Those Years I Employed Non-Humans as Actors - Chapter 5.1

Everyone said that he was a fool, but Luo Huai didn’t think so. At least, he felt he was still able to tell between who was good and who was bad.

Brother Liu, who said he was going to find a job for him, asked him to go out for dinner. Luo Huai didn’t really want to go, but he didn’t know how to refuse him. Just as he started to get anxious, Qian Duoqun helped him out of the predicament, greatly relieving Luo Huai. He felt very grateful to Brother Qian, so he agreed to follow him and accepted his offer to act in Director Zhong’s movie.

Although the pay was a bit low, he understood that Director Zhong was a newcomer who had just graduated and hadn’t made any name for himself. Luo Huai himself was also a freshly graduated newcomer, so getting this amount of pay with food and boarding fully provided for during the whole filming was already a favorable condition.

Of course, Luo Huai was aware that this pay rate was lower than that of extras, but he had also experienced working as an extra when he was in college. He knew their workload was actually very heavy, and after an exhausting day of filming, they still had to find lodging by themselves. It was such a toilsome job, yet at the end of the day, they didn’t even get a single line to say. Therefore, being able to get a role in Director Zhong’s movie was something Luo Huai was very thankful for.

After Brother Qian drove the truck into the yard, Luo Huai took the initiative to move the props to the place Director Zhong had designated.

The villa was huge—the first floor alone had an area of more than a thousand square meters. Right in the center was the main hall, and on the sides were several doors and corridors leading to the study, kitchen, living room and various other rooms.

The warehouse was located at the end of the corridor to the kitchen. Brother Qian gave him the cheaper and low-maintenance props to put in the warehouse while Director Zhong personally took the more important ones to the second floor, storing those expensive props in one of the bedrooms.

After Director Zhong left, Luo Huai heard someone say to him, “You can put it here.”

Luo Huai looked towards the sound of the voice and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a style of clothing similar to the republican era. He had very pale skin, a slightly plump stature, and a sophisticated bearing.

“You are…” Holding the cardboard box in his arms, Luo Huai stared at this person who was standing in the middle of the cold and dark warehouse.

“I’m Steward Lin. More props might be coming later on, so it’s better not to pile things up by the door or they’ll end up blocking the way. We have to arrange them properly,” said Steward Lin.

Luo Huai hadn’t read the script, but on the way here, Qian Duoqun had roughly told him about the outline of the plot, so he knew that there were indeed some characters who originated from the republican era. Coupled with the attire he was wearing, Luo Huai naturally assumed that this man was a senior actor who was playing the role of ‘Steward Lin’ in the story.

What a dedicated actor! Even before the filming started, this senior had already put on his costume and assimilated into his character. His mannerisms, his demeanor—he had perfectly turned into a steward of an influential family from the old era. This was truly amazing!

Luo Huai’s heart was filled with respect. Adhering to the newcomer’s principle of ‘talk less and do more’, he diligently moved the prop boxes from the truck to the warehouse.

“Are you one of the actors in this movie?” Once the last box had been placed according to Steward Lin’s instructions,  Luo Huai used his sleeve to wipe his sweat and curiously asked.

“It hasn’t been decided yet,” Steward Lin answered with a heavy heart, “I haven’t passed the audition. There are a lot of competitors, I don’t know if my lord will choose me in the end.”

My lord? Luo Huai pondered on it and guessed that Steward Lin might be talking about Director Zhong.

From what he had seen, Steward Lin who could flawlessly integrate himself into his character even outside of filming was certainly very good at acting. Unexpectedly, Director Zhong’s requirement was so strict that such an excellent senior still had to audition for the role.

Even Steward Lin had to pass the audition to get the part, yet Luo Huai didn’t have to do any of that. Thinking of this, he felt even more thankful to Brother Qian. If it wasn’t for Brother Qian, he might not be able to get this opportunity.

Luo Huai was a little embarrassed to tell Steward Lin that he had been chosen due to his connection.

The atmosphere in the warehouse suddenly turned awkward. Luo Huai wanted to leave the room, but he didn’t know what excuse to say. At this moment, he suddenly heard a faint crying sound.

“Is someone crying?” Luo Huai turned to look at Steward Lin.

Previously, he didn’t dare to look at Steward Lin due to his guilty conscience, but when he raised his head, he was startled by what he saw. At some point, Steward Lin had already moved to stand in front of him with his hand hovering above his head. His complexion was pallid, making him look like a dead person.

Luo Huai took two steps back in fright, wondering how Steward Lin walked over without any sound and why he stood so close to him.

“Was I found out?” Steward Lin gave him a strange smile. “I wanted to give you a scare.”

“So it’s just a joke,” Luo Huai patted his chest. “You really scared me. Steward Lin, what role are you auditioning for?”

“A ghost,” said Steward Lin.

“No wonder you can walk so silently, you must’ve trained for the role, right? You’re so good at acting, I’m sure Director Zhong will definitely choose you!” Luo Huai sincerely praised.

“Is that so?” Steward Lin stopped approaching Luo Huai when he heard him mentioning Zhong Jiudao.

The crying voice grew louder, sounding even more miserable. Hearing it, Luo Huai became very worried and couldn’t help asking, “Steward Lin… it feels awkward to call you steward, I’ll call you Brother Lin instead. Brother Lin, do you know who’s crying?”

“It’s either the third concubine or the fifth concubine. It’s inconvenient for me to meddle in their affairs,” answered Steward Lin.

A woman’s soft and gentle voice faintly echoed amidst the crying sound, “Sister, with your acting skills, you won’t be able to pass the audition. You should just continue to work as the power supply. The role of the protagonist will definitely be mine. I’ve never offended my lord, you see.”

What followed this speech was another woman’s blood-curdling scream. Afterwards, the two seemed to have gotten into a fight.

Upon hearing that it was a conflict over the main role, Luo Huai also felt that it was inappropriate for him to intervene, so he stopped asking any more questions.

While Luo Huai was listening to the scuffle, Steward Lin was standing behind him. Several times, he stretched his hand towards Luo Huai’s neck and pulled it back with great difficulty, as if he was fighting a fierce struggle.

After multiple attempts, Steward Lin could no longer hold back the impulse coming from the depth of his soul and finally reached out a firm hand towards Luo Huai’s heart.

“Why are you here?” A voice came from outside the door.