When Xiao He and Shu Han walked out of the audition room together, they discovered some actors were still sitting outside and hadn't left immediately.
The moment Xiao He and Shu Han emerged, their gazes instantly snapped onto the two of them. Those scorching stares felt almost tangible, brimming with intense curiosity.
Who was it?
Who ultimately won Director Ning's male lead role?
However, Xiao He and Shu Han exchanged a glance and both walked out nonchalantly, not revealing a hint of emotion on their faces.
The actors who had been observing Xiao He and Shu Han for a long while couldn't figure out which of them had secured the role at all.
But thinking about it logically, it must be Shu Han, right? It couldn't possibly be Xiao He.
"Want to grab a meal together later?"
Shu Han was completely unaffected by these people's stares as he asked Xiao He.
Xiao He nodded: "Sure, let's go find Sister Liu. Brother Shu, do you currently have a manager?"
"Still in the process of contacting people for now," Shu Han said casually. "Anyway, I'm managing fine on my own for the time being. Having an assistant handle my connections and work handovers is enough. After this matter is settled and after the Spring Festival, I'll look for my manager properly."
"Is that so."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked out all the way like this.
Liu Rulan had already calculated the timing and was waiting for them at the hall entrance.
Xiao He adjusted his expression, walked up to Liu Rulan, and let out a long, exaggerated sigh: "Aiii."
Liu Rulan stepped forward, glanced at Xiao He who looked "utterly dejected," then at Shu Han who appeared "completely unruffled," her eyes shifting suspiciously between them as she asked Xiao He: "Did someone fail the audition?"
Shu Han shot a sidelong glance at Xiao He, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face, and didn't immediately respond.
Xiao He sighed, the corners of his mouth drooping, and said with profound mystery: "This is a very sorrowful tale—"
Liu Rulan: "..."
Speechless, Liu Rulan raised her hand and directly thumped Xiao He, rolling her eyes dramatically: "You want to keep pretending with me?"
At the same time, she glared at Shu Han: "You've improved, actually cooperating with Xiao He to trick me."
Shu Han laughed heartily, spreading his hands innocently: "No choice, the loser has no right to speak."
"Ouch." Xiao He clutched his head, "Sister Liu, I was just lightening the mood!"
"Hmph, stop fooling around all day long!"
Liu Rulan crossed her arms, her tone very stern, but the smile in her eyes betrayed her good mood.
She checked the watch on her wrist, then said: "Perfect timing, I booked a restaurant. Let's eat together to celebrate."
Shu Han timidly raised his hand: "Sister Liu, have you forgotten about me?"
Even though Xiao He succeeded in the audition, that meant he failed his audition!
Liu Rulan looked at Shu Han: "What? Your junior succeeded in his audition, aren't you coming to celebrate?"
Shu Han surrendered: "Alright, alright."
He shouldn't have asked!
But Shu Han wasn't a petty person by nature, he just casually bantered along with Liu Rulan and Xiao He. Afterwards, the group talked and laughed as they went to the restaurant Liu Rulan had booked in advance to celebrate this happy occasion.
At the dinner table, Shu Han kept praising Xiao He, talking about Xiao He's talent, Xiao He's performance, and Xiao He's comprehension ability.
Xiao He listened on the side, feeling so embarrassed his scalp tingled and he could dig three bedrooms and a living room with his toes, but Liu Rulan listened delightedly, beaming with joy, and then began discussing with Shu Han about those public opinion incidents over the years where Xiao He had made her particularly worry-free.
The two launched into an intense discussion centered entirely on Xiao He.
During the last meal, Shu Han didn't know Xiao He too well and mostly talked about his own matters with Liu Rulan. This audition gave him a different perspective on Xiao He, and he was very optimistic about this junior. So this time, when Liu Rulan told him stories about Xiao He, he listened with genuine relish.
The corner of Xiao He's eye twitched uncontrollably. Seeing that Liu Rulan was about to start vividly recounting to Shu Han his series of good deeds—like climbing buildings as Spider-Man, drifting at sea as the Sea God, and so on—he immediately smiled and interrupted Liu Rulan's urge to share.
Stop, stop talking. Although he did do those things, looking back now, it just feels incredibly awkward, somehow giving off a vibe of showing off in front of people.
Xiao He chose to change the subject: "Brother Shu, are you returning to your hometown for the Spring Festival this time? And afterwards, where do you plan to develop long-term?"
"I plan to go back for the Spring Festival this time, since I haven't been back for a long time," Shu Han nodded with a smile. "As for development... I'm mainly considering Shanghai for now."
After all, he knows more people in these two places, and the social circles are relatively larger.
"As for Jiaxing Entertainment, it seems they got wind of my return ahead of time and want me to go back."
Liu Rulan immediately frowned: "When did they find out? What are your thoughts?"
"Probably last week. It's mostly because of this audition, which tipped them off about my situation," Shu Han explained. "But for now, I don't have any plans to return."
If Sister Liu were still at the company, he'd definitely be willing to go back. But now that Sister Liu has already left the company, Shu Han naturally has no reason to return.
After all, his good development and smooth work at Jiaxing were thanks to his manager being good, not Jiaxing Entertainment itself being good.
Shu Han doesn't have much fondness for these big companies nowadays.
"Anyway, I have connections and relationships now. Setting up my own studio wouldn't be bad either."
Liu Rulan thought for a moment, then asked: "Regarding a manager, do you have any candidates in mind currently?"
Shu Han smiled wryly: "Sister Liu, you know how it is. Most managers nowadays are tied to companies. Otherwise, once they gain some capability, they leave with their own artists to open separate studios. Finding a suitable manager to go independent with is still quite difficult for me."
Of course, the main reason is still his high standards.
Very few managers can meet his criteria.
So Shu Han simply decided to set this matter aside for the time being.
"I might be able to recommend someone to you. It just depends on whether your digging skills are sharp enough to poach them out."
Liu Rulan said thoughtfully.
Shu Han's eyes lit up: "Really? As expected, Sister Liu is the best to me! Who is it? Which company?"
"He Jinnian's manager, He Wenming."
Liu Rulan uttered the name.
Xiao He almost spat out the tea in his mouth.
He Jinnian's manager?
Although Xiao He hasn't met He Jinnian face-to-face offline, He Jinnian's fame and strength within the industry are undeniable. Xiao He has repeatedly heard or seen his name during auditions or in public discussions. He himself is one of the rare few actors who have won all three major awards for Award-Winning Actor, representing one of the top-tier figures among the middle-generation acting faction.
As for his manager He Wenming, although it's quite a coincidence that they share the same surname He, He Wenming and He Jinnian actually have no familial relation; they are purely business partners. And He Wenming's ability naturally goes without saying. Like Liu Rulan, he is a gold-medal manager—highly capable, ambitious, and a very formidable character.
If we just consider this manager alone, he would definitely be an excellent choice. Paired with Shu Han's ability and fame, they could certainly achieve great things within the industry.
But he's already He Jinnian's manager. With He Jinnian's strength and background, how could He Wenming possibly be persuaded by Shu Han to leave and accompany Shu Han on restarting his "journey to the peak"?
Just saying it out loud makes the chance of success seem incredibly low!