Due to budget constraints, Director Qiao decided to cast some unknown rookie actors, which also brought opportunities to many college students and minor actors. The scene was grand and crowded. Today, Assistant Bai had contacted Director Qiao's assistant in advance so they could meet the busy director.
Upon seeing Meng Qingyan arrive, Director Qiao was thrilled. He had long wanted to seek a partnership with Meng Corporation, but due to a lack of recognition, the matter had always been put on hold.
In the reception room, Director Qiao was so excited he felt like he could fly. In his eyes, this wasn't just a person—it was a god, a God of Wealth delivering money.
Meng Qingyan cut straight to the point, stating that he was very interested in the television series.
This made Director Qiao immensely happy, as if everything was already in the bag.
Naturally, the two of them proceeded to discuss the collaboration. Director Qiao ordered documents to be drafted, ready to sign the contract right then and there.
At this point, Meng Qingyan put forward his own conditions.
Hearing Meng Qingyan's conditions, Director Qiao showed no surprise at all; instead, he readily accepted them. He felt such things were very common, at least in his circle.
Besides, given his current standing, he had no reason to turn down any investment, let alone one from Meng Qingyan.
Thus, the two quickly reached an agreement and signed the contract. As they parted ways, Meng Qingyan specifically instructed that the other person must not find out about this, and Director Qiao, being very sensible, promised to handle it properly.
Once everything was settled, a hint of a smile appeared on Meng Qingyan's face.
Only then did Assistant Bai understand what kind of game Meng Qingyan was playing.
"When all is said and done, isn't it still for Miss Song?" Assistant Bai thought to himself.
Meng Qingyan sat in the back seat, staring foolishly at his phone screen, which displayed Song Xinxin's saved number.
"Where is the cafe where Song Xinxin works?" Meng Qingyan asked suddenly.
"Not far from here. Does President Meng want to go?" Assistant Bai asked, looking somewhat surprised.
"Let's go take a look!" After saying that, Meng Qingyan fell silent.
Assistant Bai curled his lip, as if wondering what trick was being pulled now. Could President Meng be planning to meet Miss Song under his true identity? If Miss Song saw a President Meng who was so wholeheartedly devoted to her, would she be so moved as to offer herself to him in return?
Seeing the lewd expression on his face, Meng Qingyan knew his thoughts had wandered and gave him a smack on the head. "You dare let your mind wander while driving? Pay attention! If you lose focus again, I'll sign you up for a class tomorrow to practice how to concentrate!"
"I won't dare again, I won't dare again." Rubbing his head and enduring the sharp pain from above, the beaten Assistant Bai continued to drive.
Meanwhile, at the cafe, Song Xinxin was grinding coffee beans when she suddenly received a call from Teacher Qiu. Teacher Qiu told her that a director had a suitable role for her at an audition tomorrow, and urged her to go try out, adding that the script had already been sent to her email.
Hearing that there was an audition, Song Xinxin was thrilled, meaning that if she succeeded, she could earn some money again.
At the thought of making money, Song Xinxin was ecstatic. After putting away her phone, the corners of her mouth stayed lifted. She hummed a little tune happily, wearing a look of sheer bliss.
Outside the cafe, in the luxury car parked on the street, Meng Qingyan sat in the back seat, gazing at Song Xinxin looking so happy inside the cafe. A satisfied smile curved the corners of his mouth as well.
Seeing her happy made him happier than he would be for himself. If possible, he hoped she would always be that happy.
"Are we really not going in? Or should I go buy a cup of coffee?" Assistant Bai asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Meng Qingyan cast a sideways glance at him. "Drive home!"
"Huh?" Assistant Bai was completely baffled. "We ran all the way here, is buying a cup of coffee too much to ask?" Resignedly, he agreed and drove away.
At the audition the next day, Song Xinxin was selected very naturally. Although it wasn't the female lead role, she still had plenty of scenes as the righteous second female lead.
Just as Director Qiao was secretly sighing with relief, feeling that he had handled the matter quite well, Song Xinxin suddenly came looking for him.
Upon seeing her, Director Qiao asked with a smile, "Do you have any other questions?"
"Yes. Actually... Director Qiao, I want to try out for the third female lead instead—the ghost-like and peerless Liu Ruoxian!" After reading the story, Song Xinxin had inexplicably developed an interest in this character.
Of course, there was no denying that this character was extremely difficult to play and had a vast amount of internal monologue. She possessed both an innocent side and a later transformation into a cold-blooded, ruthless assassin. This transition was something Song Xinxin loved and found deeply challenging.
Director Qiao looked her up and down, furrowing his brow slightly. "This character is quite controversial and poses quite a challenge. Judging by your image, you can pull off the pure and innocent early stage, but later on, she gets trained as an assassin. I think that might be a bit difficult for you."
Hearing Director Qiao say that her image fit, Song Xinxin felt a surge of excitement. The fact that Director Qiao didn't refuse immediately meant there was a chance. Therefore, she intended to push her case further.
"I completely understand your concerns, Director Qiao. After all, I am a newcomer, and in various aspects, I might not be as outstanding as the senior actors. However, I have my own understanding of this character, so I kindly ask you to give me a chance."
"This..." Director Qiao hesitated. It wasn't that he already had someone else in mind for the role, but rather that Song Xinxin truly was a newcomer, and casting a newcomer in such a challenging role was indeed not a wise move. However, considering that almost the entire cast consisted of newcomers with only a few veteran actors leading the way, it wasn't entirely impossible to let her try.
So he continued, "How about this? I'll give you three days to go back, carefully study the script, and prepare. Three days from now, we'll hold an audition specifically for the role of Liu Ruoxian. If it works out, we can discuss the next steps."
Hearing that Director Qiao was willing to give her a chance, Song Xinxin was thrilled and immediately agreed, "Okay, Director Qiao, I will prepare well."
"Alright, see you in three days!" With that, Director Qiao went off to tend to other matters.
Left behind, Song Xinxin clutched the script and squealed with excitement.
Director Qiao found it rather strange. The person Meng Qingyan had forcefully shoved into the crew didn't want to play the prominent and righteous second female lead, but instead insisted on playing the psychologically complex, ghost-like assassin third female lead.
He had assumed the person sent by President Meng was just an empty-headed beauty without any substance, but upon meeting her, he discovered she actually had depth and considerable talent for acting. This allowed his anxious heart to finally settle.
It was just that Song Xinxin's sudden request to change roles really left him scratching his head; he was genuinely afraid she might ruin the production.
Feeling uneasy, Director Qiao finished up what he was doing and called Meng Qingyan. He roughly recounted Song Xinxin's audition and mentioned how she had turned down the second female lead role in favor of the third.
Hearing this, Meng Qingyan gave a faint smile, thinking to himself, "Does this girl really take me for some kind of villain?"
As he spoke, Director Qiao complained a little, saying that Song Xinxin looked good and shouldn't have any issues acting, but he was mainly worried she wouldn't pull off the second half of the story. If it aired and became a laughingstock, it would severely impact her future career.
Listening to the complaints, Meng Qingyan remained lighthearted with a trace of a smile still lingering on his face. He actually wanted to see how Song Xinxin would interpret such a complex and pitiful character.
"Since you've already set three days, let's wait until three days later after she auditions before we discuss it further. If she really can't pull it off, just say so directly—you don't have to save face for me."
"Well... alright, alright. If she can't manage the third female lead role, I'll still keep the second female lead spot reserved for her! President Meng can rest easy on that." Director Qiao was a smart man and naturally knew when to keep his mouth shut.
"Then I'll have to trouble Director Qiao with everything."
"No trouble at all, no trouble..."
After hanging up the phone, Meng Qingyan smiled warmly at the thought of Song Xinxin, but then immediately sighed. He really missed her.
Yet, how was he supposed to go see her without any valid reason? That was the real problem.
Meng Qingyan checked the desk calendar; it had been almost a week since they last met.
Right at that moment, as if by some twist of fate, Song Xinxin's call came through.
Seeing the call, Meng Qingyan jolted to his feet.
Assistant Bai, working nearby, thought a life-or-death crisis had occurred when he saw him suddenly stand up and rushed right over. "President Meng..." he started, only to be cut short by Meng Qingyan raising a hand and gesturing with his eyes for him to leave.
Assistant Bai understood instantly, immediately opened the door, and walked out.
Composing his racing heart, Meng Qingyan answered the call. "How come today..." Before Meng Qingyan could finish his sentence, Song Xinxin's voice came through from the other end: "Hoodlum Bro, can I ask you a favor?"
Hearing the word "favor," Meng Qingyan was somewhat baffled. In her eyes, he was just a hoodlum; what kind of favor could she possibly need from him—getting into a fight? With a hint of doubt, he replied, "What favor? Tell me."
"Do you know any sort of devil coach?"
Hearing this, Meng Qingyan was taken aback for a moment. What was she up to now? A devil coach, of all things!
"What do you need them for?" Meng Qingyan asked tentatively.
Hearing him ask that, Song Xinxin assumed he knew someone and continued, "It's nothing much, just need some help with something."
"Is it inconvenient to talk about?" Meng Qingyan asked purposely.
"Well..." Song Xinxin hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not inconvenient, but you have to promise to keep it a secret for me!"
Hearing the word "secret," Meng Qingyan's interest was piqued. "Of course, my lips are sealed."
"I recently went to an audition, and the character I want to play was locked up in a pitch-dark place by an assassin organization and trained until she finally crawled out of a pile of dead bodies. That kind of iron will can only truly be experienced when the body is on the verge of collapse. You know how it is—acting is about portraying these things, but I've never experienced it firsthand, so how could I possibly act out that feeling? Relying purely on imagination, I've tried a few times, but the effect isn't very good. So, I was wondering if I could find a devil training program to push my body to the brink of collapse within two days, so I can find the feeling of will being crushed and then reborn..."
Although Song Xinxin had experienced life and death, at the moment of death her heart had given up, and on top of that, she had harbored a lot of resentment. This was completely different from the feeling she wanted to capture. Liu Ruoxian's formidable will and desire to survive were simply beyond her current understanding and ability to portray.
Song Xinxin either wouldn't talk much or would rattle off a whole paragraph. Listening to her on the other end of the line, Meng Qingyan's astonishment grew with every word.
"Are you sure this is for acting and not... self-destruction?" Meng Qingyan couldn't understand her train of thought.
"Of course it's for acting! I still have to act to make money; do you really think I'd kill myself?" Song Xinxin said righteously. She sounded righteous because she truly hadn't thought about destroying herself, but if she didn't use this method, it would indeed be very difficult to find that desperate drive to survive in adversity that Liu Ruoxian possessed.
"Alright, since that's the case, I'll help you look for one," Meng Qingyan said uncertainly, because in his view, acting just required looking the part—why go to such extremes?
Hearing his reply, Song Xinxin was overjoyed. "But you have to be quick, I only have three days to prepare."
"Okay... how about this? Once I find it, I'll pick you up at your school and take you there." In order to steal a meeting with her, Meng Qingyan was ready to go to any lengths.
"Okay, I'll wait for you at the school." Song Xinxin agreed.
"Wait for me?" Meng Qingyan rolled those words around in his mind. "Alright." After they settled the details, the two hung up.
Meng Qingyan immediately instructed Assistant Bai to track one down.
Though puzzled, Assistant Bai quickly found a martial arts club that employed an extremely strict coach who had previously run devil-training programs.
After Meng Qingyan contacted the club, they agreed to the request. Meng Qingyan specifically instructed them not to let the trainee know it was arranged by him, and the club agreed.
The next task was to change into a different outfit, switch to a different car, grab some pocket change, and go find Song Xinxin.
After giving a few instructions, Meng Qingyan drove toward the Media University.
The car drove swiftly, but as it approached the Media University, it inexplicably slowed down.
Meng Qingyan rolled down the car window and looked outside, searching for Song Xinxin's figure. They had spoken on the phone before coming, so logically, Song Xinxin should have been waiting at the school gate.
Perhaps because the school gate was too hot, Song Xinxin wasn't standing there. Glancing over, he noticed what seemed to be a woman standing in the shadow of a small alley entrance near the school. Due to the backlight, he couldn't clearly see her appearance or what she was wearing.
Looking at that waiting figure, Meng Qingyan felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Staring at her, he was reminded of that snowy day when a woman had pressed against his cheek and given him a fake kiss. His heart gave a sharp, violent tug. He quickly parked the car and bolted toward her like an arrow released from a bow.
The person he had been searching for for half a year might just be the woman he had seen a moment ago.
Yet when he rushed over, the woman at the alley entrance had suddenly vanished. He searched left and right, but she was nowhere to be found. The anxiety in his chest felt like a lump stuck in his throat, impossible to cough out no matter how hard he tried.
"Was it just my hallucination?" Meng Qingyan asked himself. Closing his eyes, he could still clearly remember seeing that person.
Just then, he suddenly felt a chill on his left cheek and snapped his eyes open.
He bumped right into Song Xinxin's smiling face. "What's wrong? Too tired? Here, drink some iced coffee!"
Looking at her face, Meng Qingyan smiled faintly. The anxious turmoil in his heart instantly settled the moment she appeared.
Taking the coffee, he asked, "Did you just go buy coffee?"