Chapter 4: You Thought Too Much

Cao Yang's ideal female lead must have charm and also be able to make the audience empathize.

Let the audience be able to experience the female lead's forced smiles, sadness, loneliness, and detachment, and let the audience fluctuate with the female lead's emotional fluctuations.

Of course, this is the ideal state.

So, the first person Cao Yang thought of was Gong Li.

Gong Li's acting skills, plus having a similar experience, using the immersion experience on her, would definitely be able to achieve this.

The second person Cao Yang thought of was Xun Ge'er.

Xun Ge'er's acting skills are very good. If she is polished more and the immersion experience is used, there is also a very high probability that she can do it.

And, Xun Ge'er hasn't become popular yet, so the hope of inviting her to join is very high.

Their biggest shortcoming is that they don't have the charm Cao Yang wants.

Yes, it is charm.

Saying it this way might be a bit mysterious, but that feeling is hard to describe in words.

If one has to use straightforward words, it's probably that as long as a man looks at her once, he wants to look a second time, a third time...

Letting one's imagination run wild, feeling itchy and unbearable.

Wanting to protect her, cherish her, and possess her.

The reason Cao Yang wants Gong Li to play the female lead is mainly because she has a big name and wide connections. If she plays, it will increase the probability of winning an award, which is a very big plus.

If this film were filmed ten years or eight years later, Cao Yang's first choice would definitely be Gao Yuanyuan, without hesitation.

Gao Yuanyuan at around thirty definitely has the charm of a light mature woman, fully meeting the character setting of the female lead.

Thinking about it this way, since Gao Yuanyuan can do it ten years later, Li Xiaoran, whose acting skills are about the same as hers, might be a good choice at the current stage.

Think of more ways to let Li Xiaoran empathize, let her enter the play, and then add an immersion experience to her. The effect Cao Yang wants might come out.

"Senior Brother, have someone call Li Xiaoran. If she can free up a half-year schedule, the female lead will be hers."

Li Xiaoran ate with Xu Huanhuan. They met when filming "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind". Because they have a common friend, Chen Kun, they also became good friends.

Xu Huanhuan and Chen Kun are classmates, both from the 96-class acting class of Beijing Film Academy.

Chen Kun was Li Xiaoran's colleague when she was in the song and dance troupe, and also her best friend. Li Xiaoran was able to get the role in "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind" because Chen Kun recommended her to Zhao Baogang.

Thus, Zhao Baogang signed Li Xiaoran to Xinbaoyuan, which is the company he opened in partnership with Hai Yan.

"Huanhuan, aren't you going to 'Love in the Sunny Days'?"

"Love in the Sunny Days" sent an invitation. They want to use the acting cast of "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind", using Chen Kun as the male lead and giving the female lead to Li Xiaoran.

This is Li Xiaoran's first time receiving a female lead in a TV series, and her partner is an acquaintance, Chen Kun. No matter how you look at it, it's a high-quality resource.

Li Xiaoran's heart is in chaos. She also passed the female lead of the film she interviewed for before.

The film wants her for a half-year schedule. Because of the schedule conflict, she can only choose one of the two, and she can't make up her mind for a while about how to choose.

The female lead of a TV series, partnering with an acquaintance, has a lower risk of making mistakes. And the film is directed by a student in his twenties—no matter how you look at it, there is a great risk.

Sister Zhang, who is in charge of brokerage affairs in the company, didn't hesitate at all, directly excluding the film option and suggesting she take the TV series.

But as an actor, who doesn't have a heart yearning for the big screen?

Xu Huanhuan chuckled, "The schedule clashed. I signed a film contract before, and it's about to start filming."

"Your company is really good, film contracts one after another." Li Xiaoran was a bit envious. Before, she was running around alone. In order to get a play, she went to interview crew after crew. That was truly difficult.

"You just signed to Xinbaoyuan, are you still afraid of having no film contracts in the future? Isn't there a TV series looking for you to play the female lead? It made me so envious." Xu Huanhuan patted Li Xiaoran and teased.

Li Xiaoran smiled, feeling that she was a bit pretentious. People are like this: they worry when they have no film contracts, and they still worry when they have film contracts.

"Huanhuan, let me ask you about someone. Do you know Cao Yang? From the 98-class Directing Department of your Beijing Film Academy."

"Yo, Xiaoran, your charm is quite big, a talented person from Beijing Film Academy is pursuing you? Tell me, how did you meet?" Xu Huanhuan looked like she was listening to gossip.

"What are you thinking? He wants to film a movie. Didn't I go to interview? I was afraid of being deceived, so I came to ask you about it."

"He's filming a movie? Tsk tsk, really awesome, only a third-year student."

"How is he as a person? Is he reliable?"

"He is the youngest in the 98-class directing class. Don't look at his young age; he was admitted with the first professional grade. He was a fresh high school graduate at the time, which caused quite a bit of attention." Xu Huanhuan praised.

"So awesome!"

!

Li Xiaoran still knows a bit. The Directing Department is the hardest to get into at Beijing Film Academy. Many students have reviewed for many years, or took the exam after working. Fresh high school graduates are rare, mainly because they don't have that much professional knowledge reserve, so it's very hard to get into the Directing Department.

Being able to get in with the first professional grade is quite amazing!

"Of course."

Xu Huanhuan straightened her upper body and said with pride, "His sophomore practice work was just a public service short film he shot casually, and it was on CCTV's 'Broadcasting and Advertising'. It was very awesome, okay?"

"He invited me to play his female lead. Should I go?"

"Slap!"

Xu Huanhuan slapped the table, startling Li Xiaoran.

"Go, must go! Anyway, I am very optimistic about him. He is handsome and talented. Even if the first film flops, being able to get him is also excellent."

After finishing, she narrowed her eyes and reached out to grab something in the air.

"Go, go, you lecherous woman, I'm talking to you seriously."

Li Xiaoran smiled and patted the claw she extended in the air, continuing, "My agent hopes I go to play the TV series. She feels it's safer."

Xu Huanhuan nodded, "If I were your agent, I would also hope you go to play the TV series. This is the safest way."

After being silent for a while, Xu Huanhuan suddenly smiled and said, "I actually hope you go to play the movie. Maybe the female lead of the TV series will fall on me, haha..."

"Don't mess around, give me an opinion quickly."

"Sister, I really can't give you an opinion. Although Cao Yang is a genius, he hasn't filmed a feature film yet and hasn't proven himself. A feature film and a short film are two different things, and the risk is very high."

After thinking about it, Xu Huanhuan simply spread her hands and continued, "If you don't take this TV series, I am very likely to be the beneficiary. They give me the lead, and I really can't refuse."

"If I suggest you go to play the movie, and the movie doesn't meet expectations, and I replace you to become the female lead of the TV series, can we still be friends? Just do it according to your own thoughts."

"Alright Huanhuan, I know how to choose. I will recommend you. You also tell Kun'er, let him say something too, a double insurance."

Li Xiaoran also learned Xu Huanhuan's previous action, narrowed her eyes, reached out to grab something in the air, and then clenched her fist.

"Sister is now the female lead of the film. Next, I will follow the director's requirements and go to the seaside villa rented by the crew on Ludong Island to experience a luxurious and extravagant life, all at public expense. Sunshine, beach, big villa, I'll make you envious, haha..."

(End of chapter)