SABA Chapter 52

Jiang Tiao then realized that Chu Xu’s appearance today was not just to cheer for Ye Qinghan, but his personal image didn’t quite match Liang Yue either. While acting skills could compensate for the gap between a character and the person, did Chu Xu possess acting skills? Based on Jiang Tiao’s in-depth research of the entertainment industry during this period, he felt he did, but not much.

A good opposing actor could drive emotions. Conversely, if the opposing actor’s acting was too poor, even if your acting was excellent, it would easily be discounted. This is because rival scenes are like climbing; only when you take a step and they take a step can emotions become increasingly full.

Jiang Tiao saw Ye Qinghan looking smugly on, enjoying the show. So this was Chu Xu’s purpose? To affect him with his poor acting?

Chu Xu stood up from the bench like a king descending. He nodded at the directors looking at him and walked with long strides, like a fashion show, to Jiang Tiao. His custom-made leather shoes reflected a cold sheen.

Tsk, Jiang Tiao decided to retract his previous evaluation of Chu Xu’s acting. It wasn’t that he didn’t have much, he had none at all.

Jiang Tiao closed his eyes, intending to adjust his strategy. Even if acting without props was possible, surely treating the opposing actor as if they didn’t exist was also possible!

A cold, triumphant smile curled at the corners of Chu Xu’s mouth. He knew it. Jiang Tiao was just using outward indifference to conceal his inner wounds.

Why did he keep appearing in front of him and deliberately ignoring him? Wasn’t it all to get his attention?

Guan Qing cleared his throat and had his assistant hand the script to Chu Xu, interrupting his peacock-like display that was out of place. “You can prepare on the side.”

Yu Han thought for a moment and said, “Since we’re testing rival scenes, let Qinghan try playing Fu Qu.”

Fu Qu was the street thug who led the refugees in stealing Zhao Heng’s wallet. He came from a humble background but was chivalrous and was one of the main characters, with a role no less significant than Zhao Heng’s.

Ye Qinghan’s eyes were dark. How could he not understand Yu Han’s intention? The reason Yu Han said this was because he had already decided that Jiang Tiao was Zhao Heng, so he wanted Ye Qinghan to try other roles that hadn’t been decided yet, like Fu Qu.

However, although Fu Qu’s role was similar to Zhao Heng’s, his character was not as likable. He was glib-tongued, greedy for small profits, and later, his greed almost led to irreparable consequences.

Ye Qinghan didn’t understand why Yu Han thought Jiang Tiao was more suited to Zhao Heng, while he was more suited to Fu Qu. He remembered someone mocking him a long, long time ago – “What are you doing, are you trying to copy him? Don’t be ridiculous. He was born a young master who was showered with all the love. You trying to copy him? Do you even know what it means to be a clumsy imitator?”

A flicker of sinister malice flashed in Ye Qinghan’s eyes.

Yu Han: “Qinghan?”

Ye Qinghan smiled gently and kindly, “Okay, I’ll prepare.”

Chu Xu and Ye Qinghan prepared for about ten minutes. Just as Jiang Tiao was getting tired of waiting, they finally finished. Ye Qinghan had originally wanted to drag it out a bit longer to disrupt Jiang Tiao’s state, but preparing for too long would also make the directors question his own professional ability.

He took a deep breath and made a motion of being pressed to the ground by guards.

“Where did this little thief come from, daring to steal from me?” Jiang Tiao, with his hands on his hips, looked angry and arrogant. He looked at Ye Qinghan on the ground as if he were a pile of dirty garbage, with intense disgust, as if he wished he could burn off the clothes he had touched immediately to avoid infection.

Ye Qinghan was instantly provoked. Even though he repeatedly told himself not to be influenced by Jiang Tiao and to try to influence Jiang Tiao as much as possible, facing Jiang Tiao’s gaze, his emotions were instantly stirred.

Yu Han frowned slightly.

According to the script, Fu Qu should have cursed Zhao Heng and other corrupt officials for exploiting the common people. Zhao Heng, enraged, would have kicked him several times. However, Jiang Tiao waited a few times but did not receive any words from Ye Qinghan. Fortunately, Jiang Tiao already knew Ye Qinghan’s ill intentions and that he would deliberately try to trip him up.

He deliberately acted as if he were angered by Fu Qu’s gaze and kicked him twice – of course, it was a fake kick. He continued the scene himself, moving the plot forward.

“You scoundrel! Guards! Chop off his hands and feet! Gouge out his eyes!”

“Stop!” Chu Xu, playing Liang Yue, appeared and grabbed Jiang Tiao’s angrily waving arm.

Jiang Tiao: “?”

Chu Xu’s unconventional entrance made Jiang Tiao slightly suspicious. While it was understandable for actors to adjust their impromptu reactions based on the situation, according to the plot, Zhao Heng was supposed to be accompanied by many guards at this time. Liang Yue was not a master of martial arts, so how could he get close to Zhao Heng?

Good heavens, could they openly sabotage a screen test like this?

Jiang Tiao pondered for a moment and figured it out. Chu Xu must have been rejected long ago, so he wanted to drag him down with him to help Ye Qinghan secure the role.

“Presumptuous!” Jiang Tiao directly kicked Chu Xu away – this was a real kick because he shook his hand but couldn’t get Chu Xu to let go – Jiang Tiao’s eyebrows were furrowed with anger, his demeanor exceptionally arrogant and overbearing. “Who do you think you are, daring to touch me?!”

Chu Xu staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest, incredulously. “You actually kicked me?!”

The people on the judges’ bench had various expressions, finding it difficult to judge.

Has he been acting in too many historical idol dramas?

Jiang Tiao was not affected by Chu Xu at all. Zhao Heng was used to being arrogant, and he certainly wouldn’t tolerate someone speaking to him like that in front of him. He was disdainful and imperious. “Kick you? According to the laws of this dynasty, thieves are executed for stealing five guan, and for more than thirty guan, they are hanged.” Jiang Tiao arrogantly threw the money pouch that Fu Qu had stolen in front of Liang Yue, mockingly and arrogantly. “County Lieutenant ‘Your Excellency,’ why don’t you see how many guan are in my money pouch? You’re asking me to stop? Then you are his accomplice! Breaking the law while enforcing it, today I will not only kick you, but I will also chop off your hands!”

Jiang Tiao’s gaze fiercely pierced Chu Xu’s heart. The thing he hated most in his life was being looked down upon. How dare Jiang Tiao? How dare he?! Chu Xu’s eyes were bloodshot, and he was about to step forward.

Guan Qing: “Cough, cough, cut!”

This screen test didn’t require much commentary. The only one in good condition was Jiang Tiao. The other two were acting in some inexplicable way. This result could only indicate that excluding Chu Xu from the role of Liang Yue early on was the correct choice, and most people had a certain inclination towards Jiang Tiao for the role of Zhao Heng.

Ye Qinghan was filled with regret. He got up from the ground and saw that many of the people on the judges’ bench who had initially confirmed him were now leaning towards Jiang Tiao. Resentment sprouted in his heart.

Yu Han was also quite disappointed. He had collaborated with Ye Qinghan before and had a good impression of him. He had intended to use this rival scene as an opportunity to help Ye Qinghan secure other roles, but he didn’t expect Ye Qinghan to be so disappointing, with no improvement in his acting compared to six years ago.

Ye Qinghan could not tolerate his role being snatched away by Jiang Tiao like this. He began to consider a turning point and a solution: “I don’t think you’ve grasped the character of Zhao Heng very well.”

Everyone in the conference hall looked at him.

Ye Qinghan confidently flicked the dust off his clothes. “Zhao Heng’s arrogance and extravagance are just a protective color he uses to save his life. He is not inherently a cruel person. But the Zhao Heng you are playing sees human life as worthless and truly wants to put Fu Qu to death.”

Nie Jin saw that Jiang Tiao was deep in thought and not speaking, and his heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Tiao shook his head. “I think he didn’t understand these things at first. In that era, with strict social hierarchy, it was difficult for a noble born into wealth to truly stand in the position of common people and understand their suffering.”

“Compared to characters like the chivalrous Lu Xing and the universally just Liang Yue, he is actually narrow-minded and superficial.”

Ji Nian, whose eyes were always half-closed, seemed very excited and disregarded the occasion. “You actually think Zhao Heng is narrow-minded and superficial?!”

A smile curled at the corners of Ye Qinghan’s mouth.

Jiang Tiao: “Whether he was pretending to be crazy or enduring for many years, or traveling a long distance to find the truth, it was all for his elder brother and himself. No matter how moving this affection is, it’s a small affection for a family of one.”

“He should have met the main characters, lived in a small town far from the capital, gradually interacted with many people, witnessed the hardships of the common people at the bottom, and then slowly realized that his own suffering was nothing compared to those who lived precariously, and then gradually changed.”

“He should have grown, rather than starting out understanding all this. Therefore, we cannot use his later actions to infer his psychological state when he first appeared.”

Ji Nian slammed the table hard, startling everyone – only Guan Qing was accustomed to it. His eyes beneath his messy hair seemed to burn with a raging fire. If it weren’t for the distance, he might have dragged Jiang Tiao away to become sworn brothers on the spot.

“I’ve finally found someone who truly understands Zhao Heng! The actors who auditioned just now were talking nonsense, all of it!”

Ye Qinghan was also one of the previous auditioning actors, and Ji Nian’s scolding directly included Ye Qinghan. Jiang Tiao, not knowing Ye Qinghan’s intention in questioning him, almost burst out laughing. He really wanted to see Ye Qinghan’s expression at this moment.

As Jiang Tiao had hoped, Ji Nian directly attacked the only remaining Ye Qinghan. “In your previous auditions, you all preferred to use flattering methods, as if you wanted to put a big label on your forehead, clearly telling the audience ‘I am a good person, and all of this is a pretense.’ What are you doing? Are you afraid you won’t be able to gain fans through the character? I’m telling you, Zhao Heng’s forbearance is real, his dissipation is real, and his extravagance and debauchery are also real!”

Jiang Tiao glanced at Ye Qinghan’s increasingly strained face and couldn’t help but nod. Speak more if you can, he deliberately agreed with Ji Nian, hoping he would scold more, ideally making Ye Qinghan lose face completely and be unable to face anyone.

“Human nature is complex. Zhao Heng has never been a good person in the traditional sense, let alone a perfect individual!”

Ji Nian, having rarely encountered someone who understood him so well, didn’t want to bother with the subsequent auditions. He wished he could drag Jiang Tiao to a bar and talk for three days and three nights.

He grabbed Guan Qing’s arm. “Old Guan, I’m telling you, I don’t care about anyone else. If you don’t let Jiang Tiao play Zhao Heng, I’ll go on strike! I’ll quit writing!”

The directors and screenwriters who knew each other laughed heartily. It was clear that this was not the first time Ji Nian had made such a statement, and they were all familiar with his occasionally high-strung personality.

Only one or two capital representatives in the room who had vested interests with Ye Qinghan looked increasingly displeased, while Ye Qinghan’s expression was so gloomy it could drip water.

Guan Qing cleared his throat, interrupting the conversation that was gradually deviating from the topic. He told Jiang Tiao to go back and rest and await further notice.

This audition was as perfect as it could be. Jiang Tiao achieved great success and immediately sent the good news to Huo Shen.

[Awesome Cha Hands On Hips.jpg]

[Come praise me quickly, I think my chances of getting the role are as high as 99.9%!]

Jiang Tiao washed his face. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he hadn’t even taken it out to see Huo Shen’s reply when he saw Chu Xu standing at the bathroom door with an unusually oppressive aura, his eyes bloodshot.

“Was that intentional?”

“To get revenge on me?”

“To make me feel your pain?”

…