Chapter 8 : Coaxing The Withering Lotus Into Acceptance

Fifteen minutes later, Lu Shui was already sitting at one of the tables in the coffee shop, happily poring through the menu.

"Oooh," her eyes sparkled upon landing on the last page.

Shen Jingwei sighed inwardly.

"Business must be good with so many handsome butlers working in this place," Lu Shui chirped at the sullen-looking man before her.

"Does it mean that you have kissed and hugged a lot of customers here?"

Shen Jingwei cleared his throat.

"Nothing indecent," he declared.

"And what kind of dance can I get with 1,000 Yuan?" She wanted to know.

"... I beg you, please don't make me dance," Shen Jingwei pleaded.

Lu Shui blinked at him. It seemed that she stumbled upon something amusing.

"Why not?"

"I don't like to dance," Shen Jingwei stated.

"You have to dance if you decide to take Xie Jianyu's role, anyway," she quipped. "A sword dance during Winter Solstice celebration."

Shen Jingwei's face turned complicated, not because of the prospect of performing a dance in the drama, but because of the role itself.

"This offer is beyond generous, more than what a chocolate bun and a cup of chocolate milk can pay for. But... I still have to turn it down."

"Why?"

"Because..."

Shen Jingwei did not even know where to start.

Words were abundant, yet nothing seemed right to say.

Lu Shui propped her chin up on an elbow and stared at Shen Jingwei intently.

"Is it because of your past history with Yan Renzhong?"

"..."

Shen Jingwei's wan smile stretched taut, his facial muscles betraying his inner turmoil.

"You knew," he said finally. "And you still recommended me for the role. It's like placing a time bomb in your own house. Don't you care for the success of the drama at all?"

The author smiled.

She leaned backward in her seat and played with her fingers.

"I am not trying to make things difficult for both of us. All I see is a good opportunity for both of us."

"... How so?"

"For one, the drama will capitalize on your past with Emperor Yan. Your names will dominate Weibo search results for weeks, guaranteed."

Shen Jingwei sneered.

"It was a scandalous matter of the past. Are you sure that it is not going to harm the drama at all?"

"Nope!"

The author certainly trusted her judgment a lot.

"On the other hand, this is a good opportunity for you to let go of the past and embrace your future. Why squander your potential for one measly heartbreak?"

"Heh."

Potential.

Shen Jingwei shook his head wearily.

"I don't know what potential you see in me."

"I see Xie Jianyu in you," Lu Shui beamed at him.

Shen Jingwei was deeply moved. Never before had such unwavering confidence been placed in him. It was like a life-giving elixir for a weary soul.

"Trust me," the author grabbed Shen Jingwei's hands. "If you take this role, by the end of the drama, you will be ready for any kind of roles in any kind of drama."

Shen Jingwei's mouth fell open slightly.

Was this role so powerful?

Was he going to shatter his protective cocoon and embark on a perilous journey in the film industry?

Was this the break he had been waiting for?

Anxiety and curiosity grappled within the man, their struggle visibly etched across the surface of his pupils.

Lu Shui's excitement was off the charts. It was as if she were on the brink of beheading an enemy general or securing a long-awaited marriage proposal. Whichever scenario better captured the moment.

"Besides, if you have decided that this kind of role would be the death of your acting career, why not take the biggest role you can get?"

"..."

The author's words made sense.

They truly did!

If one's destiny was to meet an untimely end, let it be a glorious demise on the field of battle. A hero's epitaph, inscribed upon a noble stone, should bear his name, ensuring his legend lives on through countless ages.

"Alright," Shen Jingwei finally agreed, bowing his head solemnly. "I shall give it a try. Please take good care of me."

"Hahaha, no need to be so formal. I will also need you to take good care of me," Lu Shui replied cheerfully.

"I have already read the first eleven chapters of the novel. The story is quite devastating at the beginning," Shen Jingwei said, a hint of concern in his voice. "After the protagonist regresses to his youth, the plot will be a lot brighter, right?"

"Of course!" Lu Shui lied between her teeth, with no hint of remorse detectable from her unchanging, resplendent smile. "You should read the novel."

"I will," Shen Jingwei promised. "If I don't understand something, I will ask questions."

"Feel free to."

Lu Shui winked at him.

The negotiation had been completed, with no single Yuan spent at all.

The author was cheap, wasn't she?

Shen Jingwei couldn't quite explain what he felt afterward.

He was relieved, but an inexplicable cloud of trepidation hung over him and refused to scatter.

To feel better about the role, Shen Jingwei decided to read "Dance Of The Dragons", all 500 chapters of it.

It took one, two, three days for him to finish.

As soon as he put down the book, he sent a message to the author, "Author, I hate you."

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Author's note :

Author : I suffer a lot of grievances at the hands of my characters (⁠っ⁠˘̩⁠╭⁠╮⁠˘̩⁠)⁠っ

Shen Jingwei : (⁠┛⁠✧⁠Д⁠✧⁠)⁠)⁠┛⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻