Honeyed Marriage - Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Edited by ABE
Zhou Mengyan looked at Ruan Yan’s disgusted expression, his complexion darkened a little:
“Is it that unpalatable?”
He had been working on the recipe for so long, every step was so serious, and the appearance was also very good, how could it be unpalatable?!
Ruan Yan nodded like pounding garlic, “If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.”
The man picked up his bowl of noodles, took a sip of the soup, and then a strong smell of star anise and bay leaves rushed up.
It was almost suffocating.
A few seconds later, he put it down, looked away, and said lightly:
“…It’s very unpalatable.”
Ruan Yan held her cheeks and whispered: “Is it that this restaurant’s chefs have all gone home for the Chinese New Year, they cook dark dishes for us?”
Zhou Mengyan coughed lightly, “Maybe they did it seriously…just the seasoning was not properly done.”
“Maybe the hot green vegetables in this can still be eaten.”
“…”
Zhou Mengyan gathered the two bowls of noodles up, “Don’t eat it, I’ll order another one.”
“Ok.”
Walking to the kitchen downstairs, Zhou Mengyan looked at the noodles he had spent two hours making, took out his phone with a gloomy expression, and ordered the takeaway.
On the last two days of the New Year’s holiday, Ruan Yan and Zhou Mengyan returned to their old house to accompany Qin Xi and Zhou Sili. After the Lantern Festival, the two elders flew to Britain again.
The first thing Ruan Yan did in the new year was to audition for a drama role.
The organizer of this drama was Lincheng’s largest theater troupe, the Guangying Theater. In the new year, they would arrange a large-scale drama. The script had been released, called “Jianghu”.
The background of the drama was the Republic of China. Through the story of three concubines and wives in a feudal capital family, it told the history of the rise and fall of this family.
Ruan Yuan had never been in contact with dramas in the Republic of China, so she was very interested and had been paying attention to the audition time. These days, she finally received a notice that she could sign up for the audition.
Several male and female starring roles had already been set. What Ruan Yan wanted to try for was one of the roles that were not too much, but challenging: the second concubine’s little maid, Xiangli.
Xiangli had a pleasant and obedient personality. She had been with the second concubine since she was a child. She had been a loyal maid, but the second concubine gradually became sensitive and suspicious in the family struggle. Finally, after learning that the master was unilaterally interested in Xiangli, she had no choice out of love for the master, despite Xiangli’s bitter pleading, but to drive her out of the house.
Although the ending was not very good, Ruan Yan still wanted to try this new role.
After getting the script, Ruan Yan memorized the lines first. On the day of the audition, Ye Qing accompanied her to the scene.
Before Ruan Yan arrived, she sat outside and waited. Some of the people who came for the interview recognized her: “Hey, Miss Sister, have you acted with the Siyu Drama Club before?”
“You know me?”
“I am a student of Lincheng Theatre Academy. I have seen you perform “Romeo and Juliet” in our school before, so I remember it.”
The two talked about today’s audition, and the girl was puzzled: “I remember you are very good at acting, how come you came here to audition for supporting roles? You should be the protagonist.”
“Because… I have a problem with my eyes, and I haven’t acted in a drama for a long time.”
“Ah… it’s okay, then come on, I am cheering for you!”
“Ok.”
The door of the interview room opened, and the staff inside came out: “No. 18, Ruan Yan, it’s your turn.”
The girl said to cheer up and asked her to go as soon as possible, and Ruan Yan was taken away to the interview room.
After closing the door, Ruan Yan’s blurred vision saw three interviewers sitting in front of her. She took a deep breath, lifted the corner of her lips and walked forward slowly.
Zhao Yue, who was sitting on the right, put down her pen, raised her head, and was stunned when she saw the girl’s face—
How could it be her?! Zhou Mengyan’s wife?!
Ruan Yan couldn’t see Zhao Yue’s face, so she handed over the resume form, and then bowed: “Hello three teachers, I’m Ruan Yan.”
The director in the middle leaned against the back of the chair with his arms folded, his expression was a little tired: “Introduce yourself.”
Ruan Yan nodded and started to introduce herself.
As the screenwriter of “Jianghu”, Zhao Yue’s eyes were carved on Ruan Yan’s face, and her eyes were getting deeper and deeper.
She had heard Zhong Zhanjing casually mentioning that Ruan Yan was acting in a drama before, but she didn’t expect that there would be such a coincidence in the world that Ruan Yan actually came to audition for the role she wrote in the script.
After Ruan Yan’s introduction, the man on the left frowned slightly:
“Are you not a drama major?”
“Yes.”
“We do not plan to recruit non-professional students.”
Ruan Yan was stunned, and immediately said: “Teacher, although I am not a professional, I have starred in many dramas. I have been with the Siyu Theater and the Sian Theater.”
The man checked her resume and said, “The resume is pretty good.”
Director: “Let’s try the show first, the crying scene in the fifth act.”
If the acting wasn’t good, nothing else would be discussed.
This scene was the scene in which Xiangli was driven out of the house by the second concubine, and it was the scene that best reflected her acting skills.
Ruan Yan entered the role and spoke lines with red eyes, as if tears were about to fall the next moment. After the performance, the director nodded: “You got into character very quickly.”
The deputy director began to ask some questions, including why she liked the role of Xiangli and her understanding of the role. Ruan Yan answered one by one.
After asking all the questions, Zhao Yue looked at the two satisfied expressions beside her, feeling unhappy, and suddenly said something:
“It seems that your resume does not mention the issue of your eyes.”
Ruan Yan was stunned.
The other two directors were also taken aback, “What’s the problem?”
When Ruan Yan heard what Zhao Yue said, she was shocked at first how the other party would know it, and then she gradually felt that this voice seemed to be familiar, but she couldn’t remember it for a while.
Ruan Yan quickly explained, saying that she would not be affected by this. Zhao Yue questioned: “But how do you participate in the performance in such a half-blind state? Just like how do you make a disabled person dance on stage?”
Zhao Yue’s voice fell, Ruan Yan clenched her palms, and silently spoke for a few seconds:
“Three teachers, this is not the first time I have participated in a drama since I am half-recovered. You have seen my performance just now. I am very confident in myself and I promise that my performance will not be affected by my eyes. If you are unsatisfied, do you think I can perform another segment? It can be impromptu or you can specify the scene in the script.”
Zhao Yue frowned slightly and looked at the director, who put down her resume, “I see in your resume that you have participated in “Hamlet”. You can act a part of it for us.”
Because Ruan Yan often took out the previous scripts to practice, she was able to quickly remember and perform.
At the end, the director joked with a faint smile: “I really can’t see that your eyes are half-blind.”
Finally, the director announced the end of the interview and asked Ruan Yan to go back and wait for the notice. Ruan Yan walked out of the lounge, recalling the female voice she had just heard, and finally remembered who it was:
Zhong Zhanjing’s best friend, Zhao Yue, ws also the screenwriter of this drama.
When she got the script, she saw the screenwriter’s name, but she didn’t expect it to be the same person.
In the interview room, Zhao Yue raised an objection: “I don’t think this girl is good. Blindness is a big problem.”
Zhao Yue was indeed selfish and did not want Ruan Yan to be chosen for this role. As long as she thinks of Ruan Yan’s appearance, which made her best friend so sad, she would hate Ruan Yan.
The deputy director touched his chin, “I think she’s pretty good. She doesn’t come from a university major, but she is very talented. The performance just now was also very good. I remember she was someone recommended by Cui Zimo. What do you think of her, Lao Zhang?”
Director Zhang Jin asked Zhao Yue: “Why are you dissatisfied with her?”
“I…” Zhao Yue paused, “I just don’t think her acting is particularly good.”
Deputy Director: “However, compared with the previous few who came in just now, Ruan Yan is the most prominent, and all aspects of appearance are also suitable for the role of Xiangli, pure and clean.”
Zhao Yue was a screenwriter, and she had no final absolute power. She still wanted to persuade them, Zhang Jin said: “Let’s see if other people’s performance is as good as this little girl.”
After Ruan Yan returned home, she was always worried and wondered whether the audition would be successful.
Until three days later, a notice came from the crew that she had been chosen for the role of Xiangli.
****
T/N: Triple update coming up today! Thanks y’all for your well wishes in my exams, mwaahh!
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