Chapter 69: President Sheng Has Arrived

In the theater backstage dressing room, Ji Xiang looked at the entire box of accessories, props, and cosmetics that Zhu Yuan had used, all of which had been dumped at the doorway by Ning Chu's people; a powder puff case had fallen to the floor and been stepped on, leaving a footprint.

And that Second Miss Ning was occupying the dressing table that originally belonged to Zhu Yuan, while the professional team she brought was applying exquisite makeup for her.

Ning Chu slanted a glance at them.

She had a standard oval face with fair, translucent skin; it was originally a gentle appearance, but the corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, adding a sense of calculation that made her difficult to approach.

Ji Xiang was so angry her face flushed red. "Xiao Fengzheng, you wait here, I'm going to find the troupe leader!"

"Ji Xiang," Zhu Yuan called out to stop her.

With such a commotion, the troupe leader should have been alerted long ago.

But the troupe leader had yet to appear, which meant the troupe leader could not handle this matter; Ji Xiang would be going in vain, and would only end up offending people instead.

Young as she was, Ji Xiang could not swallow her anger; her eyes turned red, and she stamped her foot. "This is too bullying!"

"Be good, don't be angry. Everyone is an actor; it's just picking a dressing table, how can you call it bullying?" Zhu Yuan bent down to pick up the cardboard box on the floor, and when Ji Xiang saw this, she hurriedly went over to lend a hand.

Ning Chu's side heard this remark as well and let out a cold snort.

The others were all thinking that this Zhu Yuan really was a soft persimmon; no wonder a newcomer could rise above her as soon as she arrived.

They only heard Zhu Yuan say slowly: "I am so beautiful, where I apply my makeup doesn't matter, does it? The strong never complain about their environment; only ugly people are picky."

"What did you say!" Ning Chu stared at Zhu Yuan with a cold face.

The makeup artist was drawing her eyebrows, and when she turned suddenly, the eyebrow pencil drew a line from the end of her eyebrow all the way to her ear.

The makeup artist was scared to death. "Second Miss Ning, I—I'm sorry..."

Annoyed, Ning Chu picked up a powder puff and wiped it hard twice, then threw the puff aside, slammed the table, and stood up, pointing at Zhu Yuan's nose. "Who are you calling ugly!"

Zhu Yuan and Ji Xiang placed the box on a dressing table to the side and began tidying up their things in a leisurely manner; hearing this, she raised her eyes and swept a silent glance at her without saying a word.

But that look, and its meaning, could not have been more obvious.

Ji Xiang felt satisfied; she was so excited she stamped her feet on the spot, and watching Ning Chu's deflated appearance, she secretly thought to herself that it felt great.

But the next second, Ning Chu walked over slowly, picked up the hair comb Zhu Yuan had just set down on the table, and tossed it lightly; the comb fell to the floor.

"Oops, sorry senior, my hand slipped."

She wore an innocent expression on her face.

But she did not expect that Zhu Yuan would not have a shred of annoyance, and instead looked at her with an expression of concern.

"It's fine. I assume you must have Parkinson's to be unable to control your hand tremors. I just don't know if this ailment will affect your brain; you should hurry and get it checked out."

"What did you say?" Ning Chu could no longer maintain her innocent expression.

Just as she clenched her fists and everyone thought she was about to fly into a rage.

She took a deep breath and said meaningfully: "Thank you for your understanding, senior. Since you are so magnanimous, you shouldn't mind the troupe leader giving the lead role in *Human Wind and Moon* to me, right?"

*Human Wind and Moon* was the play that Li Sha had originally been set to star in; after being hyped for so long, the attention from both inside and outside the industry was unprecedentedly high, and everyone had their eyes on this role.

Zhu Yuan had originally wanted to use this role to make a push for the troupe's lead performer.

At this moment, Ji Xiang whispered: "The troupe leader is here."

As soon as Troupe Leader Hao entered the room, he saw Zhu Yuan and his gaze immediately darted away.

His mirror-like bald head reflected the lights, causing Zhu Yuan to squint her eyes.

Feeling the pressure of Zhu Yuan's gaze, Troupe Leader Hao swallowed his saliva and braced himself to say: "Um, I'm here to announce something: tomorrow's casting event is canceled."

The girls in the dressing room immediately erupted in an uproar.

"Why is it canceled? I memorized my lines all night for tomorrow's casting and didn't even sleep well."

"Has the selection already been decided?"

"Troupe Leader, is that true?"

All their chatter combined did not bring as much intense guilt to Troupe Leader Hao as Zhu Yuan's silence.

What other choice did he have?

Second Miss Ning had specifically requested this role.

It was already rumored outside that she was someone in the circle of the Sheng Family Crown Prince; did he dare to provoke her?

Although the troupe's backer was President Pei, and the relationship between the Sheng and Pei families had been somewhat delicate recently, on the surface everyone was amicable; before that layer of window paper was poked through, he had to give the Sheng Family face.

"It is..." Troupe Leader Hao paused, wearing a stiff smile on his face, "Ning Chu."

The dressing room suddenly went quiet.

Everyone looked at one another, and finally, their gazes fell in unison upon Zhu Yuan.

Although everyone had been preparing, they knew in their hearts that Zhu Yuan had the best chance of being selected this time.

Although this Ning Chu had won many awards during her university years, she was still a bit inferior to Zhu Yuan, not to mention her seniority.

After the troupe leader finished speaking, he left in a hurry, not even daring to look at Zhu Yuan.

For the casting the day after tomorrow, he had even specifically sent a private message to Zhu Yuan telling her to prepare well; now that things had turned out like this, he had no face left to see her.

"Xiao Fengzheng, it's okay, we'll have other opportunities in the future," Ji Xiang comforted Zhu Yuan.

Ning Chu looked at Zhu Yuan with a smile. "Senior, I yielded to you when we were in school, but now I won't yield to you anymore."

"Everyone relies on their own ability; saying things like that only disparages yourself." After putting her things away, Zhu Yuan gave her a smile and turned to leave the dressing room.

Everyone else also went back to their own business; only Ning Chu stood where she was, the expression on her face gradually cracking.

She had long been resentful that Zhu Yuan had suppressed her everywhere back in university; so what if she was a senior? Now she still had to play a supporting role for her!

But clearly she was the one who had won the upper hand, so why did it seem like Zhu Yuan was the one who had won?

Unable to extinguish this rage, Ning Chu sat back down at the dressing table, and when the makeup artist prepared to draw her eyebrows again, she slapped the other person without a word!

The makeup artist's cheek was slapped red, but she could only endure it and apologize in a low, submissive voice.

Because the casting was canceled, rehearsals began that afternoon.

*Human Wind and Moon* told the story of a dance hostess's self-redemption in the last century.

As soon as the character Ning Chu was playing appeared, the director kept shaking his head as he watched.

He pulled the troupe leader to the side, angrily took off his hat, and began to complain.

"This Second Miss Ning is beautiful, yes, but she lacks that certain spark! We need the looks of a bewitching beauty with a heart of pure kindness; this Second Miss Ning doesn't even meet the first requirement, let alone the figure. Look at how the script describes it."

Troupe Leader Hao looked at the words on the script: shoulders as if carved, waist like bound silk, long neck and elegant nape, fair skin revealed.

He shifted his gaze from the script, glanced at the most beautiful person on stage, and then closed his eyes in a headache.

In their troupe, the only one with a figure as moving as that poetry was Zhu Yuan.

While Troupe Leader Hao was coaxing the director, he saw an assistant hurry over from the other side and whisper in his ear: "Troupe Leader, President Sheng and his friends have arrived; they are watching the performance in a private room downstairs."