Exchange of Movie Queens - Chapter 17

“Sweetheart, sweetheart, why aren’t you talking again?”

 

 

The woman beside her spoke with a voice that could grate on one’s nerves.

 

 

Xi Mo automatically filtered out Yan Tinghuan’s nauseating, skin-crawling pet name while putting away her phone and smiling. “I just finished discussing work with someone. It’s all good now.”

 

 

Ruan Yesheng was equally disgusted—how could anyone call someone “sweetheart” without choking on the word?

 

 

After some thought, she decided that from now on, she would avoid using any terms of endearment when talking to Yan Tinghuan and just get straight to the point. That way, at least she wouldn’t slip up by using the wrong name.

 

 

“You weren’t this busy before,” Yan Tinghuan remarked, her gaze fixed on Xi Mo’s face with an amused smile. “Who would’ve thought that after just one trip away, you’d already have new opportunities lined up?”

 

 

Xi Mo replied calmly, “Just luck. But it’s only an audition—nothing’s confirmed yet.”

 

 

As a manager, you don’t even bother securing roles for your actor, and now that she’s gotten one herself, you’re acting surprised?

 

 

It’s not like she came back pregnant—what exactly is there to be shocked about?!

 

 

Yan Tinghuan blinked and asked, “What kind of project is Lin Qitang working on? He’s kept it under wraps pretty well—I haven’t heard a thing about it. Tell me the details.”

 

 

Xi Mo couldn’t stand how Yan Tinghuan kept leaning closer as she spoke. The distance was too intimate, and the overpowering, ostentatious perfume made her uncomfortable.

 

 

The worst part was, for the sake of maintaining her act, she couldn’t even back away. She had to endure the suffocating scent and replied, “It’s not finalized yet. It’d be better to tell you once everything’s confirmed.”

 

 

Yan Tinghuan pouted and raised her right hand, pointing a finger playfully at Xi Mo’s face before withdrawing it with exaggerated reluctance. “Ugh, you’re so annoying. I’m your manager—we have a contract, which means I have the right and the responsibility to know about your work arrangements. And now you’re keeping secrets from me?”

 

 

The moment Yan Tinghuan’s finger touched her cheek, Xi Mo nearly exploded internally:

 

 

Psycho, get away from me!

 

 

Her mind was a tempest, like Lady White Snake flooding the Golden Mountain Temple in fury, yet not a single trace of irritation showed on her face. Instead, she responded with a perfectly composed, pleasant smile and didn’t flinch.

 

 

She couldn’t dodge—she didn’t dare. After all, she still hadn’t figured out how Ruan Yesheng used to interact with Yan Tinghuan. If Yan Tinghuan had poked Ruan Yesheng’s face before and Ruan Yesheng hadn’t reacted, then avoiding it now would raise suspicion. And judging by Ruan Yesheng’s personality, Xi Mo guessed she would’ve probably giggled and poked Yan Tinghuan right back.

 

 

Then they’d go back and forth, poking each other like some ridiculous stage play.

 

 

Xi Mo silently wished for both of them to be poked full of holes.

 

 

Yan Tinghuan seemed to relent, shrugging slightly. “Fine, tell me once it’s confirmed. By the way, Tangtang mentioned you got a new number. Are you using that one now? Why switch after using the old one for so long?”

 

 

As she spoke, she fiddled with her phone.

 

 

Xi Mo replied casually, “It’s not exactly a switch—I’m keeping the old number too. But from now on, just contact me on the new one. Tangtang already told you, right?”

 

 

Yan Tinghuan waved her phone. “Yeah, I saved it. I was going to call your new number, but then I thought, why not wait for you here instead? Give you a little surprise.”

 

 

Xi Mo smiled faintly. “Oh, believe me, I am thoroughly surprised.”

 

 

 

Yan Tinghuan seemed to receive a text message. She opened it and glanced at the screen, the corners of her lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

 

 

A staff member emerged from the inner room and was walking toward them when Yan Tinghuan suddenly squinted her eyes and asked out of the blue, “Darling, we’ve been talking for so long, but you haven’t called me ‘sweetheart’ once. Why do I feel like you’re not as affectionate toward me as before?”

 

 

Xi Mo: “…”

 

 

What was bound to come had finally arrived.

 

 

But she hadn’t expected it to come so soon!

 

 

“Miss Ruan, please come in. Director Lin would like to see you,” the staff member approached and said.

 

 

Xi Mo felt as if she had been granted a reprieve. She stood up gracefully with a smile. “Of course, thank you.”

 

 

The staff at Lin Qitang’s studio had seen countless celebrities, but even they couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at Xi Mo—or rather, the face and figure of Ruan Yesheng.

 

 

It had been years since they’d encountered a newcomer with such striking presence. Her looks were simply arresting.

 

 

Xi Mo turned to Yan Tinghuan, who was still seated on the sofa. “I’m going in. Wait for me here.”

 

 

Yan Tinghuan nodded with a beaming smile.

 

 

“Miss Ruan, this way, please,” the staff member guided her. Xi Mo quickly followed, relieved to escape that madwoman even for just half an hour—it felt like a godsend.

 

 

Only after Xi Mo left did Yan Tinghuan’s cheerful expression shift into something more enigmatic. She resumed replying to the earlier text: “Ruan Ruan, I think she’s quite interesting. And you—what if she actually calls me ‘sweetheart’? She’s playing you so convincingly, she might just believe it and say it.”

 

 

Ruan Yesheng replied: “Remember to keep your interactions with her appropriate. Don’t tease her too much.”

 

 

Yan Tinghuan chuckled softly and typed: “Feels like you’re the one teasing her, no? Right, right—only you’re allowed to mess with her, not me. Anyway, consider your request officially accepted.”

 

 

After a pause, another message from Ruan Yesheng arrived: “You must protect her. Don’t let her find out.”

 

 

“Of course, I will. Just like I protected you back then.”

 

 

Xi Mo followed the staff member into the inner office, where frosted glass partitioned off another space deeper inside.

 

 

The staff handed her a thin audition script. “Director Lin would like you to review this first. When you’re ready, you can go in for the audition. Please return the script to me afterward.”

 

 

Xi Mo replied politely, “Understood, thank you.”

 

 

After the staff brought her tea, she sat down and began flipping through the script.

 

 

The screenplay was the cornerstone of any production, often determining its fate. Given its importance, scripts were guarded with the strictest confidentiality measures during pre-production. To prevent leaks and premature spoilers that could kill the hype, complete scripts were rarely shared upfront—unless the actor was a big enough name to pick and choose projects. Even for highly anticipated films and TV shows, top-tier actors sometimes couldn’t access full scripts until contracts were signed.

 

 

As a newcomer here for an audition, Xi Mo’s script was naturally quite basic.

 

 

 

The beginning outlined the background of the entire drama, the plot summary, an analysis of the character she was auditioning for, and the relationships between characters—essentially mirroring how a director would explain the scenes to actors. Sometimes during auditions, the director would personally step in to explain the scenes, but clearly as a “newcomer,” she wasn’t yet entitled to such treatment.

 

 

Following that were the scenes and dialogue pages she needed to perform for this audition, all presented in fragments. This truly tested an actor’s ability to understand and embody the character.

 

 

However, back when she was cast as the female lead, Lin Qitang had given her the complete script early on to secure her participation. Her understanding of the entire drama could be described as profoundly thorough.

 

 

This drama was a Han Dynasty palace intrigue titled Sui Ting.

 

 

Sui Ting chronicled the legendary life of Empress Deng Sui of the Eastern Han Dynasty, historically a highly esteemed empress. Well-read and erudite from a young age, she was also exceptionally beautiful, earning high praise in the Book of the Later Han.

 

 

As empress and later empress dowager, she presided over court affairs for sixteen years, transitioning from the inner palace to the imperial court. During her reign, she achieved numerous accomplishments—defending against external threats and stabilizing internal affairs—gradually steering the faltering Eastern Han Dynasty toward stability, ensuring peace and prosperity for the people. When Cai Lun invented paper, her discerning eye for talent also contributed significantly.

 

 

Most commendably, during her governance, Deng Sui was diligent and self-disciplined, imposing strict control over her maternal relatives. The fatal political turmoil inherited from earlier Eastern Han times—namely, interference by imperial relatives and eunuchs—was effectively curbed under her rule.

 

 

Deng Sui’s contributions to the court left a lasting legacy. Her sixteen-year regency as empress dowager, however, left some historical figures resentful, though later generations largely praised her overall.

 

 

In this drama, for dramatic effect and heightened appeal, Deng Sui’s character was rendered more complex and multidimensional.

 

 

Originally, Xi Mo had naturally taken on the role of the female lead, Deng Sui. Now, it had gone to Ruan Yesheng, and the character she was auditioning for was Ding E, Deng Sui’s lifelong personal maid.

 

 

Ding E was also an intensely complex character, present throughout the entire drama, always by Deng Sui’s side.

 

 

When Deng Sui’s father, Deng Xun, first found and brought her into the household, Deng Sui happened to be gravely ill with no signs of recovery. Yet, three days after Ding E’s arrival, Deng Sui gradually recovered.

 

 

Thus, Deng Xun bestowed upon her the name “Ding E,” meaning to ward off misfortune for Deng Sui, and assigned her to stay by Deng Sui’s side.

 

 

Ding E was a thoroughly tragic supporting character. Though she remained devoted to Deng Sui, she harbored ulterior motives. As a servant, from the early days in the inner palace to later years in court, she repeatedly risked her life for Deng Sui, only to ultimately turn against her—a contradictory blend of love and hatred laid bare.

 

 

A role like this, if performed well, could easily captivate audiences. For established actors, taking it on would naturally boost their popularity significantly, while a newcomer who succeeded in portraying it would be on the fast track to stardom.

 

 

Xi Mo knew the script inside out, so she skimmed through the initial explanatory sections and jumped straight to the audition content.

 

 

It had to be said—this audition was quite tricky.

 

 

The first segment immediately threw three consecutive scenes at her, all centered around Ding E’s “acknowledgment” moments.

 

 

In the Han Dynasty, when subordinates responded to superiors to express “yes” or “as you command,” they would respectfully bow and reply, “Nuò”.

 

 

 

This act of strictly following instructions is called “acknowledging orders.”

 

 

In Xi Mo’s audition script, there are three scenes where she has to acknowledge orders. Though the lines are identical, the emotions conveyed differ vastly due to the varying contexts, posing a significant challenge to an actor’s skills.

 

 

Later, there’s an extremely lengthy monologue designed to test an actor’s memorization ability.

 

 

For an actress of Xi Mo’s caliber, acting isn’t an issue. Beyond her talent, she also possesses beauty, wealth, and powerful connections.

 

 

Xi Mo had already prepared thoroughly but still pretended to study the script carefully under watchful eyes—she needed to maintain the impression of diligence.

 

 

After about ten minutes, Xi Mo stood up and returned the script to the staff member: “I’m ready. May I proceed to Director Lin now?”

 

 

The staff member looked at her in astonishment, as if she were some kind of freak: “You’re done already?”

 

 

Xi Mo replied calmly, “Yes.”

 

 

The staff member hurriedly said, “Let me inform Director Lin then.” He then turned back, “Miss Ruan, have you really memorized all the lines? Once I take the script, you won’t be able to review it again. Would you like one last look?”

 

 

“No need.”

 

 

The staff member stared at her beautiful face and nodded curiously, “I’ve never seen anyone with such a good memory before.”

 

 

Xi Mo smiled slightly, “I recently enrolled in a memory acceleration course—one-month trial, completely free.”

 

 

“Really that effective?” the staff member said, “I’m always forgetting things and getting scolded by Director Lin. Miss Ruan, where did you sign up?”

 

 

With the earnest demeanor of someone promoting a product, Xi Mo pointed outside, “My agent arranged it. You can ask her later if you’re free.”