Chapter 15: He Needed to Intervene

Lu Xu, of course, noticed Gu Sinian being led in by the assistant director.

Their eyes met, and he caught Gu Sinian’s expression.

Lu Xu wasn’t the original owner and hadn’t interacted with the other three members of Verse, but judging from Gu Sinian’s demeanor, it was clear he was the type of person who wouldn’t get along with him.

Lowering his head, Lu Xu continued studying his script.

Gu Sinian’s appearance stirred up whispers in the previously quiet audition room.

“Isn’t that Gu Sinian?”

“A showdown between Verse members? This is going to be exciting.”

“I just saw it on Weibo—Lu Xu really knows how to clap back.”

But the moment Gu Sinian appeared, the actors auditioning for the various roles all shared the same sinking feeling—this drama was probably not going to be Lu Xu’s.

Unlike Lu Xu, who fought alone, most of these actors were already signed with agencies. Before coming to the audition, their companies had already hinted to them—the male lead role was taken.

As such, they were auditioning for roles other than the male lead.

Now that Gu Sinian had shown up, everyone guessed he was the male lead for this drama.

Under such circumstances, could Lu Xu still have a chance at landing a role?

“Lin Ge Entertainment sure has great resources,” one actor murmured quietly. “He gets extra scenes in big productions, and in smaller ones, he’s the male lead. Gu Sinian’s qualifications aren’t even as good as mine.”

“Keep your voice down!” his companion warned.

Everyone knew Lin Ge Entertainment was skilled at marketing and notorious for playing the victim in disputes. While Lu Xu dared to clash with them, the others didn’t have the courage or backing to do the same.

This period drama script was genuinely well-written. Though the production wasn’t large-scale, the cast was no less impressive. It wasn’t the kind of idol drama that would catapult someone to instant stardom, but it was a solid choice for actors serious about honing their craft.

The group could only sigh at Lin Ge Entertainment’s influence, feeding even such competitive resources directly to Gu Sinian.

From the looks on everyone’s faces, Lu Xu could already piece together the situation.

However, he had come to fight for a role. As an actor, his job was to perform well in every audition. The outcome ultimately rested in the director’s hands, not his.

Besides, he’d already acted in My Baby Prince. No matter what, he wouldn’t be in a worse position than when he had just transmigrated.

Patiently, Lu Xu waited for his turn to audition.

The production team’s audition wasn’t large-scale, just a small screening. Lu Xu had been assigned number three, and the second male lead role he was auditioning for had four competitors in total.

Arriving early, Lu Xu had overheard that the male lead had already been decided.

As for the second male lead, no one seemed to know if it had been pre-determined. It was entirely possible that they were just there as filler.

“Number three, please come in.”

Hearing the announcement, Lu Xu stood up and walked into the next room.

As he stepped into the audition room, he noticed that there weren’t many people seated around the conference table. The director and screenwriter sat in the middle, while the rest of the crew were scattered around. Among them, Lu Xu only recognized the director and screenwriter, as he had researched their work and watched some of the director’s past projects before coming to audition.

To Lu Xu’s surprise, Gu Sinian was also seated at the conference table. His demeanor was relaxed, and he seemed quite familiar with the director.

Director Mu Qian nodded at Lu Xu. “Take a seat.”

Mu Qian’s expression as he looked at Lu Xu was rather indifferent. “I’ve already reviewed your resume. You should have prepared the audition segment by now. Let’s begin.”

He didn’t give Lu Xu a chance to speak. After instructing him, Mu Qian turned his attention back to Gu Sinian and exchanged a few words with him.

Gu Sinian’s smile grew even brighter.

The on-site camera remained recording, and though the daylight streaming through the windows was ample, the indoor lights were also on.

The character Lu Xu was auditioning for, Wu Shen, was a progressive youth from the Red Era. Born into a wealthy family as the youngest child, Wu Shen could have led a smooth and prosperous life. His family’s wealth would have been more than enough to allow them to escape abroad, far from the chaos of war.

But Wu Shen refused.

He read progressive literature and newspapers and understood that countless people in the world were still suffering in misery.

He became the protagonist’s assistant, comrade, and lifelong confidant.

The scene Lu Xu was tasked with performing was a moment where Wu Shen passionately addressed his parents.

All eyes in the room turned to him.

Director Mu Qian and screenwriter Jin Mu’s gazes were particularly neutral.

Just earlier, Gu Sinian had shown them some of Lu Xu’s recent comments online. Mu Qian, a veteran director, and Jin Mu, a seasoned screenwriter, both disliked actors who were too active or outspoken on social media. To them, actors should be more reserved.

Furthermore, Lu Xu had been publicly criticizing Gu Sinian.

Since the production team had already decided on Gu Sinian as the male lead, any tarnishing of Gu Sinian’s reputation would harm the drama. If they cast a second male lead who didn’t get along with Gu Sinian, it could lead to unnecessary complications for the production.

Mu Qian, already not particularly fond of Lu Xu, had only invited him to audition because My Baby Prince had been generating buzz recently.

Thus, before Lu Xu even walked in, the director and screenwriter had already decided to dismiss him.

However, since the production had advertised the audition as open and transparent, it wouldn’t look good to ask Lu Xu to leave outright.

After taking a deep breath, Lu Xu began his performance.

To audition for the role of Wu Shen, he had specifically bought a plain white shirt.

At first, he kept his head lowered. When he raised it, he had already immersed himself fully in the character.

Wu Shen was passionate, yet pure. He possessed the stubbornness of someone from the old era but was willing to shed blood for the emergence of the new one.

Lu Xu subtly adjusted his stance. In the next moment, his expression and bearing embodied the integrity of a young intellectual.

It wasn’t the affected air of someone pretending to be erudite but a vibrant, passionate, and determined demeanor. At this moment, he was confronting his mother’s tears. She didn’t want him to dedicate himself to the liberation cause; she simply wished for him to live peacefully as a wealthy heir. With his older brother managing the family’s business, his life would not be lacking.

“I refuse, Mother. I refuse.”

The voice echoing in the room made Mu Qian pause in surprise.

Lu Xu’s voice was clear, his articulation precise and powerful, as though he had infused his conviction into every word.

Mu Qian had worked with many young actors, including Gu Sinian, who had recently auditioned for a scene. Most of them had somewhat indistinct enunciation. Voice quality was secondary; what mattered was projection and the ability to convey emotions through dialogue.

Acting required mastery of voice, stage presence, movement, and expression. None of these could be lacking.

In just two utterances of “I refuse,” Lu Xu had seized everyone’s attention.

“You want me to study abroad, but do you know what I saw during those years overseas?”

“When they speak of our people, they say we are ignorant, apathetic, and uneducated. Even though I ranked first in every subject, even though I was strong and joined the baseball team, they said, ‘You’re different from the rest.’”

“But every time I walked the streets and said I was from this country, the smiles of those foreigners, and the contempt in their eyes—those, I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

As Lu Xu delivered these lines, his expression grew resolute, and his voice tightened, as though every word was forced out through clenched teeth, brimming with uncontainable fury.

There was no one sitting across from him.

Yet it felt as if his mother were truly seated there, right in front of him.

When he said, “You’re different from the rest,” his eyes turned red, but the tears never came. What came first was an overwhelming wave of rage.

He was angry.

Angry at the voices and gazes filled with disdain.

Angry at everything this country was enduring.

But he was no longer lost—he had found his purpose.

“I am but one man; I cannot be a savior.”

Lu Xu’s tone softened. “If I can save one person, I will save one person. If I can save thousands, I will save thousands.”

“Even if I must step into the fire, I will do so willingly. But I cannot simply stand by and watch!”

“I will free those who are ignorant, apathetic, and unknowing. I will ensure they are no longer ignorant, no longer apathetic, no longer unknowing. I want them to have the same freedom that should belong to every person in the world.”

As Lu Xu stood there, he was like a pine tree—unwavering and resolute.

At the start, he had restrained his emotions because he was speaking to his mother, someone he did not wish to worry.

But inside, his blood burned, fiery and unyielding.

As he delivered the latter part of his lines, Lu Xu’s voice grew increasingly impassioned. It was as if his cries reverberated throughout the entire room.

Director Mu Qian had been holding a pen at first.

But when Lu Xu spoke his second line, Mu Qian quietly set it down.

The young man’s performance before him was so compelling that it seemed to transport him to that era. It was as though he himself were living in that turbulent time.

Lu Xu’s delivery of the lines was flawless, and the emotions he projected onto the character were fully realized. Wu Shen was a man of fervor—not reckless, not blind, but driven by conviction and clarity.

He just couldn’t tolerate it.

He couldn’t bear to be a mere bystander, unable to watch others mock his fellow countrymen—his fellow countrymen, who were also him.

“You’re different from the rest.”

What was different?

Nothing at all.

Even though Lu Xu was wearing a modern white shirt, not a traditional long robe, when he fully immersed himself in the role, his presence was so compelling that it made people forget what he was wearing.

Lu Xu made no unnecessary movements. He seemed as if he were on an actual film set, and the young man named Wu Shen came to life through his performance.

After completing the scene, Lu Xu stopped.

At that moment, the intense emotions he had shown earlier during the audition had disappeared from his face. He was calm.

The entire audition room was completely silent.

Lu Xu had been the third to audition, but everyone was certain that even though the fourth candidate had yet to start, their performance would never surpass Lu Xu’s.

Lu Xu possessed the most effortless and powerful influence.

During the auditions of the first two candidates, Mu Qian and Jin Mu would occasionally chat casually—both had given similar performances that didn’t leave much of an impression on the director and screenwriter.

However, Lu Xu’s performance was different. It could draw people in and make them immerse themselves in his emotions.

The script for this film was already moving in itself.

It was based on the country’s past, a past that couldn’t be ignored, and everyone could relate to it.

Even after Lu Xu had left, Gu Sinian’s teeth remained clenched.

He had just expressed to the director and screenwriter that he didn’t want to work with Lu Xu, yet Lu Xu’s performance…

Mu Qian had promised him initially, but now… he had a feeling the director might change his mind.

Gu Sinian couldn’t stop thinking about it. No matter what, he couldn’t work with Lu Xu.

He would do whatever it took to stop Lu Xu from landing this role.

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