Chapter 4: The Audition
The full title of Spring was The Woman Who Appeared in Spring.
Director Jiang Qu completed the script five years ago. Portions of the draft that were leaked online once sparked heated discussions due to their creativity and dialogue.
The script removed the ABO elements of this world, telling a story of a forbidden adult love in another world without ABO genetics.
Coupled with Jiang Qu’s style, the film was jokingly dubbed Spring’s R-18 by netizens.
But in reality, every one of Jiang Qu’s films possessed a profound, aesthetic depth.
What you saw was lust and human nature, but deep down, it was the decay of the soul.
The audition was scheduled for this Wednesday. The sky had been unusually gloomy since morning. The weather forecast said it wouldn’t rain until night, which meant the city would be stifling all day.
It was already afternoon.
There were about a hundred people in the audition waiting area. The place was packed. Zhao Jia had made arrangements with the set staff in advance, so the area where they were waiting was relatively less crowded.
“Nervous?” Zhao Jia asked.
Jiang Mi shook her head, her expression calm. Compared to some of the nervous actors around them, she was the picture of composure.
She could even boast, “Growing up, I never knew how to write the word ‘nervous’.”
Zhao Jia praised her, “You’re so woman.”
Before long, the actor who had just auditioned came out. Everyone’s eyes turned to them. The actor’s face was flushed as they complained to their companion, “Damn, Director Jiang is personally casting such a minor role, and even Yan Wei is here! I was so nervous, my voice was shaking. I don’t even know what I just performed. It’s over, it’s over…”
Three seconds later, Zhao Jia noticed Jiang Mi pulling out a script she knew by heart from her bag. She asked, “Aren’t you not nervous?”
Without looking up, Jiang Mi replied, “…Just being cautious.”
The sky was gloomy, the rain wouldn’t fall, and there were many actors auditioning. The waiting area felt like a small sauna. A thin layer of sweat formed on Jiang Mi’s palms.
Yan Wei won’t think I’m a clingy pest she can’t get rid of, will she?
This isn’t my fault. I’m here for an audition, and I didn’t know Yan Wei would be here today. Besides, this is my job.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang, don’t be a coward!
Another two hours passed. Zhao Jia reminded Jiang Mi to get ready, adding some words of encouragement and telling her not to be nervous. Jiang Mi exhaled, put her things back in her bag, and by the time she walked to the door, her expression had become exceptionally calm.
She walked in with her head held high, her eyes first landing on Yan Wei, who was dressed in black in the white room. The other woman clearly saw her too but looked away after a second.
Jiang Mi had no time for other thoughts. She politely greeted all the directors and gave a simple self-introduction.
“If you’re ready, you may begin.”
The woman who spoke was the director, Jiang Qu. She had short black hair and a very capable air about her.
The role Jiang Mi was auditioning for had very few lines, only two sentences, but the actor needed to extend it to five minutes, using that time to shape their own understanding of the character.
This was no simple task, but it was clear that Jiang Mi handled the role with ease.
When the five minutes were up, Jiang Qu’s serious expression softened slightly. After watching for so long, there was finally a decent actor. She glanced at Yan Wei beside her and asked in a low voice, “What do you think?”
Yan Wei looked at the information on the tablet, her gaze finally resting on the smiling photo on the white background. She said lightly, “Passable.”
“I’ll give you another role. Just give it a try. No pressure, just act according to your imagination or your understanding of it.”
After Jiang Qu finished speaking, an assistant next to her handed a piece of paper to Jiang Mi.
Jiang Mi took it, looked down at the character’s description, and secretly concealed the shock in her heart.
**
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Mi came out of the audition room.
Zhao Jia came up to meet her. Jiang Mi’s face and the tip of her nose were an unnatural shade of crimson. Perhaps she had just been crying her heart out; the bloodshot veins in her eyes hadn’t faded, and her emotions hadn’t fully settled. Her entire being was filled with a heart-wrenching sense of brokenness. At this moment, she seemed to belong to the fox clan.
Seeing Jiang Mi’s low spirits, Zhao Jia didn’t ask about the situation. The two of them headed out.
It was already seven in the evening. The gloomy rain that had been building up all day had still not fallen. A strong wind blew through Jiang Mi’s hair, turning the sweat in her pores into a belated chill. She blinked, finally shaking herself out of the character.
Only then did Zhao Jia venture to ask, “How did it go?”
Jiang Mi cleared her throat. “Not sure.”
During the first audition, judging by their expressions, it seemed like a sure thing. But the second time… she wasn’t sure. After she finished, Jiang Qu had probably asked for Yan Wei’s opinion, but she had seen Yan Wei shake her head with a very cold expression.
The only thing she was certain of was that she had done her absolute best.
“You auditioned a second time?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you audition for?”
Jiang Mi was silent for a moment before saying, “Liang Yongping.”
Zhao Jia sucked in a sharp breath, her left eyelid twitching wildly. She lowered her voice, “Isn’t that the second female lead?”
It was called the second female lead, but her screen time was no less than the first female lead’s, especially in the early stages. Not only would she get to act opposite Yan Wei, but she would also have such a significant role. That was why all the big names in the entertainment industry were fighting for this character.
Let alone Jiang Mi, even she had never dared to dream of it.
Jiang Mi nodded. Yes, she had auditioned for the second female lead of Spring. That’s why she had been so pleasantly surprised when she received that character sheet. It wasn’t just because of the importance of the role, but because she had put in a great deal of preparation to understand this character.
To be precise, in order to seize every opportunity, she had studied all the character cards in the script beforehand.
And Liang Yongping was the one who moved her the most, so she had spent more effort on her.
She knew almost all the lines she had by heart.
If the director hadn’t given her another chance, she would have asked for one. She just hadn’t expected to be so lucky—not just lucky, but hitting the jackpot!
“That’s great news! Why are you reacting like this?”
“…”
Because Yan Wei was the female lead, she had looked at Yan Wei for the entire audition. She knew she should be professional, but who could understand what it felt like to say those explicit lines to Yan Wei with tears in her eyes, all while being judged by her stare?
The scene the director gave her was the final one before the two main characters separated—a passionate lovemaking scene, one that severely tested the second female lead’s acting skills and her delivery of lines.
The audition room was stuffy.
She had looked at Yan Wei with tear-filled eyes and said in an unsteady voice: Will you still moan for others to hear in the future? In the future, will your body accept other women?
She didn’t know what Yan Wei was thinking as she watched her then, perhaps judging her acting, but in that instant, she had clearly heard the echo of that night’s suppressed moan that had escaped Yan Wei’s bitten lips.
Still, she felt the second audition had gone smoothly. Although she had never played a similar role, she felt she had withstood the pressure and completed the audition in her best state.
She had done her best.
Until she saw Yan Wei shake her head.
Her thoughts were filled with the image of Yan Wei shaking her head.
Yan Wei shook her head.
Sigh, if only Yan Wei didn’t know how to shake her head.
Jiang Mi squeezed the cup in her hands, looking somewhat dejected. Zhao Jia told her not to be discouraged; based on the situation, the role she originally auditioned for should be fine at least.
That was true.
But Jiang Mi wasn’t discouraged. She was just curious. If her skills were inferior, where had she lost points?
She believed she could play Liang Yongping well.
Give her another chance, give her a little time, and she could interpret Liang Yongping even better.
But she also knew she might not get another chance.
So in the end, she could only comfort herself: A bit part is fine too. If I were the second female lead, I’d have to act with Yan Wei. And there are intimate scenes; I’d definitely go crazy with nervousness. Wouldn’t Yan Wei hate me even more if she had to see me every day?
**
On the other side of Huai City, the auditions at the film studio ended at six.
Jiang Qu had booked a private room at “Xizhou Hui.” Yan Wei came in after finishing a call. The cold dishes had just been served—all sweet-leaning Huai City cuisine.
Jiang Qu pulled out a slim cigarette and offered the pack over.
“Smoke?”
Yan Wei: “I have a voiceover session in a couple of days.”
Whenever she had work that required vocal clarity, she would try to stay away from tobacco, alcohol, and spicy foods. Besides, she didn’t smoke much.
Jiang Qu nodded. “Do you mind?”
After receiving a faint response, Jiang Qu lit one and took a deep drag. She seemed agitated. Jiang Qu’s temper was notoriously bad throughout the film industry. You couldn’t usually tell, but when it came to professional matters, she became like a different person.
Jiang Qu suddenly asked, “What do you think about that person who auditioned today for the role of Liang Yongping?”
Before Yan Wei could answer, she added, “Just now, President Zhou from ‘Yonghua’ personally called to pressure me, wanting to arrange for a second female lead. I’ve met that actress before; her acting is quite good.”
Yan Wei picked up her water glass. “So?”
Jiang Qu exhaled a puff of smoke and asked instead of answering, “You haven’t answered me yet. That actress named Jiang Mi, what do you think of her?”
**
Huai City was a famous film studio city. Zhao Jia had been contacting production crews about new projects for the past two days, so they were temporarily staying here, waiting to see if they could get the results for Spring.
No matter how good Jiang Mi’s mindset was, she wasn’t blindly confident. After so many days, her hopes of playing “Liang Yongping” had hit rock bottom. The second female lead was out of the question. She should just focus on playing her small role well.
Last night, she had stayed up for a while reading other scripts and had gone to bed late. She hadn’t expected to be woken up by her phone vibrating in the morning.
Seeing the caller ID, her drowsiness cleared a little. She shot up in bed. “Hello, Auntie Mo.”
Mo Yun’s smiling voice came through the phone, “Mimi, am I disturbing you?”
Jiang Mi: “No, no, Auntie. What’s up?”
For no reason, she felt a little nervous.
Mo Yun said, “Are you busy today? Come over for a meal.”
Jiang Mi subconsciously wanted to refuse. “I…”
“Your mother said you’re off today! She said you love fish, so I went out early to buy some to make you black fish soup to replenish your energy. No need to rush, just come over before lunch.”
Jiang Mi: “…” Mom, you’re being way too familiar. Your daughter is about to go freeload at someone else’s house!
She could only make up a quick excuse. “Auntie, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I have plans with a friend for lunch.”
Mo Yun immediately said, “Then bring your friend along. It’s just me at home anyway.”
“…” Jiang Mi hesitated and asked, “What about Teacher Yan?”
Mo Yun: “You’re coming to my house for the meal. She won’t be back. I’ll send you the address.”
Jiang Mi lost.
Her dear mother sent her a list of gifts to bring. Jiang Mi thought that she had indeed troubled them last time, so it was only right to return the favor. Besides, she wouldn’t run into Yan Wei. So, she got dressed and went out.
It was some distance from the previous apartment, in a villa district.
The villa was at the very end of the road, with a black-painted iron gate. Roses were planted along the base of the wall, along with some small blue flowers whose names she didn’t know.
Mo Yun greeted her warmly, chiding her for bringing things while taking her arm and leading her inside.
The style was completely different from Yan Wei’s place. The villa used a lot of wood, and the environment had a warmer color palette. A camel-colored woven rug was spread in the living room, creating a very warm atmosphere.
After putting down the things, Mo Yun hurried to the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. I still have dishes on the stove.”
“Okay. Do you need any help?”
“It’s fine, it’ll be ready soon.”
“Okay.”
“Yan Wei is in the back garden. You can go talk to her for a bit.”
“Okay… huh?”
Jiang Mi froze. Mo Yun turned back and said, “I don’t know why she suddenly came over.”
…No, Auntie, how can you not know? I only came because I trusted you.
Jiang Mi stood there for a few seconds. Mo Yun thought she couldn’t find the way and helpfully instructed, “Turn left and go straight. There’s a glass door. That leads outside.”
Jiang Mi: “…Okay.”
It took Jiang Mi five or six minutes to reach the glass door. A tortoise could have probably raced her and done two laps.
The spring day was mild, and the warm sun filled the garden. Through the glass door, she could see a corner of lush flowers and green lawns.
She stood at the door, still wondering. If Yan Wei saw her, she might think she was deliberately trying to get close. But since she was already here, she couldn’t possibly leave now, so they would have to meet.
So what should I say when we meet?
In a daze, the dark glass flickered. The ample light was blocked. Jiang Mi’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met the eyes of the person on the other side of the glass door.
As that person stared at her coldly, Jiang Mi couldn’t help but feel awkward.
Fortunately, the other person was the first to look away. The door opened from the outside. Jiang Mi took a step back instinctively to get out of the way. As the person came in, the cool breeze from outside carried the woman’s scent.
Jiang Mi held her breath. She said, “Teacher Yan.”
Yan Wei glanced at her, gave a barely perceptible nod, and then walked past, clearly having no intention of communicating.
The light once again fell on Jiang Mi’s face.
She looked at Yan Wei’s back and mustered her courage. “Teacher Yan, can I ask you a question?”
Yan Wei stopped, her gaze once again pressing down on her, as if to say, continue.
“I wanted to know, during the audition the other day, did you shake your head because there was a problem with some aspect of my performance? I don’t mean anything by it, I just want to know if there’s any way to fix it if I had another chance, so I can pay more attention in the future. Sorry to bother you.”
The 24-year-old girl seemed transparent from the inside out. Her eyes were so clean they didn’t seem to belong in this industry.
Yan Wei said, “There’s nothing to fix.”
Jiang Mi: “…No hope at all?”
Yan Wei looked at her, her thoughts unreadable. She was silent for two seconds, giving off a sense of profound mystery, before finally replying faintly, “No.”
With that, she turned and left.
Jiang Mi said to her back, “…Thank you.”
Your voice is very pleasant, but your answer is heartbreaking.
After Yan Wei left, Jiang Mi let out a breath. To avoid awkwardness, she waited two minutes before returning to the living room, only to see Yan Wei’s back as she left through the entryway.
She frowned. She was a step too late.
She had originally planned to throw face and manners to the wind and avoid having this meal with Yan Wei.
To save the other person from feeling uncomfortable, since this wasn’t her home after all.
Belatedly, that feeling of dejection washed over her.
It wasn’t just Yan Wei’s attitude of avoiding her like the plague, but also the fact that she really hadn’t been chosen for “Liang Yongping.”
After lunch, Jiang Mi said goodbye to Mo Yun and didn’t go anywhere else, heading straight back to the hotel.
At around eight in the evening, when Zhao Jia received a call from the director, Jiang Mi was kneeling on a chair by the hotel window. The sky outside was dark, and the warmth of the day had turned into a shower.
At the window, she couldn’t see the lines of rain, only feeling it with each gust of wind.
“Yes, this is Jiang Mi’s manager. Go ahead.”
Jiang Mi turned her head in surprise. The wind and rain rustled softly behind her.
On speakerphone, she heard the director’s voice from the other end: “Director Jiang is very interested in Jiang Mi’s performance and would like to have a face-to-face meeting. The time is one o’clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. Can you arrange that on your end?”
Jiang Mi felt a chill on the back of her neck. Then she met Zhao Jia’s ecstatic yet restrained gaze. The gloom of the day was instantly washed away. After hanging up, Zhao Jia said, “Jiang Mi! Did you hear that? Director Jiang wants to meet you in person!”
For Jiang Mi, it was an emotional rollercoaster.
Just that day, Yan Wei had told her to her face that she was a lost cause.
Yan Wei certainly wouldn’t deign to lie to her. Perhaps she had been a lost cause, but Jiang Qu had suddenly changed her mind? As long as she could see the director again, she still had a chance.
That night, Jiang Mi was sleepless until midnight.
It had been a long time since she had dreamed of acting with Yan Wei in real life. The thought was so strong that she actually did dream.
She dreamed that in a certain scene, a red-eyed Yan Wei kissed “Liang Yongping.”
***
Author’s Notes
A long time later.
Jiang Qu asks: What do you think of Jiang Mi as a person?
Yan Wei thinks for a moment: She’s amazing in every aspect.
Jiang Qu: ?
