SABA Chapter 51

The audition was held in a large conference room. The tables were pushed to one side, leaving an empty space in the center for the actors to perform. Two cameras were placed on either side, recording the entire audition process.

The judging panel was full, with roughly twenty-odd people.

It was Jiang Tiao’s first time auditioning in person, and he wasn’t sure if “big scenes” like this were standard for auditions or unique to this particular drama.

If each person represented the rights and interests of a party, then this drama had at least ten interested parties. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Jiang Tiao didn’t understand how Guan Qing had gotten himself into this situation. Guan Qing’s loyalty was truly… Jiang Tiao finally understood why Huo Shen had been reluctant to get involved in this project from the start.

Jiang Tiao’s audition was scheduled after Ye Qinghan. Perhaps because he already had a choice in mind, the judges behind the table paid little attention to him when he entered, many not even looking up.

However, Ye Qinghan and Chu Xu, seated in a corner, had their eyes fixed on him from the moment he walked in.

Nie Jin frowned. To avoid interference, auditions were meant to exclude irrelevant personnel. She didn’t understand why Ye Qinghan, a competitor, was still present, and seemed to have good relations with the investors. The temporary stool he was sitting on had been moved so close to the investors’ table that, at first glance, he could be mistaken for one of the judges.

Ye Qinghan savored the feeling. He was well aware of Jiang Tiao’s acting skills and was waiting to see Jiang Tiao embarrass himself in front of Chu Xu and the directors and investors.

Chu Xu’s feelings were different from Ye Qinghan’s. He didn’t want to be there and was quite annoyed. He knew the embarrassing situation that was about to unfold and felt incredibly humiliated. He didn’t understand why Jiang Tiao wanted to stay in the entertainment industry. He had told Jiang Tiao that if he could get resources from Jiang Mingyan or Huo Shen to support him, it would be more likely to make him agree to be together than using the excuse of staying in the entertainment industry to accompany him.

Guan Qing’s attitude remained the same. He asked gently, “Are you ready?”

Jiang Tiao nodded.

Guan Qing said, “Begin.”

Jiang Tiao lowered his gaze slightly, and when he looked up again, his entire demeanor and aura had changed. Even though he was wearing modern clothing, his every gesture and expression made him seem like Zhao Heng – the eccentric and cunning Prince Ning of Zhao Heng, who had come from ancient times.

Good acting needs no explanation; anyone with eyes could see it. The previously nonchalant representatives finally stopped writing and scribbling. Their gazes, filled with surprise, astonishment, or admiration, all focused on Jiang Tiao in the center of the performance area.

The first scene for the audition was crying over a grave while drunk.

Zhao Heng’s parents had passed away early, and he was raised by his elder brother, Zhao Jue. Fifteen years ago, during a rebellion in the western territories, Zhao Jue, who was then the Prince of Ning, was ordered to lead troops to reinforce the area. Zhao Heng, only a little over ten years old, didn’t understand anything and cried and begged his brother to take him along. Of course, he was refused. Angered, Zhao Heng didn’t speak to Zhao Jue for three whole days. Zhao Jue tried every way to appease him but failed, and could only set off with helplessness.

Zhao Heng thought it would only be a short separation, but he never expected it to be a lifetime. If he had known the outcome, he would never have sulked with Zhao Jue for three days, let alone say, “If you don’t take me, don’t ever come back,” at the moment Zhao Jue was about to lead his troops into battle – a phrase he could never forgive himself for.

On the Double Ninth Festival fifteen years later, while investigating the truth of past events, Zhao Heng accidentally obtained some of Zhao Jue’s belongings and returned to Zhao Jue’s tomb.

Jiang Tiao’s face was filled with uncontrollable longing and pain. His hand gently brushed through the air in front of him. Although there was nothing there, it gave people a sense of illusion, as if they were in a desolate and bleak tomb, with a pitch-black, moonless sky overhead and the calls of crows from a cold pool in their ears.

Jiang Tiao took out a tissue, treating it like his most precious possession, and carefully wiped the tombstone. While doing these actions, a touch of warmth and bitterness appeared on his mournful face.

“I brought the Cornus officinalis you liked,” Jiang Tiao paused, lowered his eyes, and a slight curve formed on his lips, “It should be the Cornus officinalis you liked for me to pick for you when I was young.”

“Brother…” Jiang Tiao choked up, picked up the mineral water bottle, and took a swig like he was drinking alcohol. He leaned against the tombstone and slid to the ground, resting his water bottle on his slightly bent knee.

He gazed at the faint moonlight filtering through the clouds. His hazy eyes seemed to hold longing, or perhaps he was lost in memories, but all his emotions were ultimately buried by boundless loneliness and pain. His eyelashes trembled, and a tear fell from the corner of his eye. He leaned against the tombstone and whispered silently, “I miss you…”

Performances with few lines are the best test of an actor’s skill. Jiang Tiao’s expressions were very captivating. His emotions progressed layer by layer: longing, pain, regret… Despite only having three lines of dialogue, he drew the audience in, making the five minutes feel not long at all. More impressively, he didn’t resort to hysterical outbursts or loud crying to portray sadness like many young actors. His sorrow and suffering were in his eyes, as if he had suffered for too many years, and the pain had seeped into his bones. Even with a smile, he conveyed an overwhelming sense of sadness.

Yu Hanchang’s gaze towards Jiang Tiao was no longer dismissive or condescending. Jiang Tiao had given him too many surprises. Most of his understanding of Jiang Tiao came from Ye Qinghan and a small part from the internet. He admitted that he had been prejudiced before. He hadn’t expected Jiang Tiao to interpret this emotional scene so well. His eyes were expressive, and more importantly, his performance had a sense of “white space” rarely seen in young actors, imbuing the role with a narrative depth he himself didn’t possess.

Narrative depth sparks curiosity.

In just this short segment, he managed to make the audience yearn to know more about Zhao Heng.

To understand his past, his life, his joys and sorrows.

This is the kind of actor all film directors look for.

Ji Nian also raised his messy head. He looked at Jiang Tiao, who was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, lost in thought. He felt like he had grasped some inspiration, but it wasn’t clear enough.

Nie Jin was the most excited. No one present understood better than she did how terrible Jiang Tiao’s acting had been before. During this period, whenever she encountered him, she would inquire about the evaluations from his acting teacher. Although she received consistent praise, she had always attributed it to Jiang Tiao’s likability! She thought it was just politeness! Who would have thought that after being hit on the head, Jiang Tiao not only returned to normal but also had his acting abilities awakened!

Should she have all the artists under her whose acting skills were beyond saving get hit on the head?

Ye Qinghan’s expression was extremely unpleasant. He had never expected Jiang Tiao’s acting skills to improve so much in just one year. Zhang Xuelan had told him that if he and Jiang Tiao auditioned together, the director might not choose him. He had always thought Zhang Xuelan was just venting her frustration after being threatened with blackmail.

He raised his head in panic, looking towards the advantage he had once believed was favored by heaven. But he saw Yu Hanchang looking at Jiang Tiao with admiration, his face showing a satisfaction and kindness he had never seen before.

Ye Qinghan truly began to panic. He quietly called out Chu Xu’s name twice, only to find Chu Xu gazing intently at Jiang Tiao, his expression complex yet filled with passion. Ye Qinghan’s face darkened, his eyes like poisoned blades, fiercely cutting towards Jiang Tiao.

Jiang Tiao was unaware of the various thoughts and emotions of those present. According to the plot, he was supposed to sleep at the tomb overnight. After he finished that segment, there was silence in the conference room, so he had to push himself to continue according to the script. But he couldn’t act sleeping all the time, could he? How could he continue acting? Besides, it was difficult to maintain that posture without any real objects to interact with!

Jiang Tiao’s expression was also beyond Guan Qing’s expectations. Due to various reasons, he did have expectations for Jiang Tiao, but he hadn’t expected Jiang Tiao to perform the scene so well. Several of the more emotional people on the judging panel even had tears in their eyes.

Guan Qing noticed the tremor in Jiang Tiao’s eyelashes and remembered, “Cut, that’s good. Next scene.”

Jiang Tiao let out a breath, massaged his aching back, and awkwardly got up from the ground.

The next audition scene was Zhao Heng’s arrival in Camel Bell Town. He wore exquisitely ornate clothes, like a colorful peacock, and rode a meticulously cared-for snow-white horse named Zhao Ye Yu Shi Zi. Behind him followed dozens of guards, servants, and maids, a grand procession.

“It’s so hot, so hot!” Jiang Tiao used the A4 paper with the audition scene printed on it as a fan, his face showing arrogant disdain and obvious impatience. At this moment, he was no longer the helpless wanderer regretting and shedding tears at his brother’s tomb. Although he retained the same mannerisms and habits of the same person, one could immediately tell that he was a domineering, unreasonable, and pampered young prince.

Guan Qing smiled. He was right; this was Jiang Tiao’s comfort zone, and Jiang Tiao was indeed good at playing such roles.

The first time he saw Jiang Tiao, he felt he was very suitable for Zhao Heng. At that time, he didn’t know Jiang Tiao’s acting skills, but he felt that Jiang Tiao possessed a sense of nobility that many young actors lacked, along with a self-assuredness that wasn’t irritating.

Exaggeration and arrogance were Zhao Heng’s usual state. If he lacked that touch of nobility, it would be easy to mistake him for a ruffian rather than a prince.

“What kind of hellhole is this? It’s so run-down!” Jiang Tiao’s eyebrows almost reached his temples. He fanned himself with one hand and put the other on his hip, vividly portraying a blustering, cowardly fop, “If you don’t show me the Crimson Sunset Spectacle you mentioned, you’ll all be sold off!”

Several people in the room chuckled.

The directors also nodded frequently, all feeling that Jiang Tiao had given them a very pleasant surprise. They exchanged a few quiet words, and finally, Yu Hanchang selected the third random audition segment.

This was a conflict scene. Zhao Heng was deliberately bumped into by refugees on the road, and his purse was stolen. After his guards caught the thief, he was about to strike when he was witnessed by Liang Yue, one of the main characters. Liang Yue was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and was newly appointed as a county magistrate. He was incorruptible, knowledgeable, and a devoted official who wished to dedicate his life to the people. He was extremely at odds with Zhao Heng.

Jiang Tiao quickly scanned the script segment handed to him by the director’s assistant and then nodded to Guan Qing and the others, indicating he was ready. He was already familiar with Zhao Heng’s storyline and didn’t need extra time to memorize lines on the spot.

At this moment, Ye Qinghan spoke, “It’s hard for one person to maintain emotional continuity in a conflict scene,” he said, feigning concern for Jiang Tiao. “Chu Xu’s audition role is Liang Yue. Why not let him act with you?”

Ye Qinghan knew about Jiang Tiao’s feelings for Chu Xu and didn’t believe Jiang Tiao could remain composed when facing Chu Xu.