Chapter 81: Too Bad, She Exists in the Three-Dimensional World

Chu Yuxun, or rather Shuangzi, is undoubtedly a uniquely peculiar presence in the entertainment industry.

Sometimes I think, if she weren't a real person but a character appearing in films, art-house movies, or novels and anime, she might well be a compelling and controversial villain.

Her pure, delicate, beautiful appearance, her pathological personality, occasionally revealing a hint of helplessness...

Too bad, she exists in the three-dimensional world.

Yet even in the three-dimensional world, her destructive power remains immense.

So many people know her personality flaws and what she's done.

But when they see her face, they feel pity, mourn her fragility, and even secretly believe she's not inherently evil, that her intentions weren't truly like that.

This is the destructive power of the top-tier white flower of the domestic entertainment industry.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Bai Liang thinks Shuangzi really has something to her; Hu Yanbing's taste in women is still solid.

But thinking back to yesterday's situation, he can't help feeling a little sorry for him.

This is the real deal—beautiful to admire from afar, but forbidden to touch.

Truly, whoever gets involved with her is doomed.

Perhaps because Bai Liang's direct gaze was too obvious, or perhaps because his act of eating a bun at the door was too conspicuous, Shuangzi couldn't help glancing at him twice after stepping out of the chauffeur-driven car.

Knowing they'd still have to collaborate, Bai Liang automatically smiled at her—a disarmingly innocent smile.

The result of their first "encounter"? Naturally, Bai Liang scored a decisive victory.

In less than two seconds of eye contact, Shuangzi turned her head away first, her face seemingly smiling; as she passed nearby, she couldn't resist stealing another glance.

Li Yitong: I told you he's a succubus!

But that was the extent of their eye contact—Shuangzi's side was accompanied by a woman in her forties or fifties, constantly urging her, apparently her mother.

The woman paid little attention to Bai Liang, the passing handsome guy; her focus was entirely on Shuangzi's career, lecturing nonstop.

Bai Liang's final, furtive glance clearly caught her expression of impatience, but it vanished quickly as she nodded and murmured in agreement.

He finished his last bun in a few bites, checked the time, and this time he'd learned his lesson—he arrived half an hour early!

"You're this late? You're confident your audition today won't be a problem, right?"

"Late?"

Hearing Lin Yufen's teasing, Bai Liang was stunned—arriving half an hour early was still late?

The woman chuckled, "You're even later than the female lead. How can you call that early?"

Kid, the entertainment industry has countless unwritten rules—you've got a lot to learn.

Bai Liang pondered: So the "lead role" comes with so many hidden advantages?

Now he wanted to play the male lead even more!

Some "rights" he probably wouldn't use himself, but having them versus not having them makes a real difference.

Still, today he had to prepare properly for the male second lead audition.

After glancing at Bai Liang's preparation materials, Lin Yufen already had a clear sense of his caliber—sure enough, no matter what else, his professional attitude was impeccable.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought of recommending him when a role opened up.

An actor with high professional skill, good interpersonal relations, dedication, and proper attitude—such a person is hard not to want to collaborate with.

Even Lin Yufen, as a director, felt that just placing Bai Liang on set guaranteed at least part of the scene's quality!

Besides, this kid often guest-stars as "Teacher Bai," giving "blessings" to co-stars—how much trouble does that save directors like her?

After using him once, Lin Yufen declared: Whoever uses him knows—he's truly effective!

Today's audition turnout wasn't large, mainly because the female lead's contract hadn't been signed and the male lead hadn't been finalized yet.

Once those two are settled, the other roles become much easier to cast.

Waiting for the audition wasn't boring at all.

In his two previous auditions, one had Mencius bragging for dramatic effect, the other had his good friend Wang Yanlin keeping him company, with that Zha offering snacks in between.

This time, though Bai Liang had no gorgeous woman or close buddy, he "caught" a sweet girl.

"Hey! You're Zhang Xianzong!" When Mao Xiaotong excitedly named the character Bai Liang portrayed, it was clear she'd watched the drama.

The sweetness was slightly excessive.

This girl's smile was genuinely infectious—her large, round, bright eyes were clear and luminous; though she was already twenty-seven, she looked as if she were a naive college student.

Bai Liang: Bring it on!

He immediately flashed her his "ultra-warm-boy smile"—on this move, Bai the man had never feared anyone.

Huh?

Mao Xiaotong paused, her smile brightening further, so Bai Liang intensified his effort...

After this exchange, both acknowledged each other's charm.

Bai Liang: If you ever need to catch someone cheating, I can help tally the crowd to boost your morale.

As for Mao Xiaotong, she just thought this handsome guy was amusing—but luckily, she already had a boyfriend, so her resistance was strong.

"Wow, you're completely different from the character in the drama! Your acting is amazing!"

"You mean Zhang Xianzong? That was just me being myself—I'm the one acting right now."

"Then your acting is still great~"

Bai Liang rubbed his chin. "You've got a point."

"I'm here to audition for the female second lead, Zhao Erxi. What about you? Not the male second lead, right?"

Bai Liang nodded—it wasn't a secret worth hiding, and there was no reason to deny it.

He was always open and straightforward.

Mao Xiaotong clearly understood too—though "Wu Xin Fa Shi" was currently popular, Bai Liang could never match Shuangzi's status; the most likely role was male second lead.

Of course, male third or fourth lead wasn't impossible—but male second lead had romantic subtext with her female second lead role, and as a fan of "Wu Xin Fa Shi," she was quite curious to experience how "Zhang Xianzong" might transform into a campus crush~

The two chatted enthusiastically, yet both unconsciously maintained a safe distance.

They exchanged a glance and thought, Ah, both are very "discerning" people.

In contrast to Bai Liang's ease, Shuangzi's mood today was rather ordinary.

One reason was yesterday's dog incident, which had soured her relationship with her boyfriend.

The other was her mother—she herself was here to act, yet her mother kept offering opinions and ideas.

She was frustrated inside but couldn't voice it; after all, it was her own mother.

She still had to force a smile in agreement.

As for the casting discussions with the producer and director, Shuangzi wasn't particularly interested—she'd rather talk about the pay.

What was there to discuss about the other supporting roles, besides the male lead?

When the supporting actors began their auditions, her mother went to watch, sat there stifling herself for a while, then finally made an excuse to go to the restroom and slipped out for a walk.

But the moment she stepped outside, the latest message on her phone made her even more upset.

What does "let's cool off for a while" even mean? It's just a dog...

Frustrated, she lowered her head to type, then, failing to notice the corner, nearly tripped and fell.

"Watch out~"

After being steadied by someone, Shuangzi regained her balance, looked up to thank them—and froze.

Ah~