Chapter 4

Yao Shen was once considered a promising up-and-coming actor. There was a lot of buzz around his eventual debut, but his poor performance in the talent show and Xin Hulei's harsh criticism effectively blew the wind out of his sails.

His first supporting role in a drama didn't garner much attention, and even less praise.

It has all been downhill since then.

Thanks in part to Xin Hulei's ruthless critique.

And now Yao Shen is expected to act opposite him, and convincingly play his love interest, if he hopes to have any chance to get the role.

If he didn't need this role so much he would just turn around and leave. As it stands, this might be his last chance to save his career from sinking into irrelevance.

Taking a deep breath he steps in front of the camera, shoving the crumpled script into his back pocket. "I'm ready whenever Xin laoshi is."

Xin Hulei spares him the briefest of glances, before turning back to the window once again. "Let him run some lines on his own, I don't want to waste my time," he says in a smooth baritone, his breath barely fogging up the window pane in front of him.

The casting director smiles apologetically at Yao Shen and gestures for him to go ahead, "Please, laoshi."

Yao Shen needs a few moments to get himself under control.

That motherfucker is using his status as 'China's movie emperor' or whatever the internet is calling him these days, to handpick his ******* costar!

And they're just letting him!

No wonder the other actors left the audition room looking sickly.

He doubts anyone can measure up to Xin Hulei's exacting standards.

The problem is that the scene he prepared for requires a partner. It's a confession scene, and since he's playing Yan Shuyi, Yao Shen mostly reacts to Xie Huan's soulful declaration.

It's one of the most emotional scenes between the two characters, and Yao Shen understands why the drama's director would want to see it play out to analyse not only if the actor playing Yan Shuyi is able to deliver a moving performance, but more importantly if he has good chemistry with Xin Hulei.Yao Shen isn't one to read webnovels, and his knowledge of 'Shizun, this disciple will have to kill you', is limited to seeing it trending on weibo from time to time.

But he skimmed through a few pages of the novel in preparation for the role, and there's a scene that stuck to his mind.

He schools his features into Yan Shuyi's graceful poise, and focuses on the mood he remembers from the scene, rather than staying true to any specific dialogue.Not worthy," he says, facing the table where the directors and producers sit, before turning around to face Xin Hulei, still gazing out the window. "This master's disciple is not worthy of receiving the Sword of Disquiet"

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