"At this point, Jing Yu, your apology doesn't mean much," Liu Neng said calmly. "You're the screenwriter for this project, and typically, choosing the lead actors would be a matter between you and Director Gao. But now that something this unexpected has happened, tell me—do you have a backup actress for the female lead?"
Jing Yu hadn't explained the details, but Liu Neng, being the savvy veteran he was, could already guess what had happened—Song Xin had played him.
"If you don't…" Liu Neng continued, "I'll have to use my authority to bring someone in from the station by tomorrow to ensure this project can proceed on schedule."
Jing Yu and Gao Wencang both frowned at that. If it came to that, Liu Neng would likely just pull in whoever was available. As long as she was passable, that would be good enough.
But choosing a drama's lead wasn't something to be done so casually.
It was like the various actresses who'd played Xiao Longnv in The Return of the Condor Heroes—Carmen Lee was a divine goddess, Liu Yifei was an ethereal fairy, and Michelle Chen… was a pork bun.
Same character, same story—just a different actress, and the entire feel of the show changed dramatically.
If Liu Neng brought in someone whose appearance or vibe didn't match the female lead's role, the result could be a total disaster.
"I understand, Mr. Liu," Jing Yu replied. "I'll do everything I can to find someone by the end of today. But if I can't, when the time comes, I hope I can be involved in choosing from whoever you bring in."
"Naturally," Liu Neng nodded. "But keep in mind, there are a lot of productions and variety shows in progress right now. Anyone with a free schedule will most likely be a step down from Song Xin in terms of acting skills and looks. I hope you can understand that."
With that, the three broke up.
Jing Yu left to search for a new actress, while Gao Wencang and Liu Neng began shooting scenes that didn't require the female lead—flashbacks to the male lead's childhood, and scenes with his family and friends.
Meanwhile, Jing Yu walked and scrolled furiously through the station's internal list of performing artists.
Using Song Xin as the benchmark—let's say she was an "8" for the role—he began jotting down contact info for anyone who scored at least a 5.5 in his mind.
"Hello, this is Jing Yu, a screenwriter with Jinhui TV…"
"Yes, it's a low-budget production, but it's still a lead role."
"The budget isn't high—since it's only a two-week shoot, we're offering about 8,000 yuan."
"…Three days from now? No, no, sorry—if you agree to take the role, you'd have to join the crew tomorrow."
"…Thirty-six, and looks sweet and innocent? No, I'm sorry. No amount of makeup could make that work for this part. So Miss Shi Jia's schedule really can't be freed up?"
By noon, Jing Yu leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
His mind was numb.
The ones he was somewhat satisfied with were either unavailable, wanted more money, or couldn't start right away.
And the ones who were fine with the conditions?
He video-called them—and their appearance didn't match the role's image at all.
If he had a full week… even just three days, he was confident he could find a good fit.
But with only today to work with…
He slipped the notes with potential contacts into his pocket and got ready to visit a few major talent agencies in person.
That's when something slipped out of his pocket—a business card.
Three bold characters stood out clearly: Yu Youqing.
"Yu Youqing…"
A beautiful face slowly surfaced in his memory.
He immediately remembered the woman he met at that blind date gathering a few days ago—the one who was there just to accompany her friend.
With her looks, it would've been hard to forget her.
She had graduated from the acting department at Lan Province University. Two years out of school now, with no connections and no break into the industry, she was currently helping her parents run a flower shop—between jobs.
Snippets of their brief conversation at the time resurfaced clearly in his mind.
An acting graduate meant she had at least a decent foundation in performance. And more importantly—
She was beautiful. In fact, she was even more beautiful than Song Xin. Her temperament matched the role perfectly—even better than the original.
What to do?
She definitely had free time.
But… she had no acting experience.
Still, this drama didn't exactly require great acting skills. The storyline was its biggest strength. In that case, looks were actually more important.
And besides, I don't have experience either, do I?
Jing Yu looked at the address and number on the card. After a few seconds of thought, his eyes gradually grew determined.
"I'm borrowing your car."
—
On set, Gao Wencang was shooting a scene where the male lead is saved as a child when he received Jing Yu's call.
He paused for a moment, then said:
"Drive carefully."
"Got it."
Jing Yu hung up, grabbed the keys, and drove off toward a street in the northern part of the city.
—
"Hello, that'll be 188 yuan for the daffodils."
At her family's flower shop, Yu Youqing tied on her apron. Under the warm afternoon sunlight, her skin looked porcelain-smooth with a rosy glow. Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she spoke, and the boy paying for the flowers was momentarily stunned.
"Ah—right! Sorry…"
He blushed and paid before hurrying out of the shop.
Yu Youqing's mother, who was trimming stems and wrapping bouquets nearby, chuckled.
"Look at you. It's only been a month since you started helping at the store, and our business is already up 20%. I'm telling you, forget about that acting dream. So many college grads are out here doing deliveries these days. Your major doesn't matter. Just settle down and take over the flower shop. You'll never go hungry. Do you think becoming a celebrity is that easy?"
"I have given up," Yu Youqing pouted. "I'm not out there hitting up production companies anymore, am I?"
With her looks, getting into the entertainment industry should've been easy. But she'd only wanted to act—not to play along with the unspoken rules. And now, two years post-graduation, no crew would touch her.
"Then why are you always scrolling through those casting notices?"
"Is that a crime? I'm just looking," she said with a sulk.
Just then, the doorbell chimed as a customer entered. She looked up instinctively and said:
"Welcome. What can I help you with?"
She froze.
Just like how Jing Yu had never forgotten this pure and elegant beauty, she, too, clearly remembered the handsome guy from the blind date who had run off without paying the bill.
"…Jing Yu?"
It had only been a few days—his name still lingered in her memory.
"Miss Yu Youqing," Jing Yu said with a charming smile, "do you remember what I said the other day? That maybe we'd have the chance to work together?"
Time to put on a bit of a performance—make a good impression. She didn't know the full situation yet, so he had to sell it first.
"Well, that chance… has arrived. There's a role—a lead role—in a script I wrote."