Jing Yu studied Yu Youqing's face closely: delicate oval features, willow-leaf eyebrows, a straight and elegant nose, thin lips, and most of all—her eyes. When she recognized him, the startled, flustered expression she instinctively showed radiated a kind of natural innocence and that perfect "girl-next-door" charm. Yes… That's exactly the feeling I want.
"Lead actress? Acting?"
Yu Youqing's eyes were wary as she looked at Jing Yu.
All she'd done was accompany her best friend to a blind date event a few days ago. They'd exchanged business cards, and this man had even left the meal unpaid, making her friend foot the bill.
And now, just days later?
He showed up claiming to be offering her the lead role in a TV drama?
Only a naïve web-drama heroine would believe something like that.
Is he a scammer?
Or does he have some other motive?
Yu Youqing's mind flashed back to all the shady people she'd met in the entertainment industry since graduation. While Jing Yu's gaze didn't have the same vulgar and sleazy feel as those people had, she knew better than to let her guard down.
A starring role had landed in her lap?
She didn't hate the world, but she certainly didn't believe in free lunch.
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested. Would you like to buy some flowers, sir?" Yu Youqing took half a step back and smiled politely.
Jing Yu inhaled deeply.
Her reaction was exactly what he expected. If the roles were reversed and someone offered him the chance to be the head writer on a multimillion-dollar production—no conditions, just write the script and the funding would follow—he'd turn it down without hesitation. It'd be too suspicious.
"Miss Yu, please don't be so quick to reject me!"
He had come prepared. He quickly pulled out his employee badge from his jacket pocket, along with other documentation.
"I really am a screenwriter at Jinhui Television. The only reason I've come to you is because you're a perfect visual fit for the female lead of a new drama we're about to begin filming. I know it's all sudden and probably seems reckless, but I hope you won't take me for a scammer."
Yu Youqing glanced at the ID. Having been around the Lancheng media circles, she could easily tell if these things were real or fake. Her suspicion that Jing Yu had faked his identity just to trick her was quickly dispelled.
Behind her, Yu Youqing's mother—far more socially adept—was hiding behind a wall of flowers, eavesdropping with perked ears.
Yu Youqing had grown cynical from her time in the industry and kept her guard up. But her mother? Upon seeing Jing Yu's appearance—tall, handsome, well-spoken—her eyes lit up.
An industry contact?
Here to invite her daughter to be the lead actress?
No joke?
"Apologies, but we're not exactly close," Yu Youqing said with a more neutral tone.
"People only become close by spending time together," Jing Yu said with a warm smile, doing his best to appear cultured and refined.
"Honestly, I was just really impressed by you when we met the other day. Your whole vibe matches the female lead in my upcoming drama almost perfectly. And since you're an actress yourself, I thought—why not take a chance and reach out?"
Was that so?
Yu Youqing had heard all those industry fairytales: a no-name actress gets discovered by a screenwriter, director, or producer—lands a role—and ends up starring in a hit series that launches her to stardom.
Was this… one of those moments?
Just then, her mother stepped out from behind the flowers.
"Oh my, Xiao Qing, what are you doing? A distinguished guest has come all this way, and you're blocking the doorway? Come, come—sir, you and Xiao Qing know each other, right? Come in, please."
She ushered Jing Yu into the back room of the shop.
The flower store was surprisingly spacious—almost 200 square meters. The rear of the store served as a private living space. Upon entering, Jing Yu noticed a framed photo of a middle-aged man hanging on the wall, with an incense burner and some ashes below it.
Her father must have passed away. Her mother runs the shop, and Yu Youqing steps in to help when she's not trying to act.
That one glance told Jing Yu a lot about her family situation.
Meanwhile, Yu Youqing was being shoved inside by her mother against her will.
"Mom, what are you doing? Did I say I was even interested in this guy's project?" she whispered harshly.
Now that he'd been invited in, they'd at least have to offer tea before sending him off—even if she still had no intention of saying yes.
"You don't get it," her mother muttered back. "Opportunities in life don't come knocking every day. You're not interested in the flower shop, so I don't push you on that—but now someone's offering you a lead role and you're still hesitating?"
She rolled her eyes at her daughter.
"Just look at your old dormmate—what's her name again? Right, Tang Yidong. You used to say she was all about money and ambition. But I've seen her as the female lead on White Lovers—that drama everyone's watching—airing on Jinhui's Sunday night prime-time slot!"
"Huh? Her?" Yu Youqing's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'm not here to compare myself to anyone," she said coldly. "She can be the lead actress, I'll be a jobless nobody. We both eat three meals a day. Neither of us is better or worse."
"But you graduated top of your class, and she was ranked near the bottom. How is that fair?" her mother said, clearly frustrated. "I remember when I brought you cold medicine once, all your other dormmates greeted me kindly. But she? She just gave me a look like I stank. I couldn't stand her."
Yu Youqing said nothing. She couldn't exactly tell her mother that Tang Yidong had made it by sleeping with half the influential men in the industry these past two years.
But her mother had a point.
Tang Yidong didn't get along with anyone in their dorm. She was arrogant, self-absorbed, and had no regard for others. She'd cry and laugh on the phone with her boyfriend at 3 a.m., borrow makeup and clothes without asking, and drive everyone nuts.
The two of them had a huge fight in their sophomore year and barely spoke after that.
And yet, their career paths couldn't be more different.
Tang Yidong had gone from supporting roles to secondary leads, and now was the female lead of a primetime drama.
Meanwhile, Yu Youqing had turned down every producer and investor who made those kinds of suggestions, and her résumé was pathetic: one fifth-tier supporting role, then extras… and more extras… and now, nothing.
"Look, the guy's just here to talk business. It's not like he's trying to eat you. Stop wasting time. Go serve him some tea already."
Her mother handed her a tray with tea and snacks and pushed her toward the sitting room.
Yu Youqing sighed, picked up the tray, and carried it in. Jing Yu straightened up politely as she entered.
Looking at this man—the blind date escape artist—it was still hard for her to reconcile that with the idea of a serious, influential screenwriter.
"So, Mr. Jing Yu," she said at last. "Can we talk specifics about this… project you mentioned?"