The director returned to his own office, rubbing his forehead with a hint of a headache.
Selecting the right actor required the production team to expend a considerable amount of manpower and resources before finally settling on a suitable candidate.
But now, with shooting about to commence, that stupid woman Shangguan Fu had thoroughly shot herself in the foot, and a whole mess awaited him.
Seeing the director's sullen face, his assistant stepped forward to inquire, then clapped his hands and said, "Director, don't we still have a backup option?"
"You mean?"
"Xiao Wan!"
Only then did the director remember the little nobody he had overlooked; in fact, he had intentionally excluded Xiao Wan from consideration.
After all, a production team isn't just made up of the director; there are also the set workers, lighting crew, screenwriters, and producers. If these people took a liking to Xiao Wan, he certainly wouldn't be getting a taste of the pie.
"Hmm, let's tentatively go with Xiao Wan. Go contact her," he said.
After some thought, the director realized the other women were either long-standing veterans of the entertainment industry or simply didn't fit the role, so he decided he would have a proper talk with Xiao Wan about the script, aiming to snatch up this fresh peach for himself.
...
Meanwhile, Song Yun took Ye Qingqing to Hua Chuang Private Hospital. After visiting Aunt Yuan, they arrived at the great-aunt's ward.
At present, the great-aunt was comfortably hospitalized, with the uncle and his cousin, Song Jisheng, taking turns to keep watch.
It wasn't that the nursing care in Hua Chuang Private Hospital was inadequate, but the great-aunt needed a family member by her side to chat with.
Upon entering the ward, the great-aunt's eyes lit up when she saw Ye Qingqing.
This girl was beautiful and had an exceptional demeanor, which reminded the great-aunt of a well-bred young lady from a reputable family she had met a long time ago, someone whose every word seemed different from ordinary people.
That gentle and graceful air even had the great-aunt, a woman herself, utterly immersed.
Clearly, the impression Ye Qingqing left on the great-aunt far surpassed that of the noble young lady.
Lying in the hospital bed, the great-aunt chatted with Ye Qingqing about family and trivial matters, holding her hand.
Just then, the phone rang—it was Director Ma's assistant.
"Xiao Wan, are you free right now?"
"Sorry, I don't think I'm suited for this job, so please stop bothering me."
Hearing Xiao Wan's words, the other person was clearly taken aback.
"No, no, no, I come to you with sincerity!"
The assistant, sensing the indifference in Xiao Wan's tone, quickly spoke, "Director Ma has tentatively chosen you for the role of the second female lead in his new film!"
Xiao Wan didn't know what trick the other person was playing, but she wasn't like other young girls who could be sweet-talked into obedience.
"Assistant Yang, you should know what Director Ma has done to me, right? Do you think I can still believe your words?"
"This..." Assistant Yang felt awkward. He had seen too many actresses in the company knock on the director's door just to get a role; he never expected to meet someone so uncompromising today.
"Don't worry, I swear to you that we're discussing genuine work!" Assistant Yang said, "How about we meet somewhere tomorrow? You choose the place. I'll come with Director Ma on time. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan hesitated for a moment. Truth be told, she still had a passion for acting. What if Director Ma really had a change of heart?
So she picked a public place. She didn't believe that Director Ma would dare to behave improperly in front of a crowd!
Early the next morning, Xiao Wan got ready and, with her bag slung over her shoulder, arrived at the café they'd agreed upon.
As soon as she pushed the door and entered, she noticed that Director Ma and Assistant Yang were already there.
Assistant Yang waved at Xiao Wan, who sat across from them, still on guard.
"Xiao Wan, I believe there has been some misunderstanding between us, and I want to explain..."
Director Ma hadn't finished speaking before he was coldly interrupted by Xiao Wan, "Director Ma, please get to the point!"
Director Ma wasn't annoyed. He had Assistant Yang bring out a script and began to go into detail with Xiao Wan.
As Xiao Wan listened, her interest grew. The role was excellently defined, a rare positive female secondary character, and some of the experiences of this character bore similarities to her own.
She visualized the scenes in her mind and found she could perform the entire play smoothly!