Because of the delay caused by the Cherry incident, Le Hailey didn't arrive at Film Mountain Production Tower until ten o'clock.

Xiaoru went to park the car in the underground lot, so Le Hailey took the elevator directly up to the eighth floor to the audition stage.

The auditions were already underway. As soon as she entered, Le Hailey saw a dense crowd gathered around a cleared space in the center. A three-meter-high platform stood there, alongside a winch system for wirework.

Not far from the platform sat five or six tables and chairs where three people – the assistant director, producer, and screenwriter – were huddled in discussion. Le Hailey scanned the scene; the director wasn't present. It seemed the female supporting role wasn't considered important enough to warrant his attention.

An actress was currently auditioning. A stagehand was helping her into a wire harness while giving her last-minute instructions. The actress nodded in response.

The actress had her back to Le Hailey, so she couldn't make out who it was. She leaned towards a nearby assistant and asked quietly, "Who's auditioning now?"

The assistant glanced at her, recognizing she wasn't a big name, and replied with a distinctly cold and impatient tone, "Aldrich Jiatong," before turning away without a second look, clearly not wanting to waste time.

The tendency to fawn over the successful and scorn the struggg was nothing new in showbiz. Le Hailey didn't take it personally. She searched her memory for the name 'Aldrich Jiatong' but drew a blank – likely a newcomer, possibly even less established than herself.

In the brief moment Le Hailey processed this, Aldrich Jiatong was harnessed. The assistant director raised his hand and shouted, "One, two, three—Action!"

No sooner had the command left his lips than Aldrich Jiatong simply dropped straight down from the platform.

"Cut! Cut! Cut!" the assistant director roared, his face etched with annoyance. "Aldrich Jiatong, are you made of wood?! Just dropping straight down like a plank? You're playing a female knight-errant, not a zombie!"

Aldrich Jiatong's Aldrichs instantly welled up. She looked pleadingly at the assistant director. "Director Zhang, please give me another chance. Just one more try, I promise I'll do better."

"Try?! You look like you're trying to jump off a building! Next! Bring in the next one!" Director Zhang commanded dismissively.

Stagehands immediately moved in to remove Aldrich Jiatong's harness. Knowing her rare opportunity was ruined, Aldrich Jiatong hung her head, tears streaming down her face.

Le Hailey calculated the time: Aldrich Jiatong's entire audition had lasted less than ten seconds before she was cut. In this cutthroat industry, if you weren't famous, people wouldn't even grant you basic dignity.

Le Hailey pressed her lips together, her resolve hardening. She had to get this role.

Spotting a familiar production manager passing by, Le Hailey quickly stepped forward to greet her. "Manager Chen! Long time no see. I'm so sorry I'm late."

Manager Chen, having worked her way up from the bottom, wasn't as overtly snobbish as some in the industry. She nodded at Le Hailey. "It's fine, you made it."

"May I ask when my turn is, Manager Chen?"

Manager Chen flipped through the schedule in her hand. "You're eighth. Jiang Hui is up after this current one finishes, then it's you. Here's the script page." She handed Le Hailey two sheets of paper.

Thanking her, Le Hailey found a seat to study the script. Today's audition scene wasn't complex – a fight sequence. Given the character's action-heavy nature, the focus was clearly on testing wirework balance and physical coordination.

The scene depicted the female lead overhearing her childhood friend confess to being the murderer of her entire family while hiding in a tree. She then leaps down to confront him in a furious duel. The male lead counterpart wasn't present; a martial arts choreographer would stand in.

The three-meter platform simulated the tree.

Suddenly, a wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, followed by an abrupt, heavy silence.

Puzzled, Le Hailey looked up.

A figure entered through the main doors. Tall and imposing, clad in a perfectly tailored black suit, his strikingly handsome face was utterly expressionless, radiating an aura of chilg detachment that warned everyone to keep their distance.

After a stunned moment of silence, the room erupted – workers, assistants, and agents alike buzzing with astonishment.

"Oh my god, he's gorgeous! Which star is that?"

"I don't recognize him! A newcomer? Heavens, he's even hotter than Zhou Tianwang!"

"His presence is terrifying! I can't even look him in the eAldrich!"

Yan Aldrich's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze turning even colder and sharper.

As he walked further into the room, his icy aura seemed to physically quell the chatter. The buzzing died instantly, replaced by an uneasy quiet. People unconsciously stepped back wherever he approached, the dense crowd parting like the Red Sea to create a path down the middle.

Le Hailey only looked up at the commotion. When she saw Yan Aldrich, her Aldrichs widened in shock. She just stared, dumbfounded, as he strode forward.

Him?! What was he doing here?!

Wasn't he supposed to be on a business trip in Hong Kong?!

When had he returned? And why on earth was he in the audition hall?!

He couldn't... he couldn't be looking for her, could he?

The thought flickered. Instantly, Le Hailey ducked her head, hunched her shoulders, and tried to make herself invisible in the throng. Given Yan Aldrich's personality, he wouldn't bother with pleasantries. What if their relationship was exposed? With so many people around, gossip would spread like wildfire to the tabloids – her career would be over before it started! This was supposed to be a six-month marriage of convenience; she absolutely wouldn't sacrifice her acting future for it.

Then another thought struck her: If he was looking for her, why hadn't he called? Barging in like this was completely out of character for the meticulous Yan Aldrich. He must be here for some other business reason. Probably wouldn't stay long. Le Hailey cautiously lifted her head just enough to peek at him out of the corner of her eAldrich.

Yan Aldrich hadn't even reached the center of the room when the assistant director, producer, and screenwriter leapt to their feet. Director Zhang, who had been snarg at Aldrich Jiatong moments before, performed an instantaneous transformation, his face splitting into an ingratiating smile.

The trio practically scrambled from behind their table, rushing forward several steps to greet Yan Aldrich, hands outstretched for enthusiastic handshakes, their obsequiousness palpable.

"Young Master Aldrich! Such an honor! Long time no see, long time no see!"

Yan Aldrich acknowledged them with a curt "Hmm," not even returning the pleasantry.

Director Zhang didn't seem offended in the slightest. His smile grew even more sycophantic. "Young Master Aldrich, your time is immensely valuable. To what do we owe the privilege of your esteemed presence at Film Mountain today?"

Anyone with even a modicum of standing in City A knew Yan Aldrich's identity. He was practically the shadow king of A City. The L.N. Group was the Aldrich family's commercial empire, and Yan Aldrich, as its current heir, possessed the power to make the entire city tremble with a mere stamp of his foot.

Huanyu Media, merely a small branch under the L.N. umbrella, was itself one of the top media conglomerates in the country. It held the contracts of countless A-list stars and invested billions annually. In the entertainment world, any association with Huanyu Media instantly skyrocketed one's worth.

These men, who could lord it over small-time actresses, were nothing – absolute nobodies – in the face of genuine wealth and power like Yan Aldrich. Ordinarily, they wouldn't even qualify to attend a cocktail party where he made an appearance.

But today, Yan Aldrich was here! Missing this opportunity would be the height of stupidity.

As for Yan Aldrich's famed coldness and inaccessibility? Director Zhang had heard the rumors, but he dismissed them. People in the entertainment industry were more ruthless and status-conscious than most. For someone of Yan Aldrich's stature, even supreme arrogance seemed perfectly justified.