Chapter 19: 17

The majority of the students who attend the academy aim for a career in the entertainment business. While most of them aspired to become stars, there were also those who studied to work behind the camera. In this way, there was no shortage of good-looking people in the school.

Jiang Se stood just outside the entrance of the school, admiring the wide and impressive gates while also observing the people around her. Although the place appeared busy, there were actually far fewer people there than at Shen Farms over the weekend, and it was obvious that most of them were either students or staff of the school. For a moment, she wondered whether the ‘information’ Mao JingJing read online was fake after all. Though skeptical, Jiang Se only paused for a second before tugging at the straps of her bag and calmly stepping into the school’s gates.  

She did not rush around and inquire whether the crew of ‘From Make Believe to Reality’ was here or if the rumors of the screen test were true. Instead, she leisurely took a stroll around the campus, familiarizing herself with the environment. In some ways, it was similar to her alma mater, except there were dance studios and small theaters in each building. There were also many more open areas and practice rooms, as well as dedicated places for costume and makeup preparation. This was all new to Jiang Se.

About half an hour later, Jiang Se finally finished her impromptu tour and had a good grasp of where each department was located. A fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead, and her legs were a little shaky from all the walking, so Jiang Se began to search around for a place to rest. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a marble fountain in the center of a plaza.

The edge of the reservoir was very wide, designed to allow people to sit on it; it was the perfect place to take a break. Jiang Se took off her bag and sat down. Undoing the zip of her bag, she retrieved a bottle of mineral water from inside and took a leisurely sip.  

The faint sounds of water could be heard echoing around the plaza as, behind her, the water poured continuously onto the basins from the fountainhead. Occasionally, drops of water would land on her arms and cheeks, giving her a brief respite from the sweltering evening heat.

Later, Jiang Se pulled out a packet of facial tissues from her bag and wiped the perspiration from her face. The sun was not as hot as it was in the late afternoon, but it was still warm enough to make anyone uncomfortable. So, Jiang Se carefully cleaned herself up, patting the tissue across her neck and arms, as she waited for her body to cool down.

A rush of scent suddenly hit her senses, and she felt someone sit down next to her.

She turned her head and looked to the side. A female student in a short red dress was seated only a meter or so from her. Her pair of long, fair legs were especially conspicuous against the stark color of her dress. Right beside her was an open bottle of nail polish.

The girl had one of her legs raised up, folded close to her body, and she was carefully applying a coat of nail polish on her big toe.

She must have sensed Jiang Se’s intent gaze as the girl suddenly looked up at her and smiled, asking, “Sorry, is the smell of the nail polish too strong?” Saying so, her hands never paused, and she continued to paint her nails.

When the girl looked up, her thick, chestnut-colored hair had fallen back behind her shoulders, revealing a lovely face with delicate makeup.   

The girl must have felt uneasy as Jiang Se continued to stare, because she raised an eyebrow, smirked, and then lightly snorted. Still, she did not stop moving. She dipped the small brush back into the nail polish bottle and then adjusted her position, shifting her legs even closer to her body.

Jiang Se felt compelled to tell her, “I can see your black underwear from here.”

The girl’s hands shook and slid, and the brush deviated to the left. A long red line of nail polish went across all four of her small toes and then an inch up her foot. Panicked, the girl jammed the brush back into the bottle and partially screwed it on. She frantically rummaged through her bag, looking for something to wipe the mess with.

Jiang Se pulled out two facial tissues and passed them to the girl. The girl accepted them without a second thought and began to wipe away at the nail polish on her foot.

“We’re both girls anyway; it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen it,” the girl nonchalantly remarked, rubbing the last traces of the polish.

She had finished wiping her foot but still did not put her leg down. Instead, she leaned forward, and with the motion, her lower body also shifted backward, causing the hem of her short skirt to move further up her thighs.

She flashed a mischievous smile at Jiang Se and said, “Do you want to take another peek?”

Jiang Se, straight-faced, promptly replied, “No, thank you. I’m not good at this,” then tucked the packet of facial tissues back into her bag.

The girl appeared to find her straightforward remarks and simple actions amusing because she heard a low chortle. She screwed the cap on the nail polish tight and shifted closer to Jiang Se, tilting her head to the side: “Which department are you from?”

Not waiting for an answer, she pushed the strands of hair on her face back behind her ear and smoothed her hair out. She then looked inquiringly at Jiang Se, her eyes studying her face, and asked, “Are you from the performing arts department? You’re very pretty, much prettier than that freshman Liu YuChun.”

Jiang Se thought the name sounded familiar but could not recall where she heard it. Shrugging it off, she went straight to the point and told the girl her intentions, “I heard that the production crew of ‘From Make Believe to Reality’ is looking to screen test actors, so I wanted to give it a try.”

The girl’s face lit up with surprise at these words, and then she threw her head back and laughed out loud, a teasing look in her eyes. “The power of the media is really formidable! The announcement just came out yesterday, and everybody already knows about it. Ha! So, you’re here to try your luck!” 

The girl shifted even closer, and the fragrance from her body intensified. “It’s too bad you came here for nothing. It’s all a wild goose chase.”

She then sneered, looking somewhere in the distance, “Gu JiaEr’s ‘From Make Believe to Reality,’ right?”

Jiang Se nodded.

The girl shrugged and continued, casually raking her fingers through her hair, “The school is cooperating with the production crew. That means any role, big or small, will be hand-picked by them. Especially for roles that have more than a line or two, or that have more than three seconds of screen time, those kinds of roles will never be distributed outside the school. You will have to get the recommendation of your mentor or a teacher in school to even qualify for a screen test.”

All of a sudden, she turned to look at Jiang Se and asked, “Do you have a sponsor? Or a ‘god father’? What about money?”

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Each time she asked a question, Jiang Se firmly shook her head.

At the end, the girl was stunned by Jiang Se’s bravado and rolled her eyes at her. “And you want to get in just like this? This industry isn’t that simple to wade into, you know? Unless you’ve got Lady Luck firmly on your side, then you have to have at least some kind of backing. Or money. You haven’t lost your marbles from all the daydreaming, right?!”

The girl had a voluptuous and curvy body, with her chest sticking out just right. Her dress’ low neckline highlighted her fair skin, and her fleshy yet slender arms and legs gave her a casually sensual air. Sitting side by side with Jiang Se, who had a slim build, Jiang Se was like a child, but this did not bother her. What made her uncomfortable was the girl’s proximity. Ever since they started talking, the girl kept moving towards her, shifting in her seat every now and then. Their shoulders were practically touching.

Jiang Se had never been one for intimacy, so she found the girl’s overtly familiar actions difficult to accept. Uneasy, Jiang Se pushed the girl back gently but securely on her shoulders and tried to nudge her a few inches back. As she carefully maneuvered the girl, she said to her, “I just want to audition as an extra.”

She was not the original Jiang Se and had no plans of stepping fully into that circle. She also really did not want to become a celebrity; she even thought she was not a good fit for it. She merely wanted to earn some money, and for now, acting seemed to be the most lucrative and available option for her.

She had undoubtedly been influenced to some extent by Feng ZhongLiang’s dislike for the acting industry. She, too, had some reservations about the profession, both consciously and unconsciously. But for practicality’s sake, she was willing to try acting, if only as a means to an end. 

If she was to stay in this body forever, she had to make responsible and safe decisions for herself.

“An extra?” the girl prompted disbelievingly. She had been playfully resisting Jiang Se’s manipulation and had been leaning her entire body forward, refusing to be pushed back. She wanted to tease the younger girl, finding her solemnity amusing, but when she heard her answer, she immediately stopped. 

Skeptical, she straightened her back and looked closely at Jiang Se. “So, you’re telling me, you came all the way here just so you can be an extra.”

She leaned back and looked Jiang Se up and down, assessing her whole body, before saying, “It’s not like you’re missing anything. Why just be an extra? Do you realize how little they are paid? Compared with roles with just a single line, they’re paid peanuts!”

Jiang Se shrugged on her bag and stood up, habitually smoothing out her clothes.

She had already explored the school grounds and learned everything she thought was important. She knew where the Department of Performance Arts was, and as well as the Department of Film and TV Technology, she also took note of all the other places where the production crew might appear.

The IAFT did not have strict requirements for its visitors and did not require a special pass to wander around the campus; anyone was free to come and go as long as you had your ID with you and registered at the gate.

If the production crew of ‘From Make Believe to Reality’ really was here, then nothing would have stopped those persistent reporters and paparazzi from prowling around. There were no media personnel anywhere, which meant there were no production crews.

Her trip today was for nothing, and the girl’s words just verified her guesses.

Staying here any longer was a waste of time, and she still had an evening self-study class. Jiang Se prepared to leave.

The girl was still sitting down, a crumpled facial tissue in her hand, and she was looking up at Jiang Se with a frown on her face when she said, “Are you…”

She paused, as if weighing her words and unable to make up her mind. She twirled a strand of her hair around her fingers and dazedly pulled at it before shaking her head. “I don’t suggest you come back here. They won’t accept outsiders.”

The girl looked away for a second, then glanced up at Jiang Se before looking down. She licked her lips and reached into the pocket of her bag, taking out a palm-sized mirror: “I heard that on June 12 on the 13th floor of the Yi Jing Building, there will be a screen test for the movie. It’s open to walk-ons. If you’re interested, then you should give it a try.”

The girl skillfully arranged her hair, swiveling her head left and right. Afterwards, she took out a tube of lipstick and carefully applied it on her lips, blotting out the color with her fingers as she said, “However, keep in mind that all the important roles for this audition have already been decided much, much earlier. So, you’ll probably be trying out for a very small, insignificant role, most probably as a background extra.”

Jiang Se nodded and silently memorized the address, then sincerely said her thanks.

“No need to thank me. I just hate owing people favors,” the girl said, showing her the crumpled tissue.

The girl bent her head, unscrewed the nail polish cap, and again raised her right foot up. Her actions were obvious enough; she had no interest in continuing the conversation.

Jiang Se smiled at the bowed head facing her and said, “You’re exposing yourself again,” before turning around and leaving.

The girl did not respond; her face was taut, and she was focusing all her attention on her toenails, but several seconds later, she abruptly erupted into laughter: “Pfft! Hahaha!”

 

__________

 

When Jiang Se returned to school, Lu BaoBao was still scribbling.

As soon as she saw Jiang Se, she raised her dominant hand and wiggled it pitifully; her fingers were about to cramp from all the writing she had done these past few hours, and her neck was stiff. However, her personal pity party could only be cut short because Lu BaoBao had more important matters to discuss. She snuck a quick glance around before grabbing Jiang Se by the elbow and nervously asking, “How did it go? Did you really go to the IAFT? Did you see Xu XiaoYing? Or Zhou JingXuan?”

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