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Chapter 20.2
Editor: Jodi
Mu Nan’s competitive spirit began to stir. As a top-tier idol, even if his acting wasn’t top-notch, it couldn’t be too bad either.
And so his desire to win igniting his fighting spirit, he threw himself into practice. And for the next two days, he was constantly rehearsing lines.
Even when he was playing with Papaya and Orange, he was still reciting: “I don’t expect you to respond, but I want to be good to you, and that’s my freedom.”
“What’s so good about him? He’s clearly just playing with your feelings!”
On the third day, Cheng Han finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“What are you trying to act out? A perverted obsessive? Or a cold, emotionless person?”
Mu Nan clenched his fists. “Say that again?”
“I’m just describing your expression.” Cheng Han repeated himself.
Hold it in, hold it in, Mu Nan told himself. Getting angry means falling into his trap.
“Then how do you think it should be played?” He shook the script in his hand.
“Let me see.” Cheng Han flipped through the script then said, “I don’t think you should take this role.”
“Why?” Mu Nan’s eyes widened.
Cheng Han handed the script back to him. “This second male lead character isn’t very likable. His attitude toward the female lead is clingy and pushy, and given the current social climate, it could easily provoke some audience backlash. It also clashes with your usual public persona.”
“Really?” Mu Nan took the script then looked at it again. “But I think it’s fine. Besides, I already agreed to audition for it.”
Cheng Han didn’t insist on his opinion when he heard this. “Then it’s fine to go ahead and try, and if you do get the part, maybe you can negotiate to adjust the character a bit.”
“Oh.” Cheng Han’s words were casual, but Mu Nan took them seriously. Making it so that now, even looking at the script in his hand caused him to feel that something wasn’t quite right.
Cheng Han, however, sat down next to him and said, “But since you’re asking sincerely, I’ll be kind and teach you.”
“Hey! Who asked you!” Mu Nan protested.
Cheng Han pretended as if he didn’t hear anything then started teaching him how to act. “You need to learn to control your facial features and have them go to the right place at the right time.”
Mu Nan was dumbfounded, then he made a crooked face. “Like this?”
Cheng Han: …..
“And with the lines, the most basic and easiest requirement is that the tone of your lines should match your emotions. Don’t sound like you’re reciting.”
Mu Nan thought for a moment, then recited, “I—like you! That’s—my business!”
Cheng Han: “Stop. I take back what I just said. You’re perfect for this role.”
Mu Nan: “Huh?”
“The audience won’t dislike your portrayal of this character.” he smiled. “They’ll just think it’s a joke.”
Mu Nan shouted angrily as he watched Cheng Han’s retreating figure, “I just knew it! Wilder asking me to learn acting from you was totally unreliable!”
Over the next few days, even though Cheng Han kept saying “this child can’t be taught.” he still taught Mu Nan some basic acting techniques patiently. According to Cheng Han, it would be enough to handle the audition, as after all, the acting skills required for idol dramas weren’t that high anyways.
*
The audition was scheduled for one afternoon, however when Mu Nan arrived at the hotel for the audition, he didn’t see any other actors.
It seemed that the competition for this role wasn’t that intense.
Walking to the door of the meeting room for the audition, he knocked on it before entering.
And inside, were three people who were already seated: the casting assistant director, the screenwriter and original author Qiu Yun, and a famous idol drama fresh meat actor Xu Shang, who was presumably cast as the male lead.
“You’re here?” The assistant director looked up at him. “The camera is already rolling. Just act out a scene.”
The other two just sat in the corner, whispering sweet nothings to each other as if they hadn’t noticed his arrival at all.
Mu Nan felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart, however he still said to the director politely, “Thank you, director. May I act out scene five…”
“Whatever, any scene will do.” The director interrupted him.
Mu Nan took a deep breath. “Alright.”
He knew no one would be acting alongside him, so he performed the scene of confessing to the female lead to the air. However throughout the five-minute scene, Qiu Yun and Xu Shang just continued to stay glued to each other, while the assistant director alternated between flipping through the script and playing with his phone.
“Director, I’ve finished my scene.” Mu Nan had acted out the entire scene by himself.
“Oh, you’re done?” The director came back to his senses. “Alright, thank you. Go back and wait for the notice.”
Wilder was waiting for him outside, and seeing him come out, he stepped forward hurriedly to ask, “How was it?”
“Not good.” Mu Nan’s eyes turned red the moment he opened his mouth. He hadn’t suffered this kind of grievance even when he had just debuted. He pursed his lips, almost on the verge of tears.
“Screw it, I’m not doing it. I don’t care if it’s a big IP or some transition project, I’m just not doing it.”