Quick Transmigration: The Mad Beauty Refuses to Be the Scapegoat!-Chapter 280 - 18: The Disabled Tycoon’s Ex-Wife Refuses to Be a Scapegoat (18)
"What brings you here today?"
Jiang Lai smiled and handed him a bottle of water, then watched as he unscrewed the cap and took large gulps, his Adam’s apple moving sensually up and down.
"Just dropping by because I have some free time. You look like you’ve lost weight again. Been dieting?"
Lu Yao nodded while putting on his jacket.
"The role requires me to lose ten kilograms, but I’m still not quite there yet."
"Ten kilograms? Will you still look human after slimming down? Who’s making you lose so much?"
Lu Yao laughed and casually shifted the topic.
"Boss, are you here for dinner?"
"Not yet."
"Then I won’t take up your meal time. The way back isn’t far, I can walk myself. You should hurry back and enjoy your dinner."
Jiang Lai felt like laughing hearing him say that.
"Do I look like some kind of fierce predator?"
"Of course not. I genuinely just don’t want to waste your precious time. It’s not like there’s anything major going on."
"No worries, I have time right now. Let’s have dinner together."
Lu Yao pressed his lips together, hearing Jiang Lai’s invitation, and didn’t refuse. He grabbed his backpack and followed her into the car.
The restaurant was even more secluded than he had imagined; there wasn’t a single person around, as if it was just him and Jiang Lai in the whole place.
Lu Yao lowered his gaze slightly, tightly gripped the strap of his backpack, and followed Jiang Lai into the private room.
He knew this day would come sooner or later. After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. No one would be inexplicably kind to you. If she spends even a dime on you, she’ll expect to gain something in return.
If things had to be this way, Lu Yao couldn’t find a way to refuse, so he laughed wryly at himself.
Just as he was prepared for the worst, the room door opened. Bai Qiao, sitting inside, quickly stood up and greeted Jiang Lai courteously.
Seeing Bai Qiao made Lu Yao momentarily stunned, followed by a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it wasn’t what he had thought.
"Since I signed with you guys, I haven’t properly had a meal with you. Let’s consider this as a company gathering, no need to be so formal; no outsiders here."
Perhaps because Jiang Lai was young and had a gentle demeanor, Bai Qiao’s initial nervousness dissipated, and he could even chat and joke with Jiang Lai.
Lu Yao quietly ate his meal. He ate very little, just took a couple of bites and put his chopsticks down, not playing with his phone, and waited silently.
"Bai Qiao is professionally trained, so I’m not worried about his acting skills. Lu Yao, I’m more concerned about you."
Lu Yao looked at Jiang Lai, feeling a bit repressed inside.
"I know, I’ll do my best."
"Some things can’t be achieved with effort alone; they require talent and technique. With your current level, you’re not cut out to carry the role of a supporting male lead in a film. Performing well is expected, but if you perform poorly and lose public favor, it’ll be hard to regain it."
Some things money can’t buy.
Lu Yao was silent for a moment before speaking depressedly.
"Maybe I’m not suited for this role from the start; I could begin with the smallest role."
"How long do you think your prime will last? Have you heard the saying, ’Fame should come early’? Besides, I’m not trying to force growth unnaturally; I know you have talent, it just hasn’t been truly discovered yet."
Even if Jiang Lai hadn’t recruited him, within three years he would have skyrocketed with a great project and achieved stardom, winning Best Actor before turning thirty.
What Jiang Lai needed to do now was to adjust his mindset and address his doubts.
"Which scene are you auditioning for?"
Lu Yao was somewhat puzzled; why was Jiang Lai asking that?
"I’ve read your script. Which scene are you auditioning for?"
"The first encounter with Little Lingdang in front of the sugar water shop." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"The lines? Let me see them."
Lu Yao patiently showed the script lines saved in his phone to Jiang Lai, who quickly glanced over the whole section before putting the phone aside. She took a chopstick to deftly pin up her hair into a bun and rolled her sleeves, looking at Lu Yao, then suddenly said,
"Kid, you keep coming to my shop begging for water. Next time, I’m going to charge you!"
In an instant, Jiang Lai transformed from a poised female boss into a lively, charming young girl. Her smile lit up her eyes, her face was bright with a touch of enchanting pink, and she perfectly embodied the character of a street-side sugar water vendor, even holding an invisible bowl.
Lu Yao, initially dazed, quickly snapped to her meaning and swiftly got into character, scratching his head and smiling unpretentiously and shyly.
"How much for a bowl of water? I’ll pay right away."
"A bowl of water costs as much as a bowl of sugar water, three pence!"
A dock worker, exerting physical labor to earn a living, fished out three pence, grabbed the bowl from her hand, and drank it in one gulp, giving a hearty smile while heading back to the dock, where someone was urging him to hurry.
The young girl with bells around her ankles stood by the stall, holding the empty bowl and laughing exuberantly. Though inherently cheerful and bold from years of roaming the world, her eyes betrayed a touch of a young girl’s coyness, her smile resembling that of wild lilies in spring, melding rawness with purity like a blank page.
The young man was stunned, standing at the dock unable to return to his senses. Only when another person tapped him did he belatedly scratch his head.
Jiang Lai clapped her hands, bringing Lu Yao back to reality, his eyes still reflecting the naive character.
"This isn’t bad at all; don’t think of yourself as acting. Immerse yourself, tell yourself, I am Lu Jianming."
Lu Yao portrays Lu Jianming, who lost his parents at an early age and survived by working at the dock while possessing exceptional martial arts talent, later apprenticing under the world’s top boxer. He becomes famous but eventually falls prey to jealousy and is chased down and killed.
Although not the protagonist, Lu Jianming’s martial arts scenes and emotional scenes are plentiful and equally as important as the main role.
Lu Yao isn’t concerned about the martial scenes, even the film crew’s martial arts coach praises him. The director worries most about the emotional scenes; Lu Jianming’s romance with Little Lingdang is a key factor in his rapid growth, their genuine and touching scenes accounting for a significant portion.
However, Lu Yao can embody a dock worker’s characteristics, yet fails to convey his crush on Little Lingdang.
The director is anxious; no amount of guidance seems to help.
Lu Yao has tried watching replays and understands his issue lies in his eyes; they lack the authenticity of emotion.
At this point, Bai Qiao applauded from the side.
"President Jiang, your acting is amazing! Even though I haven’t seen the script, I knew exactly what you were acting as."
Jiang Lai smiled; although the purity had faded, the brightness in her eyes remained undiminished.
