“I know, but he’s worth developing. Director Zhao, don’t you want to discover a new star?”
“Hmm, that’s a bold idea. Alright, kid, what can you do?”
Ye Aotian replied, “Martial arts, does that count?”
They all looked at Ye Aotian, who then demonstrated a set of martial arts moves. He was full of energy, and they could hear the powerful swishing of his fists in the air.
The director was stunned—he’s a real martial artist.
Cao Zijing added, “An action star is worth developing. But without any acting skills, that won’t work. So, you need to act something out.”
Ye Aotian looked at Cao Zijing and asked, “What should I act?”
“An objectless performance—an essential skill for actors. Let’s start with something simple. You know animals, right? Try acting like an animal and see if you can make it convincing.”
Ye Aotian glanced at Fei Fei, who gave him an encouraging look. Ye Aotian then relaxed, realizing they weren’t mocking him. In fact, he’d heard a bit about this—a performance without props, like pretending to be plants, trees, or even animals, was part of it.
“What animal do you want me to act as?”
“Play a dog; it’s not too difficult, right?”
Ye Aotian nodded, got down on the floor, and started crawling forward. Then he barked twice.
“Now act like a dog peeing.” Ye Aotian hesitated, then lifted one leg.
The director applauded.
Impressive—definitely has acting potential.
“Oh, you see a female dog.”
Ye Aotian looked at Cao Zijing, clearly wondering if she was messing with him.
The director was also surprised and asked, “Uh, how do you act that out?”
Ye Aotian thought for a moment, then panted with his tongue out, like a dog feeling hot.
The director nodded and said, “Impressive, really impressive. You definitely have acting talent. Unleashing your nature—well done, well done.”
Cao Zijing stood up and said, “Congratulations, you’ve passed the audition. You’re the lead actor now.”
Tao Xiaoyao was increasingly confused.
What was Cao Zijing thinking? Could she be considering whether she might like Ye Aotian?
Logically, if you know the plot, shouldn’t you try to keep the protagonist from filming here? Or maybe she … Wait, Tao Xiaoyao thought of something terrifying—this woman had just taken a photo.
Cao Zijing didn’t disregard Ye Aotian; she cared quite a lot. But what she cared about was finding a way to ruin him. This woman had no interest in loving him—she just wanted to play with him.
Indeed, all the female leads were not to be trifled with, especially since she was a villain among them.
“You think he’s suitable?”
Cao Zijing replied, “Yes, I do think he’s suitable. Why, is that not allowed, Director?”
“If you think he’s suitable, then there should be no problem. Fei Fei, I’ll send you the script later. Be in charge of managing it, okay?”
“Don’t worry, Director, you’re going to see a rising star.”
Ye Aotian looked at Cao Zijing, who smiled back, but her smile felt strange—not genuine, almost formulaic.
“Do we know each other?”
“Nope, but I’ve heard of you. You’re my future husband’s mortal enemy, so I came to check you out. Is that a problem?”
The director was dumbfounded. Where was this going?
He looked at Cao Zijing in disbelief.
Cao Zijing continued, “What’s wrong? You don’t plan to kill me too, do you? Ah, those are some scary eyes—are you going to hit me?”
Ye Aotian replied, “I’m not that petty. I know the rules—I don’t harm innocents.”
Ye Aotian chuckled. He knew his instincts were right—this woman was no good.
“Don’t stare at me, or I’ll think you’ve fallen in love with me. I already have a husband, and you have a girlfriend.”
Ye Aotian paused and said, “Girlfriend? Looks like you know a lot about me.”
“Yes, I not only investigated you but also know your daily habits. I know what you like to eat for each meal. See how much I care about you.”
This was a direct threat.
Ye Aotian understood that she was saying that if she wanted to poison him, he wouldn’t even notice.
“I met with Lin Qingyue—she’s very beautiful. No wonder both of you are interested in her.”
“What did you do to Lin Qingyue?”
Cao Zijing replied, “I didn’t do anything, just got along well with her. After all, when I marry Chen Fan, I’ll be the first wife. She can be the second wife.”
“You … Lin Qingyue could never like Chen Fan.”
Cao Zijing said, “Who can predict matters of the heart? By the way, do you know about Xiao Lan’s ex-boyfriend?”
“So what, are you trying to disgust me? Or say something else? Xiao Lan is a good person. If you insult her, I’ll be very unpleasant with you.”
Cao Zijing replied, “I wouldn’t do that. I’m a fairy—how could I speak ill of other women? Oh, by the way, I heard her ex is in prison. He was caught stealing, apparently ugly, poor, and cowardly.”
Success. Ye Aotian was indeed disgusted.
Sometimes, a man can overlook a woman’s past, but it’s hard to accept if her ex was a loser.
Cao Zijing sighed and said, “You have a bad temper. Fei Fei, you need to talk to him about it. In the industry, people with bad tempers get bullied easily. That’s not good.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll talk to him about it.”
Fei Fei quickly pulled Ye Aotian away.
At this moment, Cao Zijing picked up her phone and video-called Chen Fan.
“Honey, honey, did you miss me?”
“I sent you a video—it’s of Ye Aotian acting like a dog. It’s hilarious; he really looks like one. Take a look.”
Chen Fan glanced at it. Damn, man, the plot has veered off wildly. You’re ruthless, really.
But it’s not like he could get angry over a plot deviation.
He had to laugh out loud.
“Hahaha, never thought I’d see Ye Aotian . He really does look like a stray dog.”
“Darling, I also told Ye Aotian about Xiao Lan’s ex. Do you think he might try to kill me now? You better send someone to protect me!”
Damn it. You’re a genius. You really should be the villain of this novel. Damn, torturing the protagonist—you’re the master of it. No one can outdo you.
Chen Fan just wondered if the plot had gone entirely off track? Normally, in this scene, the protagonist should show off his acting skills and leave everyone stunned.
As long as that purpose was achieved, then everything’s fine.
“So, he became the male lead?”
“Yes, he’s got the part. His acting was too convincing; he’s definitely got the skills. So, of course, he’s the male lead.”
Thank goodness. Chen Fan sighed in relief. He almost thought he’d have to start all over.