Chapter 18: CH 12

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Staying in the apartment for the next few days, Liang Yin would occasionally go out for a walk. Zhong Mingzhen’s divorce papers have yet to arrive and she doesn’t know how long she has to wait.

Ruona would often come over these days and would stay overnight too. She really worries about Liang Yin staying home alone. Even when she had no free time, she would ask her assistant to have food ordered and delivered, lest she would starve herself.

Liang Yin unexpectedly received a call from Chen Hua’en today.

Chen Hua’en, the country’s first great director, was her talent scout and also her mentor. He single-handedly discovered her back then and personally guided her, who had not received any professional training, to become the youngest Film Empress. Liang Yin has always respected him and has kept his contact all these years.

However, Chen Hua’en never contacted her. Knowing that she had married into the Zhong family, he never asked about her retirement. He was invited when Liang Yin got married that year, but he didn’t come as he was busy filming and just asked someone to send her the wedding gift.

He is someone conservative and focused. Except for movies, he doesn’t pay much attention to other things.

Hence, Liang Yin didn’t know why he called so unexpectedly.

“Hello, Teacher?” Opening her mouth, she was a little confused.

Chen Hua’en’s voice came through, “Liang Yin, are you back in the country?”

“Yes.” Liang Yin replied.

The news of her return had spread online long ago yet he sounded like he only knew about it now.

“I have a movie in hand which I haven’t found a suitable female lead yet. Would you like to come over and have a tryout?” Chen Hua’en spoke again.

Liang Yin was stunned.

All these years, perhaps he knew that she had married into the Zhong family, Chen Hua’en had never sought her out to act again.

“Why not, you come and have an audition first. Do you know where I am?” Chen Hua’en added without waiting for Liang Yin’s reply.

Liang Yin could only nod her head, “I know.”

Hearing that, Chen Hua’en spoke again, “Then when will you come over? Do you want me to send someone to pick you up?”

“No need, I’ll come by myself.” Liang Yin hurriedly replied, “I’m free in the afternoon and will go over during noon time.” Those years when she was young and acting for the first time, she didn’t know anything and wasn’t prepared, hence Chen Hua’en specially arranged for an assistant to take care of all her basic needs.

“Good, then it’s settled.” Chen Hua’en simply said again.

“Okay.” Liang Yin could only reply.

Hanging up the phone, Chen Hua’en looked up then, “First cancel all the auditions in the afternoon, I have other arrangements.”

“Okay.” Hearing that, the staff members behind him packed up their work.

Sitting in front of the camera, Chen Hua’en took one last look at the video recorded just now before pressing the machine on/off switch.

He is a man of 60 with serious stereotypical features and only concentration in his eyes.

He had auditions the whole morning for [Winter]’s female lead today but he couldn’t find anyone satisfactory. There are many actresses, many of whom are outstanding in the industry but no matter who they are, they are inevitably a little short of his expectations.

He had indeed just learned the news of Liang Yin’s return when the assistant director by his side said, Hey, it would be great if Liang Yin really makes a comeback. After seeing so many, she is most suited for this role. Once he asked, he learned that Liang Yin had returned to the country not long ago. He never pays attention to those things on the internet, moreover he was also busy with this movie a few days ago.

Pondering for a moment later, he decisively dialed her number.

Chen Hua’en is an acute person. At a glance, he saw through Liang Yin’s fondness for Zhong Mingzhen that very year and now he could discern Liang Yin’s desolation in that photo too.

He was never optimistic about this relationship and now he had likely guessed the reason since she had returned alone.

He doesn’t care if they are together or apart. He just knew he needed a female lead and Liang Yin was by far the person who meets all his expectations.

Previously as a member of the Zhong family, he has to find someone else but now that she’s back, it is just perfect.

Everything has to make way for the movie.

Liang Yin arrived at Chen Hua’en’s studio at two in the afternoon. The staff members inside were a little stunned when they saw her coming in. Chen Hua’en merely said that someone would come over in the afternoon and no one had thought it would be her.

The internet was in full swing a few days ago yet in the end, no one has personally seen her.

The person who knew her previously came forward to greet her, “Hello, Ms Liang, are you here to see Director Chen?”

“Hello.” Liang Yin nodded, “Yes, I have an appointment with him in the afternoon.”

“Nice, nice, please come with me. Director Chen is waiting in the audition room.” Saying that, the person looked at Liang Yin again and led the way.

Wearing a long skirt with a scarf and scattered long hair, Liang Yin seemed calm and cheery.

But she eventually appears a little different from the past, like a grown up young girl who finally has some natural charm that belongs to a woman.

She, however, is more captivating.

Liang Yin was quickly taken upstairs and pushed open the door.

She still hasn’t thought about making a comeback, but Chen Hua’en’s words were hard to reject. She knew he is someone who assumes perfection in everything and even more stringent to almost demanding in selecting the casts. He obviously has run into difficulty when he looked for her so unexpectedly and so urgently. What’s more, she is after all indebted to him.

So, she just thought she would come over and take a look first before explaining to Chen Hua’en when the moment comes.

In the audition room, Chen Hua’en was still sitting alone in front of the camera. Looking at the screen, his head hung low while he wrote and scribbled on the paper.

He just raised his head when he saw Liang Yin come in, then pointed to the chair on the side and said, “Sit down. There’s a script on the table, read it first.” He buried his head again after saying that.

Liang Yin could only sit down and pick up the script on the table.

It was a thick script and titled [Winter]. With black paper and white letterings, it was conspicuously eye-catching. Flipping it open to read it through, a strong sense of heaviness sprang heads-on again.

In the extravagantly luxurious old Shanghai, the relationship between various factions was intricately complicated. The chief spy, Chen Kangnian, was killed which caused immediate apprehension. Zhou Zhaozong, head of military intelligence, took up the post to investigate before finally setting his target on the female lead, Xu Mengbai.

Xu Mengbai was a famous social butterfly in Shanghai Bund and also a member of the secret underground organization.

This story was profoundly splendid. When the two people reunited again eight years later to rid the same target, Liang Yin was already deeply taken in.

And in the end when Zhou Zhaozong died, her tears could no longer be held back and trickled down.

Zhou Zhaozong said, “Hopefully there will be a peaceful country in the next lifetime.”

The heart would always cherish the country no matter which faction one was in. Except, it was precisely due to different beliefs that the two of them eventually ended with nothing.

Therefore, hopefully there is peace and fulfillment for what you wished-for in the next lifetime.

After finishing the script, Liang Yin could not regain her senses yet. During history’s darkest moment in the capitalist era, the country was lost and all love was buried but only the steadfast beliefs of everyone remained.

It was a pity some people saw the dawn of a new era while others eventually couldn’t wait for that day.

There was no such thing as a calm year, only someone had shouldered the heavy task to move forward.

Unbeknownst how long she was reading it when Chen Hua’en’s voice finally came through by the side, “Have your acting skills these many years been neglected?”

Regaining her senses hastily, Liang Yin smiled again, “Haven’t practiced all this while.” She wiped the tears on her face as she said that.

“Try it.” Saying that, Chen Hua’en turned on the camera again, “Just the scene where Zhou Zhaozong suspected you are the murderer and came to sound you out with words. You just sit on the sofa and counter him; Boss Zhou, are you joking.”

Liang Yin hurriedly recalled the content in the script just now. That was at the very beginning, after Chen Kangnian was killed.

“Begin.” Chen Hua’en called out again.

Liang Yin quickly sat up straight, then picked up the teacup on the table before turning sideways to lean against the sofa. She glanced at the right front with raised eyebrows and some impatience, “Boss Zhou, are you joking?”

She is a quiet and gentle person but her whole aura at this moment changed drastically; swiftly fierce, charming and full of amorous bearing, as if there was really someone sitting next to her, who was saying something inexplicable to her. Except this person had a powerful backing and while she was already very impatient, she still dared not offend him thoroughly.

At that time, Xu Mengbai’s identity had yet been exposed. She apparently was just a social butterfly whom everyone lavished, who had a powerful backing and could turn hostile at once if she was displeased, and was notoriously bad-tempered. Yet she could only endure confronted by the ruthless military intelligence personnel.

In just these brief seconds, Liang Yin had performed this point more than profoundly.

Looking at her through the camera lens, Chen Hua’en couldn’t help but say, “Liang Yin, you are innately suited for acting.”

With merely a nine-point expectation, Liang Yin had given him twelve, which was a role that was sharply opposed to her character that she had never engaged before.

Sitting up straight, Liang Yin was a little embarrassed. She hasn’t acted for a really long time.

“Come back. This role is exclusively yours.” Chen Hua’en said again.

At this point he has also long affirmed what happened to Liang Yin. Without wearing a ring, she was laden with sorrow.

Liang Yin, however, didn’t know how to respond. She originally wanted to refuse, but once she saw the script, her interest was piqued unexpectedly and when Chen Hua’en called out ‘begin’, she reacted instantly as if instinctively.

She does indeed like acting. At the very beginning it was for Zhong Mingchen, but later it was because she really liked it.

“Come back then. You are a good seedling that I picked out myself. It’s such a waste to stop performing.” Chen Hua’en spoke again.

He rarely persuaded others like this and Liang Yin was rather moved listening to him.

She finally nodded after a long time, “En.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Chen Hua’en’s face.

A long moment later, Liang Yin thought of something and asked, “Has the male lead been decided?”

Chen Hua’en shook his head, “Not yet. I prefer Zhou Jianchen, but his remuneration is too high and he may not be willing to accept this movie.”

Liang Yin was a little stunned hearing ‘Zhou Jianchen’ name but was soon returned to normalcy.

Chen Hua’en is very demanding in the casting selection and if he thinks Zhou Jianchen is suitable, then he must surely have his reasons.

But thinking about it carefully, Zhou Jianchen is indeed really suitable for the role of ‘Zhou Zhaozong’.

As Liang Yin didn’t have too many requirements on who she works with, she didn’t ask more questions after the initial surprise faltered.

**********

Liang Yin left Chen Hua’en’s studio after agreeing on a few more things.

After she left, Chen Hua’en called Zhou Jianchen again.

“Have you read the script?” Chen Hua’en asked, “Are you interested in coming over for an audition?”

“Is it [Winter]?” With the script in hand, Zhou Jianchen casually asked.

“En.” Chen Hua’en responded, “The female lead is settled, it’s Liang Yin.”

“ … “ Zhou Jianchen was instantly silent.

“She’s in great shape and very suitable to perform with you.” Zhou Jianchen is particularly picky about who he works with and those with poor acting skills simply needless to even be mentioned, hence Chen Hua’en attempted to convince him.

Among all the male actors, he really couldn’t find one more suitable than Zhou Jianchen.

Zhou Jianchen still hadn’t responded. Though the script was very enthralling, he had no intention to accept it. Currently, he simply lacks interest in anything and is listless.

But now that ‘the female lead is settled, it’s Liang Yin’ …

Thinking of her appearance, Zhou Jianchen’s heart thumped again. Liang Yin has not responded to his message again and he has also decided not to think about it, but unexpectedly it all came back around again in a flash.

Zhou Jianchen really wanted to say, “Forget it, I’m still not accepting it”, but the words ultimately didn’t come out as he just suppressed them once again.

Finally, Zhou Jianchen merely said, “Okay, I’ll try out tomorrow.”

The call was quickly hung up. Chen Hua’en smiled wryly when he put the cellphone away, while Zhou Jianchen picked the script up to take a look again.

Previously it was just a cursory glance, but this time he was particularly attentive.

The author has something to say:

Zhou Jianchen: Hurry, hurry, hurry to read it up. What’s to be done if I fail the audition tomorrow!