Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me
Chapter 48 : Mother’s Merciless Slap

Chapter 48: Chapter 48 : Mother’s Merciless Slap

Shen Jingwei and Zhu Dongyi exited their vehicle onto the cobblestone street, their luggage neatly stacked on a trolley.

The Peak Point Shooting Studio was open to the public, with CNC Studio and Yunhuan Entertainment generating revenue through their adjacent hotel, restaurant, and other facilities.

To their left stood the imposing CNC Hotel, owned by CNC Studio, while the grand Yunhuan Hotel, belonging to Yunhuan Entertainment, was on their right.

The cast members from CNC Studio naturally stayed in CNC Hotel, and the ones from Yunhuan Entertainment in Yunhuan Hotel.

And what about the ones who belonged to neither just like Shen Jingwei?

They had the privilege to choose between the two giants of the entertainment industry.

Whichever hotel they selected, they risked antagonizing the other party. It was a classic lose-lose situation.

Zhu Dongyi cleared his throat.

"Honestly, I don’t know which one to pick," he said.

Shen Jingwei let out a burst of cheerless laughter.

"It does feel like walking a tightrope toward oblivion."

And then, a familiar voice called out to them from Yunhuan Hotel’s direction.

"Little Shen, yahoooo! Over here, over here!"

Feng Jietang, lounging at a patio seating area outside of Yunhuan Hotel’s restaurant with Lin Ruoye, was waving at them excitedly.

"If you haven’t chosen a hotel yet, I can strongly recommend our beautiful Yunhuan Hotel. We’re on the same floor with a beautiful view of the hotel’s pool and party area. The air over here is incredibly refreshing."

Lin Ruoye nodded politely toward Shen Jingwei and Zhu Dongyi.

"Senior Shen, Manager Zhu, nice to see you again."

Zhu Dongyi leaned closer to Shen Jingwei.

"Little Shen, aren’t you familiar with Mr. Feng and Miss Lin? Why don’t we just stay in Yunhuan then? If that’s the case, maybe it’s best if we quickly go inside, before anyone from CNC..."

Zhu Dongyi almost bit into his own tongue when another car arrived behind him.

Out came three people -- Shang Ruohai, Yan Renzhong, and Lang Yuxuan.

Shang Ruohai took off his sunglasses and shot Shen Jingwei a smile as radiant as the sun shining above their heads.

"Oh, look at whom we have here. Hello, Shen Jingwei."

Shen Jingwei’s cheek muscles pulled into a stiff smile.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Shang."

He gave Yan Renzhong and Lang Yuxuan the briefest nods of acknowledgment, secretly cursing himself for his indecisiveness.

"Where are you two going to stay?" Shang Ruohai asked.

"Uh."

Shen Jingwei inadvertently tightened his grip on his trolley handle.

He couldn’t just say, "Yunhuan," could he?

After all he just recently benefited from playing a role in Chun Yao’s MV. He did not want to act like an ungrateful person, who vanished without a trace after basking in the warmth of other’s kindness.

Shang Ruohai must have seen the hesitation in Shen Jingwei’s eyes, because he swiftly capitalized on it.

"It’s my first shooting period in this drama. You and I have a lot of lines to go through. Why don’t we stay close to each other?"

"..."

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

Feng Jietang jumped over the railing and marched toward the group in long strides.

"Technically, Shen Jingwei has a lot of lines to go through with me as well. He should stay at Yunhuan Hotel," he said with a roguish grin.

Once Feng Jietang stood before him, Shang Ruohai looked him up and down.

"Who are you, again?" He asked with a slight frown, effectively wiping the grin off Feng Jietang’s face.

Whether Shang Ruohai truly did not know Feng Jietang was not known, but his question made Lang Yuxuan suffer from a giggling fit and Shen Jingwei hold his breath in tension.

"I am the one playing Jiang Muchen in the drama!" Feng Jietang cried out in a mixture of indignation and disbelief.

Even if Shang Ruohai did not know what role Feng Jietang played in the drama, he should know Feng Jietang by name and reputation, right? Right??? After all, he was second only to Yan Renzhong! Emperor Yan’s bitterest rival!

"Ah."

A cloud of understanding settled on Shang Ruohai.

He looked Feng Jietang up and down a second time, his facial expression relaxed into a slight smile.

"Apologies, I am only familiar with the main characters."

The air crackled with unconcealed animosity, amplified only by the deafening silence. A single spark was all it took for everything to go up in the air.

And then, it went from bad to worse.

"Good boy. Be obedient and listen to your mother," Shang Ruohai said while adjusting Feng Jietang’s collars. "The future Heavenly Emperor needs Shen Jingwei more than a mere prince from Shuiran Palace."

"....."

Before Feng Jietang suffered from heart attack, Lin Ruoye stepped forward as a buffer.

"Mr. Shang, nice to meet you, I am Lin Ruoye from Yunhuan Entertainment."

Lin Ruoye extended her hand in Shang Ruohai’s direction, who took it gracefully.

"I’ve been a devoted fan of your work for years. Your performances have been a source of inspiration and motivation for me. It would be an incredible honor to act alongside you in this drama. Your guidance during this project would be invaluable and would help us grow as actors."

A corner of Shang Ruohai’s lips tugged up into a smirk.

"Why, CNC Studio recruiters must have been a fool to pass up a gem such as yourself."

And then, he just had to throw one last jab at Feng Jietang.

"You should learn a thing or two from your junior, Mr. Feng."

Poor Feng Jietang was at a loss of words.

Shang Ruohai seized the opportunity to drag Shen Jingwei to his side.

"Let’s go then, Shen Jingwei. We can pick our hotel rooms together," Shang Ruohai led him toward the CNC Hotel.

"Oh, but..."

Shen Jingwei threw a concerned look in Feng Jietang’s direction.

"Senior Shang," came Lang Yuxuan’s sweet, soothing, and melodious voice from the side. "If Senior Shen would rather stay at Yunhuan Hotel, I think we should not force him to stay at CNC Hotel."

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Author’s note :

Mini theater!

Emergency Care Unit : Male, 27, suffers from extensive burns after enduring a vicious verbal assault by a senior from a rival entertainment company. We need all the help we can get!

Lin Ruoye : Senior Feng, you must stay strong! ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡

Feng Jietang : F*ck everyone from CNC Studio!!! ┻⁠┻⁠︵⁠ヽ⁠(⁠`⁠Д⁠´⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠︵⁠┻⁠┻