Is Zeng Li beautiful?
The answer varies from person to person.
As the campus belle of Central Academy of Drama, and a lead actress carefully cultivated by Central Academy of Drama, she is tall, well-proportioned, has delicate features, and an excellent temperament.
It would be false to say she isn't beautiful; otherwise, Central Academy of Drama, with its abundance of beauties, wouldn't have chosen her as its campus belle.
But it's also true that she doesn't photograph well.
Wu Chen watched Zeng Li during her audition, secretly shaking his head.
Her long face, with a long mid-face and small eyes, was fine in person, but once the camera magnified it, her flaws were exposed—an overwhelming sense of maturity coupled with an air of disdain.
Not photographing well is a major taboo in movies, unless the appearance perfectly fits the role; unfortunately, the two female leads in "the dark side" have different kinds of beauty, and Zeng Li simply doesn't fit.
"If only she photographed a bit better," Wu Chen lamented inwardly, but on his lips, he politely refused.
"It's such a pity, Zeng Li, if I had met you earlier, I would have changed the female lead's character design."
The meaning was clear, Zeng Li wasn't foolish; a ripple flickered in her eyes, then quickly subsided, and she responded with a faint smile:
"It's fine, it's just a shame about this role."
She had grown accustomed to being rejected over the years; though her heart stirred, she could swallow it.
After the audition, at the entrance of Beijing Film Academy, the winter sun shone obliquely, and the shadows of withered poplars swayed beside the rusty iron gate, like remnants of an ink wash painting.
Wu Chen watched the three walk away, then turned to return to his dormitory.
Hu Jing and the other two waited for a car, as a cold wind swept through the alley, carrying the scent of candied hawthorns.
"So, Jingjing, you agreed? How much is the pay?" Yuan Quan asked with a smile, putting her arm around Hu Jing's shoulder.
"Thirty thousand!" Hu Jing lacked confidence, but forced out the two words stubbornly.
At this, Zeng Li and Yuan Quan were both stunned.
"Jingjing, are you that optimistic?" Zeng Li couldn't help but ask.
Hu Jing pouted; she was indeed optimistic, but the pay was also truly low. However, she couldn't lose face in front of her friends!
"Mm, I've decided to take a gamble!" Hu Jing patted her chest, vowing solemnly.
"Jingjing, I didn't realize you had such guts." Yuan Quan sighed with emotion, "To be honest, I also didn't want to miss such a complex role, what a pity!"
"Oh, it's nothing, come on, I'll treat you to dinner." Hu Jing didn't want to continue discussing this topic and changed the subject.
"Your thirty thousand won't even be enough for a meal," Zeng Li joked.
"Believe it or not, I can choke you to death..."
As the three girls giggled, in the Beijing Film Academy's female dormitory, Dong Xuan and a few others were also laughing heartily.
"Is that true, Yueyue, don't be so exaggerated?" Dong Xuan laughed, shaking like a flower, but her eyes were full of disbelief.
"What, you don't believe me? I saw it with my own eyes, Wu Chen almost had his mouth pressed against their faces..." Guan Yue blustered, anxious to pull out evidence to prove it.
"Their distance was just this close, about this close!"
Guan Yue gestured with her thumb and forefinger, leaving a one-centimeter gap.
"I'm not boasting to you, Wu Chen, a first-year student at Beijing Film Academy, and Zeng Li, Hu Jing, Yuan Quan, they've already graduated from Central Academy of Drama. If you say there's no connection, I won't believe it..."
Dong Xuan and Yin Xu exchanged glances, both smiling helplessly.
They knew very well what their roommate was like; a sow could climb a tree in Guan Yue's telling.
"Oh right, Xuan'er, didn't you add Wu Chen's QQ last time? Ask him!" Yin Xu suddenly thought.
"Is that appropriate!" Dong Xuan hesitated, "I added him but never chatted; suddenly asking would be too abrupt."
"Still, don't ask, it's not suitable!" Guan Yue said guiltily, interrupting with a dry laugh.
Dong Xuan glanced at Guan Yue's guilty expression and became interested: "Actually, it's not abrupt. He tricked us in the cafeteria last time; this can be a good excuse."
"Ah? Tricked you with what?" Guan Yue and Yin Xu were stunned for a moment.
"The cinematography techniques of "snow goddess dragon"! I asked the cinematographer, and he said it wasn't like that at all. It was professional, but purely nonsensical."
Dong Xuan smiled brightly, pulled out her flip phone, opened QQ, and went straight to the point.
"Cough, I knew Wu Chen wasn't honest!" Guan Yue stood up, coughed lightly, and scratched the back of her head, "Um, I'm going to get some water..."
"There's plenty of water in the kettle, isn't there? What, trying to flee at the last minute, afraid of being exposed?" Dong Xuan teased.
"Who said that!" Guan Yue, hearing this, immediately stood her ground.
Just then, Wu Chen was holding his cell phone, replying to messages, and Dong Xuan's chat box immediately caught his attention.
"Junior Brother, how did you manage to combine Wuxia and Mondrian's composition?"
Wu Chen was stunned for a moment. Had he been exposed?
He didn't believe Dong Xuan had specifically learned professional photography knowledge; it was highly likely she had asked a professional.
They had been friends for many days without chatting, but as soon as Guan Yue ran into them today, the message came.
Wu Chen narrowed his eyes. This must be related to Guan Yue; he just didn't know how exaggerated the rumor had become.
As for the embarrassment of being exposed, such a thing didn't exist for him.
Wu Chen was about to type a reply when Dong Xuan's image suddenly appeared in his mind.
As a strong contender for Beijing Film Academy's campus belle, Dong Xuan's beauty was self-evident.
Her features were delicate, with a soft charm of a Jiangnan water town in her eyes, yet her temperament carried a sensitive sense of detachment, a fragile yet captivating beauty.
Most importantly, her almond-shaped eyes, gentle as water when she smiled, but when she didn't, seemed to hide tiny thorns of suspicion. This sensitive and suspicious aura matched the temperament of the female lead in his movie.
Young, beautiful, with a sense of brokenness hidden in her appearance...
Locking her in a secret room and letting Dong Xuan express despair within it, how many viewers' hearts would that move?
Isn't she the perfect female lead?
Wu Chen's eyes lit up. He deleted the text he had just typed, re-edited the content, and sent it.
At this moment, he had to counter-attack.
"Senior Sister, did Senior Sister Guan Yue say anything?"
Dong Xuan saw this reply and was stunned. She waved her cell phone in front of Yin Xu and Guan Yue.
"Wow, this Junior Brother's brain, he's got something." Yin Xu praised.
"Tell me, how should I reply?" Dong Xuan said helplessly, then tapped Guan Yue, "Look at you, he saw right through you..."
"How was I supposed to know he's so devious? He could even guess that, he must be a fortune teller." Guan Yue pouted, unconvinced.
"Anyone who knows you could guess it," Dong Xuan said, exasperated.
However, at this moment, the QQ chat window vibrated again.
"Today I invited the campus belle of Central Academy of Drama to help out, but she fell a bit short. I'd like to ask you, Senior Sister, if you're available to come forward. Perhaps we could have dinner tonight and discuss it in detail..."
"He has an ulterior motive, he definitely has an ulterior motive!" Guan Yue exclaimed, jumping up and pointing at the cell phone, mumbling as she read Wu Chen's reply to Dong Xuan.
"But I'm really curious, if even Zeng Li and the others aren't suitable, what exactly is it?"
"Xuan'er, why don't you just go along with him? Don't you want to win? Don't you want to bring honor to our Beijing Film Academy...?"
"I'll go along with your head!" Dong Xuan chased and playfully hit Guan Yue, laughing and scolding.
"Honestly, I'm curious too!" Yin Xu leaned in with a gossipy expression, "Xuan'er, ask if we can go together?"