The interview room this time was still in the same old place as last time.
Bao Ruanruan greeted Zhang Chenhao and then waited for her name to be called.
While waiting, she took the opportunity to review the character summary for the audition.
— Volunteer teacher, 22 years old.
— Has a grand idea of changing the mountainous area but is almost defeated by the harsh reality when she enters the mountains.
— Ultimately, she overcomes the difficulties and helps the children get into college.
She understood every sentence and fully grasped the character.
Got it.
Bao Ruanruan felt quite confident this time—because she had something to compare it to.
Compared to that role of the struggling mother in labour, she felt this teacher character was practically tailor-made for her.
— Bao Ruanruan, 22 years old.
— Has a grand ideal of living to be 142 years old but was almost defeated by the level bosses after entering the game.
— Ultimately, she overcame the challenges and lived to be 200.
A perfect match~
Even the comma positions in the sentences were precisely the same.
Bao Ruanruan was instantly reassured.
Leaning against the wall, she silently reread the character summary thrice.
She glanced at the other young men and women in the room, noticing their nervousness—some pacing back and forth, mumbling their lines, others checking their make-up in pocket mirrors.
She lowered her head, looked in her bag, pulled out '300 Personal Habits to Boost Immunity', and began to read.
"The secret of good health lies in our meticulous attention and persistence in daily habits, never overlooking the small details of life.
Whether it's the fringe you style before going out in the morning or the dinner you bring home late at night, the secret of immunity is hidden within..."
Yes, that makes sense.
Bao Ruanruan silently took note and instinctively touched her smooth, exposed forehead.
Without fringes, she had one less weakness to worry about.
Excellent.
"Bao Ruanruan." The audition staff called her name.
"Coming."
Bao Ruanruan had been engrossed in reading about personal habits related to leaving the house and returning home, but she had to close the book and put it away.
This volunteer teacher was the seventh female lead in the drama.
It was the biggest role she had ever auditioned for—more scenes, more lines.
This was also reflected in the audition format.
This time, it was a one-on-one audition, unlike her previous group auditions, in which she competed with four other candidates simultaneously.
"Bao Ruanruan, imagine you are now in a classroom."
Three instructors were in charge of the audition.
Zhang Chenhao sat in the middle.
The moment Bao Ruanruan walked in, a flicker of regret flashed through his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and maintained a businesslike demeanour.
"Treat us as your students."
"You are free to improvise until we give you a new prompt."
Bao Ruanruan suddenly realised, "So we're going to start the class now?"
Zhang Chenhao shot her a sharp look.
The other two audition instructors also had serious expressions, their scrutinising gazes shining on her like searchlights.
Their faces didn't look like students at all.
They were putting pressure on the auditioning actors.
This was undoubtedly a high-pressure test!
If she showed even the slightest hesitation, she was doomed.
"Yes, the class starts now," Zhang Chenhao said mercilessly.
He had already eliminated nearly sixty candidates before her!
This was a serious drama, full of experienced actors.
The volunteer teacher had to interact with them in many scenes.
If an actor's performance fell short, it would be glaringly obvious on camera, and the actor would be crushed beyond recognition.
He had no choice but to be strict for the sake of the production and investors.
"I can give you one last chance to switch roles if you'd like..."
Zhang Chenhao valued talent.
But before he could finish his sentence—
He looked up and saw no trace of fear or nervousness on Bao Ruanruan's face.
The actress, who had once been scared to death, now had an expression of absolute determination, a knowing and serious look of someone who had been there, done that.
???
??
"This student—why are you still talking when the class has already started?"
Bao Ruanruan's face turned stern as she strolled over to him.
Zhang Chenhao: "??"
She got into character this quick?!
Bao Ruanruan's gaze, as fluid as water, swept over him.
"One lesson lasts 45 minutes."
She had done her homework—she even knew the class duration.
"The Teacher's throat is dry, and her back aches from standing. The teacher has worked so hard, giving you 45 minutes of her life. What is it for?"
Bao Ruanruan's expression was filled with sorrow as if she was mourning the loss of her own life.
Zhang Chenhao: "!"
That tone... sounded quite like a real teacher.
"You need to pay attention in class! Now, tell me, what are some healthy personal hygiene habits?"
Zhang Chenhao: "......"
The audition material didn't specify what subject the teacher was teaching.
A health teacher... was technically still a teacher.
"You see? If you don't listen, you'll miss out on important hygiene knowledge. Can you live with yourself for that? Can you justify wasting 45 minutes of the teacher's life?"
Zhang Chenhao: "!"
"You there, what's your name?" Bao Ruanruan took another step forward and raised a delicate, pale finger to his forehead.
Zhang Chenhao: "……"
What now?
Was she planning to hit the student?
"I'm Zhang Chenhao, teacher."
Bao Ruanruan's expression turned grave and sombre.
"Zhang Chenhao, come to my office after class."
"???"
Her finger hovered in the air, poking at his fringe.
The knowledge she had just read in her book immediately surfaced.
"Your fringe shouldn't extend beyond your eyebrows. Your hair doesn't meet the standard of personal hygiene."
Zhang Chenhao instinctively raised his hand to press down his fringe.
Bao Ruanruan's heart ached.
"Your hair is covering your eyes—it'll ruin your vision! That's bad eye hygiene. You'll be using your eyes for the next few decades; you need to take care of them, understand?"
"I'll deduct one point from your personal hygiene score."
"Come to my office after class—I'll trim them for you."
Zhang Chenhao: "!"
If this audition went on any longer, he might lose his hair!
"The audition ends here!"
Zhang Chenhao blurted out.
Bao Ruanruan let out a soft 'ah', her watery eyes revealing a hint of disappointment.
It was as if she genuinely regretted not being able to drag him into her office and snip off that vision-obstructing tuft of hair.
"But I wasn't done yet, Zhang. Your nails are a bit long too, and personal hygiene—"
Zhang Chenhao: "! Audition over!"
Was she getting too into this?
"Bao Ruanruan's eye acting is really impressive! You can see her concern for the student's health—it fits the character perfectly."
The female instructor on the left immediately praised her.
Zhang Chenhao: "?"
"Indeed," the male instructor on the right chimed in, nodding repeatedly. "At first, her lecturing style felt a bit like she was imitating an older teacher to boost her confidence. It brought out the awkwardness of a recent graduate trying to assert authority. But she also nailed the key aspects of caring for and educating underprivileged children. It felt very natural."
Zhang Chenhao: "??"
"Old Zhang, you misjudged her this time. You kept saying she was better suited to the role of a young wife in the Zhou family, but I disagree. She's clearly perfect for this rural teacher role."
"I agree! The dozens of candidates we rejected before this—none of them truly embodied the essence of a volunteer teacher."
"But she does. Zhang, look—she wasn't just concerned about your academics; she even noticed your hair and nails."
It wasn't his academics.
That was just a role-playing scenario.
They were talking as if he had been caught slacking off in class.
Zhang Chenhao felt slightly offended.
But then he paused.
They were right.
She did play the role of a volunteer teacher in a rural school.
Not knowing how to interact with the students at first, struggling to gain their respect, trying to impose authority through sheer presence—
There was a certain awkwardness about it.
But that awkwardness was precisely what made it realistic.
It highlighted the inexperience of a young teacher, fresh out of university, stepping into an unfamiliar environment.
The fifty or so actors before her had all played the role… too much like a teacher.
Too standard.
The way the other actors performed made them seem like standard maths or language teachers, lacking the raw inexperience of a newcomer.
Moreover, in rural schools, teachers were scarce.
A single teacher might have to cover five or six subjects, teach classes, act as a homeroom teacher, visit students' homes, care about their daily lives, and even oversee the school environment...
But only she… noticed his hair and nails.
This characteristic perfectly aligned with rural teachers' reality—one person holding up an entire school.
Her understanding and interpretation of the character were far more nuanced than the other candidates!
"She's the one, right, Teacher Zhang?" the female instructor suggested.
Zhang Chenhao rubbed his forehead. "Let's give her an additional test. She arrives in the village, struggles to bathe, and suffers because the drinking water has sand in it."
"Eh? Why didn't you let her play that part earlier?"
Zhang Chenhao: "......"
Not long after that, Bao Ruanruan was called back in.
She had almost left the audition.
As soon as she stepped into the room, she was hit with the tragic new scene.
"On your first day, you realise there's no water to bathe in. You may not be able to bathe for a week or more."
"You lift a cup of tea and find sand floating in the water."
Right then and there, Bao Ruanruan's delicate features collapsed in despair.
Her mind instantly flashed to a game scenario—
A desert level where endless sandstorms filled the sky, and food and water were in short supply.
Even if she managed to gather ingredients, they would be covered in a thick layer of sand.
The cups would have a murky suspension of dust and grit.
Even the water from a lake once scooped up had the unmistakable texture of sand grinding against her teeth.
She didn't want to drink it.
But to survive, not to die of thirst... even if the sand scraped her throat raw, even if the nausea brought tears to her eyes, she had to force it down!
Bao Ruanruan clenched her jaw.
She stared at the prop Zhang Chenhao handed her—a cup of water.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed.
The moment she took the cup, her slender, watery eyes filled with pain.
She parted her soft lips and blew gently across the water's surface.
She tried anyway, even though she knew it wouldn't remove a single grain of sand.
As expected, nothing changed.
A shimmer of tears welled up in her eyes.
Her vision blurred.
But she had to drink it.
Her lips were dry with thirst.
With a determined heart, she closed her eyes and brought the cup to her mouth.
Tilting her head back, she took a small sip.
—
"Ugh!" She clamped a hand over her mouth, her face twisted in agony.
Zhang Chenhao: "!"
The two instructors: "!!"
Footnotes Full List
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