Yuan Lei was annoyed with Mr. Han's gaze and looked at Xu Lan with grim expressions.

  ' This bitch must have told him everything.' she clutched her hands.

  She wanted him to scold Xie Ming but he was scolding her instead. Her boyfriend told him that he has talked to him but why was he still talking to her this way?

  ' Is it because he does not want to show his bias against me in front of everyone? Is that it?' she wondered in her heart.

  She believed that this major investor that he is talking about is her boyfriend. She didn't know how much he invested but only knew that he was the biggest investor in the movie.

  She was feeling gleeful and glanced at Xie Ming with her scorning gaze.

  She was glad because she has found a way to get in contact with Mr.han. If it was snot her boyfriend, she wouldn't have gotten into this movie.

  She didn't mind Mr. Han's behavior much because she considered the possibility of him being behaving this way just on the surface. She thought that he wanted to hide his personality and would treat her better while shooting.

  She plastered a mild smile on her face and listened to his words that he wasn't talking about her.

  Xu Lan who was behind Mr. Han was amused to see the shamelessness of Yuan Lei. He was talking about her and was looking at her also, but she pretended to like it has nothing to do with her.

  At this moment, she wanted to clap for her thick skin.

  Others were also glancing at Yuan Lei from side-eye and felt that she was commendable.

  …


  Afterward, Mr. Han turned to Xie Ming and asked, " Xie Ming, how do you feel meeting everyone? It is your first time acting, right? So what was your experience?" he was pleased by the way Xie Ming sat in the middle and not trying to get close to him.

  He has seen many actresses getting close to him for the benefits and Yuan Lei was no different. She keeps laughing and behaving like listening to his words diligently to gain his attention. But Xie Ming was just sitting quietly with her blank expressions.

  She didn't even try to strike a conversation with him yet. He liked this girl because of her composure and attitude.

  Mr. Han was also interested in her because he knew that it was Xie Ming's first time acting in a movie. He also knows that she wasn't interested in acting but was forced to audition for the movie.

  So he was more determined to not let her go. Seeing her raw talent, he believes that this girl can reach the great heights in the industry if she was taught and polished well.

  Xie Ming smiled lightly at him and said, " Yes. It was good. It was my first time experiencing something like this, so it was quite exciting." she said honestly.

  " In this workshop, I got along with many people and got to know many people well. This way I managed to make a few friends as well." she laughed lightly.

  Mr. Han was pleased with her answer. He knew the problem between Yuan Lei and her.

  He was expecting her to complain and say something, but she didn't say anything about anyone and just complimented the workshop.

  " Very good. So now let's have some breakfast. After that we will move to the conference hall to start our script reading." he said while sitting in the center of the table while Xu Lan sat on his right.

  Yuan Lei stared at Mr. Han in bewilderment. He just ignored her when she was the female lead and was giving Xie Ming more attention.

  He didn't ask her any questions or about her experience but Xie Ming? Why her?

  She couldn't understand why he was behaving this way.

  ' Didn't, Leng Luoxin talked to him already? Then what happened to him?' she sat on her chair while staring at Mr. Han in confusion.

  …..

  During the breakfast, Director Han noticed the way Xie Ming ate. Her way of eating was elegant and clean.

  Her actions were so smooth that it was evitable that she wasn't faking it. It was very natural for her to eat this way.

  He was impressed that he has chosen the perfect person for this role. She was very smooth and elegant in her actions and fits for the role of the Empress.

  During breakfast, he also noticed Yuan Lei who was trying to strike conversations with him and was trying to show off how her fans are crazy about her.

  And how she keeps getting offers from other directors to act in their films, but she chose to work in his movie.

  Yuan Lei was lying about getting many projects these days. She doesn't get many roles these days.

  Getting a role that too of female lead in Mr. Han's movie was truly an achievement. Though she won the newcomer award last night however it doesn't mean her popularity will remain the same.

  Her fans might believe her but people who have worked with her knew very well about her character.

  Even after using her connections, she got this role. She was not ashamed of it.

  ' So what if she used connections? She used it because she had it.' she shrugged this by making it so normal.

  Mr. Han was getting annoyed by her and talked to Xu Lan a bit and after breakfast, they finally moved to the conference room that they have booked for the script reading.

  ….

  Inside the conference room, Mr. Han sat in the center while Yuan Lei sat on his left and Wu Sheng on his right.

  Xie Ming sat beside Wu Sheng and Jian Yan beside Yuan Lei.

  Wu Sheng was facing Yuan Lei while Jian Yan and Xie Ming each other.

  Xu Lan passed the script to everyone and stood beside Mr. Han who gave them a brief introduction of their characters before the commencement of the script reading.

  " You all understand your characters right? Now let's start." Mr. Han looked at everyone and gave a signal.

  " We will first read the scene between Yuan Lei and Wu Sheng where the Emperor got to know about the tricks of the Empress that she was playing on Duan Lan which is being played by Yuan Lei which is the love interest of the Emperor in the movie.

  And how she was bearing all the humiliation from the Empress and others in the palace. She didn't even say anything to the Emperor because she felt like she owed something to Meng Huang who was the Empress.

  She was just bearing all the ridicule for the sake of his love.

  " This made him angry and frustrated that he wasn't able to protect the woman he loved and brought her into the palace after marrying her. This is a romantic yet heartbreaking scene where you guys need to show your chemistry and the pain of love which is despised by everyone. ".

  " As you all know Duan Lan is a girl with no background and has been brought into the palace. Ding Hua, the Emperor promised to protect her forever but couldn't save her from Meng Huang's tricks. " Mr. Han meticulously explained the scene to them.

  Everyone listened to his explanation while Xie Ming's expression has already turned dark because she was picturing everything in her mind. She felt like her life was a mixture of Meng Huang and Duan Lan's situation in her past life.

  She was the Empress but she was the one who was played by Xiao Li's tricks,

  not the other way around.

  However, she tried to control her emotions as she took a deep breath.

  Jian Yan, who was sitting opposite her, saw her distressed expression and wondered why she was being this way.

  Xie Ming looked towards Yuan Lei when she started reading her lines with an expression full of sadness and gently, " His highness, please don't be agitated. It was not Sister's fault. It was me who was at fault."

  " I am the one who got into the palace after marrying you and not as the concubine only. I am very glad that you gave me so much respect by marrying me but from sister's point of view, her behavior is correct. How can she accept some lowly person like me?" Yuan Lei put on a sorrowful expression.

  She was trying to cry while acting but it didn't come as she wanted. She thought that she was performing the scene emotionally enough, but Mr. Han was not pleased by her acting.

  He looked at her but didn't say anything.

  He signaled Wu Sheng to continue.

  "? Duan Lan what are you saying? Meng Huang has no right to treat you this way even if I married you. And it's only right for me to marry you. How can I let you be by my side without marrying you and make you suffer? Hm?" Wu Sheng looked at Yuan Lei while saying his words.

  His gentle expressions made Yuan Lei skip a beat. He was looking more charming and attractive at this moment.

  " So, you don't need to suffer and could tell me if anything happens. You don't need to hide anything from me and suffer others humiliation. Okay? "

  Wu Sheng's gaze was gentle and loving which enchanted Yuan Lei also.

  Mr. Han broke the silence with his loud applause.

  " Well done. Wu Sheng, your expressions were on point whereas Yuan Lei, you need to work more. You start was a little shaky but you grasp the character halfway." Mr. Han nodded as he read the script.

  Though he wasn't pleased with her, it was only a script reading so he could only tell her to work hard.

  Even Though Yuan Lei's acting was not up to the mark, it was fine. According to her role, it was appropriate.

  However, he was more interested in Xie Ming's character because her character is the most difficult.

  ##

  " If you're not reading this novel on webnovel.com, then this novel has been stolen. Read it on webnovel.com to support the author. Regards Kamlyn."