354 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

Director Zhang was currently grappling with a headache over casting for the role of Su Daji. The film "Chaos in the Yin Shang Dynasty" had long announced its end-of-September release, with major scenes already completed. Only minor bits remained, and they aimed to wrap those up in a week. However, since Jing Lin was exposed with negative news, her scenes had to be reshot or edited. While long-distance shots could be blurred or adjusted, as the third female lead, Su Daji's scenes remained prevalent. Thus, to finalize these last edits, finding a suitable replacement quickly was imperative. Jing Lin had recently gained fame as a strikingly beautiful B-list actress. When her scandal surfaced, Director Zhang couldn't believe she was capable of such actions. Nonetheless, events transpired, and now he only focused on finding a new actress to portray Su Daji. Despite it being just overnight, the industry was already abuzz with the news of auditions for a "new Daji." By that morning, Director Zhang had already seen over fifty candidates for Su Daji, yet none felt quite right. While he massaged his temples, his phone rang, diverting his attention. He was surprised to see it was Liu Qi. As a seasoned director who frequently collaborated with Su Siyang, he knew exactly who Liu Qi was—a seasoned and dependable agent. This phone call naturally piqued his interest. Liu Qi informed him that Su Qi had an interest in film acting. Ending the call, Director Zhang couldn't help but recall the quirky little girl. Although he hadn't followed the streaming scene closely, Su Siyang’s frequent references to watching "that little girl's" live streams during breaks had sparked his curiosity. He had observed her clarity in teaching during those streams. Her exquisite features and her previous performance in the sword dance returned to his mind. Considering the girl's aura, Director Zhang believed she might indeed suit the role of Su Daji. Her innocence was the only dissonance. However, he decided to invite her for a screen test, just to see if makeup could bridge the gap. Having thoroughly considered all aspects, Director Zhang quickly dialed her number, found in his contacts since the sword dance event. Su Qi, at that moment, was in her room observing the stock market. The index remained as stable as ever, resembling a stagnant pool with minimal fluctuations. No market sector showed notable momentum, a situation she'd anticipated yet found slightly disappointing. Her stocks were on a steady climb, predicting a roughly 1% rise by day's end. The potential four-thousand-yuan gain felt slow to her. This prompted Su Qi to ponder her agent sister’s recent mention about the 300,000. Truth be told, Su Qi found it tempting. Using that sum as startup capital could potentially boost her funds to 800,000. Filming profits might round it up to a million. Reaching such a milestone required less effort compared to 500,000 doubling to reach a billion. While contemplating, Su Qi's phone rang, displaying Director Zhang's number. Was this coincidence, or did her thoughts materialize? Director Zhang, desiring to cast her and Su Qi eager for the paycheck, quickly arranged a screen test for two days later. Ending the call, Director Zhang chuckled as he recalled the girl's repeated inquiries about pay—finding her forthrightness endearing. From Su Siyang, Director Zhang understood that Su Qi was cherished. If she requested funds, they’d likely be provided. However, her desire to earn independently, truly impressed him. Few girls today exhibit such autonomy. Once the call ended, Su Qi realized an overlooked issue. She had never acted or explored acting through her system, let alone possessed any skills. What exactly was a screen test? She was clueless. Just as she considered asking her older brother, the system's crisp voice resonated in her ear: "Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have triggered a mandatory mission: The Enchantress Role." Hearing the mission's title, Su Qi paused before examining its details. Mission Brief: Despite being bonded with my 'female protagonist system,' the host plays a non-lead role. I am upset—very upset, extremely upset! Important things must be emphasized three times, okay! Mission Details: The host must make her portrayal of Su Daji surpass any character in "Chaos in the Yin Shang Dynasty," transforming a supporting role into a lead in the audience's eyes. Mission Reward: A considerable amount of red nectar. Failure Penalty: Random emblem. The sight of the mission reward immediately struck her as frivolous. Red nectar—a feature from a classic cultivation game, where its use in tea boosted attributes, right? Was this reward similar? Curious, Su Qi opened the reward description. Large Quantity of Red Nectar: An exotic red nectar named for its otherworldly origins. Consumption in a tea form grants temporary vulnerability, increasing sensitivity—perfect for home and travel. Usage: Five times. The description seemed both dubious and intriguingly useful. There were opportunities with her earlier encounters with the two wives to exact playful retribution. "Perfect for when the need arises," Su Qi mused, her lips curling slightly. Just then, she shifted focus to the failure penalty—the random emblem—and saw the mission was already accepted. The system then spoke with a slightly apologetic tone, "Host, this mission is mandatory. I couldn’t do otherwise. But I do have compensation." Hearing the system's guilty tone only made Su Qi find it even more adorable. Accepting the situation, perhaps she, as the ‘heroine system’s host portraying a supporting role, did neglect to give it the recognition it sought. Yet, when the system revealed its compensation, Su Qi was not prepared. A complex garment, beautiful yet intricate, appeared and spread across her bed like an ethereal quilt. Resembling an ancient bridal gown, it shone red and purple, its colors entwining to exude a mesmerizing allure. The clothing's visual impact left Su Qi stunned for a moment. Returning to her senses, she quickly grabbed her phone to research more about it. Upon learning its price, she was utterly astounded.