Chapter 3 : The Withering Lotus' Open-Call Audition.

"You calm down first," Shen Jingwei said.

Maybe he should skip the walk around the park today.

Instead, he casually strolled into the convenience store and surveyed the rows for pre-packaged dinner options.

"I know, it's all my fault," Zhu Dongyi sobbed. "I brought you into this life. I should have done my job better, wuwuwuwu..."

Shen Jingwei grabbed a box of frozen pasta and meatballs in tomato sauce.

It was not the first time Zhu Dongyi threatened to take his life whenever he wanted Shen Jingwei to do something. The first time it happened, Shen Jingwei ran two kilometers to prevent Zhu Dongyi from committing suicide, only to have the latter prostrate before him and beg him to play Corpse #2 in a low-budget movie for a measly five-minute appearance.

After the n-th time, Shen Jingwei learned that Zhu Dongyi never planned to kill himself. He just liked to put his life on the line to get actors and actresses under him to work their asses.

Not the worst in the entertainment industry really, not the worst.

"What is it this time?" He sighed, clamping his phone between his neck and his shoulder as he reached for a pack of beer with both hands.

"I need you to go to an open-call audition for a drama."

...

That did not sound too bad, did it?

"What is the drama about? And for what role?"

Zhu Dongyi's voice lost its pathetic, suicidal edge and morphed into a professional one.

"It is for a new, very much anticipated C-Drama titled 'Dance of The Dragons', adapted from the novel of same title. I just sent you the novel in pdf, along with a one-page summary.

You will be auditioning for the role of 'Liu Wenyuan'.

The audition is tomorrow morning at 10. I have sent you the address. Good luck, bye!"

Looking back, Shen Jingwei should have sensed that something was wrong with this role, but he did not expect it to be that bad.

The novel consisted of more than 500 chapters, more than what Shen Jingwei could read in one sitting. He was more than happy to read the one-page summary Zhu Dongyi considerately prepared for him.

It took him the walk from the beverage section to the cashier to finish reading the entire summary.

By that time, his skin was crawling with murder intent.

"I am sorry, I changed my mind. No beer for me," he told the cashier when she was about to scan the pack of beer.

First of all, he was no longer in the mood for beer.

Second of all, the pack of beer was rather heavy.

Especially if he wanted to carry it all the way to Zhu Dongyi's house.

Because, as expected, his cowardice manager refused to answer his call.

Clicking his tongue angrily, Shen Jingwei hailed a cab to Zhu Dongyi's house.

He had enough manners to politely ring the bell.

Mrs. Zhu opened the door, visibly startled to see Shen Jingwei.

"Aiyah, Little Shen. We are just getting ready for dinner, would you like to join us?" She asked.

"I do not want to intrude, Mrs. Zhu. I just need to speak to Old Zhu for a while."

Mrs. Zhu gave Shen Jingwei an eerie look. She pushed the door wider to reveal her husband behind her, on his knees with crocodile tears welling in his eyes.

"Little Shen, I have wronged you!!!" He cried out most tragically.

Shen Jingwei had the good sense of waiting until Mrs. Zhu disappeared back into the house before he snapped at his manager.

"Old Zhu, what the hell is this? That novel is a BL novel! Heck, it is a BL C-Drama!"

"I know, I know!"

"And I checked the role. It's the role of the antagonist! A love rival! And and... And it's a shou*!"

"Technically, it's an omegaverse story, and the character you are playing is an omega... Yes yes I know, I know he's a bottom!"

Shen Jingwei was rendered speechless.

"After everything that happened three years ago?" He asked, his voice cracking in despair, and it was not because he was such a good actor.

Three years ago, his sexual preference was exposed in the most humiliating manner, causing his acting career to plummet before it even began.

Since then, he had steadfastly avoided any involvement with LGBT+ themed projects, regardless of their potential success. Now, with a cruel twist of fate, his manager was urging him to audition for a role in precisely such a film.

"You are literally stabbing me in the chest and twisting the knife for additional pain!" Shen Jingwei howled.

Where did he get this dramatic flair from?

Ah yes, he was an actor, take or give.

The two years he spent in the acting academy paid off after all.

"Listen to me first!" Zhu Dongyi cried out. "This movie is backed by a colossal budget. If you secure this role, you'll be handsomely rewarded, with a financial windfall that could set you up for life."

"..."

Shen Jingwei's silence was Zhu Dongyi's encouragement to speak further.

"I know, with everything that happened three years ago, you have become a withering lotus**. This role might be the final blow to effectively kill your acting career."

They all knew that shou actors received a lot of backlash after filming concluded, what with the society's low acceptance of LGBT+ community.

This was why no actors ever wanted to play the role of shous. It would be like eating one last meal prior to the execution!

"But think about the money! Shen Jingwei, do you think that you can make this much in your entire life?"

Zhu Dongyi whipped out his phone and showed Shen Jingwei a string of numbers.

Shen Jingwei's jaw fell open in amazement.

He did not remember what else happened that night.

Somehow, he must have agreed to Zhu Dongyi's convincing offer.

He only came to his senses when he stood before the audition venue the next morning.

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Author's note :

*Shou = bottom

Gong = top

**Withering lotus = hopeless case, lost potential, declining career.