Morning sunlight filtered softly through the hospital window.
Jin Taoran woke to the steady rhythm of the heart monitor and the faint smell of disinfectant in the air. For a moment, he simply stared at the ceiling, letting the events of the previous day replay slowly in his mind.
The accident.
The system.
Lu Cheng.
Aurora Entertainment.
If not for the slight soreness in his body and the contract folder sitting on the bedside table, he might have believed it was all a dream.
But it wasn't.
His life had truly changed.
A quiet chime sounded in his mind.
The familiar blue system interface appeared.
Actor System
Host: Jin Taoran
Emotional Resonance Level: 1
Skills:
• Emotion Extraction Lv.1
• Character Memory Simulation Lv.1
Current Mission:
First True Role
Objective: Deliver a performance with Emotional Resonance.
Jin Taoran rubbed his temples.
"Three days…"
That was how long he had before the audition.
Three days to recover from a car accident and prepare for his first opportunity under Aurora Entertainment.
He let out a small breath.
Most people would feel overwhelmed.
But Jin Taoran felt something else.
Excitement.
For the first time in years, someone had given him a real opportunity.
And he refused to waste it.
Later that morning, the hospital door opened again.
A familiar figure walked in.
Lu Cheng.
He wore a simple black coat today, but even dressed casually, he carried an unmistakable presence. It was the quiet confidence of someone used to standing at the top.
Behind him came the same assistant from yesterday.
The assistant smiled politely.
"Good morning, Mr. Jin."
Jin Taoran sat up slightly.
"Good morning."
Lu Cheng pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down as if visiting injured actors was part of his daily routine.
"You look alive," he said calmly.
Jin Taoran almost laughed.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The assistant placed a tablet on the table.
"We've brought the script."
Jin Taoran's eyes lit up.
Already?
The assistant tapped the screen and rotated it toward him.
"The project is a historical drama titled 'Ashes of the Fallen Dynasty.'"
The title alone sounded dramatic.
Jin Taoran began reading.
The story followed a young prince whose kingdom had been destroyed by war. After losing his family and homeland, he spent years wandering as a fugitive before eventually reclaiming his throne.
It was a heavy, emotional story.
A story full of tragedy and resilience.
Jin Taoran quickly skimmed the character list.
Then he paused.
His role…
Was barely even a supporting character.
Character Name: Liang Wei
A young soldier who appears in only two scenes.
In the first scene, he fights bravely to protect the prince during a retreat.
In the second scene, he dies on the battlefield while encouraging the prince to survive.
Total screen time: less than five minutes.
Jin Taoran raised an eyebrow.
"This really is a small role."
The assistant nodded.
"Yes."
Then he added something interesting.
"But the director personally requested Aurora to recommend an actor."
Jin Taoran blinked.
"Why?"
Lu Cheng answered this time.
"Because the role is emotionally difficult."
He crossed his arms slightly.
"The soldier's death scene is supposed to be one of the most memorable moments in the series."
Jin Taoran looked back at the script.
The scene description was simple.
Liang Wei collapses after being struck by an arrow.
Before dying, he tells the prince to live on and restore the kingdom.
It sounded straightforward.
But emotional scenes were never easy.
Lu Cheng watched Jin Taoran quietly.
"Can you do it?"
Jin Taoran didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment.
The system interface appeared again.
Emotion Extraction Available
Target Character: Liang Wei
Estimated Memory Fragments: 3
Activate?
Jin Taoran hesitated.
Then he thought:
Activate.
Suddenly—
The hospital room vanished.
The world shifted.
Jin Taoran felt the cold wind of an ancient battlefield brush across his face.
He smelled smoke.
Blood.
Mud.
Shouting soldiers.
The memory fragment had begun.
He stood in the body of Liang Wei.
Armor heavy on his shoulders.
A spear in his hand.
Around him, chaos erupted as enemy troops pushed forward.
But Liang Wei wasn't afraid.
Because behind him stood the young prince.
The last surviving heir of the kingdom.
Liang Wei tightened his grip on the spear.
Even if he died today…
The prince had to live.
The battlefield roared.
Then—
Pain exploded through his chest.
An arrow had struck.
His knees buckled.
But he forced himself to stand.
Because the prince was still there.
Still watching him with shocked eyes.
Liang Wei smiled weakly.
"Your Highness…"
The world began fading.
"Please live…"
"Restore our home…"
The battlefield blurred.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Jin Taoran's eyes snapped open.
He gasped softly.
The hospital room returned.
Lu Cheng and the assistant were watching him.
Concern appeared on the assistant's face.
"Mr. Jin?"
Jin Taoran blinked a few times.
"I'm fine."
But his heart was racing.
Because the memory had felt unbelievably real.
He had experienced Liang Wei's final moments.
The loyalty.
The determination.
The quiet acceptance of death.
Jin Taoran looked down at the script again.
Now the character felt different.
More alive.
Lu Cheng studied him carefully.
"Just now…"
Jin Taoran looked up.
Lu Cheng's eyes had narrowed slightly.
"You synchronized with the role."
Jin Taoran froze.
He hadn't moved.
He hadn't spoken.
Yet Lu Cheng had still noticed.
The assistant looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Lu Cheng didn't answer.
Instead, he looked directly at Jin Taoran.
"For a moment, your emotional resonance increased."
The system warning flashed.
[Alert: Emotional fluctuation detected.]
Jin Taoran forced himself to remain calm.
"I was imagining the character."
Lu Cheng held his gaze for several seconds.
Then, surprisingly, he nodded.
"Good."
He stood up.
"If you can maintain that during the audition, you'll get the role."
Jin Taoran blinked.
"Just like that?"
Lu Cheng picked up his sunglasses.
"The director cares more about authenticity than fame."
He paused at the door.
"But don't misunderstand."
His voice became colder.
"If you fail, Aurora won't protect you forever."
The door closed behind him.
The assistant sighed quietly.
"President Lu always says things like that."
Jin Taoran smiled faintly.
"I don't mind."
Because Lu Cheng was right.
Talent had to prove itself.
That afternoon, Jin Taoran was discharged from the hospital.
His injuries were minor enough to recover at home.
Aurora had already prepared a small apartment for him near their training building.
The moment he entered the apartment, he noticed something unexpected.
The living room wall was covered with mirrors.
Acting mirrors.
Used for practicing expressions.
On the table sat a stack of scripts and acting theory books.
The assistant explained,
"President Lu arranged it."
Jin Taoran blinked.
"He did?"
The assistant nodded.
"He said if you want to become a real actor, you should start practicing immediately."
Jin Taoran laughed softly.
So even after leaving the hospital…
Lu Cheng was still watching his progress.
That night, Jin Taoran stood alone in front of the mirror.
The script for Liang Wei rested in his hands.
He read the final line quietly.
"Your Highness… please live…"
Then he imagined the battlefield again.
The dying soldier.
The collapsing kingdom.
The desperate hope placed on one person.
Jin Taoran looked into the mirror.
Slowly—
His expression changed.
The calm eyes of Jin Taoran disappeared.
In their place appeared the exhausted determination of a dying soldier.
The emotion was quiet.
Subtle.
But painfully real.
The system interface flickered.
Emotional Synchronization: 42%
Jin Taoran exhaled slowly.
For the first time…
He truly felt the power of the system.
And if he mastered it—
His acting might reach a level he had never imagined before.
He looked at the calendar on the wall.
Two days until the audition.
Jin Taoran smiled slightly.
"Let's see how far I can go."
Somewhere across the city, inside the top floor office of Aurora Entertainment, Lu Cheng stood beside a large window overlooking the skyline.
His assistant spoke from behind him.
"President Lu, are you certain about this actor?"
Lu Cheng didn't turn around.
Instead, he remembered the strange emotional resonance he had sensed earlier that morning.
A resonance far stronger than most rookie actors.
His lips curved slightly.
"He's interesting."
The assistant hesitated.
"And if he fails?"
Lu Cheng finally looked back.
Then he answered calmly.
"Then we find out whether he's truly talented…"
His eyes gleamed faintly.
"Or just lucky."