Chapter 4

"Okay!"

The next second, Chen Mo returned to reality and continued, "But I don't know how to act."

Zhang Qingzhong was not surprised by Chen Mo's answer. In an unusually good mood, he said with a smile, "That's all right. Come over and audition first, get a feel for it. If it really doesn't work out, we won't force you."

While Zhang Qingzhong was speaking, Chen Mo lowered his head and glanced at his phone. He discovered that although he had spent quite a while talking to the system, no time had passed at all in reality. His expression changed at once.

But Zhang Qingzhong mistook it for Chen Mo feeling discouraged after hearing his words. He immediately smiled. "But don't worry. The role you'll be playing has a personality similar to your own. As long as the look doesn't feel out of place, you only need to act naturally."

Just as Chen Mo was about to speak, the system said in his mind, "Don't agree yet. Ask for the script first."

Chen Mo thought about the Entertainment Circle Male God System in his mind and wanted to find out what exactly was going on. So he followed the system's advice and replied to Zhang Qingzhong.

From the way Chen Mo had handled the lunchbox incident earlier, Zhang Qingzhong already knew that Chen Mo was the sort of person who liked to make extra preparations for everything. He liked giving newcomers like that a helping hand, so he had the assistant director, Zhang Lin, bring the script over to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo first thanked Zhang Qingzhong and assistant director Zhang Lin, then put away the script. He did not show any impatience to start reading it. Instead, after the production assistant delivered a lunchbox containing braised pork, he poured out the braised pork inside and rinsed the lunchbox clean with bottled water.

After he finished that, Chen Mo's phone rang. Father Chen had finished making the vegetarian braised pork and had already asked a restaurant server to deliver it.

Chen Mo went out and accepted the braised pork. The freshly made dish smelled irresistibly delicious and was still hot to the touch. Naturally, Chen Mo could not simply carry the vegetarian braised pork out like that. He used two lunchboxes to cool it down, then packed less than half of it inside to make it look as though half had already been eaten before following Sister Hong out to face the media.

Throughout it all, Sister Hong watched Chen Mo's movements closely. She could not help but take a liking to him and said, "Student Chen, are you interested in becoming an actor? I can sign you."

"I'm not interested in being signed by you." Chen Mo casually brushed Sister Hong off. Then he gave the gossip reporters a round of false testimony. No longer bothering with their pestering, he carried the lunchbox and headed straight back to the set.

The crisis management that followed had nothing to do with Chen Mo. Using the excuse that he wanted to go back and study the script, he asked the production for leave and went home. Zhang Qingzhong and several assistant directors naturally did not object, considering that he had helped the crew solve a major problem.

His uncle Jiang Jie even took advantage of everyone's inattention to pat Chen Mo on the shoulder in encouragement.

Chen Mo tucked the script away and drove his van back to Don't Come Again Restaurant. Father Chen and Mother Chen had not expected him to return so early and were somewhat surprised.

Chen Mo explained the situation in a few words, then went upstairs to his room, locked the door, and summoned the system.

The next second, he returned to that page filled with fresh greenery.

"What does this mean?" Chen Mo pointed at the four buttons labeled Library Search, Immersion Space, Training Space, and Original Works Space.

"Library Search is the Jinjiang Literature Repository. You logged onto our website in your previous life, so you should know it~ You can use Library Search to find the novels you want to read... As for Immersion Space, you can freely choose a character from the novels collected in the repository and place your spiritual power in their body, experiencing their living environment and thought patterns. That will help you improve your acting skills and portray roles better... Training Space is for training acting skills. You can keep practicing there without having to fear NGs... Original Works Space is easy to explain. For example, you can upload the script for Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor in your hands to Original Works Space, then use Immersion Space and Training Space to hone your acting..."

The system's explanation was long-winded, but Chen Mo understood it. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Why did I trigger this Entertainment Circle Male God training system? Are there other systems in the repository besides this one? Can I continue triggering more systems?"

"Of course you can. You triggered the Entertainment Circle Male God System because someone invited you, giving you the chance to trigger the system. And Jinjiang Original Network has always promoted diverse development, so we've developed many training systems. Look, there's the Peerless Male Favorite System, the Gourmet Food God System, the Cannon Fodder Comeback System..."

As it spoke, the system proudly displayed all the training systems it possessed on the page. Chen Mo looked carefully and discovered that aside from perfectly respectable training systems like the Financial Prodigy System, Literary Male God System, Top Student Male God System, and IT Elite System, there were also things like the Infinite Bottoms System and Infinite Tops System...

Chen Mo's whole body shuddered, leaving him utterly speechless.

After learning how to use the system, Chen Mo casually picked up the script Director Zhang had given him for Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor and began reading.

From the name alone, Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor was clearly an ancient palace idol drama wearing the skin of history. It told the story of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, from his youth to his ascension to the throne: his passionate struggles with his best bros Han Yan, Wei Qing, Sima Qian, and the others, as well as the melodramatic palace intrigue love triangle between Chen A'jiao and Wei Zifu. It also mixed in plots about diligently governing the country, recruiting talented people, and attempting to reform the court's various systems by heavily promoting Confucianism.

The role Chen Mo was to play was Han Yan, Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che's study companion and favored minister. The records in the Records of the Grand Historian were rather ambiguous. Under the pretense of remaining faithful to historical records, the script naturally made its scenes even more "true" to history. Of course, part of the reason was also to use the best-bro gimmick to win over certain viewers.

That was the trend in television dramas and films now.

Chen Mo read the script word by word, sentence by sentence. Then he closed his eyes again and entered the system page. He opened Immersion Space.

The scene before his eyes changed in the next instant.

A low writing desk, bamboo slips carrying the fragrance of bamboo and ink, a mat patterned with exquisite designs. Han Yan, dressed in a white deep robe, knelt properly before the desk, completely absorbed in reading the text on the bamboo slips.

A clear, bright laugh came from outside the window. Liu Che, dressed in the crown robes of the crown prince, stood there smiling. "A-Yan, what fun is there in always reading? Why don't we go to Shanglin Park to ride horses and hunt?"

Hearing this, Han Yan looked up at Liu Che. The afternoon sunlight fell over him, forming a hazy halo. Han Yan smiled within that glow, his brows and eyes gentle and lingering, his bearing elegant and uninhibited...

Within Immersion Space, Chen Mo's spirit attached itself to Han Yan's body and accompanied him through his brief life. He had known Liu Che since childhood; they had been innocent childhood companions, each the other's bamboo horse. Skilled in archery and horsemanship, fluent in the Xiongnu language, deeply favored by the emperor, ranked equal to a senior official, often sleeping and rising alongside the emperor. He rode in the imperial carriage, chased golden pellets, and reveled in youthful success, reckless and wild. He entered and left Yongxiang without restriction, was accused before the Empress Dowager of impropriety, and though the emperor apologized to the Empress Dowager on his behalf, it was to no avail. In the end, he was granted death...

After Chen Mo withdrew from Immersion Space, he went to Training Space to hone his acting. This time, he portrayed the script according to his own understanding of Han Yan. But after he finished acting, pressed replay, and compared it with the original scene...

Their Han Yan smiled with gentle tenderness and elegant abandon, while Chen Mo made himself look fawning and gaudy, turning uninhibited into pretentious posing. Their Han Yan was skilled in archery and horsemanship, his shooting precise. Chen Mo could ride too, but his posture... the force behind his arrows... it was simply beyond description. As for the details of his speech, conduct, gestures, and bearing, there was even less need to mention them.

In short, the original was a graceful, refined young gentleman. In Chen Mo's hands, he became a monkey in a cap—awkward and ugly in ancient costume, a clown who could not even pose properly!

That image was so beautiful he did not want to look at it!

Chen Mo irritably shut off the video in Training Space and sat there in frustration. Somewhat dispirited, he asked the system, "Hey, since you're the Entertainment Circle Male God System, don't you have any skills that could turn me into a Best Actor in an instant, like in novels? Or could you let the original Han Yan act in my place, like in Immersion Space?"

The system fell silent for a moment before saying, "I didn't expect your acting to be this terrible, but you sure have beautiful dreams!"

The next day, when Chen Mo arrived on set, the entire crew, even the extras, knew that a lowly production assistant who delivered boxed meals had lucked into Director Zhang's favor and been asked to audition.

Some envied him, some were jealous, and others stood to the side, waiting to watch a good show.

Chen Mo could not be bothered with any of those thoughts. He first found his uncle Jiang Jie, who then led him to Director Zhang. Director Zhang was busy in front of the monitors and did not say much when he saw Chen Mo. He only told him to go get his makeup and costume done.

Having spent some time with the crew, Chen Mo naturally knew where the makeup room was. He found his way there without needing anyone to guide him.

Since it was morning, nearly all the actors with scenes that day were having their makeup done. Those with easygoing personalities smiled at Chen Mo when they saw him, while the bad-tempered ones acted as though they had not seen him. Only Lin Xia was still holding a grudge over Chen Mo exposing her yesterday. She sneered in a strange tone, "You really stepped in shit to get this lucky, catching Director Zhang's eye. But acting isn't just about having a pretty face. When we're doing scenes together later, don't waste our time."

Chen Mo had never been one to accept a loss. Hearing Lin Xia say that, he immediately retorted, "It's fine. I can't act, but won't you be there with me? At worst, we'll NG a dozen times. It's not like that's never happened before."

"You—" Lin Xia whipped her head around in fury. Mei, who was applying her makeup, slipped up, and the eyebrow pencil drew a line across Lin Xia's face.

Lin Xia cried out, shot Chen Mo a vicious glare, and said, "It's all your fault."

Chen Mo grinned but did not respond.

After everyone else had finished their makeup and left, Mei called Chen Mo over to sit in the chair. As the crew's specially hired makeup artist, Mei was not some chief artist, but she would not lower herself to do an audition look for an unknown newcomer—especially not one auditioning for the fourth male lead.

She beckoned her assistant over and was just about to speak when Uncle Jiang Jie pushed open the door and entered. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mei, everything he said carried the implication that he was asking her to take better care of Chen Mo.

Since an assistant director was making the request in person, Mei naturally would not be tactless. Smiling, she took out her makeup case, looked Chen Mo over twice, and said with a laugh, "Oh my, I hadn't noticed before, but this kid photographs quite well. He's rather suited for movies. Work hard."

Though her words were true, with Jiang Jie standing there, they inevitably carried some polite flattery. Jiang Jie was naturally pleased to hear them, but Chen Mo merely curled his lip dismissively. I don't know how many young models and celebrities I slept with in my last life. And now you want me to work hard? Work hard for what? To become famous so people can sleep with me?

Mei had seen countless people in the industry and immediately noticed Chen Mo's indifference. She found it somewhat amusing. She had seen plenty of artists with such shallow tempers and straightforward dispositions, relying on their looks to do whatever they pleased. Even if they became famous, their glory would only last for a time. Unless they completely changed their personalities, the road ahead would be difficult.

As Mei muttered to herself, she casually told her assistant to bring Han Yan's white deep-robe costume over. The new assistant was not very experienced, and even tied the sash on the left side. Chen Mo impatiently changed the robe into a right-lapped style, hung the waist ornaments and sword himself, and faced the mirror to straighten his clothing and cap. Then he unconsciously flicked his sleeve.

In an instant, everyone felt an aura of elegant charm rush toward them. The assistant even clenched her hands into fists, her eyes shining as she covered her mouth and said, "That movement just now was so handsome!"

Chen Mo only felt that the moment he put on that deep robe, the manners and gestures he had practiced countless times the night before seemed to awaken from within his body. He unconsciously imitated Han Yan, tilting his head and curling his lips, his brows soft and lingering as he teased with a smile, "Naturally. Your young master is eight chi tall and exceptionally handsome. Of course I am the number one beauty of our Han Dynasty."