Starlet Taotie Chapter 17 (Part 3)
Chapter 17.3 10k (CN) Characters
At last, it was time for the evening vote count.
Yang Zhen and Le Hui had been busy the entire afternoon, and they had finally managed to push Le Hui’s score up.
Both of them were brimming with confidence as they waited for Director Zou to announce the results.
“Everyone worked hard today.” Director Zou walked out, pushing a whiteboard covered with a cloth. “Our production team has just completed the final vote tally, and we’re about to determine today’s first, second, and third places. Are you all excited?”
“YEAH!!!”
“No rush.” Director Zou chuckled as he had three food carts pushed out, then unveiled them one by one.
“These are the dinners for today’s first, second, and third places.”
“Third place, for three people. Your dinner is… plain white rice with a small side of pickled vegetables.”
The guests: “……”
They already knew the production team was ruthless, but they hadn’t expected them to be this ruthless.
Still smiling, Director Zou unveiled the second food cart.
“Second place, for two people, will get a humble stir-fry meal. It looks pretty decent. A safe middle.”
“As for first place…”
The guests were completely hooked by Director Zou’s suspense.
But just as he was about to lift the cloth, he lowered his hand again. “Well, there’s basically no suspense anyway. Why don’t you all guess what delicious dishes are waiting inside?”
The guests: “……”
The constant buildup and letdown was making them want to punch a certain someone!
On camera, the guests’ expressions turned wonderfully colorful, providing the production team with plenty of material.
Only then did Director Zou finally lift the cloth.
An entire table packed with extravagant dishes was revealed.
The production team had definitely spent a fortune on this. It was unbelievably luxurious!
Jiang Tao swallowed hard.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhen and Le Hui exchanged a glance, smug smiles spreading across their faces.
The more lavish the feast was, the more pitiful that plain rice and pickled vegetables would seem. When Jiang Tao made her choice later, the contrast would hit even harder.
They were already impatient to witness Jiang Tao’s carefully crafted persona crumble apart.
Just as Director Zou was about to uncover the scoreboard—
Dong Xianhong suddenly spoke up. “Wait.”
He cast an apologetic glance at Sheng Xibai, who was standing with the help of a crutch.
“Xibai got hurt trying to help me, so I want to give him my points.”
Sheng Xibai exclaimed, “Ge!”
Director Zou smiled. Dong Xianhong had already spoken to him about this that afternoon.
So he simply confirmed, “Are you sure?”
Dong Xianhong nodded.
“Alright then,” Director Zou said. “Dong Xianhong’s 9 points will be transferred to Sheng Xibai. Dong Xianhong now has 0 points, while Sheng Xibai has 15.”
In an instant, Sheng Xibai surpassed Yang Zhen and Le Hui.
Neither of them had expected such a sudden twist.
Yang Zhen immediately shot Le Hui a reproachful look.
Le Hui hurriedly reassured him in a hushed voice. “It’s fine. It won’t affect anything.”
Her confidence calmed Yang Zhen down.
He suppressed the faint unease creeping into his chest and stared fixedly as Director Zou lifted the cloth from the board as though it were the very weapon that could destroy Jiang Tao.
Yet the moment the cloth was fully lifted—
And they saw the enormous “20” beneath Tang Yuxia’s name, the smiles on both their faces froze.
Le Hui blurted out, “H-How is that possible?!”
But the truth was right in front of them.
First place, without question, belonged to Jiang Tao.
Second place went to Tang Yuxia and Sheng Xibai.
Tang Yuxia excitedly threw her arms around Jiang Tao. “Jiang Jiang, I love you!”
Sheng Xibai hadn’t expected to place second either. Scratching his head shyly, he thanked Dong Xianhong, “Dong ge, come eat with me later. I can’t finish all this by myself.”
Dong Xianhong patted him on the shoulder. “Sounds good!”
Only Le Hui and Yang Zhen remained staring at the whiteboard in utter disbelief.
After running around and scheming all day, the real fools had turned out to be themselves.
Yang Zhen shot Le Hui a furious glare. If not for her terrible idea, he would have enough points for himself and never ended up in this situation.
If the cameras weren’t rolling, he would’ve wanted to walk off on the spot.
Le Hui felt both humiliated and wronged.
She dug her nails tightly into her palms, forcing herself not to reveal the twisted expression threatening to surface.
She couldn’t understand why things had turned out like this.
It’s all Jiang Tao’s fault!
At that moment, Jiang Tao, who was happily stuffing herself with food, seemed to sense something and looked up in Le Hui’s direction.
Not bad, not bad.
A little dessert after dinner.
…
The task the next day was comparatively peaceful.
But Le Hui was absent-minded the entire time, dazed as though she hadn’t slept at all.
She didn’t even know why, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to truly hate Jiang Tao.
Every time even a trace of resentment surfaced, it would quickly vanish without a trace.
After it happened over and over again, she began to grow frightened, feeling as though something supernatural was at work.
With her mind full of paranoia and suspicion, she ended up staying awake until morning. After hastily washing her face, she rushed off to get her makeup done.
The reflection in the mirror showed dull eyes, an exhausted complexion, and even slight puffiness.
It scared her half to death. Her makeup took more than an hour before she finally looked barely presentable.
But standing beside Jiang Tao and Tang Yuxia, it was immediately obvious who was naturally beautiful and who was relying on careful styling.
Even the cameraman couldn’t help thinking to himself—
An internet celebrity really was no match for actual stars when it came to looks.
Naturally, Le Hui noticed Jiang Tao’s flawless fair skin and slender waist as well.
Even hidden beneath a loose T-shirt, her figure was impossible to conceal.
Le Hui was both jealous and resentful.
Jiang Tao ate so much every single day, and it was always greasy, high-calorie food at that. So why wasn’t she gaining weight at all? Why was her skin still this good?
Le Hui’s jealousy burned so fiercely her eyes were practically bloodshot.
At that moment, Jiang Tao casually bumped into her as if by accident.
The jealousy filling Le Hui instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
Le Hui: ……
She had already grown numb.
So now she wasn’t even allowed to feel jealous anymore?!
Jiang Tao was terrifying!!
Meanwhile, Jiang Tao let out a satisfied little burp.
With such a stable and plentiful source of food, she was almost starting to like Le Hui.
…
After filming wrapped up, Tong Tong came to pick Jiang Tao up.
Jiang Tao lounged there lazily, looking like someone who had eaten far too much and was waiting for it all to digest.
Tong Tong: ……
Was the production team’s food really that good?
As usual, Tong Tong gave her an update on her recent surge in followers and the job offers they had received.
“There were a few advertisement deals, but I looked into them and none were very good. Jie, you’re still on the rise right now, so there’s no rush to accept them. As for work…” Her expression suddenly turned excited. “Jie, have you heard of Director Zhou Zhilan?”
Jiang Tao groggily asked, “Zesty lamb?”
(TL Note: I tried my best…. She thought Tong Tong was talking about food, Zhou Zhilan… zesty lamb xD)
Tong Tong: “……”
She decisively dropped her question and continued, “Director Zhou currently has a major IP drama called 'Lingxiao Chronicle', and they happen to be casting right now. Director Tang recommended you to him, so Director Zhou said you can come to the audition.”
The moment Jiang Tao realized it had nothing to do with food, she immediately lost interest.
Tong Tong: “I heard the meals provided on Director Zhou’s set are really good. Big portions, and all-you-can-eat…”
Jiang Tao instantly perked up. “Say no more. I’m absolutely getting this role!”
Tong Tong couldn’t help giggling, but as if recalling something, her smile faded slightly.
Jiang Tao gave her a puzzled look. “What’s wrong?”
Tong Tong hadn’t expected her to be so perceptive. She panicked a little, hesitated, then finally confessed, “Sun ge’s been acting kind of strange recently.”
“Who’s Sun ge?”
Seeing the blank confusion in Jiang Tao’s eyes, Tong Tong choked for a moment. “Sun Jianxian. Your former manager.”
Jiang Tao: “Oh, that human who looked completely unappetizing.”
Tong Tong: “……”
Jiang Tao asked, “What about him?”
Tong Tong frowned as she replied, “I can’t really explain it. But last time, I ran into him outside the archives room. He looked really flustered and hurried off the moment he saw me. I asked the people in the archives room, and they all said he only came in to check some files and didn’t do anything else… But for some reason, I just can’t shake this bad feeling.”
Jiang Tao waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. If he really tries anything funny, I’ll just eat him.”
Tong Tong said helplessly, “Jie, one joke like that is enough.”
Jiang Tao muttered, “But I wasn’t joking…”
Tong Tong didn’t hear her, nor did she dwell on it any longer. Instead, she began repeatedly drilling audition tips into Jiang Tao’s head.
…
Soon came the day of the audition.
Early in the morning, Tong Tong stormed into Jiang Tao’s home with a makeup artist and stylist in tow. After fussing over her for more than an hour and making absolutely certain her jie looked radiant enough to outshine everyone else, they finally headed for the audition hotel.
The hotel was already packed with actresses waiting to audition.
And among them, Jiang Tao spotted someone familiar: Ann Lisa.
The moment Ann Lisa saw Jiang Tao, she froze.
After ‘Over Here!’, she had been mocked online for a long time, while Jiang Tao had gradually become popular again.
Her manager had lectured her repeatedly, warning her not to clash with Jiang Tao anymore.
Ann Lisa had been unwilling to accept this result and spent a long time mentally preparing herself before she finally managed to let it go.
'Lingxiao Chronicle' was a project Ann Lisa had had her eye on for a long time.
Although it was a male-led drama, the director was Zhou Zhilan, and several of the female characters in the series were especially distinctive. If portrayed well, they could easily become breakout roles.
The role she had come to audition for this time was the villainous female character, the ferocious beast Yue Jia.
She had never expected to be competing against Jiang Tao.
Old grudges and new resentment surged together, and she shot Jiang Tao a vicious glare.
Jiang Tao: ……Hungry.
Ann Lisa suddenly shivered and quickly turned her head away.
Her hatred didn’t last long. Her manager whispered something into her ear, and she immediately restrained her emotions, looking toward the audition room door with anticipation in her eyes.
Jiang Tao found it a little disappointing.
But she quickly noticed that a subtle commotion was spreading among the actresses present.
Aside from nervousness, there was something more…anticipation.
Like Ann Lisa, they kept glancing toward the audition room door from time to time.
It was only when Jiang Tao went to the restroom, she overheard two girls chatting while touching up their makeup.
“Is the news reliable? Is Best Actor Shen really going to appear in this web drama?”
“Of course it’s reliable. I heard he invested in this drama himself, so he’ll definitely be more involved.”
“Ahhh, I’m so excited! I wonder who he’s going to play, and if I’ll even get a chance to act with him!”
After returning to the room, Jiang Tao curiously asked Tong Tong, “Who is Shen Yingdi?”
(TLN: She thought yingdi was his given name, but it’s just ‘Best Actor’)
Tong Tong facepalmed. “……Shen Yingdi is Shen Zhiyan! You even had dinner with him last time at Velaris Sky Clubhouse!”
At the mention of Velaris Sky, Jiang Tao finally remembered. “Oh, the one who snatched my last piece of sweet and sour fish!”
Tong Tong: “……”
At that moment, Ann Lisa came out of the audition room.
Her expression was somewhat strange, part regret, part satisfaction.
Ultimately, she shot Jiang Tao a smug glance before swaying her hips as she walked away.
Many of the other actresses looked at her back with envy.
“It’s Ann Lisa. She must’ve gotten it!”
“I heard she auditioned for Yue Jia. Good thing we didn’t end up competing with her.”
The other actresses who had also auditioned for Yue Jia all looked visibly dejected.
At that moment, the assistant director called Jiang Tao’s number.
Tong Tong quickly straightened Jiang Tao’s dress and sent her inside.
Jiang Tao stepped into the audition room.
Compared to the noisy waiting area, this place was much quieter, filled only with the faint hum of central air.
In the center of the room was a large open space, and on the far side sat three men and one woman.
Jiang Tao recognized the man sitting in the center—it was Shen Zhiyan.
Compared to last time, he was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, making him appear even more refined and handsome. The faint red mole at the corner of his eye was half-hidden behind the lens.
Every line of his features looked like something meticulously carved by a creator, flawless in every detail.
But in Jiang Tao’s eyes, he wasn’t even as appealing as the plate of pastries in front of him.
Shen Zhiyan had long since gotten used to the fact that her eyes only ever saw food, not people.
However, Zhou Zhilan and the others looked at her as if she were some rare specimen. After all, she was the first person who had walked in and completely ignored Shen Zhiyan.
Unable to help himself, Zhou Zhilan nudged Shen Zhiyan with his elbow and remarked in surprise. “This is the first time I’ve seen a woman completely uninterested in you!!”
Shen Zhiyan smiled faintly. “I’ll cover your trip to Thailand for a gender change. Then you can witness that scene in the mirror every day.”
“Tsk, it was just a joke, do you have to be that ruthless?” Zhou Zhilan pulled his hand back. He coughed and loudly announced. “Alright, let’s start the audition.”
“First, show us your expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.”
These were all things Tong Tong had already trained her on, so Jiang Tao completed them smoothly.
She performed a short additional scene.
Zhou Zhilan raised a brow.
Jiang Tao’s performance so far could only be described as passable, which left him a little disappointed.
He had originally thought that someone recommended by Director Tang would perform better than this.
“For the last part, show me the ferocity, greed, and cruelty of a ferocious beast.”
Letting Jiang Tao finish the audition was simply a courtesy to Director Tang.
In truth, Zhou Zhilan had already stopped expecting much. He casually tossed his pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, watching her with a relaxed, indifferent gaze.
“A ferocious beast, huh?” Jiang Tao blinked. “I’m actually pretty good at that.”
Zhou Zhilan let out a faint scoff, unconcerned.
But in the next instant, he realized Jiang Tao’s entire aura had changed.
The warm indoor air seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.
Everyone felt an overwhelming, tyrannical pressure—an instinctive fear buried deep within their genes, the terror of encountering a natural predator.
They wanted to run.
But their bodies refused to obey.
All they could do was stare in horror as Jiang Tao stepped closer and closer.
The female screenwriter beside Zhou Zhilan was so frightened she was on the verge of tears.
Even Zhou Zhilan himself was terrified, barely managing to maintain his composure.
Although it had only lasted for a brief moment, it felt to them like an eternity.
The only thought left in their minds was three words: don’t court death.
By the time they finally came back to their senses, Jiang Tao had already taken the pastries in front of them and was happily eating away.
Zhou Zhilan let out a long breath.
Only then did he realize his back was completely soaked with sweat.
He looked at Jiang Tao in shock and uncertainty.
This was way too f*cking terrifying!
Was she even human?!
In that instant just now, he truly felt as if he were staring directly into a ferocious beast.
Acting skills could be taught, but that terrifying aura was rare.
As long as she could bring even fifty percent of that presence to the camera…
No, thirty percent would be enough.
She would be the absolute embodiment of Yue Jia!
Excited, Zhou Zhilan stood up and grabbed the contract that had already been prepared on the side. “Miss Jiang, congratulations. The role of Yue Jia is yours.”
Jiang Tao clapped off the pastry crumbs from her hands and was just about to take it when a hand reached out from the side and pressed down on the contract.
Shen Zhiyan smiled gently.
Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes gleamed with a rare intensity, like a predator finally meeting a worthy opponent.
“Wait, first, do a scene with me.”
TL Note:
