MQSP - Chapter 8
Chapter 8
As the end of the semester drew near, Gu Baiye was extremely busy. Besides studying for her exams, she also had to pore over a script and prepare for an audition.
She hadn't told anyone about the audition. Her roommates were already accustomed to her diligent, serious demeanor and her habit of staying up late to study, so they didn't think much of it.
Lu Qing had approached her once, but seeing that Gu Baiye had already made up her mind, she didn't try to dissuade her further. Instead, she even joined her in analyzing the character.
They both agreed that if she aimed for the role of An Liang, Gu Baiye's chances of securing it were quite high. Lu Qing knew Su Yu; she knew the director cared more about an actor's "feel" for a role than pure technical skill. Gu Baiye's calm and steady disposition gave her an advantage. The two of them spent a long time seriously studying the character.
It was Gu Baiye's first time competing for a role, and she was both nervous and anxious. Having never auditioned before, she had no experience whatsoever. Although Lu Qing had warned her that the great Director Su's auditions never had anything to do with the actual script, Gu Baiye still diligently memorized An Liang's lines, striving for precision down to every last punctuation mark.
Time flew by, and the day of the audition arrived in a flash. Fortunately, she didn't have any exams scheduled for that day.
Lu Qing had wanted to accompany Gu Baiye. The girl was usually so calm and composed, no matter the situation, that it was rare to see her this anxious. Lu Qing was curious to see how she would handle it. However, she had to proctor an exam that day and couldn't get away, so she had to settle for sending the little one a text message of encouragement.
The audition was at ten, but Gu Baiye left the school at seven. It was still early, so she sat on the bus, trying to calm her nerves. Nevertheless, her palms kept breaking out in sweat.
Gu Baiye considered herself to have strong mental fortitude, but this time she just couldn't get a handle on her nerves. She worried that failing the audition would mean wasting all the special help Teacher Lu had given her these past few days. Yet she also feared succeeding. If she actually got the role, what would she do if Auntie Lin found out during filming?
Meanwhile, Su Yu had arrived at the set early to supervise the makeup artist applying Lin Yuqing's makeup.
Lin Yuqing still looked half-asleep. It had been agreed that today was for auditioning newcomers and wouldn't involve her. She had planned to catch up on sleep at home, only to be dragged over by Su Yu, who then informed her that she was the subject of today's audition…
What's more, that lunatic Su Yu had decorated the studio to look like a matchmaking event, short of hanging a pair of big red lanterns at the entrance. Lin Yuqing even suspected she might be planning to stage a wedding ceremony for her.
However, despite the grand setup Director Su had arranged, it was already half-past nine and not a single person had shown up to audition. Su Yu was a little crushed. Young people these days were so unreliable. They had all confirmed, yet in the end, they'd stood her up.
"Sigh." A crew member sighed. It wasn't the first time they'd seen this, anyway. The subject matter was too sensitive. Established actresses wouldn't consider it, and unknown ones didn't dare risk the stigma. Newcomers, especially, steered clear. It was to be expected.
Lin Yuqing, ever patient, had been sitting in the stuffy dressing room for an hour, clad in heavy armor. Xia Xiaozi stood beside her, aiming two small portable fans at her to help her cool down and keep her temper in check.
Su Yu had already fled outside to bask in the sun, not daring to set foot inside.
"Director, it looks like today's a bust as well. Why don't you just let Xiao Qin play the lead? I think she'd be a good fit."
"Don't even mention that little demon to me. I have enough to deal with these seven," Su Yu said, fanning herself with her collar. Su Qin was her niece, a veritable hellion. Su Yu knew she lacked the skills to tame her, so she hadn't considered her for a second.
"Sigh, why isn't that kid here yet? I really like her," Su Yu muttered to herself. She glanced at the time again, wondering if she should give Gu Baiye a call. Surely she wouldn't stand her up too!
"Who? Who are you talking about?" Wang Qiong's face was the very picture of gossip.
"You haven't met her. She's incredibly beautiful. I took a liking to her the moment I saw her."
"Director! Someone's here to audition!" a crew member scouting ahead called out, rushing back to report.
Hearing this, Su Yu quickly peered into the distance. She could faintly make out a figure in white walking toward them. "Yes, yes, that's her!" Su Yu was overjoyed. "Quick, quick! Tell everyone to get ready."
Su Yu waited a moment longer until Gu Baiye was close enough to be recognized. Confirming it was her, she jogged back to the studio and beckoned to the crew members waiting behind the door. "Xiao Liu, be gentle. This girl looks like a strong breeze could knock her over, so don't be too rough."
"Got it, Director. But could you please stop making us sound like monsters…" Xiao Liu and another man said, looking aggrieved.
Su Yu, Assistant Director Zhang, Wang Qiong, Lin Yuqing, and Xia Xiaozi were already seated silently at the judges' table, waiting for the show to begin. Cameras had been set up in the room, and three cameramen had found their optimal angles, all focused on the door, ready to film.
Following the address Su Yu had sent, Gu Baiye finally managed to locate the production crew within the vast Qin Chuan Film Studio. It was nearly ten o'clock by the time she arrived.
"Hello, excuse me. Is this Director Su Yu's production? I'm here to audition."
"Yes, yes, it is. You… you're here to audition?" The crew member was visibly taken aback by the sight of the young woman. She had a simple, refined beauty, and her every move was graceful. Her voice was soft and exceptionally pleasant to the ear. Was she really here to act in a GL drama!?
"Yes. Am I late?"
"Huh? No, not at all. You're the first one to arrive."
"Phew, that's a relief." Gu Baiye sighed, patting her chest. At least she wasn't late; breaking her word would have been terrible.
"Uh… that room over there. It should be starting now, you can go in. Oh, and, be careful…" The young woman glanced at the closed dressing room door, silently breaking into a sweat for the girl. The director's old trick was tried and true, and it was also a major reason the production always struggled to find actors.
"Okay, thank you."
"Tsk, tsk. What a shame, such a shame." Watching Gu Baiye's retreating figure, the young woman shook her head repeatedly, likely thinking it was a pity for such a beautiful girl to be acting in a GL drama.
Gu Baiye stopped at the door and took a deep breath to compose herself. She didn't know why, but while she had been so nervous on the bus that she'd broken out in a cold sweat, she felt much calmer now that she was standing here.
She raised a hand and knocked. "Hello, I'm here for the audition."
Inside, Su Yu heard the voice and gave everyone an OK sign, completely missing the way Lin Yuqing's and Xia Xiaozi's eyes had suddenly widened beside her. Someone switched off the lights, plunging the room into pitch darkness, save for the faint, flickering light from several camera monitors.
"Come in," Su Yu said. She was holding a night-vision camera aimed at the door and pulled a few of the other judges over to watch with her.
Lin Yuqing and Xia Xiaozi were stunned. That voice was far too familiar. Seeking confirmation, they stared intently at the camera monitor.
The door opened. Seeing the pitch-black interior, the person outside froze, clearly stunned. She didn't move, but the two men lying in wait behind the door didn't hesitate. They yanked her into the room, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pinned her against the wall, subduing her in an instant.
"Ah—!" Gu Baiye cried out, completely caught off guard. Being suddenly thrown into a completely dark space caused a surge of panic. The fear of the sudden darkness was far worse than being grabbed by two men.
Although her features weren't clear through the night-vision lens, Xia Xiaozi knew that silhouette all too well. That frail little figure was unmistakably Xiao Ye! And Xiao Ye was terrified of the dark; this would frighten her terribly! Panicked, Xia Xiaozi was just about to signal Lin Yuqing.
"Enough! Stop it!" Lin Yuqing's sharp rebuke startled everyone, even Su Yu.
"Turn on the lights!" Lin Yuqing commanded. At some point, she had already risen to her feet.
A crew member obediently flipped on the lights. The entire group's gaze fell in unison on the young woman by the door. Someone even gasped.
She was delicate and radiant. Even the industry veterans in the room, who had seen countless starlets, couldn't help but stare.
The two men holding her snatched their hands back as if they'd received an electric shock. "S-sorry about that… Don't take it personally. It's our director's little hazing ritual. She pulls this on everyone who auditions." Xiao Liu, one of the men who had grabbed Gu Baiye, quickly explained, shooting a glare back at Su Yu. If you'd said she was this pretty, I wouldn't have been so rough!
But Gu Baiye couldn't hear a word. Once released, she slid down the wall into a crouch, gasping for breath. The only sound that registered was the frantic pounding of her own heart.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Seeing her state, Su Yu realized something was amiss and hurried over to pat her on the shoulder.
Gu Baiye's face was pale. She bit her lip, a cold sweat beading on her forehead, but she had managed to regain some of her composure. She shook her head. "I'm… fine."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd have such a strong reaction. This one's on me," Su Yu apologized, reaching out a hand to help her up.
Just as Gu Baiye was about to stand, she looked up and met the concerned gaze of Lin Yuqing, who was standing right behind Su Yu. Her mind went completely blank. Her legs gave out, and she sank back into a crouch.
For a second, Gu Baiye thought she must have gotten up too fast and was hallucinating. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. Auntie Lin was still standing there, watching her without so much as a blink, her posture unchanged. Now Gu Baiye was utterly bewildered. She closed her eyes, then opened them again…
Xia Xiaozi had been worried, but seeing the little one so startled by Lin Yuqing that she couldn't even stand, staring up at her with a dazed and adorable expression, she almost burst out laughing.
Su Yu had to physically pull Gu Baiye to her feet and guide her to a chair. She grabbed a bottle of water, twisted it open for her, and said, "Just take a moment to calm down." Su Yu could have cried at her own stupidity.
She had a habit when auditioning actors: she liked to throw them off their rhythm. She would catch them completely off guard, allowing her to take control of the tempo. Her most direct method was to give them an unexpected scare right before the interview, then throw the rulebook out the window, forcing them to ditch the script and rely on their natural instincts.
While this method sometimes produced miraculous results and had helped her discover a few talented individuals, more often than not, it earned her the actors' contempt. They would blacklist her, vowing never to work with her again, and brand her a lunatic.
This was another major reason Su Yu's productions were always so sparsely staffed.
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