Ai Xiao was not feeling well at all.
She had just joined the production team with the wrong attitude and got caught red-handed by the boss. Moreover, what she didn’t expect was that this was a film privately invested by the boss.
Like Qian Zhe Lin, she also joined the company last year, even later than Sheng Tang.
The two of them were under the same manager, who had six contracts to handle, not just them.
Typically, resources would be given to the senior artists first before it would be their turn.
This year had been good, business was booming for everyone, and Guanghong Media had expanded into new ventures, keeping all the artists busy.
As a result, their manager gave them this film opportunity.
Although they knew the genre wasn’t great, the producer was like a beggar, and the director was unknown, they still took the job.
Ai Xiao was very reluctant. She had her eyes set on a villainous role in an idol drama. That idol drama featured a popular actress as the lead, and she would have scenes with her, which was an excellent exposure opportunity.
In the end, she was assigned to this movie as the lead actress.
Initially, she was excited, but upon seeing the contract with only a twenty thousand yuan remuneration, her enthusiasm waned; after learning about the production team, director, and her co-stars, her remaining enthusiasm vanished.
Thus, Ai Xiao, filled with emotion, was unwilling to cooperate.
For such a low-budget and lousy film, she figured just casually shooting would be enough. Remembering her lines was already a big support to the director, yet they wanted a script reading session!
Ai Xiao was completely uninterested.
Unexpectedly, her assistant informed her that President Gu had arrived in person.
Ai Xiao hastily scrambled out of bed, but it was too late.
She was late, and that wasn’t even the scariest part.
The scariest part was that this low-budget movie she didn’t care about was actually privately invested by President Gu.
She clearly had the chance to perform well, gain the boss’s favor, and soar to success like Fu Qingcen, but she blew it.
Hadn’t President Gu initially valued her?
Otherwise, why would she be the lead while President Gu’s girlfriend, Sheng Tang, was the supporting actress?
The more she thought about it, the more Ai Xiao wanted to cry.
The script reading session began, with the male lead speaking first.
Qian Zhe Lin played the role of Huang Gen Sheng, the son of the village chief of Lotus Village. He was lively, kind-hearted, brave, and upright.
For this role, Qian Zhe Lin wrote a character analysis of over three thousand words.
So, under President Gu’s supervision, Qian Zhe Lin behaved appropriately, articulately sharing his understanding and views on the role.
President Gu nodded frequently.
Thinking of this, Qian Zhe Lin felt increasingly grateful to Sheng Tang: "Luckily I followed Sheng Tang’s advice and wrote a character analysis, or else I would be as embarrassed as Ai Xiao now!"
Qian Zhe Lin also just found out today that this film was privately funded by President Gu. Like Ai Xiao, he thought that President Gu selecting him as the lead meant he was highly regarded.
Little did they know, Gu Jiahui had just let his secretary randomly pick two artists from the talent management department.
If they had put in a bit more effort, they wouldn’t have picked two artists under the same manager.
Unaware of this, Qian Zhe Lin thought his guess was correct. Under Sheng Tang’s influence, with his serious attitude and meticulously written character analysis, he felt very content at this moment.
"Not bad, Zhe Lin’s analysis is very thorough." The director first praised Qian Zhe Lin.
The director added a few more points, then looked towards the female lead, Ai Xiao.
Ai Xiao played the role of Li Hong, the eldest daughter of displaced intellectual Li Yaohui. Her father was originally a university professor who narrowly survived a special period, now serving as an accountant in the village.
After their mother died, she and her sister were brought to the village. They both loved studying, but their father, who had suffered from his education, thought it was better if his daughters didn’t pursue schooling.
With the reinstatement of the college entrance examination, she and her sister Li Lan each had their own thoughts, leading to the unfolding of this story.
The role of Li Hong was easy to analyze because she was more complex than the male lead, but Ai Xiao couldn’t say a word.
She had only read the first few scenes of the script and hadn’t finished reading or memorizing the rest.
She planned to memorize her lines as she filmed, just as she had done before on set.
With everyone watching her, she panicked and couldn’t utter a single word.