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Translated by: PERI
The two walked into the
Hengdian while they talk. Shen Lei took out his work card and handed it to the
screening staff at the door. He was familiar with the way and led Jiang Qi from
the side door to the audition hall on the second floor.
He and 'Director Wang' are
well-known seniors in the entertainment industry. Wang Zhaoqiu, one of the top
three directors in China, has reduced his production after the age of fifty.
Every time he is
rumored to have a new film preparation, he would often release the script beforehand
which would make a large number of people busy making contacts.
From the level of the
best actor and actresses, down to the little idol who just debuted in a girl or
boy group. They all want to get a piece of the pie - even if they would play a
supporting role.
Shen Lei by chance
cooperated with Wang Zhaoqiu a few years ago and it was only after this
connection that they formed a friendship. This time, he brought Jiang Qi to
open his eyes.
He knows that Jiang Qi
is extremely talented and if he wants to really mix in this circle, he has to
directly contact the people on top in order to achieve the effect of
'broadening his horizons.
The heroine of Wang
Zhaoqiu's movie was decided long ago – she is the daughter of the boss of
Shengxuan Media, also known as the princess under his company. Yue Yuan, had
gathered thousands of resources at a young age and even Wang Zhaoqiu had to give
her face.
However, Yue Yuan does
not purely have big coffee resources1. Her own conditions are still
very good. She is not picky in terms of role or appearancea and her acting
skills are also good. But mainly, the temptation of her bringing capital into the
project is the highest draw.
(TN: Big Coffee refers
to all kinds of stars in showbiz according to the level of big names: A coffee
(A-lister), B coffee, C coffee, etc.)
Even though Wang
Zhaoqiu is irritated at Shengxuan Media who controls the number of films released
after another movie and sometimes even high-level artist have to compromise for
the sake of bread.
Fortunately, the most
important thing in the script is the actor who has not yet been selected.
Yue Yuan can just be
used as a tool - for instance this audition, Wang Zhaoqiu asked her to come
over and audition with the actors all day and she had to agree to show
dedication.
When Shen Lei was
chatting with him, Jiang Qi had already lowered his eyes slightly and looked at
the audition room through the glass window.
They stood in the high
observation room and listened to the conversation in the room through
headphones.
Jiang Qi heard Wang
Zhaoqiu who was behind the camera instructing the screenwriter, “Tell those
boys to come in and try the C7 scene."
Jiang Qi, who had some
experience in reading and acting, understood that 'C7' refers to the seventh paragraph
in the script.
This is the passage
where an autistic heroine finally opens her heart after meeting a man who has pursued
her for a long time.
The heroine asked
timidly, ‘Will you be with me?’
And the male
protagonist avoids his eyes but pretends to calmly deceive her,’ Yes.’
.
A perfect deception.
Jiang Qi watched the
first actor go to the audition. Inside the room, the conversation in the
earphone made his light-colored pupils shrink and his slender fingers had
grasped the railing unconsciously turning his knuckles white.
"Huh?" Shen
Lei noticed his abnormality, took off his earphones, and raised his eyebrows
suspiciously, “What's wrong?"
Jiang Qi stared at the
audition room, shaking his head slowly and sluggishly.
Actually nothing,
but... this audition reminded him unconsciously of himself.
Once, he was also so
despicable as to deceive the girl who trusted him with all her heart.
The dialogue between
the male and female protagonists in the audition still rang in inside his ears
and every word seemed to overlap with their past - the boy's voice tentatively
asked, ‘If one day... I lied to you, would you forgive me?’
The girl's firm voice
said, ‘Yes, because I know you like me.‘
In fact, when you
really like someone, the bottom line will be infinitely lowered for him.
Some stupid girls still
think that the occasional deceit of their sweetheart is a 'white lie', just
like Zhiqi thinks of him.
Jiang Qi unconsciously
remembered the summer they graduated from elementary school many years ago.
He promised to go to
No. 8 Middle School with her and that they would still be classmates, but he
lied.
Sometimes, Jiang Qi
didn't want his memory to be so good, but whenever he close his eyes, he could vividly
remember what happened back then.
The thirteen-year-old
summer was the hottest summer in his memory. It was like being inside a
steamer. The people were stuffy and sweating all over in the cramped space
without air-conditioning fans.
It seemed that his
wound that had not been treated in time had pus and rotting. He felt hurt when his
salty sweat swiped across it and made him frown unconsciously.
Jiang Qi was lying on a
wire bed less than one meter away, feeling like a piece of rotten raw meat that
might disappear into space at any time.
After a moment, a
girl's vibrant voice woke him up -
"Jiang Qi? Jiang
Qi? Are you at home?"
This... This was
clearly Zhi Qi's voice.
Jiang Qi was stunned
for a moment. All of the sudden, he did
not know where the strength came from to support him to jump up from the wired
bed.
His face was pale and
his whole body was almost boneless, but he still forcibly stood up straight and
rushed out.
Jiang Qi remembered
that in the cramped and smelly living room, he had a face-to-face with Zhiqi
and the girl was obviously stunned.
"Jiang, Jiang Qi, why
haven't you gone to school for a week? Why are you so thin?" The girl with
the braided hair looked fresh, healthy, and her whole body was exquisitely
carved. She was looking at him timidly, “Are you still okay? I heard from
Teacher Li that you didn't even attend the graduation ceremony, I..."
"Get out."
Jiang Qi interrupted the girl, his voice weak and cold.
Zhiqi stared at him
blankly, as if she didn't understand what Jiang Qi was saying.
However, the boy became
extremely anxious. Whether it was the wound on his body or staying in the stuffy
space with Zhiqi, he was so hot that it was almost embarrassing.
But the most disturbing
thing is the danger that might ome at any time.
"Get out."
Jiang Qi repeated, raising his hand laboriously to the door. He coldly gave the
girl an strong order, “Let's go now."
This kind of attitude
made Jiang Qi’s head teacher inquire about his address and avoid his home. The
driver took the bus for more than an hour under the scorching sun to arrive at Chenkong
Alley. After a while, Zhiqi even forgot the heat.
The girl only felt
wronged. Seeing Jiang Qi's cold expression for some unknown reason. Zhiqi's big
black eyes quickly condensed with a layer of tears.
The area was hot and
stuffy, whether it is the people or the dense bungalows, it felt like being baked
by the blazing sun.
Outside the window, the
sound of the crackling gong and the voice of the hawker came out, “Fa Gao—Fa
Gao—" an old man in the alley, who
walks the streets and alleys every day at noon to sell Fa Gao. The old man is
back?
Realizing this, Jiang
Qi unconsciously clenched his hand hanging by his side into a fist.
His glazed eyes were
almost filled with a thin layer of mist, but when he looked at people he had no
expression and was extremely cold.
Now, he was like a
restless and bloodthirsty little beast, like the filthy wild dog at the mouth of
the alley... with the same eyes.
Zhi Qi, who was staring
at him, took two steps back unconsciously under such stare.
"Jiang, Jiang
Qi." They had been together for two years and she had never seen the boy
look so terrifying. The girl's throat choked up unconsciously and her little
hand was tightly clutching the strap of her schoolbag, “What's wrong with
you?"
"I'm okay? Hurry
up." Jiang Qi gritted his teeth, grabbed Zhiqi's slender wrist, and pulled
her out of the dirty and shabby environment, “Don't come again." He
emphasized it again as if she couldn’t understand and said harshly and
indifferently, “Zhixi, remember, don't come again."
Tears rolled in her
eyes and she glared at him for the first time, “Jiang Qi, you are so
annoying!" The little girl had always been soft and charming, but this
time she felt aggrieved.
After Zhiqi finished
speaking, she turned around and ran away, accidentally stepping into the stinky
water bubbles in the narrow alley.
It was always raining
for Lin Lan. The dilapidated houses in the shanty towns were full of potholes
and no one cleaned them. Naturally, there was water accumulation and the heat
stinks.
The pitch-black water
droplets splashed on the girl's fair calf and Zhiqi subconsciously made an 'ah
yo' sound.
That's what it sounded
like.
Then the little girl
bit her lip stubbornly and despite the fact that the whole white shoe was
soaked in muddy water, she trotted away without saying a word.
Jiang Qi watched her
back to leave against the blazing sun and after a while, he covered the wound
on his arm with hindsight.
There was a thin layer
of mist in his eyes and he suddenly woke up from that dream in an instant.
——In fact, he and Zhiqi
are not worthy of being friends at all and even standing together is basically
humiliating the girl.
She was in the clouds and
he was the dirtiest mud, a terminally ill dog, deep in a swamp who no one could
save.
Jiang Qi stared at her
back, lips silently opening and closing: Goodbye.
He's about to lie and
break his promise about the decision not to part.
TN:
1. Big Coffee(大咖)-originally means a
person who is more successful and who has achieved good results in a certain
field. Taiwan refers to all kinds of stars in the show business circle
according to the level of big names: A coffee (A lister) , B coffee (big name
in business), etc. In addition, eccentrics usually refer to people with very
eccentric temperaments and eccentricities.
