Audition (Extra Long Chapter)

Once the pain in Si You's chest eased, he went back to eating and drinking as usual. Yuan Fei was the one who started suffering from insomnia.

Yuan Fei wanted to contact the Journey production team, but its director was the famously iron-hearted Zhu Qincheng. There was no chance of pulling strings or using connections with him. What if he disliked Si You and it backfired? Still, Jiang, the Movie Emperor, had always kept his word. Since he had promised to take Si You to audition, he probably would not go back on it, right?

It had been a long time since Yuan Fei had felt this anxious and worried.

Mainly because there were signs that Si You's reputation was turning around. If he could catch a ride on either Jiang Tingxu's or the Xue Household's coattails, his future would be limitless.

Yuan Fei had always regretted Si You's face. It could have ranked among the best in the entertainment industry, yet Si You had ruined it himself. But looking at him now... well, there might actually be hope!

That morning, Si You received a call from Xue Boyu.

Although many artists appeared on the same program, they generally went their separate ways once filming ended. With different levels of fame, some might not even exchange contact information from beginning to end. Si You had naturally been at the bottom of the pile. As for the previous season? Everyone had avoided the original owner like the plague.

"Feeling better?" Si You asked with a smile. "Did you get my number from the production team?"

"Yeah." Xue Boyu sounded energetic, clearly recovering well. "I had my knee checked this morning, and there's no problem anymore. What about you, Brother Si You?"

"Almost there." Si You lay half-dead against the headboard, boasting without a shred of shame.

Maybe it was something about his constitution, but he was recovering very slowly. He spent most of his time feeling sleepy, and the doctor's needles had left the backs of his hands bruised blue.

Si You continued, "Focus on recovering. Once I'm better, I'll come visit you."

Huahua looked up at that, thinking, You can barely get out of bed. Who are you planning to visit?

After exchanging a few polite words with Xue Boyu, Si You hung up. As he saved the other man's number, he asked Huahua, "What? Think that's unrealistic?"

Huahua said, "Mm..."

Si You laughed at that. Some color had returned to his lips, but his vitality was still faint. He was like a gardenia drenched by rain—languid and fragile.

An unparalleled beauty, Huahua thought.

Si You took the medicine Huahua handed him. Before long, exhaustion welled up between his brows again, and he curled back under the covers to sleep.

Huahua pulled the curtains halfway closed, leaving enough light in the room, then quietly slipped out.

"You are my son. You must be the best." In the haze, Si You saw a proud woman standing upon white jade steps. Her eyes were lowered, filled with disappointment in him.

Si You felt uncomfortable, but in the dream, he still asked the same question he had asked as a child. "If I become the best, will Mom like me?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

Si You's lips moved. He desperately wanted to say something else, but his mind was completely blank.

He had been "tamed" for too long. He did not know how to resist.

His phone suddenly rang. Si You's breath caught, and then he opened his eyes. He mechanically grabbed his phone. Seeing an unfamiliar number, he answered entirely on the instinctive urge to pick up.

"Hello..."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds. Then a deep, mellow voice slipped into his heart like a clear spring. "Why is your voice so hoarse?"

Only then was Si You's consciousness gradually dragged free from the mire. "J-Jiang Tingxu?"

"Yes, it's me."

Si You wrapped the blanket tightly around himself with one hand and pressed the phone beneath his ear. He closed his eyes. "Can you say a few more words?"

"Feeling unwell?"

"Mm." Si You spoke softly. "I had a not-so-good dream..."

"You played Horror Livestream like a pro, and you still have nightmares?"

"You watched my livestream?"

Jiang Tingxu's tone was calm. "I had to learn about my CP."

At the mention of "CP," Si You's ears warmed. "Did you get my number from the director too?"

"I wouldn't contact them." Jiang Tingxu said, "Boyu told me. By the way, your WeChat ID is the same as your phone number, right?"

"It is."

"Good." Jiang Tingxu said, "I'll come see you at the hospital tomorrow."

Si You immediately began looking forward to it, though his words remained polite. "No need. If you're busy, handle your work first."

"Is that so?" Laughter colored Jiang Tingxu's words. "But your little mood is telling me that you really want me to come."

Si You fell silent at once.

Jiang Tingxu immediately felt annoyed with himself. Why was he in such a hurry?

"I was just teasing you."

Si You had already curled up beneath the blanket. "Mm."

Things suddenly grew noisy on Jiang Tingxu's end, as though someone were calling for him.

Jiang Tingxu said, "Something came up. I'll hang up first."

"Okay."

Si You glanced at the screen. The call had only lasted two short minutes, but the damp, swampy feeling that had enveloped his body was completely gone. He turned over, raised a hand to his forehead, and lightly tapped it twice. Everyone in his previous life had thought him omnipotent, yet how long had he even known Jiang Tingxu in this life? And he was already both admiring him and showing weakness.

Anyway, Si You felt that what he had just said was pretty pathetic.

What nightmare? A workaholic king did not have nightmares!

Then his phone chimed with a notification. Si You immediately grabbed it. It was a WeChat friend request. There was no need to ask who it was from. Jiang Tingxu's profile picture showed an aurora against a starry sky, dark in tone, while his nickname was simply a lone "J," as though he had typed it at random.

Si You accepted the request and changed the contact note.

Jiang Tingxu was busy, so he did not send a message.

The next day, Jiang Tingxu arrived close to evening. Dusk hung heavy, and the figures on the street were blurred. He had brought a small cake and two grilled sausages, without chili.

When he reached the hospital room, Si You ate while giving him enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

Jiang Tingxu sat on a stool with a smile and took out his phone to reply to messages.

After finishing the sausage, Si You prepared to eat the small cake and asked curiously, "Are you filming something lately?"

"No. I took on a few endorsements." Jiang Tingxu answered, "I don't even take one drama a year now."

"You're taking Journey this year?"

"Yes."

After thinking it over, Si You still asked, "When will I audition? Has it been decided?"

"Once your body has recovered." Jiang Tingxu did not hesitate.

"Okay." Si You answered vaguely. He swallowed the strawberry on top of the cake in one bite, then stuck out his tongue to lick the cream from the corner of his mouth. Perhaps he had not eaten something like this in a long time, because he ate with great seriousness.

Jiang Tingxu held his phone, but his gaze remained fixed intently on Si You.

Anxious about the audition, Si You began eating bowl after bowl of even the nutritional meals he hated most. With motivation, and having passed the weakest stage, his body gradually recovered. Still, he had only recovered enough to move freely. He had grown even thinner, and his skin was a cool, pale white.

Altogether, a month had been delayed.

And Lindu drifted into early autumn.

Yuan Fei had already arranged a new apartment for Si You. He obviously could not keep living in that cramped rental. Xiaolin discussed moving and terminating the lease with the landlord, while Si You especially stressed that his computer had to be protected.

On the day he was discharged, Si You went directly to the apartment.

It was around sixty square meters, with two floors and a classic European-style interior. It was full of sunlight, with a row of green plants on the balcony. Yuan Fei had clearly put thought into it. In any case, it was more than enough for Si You to live in alone.

"Thank you, Brother Yuan," Si You said.

Yuan Fei waved him off. "It's nothing. Oh, right, I got you a face mask endorsement. It's a domestic brand, not very expensive, but it has always had a good reputation. We can't get fat in one bite."

"Okay, Brother Yuan. You decide."

Yuan Fei could not help feeling pleased. This industry was flashy enough to dazzle anyone. Plenty of newcomers got a little traction and immediately forgot their place, looking down on this person and disdaining that one. But Si You's attitude was humble and steady, which was extremely rare.

Huahua had originally wanted to stay, but Si You refused. He said she had worked hard recently, so he would give her a day off to go shopping with her friends or something.

Huahua's eyes lit up. Carrying her bag, she left with a delighted expression.

Dressed in a light gray trench coat, Si You sat on the glass stairs leading to the second floor. Yuan Fei had bought the coat. It was a little big, but it was warm around him. Si You held his phone and hesitated for a long time before opening his chat with Jiang Tingxu and typing: [I've been discharged. Brother Yuan arranged a place for me to live. Everything's pretty good.]

Will he think I'm being full of myself? Si You wondered.

Jiang Tingxu was probably busy. There was no "typing..." indicator.

Si You let out a breath. Just as he was about to stand, a call came through.

Jiang Tingxu found typing too troublesome.

"Where did you choose for your new address?" he asked directly.

"Over on Huandong Road. Security is good, and it's pretty quiet." Si You said, "I think it's called Starry Street. The whole area is apartments."

Jiang Tingxu matched it to the location. "I know it."

"You know even that?"

"Jiang Corporation invested in it."

Si You said, "..." Fine. He had almost forgotten what being rich felt like.

"Did Yuan Fei arrange anything for you?"

"A face mask endorsement."

Jiang Tingxu asked, "When?"

"In a week, probably."

"Alright." Jiang Tingxu added, "Then I'll take you to audition tomorrow?"

Si You grew excited in a second. "You're not allowed to lie to me!"

"What would I lie to you about?" Jiang Tingxu laughed. "I'm in a hurry too."

At first, Si You did not understand what that meant.

Si You did not sleep well that night. His dreams were full of Yun Si's scenes. He only regretted not reading more of the script that night. Otherwise, his understanding of the role could have been even more thorough.

Only after waking the next morning did Si You tell Yuan Fei about the audition. Yuan Fei sucked in a breath, immediately called Huahua and Xiaolin, and drove the nanny van to pick him up.

Once Jiang Tingxu learned that someone was picking Si You up, he sent over the audition address.

Along the way, Yuan Fei was noticeably more talkative. "Director Zhu is strict when filming, and he doesn't speak nicely either. But actors who are truly polished under his hand are never all talk! It would be best if you can endure it. If you can't..." Yuan Fei thought of Si You's acting in that idol drama and immediately felt his teeth ache. "If you can't, it's okay. We'll think of another way."

Compared to him, Si You was much calmer. "I can endure it. Don't worry, Brother Yuan."

How can I not worry? Yuan Fei thought. In his eyes, Jiang, the Movie Emperor, had given Si You an opportunity for some unknown reason. Perhaps the Xue Household was secretly escorting him as repayment too. With another director, it might have worked out, but it had to be Zhu Qincheng!

Si You arrived at the filming location on time. A staff member led them into the studio. Jiang Tingxu was there too, seated in a chair and going over the script with someone. He wore modern clothes, but his hair had already been tied up beneath a jade crown with a white jade hairpin threaded horizontally through it. With the styling done, he looked elegant and composed.

Hearing the movement, Jiang Tingxu and the middle-aged man beside him both looked over.

The man's gaze was sharp as he gave Si You a thorough once-over. He was none other than Director Zhu Qincheng.

"That's him?" Zhu Qincheng asked.

"Mm."

"His build fits." Zhu Qincheng said, "Yun Si needs to be on the thinner side when he first appears."

Jiang Tingxu sighed inwardly. Si You had not fully recovered, yet he still had to audition so soon. But Si You wanted it badly, so Jiang Tingxu had gone along with his wishes.

Zhu Qincheng spoke casually. "You're here? Fine, let's begin."

Yuan Fei's heart sank. That completely procedural attitude meant he had never intended to give Si You a chance.

Jiang Tingxu understood Director Zhu better. He walked over to Si You and said quietly, "Director Zhu is like this with everyone. His attitude depends on your acting."

Si You nodded. "Got it. But I want to change into a costume first. Is that okay?"

Jiang Tingxu could still make that decision. "Okay."

Yuan Fei stood outside with Huahua and Xiaolin, all of them looking somewhat uneasy. The schedule was too rushed.

Si You calmly changed into the costume and even had a staff member quickly fit him with a hairpiece. In his previous life, racing to film scenes had been commonplace. Not only was Si You not nervous, he actually felt a sense of familiarity.

I really want to go home.

Zhu Qincheng quietly asked Jiang Tingxu, "You insisted I turn down Sun Wenzhu just for him?"

Jiang Tingxu replied blandly, "You'll know once you see him."

"Fine, I'm watching." Zhu Qincheng tucked both hands in front of himself and said lazily, "I refuse to believe that some traffic star..."

Si You lifted the curtain and stepped out from backstage.

Yun Si, the Sixth Prince of Qiyun Kingdom, possessed breathtaking beauty, but he was withdrawn, vicious, and skilled at plotting.

Zhu Qincheng had to admit that the moment Si You changed into costume, he perfectly overlapped with the Yun Si in his mind.

But appearance alone was not enough. What appeared on screen was acting.

"Let's do this scene!" Director Zhu became interested. "Yun Si is humiliated at the gates of the Heroic Martial Gate and rescued by Lu Tu."

Si You accepted the script and skimmed it quickly, accurately catching the descriptions used to convey emotion and character, then memorizing the lines. "I'm ready."

Zhu Qincheng called over the actor playing opposite him, sat firmly in his chair, and said, "Begin!"

The Sixth Prince Yun Si was unfavored. At his first palace banquet after coming of age, the Third Prince—who had always been at odds with him—grew jealous. The Third Prince's birth mother, Consort Ning, secretly set obstacles in his path, instructing the serving eunuch to deliberately make things difficult for Yun Si. At the gates of the Heroic Martial Gate, the eunuch intentionally smashed the bird's nest soup meant for Consort Ning, then claimed Yun Si had done it on purpose.

"Impudent!" the eunuch screeched. "This is blood bird's nest specially prepared by the imperial kitchen for Consort Ning! Consort Ning has just given birth to the Eighth Princess. Even His Majesty ordered that everything in the palace, whether food, clothing, or daily provisions, be given to Her Ladyship first. What are you? How dare you ruin His Majesty's kindness?"

With that accusation hanging over him, Yun Si knew he would not be able to leave.

He swept back his long robe and knelt in the courtyard, head lowered, his emotions unreadable. "It was Yun Si's fault. I beg His Majesty and Your Ladyship to forgive me."

The youth's tone was cool and even. A dead, gloomy air clung to him, born from long years of torment. Yet his half-closed eyes seemed to conceal blades, waiting only for the right chance to cut his opponent's throat and draw blood.

Director Zhu narrowed his eyes and unconsciously sat up straighter.

"You worthless wretch!" Though Yun Si was a prince, he lived worse than palace maids. As Consort Ning's eunuch, the man naturally did not take him seriously. He immediately kicked Yun Si in the shoulder.

Yun Si had only just recovered from a cold. How could he withstand it? He grunted and fell to the ground. Amid coughing and ragged breaths, he slowly turned his head toward the eunuch.

Those eyes turned from darkness toward the light. His ruthlessness and malice were like reefs exposed beneath moonlight. The youth had not yet learned to conceal his edge, but his desire to kill was absolute. His life was already like this anyway. Anyone who humiliated him—killing one would be one less loss!

The eunuch was startled, but no matter what, Yun Si was only a wolf cub without claws or fangs.

The eunuch quickly recovered and gave a soft snort. "Keep looking at me like that, and I'll have someone look at your head nanny the same way."

The head nanny was one of the few people who truly treated Yun Si well. Hearing that, Yun Si immediately became timid and retreated.

His emotions shifted in a natural and reasonable progression.

Extreme unwillingness surged in Yun Si's eyes, but only for an instant. Then those feelings ebbed away like a receding tide, leaving him numb and resigned once more. Yun Si knelt properly and said hoarsely, "It was Yun Si's fault. I beg Your Excellency to forgive me."

An abandoned child of the deep palace, possessing nothing but a ruthless heart—he was a vine struggling in darkness, instinctively strangling everyone who approached him. Yet he could also become soft, become fragile, wanting to grasp the person standing in the light.

A Yun Si like this only needed one opportunity.

And for such an opportunity, he would pay any price. Yun Si looked toward the camera, his dark, resolute eyes telling the director exactly that.

"Cut!" Director Zhu abruptly rose to his feet, his expression shocked.