Yi Ling now had Chen Wanda on her official hate list. She had been a manager for some time now, and knew what lay in store for celebrities who participated in “dirty” movies. If the movie flopped and faded into obscurity, well, no harm done, but if it became a hit, the actors’ reputations would be ruined forever.
She had therefore been extremely careful not to accept any roles that required Yan Huan to strip or show excessive skin.
Yi Ling walked into the room. “Huanhuan, I found another opportunity.” She saw Yan Huan kneeling on the floor, feeding Little Bean dry cat food. Little Bean had gotten a bit bigger, but was still growing. Yan Huan smiled serenely; there was something about the gentle curve of her lips and the subtle arch of her eyebrows that made Yi Ling feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
She was beautiful, exquisitely beautiful. Yi Ling sighed wistfully, for the umpteenth time: if Yan Huan’s gorgeous looks weren’t enough to propel her to stardom, then there really was no justice in the world.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Huan stood up. She walked over to the table and seated herself before it.
Yi Ling snapped out of her reverie. She quickly followed Yan Huan over to the table and sat opposite her.
“You’ve heard of Director Jin Hailiang, right? His next project is Love and Tribulations, a 30-plus episode TV drama set in the period of the Republic of China, during the war. I want you to audition for one of the roles. It’s a small supporting role, but you’ll get a lot of screen time. Also, it’s an open audition, so everyone gets a fair chance.”
“Still…” Yi Ling pulled nervously at her hair. “Even though it’s an open audition, they probably already have someone in mind for the first and second female leads.”
“Well that’s none of our business, it’s not like we’ll be trying for the lead roles. But we should definitely audition for one of the supporting roles.” Yi Ling launched into an explanation of what the story was about and who the major characters were. “What do you think?” she asked. She felt that some of the supporting roles would be a big boost to Yan Huan’s career, if she could get them.
“I’ll go for the audition.” Yan Huan rubbed her arm. She closed her eyes against the sunlight shining through the window. The filtered light left fleeting shadows upon her cheeks. After a while, her eyes suddenly flew open. “Yiyi, I want the part of… Hong Yao.” For a split second, they seemed to blaze with conviction and heartfelt longing. Yi Ling gaped at the sudden change, unsure of what to make of it.
Hong Yao was one of the supporting characters in the drama. Although the character did not have a lot of screen time, she was the heart and soul of the story, the lynchpin holding it together. She was the Rouge Pavilion’s most famous prostitute; she was ruthless, selfish, and greedy. She lived in degradation—but she never stopped loving her country and people. She traded her broken, battered body for crucial wartime intelligence, ultimately saving the lives of many, at the cost of her own.
Yi Ling actually wanted Yan Huan to get the part of the female lead’s maid, not Hong Yao. She had felt that the maid character was a better match for Yan Huan, but now she was not so sure. Yan Huan seemed to be a different person these days.
Yi Ling inwardly shrugged. Hong Yao had less screen time than the female lead’s maid, but if Yan Huan wanted the role of Hong Yao, who was she to object?
Three days later, Yi Ling and Yan Huan arrived early at the open audition for the period drama. They knew that they had to be there early to get a good number, which was, ideally, somewhere in the middle. Actors who auditioned first were at a disadvantage because the judges tended to reserve judgment until they had seen everyone, while those who auditioned last were at an even worse disadvantage: by then, the judges would be exhausted and impatient.
Yi Ling was happy with their number: they were the 25th in line. Director Jin was famous, which meant a large number of actors had come to try for a role. Many of them were no-name actors like Yan Huan; a few looked vaguely familiar, having acted in minor TV roles recently. There were also famous actors in attendance, but these actors had their own resting rooms, and did not mingle with the other lowly candidates who had to wait in the hall.
