Chapter 8: The Elusive Qing Sha

Chapter 8: The Elusive Qing Sha

On Saturday, the Volunteer Department of Di Cheng No. 1 High School rented a bus to Di Cheng Film Studio. The Di Cheng Film Academy had initiated a survey activity about the dreams and realities of background actors, and Di Cheng No. 1 and No. 2 High Schools were assigned to conduct the survey at the studio.

Since it was the weekend and uniforms weren’t required, everyone wore casual clothes. An Wen’s waist-length hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she wore a sleeveless white dress that accentuated her flawless, jade-like skin, drawing envious glances.

When the students from both schools gathered, all eyes inevitably drifted toward An Wen.

During the group assignments, An Wen was paired with a male student named Zheng Lian from the ordinary class of Di Cheng No. 1 High School. The two of them headed toward the Main Palace with their questionnaires in hand.

This suited An Wen perfectly—after all, the crew of Ding Qian Kun was currently filming at the Main Palace of Di Cheng Film Studio.

On set, Ye Qiaofeng was berating the actress playing the third female lead: "Are you an idiot? Yi Xinxin is supposed to be lively and adorable, not a brainless fool! Why are your movements so chaotic? There needs to be spirit in your eyes! Didn’t I tell you to practice in front of a mirror last night? If you keep acting like a hyperactive imbecile, don’t blame me for replacing you!"

Growing angrier by the second, he threw his script to the ground and shouted, "Cut! This is a waste of time! Go study your script properly. If you’re still like this in 30 minutes, get the hell out!"

With that, he stormed out of the palace, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.

"Smoking again?" Deputy Director Zhang followed him out.

"Every single one of them is a goddamn idiot! If I don’t smoke, I’ll explode from rage!" Ye Qiaofeng snapped, taking a deep drag.

"The investors just called to ask about the role of Qing Sha," Deputy Director Zhang said.

"Tell them to screw off! That ugly hack they’re trying to shove into the role? Dream on! If they want to pull their funding, let them! Do I look like I can’t find other investors? Who needs them? Get lost!" Ye Qiaofeng snarled, his face twisted in disgust.

During the recent auditions for Qing Sha, every candidate had either been unattractive or downright terrible at acting—or worse, both. And yet, the investors kept pushing their own picks onto the production. The actress playing Yi Xinxin was one such forced choice, and she was as dull as a rock. The male lead fit the image but had mediocre acting skills. Only the female lead met his standards.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Ye Qiaofeng stared at the dissipating rings with regret. He never should have taken on this mess. With a cast like this, how could the show possibly succeed?

His standards for Qing Sha had already been lowered repeatedly. Initially, he had wanted someone with both beauty and talent. Now, he’d settle for anyone who vaguely resembled the character and could move and speak coherently.

But given his discerning eye as a devoted fan of the original novel, finding someone who truly matched Qing Sha’s image was proving impossible.

Leaning against the palace gate, he suddenly caught sight of a stunning figure in a flowing white dress. Her straight, center-parted hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, her peach blossom eyes exuding an icy elegance. Her delicate nose and cherry-red lips stood out against her radiant, porcelain skin, glowing under the sunlight.

An Wen and Zheng Lian were distributing surveys to the background actors. Though exhausted, most of the extras accepted the questionnaires out of courtesy for the students.

Ye Qiaofeng straightened up, his gaze locking onto An Wen like a starving wolf spotting prey.

"Zhang Ziteng! Zhang Ziteng... come here!" Ye Qiaofeng called Deputy Director Zhang over and pointed at An Wen, who was distributing surveys, saying, "Go bring her to me!"

"This..." Deputy Director Zhang hesitated, cautiously replying, "She's a student, isn't she?"

Ye Qiaofeng's brows furrowed sharply as he snapped, "Go!"