As Chen Hao stepped out of the room, he immediately saw Liu Tao and Chen Hao (the actress, not himself).Sister Tao still wore that warm and approachable smile, while Chen Hao (the actress) appeared more aloof — she simply gave a small nod.This time, however, there was a middle-aged man standing next to her, who appeared to be her agent.
When the agent laid eyes on Chen Hao, his eyes lit up.There was something about this young man — a dazzling star-like presence.Wherever he stood, he seemed to draw attention, to naturally become the center of focus.
As it happened, this middle-aged man, Yang Xueli, owned his own small talent agency.Unfortunately, his only signed artist was Chen Hao, whom he looked after particularly well since she was the daughter of an old friend.
Business at the agency had always been just enough to scrape by — not exactly profitable, but not bankrupt either.Still, with a family to support — a son in high school and a daughter in college — the pressure was real.Handling Chen Hao's career just about covered the basics.Although Chen Hao had gained some recognition, the ceiling for female stars was always there — unless one exploded into nationwide fame, the economic return they brought in was actually quite limited.
But male stars? That was a different story.If he could nurture a trending idol-tier male actor, he couldn't help but start daydreaming about counting stacks of cash.
And it looked like this might actually go somewhere.Yang Xueli noticed that the young man hadn't been sent away — instead, he had been taken to the fitting room.For previous male auditionees, if Director Zhang wasn't impressed at first glance, they were dismissed on the spot — skipping the costume fitting entirely.
Before long, Chen Hao emerged in full costume.
He had the face of a jade-carved noble, a tall and elegant build, with a traditional wig on his head and a purple-gold crown resting on top.His white long robe flowed around him, a jade belt wrapped at his waist — he looked every bit the part of a young royal or aristocrat.And those eyes — full of a natural nobility — were captivating.
Even Liu Tao, normally calm and composed, felt a ripple in her heart at the sight.
Chen Hao's transformation into this noble figure was visually striking.
Chen Hao (the actress) also found herself visibly affected, her pupils widening slightly.Just moments ago, he had seemed like a handsome young man worthy of a 10 out of 10 — but now, in costume, he was easily a 12.It was as if this outfit had been tailor-made for him, like he was born to wear it.
Chen Hao (the male) let a subtle, devilish smirk play on the corner of his lips as his gaze slid over the beautiful Sister Chen Hao.
Moments ago, she had looked completely indifferent, but now her cheeks were tinged with a charming blush.Describing this man as "strikingly handsome" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
She'd been in the industry for years, but when it came to ancient costume styling, she suddenly realized — she hadn't seen a single male actor who pulled it off better than him.And more importantly, that natural air of nobility he exuded — that wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
Yang Xueli's eyes were also filled with light.Once the audition was over, whether Chen Hao succeeded or not, he'd definitely ask him if he had a manager.A talent like this — with proper development — could easily become a top-tier TV actor, or even make a name in film.
With a confident smile on his face, Chen Hao walked past Sister Tao and Chen Hao (the actress).This — this was exactly the effect he was aiming for.
Because Chen Hao's aura was naturally versatile, just a small adjustment was enough to give him an effortless air of nobility.
He followed Yang Yang back into the audition room.And the moment he stepped inside, all eyes turned to him.Chen Hao became the center of attention, though he wasn't exactly thrilled about drawing attention from a bunch of men.
Director Zhang's eyes lit up.With that costume and this presence — wasn't this exactly the Duan Yu he had been looking for?
Even Zhao Jian, who disliked Chen Hao, had to admit — judging by appearance alone, even Lin Zhizhi might not be able to compete with this.
Chen Hao's expression remained calm and confident, but he wasn't done yet.He activated his Platinum Skill: "Total Immersion" (身临其境).
The moment the skill activated, Chen Hao felt as if he was Duan Yu — the line between himself and the character blurred.
Director Zhang's face lit up with delight again.If earlier Chen Hao had just a faint trace of noble temperament, now he embodied Duan Yu completely.
Not only did he radiate the natural royal elegance that Duan Yu was born with, but he also exuded the gentle grace of a refined gentleman.The two traits combined seamlessly.
Duan Yu was a noble, yes — but never distant or arrogant.A true nobleman and scholar — that's the kind of person Duan Yu was.And Chen Hao captured this perfectly, even with nothing more than a glance.
Then came the line readings.
Chen Hao delivered them fluently and naturally, as if he weren't acting at all — as if he truly was Duan Yu.
Originally, Chen Hao's acting skill was just average, but the Platinum Skill "Total Immersion" elevated his performance to an unbelievable level.In fact, it wasn't just an improvement in acting — at that moment, Chen Hao was Duan Yu.
Letting Duan Yu play Duan Yu — how could there be any issue with that?
Of course, Chen Hao knew full well who he really was.This Duan Yu persona only existed while the skill was active.He had already checked with the system: activating Total Immersion had no side effects, and once the filming was done, the Duan Yu personality would disappear.
Director Zhang looked at Chen Hao with great satisfaction, then turned to Yang Yang with a smile.For once, his nephew had brought him something worth being happy about.
Without hesitation, Director Zhang personally announced:
"The role of Duan Yu goes to Chen Hao."
While technically the second male lead, Duan Yu's screen time was nearly equal to the main protagonist Qiao Feng, so it was practically a co-lead role.
Some were thrilled — others, not so much.
Zhao Jian certainly wasn't happy.He had already reached out to Lin Zhizhi's agent, but now that Director Zhang had made his decision, all he could do was deliver the bad news.
Afterward, Director Zhang asked Chen Hao if he had a manager.He said they could finalize the contract in a couple of days.
Choosing Chen Hao as the lead wasn't just because he was a perfect match for Duan Yu —It was also a financial decision.
Hiring someone like Lin Zhizhi from Taiwan would have cost 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per episode — and for a drama spanning dozens of episodes, that would be close to a million yuan in total.
But with Chen Hao, a newcomer, they could easily pay 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per episode, drastically cutting production costs.
Taiwanese and Hong Kong actors were expensive.Mainland actors were more affordable, and with Zhang's industry influence, he didn't need a big-name star like Lin Zhizhi to drive ratings.All it would take was a strong marketing push during the premiere, and the audience would follow.