The Peak Competition of Beauty and Acting (2)

0901: "The side mission is to perfect the emotional connection between each attacking and defending character in each world. The more fulfilling and sweet the relationships are, the more reward points and props you will receive."

Xu Qichen is starting to suspect that this system is a revenge product created by some disgruntled genius reader due to long-term grievances and dissatisfaction with the product.

He blames himself for being too naive, thinking that he could simply write a few romantic storylines and collect some points and props. He didn't expect it to become a matter of life and death now.

But as a single and emotionally inept person, he doesn't even know how to navigate the emotions between two people from a god's perspective, let alone create a romance between himself and the characters he created. It's simply too difficult for him.

Xu Qichen opens the script. During the serialization, only fragments of the play within the play were mentioned in the original text. Now, seeing the fragmented ideas turned into a complete script, he finds it quite interesting.

"This is Director Chen Anping's new play. If it weren't for Du Mong's misfortune, we wouldn't have had the chance to audition."

Du Mong was a character he created, a talented cannon fodder who gained fame overnight by starring in a film by a renowned director. His subsequent works also received good reviews, and he was on the rise, needing a highly popular and award-worthy film.

And here it is, the opportunity to work with Chen Anping, a Chinese-American director, and the rising star Lin Ran. It's impossible for it not to become a hit.

But just at this time, Du Mong was exposed to have improper relationships with multiple young internet celebrities. One revelation after another, Du Mong, who had always maintained a clean-cut image, was pulled down from his pedestal by the masses of gossip-hungry netizens, completely destroying the reputation he had built over the years.

The director had chosen him precisely because of his image and alignment with the character, but now that his true colors were revealed, the overwhelming negative reviews alone were enough for the investors to replace him without hesitation.

Li Yun crossed her arms and looked at Ji Mengze, who was silent with his head down. She said, "You won't attend the celebration banquet later. We'll go straight to the audition. I've already made arrangements." She glanced at her watch and continued, "Chen Anping clearly wants to use this film to compete for awards."

Of course, for films competing for international awards, they need to combine human depth, topicality, and the ability to quickly accumulate buzz. The only option is to explore LGBT themes. Even if they don't win an award in the end, the level of discussion and publicity would guarantee a return on investment.

That's exactly how Xu Qichen had thought when he wrote it.

How could he have predicted that one day he would transmigrate into this novel?

"I've read the script, and based on appearances, there's no one more suited for the role of Yun Ning than you."

Appearance... Xu Qichen forced a bitter smile. "But I don't have acting skills."

Li Yun glared fiercely at him. "Let's discuss it after we arrive. With your popularity, the opportunities that come knocking are never the best ones. If you don't fight for good resources, you won't be able to obtain them."

This woman is even more formidable than what he wrote.

"We're almost there." Li Yun looked out the car window. The audition hotel was not far away. "Get ready."

According to the original storyline, the next step would be to enter the hotel, start the audition, fail the audition, and then join the crew due to pressure from the investors.

"0901," Xu Qichen once again asked the system, "Can I actively change the story plot?"

"As the original author and the host of the system, of course, you can, as long as you can bear the consequences of the changes."

Xu Qichen looked at his face reflected in the car window and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Wait a moment."

"What's wrong?"

Xu Qichen turned his head to look at Li Yun and pointed at her assistant, Xiao Wang.

"I want to wear the white T-shirt he's wearing."

Li Yun was momentarily stunned.

"Also," Xu Qichen started undressing, "help me remove all the makeup."

Xiao Wang hesitated, "But... I'm much fatter than you, and this shirt is cheap..."

Xu Qichen began unbuttoning his shirt, "It's okay, just take it off quickly. Let me borrow it for one night."

Xiao Wang looked at Li Yun, and Li Yun smirked, nodding her chin, "If he tells you to take it off, then take it off. Xiao Zhang, help Ji Mengze remove his makeup."

Xu Qichen took the white T-shirt that Xiao Wang hesitantly handed over and quickly pulled it over his head. Xiao Zhang took out a makeup remover wipe and started working.

Xu Qichen scratched his own bangs that obediently hung over his forehead and muttered under his breath, "Luckily, I just took a shower and didn't style my hair."

Li Yun looked meaningfully at the obedient boy in front of her, removing the glamorous stage clothes and makeup, revealing a clean and innocent seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy.

"You do have a brain after all."

Xu Qichen felt that Li Yun was even more sarcastic than he had written her to be. He smiled at the woman but didn't say anything. He saw a black baseball cap next to his seat and casually put it on his head.

With everything ready, Li Yun led Xu Qichen into the hotel. The audition location was in a large suite. As soon as they got on the elevator, they saw several staff members in black suits. Li Yun seemed to be familiar with one of them and immediately put on a friendly smile, "Oh, Brother Hong, long time no see. Are you in charge of the auditions today?"

The person called Brother Hong also smiled and put his arm around Li Yun's shoulder, "Yeah, the most tiring job. Are you bringing someone to audition too?"

"Mengze, come."

The name was not unfamiliar to Xu Qichen, but it was always difficult to associate it with himself. Xu Qichen sighed softly and followed Li Yun.

Brother Hong's eyes lit up, "Hey, isn't this your company's super idol? Hello, hello, my sister really likes you." Xu Qichen shook hands with him with a smile and said thank you a few times.

But Brother Hong obviously didn't expect Li Yun to bring Ji Mengze with her. He whispered, "We're old acquaintances, so let me give you a heads up. Today's audition is not like the others, a few people are being picky. You guys better be mentally prepared for a day trip."

"What do you mean?"

"Besides Director Chen and Writer Qu, there's another person inside."

Li Yun immediately understood, "Lin Ran?"

Brother Hong snapped his fingers, "Exactly. Let me just tell you, Writer Qu based the male lead on Lin Ran."

Prototype, when Xu Qichen heard this word, he felt a little helpless and a little amused.

"He was already chosen in advance. It's normal for Lin Ran to personally select the actors."

Li Yun felt a little doubtful. Although she hadn't interacted much with Lin Ran, the people around her had good things to say about him, saying that he didn't have an attitude, but had one particular dislike: idol actors who relied solely on their looks for fame.

This could be a bit troublesome.

Xu Qichen, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, leaving Li Yun sighing.

"Enough talking, let me take you to fill out the forms. After that, Mengze, you can wait in the lounge. There are too many people today, it's crowded."

Xu Qichen nodded and let them lead the way. After a busy round, Li Yun went out to take care of some things, leaving him in the lounge to read the script.

The movie was called "Nanke". Xu Qichen had initially struggled when writing the story, wanting it to be artistic but not greasy. It was really difficult. He had come up with several names before ultimately choosing the original version.

Nanke was the character name for Lin Ran in the play.

The core of the story in the script was actually quite simple.

It started with the reunion of two young people.

The timeline jumped back and forth, interspersing memories of the two main characters from five years ago in a foreign country during their reunion. It focused on depicting the emotions and growth of the naive and complex youth, as well as their experiences and acceptance after the passage of time. It explored friendship and love, the future and the past.

The entire movie was filled with long monologues, which tested the actors' dialogue skills.

Xu Qichen was reading with his head down when someone lightly tapped his shoulder. He looked up and saw a young man with dimples, looking to be in his twenties. His voice was filled with surprise.

"It's really you! I thought I was seeing things over there!"

Xu Qichen quickly recalled the character from the novel. The dimple detail was quite unique, and he responded with a smile, "Sun Cheng, you're here too."

Sun Cheng vigorously nodded his head, full of energy. Xu Qichen looked at him, feeling a sense of novelty seeing the real person who matched the character description. Sun Cheng was a supporting character in the novel, with good acting talent and a professional background. He had an outgoing personality and was a strong competitor for this role. He had also been a guest on a variety show with the SOULMATE group before, so they had some connection.

"Are you here to audition for Yun Ning?" Sun Cheng glanced at the script Xu Qichen was reading.

Xu Qichen didn't hide it and nodded.

"I am too, but the character in this is a melancholic pretty boy, which is completely different from me." His dimples were deep.

Xu Qichen replied, "It's okay, having contrast makes it more challenging,"

The smile froze on Sun Cheng's face, and Xu Qichen felt a bit strange. Did he say something wrong?

Sun Cheng grabbed Xu Qichen's shoulder, "You're such a good person, so gentle. I want to be friends with you. Can I add you on WeChat? I didn't get to add you last time. I really love your group's songs. I wanted to go see your concert..."

Xu Qichen: "..."

"Huh?" Sun Cheng touched Xu Qichen's face, "Are you not wearing any makeup? There's not a speck of powder on your face."

Xu Qichen nodded, "Are you wearing makeup? I can't tell."

"Oh my god, you really...Ah, you're so good-looking."

Maybe it was because someone was talking nearby, or maybe the audition time for each actor was just too short, but it felt like no time had passed before it was Sun Cheng's turn.

Xu Qichen gave him a symbolic pat on the shoulder and encouraged him before he left the lounge looking like he was about to face death.

Xu Qichen continued to read the script with his head down. He felt like he hadn't read many pages when Sun Cheng came back. His expression was full of bitterness, and as soon as he saw Xu Qichen, he started lamenting, "Mengze~"

He really was too familiar.

Xu Qichen asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's so difficult. I was startled when I walked in and saw Lin Ran. I almost forgot my lines. Then Director Chen asked me to perform the scene where Yun Ning gets drunk. I don't know if I did well or not, but they stopped me before ten minutes had passed." Sun Cheng complained while grabbing his hair.

"Did Director Chen say anything else?"

Sun Cheng shook his head, "Director Chen is so cold. He didn't say a word with his poker face, but Lin Ran asked me a question at the end."

"What?"

"Do you think you can handle Yun Ning?"

Sun Cheng imitated Lin Ran's expression and sighed like a deflated ball.

"Then what?"

"Then I said I want to challenge him." Sun Cheng sighed, "Although his expression is quite gentle, I was scared as soon as I heard it."

Xu Qichen patted his back, not saying any comforting words. He was not good at comforting others, and he had never been comforted before. It was better to say less at this time.

The drunk scene? Xu Qichen became a bit nervous when Sun Cheng mentioned it. Besides participating in a play during college, he had never acted before. Ji Mengze's character setting was also an acting idiot, so what should he do? Did he really have to rely on the script to have any interaction with Lin Ran?

"0901, can additional character settings be purchased with points? Such as acting skills..."

The cold voice responded quickly, "That is against the rules, and besides, Mr. Xu, you only have five hundred initial points."

"Oh. What can I buy with five hundred points?"

"It depends on your needs. A pen, two lighters, or five small cans of fruit candy, etc."

Xu Qichen thought for a moment. "Then I'll take a can of candy."

"Okay, Mr. Xu." Xu Qichen heard a "ding" sound, and a jar the size of an egg appeared in his left jeans pocket when he reached in with his hand.

"0901, your business is a bit unfair."

"Sorry, I did remind you it was a small can."

Since he had already bought it, Xu Qichen took out the candy jar and shook it in front of Sun Cheng. "Want some?" He asked.

Sun Cheng shook his head, still looking dejected.

Xu Qichen put the candy jar back and saw Li Yun walking in. It was probably his turn soon. Xu Qichen asked Sun Cheng, "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Um... I think you have to turn left and walk straight to the end."

Xu Qichen stood up and greeted Li Yun before leaving. Li Yun, on the other hand, asked him, "When did you get so close to Sun Cheng?"

"We're not close, just happened to run into each other and chatted for a bit."

Li Yun's expression didn't look too good, with a hesitant look. Finally, she instructed, "Go quickly, it won't be long before it's your turn."

Xu Qichen adjusted his cap, lowered his head, and struggled to squeeze through the crowded door, heading straight to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Xu Qichen pondered Li Yun's expression just now.

In Xu Qichen's memory, Sun Cheng's character was not an important role, with a simple background and not many appearances later on.

But if he were to change the original plot, it should also affect the development of the original characters' stories.

While washing his hands, Xu Qichen suddenly felt a bit dizzy. He shook his head and turned off the faucet. The reflection of the metal was a bit dazzling. His vision suddenly darkened, and his legs began to weaken. He immediately pressed his hand against the marble countertop, supporting his body.

I should have eaten first before coming here.

He heard the sound of flushing, and a person walked out of a cubicle and stood next to him to wash their hands.

Xu Qichen couldn't even lift his head with the onset of low blood sugar. He slightly moved aside and slowly shuffled his steps, leaning his right shoulder against the wall, his whole body leaning against it.

Fortunately, he had just bought the shady candy from the system. It really came in handy.

He reached into his pocket and took out the small candy jar, gripping the body of the jar with his left hand and forcefully twisting the lid with his right hand.

It wouldn't open.

He could hear the sound of running water continuously beside him.

Gritting his teeth and trying to twist it again, his hand had no strength, and it still wouldn't budge.

A deceitful system, deceitful candy.

Xu Qichen now had no energy left to mock the system.

The sound of running water finally stopped, followed by the sound of tissue being pulled out, then the sound of dry tissues rubbing against fingers, echoing repeatedly in Xu Qichen's dizzy brain, causing a ringing in his ears.

The crumpled tissue was thrown into the trash can.

The person was about to leave.

Although his legs could barely support his body, Xu Qichen's consciousness remained, he was just struggling.

There was no other choice. He reached out his left hand and grabbed the arm of the person who was about to leave the bathroom.

"Sorry, can you please help me open this?"

The person's footsteps halted, and from under the brim of Xu Qichen's cap, he could only see the person's waist and below, a pair of straight long legs, wearing trousers, and the person did not take the candy jar from him.

On the verge of fainting, Xu Qichen's hand, which was holding the person's arm, weakened and drooped down. He grabbed the person's wrist and placed his candy jar in their hand, his voice weak.

"Please help me."

After a brief silence.

The person seemed to finally agree, reaching out and taking the small candy jar from Xu Qichen's hand. With a click, the jar was opened and handed back to Xu Qichen, his fingers were also long and beautiful.

Xu Qichen took the jar, whispered a thank you, and the next moment, he collapsed on the ground, tilting his head back and pouring the colorful candy grains into his mouth. It didn't look like he was eating candy, but more like taking drugs.

The replenishment of sugar gave him a feeling of blood flowing back, and Xu Qichen's numb limbs slowly regained strength. After sitting for a while, it seemed that the person was not planning to leave.

If he fainted here, it would be a disaster. This person had done him a great favor, and he would have to thank them properly later.

Xu Qichen was about to stand up with the support of the wall when he suddenly found his field of vision widening.

The baseball cap on his head was lifted off by the person who opened the jar.

Xu Qichen, sitting on the ground, looked up and saw a face that could be described as very handsome. He tilted his head, looking at Xu Qichen with a smile that was not quite a smile.

In that instant of meeting each other's gaze, for reasons that couldn't be expressed, maybe it was the creator's intuition about their own hard work, Xu Qichen immediately confirmed that the person in front of him was Lin Ran.

An awkward first meeting, an awkward plea for help, and an awkward position.

The most awkward thing was that his mouth was stuffed with a mouthful of fruit hard candy.

Assorted flavors, sour and sweet.

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