Chapter 41

From this moment forward, you are Zhao Yue.

Pei Ying’s assistant and one of her bodyguards stayed behind at the scene to wait for the police, as the other bodyguard escorted her to the audition.

On the car ride over, Pei Ying took care of her wounds. She frowned slightly as she considered how the car accident came to be.

That car had clearly charged at them, but she didn’t have any enmity with anyone. If she had to pick someone who she’d had a history with, the only person she could think of would be Xie Han.

As if recalling something, she flipped open her copy of The Performer to read.

The audition would be starting soon. She couldn’t get distracted. Whatever else there was, she’d have to wait until after the audition to deal with it.

Although she’d been delayed a bit, she still arrived to the audition on time. All the other actresses had already arrived, and as Song Nanchuan had said, Li Sisi and Ni Bai were both present.

Xie Han as well.

Her eyes met with Pei Ying’s, and then she immediately dropped them to look at the phone in her hand. Pei Ying’s eyes trembled just a bit, as she felt her suspicions becoming confirmed.

The car accident wasn’t intended to take anyone’s life. It was simply meant to create a story, to delay her course.

“Ms Pei has arrived.” When he saw Pei Ying, Universe’s organizer walked over to her. “The audition will begin in half an hour. Please come with me for your makeup and wardrobe.”

Pei Ying was taken a bit by surprise. “Wardrobe?”

“Yes. Teacher Xing Xin wanted for everyone to be dressed like Zhao Yue, to see who matched the best with the character,” the organizer explained.

“So it’s like that.” No wonder she felt that Xie Han’s attire didn’t seem like her usual look.

“We’ve prepared five outfits and the actresses picked which they wanted to wear. Since you’re the last to arrive, there’s only one outfit left.” The organizer pulled out the last outfit.

It was a red qipao [t/n: a qipao or cheongsam is a form-fitting, traditional dress)], with a buttoned collar and very detailed and delicate embroidery. When Pei Ying saw it, her eyes lit up.

“This qipao is beautiful,” she couldn’t help admiring.

The representative smiled and said, “The real outfit is even more stunning. I hope to have the chance to see you wearing it.”

“Thank you. I hope so too.” Pei Ying smiled at him and accepted the dress. “I’ll go change first.”

“Okay. When you’re done, a professional stylist will help you with the rest.”

Pei Ying changed into the qipao and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Although the outfit hadn’t been tailored specifically for her, it still fit very well. The hem of the dress was above her knees and there was a slit on the right side. It didn’t go up very far though, so when she walked, nothing was exposed.

The qipao was the piece of clothing that most reflected a woman’s gentle beauty and charm. The close-fitting and smooth design only added to Pei Ying’s hotness.

When she exited the changing room, the representative’s eyes couldn’t help glancing over her legs. Li Sisi and Ni Bai, who were both still in the dressing room, also turned to look.

“Pei Pei, wearing a qipao really brings out your sexiness,” Xie Han said, while sitting on the sofa.

Pei Ying smiled and thanked her. Then she heard a female voice call to her, “Ms Pei, please take a seat and I’ll help you with your makeup.”

Pei Ying turned to see a woman with a makeup bag and she nodded. She headed over and took a seat.

Zhao Yue was a character with a very strong personality. Her aura was like that of a queen, so the makeup artist used colder colors to create a fiercer feel. Instead of putting her hair up, it was left down to hang over her shoulders.

Pei Ying’s hair was very healthy. Long and straight, dark and shiny, neatly trimmed. When she let down her hair, it reached her waist. The long, black hair against the red qipao created a very nice contrast.

Although this was only an audition, Pei Ying really had to give it to Universe for being so detailed. While her dress was simple in nature, after her makeup and styling was complete, she was utterly breathtaking.

“Ms Pei, is there anything you’re unsatisfied with?” the makeup artist asked.

Pei Ying took a look in the mirror, and then she turned and looked again. She said, “No, this looks good.”

The makeup artist nodded and started to clean up her tools.

At the same time, the Universe organizer came in to announce that the audition would be starting soon.

“The audition will begin shortly. I’d like to make a few things clear first. From this moment forward, you are Zhao Yue. The audition begins the moment you walk into the audition room.” The organizer paused and then continued, “We’re going to take a few photos first, and the director and the team will decide the order of the auditions from there.”

From the side, Xie Han couldn’t help asking, “Do we need to go through that much trouble?”

The organizer turned to her and gave a professional smile. “Ms Xie, no need to worry. Our photographer has already prepared and will only take two or three photos for each person. It will be very quick.”

Xie Han pursed her lips but didn’t say anything more. Pei Ying asked, “Should these be taken as character stills?”

The representative said, “You can consider it that way. The director and writer will be using these photos to determine who matches the role best, so please everyone, take this seriously.” After he finished speaking, he took another look around. “Any other questions?”

Everyone shook their heads, and so the representative said, “Then, please head to the photography studio.”

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The lights and photographer were already set in the studio, and all they needed was the actress. After the five actresses had their photos taken, the Universe organizer copied the photos to a tablet PC. He said, “Everyone’s waited a long time. We’ll head into the audition room now. I’d like to remind everyone once more. Remember that from this moment forward, you are Zhao Yue.”

The director, Xing Xin, and a Universe representative were seated inside the audition room when they heard a knock on the door. The employee at the door quickly opened it.

The organizer that had been leading Pei Ying and the girls around walked inside to say a few words with the director, and then the actresses headed inside. Pei Ying had been rather nervous, though not because of the audition, but rather… Teacher Xing Xin was sitting right inside!

She was just like an ordinary person, her heart pounding when she saw her idol. But the organizer reminded them that they were each Zhao Yue, and Zhao Yue would never act like that.

The first impression they made was very important, so Pei Ying took a deep breath and put on Zhao Yue’s demeanor.

If she were Zhao Yue, how would she react to meeting her idol?

For someone as self-assured as Zhao Yue, it would probably be difficult to idolize someone.

Xing Xin sat between the director and the Universe rep. From the moment Pei Ying entered, she kept looking at him. When she passed by him, her lips curved up slightly and she shot him a smile.

There was none of the excitement of a girl meeting her idol, but rather a feeling of interest, like a drop of colored ink dropping onto an ink painting.

Along one wall, there were five chairs for the actresses to sit and prepare. After they took a seat, the director’s side started looking at the photos on their tablet and whispering among themselves.

After roughly a minute, Xing Xin raised his head and looked at Pei Ying. “Ms Pei, we’ll start with you.”

“Okay.” Pei Ying stood up from her chair and waited for them to tell her the prompt. This time, no one had prepared any lots to draw. Instead, Xing Xin said, “Have you read the original Performer novel?”

“Yes.”

“Then please perform the scene after Zhao Yue has killed someone for the first time, when she eats by herself at home. There’s no script, so please improvise.”

Pei Ying recalled the scene from the novel. In order to perfectly portray her role as a killer for the movie Chasing the Wind, Zhao Yue actually killed someone. After the crime, she sat alone in her home and made her favorite meal to eat. She lit a white candle and then ate her steak and drank her red wine in an eerily calm manner. Then she suddenly started laughing out loud.

When Pei Ying read that part of the story, the image had sent a cold chill down her spine.

She picked up the chair she’d just been sitting in and moved it to the middle of the room. Pretending it was the chair at a dinner table, she pulled it out to sit down. She pushed a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear and then picked up her “knife and fork” and started to cut her “steak.”

It was very quiet. Because there were no props, there wasn’t even a clanking as utensils hit the plate. Everyone held their breaths as they watched her. Pei Ying took another bite of her “steak” and then she picked up the “red wine” and took a sip.

She didn’t put down her “wine glass” but kept holding it in her hand. After a moment, she lightly shook the “glass” in her hand and gave a light, “Haha.”

A crisp but cold voice sounded in the quiet room, and it was actually rather scary. But her performance wasn’t over yet. Pei Ying’s eyes hung low and she started laughing more loudly, “Hahahaha…”

Like someone who’d been shackled down for a long time who was finally freed from their chains, free to start a new life.

“Hahaha…” Pei Ying laughed as she raised her head and downed the rest of the “red wine.”

Her performance had zero lines, and yet she’d captured the entire room’s attention. The employee at the door touched his forehead and started to think about how he was in a cold sweat in the middle of the summer because of someone laughing.

After Pei Ying’s performance, the entire audition room remained still. She stood up from her chair and turned to the director.

“Not bad.” The director was, after all, someone who’d seen many things, so he was the first to regain his senses. He said to her, “You may leave now. After the audition is over, we will notify your manager with the results.”

“Okay, thank you.” Pei Ying took a bow and then exited the room.

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Unexpected to her, Song Nanchuan was standing outside the room. When he saw her exit, he hurried over and asked, “Ying Ying, are you okay?”

“Ah?” Pei Ying wasn’t yet able to respond.

“The bodyguards told me that you were in a car accident,” Song Nanchuan said in a calm voice.

Pei Ying suddenly recalled. “I’m fine, just a few minor scratches. I’ve already taken care of them.”

“Scratches? Where? Let me see.”

Pei Ying showed him her hand and said, “They’re just scrapes. It’s nothing.”

Song Nanchuan frowned as he inspected her wounds. With a calm expression, he said, “I’ve already made a police report. I’ll be sure to find out what happened.”