Chapter 15

Bai Yin contacted the art director of "Ni Chang," Li He, but received a reply saying, "Sorry, our dance cast has already been selected, and we don't need to add new actors."

She had expected this kind of response.

However, in the entertainment industry, all opportunities have to be fought for, and no one will hand her success on a silver platter.

Bai Yin searched online for the promotional video of "Ni Chang" and found a clip of the dance performance with feathered robes. She practiced the dance for several days in Chen Huaixiao's exercise room, following the dance edits in the promotional video, and recorded a dance video, which she sent to the email address on the business card.

Not only did she send the dance video, but Bai Yin also went to the provincial library to research Tang Dynasty face paint and applied it to herself according to the makeup in ancient paintings, creating a Fei Xia makeup.

Her makeup skills were extraordinary, and her makeup perfectly recreated the appearance of Tang Dynasty women.

With her dance and the meticulously crafted makeup, Bai Yin received a call from the art director Li He the afternoon after she sent the email.

In the call, Li He tried to contain his excitement and asked Bai Yin to come to the dance studio on the fifteenth floor of the Sheng Tang Group for a simple audition.

Bai Yin didn't hesitate and arrived at the dance studio half an hour after hanging up the phone.

The studio was spacious and bright, with about ten dancers practicing in front of mirrors.

Li He, the art director, was in his thirties, with his hair tied in braids and wearing a black and white jacket, a baseball cap, and an artistic flair.

When he saw Bai Yin outside the door, he waved to her and invited her in.

As soon as Bai Yin entered the studio, several girls who were practicing immediately stopped and looked at her.

She wore a loose white T-shirt that was suitable for dancing, and her skin was pale and delicate, with long black hair and clear, transparent eyes.

Li He had seen Bai Yin's dance and was very impressed with her professionalism. He only wanted to see her appearance, body posture, and temperament without makeup.

Naturally, he was satisfied with her looks and body, so the art director decisively said, "Bai Yin, you will be the lead dancer for 'Ni Chang.'"

"Thank you, Director Li."

Another girl who was doing a split against the wall in the dance studio protested, "Director Li, you said yesterday that I would be the lead dancer. Why did you change your mind today?"

"Qiao Xinqi, before the official filming begins, your position may change randomly. The lead dancer is based on ability. If you practice diligently during this time and perform better than Bai Yin, you can also become the lead dancer."

In the play, only the lead dancer had long-term close-ups and lines, while the other dancers were either in profile or with their backs facing the audience. Even if they had close-ups, the time was very short.

Therefore, everyone was trying their best to become the lead dancer.

Qiao Xinqi glanced at Bai Yin and said with dissatisfaction, "You just think she's pretty."

"If you say that..."

Li He walked to the sound system and played "Ni Chang Feather Robe Dance" music. "Why don't you compete with Bai Yin and see who is better? Let your actions speak for themselves."

"Let's battle," Qiao Xinqi said with determination.

She had been rehearsing for this dance for three months and was confident that she could outperform any newcomer. The other girls stepped back, giving Qiao Xinqi and Bai Yin space to battle.

Qiao Xinqi's dance was skillful and graceful, every move was natural and confident. Bai Yin had only learned a few poses from videos and didn't have a professional teacher's guidance, so there were some differences in her movements compared to Qiao Xinqi's.

The girls whispered among themselves, convinced that Bai Yin must have used some kind of backdoor to get here. They noticed Li He's admiring gaze and wondered if there was something secretive going on between the two. However, during the final and most difficult move, the Hu Xuan spin, Qiao Xinqi struggled to complete the move without losing balance. When she turned around to look at Bai Yin, she was stunned.

Bai Yin's spin was graceful and elegant, with every rotation revealing subtle changes in the position of her slender fingers. Her dance had the ancient charm of a Tang dynasty woman at a grand banquet.

Qiao Xinqi had nothing to say and walked away in frustration.

Outside the practice room, Chen Huaixiao watched Bai Yin's butterfly-like dance with an expressionless face. He remembered a girl with braids who used to spin in circles against a black and white wall. She had bumped into him and left a sweat stain on his white shirt.

Chen Huaixiao had developed a love for watching her dance because he saw something else in her movements. But after she left four years ago, he had trouble sleeping every night. She had become like a stubborn weed, rooting herself deeply in his heart and refusing to let go.

He hated feeling this way.

As he sat in the car, Chen Huaixiao tried to suppress his thoughts of Bai Yin's spinning dance. He wasn't one to give in to temptation easily, but he had given in to Bai Yin.

His assistant, Captain Xu, asked, "Sir, are you staying at the company tonight?"

Chen Huaixiao, struggling to control his emotions, replied, "Yes, I'm going back to the company."

"But sir, you haven't seen your wife in a week."

Chen Huaixiao glared at Captain Xu through the rearview mirror and said icily, "My personal life is none of your concern."

Captain Xu was puzzled. Weren't they newlyweds who were supposed to be inseparable?

If he didn't want his wife, why would he sneak into the Shengxia Group to watch her audition as if he were a thief?

If he wants his wife, why leave her hanging and not even bother to check up on her?

What is he up to?

...

In the evening, Sun Lili invited Bai Yin to celebrate her successful audition for the lead role in "Ni Chang" at the upscale Salia Club.

Salia is one of the top ten upscale clubs in the northern city, with high prices and a great environment. It's not like the usual bars where drunken men run amok.

Even if someone gets drunk, they are closely monitored by visible security personnel to prevent any incidents that might affect other customers.

Sun Lili ordered a cocktail for Bai Yin, and the two sat on high chairs watching handsome men.

Bai Yin leaned on the bar, playing with her glass absentmindedly, her eyes showing a hint of drunkenness that attracted many men who were eager to buy her a drink.

However, Sun Lili blocked all these unwanted advances and said helplessly, "It's Chen Huaixiao who's lucky. If any other man marries you, I would feel sorry for you! Look at your looks and figure, only a national male god is worthy of you."

Bai Yin lifted Sun Lili's chin with her hand and smiled, "You didn't think so highly of me when we were freshmen."

"In these two years, you've grown too quickly," Sun Lili sighed. "Bai Yin, with your abilities, I believe you will have everything you want in the near future. If you're rich and successful, don't forget me!"

Bai Yin raised her cocktail glass and clinked it against Sun Lili's.

"The art director who selected you as the lead dancer in 'Ni Chang' only saw your video? It can't be that simple," she said.

"It's not that simple," Bai Yin replied soberly. "The business card Chen Huaixiao gave me had an internal phone number and email address on it. Anyone contacted through this method must have internal connections. So whether or not I introduced myself, they couldn't ignore my email message."

"Is that so?!"

"If an ordinary person could easily get into such a massive investment super IP drama through an email or phone call, what's the point of signing a contract with an agency? They could just find work themselves and not have to share their earnings with the company."

"You're right," Sun Lili nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that your marriage wasn't in vain!"

"Of course not." Bai Yin put her life and fortune on the line with Chen Huaixiao in this bet. If she loses, she'll probably be played to death by Qin Jue.

This marriage...couldn't have been for nothing.

"However, since Chen Huaixiao has connections, why didn't he give you the main role? It's not just a matter of words, is it?"

Bai Yin shook her head. "He won't promote me."

Although Chen Huaixiao promised her connections, whether or not she gets the role depends on her own abilities. As he said, the entertainment industry is not short of connections, but how many can rely on connections alone to succeed in the long run?

...

Bai Yin went to the restroom, where two women were touching up their makeup.

One of them, with big wavy hair, said to the other woman with smoky eye makeup, "Chen Huaixiao is here. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tonight."

Bai Yin paused, turned off the faucet, and went to the dryer to warm her hands, paying close attention to her surroundings.

The woman with smoky makeup applied maple red lipstick and chuckled, "That guy plays with everything but women. If you want to seduce him, it won't be easy."

"As long as he takes a liking to you, a few bit-part roles are enough to secure your future, isn't it better than being a car model?" The woman with curly hair said, "Besides, even if we can't get anything, we won't lose out by having a drink with such a handsome man. Let me tell you, Chen Huaixiao's entertainment arrangements tonight... I paid a lot of money to ask Captain Xu from the racing team to arrange it. Ordinary people can't even get in!"

The two women chatted and laughed as they went up to the third floor of the Serena Club and arrived at the door of a private room.

Bai Yin followed them all the way.

Chen Huaixiao was the CEO of Canxing Group during the day, with a cold and dignified exterior and a decisive and ruthless hand. No one could take advantage of him.

At night, he took off his suit and entered the world of the club, where everything was possible and anything goes. He was the most dazzling ghost.

Naturally, his nocturnal activities became the object of many people who wanted to take shortcuts... but few could actually get the chance.

The two women just now were playing such a small trick.

Bai Yin followed them to the door of the private room and looked up.

The private room was exceptionally elegant, with a wooden sign hanging outside that read "Washing Stream Sand." Inside the room were antique screens, behind which figures moved and laughter echoed.

The two women said something to the waiter guarding the door, and he smiled and let them in.

Bai Yin followed them in, but the waiter stopped her. "Who are you looking for?"

"Chen Huaixiao."

The waiter frowned and looked her up and down.

She was wearing an extremely slim black split long skirt, with shoulders like snow-capped peaks, a black suspender holding up her chest, and a smooth and sexy waistline.

Putting such a beautiful woman into the private room would surely outshine the others.

The waiter was there to do business, so he naturally wouldn't do something so stupid. He impatiently said, "There are many women looking for Chen Huaixiao, who are you?"

"Who were those two women just now?"

"They had introductions."

"Whose introduction, Captain Xu's?" Bai Yin heard them mention this name in passing. The waiter pushed her away, "Why do you care so much?"

Before he could finish, Bai Yin grabbed his wrist, pressing on his soft tendon, causing him to cry out in pain but unable to break free.

This woman...she appeared sexy and charming, but he never expected her to be so strong!

Bai Yin's face turned cold, and her black eyes exuded a chilly aura - "Do you even check your clients before you pimp them out? Do you think you can manipulate Chen Huaixiao?"

With that, Bai Yin let go of his hand and strode into the private room.