LAVW – Chapter 157 Tiger Tiger

Seeing the white tiger still stepping on the cardboard boxes, the humans’ astonishment shifted into a more reasonable kind of laughter.

Director Laman laughed the loudest, looking genuinely delighted.

“Hahahaha—”

It left Merlin a little at a loss, until someone comforted her—“It’s okay. We’ve seen far too many accidents like this today. This really doesn’t count as anything.”

“Oh, it’s so cute.”

Someone teased bluntly, “A cute tiger? It probably doesn’t like being described that way.”

Shi Qian, who didn’t mind at all: It’s fine.

After all, it was just to ease the humans’ amazement a bit, so they wouldn’t start forming any dangerous ideas about him.

You could be outstanding, even a little out of the ordinary—but you didn’t need to be so outstanding it felt otherworldly. That was Shi Qian’s personal standard when showing off his acting.

So Shi Qian often had to act for a bit, then play for a while.

Tiring for a tiger.

Stepping on the cardboard boxes, Shi Qian saw the props crew bring out several large boxes of plush tiger props. He walked over, picked up the cleanest one in his mouth, and stuffed it into Merlin’s hands.

This was something humans couldn’t do.

But a big cat absolutely could.

The producer in charge of prop funds didn’t mind at all, and said to Merlin, “It’s fine, you can take it. Consider it a gift from us to Qian.”

For animals whose intelligence wasn’t even on par with a child’s, accidents were perfectly normal.

An animal actor taking just one plush tiger didn’t even qualify as an accident.

After finishing today’s quota of “acting dumb,” Shi Qian finally settled down and followed Merlin to study the second scene.

From the script, the second scene was written rather vaguely—it only said the character inspires the tribe, without clearly stating the background.

This was a bit like an open-ended question, but far less friendly than the open questions back in school. Open questions on exams were truly open; this extra question, however, already had a “best answer” preset in the director team’s minds.

Merlin thought for a moment, then decided to follow the “test questions” she had reviewed before, tracing Will’s background.

Facing the camera, she carefully interpreted a performance that mixed resilience with tragic resolve for Shi Qian. Only the sound coming from her mouth—“roar, roar, roar”—was a bit lacking in momentum.

A tiger’s roar could chill people to the bone, instilling fear—something humans found difficult to imitate.

After finishing the rallying roar, she led the tribe in a fearless charge toward the enemy’s main force, her face covered in determination.

Acting truly required a sense of belief. Merlin imitated a tiger’s posture, yet didn’t feel out of place at all—on the contrary, she was completely immersed.

If it were an ordinary person, they might not be able to let go at all, or might burst out laughing halfway through.

She was so earnest that Laman and the others also watched just as earnestly.

Shi Qian studied seriously as well, but he thought of another, somewhat similar character—the little princess Qiao Mianmian.

Compared to what Merlin portrayed, Qiao Mianmian carried more energy, like a little sun, and was also a brave little leader.

In some ways, Shi Qian liked the little princess he had met more.

Confidence and courage were always important for a tribe. Tragic resolve could push people forward for a while, but it couldn’t become a lasting, upward-driving force.

It wasn’t that Merlin’s performance was bad—she completely moved everyone else present. It was just that Shi Qian had seen more, and had his own thoughts and opinions.

So when it was his turn to act, he chose his own way.

More proactive, more spirited—like a soldier leading his troops, letting out a battle roar.

“ROAR—”

The powerful tiger roar cut through the audition studio, making people outside tremble and start worrying about what was happening inside.

And inside the studio at that moment, Director Laman’s heart had already completely tipped over to Shi Qian’s side.

He jumped to his feet, clapping excitedly.

The sharp pa-pa-pa of applause filled the audition studio.

The others looked at one another, and in the end could only clap along with smiles.

It truly was an outstanding performance—a single tiger, yet carrying the presence of thousands of troops behind him, the bearing of a true king.

Just as the script required.

“No wonder he’s the king of the forest. Qian’s performance is the most ‘king-like’ so far. Oh—no, look at my memory. He’s supposed to be the king of the forest to begin with—not just like one.”

“I’m conquered.”

“I—I need to go to the restroom!” This friend proved that a tiger’s roar was indeed frightening—not very friendly to the prostate.

“Do we still need to watch the edited version? Qian’s continuity is too good. Filming him will definitely save time and effort, and the quality will be extremely high.”

“I think we do. Watching the edited version was our predetermined approach—it wouldn’t be appropriate to change it on the spot.”

“In the end, what matters is the result after filming and editing.”

Several people really liked Shi Qian’s performance, as if swept up in excitement, while others remained calm.

Shi Qian did a quick count—out of seven people, three strongly supported him, three were in the calm camp, and one was in the restroom camp.

The chances should still be pretty good, right?

As Shi Qian was thinking this, Director Laman began posing an extra test.

“We also need to see Qian in a relaxed state—preferably something happier.”

“Sure.”

Merlin felt the request was too easy, not a challenge at all.

She reached back, grabbed the plush tiger, and tossed it high above Shi Qian’s head.

Shi Qian: ……

Looking at Merlin’s smiling face, Shi Qian chose to play along with her, just like on ordinary days.

In a fifty-fifty situation like this, Director Laman—who was quite satisfied with him—would surely only set questions that worked in his favor.

Shi Qian thought for just one second before making his decision.

The white tiger lifted a huge paw and slapped the plush tiger, accurately batting it toward Merlin’s left side.

When Merlin smacked it back to the left, he sent it flying to the right again.

Once Merlin got used to left and right, she added up and down as well.

The difference was that Shi Qian played fair, while Merlin did not—she often threw it to places she absolutely couldn’t catch herself.

But with abilities that were simply too strong, Shi Qian still held the upper hand, sending Merlin hopping and jumping all over the place. It was excellent exercise—one of Merlin’s favorite games.

As one human and one tiger played, even the air in the audition room seemed to bounce along with them, filled with something called joy.

If the cameras and equipment hadn’t already been put away, they might have had to be sacrificed heroically.

After two minutes of performance, Shi Qian suddenly grabbed the plush tiger in his mouth, forcing the overly excited Merlin to stop.

They were still auditioning.

Merlin stopped, remembered the important matter, and smiled sheepishly with a red face.
“Qian is usually like this—he’s a very happy white tiger, with an extremely healthy mental state.”

“Very good.” Director Laman still wore a highly satisfied smile, and even deliberately glanced toward a cameraman behind them.

The cameraman nodded back.

That marked the end of the audition. All that remained was to wait for the results.

Merlin and Shi Qian left the audition room and first went to buy two ice creams nearby.

Merlin held hers and nibbled at the edge, watching Qian beside her gripping a tiny ice-cream cone with both big paws.

A pink tongue swept over it, one lick scraping off a layer.

After a few licks, it was gone.

Shi Qian: “Roar.”

Too small.

Merlin laughed. “You can’t eat too much.”

She asked Shi Qian, “Qian, do you think we’ll pass the audition this time? Thinking back, it feels like the producers might have someone else they’re more inclined to support.”

She didn’t say it outright, but she meant Hans and Lancel.

Although a famous director didn’t lack funding, investors came in different grades. Someone like Hans, who was willing to throw money purely out of love, was clearly top-tier. The producers would certainly benefit as well.

Shi Qian nodded.

He thought it would work out—not only out of confidence, but also because he trusted Laman’s attitude.

That final showcase was most likely a bonus question Laman had set for him.

Only a complex, multi-layered character could become truly vivid and moving.

Shi Qian’s previous role—Will—wasn’t actually very layered. The contrast between his identity and behavior, and the tragic yet powerful storyline, were what made Will appealing. That role was also better suited to be portrayed from a supporting perspective rather than as a lead.

Seeing Qian nod, Merlin gained confidence too.

“If Qian says it’ll work, then it definitely will.”

She murmured softly, “Does having ‘spirit’ really make that big a difference? I always feel your acting is better than mine—even more lively?”

Shi Qian: “Roar, roar.”

Your acting has improved a lot too! Take it slow—it’ll keep getting better.

Shi Qian didn’t think Merlin lacked talent entirely; she just might have a little less.

Coupled with her natural looks, she was already better off than many others. If she kept going, even if she didn’t become wildly famous, she would certainly gain something.

While one human and one tiger ate ice cream and chatted, a conversation was also taking place inside the audition room.

There was no need to say much about Laman’s favor toward Shi Qian. He tried to persuade the others: “I think among the animal actors, the best performance—without any doubt—is Qian.”

“He displays the aura of a king. He’s a born ruler. Compared to him, the others all fall short in presence.”

“Wasn’t there a lion?”

“Good heavens, don’t you remember how that lion performed? It didn’t cooperate at all—it was a tyrant!”

“A leader isn’t just about violence. They must have responsibility and a sense of duty. Courage and confident charm should shine through them, like a lighthouse at sea guiding the way forward!”

“Most importantly, Qian is still young. During his growth stage, we won’t even need special effects—so long as we seize every minute from now!”

In the end, Laman persuaded that group of money-minded people through the language of “money” itself, and got the actor he wanted most.

Almost as soon as the result came out, Hans received the news.

He wasn’t particularly disappointed.

Because after the audition schedule was set, Hans had already obtained the full script in advance.

After reading it, Hans knew that Lancel’s suitability was indeed far lower than Qian’s. A cheetah’s strength lay in agility; it could show dominance too, but without comparison there was no harm. Against a grand, epic backdrop, the requirements became far stricter.

Only after comforting Lancel in advance did Hans call Merlin.

“Congratulations. Qian got the role.”

Merlin was very happy on her end of the call, but she knew she couldn’t show it too openly—after all, the one calling her was the owner of Qian’s competitor.

Qian getting the role meant Lancel had failed.

Thinking of that adorable cheetah, Merlin asked with concern, “Does Lancel know? Will he be upset?”

Hearing such a response made Hans feel much better.

“Lancel’s doing fine,” Hans said. “He’s not really suited for this role. I told him that.”

Merlin, who hadn’t read the script, scratched her head and voiced her doubt. “Is that so?”

Hans generously spoiled a bit: “This role involves growth. It suits a young tiger in a developmental stage like Qian much better.”

Hearing that, Shi Qian’s old face turned red.

He never imagined he’d win because of youth.

Flowers may bloom again, but a cheetah never returns to its youth.

Unlike him—he’d been a cub more than once.

Just as he sighed, he heard Hans add somewhat indignantly, “Besides, Lancel is too steady. This kind of young role is too lively—he doesn’t like acting it.”

Merlin actually agreed without thinking. “Is that so? Then Lancel really isn’t very suitable. A little tiger like Qian has such a big advantage.”

Shi Qian protested, “Roar—”

Staying happy is a skill too, okay?