But as Zhou Xun began to recite her lines, Chen Ming immediately changed his mind.
There really is a world of difference between someone with talent and someone without. Although her physical appearance didn’t inherently suit such a seductive, femme fatale role, her delivery possessed a unique charm that made one linger on every syllable.
Chen Ming remained stubborn, telling himself, "Cui Jian sings well too! That's nothing special!"
When his cue arrived, Chen Ming immediately cast aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind. The person opposite him was clearly putting in effort, trying to make him miss his beat; if that really happened, he would be playing right into this woman’s hands.
*I have no system and you bully me.*
*I have a system and you still dare to bully me?*
*Then what was the point of getting the system in the first place?*
Instant immersion!
Chen Ming’s gaze shifted; it held a mix of feminine softness, doting affection, and admiration. It was so intense that Zhou Xun was taken aback, her own voice softening as a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart: *No way, this kid isn't actually falling for me, is he?*
"How would this servant dare to fail the faith and trust of the Consort?"
He spoke with casual lightness, yet his words carried an unshakeable resolve. Then, his tone suddenly turned sinister: "Any woman in this palace who catches the Emperor’s eye for more than a glance does not live to see the next day."
Watching Chen Ming, Zhou Xun couldn't help but feel a chill shoot from the soles of her feet straight to her scalp. It was as if the person across from her were a cold, slithering viper, staring her down while calculating the perfect moment to deliver a fatal strike!
He wasn't the only one. Even Jet Li, sitting at the head of the table, adjusted his posture from the slouch he had previously adopted.
*This young man, he’s quite interesting.*
Jacob Cheung even straightened his back, mimicking the posture Tsui Hark had held earlier!
*Look at me! Look at me!*
*Follow my lead!*
*This actor! I picked him!*
*Out of the vast sea of extras in Hengdian, I spotted him at a glance! I have a keen eye for talent!*
Chen Ming was already fully immersed in the role and naturally remained oblivious to their reactions. He continued: "The Western Depot will never allow anyone in this palace to secretly carry the imperial seed!"
His tone tightened slightly. "The day before yesterday, I discovered someone who had secretly conceived."
As he finished, Chen Ming looked up at Zhou Xun, only to find the latter staring blankly at him.
*No, Cui Jian, why are you staring at me?*
*Say your lines, won't you?*
Chen Ming’s eyes flickered with confusion as he said it again: "Consort, the day before yesterday, I discovered someone who had secretly conceived!"
Zhou Xun remained silent.
Just as Chen Ming was about to prompt her a third time, she finally snapped back to reality, her eyes sharpening: "Who is so debased as to let a man take advantage of her so easily?"
In the actual script, Consort Wan would have been pressed against Yu Huatian at this point. But this was only a table read; he couldn't very well have Lord Zhou sitting on his lap. Besides, even if she did, he couldn't very well start playing with her feet, could he?
*But stop with that stuck-up attitude! Watch out, or I’ll bite!*
"Of those four wenches, three were actually having affairs with the imperial guards. Regardless of whether they carried the imperial seed or not, they were trouble, so I had them disposed of," Chen Ming said flippantly.
"Four wenches! You executed three! Then what about the fourth one?" Zhou Xun was fully in character now, questioning him with dissatisfaction.
"I let her run. Her name is Su Huirong. I have already sent men out of the palace to silence her."
Chen Ming... no, at this moment, he was Yu Huatian. Yu Huatian spoke with complete indifference; in his eyes, human life was as worthless as straw. Whether someone was pregnant or committing a heinous crime, to him, it was no different than killing a chicken.
"Clap... clap, clap, clap, clap!"
The applause started with Jet Li, followed by Jacob Cheung, but it was Tsui Hark who clapped the loudest. Tsui Hark had assumed his two leads would be fine, and among the supporting cast, Yu Huatian was the role most likely to shine. Having filmed many classics, Tsui Hark naturally knew who the key players in his story were. If Jacob Cheung hadn't insisted, he certainly wouldn't have agreed to let an extra play this role. Seeing Chen Ming’s truly stunning performance, he finally felt at ease.
*This film, it’s going to work!*
*Old Tsui is going to have another classic on his hands!*
Jet Li offered no verbal encouragement, but taking the lead in applauding was enough to show his appreciation. Louis Fan, however, joked, "At first, I wasn't convinced by you, I even wanted to usurp your position! I wanted to be the Factory Superintendent!"
"Hahahaha!"
A burst of laughter erupted, and the atmosphere grew even more harmonious. Chen Ming stood up and gave a slight bow to thank everyone, breathing a long sigh of relief inwardly. It was a good thing he had the system; otherwise, he would have been completely lost when faced with this opportunity.
When he sat back down and looked at Zhou Xun, she simply said coolly, "You were just average."
Chen Ming smiled to himself at her words.
*You’re not just Cui Jian, you’re also quite the tsundere.*
*Why aren't you out there singing rock and roll?*
*You’d definitely be more ROCK than old Cui!*
Sometimes, the more jubilant the people around you are, the more desolate a person with something on their mind feels. That was how Zhang Xinyu felt at this moment. Because of her lack of experience and acting skills, she had been nervous facing a room full of veteran actors. She knew her own shortcomings, which was why she had been secretly pleased when she met Chen Ming, thinking that having someone at the bottom with her would make her look less pathetic. Even when acting opposite Chen Ming just now, she thought she hadn't lagged too far behind. Although the director kept pointing out her flaws, she felt comfortable acting with Chen Ming—it felt natural, even in sync.
But after seeing Zhou Xun take over, Zhang Xinyu realized she had been terribly wrong.
It was like making friends. When you meet a new friend and feel like they empathize with you, understand you, are willing to listen to you, and are in sync with you, you immediately become inseparable. If you meet someone like that, don't doubt it: you aren't on the same level.
Setting aside motives, the other person is simply "downward socializing." In other words, they can see right through you and know exactly which frequency to match to make you feel comfortable.
It was just accommodation.
Zhang Xinyu felt it was absurd. *What kind of cast have I joined? How is everyone here a monster? I won't even mention Jet Li and Zhou Xun, but how is it that they can just pull in a random newcomer—and I heard he was just an extra—and he’s this strong?*
*We said we'd grow old together, so why are you secretly dyeing your hair?*
She felt like she was falling apart. Her ears, which had finally cooled down, began to turn red again. Beside her, Chen Ming felt as if he could smell the heat.
The first table read ended successfully. Not just the actors, but every department head expressed their views—everyone except the screenwriter. As everyone knew, screenwriters might have some influence before filming starts, but once the camera starts rolling: *Who are you? Do you understand film? So what if you wrote the script? Do you understand film better than I do?*
Tsui Hark and Jacob Cheung walked out of the conference room together.
"How was it, Old Tsui? I told you, no one understands eunuchs better than I do! How about this kid? Isn't he a natural for a eunuch role? Tell me, isn't he?" Jacob Cheung bragged to Tsui Hark, beaming. Chen Ming heard this and had the urge to bury the man alive in the desert.
"You know, you're right. This kid really has that vibe. Eh... Old Zhang, have you looked into him?" Tsui Hark raised his eyebrows at Jacob Cheung.
Jacob Cheung understood immediately. He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Right? Right! I suspected it too! This kid must be..."
"Pfft!"
Chen Ming followed behind with a dark expression, not noticing that Zhou Xun was walking right beside him. He looked at Lord Zhou, who was smiling at him as if nothing had happened, acting as if she hadn't been making things difficult for him just moments before.
"You performed well," Zhou Xun said.
*Why are you so fickle?*
Chen Ming was just about to reply when a voice rang out in his mind:
[The host has successfully completed the table read task. Please choose one of the following rewards.]
[Mastery: Horse Riding.]
[Mastery: Martial Arts (Level 1).]
[Mastery: Makeup.]
[Mastery: Singing (Based on the host's current conditions, you may only select three songs to reach professional level).]