Xiao He and Liu Rulan were also watching the audition on the first day.
Upon seeing Tong Junhui, Xiao He was momentarily surprised, then turned to Liu Rulan: "Sister Liu, wasn't Tong Junhui one of your artists before? I remember he retired from the industry due to illness! I didn't expect Director Feng's film to be so captivating; he actually came too!"
When Liu Rulan saw Tong Junhui's name, she looked somewhat dazed, then nodded: "This is quite surprising, after all, he voluntarily retired from the entertainment industry back then, and he hasn't contacted me since he came back. I didn't expect him to appear here."
Before Su Shengxi, Liu Rulan was mentored by Tong Junhui.
At that time, Tong Junhui had just won the prestigious Huaxiang Award, the most prestigious award in China, and his career was at its peak. However, he suddenly fell ill and insisted on retiring from the entertainment industry at that time. Liu Rulan saw that Tong Junhui's health was indeed deteriorating, so she did not insist that he stay. She took the initiative to handle Tong Junhui's follow-up work in the entertainment industry, allowing him to retire from the industry and focus on his health.
After that, she took over Su Shengxi's team and became his manager.
She never expected that after so many years, she would find out about Tong Junhui's comeback online at the very last time!
This is truly ironic.
Seeing Liu Rulan's expression, Xiao He had a gut feeling that this Tong Junhui was not simple.
Thinking this, he secretly checked Tong Junhui's resume and then frowned slightly.
Sister Liu can be considered a benefactor to Tong Junhui in the entertainment industry.
Back then, it was Liu Rulan who discovered Tong Junhui when he was still an extra and promoted him all the way to becoming a film emperor. Later, when Tong Junhui wanted to retire from the entertainment industry, it was also Liu Rulan who helped him withstand the pressure, actively coordinated with Tong Junhui's subsequent work, and helped him solve problems such as company contracts, so that Tong Junhui could leave the entertainment industry with a clean slate...
It can be said that without Liu Rulan, Tong Junhui would not have made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, and he would not have been able to retire gracefully at the end, leaving all the mess to Liu Rulan.
Now that they've returned, they haven't even said hello, which is truly disheartening.
No matter what, Liu Rulan really took care of him wholeheartedly back then!
Anyway, Xiao He is now blindly siding with Sister Liu: "Why didn't Tong Junhui say hello at all?"
That's absolutely outrageous!
As Xiao He spoke, he observed Liu Rulan's expression, secretly guessing what was going on in his mind—
Is there some unknown contradiction involved?
Sure enough, Liu Rulan sighed and said in a complicated tone, "Maybe he still resents me."
Xiao He asked curiously, "Does Sister Liu have a conflict with him?"
"Although Tong Junhui's last film before retiring from the entertainment industry earned him another Best Actor award, it also caused him to suffer from a serious mental illness."
Liu Rulan explained.
"During that period, Tong Junhui underwent a very strict diet and weight loss to prepare for the role. In just three months, he went from a normal-sized adult male to a emaciated patient..."
Because of this weight loss, Tong Junhui developed severe stomach problems and depression. Even though filming ended more than two months ago, he still hasn't gotten back to his original shape. Instead, he has become even thinner and thinner, to the point that he has to be out of breath after walking just a few steps.
Liu Rulan was frantic and searched everywhere for ways to cure Tong Junhui's illness, but Tong Junhui gave up on treatment and refused to see the doctor that Liu Rulan had found for him. Instead, he began to blame Liu Rulan for helping him get the role, which completely ruined his life.
After trying various methods without any sign of recovery, and because Tong Junhui cherished his reputation and didn't want his fans to see him in that state, he simply retired from the entertainment industry and went back to his hometown to seek medical treatment.
"Although I tried to contact him later, he blocked all my contact methods after he left. I thought he probably wanted to recuperate in peace and avoid the hustle and bustle of the entertainment industry, so I gradually stopped contacting him. But I never expected..."
Liu Rulan lowered her eyes and looked at Tong Junhui, who was completely covered up in the photo. Her expression was complicated, but she did not blame Tong Junhui: "I just don't know if he is feeling any better."
Xiao He leaned over for a look and shrugged: "You can only see a silhouette in this photo, you can't tell anything else. But since he was able to audition, he should be fine by now."
"I hope so," Liu Rulan sighed softly. "I was too hasty back then. Perhaps if he hadn't taken that role, everything would have been different."
Xiao He didn't speak, but just looked at the person in the photo thoughtfully.
...
The casting of the first male lead for Director Feng Xiaogang has been a hot topic from day to night. After observing the audition lineup, netizens began to analyze the actors' micro-expressions as they left their seats. Fans from various groups were eager and confident, as if they had already secured the male lead role for Director Feng.
By evening, the final results of Director Feng's casting choices began to circulate online.
Liu Rulan inquired about it, and then her expression became complicated again.
Xiao He, who had been lying on the sofa looking at his phone, immediately sat up: "What? Could it be... Tong Junhui?"
“It’s him.” Liu Rulan nodded. “Director Feng personally decided on him, and I heard he will be participating in the subsequent auditions starting tomorrow.”
"ah?"
Xiao He pondered, "It seems Director Feng is quite satisfied with him."
But this might be bad news for them.
After all, there's the matter between Tong Junhui and Sister Liu...
Liu Rulan also said, "I won't go to the audition with you the day after tomorrow."
"Why? Could it be that Tong Junhui is deliberately doing something underhanded after finding out you're my manager?" Xiao He «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» asked, frowning.
"It's hard to say." Liu Rulan gave a bitter smile. "Although I don't think Tong Junhui is that kind of person, everyone is changing now, and I can't see him clearly anymore."
Xiao He fell into a brief silence.
"I'm sorry, this time it was my fault that dragged you into it," Liu Rulan apologized.
Xiao He shook his head: "We had already discussed this situation beforehand. I wasn't very interested in this play, and going to the audition was just a formality. Now it's actually better this way. I can perform normally, and even if I don't get the part, I won't feel any pressure."
"but--"
Xiao He stroked his chin: "I just feel that the results of the male lead audition came out too quickly this time, it felt more like a formality."
Among those who auditioned this time, being a Best Actor was just the entry threshold. There was more than just Tong Junhui as a Best Actor; many of them had won Best Actor multiple times and were active on the big screen for years, guaranteeing a solid box office foundation.
And Tong Junhui?
Although he is associated with the hot topic of "retiring from the entertainment industry at the peak of his career," he has been out of the industry for many years. The entertainment industry changes very quickly, and even his fans have changed several times. There are too many uncertainties surrounding him, and he has no advantage over others.
Therefore, Xiao He really couldn't figure out why Director Feng chose Tong Junhui.
