Chapter 24: Taken by Force

"Short on people?" Chu Luoxi was both astonished and flattered. She hadn’t even officially debuted yet, not even considered a newcomer, and now the director himself had come to see her? It had to be for Xiao Jingxuan’s sake! This was no small favor, and she certainly didn’t want to owe it. She hadn’t planned on stepping onto this path so soon—she’d wanted to enjoy her student days a little longer.

Since when had the great Xiao become so helpful, introducing her to work and even giving away favors?

"Yes, about half an episode’s worth of scenes. The actress we’d originally cast suddenly backed out, and we couldn’t find anyone else on such short notice. If we delay the shoot, we’ll have to call everyone back for a reshoot later. Junior, just treat it as lending us a hand," Xiao Jingxuan replied breezily, as if he were quite happy to offer such a favor.

He was happy, but Chu Luoxi was conflicted. This favor being handed to her felt like a hot potato. Xiao Jingxuan’s favors weren’t something just anyone could afford to owe. The problem was, she couldn’t refuse either. What kind of mess was this?

"Go get into costume and try a screen test now," Li Shuangmu interjected, frowning slightly, a hint of impatience in his expression.

To be honest, if it weren’t for Xiao Jingxuan’s involvement, he wouldn’t have bothered with this at all. Even if this role was crucial—one of the most important points in the story—actors were never irreplaceable. Worst case, he could have just pulled in a background extra. But since Xiao Jingxuan had spoken up, he couldn’t just ignore it. Only those who’d dealt with him knew, even vaguely, how deep Xiao Jingxuan’s connections ran. Even if Li Shuangmu didn’t like it, he wouldn’t risk offending him over such a trivial matter.

In this industry, sticking rigidly to principles and being overly stubborn would get you nowhere. Sometimes, you had to be flexible.

"Right now?" Ji Yanjin exclaimed. "But it’s already ten o’clock…" Historical costumes took ages to put on, and at this hour, they’d be working until dawn just for a few minutes of screen test. Wasn’t that a bit much?

Ji Yanjin seemed to have forgotten that he was also an artist. Back in his boy band days, the entertainment company in Taiwan was notoriously ruthless—working through the night without food or rest was normal, and no one cared about the time.

Chu Luoxi pinched him discreetly to cut off his protest. With a bright smile, she said to Director Li, "I’ll go right away!" Even if she didn’t particularly want this opportunity, she wasn’t about to turn it down—especially if it meant embarrassing Xiao Jingxuan in the process.

In her past life, the legendary Xiao Jingxuan was someone you simply couldn’t afford to cross. If he ever declared someone blacklisted, it truly meant the end of their career. His word was more effective than any official ban, famous director, or wealthy investor’s order. Even scraping by in online productions would be impossible.

This alone showed that the power Xiao Jingxuan wielded was beyond what most people could imagine. Chu Luoxi realized, with a jolt, that he was even more formidable than she’d thought. In her past life, she’d only heard sporadic legends about him and never gave them much thought. Now, pondering it, she sensed there was much more beneath the surface.

She glanced at Xiao Jingxuan and found him more enigmatic than ever.

Pulling all-nighters on set was nothing new to her. Chu Luoxi went to remove her makeup from the earlier music video with professional cleanser before obediently sitting for the stylist.

Li Shuangmu and his team weren’t about to wait for her to finish. The shoot outside was still in full swing; they’d only stepped aside earlier because Xiao Jingxuan had asked.

After sending off the reluctant Ji Yanjin, Chu Luoxi cooperated with the stylist while reading over the character she was to play.

To her surprise, she was to play the protagonist's mother—of course, in her youth, during the prime of her life. The series would present her story in flashbacks, recounting her entanglements of years past. It was about half an episode—not long, but significant.

The mother’s experiences were woven throughout the entire story of "Dragon Roars Under Heaven." Many of the protagonist’s trials were tied to her. Though she appeared for less than half an episode, her presence was indispensable—a true soul of the series.

The protagonist’s mother, Yun Tianxue, was renowned as a breathtaking beauty of her generation, admired and pursued by countless talented young men. The entire story opened with the passionate love and hate between Yun Tianxue and the protagonist’s father.

"Dragon Roars Under Heaven" revolved around the protagonist’s unparalleled talent and wisdom, unfolding through a series of suspenseful events. The main thread was the protagonist gradually uncovering the complicated relationship between his parents and their peers, and how those old entanglements shaped his present life.

In essence, the feuds of the previous generation spilled over into the protagonist’s world. Xiao Yuntian, the protagonist, pieced together his parents’ story as he encountered and resolved one challenge after another.

Chu Luoxi’s appearance in these flashbacks would come in the latter half of the plot. The protagonist, Xiao Yuntian, finally met an old friend of his father’s and, for the first time, learned the full story of his parents’ past. This scene was pivotal, setting the stage for what was to come and playing a crucial role in the protagonist’s development.

Thus, Yun Tianxue was a key character. If her portrayal fell short, it would detract from the protagonist. Viewers who’d followed the story so far would naturally imagine what kind of extraordinary woman could have raised such a remarkable son—and whose influence, even after death, still shaped the world and her child’s fate.

If Yun Tianxue never appeared and was left to the audience’s imagination, the story would always feel incomplete. Of course, what viewers imagined would always be perfect, but imagination lacked a sense of reality.

However, if Yun Tianxue did appear and failed to meet expectations, it would inevitably dampen the audience’s enthusiasm. Even with Xiao Jingxuan’s reputation buttressing the series, disappointment could linger, and if the portrayal failed too badly, it could even affect the show’s reputation.

That said, the script had elevated Yun Tianxue to such heights that playing her convincingly was a daunting challenge. It demanded striking looks, an extraordinary aura, and superb acting. Bringing in a famous actress would be costly—and even then, Li Shuangmu might not be happy, and top actresses might not have the time. After all, this was a TV cameo, not a film, and those who fit the bill might not be interested.

In the end, Li Shuangmu had to settle for second best: at least the actress had to be easy on the eyes. That way, the audience wouldn’t be too disappointed. Many viewers were visual creatures, after all. Li Shuangmu didn’t have any illusions about finding someone who fit the character perfectly—the script’s standards were almost unattainable—but at least the gap couldn’t be too wide.