Xiao He and Liu Rulan were also paying attention to the first day of auditions.
When Xiao He saw Tong Junhui, he was surprised for a moment and turned to look at Liu Rulan: "Sister Liu, wasn't Tong Junhui your artist before? I remember he retired from the industry due to illness! I never expected Director Feng's production to be so attractive that even he would come!"
Seeing Tong Junhui's name, Liu Rulan's expression became somewhat distant before she nodded: "This is quite surprising to me. After all, he voluntarily retired back then, and he didn't contact me when returning this time. I never expected him to appear here."
Before Su Shengxi, Liu Rulan had managed Tong Junhui.
At that time, Tong Junhui had just won China's most prestigious Huaxiang Award again, reaching the peak of his career. Yet he suddenly fell ill and insisted on retiring at that very moment. Seeing that Tong Junhui's health condition had indeed deteriorated, Liu Rulan didn't force him to stay. She proactively helped Tong Junhui handle all subsequent entertainment industry matters, allowing him to retire peacefully and focus on treatment.
It was after that when she took on Su Shengxi and began working as his agent.
She just never expected that after all these years, she would learn about Tong Junhui's comeback online—as one of the last to know!
This was truly somewhat ironic.
Seeing Liu Rulan's expression, Xiao He instinctively felt this Tong Junhui wasn't simple.
Thinking this, he secretly looked up Tong Junhui's basic resume, then slightly furrowed his brows.
Sister Liu could be considered Tong Junhui's benefactor in the entertainment industry.
Back then, it was Liu Rulan who discovered Tong Junhui when he was still doing bit parts and nurtured him all the way to becoming a film emperor. Later, when Tong Junhui wanted to retire, Liu Rulan helped him withstand pressure, actively coordinated with his subsequent work arrangements, and helped resolve his contract issues with the company, allowing Tong Junhui to leave the entertainment industry without any burdens...
One could say without Liu Rulan, Tong Junhui would never have made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, nor could he have retired so gracefully at the end, leaving all the messy aftermath to Liu Rulan.
Yet now that he was back, he didn't even bother to say hello—this was truly somewhat heartbreaking.
No matter what, Liu Rulan had genuinely poured her heart and soul into mentoring him back then!
Anyway, Xiao He was now unconditionally on Sister Liu's side: "How could this Tong Junhui not even give a heads-up?"
This was absolutely too much!
While saying this, Xiao He observed Liu Rulan's expression, secretly wondering—
Could there be some unknown conflict between them?
Indeed, Liu Rulan sighed with complex emotions: "Perhaps he still resents me."
Xiao He asked curiously: "Did Sister Liu have conflicts with him?"
"The last film Tong Junhui starred in before retiring earned him another Best Actor award, but it also caused him to develop severe psychological issues."
Liu Rulan explained.
"During that period, to match the character requirements, Tong Junhui underwent extremely strict dieting and weight loss. In just three months, he transformed from a normally built adult man into a gaunt, sickly-looking person..."
Because of this weight loss, Tong Junhui developed severe stomach problems and depression. Even two months after filming ended, his physique hadn't recovered but instead became increasingly emaciated, to the point where he would gasp for breath after walking just a few steps.
Liu Rulan was desperately worried at the time, searching everywhere for treatment options, but Tong Junhui instead gave up on treatment. He refused to see the doctors Liu Rulan found for him and began blaming her for accepting that film role that completely ruined his life.
After trying various methods with no signs of recovery, and with Tong Junhui being very protective of his image—unwilling to let his fans see him in that state—he simply retired and returned to his hometown for treatment.
"Although I tried to contact him afterward, he blocked all my contact methods after leaving. I thought he probably wanted quiet recuperation without any entertainment industry distractions, so I gradually stopped trying to reach him. But I never expected..."
Liu Rulan lowered her gaze, looking at the photo of Tong Junhui completely covering himself, her expression complex yet without blame: "I just don't know if his condition has improved."
Xiao He leaned over to look and shrugged: "This photo only shows a silhouette—can't really see anything. But since he went to audition, he probably doesn't have major issues anymore."
"I hope so." Liu Rulan sighed softly, "Back then, I was too impatient. Perhaps if he hadn't taken that film, everything would be different."
Xiao He didn't speak, just looked thoughtfully at the person in the photo.
...
The buzz about the lead role casting for Director Feng's comeback production continued from day into night without stopping. After observing the audition lineup, netizens began analyzing the micro-expressions of actors leaving the venue. Fans of various artists competed fiercely, brimming with confidence as if their idol already had Director Feng's lead role secured.
By evening, the final casting results for Director Feng's production began circulating online.
Liu Rulan made some inquiries, and her expression again became complex.
Xiao He, who had been lying on the couch looking at his phone, immediately sat up: "What? Is it... Tong Junhui?"
"It's him." Liu Rulan nodded, "Director Feng personally confirmed it, and apparently he'll be participating in subsequent auditions starting tomorrow."
"Ah?"
Xiao He pondered: "Seems Director Feng is quite satisfied with him."
But this might be bad news for them.
After all, given the history between Tong Junhui and Sister Liu...
Liu Rulan also said: "I won't accompany you to the day after tomorrow's audition."
"Why? Could it be that if Tong Junhui learns you're my agent, he might deliberately cause trouble behind the scenes?" Xiao He asked with furrowed brows.
"Hard to say." Liu Rulan smiled bitterly, "Although I don't think Tong Junhui is that kind of person, everyone changes, and I can no longer see him clearly."
Xiao He fell into brief silence.
"Sorry, this is my problem that's affecting you." Liu Rulan apologized.
But Xiao He shook his head: "We already discussed this situation beforehand. I'm not very interested in this production anyway—going to audition is just going through the motions. This actually works out better—I can perform normally without psychological pressure even if not selected."
"However—"
Xiao He rubbed his chin: "I just feel the lead role casting result came out too quickly, more like going through formalities."
Among those who auditioned, having a Best Actor award was just the basic requirement. There were more than just Tong Junhui among the Best Actors present—several had won multiple Best Actor awards in the industry and remained consistently active on the big screen with guaranteed box office appeal.
And Tong Junhui?
Although he had the buzzworthy topic of "retiring at his peak," he'd been retired for years. The domestic entertainment industry changes rapidly—even his fans had gone through several generations. With too many uncertainties and not a single advantage over others, Xiao He truly couldn't understand why Director Feng chose Tong Junhui.