Ling Shuang’s cheeks burned in embarrassment. Yu Yaoyao groaned and made barfing sounds, which annoyed Ling Shuang greatly. “Sorry,” said Yu Yaoyao, “I don’t feel well. Maybe it is something I ate for lunch. I feel nauseous.”

Yu Yaoyao composed herself or pretended to. “Thank you so much for your appreciation of my husband,” she said, “I heard you are a promising young actress who is perfect for this role. Are you taking this role because my husband is investing in this drama, or because you think this drama will be popular? You have such good taste in investment of your time and effort!”

Director Ma looked stunned, and so did Ling Shuang. “No,” said Ling Shuang, levelly, “I worked hard for this role because I liked the script.”

“I am sure,” said Yu Yaoyao, smiling.

“Only the Director has the authority to make any kind of changes to the auditions,” said Shen Yichong to Ling Shuang, “I am sorry I can be of no help. I am here just to observe, and I do not have any say in the ranking and screen-time for the auditioning actors.” He turned away from her and led Yu Yaoyao to a nearby seat.

Director Ma glanced at Ling Shuang disapprovingly, perhaps thinking on what Yu Yaoyao had said. He discouraged her from talking to the investors directly. He looked at Mr. Shen awkwardly and cleared his throat.

“Come now, Mr. Shen,” he said, “You have every authority. I highly value your opinion. And since your wife here is a most accomplished actress herself, her suggestions will definitely be invaluable. If Mrs. Shen is still feeling sick, we have some water here….”

Ling Shuang looked on venomously. She couldn’t even defend herself while her image was tarnished in the Director’s eyes. Meanwhile, Yu Yaoyao sipped on the water and leaned into Shen Yichong. She skimmed through the script, no longer paying any attention to Ling Shuang.

As the screenwriter and the casting director took their respective seats, the auditions officially began. Director Ma obviously still preferred Ling Shuang for the role. “Ling Shuang,” he called, “Since you are the earliest, you can start first.”

“Share us your perspective on the lead character’s role in ‘Summer’,” said the casting Director.

This was a common question, posed to everyone who came to an audition. The insight that an actor or actress had of the character they played could contribute to how well they played the role. She had been preparing for this moment for two months. She stepped forward confidently.

“Summer, the character, is a very innocent and naïve person. She is like a blank sheet of paper in the beginning,” Ling Shuang explained, “She is convinced that the world is good, beautiful and kind. Her naiveness touches many people around her, especially her desk mate, Meng Haoran, the male lead. But Summer’s world is turned upside down when her mother dies in a car crash, and her father gets into alcohol addiction. She begins to see that the world can be a dark and cruel place, hence she doubts everything around her, including herself. When she is losing every hope, Meng Haoran shows her otherwise. The school bully leads her by the hand and teaches her to hope again. To have faith. By the end of the drama, Summer has matured enough to accept that the world is not always kind, but with acceptance comes wisdom. She realizes that happiness in life lies in the smallest things, and one has to cherish these before they disappear.”

Director Ma nodded encouragingly. So did the scriptwriter. Perhaps she was on the right track. It fueled her with confidence. The transformation was what the drama was about, and she felt she understood the character enough to play the role.

“Please act out a segment of the scene where Summer is woken up by Meng Haoran,” said the casting director, “The part where Summer has no hope and feels like it doesn’t matter whether she gets into the university or not.”

The casting director stood up and said, “I will help you with Meng Haoran’s lines.”

Ling Shuang needed a major change in the mood right now. She needed to muster all the confidence that Yu Yaoyao had trampled on before. She took a deep breath. She had prepared for the scenes in the script diligently. She had even asked Chen Jiao’s opinion on her acting, to which he had encouragingly said that she would do fine.