Chapter 43: Premiere II

In the future, industry directors would evaluate Li Shuangbing's acting, saying her performance was accurate, hardworking, and clear and powerful—summarized by a single word: steady. However, it lacked striking highlights and memorability.

Despite this, Li Shuangbing was still recognized as an "acting-type" actress in the entertainment industry, which was the reason she could maintain a top-tier position in the circle.

Of course, this persona was also something her company had crafted for her.

Hearing Cheng Sheng praise her acting, Li Shuangbing couldn't help but beam with joy. With a slight upturn of her lips, she said, "Director Cheng, will I have the chance to join your new film?"

Upon hearing this, the elder and younger Wangs shared a deep smile, their expressions carrying a hint of anticipation.

"I really don't know how to answer that; I don't even have a shadow of a new film yet! But if there is a role that fits you, I will definitely look for you."

Cheng Sheng wasn't just being perfunctory. He was indeed writing a script, but there were too few female characters in the Three Kingdoms period, and even fewer that suited Li Shuangbing.

Li Shuangbing possessed a unique temperament, combining the elegance of an Eastern woman with a sense of modernity. This quality allowed her to excel in a wide variety of roles.

Her facial features were highly recognizable, exuding an air of grandeur and dignity.

Her face shape was smooth, with a slightly square and broad jawline that provided a sense of strength without losing softness, making her highly expressive in front of the camera.

Her phoenix eyes swept upward at the corners, blending classical gentleness with a heroic spirit, while her double eyelids and thick lashes added depth and brightness.

A straight nose bridge and petite nose tip gave her face a sense of three-dimensionality and majestic beauty. Her well-proportioned lips exuded a queen-like aura when wearing red, yet appeared gentle and intellectual under daily makeup.

Such a temperament was suitable for many roles, allowing her to navigate both period dramas and modern series with ease.

For example, her portrayal of Ling Chuchu in *Young Justice Bao* was that of a spirited and lovely swordswoman, while her role as Wang Jindi in *Yun Shui Yao* was a simple, sincere character who loved and hated passionately.

In *The Message*, her portrayal of Li Ningyu demonstrated resilience and wisdom, successfully interpreting the character's complex emotions.

However, in the context of the Yellow Turban Rebellion of the Three Kingdoms, the female characters were likely limited to the concubines and palace maids of Emperor Ling of Han.

None of these roles were particularly suitable for Li Shuangbing.

Not receiving a definitive affirmation from Cheng Sheng left Li Shuangbing somewhat disappointed, but the feeling passed in an instant. She returned to smiling and chatted with Cheng Sheng for a few more moments before, guided by Zeng Li, following the two Wangs into the cinema.

After sitting down, the younger Wang whispered to the elder, "Can we recruit him?"

The elder Wang shook his head. "It looks difficult."

"Is it impossible?" The younger Wang's eyes flickered.

"I saw Cheng Sheng showing interest in Bingbing just now. Why don't we find an opportunity to let Bingbing try? If we can recruit him, that would be best; if not, it doesn't matter," the elder Wang said, glancing at Li Shuangbing, who was currently speaking with Grandmaster Zhang.

"Brother, you don't seem very interested in Cheng Sheng?" The younger Wang was somewhat puzzled.

Cheng Sheng was, after all, the winner of Best Film at Venice and had earned two hundred million at the Venice Film Festival. Shouldn't someone like him be recruited to the company with all our might?

But from his brother's tone, it seemed he had no such intention.

"I've already sent someone to Central Academy of Drama to look into it. Cheng Sheng is indeed capable—he can win awards and make money—but he has one fatal flaw," the elder Wang said.

"What flaw?" The younger Wang was stunned.

"Genre. His genre is not suited for the entertainment industry."

The elder Wang's words left the younger Wang even more confused.

"Cheng Sheng only likes filming historical themes, but everyone knows how much restrictions there are on historical dramas, and the audience isn't that large. The fact that his *Great Tang Dynasty: Origins* won awards and made money was purely an exception; it's not a repeatable model."

"If Cheng Sheng continues to film historical dramas for his next project, there are two outcomes: success or failure. Success is one thing, but if he fails, the losses will be massive. Historical films generally involve high investment and low returns; it's hard for them to make much money for the company."

"Look at the entertainment companies that came today. Did any of them publicly try to recruit Cheng Sheng? They understand the risks involved."

Hearing the elder Wang's analysis, the younger Wang had an epiphany. So that was it; no wonder he saw Bona's Yu Dong acting lukewarm toward Cheng Sheng.

"Brother, I still don't understand. Why did you recommend Bingbing to Cheng Sheng?"

The elder Wang smiled slightly. "Although investing in Cheng Sheng's films carries huge risks, one cannot deny that his films are excellent at elevating actors. He knows how to train them. I've had people look into it; while filming *Great Tang Dynasty: Origins*, the actors' acting skills improved rapidly under his guidance. Even the extras had solid performances."

In fact, what the elder Wang mentioned was something the cast members had been spreading since the film wrapped.

On set, every actor's performance had shocked everyone.

One had to realize that most of them were fresh students from the Central Academy of Drama, yet watching them perform, it was as if they had been immersed in the industry for several years.

The transformation of the cast left many puzzled, and ultimately, they could only attribute it all to Cheng Sheng, because only he could cause such a qualitative change in their acting.

Once word got out, many were surprised by how skilled Cheng Sheng was at training actors.

Coupled with the fact that Su Chang, Zheng Guolin, and Fu Dalong had won awards, it made people even more convinced.

***

Outside the cinema.

Zeng Li returned to Cheng Sheng's side and whispered, "I saw that clearly just now."

Cheng Sheng was bewildered by her words. Saw what clearly?

"Hmph! That vixen Li Shuangbing was throwing coquettish glances at you," Zeng Li snorted.

"Ah!"

Cheng Sheng was taken aback, then chuckled. "Maybe she just got some sand in her eye and was blinking."

"You're such a straight man."

Zeng Li muttered, but she felt a little happy in her heart.

"Director Cheng, congratulations, congratulations."

At that moment, Wang Jinhua walked up with Fan Shuangbing, cupping her hands toward Cheng Sheng.

"Hello, Director Cheng."

Fan Shuangbing also offered a faint smile.

"What a vixen."

Looking at Fan Shuangbing's fox-like eyes, Zeng Li secretly compared her to Li Shuangbing and found that the woman before her was a true reincarnation of a fox spirit.

The inner corners of her eyes curved like a crescent moon, and the outer corners swept upward like a light brushstroke. This unique beauty, blending innocence with flirtatiousness, made her smile incredibly charming.

A slight squint in her left eye conveyed a sense of languor, while her wide-open right eye revealed a hint of calculation; this asymmetrical gaze made her smile even more soul-stirring.

Seeing this, even Zeng Li felt herself being mesmerized.

Incredible—this woman looked like she could devour people.

Zeng Li couldn't help but look at Cheng Sheng, but seeing that he had no reaction, she felt both relieved and secretly speechless.

Looking at the way the men around them were staring at Fan Shuangbing, they practically wanted to press themselves against her.

Did this guy Cheng Sheng not like women?

Otherwise, why was he completely unmoved by Fan Shuangbing?

Recalling the time she had spent with Cheng Sheng, it seemed his gaze toward her had also been quite indifferent.

(End of Chapter)