RGS 16

Chapter 16

In the original novel and the adapted screenplay, this scene was originally intended to be the first confrontation between Adonis and Aurelius due to their differing positions. In the movie “King” of that year, this scene was also rendered with intense conflicts on the big screen. The screenwriters and directors seemed to intentionally use this conflict to push the plot towards a turning point.

However, when Xi Ze reinterpreted the role of Aurelius, in this scene, sadness and sorrow became the main theme. The argument between Adonis and Aurelius did not reach its peak in words and physical conflicts but rather in the emotions and complex psychological activities of the characters, leading to a small climax.

To live as a slave?

Through this character’s rigid appearance, it seemed as if people could see the real Aurelius, someone who bore the identity of a slave while acting as a general.

After Xi Ze finished speaking, he quietly looked at Arnold, his eyes filled with a thousand words and emotions surging beneath the surface. However, all these emotions disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Closing his eyes and opening them again, all the emotions in his dark eyes were perfectly buried, as if he had always been nothing but a weapon of the nation, a general who fought and killed.

He took a slow step backward, a step that seemed exceptionally heavy and slow, as if carrying a thousand-pound burden. After retreating half an arm’s length from the Emperor, he knelt down once again, paying respects to the Emperor. With his raised arm blocking his own face, he buried his face in the crook of his arm and silently paid his respects, just as he had when he first arrived. It was as if, regardless of whether there had been a conflict with the Emperor just now, he had always been that armored general, never changing.

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Mbl ekalnvsa yde Hbydt Iyk’p vlyx olal nsxrzlvlzu pvwddle cu Dk gl’p ynvkdt. Mbl svbla nsxrlvkvsap yv vbl ywekvksd eked’v qyal ydu clvvla. Hbydt Iyk lhld yrrasynble Dk Hl kd lmnkvlxldv yde ypjle sd vbl pvytl, “Zsw… obs vywtbv usw vbkp pnldl? Pke usw nsxl wr okvb kv uswaplzq?”

Observing the reactions of those around him, Xi Ze knew that he had succeeded to a great extent. He modestly smiled and said, “I had read the novel before, and I felt that the first conflict didn’t quite match Aurelius’s character at that time, so I made a slight adjustment myself.” After a pause, feeling that as a newcomer, he shouldn’t take all the credit, he added politely, “Actually, it was also thanks to Mr. Arnold for guiding me…”

Before Xi Ze could finish his polite words, Arnold walked over from behind him. With a high and mighty demeanor, he directly stated, “He’s just fooling around with you, Director Zhang. He’s good at improvising scenes, he’s just being polite to you.”

Arnold had a built-in sarcasm filter, and as soon as he spoke, the surrounding discussions instantly quieted down in the audition room.

Some people might believe that others only had talent because of their seniority, but Arnold’s words challenged this notion. Someone below muttered in response, “Well, it’s common for senior teachers to guide in acting…”

Xi Ze didn’t bother to refute this comment. In the entertainment industry, having a thin skin wouldn’t get you far. He originally didn’t want to get involved, but to his surprise, a certain superstar decided to speak up at this moment, and his words, delivered with an air of indifference, were like venom: “Shouldn’t we be polite like this so that some people can find excuses for their terrible acting?”

Xi Ze silently thought to himself, “Don’t stir up trouble, big shot.”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly took a subtle turn. Many people didn’t catch on at first, thinking that Arnold was just reprimanding some juniors for not putting enough effort into their acting and having inflated self-esteem. But after a while, it started to feel odd—

Oh my god!! Superstar, do you have to protect him so blatantly? There’s no subtlety at all!! Could it be that the scene hasn’t ended yet? Right now, you’re Arnold, not Adonis!! Don’t favor your general so much!!

Xi Ze turned to look at Arnold. When he had heard Jian Anning talk about Arnold’s sharp tongue before, he hadn’t fully believed it. But now, looking at it, well, the superstar’s mouth was indeed quite sharp.

After Arnold finished speaking, he turned and walked away. When Xi Zeturned his head, Arnold happened to look back at him, and they locked eyes for a moment. Arnold’s cold and proud aura almost froze Xi ze.

Xi Ze innocently blinked his eyes, and Arnold, with an indifferent expression, turned back and resumed his seat—

Protecting what? It must be an illusion!

After completing the audition, Xi Ze walked off the stage, and at this point, Zhou Yang was on the verge of going crazy. He looked at Xi Ze with eyes practically shooting fire. He had always been a die-hard fan of Aurelius from “King”!! How could Xi Ze interpret the role so well? It was like he brought the character from the book to life!!

Zhou Yang pulled Xi Ze over, almost wanting to embrace him and shower him with praise. Xi Ze evaded Zhou Yang’s grasp several times before finally getting away. Zhou Yang held the lower hem of his own clothes and excitedly exclaimed, “You’re definitely going to be a big hit in the future! I’ll treasure this outfit; it has your signature and Arnold’s on it. It’ll definitely become a one-of-a-kind signature tee in the entire universe!!” QAQ

Xi Ze silently recalled the signature on Zhou Yang’s back and couldn’t bear to tell him that Arnold had crossed out his own signature… Yep, crossed it out.

The young actress’s audition had failed. Zhou Yang’s skills surpassed his acting, and Xi Ze had completely stunned everyone present with his acting. It was unclear whether it was because he had portrayed the role of Aurelius so perfectly or for some other reason, but afterwards, most of the people auditioning didn’t perform with much intensity. They either couldn’t match Arnold’s presence or delivered their lines dryly, or their expressions lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with Arnold in the scene.

After all the Asian actors had completed their auditions, Zhang Kai told them to wait for the results. They would receive notification within three days. So, Zhou Yang and Xi Ze followed the staff back.

Once Xi Ze and Zhou Yang returned to the waiting room, Jia En and Jian Anning’s faces immediately came into view, almost scaring the staff half to death.

Jia En pulled Zhou Yang over with wide eyes, but he maintained his speaking pace, neither too fast nor too slow, as he asked, “How did it go?” But his urgency was still evident in his words.

Jian Anning also asked Xi ze, “Is the audition over?! What audition is this?”

Before Xi Ze could speak, Zhou Yang in the waiting room excitedly blurted out, “Scene partners! Arnold was here too! The director had us do scenes with Arnold!”

Hearing this, both Jian Anning and Jia En were taken aback. As senior talent managers in the industry, they were well aware that acting alongside Arnold was not an easy task, especially Jian Anning, who had worked as Arnold’s temporary talent manager and knew better what it was like to act with him.

Zhou Yang continued to describe the atmosphere and the audition situation, while Xi Ze remained calm and nodded to Jian Anning. “There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Jian Anning knew that Xi Ze always managed to surprise people, but she couldn’t help but feel worried. After all, the other party was Arnold! They hadn’t expected Director Zhang and the audition team to come up with such an unusual approach.

“Acting alongside Arnold? Which scene did you choose? Did you really pick randomly?” Jian Anning asked, still anxious. Zhang Kai’s method of selecting actors this time was truly unprecedented and left them speechless.

Xi Ze nodded, and Jian Anning anxiously inquired, “Which role did you choose?”

Xi Ze replied, “Aurelius from ‘King,’ in the scene where he and Adonis have their first argument.”

Jian Anning’s legs almost gave out, and she nearly knelt before Xi ze. The character he had chosen to audition for was the very role Arnold had played years ago. How dare Xi ze, with his newfound courage, pick this role for the audition? Jian Anning stared at Xi Ze in astonishment, utterly speechless at his audacity.

On the other side, Zhou Yang continued to dance with excitement and share his audition experience. After recounting the situation, he grabbed the other two Asian young men from the group and pointed in Xi ze’s direction. “Xi Ze was amazing! Acting alongside Arnold felt like a thrilling showdown. It was so enjoyable!!”

Jia En slapped Zhou Yang’s back and scolded him, “Alright, calm down!”

Jian Anning turned around, not having been present during the audition, but now that it was over, regardless of the outcome, she wouldn’t let anyone see her lose her composure.

So, she walked confidently with Xi ze, chin held high, looking like a victorious conqueror. She left the waiting room, leaving Jia En frustrated. The three young men huddled together, admiring the precious signature behind Zhou Yang, while Jian Anning remained silent in the corner.

Jia En was feeling uneasy as he walked over and kicked Xi Nan gently. He frowned and said, “Don’t overthink it; let’s go.” As a talent manager, he had the mentality of gambling and accepting defeat. Who else would dare to challenge the role of “Aurelius,” especially when it came to a person with an Asian face like Xi ze?

Zhou Yang looked in their direction and was about to say something, but Xi Nan stood up abruptly and smashed the handheld display in his hand on the ground. His ferocious expression and fiery, resentful gaze laid bare his anger and frustration.

How could he not be angry? He had lived his whole life as someone with no presence, someone who was isolated like a fool on the sidelines. He was afraid of cameras and had been someone who would always panic when faced with one. Suddenly, one day, he became something that even he could only look up to from afar! Could he possibly accept this calmly and without resentment?

Jia En knew that Xi Ze andXi Nan were brothers, and he could understand Xi Nan’s feelings of unwillingness. But seeing the extreme anger on his face and the fiery red hatred in his eyes, he couldn’t help but be displeased. He rebuked him sternly, and the three young men from the group also felt uncomfortable. Although they didn’t know who this anger was directed towards, they felt that Xi Nan was taking himself too seriously.

—

Jian Anning was flying the spacecraft happily with Xi ze, humming a tune as they headed back. Xi Ze asked her, “Why are you so happy? Nothing’s been decided yet.”

Jian Anning hummed and replied, “If Zhang Kai doesn’t want you, it’s his loss. He’ll regret it later!”

Xi ze, upon hearing this, knew that Jian Anning must have some hidden agenda behind her happiness. He asked, “Why are you so happy?”

Jian Anning replied, “Do you remember the character ‘Ael’ that you said you couldn’t play last time? While you were auditioning, Tom contacted me and said that they changed the script, and the character ‘Ael’ has been removed.”

Changed? Xi Ze leaned back, his face devoid of any expression, showing no emotion. Jian Anning sometimes found it puzzling. Xi Ze didn’t seem like a typical nineteen-year-old boy; he appeared more like a man in his thirties or forties who could perfectly conceal his emotions.

After a moment, Xi Ze slowly asked, “So, are we going to Tom’s place now?”

Jian Anning clapped her hands. “Of course! We have nothing else to do this afternoon. If you’re satisfied with the changes they made to the ‘Ael’ character, we can take the role. Tom is like that; as long as he likes someone, everything else is negotiable.” She ended with a confident smile.

Xi Zenodded but didn’t seem in a hurry. He asked Jian Anning for more details about the film, including its budget, script, and lead actors. Jian Anning provided all the information, and then she added, “Arnold’s studio is also investing in this project. He’s bringing in funding.”

Investing in the project? Xi Ze paused and turned to Jian Anning. “What role is Arnold playing?”

Jian Anning chuckled, “He’s, of course, playing the lead.”

Xi ze: “…”

Jian Anning continued, “But if you think about it, ‘Player’ is almost custom-made for him. Tom had already cast him as the lead in his movie. You’ve managed to join both his show and his film. Your luck is truly extraordinary.” She added with a sly smile, “You two seem to be quite fated.”

Author’s note: (╮(╯▽╰)╭, handsome guy, ask yourself why you’re defending so blatantly like that?!