Jiang Yu’s role was settled.
She would play the female supporting lead in a historical romance drama. Paired with the male supporting lead, they would form a secondary couple with a sacrificial storyline, serving as the emotional core of the series. Both the script and the character were highly appealing. If performed well, it would undoubtedly attract a fanbase. Even with average acting skills, it could still gain popularity through CP marketing.
However, director Li Qinghe didn’t want average acting. The character was a universally despised female villain who ultimately sacrificed herself for the greater good. The role was substantial, with significant character development and nuanced emotional expressions. It wasn’t something just anyone could pull off.
Jiang Yu recited the female lead’s final lines for Li Qinghe, adding subtle facial expressions and body movements. If not for the poor soundproofing and the fear of disturbing others, Li Qinghe would have applauded her on the spot.
He immediately made the decision, instructing his assistant to send over the contract for on-the-spot signing, afraid that the perfect actress he had finally found might slip away.
After everything was settled, Jiang Yu voiced her confusion: “This role is excellent. Why couldn’t you find anyone to play it?” She had skimmed through the first ten episodes of the script where the female supporting lead appeared. Combined with Li Qinghe’s description of the character, she couldn’t understand why he had to lament about it on social media.
The two had finished their meal and moved to a private tea room in the hotel. Li Qinghe took a sip of tea and sighed. “The investors pushed for a young idol with zero acting experience to play the male supporting lead. Most capable actresses declined as soon as they heard about it. There were a few female artists from singing and dancing backgrounds willing to audition, but after trying out several, none of them could capture the character’s presence.”
Jiang Yu looked up from the script and nodded. “I understand.”
Some actors have requirements for their co-stars. If paired with someone who can’t keep up, filming could be dragged down. Working with an idol as a co-star brings even more trouble. One misstep could lead to attacks and slander from their irrational fans.
Actors who focus solely on their craft don’t need to take such risks for a minor role.
Jiang Yu, however, had no such concerns.
She was publicly known as married, so even if CP marketing happened off-screen, it could easily be framed as a “sibling” relationship, making it less likely to provoke backlash from the co-star’s fans.
“You taking this role is a huge help. I was really worried the production would be delayed if we couldn’t finalize the cast.” Li Qing raised his teacup and clinked it with Jiang Yu’s. “Looking forward to working with you.”
Jiang Yu smiled and clinked her cup in return. “By the way, who is the actor playing the male supporting lead? I’d like to learn more about him in advance to make our collaboration smoother.”
“Zhang Yihuan.”
—
After Li Qinghe left, Jiang Yu finally flipped over her phone, which had been lying face down on the table. Unlocking the screen, she saw another string of missed calls.
Most were from Zhao Huiru and Qin Huaiyu. They probably wanted to kill her by now. That thought alone made her feel great!
There were also two missed calls from Song Yun an hour ago.
She called back.
“Xiao Yu, why didn’t you answer the phone earlier?” Song Yun picked up, sounding concerned. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Since getting married, Jiang Yu hadn’t worked outside, spending most of her time at home. It was unlikely she was too busy to answer a call.
“I was out with friends and didn’t check my phone,” Jiang Yu’s tone was light, carrying a hint of laziness. “Did you need something?”
“Oh, your grandmother suddenly decided to host a family dinner and wants everyone to gather at the old house.” Song Yun wasn’t pleased with this sudden decision. “I told them you were injured recently and couldn’t make it today. But for some reason, your grandmother insisted that every member of the Jiang family must attend. It’s like she’s deliberately making things difficult for you. Don’t worry, if you don’t want to go, just ignore it…”
“It’s fine, it’s just a meal,” Jiang Yu quickly reassured Song Yun, worried she might get too worked up. “I actually have something to ask Dad anyway, so I was planning to go home. This just means heading to the old house instead.”
Hearing this, Song Yun’s frustration eased. Though she still wasn’t happy with the old house’s attitude, she just let out a proud “hmph” and reminded Jiang Yu to bring Qin Yan along to avoid gossip from the relatives.
After agreeing repeatedly, Jiang Yu hung up and poured herself another cup of tea.
That morning, she had asked the manager to show her around the hotel.
The Hua’an Hotel series, part of the Jiang Group’s luxury hotel chain, was once found all over the country. Now, only the one in Bincheng remained.
This wasn’t surprising.
Today’s Hua’an, with its outdated facilities and unremarkable service, couldn’t compete with the neighboring Stardome Hotel, a rising star known for its scenic views.
Without upgrading its hardware, it would be hard to regain a foothold in the luxury market. A different approach was needed.
She could discuss this with Old Jiang when she went home tonight. Oh, and she also needed to ask what conditions were negotiated with the Qin family back then to secure the investment.
—
The Jiang family’s old house was located in the old district at the end of North Street, nearly a two-hour drive from the city center, longer if there was traffic.
Old Master Jiang had passed away early, leaving only Madam Jiang and Jiang Yu’s uncle’s family of four living in the old house.
Usually, family dinners were just Jiang Yu’s immediate family gathering for a simple meal at the old house.
But today, there were more people than usual. Song Yun and Jiang Dachuan were taken aback when they arrived first.
“Is your mother suddenly celebrating a big birthday? Why did she invite your cousin’s family, too?” Song Yun was already annoyed that Madam Jiang insisted on calling their recently discharged daughter all the way over for a simple meal. Seeing the crowded old house only added to her frustration. She shot sharp glances at Jiang Dachuan.
“…” Jiang Dachuan lowered his head, not daring to speak.
He thought to himself, How would I know? I’m not on their side.
“Dachuan, you’re here,” Jiang Dahe came out from the inner room, patted Jiang Dachuan on the shoulder, and led him toward the dining area. “It’s been a while since we last caught up, brother. And since Brother-in-law Fu is here today, the three of us can share a couple of good bottles of wine!”
Cousin Jiang Suying was the daughter of Old Master Jiang’s elder brother. Her husband, Fu Shunwen, was once just an ordinary employee at the Jiang family’s Huajiang Corporation. Thanks to his marriage to Jiang Suying, he had since risen to become one of the group’s senior executives.
Logically speaking, his rapid promotion was largely due to Jiang Dachuan’s favoritism based on their family ties. However, after Jiang Dahe led Jiang Dachuan to the dining table, Fu Shunwen only greeted him with lukewarm indifference.
Song Yun, left alone on the spot, wasn’t annoyed either. After all, she couldn’t be bothered to engage in hypocritical pleasantries with these people. There was a small pavilion not far from the courtyard gate, so she simply sat there for a while, waiting for her precious daughter to arrive.
A Husky was kept in the courtyard. Fu Shaoqing, Jiang Suying’s daughter, was brushing its loose fur with a comb.
Jiang Han, Jiang Dahe’s daughter, first glanced toward the small pavilion, then lowered her eyes and flicked away the dog hair that had drifted onto her exquisite little-chic suit. Disgusted, she kept urging, “Alright, cousin, this dog runs around outside every day, all dirty. Why bother with it?”
“This dog clearly hasn’t been cared for. Its fur is almost matted,” Fu Ziqing patiently gathered the brushed-off fur into a pile and stood up with a smile. “Done.”
After Fu Shaoqing disposed of the fur ball and washed her hands, Jiang Han pulled her over to the small pavilion and sat opposite Song Yun. “Auntie.”
Song Yun casually exchanged a few pleasantries in response.
She was relatively familiar with Jiang Han. After all, she was Jiang Dachuan’s niece. Song Yun had even held her as a baby. However, this child, along with her younger brother, had been somewhat influenced by their parents, developing a tendency to fawn over the powerful and look down on the weak, driven solely by self-interest. Song Yun couldn’t bring herself to like them.
As for Fu Shaoqing, she had only met her a few times. Fu Shaoqing had been studying abroad and rarely returned. The last time they met was two or three years ago, when she was still a little girl who hadn’t fully grown up. Now, she had become a young woman.
“Auntie, didn’t Jiang Yu come with you?” Jiang Han glanced toward the courtyard gate but saw nothing.
Song Yun replied casually, “She’ll come a bit later.”
“I heard my brother-in-law has been in Bincheng recently. He should be coming, too, right?” Jiang Han smiled innocently, as if just making casual conversation. “Speaking of which, Jiang Yu has been married for half a year now, hasn’t she? But none of us in the family have seen Qin Yan more than a few times. Is she hiding him away like a treasure, unwilling to show him off to us?”
Song Yun’s expression remained unchanged, but inside, she had already mentally torn Jiang Han apart.
Why bring up such a sore subject!
Not to mention you all, even her own daughter probably hadn’t seen Qin Yan more than a few times!
She didn’t believe Jiang Han was unaware of this situation. It was clearly meant to provoke.
Just as Song Yun was about to step up and defend her daughter, a clear, crisp voice came from the direction of the courtyard gate. “You can’t blame me for hiding him away. If my cousin is already interested after seeing him just a few times, I’m afraid that if she saw him more often, our family might end up with some scandal. That would be quite embarrassing to talk about.”
Jiang Yu was wearing a loose black hoodie, without a bag, and had casually tucked her car keys into the hoodie pocket. She wore a delicate, innocent smile on her face, looking sunny and harmless. She was far more convincing than Jiang Han’s act.
She had sent Qin Yan a message before coming, but he hadn’t replied. She wasn’t sure if he would show up later.
But it didn’t matter. It wouldn’t affect her ability to strike back.
“Jiang Yu, what do you mean by that?!” Jiang Han’s face flushed with anger, completely unprepared for Jiang Yu, who usually acted like a soft pushover, to say something so brazen. “I was just asking casually, making a joke. Why do you have to say something so insulting?”
She gave Jiang Yu a once-over, feeling that something about this person seemed different today.
Perhaps it was because she wasn’t speaking in that affected, high-pitched tone today?
“Hey~” Jiang Yu ran over and sat down next to Song Yun, waving her hand dismissively. “What are you saying, cousin? I was just playing along with your joke. You’re not really angry, are you?”
—
Qin Yan had just finished an afternoon-long meeting and sneezed loudly as soon as he stepped out of the conference room.
“Oh dear, did you say something sharp-tongued again and get cursed at?” Secretary Fang handed Qin Yan his phone. “Shall I still take you back to Huayuan?”
Qin Yan glanced at the message someone had sent him two hours ago, pursed his lips hesitantly, and replied vaguely, “Mm.”
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152