Chapter 19

Even before filming began, unpredictable events had already occurred twice, making the future seem bleak. Faced with such an outcome, Lee Jung-hee felt a bit regretful for choosing the scriptwriter position for "Blue生死恋" (Blue Love and Death).

However, there was no turning back, so for the sake of his own well-being, he still planned to play it out with Demon Entertainment to the end.

Yoon Seok-ho had his eye on Kim Hyeong-je, who was also willing to act, but what if his family disagreed?

With this in mind, Lee Jung-hee shamelessly ignored Kim Hyeong-je's request for help in persuading his family, and even secretly sabotaged the situation. In short, he had to make sure Kim Hyeong-je's involvement fell through.

Before they knew it, February arrived, and the Lunar New Year was just a few days away. Most companies began their holiday, and even "Blue Love and Death" temporarily halted work. However, things were still busy on the "The Curse" front.

Especially the casting of actors, which had always been a tricky issue.

Unlike large companies, where a project's launch would immediately attract countless talent agencies and even artists themselves, who would call and submit their resumes for selection, TUBE Entertainment was an unknown small company, and director Ahn Byung-ki was also a first-time director with little influence and connections. Therefore, they had to search and inquire one by one, and also consider schedules, salaries, and whether the actors were willing to accept the roles. All these factors made the process time-consuming.

Around nine in the morning, Lee Jung-hee, munching on a spicy rice cake stick, leisurely made his way to the audition venue. Just as he was about to push the door open, it swung open, and a short, chubby man rushed out. Moving too fast to stop, he inevitably collided with Lee Jung-hee.

The collision left both of them covered in the spicy sauce and juice from the rice cake stick.

The man glanced at Lee Jung-hee, saw his youth, and immediately frowned. However, since it wasn't his territory, he didn't dare to lash out, only grumbling, "How do you walk...?"

Oh, so now it's my fault, thought Lee Jung-hee, giving him a sidelong glance. He didn't care who the man was, even if he were the boss of TUBE Entertainment, he wouldn't give a damn. He coldly retorted, "If I'm not mistaken, it was you who bumped into me, right...?"

The man was taken aback by Lee Jung-hee's bold response and was about to retort when he heard Ha Ji-won calling out from a distance, "Hey, Mr. Lee, why are you so late!"

The man was stunned, his expression changing. He awkwardly smiled and nodded at Lee Jung-hee, "Ah, you're Mr. Lee. I'm Director Kim from Wellmade Entertainment, Ha Ji-won's agent. I was just saying I wanted to meet you, thank you for recommending Ji-won for the audition..."

He quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the stains from Lee Jung-hee's chest, "I'm really sorry, I was in a hurry!"

If Lee Jung-hee were just a regular screenwriter, Director Kim wouldn't have been so polite. However, he had heard a lot about this talented screenwriter who was handling two scripts simultaneously and was highly favored by the production team. For now, Lee Jung-hee's future looked bright.

So, he didn't dare to offend him. Ha Ji-won, noticing the tension, ran over and asked with concern, "What happened?"

It turned out this man was Ha Ji-won's agent. Lee Jung-hee inwardly rolled his eyes. He had recommended her to Ahn Byung-ki after she failed to secure the lead role in "Blue Love and Death," as she was already one of the main characters in this film.

To prevent the incident from affecting her audition, he casually brushed it off, "Oh, nothing, just a little collision!"

Director Kim, hearing this, felt relieved and took the opportunity to leave. Ha Ji-won, however, seemed to have guessed what happened and said apologetically, "Are you okay?"

Lee Jung-hee chuckled, adopting a light and playful tone, "Do I look that fragile?" Seeing her giggle, he found her quite appealing, but then shook his head and said, "Come on, you can't go in like this, you need to get some makeup done..."

"More makeup!" Ha Ji-won was taken aback, pouting and teasing him, "You seem really interested in women's affairs!"

Lee Jung-hee laughed helplessly and patted his chest, "Oh, thank goodness, I thought you were going to say, 'Do you have a crush on me?'"

"Phew!" Ha Ji-won playfully spat at him, but Lee Jung-hee wasn't about to let her off the hook. He shrugged, feigning disappointment, "You really don't give me any face. I was thinking, if you said that, I'd say yes and then invite you to dinner, of course, you'd pay, because you're the star and I'm just the assistant..."

"Is that your usual tactic?" Ha Ji-won, not one to be easily fooled, tilted her head and stared at him with bright eyes, a teasing smile on her lips, "That's quite a unique way to invite someone, you must be quite the expert!"

If they continued, it might really turn into an invitation. Regardless of whether Ha Ji-won would accept, he didn't dare to take the risk, so he could only shrug helplessly, "Alright, beautiful lady, you win!"

In "The Curse," the difference in screen time between the lead and supporting roles wasn't significant, especially for Ha Ji-won's character, who, though a supporting role, was the most striking in the film. Of course, this was partly due to her natural beauty.

However, during the audition, her beauty became an obstacle. After examining Ha Ji-won's appearance on camera from various angles, Ahn Byung-ki turned to Lee Jung-hee, "Hmm, how to put it, she's a bit too dazzling!"

Perhaps because of Demon Entertainment and the fact that Lee Jung-hee had the soul of an older man, Ahn Byung-ki and he got along well, which made their relationship quite close. So, although Ahn Byung-ki felt Ha Ji-won wasn't quite right, he didn't say it outright.

Lee Jung-hee understood his meaning. He paused, thinking that this film might also face unpredictable events. Looking at Ha Ji-won, he agreed with Ahn Byung-ki. Her face, though heavily made up, still exuded a captivating beauty.

"I see!" Lee Jung-hee suddenly had an idea and said to Ahn Byung-ki with a mysterious smile, "Let the others audition first, and I'll give you the most stunning lead later..." Then, he turned to the costume designer, "Could you find a pure black dress, preferably one that covers the feet..."

He was lucky; the production team had already prepared a suitable black long dress. Although it was a bit big on Ha Ji-won, it met the requirements.

However, when Lee Jung-hee saw Ha Ji-won come out of the dressing room, he still wasn't satisfied. He pulled her to the makeup room and instructed the hair stylist, "Could you make her hair a bit more voluminous, and have the bangs slightly cover her eyes..."

At this moment, he didn't hesitate to reach out and adjust Ha Ji-won's hair, explaining in detail to the hair stylist. Then, he turned to the makeup artist, "Could you make her eyebrows a bit longer and more pointed..."

He was focused and didn't notice Ha Ji-won's curious gaze. From the audition, she knew the director wasn't entirely satisfied, and now she realized Lee Jung-hee was helping her. However, she didn't understand why he was so enthusiastic.

They weren't particularly close, and she could tell he didn't have any special feelings for her, which was evident from his eyes.

Suddenly, she remembered how he had tried hard to help Song Hye-kyo but failed, and couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny?" Lee Jung-hee, noticing her amusement, asked in surprise.

Ha Ji-won looked up at him, seeing him still focused on communicating with the makeup artist. She smiled brightly but didn't ask, "Why are you helping me so much?" or say, "Do you treat all actresses this well?" Instead, she shook her head, "Nothing!"

Then, she looked at him earnestly and said sincerely, "Thank you!"

Lee Jung-hee smiled and shook his head, then clapped his hands, "Alright, this should do it!" After a pause, as Ha Ji-won stood up, he added, "Remember, when looking at something or someone in front of you, don't lift your head too high. Instead, lower it slightly, like this, and then lift your eyelids..."

Ha Ji-won was a bit stunned, but when she followed Lee Jung-hee's instructions and practiced in the mirror, she was amazed at her reflection and turned to him, "Wow, that's amazing, how did you know?"

"Just experience," Lee Jung-hee replied casually. Seeing her wide eyes, he added, "Don't worry, I won't come to your place at night!"

"Hey!" Ha Ji-won playfully hit him and bared her teeth, "You dare!"

At the door, Ahn Byung-ki appeared, just in time to see this scene. He smiled, intending to tease them, but when he saw Ha Ji-won's expression change, he was surprised.

However, this was just the beginning. Seeing Ahn Byung-ki, Lee Jung-hee immediately pulled Ha Ji-won out and instructed Ahn Byung-ki's assistant to dim the lights in the audition room.

In the dim light, her pale face, black dress, and disheveled hair all contributed to a eerie atmosphere. Slowly, she lifted her head, stopping halfway, then lifted her eyelids. Due to the angle, more of the whites of her eyes were visible, making her narrow, cold eyes even more sinister and chilling.

Clapping, Ahn Byung-ki excitedly exclaimed, "Very good!"

He turned to Lee Jung-hee, giving him a thumbs up. This young genius was increasingly surprising him, especially with his skillful use of makeup, costumes, and lighting...

Like Ahn Byung-ki, Ha Ji-won was also amazed by Lee Jung-hee's expertise and felt grateful. After the successful audition, she sincerely invited him downstairs, "Mr. Lee, let me treat you to a meal!"

Lee Jung-hee turned to look at her and smiled. He thought about the playful remarks he had made earlier, like, "Wow, beautiful lady, you should be more reserved," or "Do you mean, a date?"

However, it wasn't the right time for jokes, so he simply shook his head, a warm smile on his lips, "Thank you, but no need."

Unexpectedly, he declined, or perhaps it was expected. Watching Lee Jung-hee's retreating back, Ha Ji-won was a bit stunned, then smiled and muttered, "What a strange guy!"

---

End of Page

Start of Page

End of Page