Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me
Chapter 198 : A Brighter Path Down The Road Of Stardom

Chapter 198: Chapter 198 : A Brighter Path Down The Road Of Stardom

Yan Renzhong returned late in the evening, and found Shen Jingwei curled up on the living room couch, holding his phone in both hands.

"Hey," Shen Jingwei moaned in greeting when Yan Renzhong approached the couch.

"Jingbao? Did something happen?"

Yan Renzhong sat on the couch and dragged the unenergetic lump he loved onto his lap.

"Mmm..."

Shen Jingwei cuddled up against Yan Renzhong and mumbled, "It’s about Jin Zhuo."

Yan Renzhong squinted at him.

"This ’Jin Zhuo’ better be an old grandma you want to help."

"... Why not grandpa?"

"... Because I don’t know your age limit in dating."

"..... Stupid Yan."

Yan Renzhong began to laugh.

"I love you too. So what is it about Jin Zhuo?"

Shen Jingwei recounted the events of the day, starting from the little reunion at Handsome Butler Coffee Shop, Jin Zhuo’s request, the scandal between Zhou Jiuyan and Liu Suansuan, and ending with Shang Ruohai’s rejection.

"I see."

Shen Jingwei pushed himself off Yan Renzhong’s body. He knelt on the couch and looked him deep in the eyes.

"You don’t seem surprised."

Yan Renzhong’s facial expression softened, a resigned smile lacing his lips. He tucked a strand of hair behind Shen Jingwei’s cheek and cradled the latter’s face in his warm hand.

"I have been in CNC Studio for a while now. I was there when the scandal exploded. For all it was worth, I knew both Zhou Jiuyan and Liu Suansuan. I even performed a duet with Liu Suansuan in a singing event."

Shen Jingwei widened his eyes in surprise.

"Really? So... Zhou Jiuyan, was he really just a victim?"

"Yes and no," Yan Renzhong said. "Yes because he didn’t force Liu Suansuan into any dubious affair, and no because he did cheat on his wife and made her suffer for months. But that’s not the point here. Shang Ruohai wants to protect you. You know that, right?"

"...."

"Getting a talent a random role in any drama or movie is as easy as flipping a coin for him. Especially if the roles are inconsequential. The ones filling minor roles in ’Dance Of The Dragons’, for example, are all rookie actors from CNC Studio and Yunhuan Entertainment.

It can be anyone, really. Their acting skills don’t even matter, just their faces and bodies. Their performance in the drama does not matter in hiking up the drama’s rating. If they do their best in their minor roles, they might just attract enough attention to get better roles in the next projects."

"Oh."

"But if he said yes to you and allowed Jin Zhuo to drag behind you without knowing what kind of person Jin Zhuo truly is, one day you might suffer from unknown drawbacks."

"Whatever Jin Zhuo does in the future, it might be linked to you. Jingbao, your career isn’t solid yet. You are just learning to fly, why must you purposefully put on some ankle weights and hinder your flight?"

"..."

That was not what he wanted. All he wanted to do was help, really. In his heart, Shen Jingwei wanted to believe that Jin Zhuo was a kind person who wouldn’t screw him over, but he knew that he did not have any base to support that claim.

Jin Zhuo might just be another Liu Suansuan.

"In my opinion, Shang Ruohai’s solution sounds quite reasonable. Let Jin Zhuo go through CNC Studio’s assessment examination. If he signs with CNC Studio, he will be assigned a mentor, who will guide his career from scratch."

"A mentor?"

For some reason, this term sounded familiar.

Yan Renzhong smiled.

"If you must know, this was how I became Lang Yuxuan’s mentor. I didn’t pick him and he didn’t pick me. It was CNC Studio’s talent regeneration program that assigned him to me. And by the way... this talent regeneration program was one of Shang Ruohai’s successful initiatives as a manager."

"... Oh."

Suddenly it made more sense to him now.

"But wait," Shen Jingwei said with a frown. "You recommended me to others."

"Yes."

"So what will you do if I become another Liu Suansuan and drag you down with me?"

Yan Renzhong cupped Shen Jingwei’s face in his hands and pulled him closer. Shen Jingwei expected a kiss, but Yan Renzhong bit his nose instead.

"... Ow!"

Yan Renzhong snickered.

"That was a risk I was willing to take. What else could I do? You would never sign with CNC Studio on your own accord, so I had to pull strings behind the curtain to make things happen for you."

"Hmmm."

Shen Jingwei pursed his lips.

"So I shouldn’t recommend Jin Zhuo to anyone else? Not even Feng Jietang?"

Feng Jietang was also able to pull strings behind the curtain on behalf of Yunhuan Entertainment.

"If you ask me, better not. Besides, Feng Jietang wouldn’t agree. If he promotes you, it’s because he likes you and respects you as a co-star. He wouldn’t do that for Jin Zhuo, whom he does not know at all. If anything, it will only create a sense of awkwardness between you."

"Hmmm..."

Yan Renzhong’s words made sense. Shen Jingwei toppled onto Yan Renzhong’s lap and grumbled to himself.

"So I have no other choice but to give Jin Zhuo the bad news."

Yan Renzhong patted Shen Jingwei’s head lovingly.

"Unfortunately. But don’t see it as bad news. See it as a brighter path down the road of stardom."

"..."

For some reason, Shen Jingwei was pretty sure that Jin Zhuo wouldn’t see it that way. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, before finally making the call.

Jin Zhuo had been on his toes for several hours. He expected to be on his toes for several more days, but Shen Jingwei’s call crushed every ounce of his hope.

"Oh."

That was all Jin Zhuo had to say. He was too overwhelmed to say anything else. If he tried saying even another word, he might begin to cry on the phone.

"I am sorry, Brother Jin," Shen Jingwei helplessly said. "Nevertheless, I hope that you will head to CNC Studio headquarters and partake in their assessment examination. I am confident that you will pass with flying colors."

Jin Zhuo could only mumble a "Mhm" before he hastily ended the call.

In the next several days, he was practically a zombie among the living. At this rate, even his popularity at the Handsome Butler Coffee Shop was going to decline.

He did not know what to do.

Until one day, a stranger made his appearance and stepped into his life.