The next day, when I arrived at the designated cultural center, about a dozen students were already there for the audition. Xia Wei’s phone was unreachable, so I had to sit quietly in the corner of the waiting room alone. Everyone here was stunning, each dressed impeccably, while I was still in my usual white shirt and short skirt, unabashedly showing off my plump legs. No one greeted me, and no one chatted with me; I was the least noticeable one there. No one would consider me a rival, nor a friend.
I was the last one left. They all had company; some with close friends, others with boyfriends, all looking very intimate. “I heard the director has won awards,” someone whispered nearby, their admiration reaching my ears, “They’re going to pick some key roles from our group. I wonder who will be so lucky. If this TV show gets high ratings and wins awards, wow, the future is bright, and you might not even need to take the college entrance exam.” “It’s annoying! Don’t mention the college entrance exam, I’m so sick of it. Let me join the crew, please, God, even without pay, I’d do anything not to take the exam.” “I heard the actor for the audition is really handsome.” “Really? Oh my God, could it be the male lead? I heard he’s incredibly handsome.” “I’ve heard that too, he’s supposed to be a student, really, really handsome, like the male leads in books, not sure if he’s had plastic surgery or what, how can someone be so handsome?”
When it was my turn to go in for the audition, I nervously pushed the door open. The director was talking to the cinematographer, with the screenwriter and assistant director beside him, and there, sitting next to them, was… Jiang Haoyun. I almost dropped my jaw. How could he be here? Could he be… the pre-determined male lead? That would be terrifying. Sheng Siwei gave a knowing smile, as if he had expected I’d come for the audition, and nodded at me in greeting. Wow, this guy can be serious too.
“Mi Na?” The director uncle looked at me kindly. “Yes. That’s me, Xiang Xiaowu.” “Good. Have a look at these lines, and then perform with classmate Sheng Siwei.” As he spoke, he handed me the script. “Oh, okay.” I took the script. A small part was marked with a red line, a scene where a girl named Mi Xiaoyi says goodbye to the male lead, Fei Luo, at the airport. Fei Luo is crying, holding Mi Xiaoyi, while she gently wipes his tears, and then the boarding announcement sounds… (Feel free to elaborate below.)
The director asked if I was ready to perform. I nodded, my heart pounding. This scene was so familiar. Sheng Siwei walked over, and the director called out, “Action.” I looked up at Sheng Siwei, no, at Fei Luo, who was looking back at me with the same gaze from that day at the airport. Suddenly, my nose tingled, and tears fell. My emotions were all over the place, brought back to that day more than half a month ago. The audition was a success, or perhaps, he was also brought back to that day’s emotions. He hugged me tightly, not speaking, just silently weeping. My heart was in turmoil, yet there was a strange calm. Did he really like me? Yes, I didn’t know why I suddenly felt calm, like after a storm, feeling there wouldn’t be a bigger storm ahead. At that moment, the boarding announcement played, just like that day. I even wondered if time had shifted. How could I hear the announcement, and why did my heart ache so much? I wiped my tears, pretending to smile brightly, “Let me go,” I said, “It’s time for me to board, or I might miss my flight.” “Let me feel your warmth and presence a little longer; once I’m over there, I’ll only have memories,” he said, his voice filled with sorrow. Sheng Siwei was very emotional, and I was drawn into the scene. “No, don’t be like this. We’ll meet again, don’t be sad. You know, when you’re sad, I don’t know what to do.” “The future is so far, so far…”
“Cut.” The director called cut, but Jiang Haoyun still held me tightly, his tears hot on my shoulder. “Sheng Siwei,” I nudged him.
He then realized what had happened, let go of his hand, took the tissue from his assistant, and wiped his face. “Not bad,” the director said with a smile. He reminded me of Jiang Fuyang; do all men of this age like to use this expression when dealing with others? Ha, maybe so. At least I quite like this expression; it makes people feel at ease. I was the last one to audition. After my tryout, the crew began to wrap up. The director told me to wait for notification, then said, “I can tell you now, we’ve chosen you.” “Ah,” I stared at him in surprise. “I passed.” No way! The director nodded with a smile, saying, “I think you pair well with Sheng Siwei, but as for which role you’ll play, we’ll decide after the meeting.” I nodded nervously, still in disbelief that I was about to join the cast. “By the way, Director, has Xia Wei with the number 537 acted before?” “Let me check,” the director flipped through the list and said, “No.” “Oh,” I felt a bit down. I awkwardly said goodbye to everyone and started walking home. It was nearly seven, the sky was darkening, but it was still hot. I was sweating profusely, not planning to take a bus. During the walk, I tried calling Xia Wei again, but there was no answer, which made me even more disappointed. I have so few friends; I wanted to share my good news with her, but… where has she gone? What is she doing? If she knew I’ve joined the cast, she’d be happy for me, wouldn’t she? Xia Wei, where on earth are you?
