Chapter 8: The Audition

Song Jin was furious, deeply annoyed by the fact that she had been deceived.

Duan Yan was bad!

She had deviously tricked her into willingly exposing her soft belly for petting, and even buried her face in it.

She gritted her teeth and swore: ‘I will never take the initiative again! If she wants to touch me, impossible!’

And so, for the rest of the day, Duan Yan didn’t get to touch the cat.

Whenever she was about to reach out to pet it, the little cat would stare at her warily, waving its paws and letting out a threatening hiss.

‘But it was so comfortable when I was being petted, why did it get angry?’

Duan Yan was very helpless.

This proud and aloof personality was truly something one could both love and hate. Yet when the little cat came close, it was impossible to resist.

Because she had an audition at ten, Duan Yan woke up early to pick out her clothes.

She glanced at the little cat still sound asleep on the bed and couldn’t resist sneaking a little pet while it was sleeping.

The little cat was sleeping so soundly that it didn’t react when she touched it. It was so soft.

Its little belly rising and falling, its sleeping posture charmingly cute—just one look brought Duan Yan joy.

The little cat groggily opened its eyes and saw Duan Yan’s hand still hovering over its head. It instinctively stretched out a paw to retaliate, but its consciousness was hazy. It only wanted to continue sleeping, so it closed its eyes again and sank back into a deep sleep.

Duan Yan seemed to notice as well that the little cat was still sleepy and groggy. Her heart itched unbearably, and she petted it again.

Although Song Jin was asleep, she was very sensitive to the touch of Duan Yan’s “wandering hand.”

‘This hooligan Duan Yan, what is she touching!’

Song Jin silently regretted boarding this pirate ship.

After an unknown amount of time, Duan Yan seemed to have left.

Song Jin struggled to open one eye and glanced at the clock.

It was only six o’clock. Duan Yan woke up so early. No wonder she was so drowsy. Sleep, back to sleep.

After having breakfast downstairs, she went to the second-floor cloakroom to choose her clothes.

The script for the audition was quite heavy. Duan Yan looked through her cloakroom and finally settled on a dark cheongsam. This outfit was not only solemn but also perfectly suited the Republican era background.

…

Song Jin lay there, and the more she thought about it, the more something felt off. She suddenly woke up completely. ‘What is Duan Yan doing today?’

The door wasn’t locked. She followed the path and suddenly heard a conversation between Duan Yan and Duan Lian.

“I’m about to leave. When the little cat wakes up, give it something to eat.”

“Okay. That little cat will probably be looking for you later. Why don’t you take it with you?”

Duan Yan chuckled, “I made it angry yesterday. Now it gets annoyed just seeing me. I’ll let it cool off for a bit and talk to it after it’s no longer angry.”

Song Jin pricked up her ears, listening carefully to the conversation outside.

Upon hearing Duan Yan’s words, a fire of anger ignited in her heart.

‘So you do know!’

“Really, you’re like a child, throwing a tantrum with a cat. When will you be back? Should I prepare lunch?”

“I won’t be back. I have an audition at ten, I can’t make it back. Just prepare dinner.”

Song Jin’s indignation didn’t last long before she caught the keyword “audition.”

‘That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only could she learn from Duan Yan’s acting, but she could also meet the director. She had to find a way to go to the audition with Duan Yan.’

Song Jin’s eyes darted around. She slipped downstairs to the living room, to a spot one must pass to leave, and waited in readiness.

Duan Yan’s appearance was different from her usual glamorous look; today’s outfit was particularly solemn.

A pure black cheongsam, form-fitting, showcased her graceful figure, revealing a sliver of her snow-white arms and neck.

Having grown accustomed to her vibrant, passionate red dresses, seeing such a low-key, calm color was a bit unusual.

Duan Yan saw the patch of orange on the floor, and her eyes lit up.

Song Jin scampered over to Duan Yan’s side, expertly rubbing against her leg.

Her pair of watery eyes were deliberately widened, making her look pitiful and wronged.

Her gaze held a mix of dissatisfaction and pleading, like an abandoned kitten looking forlornly at its owner who was about to leave.

“Meow-wu~”

Duan Yan’s lips curled up.

‘The proud little cat must be reluctant to part with her. Although it usually gives her the cold shoulder and doesn’t let her pet it casually, when it sees she’s not around, it still gets anxious and looks for her everywhere.’

‘Hmph, she knew the little orange cat had her in its heart. It was the first cat to stage a run-in with her, how could it not love her?’

Sure enough, the moment the little orange cat saw her, it ran towards her.

Duan Yan looked down at the little cat, “I forgot to feed her. She’s probably hungry.”

She picked up the little cat, turned to get food, and put the cat on the floor to feed it.

Seeing that Song Jin didn’t understand her meaning, she stomped her feet in frustration.

She refused to leave Duan Yan’s arms, afraid that Duan Yan would leave her at home alone.

“Baby, do you want to go out with mommy?”

Duan Yan’s voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, lightly brushing against Song Jin’s heart.

The little orange cat let out a “meow-wu” sound. It was unclear whether it was a refusal or an agreement, but from the cat’s actions, it was clear it didn’t want to leave her.

The manager and the company’s driver were waiting at the door.

Duan Yan scooped up the little cat, held it tightly in her arms, and carefully got into the car.

The audition was located at a famous Republican-era scenic area.

By the time Duan Yan arrived, quite a few people were already waiting for their auditions.

“Teacher Duan, please follow me,” a tall woman said to Duan Yan.

“Sister Yang, you can just wait outside. There’s a booth over there where you can rest.”

“Okay. Xiao Ya, why is it you? Where’s that girl Yuan Zhou?”

[TL Note: “Xiao” is a common affectionate prefix meaning “little” or used as a friendly nickname.]

Duan Yan greeted her with a familiar tone.

“She said she had something at school and ran off long ago,” Yuan Ya saw the cat in Duan Yan’s arms and said in surprise, “Wow, when did you get a cat? You can actually keep a cat?”

“Hmph, this cat actively sought me out. Do you understand its value? It’s cute and obedient.” When it came to the cat, even Duan Yan’s usually cool face showed a lively color.

“Alright, alright. But please, Best Actress Duan, put the little cat in the booth first and prepare for the audition.”

Song Jin had been nestled in Duan Yan’s arms. Hearing this, she grew anxious and began to plead with Duan Yan.

‘She had gone to such lengths, even acting cute, just to come along and secretly learn acting. How could she fail at the final step?’

Duan Yan felt the restless wriggling of the little cat in her arms, “Can I bring her in? She’s very well-behaved.”

“Meow-wu meow-wu~”

“Fine, just this once.”

Yuan Ya was not an unreasonable person.

The set was very fitting for the script’s theme.

The walls were hung with some old-time posters and a huge portrait of an ancestor, looking solemn and serious. In the room was a worn-out wooden table with a few newspapers scattered on it.

The director and assistant director sat at the table, their faces grim, exuding an oppressive aura.

“Why did you bring a cat? Put it over there.”

Director Yuan Si seemed somewhat displeased.

Duan Yan soothed the little cat with a gentle voice, placed it on a nearby table, and waited for the director to give her the scene.

“Have you all read the script?”

After receiving Duan Yan’s affirmative answer, Yuan Si randomly flipped to a page in the script, pointed to it, and said, “Let’s do this one. The scene where Zhao Qing parts with her mentor, preparing to go south alone to join the revolution.”

The assistant director frowned and whispered in the director’s ear, “The actor playing the teacher isn’t here today. Should we switch to another scene?”

But the director seemed not to have heard and made an even more difficult request, “I believe in your abilities. Can you do it solo?”

Usually, when a two-person scene was chosen for an audition, there would be a partner to help the actor immerse themselves and perform at their best.

Doing it alone was much more difficult. Not only did one have to grasp the length of the partner’s lines, but one also had to deliver their own lines without missing a single word.

“No problem,” Duan Yan nodded.

The audition began!

Song Jin watched Duan Yan without blinking.

Duan Yan walked gently to the front of the camera, smiled slightly at the director, and nodded in acknowledgment. Everyone present stared intently at Duan Yan, tension spreading.

Duan Yan didn’t speak for a long time, but everyone knew she had already immersed herself in the character.

Song Jin had read the script. This scene was a dialogue between the female lead and her mentor, with extremely difficult emotions to portray. She didn’t know how Duan Yan would act it out.

Duan Yan’s eyes were firm, yet they revealed a hint of pleading.

Sunlight streamed through the mottled windows, dappling the floor. The air was silent for a long time. Duan Yan, as if unable to hold on any longer, broke the dead silence.

“Teacher, I must go.”

Duan Yan looked pleadingly at the camera, her eyes filled not only with pleading but also with hope, her tone firm and resolute.

Song Jin, on the other side of the camera, felt as if she had become the mentor in the script when Duan Yan looked at her. An impulse to act opposite Duan Yan surged in her heart.

“The rise and fall of the nation is everyone’s responsibility! I cannot sit by and do nothing…”

The lines in this part were very long, a full page, but Duan Yan seemed to have memorized them by heart. There was no hesitation; instead, it was as if the real character were speaking.

Song Jin was amazed. ‘As expected of the person she considered her rival!’

Duan Yan’s highly infectious voice was like a lament, like a silent cry for that heavy period of history, filling everyone present with a sense of grief and indignation.

…

“Thank you, teachers.”

Duan Yan finished her performance.

The director’s face showed no emotion, but a flash of approval in his eyes revealed that he was very satisfied with Duan Yan’s performance.

Before the director could speak, the assistant director couldn’t hold back any longer and repeatedly praised her, only shutting up when the director glared at him, his face flushed.

The director was also a bit embarrassed. Putting on the air of a senior, he said directly, “Congratulations, you passed the audition!”

Duan Yan nodded slightly, a humble smile on her face, not at all surprised by the result.

Duan Yan looked nervously over at the little cat, afraid that it had run off and gotten hurt.

When she saw that the little cat was obediently staying on the table, she walked towards it with a smile.

Duan Yan’s eyes, like stars, sparkled with a gentle light, yet they only held her reflection.

As their gazes intertwined, something in Song Jin’s heart seemed to collapse in an instant, like ice and snow suddenly melting in winter, like peach blossoms blooming all at once in spring.

A surging palpitation welled up in her heart. It was so strange. In her twenty years of life, Song Jin had never felt that kind of emotion.

But in the next moment, Song Jin’s mood turned from sunny to stormy, and her fur stood on end