(Author Note: A lot of readers complained that this chapter is "toxic." Honestly, I don't know how to fix it either. But skipping it won't affect your understanding of the story. So if you're worried, feel free to skip. Out of the hundreds of chapters released before this book was put on shelves, it's really just chapters 6 to 10 that got criticized. You can skip these four chapters if you want — I haven't seen complaints about any of the rest! So... haha, please bear with me!)
In a high-end residential complex, a stunning woman glanced at the caller ID on her phone.
"Jing Yu?"
She paused and looked over at the man beside her.
Handsome, confident — not quite as dashing as Jing Yu, but still undeniably attractive.
"What is it? Who's calling?" the man asked.
"Jing Yu," the woman replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Him?" Jiang Shiqing blinked. "He actually has the nerve to call you? Don't tell me he's trying to get back together? That'd be hilarious. You don't need to be so nervous — it's just some part-time coworker from the station calling you. I'm not the jealous type."
"Then I'll answer it."
Song Xin let out a small breath of relief when she saw that he didn't seem upset.
"Hello, Jing Yu." Song Xin answered the call, her voice gentle.
Though she'd broken up with Jing Yu, she couldn't deny that he had helped her a lot over the past year. He'd taken her from a decorative role in variety shows to acting in several dramas.
None of those shows had taken off, but at least she'd built up some credentials. Without that, it would've been nearly impossible for her to land a supporting female lead role in White Lovers.
After all, Jiang Shiqing also had to consider the producer's perspective — picking a total nobody with no acting experience for a major production like White Lovers would've left him wide open to criticism. If the show tanked, that black mark could be enough to cost him his value in the eyes of the station leadership.
"Mmm... Xiao Song Xin." Jing Yu almost slipped and used the way the original owner of this body used to address her, but caught himself in time.
"It's been a while since we last talked. There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Are you free right now?"
Song Xin's heart skipped a beat. He's not seriously trying to get back together, is he?
"What... exactly is it? I probably can't meet up right now. Could we talk over the phone instead?" she replied gently.
Jing Yu frowned slightly. If she wasn't willing to meet, then fine.
"I have a script — it's a short drama, two weeks of filming. I think you'd be a good fit for the female lead. If you're available, would you be willing to take a look at the script?"
"Huh? The female lead?" Song Xin felt a wave of disappointment.
If he had asked to get back together, she definitely would've rejected him — but the fact that he didn't ask left her feeling strangely bitter.
She had the call on speakerphone, so Jiang Shiqing could hear everything.
She did that on purpose — to reassure him.
Song Xin glanced at him, quietly watching his expression.
"Well... can I think about it? I'll call you back in a bit," she said, quickly making her decision before hanging up.
"What do you think?" she asked with a smile.
"If you want to take it, go ahead. You're a registered actress with the station — just report it to your direct supervisor and you're good."
"Are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Me?"
"If you're not jealous, then why did you use your connections to get Jing Yu kicked out of the station right after his dad died last month?" Song Xin teased.
"I only did that because when I first started at the station, I worked under his dad — the guy was strict as hell."
"So the strict teacher raised a top student, huh? I'd say most of your current skills probably came from his father." Song Xin smiled.
Since they were dating, she knew a lot about Jiang Shiqing.
It had been him who manipulated Jing Yu's contract — turning a long-term deal into a short one — all to get back at Jing Yu's late father, Jing Liang.
Back in the day, Jiang Shiqing had worked under Jing Liang and been chewed out constantly. He'd held that grudge for years.
"I'm aware of the project Jing Yu has on hand," Jiang Shiqing changed the subject.
"It's a two-episode short drama, just a stopgap to fill the hole left by White Lovers going on hiatus. Low investment, inconvenient time slot. Even as the lead, it's worthless. Honestly, it's just a backup show to cover for White Lovers."
"Besides, if it weren't for Production Director Chu, you still remembering that old man fondly, Jing Yu wouldn't have even gotten this sloppy opportunity."
"That said, it's still your choice. Just because it's a short drama doesn't mean it can't go viral. If, by some miracle, that kid manages to write a breakout hit and you're the lead actress, it could be a huge career boost for you. Who knows — this phone call could end up changing your life." Jiang Shiqing laughed.
His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
As if.
Song Xin couldn't help but chuckle. She'd spent a whole year with Jing Yu — she knew exactly how much talent he had.
In terms of talent, if Jiang Shiqing was a rising star in Lan Province's screenwriting circle, then Jing Yu's father had been one of its elite veterans.
But Jing Yu? He was stuck in the gutter.
His past scripts were painfully dull. The only reason people at the station even thought he had potential was because his father had supervised all his work.
If it weren't for his father looking after him, he'd have been kicked out of Jinhui ages ago.
"I'm with you now. Even if he could make me the ratings queen of Da Zhou, I wouldn't be interested in his work." Song Xin didn't hesitate for even a second.
If Jing Yu really had that kind of talent, she'd dump Jiang Shiqing in a heartbeat — but he didn't.
"I'll reject him now."
"Are you sure? It's a lead role, even if it's just a short project."
"We're dating. How could I go act in my ex's show?" Song Xin replied firmly.
She then began redialing Jing Yu's number.
Jiang Shiqing nodded in satisfaction.
"Actually... wait." He suddenly reached out and stopped her finger from pressing the call button.
"If you've made your decision, that's great. But before we reject him, let's give him a bit of trouble."
"What do you mean?" Song Xin looked at him.
"Like you said — I've already hit him once for his dad, so how could I let him make a comeback with this show? It's about to start filming. If you agree to take the female lead, he'll stop looking for a backup. Then, once they're ready to shoot, you back out — mess up his production schedule, throw off his rhythm. The show's already doomed to fail — might as well make it even worse." Jiang Shiqing smirked.
It was just a phone call. No cost. If he could mess with the guy, why wouldn't he?
Song Xin hesitated.
She and Jing Yu had split peacefully — there wasn't any big conflict between them. Just because they weren't lovers anymore didn't mean they had to be enemies.
Doing this would mean completely burning the bridge.
But when she looked at Jiang Shiqing again, she sighed and gave a slight nod.
Ten minutes later, Jing Yu finally received a callback from Song Xin.
"I really appreciate that, even with everything that's happened between us, you'd still consider me for the female lead. I accept your offer."
"Oh? You're not going to read the script first? If you're okay with it, we still need to sign the contract. Shooting starts tomorrow," Jing Yu replied.
"Sorry, I've got plans today and can't make it. But I can definitely be there for the shoot tomorrow. We can sign the contract then. As for the script, no need — I trust you. We'll just figure it out on set."
"So you're confirming you'll take the lead role?"
"Yes," she said solemnly.
"What about the payment?"
"Whatever's in the station's budget — I'll take that."
Two minutes later, Jing Yu hung up and let out a long breath.
He felt something was off, but didn't dwell on it.
Technically, the previous owner of this body and Song Xin had broken up on peaceful terms. Sure, he'd been heartbroken when she jumped straight into Jiang Shiqing's arms, but there was no deep animosity. In fact, he'd done a lot to help her — she wouldn't have transitioned from variety starlet to drama actress without him.
Even if the romance was over, there was still some lingering goodwill. If things had ended in total flames, he wouldn't have even considered calling her for this role.
He dialed the producer that Chu You had assigned to his project.
"Hello, Mr. Liu? I've finalized the main cast. I'll send over the requirements for interior and exterior scenes, along with our production needs, shortly."
Normally, these kinds of tasks would be handled by the script assistant or assistant director. But with the tight schedule, neither Jing Yu nor Gao Wencang had the luxury of assistants. Fortunately, both were well-rounded and experienced enough to handle everything themselves.
By the time they finished sorting all the details, another afternoon had passed.
Jing Yu was busy, but that was nothing compared to what the producer was facing.
They had just two days to gather a full team and start shooting while handling post-production at the same time. If it weren't for Jinhui Television's massive in-house talent pool, this would've been impossible. Starting a team from scratch would've taken ten times longer.
That's the advantage of a big company.
That night, Jing Yu still wasn't quite at ease, so he texted Song Xin a reminder about what time to report to the set tomorrow.
"Okay," she replied simply.
Seeing her response, Jing Yu finally relaxed and went to sleep.
(End of Chapter)