The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 22: Go to the audition, and the entire paycheck is yours!
Su Qingying had only promised a recommendation; whether he could actually secure the role still depended on his ability.
Moreover, this was a project by Daylight Entertainment, and he was signed to Spark Media.
Could there be... complications in between?
Jiang Ci thought of Lin Wan.
Right, he had to report this to Lin Wan immediately.
He was now signed under Lin Wan, and he absolutely couldn't commit the foolish act of eyeing another's pot while eating from his own bowl, secretly trying to scoop rice from someone else's house.
That was a major professional taboo, and more importantly, a character flaw.
He dialed Lin Wan's number, his voice carrying a tension he didn't even realize was there.
"Hello, Lin Wan Jie, there's something... I want to report to you."
Lin Wan's lazy voice came from the other end of the line: "Speak."
"Just now... Su Qingying contacted me." Jiang Ci carefully chose his words. "She said her company has a xianxia drama project, and there's a role she wants to recommend me to audition for."
Silence fell on the other end of the line.
Jiang Ci's heart hung in the air again.
He didn't know how Lin Wan would react.
Would she think he was ungrateful, favoring outsiders over his own?
Or would she feel that Su Qingying was poaching from her and become displeased?
Either way, it wouldn't be good news for him.
"Xianxia drama?" Lin Wan's voice finally came through again, sounding somewhat surprised. "Su Qingying recommended you?"
"Mm."
"Her company's project... Daylight Entertainment's?"
"Should be." Jiang Ci wasn't entirely sure either.
"Daylight Entertainment..." Lin Wan murmured on the other end, as if assessing something.
"Send me the script," she commanded.
An hour later, just as Jiang Ci was about to wear grooves in the floor from pacing, Lin Wan's call finally came through.
Jiang Ci answered instantly.
"Hello! Lin Wan Jie!"
"I've read the script."
"It's acceptable."
Lin Wan's voice sounded very calm, which made Jiang Ci feel half-relieved.
"The script structure is good, the worldbuilding is fairly complete, and the main characters are well-rounded," Lin Wan analyzed from her professional perspective as a top-tier screenwriter. "Most importantly, your role is very well-written."
"Chu Wuchen?"
"Mm," Lin Wan's tone actually carried a trace of approval. "Complete character arc, solid emotional core. A character who chooses self-destruction for the sake of protection—deep and thought-provoking. Very suitable for you."
"Then... Lin Wan Jie, your meaning is..." Jiang Ci's heart tightened again.
"Go."
Lin Wan's answer was so straightforward that Jiang Ci wondered if he had misheard.
"Ah?"
Just like that?
No concern about this being a competitor's project? No talk about resource exchange or profit sharing?
"What do you mean 'ah'?" Lin Wan laughed and scolded him from the other side. "Why wouldn't you go for such a great opportunity? Su Qingying personally recommending you is fortune you've cultivated, you brat. This means your performance in Palace Conspiracy caught her eye."
"In the acting business, talent alone isn't enough—connections are more important. Su Qingying is famously unsociable in the industry, but her eye is sharp. Her willingness to help you—this favor is more valuable than you playing ten fourth male leads."
Lin Wan's words left Jiang Ci completely stunned.
He had thought Lin Wan would approach it from the company's interests, negotiating terms with him, or even stopping him.
"But... Lin Wan Jie, this is Daylight Entertainment's project, our company..."
"What company?" Lin Wan interrupted him. "You're signed to me. Your development is the company's development."
She paused, her tone becoming authoritative.
"Go audition for this project. If you get the role, the company won't take any percentage. All the acting fees you receive will belong entirely to you."
Jiang Ci's mind buzzed, completely bewildered.
"This... this won't do! Lin Wan Jie, this isn't proper!"
"I am what's proper."
Lin Wan's voice through the receiver carried a domineering quality that crushed all opposition.
"Just consider this my personal investment in your connections."
"Jiang Ci, I signed you because I see your potential. I don't want you to miss any opportunity to shine because of company red tape."
"Just remember—you're from Spark Media. When you become famous later, don't forget to bring a few good projects to your boss."
After hanging up, Jiang Ci remained dazed for a long time.
Anyone who said they weren't moved would be full of it.
He had always thought his relationship with Lin Wan was simply employee and boss, talented horse and talent scout.
He never expected Lin Wan would be willing to go this far for him.
No commission, and even encouraging him to "invest in connections."
With a husband like this—no, with a boss like this, what more could one ask for!
Jiang Ci took a deep breath, engraving this heavy kindness firmly in his heart alongside that previous A-level contract.
Being moved was one thing, but the pressure of reality didn't diminish in the slightest because of it.
If he failed the audition, he would lose not only Su Qingying's favor and Lin Wan's trust, but also... his own life!
"I have to get this role!"
Jiang Ci's eyes suddenly turned sharp, burning with fierce determination.
He sat back down at his computer and opened the Three Lifetimes Tribulation script again.
"Outwardly cold and aloof, untouched by dust..."
"Actually bearing the immortal realm's heaviest secrets and love..."
"Soul scattered, body turned to ashes..."
This Chu Wuchen had lived for five hundred years, and suffered for five hundred years.
His love was silent, devoid of any light.
Just reading the words made Jiang Ci's chest feel tight and suffocated.
...
Each second of the waiting days was torture.
Time passed day by day, but news of the audition still hadn't arrived.
On his system panel, that glaring red life countdown mercilessly jumped from [70 days] to [65 days].
With each day the number decreased, the panic in his heart grew heavier.
Late at night when all was quiet, Jiang Ci practiced Chu Wuchen's lines over and over again in front of the mirror.
His eyes were empty, as if he had already stared into nothingness for five hundred years.
"This time, I'll be the one to protect you."
He softly spoke this line to his reflection in the mirror.
The person in the mirror pulled his lips into an extremely faint, extremely bitter smile, but his eyes were a dead, silent abyss.
That wasn't Jiang Ci—that was Chu Wuchen.
Just as he had completely immersed himself in the character's sorrow, feeling that life was utterly bleak—
"Ding!"
His phone screen suddenly lit up.
On the screen was a familiar avatar showing snow-covered scenery.
It was Su Qingying!
