Chapter 18: Rushing to Visit Your Family's Graves

At Benshan Media, an office door bore the sign "Love is Not Blind."

In the hallway, actresses stood or sat, anxiously waiting to be called. Ever since the film project was greenlit, Xu Ming had summoned Teng Huatao to Benshan Media to oversee preparations. The first order of business was to cast the lead role, Huang Xiaoxian.

The actresses in the hallway had come from various sources: some recommended by Sohu Entertainment, some were artists from Orange Sky Entertainment, and others were simply signed to the company itself.

Inside the office, Teng Huatao listened to an actress recite her lines while asking, "Where is Xu Ming? When will he arrive?"

"I checked earlier; he said he was on the plane. He should be here soon," the assistant director replied.

Teng nodded. Despite being the director, he knew full well that Xu Ming was the heart of the production. If the latter were merely the lead actor and an investor, it would be one thing, but being the screenwriter gave him every right and excuse to intervene in many matters. Even if Teng chose the lead actress today, it would be meaningless without Xu Ming’s approval. It was simple: the investors were all on Xu Ming's side. If it came down to choosing between the two of them, Teng would be the one to go. As a director, he felt stifled, but if he wanted to break into the big screen, he had no other choice.

Outside the media company building, Xu Ming stepped out of a business car and walked toward the entrance at a leisurely pace. Turning a corner, he was suddenly bumped into. The collision was not light; the person had a sturdy frame, and she felt quite solid against him.

"Can't you look where you're going? You in such a rush to go burn incense at a funeral?" the driver beside him stepped up to support Xu Ming, cursing loudly. He was eager to make a show of loyalty to this rising star of the media company, regardless of whether Xu Ming needed the help.

"I'm in a rush to go visit your family's grave. Can you even speak? If you don't know how to talk, keep your mouth shut," the woman retorted, her voice thick with a heavy Northeastern accent.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, that was for you. For him, I meant what I said: keep it shut." The woman, wearing large sunglasses, apologized to Xu Ming before hurrying toward the elevator.

"Damn it, I..."

"Shut up. Who hired someone with your attitude?" Xu Ming frowned at the driver. There hadn't been a conflict until the driver nearly escalated it. If that were posted online, he would be the one to suffer the consequences.

"Uh, Brother Ming, I was hired by Brother Jiahao," the driver replied, still oblivious and smiling, thinking Xu Ming was looking to promote him.

"No wonder. If you can't keep your mouth clean, get out. And tell Zhang Jiahao not to send his people to pick me up again." Xu Ming waved him off and headed for the elevator alone. He didn't give the brief encounter another thought, though the woman's frame had felt strangely familiar.

Upon reaching the audition room, the actresses in the hall turned their gaze toward him. Clearly, anyone who had managed to appear here had thoroughly researched the project's background. Those with any ambition understood exactly what role Xu Ming played. Flirtatious glances were cast his way, both subtle and overt. If he were ugly, many might hesitate, but with someone as handsome and wealthy as Xu Ming, it wasn't clear who was taking advantage of whom. Even just a rumored scandal would be a way to gain exposure.

Xu Ming walked past without making eye contact. If it were a one-on-one conversation, he might be bold, but with so many enchantresses gathered here, he feared his stamina wouldn't hold up.

Just after he entered, the woman from earlier emerged from the restroom after touching up her makeup. They had perfectly missed each other.

Inside the audition room, the actress currently performing stumbled at the sight of him, but the others didn't care; they all stood up to welcome him.

"It's fine, continue. We need to keep up the pace, or I'm afraid I won't have enough time later," Xu Ming said.

Once he sat down, Teng Huatao asked, "Given our project timeline, we definitely won't make the summer slot. Is there really a need to be this rushed?"

"I want our film to release before the Great Director Zhang's movie, to fully capitalize on the hype of 'Not Short of Money.' If his movie comes out first, we'll lose out," Xu Ming said with a straight-faced fabrication.

In reality, he simply wanted to brand himself with "Love is Not Blind" before his other project, the flop "A Simple Noodle Story," hit the theaters. With a comparison in their minds, the audience at least wouldn't be completely disappointed in him. First impressions were, after all, crucial. He couldn't explain this to Teng, but the excuse was enough to convince the director.

Teng Huatao was more anxious about the box office of "Love is Not Blind" than anyone else. If the film failed, Xu Ming as the lead would be finished, but he, as the director, would not be able to escape the fallout.

Actress after actress entered the audition room, but none caught Xu Ming's interest. He didn't care much for fame; the role of Huang Xiaoxian required someone who wasn't overly delicate or soft—that "mushy" vibe had to be rejected immediately. Yet, most actresses these days leaned in that direction. When one finally appeared who didn't, she was too sultry.

Xu Ming even considered finding Bai Baihe, the actress from the original version. For this type of "chick flick," she was a perfect fit. But at the time, she was deeply involved with her partner and had close ties to Huayi Brothers. Hiring her would only please the enemies and pain the allies; it wasn't worth it.

Then, the door opened again, and a tall figure walked in, draped in a trench coat. It was a refreshing sight.

"Hello, teachers. I am the actress Song Jia..."

Halfway through her introduction, Little Song Jia saw who was sitting on the panel and froze, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes. The man in the middle—wasn't that the person she had bumped into at the elevator? The collision was a minor matter, but the fact that she had cursed him out to his face meant her image was likely ruined.

"Haha, there's another actress in the industry named Song Jia, so you two are the 'Big Song Jia' and 'Little Song Jia' then," Teng Huatao laughed.

Seeing that Xu Ming didn't seem to recognize her, Little Song Jia let out a breath of relief and continued, "I graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy's acting department. I debuted in 2001 with 'Actually Don't Want to Leave,' was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 26th Golden Rooster Awards for the 2006 film 'Curiosity Kills the Cat,' and played the role of Xian'er in 'Chuang Guandong'."

"Judging by your accent, you're from the Northeast, right?" Xu Ming suddenly interjected, watching her with interest. He certainly recognized her, even if she didn't recognize him. She was one of the few actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry with a true "leading lady" aura—someone who could play a woman, and also a woman who could play with men's hearts.