Ye Tong had assumed the room would be filled with people.
However, upon entering, she realized only two men were seated inside.
One appeared to be in his forties or fifties, while the other was quite young, around twenty-five or twenty-six, with very attractive looks.
Ye Tong glanced at him twice before withdrawing her gaze, standing properly behind Li Tao with a slightly bowed head, maintaining a dignified smile.
Feng Lei was a bit surprised; usually, women were irresistibly drawn to his face, eager to approach him, but unexpectedly, the girl before him only seemed initially impressed, quickly regaining her composure, even sparing him just one additional glance.
When did my appeal start to diminish?
Feng Lei couldn’t help but scrutinize Ye Tong, trying to determine if she was playing hard to get.
Lin Anqing, unfamiliar with Li Tao, assumed he was Feng Lei’s friend and politely asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"
Li Tao quickly handed over his business card, laughing, "Director Lin, I’m Li Changjin’s cousin, Li Tao. Here’s my business card."
Li Changjin was part of the crew for "War God," someone Lin Anqing was aware of but not familiar with, thus unclear on Li Tao’s intention.
"Oh, hello."
Lin Anqing was not skilled in socializing, but Li Tao was. He skillfully engaged with Lin Anqing, making him laugh and inviting him to sit down.
"Director Lin, my brother often says you have a remarkable eye for actors. Could you kindly assess my sister and suggest what role might suit her in the future? She’s currently an extra with me and particularly enjoys acting. She just took on the third female lead in Director Feng Zhong’s new drama."
Li Tao took the opportunity to present Ye Tong, signaling her with a glance.
Ye Tong immediately adjusted her demeanor, aligning her presence with Su Qiangwei’s character in "War God."
Lin Anqing, hearing Feng Zhong’s name, looked at Ye Tong with some surprise. After a few scrutinizing glances, he smiled and took a sip of tea, "Lao Feng is quite stringent. You being noticed by him indicates you have a lot of potential."
Li Tao’s eyes lit up, continuing, "Director Feng also remarked on my sister’s good performance in action scenes. Director Lin, if she auditioned for ’War God,’ what role do you think she could play?"
Lin Anqing pointed a finger at Li Tao, smiled implicitly, "Xiao Li, you’re fishing for information."
Li Tao laughed "honestly," scratching his head, "You saw right through me. To tell you the truth, my sister has loved your ’War God’ series since she was a child. She’s so captivated; she watches it seven or eight times every holiday. She even says that other people’s remakes are never as compelling as yours."
"Is that so?" Lin Anqing looked at Ye Tong with a smile in his eyes.
Ye Tong quickly showed an expression of admiration mixed with embarrassment.
Lin Anqing’s gaze softened, speaking with a hint of elder-like intent, "Young lady, tell me why you think others’ shoots don’t compare to mine?"
Ye Tong thought for a moment and earnestly replied, "Because yours are very realistic. From the story logic, scene environments, actors’ costumes and props, to the dialogue, everything is realistic, immersing me in the content. Every time I witness the sacrifices made by ancestors for establishing a new era, I get teary-eyed. That’s why I want to act in such dramas, so I can closely feel the hardship my ancestors endured, motivating myself to cherish the present beautiful life..."
Lin Anqing nodded with satisfaction, smiling at Li Tao, "Your sister is quite impressive. When it’s time for auditions, if she can’t play the female lead, she surely can take on a supporting role."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tong’s heart felt half-disappointed, causing her to grip her sleeve.
Li Tao quickly asked with a laugh, "Director Lin, may I say something inappropriate? My sister actually has always wanted to audition for the female lead. Can you judge how far she is from being that image, so she knows how to work harder?"
Lin Anqing was about to offer advice when two coughs sounded nearby, abruptly halting his words. Smiling at Ye Tong, he said, "The young lady’s eyes have a special charm; she’s a natural for acting. Once you’re in the crew, you’ll understand more by observing. Well, it’s getting late, we have other matters to discuss, so we won’t see you off."
Li Tao quickly stood up, exchanged courteous words with Lin Anqing, and left the room with the reluctant Ye Tong.
As the door shut, Ye Tong seemed to see that young man who hadn’t spoken from beginning to end, curling his lips into a smile directed at her.
Damn it! That annoying man!
Ye Tong glared angrily at the door; if it weren’t for the interruption by that man, she would have known her shortcomings, allowing her to strive harder.
It’s infuriating...
Li Tao patted her on the shoulder, sighed helplessly, "I can only help you this far. There are many contenders for the female lead, and the competition is fierce. I hear many major backers have already stepped in, so playing a supporting role in this drama isn’t bad."
Ye Tong slumped her shoulders, nodding slightly.
***
Inside the room.
Lin Anqing glanced at Feng Lei and smiled, "How old are you, still bullying young ladies?"
Feng Lei spun the empty teacup in his hand, curling the corner of his mouth, "I was afraid you’d make a mistake."
Lin Anqing almost spat the tea he was drinking, glared at him, "Nonsense, I could have been her grandfather."
"Haha... having refused Xing Yu’s backdoor, you must treat others equally." Feng Lei smiled faintly and gave Lin Anqing a look as he finished.
Lin Anqing’s face immediately stiffened, coughing sheepishly.
"I didn’t spill the beans, though that girl’s temperament indeed resembles Su Qiangwei’s back then."
"However, it’s merely a resemblance, she can’t replace her."
Lin Anqing nodded slightly, "Indeed, still almost there, if only the eyes had some menace, that would be perfect."
Feng Lei glanced at him, prompting Lin Anqing to sip his tea quickly.
***
Back at Molan Pavilion, Ye Tong felt somewhat deflated, appearing meaningful to observing eyes.
Having eaten enough, Ji Ning had time to observe Ye Tong, noticing her expression mirroring someone who had their role snatched away, she raised an eyebrow slightly.
Tapping the table between them, she joked, "So, went to knock on a man’s door?"
"How did you know?" Ye Tong looked at her in surprise.
Ji Ning felt her cheeks heating up, withdrew her expression, grabbing the wineglass on the table and taking a large sip.
Ye Tong didn’t notice her anomaly, leaned closer, and softly complained about the events previously.
Ji Ning listened while spinning the wineglass on the table, watching the yellow liquid swirl, until a hand pinned the wineglass down.
"Sister Ning, did you hear what I said?" Ye Tong looked at her resentfully.
Ji Ning turned to her, speaking indifferently, "Go to Nanling next week."
"Huh?"