Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

The phone rang; it was Zhang Yu.

"Have you finished seeing Jing Tian?" he asked directly.

Tang Yan was taken aback: "How did you know?"

“There are no secrets in this circle.” Zhang Yu’s voice was devoid of emotion. “What did she want to talk to you about?”

Tang Yan briefly recounted the content of the conversation.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Zhang Yu's laughter came through: "You rejected her? Very good."

"You're not angry that I went to see her without permission?"

“Why be angry? It’s your choice, and I respect it,” Zhang Yu said. “Besides, you passed the test, and that’s more important than anything else.”

"test?"

“Yes, a test.” Zhang Yu’s tone became serious. “Tang Yan, from now on, you will encounter more and more temptations. Bigger productions, higher salaries, faster paths to fame. Each one is very attractive, but each one comes at a price. Today you rejected Jing Tian, ​​which shows that you know what you want. This makes me very happy.”

A warm feeling welled up in Tang Yan's heart: "Thank you for your trust."

“But you need to be careful.” Zhang Yu changed the subject. “Jing Tian isn’t someone who gives up easily. If you reject her, she might resort to other methods. You might encounter some… trouble in the near future.”

"What kind of trouble?"

"It's hard to say, but it's nothing more than the same old methods: spreading rumors, creating negative news, and even affecting your job opportunities." Zhang Yu paused, "But don't worry, I'm here."

Those four simple words brought Tang Yan immense peace of mind.

"By the way, how's Liu Yifei's audition preparation going?" Zhang Yu changed the subject.

"Still preparing, but I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to Su Yu."

"That's good. Remember, focus on the performance, leave the rest to me."

After hanging up the phone, Tang Yan looked up at the sky. The autumn night sky in Beijing was unusually clear, with a few stars stubbornly twinkling amidst the city lights.

Just like in this complex circle, true brilliance can never be completely obscured.

And she wants to become that kind of light.

November 15th was the audition day for Liu Yifei's film "Love Letters of Time".

The audition was held in an old office building, unassuming on the outside but surprisingly spacious inside. The corridors were decorated with old movie posters, and the air was filled with the mixed aromas of old books and coffee.

Tang Yan arrived half an hour early and found several people already sitting in the waiting room. They were all young actresses, some familiar, some unfamiliar, but all of them looked very nervous.

She found a corner to sit down and silently reviewed the character's biography. The character of Su Yu had been living in her mind for half a month, but the closer the audition got, the more she felt unprepared.

"Tang Yan?" a voice came from the doorway.

Looking up, I saw Liu Yifei herself. She was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, her long hair casually tied up, and she was bare-faced, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

"Sister Yifei." Tang Yan quickly stood up.

"Come with me." Liu Yifei gestured for her to follow.

In a small conference room, Liu Yifei closed the door: "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Tang Yan said honestly.

“That’s normal.” Liu Yifei smiled. “I’ve seen your application materials, and Director Zhang said you’re very hardworking. But I’d like to talk to you a bit before the audition about the role of Su Yu.”

She sat down opposite her, her eyes serious: "Su Yu is no ordinary female college student. She is intelligent, sensitive, and has experienced the vicissitudes of life at a young age, so she uses books and thinking to build her own world. She fell in love with the male protagonist not because of romance, but because she saw the same loneliness in him."

Tang Yan listened attentively.

“The director, screenwriter, and I will all be there for this audition,” Liu Yifei continued. “We’re not looking at how perfectly you act, but how well you fit the character. So don’t think about how to ‘act,’ think about how to ‘be.’ Understand?”

"Understood." Tang Yan nodded.

“Also,” Liu Yifei paused, “no matter the outcome, the fact that you’re standing here today has already proven a lot. Keep this up, you have a long road ahead of you.”

After saying this, she got up and left. Those few short minutes allowed Tang Yan to calm down.

The audition order was determined by drawing lots, and Tang Yan was fifth in line. The four girls before her didn't stay in for long, the shortest being ten minutes and the longest twenty minutes. When they came out, some were pale, and some had red eyes.

"Next, Tang Yan."

Taking a deep breath, Tang Yan walked into the audition room. The room wasn't large; three people sat behind a long table: director Wang Xiaoshuai, screenwriter Li Qiang, and Liu Yifei. There were no cameras, only simple lighting.

"Let's begin." Director Wang Xiaoshuai, in his fifties, said with a serious expression.

Tang Yan chose the first scene—the first encounter on campus. She didn't deliberately act; she simply let herself become Su Yu. That autumn afternoon, carrying books, she was walking on campus when she heard someone call out "Classmate." She turned around and saw the boy in the white shirt.

Throughout the performance, her voice was soft and her gaze serene, yet every subtle change conveyed a wealth of inner emotions. At the end, she herself seemed somewhat dazed, as if she had truly experienced an encounter that transcended time and space.

"Very good." Wang Xiaoshuai rarely smiled. "The second scene, a dialogue in the library."

This scene was even more challenging, featuring lengthy discussions about literature and life. Tang Yan was completely immersed in the role, and the dialogues about Márquez, loneliness, and the times flowed naturally from her lips.

After the performance ended, the room was quiet for a few seconds.

"This is the last one, a farewell to graduation," Wang Xiaoshuai said.

This is the most poignant scene. Su Yu and the male lead say goodbye at the train station, both knowing that this parting might be forever. There are no hugs, no tears, only a brief conversation followed by a long silence.

Tang Yan genuinely shed tears halfway through her performance. It wasn't a deliberate act, but a natural outpouring of the character's emotions. When she finished her last line, "Take care," and turned to leave, the resolute yet reluctant look in her departing figure moved all three people present.

"That's fine," Wang Xiaoshuai said.

Tang Yan pulled herself out of her emotions, wiped away her tears, and said, "Thank you, director."

"Go back and wait for the notification. There will be a result within three days." Wang Xiaoshuai's tone softened considerably.

Tang Yan bowed and left. As she walked out of the audition room, she saw Liu Yifei nod slightly to her.

In the waiting room, the other auditionees had already left. Tang Yan sat alone for a while before getting up to leave. Regardless of the outcome, she had done her best.

Just as I stepped out of the office building, my phone rang. It was Zhang Yu.

"How about it?"

"I don't know, but there shouldn't have been any major mistakes," Tang Yan said. "Sister Yifei chatted with me for a while before the audition, which was very helpful."

"That's good. No matter the outcome, it's a valuable experience." Zhang Yu paused. "Also, I heard from Gao Yuanyuan that the audition for 'The Glamorous Imperial Concubine' has been scheduled for next Wednesday."

"So fast?"

"Director Hu Mei's style is swift and decisive," Zhang Yu said. "So you can't relax yet; you have to continue preparing."

"I see."