Three days after returning to Xing City, Yi Xing walked out of his home with a bag, hailed a taxi, and once again headed to the train station.
This time, his destination was Hengdian, his eyes filled with anticipation for what was about to happen.
It was all Xiao Ming Ge's fault; at eight o'clock, he sent a message saying that the director he knew had agreed and asked him to audition the day after tomorrow to see which role he would be more suitable for.
After receiving the news, he immediately checked how long it would take to get from Xing City to Hengdian; seeing that it would take at least five hours, he lost all sleepiness, packed his things, bought a ticket, and left home that very night.
Instead of spending time on the road tomorrow, he might as well go tonight to rest up and prepare for the upcoming audition.
He even specifically bought a copy of "An Actor's Self-Cultivation" to learn some theoretical knowledge about acting.
Time quickly arrived at the audition day, and Yi Xing, for once, woke up early.
Ever since he started university, waking up early had been incredibly difficult for him; he could stay awake, but he couldn't wake up early.
He adjusted his hairstyle in the mirror; the disadvantage of not having a stylist was evident, as he had to rely on himself for everything.
He smoothed down the hair that had stuck up from sleeping and then tried to part his bangs to both sides, revealing his smooth forehead.
He knew he was auditioning for a wuxia drama, and most of the characters didn't have bangs.
This was to leave a good first impression on the director, proving that he had seriously researched the drama that was about to begin filming.
After confirming that all his personal belongings were with him, he left the hotel and headed to the audition location Xiao Ming Ge had sent him.
Sitting in the back seat of the car, plots of wuxia dramas he had seen, featuring both righteous and villainous characters, continuously flashed through his mind.
Upon arriving at the destination, other actors who had come to audition had already gathered.
He quickly scanned the crowd; he didn't recognize anyone.
A strong sense of tension filled the air.
He found a corner to stand in and took out his phone to message the person who had introduced him.
【Yi Xing: Xiao Ming Ge, I've arrived at the audition location you mentioned.】
After sending the message, he stood silently, waiting for Huang Xiaoming's reply.
He didn't get his reply, but instead, someone else struck up a conversation.
A person who looked particularly honest and sincere walked up to him and said, "Excuse me, you must be Yi Xing, right?"
"Yes, I am.
And you are?"
"Hello, my name is Yang Xuwen.
I'm a loyal fan of your "China Speeding Up.""
"Hello, hello, thank you!"
This was the first time Yi Xing had met a fan outside.
Although they weren't his personal fans, they were fans of a show he had been on, and an equation gradually formed in his mind: show fans = fans of all participating artists = his own fans.
"Can I ask, do the hunters really run that fast?"
"Let me put it this way: every single one of them is a national-level sprinter.
So, do you think they run fast or not?"
"Fast!" Yang Xuwen's eyes widened when he heard his answer, and he continued with admiration, "No wonder you guys get caught before running very far every time."
"So, among us, who do you think performed the best?" Yi Xing looked at him with eager eyes, hoping he would say his name.
"Tian Liang Ge."
The light in his eyes instantly extinguished, and the smile on his face faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered and said, "Tian Liang Ge's performance on the show was indeed excellent.
Besides him, is there anyone else?"
"Yes, Xiao Ming Ge."
Yi Xing wanted to slap himself.
He shouldn't have asked; why invite humiliation?
However, he didn't have high hopes for this guy's future.
He was standing right in front of him, and he didn't even mention his name.
He was a bit rigid.
He also decided not to ask about the next person; if it still wasn't him, it would be too embarrassing.
"I also think their performances were excellent.
Oh, by the way, do you know the name of the drama we're about to audition for?"
"You came without knowing anything?!" Yang Xuwen's mouth hung open.
He thought coming to an audition in the middle of filming was already absurd enough, but he didn't expect to meet an even more impressive master here.
"Uh, I just know it's a wuxia drama." Yi Xing awkwardly raised his hand and scratched his face, mentally blaming Huang Xiaoming for not telling him any relevant information, saying that he would know everything once he got there.
That damned riddler.
"You're really bold.
This drama is called "the legend of the condor heroes."
You must have seen it, right?"
"I have.
Then you must have received an audition invitation for Guo Jing, right?"
"How did you know?!"
Just as he was about to explain to Yang Xuwen why he knew, someone walked out of the audition area and loudly asked the crowd, "Which one of you is Yi Xing?"
"I am.
Is there something you need me for?" Yi Xing, forced to interrupt, walked over from the corner and raised his hand in response.
"Come in with me.
You're the first to audition."
"Oh, oh, okay."
He followed the staff member into the audition room, looked back, and saw Yang Xuwen giving him a 'thumbs up' gesture and smiling.
Inside, there was another door, which the person in front of him couldn't enter.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
After hearing a "Come in" from inside, he twisted the doorknob, walked to the center of the room, and bowed to the three people in front of him.
Just as he was about to introduce himself, he was interrupted by the person in the middle.
"You're the one Xiao Ming recommended, right?
Your appearance is good.
Have you had any acting experience?"
"I haven't; this is my first time."
"Alright, I understand.
Xiao Li!"
The staff member waiting outside pushed open the door and stood at the entrance, asking, "Director, I'm here.
Is there something?"
"Go to the costume room and get the clothes for Yang Kang and Ouyang Ke."
"Okay."
While Xiao Li went to get the clothes, Yi Xing was bombarded with questions, mostly about whether he had seen "the legend of the condor heroes," either the original novel or the drama series.
Once they knew he had seen it, they asked about his understanding of Yang Kang and Ouyang Ke, what kind of people they were.
For classic remakes like this, they usually don't look for popular celebrities but rather actors who closely match the character's image, and he happened to fit the image of both these characters.
For example, the character of Guo Jing could not be played by someone who looked particularly shrewd; otherwise, the audience would be immediately taken out of the drama.
When the character appears, the audience must believe that this is Guo Jing to have the desire to continue watching.
The three people's attitude towards Yi Xing was very friendly; no one would believe that Huang Xiaoming wasn't strongly supporting him from behind.
The clothes were quickly brought over, and Yi Xing put on both costumes on the spot.
Based on the dialogue and scene descriptions given by the director, he portrayed his interpretation of Yang Kang and Ouyang Ke.
After all, he had only studied theoretical knowledge, so his acting could only be considered passable, but it was enough to secure the role.
Compared to Ouyang Ke, his portrayal of Yang Kang was easier for people to immerse themselves in the story.
His own experiences and the character's experiences had some similarities; both had been free from worries about food and drink since childhood, and a sense of nobility was evident wherever they went.
"Go outside and add Xiao Li's contact information.
I'll have him send you Yang Kang's script.
Filming officially begins in a week.
We'll see you on set then."
"Thank you, Director Jiang, thank you, Producer Guo, thank you, beautiful Ms. Shen."
"Hahaha, such a sweet talker."
After bowing in thanks to the three of them, he handed the clothes to Xiao Li outside, exchanged contact information with him, and walked out the door, moving through the crowds to leave the audition location.
As he walked, he shared the good news with Ju Jingyi and also sent a message to Huang Xiaoming.
【Yi Xing: Xiao Ju, I got the role!】
However, Ju Jingyi didn't reply immediately, but Huang Xiaoming replied instantly.
【Yi Xing: Xiao Ming Ge, I passed the audition.
Thank you!】
【Huang Xiaoming: No need.
I just recommended you to the director; the rest is all your own effort.
What role did you get?】
【Yi Xing: Your father.】
On the other side, Huang Xiaoming, who had just finished a scene, saw this message, frowned, not quite understanding what Yi Xing meant.
He thought about the roles he had played before and burst out laughing in anger.
Good, good, he really is playing his father!
【Huang Xiaoming: Yang Kang, right?】
【Yi Xing: That's right.】
【Huang Xiaoming: Act well, or I won't admit you played my father!!!】
Having made a small joke, Yi Xing's mood became exceptionally cheerful, and his steps grew lighter as he headed towards his hotel, planning to go back for a nap to reward himself.
(Here's a question: if I write about filming later, and include some plot from the drama, do you prefer me to use Guo Jing and Yang Kang as names, or Yang Xuwen and Yi Xing?)