[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett":3,"chapter-how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-chapter-78":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","How Can You Be an Emperor of Acting Without Letting Loose?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2324790,4547,"Chapter 78: Audition","how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>Facing the scrutiny of everyone’s gazes, Li Luo stood perfectly upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to the file.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Zi, sitting beside Zhang Zhongzhi, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and sporting a slicked-back pompadour, flipped through the papers on the desk and began first: “You’re Lin Pingzhi from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo answered plainly and directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhongzhi flicked away ash with a wave of his hand and added: “Xiao Luo played it well—he captured Lin Pingzhi’s essence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He did a good job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Hu Zi’s comment, the others perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they recognized an actor, everyone would chat a bit to help them relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Yu Min.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Zi tried to keep reading but found the file ended—he looked up at Li Luo: “You’re the director of this drama. Besides Lin Pingzhi, what other acting experience do you have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The file in hand was far too sparse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just Lin Pingzhi and a Beijing Film Academy student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Hu Zi said he was good, Hu Zi couldn’t help feeling uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others also flipped through their own files.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them were murmuring internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Yu, hello.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo blinked once and nodded: “There’s a drama currently filming in Huairou—Lai Shuiqing’s The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber—I’m playing Zhang Wuji.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spoke, a few coughs broke out in the audition room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mentioning The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber meant this wasn’t some low-budget indie project—only major funding could pull it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew Lai Shuiqing—he was a well-known director in the industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for credentials,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he utterly crushed Yu Min!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d assumed this kid was some newcomer, only for him to suddenly claim he was the male lead—leaving several people stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You people need to be more professional.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhongzhi’s expression turned stern. He raised a hand and sharply tapped a nearby crew member: “What are you all doing? Is it really that hard to collect basic actor information?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had been busy shooting or prepping new dramas lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knowing the details was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I gave instructions days ago—how could basic info still be wrong? This is disrespectful to actors—and it’s slapping me in the face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min smoothed things over, handing out a sheet of lines: “Try this scene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took the paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo quickly scanned the few lines written on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the gold-rimmed-glasses-wearing Hu Zi: “Duan Yu stealing the horse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min nodded and added: “Let me know when you’re ready.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing those words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a faint smile appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least the director had the right attitude—some actors never even read the original novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo silently recited the lines several times, closed his eyes, and guided himself into performance mode. Within seconds, he opened his eyes again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire demeanor grew gentler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min glanced at the script and read calmly: “How dare you steal my Black Rose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not your servant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo frowned, indignant: “Whether I stay or leave depends on my mood—it’s not running away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pace was slightly faster than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sounded urgently anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Duan Yu was rushing to save someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Black Rose!” He glanced sideways, his tone hesitant: “I borrowed it from you before—I haven’t returned it yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not stealing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone shifted instantly from hesitation to smooth confidence, his eyebrows lifting with a touch of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhongzhi nodded repeatedly, listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rhythm was perfect—he nailed the smug, defiant arrogance perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still making excuses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min continued the scene: “Tell me, who are you? How dare you defy me again and again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m someone who cares about a friend’s safety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo glanced at the script, stepped forward, and his expression turned serious: “If you treat me with courtesy, I would never defy you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Draw your blade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min scratched his beard, watching him with approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gulps~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo imagined a blade at his throat, swallowed hard, lifted his chin slightly in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his eyes remained resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Min nodded and clapped gently: “Well done, thank you, Li Luo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scattered round of applause echoed in the audition room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he could do it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one scene was enough to tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Director Yu. Thank you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Luo relaxed, instinctively bowed his hands in thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only a few lines, maintaining such intense focus was exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For action scenes,” said the burly man in the back, rubbing his big nose as he grinned at Li Luo: “No need to test—he moves sharp and clean. This won’t challenge him at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was Zhao Jian, the action director of The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was big and rugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His laugh was simple and warm, but his serious face was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jian once played Fei Bin, Zuo Lengchan’s junior disciple in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, killed by Mo Da’s sword when he tried to exterminate Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was also a seasoned action choreographer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past productions, Li Luo had trained with Yuan Bin and him a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were familiar with each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he said that, since others were present, Zhang Zhongzhi still asked Li Luo to demonstrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A folding fan lay nearby—Zhao Min had a fight scene using a fan, and Li Luo had learned two moves from Yuan Bin. He casually picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap—he opened it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then turned the fan into a sword—flicking, sweeping, thrusting—moves so swift they dazzled the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normal action auditions were extremely simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just check coordination, ask if they exercise, and most actors just mimic moves on the spot—or worse, strike poses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone like Li Luo who could perform a full sequence was rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhongzhi thought of something else and tapped the table with his finger toward a crew member: “Bring in Jiang Xin. Li Luo, do another scene with her—see how the chemistry feels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auditions are all about testing everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, 19-year-old Jiang Xin was brought in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, she was still unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She started acting young, a child star; after failing the Central Academy of Drama entrance exam, she stayed in Beijing as a “Beijing drift,” and by chance connected with a drama director from The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils crew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how she got the audition for Mu Wanqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having endured hardship since childhood, she was extremely cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, she bowed deeply, repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her look, Zhang Da raised his eyebrows distinctly, whispered a few words to Yu Min, and discussed the scene the two would perform next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few quick words, Zhang Zhongzhi looked at the two standing before the camera and said bluntly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two, kiss each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1130,"2026-06-20T17:17:01.025Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7364bebda1b41f829168769bc78500f8d14de9778164aad2c4714643ca374ffa","how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-chapter-79","how-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-chapter-77",461,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-can-you-be-an-emperor-of-acting-without-lett-cover.jpg"]