s creation. Although he knew different people would interpret the character differently, it didn’t mean he would allow her essence to be distorted. He personally detested figures like Chen Qiu.
With an understanding reached, the atmosphere in the private room immediately warmed up. Ji Yun looked like he couldn’t wait to sign the contract with Li Chu right then and there.
The dishes were served. Li Chu had two glasses of alcohol with them before switching to tea.
“Oh, right, I almost forgot to ask,” Ji Yun said cheerfully, seeming half-drunk, though his eyes held a sharp glint. “Li Zi, can you accept kissing scenes and bed scenes?”
Tang Congnan looked horrified. “No!”
Li Chu, calm as ever, replied, “Yes.”
They spoke at the same time, a perfect display of conflicting understanding.
Li Chu cruelly ignored Tang Congnan’s reproachful expression.
Besides, Xi Yiyun was played by Teacher Ning. What was the big deal about kissing scenes and bed scenes? It would just be clever camera angles anyway.
They’d already done the real thing, so why would she be afraid of this?
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KISSING SCENES?!?!!!!!!!!!!! ^^