The Empress In The Modern Era [Entertainment Industry GL] - Chapter 3

Whether Dai Qian had been gossiping behind someone’s back or had accidentally shot an arrow at her too, it made Yu Shilan lose any good impression she had of her. Subconsciously, she shifted two steps forward.

Dai Qian noticed the small movement and turned to look at her.

With one look, she froze.

Everyone said the qipao was the best weapon for testing a woman’s figure. The woman before her wore a smoky-gray qipao. The fabric looked old, but she had rounded shoulders, a slender waist, and a pert, lifted backside…

The fabric of the qipao was old, yet it perfectly set off her devilishly good figure. And precisely because it was old, it formed a striking contrast with her arms hanging at her sides, making those beautifully lined arms look as tender and fresh as newly dug lotus roots.

A newcomer dressed in old clothes. It was as if she had suddenly stepped out of this noisy waiting line and retreated several decades into the past, living in that storm-tossed era.

It was a kind of sorrowful beauty—so beautiful that even without seeing her face, it was already deeply striking.

Dai Qian quickly lowered her head.

A goose-yellow dress, fair and slender arms, and below them, equally fair, slim legs. She was not inferior to this woman in anything. Only in terms of clothing, she had lost.

Seeing that her expression was wrong, her assistant hurriedly asked carefully, “Sister Qian, what’s wrong? Is something off?”

Dai Qian lifted her chin, signaling for her to look at Yu Shilan.

Someone who could work as Dai Qian’s assistant naturally was no ordinary person. With just a hurried glance, she understood what Dai Qian meant. But it was already this late. Trying to find another qipao now was definitely too late. Then…

She raised her head and swept her gaze through the crowd. She did see several people who had specially worn qipaos here, but whether it was because their figures and looks were not good enough or because the qipaos were poorly made, after looking around once, she felt that every single one was inferior to the one on the beautiful woman in front.

She leaned over and asked Dai Qian quietly, “Sister Qian, how about I borrow her qipao for you to wear for a bit?”

Dai Qian said, “I’m right behind her. Do you think there’s enough time?”

The assistant said, “Then should I find someone behind us and exchange number cards with them for you?”

Dai Qian grew a little impatient. “So you want me to line up even farther back?”

If she went farther back, she would have to wait even longer. Her time was so valuable—how could it be wasted like this? Besides, she did not want to go after this woman. She felt a faint worry in her heart that if she went after this woman, her chances of winning would seem even smaller.

It was true that she was the young lady of the Dai family, but she was not the most favored one. In the past, she could rely on this identity to get some decent roles, but this time, it was a project by Director Meng Ping, who was famous in the industry for being strict. She could not bring a large sponsorship from her family, so in front of Meng Ping, her status was completely useless.

But Director Meng Ping was best at filming stories about women. In his productions, even a supporting female role would be fought over until heads were bloodied. If not for the fact that he wanted a fresh face this time, the competition among those popular young actresses in the entertainment industry would already have been fierce enough to watch, and it would never have been her turn at all.

So she absolutely could not miss this good opportunity.

Seeing her attitude, the assistant knew what she meant. Although she felt it was very difficult, when you worked for someone, you had to help solve their problems.

“Then Sister Qian, wait a moment. I’ll go borrow the qipao first, then find someone ahead in line to swap number cards with you.” Including the owner of the qipao, there were five people ahead. If Sister Qian returned the qipao as soon as her audition ended, it would not delay anything.

Dai Qian gave a faint “Mm.”

“Hello, beautiful. Could I discuss something with you?” The assistant walked up to Yu Shilan, glanced back at Dai Qian, and said, “That’s Miss Dai Qian, Miss Dai. It’s like this—we came in a hurry today and didn’t bring a qipao. Could we borrow yours for her to wear for a bit? As soon as she comes out from the audition, we’ll return it to you immediately.”

Naturally, Yu Shilan did not want to lend it to her, but she also did not want to offend someone before she had even stepped one foot into the entertainment industry.

“But we’re right next to each other in line. After I come out, it’ll be her turn. I’m afraid there won’t be enough time.” It was not as if she could take off the qipao right at the door and hand it to Dai Qian. Even if she could, Dai Qian would still have to tidy herself after putting it on, right?

The assistant smiled and said, “It’s fine. I’ll take Miss Dai’s number card and exchange it with someone ahead. After she finishes her audition and comes out, there will still be at least two people ahead of you. There’ll be enough time.”

Oh, how thoughtful.

But did that not mean she would become the second person to wear this qipao?

This was an audition.

It was even more important than a job interview. Sometimes, a job interview could still hire several people at once, but for an audition, there could only be one person for each role. In that case, would Dai Qian not have seized the advantage first?

If Dai Qian had originally held the advantage, that would have been one thing. But this was snatching it straight out of her hands. Did she look that easy to talk to? Besides, the clothes were not hers. Assistant Director Wang had prepared them for her. Even if she lent them out, she was not the owner and had no right to decide.

Yu Shilan squeezed out an especially gentle smile and said, “I’m sorry, beautiful, but this qipao isn’t mine. I don’t have the right to lend it out.”

The assistant’s expression changed slightly. She asked, “Then whose is it?”

Whose was it? Should she say it belonged to Assistant Director Wang?

Would that make people say she had come through unspoken rules?

Yu Shilan thought about it and remembered the makeup artist, Xiao Wen, from earlier. “It belongs to Wen Fei. Do you know him? He’s a makeup artist.”

He was not here, so knowing would not help.

Besides, it was almost her turn. Even if they found Wen Fei, there probably would not be enough time.

At the sound of Wen Fei’s name, the assistant’s face completely darkened. Without even saying thank you or sorry to bother you, she returned to Dai Qian’s side and murmured a few words quietly.

Dai Qian was so angry her face turned slightly red. She cursed inwardly, “Why does it have to belong to that sissy? How unlucky!”

She looked down on Wang Yun, and she likewise looked down on Wang Yun’s male best friend, Wen Fei. Of course, Wang Yun was not afraid of her, and Wen Fei did not care about her either. So at this moment, she knew there was truly nothing she could do.

Under the burning stare fixed tightly on her, Yu Shilan entered the small auditorium. The light inside was several shades dimmer than outside. She first stood at the entrance and waited for a moment. Only after the previous girl who had auditioned came out did a staff member call her name.

This was a drama set in the Republican era. The female lead was the first love of the eldest young master of a salt merchant family. For the sake of the motherland and the people, she refused to marry into the young master’s inner household. Left with no choice, the young master was forced by his family to marry a sheltered young lady from a respectable family.

The role Yu Shilan was auditioning for was that tragic sheltered young lady. For the first ten-odd years of her life, she had been raised in the inner quarters by conservative parents, unaware of the hardships of the world. All she knew was that a woman should be virtuous and proper, and once married, she should assist her husband and educate their children. Even if she had followed the trend and studied, most of what she read was romance, flowers, snow, and moonlight, never concerning herself with current affairs or politics.

A woman like this naturally had nothing in common with the progressive young eldest master, so she could only become a sacrifice of the era. She lived an obscure life, gloomy and unhappy, and in the end, after helping the eldest young master leave home, she was blamed by everyone and died in the prime of her youth.

She loved the eldest young master, even though she did not understand his ideals or his ambitions. But the education she had received since childhood made her treat him as her sky after marrying him, putting him first in everything.

Even if he wanted to abandon her, pursue true love, pursue his ideals, and fulfill his ambitions, she had no complaints at all and willingly helped him.

A girl like a lilac,

knotted with sorrow.

Yu Shilan felt that this woman was exactly that kind of girl.

When she died, she also resented something. But she did not resent that man. She resented this era. She resented this society.

Why could she not be a woman like the female lead? Why did she have to be locked away in the inner household and raised into a useless person?

Yu Shilan quickly reviewed the plot in her heart, then walked up the steps one by one and stood before the panel of judges made up of the director, producers, and others.

She did not introduce herself. After bowing, she entered the role directly.

A young woman in a smoky-gray qipao wore a faint smile on her face, yet bitterness tugged at the corners of her lips. She moved one step at a time, each sway and step as if she were measuring the distance as she approached.

The steps became her chair, and she sat down with her spine straight.

“Gu Zhen, go!” she began, her tone gentle yet strong. She lifted her chin and tilted her head slightly, a hint of playfulness appearing amid her dignified warmth. “I support you. I think what you’re doing is right. Go!”

“Yifen, you don’t blame me?” It seemed someone had said this to her from in front of her. Who was it? It was the man she had married, the Gu family’s eldest young master, Gu Zhen.

Shen Yifen paused for a second, then shook her head.

“I don’t blame you. What you’re doing is a good thing. I’m grateful to you.” She smiled, but her brows tightened almost imperceptibly twice. She was thinking about what words she should use to comfort Gu Zhen.

“Really?” Gu Zhen was very happy.

“Really.” Shen Yifen smiled very happily. She had thought of what to say. “What you and Miss Cao are doing is a good thing. You’re helping those poor common people. You’re helping women like me who haven’t studied properly. If you succeed, then we can be like you, like Miss Cao, and walk out into the world too. When that time comes, this world will surely change completely. Gu Zhen, just thinking about it makes me so happy. When that day comes, let’s divorce. I also want to study. I also want to be like Miss Cao, to walk out and become my true self.”

Having only read about romance, flowers, snow, and moonlight was no different from never having studied at all.

“All right, all right. I promise you,” Gu Zhen said. “When I come back, once I’m back, we’ll divorce immediately. But if you need any help in the future, you can still come to me. Cao Xin and I will both help you.”

“Mm!” Shen Yifen nodded and waved with a smile. “Gu Zhen, hurry and go. Don’t waste any more time.”

Gu Zhen left, his steps light and brisk. Not once did he look back, and he quickly disappeared from Shen Yifen’s sight.

The smile on Shen Yifen’s face did not fall. She was still smiling, smiling even more brightly, even more beautifully.

But from her eyes, tears quietly fell.

Assistant Director Wang stood up in excitement.

Beside her, Director Meng Ping slapped the table and called out, “Good!”